Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Concealed Carry And Your Family
I get more questions about family safety issues than any other topic on my site. Being a single guy who has never been married and has no kids, I find that odd. I’ll defer family issues to guys like Chris.
Just As Good? Glock 19 vs. Mock 19 Parts Build
Are the aftermarket “Glocks” any good?
While you are on the site, you may also find The Top 5 Carry Guns in Europe! interesting.
A Practical Variation Of The Tactical Reload
I share the author’s concerns about the traditional tactical reload. I find my students don’t do well when they have to handle two objects in the same hand at the same time while under high stress. I remove my depleted mag and stow it someplace convenient. I then insert the full mag into the gun. We don’t have to make this complicated.
4 Cases That Examine if a Shot in the Back Is Murder or Self-Defense
Massad Ayoob examines four cases where the criminal suspect was shot in the back and the implications that back shooting have for armed defenders. For even more information about the topic, check out my article Shot in the back- How does it Happen?
Seminar: Active Shooter Threat and Response with Ed Monk
My Ohio friends should make every effort to attend this eye-opening presentation.
The ‘Need’ for a Sub-Second Draw
I will freely admit that I cannot regularly draw my gun and fire in less than a second. I am making zero effort to remedy that “problem.” While having a fast draw is a useful skill set, I’m not enamored with an arbitrary one second standard.
Earlier this month, I attended a training class with a presentation from John Holschen. He discussed the differences between reaction times to auditory start cues versus visual start cues. It’s exceptionally rare to get a sub-TWO SECOND draw when responding to a visual stimulus.
I’d rather take the time to perfect my surreptitious draw than take another .2 seconds off my fastest concealed carry draw. And on that same topic, for your absolute fastest draw, you might have to alter your CCW set up.
Doug Casey with Some Thoughts on Phyles, Islam, and Warfare
If you are paying attention, you should be contemplating the effects of “phyle warfare” on your long term survival strategy.
Personal-Defense Skill-Building: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
“We are not looking for something that “works for you” under the ideal conditions of a square range, poking holes in a piece of paper at your own pace, with no one watching and judging your performance. What we are looking for is something that works under stressful conditions when it matters most. A good training class provides that opportunity, so do competitions such as practical pistol matches that encourage the use of common concealed-carry gear. Activities like that allow you to find out which parts of your gear need and upgrade and which don’t.”
You might also like Kevin’s thoughts on open carry.
Pocket Preps: Nonmetallic Weapons
For those of you who regularly encounter magnetometers. Please make sure that your sheath has no metal as well if you plan to be sneaky.
For those who can’t be bothered by polymer weapons, here is an article that really geeks out on knife steels.
Ammo Prices Set to Rise ‘Substantially’
Most of you readers lived through the ammunition price increases and supply limitations we saw at the start of the pandemic. These up/down pricing and availability issues happen regularly. I can think of at least six of these “ammo droughts” in the last 25 years.
Your long term goal should be to acquire a lifetime supply of practice ammo for the guns that you shoot regularly. I don’t worry about shortages or price increases because I have stockpiled enough ammo over the last 30 years to keep me shooing the remainder of my life if I shoot a reasonable 3000-5000 rounds a year.
When ammo gets cheap, buy some extra and store it in a dry place. It won’t go bad. That way you will be extremely resilient to any ammunition production issues or political concerns causing hoarding.
1960 Hipshooting Target Design
Karl Rehn tries out some historical hip shooting practices.
Small Arms Survey Publish Free Guide to the Identification of Small Arms
Some of you will find this resource to be invaluable…and the price is right.
Tactical Shotgun Basics with Cougar Mountain Solutions
A phenomenal interview with Erick Gelhaus covering shotgun issues.
Wheel Guns Are Real Guns
Since we are talking about “archaic” weapons like the shotgun, I would be remiss not to include Clint Smith discussing revolvers.
We’ve Lost Another Survival Tool
I’ve mentioned that back in July, the FDA closed the legal loophole that allowed folks to purchase veterinary antibiotics without a prescription. Many companies have ignored the law change and continued to sell the “veterinary” antibiotics. Those companies got a warning letter from the FDA recently and I don’t think they will be continuing to sell the drugs much longer.
Some of the companies seem to be still selling what stock they have on hand. If you are interested in acquiring these meds, I would google each of the companies the author notes in the article and see if they are still selling their veterinary antibiotics.
If you want to learn some alternate methods for acquiring drugs without prescriptions, come to my “Systems Collapse” medical class.
Guide to Prescription Safety Glasses
Options for prescription shooting glasses.
Human Collateral
A very important point to consider, especially for you “training junkies.” There is definitely a level above which there are seriously diminishing training rewards.
“We aren’t arguing against attrition, even extremely high attrition, in selection and training programs. It’s sometimes needed and important. What we’re doing is making the point that battering people takes a toll on them—whether they happen to break during the battering or not. And, while we in this industry might not always like to acknowledge it, the fact is that everyone has a cumulative limit and, ultimately, a breaking point.”
You might also consider my piece Good Enough.
Fenix PD35 V3.0 Flashlight
I have a whole drawer full of high dollar “tactical” flashlights, but I remain enamored with this Fenix PD35 Tac. It is the light I carry most commonly and the one I have in my pocket as I type this.
Quick Start: Assemble A Turnkey Alt Energy System Today
Paul has done a massive amount of your homework for you in compiling these resources/instructions. You should read the article and then thank him by purchasing one of his books.
Pocket Carry
The Tactical Professor’s pocket carry tips.
Merry Christmas, Bob
One of the most motivational articles I’ve ever read. I like to re-read it every year around Christmas time.
The Way It Is with Doug Deaton
Most of my students have limited experience with both the court system and violent criminals. This is an excellent discussion providing behind the scenes details of both topics. Doug talks about some of the cases he’s worked as both a cop and an expert witness. When you finish this podcast your commitment to avoid interacting with the police and the courts should be significantly strengthened.
VILE
What I’m reading…
Should You Have A Backup Gun?
While I never worked a single shift as a police officer without a backup gun, I seldom carry a second handgun with me now that I’m not hunting bad guys for a living.
A Christmas Message For First Responders
I think this is a good article with which to close. Merry Christmas to all my readers who celebrate the holiday.
Some of the above links are affiliate links. If you purchase these items, I get a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
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