Hi Sheepdogs,
Sights must be high visibility. If the pistol did not
come from the factory with high visibility sights, make it so.
The pistols must be deburred. Jeff Cooper uses the
term dehorned. Otherwise, you will slice your hands when
executing the manual of arms.
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
"Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
----- Mindset -----
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
*** This is important. Please read. ***
Your Tactical Training Scenario- Denial
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/your-tactical-training-scenario-denial
Farnam’s First Rule of Tactics:
Do the best you can!
Positive thought induces positive talk induces positive thought induces positive talk . . .
ad infinitum. A inductive positive feedback loop.
Making friends with other gun carriers
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/02/04/making-friends-with-other-gun-carriers/
Retired Navy SEAL Explains How to Prepare for Dangerous Situations | Tradecraft | WIRED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO0IePSZW_s
Assume This Not That
https://americanhandgunner.com/guncrank-diaries/assume-this-not-that/
I carry a gun every day
https://www.thegazette.com/subject/opinion/guest-columnists/i-carry-a-gun-every-day-20150104
Mental Conditioning For Combat by Col Jeff Cooper SURVIVAL MINDSET
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gffEqMytRtg
WARRIOR MINDSET Lt Col Jeff Cooper USMC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDaErsPXqcY
Living in condition yellow is Biblical. In the book of Mark 13:37, Jesus says:
"What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ " -- NIV
"I’m telling you what I’m telling everyone: Be alert!" -- ISV
"And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake." -- NRSV
"What I say to you, I say to all: Stay alert!" -- CEB
"I tell you this, and I say it to everyone: ‘Be ready!’ " -- ERV
"I say it to you, and I’m saying it to all: Stay at your post. Keep watch." -- The Message
"And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake." -- ESV
"And what I say to the four of you, I say to everyone—be awake at all times!" -- TPT
"The teaching I am giving the four of you now is for everyone who will follow Me: stay awake, and keep your eyes open." -- The Voice
"Forsooth that that I say to you, I say to all, Wake ye." -- WYC
----- Safety -----
Don't go to stupid places.
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
Be in bed by 10 PM. Your own bed.
Don't look like a freak.
Don't fail the attitude test.
-- John Farnam
10 Ways to Help Teach Safe Gun Handling
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/1/31/10-ways-to-help-teach-safe-gun-handling/
This article is worth reading for the grenade story.
6 Cheap Tips To Secure Your Home Right Now
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/2/2/6-cheap-tips-to-secure-your-home-right-now/
4 Ways Having a CCW Made Me a Better Person
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/2/7/4-ways-having-a-ccw-made-me-a-better-person/
"The fast and / or emphatic reholster is an awesome way to shoot yourself."
-- Chuck Haggard
----- Training -----
"Reasons for training:
1. You don't know what you don't know.
2. Much of what you know is wrong.
3. It's good to have some of the answers to the test before taking it."
-- Claude Werner the Tactical Professor
Are You Ready For A Gun Fight?
https://www.handgunsmag.com/editorial/tactics_training_gunfight_060606/138898
LEVEL 1: SHOOTERS WHO DON'T SHOOT
LEVEL 2: SHOOTERS WHO PRACTICE ON STANDARD RANGES
LEVEL 3: SHOOTERS WHO ATTEND TRAINING CLASSES
LEVEL 4: MATCH SHOOTERS
LEVEL 5: SHOOTERS WHO'VE BEEN IN GUNFIGHTS
When Am I Ready?
Stages of Competence in Defensive Shooting
http://conditionredresponse.com/?p=577
"The real value of training, though, is that it improves competence,
which leads to a higher level of confidence."
-- Rehn & Daub
One Small Thing A Day
http://www.iacombatives.com/2015/01/08/one-small-thing-a-day/
How to Train for Stress Inoculation
https://www.usacarry.com/how-to-train-for-stress-inoculation/
"You train for the people who love you."
-- Tatiana Whitlock
Becoming an Expert Learner
http://conditionredresponse.com/?p=581
Col. Jeff Cooper Handgun Fundamentals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNdI_CyiRZQ
Free Handgun and Rifle Instructional Training Series
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDZWQcWLqkQYhzMmn8twnmVWiH9AEm-Kj
The Need For Speed
https://www.tridentconcepts.com/2020/02/08/the-need-for-speed-2/
Excerpt:
". . . speed is not the priority in the beginning.
It will become a priority when you are ready and not sooner."
Introducing a Firearm to a Woman in Crisis
https://www.agirlandagun.org/introducing-firearms-to-a-woman-in-crisis/
A GUIDE FOR YOUR CHURCH SAFETY TEAM ON A SUNDAY MORNING
https://www.sheepdogsafetytraining.com/jimmysblog/2020/2/3/what-the-safety-team-does-on-sunday-mornings
"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
----- Practice -----
Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
5 Reasons to Shoot in Cold Weather
https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2020/2/10/5-reasons-to-shoot-in-cold-weather/
Why practice?
"To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment
when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and
offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique
to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if
that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that
which could have been their finest hour."
-- Winston Churchill
Hackathorn’s Law: under stress you won’t try to do
anything you’re not confident you can accomplish.
Be careful what you practice.
Because you will do in combat whatever you
have practiced, no matter how ridiculous."
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
----- Techniques -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
Odd Position Shooting
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/odd-position-shooting
KELLY McCANN - The Jugular Notch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK1eC66Pp2s&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR3mK7cf2Z1Y02Gyjvc_s0TGKmkxo65YJHJNnUPXQxGKDAxxZ00U-czLzSA
Pistol Access – Building Grip Minutia
https://www.growingupguns.com/2020/01/31/pistol-access-building-grip-minutia/
The author of the article has adjusted the YouTube.com
videos to play at the appropriate time when you click on it.
They don't start at the beginning of the video. Which is good
because some of them are very long videos.
The Value of Spot shooting
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/02/07/the-value-of-spot-shooting/#more-191279
Aiming –
Aim at a point on the target, not at the area of the target.
If you can't see the point, visualize the point, imagine the point.
Believe the point exists and aim at it.
The target that gives the highest probability of a hit is
the navel, because it is the center of mass of the body.
The target that gives you the highest probability of an
instant stop, is the brain. The only way to get a pistol bullet
into the brain is through a pre-existing hole in the skull.
That would be the cranio-ocular cavity (eye sockets and nose) or
the external auditory meatus (ear holes). Since there is no hole
in the back of the head, the target would be the spinal column
at the base of the skull.
The target that gives the second highest probability of a
stop is the high thoracic cavity, defined by the triangle formed
by the notch at the top of the sternum and the nipples (as viewed
from the front). Because the heart and lungs are behind this area.
From the side, the target would be the arm pit. From the back,
the target would be between the shoulder blades, as the scapula
are difficult to penetrate with pistol ammunition.
Shooting-Performance T.V. Episode 5: Draw Process - Concealed Carry 5x5 Handgun Series
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbD9Iy4xh3U
Nice technique for preventing the concealment garment from
fouling the presentation.
Refining the drawstroke
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/02/10/refining-the-drawstroke/
More about Refining the drawstroke
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/02/11/more-about-refining-the-drawstroke/
Your Tactical Training Scenario - Defeating Pepper Spray
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/your-tactical-training-scenario-defeating-pepper-spray
Shooting-Performance T.V. Episode 6: Emergency Reload Process 5x5 Handgun Series
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTn1GiGvkCM
If you're within striking distance and run out of ammo in
your pistol, strike with the pistol. Trigger finger must be
in the register position. Otherwise, the trigger guard may
break your trigger finger. (This happens in disarming exercises.
That's why you should use dummy guns with the trigger guards
removed.)
The Bigger They Are . . .
http://www.downrange.tv/blog/the-bigger-they-are/33257/
Understand and practice low-line kicks.
All or Nothing: Unsighted Fire
http://pistol-training.com/archives/9306
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
----- Tactics -----
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
Best Shot Placement for Self Defense
https://www.handgunsmag.com/editorial/best-shot-placement-self-defense/371390
Criminal Weapon Selection
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/criminal-weapon-selection
Note that criminals make their guns look like toys to get you
or the police to hesitate. Greg gives an example of a Mossberg
shotgun encased in a Super Soaker water gun and a Glock painted
fluorescent green.
Prosecuting Attorney: Wasn't it obvious that the gun was a toy?
Defendant: No, because I had read the article "Criminal Weapon
Selection" by Greg Ellifritz.
In a similar vein -
Prosecuting Attorney: Move to prohibit the defendant from testifying
as to any knowledge of the victim's criminal record, as the defendant
had no first hand knowledge of such prior to the incident.
Defense Attorney: The defendant took an NRA Defensive Pistol course
from Jonathan Low, in which the defendant was taught that statistically
speaking it is a safe assumption that the assailant has an extensive
violent criminal record, because violent crime is not the type of crime
that first time offenders do, rather they work their way up to violent
crime often with training in the prison system.
Your Tactical Training Scenario . . . A night time knock at the door
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/your-tactical-training-scenario-a-night-time-knock-at-the-door
When someone knocks on your door, DON'T open the door.
Use your electronic devices to ask, "Who is there?"
If you don't have a Ring system or something like that,
stand to the side, not in front of the door (because bad
guys are smart enough to shoot through your door), and
ask, "Who is it?" If you don't get a warm fuzzy feeling,
DON'T open the door. You don't have to be polite. You
don't have to be civil. You don't have to care if they
insinuate you're a racist, homophobe, etc. Call the police.
The Most Recent Vehicle Run-Down Terrorist Attack
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/the-most-recent-vehicle-run-down-terrorist-attack
Excerpt:
". . . “Israeli Carry” doesn’t even work in Israel."
Israeli Carry generally means to carry your weapon
without a round in the chamber, magazine inserted and
locked in the magazine well. But, witness reports
indicate that magazines were not in the weapons.
This is why you must carry your pistol loaded.
You're not going to have time to load.
The last time I went on an exercise with Mike Battery,
5th Bn, 14th Marines, we traveled in civilian busses and
wore civilian clothes. At least one rifle was loaded in each bus.
Whoever was on duty (not sleeping) had the rifle in his hands
(not leaning up against the seat). When we stopped at a truck stop,
whoever had duty was in the bus with the loaded rifle in hand,
alert and looking around.
Primary source:
12 soldiers wounded, 1 seriously, in suspected terror car-ramming in Jerusalem
https://www.timesofisrael.com/12-wounded-1-seriously-in-suspected-car-ramming-attack-in-jerusalem/
Avoidance, Deterrence, and De-escalation
-- John Farnam
----- Education -----
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
John Boyd (Patterns of Conflict)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzRqZnPVeJI
(The next video will start automatically at the end of the previous video.)
John Boyd Patterns of Conflict Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9CpE1PvHLs
John Boyd Patterns of Conflict Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPcF0OYK1zw
John Boyd Patterns of Conflict Part 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qVg1mg1UoI
John Boyd Patterns of Conflict Part 5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-wO1VlWXjo
John Boyd Patterns of Conflict Part 6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rYPMUm-D6o
John Boyd Patterns of Conflict Part 7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaaQ4rqNqPw
John Boyd Patterns of Conflict Part 8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNbuAr2M9gY
John Boyd Patterns of Conflict Part 9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZTjIOwXU0U
John Boyd Patterns of Conflict Part 10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6t3WFxh-2I
John Boyd Patterns of Conflict Part 11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTu3kI-hZnw
John Boyd Patterns of Conflict Part 12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh9toe_oN38
John Boyd Patterns of Conflict Part 13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXF8rYiz6eI
John Boyd Patterns of Conflict Part 14 (final part)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q3lTuXtExo
Jason Brown transferred these videos from video tapes from the
Boyd Collection at the USMC Archives at Quantico, Virginia, in 2007.
The comments section gives a link to the slides that Col. Boyd uses,
because in the video they are bleached out, unfortunately the web site
http://dnipogo.org/boyd/patterns_ppt.pdf
says the slides are no longer available.
The sound is poor, but head phones or ear buds help.
The Colonel talks about areal combat and sliding in behind
your opponent. Yes, this does apply directly to you.
Dan Grazier combined the videos with the slides.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iiQlBaGJQA&list=PL4pmLxkc7CTcukIlpD0UThT7Y_K09oxXe
Civilian Carry Radio 130 - Tom Givens owner of RangeMaster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNhc_XydaXo&fbclid=IwAR0zjpKW1Rp6nYx7q4aD0m4VKkRaJa0HBiY40duR75bVEkvwcVfJr1khia0
Tom Givens speaks on various gun training topics.
The top gunfighters were the top bulls eye target shooters.
Not because target shooting contributed to their gunfighting
skills (though it probably did), but because the competitions
were a meeting place for the exchange of information.
Juries view shotguns and rifles completely differently.
Tom explains why your odds are 1 in 4 to be involved in
a violent crime in your life time. Why crime statistics are
grossly under reported. And other such things.
Chief Lee Weems says bail reform is sweeping our country.
That means that arrested suspects are released without a cash
bond. Because forcing a person to put up cash to be released
is discriminatory against poor and low income persons.
Consider.
Baraka says, when you call the police, you don't know
what kind of officer is coming. Perhaps it's the warrior type
who will attempt to rescue you without a second thought.
Perhaps it is the social worker type who will sit in his car
until it's too late and then get out to write the report.
(Remember Parkland, Florida? The officers did not go in to
rescue the children. They just waited outside until it was
safe for them to go in.)
Tom says the reason not to carry in the appendix position
is that you can't wear it there all the time. If you practice
appendix carry and then have to wear a suit and move your pistol
to 3 or 4 o'clock, you're setting yourself up for a disaster.
Protecting Houses of Worship, Part 1: Training Organizations, Groups, and Individuals
https://gunculture2point0.wordpress.com/2018/03/04/protecting-houses-of-worship-part-1-training-organizations-groups-and-individuals/
Protecting Houses of Worship, Part 2: Other Resources
https://gunculture2point0.wordpress.com/2018/03/05/protecting-houses-of-worship-part-2-other-resources/
Rangemaster newsletter, February 2020
https://secureservercdn.net/166.62.115.254/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2020-02_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Check out Lee Weems' article.
CONCEALED CARRY STATISTICS
https://www.gunstocarry.com/concealed-carry-statistics/
Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 7, 2020
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/weekend-knowledge-dump-february-7-2020
West Freeway Church of Christ Shooting Analysis
https://www.grantcunningham.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/West-Freeway-Church-of-Christ-Shooting-Analysis.pdf
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
***** ***** ***** Hardware (which includes you) ***** ***** *****
"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley
----- Gear -----
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
John Farnam recommends Travel Armor gun cases for your air travel.
travelarmorcase.com
Pros & Cons of Different Color Combinations on Handguns
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/2/6/pros-cons-of-different-color-combinations-on-handguns/
Excerpt:
There are two colors, though, that I personally don’t think
belong on actual firearms, and those are solid bright red or blue,
and there’s a reason for that. Bright blue and red are the
de facto industry-standard colors for non-lethal training arms,
either inert dummy guns for use in retention or disarm training,
or weapons that fire paint-bearing marking rounds for
force-on-force scenario training. Painting an actual firearm in
the colors used for non-lethal training dummies would be as
irresponsible as painting a real firearm’s muzzle orange like
an Airsoft pistol’s.
Pistol Mounted Red Dot Round-Up
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/2/10/pistol-mounted-red-dot-round-up/
France: Islamic Convert Armed with Machete Wanted to Marry 11-Year-Old
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/02/11/islamic-convert-armed-machete-wanted-marry-11-year-old/
Excerpt:
". . . Eventually, the man opened the door but continued
to threaten officers and, as a result, was hit with a taser
stun-gun but the weapon had no effect."
[That's why most police departments have a policy of only
using tasers when more than one officer is present, to back up
the one attempting to subdue the suspect with the taser. You
have to be prepared for when the taser does not work.
-- Jon Low]
"Then officers drew their firearms, which led to the man
putting down his machete."
[That's why good guys carry firearms. They work, and the
bad guys know that they work.
-- Jon Low]
Magazine Springs and More
https://blog.krtraining.com/magazine-springs-and-more/
What You Need Before Your First Pistol Class
https://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2017/08/need-first-pistol-class/
Candlepower vs Lumens – It’s Not a Competition
https://www.ammoman.com/blog/candlepower-vs-lumens-whats-the-difference/
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens
----- Technical -----
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
***** ***** ***** Instruction ***** ***** *****
Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."
----- Instructors -----
Remember, the students who require the extra effort are the ones who need us the most!
-- John Farnam
"Be careful what you teach.
Because your students will do in combat
whatever you have trained them to do,
no matter how ridiculous.
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
----- Pedagogy -----
Teach positive. Teach what to do. Don't talk about what not to do.
-- John Farnam
An instructor should not expect any learning to take
place the first time new information is presented.
-- "Building Shooters" by Dustin Solomon
***** ***** ***** Legal, Political, and Philosophical ***** ***** *****
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
Nigel's Take Chalk & Cheese
Written By John Connor
https://americanhandgunner.com/guncrank-diaries/chalk-cheese/
The points are subtle and deserve a pondering.
3 Feb 20 [Printed in full, because John Farnam's web site is down.]
Future Crimes!
“ ‘Due process’ is a ‘Notice Concept.’
When the law cannot clearly tell me what I need to do in order to be legal,
I’m denied due process.
When those tasked with interpreting and enforcing a law suffer from the
same dilemma as those who wrote it, that is, they can’t explain what it says,
nor what it means, then we've all been denied due process!”
-- Freiling
Unlike conventional criminal codes, which provide penalties for certain
specific acts that are prohibited by law, “red-flag laws” provide punishment
of individual citizens for future crimes, which have never taken place!
Conventionally, criminal suspects were punished for what they had done.
Now, anyone can be punished for what someone thinks they could do, might do!
Joe Stalin implemented a similar strategy with his “turn-in-your neighbor”
programs!
An honorable Supreme Court will righteously strike-down this evil and
unconstitutional intrigue!
In the interim, an American citizen, who has never committed a crime,
who has never been accused of a crime, can with no warning have his
Constitutional rights precipitously revoked, simultaneously suffering
financial ruin, all because someone he has never met thinks he might commit
a crime!
