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

Running A Pistol Slide: Clam Shell, Sling Shot, or Slide Release? Or Who Cares?

At one point in time, I had very strong opinions about this topic.  Now I’m firmly into the “Who Cares” category.

Common Pistol Malfunctions: A Beginner’s Guide to Safe Gun Handling

A Girl and a Gun has posted several articles on the topic of firearms malfunctions in the last couple weeks.  For more, check out:

Pistol Malfunctions: Recognize. Diagnose. Respond.

When the Gun Stops

4-Minute AK Fixes

Some very ingenious AK improvements for you home tinkerers.  You might also like Unbreakable? Not Quite: Common AK Failure Points.

AR-15 Precision Long Range Shooting Basics

For those of you more interested in ARs than AKs.  No matter which one you choose, you will benefit from learning Long-Range Rifle Fundamentals: The 6-Step Routine.  And for one more article on the topic of AR-15s, here are some sensible upgrades for your rifle.

Defeating the Covert Accomplice: Part II

I posted Part One of this series a couple weeks ago.  Here is the follow up.

HOT Weather Concealed Carry | Tips To Get You Through Summer

Some warm weather CCW tips.

Off Body Carry: What Do You Have To Overcome

For those of you having problems with the concealment principles in the video above.

Stop Shooting in a Straight Line: The Case for Target Depth Training

Make sure you regularly add some distance transitions into your practice sessions.

Is the Opioid Epidemic Over?

Some really good information about the current status of opioid overdoses in the United States.  You should read 7 Things EMS Providers Should Know About the Opioid Epidemic in 2026 as well.

Training Program for New Ruckers

Rucking (fast walking while carrying a load) is an excellent exercise.  I do it several times a week and find it easier on my joints than long distance running.  This article provides a good beginner’s workout template.

You can carry a backpack full of weight, but for efficiency I use the Zelus 20 pound weight vest.  It adds a load in a comfortable manner that keeps you from becoming miserable.  The Zelus vest is inexpensive and far more comfortable than any other weighted vest options I’ve tried.

Gunshot Wounds to the Chest: Three Life-Threatening Problems

A solid overview of how to diagnose and manage penetrating chest trauma in the field.  You might also like When Active Shooter Medical Doctrine Fails at the Point of Wounding.

Tactical Pens: Ultimate Covert Defensive Tool?

My advice for using “tactical pens”:

Use a metal pen that doesn’t look “tactical.”

Don’t try any fancy joint locks, takedowns, or weapon disarms.

Hit the bad guy as hard as possible as many times as possible in the head/neck/collarbone area.

It’s not rocket science

Does Entropy Explain Why Crime Is Dropping?

A possible explanation for why the crime rate is dropping so rapidly.  For more good news, read ATF Backpedals on Training Ammo, Barrel Imports

The Ghosts of Guerrilla Memory: How Civil War Bushwhackers Became Gunslingers in the American West

What I’m reading…

How To Field-Strip S&W Revolvers

A very useful video for learning how to detail strip your Smith and Wesson revolvers.  The best reference book to help you out is JB Wood’s Revolver Assembly/Disassembly.

For a bit more revolver content, check out Revolver Legends: Five Shooters Who Changed Handgun History and Mastering The Revolver Reload.

Tips for Babywearing and Conceal Carry [2026] ⋆ Primer Peak

For those of you with little ones.

Where to Shoot

A valuable resource to find ranges close to your location.

Tell me you don’t know how to ‘Gray Man’ without telling me you don’t know how to Gray Man…

“The point is that clothing, bumper and window stickers, and overtly in your face slogans plastered on everything of a certain style, and any number of other indicators are expressions that declare you identify with a certain lifestyle. ‘Tactical Folk Dress’ is as blatant and predictable as Emo, Goth, Scene, Pride Ally, etc. and is its own brand of branding.

When you choose to be expressive, you aren’t a gray man. When you choose to wear the T-shirt declaring you’d rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6 you aren’t being unobtrusive and low profile. You might not be open carrying, but it is probably the next best thing. Wearing gun brands or other identifiables is as indicative as printing while concealed carrying. It gives people information about you.”

One more “gray man” article here: You’re Not Fooling Anybody

Beretta’s 20-gauge A300 – Part Deux

Erick does a great overview on this 20 gauge option and the defensive loads available for it.  I second his point about recoil.  This shotgun isn’t the best choice of you want the lightest possible recoil.  It’s the right choice for someone who can’t hold up a heavier shotgun.

Dark Arts for Good Guys: Break on Through to the other side

With the world’s current events, this might be useful information for some of you trying to deal with road blocks.

Gas Station Fight Leads To Prison Sentence | Active Self Protection

The most frustrating thing I have to explain to new concealed carriers is the fact that a punch or two does not generally rise to the level of “deadly force” under most state laws.  Don’t believe me?  Ask the guy who is now spending 20 years in prison.

Quote to Ponder:

“I think you could kind of see it as a criticism creation balance sheet. And if you’re criticizing more than you’re creating, you’re sort of withdrawing from the system more than you’re adding. And even if you get close, it should be 10 to 1, right? Some people are critics, right? Whatever. But for the most part, you should be contributing way more than you are. 

You know what’s a great way to do this? Go on somebody’s Twitter and look at how much is original content and how much are quote tweets. If it’s tons of quote tweets and presuming that it’s not just, this is awesome and I really like this, which no one is doing, go, you’re extracting from the system more than you’re adding to it. 

It’s always people who have never written a book that say, this is so badly researched, this is so lazy, this is this way, this is this way. I’ve noticed when it’s really visceral criticism of the book, they tend to have a profile which is criticism of everyone else’s attempt to do anything. The loudest shouts come from the cheapest seats.”

– Freya India

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

I had several calls in my 25-year police career where I did everything right, but I still can’t help but think that my solid police work caused more harm than good.  Here’s the one I think about most.

It happened a couple years before I retired.  One of the new guys on the shift made a traffic stop at about 4:00 pm on a busy road.  Very quickly he called for an additional backup unit.  I was the farthest car away, so I didn’t respond.

The backup officer arrived quickly and everything seemed under control.  About 15 minutes later, the new officer called for an additional backup unit and specifically asked for me to respond.  That’s very unusual, unless the suspects spoke Spanish.  I was the only officer on my shift who spoke the language and I often got called out to translate on traffic stops.

Expecting that he needed my translation services, I rolled to the scene.  When I arrived, I was surprised to see two white dudes in their mid-twenties handcuffed and sitting on the curb.  A couple handguns and a baggie of meth were laid out on the hood of the police cruiser.  The detained men were speaking English.

Clearly the officers didn’t need me for my Spanish skills.  I asked the new guy what was going on.

