Monday, December 22, 2014

CWP, 22 December 2014 A.D.

Merry Christmas! Concealed Weapons Permittees,

***** Mindset *****

First person account
http://defense-training.com/dti/incident-for-a-female-student/
Excerpt:  "It took several weeks for me
to put everything in perspective and
get back to a normal rhythm."

     When I did the OC (Oleoresin Capsicum)
pepper spray training, we were taught that
pepper spray was not effective on 10% of
the population.  Of course, what exactly
is the definition of "not effective"? 
A lot of the Marines in the MP unit were
able to fight through the pepper spray.

“Dithering,” as policy!
Posted by John S. Farnam on 30 Apr 2013
http://defense-training.com/dti/dithering-as-policy/
Excerpt: 
     "dynamic personal initiative"
     "The ever-fearful are fond of saying
“… don’t be a hero.”  That rubbish surely does
not represent my heritage! We need to be heroes,
and we need to train heroes.
Others need not apply!"

***** Training *****

     May I recommend the Assert training taught at
KSA Martial Academy in Nashville, TN?
http://ksamartialacademy.com/
Excerpts:
     Goals of Self Defense:  Escape, Expect Injury,
Keep Trying, Hit Fucking Hard.
     Stages of Self Defense:  Prevention, Awareness,
Interview/De-escalate, Resistance, Escape.
     They explained to us how difficult it is
to get reliable statistics, how one has to check
the wording of survey questions and the
definitions used for categorizing.
Less than 20% of violent assaults are performed
by a stranger.
Less than 5% of armed robbers actually shoot.
In police shootings, the national average is 4
shots fired per hit at 3 to 9 feet.
Men age 16 to 24 are two times more likely to
be physically assaulted than women the same age.
Three women and one man are murdered by an
intimate partner each day in the United States.

"Catching the link"
posted by John S. Farnam on 6 Dec 1999.
http://defense-training.com/dti/catching-the-link/
Excerpt:  "Continuous trigger contact is one of the most
important aspects of defensive shooting that we teach.
The concept is scarcely known, even among experienced
shooters.  As demonstrated in the foregoing narrative,
it [is] a vital skill."

     By "Catching the link" Farnam is referring to
resetting the trigger without losing contact with
the trigger (not letting your finger fly off the
trigger after the shot), and taking the slack out of
the trigger (Yes, there is slack after reset.)
before starting the press to release the shot.
     Many excellent shooters execute trigger control
properly, but don't consciously know what they are
doing.  So, they can't explain to the student how
to do what they are doing.  Some good shooters are
not good instructors.
     What makes Farnam such a good instructor is
his ability to explain the techniques to those who
don't know, and to those who think they know, but
don't (especially those with years of experience). 
As Claude Werner says, one of the reasons for
taking professional training is because much of
what the untrained person knows is false.
(Hmmmm, Ronald Reagan said a similar thing.)
"The trouble with our Liberal friends is not
that they're ignorant; it's just that they
know so much that isn't so."
-- Ronald Reagan

Gun Accidents
http://defense-training.com/dti/gun-accidents/
Excerpt:  "The problem is unnecessary gun-handling!"

Should you always carry the same gun and same holster?
Or, is it okay to vary?
http://www.glocktalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1554036
Excerpt:
"Bianchi's Law":
"Same gun, same holster, same place, all the time."

***** Pedagogy *****

For the instructor --
"Teaching Women to Shoot: A Law Enforcement Instructor's Guide"
by Vicki Farnam and Diane Nicholl. 
ISBN-10: 0965942236
ISBN-13: 978-0965942232

For the student --
"Women Learning to Shoot: A Guide for Law Enforcement Officers"
by Diane Nicholl and Vicki Farnam.
ISBN-10: 0965942260
ISBN-13: 978-0965942263

***** Tactics *****

7 suggestions for personal security
http://defense-training.com/dti/then-and-now/

Shooting a rifle from you support side shoulder
while aiming with your firing side eye.
http://defense-training.com/dti/rifle-sighting-trick/

***** Gear *****

"Concealed Carry Options for Women"
by John S. Farnam on 15 Mar 2012
http://defense-training.com/dti/concealed-carry-options-for-women/

Farnam's recommendations on equipment
http://defense-training.com/dti/courses-2/equipment-checklist/

An article on concealed carry holsters
from American Handgunner
http://americanhandgunner.com/concealed-carry-101/
     The article cites the Blackhawk SERPA holster.
May I invite your attention to the attached letter?

Farnam cites another letter,
http://defense-training.com/dti/pdf/Safety-Issue-Prohibiting-Use-of-Blackhawk-SERPA-Holsters.pdf
     I know the Army has purchased thousands of these
holsters, but that doesn't make them good. 
     We teach presentation from the holster with
support side hand only.  This is extremely difficult
with any retention device.  It is effectively
impossible with the SERPA holster.

     For Sale
Springfield Armory XD, .45 ACP, 5 inch barrel,
4 magazines, new in the box, $500.
Private transaction, no paper work.

***** News (as opposed to propaganda) *****

     In case you didn't get the whole story in
the liberal media, as to why the mass murderer
was found dead in the woods.
http://defense-training.com/dti/this-dies-that-goes-his-way/
     What the mass media said,
http://news.yahoo.com/suspect-six-pennsylvania-killings-target-manhunt-112149229.html

Texas moving toward open carry
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TEXAS_GUN_RIGHTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-12-14-14-41-08

***** Old News *****

Shooter's Grill in Rifle, Colorado
https://www.youtube.com/embed/AhH25xLkvz8

Gun confiscation started in the USA a year ago.
New York Police Department sends
Letters of Confiscation under the Safe Act
http://defense-training.com/dti/nypd-letter-of-confiscation/

“… just an ordinary guy”
http://defense-training.com/dti/just-an-ordinary-guy/
Excerpt:  "... the NAACP and Urban League,
who claim to stick-up for black people,
don’t!  In fact, both organizations encouraged
him to knuckle-under to sleazy, liberal,
mostly-white politicians. It was the
much-maligned NRA that stepped-up to the plate
and fought with him [against the Chicago government]."

"Glock 36 Malfunction"
http://g36mf.blogspot.com/
     The Glock 36 is a single stack
.45 ACP sub compact pistol.
http://us.glock.com/products/model/g36
     The interesting thing about this post
is the test document.  The link to the
Google document is about 3/4th of the
way down the article.
    The tester says the pistol beat
up his hand and trigger finger.  I have
heard such reports from others using the
sub compact Springfield Armory XDS and other
such pistols.  Because the slide is
short, the slide travel is short.
Hence, the recoil spring has to be very
stiff to absorb the energy over a short
distance.  This creates a lot more felt
recoil than a full size pistol.
     That's why I don't recommend
sub combat pistols.  They are much more
difficult to shoot, and unpleasant to
shoot.  More difficult to shoot means
you need more practice time to achieve
proficiency.  Unpleasant to shoot means
you won't shoot it enough to get
proficient.

***** Miscellany *****

NRA Defensive Pistol course
Nashville, TN
Starting 9 February 2015 A.D.
See attached flier. 

Hume-Fogg high school rifle team fund raiser
10 January 2015, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
McKay's Bookstore in Nashville
636 Old Hickory Blvd
Nashville, TN 37209
(exit 199 off of I-40, west of Nashville)
Books and buttons for sale.  Lecture on
self-defense.

     Older postings may be found at
http://DefensivePistolcraft.com/
     Lesson plans may be found at
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/474513

Cheers,
Jon

Jonathan Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com

"Some people wonder all their lives if
they've made a difference. The Marines
don't have that problem."
-- Ronald Reagan

Monday, December 15, 2014

CWP, 15 December 2014 A.D.

Greetings Concealed Weapons Permittees,

***** Mindset *****

     This is why you have to carry your gun.
"Obama Deputies Free 30,862 Foreign Criminals"
http://dailycaller.com/2014/12/05/obama-deputies-free-30862-foreign-criminals/#!
     Primary source document:
http://documents.latimes.com/immigration-and-customs-draft-report/

     "Unintentionally Shooting Someone Else"
http://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/229368
Excerpts: 
     "Many guns are not drop safe."
     "If you can't afford a twenty dollar fire
safe from a home supply store to secure your
pistol, then sell something so you can."
     "When you're around others, you have the
responsibility to be sure your gun handling is
impeccable. 'Muscle memory' isn't going to
cut it. You have to make conscious and
deliberate decisions to consider the safety
of others. The smallest error can be
incredibly costly. And you have to make sure
that people who don't understand proper
gun handling, whether children or adults,
simply can't get at your firearms."

"A Punch to the Head is Potential Deadly Force
http://www.ammoland.com/2014/12/a-punch-to-the-head-is-potential-deadly-force/#ixzz3L9evMZuV

"Woefully ignorant, or willfully ignorant?"
by D. Kahn
http://defense-training.com/dti/woefully-ignorant-or-willfully-ignorant/

"Perfectly Useless!" by Cody Lundin
http://defense-training.com/dti/perfectly-useless/
Excerpt:  "[Those] Who carry pistols with empty
chambers are not 'ready' for anything but
becoming homicide victims!"