And, it is all done in secret, a Marxist trademark!
Secret, unsworn, unquestioned, unverified, uncorroborated, unchallenged,
inexpert, “testimony” with regard to the mental health of an otherwise
innocent citizen, on the part of someone who has never even met him,
is all that is required!
To add insult to injury, when accusations are all proven false,
even maliciously so, the dishonest accuser suffers no penalty!
They simply walk away, with nary so much an “I’m sorry,” nor is there
an “I’m sorry” from the court!
Who writes unconstitutional trash like this?
Democrat/socialists!
That’s who!
Let us not forget, nor forgive!
/John Farnam
4 Feb 20 [Printed in full, because John Farnam's web site is down.]
Third World?
“No evil dooms us hopelessly, except the evil we love,
desire to continue in, and make no effort to escape from.”
-- Daniel Deronda
In the former French colony of Upper Volta (since 1960, “Burkina Faso”),
in the Sahel region of west Africa, the government has reluctantly decided
to arm and train citizen militias, after decades of western-inspired,
forced civilian disarmament!
This story is currently being feebly reported by the BBC, because
embarrassed leftists at the BBC don’t want it to be true.
Burkina Faso, and the BBC, have had to finally admit that gun
prohibition/confiscation (masquerading under the innocuous term,
“gun control”) unfailingly does great harm, and is no friend of good
and decent people!
Taking full advantage of anti-gun laws, rampaging heavily-armed
Boko Haram Islamic extremist jihadis (who pay no attention to gun laws,
nor to international borders) have brutally terrorized unarmed Burkina
Faso villages for the past decade, freely extorting, murdering, and
kidnapping thousands, all with scant interference from police!
Grudgingly reversing themselves, Burkina Faso’s politicians will
now provide military small arms and training (to be mostly conducted
by French Troops, already in the country) to formally defenseless
citizens.
Do you suppose there may even be a couple of “assault weapons”
mixed in, maybe even a “high-capacity” magazine or two?
One has to wonder how many innocents had to be murdered in order
for the government to finally get to this point!
Thus, at least in the Third World, some are, at long last,
“getting it.”
As for our so-called “First World,” this smug announcement from
John Barilaro, Australia’s Deputy Premier:
“Self-defense with a firearm shall remain illegal. People being
confronted by armed intruders should instead call the police and
wait for them to turn-up.”
and this from British police:
“... even when you’re at home alone, and you have an intruder,
you are not allowed to protect yourself.”
And this from leftist Huffington Post editors:
“Shooting in self-defense is should be illegal, because it
denies violent criminals a fair trial”
It’s not difficult to see whose side leftists are on, and have
been since 1917!
A bottle of over-the-counter sleeping pills bears this caveat:
“Warning! May cause drowsiness.”
Welcome to our “advanced” 21st Century "First World!"
/John Farnam
Bad Gun Reviews
https://gunsmagazine.com/podcast/guns-magazine-podcast-quick-hit-3-bad-gun-reviews/
Brent T. Wheat and Roy Huntington address why they don't
trash firearms in GUNS Magazine and American Handgunner reviews.
If you've read the DefensivePistolcraft.com blog in the past or
wish to look at previous postings, you will notice that I have
published many bad reviews of pistols, holster, and other gun
gear. Reviewing stuff that a vendor sent to you is
entirely different from reviewing stuff that you bought through
normal retail channels. Do you think a company is going to send
you a product that doesn't work? I have purchased many new in
the box pistols from gun stores that did not work. In fact, I
have sent pistols back to the manufacturer's repair facility
and they have sent the pistols back to me claiming that they
were fix, and they still did not work (as in malfunctioned on
every shot with standard factory new ammo; Remmington RP45 and
Ruger American in 45 ACP in particular). No, I did not sell
them to unsuspecting people. I had competent gunsmiths and
machinists work on them until they were reliable. An extremely
expensive and educational experience.
Greg Ellifritz on his blog Active Response Training,
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/
has posted many bad reviews.
I think posting bad reviews serves our community much
more than posting good reviews.
5 Scary Reasons Gun Owners Should Fear The Legal System
https://assets.uslawshield.com/docs/defenderreports/FiveReasons.pdf
Betting Odds - Democratic Presidential Nomination
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/elections/betting_odds/democratic_2020_nomination/
If any of these candidates win in November 2020, you can
expect a guns and ammo buying frenzy. Notice the standing of
the persons who have not declared their candidacy in the 2020
presidential race.
Gun Free Britain: Nearly 10,000 ‘Gun Crimes’ Committed in One Year
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/02/14/gun-free-britain-nearly-10000-gun-crimes-committed-in-one-year/#
I attended a seminar on gun laws and self defense laws in
Tennessee given by John Harris (an attorney who charges $450 per hour).
He recommends you structure your assets by setting up a Protective Trust.
And figure out how you are going to pay for your legal defense (criminal and
civil), now.
Defensive Gun Uses by those legally carrying guns:
22 cases over six weeks from late June to early August 2019
https://crimeresearch.org/2020/02/defensive-gun-uses-by-those-legally-carrying-guns-22-cases-over-six-weeks-from-late-june-to-early-august-2019/
***** ***** ***** Survival, Medical, and such ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
How to Treat Any Broken Bone in the Wilderness (with Pictures)
https://www.primalsurvivor.net/broken-bone-wilderness/
An emergency checklist of supplies will pop up on
the screen. Probably worth downloading.
Of course, there is no substitute for a good hands on
class.
IMAGE vs. Reality
Human Physiology And Survival
https://gunsmagazine.com/our-experts/image-vs-reality/
Excerpt:
". . . Getting old may not be negotiable,
but allowing yourself to get soft and fat are personal choices.
If you smoke cigarettes and think you are in any way serious
about survival, you are deluding yourself."
Combat Medical NPA (nasopharyngeal aspirator)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOq1pn66gs4
Medical EDC: Critical Gear You Should Carry
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/2/5/medical-edc-critical-gear-you-should-carry/
Excerpt:
"Famed surgeon Nicholas Senn said in 1897,
“The fate of the wounded rests with the one who
applies the first dressing,” and the statement
holds true even today. Self-care is likely what
is going to save you, not the paramedics."
"The less-than-perfect trauma kit you
actually carry is better than the perfect one
you leave in your car."
"Realistically, all you need in a micro-IFAK
(Individual First Aid Kit)
is a tourniquet, properly staged on a carrier,
an absorbent bandage such as an Israeli battle
bandage or Cederroth Bloodstopper, a pack of
QuikClot Combat Gauze, a pair of gloves and
a Hyfin Chest Seal."
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
***** ***** ***** Miscellany ***** ***** *****
Brent T. Wheat, editor of GUNS magazine, sent me an email
assuring me that GUNS magazine
http://Gunsmagazine.com
has no anti-religious bias and will be using A.D. (Anno Domini,
in the year of our Lord) and B.C. (Before Christ) in future articles.
It came up because Joe Kriz in his article "IWI US MASADA Pistol"
used the acronym "BCE". Which stands for "Before the Common Era".
Politically correct terminology to avoid mentioning our Savior.
M16 and AR-15 - How firearms work! (Animation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMIBUIN30yU
When it's least expected, you're selected.
-- John Farnam
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com
Saturday, February 15, 2020
Thursday, January 30, 2020
CWP, 31 January MMXX Anno Domini
Hi Sheepdogs,
We are God's hedge of protection around our loved ones,
neighbors, and community. (allusion to what Satan says to God
in the book of Job) When the angels are busy, God uses humans.
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
"Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
----- Mindset -----
“Cleanliness and order are not matters of ‘instinct.’
They are matters of education, and like most great things,
you must cultivate a taste for them.”
-- Benjamin Disraeli
". . . don’t put yourself in a position where you’ve unnecessarily
increased your prospects for getting shot and killed, even if your
killing is later determined to be unlawful, and that you were “in the right.”
You’ll still be “in the ground.” And that’s not a win."
-- Andrew Branca
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
". . . I don’t care how long you’ve been doing this,
get out and train with someone else. Pick up some new tricks,
knock the rust off, and see what goes on outside your own
organization." -- Tom Givens
"Destiny doesn't make appointments,
nor does she waste her time with the naive and unready!"
-- John Farnam
“Grass-eaters are easily identified and selected for their
chosen status of victimhood. On the other side of the ledger,
we Operators have audaciously claimed our own image and likeness
to our Creator.
Being barely alive, but on your own terms, is better by far
than living a bloated half-life on someone else's.”
-- Anon
----- Safety -----
Don't go to stupid places.
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
Be in bed by 10 PM. Your own bed.
Don't look like a freak.
Don't fail the attitude test.
-- John Farnam
The Spellcheck Problem (Explained Discreetly)
https://www.corneredcat.com/the-spellcheck-problem-explained-discreetly/
Excerpt:
"This is also why potential students should look very suspiciously
at any program that has novices-watching-novices as a part of the safety
protocols. People cannot see whole categories of our own mistakes, and
naive observers are also unlikely to catch those same mistakes when
others make them. Because of this, setting novices to watch novices may
help the observers learn to see the errors, but it does little or
nothing for safety among those who are handling the guns at the moment."
[This is why I no longer attend Front Sight and no longer recommend
Front Sight to others. In the beginning (1995), it was a wonderful
gun school, with a policy of at least one instructor for every five
students. But, as the school grew, they could not hire enough instructors.
So, they implemented a policy of pairs of students watching each other
and coaching each other. But, a novice student has no business watching
for safety violations and certainly no business coaching anyone. -- Jon Low]
SAFETY RULES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVzziCOcVUY
Invite your newbie friends to watch this, before taking them to the range.
They may then ask you safety questions that you can't answer. Shame on you.
So, maybe you should view the video.
"The fast and / or emphatic reholster is an awesome way to shoot yourself."
-- Chuck Haggard
----- Training -----
"Reasons for training:
1. You don't know what you don't know.
2. Much of what you know is wrong.
3. It's good to have some of the answers to the test before taking it."
-- Claude Werner the Tactical Professor
Cops aren't shooters, but they should be
https://www.policeone.com/police-products/firearms/training/articles/cops-arent-shooters-but-they-should-be-cJnbtzz0se3aBlk7/
Excerpts:
"While offering trigger time and rounds down range,
qualification holds no training value."
". . . some administrators fail to see the value of providing training
above what is mandated."
". . . cops aren’t shooters . . . but they should be."
[Over the decades that I have taught self defense with a pistol,
I have approached law enforcement officers, given them my card, and
offered them training. (Especially those sitting in restaurants
with their backs to the doors, or in condition white.) Zero have
contacted me. As opposed to hundreds of civilians who find out
through casual conversation that I am an instructor and follow up.
Cops used to be warriors. Now they are social workers.
Because that is the voter's choice. -- Jon Low]
"The real value of training, though, is that it improves competence,
which leads to a higher level of confidence."
-- Rehn & Daub
I attended an active killer seminar presented by Brink Fidler of
Defend Systems.
https://www.defendsystems.com/
These are some of the things I learned:
Always have a plan, in every situation, in every location.
If you have a plan (a script), you will execute to your plan.
Which means you won't freeze or do something stupid.
If you have a plan, you will respond. If you don't have
a plan, you will react. Most reactions to high stress situations
are wrong.
Learn how to stop bleeding.
When you call 911, give the dispatcher an exact location.
So, you have to know where you are, where your office is, e.g.
second floor, north-east side of building, third window from
the east corner of the building, at 234 Maple Street.
If you can't give explicit directions on how to find you,
the police and EMS won't be able to find you.
Untrained people in a high stress situation go through
three stages: Denial, Deliberation, Decisive Action. With
training, you can go directly to Decisive Action.
Attack the eyes of the assailant.
Make sure your organization has a mass communication and
notification system. Regularly test the system.
Security paradigm: DEFEND
Deter Be assertive.
Evade It's gun fire, until it's not.
Fortify Move to deep corners (not visible from the doorway).
Evaluate Notify 911: "Location", "Active shooter".
Defend Get within one step of the doorway to ambush.
The police priorities are:
1. Stop the killing. (So, don't expect them to stop to help you.)
2. Stop the dying.
3. Evacuate.
4. Process the scene.
Trust your instincts. Don't worry about being rude.
Don't worry about anyone perceiving you as racist. The
criminal is manipulating you. Trust your instincts.
Have a bag policy at your church or business. Inspect
all bags before allowing them into your facility.
Invite cops over to tour your place. Feed them.
You want them to know you. So, they don't accidentally
shoot you when they respond in an emergency.
Have removable floor plans posted at all entrances.
Arrange for a "Stop the Bleed" class. They are free.
https://www.stopthebleed.org/
Arrange for first aid classes.
https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/first-aid
Take the correct course. You don't need to know how to take
a person's blood pressure. You need to know how to stop an
arterial bleed.
"You train for the people who love you."
-- Tatiana Whitlock
I attended a seminar "Providing Physical Security for
Houses of Worship and Ministries" presented by Michael Mann
of Michael Mann Security Services.
https://michaelmannsecurityservices.com/
Some of the things I learned:
"Violent attacks committed against churches, houses of worship,
Christian schools, and other ministries are not random or unpredictable.
There are pre-incident indicators that can be identified and used to
assess risk and prevent attack."
Our primary purpose is to prevent, not to respond. If we
have to respond, we failed to prevent.
The gun and uniform do not prevent. The assertive questioning
attitude prevents. Greeting deters.
Maintain three layers: Outside in the parking lot, at every
portal, and inside.
Recruit volunteers. [Paid security are mercenaries. They
don't necessarily love your people. And may not be willing to
sacrifice their lives for your people. (Remember Marjory Stoneman
Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida?) -- Jon Low]
Mitigate liability by training and certifying your volunteers,
in medical, hand-to-hand combat, less than lethal weapons, and
firearms skills.
There is risk. So, the organization (church), must have insurance
that covers the volunteers. The individual volunteers must have
pre-paid legal coverage (it's not really self-defense insurance,
see the articles comparing pre-paid legal coverage in the Legal section below).
"The real value of training and practice isn't gaining technical competence,
it's achieving confidence in your abilities."
-- Claude Werner the Tactical Professor
Top 9 Mistakes I See In Training Classes
https://www.shooting-performance.com/top-9-mistakes-i-see-training-classes/
Excerpt:
"Sometimes what you need to hear is not what you want to hear, . . ."
[I don't agree with everything in this article. But, it is critically
important to read differing points of view. Because it might work for you.
-- Jon Low]
The Handgun Skills Triad – The Key to High Performance Shooting
https://www.shooting-performance.com/the-handgun-skills-triad-the-key-to-high-performance-shooting/
Excerpt:
"Be careful you don’t get caught in the trap of repeating the same
wrong technique over and over because the subconscious mind has
programmed that routine (although wrong) from countless repetitions.
How do you know if you are doing something wrong? Shoot video!"
[Practicing in front of a mirror also works well. -- Jon Low]
"My buddy Rob Leatham says it best:
“You can’t learn to run by trying to walk fast,
they are completely different movements!” "
[I don't agree with everything in this article. But, it is critically
important to read differing points of view. Because it might work for you.
-- Jon Low]
"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
----- Practice -----
Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
Marksmanship is a perishable skill. So, yes, you have
to practice regularly (at least dry practice weekly and
live fire monthly).
"The only purpose of live fire practice is to verify
what you learned in dry practice." -- Dr. Ignatius Piazza
The recency of your practice is far more important
than the volume of your practice. Practicing beyond your
attention span has diminishing returns. Practice that
occurred recently (you still feel it in your soul) has
exponential returns.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
Getting the Most Out of Practice
https://files.constantcontact.com/af94ab47001/39463469-73f1-40a6-8dfe-2753a1e3c325.pdf
Yes, this is an archery article, but applies directly to you.
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens
Shooting From the Ground
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/shooting-from-the-ground
Greg gives us important awkward positions to practice
presenting from.
Why practice?
"To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment
when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and
offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique
to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if
that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that
which could have been their finest hour."
-- Winston Churchill
Dry practice builds manipulation skills.
Live practice builds shooting skills.
-- Mike Seeklander
Be careful what you practice.
Because you will do in combat whatever you
have practiced, no matter how ridiculous."
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
----- Techniques -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
Why ‘point shooting’ doesn’t work on its own
http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/why-point-shooting-doesnt-work-on-its-own/law-enforcement-defense-security
This is deep truth that you need to understand.
I don't teach shooting without using the sights, because
in a critical high stress situation, you have to guarantee
hits. Because every miss is damaging property, injuring
innocent persons, maybe killing them. You can't guarantee
hits if you don't know where your sights are.
If you are so close to your target that you can
guarantee hits, and sticking your pistol out in front of you
would allow the enemy to grab your pistol, then you
wouldn't use your sights.
What To Do When Your Pistol Doesn't Fire
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/1/24/what-to-do-when-your-pistol-doesnt-fire/
Coaching for Accuracy: Improving Your Trigger Technique
https://thecmp.org/coaching-for-accuracy-improving-your-trigger-technique/
This directly applies to defensive pistolcraft.
You have to have your trigger finger in the correct
position relative to the trigger and the barrel. If not,
have your gunsmith move the trigger. Yes, as a matter of
fact this can be done on any pistol.
You have to trap your trigger to the rear after the
shot and hold the trigger there until you get your sights
back on the target (the one you just shot, not the next
one) for your second sight movie. This is an essential
part of your follow through. If you think you can go
faster by skipping this step, you're right. But, you
will be lowering the probability of hitting your intended
target. Oh, you'll definitely hit something. Because
you won't be on a multi-million dollar range with soft
dirt berms to catch your bullets. The choice is always
yours. Choose wisely.
Trigger Finger Placement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36zA3jNC1Zs
Off Hand Fending Position by Craig Douglas of Shivworks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGODxQH_b-I
Tatiana Whitlock demos some options when you have fight with others
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQq7ao6vsH8
Craig Douglas teaches How to draw a firearm while standing in a crowd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZwYmNwlVi8
Jennifer Barretta's 3-Rail Kick System
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOctfGqCJRc
As Jennifer says, "It's not magic, it's knowledge."
