Knowledge to make your life better.  If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.

When Is Using Your CCW a Mistake?

Learning How to Master Red-Dot-Equipped Pistols

Mike Pannone gives us some red dot tips.  Turn the volume on your speakers down.  This site has a loud auto play pop-up ad.  Need more red dot advice?  Read Red-Dot Occlusion Training: A Performance-Booster for You & Your Optic-Equipped Handgun.

How The Glock 17 Gen 6 Withstood A Week Of Punishment

The first 1000 rounds out of a new Generation 6 Glock.

GunBroker and Tips for Buying a Used Firearm

I purchase a lot  of my newly-acquired guns from GunBroker.  Here’s how to avoid being taken by a scam or an improperly described item.

Selecting the Best Defensive Handgun Ammo for Your Platform

You might be surprised that hollowpoint ammunition isn’t always the best choice for defensive purposes.  

And while we are slaying sacred cows, you should also read Your Carry Gun Doesn’t Matter.

How many school shootings during spring 2026?

“The spring semester of 2026 had the fewest school shooting incidents in five years. Overall this is very good news, but the decline also produces more questions than answers.”

Continuing on the topic, not every school is at equal risk for a shooting.

Guest Shot: The Combative Mind 

“Anyone who has ever had to face an armed assailant will tell you having confidence in one’s combative skills offers peace of mind which cannot be minimized. Possessing the ability to fight is an important component of having the proper mindset. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Having confidence in one’s ability, backed by a solid, easy to use skill set is the single biggest deterrent to the onset of mind-numbing fear.”

How To Survive A Riot When All Hell Breaks Loose

It seems like we are starting riot season again.  Have you been tracking the riots in North Ireland?  Are you prepared when they kick off again here?  This is a very long article with lots of good tips for surviving crowd violence.  Along the same lines, you may also want to check out The “Mostly Peaceful” Delusion from John Farnam,  How to Stay Safe in a Big Crowd and Michael Bane’s suggestions for dealing with mob violence.

Antifragile Isn’t Comfortable

It isn’t enough to be merely resistant to adversity.  True antifragility (where you gain from disorder) is the ultimate goal.  If this article intrigues you, go read the classic book on the topic as soon as possible.  You won’t be disappointed.

The Roblox Problem

If you are a parent or someone who is interested in the topic of child sex trafficking, you should be researching the Roblox platform.  Despite how damaging Roblox appears in this article, most human trafficking experts believe social media sites such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are far more dangerous.

Guns 101: The Multitude of AK Versions Explained

An introduction to the AK variants.  If you like the topic, you may also enjoy Twenty-One Facts About The Iconic AK-47.

Mythbusting: Shooting A Tire

Shooting the tread seems more effective than targeting the sidewall.  Neither option will quickly disable the vehicle. 

Brothers of the Gun: Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and a Reckoning in Tombstone

What I’m reading…

Want some more content from the era documented in this book?  Read this bit of curated advice from old west legend Wyatt Earp.

Will Not Comply: A Historical Anecdote of the First Silencer Registration

Continuing with the historical theme, some of you might enjoy this article as well.

Ed Monk Webinar: Countering The Active Shooter With A Handgun » Concealed Carry Inc

Ed Monk has done more research on active killers than anyone else on the planet.  First, you should buy his book.  Then you should immediately register for this inexpensive webinar on July 16th.

And while we are talking about excellent training opportunities, my Ohio readers should rush out to sign up for the classes my friend Lou Ann Hamblin is teaching at Blackwing.

Concealed Carry for Big Guys: Holsters, Clothes & Tips

Carry tips for guys who shop in the “husky” section.

Only Interesting Guns, Part One

This article makes me consider the fond memories I have of my “interesting” model 19 revolvers.  I still have my first centerfire handgun, my dad’s tricked out police duty gun, and the 2.5″ snubby I use for my revolver class demonstrations.  All are Smith and Wesson model 19s.

The Top .22 LR Defensive Rounds but Through a Rifle – Gel Test! Mini-Mag, Stinger, Uppercut & Punch

 Have you ever wondered how popular .22 defensive rounds perform out of a rifle?  These gelatin tests yield some interesting results.  Despite the seemingly unimpressive gelatin testing performance, ballistic expert and 40+ year police officer Chuck Haggard often comments that he has never seen a person shot in the torso with a .22 rifle who has lived.  In my police career, I never responded to any calls where a criminal or armed citizen shot anyone with a .22 rifle.  I have however, seen the results of a couple of .22 rifle suicides.  The cartridge performed very well out of a rifle in that capacity.

What To Do After A Defensive Shooting

Great advice from Alex Ooley (who also happens to be a criminal defense attorney).

How to deal with strangers

I just realized that Annette Evans has a Substack focused on female self protection advice.  Sign up for a subscription and follow her if you are interested in the subject matter.

Training Vs Performing

Are you training or are you performing?

Quote to Ponder:

“Just like Doritos and Mountain Dew wreck your body, push notifications and memes wreck your mind. And like junk food, the more you consume, the worse you feel.

People like to make excuses for why their attention is fractured, but the truth is, your attention isn’t being stolen—you’re just giving it away without a fight.

If you don’t take control of your environment, you’ll spend your entire life becoming a data point for mega-corporations to package up and sell to the highest-bidding advertiser.

When I write nowadays, I leave my phone at home, block everything on my laptop, and force myself to sit in painful, empty space before I can write.

Your life is nothing more than the diet of your mind.

What are you feeding it today?”