***** Training *****

"The 30 Myths that Prevent People from
Obtaining Professional Firearms Training"
http://www.marksmanshipmatters.com/articles/30-myths-that-prevent-people-from-obtaining-professional-firearms-training/
Excerpt: 
“Training costs money. I cannot afford it.”
"You can afford dinners out, vacations and hobbies
but you cannot afford to learn how to protect
your family.  I am certain that the Connecticut
Doctor, whose wife and daughters were raped,
tortured, doused with gasoline and burned alive,
wishes he had spent the money to learn how to
protect his loved ones. Check your priorities."

     "Shooting yourself in your support side hand"
At this past weekend's IDPA match, I witnessed
several persons muzzle their support side hand
with their pistol while presenting from their
holster to the target.  This was because their
support side hand was floating around in space,
because they were not grabbing their belt buckle
(as we teach, to hold the belt down) or pressing
their palm against their chest (as others teach). 
If the shooter doesn't intentionally, consciously,
do something with their support side hand,
eventually they will muzzle their support side
hand.
     I talked to the shooter when he went back
to reload, and explained to him that he had
muzzled his left hand, and that he should grab
his belt buckle to keep his hand out of the way,
and to hold his belt and holster down.  He blew
me off.  That was of course discouraging, and
I know it would be for you too.  But, we still
have to make the effort.  Because we are
preventing serious, perhaps life threatening,
injury.

"Do You Train Properly for Self-Defense?"
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/12/05/train-properly-self-defense/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=2014-12-09&utm_campaign=Weekly+Newsletter

     A former student sent me an email saying
how her hands got cold and numb, at which point
she could not load her magazines.  So, she
reverted to what she had learned in our class,
and was able to load her magazines.
[Two hands.  Holding the magazine sideways,
thumb over the top.  Push down with one thumb,
and push the cartridge back under the lips of
the magazine with the other thumb.]
     I was surprised that she remembered, having
not practiced it in several years.
     It just goes to show that people will
revert to their training when they need to.
That's why it is so important to have had the
training.

***** Tactics *****

"Optimized Use of Cover" by John Holschen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U43867wDCVg&index=4&list=PLFD41E837AD33CB8F
This is not going to win in an IDPA match,
but it is tactically correct.  You win
fights by minimizing injury to you.  What
happens to the enemy doesn't matter.

"Move and Shoot" by John Holschen
http://www.gunsandtactics.com/move-and-shoot-tactical-moment-11
An in depth analysis beyond the Teuller Drill.

***** Gear *****

"I Want to Buy a Gun.  Which Gun should I buy?"
http://www.marksmanshipmatters.com/articles/which-gun-should-i-buy/

     Hey, Staff, enough with the "it depends" cop out.
Let me use your experience and just tell me
what I should buy.
     Okay,

Pistol -- Smith & Wesson, Military and Police,
chambered for .45 ACP, full size.  Because it's
ambidextrous and adjustable to hand size. 
     Speed, Power, Accuracy.  Power is what
you bring to the fight, so you might as well
bring the most powerful that is reasonable.
     The smaller the pistol, the harder it is to
manipulate.  So, carry a full sized pistol and
adjust your wardrobe to conceal it.

Holster -- Alien Gear inside the waist band.
Because it's cheap and functional.

Magazine pouch -- Fobus magazine pouch that holds
one magazine and one flashlight.  Because it's
cheap and functional.

Flashlight -- Streamlight rechargeable.  Because
it's cheaper than buying batteries.  Rugged,
functional.

Ammunition -- any factory new copper jacketed
round nose bullet cartridge. 
     Reliable feeding from the magazine into
the chamber is more important than terminal
ballistics.  The gun must go bang when you
pull the trigger.
     Penetration is more important than expansion.
You will need to penetrate windows, car doors,
bone (perhaps his arm, definitely his rib cage
or skull), heavy leather jackets, thick bodies, etc.
to reach a vital organ in order to stop the attack.
     Think about our friend from the Palmetto
Gun Club.  He had to fire 4 rounds of .45 ACP
copper jacketed round nose into a pitbull to
stop the attack.  None of the bullets exited
the dog.

     For Sale
Springfield Armory XD .45 ACP
new in the box (never been fired)
private transaction, no paper work
$500

***** News (as opposed to propaganda) *****

     104 yard pistol shot ends terrorist attack
http://kxan.com/2014/12/01/chief-on-austin-gunman-hate-was-in-his-heart/
Excerpt:  "The gunman who attacked the federal
courthouse, the Mexican consulate and the Austin
Police Department headquarters was killed by a
single shot taken from 312 feet away by mounted
patrol Sgt. Adam Johnson who also held the reins
of two horses."

Remington’s Response to Recall Allegations
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/12/05/breaking-remington-recalls-7-8-million-model-700s-ever-made/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=2014-12-09&utm_campaign=Weekly+Newsletter

Kroger Profits Up 21 Percent AFTER Refusing To Ban Guns
http://www.ammoland.com/2014/12/kroger-profits-up-21-percent-after-refusing-to-ban-guns/#axzz3LR5IUgyP

Vote with your dollars.  Places to avoid:
Panera Bread, Chipotle, Jack in the Box, Chili's,
Sonic, Target.
http://www.ammoland.com/2014/09/panera-bread-asks-law-abiding-citizens-to-leave-guns-at-home/#axzz3LR5IUgyP
And all placed that prohibit law abiding citizens
from carrying guns, because mass murderers choose
gun free zones.

***** Miscellany *****

For lovers of the 1911
http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/history/background.htm

PWS Piston System Slow Motion Cutaway
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/12/11/pws-piston-system-slow-motion-cutaway/

NRA Defensive Pistol course
Saturdays from 11 April 2015 to 16 May 2015
Dowelltown United Methodist Church
Dowelltown, TN, USA
See attached flier.

Hume-Fogg high school rifle team fund raiser
10 January 2015, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
McKay's Bookstore in Nashville
636 Old Hickory Blvd
Nashville, TN 37209
(exit 199 off of I-40, west of Nashville)
Books and buttons for sale.  Lecture on
self-defense.

Correct pronunciation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTDj8BFH9uI

     Older postings may be found at
http://DefensivePistolcraft.com/
     Lesson plans may be found at
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/474513

Cheers,
Jon

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

CWP, 9 December 2014 A.D.

Greetings Concealed Weapons Permittees,

***** Important *****

     I asked a former student, who is an
economics professor at Vanderbilt, about
the government's 18 trillion dollar debt
and wouldn't that lead to a collapse of
our economy?  He said, yes.
     So, you should prepare,
http://www.marksmanshipmatters.com/articles/family-preparedness/
Excerpts:
     "The unprepared are going to starve anyway
because they were too lazy, too selfish, or too
cowardly to face the future and prepare for it.
Whether or not your loved ones survive is largely
dependent on your preparations and the decisions
you have made to protect your family and your
property."
     "Obtaining a firearm during an insurrection
will be very difficult."
     "Everyone thinks that they know how to fight
with a gun. In fact very few people have any
accurate knowledge about how to defend
themselves with a firearm."

***** Mindset *****

"Why Surrender Is Never an Option"
by Larry and Stacey Mudgett
http://www.marksmanshipmatters.com/articles/why-surrender-is-never-an-option/

"There Are Only Three Kinds of People:
Wolves, Sheep and Sheepdogs."
http://www.marksmanshipmatters.com/articles/there-are-only-three-kinds-of-people/

     I was sitting in Wal Mart waiting for
my drugs (in the pharmacy, not the parking
lot).  The lady sitting next to me struck
up a conversation.  She told me that her
friends had told her to buy a gun to
protect herself, as she had had some
scary incidents.  She asked what gun I
thought she should buy.
     I told her that the software is much
more important than the hardware.  That she
should take a defensive pistol course before
buying a handgun, so that she could make
an informed decision when purchasing.
But, wouldn't she need to have all the
equipment for the class?  No, there are many
schools that will rent all of the necessary
equipment for beginners.  Would the Tennessee
Handgun Permit class be appropriate?  No,
the classes required by the states for carry
permits are grossly inadequate; so as to
minimize infringement on the 2nd Amendment.
But, taking the class to get your permit
would be a good thing.
     I recommended that she contact local
gun clubs to inquire about the classes they
were giving.  I recommended that she check
the NRA web site,
http://nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx
to find local courses and instructors.
The NRA courses that would be appropriate
are, in order of competence:
First Steps Pistol Orientation
Basic Pistol Shooting
Basic Personal Protection In The Home
Basics of Personal Protection Outside The Home
Defensive Pistol
     There are also many private gun schools.

