Hi Sheepdogs,
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
"Better to stay out of trouble than get out of trouble."
-- Tactical Professor (Claude Werner)
"Jordan Peterson - Why it's so Hard to Sit Down and Study/Work"
“You are no more armed because you are wearing a pistol
than you are a musician because you own a guitar.”
from Principles of Personal Defense by
Col. Jeff Cooper, USMC, (1920 – 2006 A.D.)
"Buying a Gun Does Not Make You a “Responsible Gun Owner” . . . " by Kevin Creighton
Excerpt:
"Cars and pianos require a skilled, trained operator to do what they’re supposed to do,
and so it is with guns as well: A gun, in and of itself, provides no means of protection to
its owner. It is only through skill and practice that a gun becomes an effective defensive tool."
"Crime Wave!" BY JOHN FARNAM
"You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday.
You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity."
-- Epicurus (342 B.C. - 270 B.C.)
"What Happens in a Civilian Gunfight" by Tom Givens
Excerpt:
"At this writing, the tally among the incidents I know about is
65 wins/ zero losses/ 3 forfeits. Every one of our students who was armed won his
confrontation. Only three of those were injured and those three recovered. To the
best of my knowledge three people have gone through training with us and subsequently
were murdered in separate street robberies – but none of the three were armed.
This is why we put a great deal of emphasis in our training on the necessity of routinely
carry your gun."
[The sample size is 68. This is statistically significant. Many studies published in
peer reviewed journals have sample sizes of 50. -- Jon Low]
"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
----- 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
Defending yourself from criminal prosecution and civil law suits is extremely
expensive. So, you have to have insurance. Please read the document at the link
in the right hand column labeled, "Self Defense Insurance" (constantly being updated
and corrected).
"Primed with John Murphy" by Lee Weems
Massad Ayoob's 5-Point Checklist after a Self-Defense Shooting. Critical Mas Ep 14
You can't presume the witnesses will tell the truth. You can't assume the testimony
will exonerate you. Quite the contrary.
The enemy gang banger wasn't going to testify, because that not in his ethics.
You point him out and force him to testify and guess what he's going to say.
You point out evidence that no one else knows about or will admit to knowing
about and guess what, it looks like you planted the evidence.
So, you've got to consider the risks associated with following Mas' advice.
Make an intelligent informed decision in the comfort and safety of your living room.
Because making such decisions immediately after a lethal force encounter is not
optimal.
“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
*************************************************************************
----- Safety ----- (how to avoid shooting yourself, friendlies, and innocent bystanders)
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.
"Clark County deputy shoots off-duty Vancouver police officer
struggling with armed robber"
People always talk about the response time of police (7 minutes in the U.S.) on the
assumption that the police arriving would be a good thing. Maybe that's not a good
assumption. The arriving police might shoot and kill the good guy. Lots of documented
cases, such as,
---
"Police chief hails 'good guy with a gun' after officer kills him in tragic mistaken identity
Police say the man who shot the gunman prevented a larger loss of life."
by Christian Spencer
---
"Good Guy With a Gun Mistakenly Shot and Killed By Phoenix Police" by John Boch
---
Got to get your pistol into your holster and conceal before the police arrive.
Otherwise, the police might shoot you.
* Avoidance, Deterrence, Escape * As a civilian, these are your goals.
---
You are not military. So, you don't have to destroy the enemy with fire and
maneuver. You don't have to close with the enemy to destroy the enemy with
close combat.
You are not police. So, you don't have to engage in the first place. You
don't have to pursue. You don't have to arrest. You don't have to restrain.
Which means you don't have to protect the suspect. You are not responsible
for medical aid for the suspect. (The Nashville Police Chief has instructed
his officers, "No proactive policing." You can respond to calls, but don't
initiate anything. For those of us who used to be cops, this is the most bat
shit crazy policy.)
You are not a vigilante.
---
You are not military. So, you don't have to obey the Geneva Convention. You may
use hollow point bullets. You don't have to obey the Hague Convention. You are not
required to take and care for prisoners. In the Marine Corps, we were taught to
"Never take prisoners." Because you don't have the personnel to guard them and take
care of them.
