Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Red Dots on Revolvers? Why?
Caleb discusses dots on revolvers.
I Was the Last Person to Interview Buffalo Bill Cody Before He Died. Here’s What He Said
You history buffs will like this one. It’s from Buffalo Bill Cody’s final interview in 1917. This is what he had to say about Wild Bill Hickok:
“Well, Bill was a pretty good shot, but he could not shoot as quick as half a dozen men we all knew in those days. Nor as straight, either. But Bill was cool, and the men he went up against were rattled, I guess. Bill beat them to it. He made up his mind to kill the other man before the other man had finished thinking, and so Bill would just quietly pull his gun and give it to him. That was all there was to it. It is easy enough to beat the other man if you start first. Bill always shot as he raised his gun. That is, he was never in a hurry about it; he just pulled the gun from his hip and let it go as he was raising it; shoot on the upraise, you might call it. Most men lifted the gun higher, then threw it down to cock it before firing. Bill cocked it with his thumb, I guess, as it was coming up into line with his man. That’s how he did it. But he was not the quickest man by any means. He was just cool and quiet, and started first. Bill Hichox was not a bad man, as is so often pictured. But he was a bad man to tackle. Always cool, kinda cheerful, almost, about it. And he never killed a man unless that man was trying to kill him. That’s fair.”
Defensive Gun Skills, Good Enough?
Some realistic shooting drills to assess baseline competence. I’d also suggest that you read my article about being “Good Enough.”
While you are perusing the site, I might also commend Concealed Carry in National Park Buildings: A New Lawsuit Challenging This Ban to your attention.
Too Much Of Not Enough Force
Important commentary for my police readers.
I Wish
A “Momento Mori” for you hunters.
How to Carry Extra Stuff on the Enigma | Spare Mag, Knife, Pepper Spray, etc.
The PHLster enigma is a game changer for those who want very deep concealment or those who don’t wear belts. Here are some strategies for attaching support gear to to the same enigma system you use to carry your firearm.
The Future is Non-Linear
Some deeper thinking on how to design your firearms training sessions.
“Our objective during training should not be to optimize performance outcomes on specific defined tasks or discreet engagement models. Rather our objective should be to develop robust capability to solve tactical problems.”
Why Can’t I Achieve My Goals?
Chris describes a process to maximize your ability to accomplish whatever goal you may have. You may also like his article It’s Who You Are On the Outside That Matters.
Armed Lifestyle Magazine Issue 24
Some very useful articles in this free 82-page magazine.
How to Train with a Defensive Shotgun | Beginner to Live Fire
Erick Gelhaus gives us an excellent tutorial on the proper way to run the pump shotgun.
Detecting a Tail and What to Do Next
Tips in the event you are being followed.
The shift
I need to work on this. I’m guessing a bunch of you might benefit from this advice as well.
The Essentials: How to Build a Mass Casualty Trauma Kit
High quality information here. With that said, if you don’t know what you need to include in a trauma medical kit before reading this article, I would contend that you need more training, not more gear.
Speaking of medical kits, does your church have one? Read Church Health and Safety: Building a Better Medical Kit
AR Rifle Zeroing Tool
I haven’t played with this yet, but some of you might find it useful.
Meat Test: Deer Meat, Old Clothes, and the Efficacy of .380 ACP Hollow Points
The point of ballistic gelatin testing is to provide a consistent medium through which to accurately compare each projectile by firing into an identical medium. The issue is that the medium (ballistic gel) isn’t flesh and bone. I think tests like this are useful, even if they are imperfect comparisons of bullet performance depending on what part of the deer carcass the projectile struck.
Men vs Women’s Self Defense
I agree with Nick here. Attacks on women differ tremendously from attacks on men. If you have any doubts about that fact, I’d suggest you read this article and then follow it up by reading the book Little Black Book of Violence.
You Should Be Stocking Up Right Now
Ammo is relatively cheap right now. It won’t be forever.
In order to be better prepared for future price increases, you may want to read Concealed Carry Corner: Low Round Count Training.
Dr. Yamane’s BBC interview about the story of guns in America.
Adversarial Attraction: the Predator’s Optic
What do criminals look for when they choose a victim?
“The top cues to vulnerability were: Walk/gait – walking with confidence versus walking like a soft target. Gender – females appear as softer targets than males. Body type – In good physical shape (could put up more of a fight) versus heavy set or slow (less physically challenging). Fitness level – Greater probability of fighting back versus unable to defend self. Attention to surroundings versus Not paying attention; Appears to be cautious versus appears to be clueless.
In distilling the above, there are three overarching Soft Target Indicators that command a predator’s attention at first glance. These are; if you appear to be:
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- Weak – physically, mentally or otherwise
- Unaware – distracted (lack of situational awareness) clearly not paying attention to your immediate surroundings – including them watching you
- Alone – easily accessible, vulnerable, exposed, or some combination thereof
You can appear to be any one of these or even any two of these, but all three combined – weak, unaware and alone –well, that’s the predator’s jackpot – three sevens in Vegas!”
You also want to be aware of anyone who is maneuvering to increase your “Scale of Injury.”
What I’m reading…
A Crash Course in Real World Self-Defense
It’s not enough just to be skilled with a firearm. A genuine student of the art can fight empty handed as well.
He Thought He Was Stopping a Mass Shooter. Now He’s Facing Prison.
This is an absolute mess. A protest where tensions are high. Poorly trained armed security “peacekeepers.” An idiot open carrying an AR-15. What could possibly go wrong? The answer is “everything.”
This example is why I tell you to avoid these protests at all costs. This is why I tell you that you shouldn’t be open carrying (especially with a long gun) in urban environments. I hope my readers are way smarter than all of the folks in this video.
Concealed Carry Corner: Validity Of A Backup Gun
I never worked a single shift in my 25 years as a cop without carrying a backup gun. Now that I’m retired, it’s exceptionally rare that I choose to carry a second gun on my person. Each individual must assess his/her own threat profile before making the decision to carry a backup piece or not.
Still making up your mind? Read this cop’s account of when NOT carrying a backup almost cost him his life The New York Reload: My Back Up Gun Evolution
For even more information, read my article Backup vs. Hideout Guns.
Near Miss: Former student attempted “shooting like Columbine” in rural Oklahoma
Quality analysis of a school shooting that didn’t make the national news. You might also be interested in some of the problems schools are having with AI gun detection software in Students vote to end AI surveillance contract.
Quote to ponder:
“Most of us would like to live with wonder, grace and optimism.
Perhaps it pays to practice this in advance. When considering any given moment, is there a glimmer of good worth focusing on, even making a comment about?
Our narrative of reality often becomes our reality.”
– Seth Godin
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