He told me that he had made a traffic stop for speeding and noticed that both the driver and the passenger seemed nervous.  As the officer looked into the passenger compartment of the car, he noticed a bag of what appeared to be illegal drugs sitting in plain view in the cup holder in the center console.  He called for backup.  The two officers got the suspects out of the car and handcuffed them.

The initial officer then retrieved the baggie of drugs from the center console.  He field tested the brownish-colored powder.  It tested positive for methamphetamine.

The officers then proceeded to search the car’s passenger compartment.  They found a Taurus G-2 handgun loaded with ball ammo under the driver’s seat.  They found a .22 Heritage Arms single action revolver and a partial box of .22 long rifle cartridges under the passenger seat.

Those guns warranted felony “carrying concealed weapons” charges at that time in the state of Ohio.  In addition, both suspects had felony drug convictions which gave them an additional charge of carrying “weapons under disability.”

The officers knew that I was the department’s former training officer and a firearms instructor.  They needed help.  Neither knew how to unload the single action revolver.

The .22 revolver that the new cops couldn’t unload

I unloaded the gun for them and asked the officers what these guys were up to.

The officer who made the stop said: “I don’t know.  They won’t talk to us.”

I asked if they had been Mirandized (they had) and if the officers wanted me to try to interview the suspects.  They did.

I walked over to the detained driver and introduced myself.

“Hey man.  We arrest people with guns and drugs pretty regularly.  I have to tell you though, I don’t see many .22 cowboy guns like that one you have.  I’m betting there’s a story behind why you are carrying it.  Want to tell me about it?”

The guys looked visibly relieved and the driver let out an audible sigh.  “It’s a long story.”

“Dude, I get paid by the hour.  I’m all ears.”

I don’t know for sure why these guys were willing to talk to me and not my coworkers.  Maybe because I was nice to them.  Maybe it was the fact that I was old enough to be their father.  Maybe they thought I was in charge because I was so much more senior to the guy who pulled them over.  It doesn’t matter.  Both prisoners began talking.

These guys were minor drug dealers.  They weren’t big players.  They were the kind of dudes who were long-term drug addicts.  They bought a little extra to sell to their friends in order to help finance their own habits.

They had been roommates with another guy who was also an addict and small time dealer.  That dude (the roommate) had been killed the week before.

It seems the roommate had run his mouth, bragging about being in possession of $1200 worth of crack cocaine and heroin.  A gang banger who had two previous murder arrests (no convictions) heard about the drug stash and tried to rip the roommate off.  The roommate fought back unarmed.  The murdering gang member shot the roommate twice in the face, killing him.

The guys we had arrested were on the way to their dead roommate’s funeral.  The roommate’s girlfriend was a tweaker who hadn’t been able to score any meth recently because her dead boyfriend was her primary drug supplier.  She was going through extreme withdrawal symptoms.  These dudes didn’t want her to be dope sick at her lover’s funeral.  They were going to give the meth we found in the car to the girlfriend so that she could make it through her late boyfriend’s closed-casket showing and graveside service.

“You know the meth is illegal and we have to deal with that, but I can understand why you guys have it.  Your roommate’s girl is probably hurting pretty bad right now.  She’s in a rough spot and you guys are trying to help her out.  I can respect that.  I might have done the same thing if I was in your position.”

The driver replied: “Thank you.  I fucking hate meth.  I’m a heroin addict, but I never do meth.  You can give me a drug test and see for yourself I’m telling you the truth.  It fucking sucks to get arrested for shit that I don’t even use.”

“Yeah, that does suck.  What’s up with the guns?”

The men continued their story.

Both men had been present when the gang banger killed their roommate.  They knew the killer’s identity.  They ratted out the killer to the Columbus police homicide squad.  They gave the detectives enough information to file a warrant for the murderer’s arrest.  The warrant was on file, but cops hadn’t caught the killer yet.

The killer knew who had ratted him out.  He was hunting the guy my coworker had pulled over and had threatened to kill him on sight.  My prisoner thought his roommate’s funeral was the perfect opportunity for the killer.  The killer knew my prisoner would be there and the killer would most certainly attempt to settle the score at the graveside service in the cemetery.

The prisoner I was talking to told me to look in his wallet.  I did so and found a business card from a Columbus Police homicide detective.  I called the detective and verified the story the prisoner told me was correct.  The detective was certain that the murderer would kill our prisoner if he encountered the guy before the cops arrested him on the murder warrant.

My prisoner continued:

“I’m not a violent guy.  I’ve never owned a gun in my life.  But I know if the murderer finds me, he’ll kill me too.  I knew I needed a gun.  A guy in my neighborhood sells stolen pistols.  I went to him and asked him to sell me two guns.  One for me and one for my other roommate here.  The murderer doesn’t know which of us talked to the police, but we were the only witnesses.  He’ll kill both of us as soon as he finds us.  

The cops can’t protect me.  I’ve got to handle this shit myself.  I bought the only two guns my street contact had.  I paid $150 for the 9mm and an extra $100 for the .22 with a box of bullets.  I’m just hoping the cops arrest the killer before he finds me or my family so I don’t have to use the guns.”

The driver admitted that he had purchased both guns and had given the .22 to his living roommate.  The roommate didn’t want the gun and just stuffed it under the seat for the ride to the funeral.  The passenger roommate admitted to buying the meth that they were going to deliver to their dead friend’s girl.

We charged the driver with both guns and the passenger for possession of methamphetamine.  We seized the evidence and took both criminals to jail.

Looking back on this case, I can’t help but to acknowledge a few difficult facts:

– Both of these guys had just witnessed their roommate’s murder and were now getting arrested for serious felonies.  Could someone’s week really get worse than that?

– They did the right thing by reporting the murderer’s name to the police.

– The police hadn’t worked very hard to arrest the killer, placing the informants in grave danger.

– The informants were trying to manage their own grief and help a dead friend’s grieving girlfriend through a horrible situation.

– They knew the cops couldn’t protect them, so they made the completely reasonable decision to purchase firearms the only way they could do so in order to protect themselves from the murderer who was currently trying to hunt them down.

Now because of a chance traffic stop, they were being arrested while the murderer was still free.  We seized the only instruments they owned that would allow them to defend themselves and their families from the rampaging murderer.

We were taking them to the same jail to which the murderer would also eventually be confined upon arrest, thereby guaranteeing a confrontation inside.  But the murderer was part of an organized street gang with lots of friends in that jail.  What do you think our informants’ chances of surviving that jail confrontation are?

Did we do the right thing?

The low level drug dealers we arrested weren’t model citizens by any means.  But they were trying to do the right thing by turning in the murderer at grave risk to their own personal safety.

If we hadn’t arrested them, there was a good chance that they would have killed the murderer in self defense, a net gain for society.

