Friday, October 8, 2021

CWP, 8 October MMXXI Anno Domini

 Hi Sheepdogs, 
     Get this book and educate yourself.  So, you don't spend the rest of your 
life in a cage.  
"Law of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca
Free of charge.  Just pay shipping.  
     Innocent people get convicted all the time.  Just ask the Innocence Project.  
They have gotten lots of people released from prison based on DNA evidence that 
proves the convicted person is the not the person biologically connected to the 
crime.  My Senator, Mark Pody, recently worked on a case to get an innocent 
gentleman released after some 30 years of incarceration.  It happens all the time.  
Our justice system is suboptimal.  
     So, you have to make it as hard as possible for the prosecutor to convict you.  
If your case is not a slam dunk for the prosecution, you've got a chance of getting 
the prosecutor to drop the charges.  
     On the other hand, even if the prosecutor knows he's going to lose, 
he may take the case to trial for the political capital.  If the case appeases 
his constituents, they will vote for him, and he'll get re-elected.  So, he wins!  
And you lose big time, even if you're acquitted.  
     Your win is to get the charges dismissed as soon as possible.  Or, better yet, 
never get charged in the first place.  Your tool to get this result is education.  
So, read the book!  
 
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*****     *****     ***** Software *****     *****     *****
 
----- Basics -----
 
"Better to stay out of trouble than get out of trouble."
-- Tactical Professor (Claude Werner)
 
"What Is Concealed Carry?" by U.S. Law Shield
     The article says the only nation wide way to carry concealed is to 
be an active or retired law enforcement officer under the 
Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004.  That's not true.  The easiest 
way to carry in all U.S. States and Territories is to get a state issued 
Armed Guard License.  Then you will be operating under the 
Armored Car Industry Reciprocity Act (ACIRA) of 1993 (amended several times thereafter).  
     Some jurisdictions won't recognize the law enforcement credentials of other jurisdictions.  
But, ACIRA requires every state to recognized the Armed Guard license of every other state.  
[The magic words are "I'm transporting federal money."  It's also nice to have a receipt.  
Though I've had receipts that could not be distinguished from a piece of paper pulled out 
of the trash.]
Getting a state Armed Guard license is much easier than getting law enforcement credentials.  
In Tennessee, it's a 8 hour course where you fire a few rounds into a humanoid target at 
very close range, and hit it with 70% of the bullets fired.  The renewal, every 2 years, 
is 4 hours and 70% hits on your target.   
     If you make a big campaign contribution, the President of the United States 
can commission you as a U.S. Marshal.  That's fairly easy.  And U.S. Marshals can 
carry in Federal Court Houses.  Heck, even Deputy Marshals can carry in courts.  
 
"3 Things You Should Learn in a Conceal and Carry Class" by U.S. Law Shield
1. How to Carry a Gun
2. How Things Can Go Wrong
3. Deadly Force Law and Use of Force Law
 
     Things that cost you money, waste your time, and are bad for you:  
Cigarettes.  Because they destroy your health.  
Make up, tattoos, etc.  Because you are putting graffiti on God's masterpiece of creation.
Jewelry (including expensive wrist watches).  Because they invite robbery and kidnapping.  
Drinking sugary beverages (soda pop, sweet tea, etc.).  Because they cause obesity and 
diabetes (especially in children).  
Consuming the broadcast "news".  Because there is no journalism.  There is only propaganda.  
     Oh, I could go on for pages.  But, it's easy to tell the good from the bad.  
Is it of God or is it of this world?  
 
"How To Establish Hand And Eye Dominance" by NRA Staff
     Ya, I know "Shooting Sports USA" is for target shooting, but as Bruce Lee said, 
get stuff from where ever you can.  
 
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm, 
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
 
----- Aftermath -----
(You have to be alive to have these problems:  criminal and civil liability.)
 
“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, 
but because he loves what is behind him.”
― G.K. Chesterton
 
“Your understanding and consent are not required for someone to take 
your life, kill your loved ones, and destroy all you hold dear.” 
-- William Aprill 
 
----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
 
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, and Escape
 
"The purpose of my firearm is to save human life" - 
Talking MINDSET with John Holschen - TENICOR
1.  The sole purpose of my firearm is to save human life.
2.  While saving human life, I am responsible to ensure that I hurt no innocents.  
3.  Deadly force is not one of many options.  It is what remains when all other 
options have been exhausted.  
     Do you believe there are people who need to be killed?  
          If not, you should not carry a gun.  
     If so, are you willing to kill those people?  
          If not, you should not carry a gun, because the bad guy will take 
your gun from you, and kill you and your loved ones with it.  No, really, cops 
are killed with their own guns all the time.  
     If you believe that bad guys need to be killed, and you're willing to kill 
them, are you prepared for the aftermath?  Do you know what the aftermath will be?  
Oh no, it's not like on TV or in the movies, where the good guy is back at work 
the next day.  It's entirely different.  
     Helping people live less fearfully.  
     Some people say, "Violence is never the answer."  Such people are wrong.  
Sometimes, violence is the only answer.  And violence applied sooner will prevent 
more violence later.  
     Some people say, I could live with being raped, but I could not live with 
killing someone.  This is fallacious.  The guys who are raping you will kill you.  
So, you won't be "living with being raped".  You will be "dead".  Or, you will be 
so mutilated and disabled (mentally and physically) that you will wish you were dead.  
 