You are not police. So, you don't have to give any warning. It is effectively
impossible to talk and shoot at the same time. So, while you're saying, "Halt! Military
Police." the bad guy will be shooting, stabbing, and kicking you.
You always have to look at the bright side.
"Deputy mistakenly shoots, kills off-duty cop in scuffle with suspect" By Noelle Crombie
[The were not "scuffling". The cop was chasing the suspect. -- Jon Low]
If you shoot a person without first positively identifying who you are shooting,
you are WRONG!
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET.
If you haven't personally witnessed the event from the start, DON'T jump to
conclusions. NO, as a matter of fact, you don't know what's going on.
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.
*************************************************************************
----- Training (figuring out the correct tasks to learn) -----
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)
If you think this applies to you, you have a good attitude.
If you think this does not apply to you, . . . can you really believe that you know
what you don't know.
Basic Defensive Pistol (BDP)
The class is free and we provide all the ammo for it.
I didn't get this announcement in time, but I am sure they will be giving
the class continuously in the future. So, if you know a newbie who would
be interested, please have them contact Paladin Training, Inc. at
paladintraining@sc.rr.com
"Urban Break Contact" by Paladin Training, Inc.
“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
"Decisions Come Before Technique" by Shelley Hill
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
"SHOULD WE TRAIN STUDENTS HOW TO FIGHT BACK FROM
COMPROMISED POSITIONS?" by Steve Moses
Move laterally. You can see where you're going with your peripheral vision. You can't
see where you're going if you move backwards.
"COLD WEATHER CONCEALED CARRY CONSIDERATIONS" by John
Excerpt:
"Bottom line, practice with your pistol wearing your gloves. See what works and what
doesn’t. Can you get a solid grip on your gun? Does your glove actually fit in the trigger
guard? Can you reload your pistol? Fix a malfunction? Integrate a handheld light or
activate a weapon light? Try all of these things wearing the gloves you choose and see
how they affect your pistol manipulations. Simple “gross motor” movements may be the
way to go in this regard."
"Put yourself and your gear to the test. There is no guarantee that your gunfight will
happen on a nice, sunny day. Take Mike Pannone’s advice . . . before you walk out the
door, try 10 practice draws. Do your clothing and holster choices work together
cohesively? Find out before it’s a problem!"
If you can keep your pistol and gear near your body to keep it warm, that's great.
But, if you are required to open carry by your job or circumstances, you need to lubricate
your pistol to ensure it works. You ever park your car outside to find that the lock was
frozen. Or after spraying WD-40 into the lock, finding that the door was frozen and
wouldn't open? An outside coat pocket may not keep your gear warm.
This article is worth the read for the discussion of how the garments can foul your
draw.
Gloves need to keep your fingers warm. Numb, non-working fingers are a liability.
Chemical hand warmers in your gloves or electric gloves are a blessing. I agree with
the author that gloves need to be tight.
"11 Critical Training Basics That Concealed Carriers Often Neglect" by Ben Findley
"Sight Compromised Shooting" by Marlan J. Ingram
Excerpt:
"Self defense pistol shooting also involves being able to reload under stress,
and clear malfunctions. Personally, I like training these at home with an empty
gun and dummy rounds . . . and I do them ‘blind’ (with my eyes closed).
The idea is to be able to instinctively do these things by ‘feel’."
"Too much instruction and/or practice within too short a time period can be
detrimental to both learning and performance (Ericsson et al. 1993)."
Ericsson, K. A., R. T. Krampe, and C. Tesch-Romer.
“The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance.”
Psychological Review 100, no. 3 (1993): 363–406.
Cited in "Building Shooters: Applying Neuroscience Research to
Tactical Training System Design and Training Delivery" by Salomon, Dustin.
"Tom Givens interview -
Is CCW course sufficient, Revolvers vs semi-autos, Women and self-defense"
If your car starts to slide on the road for whatever reason, do you know what to do?
Have you ever actually done it correctly and recovered from a slide? If not, how do
you know you can do it?
Do you know how to evade an obstacle on the road or how to evade a drunk driver?
Have you ever evaded a drunk driver? If not, how do you know you can do it?