***** Tactics *****

     In my last NRA Defensive Pistol class,
when doing the one-person building clearing
exercise, both of the students neglected to search
the cabinets under the kitchen sink.  When
I pointed out that they were big enough to
hide a human, they carefully, tactically,
searched the cabinets.  During debriefing,
one of the students pointed out that
Charles Manson was found hiding in a cabinet
under a bathroom sink.
     Upon trying to enter the front door,
one of the students felt stymied after finding
a padlock on the hasp securing the front
door.  The padlock was not locked, but the
darkness, even with flashlights, causes all
kinds of optical illusions and deceptions.

***** Training *****

Why holster practice is so important.
http://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/229337

"Professional Firearms Training, Who needs it?"
http://www.marksmanshipmatters.com/articles/professional-firearms-training/

***** Pedagogy *****

"Be a Good Instructor" by Claude Werner.
http://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/36280/

"Why firearms instructors should avoid no-win scenarios"
by Mike Wood
http://www.policeone.com/police-trainers/articles/7787276-Why-firearms-instructors-should-avoid-no-win-scenarios/?utm_source=7917889&utm_medium=email&utm_content=OriginalVideoMore&utm_campaign=P1Member&nlid=7917889

***** Gear *****

Our friends, Martine and Ted de Loach,
are making targets.
http://multidrilltargets.com/

     Insurance should be part of your gear.
http://www.armedcitizensnetwork.org/buyersguide
Obviously biased, but somebody has to put the
information out there.

     I've been using a Ted Blocker magazine
pouch for a couple of decades and it still
works fine.  So, I can recommend it with
enthusiasm.  It is leather with spring
steel inserts to hold the magazines in
securely.
http://www.tedblockerholsters.com/TLS-Mag-Pouch_p_63.html

***** News *****

The IDPA Tactical Journal is online at
http://www.idpa.com/tactical-journal

Russians can now carry guns for self-defense
http://rt.com/news/206703-russia-guns-self-defense/

California makes progress in 10 day waiting period
and display of handguns by dealers.
http://www.thetacticalwire.com/story/334109

     Why the Ferguson, MO case was self-defense.
http://backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/2014/11/28/ferguson-part-v-why-officer-wilson-was-justified-in-shooting-an-unarmed-man/
Earlier parts of the blog postings are at
http://backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/

***** Propaganda *****

     I had lunch with a colleague from work.
     He said, Trayvon Martin didn't deserve
to die for anything he did.
     I said, smashing George Zimmerman's head
against the ground would eventually have
killed Zimmerman.
     He said, Martin was a little wimpy kid.
     I said, no, Martin was much bigger and
stronger than Zimmerman.  Martin had gang
tatoos.  Martin was only there (with his father)
in the first place (as opposed to, at home with
his mother) because he had been kicked out
of school for dealing drugs.
     He said, I don't know where you read
that.  It wasn't in the news.
     I said, yes it was.  But, if you only
choose to read the liberal news outlets,
you're only going to get their side of the
story.
     He said, Zimmerman could have shot
Martin in the knee.  Zimmerman didn't need
to kill Martin.
     I said, that is not realistic.  No police
academy, military school, or reputable gun
school would ever teach anyone to shoot to
wound.  That's not even legally defensible
in many states.

     When I was operating in the Middle East
during Operation Iraqi Freedom, I was always
frustrated by the news reports back home,
because they were always false.  The British
commanders blocked the Sky news feeds to
their troops because they were false and
demoralizing.

     We have to be patient, firm, and never
afraid to speak the truth.  Because the
enemy is always spreading lies. 
(Hmmmm, that's what my pastor is always
saying.)

***** Miscellany *****

"Barrel Length Studies in 5.56mm NATO Weapons"
by Dr. Philip H. Dater & Jason Wong on 8 February 2012.
http://www.sadefensejournal.com/wp/?p=1093

Hume-Fogg high school rifle team fund raiser
10 January 2015, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
McKay's Bookstore in Nashville
636 Old Hickory Blvd
Nashville, TN 37209
(exit 199 off of I-40, west of Nashville)
Books and buttons for sale.  Readings from
my book, "Defensive Pistol".  Opinions expressed.
Hopefully, no riots incited.

     Older postings may be found at
http://DefensivePistolcraft.com/
     Lesson plans may be found at
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/474513

Cheers,
Jon

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

CWP, 25 November 2014 A.D.

Greetings Concealed Weapons Permittees,

***** Mindset *****

"Real World Survival!" by Walt Rauch.
"If you don't want to be eaten,
don't look like food."
May be ordered from
Rauch & Company, Ltd.
P.O. Box 510
Lafayette Hill, PA 19444

"Avoiding Negative Outcomes" by Claude Werner
http://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/229266
Excerpt:  [Bracketed comments are mine.]
Negative outcomes can result from problems such as:

• Gunhandling issues
o Negligent discharges - shooting yourself unintentionally
o Negligent discharges - shooting someone else unintentionally
o Losing or forgetting your gun in a public place

• Marksmanship issues
o Lacking confidence in your ability and getting too close to a criminal
o Shooting beyond your skill level and hitting an innocent downrange
  [That's why training is so important.  How else
    are you going to get an objective measure of
    your skill level?  You have to know your skill level.
    Yes, IPSC or IDPA competitions will give you a
    measure, but simulators or force on force with
    simunitions is much better for our purposes.]

• Tactical issues
o Shooting at someone without identifying the target
  [If you shot the wrong target in the night shoot,
   this is talking to you.  This is not a matter of
   skill.  This is mindset.  This is attitude. 
   Taking the situation seriously, and caring enough
   to shoot only when you can positively identify
   the target.]
o Chasing criminals after they break off contact
  [A gentleman whom we will call Joe, was drinking sake with his
   friends in a restaurant.  Someone walks in and
   announces, "Some guys are stealing a motorcycle
   off the back of a truck in the parking lot."
   So, Joe rushes out, hops in his truck and chases
   the thieves.  Joe catches up with them, exits
   his truck and confronts the theives, who proceed
   to beat Joe into unconsciousness.  Joe now has
   thousands of dollars of dental bills and permanent
   life altering injuries.]

• Legal issues
o Shooting when it's not justified
  [You have to understand "justifiable use of lethal
   force", the difference between "immediate" and
   "imminent", "ability, opportunity, and intent",
   "disparity of force", "escalation of force", and
   "retreat".  Otherwise, you have no business
   carrying a gun.  Operating from a position of
   ignorance is an act of stupidity.  As John Wayne
   said, "Life is hard.  It's even harder if you're
   stupid."]
o Carrying where it's illegal
o Firing warning shots, a la Joe Biden
  [Never fire warning shots.  Never shoot to wound.
   Joe Biden says he advises his wife to fire two
   shots into the air to scare away the intruders,
   her double barrel shotgun is now unloaded, and
   useless as a weapon.  Which the intruders know.
        Of course, Jill is much smarter than Joe
   and does not listen to his nonsense.  Because
   firing the two shots into the air is a criminal
   offense where they live.]

***** Tactics *****

"Flashlight Techniques" by Dave Spaulding
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb1QMqk_wmU
Other videos in the Ruger series,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhiXbo4MT2g&list=PL96766834929D77B9
Tactical Tips Part-5:  HolsterSkills
"You will acquire a fast draw by doing less."
Tactical Tips Part-7:  Proper Training
Tactical Tips Part-18:  Extreme Close Quarters

***** Training *****

     "What is the value of training?"
by Claude Werner
http://www.tacticalprofessor.com/
9 November 2014
Excerpt:
“Why should I take 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.


Davidson:  Did you notice the detail of scoring at the IDPA
match we just shot?  Several people that had much better
scores than we did had much, much worse hits on target. 
Next time I am going for spray and pray.  I think misses
( unless it is failure to neutralize  ) don’t matter,
time is all that counts.

Jon:  That's why the IDPA match when played as a game
is not good training for our purposes.  But, when shot
in a tactically correct manner is excellent training
for self defense.
     It's important to keep the two separated in your
mind.  I can't.  So, I always shoot in a tactically
correct manner.  Because in combat, you will revert
to your training.

Batting Cages
     I once took a girlfriend and her son to the local
batting cages to practice batting.  I was thinking this
will be fun (and easy, even though I had never done it
before).  At 45 miles per hour, the ball wizzed by so
fast, I couldn't see it.  It took me about 15 strikes
before I fouled the ball off into the net behind me.
     Her son was in another cage and had his machine
turned up to 90 miles per hour.  Ah, to have the eyes
and reflexes of youth.
     I thought to myself, how silly to think that I
could execute this skill without training or practice.
Self defense is several orders of magnitude more
complex than batting.  And yet we all know persons who
buy a pistol, fire a few rounds at the indoor range,
and carry it around thinking that they can defend
themselves.  Talk to them.  Urge them to get training.
You are doing them a great favor.