– Mark Manson

Thank you all for feeding your brain with this quality list of reference articles.

Some of the above links are affiliate links.   I earn a small percentage of the sale price from qualifying purchases.

Written by Greg Ellifritz

I got the following question from a reader.  As I think this answer has a universal appeal, I chose to answer it here so that all of you can benefit as well.  Here’s the question:

“I want to assemble/integrate your suggestions for practice sessions, but I’m overwhelmed by the banquet. Could you recommend a sequenced sub-set of those sessions for your subscribers? My ideal recommendation would be along the lines of “do this one until you achieve this standard, then move to the next; after this last one, do this set of four (a weekly/monthly rotation) in sequence, adding new drills for challenge or interest or your situation”

That’s a great question.

Before I talks about a logical progressive drill structuring system, I first have to discuss where you can find the best shooting drills to choose for your practice session.  There are lots of sources for drill ideas.  These are my favorites:

My website.   I often write articles about individual shooting drills that I work on.  At last count, I have almost 100 different shooting drills described on my site.  All of those articles can be found HERE.

Practical Shooting Training- In Practical Shooting Training, Ben Stoeger breaks down marksmanship standards for all skill levels and provides a plan to work from one level to another. 

Although I think this is Ben’s best book,  Champion Shooting: Guaranteed Results in 15 Minutes a Day, Vol. 2 by Ben Stoeger and Jay Hirshberg gets an honorable mention as well.  This book provides a logical drill progression and is designed to dramatically enhance your shooting abilities with a short amount of daily practice.

Michael Seeklander’s Your Defensive Handgun Training Program book.  It is another must-have reference.  It’s a large book (over 350 pages) that is full of drills for both live and dry practice.  I regularly find myself using some of Mike’s drills in my practice routine.

Ben Stoeger’s Skills and Drills book.  The previously-listed books are excellent, but the one I personally use the most for live fire drills is Ben Stoeger’s Skills and Drills For the Practical Pistol Shooter.  Not only does the book contain dozens of shooting drills, Ben also lists suggested par times to evaluate your performance on the most popular drills.

He has par times for a Master Class USPSA shooter as well as a list of par times for the average defensive shooter who wants to be “good.”

Pistol-Training.com forum.  Another other resource to check out is the late Todd Green’s drill page as well as the drill of the week section on the same site’s forum.  Both are loaded with additional shooting drills to try.

Strategies and Standards for Defensive Handgun Training is a great book written by Karl Rehn and John Daub.  It details drills for both basic and more advanced shooters.  John has also written “Drills, Qualifications, Standards, & Tests” a 100 page eBook (link opens to PDF) that is available free if you subscribe to the KR Training mailing list.

As far as recommending a structured progression, you can go one of four routes…

In Seeklander’s book, he outlines a very good progression on page 228.  Do each of his suggested drills in the order he lists them.  Do not move up a level until you are performing the drills at a pace that is acceptable for you.  His suggestion is to move up a level every week.  I would personally stay at each individual level as long as I was still making significant progress.  When you are no longer improving significantly on the basic drills, it’s time to move up to the next level.

The second option is to use Ben Stoeger’s “Standard Exercise Reference Guide” on page 58 of Skills and Drills.  Do each of the 11 drills he outlines at the three yard distance.  When you can meet his par times on those exercises, move up to the next distance and begin again.  When you make the par times for every drill, you simply increase the range.

It is a brilliant solution and creates an organic progression from easier to more difficult shooting tasks.

The third option is to shoot the IDPA classifier test.  After running through each stage,add up your time and score.  Look up your time on this table to find out where you rank.  Work on each drill until you are able to move up to the next division.  Doing this may get a bit boring at times, but if you spend the time trying to better your skill set on every range session, you will make logical and predictable improvements.

The final method is to start with an assessment of your current shooting skills.  What do you think needs to be improved the most?  Pick that particular skill set and use the resources above to find some drills that will help you get better in that arena.  Keep working those particular drills until you are satisfied with your performance.  At that point, choose another skill to work on and go through the process again and again.

Although it’s the least structured method of the four I’ve outlined, this is how I  improve my personal shooting abilities.  I pick a drill and then I shoot that drill every single time I practice for an entire year.  I shoot the drill cold as my first shots fired of the day.  After shooting my chosen drill, I then use other courses of fire to build improvement on each separate skill set that makes up the primary drill.

I track my progress on the drill throughout the year and then pick a new annual drill to do every January.

The next time you go to the range, don’t mindlessly plink at a bullseye target.  Identify some aspect of your shooting that you would like to improve and find a drill that will help you get better.

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. 

Knowledge to make your life better.  If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.

The Allure of Accuracy

“There are many reasons to train accuracy to a high level. First, it refines fundamentals—posture, grip, trigger speed, vision, and process—allowing a shooter to know they can hit a target when given sufficient time. Second, it is easily measurable via a tight group at the center of a target. Lastly, there is an abundance of standards and tests that are easy to administer. Accuracy should be trained to a high level, but it must be balanced against speed and integrated into a realistic context.”

AIWB: A Frank Discussion on Carrying Forward of the Hip – Guns and Ammo

Dave Spaulding’s thoughts on appendix carry.

Do You Have the Right Flashlight Skills? – The Armory Life

Too many students fire a few rounds at a target coordinating a gun and flashlight while thinking they have flashlight skills.  My entire police patrol career was spent on evening or overnight shift.  I used a flashlight every night.  Shooting with a flashlight is the easy part.