"9 Signs You’re Tactically Stupid" By Travis Pike
     Stupid is dangerous for you.  This is not funny ha ha.  This is dead serious.  
 
"A Life Lesson About my Greatest Opponent" by Marlan J. Ingram
 
     Superstitions are not silly things that you know are false.  Superstitions 
are things that you know are true, that are false.  So, you never know you have 
a superstition until you don't get the result that you were expecting.  
     Like, you shot him, but it didn't have any effect, and he just kept on coming.  
(You don't want to be frozen in shock, unable to believe what's happening.)
Training will dispel superstitions.  So, you know that pistol bullets are 
ballistically deficient compared to rifles or shotguns.  You know that one shot 
stops are rare.  (Usually only occurring due to a psychological stop, not a 
physiological stop.)  So, you are taught (and understand) to shoot to stop the 
attack and to continue shooting until the attack stops.  Reloading and clearing 
malfunctions as necessary.  
     Oh, the list of superstitions is long.  And you believe them deep down in 
your soul, because you've seen them thousands of times in TV shows and movies.  
I have had young students tell me that what I was teaching was false, and that 
they knew this because they had seen how it really is on TV.  I had to explain 
to them that Reality shows are not real.  Gamers often ask each other, 
"What do you do in the real world?"  Too often the implied answer is 
"This is the real world."  Modern high tech media is immersive and pervasive.  
It's easy to get confused, to believe that that YouTube.com video or video game 
was Real World.  Especially if you are young and were born into a world of TV, 
computers, and such.  I was born before such things were common, and yet, when 
I first saw "Toy Story", it was several minutes into the movie before I realized 
that I was watching computer graphics.  And I had been a member of SIG Graph 
for years.  (Association for Computing Machinery, Special Interest Group, Graphics)  
So, I had seen all the bleeding edge computer graphics out of the studios and 
laboratories.  
     Be careful.  
 
"There are no victims, only volunteers.  
You volunteer by looking uncertain and afraid.  
You volunteer by being, as grass-eaters invariably are, 
unprepared to confront the hazards of life."
— Jeff Cooper
 
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----- Safety -----  (how to avoid shooting yourself and friendlies)
 
Jeff Cooper's Rules of Gun Safety  
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.  
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.
RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET. 
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET.  
 
No matter how big a hammer you use, you can't pound common sense into stupid people.
 
John Farnam's rules to keep you out of trouble:  
Don't go to stupid places.  
Don't do stupid things.  
Don't hang out with stupid people.  
Be in bed by 10 PM.  Your own bed.  
Don't look like a freak. 
Don't fail the attitude test.  
 
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----- Training (figuring out the correct tasks to learn) -----
 
     "If we ask the wrong question, we get the wrong answer." -- Richard Speece 
 
"14 Defensive Handgun Carry Commandments From Ken Campbell"
Excerpt:  
     "It means staying in contact with your firearms instructor to discover 
new techniques or receive simple reminders."
[Oh, like this newsletter. -- Jon Low]
 
     You need training because:  
You don't know what you don't know.  
Much of what you know is false.  
It's good to the have the answers before the criminal tests you.  
-- Claude Werner (paraphrased)
 
"It’s A Dangerous World. Keep Your Skills Up . . ." by Marcus Wynne
It’s A Dangerous World. Keep Your Skills Up,
So you can serve and protect during a high threat,
And pick up and run any gun,
And detect surveillance, electronic and otherwise,
And configure your fighting load appropriately,
And Stand The Night Watch.
 
“The secret of success is this. 
Train like it means everything when it means nothing – so you can 
fight like it means nothing when it means everything.” 
-- Lofty Wiseman
 
"5 REASONS YOU NEED A TRAINING JOURNAL" BY WILLIAM STARNES
     The shooters on the junior rifle teams that I coach are required to 
keep a highly detailed journal.  I review the journals regularly.  
     The one thing all world class athletes have in common is that they 
keep a highly detailed journal.  That gives them the data to which 
they can apply the scientific method to force improvement.  
     The scientific method is 
hypothesis -> experiment -> theory -> hypothesis -> experiment -> theory -> . . . 
ad infinitum.  "Ad infinitum" because nothing in science is ever proven as 
it is in philosophy, such as mathematics.  Nothing in science is ever 
settled, no matter what the liberals say.  
     Believing journalists, politicians, or "scientists" who broadcast 
on any media platform is not an application of the scientific method.  
Real scientists publish in peer reviewed journals (not magazines).  Only
peer reviewed journals should be considered credible.  And should only 
be believed after you have been able to replicate the experiments 
successfully.  Or, had your grad students replicate the experiments 
successfully.  
     So, you should realize that just about everything concerning Covid-19 
published in the broadcast media is propaganda, not science.  So, when the 
liberals scream, "Follow the science!" they are actually saying, "Follow 
our political leaders!".  
 