"Training?" by Rich Grassi
Excerpt:
"As to marksmanship, it’s less distance than the size of the available/stationary or
slowest part of the target. As to time, it’s not “speed” you need, it’s deliberation.
If you’re barely crawling, attempting to run is a silly waste of time. Get spun up
on abilities and skills. Refine them in the pressure cooker of tactical training.
That will pay dividends."
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) -----
Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
Compass Gun Drills by Mike Ox
https://tacticsandpreparedness.com/compass/
You can program your computer to do this.
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
In training and the games, the stimulus to start is usually audio, a buzzer from
the timer, a whistle, or a voice command. In the real world, the stimulus will probably
be visual. Be careful of training scars in your practice.
"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
*************************************************************************
----- Strategy (deciding on the end state and how to achieve it) -----
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
----- Tactics (tasks that you should strive to be able to do in support of your strategy) -----
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
"Best Practices for Mitigating Threats
Recognizing threats and mitigating them is critical in your personal-protection plan."
by STEVE TARANI
"TACTICAL RETREAT" BY WILLIAM STARNES
Retreat is a tactical maneuver. Retreat is not surrender. Retreat to cover.
Retreat to a position of tactical advantage.
"Reloading: Significant or unnecessary?" By Dave Spaulding
Well, actually, one should give a shit as to how the student releases the slide after a
reload. Because there are two possibilities: the slide is forward or
the slide is locked back. We should teach and use a technique that works in both cases.
If the technique does not work in both cases, it is WRONG. Racking the slide is
correct.
Well, if you bring your pistol and magazine up into your field of view, you can
look the magazine into the magazine well while keeping threats in view.
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
----- Techniques (ways to execute a given task, skill, or tactic) -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
Tom Givens explains the "wobble zone"
"Double-Feed — How To Clear the Stoppage with One Hand" by Jim Davis
Another option would be to catch the front edge of your magazine on your front pants
pocket to yank the magazine out. Of course, your magazines must have a front edge that
protrudes. Gock magazines don't.
Docent's comments on my comments concerning marksmanship techniques.
"Recent Defensive Pistolcraft Post -- Shooting with One Eye or Both Eyes Open?"
"Tom Givens discusses changing gears and precision in language"
Quickly
Carefully
Precisely
Precision of language is precision of thought.
"What Do I Practice?" by Dave Spaulding
Excerpt:
"Work on minimum index finger movement while working the trigger. If you can
focus on this, you will likely find you apply far more pressure than you really need.
The more the index finger moves, the more the rest will want to “help out”. Work
on resetting the trigger while recovering from recoil, not once you settle on target.
I call it “reset on recovery”. Not only will it help you be better prepared to shoot
when facing a real threat, it will help you minimize your index finger motion."
[I disagree. I think it is essential to trap the trigger to the rear and hold it there
until your sights are back on the target that you just shot. Because that is follow
through, and follow through is essential for actually hitting your intended target.
-- Jon Low]
"Pistol Hand Switching" by Greg Ellifritz
The technique I teach is as follows:
Insert the web between the thumb and index finger of the support-side hand into the
space between the tang of the pistol and the top of the firing-side hand. If there is
no space, relax the firing-side hand to make some space. Establish a correct grip
with the support-side hand as you slide the firing-side hand down off the grip.
With practice, you will be able to change hands without translating or rotating the pistol.
Tom Givens discusses clearing malfunctions
"Follow Through and Recovery" by Tom Givens
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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
Instructors, read this book,
"Building Shooters:
Applying Neuroscience Research to Tactical Training System Design and Training Delivery"
by Dustin Salomon
ASIN: B08B4JJ3G5
It contains all kinds of useful tips on how to get your students to learn things
(as opposed to tips on how to teach things), as in how to get the physical techniques
and knowledge into their long term procedural (as opposed to declarative) memory.
So that they can execute the technique automatically under stress. (Long term
procedural memory is that which is recalled subconsciously, automatically, under
stress for instance. Long term declarative memory is that which can be recalled
consciously. Big difference!)
You don't have to go deep into the neuroscience, but the references are there
if you want to.
