Saturday, April 20, 2019

CWP, 19 April MMXIX Anno Domini

With God, all things are possible.

Greetings Sheepdogs,

***** Mindset *****

Training Mindset
"Amateurs think equipment.
Students think techniques.
Experts think tactics."
-- John Holschen, InSights Training
---
     You will only be able to buy equipment correctly if
you have had competent training.  Because then you are
making informed intelligent decisions.
     Through training and practice, techniques are learned
to an unconscious reflexive level.  If you don't have to
think about the techniques, you will have the bandwidth to
think about tactics.
     Good-guy tactics are entirely different from bad-guy
tactics.  Because we care.  We avoid endangering innocent
bystanders, much less injuring them.  Good tactics is a
learned skill.  There is nothing natural or instinctive
about combat tactics.  Expert training is the only way
to learn good tactics. 
     [There really isn't any substitute for experience. 
Teaching from 'first hand experience' is entirely
different from teaching from 'academic study'. 
Sorry, but that's just truth.  So, if you are going to
teach civilians concealed carry for self defense, you
should be carrying concealed every day.  Otherwise, you
won't be able to answer simple questions.
     "But, Staff, the simple questions are just common sense." 
     WRONG! 
     When my wife and I were applying for her U.S.
permanent residency, the immigration agent separated us and
asked simple questions that any couple living together
could easily answer, but were effectively impossible for
two people who did not live together to answer (with matching answers).
     At Israeli airports, the security agents will strike
up casual conversations with passengers in the waiting
area.  The questions will be friendly and simple.  But, each
question will be based on the responses of the previous
questions.  They go deep, not broad.  If you haven't been
there, done that, you won't know the answer.
     "What should I do when I have to use a public restroom?" 
     "What should I do when some one wants to hug me?"
     An instructor should have a cogent answer that actually
worked in personal experience.  Why?]

"Amateurs talk tactics.
Professionals talk logistics."
-- Napoleon
     Napoleon is talking about regimental commanders,
senior field grade officers, colonels.  But, it applies
to you.  All the good tactics are for nought if you
don't have: 
     Health (which requires food, water, exercise,
and sleep [and proper dental and medical care]);
     Tools (flashlight [at least 500 lumens], first
aid kit [a real one with tourniquet, etc.] pistol,
ammunition, holster, extra loaded magazines, etc.); and
     Training.  You have to know if it's appropriate
to apply the tourniquet.  (If I apply a tourniquet
the limb will have to be amputated, WRONG!) 
If so, you have to know where to apply the tourniquet. 
(2 to 3 inches above the wound, WRONG!  That is not
modern best practice.)  You have to know how to apply
the tourniquet.  You have to be able to do it fast.
[That's real self defense.]
     Talk to anyone who has served in infantry.  They
are always willing to carry extra ammo and water.
That's logistics.

THE DANGERS OF INTERVENTION
http://www.stoppingpower.net/commentary/comm_dangers_in_intervention.asp

". . . personal defense is a lifestyle, not a hobby."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson

Shooting in Self Defense: What to Do When the Police Arrive
https://www.range365.com/self-defense-shooting-what-to-do-when-police-arrive

EWR
http://defense-training.com/2019/ewr/
Excerpt:
Don’t fail the attitude test!

Costa Rica Store Owner Gets Shot, Stays in Fight, Kills Attacker
https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2019/03/costa-rica-store-owner-shoots-attacker/
Excerpt: 
     Had this Costa Rica store owner simply laid there in pain,
he probably would have died. He, however, refused to go silently
into the night. Instead, he protected his store, his customers,
and his life, and stopped a bad guy from ever doing something
similar again. 

***** Safety *****

     John Farnam says the primary cause of negligent discharges
is unnecessary gun handling.  So, . . .
     When you go to the bathroom, keep your pistol in its
holster.  Keep your holster on your gun belt.
     When you take your clothes off to take a bath or go to
bed, keep your pistol in its holster.  If you need to lock it
up, put the holster and pistol in the safe and lock it.  Don't
take the pistol out of the holster. 

“The fast and/or emphatic reholster
is an awesome way to shoot yourself.”
-- Chuck Haggard

***** Training *****

 "Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner

In Shape for Shooting: How Fit Do You Have To Be?
https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2019/4/5/in-shape-for-shooting-how-fit-do-you-have-to-be/
     Yes, as a matter of fact, this is critically important.

Tactical Application of a Bianchi Plate Rack
by Dave Spaulding
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR77XCjfICs&fbclid=IwAR2NRqBdZxwzvXAcx2b1VSmsUjEUdEnKWqbpPjJYF9b27VGmBXFBWPo9Ln0

“Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it.”
-- Bruce Lee

1998 NTI (National Tactical Invitational)
http://defense-training.com/1998/1998-nti-national-tactical-invitational/

Why do I need to 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

Distance Shooting: Myth of the Average Engagement (December 2013)
by the late Patrick Rogers
https://www.swatmag.com/article/distance-shooting-myth-average-engagement/
[The laws for us, state licensed armed guards in Tennessee,
are much better these days.  Still pretty bad in other states.
-- Jon Low]

Studying Self-Defense: Do Your Homework
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2019/4/5/studying-self-defense-do-your-homework/

9. Concealed Carry: Lethal Force Tactics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HilfliL8Lco
     The rest of the episodes,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ju5GtzzgLE&list=PLkL2g0uY2GSduhVBwzGL2ROyN-TSdDGLq
     I have taken classes from John Murphy.  I highly recommend
you take classes from him.