In the name of “justice” we screwed all that up, virtually guaranteeing that two men who were willing to testify against their friend’s murderer ended up dead themselves.

While the department congratulated us for getting guns and drugs off the street, I knew that the actions we took had far more lasting and complex consequences than incarcerating yet another “bad guy.”

Unintended consequences are a bitch and they haunt me even to this day.  If I were walking in our prisoners’ shoes, I undoubtedly would have taken a similar course of action.

As I was clearing the call, the song “Snow” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers was playing on my cruiser radio.  The lyrics hit me hard.

“The more I see, the less I know
The more I like to let it go”

I can’t help but think that if my co-worker hadn’t made that traffic stop and those arrests, the world would currently be a better place.

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

Not Just The Big Booms – Repeated Blast Pressure

A very interesting article about how a relatively minimal amount of gunfire can cause brain-harming overpressure events under some circumstances.

Defensive Shotgun Selection: Which is Right for You?

Justin gives us an in-depth evaluation of the shotguns on the market today and provides his advice about which to choose.  On the topic of shotguns, Rhett’s video about prioritizing shotgun training during periods of time when ammunition is expensive makes lots of sense.  Pick up those practice shells now.  An industry insider informed me that both Federal and Winchester will be raising their ammunition prices six percent starting August first.

Strong-Side Carry: A Practical Guide

Although most of the cool kids in the gun world carry their pistols in the appendix position these days, there are good reasons to carry behind the hip as well.  This article covers the relative advantages/disadvantages of carrying at three to five o’clock.

12 Easy Ways to Secure Your Home Against Bad Guys

Inexpensive options to make your home more difficult to enter.

Open Carry

John Farnam shares some very astute observations about open carry.  You will also want to read his followup analysis of an open carry case described by a defense attorney friend.  For my thoughts on the topic, read Friends Don’t Let Friends Open Carry.

P&S ModCast 456 – Women’s Insights For Teaching Women

An excellent discussion for anyone who teaches female shooters.  I know all of the panelists.  I’ve taken classes as a student with all of them.  All of them have taken at least one of my classes.  Some have taken my close quarters gunfighting instructor class.  They are dedicated to learning and sharing best practices with the students they teach.

The Most Valuable Endorsement: A Girl & A Gun’s Instructor Gear Report

Continuing on the topic of female shooters, here is the chosen gear selection from a recent A Girl and a Gun rifle instructor class.  On the same site, you will also want to read Tatiana’s article on Does This Gun Actually Fit You?

Frost Rising: Book 1 In The Crown Acres Series (Crown Acres: Community After the Fall

What I’m reading…

Reading a Lot Doesn’t Make You Open-Minded. Reading the Right Way Does.

On the topic of reading books, you might appreciate this article.

“Reading doesn’t make you right more often. It makes you wrong less painfully.

It shows you, over and over, across centuries and disciplines, that the smartest people who ever lived spent most of their time doing exactly what you’re doing right now: figuring it out. Getting it wrong. Revising.

But only if you let it. Only if you read the things that challenge you, not just the things that confirm you. Only if you treat your bookshelf as a tool for growth instead of a trophy case for what you already know.”

The Collective Mood and You

I occasionally am asked how I assess the relative safety of the areas I inhabit when I travel to third world countries.  Different customs and language change societal norms, but these factors remain relatively constant no matter where you are in the world.  Take a look at this article and learn how to assess the baseline.  It will help you make a good decision.  The techniques are mentioned by the authors of Left of Bang, an excellent book to check out if you want to learn more about baseline behavior profiling.

Collectors’ Quirks – The Little Things That Matter

Quirky gun features that may make your gun more collectable.

Carrying Concealed: How to Overcome “Condition One” Anxiety

If you get anxiety about carrying a pistol with a loaded chamber, some of these tips may help.  I firmly believe the best course of action for someone worried about this issue is to convince them to carry a revolver instead.  I’d much rather have a revolver with six rounds ready to go than a 15-shot auto pistol with an empty chamber.

Defensive Firearms Training: Preparing for the Reality of High-Stress Encounters

Massad Ayoob shares some advice on dealing with stressful encounters.  You might also like Massad’s take on “Suicide by Cop” encounters.

Keys Between the Fingers – On Her Own

It seems like I have been trying to debunk this self defense myth for my entire lifetime. Hitting someone with car keys between you fingers is an absolutely useless fighting technique.

If Annette’s video didn’t convince you, watch my friend Nic allowing a student to hit him full power with the keys in her fist. She suffered more damage than he did.  Link opens to Facebook video.

Scripting Your Attack

I like Kevin’s idea of “scripting” potential attacks.  You might also like his article on the FEAR Bag.

.22 Mag Rivals 9mm for Self Defense! Speer Gold Dot – Ballistic Gel Test W/Steel Barrier

Why I really like the .22 magnum and occasionally carry one for self protection.  While on the topic of .22 defensive rounds, you might also like to see how the Stinger performs out of a short barreled revolver.

Dewine signs law requiring anyone pulled over to disclose name, address, date of birth

For my Ohio readers.

The More You Know: Living With Astigmatism When Using Red Dot, Holographic and Prismatic Optics

Great advice for seeing a red dot more clearly if you have an astigmatism.

Improving Your One-Hand Shooting

Tips for shooting better with one hand.

The Shape of Enshittification.

A very interesting long form analysis on the impact that AI will have on our culture, especially writing.  As a guy who makes a significant portion of my income from my writing efforts, this concerns me.  This excerpt is important:

“So does that mean that the book is dead??

Not quite.

And the distinction here is important:

What’s dying is a specific kind of book. The how-to book. The one you bought to get the seven-part formula on how to do something step-by-step.

In 2019, the best place to get that type of information was a book.

In 2026, it’s a chatbot that has already read that book, plus a thousand more like it, and will hand you an answer in fifteen seconds, shaped to your exact situation.

Which means the how-to book has the same problem as an AI story.

It has a “shape” that AI can easily copy.

But Tim is just as clear about what doesn’t.

The market for information is collapsing into the chatbot. But the market for transformation is moving the other way.

Books that offer a unique point of view.

Books that offer a bold new Big Idea.

Books that offer an escape.

Books that tell a story only a single person in the world can tell.

Books that transform your thinking.

Those kind of books….

Are actually hotter than ever.”

You’ll notice that I’m taking this advice to heart.  I’m writing fewer and fewer “how to” articles and more articles with unique perspectives.  I’m focusing on sharing my experiences of taking almost 5000 hours of professional firearms and combatives training, 25 years of police work, and 30+ years of training thousands of students on the range.  AI can’t compete with that.  I think you’ll enjoy the metamorphosis.

The Scourge of Teen Takeovers

A deep dive into one of the more pressing crime problems in today’s age.