What common or household objects will stop bullets?

A very comprehensive look at the difference between cover and concealment.

How Young is Too Young to Teach Kids Self-Defense?

If you are interested in getting your very young child involved in a self defense focused art, I would highly recommend getting them into a competitive wrestling program.  Those skills form the background of every grappling-based martial art they will ever study in the future.

Explosive Violence Monitor: 2025 – AOAV

“In 2025, AOAV recorded 49,814 deaths and injuries as a result of the use of explosive weapons around the world, the second-highest levels recorded since 2010. With 45,362 civilians among these casualties – 91% of all those reported killed or wounded by explosive weapons globally – 2025 was the second most injurious year for civilians since the EVMP began. 39% (17,614) of these civilians were reported killed.”

An Official Journal Of The NRA | Surprising Concealed Carry Statistics

“Overall, the survey determined that the percent of Americans carrying increased from 24.3 percent in December 2024 to 29.8 percent in May 2026.”

I think those statistics could only be true if “carry” was defined as “occasionally throw a gun in the glove compartment of your car.”

Want some more gun statistics?  Read UPDATED: How many people have been murdered with Glock-style guns using Glock switches? About 43 total.

Finally, you may also want to watch What Are The ODDS You Will NEED Your Gun? | Active Self Protection Extra.

Ayoob: Don’t Make These Carry Gun Mod Mistakes

Pay attention to Massad’s advice here.  You should also read The Case for Custom Defense Guns.

Rangemaster Monthly Journal

Tom included my deep dive article on body language and pre-assault indicators in this edition of his monthly newsletter.

Low Ready: The Space Between Awareness and Action

A primer on the low ready position.  You should also read Ready Position vs. Defensive Display: What Every Responsible Gun Owner Needs to Know and about Position Sul.

The Backup Gun: 22-Year-Old Fired Back With Second Gun After Having First Pistol Stolen In Robbery | Concealed Nation

An unconventional armed citizen gunfight involving a backup gun.

How to Get out of Handcuffs Using Picks and Shims

A useful skill to acquire, especially for my cop readers.  On two occasions in my police career I had to shim a prisoner’s handcuffs after an officer’s key broke off in the lock.

P&S ModCast 454 – You Have Only Two Hours

Classified Cold War J-Frame | Tales from the Vault with Jerry Miculek

A fun look at a very unique revolver.

For more revolver content, check out the following links below.

Self-Defense with a Revolver: Fundamentals and Tips – Firearms News

The .38 Special

Check Your Six: Looking AND Seeing

Some thoughts on an after-action scan.  I actually favor the technique taught by Craig Douglas.  Instead of merely looking by turning the head or turning your back on your attacker, MOVE.  Imagine the battlefield as a clock.  You are in the center of the clock.  The down bad guy is at 12 o’clock.  You need to see behind you (six o’clock).  By aggressively moving to either nine o’clock, or three o’clock you will be able to see both the bad guy and the area previously behind you.

This is difficult to practice on most commercial gun ranges, but extremely effective in real life.

LPVO vs Red Dot + Magnifier

The difference between these popular sighting systems.  

On the topic of rifle optics, you may also like Lies Your Customers Believe About Riflescopes.

grappling and ankle carry

Cecil talks about how ankle carry isn’t a huge benefit in ground encounters.

Most school shooters flee. Why do police search every room of the school?

An important concept for my police readers.  Transition to the job of saving lives if there is no obvious indication of a remaining threat.

Avoiding Attacks While Driving

Pay close attention to my late friend Marcus’ advice here. 

The Five Waves of GunTube

Last week, I posted an article about the different eras of gun ownership in the USA.  This breaks down the different eras of gun YouTube videos.

Dispelling Myths of the 12 Gauge Shotgun

Debunking the myths of the shotgun…a good article.  My primary home defense weapons are still shotguns.  Even though I carried an AR-15 in my police cruiser, I found myself grabbing the Benelli from the shotgun rack about twice as often as I grabbed the AR-15 when bad things went down.  Craving more shotgun content?  Read Testing 12 Gauge vs 20 Gauge.

Continuing on the topic of shotguns,  Winchester’s new #1 Buck load looks like trash.  Read Testing Winchester’s Affordable AutoBuck Buckshot Rounds.

The Determined Mindset: How The Decision You Already Made Wins The Fight » Concealed Carry Inc

Solid mindset advice here.

Paul Gomez 1971-2012

I can’t believe it’s been 14 years since we lost my good friend Paul Gomez.  Nothing is guaranteed.  In addition to Gomez, in my adult firearms training life we’ve lost Jeff Cooper, Louis Awerbuck, Jim Cirillo, Wes Doss, Chuck Taylor, Carlos Hathcock, Pat Rogers, Rex Applegate,  Ron Avery, William Aprill, Todd Louis Green, Dave Harrington, Marcus Wynne, Ed Lovette, James Yeager, John Holschen, and John Benner.

I was fortunate to train with many of those guys before they passed, and even more fortunate to be close friends with some.  I regret not scheduling classes from the others.  Some of the world’s best instructors are aging and getting close to retirement.  They won’t be around forever.  Book a class.  You’ll be glad you spent time training with that person when you read his obituary and realize that no one will ever train with him again.

Quote to Ponder:

Amazon has a tremendous number of FREE ebooks on their website.  You can find thousands of free kindle books on Amazon’s site every day.  These books can be downloaded to a Kindle reader or a free App on your phone or personal computer.  Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download a free Kindle reader for your computer or phone HERE.  