"You train for the people who love you."
-- Tatiana Whitlock

Making space . . . before you need it!
https://godgalsgunsgrub.blogspot.com/2019/03/making-space-before-you-need-it.html
[This link does not seem to work anymore.  The context is gas station
pumps.]
     One more tip from [Greg Ellifritz].  Now that many pumps have video
screens that play advertisements while distributing gas, you should not
be staring at the screen clueless about your surroundings. Those video
screens are going to contribute to more robberies than anyone can even
imagine.  Ignore them. 

Extreme Close Quarters
https://www.mdtstraining.com/extreme-close-quarters/
     Six questions you need to answer with training.

In combat you will perform at 70% of your worst day on the range.
-- Paul Ford

Skill Set: Another Look at Speed
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/1bbb7dde-f641-4fe5-abf0-a1b108ccc1a2
Excerpts: 
     Time is an important consideration, but not in the way most people think.
Regardless of what you’re doing, there’s a limit on how fast you can perform.
Go too fast and things fall apart, mistakes occur – which consume more time.
Overall efficiency drops.
. . .
     It’s not about the speed you perform;
it is about how quick you make the decision to act.

***** 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

Four Key Systematic Drills for Handgun Skill Development
https://www.shooting-performance.com/four-key-systematic-drills-for-handgun-skill-developement/
     My filling in the details of the article:
     5 shots precisely with correct sight alignment, sight movie,
and trigger control.  Strive for a tight group (bullet holes all touching).
     5 shots carefully to the high thoracic cavity (triangle defined
by the nipples and notch at the top of the sternum).  Strive for
a hand span sized group.  If the group is smaller than a hand span,
speed up.  If the group is larger than a hand span, slow down. 
     5 shots carefully to the cranio-ocular cavity.  Slow down
until you can get all five within the eyes and nose.  Then speed
up until you can't.
     3 shots to the high thoracic cavity, 2 shots to the cranio-ocular
cavity.  Slow down until you can get all 5 shots into the correct
areas.  Then speed up until you can't.
     A man's got to know his limits. -- Dirty Harry 
Doesn't matter what those limits are.  If you know what they are,
you can compensate accordingly by adjusting your distance, speed,
tactics (movement, cover, etc.), and techniques (standing, kneeling,
prone, etc.).

"How Should You Practice After Training?"
https://www.personaldefensenetwork.com/article/how-should-you-practice-after-training/
Excerpts:
     The saying “Only perfect practice makes perfect” applies
not only to the physical skills involved but also to the
structure of what and how you practice.
. . .
     The steps involved in developing your practice plan might look like:
Gather information
Recreate incidents
Prepare a practice plan: Drills and Scenarios
Document your results and plan your next session

Practicing in the Resource-Constrained Environment
https://www.personaldefensenetwork.com/article/practicing-in-the-resource-constrained-environment/
Excerpt:
There are several ways to maximize the resources we do have:
    Visualization
    Dry fire
    Effective range use
    Inert guns
    Lasers and laser training devices
    Role play
    Shooting events

6 Defensive Handgun Drills to Master
https://gundigest.com/more/how-to/training/6-defensive-handgun-drills-to-master

***** Techniques *****

"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley

Three Pistol Breaking Points
http://www.forcenecessary.com/three-pistol-breaking-points/
by Hock Hochheim of Force Necessary
http://www.forcenecessary.com/
Email:  HockHochheim@ForceNecessary.com
He did a class at Royal Range in Nashville, TN recently.
Excerpt:
* Hand sizes are different. Gun sizes are different.
* Understand the stress grab and drawing from awkward positions.
* Find your best finger position for a squeeze, gun-by-gun.
* You cannot/should not always shoot with two-hands.
* You cannot/should not always shoot with one hand.
* You cannot always shoot with an acquisition of sights.
* There is probably a good chance you are doing too much
  shooting with two-hands in comparison to close quarter
  incidents/statistics.
* Through experiments, know the best distances for single
  and double-hand, pistol grips.
* Train with simulated ammo in likely situations.

"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee

Rangemanster April 2019 newsletter
https://rangemaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-04_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf

Slow is smooth.  Smooth is efficient.  Efficient is fast.

How to Master the Double Action Trigger
https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/how-to-master-the-double-action-trigger/

It may cost you not to pay attention
http://www.recoilweb.com/it-may-cost-you-not-to-pay-attention-40343.html

As Dave Spaulding likes to remind us,
“It’s not new.  It’s just new to you.”