(Just like our surprise trigger break.)
You can't test the table (the environment that you are
operating in), but you can test all of your equipment.
Notice that she knows what is important (the vanishing point)
and what is not important (the position of the cue ball).
Similarly for pistolcraft. Sight alignment is important.
Sight movie, not so much. Because everything will be moving
in a combat situation. Stance, platform, body position, etc.
don't matter.
The reason the guy couldn't make the shot is because he is
grossly inconsistent, so his adjustments don't matter.
It's as a shooter making sight adjustments when he's not
grouping in the first place, a waste of time and ammo.
They don't mention it, but the harder you hit the ball
into the rail, the sharper the angle of reflection (all
other things being equal).
The masse shot is generally driving the cue ball into the
table to get it to bounce off the slate, as a trampoline.
But, Jennifer is simply using the shot to get the correct
English on the cue ball.
I used to play at Skyline Billiards in my misspent middle age.
Fond memories.
Ana P. Vazquez v Valentina A. Giraldo – recurve junior women gold | World Youth Championships 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilA-uusMHis
Notice that Valentina is closing her non-aiming eye to
eliminate the double image, to ensure she is shooting at
what she thinks she is aiming at. So, she gets 10's.
Ana has both eyes open and is getting shots off to the left.
Why? Because she is shooting at the wrong image. This is
common for right handed shooters who shoot with both eyes
open. (Remember, this is a high stress situation.)
For them it's just points. For us, it's hitting innocent
bystanders. That's why keeping both eyes open when you
fire your shot is criminal stupidity. And teaching
people to shoot with both eyes open all the way through the
shot process is criminal negligence.
No, it's not a matter of sight settings. Unfortunately,
Ana makes sight adjustments between the first and second set,
because her coach does not understand what's going on. He
needs to be fired.
Notice that Valentina uses the classic anchor at the
center of the chin and center of the nose. Easy to maintain
consistency. Consistency is precision.
Ana uses a side of the jaw anchor point. Much more
difficult to maintain consistency. Yes, there are reasons
to use such, but none in her case that would override the
need for consistency.
You should always strive for consistency. Lives depend
on it.
Notice that Valentina has her riser in line with the bones
of her bow arm. Ana does not. Ana's coach needs to be fired.
We always teach that the axis of the bore of your pistol must
be in line with the bones of your firing side arm. Otherwise,
the wrist will bend on every shot. And attempting to prevent
the bending with muscle tension will just cause uncontrollable
torquing in the wrist.
Notice they are wearing breast protectors and arm guards.
(Just as we always wear ear and eye protection when practicing.)
I have seen American archers at the International level
not wearing such. Criminal stupidity. Coaches that should
have been fired. But, Olympic sports have far more politics
than merit; especially in the U.S.
-- Jonathan D. Low, Level III Coach, National Archery Association
Former FBI Agent Explains How to Read Body Language | Tradecraft | WIRED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jwUXV4QaTw
Why the Flex is Best
https://gunsmagazine.com/handguns/why-the-flex-is-best/
I don't agree with Mas, and I don't teach this.
But, it's critically important to read, study, and understand
things that you don't agree with.
6 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Recoil Control With A Handgun
https://www.shooting-performance.com/tips-to-building-the-perfect-high-performance-grip-handgun/
I don't agree with Mike. But, it's critically important to read,
study, and understand things that you don't agree with. That's sort
of the definition of an open mind.
I believe it is essential to trap the trigger to the rear
after the shot and get the sights back on the target you just
shot for the second sight movie, before you reset the trigger
and before you move your eyes to the next target. Getting the
second sight movie with the trigger still trapped to the rear is
"follow through".
Sight alignment and sight movie control where the pistol
is pointed when the firing pin hits the primer. Follow through
controls where the pistol is pointed when the bullet exits the
muzzle.
I often read or hear instructors telling their students
to press the trigger without disturbing the sight alignment
and sight picture. But, they don't explain how to do that.
The answer to the question HOW? is "Surprise Trigger Break".
The surprise break defeats all of the shooter's autonomic
nervous system responses to recoil and report. Because the
shooter's brain does not know exactly when the pistol will
fire, the pushing, jerking, freezing, flinching, etc. all
happen after the bullet has already exited the muzzle.
In the above article, the author says that the right
handed shooter scattering his bullets low left is because the
shooter is jerking the trigger. I believe that is an incorrect
analysis. The bullets are scattering low left because the
shooter is anticipating the recoil and pushing against it.
The anticipatory push forces the bullets low left. (Low
right for a left handed shooter.)
The surprise break is not easy to achieve, because it is
counter intuitive. The shooter naturally wants to "make the
pistol go bang". But, that is wrong on many levels. There
is nothing natural or instinctive about shooting. Shooting
is a learned mechanical skill, as is driving a car.
So, how does one achieve the surprise break?
After you have the correct grip, correct trigger finger placement
in the register position, sight alignment, and sight movie:
1. Touch the trigger. Because you don't know where the trigger
is. Especially in a high stress situation where you grabbed
the pistol from an awkward position.
2. Take the slack out of the trigger. Because yanking through
the slack is not conducive to accurate shooting.
3. Do not fire the shot.
4. Smoothly increase pressure on the trigger.
The pistol will fire, and because you did not intend to fire,
you will have achieved a surprise break. In a high stress
situation with adrenaline in your blood stream, the pistol
will fire much sooner than you expect, because you will be
much stronger than you normally are.
Of course, there are situations where you would not
use the surprise break. Everything is situation dependent.
The surprise break is not new. Col. Jeff Cooper taught
it decades ago in the modern technique. It is alluded to
in the Tao Te Ching (Taoist philosophy) about 2600 years ago
and in Zen Buddhism about 1900 years ago. It has been taught
in archery at least since 1545 A.D. when Roger Ascham
published "Toxophilus". And was articulated explicitly in
"Zen in the Art of Archery" by Eugen Herrigel in 1948 A.D.
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
----- Tactics -----
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
Texas Church Attack: Post-Shooting Procedures
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/texas-church-attack-post-shooting-procedures
Excerpt:
The church needs to invest in a quality trauma first aid kit
that should be centrally-located and available to the team “medics.”
There should be at least as many medically trained individuals as
gun carriers on your security team. After all, medical emergencies
are far more commonplace than church shootings. Make sure your
church is prepared to handle medical issues as well as security
threats.
Avoidance, Deterrence, and De-escalation
-- John Farnam
"Audacity wins."
-- Carl von Clausewitz
----- Education -----
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
Lexipol article,
"Understanding Excited Delirium: 4 Takeaways for Law Enforcement Officers"
https://www.lexipol.com/resources/blog/understanding-excited-delirium-4-takeaways-for-law-enforcement-officers/
and webinar,
https://info.lexipol.com/webinar-excited-delirium-ty
Because you might run into these persons. They hang out
in Wal Mart parking lots.
Mike Seeklander's blog, all kinds of interesting articles.
https://www.shooting-performance.com/mikes-blog/
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
***** ***** ***** Hardware (which includes you) ***** ***** *****
"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley
----- Gear -----
"Gadgets don't win gunfights! Skill does."
-- Mike Seeklander
"Preparation doesn't assure victory. It assures confidence."
-- Amit Kalantri
How to inspect your duty ammunition
https://www.policeone.com/police-products/firearms/accessories/ammunition/articles/how-to-inspect-your-duty-ammunition-9Fl7lLIogrmhkxlB/
Yes, ammo manufacturers make mistakes. Don't lose your life
over such a mistake.
Evaluating handguns for YOU
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2019/08/18/evaluating-handguns-for-you/
Red Dots vs Holographic Sights: What’s Best For You?
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/red-dots-vs-holographic-sights/
If your internet connection is slow, you might have to wait
a few minutes for all the pictures to come up. But, it's worth
the wait.
Comfort & Concealment
https://gunsmagazine.com/handguns/comfort-concealment/
A lightly disguised advertisement for N82 holsters.
https://n82tactical.com/
I bought another pistol. (I can't help myself. It's an addiction.)
I cleaned it. I took a wood file to the polymer frame to removed areas
that have historically given me blisters. My friend, Aidan, machined
out the rear sight, opening it up by 2/100ths of an inch. (I'm old. My
eyes are bad. I need more light around the front sight in order to be
able to see the front sight. And so do you in low light conditions.)
I dug out the white paint in the sights and painted both sights flat black.
(The silhouette of the sights is one sighting system. Which is the only
one visible in low light conditions. The white dots are a second
sighting system. It is highly unlikely that they have the same point
of impact. Having two sighting systems is wrong. Because it takes
time to decide which one to use. Remember Hick's Law?)
I live fire tested it with factory new ammo with copper jacketed
round nose bullets.
From my two handed standing position it grouped 5 rounds in a
2 inch diameter circle at 5 yards (slow fire) consistently. So,
precision is okay. (If not, I would give it to a gunsmith to see
if anything could be done.)
The center of mass of the group was at the point of aim
(top of the front sight). So, accuracy is okay. (If not, I would adjust
the sights.)
I fired 50 rounds without malfunctions. So, reliability is okay.
I inspected the shell casings. The firing pin drags along the
primer a little bit. The side of the cases showed residue indicating
some gas was getting into the chamber between the cartridge case
and the chamber. So, the case was not expanding and sealing the
chamber completely.
I inspected the pistol. Everything appeared to be in good working
order.
I now consider it acceptable to be loaned to a student,
or given as a gift to a friend or relative.
Wow, so many pistol debuted at the Shot Show. John Farnam cites the:
"Mossberg MC2 Pistol, 9mm, 14/16 shooter depending on the magazine
used (you get one of each with the pistol). It’s a double-column version
of the single-column MC1 Pistol 7/9 shooter."
and the
"FN 509 pistol can be had in full-sized (G17), medium-sized (G19),
and compact (G26)."
as being worthy of your consideration.
Visit To The Gunshop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h68I549o0Tc
Good advice on buying guns by Mike Seeklander.
"The gun may not be effective for you."
"Try before you buy."
"Don't let comfort be your sole or primary consideration."
"Seek out someone with knowledge to advise you."
5 Best Shooting Gloves [2019 Hands-On Test]
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-shooting-gloves/
I appreciate a nice pair of gloves. The skin on
my hands is getting weaker with age. Callouses develop
more readily. Got to compensate for time on Earth.
Or, as Deborah Harry says, die young stay pretty.
----- Technical -----
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
Eric explains how to build an AR-15, with lots of photographs.
How to Build an AR-15 Upper Receiver: Ultimate Visual Guide
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/build-ar-15-upper-receiver/
How to Build an AR-15 Lower Receiver [Ultimate Visual Guide]
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/build-ar-15-lower-receiver/
***** ***** ***** Instruction ***** ***** *****
Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."
----- Instructors -----
Remember, the students who require the extra effort are the ones who need us the most!
-- John Farnam
Novices learn. Journeymen practice. Masters teach.
The master has a duty to teach. Otherwise, the art dies.
"Be careful what you teach.
Because your students will do in combat
whatever you have trained them to do,
no matter how ridiculous.
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
Do you make your students pick up brass after
every string of fire?
Do you have your students holster immediately
after every course of fire?
Do you have your students stand still when
presenting to the target?
If so, it's time to correct your curriculum.
"Every time I teach a class,
I discover I don't know something."
-- Clint Smith, Director of Thunder Ranch
----- Pedagogy -----
Teach positive. Teach what to do. Don't talk about what not to do.
-- John Farnam
An instructor should not expect any learning to take
place the first time new information is presented.
-- "Building Shooters" by Dustin Solomon
***** ***** ***** Legal, Political, and Philosophical ***** ***** *****
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
Only law abiding citizens obey laws. Criminals, by definition and experience,
ignore laws. So, the only people affected by gun-control laws are law abiding
citizens. This is obvious to us. But, far beyond the comprehension of the liberal.
That is why we must defeat the liberals at the ballot box. Otherwise, the state of
Virginia will be the example for the rest of the United States of America.
What can you do?
1. Vote for pro-gun candidates. Yes, you must actually register to vote,
drive to the polling place to vote, and actually vote for the pro-gun candidate.
(This takes research and thinking.)
Remember the persons who sacrificed their lives to give you this right.
If no such candidate exists, you must pull the papers, get the necessary signatures,
and run for office yourself. Yes, I've done it (Hawaii State Senate 15th District,
won the Republican primary, lost the general election), so I can tell you to do it.
2. Donate money to pro-gun candidates. Put your money where you mouth is.
Yes, I do it, so I can tell you to do it.
3. Volunteer to help a campaign. Yes, I've knocked on doors and it works.
Did you notice the black senator from South Carolina? (The one who is not Lindsey Graham
and actually gets things done. [admittedly behind the scenes]) I met him at church
(Seacoast Church in Mount Pleasant, SC). We got him elected to the U.S. House,
then Governor Nikki Haley appointed him to the U.S. Senate. And there Tim Scott
sits, voting for us. He should have been a preacher. If you'd have heard him preach,
you would have been impressed.
Foundations: The 5 Elements of Self-Defense Law
https://lawofselfdefense.com/foundations-the-5-elements-of-self-defense-law/
Andrew Branca has a gift for you, an info-graphic
describing the 5 elements of the law of self defense.
You may download a copy free of charge at
https://lawofselfdefense.com/beginjourney/
"Be smart and do not conduct yourself in such a manner that
you are handing a prosecutor what they need to see in order to
move you from the “hard to convict” to the “easier to convict”
categories. The latter is much more likely to get you taken to
trial, where even if you’re acquitted you’ll burn through
potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal expenses.
And acquittal is never certain, so there’s also the possibility
of spending decades or more in prison."
-- Andrew Branca
Addendum:
http://defense-training.com/2020/addendum/
Will Training Be Used Against Me in Court? (John's Briefs) | Active Self Protection Extra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svz9wgMYujI&fbclid=IwAR09lqzzZku9owGv5X5ObdAw8mX_Pr0A1Q_Bx3R1KnFJFO_nkqNoNrVOgGU
Nevada sheriffs back lawsuit to block 'red flag' law
https://www.policeone.com/gun-legislation-law-enforcement/articles/nev-sheriffs-back-lawsuit-to-block-red-flag-law-r1EMJMPOxSt1cegd/
It's not just Virginia, Nevada sheriffs are fighting unconstitutional
gun confiscation laws. This will be coming to a neighborhood near you.
Be prepared.
How to fight back against media misinformation
https://gunsmagazine.com/discover/the-press-perpetuates-prevarications/
Yes, you can do these things. Yes, you will make a difference.
Please subscribe to Crime Prevention Research Center, (it's free and numbers matter)
https://crimepreventionresearchcenter.nationbuilder.com/subscribe
Please support their scientific research, (as a practicing scientist,
I assure you this is real science)
https://crimepreventionresearchcenter.nationbuilder.com/donate
To see the results of their research,
https://prezi.com/6baszjujoz1m/copy-of-crime-prevention-research-center/
Self defense insurance: (more correctly, pre-paid legal services)
6 Concealed Carry Insurance Options To Protect Your Six (2019)
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/4-self-defense-insurance-options
Self-Defense Gun Owner Insurance Programs Compared (actually, pre-paid legal services)
https://www.concealedcarry.com/self-defense-gun-owner-insurance-programs-compared/
This web page, the chart, and the PDF file are updated on a regular basis.
“Guard with jealous attention the public liberty.
Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel.
Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force.
Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined.”
-- Patrick Henry
"Trump signs bill to improve security for religious groups
The new federal law provides $75 million a year,
for the next five years, in grants for institutions
to improve security measures"
https://www.policeone.com/terrorism/articles/trump-signs-bill-to-improve-security-for-religious-groups-48hhy9JaRVNW6pyG/
If you write to President Trump at
President Trump
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500
the Trump administration will help you.
They are very good about customer service.
I know from personal experience.
This is happening in New Zealand.
Let's work to prevent it from happening
here in the U.S.A.
https://thebfd.co.nz/2020/01/breaking-the-raids-have-begun-all-for-a-22-bunny-gun/
***** ***** ***** Survival ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
3 Tips to Protect Against Home Invasion
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/1/14/3-tips-to-protect-against-home-invasion/
Excerpt:
"Any cell phone, in a service plan or not, can call 911
and summon help and having a cell phone dedicated to summoning
help in an emergency gives you one less thing to worry about
when your life and the lives of your family are on the line."
*** [This is very important. Please read this. -- Jon Low] ***
Seven (7) Key Trauma Management Tips and Tools For the Armed Individual
https://www.shooting-performance.com/seven-7-key-trauma-management-tips-and-tools-for-the-armed-individual/
Excerpts:
"Since the introduction and popularization of the
Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK), there has been an explosion
in awareness around the necessity for medical kit and training."
[A lot of people get the IFAK. Not so many people get the
training. Do your loved ones a favor, get the training. -- Jon Low]
". . . at least 75% of those students show up with their
tourniquets still sealed in plastic. This is simply unacceptable.
The skills necessary to perform lifesaving first aid on a trauma
victim are not complex, however the time to practice them is not
in the middle of a critical incident. Just like any other skill
that you want to be able to perform under duress, it needs to be
hard-wired before you need it."
". . . they need to be able to stop severe bleeding."
". . . tourniquets [are] life-saving, they are safe and
should be considered as first-line therapy for severe bleeding."
[If you think the victim may lose a limb because of the tourniquet,
your training is obsolete. -- Jon Low]
"Of all the currently available commercial tourniquets,
I prefer the Combat Application Tourniquet, or CAT."
[I agree. -- Jon Low]
"I use Celox in all of my trauma kits."
[If you think Hemostatic Agents will burn your patient,
your training is obsolete. -- Jon Low]
"The reality is that with Celox gauze, you will likely
have you get most of your hand down into a fist-sized wound
in order to get the best results. Simply laying the gauze
across the top won’t get the job done."
". . . hemostatics are only to be applied after a tourniquet
has failed to control the bleeding."
"My rule is simple; if victims can’t fight you off when
you try to place the nasal airway, then they need it."
[Using lubricant makes this procedure easier. -- Jon Low]
"First aid gear is not a good luck charm.