     Training changes over the years in all industries,
because we are always striving to include the best
practices and discard the suboptimal.  For example: 
     "tap, rack, bang" was the standard way to clear
malfunctions.  But, now days it's "tap, rack, assess",
because we always want the shooting to be an intellectual
decision, never a programmed reflex response.
     When I went through Marine Corps Recruit Training,
our fingers were always on the triggers.  Now days, the
Primary Marksmanship Instructors and Drill Instructors
will ensure your finger is in the register position.
    There are many other examples.  The point is that
you should be willing to suggest improvements in doctrine
to your instructors.  In a worst case, they will ignore
you.  In a best case, they will implement your suggestion
and cite you in their next book; and you may be responsible
for saving a life or preventing a self inflicted injury.

     "Shooting Yourself By Accident"
http://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2014/10/06/shooting-yourself-by-accident/
"The person most likely to shoot you is YOU.
Why? Because you’re always there." -- John Farnam

     "Things I learned from the Masters"
http://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2014/10/06/things-i-learned-from-the-masters/
"In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities,
but in the expert’s there are few."

     In the class that I am presently teaching, a student
was grouping well, but occasionally the group would open
up vertically.  I thought his form looked good.  So, I asked
to see his pistol.  He had a pistol with a white disk
painted on the front sight and a white square painted on
the rear sight.  I noticed that I had to tilt the pistol
a noticeable amount to align the disk and square as opposed
to when I aligned the top of the front sight with the top
of the rear sight.  I asked him which sighting system he
was using.  Because there were two distinct sighting systems
with different points of impact.
     Since, he would not be able to see the white disk and
square in the dark, we decided to take a black indelible
marker and blacken out the disk and square.
     Problem solved.

Rule 4 violations
http://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2014/11/21/rule-4-violations/

     Yes, Virginia, there is a correct way to breathe.
http://www.policeone.com/Officer-Safety/articles/7811997-How-to-incorporate-combat-breathing-in-police-pursuits/?utm_source=7849381&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Exclusives1RightImage&utm_campaign=P1Member&nlid=7849381

***** Gear *****

     Innovation
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/11/17/chinese-qx-04-rifling-delayed-blowback-pistol/

***** News *****

     "Around The Water Cooler, Part Two"
by Rich Grassi
http://www.thetacticalwire.com/archived/2008-11-20_tactical.html
Excerpt: 
A study of active shooters showed that they
"almost exclusively seek out 'gun free' zones for their attacks."
-- Brendan Keefe, a reporter from WCPO-TV 9,
an ABC Affiliate in Cincinnati, OH.
     That's why so many parents home school their children.

***** Miscellany *****

     Older postings may be found at
http://DefensivePistolcraft.com/
     Lesson plans may be found at
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/474513

Cheers,
Jon

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

CWP, 18 November 2014 A.D.

Greetings Concealed Weapons Permittees,

***** Events *****

Fund raiser for the Hume-Fogg high school
rifle team.
McKay's Bookstore
636 Old Hickory Blvd
Nashville, TN 37209
(615) 353-2595
Saturday, January 10th, 2015 A.D.
4:00 to 5:00 PM
Book signing, "Defensive Pistol" by Jonathan Low.
Readings from the book, questions answered,
opinions given, paper and CD versions of the
book exchanged for a donation to the Hume-Fogg
high school rifle team.  Buttons for sale.

***** Mindset *****

     Sensei Fitzgerald says that a primary
initiator of a violent confrontation is the
perception by one party that the other party
showed disrespect toward them.  A solution
to prevent this situation would be to make
eye contact and say, "Good morning, Sir.",
"Good evening, Ma'am.", or something like
that.

     Which is more important, the stranger
getting beaten or your family?  A legitimate
argument against intervening.
http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF15/
page 32.

***** Tactics *****

Student:  What do you think about point shooting?

Jon:  The only time it is reasonable to shoot
without aiming is when you are in a close
contact position, holding your pistol against
your rib cage to prevent the assailant from
grabbing your pistol. 
     By point shooting, I assume you mean
pointing the pistol at the target without
using the sights to aim the pistol.  That
will often result in a miss.  As ethical
moral people, we do our upmost to avoid
missing, because every miss is destroying
property and injuring or killing innocent
bystanders.  So, I think you should always
aim your pistol (except in the situation
cited above).

***** Training *****

     Coach Harvey invites our attention to,
"Much Ado About Nothing"
http://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/229314
Sometimes it's hard to sort the truth from
the propaganda with regards to training.

     Griffin recommends the LaserLyte chamber lasers.
http://www.laserlyte.com/products/trainer-lt-cartridge
"I've found that using one adds some verification to
the sight alignment and trigger-control I practice
in dry-fire training.  They're a little pricey,
but can be had for 20-40% less through Amazon. 
I think mine has been worth the price.
As a bonus, the company has really good customer
service.  They're giving me a new one, out of
warranty, after I burned mine out."

     Shooting from a vehicle in the dark.  Yeah!
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/11/11/moving-shooting-night-vehicle/

"If you aren't seeing the flame -- you're blinking."
http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF15/
page 22.

Technique for 200 yard pistol shooting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc4lF_eVXdw

     In the Defensive Pistol class that I am
presently teaching, I made some statements
concerning the use of force as we were taught
in Marine Corps Military Police training
back in 2002.  Here is a different opinion,
http://www.policeone.com/Officer-Safety/articles/7812012-5-common-use-of-force-myths-debunked/?utm_source=7820009&utm_medium=email&utm_content=exclusive1FullStory&utm_campaign=P1MemberOld&nlid=7820009

***** Gear *****

     Dave has found that replacing the magazine
release button and the slide lock lever with
extended versions on his Glock has made the pistol
much easier to manipulate.  A gunsmith at
Guns and Leather in Hendersonville, TN did the
job in a few minutes while Dave waited.
     That's why it is so important to take
classes.  We must learn what does not work
in training, not in combat.  We must fix the
problems at our convenience, not under deadline.

     Ralph Mroz has a nice article on holsters.
http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF15/
page 62.

     How are high end leather holsters made?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFsXw3gabqk

***** News *****

     U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
(arguably the most liberal circuit) strikes
down "good cause" requirement for concealed
carry in California.
     On February 13th, 2014 the Ninth Circuit
(a three judge panel)
ruled that the Second Amendment is sufficient
cause for bearing arms for self-defense. 
     The California Attorney General appealed,
asking for an en blanc hearing
(the full 11-judge panel) to reverse the decision.
     November 12th, 2014 the court denies the
petition.  That means the court didn't even
bother to hear the appeal.  That is a very
aggressive way of upholding and defending the
Consitution against domestic enemies. 
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-California/2014/11/12/Ninth-Circuit-Denies-California-Appeal-Eased-Concealed-Carry-Requirements-Stand

     Yes, Virginia, registration does lead to
confiscation.
http://www.examiner.com/article/activists-outraged-registration-does-lead-to-confiscation

***** Miscellany *****

     Why are that statistics of police shootings
so bad? 
     "Most police retire without ever
having fired their weapons." -- Joe Sexton
     "nearly 95 percent of New York City's 38,000
officers have never fired their weapons while
fighting crime" -- Joe Sexton
     "Cops, at least most of them,
don't like to shoot their guns." -- Jack Ryan,
a deputy district attorney in Queens
[This was said in the context of practice,
not combat.]
http://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/11/weekinreview/ideas-trends-don-t-shoot-the-culture-of-cops-and-guns.html
     So, there exists an extreme sampling
bias concerning police shootings.  Correct
statistics are therefore extemely difficult
to calculate. 

     Older postings may be found at
http://DefensivePistolcraft.com/
     Lesson plans may be found at
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/474513

Cheers,
Jon

Jonathan Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com

Monday, November 10, 2014

CWP, 10 November 2014 A.D.

Greetings Concealed Weapons Permittees,

***** Mindset *****

Another great quote from Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper,
https://twitter.com/ROBARguns/status/524324106716446720/photo/1

Concealed Carry and Printing
http://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2014/10/03/concealed-carry-and-printing/
May I invite your attention to the
included video?  Unfortunately,
there are such law enforcement
officers.  So, you have to be
careful.  That's just part of our
imperfect real world.