Excerpt:
"Other students have backgrounds and experiences that directly conflict with the
information being presented. They usually understand the information presented and
may retain it easily within declarative memory; however, different neural-networks
than those intended via the program of instruction may already be associated with the
same stimuli, contexts, and skill sequences contained within the new training program.
Performance of skills taught will be difficult, and the learning process resulting in
procedural consolidation will be impeded. These students require a slow, deliberate
approach to presenting material, because completely new, competing associative
networks and responses to stimuli or actions in sequence must be developed.
Priming is the first step in accomplishing this process. Without it, achieving
consistent performance results with students who fall into this category is a challenge."
"The Training Junkie Fallacy
Or How Presuming Everyone is a Young Athletic
Male is Bad for the Self-defense Community"
By Kjell Rosenberg MD
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
"Too much instruction and/or practice within too short a time period can be
detrimental to both learning and performance (Ericsson et al. 1993)."
Ericsson, K. A., R. T. Krampe, and C. Tesch-Romer.
“The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance.”
Psychological Review 100, no. 3 (1993): 363–406.
Cited in "Building Shooters: Applying Neuroscience Research to
Tactical Training System Design and Training Delivery" by Salomon, Dustin.
I am trying to implement training paradigms that I have learned. One of them is to
teach small amounts over long periods of time. (Not a paradigm that allows for
maximizing profit.) So, I have scheduled a Defensive Pistol course that will run
every Saturday in April and May of 2022 A.D.
20 hours of theory, classroom lectures and hands on manipulation of pistols
and gear with dummy ammo.
20 hours of live fire exercises at an outdoor range. We won't do anything that
we haven't previously practiced dry in the classroom. Except for some movement
which requires more space than we have indoors.
4 hours of Force-on-force scenarios using Simunitions.
6 hours of tactical scenarios. We'll be shooting an IPSC match in a tactically
correct manner, not racing to win the game.
"The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."
-- Robert John Meehan
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Education ***** ***** *****
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
Professor David Yamane, "Light Over Heat" 1 to 5
(Links to the cited primary sources are given in the text just below the videos.)
How Normal Are Guns
Big Denominators and Estimates of Gun Ownership
The Changing Face of Gun Owners Today
What is Gun Culture 2.0?
Does Concealed Carry Allow the Promiscuous Toting of Guns w/o Proper Training?
"Real World Gunfight Training" by Mike Ochsner
Excerpt:
"But video (particularly body-cam and dash-cam video) is a horrible representation
of what people were actually able to see and do in real life. Video doesn’t reflect
neurochemistry, physiology, or the differences in how humans visually process events
vs. how a camera does."
. . .
"The difference is similar to trying to shoot an erratically bouncing ball under
strobing lights vs. having the lights on. It is much easier with steady, predictable
lighting than with the strobe." [This is yet another reason, you should never use
a strobe light. No matter what your police buddy says. No matter what the salesman
says. No matter what the other instructor says. Never use a strobe light. It will mess
up your ability to hit your target. You can prove it to yourself on the range at night
with any moving target. -- Jon Low]
. . .
"The traditional brute-force model of working harder and longer and throwing more
lead at the problem simply is not a viable solution for most. The number of variables
is too high and the challenge level is too high."
. . .
"It’s vital to note that people exist on a spectrum and that some people are naturally
better at seeing smoothly while moving quickly. It is common for people who have a
particular skill to hold a cognitive bias that makes them think that everyone should be
able to do what they can when that is not the case. Ideally, the majority of training
would be structured to lift people up if they have sensory challenges. However, the
majority of “advanced” training simply acts as a filter . . . letting people with calibrated
and synchronized senses through and frustrating those who experience some degree
of dysregulation without a clear, efficient path to fix it." [That is why it is so important
to choose training that is giving you an efficient path to fix your problems, rather than
a weeding out process, where you will get weeded out. -- Jon Low]
I highly recommend this book. This stuff is deep. The drills are very difficult
to do, and very difficult to force yourself to do, as they can cause dizziness, your
vision getting choppy, your speech getting choppy, headaches, or stomach aches.