Here are a few free books that I think my readers might enjoy. Check these out.

One caution….

These books were free at the time I posted them. Prices change rapidly. Please check the price before you hit the “buy” button! 

If you cannot see any of the links below, there is likely a setting in either your internet browser or ad blocking software that prohibits “live links.”  If you see a blank page below, check those settings.  I promise you that there are book links actually listed directly below.

Happy Reading!

While you are contemplating book purchases, don’t forget my travel safety book.

For an even larger selection of great books (not free), check out my Recommended Reading page.

Some of these links are affiliate links.  If you purchase an item using one of those links, I get a small percentage of the payment.  It does not cost you any additional money.

Knowledge to make your life better.  If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.

Inside the Mind of a Home Defense Shooting

Recoil Offgrid Magazine has recently published a few valuable articles about the mental processes behind using lethal force and managing the potential stress it might create.  Start with the article linked above.  Then read Stress Under Fire and Stress Response Part II.

Which Is Better in 2026: 9mm Luger or 45 ACP?

You’ve all seen article titles exactly like this in every gun publication produced in the last 50 years.  How can we still be debating this issue?

This article does a deep dive into the issues of kinetic energy.  I see lots of analytical folks attempting to quantify “stopping power” by using an energy calculation.  Don’t get caught up in that trap.  I think the actual value of calculated kinetic energy is almost zero.  I’ve never once looked at energy stats when choosing a defensive load.  Energy isn’t irrelevant, it’s just so far down the list of importance that it almost doesn’t matter.  

When choosing a defensive round, these are the factors I look at (in order of importance):

– Is the round reliable in my gun?
– Can I shoot it fast and accurately?
– Does it hit to the sights?
– Does it penetrate to the FBI minimum standard of 12″ in ballistic gelatin
– Does the round expand to 1.5X initial diameter when it hits flesh?

After it meets those criteria, feel free to evaluate kinetic energy.  I personally think that statistic is virtually useless.  Look at my stopping power study.  There is zero correlation between the best “stopping power” and the round’s kinetic energy value.

Up Close & Too Personal

Thanks to Erick for the shout out in his piece on retention shooting.

27 STATISTICS ON GUNSHOT WOUNDS: HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET SHOT?

A lot of information about gunshot wounds.  While on the site, you might also like their 8 Week Tactical Athlete Fitness Program (Free PDF).

Comparison of 22LR Multiple Lots 20K Rounds

Great information if you are into shooting long range .22 rimfire rifles.

Women and Real-World Gear Choices: 2026 AG & AG National Conference Report

The guns and gear that 700 women chose to bring to the national conference.

The Arcadian: A Novel

What I’m reading…

CAN YOU REALLY ACCESS YOUR GUN WEAK HANDED?

This is far more important than many people consider.

When Shit Hits the Fan, What Do You Do… First

A primer on mental preparation and “war gaming” various attack scenarios and your responses to them.

2026 Will Likely Have The Lowest US Murder Rate Ever Recorded

Some good news.

And if you geek out on crime stats, this article might be useful Did the homicide decline change racial disparities in firearm homicide victimization?

The Awareness Mindset: Why Most People Lose the Fight Before It Starts

Some excellent awareness advice.

Self Defense for EMS Professionals

An often-overlooked topic of critical importance to my medic friends.  You will also enjoy the author’s piece on The Basic First Aid Kit.

MacGyver the Foley

While on the topic of medicine, this article might be of use to some of the higher level medical practitioners who read this.  For most folks, I’d argue that time is better spent teaching better wound packing and direct pressure strategies.  But for those of you who already carry a Foley catheter and know how to use it, this might be a useful bit of knowledge to tuck away for the future when you might be far from definitive care.

“We Both Know Why You Don’t Like Combatives”

“The real debate, therefore, is not about safety.

It is about whether the institution values controlled training in interpersonal violence enough to tolerate a level of risk it already routinely accepts elsewhere.

Combatives does not merely teach techniques. Routine Combatives training is one of the few leadership tools available that can systematically inculcate a unit with a genuine warrior ethos rather than a performative one.

It develops confidence under pressure, aggression management, emotional control during violence, resilience during chaotic physical struggle, and comfort with physical dominance contests. These are not abstract psychological traits. They are trainable behaviors directly connected to battlefield performance.”

But what about .22 Mag?! Any Good for Self Defense? VS .380 ACP – Hornady Critical Duty

Comparing the .22 magnum to the .380 in ballistic gelatin.  If you want some more good gelatin testing information, you’ll also want to watch The Most Modern .22 LR Ammo VS the Old School “Best” .22 LR Ammo – CCI Uppercut VS CCI Stinger and Finally! Federal HST 9mm 124g Gel test from a 3″ all the way to our 16″ rifle. 7 total firearms.

History of the Fighting Tomahawk (and Best Models)

For tomahawk fans (like me).

Hourglass explains why school shootings are unpredictable

“When I look at decades of data from the K–12 School Shooting Database, no two shootings have exactly the same circumstances in the same order. Every time a school shooting occurs, people try to look for the single broken cog in a linear machine. By looking retrospectively at the grain of sand that caused the collapse, they point to a specific red flag, a door left unlocked, a police officer who didn’t go inside fast enough, or a social media post that didn’t get investigated. But this is applying linear, cause-and-effect thinking to a phenomenon that is fundamentally non-linear.”