***** Tactics *****

Guns and Yoga
“Absence of body is better than presence of mind.”
What this means is that we must be responsible,
aware, and vigilant to avoid potentially dangerous
situations.
Practice Ahimsa (non-violence) but be prepared to
be a virabhadra (warrior).
http://www.yogatennessee.com/guns-yoga/

***** Training *****

     May I enthusiastically recommend
Quick Draw Nashville?
http://quickdrawnashville.com/
1720 General George Patton Drive
Brentwood, Tennessee 37027
615-454-5093
This is high quality simulator training.
After each scenario, the computer tells you
how many: rounds you fired, lethal hits,
non-lethal hits, innocent bystanders hit,
and much more.  The replay shows you
where your firearm was pointed at every
instant of the scenario.  The scenarios
react to your actions during the scenario.
     The guns are real, but have been gutted
and the innards replaced with the laser
and the pneumatic system (compressed CO2)
to cycle the action.  So, the manual of
arms is correct.
The price is $20 for 30 minutes.
Memberships are available.
Groupon coupons available at
http://www.groupon.com/deals/quickdraw-nashville-1?utm_campaign=us_dt_sea_bng_txt_ttt_sr_cbp_ch1_nbr_k%2Aquickdraw+nashville_m%2Abe_d%2Anashville-rtc-root_g%2Artc-quickdraw-nashville-1-exact_c%2A%7Bcreative%7D_ap%2A%7Badposition%7D&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=bing

Review of
"Intro to Concealed Carry for Ladies"
http://www.recoilweb.com/intro-to-concealed-carry-for-ladies-panteaos-new-video-is-a-great-resource-42323.html
DVD or online streaming may be ordered at
http://panteaoproductions.com/instructors/nikki-turpeaux/

     A gentleman showed me his targets and asked
for help with his marksmanship.
     I offer this advice without having seen you shoot.
So, my suggestions are from experience,
archery and riflery coaching courses at the
Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, and
firearms courses that I have attended over the decades. 
     - Keep your aiming eye open when you shoot. -
It is an instinctive reaction to recoil and report
to close one's eyes.  You must force yourself to
keep your aiming eye open and watch your sights
move through the recoil and back to the target. 
You must keep pressing the trigger as you watch
the sights move.  When you get the sights back on
the target that you were shooting at, that's the
end of your shot process.  Only then should you
move your sights to the next target or reset the
trigger.  Follow through is essential.
     - Don't worry about your wobble. -
"My hands are shaking.  My sights are moving all
over the place."  It doesn't matter.  Your brain
is God's masterpiece of engineering.  You will
automatically release the shot when the sights
are moving toward the center of the target, if
you let your subconscious fire the shot by
striving for a surprise break.  Your attempt to
force the sights to stay in the center of the
target causes you to miss or shoot large groups
instead of tight groups. 
     This is basic Taoist philosophy.  Don't try
to shoot accurately.  Let your body shoot
accurately.
     Do not intentionally fire the shot.  Simply
hold the sights on the target and smoothly
increase pressure on the trigger.  Thus achieving
a surprise break.  Your subconscious mind is much
better at estimating time and distance than your
conscious mind.
     Believe this.  Your hold is perfect, stable,
steady.  There is a gremlin down range moving
your target around.  All you can control is your
inner state.  There is nothing you can do about
the gremlin.  So, there is no point in worrying
about him.  In fact, the gremlin doesn't matter. 
No matter what he does, he cannot prevent you
from shooting a tight group.
     Loose groups due to shaking or wobble are a
psychological problem, not a technical problem.
You have to believe that the wobble doesn't
matter, then it won't matter.
     - Dynamic tension. -
"A heavier pistol seems to help, as the muscle
tension against the weight of the pistol reduces
the shaking."
     Following this train of logic --
Push the pistol into the target with the firing
side arm.  Pull the pistol back toward you with
the support side arm.  You should be generating
forces with your arms significantly greater
than the weight of the pistol.  So, the weight
of the pistol should be negligible compared to
push and pull forces.  This is an isometric
exercise.
     This is very different from the isosceles
position where you can feel the weight of the
pistol because there is no push-pull, but
rather just the muscles around the shoulders
supporting the weight of the pistol at the end
of the arm's length lever arm in a very static,
not dynamic, manner.
     - Hard focus on the front sight. -
See the serrations and scratches on the front
sight blade.  If you focus on the front sight,
you force concentration on the front sight.
If you focus on the target, the front
sight will wander off, and you'll never notice
it.
     - Surprise break. -
Slow down the trigger press to get a surprise
break.  Don't fire the shot.  Let your
subconscious fire the pistol.
     Touch the trigger, take the slack out of
the trigger, slowly increase pressure on the
trigger.
     In fact, you don't even need to increase
pressure.
     "Oh, this is taking too long.  Nothing
is happening.  It's not firing."  That's because
your subconscious knows that the shot would miss
if you fired it.  Be patient.  Trust your
subconscious.
     The more you practice, the less your wobble,
the sooner your subconscious will fire the shot.
Eventually, the whole process will become very fast.

***** Gear *****

Liz:  Could you explain what you mean by
concealment garment?

Jon:  A loose fitting front button shirt would be an
appropriate concealment garment.  It should have a
pattern such as plaid, not a solid color, as this
makes printing (the impression of the pistol through
the fabric) much less obvious.  The shirt should be
wrinkled, as this makes printing much less obvious
than a smooth ironed fabric surface.  The material
should be opaque, so that light shining through will
not betray the presence of a pistol.

Liion Defense Holsters
http://www.gunsandtactics.com/liion-defense-holsters?utm_source=Guns+%26+Tactics+Magazine&utm_campaign=233e934911-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2dc760e042-233e934911-45394025
Excerpts:
"Light or no light, retention is always very good."
"More times than not I’ve found holsters getting
their retention point at the trigger [guard],
but the Liion seems to gain the retention by
utilizing various areas of the handgun."

Candle Power:  Every Day Carry Light Essentials
http://www.gunsandtactics.com/candle-power-edc-light-essentials?utm_source=Guns+%26+Tactics+Magazine&utm_campaign=8f4514ed1a-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2dc760e042-8f4514ed1a-45394025
This article has some links to some impressive
flashlights.

World Guns (English version)
http://world.guns.ru/index-e.html
The web site is very slow to load pages.

***** News *****

Louis Awerbuck
http://robarguns.com/blog/2014/06/26/louis-awerbuck/
Rest in Peace

Sheepdogs save lives.
http://www.policeone.com/officer-shootings/articles/7781007-What-Reserve-Deputy-Vaughan-can-teach-you-about-off-duty-carry/?utm_source=7775959&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Exclusives1RightMore&utm_campaign=P1Member&nlid=7775959
Excerpt:
"Will you be able to protect your sheep
against wolves like the one that
murdered Colleen Hufford?"

Second Amendment Crushes Gun Control Candidates In Midterm Elections
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/11/04/Second-Amendment-Crushes-Gun-Control-Candidates-In-Midterm-Elections

Jay Hollis Vs. Eric Holder
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/11/03/jay-hollis-vs-eric-holder/
This is significant and well worth a contribution.

About One in Four U.S. Households Victimized by Crime
http://www.gallup.com/poll/179174/one-four-households-victimized-crime.aspx
Excerpt:
Twenty-six percent of Americans say they or a member
of their household have been a crime victim in the
past 12 months, similar to what Gallup has measured
since 2000. Two-thirds of crime victims reported
the incidents to police.

***** Miscellany *****

     Older postings may be found at
http://DefensivePistolcraft.com/
     Lesson plans may be found at
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/474513

Cheers,
Jon

Jonathan Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com

Friday, October 31, 2014

CWP, 31 October 2014 A.D.

Greetings Concealed Weapons Permittees,

***** Mindset *****

     “God is strong, and he wants you strong.
So take everything the Master has set out for
you, well-made weapons of the best materials.
And put them to use so you will be able to
stand up to everything the Devil throws your
way.  This is no afternoon athletic contest
that we'll walk away from and forget about in
a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a
life-or-death fight to the finish against
the Devil and all his angels.”
– Saul of Tarsus (The Apostle Paul)
Ephesians 6:10-12,
The Message (a modern translation of the Bible)

***** Training *****

     Tom Clark points out an error in my last
email to the Conceal Weapons Permittees.  The
problem in the video was with the holstering
technique, not with appendix carry.

     "I would like to make note on your comment on
discouraging appendix carry because of the reholstering
shown in the video.
     I think, while he is probably a highly skilled
operator, the instructor in the video erred in his
reholster technique – and the gun absolutely should
not have muzzled his support hand wrist.
    What he should have done rather than grasp his
belt to clear a path to the holster was clear his
garment (if he had one) with his support hand above
the holster, forearm against his gut while pressing
in slightly on his gut.  Then there is a clear path
to the holster, and reholstering can be accomplished
without sweeping yourself.  This is the same as any
reholstering where the support hand and forearm is
against the body with appropriate muzzle discipline
– making sure the muzzle does not sweep where it
should not.
     So rather than bash the appendix carry method,
a ding on the person and the example would be in
order."
Thomas E. Clark
NRA Certified Pistol and Rifle Instructor
Glock Certified Pistol Instructor and Armorer
SC SLED CWP Instructor

     In this past Defensive Pistol course we had
a CZ pistol that failed to fire when held upside
down and when held sideways.  Not always, but it
definitely happened twice.  How would one find
such an intermittent failure of a system if not
for the training course?  One could easily have
dismissed it as user error, or it didn't really
happen, or the gun was dirty, or I didn't pull
the trigger hard enough, etc.
     The purpose of training is to find out what
techiques and equipment don't work under stress.
     The gunsmith will probably determine that
the spring holding the pin that blocks the
firing pin is either broken or absent.  But,
firing the pistol right-side-up at the indoor
range would never have found this error.
Because when gravity pulls the firing pin block
down, everything works fine.  See part 59 in
the exploded parts diagrams:
Color coded by function,
http://www.czfirearms.us/index.php?topic=23544.0
Black and white,
http://www.okiegunsmithshop.com/CZ_75.jpg
http://www.okiegunsmithshop.com/CZ_85.jpg

***** Tactics *****

Less Is More:  The Defensive Shotgun
http://www.gunsandtactics.com/less-is-more-the-defensive-shotgun?utm_source=Guns+%26+Tactics+Magazine&utm_campaign=b288cb2375-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2dc760e042-b288cb2375-45394025
Excerpt:
"... you DO have to aim with a shotgun ..."