Quote to Ponder:

“Part of you knows that there is some wisdom in voluntarily exposing yourself to terrible things.  Because terrible things are coming your way and you’d better get used to it and maybe get good at it.  And one of the ways you can do that is to practice a bit.  You don’t want something terrible that happens to you to be the first difficult thing you’ve ever contended with.”

– Jordan Peterson

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.

I belong to several firearms instructor groups on Facebook.  In one such group, a member recently asked the following question:

“Are shorts acceptable for an instructor? Range or classroom? Would you consider them “professional attire” for someone in an instructor role?”

I have a rather unique lens through which to view such questions.

I have metastasized Stage IV cancer.  The median survival rate of my type and stage of cancer (from diagnosis until death) is 30 months.  It’s been 28 months since my diagnosis.

I’m feeling good now, but if I look at the statistics, I’m not going to be around that much longer.

With that fact in mind, do you think I give a fiddler’s fuck about whether or not some stranger on the internet approves of the clothes I wear while I teach class?  In the grand scheme of things, such concerns mean absolutely nothing.  If I’m going to be dead in a short time, exactly how much time should I spend seeking strangers’ approval?

Why would that answer change if I didn’t have a terminal illness?  Some things are important and some things are not.  If you wouldn’t consider it important on your deathbed, why would you think it’s important now?

In 2003, skinny Greg was teaching a knife class in the 5.11 tactical tuxedo. Note none of the other students were wearing 5.11 yet.

 

By the time this photo was taken in 2006, I had already ditched the 5.11 pants for more comfortable Woolrich trousers.

 

Teaching last month in shorts and a T-shirt. My observing student is clearly the one wearing the “professional” clothing in this photo.

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

AAR: Two Years of Coaching a Self-Defense Class

My friend Mark Luell discusses how he structures the self defense training curriculum he teaches.  Read about his approach to “constraints-led learning” techniques.  If you’ve ever taken any of my classes, you will recognize the process Mark describes.  His lesson plan notes are a gold mine for any of you who teach self defense or combatives.

Is Car Carry a Mistake? – The Armory Life

The answer is “YES.”  You might also like Kevin’s other article titled Why Firearms Training Classes are (Mostly) Useless.

UPDATED: New Survey on the Rate that People Carry Concealed Handguns

Screenshot

In Kevin’s article above, he discusses my experience as a cop who stopped a lot of concealed carriers for traffic stops.  Very few were actually carrying guns.  Here’s a deeper dive into that idea.  

“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 was defined as “carry” “occasionally throw a gun in the glove compartment of your car.”

The One Mag Assessment — Citizen-Defender

A great shooting drill from John Murphy.

lethal force against a mob

Uncle Mas gives us a legal history lesson.  For some more history about our founding fathers, read A Sixgunner’s Fourth Of July.

Need a little more history?  Try Women of the Old West Hidden Weapons – Damsels with Derringers.

Murder in the US Fell Dramatically in the First Half of 2026

Some more good news about our nation’s crime rate.

Interview With Active Shooter Incident Expert, Lt. Col. Ed Monk

If you are interested in the topic of active killers, you need to study Ed Monk’s work.  Start here.  Then buy Ed’s book.

The ABC’s of keeping our daughters safe

Good research about the true ways our children are victimized and how to protect them.  Part One and Part Three in the series are good reads as well.

🇺🇸 The FIRST American Metallic Handgun Cartridge – The .22 Short! VS .22 Long & .22 LR Snubby Test

I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen a gelatin test of the .22 short or .22 long cartridges.  This one was a bit surprising to me.  For some more .22 ballistic testing, read Snubby .22 Test! The Most Advanced .22 LR Ammo? CCI Uppercut .22 LR Ballistic Test VS Blazer 9mm JHP.   I’d definitely stay away from the uppercut round as a defensive selection out of short barreled handguns.

I use State of the Art Technology

Is there a role for nostalgia in equipment selection?

Cops Die Younger. Here’s What’s Killing Them.

Some articles for my police readers.  Start with the one linked below.  Then check out these others:

The training behind Officer Chris Munn’s calm under fire

A FIREARMS CAPABILITY CHECK

Looking For Work – Proactive Vehicle Stops – American Cop

Off-Duty Gunfight: Winning Then Losing – The Tactical Wire | The Tactical Wire

Mate Selection for Modernity

This is a long, but fascinating read for any of us who are in the modern dating market.

“More generally, there’s a disconnect between what women want and what is actually available to them. Whereas greater male attainment increases the number of romantic options a man has, greater female attainment reduces the number of options a woman has.

This imbalance in the sexual marketplace is not a good thing. A society teeming with lonely women and sexually frustrated men is one hurtling toward disaster. It is imperative that we, as a society, think carefully about solutions to this burgeoning crisis.”

Self-Defense and the Law: Should You Engage or Stand Down?

Massad Ayoob’s advice about when to engage and when to retreat.  You might also like Massad’s thoughts on Self-Defense and the Law: Weapon-Mounted Lights for Concealed Carry

Reloading Techniques for Your Handgun

Rich Nance writes a long article with lots of tips for a better reload.  Rich’s book  belongs in your shooting library.

Red Dot Pistol Drills: 5 Exercises to Improve Speed & Accuracy

For those of you who carry red dot sights on your defensive pistol.

Trembling, Still: The Awful Clarity of a Mind in Eclipse

What I’m reading…

Jenkinson is the world’s leading authority about the subject of death and dying.  He believes that utilizing the death process as a way to better the world is an important idea.  He wrote one of my favorite books (Die Wise).  That book has seriously altered the way that I will be dying when my time here runs out. 

The author has been recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.  This book is a serious look at how he’s putting his own theories to practice as he embraces the terminal disease process he’s personally experiencing.

Mouse Guns

Is there ever a time to carry a tiny pistol?

Smith & Wesson Revolvers DON’T Have a QC Problem | Swift/Silent/Deadly

My recent experiences echo Justin’s.

If you do have a functioning Smith and Wesson revolver, check out the following article for some unconventional defensive ammunition choices.  Top-Quality .38 Special Ammo for Snubbies.

This Is How To Read People: 5 Secrets Backed By Research

A good article about sizing people up.  Pay extra attention to “identity claims.”  A criminal will often self-identify as such if you are just paying enough attention to catch the clues he is giving off.  When people show that they are aligned with various criminal subgroups by the way they dress, their manner of speech, their tattoos, and their mannerisms, you shouldn’t be surprised when they adopt the mores of that same criminal subgroup.

Conceal Carrying During Pregnancy | The Fourth Trimester (Part 2) ⋆ Primer Peak

For my female readers of child rearing age.

“Don’t Go Out That Fucking Door!”