***** Tactics *****

Audacity wins.
-- Carl von Clausewitz

Who Dares Wins.
-- motto of the Special Air Service

***** Gear *****

Avoidance, Deterrence, and De-escalation
-- John Farnam

     If you're going to carry pepper spray, take a class and learn
how to do it properly. 
     You have to practice with inert units, otherwise you won't
know the trajectory of your stream, fog, or spray; and you won't
know how the wind can blow it back in your face. 
     You have to experience it in your eyes, otherwise you won't
know how it affects you.  You have to see how it affects the
other students in your class, otherwise you just won't understand.
     In my military police training, I learned that pepper spray
debilitates me.  I observed that it had no effect on about 10%
of the Marines in my class.  I saw that about half of the Marines
could fight through the effects and accomplish the mission
in spite of the pepper spray.  [So, as a civilian, I made the
decision not to carry pepper spray, because it has
100% effect on me (when the wind blows it back in my face)
and stops only 50% of my assailants.  This may not be a
reasonable decision for you.]
     If you decide to carry pepper spray and refuse to take a
class from an expert, you should at least know to spray across
the assailant's eyes from left to right.  If he is wearing glasses,
spray across his forehead from left to right.  Of course, you're
not going to know at what distance you can do this, because you
never took the class.
     If you're going to carry pepper spray, get some of the real
stuff, not the cheap junk.  The cheap junk don't work, because
the Scoville Heat Units are too low.  That's a measure of the
concentration of the oleoresin capsicum.
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/181655.pdf
     One of the Marines in my MP unit (Provost Marshal's
Office, Marine Corps Air Station New River) sprayed a door knob
as a joke.  The Provost Marshal, Captain Cook (Major Cook the
last time I heard of him), took his pepper spray, revoked his
certification to use pepper spray, and other disciplinary action. 
If you are the type of person who would think that using pepper
spray as a joke would be funny, please don't carry pepper spray. 

Tactica Concealed Carry Corset Holster
https://tacticafashion.com/tactica-corset-holster
     Exactly what I need to hold my pot belly in.

How Often Should You Clean Your Carry Gun?
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2019/04/05/how-often-should-you-clean-your-carry-gun/
     Don't be a goof.  Clean your pistol weekly, whether she
needs cleaning or not.  That means field stripping, spraying with
cleaner, scrubbing all surfaces, bronze bore brush with bore solvent,
Q-tip and pipe cleaners for areas your brush can't reach,
lubricating with oil, blow off excess with compressed air and
clean rag. 
     And then at least once a year, a detailed cleaning.  This
requires disassembly.  If you don't know how to do this,
take it to a competent gunsmith. 
     It is during cleaning that you will discover all the things
that need to be replaced before they break.  Finding out during
combat, because they break, would be bad.
     A clean pistol will function correctly, as opposed to intermittent
malfunctions.  A clean pistol is capable of tight groups because
the rifling is not covered with fouling. 

     If you can't get the commercially available shooting glasses
to fit you, try the "Asia Fit" glasses from Oakley Standard Issue at
https://www.oakleysi.com/en-us/product/W0OX8142
or on the regular Oakley web site at
https://www.oakley.com/en-us/search?text=asia+fit
or ESS at
https://www.esseyepro.com/
search for "asian fit"
     As Bruce Lee says, “Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it.”
     If you have small or thin feet, check out the women's section
of the shoe store.  If you're uncomfortable doing this, you need to
fix your attitude.  If you have large or wide feet, check out
the men's section for shoes.  No shame.  Just do it. 
     Similarly for pistols.  Similarly for everything. 
Remember, average is not normal.  You are normal for you. 
You are not average. 

Why Carry a Spare Magazine?
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/why-carry-a-spare-magazine/

Carry More Comfortably
https://www.concealedcarry.com/gear/carry-more-comfortably/

***** Instructors *****

Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God’s gift to our students.
Our students are God’s gift to us."

Teaching Tips: Vocal Range Commands
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/teaching-tips-vocal-range-commands

"There is no such thing as a bad regiment. 
Just bad colonels." -- Napoleon
     Stop and think about why this is true.  Any population
(such as a regiment) has a normal distribution (technical term
from statistics) with regards to any characteristic.  So as a
unit will function as any other regiment.
     But, the leaders are individuals with character traits
and personalities.  When I was with Marine Forces Pacific, G2,
we had every Iranian regiment plotted on a wall map with its
effectiveness.  Yes, personnel and equipment were factors. 
But, the dominant factor was the quality of the regiment's
commander.  We maintained detailed dossiers on these men,
because the leadership is what really mattered.
     "Hey, Staff, how does this relate to us?"
     There is no such thing as a bad class.  Just bad instructors.
 
"Every time I teach a class,
I discover I don't know something."
-- Clint Smith, Director of Thunder Ranch

***** Pedagogy *****

Qui docet, discit.  (Who teaches, learns.)
-- motto of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers

How Does Failure in Training Enable Learning?
http://fieldgradeleader.themilitaryleader.com/failure-wasilewski/

"Train, Practice, Compete are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.

***** Education *****

"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam

     Beyond the One Percent (part 1)
http://blog.krtraining.com/beyond-the-one-percent-part-1/
     Beyond the One Percent (part 2)
http://blog.krtraining.com/beyond-the-one-percent-part-2/
Deep psychological truth in this article.
     Beyond the One Percent (part 3)
http://blog.krtraining.com/beyond-the-one-percent-part-3/
     Beyond the One Percent (part 4)
http://blog.krtraining.com/beyond-the-one-percent-part-4/
Excerpt:
     On one of the Facebook forums I’m on, my standard response to
“what kind of new gun should I buy?” is “spend that money on training,
range time and practice ammo with the gun you already have, or at
least spare mags, better sights, and good quality carry gear for the
gun you carry most often.”   That response is never well received. 
There’s a sizable chunk of the armed citizen community that will spend
$500, $1000 or more on a new gun that will not spend a dollar on
training, and the new gun they wanted will spend 364 days a year in
the safe alongside all the other New Guns that were briefly
interesting also.
     Beyond the One Percent (part 5)
http://blog.krtraining.com/beyond-the-one-percent-part-5/
     Beyond the One Percent (part 6)
Excerpt: 
Train to a real standard.
Dry fire weekly.
Live fire monthly.
One class per year.
     Beyond the One Percent (part 7)
http://blog.krtraining.com/beyond-the-one-percent-part-7/
     Beyond the One Percent (part 8)
http://blog.krtraining.com/beyond-the-one-percent-part-8/