"SELF-DEFENSE FOR THE MOBILITY-CHALLENGED
STAY PRICKLY REGARDLESS OF YOUR PHYSICAL ABILITIES"
BY DAVID FREEMAN
 
     If you're too heavy to get up from the ground onto your feet by yourself, 
you need to lose weight.  Reducing the amount you eat is not a good idea.  
Rather, you should exercise, move around.  And you should eat smart.  
The ice cream in your freezer, throw it in the trash.  Similarly for your 
soda pop, booze, dope, smokes, and chew.  
     Buy fresh fruit such as grapes and blueberries, put them in a Zip Lock 
freezer bag, and toss them into your freezer to replace the ice cream.  
     Remove all television sets from your house.  Replace them with exercise 
machines, or if you can't afford that, go outside and walk around.  Don't 
stop.  Keep walking.  Yes, I know you're getting tired, that's the problem.  
You have to keep walking to increase your endurance.  Keep walking.  
     When you come inside from your walk, DO NOT SIT DOWN to watch TV or 
whatever you used to do.  You are a new person.  Take a shower and prepare 
for your indoor stretching exercises.  This is your new life style.  You 
are always active, always moving around.  Win!  
     At work, you will not sit down.  Place your computer on a higher counter 
and stand while you work.  The old you sat around a lot.  The new you never 
sits.  
 
     Do not dress specially for the class.  Wear your normal clothes.  
Do not wear special prescription glasses for the class.  Wear your 
normal glasses.  Etc.  Self defense, which is combat, is a come as 
you are event.  So, practicing with equipment that you won't 
normally have with you is foolish.  I know other schools require or 
suggest special things for their classes.  They are wrong.  Because, 
you will fight as you have trained (because that's all you know), 
so you must train as you intend to fight.  
 
"Why You Should Train with a Partner for Personal Defense" by SHERIFF JIM WILSON
 
"Serious Mistakes – Unintentional Discharges (Part III)" by the Tactical Professor
Excerpt:  
     "This is an example of why I believe the commonly taught sequence of 
‘magazine out then clear the chamber’ is incorrect.  I lock the gun open 
first thing, then remove the magazine, and finally visually and physically 
check the chamber for no ammunition.  The magazine is not the source of 
ammunition, it’s the source of follow-on ammunition.  The chamber is the 
source of the fireable ammunition and should be dealt with first.  
But that’s just me."
     [Me too. -- Jon Low]
 
     The NRA has more than 13,000 NRA-certified police and security firearms instructors.  
On the civilian side, over 125,000 certified instructors now train about 1,000,000 gun 
owners a year.  On the competition side, nearly 7,000 certified coaches are specially 
trained to work with young competitive shooters.  [I had to go to the Olympic Training 
Center in Colorado Springs, CO to take a 3-day course to get my Level 3 Rifle Coach 
certification.]
     According to John Howard, Deputy Director Education & Training Division of the NRA, 
there are only 318 instructors that hold the rating of Advanced Pistol Instructor.  And 
the Advanced Pistol Instructor program was discontinued several years ago.  (Citation:  
personal email)  So, the number of such instructor is only going to decrease.  
Only the Advanced Pistol Instructors are authorized to teach the NRA Defensive Pistol course, 
which is geared toward civilian concealed carry for self defense.  
     When I got my Advanced Pistol Instructor certification, I had to:  
* show proof of training far beyond that given by the NRA, 
* get letters from the instructors who taught me attesting to my competence, 
* get letters from several of my students so the Education & Training Division 
could check up on my teaching ability, 
* have taken the Personal Protection Inside The Home class, Personal Protection Outside 
The Home class, and the Personal Protection Instructor's class.  (I had done the Personal 
Protection class decades ago before it bifurcated into Inside and Outside, but that 
didn't count.)
     If you're familiar with the typical NRA Instructor certifications for the other 
disciplines, you will notice that the requirements for the Advanced Pistol Instructor were 
far above the norm.  I thought the NRA was moving to improve the standard of training.  
But, the recently released NRA CCW class seems to be a throw back to the standard sort of 
NRA certifications.  
     So, if you're serious about teaching in our field, you need to seek out training 
beyond the NRA.  Attending one of the many open enrollment annual training conferences:  
     Tactical Conference 2022 (sold out, but you can get on the waiting list)
You need to register as soon as registration opens, because it sells out within a 
couple of months.  
     ACTIVE SELF PROTECTION NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2022
     Etc.  
is a good way to get a taste of many instructors and to then decide who to take classes from.  
     Besides the big annual conferences there are the smaller ones that pop up from time to 
time, such as the Hewbrew Hogger that occurred in Nashville a while ago.  And there are 
classes by the traveling instructors that are hosted by gun clubs, training companies, 
and such all over the country.  For instance, Gun Site sends a cadre to Royal Range 
in Nashville, TN every year to give their 5 day pistol class.  
     I should have taken Tom Givens' Advanced Instructor course last month in Nashville, 
but I procrastinated and the class sold out before I got in.  Now I'm going to have to 
spend money for round trip air fare, hotel, rental car, as well as tuition to take the 
class.  Learn from my mistakes.  
 
"Two Different Kidnappings- Would You Intervene?" by Greg Ellifritz
     Consider all the things that can go wrong.  Especially, "you don't know what's 
going on" and "what you think is happening is not what is happening".  
     Sometimes, just getting their license plate is sufficient to cause them to abort.  
If you've got time to scream at the kidnapper, you should have been writing down the 
license plate number.  
     There are drug dealers in my apartment complex.  When their couriers come to make 
pick ups and drop offs, I walk up to their cars, tell them that they are in my parking 
space, and write down their license plate.  Ya, they might attempt to kill me to get 
rid of witnesses.  Life is full of risks.  Usually, they just drive away.  As opposed 
to moving to another parking space.  Because, some guy in a security uniform has their 
license plate number.  
 