Buying it does not improve your survivability or readiness.
You have to train with it."
"The focus of this skillset [Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC)]
should be winning not only the fight, but the aftermath."
"Students should be taught self-aid and buddy-aid and
be able to perform these skills in adverse conditions
(e.g. one-handed, in the dark, etc.)."
[Just like your weapon handling skills. -- Jon Low]
"A class should cover the use of everything in an IFAK
and should address the three most common preventable causes
of death from trauma: uncontrolled extremity hemorrhage,
the tension pneumothorax, and airway compromise."
[Digging the vomit out of his mouth and throat is not enough.
You have to clear the airway. He may have swallowed his tongue,
you need to pull it out. The trachea may be crushed, you
need to open it. Otherwise, . . . -- Jon Low]
"Basic first aid skills are a must for any responsible adult . . ."
***** ***** ***** Miscellany ***** ***** *****
When it's least expected, you're selected.
-- John Farnam
When I was in grad school, we put monitors on all of the internet backbone
servers. We found that about 15% of all emails just disappear, no error message,
no bounce back, nothing. So, the intended recipient never finds out that he
didn't get that piece of email, and the sender never finds out that the email
did not get delivered. That's why it is so important to ask for confirmation on
any important email, and assume the email did not get delivered unless you get
the confirmation. UDP over IP is an unreliable protocol by design. Speed is more
important than reliability, so the designers made the engineering trade off.
In addition to that, your ISP (internet service provider) blocks any email
they think is spam (because someone complained about it, maybe not you),
inappropriate (porn), illegal (kiddie porn), or politically incorrect (Christian,
conservative, pro-gun, pro-life, etc.); depending on which software they are using.
[Fazoli's restaurants uses an ISP that uses software that classified Royal Range
(a local gun store and indoor range) as a hate group. Fazoli's corporate said,
talk to the ISP. The ISP said, talk to the software company. The software
company said, pound sand.] These emails do not get thrown into your spam folder
in your email account; they just disappear.
In addition to that, the other party's ISP is doing the same thing.
So, you are not receiving a lot of email that is addressed to you. Which
is okay, as you probably don't want it anyway. And emails that you sent
are not getting delivered. And there is no tracking. So, in a sense, the
U.S. Postal service is better than email.
So, make sure to get confirmation on any email of importance to you.
In butler school, we were taught to anticipate our client's needs.
(We were also taught never to eat garlic.)
If the client has to ask you for something, or ask you to do something,
you're not really doing your job. There were many things the school
expected us to do that the client would never notice. If the client never
notices the butler, you're doing a good job.
The school only accepted students who had a servant's heart. I did
not really understand that concept until I studied Christianity. Perhaps,
that is why all of the students were Christians. (Every student in my
class at the Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center was a
Christian. At a time when the Corps was trying to diversify.)
The Headmaster tells me that clients these days are asking for
butlers with competency in protective services. (Preventing the attack
or kidnapping, as opposed to responding to it.) The school is not
recruiting prior law enforcement because they are trained to respond,
not to prevent. If your brain is working and you are taking precautions,
you shouldn't need to use the gun you carry.
"The mark of a superior gunman is his superior training,
which alleviates the need for his superior marksmanship skills."
-- I'm sorry. I don't remember who said that.
I find it interesting how the protective services training is
being folded into the service industry. Those in the Secret Service
or Executive Protection would never consider themselves servants.
Attitude is everything.
Jesus said, there will always be poor among us. But, it is also
true that there will always be rich among us. The school took care to
always place their graduates with families of stable wealth to ensure
the graduate could spend an entire career in the employ of one family.
Stable wealth is not the same as old money. (Every listen to Dave Ramsey?)
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com
We are God's hedge of protection around our loved ones,
neighbors, and community. (allusion to what Satan says to God
in the book of Job) When the angels are busy, God uses humans.
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
"Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
----- Mindset -----
“Cleanliness and order are not matters of ‘instinct.’
They are matters of education, and like most great things,
you must cultivate a taste for them.”
-- Benjamin Disraeli
". . . don’t put yourself in a position where you’ve unnecessarily
increased your prospects for getting shot and killed, even if your
killing is later determined to be unlawful, and that you were “in the right.”
You’ll still be “in the ground.” And that’s not a win."
-- Andrew Branca
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
". . . I don’t care how long you’ve been doing this,
get out and train with someone else. Pick up some new tricks,
knock the rust off, and see what goes on outside your own
organization." -- Tom Givens
"Destiny doesn't make appointments,
nor does she waste her time with the naive and unready!"
-- John Farnam
“Grass-eaters are easily identified and selected for their
chosen status of victimhood. On the other side of the ledger,
we Operators have audaciously claimed our own image and likeness
to our Creator.
Being barely alive, but on your own terms, is better by far
than living a bloated half-life on someone else's.”
-- Anon
----- Safety -----
Don't go to stupid places.
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
Be in bed by 10 PM. Your own bed.
Don't look like a freak.
Don't fail the attitude test.
-- John Farnam
The Spellcheck Problem (Explained Discreetly)
https://www.corneredcat.com/the-spellcheck-problem-explained-discreetly/
Excerpt:
"This is also why potential students should look very suspiciously
at any program that has novices-watching-novices as a part of the safety
protocols. People cannot see whole categories of our own mistakes, and
naive observers are also unlikely to catch those same mistakes when
others make them. Because of this, setting novices to watch novices may
help the observers learn to see the errors, but it does little or
nothing for safety among those who are handling the guns at the moment."
[This is why I no longer attend Front Sight and no longer recommend
Front Sight to others. In the beginning (1995), it was a wonderful
gun school, with a policy of at least one instructor for every five
students. But, as the school grew, they could not hire enough instructors.
So, they implemented a policy of pairs of students watching each other
and coaching each other. But, a novice student has no business watching
for safety violations and certainly no business coaching anyone. -- Jon Low]
SAFETY RULES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVzziCOcVUY
Invite your newbie friends to watch this, before taking them to the range.
They may then ask you safety questions that you can't answer. Shame on you.
So, maybe you should view the video.
"The fast and / or emphatic reholster is an awesome way to shoot yourself."
-- Chuck Haggard
----- Training -----
"Reasons for training:
1. You don't know what you don't know.
2. Much of what you know is wrong.
3. It's good to have some of the answers to the test before taking it."
-- Claude Werner the Tactical Professor
Cops aren't shooters, but they should be
https://www.policeone.com/police-products/firearms/training/articles/cops-arent-shooters-but-they-should-be-cJnbtzz0se3aBlk7/
Excerpts:
"While offering trigger time and rounds down range,
qualification holds no training value."
". . . some administrators fail to see the value of providing training
above what is mandated."
". . . cops aren’t shooters . . . but they should be."
[Over the decades that I have taught self defense with a pistol,
I have approached law enforcement officers, given them my card, and
offered them training. (Especially those sitting in restaurants
with their backs to the doors, or in condition white.) Zero have
contacted me. As opposed to hundreds of civilians who find out
through casual conversation that I am an instructor and follow up.
Cops used to be warriors. Now they are social workers.
Because that is the voter's choice. -- Jon Low]
"The real value of training, though, is that it improves competence,
which leads to a higher level of confidence."
-- Rehn & Daub
I attended an active killer seminar presented by Brink Fidler of
Defend Systems.
https://www.defendsystems.com/
These are some of the things I learned:
Always have a plan, in every situation, in every location.
If you have a plan (a script), you will execute to your plan.
Which means you won't freeze or do something stupid.
If you have a plan, you will respond. If you don't have
a plan, you will react. Most reactions to high stress situations
are wrong.
Learn how to stop bleeding.
When you call 911, give the dispatcher an exact location.
So, you have to know where you are, where your office is, e.g.
second floor, north-east side of building, third window from
the east corner of the building, at 234 Maple Street.
If you can't give explicit directions on how to find you,
the police and EMS won't be able to find you.
Untrained people in a high stress situation go through
three stages: Denial, Deliberation, Decisive Action. With
training, you can go directly to Decisive Action.
Attack the eyes of the assailant.
Make sure your organization has a mass communication and
notification system. Regularly test the system.
Security paradigm: DEFEND
Deter Be assertive.
Evade It's gun fire, until it's not.
Fortify Move to deep corners (not visible from the doorway).
Evaluate Notify 911: "Location", "Active shooter".
Defend Get within one step of the doorway to ambush.
The police priorities are:
1. Stop the killing. (So, don't expect them to stop to help you.)
2. Stop the dying.
3. Evacuate.
4. Process the scene.
Trust your instincts. Don't worry about being rude.
Don't worry about anyone perceiving you as racist. The
criminal is manipulating you. Trust your instincts.
Have a bag policy at your church or business. Inspect
all bags before allowing them into your facility.
Invite cops over to tour your place. Feed them.
You want them to know you. So, they don't accidentally
shoot you when they respond in an emergency.
Have removable floor plans posted at all entrances.
Arrange for a "Stop the Bleed" class. They are free.
https://www.stopthebleed.org/
Arrange for first aid classes.
https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/first-aid
Take the correct course. You don't need to know how to take
a person's blood pressure. You need to know how to stop an
arterial bleed.
"You train for the people who love you."
-- Tatiana Whitlock
I attended a seminar "Providing Physical Security for
Houses of Worship and Ministries" presented by Michael Mann
of Michael Mann Security Services.
https://michaelmannsecurityservices.com/
Some of the things I learned:
"Violent attacks committed against churches, houses of worship,
Christian schools, and other ministries are not random or unpredictable.
There are pre-incident indicators that can be identified and used to
assess risk and prevent attack."
Our primary purpose is to prevent, not to respond. If we
have to respond, we failed to prevent.
The gun and uniform do not prevent. The assertive questioning
attitude prevents. Greeting deters.
Maintain three layers: Outside in the parking lot, at every
portal, and inside.
Recruit volunteers. [Paid security are mercenaries. They
don't necessarily love your people. And may not be willing to
sacrifice their lives for your people. (Remember Marjory Stoneman
Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida?) -- Jon Low]
Mitigate liability by training and certifying your volunteers,
in medical, hand-to-hand combat, less than lethal weapons, and
firearms skills.
There is risk. So, the organization (church), must have insurance
that covers the volunteers. The individual volunteers must have
pre-paid legal coverage (it's not really self-defense insurance,
see the articles comparing pre-paid legal coverage in the Legal section below).
"The real value of training and practice isn't gaining technical competence,
it's achieving confidence in your abilities."
-- Claude Werner the Tactical Professor
Top 9 Mistakes I See In Training Classes
https://www.shooting-performance.com/top-9-mistakes-i-see-training-classes/
Excerpt:
"Sometimes what you need to hear is not what you want to hear, . . ."
[I don't agree with everything in this article. But, it is critically
important to read differing points of view. Because it might work for you.
-- Jon Low]
The Handgun Skills Triad – The Key to High Performance Shooting
https://www.shooting-performance.com/the-handgun-skills-triad-the-key-to-high-performance-shooting/
Excerpt:
"Be careful you don’t get caught in the trap of repeating the same
wrong technique over and over because the subconscious mind has
programmed that routine (although wrong) from countless repetitions.
How do you know if you are doing something wrong? Shoot video!"
[Practicing in front of a mirror also works well. -- Jon Low]
"My buddy Rob Leatham says it best:
“You can’t learn to run by trying to walk fast,
they are completely different movements!” "
[I don't agree with everything in this article. But, it is critically
important to read differing points of view. Because it might work for you.
-- Jon Low]
"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
----- Practice -----
Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
Marksmanship is a perishable skill. So, yes, you have
to practice regularly (at least dry practice weekly and
live fire monthly).
"The only purpose of live fire practice is to verify
what you learned in dry practice." -- Dr. Ignatius Piazza
The recency of your practice is far more important
than the volume of your practice. Practicing beyond your
attention span has diminishing returns. Practice that
occurred recently (you still feel it in your soul) has
exponential returns.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
Getting the Most Out of Practice
https://files.constantcontact.com/af94ab47001/39463469-73f1-40a6-8dfe-2753a1e3c325.pdf
Yes, this is an archery article, but applies directly to you.
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens
Shooting From the Ground
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/shooting-from-the-ground
Greg gives us important awkward positions to practice
presenting from.
Why practice?
"To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment
when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and
offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique
to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if
that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that
which could have been their finest hour."
-- Winston Churchill
Dry practice builds manipulation skills.
Live practice builds shooting skills.
-- Mike Seeklander
Be careful what you practice.
Because you will do in combat whatever you
have practiced, no matter how ridiculous."
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
----- Techniques -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
Why ‘point shooting’ doesn’t work on its own
http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/why-point-shooting-doesnt-work-on-its-own/law-enforcement-defense-security
This is deep truth that you need to understand.
I don't teach shooting without using the sights, because
in a critical high stress situation, you have to guarantee
hits. Because every miss is damaging property, injuring
innocent persons, maybe killing them. You can't guarantee
hits if you don't know where your sights are.
If you are so close to your target that you can
guarantee hits, and sticking your pistol out in front of you
would allow the enemy to grab your pistol, then you
wouldn't use your sights.
What To Do When Your Pistol Doesn't Fire
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/1/24/what-to-do-when-your-pistol-doesnt-fire/
Coaching for Accuracy: Improving Your Trigger Technique
https://thecmp.org/coaching-for-accuracy-improving-your-trigger-technique/
This directly applies to defensive pistolcraft.
You have to have your trigger finger in the correct
position relative to the trigger and the barrel. If not,
have your gunsmith move the trigger. Yes, as a matter of
fact this can be done on any pistol.
You have to trap your trigger to the rear after the
shot and hold the trigger there until you get your sights
back on the target (the one you just shot, not the next
one) for your second sight movie. This is an essential
part of your follow through. If you think you can go
faster by skipping this step, you're right. But, you
will be lowering the probability of hitting your intended
target. Oh, you'll definitely hit something. Because
you won't be on a multi-million dollar range with soft
dirt berms to catch your bullets. The choice is always
yours. Choose wisely.
Trigger Finger Placement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36zA3jNC1Zs
Off Hand Fending Position by Craig Douglas of Shivworks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGODxQH_b-I
Tatiana Whitlock demos some options when you have fight with others
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQq7ao6vsH8
Craig Douglas teaches How to draw a firearm while standing in a crowd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZwYmNwlVi8
Jennifer Barretta's 3-Rail Kick System
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOctfGqCJRc
As Jennifer says, "It's not magic, it's knowledge."
(Just like our surprise trigger break.)
You can't test the table (the environment that you are
operating in), but you can test all of your equipment.
Notice that she knows what is important (the vanishing point)
and what is not important (the position of the cue ball).
Similarly for pistolcraft. Sight alignment is important.
Sight movie, not so much. Because everything will be moving
in a combat situation. Stance, platform, body position, etc.
don't matter.
The reason the guy couldn't make the shot is because he is
grossly inconsistent, so his adjustments don't matter.
It's as a shooter making sight adjustments when he's not
grouping in the first place, a waste of time and ammo.
They don't mention it, but the harder you hit the ball
into the rail, the sharper the angle of reflection (all
other things being equal).
The masse shot is generally driving the cue ball into the
table to get it to bounce off the slate, as a trampoline.
But, Jennifer is simply using the shot to get the correct
English on the cue ball.
I used to play at Skyline Billiards in my misspent middle age.
Fond memories.
Ana P. Vazquez v Valentina A. Giraldo – recurve junior women gold | World Youth Championships 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilA-uusMHis
Notice that Valentina is closing her non-aiming eye to
eliminate the double image, to ensure she is shooting at
what she thinks she is aiming at. So, she gets 10's.
Ana has both eyes open and is getting shots off to the left.
Why? Because she is shooting at the wrong image. This is
common for right handed shooters who shoot with both eyes
open. (Remember, this is a high stress situation.)
For them it's just points. For us, it's hitting innocent
bystanders. That's why keeping both eyes open when you
fire your shot is criminal stupidity. And teaching
people to shoot with both eyes open all the way through the
shot process is criminal negligence.
No, it's not a matter of sight settings. Unfortunately,
Ana makes sight adjustments between the first and second set,
because her coach does not understand what's going on. He
needs to be fired.
Notice that Valentina uses the classic anchor at the
center of the chin and center of the nose. Easy to maintain
consistency. Consistency is precision.
Ana uses a side of the jaw anchor point. Much more
difficult to maintain consistency. Yes, there are reasons
to use such, but none in her case that would override the
need for consistency.
You should always strive for consistency. Lives depend
on it.
Notice that Valentina has her riser in line with the bones
of her bow arm. Ana does not. Ana's coach needs to be fired.
We always teach that the axis of the bore of your pistol must
be in line with the bones of your firing side arm. Otherwise,
the wrist will bend on every shot. And attempting to prevent
the bending with muscle tension will just cause uncontrollable
torquing in the wrist.
Notice they are wearing breast protectors and arm guards.
(Just as we always wear ear and eye protection when practicing.)
I have seen American archers at the International level
not wearing such. Criminal stupidity. Coaches that should
have been fired. But, Olympic sports have far more politics
than merit; especially in the U.S.
-- Jonathan D. Low, Level III Coach, National Archery Association
Former FBI Agent Explains How to Read Body Language | Tradecraft | WIRED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jwUXV4QaTw
Why the Flex is Best
https://gunsmagazine.com/handguns/why-the-flex-is-best/
I don't agree with Mas, and I don't teach this.
But, it's critically important to read, study, and understand
things that you don't agree with.
6 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Recoil Control With A Handgun
https://www.shooting-performance.com/tips-to-building-the-perfect-high-performance-grip-handgun/
I don't agree with Mike. But, it's critically important to read,
study, and understand things that you don't agree with. That's sort
of the definition of an open mind.
I believe it is essential to trap the trigger to the rear
after the shot and get the sights back on the target you just
shot for the second sight movie, before you reset the trigger
and before you move your eyes to the next target. Getting the
second sight movie with the trigger still trapped to the rear is
"follow through".
Sight alignment and sight movie control where the pistol
is pointed when the firing pin hits the primer. Follow through
controls where the pistol is pointed when the bullet exits the
muzzle.