The official blog of KR Training, Karl Rehn Music and Karl Rehn.
http://blog.krtraining.com/

Self-Defense Gun Owner Insurance Programs Compared
https://www.concealedcarry.com/self-defense-gun-owner-insurance-programs-compared/
     Watch the video that pops up before the text
of the article. 
     Only one of the programs listed is a reimbursement
program.  What "reimbursement" means is the policy will
reimburse up to the specified monetary amounts if you
are acquitted.  Now stop and think about that.  What
about a conviction? mistrial? dismissal with prejudice?
dismissal without prejudice? plea bargain? or any number
of other possibilities?  No money.
     The NRA states that they set up the policy that
way because they can't be paying for illegal activity. 
They obviously don't understand the concept of "innocent
until proven guilty".  Without the money "upfront",
you're screwed.  No competent attorney will take your
case without payment in full upfront.  (Because after
the case, the client has no incentive to pay the attorney.)
     As attorney Andrew Branca alludes to in the video
introduction, there are some subtle and nasty details
that you have to be aware of, because they will bite
you.
--------------------------------------------------------
     I speak from first hand experience.  In the 
years before these insurance programs existed, I fronted
$50,000 in legal fees to get the charges tossed,
$800 to get the arrest record expunged, and
then had to hire a different attorney ($6000) to force
the Cherry Hill (New Jersey) Police to return my guns. 
     If my attorneys had not been able to convince the
prosecutor to drop the charges, I would have had to
front $250,000 before the trial started, plus whatever
expenses the defense team incurred during the trial.
     The only reason I didn't have to post bail was
that my OIC (Officer-in-Charge) drove from Pennsylvania
down to the police station in the middle of the night
with an attorney friend of his to convince the police
to release me.
     What if I didn't have the money to pay these
expenses?  What if didn't have a loyal responsible
commanding officer?
     Why?  Because my son wrote an essay in high school
about how he wanted to be a Marine Corps sniper.  His
English teacher panicked and called the police.  The
police raided our apartment without a warrant (because
it was an emergency).  [My son did not threaten anyone
or anything in the essay.]  The police make mistakes. 
We pay for their mistakes, not the tax payer.

Legal Boundaries By State,
The Travel Guide For American Gun Owners
https://amedia.concealedcarry.com/resources/Law+Summary+E-Book-20190304.pdf
      Thanks to Joe at Concealed Carry Inc.  The material
at the end of this document is well worth reading.

“Destiny doesn’t make appointments,
nor does she waste her time with the naive and unready!”
-- John Farnam

     This is the text of the Firearms Safety Course for the
state of Wisconsin.
https://www.doj.state.wi.us/sites/default/files/dles/ccw/student-manual.pdf
     There is a gut wrenching story, starting on page 18, of
Michael Lesnick (former federal police officer) and how his
negligence and his wife's negligence contributed to the death
of their son, Joshua.
Excerpt:
     “Familiarity breeds contempt and complacency.
Cops are handling guns all the time. Sometimes you
get lax wearing body armor, and I just want to
remind everybody of the safety procedures.”
     In June 2008, Lesnick was sentenced to one year of probation
after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge for keeping a
loaded firearm near a child, as a party to the crime. A judge
also ordered him to pay a $500 fine and have counseling.
     Lesnick’s wife, Jessica, 35, pleaded guilty to the same
crime and was sentenced to 18 months probation in August 2008.

     Don't be "that guy".  Secure your weapons any time they
are not strapped to your body.

     We all have friends who are less trained and less educated
than we are.  So, it is our duty to evangelize.
"Indiana Man Shoots Self in Genitals Due to Holster-Less Carry"
https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2019/03/holster-less-carry-causes-genital-shot/
 
***** News, Legal, Philosophical, and Political stuff *****

How do you win a gunfight?
Don’t be there.
-– John Farnam

“Gun Safety”
http://defense-training.com/2018/gun-safety-3/

Colorado Sheriff Says He’ll Go to Jail Before Enforcing Gun Confiscation Law
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/04/03/co-sheriff-says-hell-go-to-jail-before-enforcing-gun-confiscation-law/

Pittsburgh passes gun safety legislation
https://www.yourerie.com/news/local-news/breaking-pittsburgh-passes-gun-safety-legislation/1894655452
     The full text of ordinance is given in the article. 
§ 1101.04 USE OF WEAPONS BY DISCHARGE
1. Firearms
2. Air guns
3. Bows defined in § 1101.01(D)(1) through § 1101.01(D)(4)
     1. A crossbow;
     2. A recurve bow;
     3. A compound bow; and
     4. A longbow.
---
     Ya, I know the legalese is hard to read.  Politicians do that intentionally. 
The point is, it's not just gun control.  They have regulated bows and
arrows, and air guns.  Knives were already regulated.  (Unlike Tennessee
where there is no such thing as an illegal knife.)  So, we can correctly
conclude that it is not gun control, it is people control.
     Remember, the purpose of such laws is to criminalize the behavior of
political opponents, so that they can be arrested, prosecuted, disenfranchised, and
imprisoned.  That's why the Founding Fathers insisted on the 2nd Amendment
to the U.S. Constitution before they would vote for it.  There will always be
enemies of the Constitution.  The 2nd Amendment allows us to identify them,
and holds them at bay, and will continue to do so, as long as you support the
2nd Amendment.
     You spent much of your career fighting the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics,
the Chinese Communists, the National Socialists (Nazi), Korean Communists,
Vietnamese Communists, etc.  You don't want the U.S. to end up like Venezuela.
You are intelligent enough to see the connection.