"Training is NOT an event, but a process. 
Training is the preparation FOR practice". 
-- Claude Werner
 
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----- Practice (how to get good at that task) -----
 
"When the Moment of Truth arrives,
The Time for Preparation has passed."
-- Mike Mercer
 
     Practice is the small deposits you make over time, 
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal. 
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
 
Why practice?
    "To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment
when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and
offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique
to them and fitted to their talents.  What a tragedy if
that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that 
which could have been their finest hour."
-- Winston Churchill
 
     "Be careful what you practice. 
Because you will do in combat whatever you have practiced, 
no matter how ridiculous."
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
 
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----- Tactics (tasks that you should strive to be able to do) -----
 
How do you win a gunfight? 
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
 
"LETHAL FORCE AGAINST A MOB" BY MASSAD AYOOB
     A deep history lesson.  Notice that the higher ups got acquitted.  
Only the privates got convicted.  Indeed, nothing has changed.  
 
"Recognition Primed Decision-making (part V)" by tacticalprofessor
Excerpt:  
     "Another possibility to consider is that youthful or first time predators 
may simply Freeze in response to an Armed Citizen Confronting or Resisting.  
When this happens, it’s neither Fighting nor Failing to Comply but rather simply 
becoming overwhelmed mentally when the predation doesn’t go according to plan.  
Initially, this may look like Compliance, say, to a command of “Don’t Move” or 
“Freeze,” but then when further commands are given, there is no response."
 
"Quick Thinking By A Good Samaritan Saves The Life Of A Teenager"
     Sometimes the good guy (Jay Johnson) wins.  
 
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
 
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----- Techniques (ways to do that task) -----
 
"Use only that which works, 
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
 
"USE THE PINKIE!
60 SECOND SHOOTING TIP"
by TOM MCHALE
     Yes, pull back toward your body with your support side hand.  Push the pistol 
toward the target with your firing side hand.  Use all of your fingers.  Keep your 
fingers together, because then you know exactly where they are and your grip is 
consistent.  Consistency is accuracy.  If you spread your fingers apart, you won't 
know exactly where each one is, because they are not indexed against anything.  
     The little finger is farthest from the axis of the bore, so it has the most 
leverage to prevent muzzle flip.  
 
"Using your eyes" by TENICOR
 
"Eliminating Tunnel Vision Under Stress" by Mike Ox
     ". . . the more you practice seeing both narrow and wide, 
the more likely you’ll be able to do it automatically under stress . . . 
get in the habit of flicking your eyes around . . . 
breathe in for a 4 count, hold for a 4 count, breathe out for a 4 count, and 
(most important) hold for a 4 count . . . "
     QUESTION:  If you take a few seconds, a few times a day to deliberately expand 
your peripheral awareness–to tell the brain that peripheral awareness is important 
and worth spending energy on – do you know what will happen?
     ANSWER:  Peripheral awareness won’t “cost” as much and it will become your new normal.
 
"Tiger McKee's Malfunction Tips"
     Well, the problem is that the magazine might be the cause of the problem.  
So, it's really best to drop the magazine that was in the pistol and get a 
new magazine from your magazine pouch.  Retaining the magazine would only 
make sense if you know that you don't have another magazine.  But, you always 
carry an extra magazine, right?  
 
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!" 
-- Bruce Lee
 
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----- Education -----
 
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons 
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
 
Rangemaster Firearms Training Services
OCT. 2021 NEWSLETTER
     Ya, but black eyes or split lips are indications that the enemy means 
to eventually kill you.  And if you wait for more serious injury, you won't 
be able to defend yourself or your loved ones.  So, you have to use force 
before you are injured.  The purpose of self defense is to PREVENT injury.  
If you fail to prevent the injury, the purpose of self defense is to STOP 
the attack.  If you fail to stop the attack, you're dead.  
     George Zimmerman's injuries were superficial.  But, if Zimmerman had 
not shot Trayvon Martin when he did, Zimmerman would be dead.  
 
"Slaying the Fundamentals with Bryan Eastridge" by Lee Weems
     Lee refers to Benjamin Bloom's Taxonomy, 
"Bloom’s Taxonomy" by Patricia Armstrong
     There are a lot more brain surgeons than there are federally recognized use of force experts.  
So, use of force experts are in higher demand than brain surgeons.  
     Leave 30 to 45 minutes at the end of the class to engage with the students.  
     Expectations of students:  Show up on time with all of the required gear.  
Don't shoot yourself.  Don't shoot the instructors.  Don't shoot anyone else in the class.  
 
"Tiger McKee on Training"
     What we teach applies to everything in life.
     Christian.  How can I help other people?  Food and shelter is easy.  
Personal security is not.  Empowering, you don't have to be afraid.  
     Get the proper training, so you know how to operate the gun safely.  
     Nothing about guns is natural or instinctive.  
     Safe gun handling and knowing how to operate the gun competently is one thing.  
How to fight with the gun is a whole other plane of knowledge.  
 
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
 
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*****     *****     ***** Hardware (which includes you) *****     *****     *****
 
"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley
 
----- Gear ----- 
 
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
 
"GEAR SPOTLIGHT: LIGHTS AND LASERS ROUNDUP"
BY HANDGUNNER STAFF
     All kinds of neat flashlights.
 
     Do not hesitate to take a pair of scissors or a knife, and adjust your 
shoes to be comfortable.  I have to do so on every pair of shoes that I 
have ever owned.  You can avoid all the blisters and discomfort.  After all 
they are your shoes, you never intend to sell them or gift them to anyone.  
So, why not adjust them to fit you?  Similarly for all of your equipment.  
 