I often read or hear instructors telling their students
to press the trigger without disturbing the sight alignment
and sight picture. But, they don't explain how to do that.
The answer to the question HOW? is "Surprise Trigger Break".
The surprise break defeats all of the shooter's autonomic
nervous system responses to recoil and report. Because the
shooter's brain does not know exactly when the pistol will
fire, the pushing, jerking, freezing, flinching, etc. all
happen after the bullet has already exited the muzzle.
In the above article, the author says that the right
handed shooter scattering his bullets low left is because the
shooter is jerking the trigger. I believe that is an incorrect
analysis. The bullets are scattering low left because the
shooter is anticipating the recoil and pushing against it.
The anticipatory push forces the bullets low left. (Low
right for a left handed shooter.)
The surprise break is not easy to achieve, because it is
counter intuitive. The shooter naturally wants to "make the
pistol go bang". But, that is wrong on many levels. There
is nothing natural or instinctive about shooting. Shooting
is a learned mechanical skill, as is driving a car.
So, how does one achieve the surprise break?
After you have the correct grip, correct trigger finger placement
in the register position, sight alignment, and sight movie:
1. Touch the trigger. Because you don't know where the trigger
is. Especially in a high stress situation where you grabbed
the pistol from an awkward position.
2. Take the slack out of the trigger. Because yanking through
the slack is not conducive to accurate shooting.
3. Do not fire the shot.
4. Smoothly increase pressure on the trigger.
The pistol will fire, and because you did not intend to fire,
you will have achieved a surprise break. In a high stress
situation with adrenaline in your blood stream, the pistol
will fire much sooner than you expect, because you will be
much stronger than you normally are.
Of course, there are situations where you would not
use the surprise break. Everything is situation dependent.
The surprise break is not new. Col. Jeff Cooper taught
it decades ago in the modern technique. It is alluded to
in the Tao Te Ching (Taoist philosophy) about 2600 years ago
and in Zen Buddhism about 1900 years ago. It has been taught
in archery at least since 1545 A.D. when Roger Ascham
published "Toxophilus". And was articulated explicitly in
"Zen in the Art of Archery" by Eugen Herrigel in 1948 A.D.
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
----- Tactics -----
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
Texas Church Attack: Post-Shooting Procedures
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/texas-church-attack-post-shooting-procedures
Excerpt:
The church needs to invest in a quality trauma first aid kit
that should be centrally-located and available to the team “medics.”
There should be at least as many medically trained individuals as
gun carriers on your security team. After all, medical emergencies
are far more commonplace than church shootings. Make sure your
church is prepared to handle medical issues as well as security
threats.
Avoidance, Deterrence, and De-escalation
-- John Farnam
"Audacity wins."
-- Carl von Clausewitz
----- Education -----
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
Lexipol article,
"Understanding Excited Delirium: 4 Takeaways for Law Enforcement Officers"
https://www.lexipol.com/resources/blog/understanding-excited-delirium-4-takeaways-for-law-enforcement-officers/
and webinar,
https://info.lexipol.com/webinar-excited-delirium-ty
Because you might run into these persons. They hang out
in Wal Mart parking lots.
Mike Seeklander's blog, all kinds of interesting articles.
https://www.shooting-performance.com/mikes-blog/
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
***** ***** ***** Hardware (which includes you) ***** ***** *****
"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley
----- Gear -----
"Gadgets don't win gunfights! Skill does."
-- Mike Seeklander
"Preparation doesn't assure victory. It assures confidence."
-- Amit Kalantri
How to inspect your duty ammunition
https://www.policeone.com/police-products/firearms/accessories/ammunition/articles/how-to-inspect-your-duty-ammunition-9Fl7lLIogrmhkxlB/
Yes, ammo manufacturers make mistakes. Don't lose your life
over such a mistake.
Evaluating handguns for YOU
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2019/08/18/evaluating-handguns-for-you/
Red Dots vs Holographic Sights: What’s Best For You?
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/red-dots-vs-holographic-sights/
If your internet connection is slow, you might have to wait
a few minutes for all the pictures to come up. But, it's worth
the wait.
Comfort & Concealment
https://gunsmagazine.com/handguns/comfort-concealment/
A lightly disguised advertisement for N82 holsters.
https://n82tactical.com/
I bought another pistol. (I can't help myself. It's an addiction.)
I cleaned it. I took a wood file to the polymer frame to removed areas
that have historically given me blisters. My friend, Aidan, machined
out the rear sight, opening it up by 2/100ths of an inch. (I'm old. My
eyes are bad. I need more light around the front sight in order to be
able to see the front sight. And so do you in low light conditions.)
I dug out the white paint in the sights and painted both sights flat black.
(The silhouette of the sights is one sighting system. Which is the only
one visible in low light conditions. The white dots are a second
sighting system. It is highly unlikely that they have the same point
of impact. Having two sighting systems is wrong. Because it takes
time to decide which one to use. Remember Hick's Law?)
I live fire tested it with factory new ammo with copper jacketed
round nose bullets.
From my two handed standing position it grouped 5 rounds in a
2 inch diameter circle at 5 yards (slow fire) consistently. So,
precision is okay. (If not, I would give it to a gunsmith to see
if anything could be done.)
The center of mass of the group was at the point of aim
(top of the front sight). So, accuracy is okay. (If not, I would adjust
the sights.)
I fired 50 rounds without malfunctions. So, reliability is okay.
I inspected the shell casings. The firing pin drags along the
primer a little bit. The side of the cases showed residue indicating
some gas was getting into the chamber between the cartridge case
and the chamber. So, the case was not expanding and sealing the
chamber completely.
I inspected the pistol. Everything appeared to be in good working
order.
I now consider it acceptable to be loaned to a student,
or given as a gift to a friend or relative.
Wow, so many pistol debuted at the Shot Show. John Farnam cites the:
"Mossberg MC2 Pistol, 9mm, 14/16 shooter depending on the magazine
used (you get one of each with the pistol). It’s a double-column version
of the single-column MC1 Pistol 7/9 shooter."
and the
"FN 509 pistol can be had in full-sized (G17), medium-sized (G19),
and compact (G26)."
as being worthy of your consideration.
Visit To The Gunshop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h68I549o0Tc
Good advice on buying guns by Mike Seeklander.
"The gun may not be effective for you."
"Try before you buy."
"Don't let comfort be your sole or primary consideration."
"Seek out someone with knowledge to advise you."
5 Best Shooting Gloves [2019 Hands-On Test]
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-shooting-gloves/
I appreciate a nice pair of gloves. The skin on
my hands is getting weaker with age. Callouses develop
more readily. Got to compensate for time on Earth.
Or, as Deborah Harry says, die young stay pretty.
----- Technical -----
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
Eric explains how to build an AR-15, with lots of photographs.
How to Build an AR-15 Upper Receiver: Ultimate Visual Guide
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/build-ar-15-upper-receiver/
How to Build an AR-15 Lower Receiver [Ultimate Visual Guide]
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/build-ar-15-lower-receiver/
***** ***** ***** Instruction ***** ***** *****
Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."
----- Instructors -----
Remember, the students who require the extra effort are the ones who need us the most!
-- John Farnam
Novices learn. Journeymen practice. Masters teach.
The master has a duty to teach. Otherwise, the art dies.
"Be careful what you teach.
Because your students will do in combat
whatever you have trained them to do,
no matter how ridiculous.
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
Do you make your students pick up brass after
every string of fire?
Do you have your students holster immediately
after every course of fire?
Do you have your students stand still when
presenting to the target?
If so, it's time to correct your curriculum.
"Every time I teach a class,
I discover I don't know something."
-- Clint Smith, Director of Thunder Ranch
----- Pedagogy -----
Teach positive. Teach what to do. Don't talk about what not to do.
-- John Farnam
An instructor should not expect any learning to take
place the first time new information is presented.
-- "Building Shooters" by Dustin Solomon
***** ***** ***** Legal, Political, and Philosophical ***** ***** *****
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
Only law abiding citizens obey laws. Criminals, by definition and experience,
ignore laws. So, the only people affected by gun-control laws are law abiding
citizens. This is obvious to us. But, far beyond the comprehension of the liberal.
That is why we must defeat the liberals at the ballot box. Otherwise, the state of
Virginia will be the example for the rest of the United States of America.
What can you do?
1. Vote for pro-gun candidates. Yes, you must actually register to vote,
drive to the polling place to vote, and actually vote for the pro-gun candidate.
(This takes research and thinking.)
Remember the persons who sacrificed their lives to give you this right.
If no such candidate exists, you must pull the papers, get the necessary signatures,
and run for office yourself. Yes, I've done it (Hawaii State Senate 15th District,
won the Republican primary, lost the general election), so I can tell you to do it.
2. Donate money to pro-gun candidates. Put your money where you mouth is.
Yes, I do it, so I can tell you to do it.
3. Volunteer to help a campaign. Yes, I've knocked on doors and it works.
Did you notice the black senator from South Carolina? (The one who is not Lindsey Graham
and actually gets things done. [admittedly behind the scenes]) I met him at church
(Seacoast Church in Mount Pleasant, SC). We got him elected to the U.S. House,
then Governor Nikki Haley appointed him to the U.S. Senate. And there Tim Scott
sits, voting for us. He should have been a preacher. If you'd have heard him preach,
you would have been impressed.
Foundations: The 5 Elements of Self-Defense Law
https://lawofselfdefense.com/foundations-the-5-elements-of-self-defense-law/
Andrew Branca has a gift for you, an info-graphic
describing the 5 elements of the law of self defense.
You may download a copy free of charge at
https://lawofselfdefense.com/beginjourney/
"Be smart and do not conduct yourself in such a manner that
you are handing a prosecutor what they need to see in order to
move you from the “hard to convict” to the “easier to convict”
categories. The latter is much more likely to get you taken to
trial, where even if you’re acquitted you’ll burn through
potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal expenses.
And acquittal is never certain, so there’s also the possibility
of spending decades or more in prison."
-- Andrew Branca
Addendum:
http://defense-training.com/2020/addendum/
Will Training Be Used Against Me in Court? (John's Briefs) | Active Self Protection Extra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svz9wgMYujI&fbclid=IwAR09lqzzZku9owGv5X5ObdAw8mX_Pr0A1Q_Bx3R1KnFJFO_nkqNoNrVOgGU
Nevada sheriffs back lawsuit to block 'red flag' law
https://www.policeone.com/gun-legislation-law-enforcement/articles/nev-sheriffs-back-lawsuit-to-block-red-flag-law-r1EMJMPOxSt1cegd/
It's not just Virginia, Nevada sheriffs are fighting unconstitutional
gun confiscation laws. This will be coming to a neighborhood near you.
Be prepared.
How to fight back against media misinformation
https://gunsmagazine.com/discover/the-press-perpetuates-prevarications/
Yes, you can do these things. Yes, you will make a difference.
Please subscribe to Crime Prevention Research Center, (it's free and numbers matter)
https://crimepreventionresearchcenter.nationbuilder.com/subscribe
Please support their scientific research, (as a practicing scientist,
I assure you this is real science)
https://crimepreventionresearchcenter.nationbuilder.com/donate
To see the results of their research,
https://prezi.com/6baszjujoz1m/copy-of-crime-prevention-research-center/
Self defense insurance: (more correctly, pre-paid legal services)
6 Concealed Carry Insurance Options To Protect Your Six (2019)
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/4-self-defense-insurance-options
Self-Defense Gun Owner Insurance Programs Compared (actually, pre-paid legal services)
https://www.concealedcarry.com/self-defense-gun-owner-insurance-programs-compared/
This web page, the chart, and the PDF file are updated on a regular basis.
“Guard with jealous attention the public liberty.
Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel.
Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force.
Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined.”
-- Patrick Henry
"Trump signs bill to improve security for religious groups
The new federal law provides $75 million a year,
for the next five years, in grants for institutions
to improve security measures"
https://www.policeone.com/terrorism/articles/trump-signs-bill-to-improve-security-for-religious-groups-48hhy9JaRVNW6pyG/
If you write to President Trump at
President Trump
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500
the Trump administration will help you.
They are very good about customer service.
I know from personal experience.
This is happening in New Zealand.
Let's work to prevent it from happening
here in the U.S.A.
https://thebfd.co.nz/2020/01/breaking-the-raids-have-begun-all-for-a-22-bunny-gun/
***** ***** ***** Survival ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
3 Tips to Protect Against Home Invasion
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/1/14/3-tips-to-protect-against-home-invasion/
Excerpt:
"Any cell phone, in a service plan or not, can call 911
and summon help and having a cell phone dedicated to summoning
help in an emergency gives you one less thing to worry about
when your life and the lives of your family are on the line."
*** [This is very important. Please read this. -- Jon Low] ***
Seven (7) Key Trauma Management Tips and Tools For the Armed Individual
https://www.shooting-performance.com/seven-7-key-trauma-management-tips-and-tools-for-the-armed-individual/
Excerpts:
"Since the introduction and popularization of the
Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK), there has been an explosion
in awareness around the necessity for medical kit and training."
[A lot of people get the IFAK. Not so many people get the
training. Do your loved ones a favor, get the training. -- Jon Low]
". . . at least 75% of those students show up with their
tourniquets still sealed in plastic. This is simply unacceptable.
The skills necessary to perform lifesaving first aid on a trauma
victim are not complex, however the time to practice them is not
in the middle of a critical incident. Just like any other skill
that you want to be able to perform under duress, it needs to be
hard-wired before you need it."
". . . they need to be able to stop severe bleeding."
". . . tourniquets [are] life-saving, they are safe and
should be considered as first-line therapy for severe bleeding."
[If you think the victim may lose a limb because of the tourniquet,
your training is obsolete. -- Jon Low]
"Of all the currently available commercial tourniquets,
I prefer the Combat Application Tourniquet, or CAT."
[I agree. -- Jon Low]
"I use Celox in all of my trauma kits."
[If you think Hemostatic Agents will burn your patient,
your training is obsolete. -- Jon Low]
"The reality is that with Celox gauze, you will likely
have you get most of your hand down into a fist-sized wound
in order to get the best results. Simply laying the gauze
across the top won’t get the job done."
". . . hemostatics are only to be applied after a tourniquet
has failed to control the bleeding."
"My rule is simple; if victims can’t fight you off when
you try to place the nasal airway, then they need it."
[Using lubricant makes this procedure easier. -- Jon Low]
"First aid gear is not a good luck charm.
Buying it does not improve your survivability or readiness.
You have to train with it."
"The focus of this skillset [Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC)]
should be winning not only the fight, but the aftermath."
"Students should be taught self-aid and buddy-aid and
be able to perform these skills in adverse conditions
(e.g. one-handed, in the dark, etc.)."
[Just like your weapon handling skills. -- Jon Low]
"A class should cover the use of everything in an IFAK
and should address the three most common preventable causes
of death from trauma: uncontrolled extremity hemorrhage,
the tension pneumothorax, and airway compromise."
[Digging the vomit out of his mouth and throat is not enough.
You have to clear the airway. He may have swallowed his tongue,
you need to pull it out. The trachea may be crushed, you
need to open it. Otherwise, . . . -- Jon Low]
"Basic first aid skills are a must for any responsible adult . . ."
***** ***** ***** Miscellany ***** ***** *****
When it's least expected, you're selected.
-- John Farnam
When I was in grad school, we put monitors on all of the internet backbone
servers. We found that about 15% of all emails just disappear, no error message,
no bounce back, nothing. So, the intended recipient never finds out that he
didn't get that piece of email, and the sender never finds out that the email
did not get delivered. That's why it is so important to ask for confirmation on
any important email, and assume the email did not get delivered unless you get
the confirmation. UDP over IP is an unreliable protocol by design. Speed is more
important than reliability, so the designers made the engineering trade off.
In addition to that, your ISP (internet service provider) blocks any email
they think is spam (because someone complained about it, maybe not you),
inappropriate (porn), illegal (kiddie porn), or politically incorrect (Christian,
conservative, pro-gun, pro-life, etc.); depending on which software they are using.
[Fazoli's restaurants uses an ISP that uses software that classified Royal Range
(a local gun store and indoor range) as a hate group. Fazoli's corporate said,
talk to the ISP. The ISP said, talk to the software company. The software
company said, pound sand.] These emails do not get thrown into your spam folder
in your email account; they just disappear.
In addition to that, the other party's ISP is doing the same thing.
So, you are not receiving a lot of email that is addressed to you. Which
is okay, as you probably don't want it anyway. And emails that you sent
are not getting delivered. And there is no tracking. So, in a sense, the
U.S. Postal service is better than email.
So, make sure to get confirmation on any email of importance to you.
In butler school, we were taught to anticipate our client's needs.
(We were also taught never to eat garlic.)
If the client has to ask you for something, or ask you to do something,
you're not really doing your job. There were many things the school
expected us to do that the client would never notice. If the client never
notices the butler, you're doing a good job.
The school only accepted students who had a servant's heart. I did
not really understand that concept until I studied Christianity. Perhaps,
that is why all of the students were Christians. (Every student in my
class at the Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center was a
Christian. At a time when the Corps was trying to diversify.)
The Headmaster tells me that clients these days are asking for
butlers with competency in protective services. (Preventing the attack
or kidnapping, as opposed to responding to it.) The school is not
recruiting prior law enforcement because they are trained to respond,
not to prevent. If your brain is working and you are taking precautions,
you shouldn't need to use the gun you carry.
"The mark of a superior gunman is his superior training,
which alleviates the need for his superior marksmanship skills."
-- I'm sorry. I don't remember who said that.
I find it interesting how the protective services training is
being folded into the service industry. Those in the Secret Service
or Executive Protection would never consider themselves servants.
Attitude is everything.
Jesus said, there will always be poor among us. But, it is also
true that there will always be rich among us. The school took care to
always place their graduates with families of stable wealth to ensure
the graduate could spend an entire career in the employ of one family.
Stable wealth is not the same as old money. (Every listen to Dave Ramsey?)
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
CWP, 14 January MMXX Anno Domini
Hi Sheepdogs,
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
"Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe,
and preserve order in the world as well as property.
Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived
of the use of them." -- Thomas Paine
Priorities:
1. Training $$$ (Otherwise, you won't know what to practice,
or what gear to buy.) Ongoing expense.
2. Dry practice won't cost you any money and will prevent you
from wasting your time watching TV. Decide what you're
going to work on before you start. Execute to your plan.
Ongoing expense.
3. Live fire practice $ (for ammo, range fees, and gas)
[Only effective if you have a plan and purpose. Otherwise,
you're just plinking.] Ongoing expense.
4. Weapon system $$ [holster (must satisfy requirements:
secure, accessible, concealable, comfortable),
belt (must fit and support the holster; and suspenders),
magazine and flashlight pouch (must fit the belt),
cleaning gear, flashlight (Must be bright enough to
blind the enemy, at least 500 lumens. Then you might
not have to shoot him; a big win for you.), pistol
(must fit your hand, trigger must be in the correct
position for your trigger finger when the slack is removed,
sights must work for your aiming eye), magazines (stainless
steal, recently cleaned, with springs in good condition),
ammunition (must feed and chamber reliably)]
The primary characteristic of a weapon system is reliability.
Ongoing expense, because things wear out if you practice
with them, or neglect them.
----- Mindset -----
Avoidance, Deterrence, and De-escalation
-- John Farnam
Example of good mindset, preparation, and decisiveness.
https://www.facebook.com/tom.givens.37/posts/10218769936951996
It's not what happens to you, it's how you process it.
Being Un-Tactical
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/being-un-tactical/
Excerpt:
"We’re not combatants performing tactical operations
taking down terrorists to save the world. Self-defense
isn’t “tactical,” as in a carefully planned action toward
a military objective. Self-defense, regardless of current
trends in the training world, is actually very “un-tactical.” "
". . . you shoot to stop the threat. You are not
shooting to kill!"
"The defensive application of force in response to
a threat is an acquired skill.
None of these actions — . . . — are instinctual or natural."
"After training comes practice. The real learning occurs
through repetition."
"And if forced to shoot, you shoot to save life,
not take it. All of this is very un-tactical."
[I need to put that on a tee shirt. "I shoot to save lives."
-- Jon Low]
Violence is a 'come as you are' event.
Situational Awareness Skills: Teaching Kids Observation Skills
https://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2019/12/situational-awareness-skills-teaching-kids-observation-skills/
We always teach our students to stay at the scene and
immediately call 911 to report the incident. Fleeing the
scene demonstrates a consciousness of guilt. This is Biblical.
"The wicked flee though no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion."
-- Proverbs 28:1
[Actually, everything we teach is Biblical. I don't
always cite the scripture, because I do not wish to belabor
the point. -- Jon Low]
Student: What if I miss the bad guy, and hit a good guy?
Instructor: Rely on God, not yourself. The training on which
you have spent so much time and money will give you confidence.
The thousands of hours that you have spent practicing will
give you confidence. The hours of study of the laws of self
defense, color code of mental awareness, combat mindset,
aftermath of lethal force encounters, and such will give you
confidence.
You will know that what you have done is right. So, you
will not plea bargain. And you will not suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress. Because you will understand that there is
nothing to be stressed about. You will have the peace of God
that surpasses all understanding.
Women Need to Develop a Concealed-Carry Mindset
https://www.americas1stfreedom.org/articles/2020/1/4/women-need-to-develop-a-concealed-carry-mindset/
Practice Command Presence: posture, movement, eye contact, voice and more.
Your body language is your first line of defense. Command Presence will
cause the enemy to decide not to attack you. Training will help to develop your
Command Presence.
----- Safety -----
Don't go to stupid places.
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
Be in bed by 10 PM. Your own bed.
Don't look like a freak.
Don't fail the attitude test.
-- John Farnam
Trigger Finger Positioning, Hand Clenches, and Accidental Discharges
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/trigger-finger-positioning-hand-clenches-and-accidental-discharges
Excerpt:
"A study of all firearms discharges in Federal Agencies (FBI, DEA, ATF)
from 2000-2003 found that out of 267 total discharges, 102 of them were
accidental discharges. Weapon handling skills and trigger finger
discipline are universally lacking, even among supposedly
'well trained' individuals."
"The fast and / or emphatic reholster is an awesome way to shoot yourself."
-- Chuck Haggard
Living with Guns
http://defense-training.com/2007/january-2007-quips/
This is actually a link to all of the January 2007 articles.
Fortunately, the article of interest is the first.
NDs means negligent discharges.
Muzzle direction
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/01/05/muzzle-direction/
Excerpt:
Muzzle direction is the primary safety;
always has been, always will be.
-- Bill Rogers
----- Training -----
". . . fools despise wisdom and instruction."
-- Proverbs 1:7 NRSV
"Reasons for training:
1. You don't know what you don't know.
2. Much of what you know is wrong.
3. It's good to have some of the answers to the test before taking it."
-- Claude Werner the Tactical Professor
I have taken classes from Tom Givens. I have read his works.
I have corresponded with him. If you ask him a question by email,
he will answer your question. Which puts him head and shoulders
above most professors that I've had (including the ones at the
Ivy League universities). He has corrected me on many things and
has never spoken down to me.
Tom Givens says -
The private citizen should work toward competence in:
Presentation from concealment while moving off the line of force.
Anatomically important hits at 3 to 7 yards.
Anatomically important hit out to 25 yards.
Reloading.
These skills should be mastered before other skills are added
to one's repertoire. It's all about remembering what's important
and keeping things in perspective.
Inspect the ammo that you will be carrying:
Check the primer, is it there? is it sticking out? is it backwards?
is it damaged?
Check the case mouth and rim, burrs? damage?
Check the bullet, tight? correct seating depth?
Check the cartridge, (after you have disassembled the pistol)
drop the cartridge into the chamber, head space? loose or tight?
[If it disappears into the chamber or sticks out of the chamber,
it's probably the wrong ammo. Discovering these things in combat
would be the definition of a bad day. -- Jon Low]
If you are worried about family members getting access to your
pistol, lock it up. Don't unload and load daily, as this will
damage the primers, making the cartridges unreliable.
Move your visual focus from the target to where the front sight
will be when you bring the front sight to your line of sight.
(This is subtle and was initially difficult for me to do.
But, it speeds up the presentation considerably. -- Jon Low)
The armed person must train in:
1. Mindset
2. Gun handling
3. Marksmanship
The 3 equally essential elements of shooting are:
Speed, derived from efficiency, not hustle.
[Sun Tzu said a fast moving army does not look like it is moving fast.
But, every time you look at it, it is moving. Similarly, fast shooters
do not look like they are moving fast. Because they are not. (There
is a physical and physiological limit to how fast humans move.) It's
that they have eliminated all extraneous movement. -- Jon Low]
Power, what you chose to bring to the fight.
Accuracy, only hits count.
Seek out some competent basic hand-to-hand training.
Trying to work on everything at once leads to improving nothing
significantly. It is far better to concentrate your attention on
one or two skills in each session. (So, you have to have a plan
for the training session.)
Never rely on your subjective idea of how well you are doing,
you will just about always be wrong. (So, you have to time and
score.)
A properly designed course of fire can accomplish several things:
1. It adds structure and accountability to your session.
2. It makes you cycle through all the skills you need to work on.
3. It provides an objective view of performance, rather than a
subjective view which is often not accurate.
4. It identifies weak areas, so you know what to work on.
5. It allows you to check your skill against a known standard.
6. It allows some stress inoculation.
7. It provides documentation of work done and progress made.
Tactical Tips:
Maintain distance.
Watch their hands.
Stay out of doorways.
Stay away from corners.
Move tactically.
Maintain light and noise discipline.
Do not relax too soon.
Avoid complacency.
From "Concealed Carry Class" by Tom Givens, Gun Digest Books, 2019.
ISBN-13: 978-1-946267-95-5
This book is full of insights. I will be changing many things in
my classes based on Tom's wisdom. Tom and I don't agree on many things,
that's why I so enjoy reading his books.
"The real value of training, though, is that it improves competence,
which leads to a higher level of confidence."
-- Rehn & Daub
Zak George says,
"The irony about teaching . . . is that the faster you try to get
results, the slower your progress will be. Take your time and you'll
achieve success sooner."
"You will not be able to teach . . . if your attention is divided."
[Similarly, you will not be able to learn if your attention is divided.
So, leave your phones out in your cars. If you are so important that
you have to step out of class to take a call, you are too important
to be in the class in the first place. Just leave. -- Jon Low]
". . . training is an unregulated industry. Anyone without any
qualifications whatsoever can call themselves a . . . trainer. And
believe me they do! This obviously leads to a lot of bad options out
there."
[The NRA Instructor certifications may not be the gold standard,
but they do maintain a standard and they are inexpensive. Tom Givens
does a good job of vetting the instructors that he invites to the
annual Tactical Conference. You can find a list of instructors and
a description of what they teach at
https://taccon.info/presenters/
And of course, personal referrals are good. -- Jon Low]
"When introducing new concepts during your primary training sessions,
you should be in a familiar environment such as inside your house.
[I've taught many classes in my living room, or the student's living room,
or a room in the student's church building. I strongly agree with Zak's
statement. -- Jon Low]
In general, one hour of formal training per day, split up into 3 to 6
training sessions, is best. But that's not all! You have the rest of
the day to do more casual (or secondary) training in real-world situations."
[Absolutely, when I take my class to lunch at a restaurant, we are all
carrying concealed to practice carrying concealed. We are all vying for
the tactical seats. We are all looking for escape routes, doors,
windows, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, cash registers, etc. As
the students eat, the instructors give the lectures. Everyone is in
condition yellow. We are also training when we are walking to and from
our cars in the parking lot; looking for lines of fire that don't
endanger bystanders and safe backstops for our bullets. So, not a minute
is wasted. -- Jon Low]
[Some instructors teach way too much material in a block of
instruction, because they claim that otherwise the student doesn't
feel he's gotten his money's worth. Only when the student has that
drinking from a fire hose, overwhelmed by information, experience
does the student feel he's getting his money's worth. That may be
so. But, it's not conducive to learning. -- Jon Low]
"You train for the people who love you."
-- Tatiana Whitlock
If you don't have a log book for your training, you're not serious
about training. If you don't plan exactly what you're going to do when
you go to the range or during your dry practice session at home, your
practice session isn't going to be very productive. If you are not
recording the results of your practice session in your log book,
you will have nothing to read to plan your next practice session.
So, you won't be starting from where you left off the last time. Rather,
you'll be starting from scratch all over again. It's the difference
between 20 year of experience and one year of experience repeated 20 times.
Don't laugh. I've seen such persons in the software industry. I was
a Lead Member of the Engineering Staff at Lockheed Martin for many years.
"The real value of training and practice isn't gaining technical competence,
it's achieving confidence in your abilities."
-- Claude Werner the Tactical Professor
[You might want to read that sentence again. It's sort of deep. -- Jon Low]
Training vs. Experience
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/training-vs-experience
The bad guys have more training than you do. 40% in the military,
that means 60% in the private sector. [When I taught at Front Sight,
there were students who were members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.
When I taught in South Carolina there were students who were members of
the Pagan's Motorcycle Club. They had no criminal record.] What training,
beyond the state mandated training to acquire your permit to carry, do you have?
The bad guys practice more than you do. 23 times a year.
How many times a year do you practice?
The bad guys have more gunfight experience than you do.
More than 40% of the criminals identified in the study had at least
one gunfight experience before attacking the officer. 25% of the
attackers had been involved in more than five gunfights.
How many lethal force encounters have you been in where you did
not have to fire? How many where you had to fire? How many
where you actually hit the enemy? How many where you actually
caused a confirmed enemy casualty? (That includes dogs.)
I won't ask how much collateral damage you caused.
Care enough to continue your training.
Why train?
"To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment
when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and
offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique
to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if
that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that
which could have been their finest hour."
-- Winston Churchill
Requisite level of skill
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2019/12/27/requisite-level-of-skill/
How to achieve skills development through virtual training
https://www.policeone.com/police-products/training/simulator/articles/how-to-achieve-skills-development-through-virtual-training-gHwuL4ZI16VsVVAY/
Real-Life Disparity of Force Case
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/real-life-disparity-of-force-case
Excerpt:
He told me: “As I went to draw my gun, I thought
‘I should have taken more training.' ”
Shooting Through Doors and Walls
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/shooting-through-doors-and-walls
Shooting at anything that you have not positively
identified is an act of criminal stupidity.
I attended the Forward Observer course in the Artillery School at
Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. The Army instructors told us to call
on Marine pilots when calling in an air strike. Because Marines would
fly in low and inverted over the target to get a positive visual
identification before attacking the target. If we called Air Force
pilots, they would drop their bombs from high altitude, scattering
their bombs all over the place. Perhaps hitting us. (Losing your
aircraft is a career killer in the Air Force.)
Yes, as a matter of fact there is a significant difference between the
branches of the Armed Forces. That's why I am so pleased with President
Trump's selection for command of the Space Force, General Jay Raymond.
THE CONCEALED CARRY TRAP – ARE YOU CAUGHT IN IT?
And what will you do if you are?
https://www.shooting-performance.com/the-concealed-carry-trap-are-you-caught-in-it/
"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
----- Practice -----
Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
The proper way to dry practice
http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/the-proper-way-to-dry-practice/recreation-leisure
"Be careful what you practice.
Because you will do in combat whatever you have practiced,
no matter how ridiculous."
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
Slow is smooth (because you can control what you're doing).
Smooth is efficient (because elegance automatically removes inefficiencies).
Efficient is fast (because there is no wasted motion).
That's what people mean when they say, "Slow is fast."
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
video#Fast Workers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0cXHk1NOw8
Proof that sufficient practice will allow you to do any task fast
and without conscious thought. Unconscious competence.
----- Techniques -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
Video: How to manage .45 recoil with only 2 fingers
http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/video-how-to-manage-.45-recoil-with-only-2-fingers/recreation-leisure
As Mike Ox says, the video is a demonstration to make a point,
not a how-to video.
This technique is what I learned at Front Sight in 1996.
High tight grip. Push forward with firing side hand. Pull
backward with support side hand. Voila! No muzzle flip.
Amazing how the same techniques are learned, lost, and
rediscovered over and over.
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
Your Tactical Training Scenario- Shaking Hands
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/your-tactical-training-scenario-shaking-hands
Tactics of Physical Penetration Testers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnmcRTnTNC8&feature=youtu.be
This is included in this section because maneuver is an essential part
of combat. Some day, you may need to get through that door.
----- Tactics -----
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
Timing . . . a Missing Component in Training
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/timing
You Don’t Have to Shoot First; But You Better Do Something!
https://www.forcescience.org/2020/01/you-dont-have-to-shoot-first-but-you-better-do-something/
You don't have to let the enemy shoot first. Because once
you get shot, you might not be able to do anything.
Never shoot to wound. That is an act of criminal stupidity.
Never fire a warning shot. That is an act of criminal stupidity.
Check out the times cited in the article. The untrained person
has no concept of these times. You should have a deep understanding
of these general times and your specific times.
"Audacity wins."
-- Carl von Clausewitz
----- Education -----
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
Why Do Stupid People Think They're Smart? The Dunning Kruger Effect (animated)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJz66wm95-M
Excerpt:
"Low ability people do not possess the skills needed to recognize
their own incompetence or lack of knowledge. Their poor self-awareness
leads them to overestimate their own capabilities."
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
Cogito, ergo sum. (I think, therefore I exist.)
-- Rene Descartes
A philosophical proof of existence.
In case you missed John's allusion.
Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker Instructional DVD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LBDnJv5B58
Highly educational. Bet you didn't know you could sharpen your
nail clippers and pinking shears.
***** ***** ***** Hardware ***** ***** *****
"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley
----- Gear (which includes you) -----
"Preparation doesn't assure victory. It assures confidence."
-- Amit Kalantri
Tips on Winter Wear for Concealed Carry from Chris Cerino
https://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2019/12/tips-on-winter-wear-for-concealed-carry-from-chris-cerino/
In Defense of the Elderly
Survival for the “Seasoned Citizen”
https://gunsmagazine.com/our-experts/in-defense-of-the-elderly/
Excerpts:
(in the context of pistols for weak people or people with arthritis)
"The 9mm Walther CCP sports a novel reverse gas piston design
offering a very mild racking force. The 1911 pistols in .22TCM from
Rock Island Armory are also comically light to charge. Some pistoleros
will poo-poo the idea of carrying a gun throwing a tiny 40-gr. JHP
bullet at 2,000 feet per second for defensive purposes. I’d be
willing to bet those skeptics have never been shot with one."
"By properly maintaining your machine and packing the right
iron you can remain tactically viable well into your golden years."
Massad Ayoob on why the Springfield Armory XD pistol is good.
https://www.thearmorylife.com/does-ayoob-hate-the-xd/
Greg Ellifritz on why the Springfield Armory XD pistol is bad.
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/the-springfield-xd-a-polemic
I've been using and carrying a Springfield Armory XD Tactical
in 45 ACP since Louis Awerbuck (1 Special Services Battalion,
South African Defence Force) recommended it. Lt. Bernardo Diaz
(1st Radio Battalion, Fleet Marine Force Pacific) arranged for
Yavapai Firearms Academy to come to Hawaii to give us a class.
A friend at work asked me for my recommendations on a shotgun
for his wife, who is small, weak, and frail for home defense.
I told him that I did not know, but I would ask experts.
Vicki Farnam, John Farnam, Tom Givens, and Massad Ayoob responded
to my request for information. They all recommended carbines that
fired pistol cartridges.
[Study] Home Defense Overpenetration: Shotgun, Handgun, Rifle
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/home-defense-overpenetration/
----- Technical -----
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
Gunsmithing - How to Extract a Broken Shell from a Rifle Chamber
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=bDYx5-1AZdk&feature=emb_logo
Sig Sauer sells replacement parts for their
'double action / single action' pistols, such as the P226,
that drastically reduce the length of the reset.
Which makes trigger control much easier.
Adam (a friend at work), who is competent, was able to do the job
in a few minutes on his desk at work. But, I would recommend you
take it to a gunsmith, because it's not an easy job.
