Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
“Massive Errors” By FBI Undercounted Number Of Armed Citizens Thwarting Active Shootings
“Data released by the nonprofit shows that 34.4% of active shootings were thwarted by armed citizens between 2014 and 2021. However, FBI data show only 4.4% of active shootings were thwarted by armed citizens during that time period.”
VIDEO|Brutal Attack on Woman in New York Subway Underscores Deeper Problems
This is a horrible attack and I understand its impact on the victim. But I disagree with the author’s premise that men should automatically step up to protect female victims in scenarios like this.
The victim was an adult. She has the same opportunities that I have to study martial arts and fighting or to carry a weapon (or at least move to a location where she can carry a weapon). She chose not to pursue those courses of action whereas I have spent many years of my life, many hours in the hospital, and tens of thousands of dollars perfecting my skill set for this very emergency. Why should she benefit from my training, hard work and lifetime of pain if she is unwilling to do the the same work herself?
Lots of women crave “equality” with men. I support that idea. Women should absolutely be the equal of men. But that means that I treat the women the same way that I treat the men in my life. If I wouldn’t step up to save a dude in this situation, why should I be obligated to do so because the victim is female? Equality is equality. And I absolutely would not intervene in this attack if the victim was male.
There is zero personal gain in intervening in an attack like this. In addition to the physical risks it presents, in today’s world you also risk being put in prison if the prosecutor thinks he can get any political notoriety out of your trial. You stand to lose hundred of thousands of dollars in a lawsuit if you act. If you walk away you will suffer no negative consequences. That makes the decision very clear to me.
“Not your people, not your problem.” Enjoy the Decline.
Avoid Negligent Discharges While Carrying Concealed
Quality advice for concealed carriers.
Police look for man accused of armed bank robbery in Upper Arlington
It might be time to develop a new “mental map” of what a reflective vest means. I’m seeing quite a few criminals commit their crimes while wearing reflective vests.
Instead of automatically thinking “utility worker” or “road construction,” perhaps we should be thinking “bank robber.”
Mouse fart rounds for self-defense? .22 .380 .38 .32
I believe that many people would do better with a “Mouse Fart Gun” than with a full sized pistol that they don’t feel comfortable carrying. As I type this out in a hotel room, I have a S&W .22 magnum “mouse fart” snub in the pocket of my gym shorts.
Why You Need a Pocket Gun….Even if You Don’t Pocket Carry
Even more pocket gun content…
“A pocket gun, whether actually pocket carried or not, is a valuable weapon to have in your arsenal. A gun that is generally small enough to pocket carry proves truly small enough to disappear on the human body. These little guns are difficult to shoot well and they are far less capable than a full-size or compact pistol but they facilitate carry when otherwise you would be unarmed. Carry the most capable gun you can at all times that you can, but if restricted to a pocket gun or nothing the pocket gun is the much better option.”
Shocking moment Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz tells a psychiatrist how he meticulously planned 2018 attack
Details of the Parkland school shooting revealed in interviews with the killer.
Is A Pistol Light A Good Idea?
Tamara provides some education in this piece. I carried a WML as a uniformed police officer. My bedside handgun wears a SureFire X-300 and a DG grip switch. My CCW piece does not have a light except when I go to the one activity where the utility of the light is unmatched.
Development of Rimfire Ammunition
A deep dive into the history of rimfire cartridge development.
The Rimfire Report: Federal Personal Defense Punch Rimfire .22 WMR
Speaking of rimfires, here are some ballistic and velocity tests of the new Punch .22 Magnum cartridges.
The Strategic Danger of our Situation in Healthcare
Most people have no idea how fragile our health care system is.
“Looking for one inpatient bed, looking for two intensive care unit beds, can be the labor of hours to days. Much less, as I have pointed out, the difficulty getting them transported once the beds are available.