"Holster Cant Simplified" by Carrie Lightfoot 
     Adjust your holster so that you can establish your correct grip with your wrist 
straight.  A straight wrist is a strong wrist.  
 
"Police: Almost 1,300 guns stolen from cars in Memphis so far this year"
Excerpt:  
     " “The bad guys tell us they even look for stickers on your car.  
Some people put stickers on their car proclaiming they have a gun or 
what brand they prefer,” Crowe said."
 
"Have Gun will Travel" by Nick Perna
Excerpt:  
     "KNOW THE AIRLINE. First, research the carrier’s policies. 
Surprisingly, each one is different."
 
"Open Vs. Enclosed Red Dot Optics" by Travis Pike
 
From an email from Gabe Suarez -- 
Here is my perspective . . . Rifle Perspectives . . . (or Rifle Precepts?)
1). Caliber must be 5.56 because of logistics, resupply, etc. Same reason we select 
9mm for anti-personnel uses.  Not limited by the Geneva Convention, or some general's 
preferences, we can opt for the most accurate loading in the most physically 
devastating configuration.  That is for another discussion however.
2). Barrel length is not as relevant the total package.  Chosen with an understanding 
of accompanying limits, barrel length is always a compromise.  The shortest possible 
length to accomplish the expected mission.  Best general purpose length would be 
standard 16".  I will say that when we were building our original 10.5" commando 
uppers with White Oak barrels, we could get MOA out to 300 yards with 75 gr Match ammo.  
Few wanted those barrels however due to the price.
3). Optics.  It is 2021 . . . a red dot is essential.  Yes, you need back up irons 
such as Magpul Pro, but a rifle without a red dot is instantly not as good as it 
could be.  For some, a variable in the 1-5x realm makes sense as long as it has a 
QD system to detach should the optic be damaged.  What we do not want here are optics 
that prevent use of the Bindon Aiming Concept 
which we teach and use for close range shooting.  The guys that get orgasmic over 
those side mounted red dots . . . look at the next point.
4). The rifle must be ambidextrous.  Other than the sling mounts, all accessories to 
include optics, lights, back up irons, and even the manipulative characteristics of 
safeties and charging handles, should be usable on both right and left shoulders.  
Rarely a factor in the game fields or in competitive endeavors, the real world 
requires maneuvering under duress as well as the use of cover. And that requires care 
in placing the rifle to adapt to those issues.
5). Weight.  We recall the Viking advising Banderas to "Grow Stronger" when the latter 
complained about the weight of a sword.  We laugh and add more shit to the rifle as 
our biceps veins pop when we hoist that rifle.  To the contrary . . . lighter is better.  
Again . . . within reason.  We do not want flimsy.  But we do not need excess weight.  
Hard to say exactly what is too heavy, or light enough, but like most other grey areas 
in life . . . you will know when you are there.  Err on the side of lighter.
6). Everyone wants to be a rifleman . . . until its time to do rifleman shit.  Maybe 
a new shirt for us.  Rifleman shit involves much more than standing at a range at 
10 feet and mad minuting into a B27 target.  Sadly the masses have arrived at the 
idea that a rifle school is valued by the number of rounds required.  That is a mistake.  
A true general rifle class that exceeds say, 300 rounds in a weekend is little more 
than fantasy.
7). Rifleman skills involve the following.  Zeroing properly.  Testing that zero at 
all distances expected to engage to learn holdovers.  Learning shooting positions . . . 
to wit: Standing, Kneeling, Squatting, Sitting, and Prone.  And all of their variations.  
Then applying them at the appropriate distances.  This one area we will discuss more.  
Learning tactical movement and maneuver with the rifle.  Managing the weapon properly 
and in combat context.  The manipulation skills of the 3 gunner will rarely have any 
application in the real world when others are doing their best to kill you.  
8). The rifle is a physical weapon.  The man that cannot use kneeling, sitting, or 
squatting (and they are interchangeable to a degree) is at a disadvantage with the 
rifle and won't fully use its capabilities.  There are work arounds but work arounds 
are never as good.  I recall one notable figure in the industry had to have his seconds 
dig a hole for his belly when he was demonstrating prone.  Such corpulent abandon does 
not befit a man of action, much less a rifleman.  
9). Even though a rifle such as we are discussing possesses 30 rounds of ammunition, 
the objective is always to solve the matter with the minimum number of rounds necessary.  
The man that concludes the action with a well placed round to the enemy's tear duct is 
more admired than the man who solved the same problem with a magazine.  Some of this 
might be happenstance of circumstance, but you get the idea.  In the weapon . . . more 
ammo is more better . . . but for rounds fired . . . less is more.  
10). Avoid the unnecessary.  Does the rifle need a good trigger instead of the GI trigger?  
Yes of course.  Does it need an ambidextrous safety, a red dot, and light M-lock handguards.  
No argument there.  Does it need a light?  Maybe.  If so . . . lighter is better and 
smaller is better and ambidextrous use is essential.  Does it need a laser unit?  Not unless 
you are prepping it for use with night vision.  Question the value of every addition.  
What the SEALs are using is irrelevant to you unless you are doing what they are doing.  
Think for yourself . . . don't go cheap . . . and be very defensive about adding anything.  
-- Gabe Suarez
 
"Can Ammunition "Go Bad"?" by Jeff Johnston
 
“Your car is not a holster.” 
-- Pat Rogers
 
----- Technical / Maintenance -----
 
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
 
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
 
*************************************************************************
*****     *****     ***** Instruction *****     *****     *****

Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."
 