Matt Larsen discusses how drones have changed the modern battlefield and how that fact paradoxically demands more hand to hand combat proficiency.

Remembering Marc Krebs: More Than an AK Builder – Firearms News

An industry icon has passed away.  I never met Mr. Krebs, but I’ve shot quite a few of his rifles.  Most were works of modern art.

Quote to Ponder:

“If there is a solution to the problem, there is no need to worry- implement the solution. If there is no solution, there is no sense in worrying either.”

– Dalai Lama

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

Background

As many of my readers know, in early 2020 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  For more details about my initial diagnosis, you can read this article.

To make a long story short, I didn’t like the long term consequences of the treatment options my doctor gave me.  For me, being alive is more than just having a heart beat.  I didn’t want to live a life with the inability to ever have sex again, urinary incontinence, and potential bowel and bladder damage from radiation or surgery.  I chose not to treat my cancer.  

My doctors told me that if I didn’t have surgery or radiation treatments within about six months of my diagnosis, the cancer would most certainly spread.  The docs gave me a projected life expectancy of two years if I didn’t treat the cancer.

In late 2022, a reader contacted me and told me about a newly-approved treatment option.  The TULSA PRO trans-urethral total prostate ablation procedure wasn’t commonly available in the United States when I was diagnosed.  None of my docs even mentioned it as a possible option.  By 2022, the procedure was becoming more widely known and performed.  My reader had undergone the TULSA.  His cancer was gone and he had no urinary or sexual side effects.

That interested me.  As my PSA levels continued to rise and my MRIs showed that my cancer was nearly breaking out of the prostate, I booked an appointment with Dr. Busch to have the Tulsa procedure done.

The whole prostate ablation was a relatively easy recovery.  Other than having a catheter for 11 days and a six-week restriction on sex and heavy lifting, the recovery wasn’t bad at all.  My first followup MRI showed that the doc got all the cancer.  I could still have sex and I had zero urinary issues.  Life was good for about a year and then my PSA started rising again.  Fourteen months after the TULSA procedure, my cancer came back and spread to some pelvic lymph nodes.

Now my cancer was at stage IV and was no longer considered curable.  The definitive treatment was taking my testosterone down to zero for the rest of my life.  That would stop the cancer growth for a few years, but would eventually stop working.  And those few years with zero testosterone wouldn’t be a life I would consider living.  I again chose not to treat my cancer.

About a year later (last summer) I was in bad shape.  I had horrific nausea and couldn’t eat.  I lost 30 pounds in two months.  I was in horrible pain from one of my tumors pressing on a nerve in my lower back.  I couldn’t teach a class without stepping off the range to vomit several times a day.  I thought I was going to have to stop teaching.

At that point, I tried some experimental treatment protocols.  Those protocols shrunk my tumors and drastically lowered my PSA.  All my docs were astounded.  They had never seen any treatments work as well as my experimental protocols did.

Unfortunately, I’m a bit of an outlier.  I know three other prostate cancer patients who tried protocols similar to the one I used to reduce my tumor size.  The protocol caused some temporary progress, but ultimately failed in all three of the other guys who tried it.

Right now I feel good and my PSA numbers are much better than they were at this time last year.  I just don’t know how long my reprieve will last.  I still have the cancer, it just doesn’t seem to be growing right now.

Median survival from the time of diagnosis of my type of cancer until death is 30 months.  And that’s with hormone depletion treatment.  I’m not doing hormone treatment and I’m at month 28 since my cancer spread.  I feel good now, but I expect that’s temporary.  I’m enjoying my life currently, but I don’t expect this remission to last forever.

At this point, a significant percentage of you readers will feel the need to tell me about Ivermectin, Fenbendazole, high dose melatonin, ketogenic diets, Essiac Tea, IV Vitamin C, apricot seeds, Gerson therapy, and some funky clinic in Mongolia that cured your cousin’s friend’s brother’s cancer.  Please don’t. 

I’ve tried most of the “alternative treatments.”  They didn’t work.  I’ve been researching treatment options for my condition daily for six years.   I’ve been to 11 different doctors and had full cancer workups at both MD Anderson and UCLA.  You watched a Tiktok video or heard a podcast.  I know you mean well, but it becomes incredibly annoying when I get 200 treatment suggestions from people who have never had my type of cancer every time I write about an update in my condition.  Resist the urge to tell me about the surefire cure you just heard about on social media.

So what’s the point of this article?

It isn’t just to update you on my condition.  It’s to provide some informed guidance for those of you who might be going through a similar cancer experience.

I look at the quote above and am humbled.  In 30+ years of martial arts training, gun classes, and police work, I’ve learned a lot.  In essence, I serve as a kind of “survival guide” to all my students and readers.

When I told my late friend Marcus Wynne that I had cancer, he said “You’ve saved a lot of lives with your training over the years.  I predict you will save even more lives when you tell people about how you have survived your medical challenges.”

When Marcus told me that, I laughed at him.  Now, having helped a whole lot of guys with cancer since my own diagnosis in 2020, I realize Marcus had access to information that most folks couldn’t understand.

Right now I’m being contacted by a couple people every month who have recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer.  I’m writing this article to share the stuff I’ve learned over the years about my disease and to tell folks all the stuff I wished I had known when I was going through the initial stages of my diagnosis.

Keep reading if you want some general tips and are interested in the most valuable resources I’ve found to help prostate cancer patients through their disease progressions.  This isn’t medical advice.  I’m not a doctor.  I’m just a patient who has been dealing with this terminal disease for more than six years.  I know what has been helpful for me and I want to share those resources with all of you in a similar situation.

General Prostate Cancer Tips

High PSA– For most prostate cancer patients, their first indication of the disease comes after a high PSA.  If your PSA blood test comes back high, don’t panic.  Almost half of the folks with a high PSA (4.0 or 5.0 depending on age) DO NOT HAVE CANCER.  Lots of conditions can raise PSA levels, most commonly BPH and prostatitis.

Any type of pressure on the prostate can also temporarily raise levels.  Make sure you don’t have orgasms, heavy lower body workouts,  jujitsu classes, or cycling workouts within 72 hours of your PSA test.  The most common approach to an initially high PSA level is to wait one to two months and then retest.

MRI- If your PSA remains high, the next step should be an MRI in attempt to locate any lesions or tumors in the prostate.  This is a relatively new recommendation.  Up until a few years ago, biopsy would be the next steps.  Lots of urologists still go with a biopsy before the MRI.

The prostate biopsy is a nasty procedure.  You will want to limit the number of biopsies you endure.  It’s better to go with the MRI first if your doc will order one.