On the bright side -
Federal Court Rules California Magazine Ban Unconstitutional
http://www.gunsandtactics.com/federal-court-rules-california-magazine-ban-unconstitutional
     UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT for the SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
Judge Benitez's opinion,
https://d3uwh8jpzww49g.cloudfront.net/sharedmedia/1510684/2064261_2019-03-29-order-granting-plaintiffs_-msj.pdf

Latest News of Self-Defense With Firearms Contradicts Gun Control Rhetoric
http://tennesseestar.com/2019/04/11/latest-news-of-self-defense-with-firearms-contradicts-gun-control-rhetoric/

Attorney Question of the Month
    1. What are a citizen’s options when the police knock on the door
with a warrant and want to confiscate the citizen’s guns?
    2. Assuming the guns are securely locked in a gun safe,
do you advise the citizen to comply and open the safe?
    3. What consequences do you anticipate would result
from refusing to open a safe?
https://armedcitizensnetwork.org/en/april-2019-attorney-question

IDPA Africa Champ Van der Bank shares his secrets to success
https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/article/2001320659/idpa-africa-champ-van-der-bank-shares-his-secrets-to-success
Excerpt:
. . .  Chapter 114 of the laws of Kenya require that every licensed
firearm owner be proficient . . .
---
     Now stop and think about that.  In the United States of America,
we have a Constitutional Right to keep and bear arms, but no legal
requirement to be proficient.  How many of your fellow country men
are proficient?  I'm not talking about the 1%, like the guys and gals
you see at the Tactical Conference, or the people you see at the range
when you go to practice.  I'm talking about the guys who have grown
up with guns but never practice, have never taken a real class and
don't need to because shooting is natural / instinctive.
     With rights come responsibilities.  But, this symbiosis is
not obvious.  It must be taught.  It must be learned.

***** Survival *****

"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House

10 Tips to Prepare Your Family for a Possible House Fire
https://ayearwithoutthegrocerystore.com/2018/11/02/10-ways-prep-house-fire/

Preparation for female and pediatric emergencies,
https://www.americanpartisan.org/2019/03/the-parts-of-shtf-medicine-you-might-be-forgetting/

     You should know how to insert a nose tube (nasopharyngeal, not a
nasogastric intubation).  You should have lubricant for inserting it. 
You should have at least three of these tubes of different diameters. 
You have to take a class on this.  It's not common sense obvious.  If
your tube isn't the right length, you have to know how to measure from
nostril to ear lobe to trim it to the correct length.  You have to know
which nostril to put it in; a human's right nostril is generally larger
than his left nostril (no, as a matter of fact, humans are not
bilaterally symmetric).  You have to know how to put the victim into a
recovery position.  Otherwise, the victim will suffocate.

How to Survive (and Prevent) a Carjacking
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/what-to-do-in-carjacking/

Don't go to stupid places.
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
-- John Farnam

***** Basics *****

"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens

     Prof. Edward Melkonian asked me to solve a problem
(an ODE, Ordinary Differential Equation, as I remember).
As I was working on it, he asked me if I were trying to
solve this particular problem or if I were applying a general
method that would solve all problems of this type.
I told him that I had only learned one method (having only
completed one course in ODE's), so I didn't know how to
answer his question. 
     He explained to me that the general method would not
work on this type of equation (which modeled a physical
process that we were interested in).  We would have to try
something more sophisticated.
     An infantry officer told me that they learn the
frontal assault, flanking maneuvers, enfilade, etc. 
But, as the enemy also knows them, it would be foolish
to use such.  You have to know how to do them, so if
the opportunity presents itself you can do it.  But,
in real combat against a well trained enemy, you have
to be more sophisticated.
     Sometimes the tactics that they teach you in school
(military, police, and civilian) won't work in your particular
situation.  So, you have to adapt, improvise, and overcome.
Search for instructors who will teach you how to.  Remember,
there are no rules; there are only inhibitions.  That's why
Clausewitz said, the more audacious will win.

"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN

***** Miscellany *****

"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen

     A nice place to train,
Boondocks Firearms Training Academy
11771 Hwy 18, Raymond, MS, United States
https://www.boondocksfta.com/

Electronically Remote-Controlled Weapon System
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2019/04/04/potd-electronically-remote-controlled-weapon-system/

When it’s least expected, you’re selected.
-- John Farnam

Semper Fidelis,
Jon

Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com

God can do more than we can hope or imagine.

Monday, April 1, 2019

CWP, 1 April MMXIX Anno Domini

God can do more than we can hope or imagine.

Greetings Sheepdogs,
    If I have incorrectly paraphrased the instructors at the
2019 Tactical Conference, the fault is completely mine.