A century of the ‘Ma Deuce’: How the M2 Browning became America’s workhorse machine gun

For those of you interested in the history of military weapons.  Thanks to Jim for sending me the article!

The Myth of “Stupid Places and Stupid People”

John Farnam’s “Rules of Stupid” is generally good guidance, but as my late friend Dr William Aprill used to say: “What if I love me some stupid people?”

Casing a Joint: Why You Should Sit Facing the Door

Some tips from ITS Tactical about safety practices you can implement in your day to day life.  In addition to their recommendations about sitting near an exit with a view of the front door, I also like to sit where I can see the cash register as well.  If there is any type of robbery, that’s where it will occur.

Nine Generations of American Firearms Culture 

You might have heard about “Gun Culture 2.0” or “Gun Culture 3.0.”  How about “Gun Culture 9.0?”

Issue 25

A very informative and information-packed edition of Armed Lifestyle Magazine.

Concealed Carry 101: How To Appendix Carry

If you are interested in the topic, you should also watch this older video also from PHLster Concealment Tuneup

How to Keep Your Children Safe from Predators

Solid tips for better family safety.  While on the topic of kids, you might also like Teaching Children Courage Without Teaching Them Panic.

Quote to Ponder:

Some of the above links are affiliate links.   I earn a small percentage of the sale price from qualifying purchases.

I regularly hear gun owners talking about how they would unquestionably shoot any intruder who sets foot in their house.  Bragging about taking that approach is both tiresome and misguided.

Let me tell you about a situation I once handled as a cop to illustrate why immediately going to guns might not be your best course of action.

I’ve written in the past about some of the intruders I encountered in my police career who did not present any actual threat to the resident.  This call is yet another example.

It was about 3 pm.  We got a couple calls from residents in a high dollar condominium community stating that a woman dressed in all black was attempting to break into several condominiums.  The neighbors reported that the woman was walking through the rear yards of the condos and attempting to force open all the large sliding glass patio doors she could find.

When we found the woman, she was inside a resident’s garage and attempting to enter the house.  We stopped her before she actually got inside.

She was wearing a gauzy long black skirt, thigh high black leather boots, a studded black leather belt, and a black leather corset.  She had long black hair, multiple facial piercings and tattoos covering her entire body.  She kind of looked like a goth dominatrix.

Her…only thinner with more leather

I asked her what she was doing and she stared at me with a vacant 1000-yard stare.  The lights were on, but no one was home.  She didn’t know who or where she was.  She had absolutely no idea what she was doing.

I recognized her from a previous arrest and knew she had some mental problems.  She had recently suffered a psychotic break and had stopped taking her medications.  She was in a serious mental health crisis and was alternating between being catatonic/unresponsive and manically laughing, singing, and talking to herself.  She needed help.

She had no criminal intent.  She legitimately had no idea what she was doing.  She wasn’t violent, but looked pretty scary and was certainly acting erratically and unpredictably.  She was quite a handful for me to handle when she decided she didn’t want to leave the garage where we found her.  My guess is that if she had made it inside one of the houses she was trying to enter, she wouldn’t have voluntarily left if ordered to get out by the homeowner.

Can you imagine finding this unresponsive crazy woman dressed like a dominatrix witch in your house?  Would you shoot her if she refused to leave?

While scary and acting erratic, this woman didn’t need to be shot.  I took her into custody for an involuntary mental health evaluation at a psychiatric hospital.  I hope she gets the help she needs to get better.

These people are out there among us.  You might encounter one.  That encounter may actually take place in your own home or garage.  Are you prepared to deal with this type of threat?

Do you still think all intruders need to be shot?

Knowledge to make your life better.  If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.

Upcoming PMO Study and Shooting Standards Comparison

An excellent podcast covering a lot of the current debates in the shooting industry. 

They mention the chart above which compares various shooting drills/tests with regards to difficulty.  Where do your skill levels fall?

The research suggests that if you are solidly into the “good” category, you probably have a high enough skill level to prevail in most gunfights.  Right now I’m at the far right side of “good” with occasional dips into “great” depending on the test.  I’m happy with that level of performance and am looking to maintain it rather than spending time on the diminishing returns of getting significantly better.  

If you feel similarly, you may like my article discussing when you are “good enough.”

Long Guns & Handheld Lights

If you don’t have a light mounted to your defensive long gun, you should be exploring some of these hand held flashlight positions.

Here’s What I Keep in My Hospital Go-Bag – The Organic Prepper

My questionable decision-making abilities combined with a very adventurous spirit has ensured that I’ve spent more time in the hospital than the average person.  If it’s not an absolutely dire emergency, you’ll want to pack some items that will make your hospital stay a bit more pleasant.  I’d also suggest that you bring any OTC meds that you normally take.  I use melatonin as a sleep aid.  In my last hospital stay, it became quite onerous to get the doctors and nurses to give me some, even though the doc wrote on my chart I could request it as needed.  Things like that, allergy meds, eye drops and any kind of other personal care items are useful to bring with you.

The Shotgun DOPE Card

A great idea if you use more than one shotgun or multiple types of ammunition for defensive purposes.  Once you get your shotgun patterned, try shooting The Shotgun Speed Drill.

Armed Robber Vs ENTIRE Restaurant | Active Self Protection

If you were the victim here, what is your plan?  “I’d just shoot him” is probably the wrong answer unless you’ve practiced deflecting the bad guy’s gun and drawing at the same time.  Could you get to your gun in its normal carry position from a seated position?  What if you were another patron of the restaurant rather than the victim?  Would you get involved?  

