Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Protecting Houses of Worship, Part 1
A very useful two part series on church security. Read Part Two Here.
Spare Gun Parts: Why You Need Them Now
I personally believe that one’s firearms education should also contain the skills needed to diagnose and repair your own firearms. You should also have spare parts. That’s one of the many factors that goes into my chosen carry guns. I know how to fix them all.
The truth about rifles for hearth and home
Debating on whether a rifle is the best home defense weapon? A whole bunch of top trainers weigh in on the topic in this article. Keep in mind that the majority of the trainers interviewed come from a military background and would naturally favor a rifle over a handgun. I don’t think there is anything wrong with either, depending on exactly what you are doing. Picking up the kids and moving to a safe room? Choose the pistol. Barricaded in the safe room with the bad guy breaking down the door? I like the additional firepower the rifle offers.
The M1 Carbine, A Great Gun For Youth And Small Framed People
I once dated a woman who had a pre-teen son. They boy was very much into guns and I enjoyed taking him shooting. He was too small to be able to adequately run even my lightest AR-15. With an M-1 Carbine, the boy was a shooting ace. There’s something about this rifle that makes it an excellent weapon for smaller-statured people.
Skills Check: 10-Yard Bullseye Drill
This is the shooting drill I’ve been doing cold every range session this year. I personally like to see a score of 95 or greater. If my score drops to below 90, I know I need to increase my practice frequency.
Wounds and Lacerations
This article is intended for ER physicians and contains great information about dealing with common wounds. The astute lay reader will be able to understand put into practice the majority of the concepts the author discusses.
Just the Tip: Understanding Ammunition
A primer on the terminology used in describing various cartridges and bullets.
Awareness and Managing Unknown Contacts: Before a Harsh Word or a Gun
Craig’s MUC coursework is some of the most useful training a gun owner can take.
“In the grand scheme of things, this aspect of MUC “is a way to give gun guys social literacy,” according to Douglas. As we live our lives in society, we ought not immediately start screaming at strangers to “get the fuck away!” or draw down on people just because they approach us in public space.”
A lot of people are drawn to the firearms world out of fear. They lack the “social literacy” to properly evaluate potential threats. Learning more about this topic would benefit most people far more than taking another carbine course.
Shot Timers & Self-Defense Training: How Much Speed Do You Need?
Tamara writes some very important words here. Having a .18 shooting split may not be the most desirable skill set when your decision-making process takes .25 seconds to complete.
5 Easy Ways to Protect Your WiFi Network
Most of you reading this page are concerned with your physical security. Are you paying equal attention to your digital security?
Burning Man Through the Eyes of an Army Sniper
I’ve participated in five of the last seven Burning Man events.
This is one of the best descriptions of Burning Man that I’ve ever read. If you don’t understand why 80,000 people journey to an inhospitable desert every year, read this.
“At Burning Man, we’ve found a way to break out of the box that confines us. What we do, literally, is take people’s reality and break it apart. Burning Man is a transformation engine- it has hardware and it has software, you can adjust it and tweak it. And we’ve done that. We take people out to this vast dry place, nowhere, very harsh conditions. It strips away their luggage, the things they’ve brought with them, of who they thought they were. And it puts them in a community setting where they have to connect with each other, in a place where anything is possible. In doing so, it breaks their old reality and helps them realize they can create their own.”
– Michael Michaels
“Burners are exceptionally skilled at functioning during chaotic crises when normal services- running water, electricity, communication channels and sanitation systems- are not available. Burners don’t just survive in such an environment; they create culture, art, and community there.”
– Peter Hirshberg
“The alternative is unconsciousness, the default setting, the rat race, the constant gnawing sense of having had, and lost, some infinite thing.”
– David Foster Wallace
Review: MagFix Floorplate for S&W Shield Magazines
Paul Carlson’s “Mag Fix” is a great option for S&W Shield pistols. I have them on all my Shield magazines.
21 Rifle Shooting Stats: Criminal and Terrorism Video Analysis
An analysis of how criminals and terrorists use rifles against people like me and you.
5 Leadership Tips From A Man With A Beard
I know a lot of “leaders” who haven’t quite mastered these concepts…
Revisiting the Modern Service Revolver
Some industry “best practices” for carrying a defensive revolver.
Understanding and Applying Automaticity In the defensive scenario
Automaticity is an important concept in self protection training.
THE FUTURE IS DRONE WARFARE
If you don’t agree, you should really read Daniel Suarez’ book Kill Decision.
1934 FBI Shooting Qualification
Claude Werner sent this one to me. It’s the monthly firearms qualification for an FBI agent in 1934.
I submit that having our current cops fire this course monthly would yield better real-world results than all of the “training” cops currently get.
Rifle Scope Parallax Explained in Plain English
A very good explanation (in short video form) of scope parallax and how to eliminate it.
Tradecraft: Pat Mac on Spy Knowledge and Not Becoming a Victim
Pat Mac provides some tips for staying safe both at home and abroad.
First Battlefield Pickup IRL I’ve Ever Seen
Even if it doesn’t happen very often, you should at least be aware of the concept of “battlefield pickup” as well as the advantages and disadvantages arming yourself with your opponent’s weapon creates.
Bone, not adrenaline, drives fight or flight response
Fascinating stuff. How many of you KNEW that the “fight or flight” response is caused by the body releasing adrenaline? I did. Now this experiment casts some doubt on this “settled science.”
In the future, a lot of things we know today as “truth” will be proven to be completely false. I’m excited to see the outcome as we watch knowledge and possibility begin to pierce the veil of widespread ignorance in the world. We simply don’t know what we don’t know.
Traumatic Brain Injury Causes Intestinal Damage
One more science article for you today. This study provides yet another reason to reduce heavy head contact while sparring. With all the concussions I’ve had in car accidents, playing football, and boxing over the years, it makes me wonder how badly I’ve screwed up my body.
Mistakes to Avoid
Claude Werner exhorts you to learn from other gun owners’ mistakes before you make your own.
Practical Shooting: Essays on Shooting, Tactics and Training from a Grandmaster
What I’m reading…
I was privileged to train with Ron twice before he died. He taught me quite a bit. I’m looking forward to seeing his writing.
Why you react the way you do in a crisis, according to a former Navy psychologist
“At its core, our tendency to freeze and resort to fight or flight mode the moment we sense any sense of danger (however small) typically stems from a sense of helplessness. Training and preparation, Shilling says, “can give [us] a sense of control.” We can’t always predict how we’ll react in a critical situation, but we can train ourselves to use a set of practices, should we ever find ourselves needing them.”
.22LR Handgun for Self-Defense? CCI Velocitor Review
His conclusions seem pretty viable to me. Very few .22 rounds expand out of a short-barreled pistol. I look more towards optimizing penetration in this caliber. I carry Velocitors in all my .22s. The CCI Stinger and Mini-Mag are also good choices.
“Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the ED”: Common Diving Emergencies
A lot of my friends and readers are divers. This article describes how to diagnose a lot of the medical problems people experience underwater.
The Tactical Shotgun: Early Beginnings to Modern Terminology Part 1
There is some quality shotgun information in this article series. Read Part Two as well.
If you need even more splattergat content, read World War 1 History: Germany Declares Shotgun Inhumane.
Bawidamann Huginn EDC Knife on RECOILtv Mail Call
This is a really well designed defensive blade. Ben made me some trainers in this pattern to use in my knife classes and the students love them.
BCM TRAINING TIP – LAV’S 50% RULE
Watch this short video and take Larry’s advice. If you do, you’ll also watch your AR-15 “problems” go away.
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