***** Mindset *****

      Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III

“When the Unexpected Meets the Unprepared”
http://defense-training.com/2018/when-the-unexpected-meets-the-unprepared/

Not Everyone Should Conceal Carry – Train, or Don’t Carry
https://lockedback.com/not-everyone-should-conceal-carry-train-or-dont-carry/
Excerpt: 
"If you're not willing to practice, don't carry a firearm."

". . . personal defense is a lifestyle, not a hobby."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson

     Criminals don't think the way we do.  To think that they do
is a fatal mistake. 
     Never beg for mercy.  They won't show any, and doing so excites
and emboldens them. 
     Never bargain.  Because they won't keep their end of the bargain. 
     Never cooperate with a criminal.  It will only get worse
for you.  The secondary crime scene is always better for him and
worse for you because it is more secluded.
     The only thing they understand and fear is force.  The sooner
you initiate (without telegraphing your intentions) an explosive
counter attack, the better your odds of survival.
     If you take pity on the criminal because of his background,
you are wrong.  And he will take advantage of your stupidity.

"Life is hard.  It's even harder if you're stupid." -- John Wayne

     Sensei Cat Fitzgerald says, "Be the pussy.  Don't be the balls. 
Pussies are tough.  You can push a baby through a pussy.  Balls
are fragile.  Ever been hit in your balls?  So, when the conflict
comes, walk away.  If he calls you a pussy, be the pussy."

***** Safety *****

“The fast and/or emphatic reholster
is an awesome way to shoot yourself.”
-- Chuck Haggard

***** Training *****

“You don’t rise to the occasion, you fall to your level of training.”
-- J. Bridger

CCW Training: Are We Practicing the Wrong Skills?
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2019/3/5/ccw-training-are-we-practicing-the-wrong-skills/

“Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it.”
-- Bruce Lee

Meta : Critical Skills and Goals for Personal Protection
https://www.growingupguns.com/2017/08/30/meta-critical-skills-and-goals-for-personal-protection/

Why do I need to 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

Minimum Competency for Defensive Pistol
https://blog.hsoi.com/2013/07/11/minimum-competency-for-defensive-pistol/

"You train for the people who love you."
-- Tatiana Whitlock

THE CONCEALED CARRY TRAP – ARE YOU CAUGHT IN IT?
https://www.shooting-performance.com/the-concealed-carry-trap-are-you-caught-in-it/
     If you don't get 100% on the 10 question test,
you need training.  Because what you don't know will
kill you.

11 Exercises That Will Enhance Your Shooting Technique and Your Core
https://www.ballisticmag.com/2019/03/06/fitness-shooting-technique-core/

***** Tactics *****

Audacity wins.
-- Carl von Clausewitz

The presentation spectrum (from low to high level threat) – 
[Times given are for someone who practices a lot, when nothing goes wrong. 
In combat, things go wrong to foul the presentation.]
     Open hands up in front of your head to protect your face and head. 
Verbal commands to “STOP!”, “GET BACK!”, as appropriate.  You are 2.0
seconds from firing.
     Clear concealment garment and establish a correct grip on your pistol. 
Keep the pistol in holster and issue verbal commands if appropriate. 
You are 1.5 seconds from firing.
     Establish a correct grip on the pistol before removing it from the
holster.  Remove the pistol from the holster.  Hold the pistol inside a
jacket pocket, inside your jacket, behind your thigh, under the table,
or some place out of sight (because you don't want the bad guy to see
your pistol).  At this point you are 1.0 seconds from firing.
     Present your pistol to a ready position.  If the bad guy is close
enough to grab your pistol (about 7 yards, 1.5 seconds), use a compressed
ready position.  If the bad guy is far enough away to require sighted
fire, use a low ready position (because you want the bad guys to see
your pistol).  In any event, keep your field of view clear and don't
point your pistol at anything you are not willing to destroy.  Keep your
pistol low enough to see his hands.  You are 0.7 seconds from firing. 
     Present to the target (sights aligned, slack out of the trigger). 
You are 0.3 seconds from firing, depending on how accurate you need to
be to make the shot.  (We are assuming you stop at this point to assess
and make the decision “not to fire” or “to fire”.  If you've made the
decision to fire previously, then the time is much less.)
     Thanks to Gabe White at the 2019 Tactical Conference
in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.

Who Dares Wins.
-- motto of the Special Air Service

***** Technique *****

"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley

More Than CCW: Self-Defense Beyond the Firearm
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2019/2/28/more-than-ccw-self-defense-beyond-the-firearm/
Excerpt: 
. . . Walking out to car, grocery bags in one hand,
you reach into your pocket and turn on a super-bright
flashlight, lighting up the path to your car and
sending out a clear signal to everyone around that
you know how to deal with a dark parking lot. Does
turning on that light also send a signal to any bad
guys around you that you’re ready to deal with them
as well? I’d say it does.
. . . The rough-and-tumble nature of a close-quarters
situation meant that it may not be possible to draw a
concealed firearm in time to dealt with a threat,
or it could be wrestled away, out of the fight, and
became irrelevant to the outcome.
. . . self-defense means more than just defending your
life with a firearm. It means living safely and securely,
no matter what happens, by using all the skills and
tools available to you.

Slow is smooth.  Smooth is efficient.  Efficient is fast.