Biopsy- If the MRI discovers lesions or tumors, a biopsy is warranted.  No insurance company will approve cancer treatment based just on MRI results.  A diagnosis of prostate cancer via biopsy is the only way you will be approved for treatment.  The most common biopsy is called a TRUS biopsy.  The doctor divides the prostate into 12 different areas using ultrasound imaging.  The doc attempts to get a tissue sample from each of those 12 segments.

Other biopsies use MRI to target specific areas of suspicion rather than randomly taking 12 tissue samples.  There is an MRI fusion biopsy that uses a computer and ultrasound to merge MRI results with ultrasound images to better guide the needle sampling.  The most accurate biopsy is called an in-bore MRI biopsy.  This one is actually done in an MRI machine, but it’s expensive and difficult to schedule.

If I had to do the biopsy stage again, I wouldn’t consent to the random 12 needle TRUS biopsy.  I would insist on one of the MRI biopsies of the suspicious areas rather than the random sampling.

There are two ways the biopsy needles are inserted.  The most common is trans-rectally.  Because there is a lot of bacteria in the rectum, there is a high risk of infection.  In most other countries, trans-rectal biopsies are no longer conducted.  

The other option is trans-perineal insertion where the needle is inserted into the tissue between the scrotum and the anus.  That is slightly more painful, but cuts risk of infection down to almost zero.  If you can find a doc who will do a trans-perineal biopsy, that’s what I would recommend.

One other surprising thing about biopsies is that you may find blood in your urine, stool, or ejaculate for a couple weeks afterwards.  I had no blood in urine or stool after my first biopsy.  I wasn’t expecting my first few orgasms to expel what appeared to be straight blood rather than semen.  My girlfriend at the time was even more surprised than I was.  Be prepared for that possibility.

Gleason score and review of biopsy slides- A pathologist will review the tissue samples collected in the biopsy and evaluate the grade of cancer you have.  That grade is most commonly expressed as a Gleason Score.  This Gleason score will dictate all of your future treatment options.  It’s really important.

Unfortunately, about 30% of biopsy samples are incorrectly graded.  One of my samples ended up being incorrectly graded as a far more aggressive cancer than it actually was.  This is a really big deal.  The most common Gleason scores are 3+3=6, 3+4=7. 4+3=7, and 4+4=8.  Each of these different grades call for different treatments.

A Gleason 6 probably does not need immediate treatment.  Those cancers generally don’t spread.  Treatment is warranted on a Gleason 7, but there is a large difference in options between the two different types of Gleason 7 cancer.  Some low volume 3+4 Gleasons can be watched with active surveillance.  Your doctor will not want to use that approach with a 4+3.

The Gleason 4+3 and 4+4 cancers will generally involve hormone depletion for six to 24 months in addition to surgery or radiation.

If your Gleason 3+4 is misgraded low, you might fail to treat a cancer that may soon spread.  If it’s misgraded high, you might undergo a lot of suffering with two years of unnecessary testosterone depletion.

You want to get a second opinion on your Gleason Score Grades.  As I mentioned, one of my lesions was initially graded as a 4+3=7 when it was actually a 3+4=7.

PSMA PET Scan- After you get a diagnosis of prostate cancer, you’ll want to get a PSMA PET Scan to see if the cancer has spread.  This scan is the most sensitive option and will tell you exactly where your cancer is located.  Previously, detection of metastases was made based on bone scans or MRI.  The PSMA PET is generally better than both of those other modalities.

Do not consent to any treatment until you are sure you know if your cancer has spread.  Once the cancer is outside the prostate gland, all the focal treatments (and maybe prostatectomy) are no longer viable treatment options.

Treatment- All these tests lead up to treatment options.  Use the resources I listed below to determine which option will work best for your condition and lifestyle goals.  Please be cautious when evaluating side effects of these treatments.  “Erectile Dysfunction” and “Urinary Incontinence” are generally defined differently than your expectations in the studies that you will be reading.

Before prostate cancer treatment, if I couldn’t maintain an erection adequate for sexual intercourse, I would be diagnosed with erectile dysfunction and proscribed a pill like Viagra or penile injections.  After prostate cancer treatment “erectile dysfunction” is assumed.  Very few men get normal erections back.  After treatment, the researchers don’t consider it “erectile dysfunction” unless the pills and/or injections fail.  So when you read something like 70% of men will regain erectile function after surgery or radiation, understand that means “with Viagra or injections.”  It doesn’t mean 70% of men will go back to normal pre-treatment sexual function.

The same issue comes up with “urinary incontinence.”  After prostate cancer treatment, researchers don’t define you as incontinent so long as you use one underwear diaper pad or less per day.  Some leakage is expected after treatment.  When you read “85% of men will regain continence after surgery” understand that doesn’t mean that you will be completely dry.  I’ve found that surgeons and radiologists universally understate the negative side effects of treatment.

Also understand that your doctors are likely to recommend the treatment that they personally perform.  Urologists usually recommend surgery.  Radiation oncologists recommend radiation.  Beyond that, the radiation recommendation will also depend on what machine the radiologist has in his office.  Most oncologists recommend the standard prostate cancer radiation that consists of 40-45 daily sessions of radiation.  Those radiation oncologists usually won’t tell you that protocols using 20-26 sessions of radiation have equal success rates and side effect profiles as the standard 45 dose version.

The newer MRI-Linac radiation is delivered in an MRI machine for accuracy.  Most prostate cancers are treated in five sessions with this radiation and it has much more sensitive margins than the older machines.  If I chose radiation, I would probably choose that method or one of the newer brachytherapy protocols.  Many radiologists don’t recommend those treatment options because they don’t personally perform the brachytherapy surgeries or have access to the newer MRI-Linac machines.

After your doctor gives you his preferred treatment option, get at least one second opinion.  Use the resources below to contact Dr. Scholz and/or Dr. Kishan from UCLA.  Dr. Scholz will offer personal review of your case and consultation for a few hundred dollars.  Dr. Kishan will do the same thing from UCLA and will bill your insurance for a telehealth appointment so you don’t have to fly to California.  If I was starting this process again, I would consult with both of these men before considering any other treatment option.

Don’t panic.  You have time.  Most men decide on a course of prostate cancer treatment in less than two weeks without ever receiving a second opinion.  That’s the wrong answer.  My doctors told me I had less than two years of life remaining in 2020.  When my cancer spread in 2024, I was again given two more years to live.  I’m still going strong 6.5 years later.  You have time to wait a couple months to get a good second opinion.

Prostate Cancer Resources

Prostate cancer: a PSA on PSA

Before we get too deep, here is Dr. Peter Attia’s masterful article on PSA, prostate cancer screenings, and the next steps if your PSA level is too high.

Newly Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer: What You Need to Know

This article and Prostate Cancer: Questions Every Newly Diagnosed Man Should Ask His Doctor are two excellent short form articles on Medium that contain a lot of very high quality introductory information.  The author is a physician and prostate cancer survivor with whom I’ve corresponded.

