Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Could You Weak-Hand Draw If You Had To?
This is a critical skill set that most defensive shooters fail to consider.
The Lock Held. The Glass Didn’t.
“What Silver Rail Elementary tells us about school door security, and why it was predictable.”
For more active killer content, read Active Shooter Response: What Changed Post-Uvalde.
How to Track a Human
A very informative article from the Art of Manliness. Read about the visual search scanning pattern. This is how we teach folks to scan their environment in a wooded area.
The Art of Letting Things Go
“There are some confrontations, some fights you have to have. Ones where the choice has been taken from you. But, do not be deluded into the belief that you are always in the right. Nor that you have to correct someone else’s wrong. The world is overladen with people willing to choose violence on the cheap ,and destruction on the whim of the mood.
Know when to let baggage go. Especially when it belongs to other people.”
Red Pill or Blue Pill? FN 5.7x28mm – Ballistic Gel Test with Steel Barrier
Let’s take a look at some gelatin testing for some less common defensive calibers. This one is for the tiny 5.7mm. If you want to see how the bigger cartridges perform, watch .44 Special VS .45 Colt! Blazer Gold Dot JHP – Ballistic Gel Test and Is .44 Magnum Bad for Self Defense?
BULLET RESISTANCE OF TYPICAL SUBURBAN HOMES
Continuing with some more ballistic performance issues, this one has great information about how bullets perform inside and through residential structures.
So … Buy a Used One!
The manufacturing quality control in new revolvers from all manufacturers is truly abysmal. Four of the last five new revolvers I’ve purchased (three S&W and two Rugers) had to be returned to the factory within the first box of ammo I shot out of them. It might be safer to choose an older revolver in good shape rather than taking a bet on a new gun. Here’s what to look for when evaluating that older gun.
Don’t Become a Fudd: A How-To Guide
If I look at this website’s demographics, 85% of my readers are over 45 years old. You geysers might want to take a look at Tam’s advice.
The Rifled Slug
A deep dive into the history of the shotgun slug.
The (Not So) Gray Man: Tips to Avoid Tacti-Cool & Blend into the Background
Blending into an environment gives you more tactical options than you have when standing out.
Simultaneous: A Novel
What I’m reading….
History of the M1 Carbine in Police Use
Did you know that police officers carried rifles very commonly well before AR-15s became popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s? The M-1 carbine was very popular. My old police department had several M-1 carbines that our officers carried in the trunk of their police cruisers back in the 1950s and 1960s.
CRAZY CARTRIDGE CONFUSION
Why your .38 may not really be a .38.
The one thing that will end a fight!
The nut shot may not work quite as well as you expect it to.
Reasonable Proficiency
What is “reasonable” firearm shooting proficiency? Claude says: “The ability to put five shots, or less, onto a criminal attacker at a range of three to seven yards will solve almost every incident in my database. There are exceptions but they represent fewer than one percent.”
The Basics of Concealment Mechanics
Great infographics to teach you how to optimally conceal your handgun.
Free Targets And Downloadable Resources
An excellent resource for downloading and printing targets at home or in the office.
Good Guys With Guns Save a Whole Lotta Lives
“CPRC founder and former president John Lott wrote on Friday for NRO that his organization “identified 615 active-shooter incidents from 2014 through 2025 and found that armed citizens stopped 225 of them.”
That’s 36.6% for those keeping score at home, or better than one in three.”
Nuances of Detecting Danger
A really good article about situational awareness from Primary and Secondary. If you haven’t read Left of Bang you are missing out.
Dot Torture – Beyond the Norm
If you’ve been reading my content for awhile, you will undoubtedly be familiar with the legendary Dot Torture shooting drill. Here are some variations on the classic. Need a drill to help you work on target transitions? Try Skills Check: Taking Time Off.
Silent History: How Suppressors Went From Hardware Store to NFA and Back
A deep dive into suppressor history.
Why High-End Handguns Are Made to Use
As a cop, I recovered an astonishingly high number of suicide guns that still had the gun store price tag attached.
The 32s
Detailed information about this underappreciated caliber. Want to go even deeper into the weeds? Read .32 ACP and 7.65 Browning – What’s the Difference?
Nosedive And Feed Angle In The 1911 .45 ACP
More information than you will ever want about nosedives in a 1911.
Dragging The Futon Mattress Into The Closet
Paul’s latest preparation advice.
Recognizing and Controlling Courtroom Tricks
Good courtroom advice for my expert witness and police readers.
Why Police Training Must Include Counter-Ambush Techniques (Part 1 of 2)
Continuing with content for my police readers. Check out Part Two as well.
Why You Shoot Better With Your Non-Dominant Hand
Tatiana has some explanations for this fairly common thing I see with newer shooters. While you are perusing the site, you may also like Leave the Lead at the Range.
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