Involuntary Hand Clenches Leading to Accidental Discharge
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/involuntary-hand-clenches-leading-to-accidental-discharge
     The document referred to in Greg's article,
https://fortress.wa.gov/cjtc/www/images/docs/classes/Firearms_Patrol_Rifle_Instructor_2014/Section%2015%20Resources.pdf
Actually, this document covers all kinds of things.

"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee

7 Simple Follow-Through Tips to Improve Your Accuracy (Right Now!)
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2019/3/6/7-simple-follow-through-tips-to-improve-your-accuracy-right-now/

"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen

Movement & Distance in Self-Defense
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2019/3/22/movement-distance-in-self-defense/

     Carrying your pistol without a round it the chamber is wrong. 
You won't have time to load.  If you think you will, your imagined
scenario is unrealistic.  No mugger is going to initiate an attack
from across the parking lot.  They are going to use devious techniques
to get close to you, within conversational distance.  "Got any
spare change, Mister?", "Can you give me a light, Ma'am?", "Do you
know where the Wal Mart is?", "Let me help you with your groceries,
ma'am.", etc.
     At 7 yards you will have 1.5 seconds to present to the target
and fire (if you have practiced a lot and decided to act).  No time
to load. 
     At conversational distances, 1 to 2 yards, you won't have time
to present your pistol, much less load.
     So, you have to have a loaded pistol and unarmed skills.  Of course,
if you are aware, you avoid the situation in the first place.

***** Gear *****

Avoidance, Deterrence, and De-escalation
-- John Farnam

     Everyone is different.  So, the chances your new from the factory pistol
is correctly sighted in for you is negligible.  So, yes, you have to adjust
your sights to move your point of impact to your point of aim. 
     If you are not shooting tight groups, it's you, not your pistol.  If you
are right handed and scattering low left (or left handed and scattering low
right) it's you anticipating the recoil and pushing against it (not getting
a surprise break).  Don't move your sights until you can shoot a tight group
on demand.
     Use a proper sight adjustment tool to move your rear sight left or
right to correct for windage.  [For $120 from Brownells, you can't go wrong.
https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/sight-scope-installation-tools/sight-movers/armorers-handgun-sight-tool-prod104737.aspx
]  Move the rear sight in the direction that you want to move the point
of impact.  [Don't move the rear sight with a punch and a hammer. 
How would I know this?]
     Grind the front sight down to move the point of impact up.  Replace
the front sight with a taller front sight to move the point of impact down. 
And then grind to perfection.  And then coat with flat black.
     We assume you are using fixed sights, because adjustable
sight are too fragile for combat.  Self defense is combat.  [If you bang
your adjustable sights or use them to rack your slide, you will throw them
out of zero.]

Carrying Concealed While Working Out
https://www.concealedcarry.com/firearms-ownership/carrying-concealed-working-out/

***** Instructors *****

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, you have a duty to your profession or calling as it may be,
to maintain a professional appearance.  If you're going to be pulling up
your concealment garment to present your pistol, you must wear an undershirt.
Exposing your skin or underwear is inappropriate.
     Your clothing should be clean.
     Your students should not be able to smell you.  Maintain a
high standard of personal hygiene and avoid perfumes.  This is also
tactically correct.  It is also correct for hunting.

"Every time I teach a class,
I discover I don't know something."
-- Clint Smith, Director of Thunder Ranch

***** Pedagogy *****

Qui docet, discit.  (He who teaches learns.)
-- motto of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers

     My math professor, Dr. Adolf Mader, told me that there were two
ways to learn a subject:  study it or teach it.  Teaching it is by
far the better method, because your students will ask you questions,
forcing you to do the research to answer their questions.

"Train, Practice, Compete are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.

***** Education *****

"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
[    Hey, Staff, that's an awkward translation.
     Having studied Latin only a little bit, I tend to transliterate
rather than translate.]

     In order to win the conflict, John Farnam advises you to:
Divide the enemy's focus.
Disrupt the enemy's plan. 
Disable the enemy's body.
Destroy the enemy's will to fight.
     Attacking the Central Nervous System is optimal, but that 
target is very difficult to hit.  So, we usually use our
bullets to attack the Circulatory System.  Be aware that
even if you destroy the enemy's heart, he will have 5 or more
seconds of animation before blood pressure drops to the
point where he is incapacitated.  [Five seconds is more than
enough time for him to kill you and many others.  So, you
have to stay in the fight.]
     Thanks to John Farnam at the 2019 Tactical Conference
in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.

     Dr. Martin Topper says it takes about 0.6 seconds from
your decision to fire, to actually causing your finger to
start moving.  And then it takes about 0.3 seconds to go
through your trigger control process.  So, you need to do
force-on-force training to reduce the amount of time that it
takes you to make your decision.  And, you need to do dry
practice to reduce the amount of time it takes you to press
correctly to get that surprise break (essential for accuracy
on demand). 
     The bullet must generate an over pressure of at least
2 atmospheres in order to cause remote tissue damage.  Pistol
bullets generally won't do this.  So, you can't expect to
cause brain damage by shooting the enemy in the torso, as you
might see with center fire rifle bullets.
     Thanks to Martin Topper at the 2019 Tactical Conference
in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.

     Chief Lee Weems explained the three levels of citizen-police
interaction:
Consensual encounter.  Nothing required to initiate such a contact. 
Investigative detention.  Requires Reasonable Articulable Suspicion.
Custodial arrest.  Requires Probable Cause.
     There are 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the U.S. 
17,984 are state, local, and tribal.
     Thanks to Chief Lee Weems at the 2019 Tactical Conference
in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.