----- Instructors -----
 
Remember, the students who require the extra effort are the ones who need us the most!
-- John Farnam
 
"Inducing and Controlling Stress in Firearms Training" by Mike Ox
Excerpt:  
     "First, don’t even think of doing it until your shooting technique 
is so solid that it is a conditioned response.  Second, don’t screw around 
with this unless you have written approval from your doctor.  It might not 
be appropriate for you mentally or physically, you might flex muscles in 
such a way that you injure yourself, you might fall down and get a 
secondary injury, or any number of other bad outcomes."
 
     Be careful what you teach.  
Because your students will do in combat
whatever you have trained them to do, 
no matter how ridiculous.
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
 
----- Andragogy -----
 
     An instructor should not expect any learning to take 
place the first time new information is presented.  
-- "Building Shooters" by Dustin Solomon
 
     "The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.  
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."  
-- Robert John Meehan
 
*************************************************************************
*****     ***** Legal *****     *****
 
     "Law of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca
Free of charge.  Just pay shipping.  
     Just get this book and educate yourself.  So, you don't spend the rest of your 
life in a cage.  
 
     "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. 
It is wholly inadequate for the governance of any other.
-- John Adams, October 11, 1798
 
"Don't Talk to the Police" by Regent Law Professor James Duane
     No, you're not that smart.  No, you will not be emotionally stable during the 
aftermath.  No, you will not be able to exercise good judgment during the aftermath.  
No, you're not smarter than the cops.  No, you're not smarter than the prosecutors.  
You've got insurance, so let your attorney talk to the cops for you.  If you don't 
have insurance, you're a damn fool.  If you think you can carry on an intelligent 
conversation with the responding officers, you are WRONG!  
 
"HOME DEFENSE: WHERE TO MAKE YOUR STAND"
     Don't open the door until you're sure you know who is there and what the 
threat level is.  
     Don't go out to confront the person.
     Don't shoot through the door.  
 
     Never consent to searches.  If the police search without your consent, your attorney 
can fight that (and probably win).  If the police get a search warrant, your attorney can 
fight that (and possibly win).  If you consent to a search, your attorney can't fight that.  
(you lose.)
     You've got nothing to hide?  What about all those illegal drugs and illegal guns?  
They aren't yours?  You don't know how they got there?  Well, obviously the police planted 
them.  Can your attorney have the planted evidence excluded?  Depends on whether or not 
you consented to a search.  
     With even higher probability, the police did not plant the evidence.  Your scum bag 
drug addict boyfriend left them in your car and neglected to tell you.  
     Oh, he would never do that?  
     You knew he was a drug addict, right?  
     He wasn't an addict, just a social user?  
     Oh.  Dave Ramsey says, drug addicts lie 100% of the time, drug addicts steal 100% of the time.  
 
"Attorney Andrew F. Branca: Full 90 Minute Interview on "Coffee w/ Rich" "
     "Law of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca
Free of charge.  Just pay shipping.  
     George Floyd's family got twenty seven million dollars ($27,000,000) from the tax 
payers of the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota.  So ya, politicizing such incidents is 
a big money maker.  One third (1/3) of the settlement goes to the attorneys.  And it's 
the same attorneys all the time.  
     Innocent people get convicted all the time.  Just ask the Innocence Project.  
They have gotten lots of people released from prison based on DNA evidence that 
proves the convicted person is the not the person biologically connected to the 
crime.  My Senator, Mark Pody, recently worked on a case to get an innocent 
gentleman released after some 30 years of incarceration.  It happens all the time.  
Our justice system is not perfect.  
     So, you have to make it as hard as possible for the prosecutor to convict you.  
If your case is not a slam dunk for the prosecution, you've got a chance of getting 
the prosecutor to drop the charges.  
     On the other hand, even if the prosecutor knows he's going to lose, 
he'll take the case to trial for the political capital.  If the case appeases his 
constituents, they will vote for him, and he'll get re-elected.  So, he wins!  
     And you lose big time, even if you're acquitted.  Your win is to get the 
charges dismissed as soon as possible.  Or, better yet, never get charged in the 
first place.  Your weapon is education.  
 
FREE Law of Self Defense Podcast
Also, be aware that we are now making available the Law of Self Defense News/Q&A Show 
as an independent and FREE weekly podcast available on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, 
Spotify, Pandora, iHeart, Stitcher, and many more podcast services. 
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO RECOMMEND US TO FRIENDS & FAMILY!  
Help us grow the Law of Self Defense Community! 
 
"How Bad Is Crime? 
This Bad:  Soros-Funded Prosecutor Criticizing “Woke” Judges"
     In Houston, TX, (Harris County) the judges are releasing violent criminals on bail, 
who have already previously been released on bail for violent crimes (mutiple times).  
The criminals are going back to the neighborhoods and killing the witnesses who would 
testify against them in the previous crimes.  So, the District Attorney holds a press 
conference to warn the public that this is happening.  She's warning the witnesses to 
take precautions, because the criminals are hunting the witnesses.  This is "criminal 
justice reform".  
 