Things to think about.

Ayoob: Do You Make These 1911 Mistakes?

Mas gives some solid 1911 advice.  You might also like his take on vehicle attacks.  Read Self-Defense and the Law: Do Vehicle Assaults Warrant Armed Defense?

Maintenance Musings for the Wheelgunner

BrYan’s tips for cleaning and lubing your revolver.

What if I Told You That Vehicles Don’t Have Blind Spots?

Important information for all drivers…how to adjust your mirrors so that you don’t have a “blind spot.”

Active Shooter Issues

For my cop readers, when you should transition into rescue mode in an active shooter event.  You should also read The Most Dangerous Part of the Call May Be the Drive There .

The Man of Zero: A Guide to Primal Power, Boundless Sex, and the Freedom Beyond Ambition

What I’m reading…

David Deida is one of my favorite authors/teachers.  With that said, this book is VERY different from his others.  It’s written primarily for middle-aged (and older) men.  Being of that demographic, I really like it.  You might want to read the reviews on Goodreads before purchasing it.

LE Armor’s Take On The Glock Gen 6

For those of you thinking about upgrading your Glock to the latest generation.

Modern Day Gunfighting Lawmen

Read about some legends.

The 4 Tests Predators Run on Targets

Learn about the ways criminals use tests to reduce your suspicion and work towards a dominant position to reduce your ability to resist.

The Avoidance Mindset: Why the Best Self-Defense Story Is One Where Nothing Happens

Continuing the theme from the video in the last link.  

“The best self-defense story I’ve read recently is one where nothing happened.”

I heartily agree.  If you do as well, you may like a book about that idea to which I contributed a chapter.

Shifting Point of Impact? Sun of a Gun!

Something even many of you experienced shooters may not know.

Hiking with Trekking Poles

I became a convert when hiking poles saved my ass when I summited Mt. Kilimanjaro back in 2008.  I don’t think I could have made it out of the woods after my horrific knee injury a couple of years ago without a trekking pole.  Read more about the topic here.

Tiny Screws, Big Problems

“Across three years of field support data, the overwhelming majority of operational interruptions were not catastrophic firearm failures. Instead, they involved optics, mounting systems, batteries, holsters, assembly issues, maintenance oversights, and increasingly complex accessory integrations.

The firearm itself frequently remained functional, but the surrounding system did not. Across the collected incidents:

• 25% involved optics or electronics
• 20% involved holsters and mounting systems
• 10% involved hardware and small parts failures
• Additional incidents stemmed from assembly errors, maintenance deficiencies, or user-interface challenges involving increasingly sophisticated equipment configurations”

“Speed will come…”

“Slow is not smooth. Slow is slow. Smooth is smooth. Fast is fast. You have to make smooth, fast. It’s not going to happen on its own.”

Legal Considerations Of Self-Defense In A Riot

Very good legal information from the late Marty Hayes.

Crazy for Carrying a .22 LR Pistol For Defense? Ballistic Test – .22 LR VS .380 ACP – Federal Punch

You might be surprised by these results.  And on the topic of “mouse guns” you may also like Why I Love .32 ACP.

21 Important Questions & Answers About the AK-47

All your AK-47 questions answered.

Beware the Involuntary Trigger Squeeze

This is information that all shooters must understand, but few actually do.  There are circumstances that cause an involuntary clenching of the fist.  If you experience one and your trigger finger is anywhere near the trigger, you will inadvertently fire your gun.  If you are interested in more information, check out my article on the topic.

Copy of a Copy of a Copycat Shooter

Lots of information is starting to come out about the two San Diego mosque shooters.  For more details see San Diego Islamic Center School Shooting.

These shooters are starting to sound like generic copies of each other.  Thus far in the USA, we’ve only seen a handful of active killer incidents involving more than one shooter.  Here’s my prediction.  As the killers become more radicalized by their online contacts, I think we will start seeing more “team attacks” like this one in the future. 

Self-Defense For The Mobility-Challenged

A topic that doesn’t get as much press as it deserves.  Whether it’s from old age or a temporary injury, there’s a good chance we will all become disabled at some point in our lives.

Quote to Ponder:

“I hate the way people use slide presentations instead of thinking. People would confront a problem by creating a presentation. I wanted them to engage, to hash things out at the table, rather than show a bunch of slides. People who know what they’re talking about don’t need PowerPoint.”

– Steve Jobs

Some of the above links are affiliate links.  I earn a small percentage of the sale price from qualifying purchases.

Amazon has a tremendous number of FREE ebooks on their website.  You can find thousands of free kindle books on Amazon’s site every day.  These books can be downloaded to a Kindle reader or a free App on your phone or personal computer.  Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download a free Kindle reader for your computer or phone HERE.  

Here are a few free books that I think my readers might enjoy. Check these out.

One caution….

These books were free at the time I posted them. Prices change rapidly. Please check the price before you hit the “buy” button! 

If you cannot see any of the links below, there is likely a setting in either your internet browser or ad blocking software that prohibits “live links.”  If you see a blank page below, check those settings.  I promise you that there are book links actually listed directly below.

Happy Reading!

While you are contemplating book purchases, don’t forget my travel safety book.

For an even larger selection of great books (not free), check out my Recommended Reading page.

Some of these links are affiliate links.  If you purchase an item using one of those links, I get a small percentage of the payment.  It does not cost you any additional money.

Knowledge to make your life better.  If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.

What’s the fastest way to reload a CCW revolver?