***** Gear *****

     When I was an artillery cannoneer,
supply issued us this eye protection.
http://view.si-oakley.com/?j=fe9917767664077b74&m=fe9415707d64017570&ls=fdf0107272670c7970147772&l=ff2c10757360&s=fe27117570610d79741476&jb=ff5d127871&ju=fe2a1573766d067b751277&r=0
They work well.  I recommend them.
Mike Battery, 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines,
4th Division, U.S. Marine Corps out of
Chattanooga, TN.
In this gun club we shot at night without
worrying about bothering the neighbors.
We shot over each other's heads without
worrying about friendlies down range.
And if we accidentally fired when we were
not supposed to, we never got sent home.
No 180 degree rule, we fired in all directions.
It ain't a gun unless you can stick your
head in the chamber.  Yank the lanyard
and suck the swab!

Jeff:  I noticed in your syllabus under
lessons learned you mention not stuffing
magazines. I have been loading the spare
magazine I carry for concealed carry to
full capacity and the magazine in the
gun at full capacity plus one in the
chamber. I also rotate magazines every
month or so ( sometimes I forget to do
it in a timely fashion). Should I be
doing something different?

Jon:  I only say that you should not
overload your magazines.  Some magazines
allow the user to stuff 13 rounds in a 12
round magazine.  Overloading causes
malfunctions.  Loading to capacity, even
with one in the chamber, should not cause
malfunctions in modern pistols.
     Magazines need not be rotated,
as tires on a car.  They need to be
disassembled and cleaned regularly,
just as you field strip and clean your
pistol regularly.  (Disassembly beyond
field stripping should be left to a
gunsmith.)
     Keeping the magazines loaded does
not hurt the magazine springs.  Modern
metallurgy creates springs that are well
within the elastic limits of the metal
when the magazine is fully loaded. 
If loading the magazine to capacity
permanently deforms the spring, the
spring is defective.

     Lots of exploded diagrams.
http://www.okiegunsmithshop.com/lvl25.html

***** News *****

TrackingPoint, Inc. seems to have automated
the concept of surprise break.
http://tracking-point.com/how-it-works?utm_medium=Dedicated-Email&utm_source=TheFirearmBlog&utm_campaign=Blitzkrieg&utm_content=PGFwShotGlass&utm_term=Oct-29-14

***** Promotions *****

CrossBreed stuff.
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=4648f145-9885-4a57-ad9c-5722c115ea6a&c=f3974a20-fe3f-11e3-adbb-d4ae5275505f&ch=f39cc860-fe3f-11e3-adbb-d4ae5275505f

NRA stuff.
http://graphics.nra.org/online_store/CustClub/10-30-14CC.html

***** Miscellany *****

Firearms in slow motion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=9ZHGnrMMsMw#t=24

Survivor Library. 
Information in case civiliation collapses.
http://www.survivorlibrary.com/?page_id=1014

Cut away photo of 30mm Air Burst Munition
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/10/29/potd-30mm-ahead-abm-round/

Q: What's yellow, linear, normed, and complete?
A: A Bananach space.
Renteln, P. and Dundes, A.
"Foolproof: A Sampling of Mathematical Folk Humor."
Notices Amer. Math. Soc. 52, 24-34, 2005.
[Hey, don't blame me.  Eric Weisstein told
me the joke.  I just thought it was funny.]
     In Israel, the guys will ask, "Where are
the bananas?" meaning "Where are the girls?"
(It's a pun on the Hebrew word for girl.)
     I always liked the smell of Hoppes No. 9.
It's like bananas.

     Older postings may be found at
http://DefensivePistolcraft.com/
     Lesson plans may be found at
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/474513

Cheers,
Jon

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

CWP, 22 October 2014 A.D.
Greetings Concealed Weapons Permittees,

     Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to shoot and he'll feed and protect
his family for a lifetime.

***** Mindset *****

     Adapted from the National Safety Council's
"Ten Habits of Defensive Driving".
Ten Habits of Defensive Shooting:
1.  Always carry your loaded concealed pistol.
2.  Evaluate the conditions -- yours,
the other people around you, and the
escape routes.
3.  Avoid impaired carrying.
4.  Use the "What If?" strategy to recognize hazards.
5.  Avoid distracted shooting.
6.  Always maintain emotional control --
Reflect, Reframe, Refocus.
7.  Avoid fatigued shooting.
8.  Maintain a safe distance from others.
9.  Always have a plan for every situation.
10.  Consider the innocent bystanders, armed
citizens, and plain clothes law enforcement
officers -- communicate (for instance by
yelling "STOP!" to determine the intent
of the suspect), be courteous (you don't
have to be a hero, being a good witness
is important too), and have patience
(sometimes finding a safe place to
defend is better than attacking).

***** Training *****

Shot Placement by John Hoschen
http://www.gunsandtactics.com/tactical-moment-10?utm_source=Guns+%26+Tactics+Magazine&utm_campaign=6d679ba7b3-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2dc760e042-6d679ba7b3-45394025

     If you're using a double action / single
action (double action on the first shot and
single action on subsequent shots until
decocked) pistol, and finding that your first
shot is impacting low left (for right handed
shooters) or low right (for left handed
shooters), it means you're not getting a
surprise break on your first shot.  It takes
a lot of training to master the long heavy
double action trigger pull. 
     If you are unable or unwilling (as I am)
to put in the training time, then the solution
is to use a single action or striker action
pistol, where every trigger pull is the same. 
     If carrying a pistol with a round
in the chamber and the hammer cocked bothers
you, I assure you that your discomfort is
due to ignorance.  The modern single action
and striker action pistols are safe.  They
can't be sold in the U.S. until they have
passed the BATF's drop test.
     They will not magically fire on their
own.  You must pull the trigger.

     Okay, I admit it.  It is possible to
magically fire the pistol even when the
safety is on and the trigger is not pulled.
http://www.ajronline.org/doi/full/10.2214/ajr.178.5.1781092
But, you need a really strong magnet.

     Other schools of thought.
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/10/10/chicken-wing-pistol/
The instructor muzzles his left wrist when holstering.
That's why we don't recommend the appendix holster
position, and why we insist on one handed holstering.

     The National Safety Council says,
1.75 seconds for average perception time.
0.75 seconds for average reaction time.  Therefore,
2.50 seconds for an average person
from seeing the danger to pressing the brake pedal.
     Compare that time to the study
by Mike Waidelich that concluded
1.50 seconds for the average person
from perception of threat to shooting the threat.
One second is a significant difference.
The National Safety Council's average perception
time is greater than the Tueller Drill's total time.

Secretive Guerrilla Group Fighting Back Against ISIS in Syria
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/10/14/Secretive-Guerrilla-Group-Fighting-Back-Against-ISIS-in-Syria
Excerpt:
"We trained them ..."
     Yes, training is essential.
Vigilantes, guerrillas, and militias
without training are ineffective.
The courts and parole boards release
criminals (many of whom are
illegal aliens) to prey upon us.
The mass media calls us vigilantes
for defending ourselves.  All that
matters is that it's better to be
the victor than the victim.
Your loved ones are depending on
you.

***** Tactics *****

Karl:  In a carjacking scenario,
does one ever shoot through a window? 
We learned the bad guy's bullet will
penetrate a side or rear window. 
If like today the bad guy has pistol drawn, ...