"Destiny doesn't make appointments,
nor does she waste her time with the naive and unready!"
-- John Farnam
***** ***** ***** Instruction ***** ***** *****
Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."
----- Instructors -----
Remember, the students who require the extra effort are the ones who need us the most!
-- John Farnam
What is the difference between the master and student?
The master has failed more times than the student has tried.
John Farnam says we are here to fail magnificently.
We learn from our failures. We don't learn much from our
successes.
Qui docet, discit. (Who teaches, learns.)
-- motto of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers
"Be careful what you teach. Because your students will do in combat
whatever you have trained them to do, no matter how ridiculous.
Be careful what you practice. Because you will do in combat whatever you
have practiced, no matter how ridiculous."
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
"Every time I teach a class,
I discover I don't know something."
-- Clint Smith, Director of Thunder Ranch
----- Pedagogy -----
Teach positive. Teach what to do. Don't talk about what not to do.
-- John Farnam
"The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has happened."
-- (Attribution unknown)
Dustin Solomon, in his book "Building Shooters" states that
an instructor should not expect any learning to take place
the first time new information is presented.
"Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
***** ***** ***** Legal, Political, and Philosophical ***** ***** *****
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
Poor Substitutes!
http://defense-training.com/2019/poor-substitutes/
--- Start, Concerning the White Settlement, TX Church ---
"Safety"
http://defense-training.com/2019/safety-2/
Firearms instructor took out gunman at Texas church service
https://www.policeone.com/police-heroes/articles/firearms-instructor-took-out-gunman-at-texas-church-service-FBYzzr8fsMg75zc9/
The facts indicate a high level of training and discipline
on the part of the church security team. Six persons on the
team presented their weapons from concealment. But, only one
person fired. And that one person fired only one shot.
They were all looking for lines of fire that did not endanger
any good guys and safe backgrounds in case they missed or their
bullet passed through the bad guy. Bravo!
Analysis of Murders in White Settlement, TX Church
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5NzuGSkL2E&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR19-6crd6L6cfjt_NzlJQEjjjmWKI89gSRb8nV4bCB0cl0bmgWoxAlsgv4&bpctr=1578092247
YouTube.com has put a snowflake button on the video.
You have to click on the button to see the video.
The first guy to get shot, took more than 3 seconds to present from concealment
and fire. He never fired a shot, because the bad guy shot him at 3 seconds. If he
had presented and fired in less than 3 seconds, he would have gotten the first shot.
If you practice, you can present from concealment and fire in about 1.5 seconds.
The first guy to get shot had to stand up to present. That's why you should
carry your pistol in such a manner that you can present from a seated position.
He was in a position to fire on the bad guy without standing up. If you stand up in
such a situation, you're going to draw attention to yourself.
Firearms instructor who trained parishioners brought down Texas church gunman with a single shot
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/12/30/texas-church-shooting-gunman-opens-fire-near-fort-worth/2773069001/
Gunfight start to finish in 6 seconds. When did the first cops show up?
The greatest deterrent to the next mass shooting is a good person with a gun
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/8/the-greatest-deterrent-to-the-next-mass-shooting-i/
Excerpts:
Jeoff Williams, regional director of Texas Department of Public Safety,
told reporters, “The citizens who were inside that church undoubtedly saved
242 other parishioners.”
Congressman Thomas Massie, Kentucky Republican, said,
“I shudder to think what would have transpired had that church been a gun-free zone.”
On One America News: Discussing the Concealed Carry Permit holder who stopped the Texas Church Shooting
https://crimeresearch.org/2020/01/on-one-america-news-discussing-the-concealed-carry-permit-holder-who-stopped-the-texas-church-shooting/
Armed Citizens Stop Murderer After Gun Control Fails at Texas Church
https://slowfacts.wordpress.com/2020/01/06/armed-citizens-stop-murderer-after-gun-control-fails-at-texas-church/
Situational Awareness Skills: Texas Church Shooting Take-Away
https://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2020/01/situational-awareness-skills-texas-church-shooting-take-away/
Important lessons learned.
The purpose of gun-control laws and gun-free-zones is to create
unarmed victims for armed criminals to prey upon. The resulting
carnage is then used by liberals to advance their political agenda.
Of course, it doesn't make sense to you. But, it does make sense
to the people who vote for liberals. They don't think the way you
think. They think the way criminals think. That's why liberals
pass laws to reinstate the voting rights of felons. That's why
liberals pass laws to give voting rights to criminal aliens. All
illegal aliens are criminals, by definition. We cannot change the
way liberals think, because it's not a matter of education,
because it's not a matter of ignorance. It's a belief system.
It's not a philosophy, because philosophies are philosophically consistent.
Which means there are no logical contradictions, no hypocrisies.
--- End, Concerning the White Settlement, TX Church ---
Homicide Numbers: Up or Down?
https://rangemaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2020-01_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Page 2
Witness statements and the self defender's statement
https://armedcitizensnetwork.org/january-2020-attorney-question
Tennessee's alternative "concealed only" permit and why you should not pick it
https://tennesseefirearms.com/2020/01/tennessees-alternative-concealed-only-permit-and-why-you-should-not-pick-it/
"THAT is why law-abiding citizens buy millions of these firearms."
-- Amy Swearer To House Judiciary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9AfhdKLNDA
USMC Firearm Policy Updated to Allow Concealed Carry for Self-Defense
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/01/03/usmc-firearm-policy-updated-to-allow-concealed-carry-for-self-defense/
Sheriff Offers Free CCW Classes So Churches Can Shoot Back
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/01/06/sheriff-offers-free-ccw-classes-so-churches-can-shoot-back/
Fraud!
http://defense-training.com/2019/fraud/
---
118 Virginia Local Governments Now 2nd Amendment Sanctuaries
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/01/07/118-virginia-local-governments-now-2nd-amendment-sanctuaries/
Virginia's 'Second Amendment Sanctuaries'
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/7/virginias-second-amendment-sanctuaries/
---
7 keys to winning a use-of-force lawsuit
https://www.policeone.com/officer-shootings/articles/7-keys-to-winning-a-use-of-force-lawsuit-TnyMfaUO1yzejFIM/
Excerpt:
"You don’t want your attorney to be a first-timer . . ."
An Open Letter to Women Who Want Gun Control
https://www.theorganicprepper.com/an-open-letter-to-women-who-want-gun-control/
Statistics for the nerds among us
"More Guns in Private Hands Than Previously Estimated"
https://americanhandgunner.com/insider-online/more-guns-in-private-hands-than-previously-estimated/
15 Forgotten Benefits of Shooting – Infographic
https://thewellarmedwoman.com/blog/15-forgotten-benefits-of-shooting/
Andrew Branca has a valuable gift for you,
an info-graphic describing the 5 elements of the law of self defense.
You may download a copy free of charge at
https://lawofselfdefense.com/beginjourney/
***** ***** ***** Survival ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
How to Spot a Bad Guy
A Comprehensive Look at Body Language and Pre-Assault Indicators
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/how-to-spot-a-bad-guy-a-comprehensive-look-at-body-language-and-pre-assault-indicators
Gunfight anatomy: The Richard Mendoza incident
http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/gunfight-anatomy-the-richard-mendoza-incident/recreation-leisure
Hearing loss is permanent and cumulative.
Don't get shot: Dealing with police during a traffic stop
http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/dont-get-shot-dealing-with-police-during-a-traffic-stop/law-enforcement-defense-security
24 things cops know, but most people don’t
https://www.policeone.com/bizarre/articles/24-things-cops-know-but-most-people-dont-F3kSWmwhzH64Gb5t/
Excerpt:
7. If you grew up with guns in the house, you probably knew how to get to them,
even though your parents thought they had them hidden or locked away.
Don’t think your kids are any less ingenious.
“Of all human lamentations, without doubt, the most common is,
‘If only I had known!’
But, we don’t get to know!
Days of death and fire begin no differently than those of love and warmth!”
-- Tom Clancy
***** ***** ***** Basics ***** ***** *****
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
***** ***** ***** Miscellany ***** ***** *****
When it's least expected, you're selected.
-- John Farnam
When the angels are busy, God uses humans.
The government advised a man to evacuate because a hurricane was
coming. He said no, because God will send a miracle to save him.
A convoy of trucks and busses passed by his house and tried to get
him to get in and leave the area. He refused, saying God would save
him. As the waters rose, a boat came by to rescue him. But, he
refused their help, as God would rescue him. As he sat on the roof
of his house with water lapping at his feet and the winds howling,
a Coast Guard helicopter lowered a line to rescue him. He refused.
When he got to heaven, he asked God why He had not rescued him.
God said, "I sent you a warning, a bus, a boat, and a helicopter.
What were you waiting for?"
When you get to heaven, I hope God doesn't have to ask you,
"What were you waiting for?"
Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful),
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com
The Warrior's Prayer
Dear God,
Please give us discernment to distinguish
friend from foe from innocent bystanders.
Give us clear vision so our aim is true.
Give us calm so we execute correctly.
Give us spiritual maturity so that we stop the attack
without excessive force, without revenge.
In Jesus name,
Amen
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
"Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe,
and preserve order in the world as well as property.
Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived
of the use of them." -- Thomas Paine
Priorities:
1. Training $$$ (Otherwise, you won't know what to practice,
or what gear to buy.) Ongoing expense.
2. Dry practice won't cost you any money and will prevent you
from wasting your time watching TV. Decide what you're
going to work on before you start. Execute to your plan.
Ongoing expense.
3. Live fire practice $ (for ammo, range fees, and gas)
[Only effective if you have a plan and purpose. Otherwise,
you're just plinking.] Ongoing expense.
4. Weapon system $$ [holster (must satisfy requirements:
secure, accessible, concealable, comfortable),
belt (must fit and support the holster; and suspenders),
magazine and flashlight pouch (must fit the belt),
cleaning gear, flashlight (Must be bright enough to
blind the enemy, at least 500 lumens. Then you might
not have to shoot him; a big win for you.), pistol
(must fit your hand, trigger must be in the correct
position for your trigger finger when the slack is removed,
sights must work for your aiming eye), magazines (stainless
steal, recently cleaned, with springs in good condition),
ammunition (must feed and chamber reliably)]
The primary characteristic of a weapon system is reliability.
Ongoing expense, because things wear out if you practice
with them, or neglect them.
----- Mindset -----
Avoidance, Deterrence, and De-escalation
-- John Farnam
Example of good mindset, preparation, and decisiveness.
https://www.facebook.com/tom.givens.37/posts/10218769936951996
It's not what happens to you, it's how you process it.
Being Un-Tactical
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/being-un-tactical/
Excerpt:
"We’re not combatants performing tactical operations
taking down terrorists to save the world. Self-defense
isn’t “tactical,” as in a carefully planned action toward
a military objective. Self-defense, regardless of current
trends in the training world, is actually very “un-tactical.” "
". . . you shoot to stop the threat. You are not
shooting to kill!"
"The defensive application of force in response to
a threat is an acquired skill.
None of these actions — . . . — are instinctual or natural."
"After training comes practice. The real learning occurs
through repetition."
"And if forced to shoot, you shoot to save life,
not take it. All of this is very un-tactical."
[I need to put that on a tee shirt. "I shoot to save lives."
-- Jon Low]
Violence is a 'come as you are' event.
Situational Awareness Skills: Teaching Kids Observation Skills
https://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2019/12/situational-awareness-skills-teaching-kids-observation-skills/
We always teach our students to stay at the scene and
immediately call 911 to report the incident. Fleeing the
scene demonstrates a consciousness of guilt. This is Biblical.
"The wicked flee though no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion."
-- Proverbs 28:1
[Actually, everything we teach is Biblical. I don't
always cite the scripture, because I do not wish to belabor
the point. -- Jon Low]
Student: What if I miss the bad guy, and hit a good guy?
Instructor: Rely on God, not yourself. The training on which
you have spent so much time and money will give you confidence.
The thousands of hours that you have spent practicing will
give you confidence. The hours of study of the laws of self
defense, color code of mental awareness, combat mindset,
aftermath of lethal force encounters, and such will give you
confidence.
You will know that what you have done is right. So, you
will not plea bargain. And you will not suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress. Because you will understand that there is
nothing to be stressed about. You will have the peace of God
that surpasses all understanding.
Women Need to Develop a Concealed-Carry Mindset
https://www.americas1stfreedom.org/articles/2020/1/4/women-need-to-develop-a-concealed-carry-mindset/
Practice Command Presence: posture, movement, eye contact, voice and more.
Your body language is your first line of defense. Command Presence will
cause the enemy to decide not to attack you. Training will help to develop your
Command Presence.
----- Safety -----
Don't go to stupid places.
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
Be in bed by 10 PM. Your own bed.
Don't look like a freak.
Don't fail the attitude test.
-- John Farnam
Trigger Finger Positioning, Hand Clenches, and Accidental Discharges
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/trigger-finger-positioning-hand-clenches-and-accidental-discharges
Excerpt:
"A study of all firearms discharges in Federal Agencies (FBI, DEA, ATF)
from 2000-2003 found that out of 267 total discharges, 102 of them were
accidental discharges. Weapon handling skills and trigger finger
discipline are universally lacking, even among supposedly
'well trained' individuals."
"The fast and / or emphatic reholster is an awesome way to shoot yourself."
-- Chuck Haggard
Living with Guns
http://defense-training.com/2007/january-2007-quips/
This is actually a link to all of the January 2007 articles.
Fortunately, the article of interest is the first.
NDs means negligent discharges.
Muzzle direction
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/01/05/muzzle-direction/
Excerpt:
Muzzle direction is the primary safety;
always has been, always will be.
-- Bill Rogers
----- Training -----
". . . fools despise wisdom and instruction."
-- Proverbs 1:7 NRSV
"Reasons for training:
1. You don't know what you don't know.
2. Much of what you know is wrong.
3. It's good to have some of the answers to the test before taking it."
-- Claude Werner the Tactical Professor
I have taken classes from Tom Givens. I have read his works.
I have corresponded with him. If you ask him a question by email,
he will answer your question. Which puts him head and shoulders
above most professors that I've had (including the ones at the
Ivy League universities). He has corrected me on many things and
has never spoken down to me.
Tom Givens says -
The private citizen should work toward competence in:
Presentation from concealment while moving off the line of force.
Anatomically important hits at 3 to 7 yards.
Anatomically important hit out to 25 yards.
Reloading.
These skills should be mastered before other skills are added
to one's repertoire. It's all about remembering what's important
and keeping things in perspective.
Inspect the ammo that you will be carrying:
Check the primer, is it there? is it sticking out? is it backwards?
is it damaged?
Check the case mouth and rim, burrs? damage?
Check the bullet, tight? correct seating depth?
Check the cartridge, (after you have disassembled the pistol)
drop the cartridge into the chamber, head space? loose or tight?
[If it disappears into the chamber or sticks out of the chamber,
it's probably the wrong ammo. Discovering these things in combat
would be the definition of a bad day. -- Jon Low]
If you are worried about family members getting access to your
pistol, lock it up. Don't unload and load daily, as this will
damage the primers, making the cartridges unreliable.
Move your visual focus from the target to where the front sight
will be when you bring the front sight to your line of sight.
(This is subtle and was initially difficult for me to do.
But, it speeds up the presentation considerably. -- Jon Low)
The armed person must train in:
1. Mindset
2. Gun handling
3. Marksmanship
The 3 equally essential elements of shooting are:
Speed, derived from efficiency, not hustle.
[Sun Tzu said a fast moving army does not look like it is moving fast.
But, every time you look at it, it is moving. Similarly, fast shooters
do not look like they are moving fast. Because they are not. (There
is a physical and physiological limit to how fast humans move.) It's
that they have eliminated all extraneous movement. -- Jon Low]
Power, what you chose to bring to the fight.
Accuracy, only hits count.
Seek out some competent basic hand-to-hand training.
Trying to work on everything at once leads to improving nothing
significantly. It is far better to concentrate your attention on
one or two skills in each session. (So, you have to have a plan
for the training session.)
Never rely on your subjective idea of how well you are doing,
you will just about always be wrong. (So, you have to time and
score.)
A properly designed course of fire can accomplish several things:
1. It adds structure and accountability to your session.
2. It makes you cycle through all the skills you need to work on.
3. It provides an objective view of performance, rather than a
subjective view which is often not accurate.
4. It identifies weak areas, so you know what to work on.
5. It allows you to check your skill against a known standard.
6. It allows some stress inoculation.
7. It provides documentation of work done and progress made.
Tactical Tips:
Maintain distance.
Watch their hands.
Stay out of doorways.
Stay away from corners.
Move tactically.
Maintain light and noise discipline.
Do not relax too soon.
Avoid complacency.
From "Concealed Carry Class" by Tom Givens, Gun Digest Books, 2019.
ISBN-13: 978-1-946267-95-5
This book is full of insights. I will be changing many things in
my classes based on Tom's wisdom. Tom and I don't agree on many things,
that's why I so enjoy reading his books.
"The real value of training, though, is that it improves competence,
which leads to a higher level of confidence."
-- Rehn & Daub
Zak George says,
"The irony about teaching . . . is that the faster you try to get
results, the slower your progress will be. Take your time and you'll
achieve success sooner."
"You will not be able to teach . . . if your attention is divided."
[Similarly, you will not be able to learn if your attention is divided.
So, leave your phones out in your cars. If you are so important that
you have to step out of class to take a call, you are too important
to be in the class in the first place. Just leave. -- Jon Low]
". . . training is an unregulated industry. Anyone without any
qualifications whatsoever can call themselves a . . . trainer. And
believe me they do! This obviously leads to a lot of bad options out
there."
[The NRA Instructor certifications may not be the gold standard,
but they do maintain a standard and they are inexpensive. Tom Givens
does a good job of vetting the instructors that he invites to the
annual Tactical Conference. You can find a list of instructors and
a description of what they teach at
https://taccon.info/presenters/
And of course, personal referrals are good. -- Jon Low]
"When introducing new concepts during your primary training sessions,
you should be in a familiar environment such as inside your house.