Caleb is bucking long term revolver dogma in this thought-provoking article.  He is correct.  If you doubt his thesis, fire up the shot timer and verify it for yourself.

Will Competition Shooting Get You Killed in the Streets?

“A shooting match is not a gunfight…but a gunfight is a shooting match!”

Need some more Massad Ayoob in your life?  Read How to Discreetly Carry Larger Handguns.

34 ATF Rule Changes: What Happens If Gun Owners Stay Silent?

A good summary of the newly proposed ATF rule changes I’ve mentioned in the last couple knowledge dumps.

The Lost Intent

“What happened to the Color Code is a case study in how hard truths get diluted. A system designed to prepare people for moral, psychological, and physical conflict was reshaped into something comfortable and marketable.”

The M1 Carbine Revisited

You don’t see much writing about the venerable M1 carbine any more.  I thank Lucky Gunner for attempting to resurrect this classic.  I think the M1 carbine is a great “pool gun” for any family member who is small, short, or feeble and who can’t hold up an AR-15.  Almost anyone 10 years old and up can become very proficient with the little .30 carbine.

Appreciating Just How Far Murder Has Fallen in the US

“Nationally, there were about 8,000 fewer murders last year than each year from 2020-2022 and about 10,000 fewer murders than there were in the early 1990s. That works out to a national murder rate that was less than half of its peak in the 1980s and 1990s.”

“…sometimes it’s worth appreciating how much better things are now than they were 50, 30 and even 5 years ago when considering where we are today.”

The cause(s) of this decline are a little bit harder to establish.

What is Ballistic Coefficient? (BC Explained for Shooters)

A quality discussion about a topic most shooters don’t understand.  You may also like SHOOTING 101: Taking The Confusion Out Of Riflescopes.

Principles for the Armed Lifestyle

Years of hard-earned wisdom distilled into a few key principles.

A City Fails Its Police Officers on Use of Force

You police officers are playing a losing game.  When you follow the rules and do everything you are supposed to do, the politicians simply change the rules to ensure you can never succeed.  If you finished that one unscathed, try Knowing Statutory Law Is Not Always Enough. 

Federal’s Flite Control vs. Hornady’s Versa-Tite

The Federal Flight Control round is my preferred choice for 12 gauge shotgun defensive ammunition.  The Hornady version opens up a little quicker but it makes for much tighter patterns than all of the other buckshot loads on the market.  If you can’t get the Federal, I would have no problems relying on the Hornady loads for personal protection.  As always, pattern the loads in your own individual guns before you rely on them in a defensive capacity.

SUMMARY REPORT YEAR END TRAINING SURVEY

Survey data compiled by Chuck and Kristin Pressburg about a variety of factors that influence the state of modern day professional firearm training.  Opens to PDF.

My First Safaris

“The moral, lesson or message from this story is that you should not let others diminish your adventures with their tales of expeditions in faraway places. Sometimes the real and truly meaningful ventures can be found in your own backyard. It’s not about the money spent or exotic locations. It’s about the tire tracks, footprints, and memories made.”

Drownproof: Eight Life Lessons to Keep Your Head Above Water

What I’m reading….

Emotional Components of Knife Defense, Part 1

A detailed look at why some folks fear being stabbed more than being shot. It’s a very common, but scientifically baseless fear.

A medical study of criminal assaults taking place between 1960 and 1999 found that firearms attacks have a 5.4% lethality rate. Knife attacks have a 1.1% lethality rate.

Part Two of the series contains useful info as well.

Cosplaying the Warrior Ethos

Matt Larsen is discussing military culture and training, but I couldn’t help but think it also applies to the police and CCW world as well.

“Running for miles is hard.
Deadlifting is hard.
Obstacle courses are hard.

None of those things require you to confront another human being trying to physically dominate you while everyone watches.

Combatives does.

That is why so many people who enthusiastically talk about “warrior ethos” spend their entire careers quietly avoiding actual fighting training. They want the appearance of warrior culture without the emotional risk that comes with genuine combat proficiency.”

Shooting the Shorties – Mastering PGO Firearms

I’m not a fan of pistol grip only “shotguns” for personal protection.  If you choose to use one, here are some tips to shoot it better.

Atypical Armed Robber Shows Clerk She Means Business

Think about how you would handle this scenario if you were a customer in the store.

Five Rules To Help You Win A Gunfight!

Good advice here.

The 21-foot “Rule” is Back in the News!

If you have ever discussed the “21-foot rule” or the “Tueller Drill” without reading Tueller’s original 1983 article and the additional reference links in the article above, you are doing yourself and your students a disservice by playing the tactical equivalent of the “telephone game.”

Best Budget 9mm JHP Ammo for Summer Carry

An interesting look at the performance of some budget 9mm rounds.

I Checked My Safety. It Was Off.

“We think “safe” is a switch position.

It isn’t. It’s a process.”

De-escalate A Situation Before It Turns Violent: A Boys’ Night Out

I think it’s more useful to study successful de-escalations like this one than it is to analyze how someone can perform better once the incident kicks off.

Quote to Ponder:

“Most people think the will to survive is the strongest instinct in human beings, but it isn’t. The strongest instinct is to keep things familiar.”

– Virginia Satir

Some of the above links are affiliate links.    I earn a small percentage of the sale price from qualifying purchases.

Knowledge to make your life better.  If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.

Speed Reloads

Richard puts the concept of a speed reload into a context I hadn’t really thought about before.  If you run out of ammo in a gunfight, a quick reload might be lifesaving.

