Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Laying Down On The Job – American Cop
When is the last time you shot a handgun from the prone position? I don’t do it often, but I think it’s important to know how to do it. This technique makes life much more easy.
An Army Ranger’s Top Three Drills? – The Armory Life
If you shoot on a range that allows movement, there are some great drills here for your next practice session.
Are Lever Action Rifles Reliable?
“Lever actions are tons of fun, and still useful for some things. But when it’s finally time to emerge from your nuclear fallout shelter and rebuild society, you’re probably going to want an AR-15.”
Extreme Events: The 5-Step Framework Every Protector Needs | John Holschen
The training world lost John Holschen a couple months ago. He was one of the smartest trainers I ever met. Enjoy this interview that has been posthumously released. If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Holschen, you should remedy that. Start here.
Does the current Georgia Law Enforcement Qualification system create a false measure of proficiency?
Some deeper thinking on the subject of police shooting “qualification” tests. Just remember, every cop who has been killed on duty was considered “qualified” by his police agency.
How to survive an ambush attack
For my police readers. On the same topic, you may also enjoy reading 13 lessons from officer ambushes.
De-Escalation strategies & techniques for California Law Enforcement.
“De-escalation” has been a prominent media buzzword of late. Everyone talks about it, but few people are providing cops with practical advice about techniques that work. Here is a 134 page book published by the state of California on the topic. I haven’t read it (as I no longer have to de-escalate criminals) but it might be a good reference for some of my police readers. Opens to PDF.
Disruptive science – part one
Has your doctor ever told you that you should decrease your salt intake? Read this.
“…the more salt you eat, the longer you will live. And, or course, vice-versa. Which is the exact opposite of everything you are constantly told.
I shall repeat this to emphasize the point:
If you eat more salt, you will live longer.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Guns – Firearms News
Unusual blasters. I’m betting very few folks have seen all of these. You might also like to read about Weird Ammo Through the Ages.
What I’m reading…
Everything you know about violence is wrong
With the craziness of everyday life, here is an excellent article to share with all your friends who don’t understand much about violence. The author dispels several common myths and comes to a brilliant conclusion:
“If you still aren’t convinced, then the next logical step is to seek out more information to debunk my replies and confirm your own arguments. To do that, you need to go to the right sources. In this case, that means people who have actual experience with violence. Not the theorists, but those who are face-to-face with it in their daily lives: police officers, soldiers, EMTs, security officers, bouncers, etc. Whatever your feelings about those kinds of professions, you cannot deny that they have far more actual experience on this subject than you. Go ask them these four questions and see how they reply…
I do ask one thing though: be honest with yourself.
Be honest in admitting that they have relevant experience with a subject that is primarily theoretical for you. So it would behoove you to consider their responses as likely more accurate than your personal opinions. Having an opinion is great, but having an informed opinion is better.”
Smith & Wesson Releases Davidson’s Exclusive J-Frame Revolvers
I like seeing Smith and Wesson finally listening to end users and churning out some guns that are far more useful. I only hope these .32s work a bit better than some of the Lipsey’s versions.
Life Gets Real – American Handgunner
Have you considered if you are capable of handling these unusual self defense scenarios?
Short Barrel 9mm – The TOP 9mm Loads I Would Carry for Defense & Ones I Would Avoid (Tested/Proven)
I get a massive number of questions each week from readers wanting me to tell them that their chosen “wonder bullet” is the best thing possible to carry in their handgun. I’ve learned that most people asking those questions don’t actually want advice. Instead they want to hear their own opinion coming out of my mouth.
The longer I stay in this game, the less concerned about “stopping power” I become. Getting good hits is exponentially more important than bullet construction. It drives me crazy that people will spend dozens of hours online researching the “best” bullet but can’t be bothered to shoot at the range more than a couple times a year.
There is no “best” round, but this video gives some generally good advice about your options.
5 Tips For Perfecting Your Pocket Pistol Draw
Michael Janich provides some tips for pocket carry.
Analysis: The 1950 Assassination Attempt on President Truman | Tactical Wire
Claude provides a valuable tactical analysis of a presidential assassination attempt that you likely have never heard of.
5 Best Strength and Conditioning Programs That Actually Work
Some very good workout programs here.
Let Us Spray | Sports Afield
Using pepper spray against bears involves slightly different tactics than using it against human predators.
Honest But Not Accurate
The stress of a physical confrontation often alters a person’s memory about the stressful event. I remember one time this happened to me as a cop. Several of us were attempting to restrain a guy high on bath salts in our jail. While we were trying to get him secure, I saw him punch one of the other officers in the face with his left hand. I responded by punching the suspect in the face with my closed fist.
I wrote up our use of force report exactly as I remembered. The IA lieutenant reviewed video of the incident and noted that the suspect struck the officer with his right hand instead of his left hand as I had reported.
I watched the video. The video didn’t lie. I saw the suspect on video strike with his right hand. My memory of the incident remains that he struck with his left hand.
No harm, no foul in my case. The prisoner hit an officer, so hitting him back was not unreasonable, despite my faulty memory. In some cases, however, such a minor memory inconsistency could cost an officer his job or potentially get him sentenced to prison.
You’re Being Set Up: The Scary Reality of Managing Unknown Contacts
Craig gives a master class on “managing unknown contacts.” If you click one link in this edition of the dump, this is the one to spend your time on.
Gun Industry Holding The Line As Raw Material Prices Skyrocket
How do raw material prices affect the sales of firearms and ammunition.
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