     “Is there no virtue among us?
If there is not, we are without hope!
No form of government, existing nor theoretical, will keep us from harm.
To think that any government, in any form, 
will insure liberty and happiness for an dishonorable population 
represents the height of self-deception.”
-- James Madison, 1788
 
*****     ***** Political, Religious, and Philosophical *****     *****
 
"One of the foundations of a democratic society is knowing where to place your machine gun." 
-- Corporal Walter "Foggy" Dewhurst in "Last Of The Summer Wine"
 
"Guns used more for self-defense than crimes" by Tim Hsiao
Excerpt:  
     "Mr. English found that “guns are used defensively by civilian firearms 
owners in approximately 1.67 million incidents per year.  Handguns are the most 
common firearm employed for self-defense (used in 65.9% of defensive incidents), 
and in most defensive incidents (81.9%), no shot was fired.”  Mr. English found 
that more than half of defensive gun uses occurred in situations involving two 
or more assailants, highlighting guns’ importance as equalizers.  Besides 
producing an estimate of defensive gun uses, Mr. English also found that:
81.4 million adult Americans own guns.
57.8% of gun owners are male, 42.2% are female.
25.4% of Blacks own firearms.
Handguns are the firearm most commonly used in defensive incidents (65.9%), 
followed by shotguns (21.0%) and rifles (13.1%)."
 
"FBI Data Shows Armed Citizens Killed More Armed Criminals Than Police in 2020" by TTAG Contributor
Excerpt:  
     " “We looked at Tables 14 and 15 in the FBI’s new report that apply to 
justifiable homicides by law enforcement and private citizens, respectively,” 
noted CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb.  “Last year, according to the data, 
armed citizens killed 343 criminals during the commission of a felony while 
police fatally shot 298 felons."
     " “This data should send a message to criminals that their chances of 
recidivism are gradually shrinking,” said Gottlieb . . . "  [Because the 
good guys are killing the bad guys. -- Jon Low]
 
     "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, 
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."  
-- Second Amendment, U.S. Constitution 
 
"Smith & Wesson Moving From Springfield To Tennessee, Citing Proposed Massachusetts Gun Laws"
By CBSBoston.com Staff
---
"Smith & Wesson moving headquarters to Tennessee" By Steve Gelsi
Excerpt:  
     ". . . The company said proposed legislation in Massachusetts to ban the manufacture 
of some firearm products would impact its business.  Such products made up more than 60% 
of its revenue, the company said.  Smith & Wesson has operated out of Springfield since 
the company was incorporated in 1852.  It will continue to employ 1,000 people in 
Massachusetts and will keep its forging, machining, metal finishing, and assembly of revolvers 
in Springfield.  More than 750 jobs will move from Springfield, as well as facilities in 
Connecticut and Missouri to Tennessee."
---
"Smith & Wesson to Relocate Headquarters to Tennessee"
Excerpt:  
The key factors in the decision included the following:
Support for the 2nd Amendment
Business friendly environment
Quality of life for employees
Cost of living and affordability
Access to higher education institutions
Availability of qualified labor for its operations and headquarter functions
Favorable location for efficiency of distribution
 
     "Governments are instituted among men, 
deriving their just power from the consent of the governed." 
-- Thomas Jefferson
 
     A notice published on the NRA Instructor web site -- 
"NRA cannot provide any assistance in training foreign persons due to conflicting 
information from the U.S. Government regarding regulations pertinent to foreign 
persons and arms training.  NRA cannot process any requests for assistance in 
training foreign persons.  In view of the above, NRA cannot renew NRA firearm 
trainer credentials for any foreign national."
     [Nowhere in any of the forms that one is required to fill out does the NRA 
request citizenship.  So, the NRA does not know the member's citizenship.  
You've got to stop and think about this for a minute.]
 
"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty.  
Suspect every one who approaches that jewel.  
Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force.  
Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined." 
-- Patrick Henry, speech of June 5, 1788 A.D.
 
"Tucker: You're not allowed to point out this is insane"
 
"Jesse Watters: This is where the danger lies"
 
"New FBI Study Finds Knives Kill 2X More Than Rifles & Shotguns Combined" by Colion Noir
 
"Tucker: This is one of the worst stories of our time"
     This is the state of our union.  
 
"Militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves . . . 
And include all men capable of bearing arms." 
-- Senator Richard Henry Lee, 1788, on "militia" in the 2nd Amendment
 
*************************************************************************
*****     *****     ***** Survival, Medical, Security, and such *****     *****     *****
 
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House
 
     Conversation related to me by a friend who is a urologist.  
Patient:  I get kidney stones.  It's genetic.  My father had them.  My grandfather had them.  
It's genetic.  There is nothing I can do about it.
Urologist:  False.  Completely false.  You get kidney stones because you are chronically 
dehydrated, because you don't drink enough water, and you drink diuretics such as coffee.  
You also drink too much alcohol.  Stop main lining the coffee and stop drinking alcohol.  
Drink water until your urine comes out clear, not yellow.  And you won't get kidney stones 
anymore.  
Patient:  No drugs?  No surgery?  That sounds like witchcraft to me.  You sure you're 
licensed?  
Urologist:  I can refer you to a surgeon who will perform surgery on you.  I can refer 
you to an internist who will prescribe drugs for you.  But, you don't need that.  You 
need to drink more water.  
     Over drinks, the urologist (a friend from high school, so we've known each other 
a long time) tells me, he lost another patient that day.  
 