But, as with anything of value in life, to get it, you have to sacrifice.
. . .
Mr. Ochsner uses the word "overtravel" with a definition that I had never seen
before.
I had heard "overtravel" refer to as movement of the trigger backward after
the sear releases and the pistol fires. I had learned that this was bad and that
that was why pistols have "overtravel stops". Things to prevent further movement
of the trigger after the handgun fires.
Mr. Ochsner uses the word "overtravel" to mean forward movement of the
trigger after reset. He espouses overtravel to be a good thing to prevent the
shooter from short stroking the trigger and not being able to fire. Better to let
the trigger go too far forward than not far enough.
I disagree. I think the trigger reset should be as short as safely possible.
I read "Building Shooters:
Applying Neuroscience Research to Tactical Training System Design and
Training Delivery" by Dustin Salomon
ASIN: B08B4JJ3G5
Excerpts:
". . . the job of a tactical firearms trainer is to prepare a student to maybe
perform an unknown skill or series of skills (that most of them never want to
actually perform) under unknown conditions at some unknown future date
and time. We say unknown because a deadly force encounter could involve
close-contact shooting, one-handed shooting, two-handed shooting, ground
fighting, shooting on the move, engaging a moving threat, engaging multiple
threats, firing multiple rounds, support-handed shooting, close-quarters
surgical shooting, positional shooting, distance shooting, shooting from cover,
low-light shooting, malfunction clearance, and so on . . . or some combination
thereof."
. . .
"The unknown skill or series of skills (should performance ever become
necessary) will also be performed (at said unknown time) in response to an
unknown stimulus or series of stimuli, the interpretation of which may heavily
depend upon an unknown context. In order to achieve successful skill
performance, these (unknown) stimuli and context(s) must be cognitively
evaluated and interpreted against a complex system of parameters (law and
policy). If this cognitive processing is performed erroneously (even if the
skill itself is performed and applied correctly), tragic loss of life, serious injury,
damage to property, and felony criminal conviction are all potential results.
In any case, the results of real-world skill performance for the student will
always involve consequences regarding loss of life, serious injury, criminal
liability, civil liability, and loss of livelihood."
[Being the good guy is way more difficult than being the bad guy. You
think the bad guy thinks about these things? You think the bad guy has
anything to lose? -- Jon Low]
. . .
"Examples abound of the operational impacts of what are sometimes referred
to as training scars. These consist of nonsensical actions that are performed
operationally under stress. Examples include officers handing their firearms to
attackers after fighting successfully to retain them, releasing suspects they have
physically subdued because the suspect “taps out,” reholstering their weapons
in the midst of lethal encounters, and picking up spent shell casings or empty
magazines during gun battles. The term “training scar” is used to describe these
types of actions when they are repetitively performed during training either in
response to a stimulus or in sequence with other operationally required actions."
"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
. . .
"Reviews of both law enforcement and civilian use of deadly force show
that the need for extremely high levels of fundamental technical skill (as
compared to competitive shooting or special-missions-unit requirements)
is extraordinarily rare, so rare as to be statistically insignificant. In contrast,
even a cursory glance at today’s news headlines shows that extremely high
levels of associative judgment and decision-making skill are of the utmost
importance, no matter the job title or relative skill level of an armed
professional (or civilian)."
. . .
This book is all about how the brain learns.
I highly recommend.
I read "Hitting in Combat:
The Brain Science of Training to Win Gunfights" by Dustin Salomon
ISBN-10: 1952594103
ISBN-13: 978-1952594106
Excerpt:
"To review, once information makes it through the brain’s filter,
survives without interference in short-term memory, and is recognized
as important enough for storage, then the brain can finally go through
the process of moving it into one, or both, of the long-term memory
storage systems. Remember that this process takes at least 24 hours,
starting from the time the information is first stabilized inside
short-term memory."
. . .
"The second long-term system is called procedural memory.
This system stores information that is unconsciously accessed.
Of particular importance for tactical training applications is the
fact that this is the only memory system that is reliably accessible
when a person is under stress.