Now, imagine looking for 50 ICU beds for patients with severe burns. Imagine trying to find 2000 hospital beds for patients with an unknown but life-threatening infection that (for example) causes dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea. Consider finding 10,000 beds for victims of an earthquake in an urban area where there were crush injuries and fire.
Those beds wouldn’t be available. Even national guard units would take days to ramp up capacity, and their use of deployed personnel would strip staff from their civilian jobs.
Any of these nightmare events, especially coupled with supply chain issues and diminished energy resources, would be incalculable tragedies with ripples and repercussions for a decade.”
11 Research Based Concealed Carry Tips From Criminal Video Analysis
An interesting analysis of 30 different shootings caught on video. Take a look at his conclusions, but recognize this is an observational study with serious selection bias. The selection of videos he reviews may not be even close to indicative of the “typical” gunfight. That doesn’t mean the information is useless. One of the prime goals of studying and training is to “remove novelty.” The more gunfights your brain sees and processes, the more likely your brain will be able to quickly process threat cues and make a rational decision should you ever have to face a similar event.
Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication
What I’m reading…
If you are curious, listen to the author’s interview on The Art of Manliness Podcast.
The Standard Model of Explaining the Irrationality of Defensive Gun Ownership
Many academics believe that gun use is irrational. Here’s why they believe this is so. Dr. Yamane provides a series of videos disputing their primary assertions. Watch Part Two as well.
How To Use An AR-15
Some AR-15 basics.
Shooting at moving vehicles
A review of the case law covering shooting at cars.
Disguised Good Samaritan Turns Into Robber
Things are not always what they seem to be.
Is Carrying a Knife for Self-Defense a Good Idea?
Knife wizard Steve Tarani gives some good advice about defensive knife carry.
Tough to watch…
“The people who do well in these situations not only see the situation developing, they recognize it for what it is, have a plan to execute in that situation, and the skills available to execute the plan.”
WhisperLite Stove Review — Emergency Survival Cooking Tutorial
I’ve used my MSR Whisperlite International stove for more than 30 years. The thing is bomb proof and runs on any liquid fuel you can throw at it.
5 Titans Who Influenced Revolvers, Ammo & Handgun Shooting
If you are a student of the art, you should know these historic pistoleros and read their work.
Shotguns – do they still have a place?
“What are the benefits of the shotgun? First and foremost, effectiveness. The shotgun is an exceptionally effective reactive or pro-active firearm within its parameters and with appropriate ammunition. The second is its legality, both actual and perceived. There are very few bans on what we consider to be appropriately set up defensive shotguns. Additionally, shotguns are not saddled with the negative connotations some rifles may suffer from in the media and with the public – your potential jury pool.”
For some more shotgun content, read the Idaho Post Shotgun Instructor manual (opens to PDF). Once you get good, try the Texas TCOLE Shotgun Qual and the Shotgun Casino Drill.
The Shotgun Violin Reload
One more bit of shotgun content for you today. Almost all shotgun schools teach loading with the support side hand. That works great if you practice a lot.
When I was training my officers, they often only fired the shotguns a couple times a year. With limited practice, they did far better loading with their dominant hand.
The method displayed in the video is also the way to go if you are carrying spare ammo in a stock butt cuff.
Officer down
Frightening, but unfortunately the analysis is right on the mark.
An officer getting beaten up and having his cruiser stolen by a naked woman was once cause for ridicule and termination. No longer. He’ll be chief in a couple years.
And if that isn’t enough, you can watch this cop getting his ass handed to him by a 15-year old.
Why do you think that the cops responding to your 911 call could effectively fight off a criminal attacking you when they can’t even save themselves from naked women and teenagers?
A History of the Infamous RPG-7
Everyone should understand how RPGs work. The photo above is me shooting one in Cambodia about a decade ago. Read Adventures with RPGs and Hand Grenades for the details of that day.
Some of the above links (from Amazon.com) are affiliate links. If you purchase these items, I get a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