     John Holschen says bullets will splatter at 12 to 20 degrees
from the hard surface that they hit, no matter what the incident
angle is.  So, stay away from walls!
     Stay back away from anything you are using as cover.
     If the target is identified as an enemy, shoot the first
part of the target that comes into view.  Don't wait to get
the center of mass shot in the A-zone.  If you can see the
enemy's A-zone, he can see you.  If you shoot his elbow or
foot, when it's all you can see, he probably can't see you
at all.  Of course, you have to lean way over to get your
eye out in front of any other part of your body.  [Of course,
we are assuming that you have previously positively identified
the target.]
     Thanks to John Holschen at the 2019 Tactical Conference
in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.

History of SAAMI: How Ammunition Is Standardized
https://www.tacretailer.com/2019/01/15/history-saami-ammunition-standardized/

The Appearance of Target Size
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2019/3/19/the-appearance-of-target-size/
     Looking through your glasses at any angle other than perpendicular
to the lens will cause distortion.  So, turn your head, so that you are
looking out of the center of your eye socket and you are looking through
your lens perpendicular to the plane in which your lens was ground.
     Yes, it's important.  Visual distortion may prevent you from
correctly identifying your target.  Visual distortion may prevent you
from aiming correctly.
     Read the other articles by Dr. Wong linked to at the end of the
article.

“Destiny doesn’t make appointments,
nor does she waste her time with the naive and unready!”
-- John Farnam

***** News, Legal, Philosophical, and Political stuff *****

GOA Defends Bump Stocks and AR-15s in Court
https://gunowners.org/alert3719/
     Unfortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear
the case. 
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-guns-idUSKCN1R9230

How do you win a gunfight? Don’t be there.
-– John Farnam

     I bought a U.S. Law Shield insurance policy.  I'm not
recommending them to you.  There are so many policies and
they are all very different.  You have to do your homework
and figure out which one works best for you and your family. 
     But, you ought to have a policy.  It's cheap, because
statistically speaking, we are more law abiding than police. 
And police have to pass background checks, psychological tests,
and all kinds of screening for honesty.
     The policy should give you money up front to post bail,
hire an attorney, private investigators, and expert witnesses. 
(As opposed to, "might give you money after review", or
"if they like the facts of the case".)  You get as much justice
as you pay for in the real world. 
     The policy should have a 24/7 phone number that you can
call for help.  If they are not willing and able to help you
on Christmas Eve, what good are they?
     The policy should have a list of competent, vetted
attorneys who will take your case.  (As opposed to, "who might
take your case after review", or "if they like the facts of your
case".)
     Policies that reimburse you afterwards only if you are
acquitted, are a total scam.  Such policies have a huge
financial incentive to ensure you are convicted.  This is
a conflict of interest, which is a violation of fiduciary
duty, which is why such policies have been declared illegal
in many states by the Attorneys General of those states. 
[Yes, those AG's are rabid anti-gun liberals and hate the NRA,
but that doesn't change the facts on which the orders are based.]

The Continuing Expansion of Permitless Carry
https://gunculture2point0.wordpress.com/2019/03/05/the-continuing-expansion-of-permitless-carry/

Every Picture Tells A Story, Part VIII
http://onlygunsandmoney.blogspot.com/2019/02/every-picture-tells-story-part-viii.html

Concealed Weapon Carry Laws in the US: A Primer
https://guncurious.wordpress.com/2019/03/06/concealed-weapon-carry-laws-in-the-us-a-primer/

***** Survival Tips *****

"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House

"Life is hard.  It's even harder if you're stupid."
-- John Wayne

Don't go to stupid places.
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
-- John Farnam

***** Basics *****

"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens

Tips For Your First Training Class
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/tips-for-your-first-training-class

"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN

***** Miscellany *****

Coolest Shooting Ranges in the United States
https://www.range365.com/coolest-shooting-ranges-in-united-states
     Rock Castle is within driving distance for me. 
I'm going to check it out next weekend.

15 Shootouts: Lessons From Ralph Friedman
https://americanhandgunner.com/our-experts/15-shootouts-lessons-from-ralph-friedman
Excerpt: 
     Friedman at that time was single and playing the field.
The time came when he was hit on by a beautiful young woman
who invited him to her place after work for feast and frolic.
A busy day in the precinct left him working late and unable
to keep the date, and she was furious when he phoned to tell
her so. Shortly thereafter, he learned how close a call he’d
escaped: the woman was the half-sister of the knife-man
Friedman had killed on the rooftop, and waiting in her
apartment were multiple male friends of the deceased. They
had planned to ambush Friedman when he arrived, torture him
to death, dismember his corpse, and dispose of the pieces.

     A guest pastor at my church spoke to this point in a
recent sermon.  If you stay close to God by doing what
you're suppose to do, as opposed to chasing sex, you will be
okay.  King David was supposed to be out in the field waging
war as was his duty at that time of the year.  But, instead
he was at home looking at naked women.  This lead to all
sorts of horrors in his court and family.

Ahhhhh, Texas
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Hawaiiccw/permalink/2256192604404124/

Emerson Knives
https://emersonknives.com/
20% discount, use code "flashbang".

Cheers,
Jon

Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com

With God, all things are possible.