With that said, should you spend hours and hours drilling so that your reload is really fast?  I would argue the answer to that question is “no.”  The number one cause of needing to reload is missing your target.  We all have limited practice time.  I think you’ll get a better return on your time investment by training to hit the target more reliably than you would if you spent the same amount of time trying to shave 1/4 second off your reload.

Breaking down each of the ATF’s 34 new rules

In last week’s knowledge dump I lamented the fact that I had to link to an anti-gun website because no pro-gun sites were covering these proposed ATF rule changes.  OSD stepped up and did the analysis for us.  He broke down each individual proposed rule change and what it means to you.

For even more info, see ATF Publishes Details of Major Gun Rule Rollbacks.

AR Magazines & Case for the 20-Round Mag with Steve “Yeti” Fisher

Steve Fisher discusses the utility of the 20-round AR-15 magazine.

A Gun Guy Goes to Disneyland.

A lot of my readers have young kids and may be considering a vacation to Disney.  If you meet that description, read Caleb’s article about security at Disney.  Caleb’s piece inspired the one linked above.  Two different gun guys at two different Disney locations both share their security experience.  

If you are bolder than these guys (and at a place where such conduct won’t get you arrested), you might like my article about smuggling weapons into “secure” facilities.

Street Smarts: 10 Steps in Choosing a Defensive Folding Knife

Michael Janich gives a master class on selecting a defensive folding knife.

Lubing Your GLOCK in … 3, 2, 1 Easy Steps

Useful for those of you who carry other semi-automatic handguns as well.

The Benchmark Battery: A Simpler Path to Long-Term Success

Some thoughts on goal setting, benchmarking, and continuous improvement.  From the article:

“Goodhart’s Law says that when a measure becomes the goal, it ceases to be a good measure.”

Think about how that might be affecting your firearms training practices.

Tom Givens “Old West” 5-5-5 Test

Since we are talking about firearms training practices, when is the last time you went to the range?  Make an effort to do some shooting this week.  Start with the linked drill and the author’s suggested variations to make it more difficult.  Still need some more work?  Try Pat Mac 500 Aggregate Drill.

Don’t neglect your carbine skills either.  Break out the rifle and try the War HOGG Skill Builder and The 5-5-5 Carbine Field Test.

Pat Rogers Final Speech

Ten years ago this week we lost legendary trainer Pat Rogers.  Here is the last speech he gave before he died.

Book of Five Rings Study Guide for Modern Gunfighters

What I’m reading…

Training & Gear for Active Shooter Response

Jeff Gonzales talks active shooter preparedness.

Tier None

“Most of what you see on social media and in pop culture sells you a depiction of martial culture in which the Tier 1 operators are the the pinnacle to aspire to.
 
In their own right, they absolutely are – but if you’re like the VAST majority of people, you’re #tiernone and you’re going to have to manage a far more broad spectrum of problems without operational slush funds, unlimited government support, or a shadowy world in which common laws don’t apply.
 
Start thinking in these terms. There’s nothing wrong with being Tier None, and you can still work towards an elite level of competence… it just means shucking the distractions and reevaluating the mission of how best to keep your people safe.”

Surreptitious Draw 101: Master the Invisible Handgun Pull

Very useful concealed carry skills that aren’t often addressed in most firearms training classes.

The Drawbacks of Being a Numbers-Oriented Gun Guy

An element of gun culture that I see far too frequently.  And to be honest, it’s a personality trait that personally irks me more than almost any other.  If you see yourself being reflected in Tam’s words in the link above, take a big, deep breath and relax just a little bit.  This stuff is supposed to enhance your life and give you better survival skills, not raise your blood pressure so high that you stroke out.

The Myth of Cover VS Concealment

People don’t tend to shoot what they can’t see, but this isn’t absolute.  A friend was involved in a gunfight where the both the bad guy and the responding officers shot through walls without seeing each other.

Final bit (probably) on the CTT Oxford paper

Some of the problems with interpreting that piece of “scientific” research you are reading.

“‘It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgement of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines.”

How to Build, Store, and Stretch Your Ammo Supply

How much ammo do you really need?

Are You a Soft Target?

“Soft target indicators might include such predatorial observations as appears sheepish, their eyes looking down, appears to be an easy target, appears to be lost or disoriented, unaware of their surroundings. Anything that the predator may readily observe about you that indicates to them that you may be an easy mark falls under the category of soft target indicator.

Soft Target Indicators clue the predator in that you could be a potential target (victim or prey). There are no rules set in stone that determine exactly what is a soft target indicator. However, anything that the predator may observe about you that tells him “Yup, this one right here. Here’s your next victim!”

RevolGrips

Some new grips you revolver guys might want to check out.

A History of Glock: A Deep Dive into “Perfection”

Last week marked the 45th anniversary of Glock’s first gun patent. If you are a Glock fan, you will like this deep dive into the history of the company.

The Extreme Crisis of Young Women – Freya India

This has absolutely zero relevance to self protection, but I found the interview so fascinating that I had to share it.  A lot of the stunning realities that influence the behavior of most of the younger generations, especially younger women.

Competency Based Training

Some ideas about creating competent gunfighters.  On the same site, you may also like Are You Prepared for THE Gunfight?

Handgun Defense Against Brown Bears: How Many Shots Are Fired in Grizzly Bear Encounters?

How do handguns perform against big bears?

Quote to ponder:

Some of the above links are affiliate links.   I earn a small percentage of the sale price from qualifying purchases.