[I've taught many classes in my living room, or the student's living room,
or a room in the student's church building. I strongly agree with Zak's
statement. -- Jon Low]
In general, one hour of formal training per day, split up into 3 to 6
training sessions, is best. But that's not all! You have the rest of
the day to do more casual (or secondary) training in real-world situations."
[Absolutely, when I take my class to lunch at a restaurant, we are all
carrying concealed to practice carrying concealed. We are all vying for
the tactical seats. We are all looking for escape routes, doors,
windows, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, cash registers, etc. As
the students eat, the instructors give the lectures. Everyone is in
condition yellow. We are also training when we are walking to and from
our cars in the parking lot; looking for lines of fire that don't
endanger bystanders and safe backstops for our bullets. So, not a minute
is wasted. -- Jon Low]
[Some instructors teach way too much material in a block of
instruction, because they claim that otherwise the student doesn't
feel he's gotten his money's worth. Only when the student has that
drinking from a fire hose, overwhelmed by information, experience
does the student feel he's getting his money's worth. That may be
so. But, it's not conducive to learning. -- Jon Low]
"You train for the people who love you."
-- Tatiana Whitlock
If you don't have a log book for your training, you're not serious
about training. If you don't plan exactly what you're going to do when
you go to the range or during your dry practice session at home, your
practice session isn't going to be very productive. If you are not
recording the results of your practice session in your log book,
you will have nothing to read to plan your next practice session.
So, you won't be starting from where you left off the last time. Rather,
you'll be starting from scratch all over again. It's the difference
between 20 year of experience and one year of experience repeated 20 times.
Don't laugh. I've seen such persons in the software industry. I was
a Lead Member of the Engineering Staff at Lockheed Martin for many years.
"The real value of training and practice isn't gaining technical competence,
it's achieving confidence in your abilities."
-- Claude Werner the Tactical Professor
[You might want to read that sentence again. It's sort of deep. -- Jon Low]
Training vs. Experience
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/training-vs-experience
The bad guys have more training than you do. 40% in the military,
that means 60% in the private sector. [When I taught at Front Sight,
there were students who were members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.
When I taught in South Carolina there were students who were members of
the Pagan's Motorcycle Club. They had no criminal record.] What training,
beyond the state mandated training to acquire your permit to carry, do you have?
The bad guys practice more than you do. 23 times a year.
How many times a year do you practice?
The bad guys have more gunfight experience than you do.
More than 40% of the criminals identified in the study had at least
one gunfight experience before attacking the officer. 25% of the
attackers had been involved in more than five gunfights.
How many lethal force encounters have you been in where you did
not have to fire? How many where you had to fire? How many
where you actually hit the enemy? How many where you actually
caused a confirmed enemy casualty? (That includes dogs.)
I won't ask how much collateral damage you caused.
Care enough to continue your training.
Why train?
"To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment
when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and
offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique
to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if
that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that
which could have been their finest hour."
-- Winston Churchill
Requisite level of skill
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2019/12/27/requisite-level-of-skill/
How to achieve skills development through virtual training
https://www.policeone.com/police-products/training/simulator/articles/how-to-achieve-skills-development-through-virtual-training-gHwuL4ZI16VsVVAY/
Real-Life Disparity of Force Case
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/real-life-disparity-of-force-case
Excerpt:
He told me: “As I went to draw my gun, I thought
‘I should have taken more training.' ”
Shooting Through Doors and Walls
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/shooting-through-doors-and-walls
Shooting at anything that you have not positively
identified is an act of criminal stupidity.
I attended the Forward Observer course in the Artillery School at
Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. The Army instructors told us to call
on Marine pilots when calling in an air strike. Because Marines would
fly in low and inverted over the target to get a positive visual
identification before attacking the target. If we called Air Force
pilots, they would drop their bombs from high altitude, scattering
their bombs all over the place. Perhaps hitting us. (Losing your
aircraft is a career killer in the Air Force.)
Yes, as a matter of fact there is a significant difference between the
branches of the Armed Forces. That's why I am so pleased with President
Trump's selection for command of the Space Force, General Jay Raymond.
THE CONCEALED CARRY TRAP – ARE YOU CAUGHT IN IT?
And what will you do if you are?
https://www.shooting-performance.com/the-concealed-carry-trap-are-you-caught-in-it/
"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
----- Practice -----
Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
The proper way to dry practice
http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/the-proper-way-to-dry-practice/recreation-leisure
"Be careful what you practice.
Because you will do in combat whatever you have practiced,
no matter how ridiculous."
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
Slow is smooth (because you can control what you're doing).
Smooth is efficient (because elegance automatically removes inefficiencies).
Efficient is fast (because there is no wasted motion).
That's what people mean when they say, "Slow is fast."
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
video#Fast Workers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0cXHk1NOw8
Proof that sufficient practice will allow you to do any task fast
and without conscious thought. Unconscious competence.
----- Techniques -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
Video: How to manage .45 recoil with only 2 fingers
http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/video-how-to-manage-.45-recoil-with-only-2-fingers/recreation-leisure
As Mike Ox says, the video is a demonstration to make a point,
not a how-to video.
This technique is what I learned at Front Sight in 1996.
High tight grip. Push forward with firing side hand. Pull
backward with support side hand. Voila! No muzzle flip.
Amazing how the same techniques are learned, lost, and
rediscovered over and over.
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
Your Tactical Training Scenario- Shaking Hands
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/your-tactical-training-scenario-shaking-hands
Tactics of Physical Penetration Testers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnmcRTnTNC8&feature=youtu.be
This is included in this section because maneuver is an essential part
of combat. Some day, you may need to get through that door.
----- Tactics -----
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
Timing . . . a Missing Component in Training
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/timing
You Don’t Have to Shoot First; But You Better Do Something!
https://www.forcescience.org/2020/01/you-dont-have-to-shoot-first-but-you-better-do-something/
You don't have to let the enemy shoot first. Because once
you get shot, you might not be able to do anything.
Never shoot to wound. That is an act of criminal stupidity.
Never fire a warning shot. That is an act of criminal stupidity.
Check out the times cited in the article. The untrained person
has no concept of these times. You should have a deep understanding
of these general times and your specific times.
"Audacity wins."
-- Carl von Clausewitz
----- Education -----
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
Why Do Stupid People Think They're Smart? The Dunning Kruger Effect (animated)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJz66wm95-M
Excerpt:
"Low ability people do not possess the skills needed to recognize
their own incompetence or lack of knowledge. Their poor self-awareness
leads them to overestimate their own capabilities."
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
Cogito, ergo sum. (I think, therefore I exist.)
-- Rene Descartes
A philosophical proof of existence.
In case you missed John's allusion.
Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker Instructional DVD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LBDnJv5B58
Highly educational. Bet you didn't know you could sharpen your
nail clippers and pinking shears.
***** ***** ***** Hardware ***** ***** *****
"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley
----- Gear (which includes you) -----
"Preparation doesn't assure victory. It assures confidence."
-- Amit Kalantri
Tips on Winter Wear for Concealed Carry from Chris Cerino
https://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2019/12/tips-on-winter-wear-for-concealed-carry-from-chris-cerino/
In Defense of the Elderly
Survival for the “Seasoned Citizen”
https://gunsmagazine.com/our-experts/in-defense-of-the-elderly/
Excerpts:
(in the context of pistols for weak people or people with arthritis)
"The 9mm Walther CCP sports a novel reverse gas piston design
offering a very mild racking force. The 1911 pistols in .22TCM from
Rock Island Armory are also comically light to charge. Some pistoleros
will poo-poo the idea of carrying a gun throwing a tiny 40-gr. JHP
bullet at 2,000 feet per second for defensive purposes. I’d be
willing to bet those skeptics have never been shot with one."
"By properly maintaining your machine and packing the right
iron you can remain tactically viable well into your golden years."
Massad Ayoob on why the Springfield Armory XD pistol is good.
https://www.thearmorylife.com/does-ayoob-hate-the-xd/
Greg Ellifritz on why the Springfield Armory XD pistol is bad.
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/the-springfield-xd-a-polemic
I've been using and carrying a Springfield Armory XD Tactical
in 45 ACP since Louis Awerbuck (1 Special Services Battalion,
South African Defence Force) recommended it. Lt. Bernardo Diaz
(1st Radio Battalion, Fleet Marine Force Pacific) arranged for
Yavapai Firearms Academy to come to Hawaii to give us a class.
A friend at work asked me for my recommendations on a shotgun
for his wife, who is small, weak, and frail for home defense.
I told him that I did not know, but I would ask experts.
Vicki Farnam, John Farnam, Tom Givens, and Massad Ayoob responded
to my request for information. They all recommended carbines that
fired pistol cartridges.
[Study] Home Defense Overpenetration: Shotgun, Handgun, Rifle
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/home-defense-overpenetration/
----- Technical -----
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
Gunsmithing - How to Extract a Broken Shell from a Rifle Chamber
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=bDYx5-1AZdk&feature=emb_logo
Sig Sauer sells replacement parts for their
'double action / single action' pistols, such as the P226,
that drastically reduce the length of the reset.
Which makes trigger control much easier.
Adam (a friend at work), who is competent, was able to do the job
in a few minutes on his desk at work. But, I would recommend you
take it to a gunsmith, because it's not an easy job.
"Destiny doesn't make appointments,
nor does she waste her time with the naive and unready!"
-- John Farnam
***** ***** ***** Instruction ***** ***** *****
Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."
----- Instructors -----
Remember, the students who require the extra effort are the ones who need us the most!
-- John Farnam
What is the difference between the master and student?
The master has failed more times than the student has tried.
John Farnam says we are here to fail magnificently.
We learn from our failures. We don't learn much from our
successes.
Qui docet, discit. (Who teaches, learns.)
-- motto of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers
"Be careful what you teach. Because your students will do in combat
whatever you have trained them to do, no matter how ridiculous.
Be careful what you practice. Because you will do in combat whatever you
have practiced, no matter how ridiculous."
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
"Every time I teach a class,
I discover I don't know something."
-- Clint Smith, Director of Thunder Ranch
----- Pedagogy -----
Teach positive. Teach what to do. Don't talk about what not to do.
-- John Farnam
"The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has happened."
-- (Attribution unknown)
Dustin Solomon, in his book "Building Shooters" states that
an instructor should not expect any learning to take place
the first time new information is presented.
"Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
***** ***** ***** Legal, Political, and Philosophical ***** ***** *****
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
Poor Substitutes!
http://defense-training.com/2019/poor-substitutes/
--- Start, Concerning the White Settlement, TX Church ---
"Safety"
http://defense-training.com/2019/safety-2/
Firearms instructor took out gunman at Texas church service
https://www.policeone.com/police-heroes/articles/firearms-instructor-took-out-gunman-at-texas-church-service-FBYzzr8fsMg75zc9/
The facts indicate a high level of training and discipline
on the part of the church security team. Six persons on the
team presented their weapons from concealment. But, only one
person fired. And that one person fired only one shot.
They were all looking for lines of fire that did not endanger
any good guys and safe backgrounds in case they missed or their
bullet passed through the bad guy. Bravo!
Analysis of Murders in White Settlement, TX Church
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5NzuGSkL2E&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR19-6crd6L6cfjt_NzlJQEjjjmWKI89gSRb8nV4bCB0cl0bmgWoxAlsgv4&bpctr=1578092247
YouTube.com has put a snowflake button on the video.
You have to click on the button to see the video.
The first guy to get shot, took more than 3 seconds to present from concealment
and fire. He never fired a shot, because the bad guy shot him at 3 seconds. If he
had presented and fired in less than 3 seconds, he would have gotten the first shot.
If you practice, you can present from concealment and fire in about 1.5 seconds.
The first guy to get shot had to stand up to present. That's why you should
carry your pistol in such a manner that you can present from a seated position.
He was in a position to fire on the bad guy without standing up. If you stand up in
such a situation, you're going to draw attention to yourself.
Firearms instructor who trained parishioners brought down Texas church gunman with a single shot
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/12/30/texas-church-shooting-gunman-opens-fire-near-fort-worth/2773069001/
Gunfight start to finish in 6 seconds. When did the first cops show up?
The greatest deterrent to the next mass shooting is a good person with a gun
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/8/the-greatest-deterrent-to-the-next-mass-shooting-i/
Excerpts:
Jeoff Williams, regional director of Texas Department of Public Safety,
told reporters, “The citizens who were inside that church undoubtedly saved
242 other parishioners.”
Congressman Thomas Massie, Kentucky Republican, said,
“I shudder to think what would have transpired had that church been a gun-free zone.”
On One America News: Discussing the Concealed Carry Permit holder who stopped the Texas Church Shooting
https://crimeresearch.org/2020/01/on-one-america-news-discussing-the-concealed-carry-permit-holder-who-stopped-the-texas-church-shooting/
Armed Citizens Stop Murderer After Gun Control Fails at Texas Church
https://slowfacts.wordpress.com/2020/01/06/armed-citizens-stop-murderer-after-gun-control-fails-at-texas-church/
Situational Awareness Skills: Texas Church Shooting Take-Away
https://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2020/01/situational-awareness-skills-texas-church-shooting-take-away/
Important lessons learned.
The purpose of gun-control laws and gun-free-zones is to create
unarmed victims for armed criminals to prey upon. The resulting
carnage is then used by liberals to advance their political agenda.
Of course, it doesn't make sense to you. But, it does make sense
to the people who vote for liberals. They don't think the way you
think. They think the way criminals think. That's why liberals
pass laws to reinstate the voting rights of felons. That's why
liberals pass laws to give voting rights to criminal aliens. All
illegal aliens are criminals, by definition. We cannot change the
way liberals think, because it's not a matter of education,
because it's not a matter of ignorance. It's a belief system.
It's not a philosophy, because philosophies are philosophically consistent.
Which means there are no logical contradictions, no hypocrisies.
--- End, Concerning the White Settlement, TX Church ---
Homicide Numbers: Up or Down?
https://rangemaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2020-01_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Page 2
Witness statements and the self defender's statement
https://armedcitizensnetwork.org/january-2020-attorney-question
Tennessee's alternative "concealed only" permit and why you should not pick it
https://tennesseefirearms.com/2020/01/tennessees-alternative-concealed-only-permit-and-why-you-should-not-pick-it/
"THAT is why law-abiding citizens buy millions of these firearms."
-- Amy Swearer To House Judiciary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9AfhdKLNDA
USMC Firearm Policy Updated to Allow Concealed Carry for Self-Defense
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/01/03/usmc-firearm-policy-updated-to-allow-concealed-carry-for-self-defense/
Sheriff Offers Free CCW Classes So Churches Can Shoot Back
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/01/06/sheriff-offers-free-ccw-classes-so-churches-can-shoot-back/
Fraud!
http://defense-training.com/2019/fraud/
---
118 Virginia Local Governments Now 2nd Amendment Sanctuaries
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/01/07/118-virginia-local-governments-now-2nd-amendment-sanctuaries/
Virginia's 'Second Amendment Sanctuaries'
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/7/virginias-second-amendment-sanctuaries/
---
7 keys to winning a use-of-force lawsuit
https://www.policeone.com/officer-shootings/articles/7-keys-to-winning-a-use-of-force-lawsuit-TnyMfaUO1yzejFIM/
Excerpt:
"You don’t want your attorney to be a first-timer . . ."
An Open Letter to Women Who Want Gun Control
https://www.theorganicprepper.com/an-open-letter-to-women-who-want-gun-control/
Statistics for the nerds among us
"More Guns in Private Hands Than Previously Estimated"
https://americanhandgunner.com/insider-online/more-guns-in-private-hands-than-previously-estimated/
15 Forgotten Benefits of Shooting – Infographic
https://thewellarmedwoman.com/blog/15-forgotten-benefits-of-shooting/
Andrew Branca has a valuable gift for you,
an info-graphic describing the 5 elements of the law of self defense.
You may download a copy free of charge at
https://lawofselfdefense.com/beginjourney/
***** ***** ***** Survival ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
How to Spot a Bad Guy
A Comprehensive Look at Body Language and Pre-Assault Indicators
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/how-to-spot-a-bad-guy-a-comprehensive-look-at-body-language-and-pre-assault-indicators
Gunfight anatomy: The Richard Mendoza incident
http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/gunfight-anatomy-the-richard-mendoza-incident/recreation-leisure
Hearing loss is permanent and cumulative.
Don't get shot: Dealing with police during a traffic stop
http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/dont-get-shot-dealing-with-police-during-a-traffic-stop/law-enforcement-defense-security
24 things cops know, but most people don’t
https://www.policeone.com/bizarre/articles/24-things-cops-know-but-most-people-dont-F3kSWmwhzH64Gb5t/
Excerpt:
7. If you grew up with guns in the house, you probably knew how to get to them,
even though your parents thought they had them hidden or locked away.
Don’t think your kids are any less ingenious.
“Of all human lamentations, without doubt, the most common is,
‘If only I had known!’
But, we don’t get to know!
Days of death and fire begin no differently than those of love and warmth!”
-- Tom Clancy
***** ***** ***** Basics ***** ***** *****
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
***** ***** ***** Miscellany ***** ***** *****
When it's least expected, you're selected.
-- John Farnam
When the angels are busy, God uses humans.
The government advised a man to evacuate because a hurricane was
coming. He said no, because God will send a miracle to save him.
A convoy of trucks and busses passed by his house and tried to get
him to get in and leave the area. He refused, saying God would save
him. As the waters rose, a boat came by to rescue him. But, he
refused their help, as God would rescue him. As he sat on the roof
of his house with water lapping at his feet and the winds howling,
a Coast Guard helicopter lowered a line to rescue him. He refused.
When he got to heaven, he asked God why He had not rescued him.
God said, "I sent you a warning, a bus, a boat, and a helicopter.
What were you waiting for?"
When you get to heaven, I hope God doesn't have to ask you,
"What were you waiting for?"
Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful),
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com
The Warrior's Prayer
Dear God,
Please give us discernment to distinguish
friend from foe from innocent bystanders.
Give us clear vision so our aim is true.
Give us calm so we execute correctly.
Give us spiritual maturity so that we stop the attack
without excessive force, without revenge.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)