Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
The Duty to Not Make S**t Worse
“The gun owners making shit worse aren’t fighting terror or tyranny, and they aren’t advancing the cause of gun rights. They’re just making themselves look stupid, and helping the anti-gun side paint us all as moronic extremists. The rest of us 2nd Amendment advocates are letting the crazies drive the gun rights bus. And we need to stop letting them represent us.”
Where Do You Draw The Line On The Gear You Carry?
This is a great article from Hock. Think about all the crap that you carry every day. Do you really need it? Do you actually need more? I don’t care if your EDC is nothing but a pocket knife. I also don’t care if you believe you need three pistols, extra ammo, and a plate carrier to survive your daily activities. What I do care about is that YOU have thought about the issues and have made an intelligent decision to prepare for the most likely threats you may face. Too many people choose their daily carry load by social conventions or by mimicking what some tactical guru does. Think for yourself and make your own decisions.
Home Made Caltrops
Ed has a pretty devious idea here….simple and brilliant. I might make up a few of these to keep in my car for one of those really bad days.
Customer Fights Off Robber Inside Deli, Shot Fired
This is for all the “I’m ALWAYS aware of my surroundings and NEVER let anyone get close enough to attack me” crowd…
You don’t think this attack could happen to you? You never pay for things at a cash register with your back turned to the store?
Watch the video of this attack. Lots of lessons to learn. The criminal saw the victim’s poorly concealed firearm and tried to take it. Wait, I thought “open carry deters criminals?” Not in this case. When the initial gun grab wasn’t successful, the criminal continued the attack with a takedown from behind. No asking for money. No display of weapon. No demands. Just brute force. Most of the CCW folks I train are honestly unprepared for this type of attack. They may be prepared to shoot, but they aren’t prepared to fight.
The victim’s gun fell to the ground during the fight and the criminal picked it up. The criminal then tried to shoot the victim with his own gun. Do you carry your weapon in a quality holster? Will it stay in place in a violent struggle like this? Do you know how to retain your weapon when a criminal grabs it in a struggle? Do you know how to disarm/deflect the gun when it is being wielded by a criminal?
Be honest with yourself when you answer these questions. The majority of CCW carriers that I have met would fail this test in the same way the victim did in this attack.
You will also want to take a look at John Mosby’s analysis of the incident as well.
Muzzle Velocity vs. Barrel Length
Please understand that muzzle energy does NOT equal stopping power. Mass and velocity are two important factors in figuring out what a bullet will do, but bullet construction and where the bullet hits also play a very important role. With that said, it’s interesting to see what barrel length provides for optimal velocity in a given round. Some bullets that perform great in a four inch barrel completely shit the bed when fired out of a two inch barrel.
Welcome to the Jungle
” I would advise against trying to bring civilization to the jungle on your own. Your chances of success are pretty low, but your chances of screwing up your future (assuming you get to have one) are pretty high. It is, quite simply, not worth it.”
When I shared this story on my Facebook wall, John Hearne of DVC Targets reminded me of another example of a person who chose to intervene when he really wasn’t prepared to do so.
Street Gangs, Tax Fraud and ‘Drop Hoes’
If you are interested in the world of tax fraud and financial crimes, here’s a new word for your vocabulary. I am pleased to introduce you to the “Drop Ho.”
Todd shares 30 great shooting drills that can be done on a single target. Give some of these a try!
Used S&W Semi-Autos: The Most Underrated Pistols At Your Gun Store
I carried a 3rd generation S&W autopistol both on duty and off for seven years. I was also responsible for fixing all the department S&W guns that broke. Overall, the guns were reliable and held up great. They were heavy and the transition between double and single action trigger took quite a bit of training to master. If you could pick up one of their DAO guns, you essentially have a revolver that has a slightly lighter trigger and carries 16 9mm bullets. That’s not a bad firearm choice for someone who doesn’t get to the range much.
Defensive Daddy also weighs in on the issue HERE.
Being prepared with your go bag
I primer on the types of supplies you may want to have ready at hand in the event of an emergency. For a more detailed list check out my articles on Bug Out Bags and Get Home Bags. While you are packing, don’t forget one for your pet.
Beyond Locks Reinforced Security Strike Door Plate Installation and Review
The Short Barrel Shepherd talks about a simple solution to prevent many door kick-ins. Legendary police chief and trainer Jeff Chudwin also recommends that you check out the Door Devil.
Muzzle Brake: Summary of Field Test Results
Precision Rifle Blog’s complete summary of their very comprehensive testing of more than 20 different muzzle brakes.
What does training do?
Kathy Jackson shares some important ideas here. You won’t like to hear what she says, but she’s right:
“If you haven’t had at least one serious training class — over and above the state-required permit class — the chances are that your gunhandling isn’t as good as you believe it is. This is especially and particularly true if you grew up in a gun-owning family and have handled firearms throughout your entire life starting from childhood.”
If you liked Kathy’s article, check out her book Cornered Cat.
Pensions: ‘I Am A Retired Detroit Cop. I Hope This Will Not Happen To You.
My cop friends need to pay attention. Too many of you are placing all of your eggs in one basket, betting that your pension will still be there when you retire. What if it isn’t? Where’s your backup plan?
Instead of working all that overtime to pad a pension that may not exist when you retire, spend that time creating multiple alternate income streams…preferably income streams that have nothing to do with law enforcement.
AND NOW, FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT…
And speaking of police work, here’s a quality guest post on Massad Ayoob’s blog about the changing nature of police work and how cops are judged differently today than they were in the past. Blights and Sirens comments on a hypothetical outcome of such changes that most “reformers” aren’t considering.
Homeowner shoots suspects during home invasion
Read this story of a planned home invasion. The suspects were carrying Zip Ties in order to restrain the residents of the home. This is becoming a more common tactic. Not convinced? How about this story where a police officer was bound and tortured in his own home? Defeating restraints is a very useful skill to have. I will be covering techniques to break out of zip ties, duct tape, rope, and handcuffs in my upcoming Unthinkable class with William Aprill. If you are in the Washington DC area, you should come learn how to escape these common restraint implements. Register HERE.
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* Some of the above links (from Amazon.com) are affiliate links. If you purchase these items, I get a small percentage of the selling price. Y