This means that if a skill is going to be performed in highly
stressful environments, that skill must be stored in the procedural
memory system. It is not enough that the person understands the
skill, can describe the skill, can perform the skill, or even can do
the skill very, very well. A skill must be stored in long-term
procedural memory if it is going to be performed in combat."
. . .
"I encourage you to think very long and hard about the limitations
you may place on yourself or your students if non-visually-aimed-fire
becomes the dominant method of shooting. It certainly has the
potential to do long-term damage to performance potential and
possibly even negatively impact survivability."
. . .
". . . there are still a number of significant discrepancies in square range training
that impact its usefulness for evaluation of real-life shooting method effectiveness.
These include the following:
There is a “fake” visual aiming system (visible round impacts on the target).
There is an artificial level of scene layout awareness (targets rarely move, or
when they do move, they do so in restricted and highly predictable patterns)
which contributes to an unrealistic level of kinesthetic alignment ability.
There is no possibility of the vestibular system being severely compromised
as a prelude to the requirement for shooting skill application (i.e., nobody is
going to crack a firearms student in the head on a range). [Realistic training as
in the Marine Corps, causes casualties and fatalities. The Corps can tolerate
such. No civilian instructor can tolerate such. The most a civilian gun school
can tolerate is accidental shootings, or trip and fall injuries. -- Jon Low]
This book is all about the scientific
(hypothesis -> experiment -> data -> analysis -> theory -> hypothesis -> ad infinitum)
analysis of "visually-aimed-fire" and "non-visually-aimed-fire".
I highly recommend.
Liberated Manuals.com -- Free Military Manuals
List,
Lots of antenna construction manuals.
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Hardware (which includes you) ***** ***** *****
"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley
Miss Annie Oakley's wish can only be accomplished through training and practice.
For there is nothing natural or instinctive about shooting a firearm. The skill is acquired
through careful choice of training and deliberate intentional practice. If you're not
keeping a journal of your training and practice, they are not deliberate or intentional.
The one thing all world class athletes have in common is that they keep highly
detailed journals. This collection of empirical data allows them to apply the scientific
method thereby forcing improvements in performance. Without a journal, you are
taking a random walk, akin to Brownian motion.
If you don't know how to keep a journal and how to use it for force improvement
in performance, ask your coach. If you don't have a coach, ask any coach. They
are usually happy to help you. If not, ask another coach. Yes, it is worth the effort.
“Woman must not depend upon the protection of man,
but must be taught to protect herself.”
-- Susan B. Anthony
My eye doctor told me not to get surgery to correct my vision (near sighted) because
at around age 40 my eyes would change and I would get more far sighted. Everyone is
different. For me the change didn't happen until I was 62 years old. I first noticed it
driving. I didn't need to wear my glasses to drive anymore. I could not see my dash
board (it was out of focus), but everything out the windows was highly resolved and
in focus. When I shoot, I used to have to tilt my head back to use the reading portion
of my bifocals to see the front sight clearly. Now days, I have to tilt my head forward
to use the normal (distant) part of the lens in my glasses. This became sharply apparent
when I was shooting in the dark with tritium night sights. I need to see my optometrist
to get a new prescription for my glasses and contact lenses.
----- Gear -----
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
"Training Weak Hand Shooting is Important" by Dan Reedy
You must have a right and left handed holster for your pistol. You must deliberately
practice support side operations, including presentation from the holster to the target,
holstering, shooting accurately, shooting fast, clearing malfunctions, reloading, etc.
Because in the future your firing side finger / hand / arm / wrist / elbow / shoulder / etc.
may not be working. Maybe for weeks or months.
If you're getting cold, may I recommend Brynje?
Unfortunately, they don't sell gloves, only mittens. It's a Norwegian company.
Their stuff works.
You must protect your hands from the cold, otherwise you will get frostbite,
which will kill the nerves in your fingers. Then when you touch something hot
you will get burned, but not notice it. A very dangerous situation. So, protect
your hands. Get a good pair of insulated gloves.
"2022 SHOT Show, Range Day" BY JOHN FARNAM
Excerpt:
"The BRG Pistol! This is a Turkish-made, compact 9mm carry gun (17-shooter)
that looks and feels a lot like an SA/XD, and fits nicely into an XD holster. Grip-safety
and tactile loaded-chamber indicator are identical to those on an XD.