Many Men Chose The Wrong Prostate Cancer Treatment: Here’s Why

If you prefer your information in video form, here is an excellent short form video discussing primary treatment options and why you might choose one modality over another.  This one covers active surveillance, radiation therapy, and radical prostatectomy.  Unfortunately, it does not include focal treatment options like TULSA, HIFU, and Cryoablation.

ZERO Prostate Cancer Support Community

An exceptional site that operates like an old-school internet forum.  The quality of information is very high and the site will send you daily email updates notifying you of new articles, videos, and posts.

The Key to Prostate Cancer: 30 Experts Explain 15 Stages of Prostate Cancer

I’ve read dozens of prostate cancer books since my diagnosis about six years ago.  This is by far the most useful of the lot.  It breaks a very complicated process into very simple action steps and provides all the advice your doctors don’t have time to give you.

Superman’s Adventure With Prostate Cancer: One man’s navigation through the twists and turns of treatment for advanced prostate cancer

One man’s personal journey through advanced prostate cancer treatment.  The book is a quick read and the author writes in a very humorous and vulnerable manner.

Prostate Cancer Research Institute YouTube Channel

If you like getting information in a video format, this is the best YouTube channel I’ve found.

Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul

After hearing the author speak on a podcast interview, I had to read his books.  This guy operates at an intellectual level that I find hard to even comprehend.  He’s definitely one of the smartest people in the room and he has some ideas about death that mesh seamlessly with some of the Amazonian shamanic practices I’ve experienced.

If you are a part of the industry the author refers to as “the death trade” (anyone who deals with or cares for dying people) or are contemplating how what you want your own death to look like, you need to read this book.  It changed my views on the subjects of death and dying.

Living While Dying: My Cancer Journey

I don’t think this is the best prostate cancer reference.  In fact, the author got a few of the cancer specific details somewhat wrong.  Where this book shines is in recognizing how terrible the cancer treatment process is and how if the author can make it through, you can too.  Everything that could possibly go wrong with the author’s case went wrong.  Dude just kept getting relentlessly slammed no matter what he did.  But he’s still here despite all of the challenges.

Dr. Patrick Walsh’s Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer

A very comprehensive and informative 450-page book covering all aspects of the disease process.

Androgen Deprivation Therapy: An Essential Guide for Prostate Cancer Patients and Their Loved Ones

The most comprehensive and current book on the market describing all the options for ADT as well as their physical and psychological side effects.

A Salamander’s Tale: My Story of Regeneration- Surviving 30 Years with Prostate Cancer

A humorous and extremely well written account of a physician’s 30-year fight with prostate cancer and his courage to reject some of his doctors’ advice in order to experiment with new treatment strategies and optimize his quality of life.

This One Episode Will Change How You Think About the World & Your Life (From #1 Cancer Surgeon)

While this one isn’t specific to prostate cancer, it’s about cancer patients in general and discusses ways to optimize your mental state when going through such a difficult time.

What He’s Not Saying: A Hopeful Guide to Staying Strong, Connected, and Confident as You Walk Alongside a Man Facing Prostate Cancer.

The men who do the best after a prostate cancer diagnosis are those who have close relationships with family, romantic partners, and friends.  This book is written for those people and covers how best to support the patient you love.

Intimacy After Prostate Cancer

A weekly Substack article written by a psychologist and prostate cancer survivor.  The articles are for men and couples navigating life after prostate cancer—especially the parts that are rarely talked about: intimacy, confidence, identity, communication, and emotional recovery.

I hope these tips and resources are useful for you.  Please share them with the men in your life who are dealing with this condition.  As I find more useful references in the future, I will add them to the article

My first encounters with lunacy began long before I became a cop.

The year was 1989.  I was a high school junior who worked part time at a nearby K-Mart department store.  Even though my friends and I were all three-sport athletes, most of us still had part-time jobs in the 1980s to pay for cars, dates, and gas money.  Stores like K-Mart employed lots of high school kids back in the day.

The job wasn’t bad.  I worked in the hardware department mixing paint in the winter time and in the garden center watering plants during the spring and summer months.

K-Mart had codes that they used over the store PA system to summon employees for certain tasks.  My store also had a “Mr. Armstrong” code.  When “Mr. Armstrong” was summoned, it was a code denoting a serious emergency.  All male staff members were to drop everything and immediately report to the area denoted over the PA.  

It was rarely used, and looking back, I’m shocked that it was culturally acceptable at the time to throw a bunch of male high school kids into a problem and assume it would be successfully resolved.  Such an emergency response code would never be used today.

I was mixing paint the first time I heard the call.  

“Mr. Armstrong to the pharmacy immediately.  Mr. Armstrong to the pharmacy immediately.”

I remember thinking “Oh, that’s the big one.  This is going to be more fun than shaking paint.”

I had a long bladed screwdriver that I used to open paint cans.  I pocketed the screwdriver as a potential weapon in case I needed it and ran to the pharmacy.

When I got there, the pharmacists and techs were fleeing.  There was an older, skinny guy that I didn’t recognize dressed in a black trench coat behind the counter.  He was screaming and throwing pill bottles everywhere.

As all the male staff members arrived, the store manager (an attractive, early 40s female divorcee who inspired crushes in all her teenage male employees) held a quick powwow.

The manager told us that the man was crazy and violent.  She told us that the police had been called.  Until they arrived, our job was to keep the guy from leaving the pharmacy area or attacking the customers.  We weren’t to touch him unless he started hurting people.  If he looked like he was going to hurt anyone she told us to “beat his ass and hold him for the cops.”

Ahh, I miss the 1980s.

I was a two-way starter on the offensive and defensive line for my high school football team.  I had also wrestled for several years.  I was pretty sure I could handle the “beat his ass” part of the instructions.

All of the male employees surrounded the pharmacy counter with the plan to keep the crazy guy isolated.

As I was blocking the pharmacy entrance, the man walked right up to me and started talking.  I have no idea why he chose me, but I suppose that moment should have foretold my status as the “crazy whisperer” in my future cop job.

The crazy man had a book in his hand, and being a reader even back then, I said “Hey man, what are you reading?”

The man lifted up the book to show me.  It was L. Ron Hubbard’s Dianetics.

I remember seeing the subtitle “The Modern Science of Mental Health” and thinking “I don’t think the science is working for this dude.”

I said:  “I don’t know anything about that book.  Is it any good?”

The man was seemingly distracted by my question and stopped throwing things to focus on answering it.

He looked at me and said “Have you ever been reading a book and realize that you are suddenly just skimming the paragraphs without deeply understanding anything?”

Thinking about most of my high school text books, I nodded in the affirmative.