"If you stay fit, you do not have to get fit. 
If you stay trained, you do not have to get trained. 
If you stay prepared, you do not have to get prepared."
-- Robert Margulies
 
*************************************************************************
*****     *****     ***** Miscellany / History / War Stories *****     *****     *****
 
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
 
"Gun Culture 2.0 and the Changing Face of Gun Owners in America" by DAVID YAMANE
YouTube.com video at 
     This is deep.  Listen carefully.  Yes, David is an academic, but he is accessible.  
Gun Culture 2.0 is all about self defense.  It's all about handguns.  
Excerpts:  
     Anscombe's Quartet (Statistics)
     "Averages can mask differences in the underlying distribution of the data."
     "The average American has one testicle and one ovary."
---
"Information for Sociology of Guns Seminar" by Prof. DAVID YAMANE
     So, Dr. Yamane is a professor of Sociology at Wake Forest University.  
Check out the criteria to enroll in his class, Sociology of Guns.  
 
     I stopped by Dalton's Bar and Grill on the way to work to get lunch before 
starting the afternoon shift.  Three Nashville Police Officers in K-9 uniforms 
walked in for lunch.  When I went to the bar to pay my bill, I told the lady 
that I would pick up the tab for the 3 officers.  She told me that someone had 
already done that.  
     Better than getting spit on.  
     Ya, that's why I live in Tennessee.  Even in super liberal Nashville, the 
people are still way more conservative and respectful than San Diego, CA.  
 
     A cop told me that he was in a high stress situation and lost his flashlight.  
He was looking all over for it.  Thought it got covered by something and so was 
lifting things up and looking under them.  He found it.  It was in his left hand.  
I thought that was a symptom of high stress.  But, now I don't think so, because 
it happened to me in a no stress situation.  I was making a sandwich in my kitchen 
and lost a can of deviled ham.  I had just pulled it out of the cabinet above the 
counter.  I looked all over for it.  I found it in my left hand.  
     If you know of a solution to this problem, please let me know.  
 
     "This is VT12 requesting permission to land."
     VT12, you are cleared to approach from the east on runway 5.  Winds north-east 
at 5 knots, visibility 12 miles [That was instrument visibility as this was at night, 
no moon, no stars due to cloud cover.  Everyone had their lights and transponders off, 
because the North Koreans like to take pot shots with their machineguns.].  
     "This is HM36 requesting permission to land."
     HM36, you are cleared to land from the west on runway 5.  
     "Air Traffic Control, you have aircraft landing on both ends of runway 5."  
     Y'all be careful, hear.
     [ATC (young female, just out of school) neglected to inform the pilots that 
both were rotary wing aircraft (helicopters).  I'm sure she thought it was very 
funny.]
 
     A lady that I work with told me this story.  Her niece left her keys in her 
car at a gas station and went into the building to buy something.  A guy 
(who had just gotten out of prison) steals her car.  She comes running out of the 
building screaming that he stole her car.  Coincidentally, on the other side of 
the gas pump, was a cop.  The cop turns on his lights and siren, and chases the 
stolen car.  The car thief drives down a dead end street, hits three parked cars, 
and totals the niece's car.  The niece's insurance won't pay to replace the car 
because she left the keys in her car.  The owners of the damaged cars sued the 
niece because it was her car (and the car thief was law suit proof, had no assets).  
     But, no one was hurt!  Everyone just got what they deserved.  (Well, maybe not 
the owners of the three cars.  And then again, they got money from the niece's 
insurance company.  So, maybe they made out.)
     Dozens of people get their cars stolen every week in Nashville, TN.  
100% have left their keys in their cars.  Some have left their cars running.  
Some have left their children in the car.  
No matter how big a hammer you use, you can't pound common sense into stupid people.
 
     Dave Ramsey says, buying and selling crypto-currencies is currency speculation.  
In case his statement isn't clear; currency speculation is people with superior 
intelligence preying on people with inferior intelligence.  People with inside 
information preying on people without such information.   
 
All kinds of neat stuff at:  
     The Reload
     DTI Operator Series by John Farnam
     "Tactical Moment" by John Holschen
     Sheriff Jim Wilson
     Stephen P. Wenger (you can download his books free of charge, as they 
are presently out of print)
     Practical Eschatology by Docent
     The Tactical Professor by Claude Werner
     Active Response Training by Gregg Ellifritz
     Quips by John Farnam
     Rangemaster newsletter by Tom Givens
     CIVILIAN DEFENDER by Sherman House
     Handgun Combatives by Dave Spaulding
     Marcus Wynne
     Jeff Gonzales
Blog
Training videos
     Michael Bane
     Jerry Miculek - Pro Shooter
     OODA Loop
     Active Self Protection YouTube.com channel
     Michael Mann Security
YouTube.com channel
     Guardian News Podcast
 
"How Quantum Computers Work" by Josh [I have been unable to identify Josh.  So, I 
haven't been able to vet this.  But, it appears to be correct.]
Quantum Computing
     These videos give the underlying details.  
 
“In the long-run, there is no such thing as ‘luck’. 
However, the short-run is longer than many individual lifetimes!”
-- Anon
 
The Warrior's Prayer
Dear God,
     Please give us discernment to distinguish friend from foe from innocent bystanders. 
Give us clear vision so our aim is true. 
Give us calm so we execute correctly. 
Give us spiritual maturity so that we stop the enemy's attack 
without excessive force, without revenge. 
In Jesus name, Amen.
 
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com