Jon:  Your pistol bullets will definitely
penetrate side and rear car windows,
if the angle isn't too close to parallel
to the plane of the window. 
Your pistol bullets will penetrate front
windshield windows if the angle is near
perpendicular to the plane of the windshield.
Always best to try to get perpendicular
to the barrier that you're shooting through,
because the barier will deflect the bullet. 
Shooting perpendicular to the plane of
the barrier minimizes the deflection.
     Front windshields are at least two layers
of glass with laminate (glue) inbetween. 
So, the direction of deflection is not necessarily
intuitive.  I took a sniper class at
Kaneohe MCAS in the early 80's in which
we shot at an assortment of barriers
including windshields and "bullet proof"
glass.  We learned that no matter what
angle the bullet enters, the bullets
exit at random angles; except when the
angle is perpendicular to the plane
of the barrier.  Maj. John Plaster's
book, "The Ultimate Sniper",
1st Edition, notes a similar result.
http://www.freereferral.com/newsletter/spring2010/lateral_angle_determination_bullet_holes_windshields.php
     If I can positively identify
the enemy through the window, I would
shoot through the window.  Be prepared
for the deafening report, back blast,
and glass fragments (that's why I
wear eye glasses instead of contact lenses). 
Frangible bullets, such as Glaser or
MagSafe are designed to disintegrate
on initial impact, so they would not
be effective after breaking
the window.  I would expect hollow
point bullets to deform after breaking
the window.  I would use a copper
jacketed round nose bullet for best
penetration and minimum deformation.
     You may be shooting through
the car door to stop the carjacker. 
Generally speaking, modern
automobile doors are not cover.
http://www.theboxotruth.com/?s=Windshield
Again, I would use a copper jacketed
round nose bullet for the best
penetration.  Because we can't see
the inside of the car door and so
don't have intimate knowledge of
the inside of the car door,
we should expect deflection.

***** Gear *****

"Reliability is the non-negotiable baseline.
Carry the load(s) that work 100% in your
particular pistol.
Best,
Mas"
http://www.glocktalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1546878
     By "Reliability", Massad Ayoob is referring
to the ammunition that feeds from the magazine
and chambers without malfunction.  This is more
important than muzzle velocity, bullet weight,
terminal ballistics, or anything else.

     LED replacement for the xenon bulb in
your flashlight.
Flashlight Bulb LED Upgrade
650+ lumens
CREE T6 1 Mode Drop-in
P6 P60 Surefire
$15
Arizona Tactical Gear
1754 South Linda
Mesa, AZ 85204
     This recommendation came from one of
our students, Karl.  The flashlight was effective.

     I bought ProEars ReVo youth active hearing
protection headsets for the kids. They were
about $80 each [the headsets, not the kids].
Had to purchase "N" type batteries for them.
They have a control knob for volume on each
ear piece (2 total) adjusted individually.
The kids were able to pick out their
favorite color (pink rain and green zombie)
and they really like them. Said they were
very comfortable and didn't complain about
wearing them for extended time. We were
able to have normal conversation on the
range yet block out noise from shots. Makes
for a much easier time coaching and talking
while shooting. I would recommend them.
http://www.proears.com/Childrens-Hearing-Protection-ReVO
-- Jeff Cole

***** News *****

Pro-gun Hollywood actors.
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/brad-pitt-owned-gun-kindergarten-article-1.1973608
His wife, Angelina Jolie, is also
on the record as pro-gun, and has
stated that she would be more than
willing to shoot anyone attacking
her children.

***** Miscellany *****

     Swedish Soldier/Marine recruiting advertisement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AprqomTW-Wo
Making fun of U.S. Marine ad.

     Friday Night Gun Porn – the M1 Garand
http://www.recoilweb.com/friday-night-gun-porn-the-m1-garand-51671.html
Stripping and slow motion videos.

     Older postings may be found at
http://DefensivePistolcraft.com/
     Lesson plans may be found at
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/474513

Cheers,
Jon

Friday, October 10, 2014

CWP, 10 October 2014 A.D.
Greetings Concealed Weapons Permittees,

***** Training *****

Nathan is offering some courses.
Nathan Goode, BA, PPS, CPP
Investigator/CEO
NGInvestigations, Inc.
www.NGInvestigations.com
Email:  nginvestigations@gmail.com

Friday-Saturday, October 31-November 1, 2014 -
BIT and Pistol Instructor course @ $400.00 Roswell, GA

Sunday, November 2, 2014 -
Personal Protection Outside the Home Instructor course @ $275.00
Roswell, GA

These courses will be conducted at our private outdoors facility in Rome, GA.

Friday, November 14, 2014 -
PPOH Student course @ $325.00
9:30 am to 9:00 pm
Low Light and Night fire Pistol clinic @ $150.00
(included for PPOH students)
5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Saturday, November 15, 2014 -
PPOH Student continued
9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Saturday, November 15, 2014 -
PPOH Instructor course, @ $375.00 Classroom
2:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Sunday, November 16, 2014 -
PPOH Instructor continued, Range
9:00 am to 6:00 pm

***** Miscellany *****

     We're starting an NRA Defensive Pistol course
at the Dowelltown United Methodist Church
170 Church Street, Dowelltown, TN 37059
on 20 October 2014 at 5:00 PM central time. 
If you'd like to attend, send me an email
for the schedule, documents, and reservations.
     Older postings may be found at
http://DefensivePistolcraft.com/
     Lesson plans may be found at
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/474513

Cheers,
Jon

Friday, October 3, 2014

CWP, 3 October 2014 A.D.
Greetings Concealed Weapons Permittees,

***** Questions and Answers *****

Karl:  Should we use “target” ammunition for personal defense? 
I have been told to use better than “target” quality ammo,
though I do not know what that would be.  Have I been talking
with the hollow point crowd?  That we learned we should not
follow because step 1 is chambering and FMJ is more likely to
chamber than hollow point.  Plus more mass/penetration with FMJ.

Jon:  I believe that you should use "target" ammo for personal
defense.  By this I mean round nose, full metal jacket,
standard velocity (as opposed to +P or +P+) ammunition. 
Because it chambers more reliably than any other bullet type;
and reliable feeding is more important than terminal ballistics. 
The gun must go bang when you pull the trigger.
     I believe that "self-defense" ammo is grossly over priced.
     My friend, <redacted>, was attacked by a pit pull.  He fired
five rounds into the dog before it stopped its attack.  None of his
bullets exited the dog.  He was shooting copper jacketed
round nose bullets in a standard .45 ACP caliber. 
Of all the commercially available self-defense cartridges,
this gave maximum penetration; and none of his bullets
exited the dog.
     When defending against a car jacking, you may have to shoot
through your car door or window.  When defending against an assailant,
you may have to shoot through the bones of his arms and rib cage
to reach a vital organ in order to stop the attack.  So, penetration
is essential.  Full metal jacketed round nose bullets give the best
penetration.
     Injury or death of innocent bystanders due to over penetration
of the intended target is a perceived liability concern, but not
statistically significant.  [citation - Police Officers Safety
Association lecture]

Karl:  Brass vs. aluminum cases.  Which do you prefer?  Why?

Jon:  Brass case ammunition is preferable because you can reload it.
Aluminum and steel cases cannot be reliably reloaded, because the
metal is not malleable enough.  The aluminum and steel cased
ammo is generally cheaper.  I have never noticed a functional
difference.

Karl:  FMJ vs. TMJ.  What is the difference?  Which do you prefer? Why?

Jon:  Full metal jacket (FMJ) refers to a copper, brass, or
bronze cup that is formed in the swaging process into a
uniform jacket of the lead bullet.  The interior of the jacket
is usually coated with tin or some other metal so that the
heat and pressure causes a chemical bond between the lead
core and the jacket.  So, they don't separate on impact.
     There is also a copper wash or copper coating that is much
thinner than the jacket referred to above.
     Total metal jacket (TMJ) refers to the bullet being completely
covered by the jacket.  FMJ bullets usually have an
exposed lead base.  The hot burning propellant vaporizes the
exposed lead, so you get some lead in the air.  The TMJ is
supposed to prevent this.
     If I were immortal, I would be concerned about lead.  But,
having worked at the National Bureau of Standards (mass
spectrometry section and activation analysis section) where
we were regularly tested for lead (mercury, radiation, and
other things), I am satisfied that my lead exposure will
not reach a significant level within my life span.

Karl:  With regards to 9mm bullets of 115, 124, and 147 grains. 
Our lesson on stopping power suggests 147 is preferred.  Correct?

Jon:  Within the context of self-defense shootings,
I believe that penetration (FBI recommends 12 to 18
inches in ballistic gelatin) is the correct quantifier of
"stopping power".  I believe that momentum (mass X velocity)
is the correct quantifier of penetration of a bullet in a human body. 
Therefore, I believe that one should maximize the mass
of the bullet so as to maximize the momentum of the
bullet after impact (terminal ballistics).
(I realize that I have skipped a lot of steps in this argument.)

Karl:  CCI seems to me to have a reputation of being a good brand. 
Reliable and clean.  Also PMC.  But that sense is not informed. 
Any brands you believe superior?  Why? 

Jon:  I have never noticed a functional difference in 
commercially available factory new ammunition.
They all seem to work just fine.

***** Training *****

"Review: NRA’s Personal Protection Outside the Home course"
by Chris Cheng
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/04/29/review-nras-personal-protection-home/
     The NRA has a progression of courses for pistol:
First Steps Pistol
Basic Pistol
Personal Protection in the Home
Personal Protection  Outside the Home
Defensive Pistol
http://findnra.nra.org/

***** Tactics *****

"Shocking Facts About Gun Fights!" by Nick Irving.
http://loadoutroom.com/7121/shocking-facts-gun-fights/
Excerpts:
"There is a simple solution to overcoming the symptoms
of adrenaline overload and get you back on top of your
game ... deep breaths.  Your body needs the extra
oxygen to deal with the extra stress. Yes ... Just breath!"
"The key to hitting a moving target, within a combat
pistol range, is to simply aim at what you want to hit,
focus on the front sight, and squeeze."
[Don't lead the target.]