“This book says that every time that happens it’s because you encountered a word that you didn’t understand.  When your brain doesn’t understand a word’s definition, it prompts you to start skimming to better contextually understand the text.  Unfortunately, that’s the wrong answer.  The better response is to look the word up in a dictionary rather than skipping over it.”

I nodded as if I understood.

The man suddenly realized that a whole bunch of dudes were lined up trying to keep him behind the counter of the pharmacy.  He dropped the book on the ground and pulled a butcher knife out of his coat pocket.  That changed our plans.  None of us were too excited about confronting the skinny guy now.

As a side note, looking back, I had completely forgotten about the screwdriver in my pocket.  I had never carried a screwdriver as a weapon and had never practiced drawing one during stressful scenarios.  It makes me wonder how many armed citizens stick a weapon in their pocket “just in case” and then forget about it when they actually need it. 

OK, back to the story.

The manager told us to follow the guy while she evacuated the store and waited to guide the cops to him when they arrived.

The man quickly fled to the rear of the store with the knife still in hand.  I picked up the book he had dropped and gave chase.

We found him eating a stolen hot dog in the cafeteria.  One of the male staff members called the customer service desk to update them on our location as we watched the man eat while waiting for the cops to arrive.

A few minutes later, three cops ran up.  As soon as the crazy guy saw the cops, he jumped up and began running again.  Hot dog in one hand and butcher knife in the other.

One of the cops tackled the dude and a few of us store employees piled on to get him under control.  The crazy guy cut his arm badly as he was falling.  The cops got him cuffed and all of us were covered with the guy’s blood.

As the cops were walking him out the door, I handed one of them the Dianetics paperback the crazy guy had dropped.  The cop said: “I don’t want to log it as property.  Just keep it.”

We later found out that the man had been an inmate at the state mental hospital (remember those?).  He had killed his wife and was adjudicated as criminally insane and was serving life in a place that was once called “The Central Ohio Lunatic Asylum.”  He had walked away from the puzzle factory and somehow ended up at a K-Mart on the other side of town.

As soon as the guy was cuffed, the manager gave all of us 10 minutes to wash his blood off and get back to work.  No witness statements.  No trauma counseling.  No medical checkups (even in the height of the AIDS epidemic).   Just another day at the office during a period of time with the highest crime rate in American recorded history. 

I took the crazy guy’s book home and read it.  I don’t remember anything about it except the part about skimming the story line being prompted by failure to understand a single word in the text.

Ever since then, I’ve made it my habit to notice when I start skimming text and go back to figure out which word I didn’t understand.

Today I was reading a book on the stationary bike at the gym.  I noticed myself skimming.  I went back and found the word “oleaginous.”  It means “marked by an offensively ingratiating manner or quality.”

What a cool word.

And I never would have learned it if I hadn’t wrestled a crazy murderer almost 40 years ago.

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

Tactical Entertainment: When High-Volume Shooting Masquerades as Advanced Training

“True “advanced” work is usually exhausting because of the mental focus required, not the quantity of empty casings left lying on the ground.”

Detecting the Covert Accomplice

In all the force on force training I’ve conducted over the years, I find students have the most difficult time detecting the second bad guy.  Read my article Look Out for Lookouts for more information.

Straw Man Arguments Against the Defensive Shotgun

Excellent shotgun information.

Wherefore Art Thou, Red Dot

Great red dot advice from Erick.

The Golden Second – Ten Lessons in Crime-Fighting from a Counter Mugger Expert

While I don’t totally agree with everything the author advises, this is a great article by a man who’s truly been there…he was a cop assigned as a decoy and was mugged 256 times!

The Preemptive Draw and Preemptive Grip in the Cash-in-Transit Sector. Part 1.

Interesting history from the armored car industry.  I will also note that there was some research completed about 20 years ago that showed most police officers were actually slower using the “gun in hand” (as opposed to gun in holster) ready position because they seldom trained for shooting from that position at the range.

Ayoob: The 1911 at War – The Armory Life

Mas Ayoob discusses the 1911 in two world wars and beyond.  While we are on the topic of military history, you might also like this article about Feeding Frenzy: Charting the History of AR Magazines.

Need some more 1911 content?  Read Ayoob: Is the 1911 Wrong for CCW?

Why the 1911?

One more article for you 1911 fans.

Gun Mistakes in Fiction Writing: Handgun Edition

Good advice for my writer friends who don’t know guns.  You should also read Justin’s latest piece titled Don’t Do It: Birdshot for Defensive Use.

Conceal Carrying After C-Section [2026] ⋆ Primer Peak

While I’ll never have a C-section, I think it’s important to be prepared for concealed carry after any type of surgery.  I wrote about this originally after an abdominal surgery in 2016.  I also had a surgery last week where my incision site was irritated by my appendix carried firearm.  I had to switch up carry guns for a few days, but I was prepared to do so.

Overrated & Unneeded: Back-Up Iron Sights

Trending Data Among Women First-Time Gun Owners – 2025 Update

Valuable data about female shooters.

The Razor’s Edge: How to Choose a Defensive Blade for Every Day Carry

Good advice for choosing an every day carry defensive blade. 

Defender Executes PICTURE PERFECT Disarm | Active Self Protection

Do you have the skill set to do this?  If not, check out one of my close quarters gunfighting classes.

Myths About Pepper Spray That Many People Believe

Common pepper spray mythology.

Calm in Chaos: A Modern Parent’s Guide to School Emergencies (and staying sane)

What I’m reading….

The Singular Fitz Specials

Learning about the origins of the “Fitz Special.”

Firearms Instructor, 5 Key Factors For Choosing » Trident Concepts

Is a .22 LR Snub Nose Revolver Viable for Self Defense? This Ammo is a Game Changer! – Federal Punch

Federal Punch is the defensive load I carry in my .22 handguns.

Rangemaster July Newsletter

Some good information in this month’s newsletter.

Expert Advice: Should You Carry a Weapon Mounted Light?

Four experts.  Four different opinions.  It’s almost like the argument is nuanced.  For what it’s worth, I carried a WML on my police duty pistol.  I have a WML on my bedside home defense pistol.  I DO NOT carry a WML on my CCW gun.

Why your rifle won’t hold zero — and what to check first

Things to check when your zeroes begin to wander.

4 Helpful Online Tools to Track Ammunition Prices

As ammo prices increase, these sites might be useful.

The Kit Gun

My first handgun was a Smith and Wesson model 51 .22 magnum kit gun.  I carried it around the woods as a kid for hunting small game and plinking.  I still have that revolver and have been fond of Smith’s kit guns since then.

Happy Birthday America Sale 2026: Up to 25% Off Sitewide

My friends at ConcealedCarry.com are running a great Independence Day sale.

Quote to Ponder:

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.

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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.