"Walk And Shoot…CQC Training Tip" by Nick Irving.
http://loadoutroom.com/5775/walk-and-shoot-cqc-training-tip/

***** Gear *****

"FBI Training Division Justifies 9mm Caliber Selection"
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/09/26/fbi-training-division-justifies-9mm-caliber-selection/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=2014-09-30&utm_campaign=Weekly+Newsletter
Citation:
http://looserounds.com/2014/09/21/fbi-9mm-justification-fbi-training-division/
     I've followed the links, but I have not
been able to find the primary source. 
So, I'm not sure of the authenticity.

Ammunition Demystifier
http://www.thewellarmedwoman.com/women-and-guns/ammunition-demystifier
     Great pictures explaining what's
inside your ammunition.  (Click on
the headings to get to the three pages.)

***** News *****

"Port Allen restaurant offers discount to gun-carrying customers"
by Kiran Chawla
http://www.wafb.com/story/26639099/port-allen-restaurant-offers-discount-to-gun-carrying-customers

***** Promotions *****

     I recommend Target Sports USA,
http://www.targetsportsusa.com/
I have purchased ammunition from them
many times.  There is no shipping fee
when buying in bulk, 1000 rounds.
They ship FedEx ground.  I have always
been pleased with their service.
If you get on their mailing list, they
will tell you when they have the
ammo you use.

***** Miscellany *****

     Older postings may be found at
http://DefensivePistolcraft.com/
     Lesson plans may be found at
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/474513

Cheers,
Jon

Friday, September 26, 2014

CWP, 26 September 2014 A.D.
Greetings Concealed Weapons Permittees,

***** Mindset *****

"Mindset of Shooting"
by Jon Hodoway
http://www.waltherarms.com/mindset-of-shooting/
Excerpt:
"... invite the professionals to the emergency
as early as possible. And on those occasions
when we don’t have the gift of time to allow
for the professionals to arrive we should be
well versed in judiciously deploying our firearm."

     Someone saw an old man planting a carob tree.
This person asked the old man when the tree would
bear fruit.  "After 70 years," the old man said.
"What!" the other man exclaimed.  "Do you expect
to live 70 years and eat the fruit of your labor?"
The old man answered, "I did not find the world
desolate when I entered it.  As my ancestors
planted for me before I was born, so I plant for
those who will come after me."
-- From Taaith, Fol. 23, col., in The Talmud
www.sacred-texts.com/jud/hl/hl46.htm
     Every sheepdog we train is another sentinel
who will protect our children, grandchildren,
great-grandchildren, ...
We can also reasonably expect a significant
fraction of those we train to train others
in the skills and mindset of the sheepdogs.

The truth about “stopping power” – Anatomy First
http://www.breachbangclear.com/the-truth-about-stopping-power-anatomy-first/
Excerpts paraphrased:
     There is no well defined quantification
of stopping power.  If you can't quantify
it, you can't measure it.  If you can't
measure it, it is outside the realm of
science.
     The bullet is the wrong topic.
Where to place the bullet is the correct
topic of discussion.
     "... the human body twists and contorts
in frustrating ways and this makes your
“center mass” shooting a severe difficulty."
     The author, Aaron Cowan, cites two articles,
"Whats Wrong With Wound Ballistic Data, and Why"
by Dr. M.L. Fackler (1987), and
"Undeniable Evidence" by Dr. M.L. Fackler (1999)
in "Wound Ballistics Review",
International Wound Ballistics Association
(no longer an active entity), 
to say that speed of the bullet is more
important than the mass of the bullet for
penetration.  Which would lead the reader to
buy the lighter faster bullet as opposed to
the heavier slower bullet.
This directly contradicts the opinion at
Front Sight Firearms Institute.  Front Sight's
reasoning is that the kinetic energy equation
is not appropriate.  Rather, the momentum
equation should be used because momentum is
a conserved quantity.  Kinetic energy is not
conserved, so it's really hard to say anything
about it. (Total energy is conserved.  Kinetic
energy is not conserved.  Kinetic energy is
easily converted to other forms of energy.)
Upon impact with the body, the bullet rapidly
loses its kinetic energy (speed).  If the
bullet does not fragment (or disintegrate)
the mass is approximately constant, as it
would be with a copper jacketed round nose
bullet.  So, the more massive bullet will
retain more momentum, which Front Sight
interprets to mean would give deeper
penetration. 
     I do love to give my readers
opposing opinions.
    
***** Training *****

"Why Firearms Training is a Must"
by Jon Hodoway
http://www.waltherarms.com/firearms-training-must/
Excerpt:
"Guys, don’t attempt to instruct your beloved
how to shoot. You are emotionally connected to
each other. This makes it very difficult to be
objective for both parties."

***** Pedagogy *****

     The IDPA match is an essential part of
our Defensive Pistol course.  But, we will not
be shooting the match as all the other
competitors will be shooting the match. 
     They will be going fast to win the
competition, to get a good score.  We will
be going slow to avoid getting killed.
They will often fail to engage a target,
because they didn't see the target,
because they were going too fast.  We will
go slow enough to ensure all threats
behind us have been incapacitated.
     They will crowd cover.  We will stay
away from walls, because we understand
how bullets ricochet.  We will stay away
from corners because we know there is an
enemy behind the corner who will grab our
gun or arms.
     They will not be too concerned
about shooting innocent bystanders
(it's only a three second penalty). 
We will never shoot a "no shoot" target,
because we understand that that is a
loved one who will die when we shoot her.
     "Tactically correct" is different
from the tactics used to win the IDPA game
or the IPSC game.  Let us never confuse them.

***** Tactics *****

     In the class that I am presently giving,
a student asked, "What if I'm not sure about
the guy?  I have an uncomfortable feeling
about him, but there is no overt speech or
action that I could articulate to a jury that
would reasonably cause me to present my gun."
     First option is to run away.  [If you
fear looking like a coward in front of your
girlfriend, you need to bring your girlfriend
to a self-defense class to educate her, so
that she will understand that running away
is the smart, mature, and manly thing to do.]
Distance is your friend, it gives you time. 
But, if you have your kids with you, or are
carrying someone else's baby,
this might not be an option.
     In such a situation, you must determine
the intent of the guy.  Screaming "STOP!"
is a means of determining intent.  Any normal
person would stop or walk away.  If the guy
continues toward you, one could infer malicious
intent.
     Profiling (while politically incorrect)
is a reasonable tool.  Sheriff Nash (Dorchester
County, South Carolina) said that signs of a
criminal are:  no shirt, tattoos, bad teeth,
and body odor.  Gang tattoos are a dead give
away, though if you don't study gangs, you
probably won't be able to recognize them.
     Calling 911 is a smart thing to do.
Not only does it let the guy know that you're
calling for police, it creates a witness for
you.  Be aware that modern smart phones are
controlled by the 911 dispatcher, not you.
You can't hang up the phone, only the
dispatcher can hang up the phone. 
Even if it turns out to be nothing
(or you've turned it into nothing by your
actions) a police officer will probably show
up to talk to you.  Yes, this happened to me,
while lunching with ladies from my church
in Lebanon, TN.  It was much less
embarrassing than one might expect.

***** Gear *****

Animated graphic of how silencers work.
http://www.silencerco.com/how-do-silencers-work/?mc_cid=e031822b28&mc_eid=050f5c0fa1

Why tritium sights are futile.
http://sagedynamics.blogspot.com/2014/09/you-dont-need-night-sights-gearcentric.html?m=0
     On the other hand, the purpose of
tritium sights is to enable you to find
your gun in the dark, not necessarily
aim your gun in the dark.
     What are we aiming at in the dark?
If we light up the target with a
flashlight to positively identify the
target, the sights will be silhouetted
against the target.  So, no need for
tritium sights.

***** News *****

In Missouri, Public School Students
Are Learning How to Handle Guns Safely
http://dailysignal.com/2014/09/23/140922_kidsguns_morrongiello/

How Gun Control Made England The
'Most Violent Country In Europe'
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/09/24/How-Gun-Control-Made-England-The-Most-Violent-Country-In-Europe

Square Reader denies service for gun transactions.
http://dailysignal.com/2014/09/25/gun-shop-owners-longer-hip-square/

***** Promotions *****

Franklin Gun Shop is one-stop shopping for the
items on the Defensive Pistol equipment list.
http://www.franklingunshop.com/

***** Miscellany *****

     Older postings may be found at
http://DefensivePistolcraft.com/
     Lesson plans may be found at
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/474513

Cheers,
Jon