Variable grip geometry.
Vicki’s small hands could still reach the trigger.
I like it! Retails for $500.00"
[SA = Springfield Armory.
XD is the model name.]
I recently got a Springfield Armory XD in 45 ACP, 4 inch barrel (not the Tactical model),
Mod 2. I bought it from the Officer Store used, a police department trade in.
I noticed that SA had implemented all of the changes to the grip that I had
submitted over they years. I'm sure many persons had submitted similar suggestions for
improvement.
The top of the grip by the tang is thinner so as not to irritate the sesamoid bone at the
base of the thumb of the firing side hand when using a high tight grip with thumbs high.
The protruding edges around the magazine release button have been removed so as
not to irritate the joint between the proximal phalanx and the middle phalanx of the middle
finger of the firing side hand.
I am disappointed that the new "Grip Zone" grip is much fatter than the old XD grip.
While this is good for persons with larger hands (longer fingers), this will make it
impossible for persons with smaller hands to properly grip this pistol.
---
The pistol had very bright tritium sights, color white. One dot in the front and two
on the rear. While I had casually used such nights sights before, now that I owned a set,
I thought I had better put in some deliberate practice.
The practical necessary application of such sights is in an environment that is dark.
You have positively identified your target, but the target is not lit. So, you cannot
silhouette your iron sights. For whatever reason (tactical or because the flashlight is
broken or lost in action), you cannot use your flashlight.
If you can't use your flashlight, you can't afford a muzzle flash. Yes, there are many
types of ammunition that drastically minimize muzzle flash. You can use a flash supressor.
If you're using a sound suppressor, you probably won't have the muzzle flash problem.
If you're concerned about noise, you need to use subsonic ammo. Because the super
sonic crack is loud, especially at night in the quiet of the field, away from urban noises
(or inside a quiet building).
Shooting at enemy combatants in the dark without lighting them up is generally not
within the scope of civilian self defense. This is a pretty offensive, as opposed to
defensive, technique.
If you're thinking about using a red dot sight in such situations, look at your red dot
sight from the front in a dark room. You will notice that there are a lot of angles from
which you can see the red dot. Which means the enemy can see the red dot.
If you're wearing glasses / goggles, the enemy can see the reflection of the red dot off
your eye protection. (Hey, the glow of a lit cigarette was enough for GySgt. Carlos
Hathcock. And I'm sure for many others.)
If you've got enough light to positively identify your target (your tactical flashlight
is on him), you've got enough light to silhouette your sights. Using the Harries technique,
you'll never see your glowing tritium sights. If you're holding your flashlight at your
cheek or crown of your head, the back of your pistol is lit up, and you definitely won't
see your glowing sights.
If the target is not lit up, can you positively identify your target?
[In artillery Forward Observer school at Schofield Barracks, the U.S. Army instructors
told us that if we were calling in an air strike (the 3 missions we learned to call were:
artillery which included mortars, air strikes, and naval gun fire), to call Marine Corps pilots
if possible. Because the Marines would fly low and inverted to visually confirm the
target, before making a second pass to attack it. The Air Force pilots would attack from
a much longer range so as not to get shot down, which means they might hit you.
Pilots or Forward Observers or Intel Specialists making mistakes causing collateral
damage are never court martialed. In the civilian world, we are liable.]
One of my students got 1000 rounds of Federal 45 ACP from Target Sports USA.
In stock, no problem. They have a couple of types of ammo at 60 cents per round.
The Officer Store has Red Army (ChiCom) steel cased 45 ACP for $225 for
500 rounds, plus shipping. That's 45 cents per round.
"What Is The Best Concealed Carry Holster? (2022)" by Elwood Shelton
"Inside Look: LAPD Chooses FN 509 MRD LE" BY JACKI BILLINGS
Excerpts:
"In total, each pistol fired roughly 11,000 to 12,000 rounds. So, multiplied by two,
since they tested two guns per manufacturer, essentially each make pushed out a
combined 22,000 to 24,000 rounds."
"Though Sgt. De Bella could not release the makes and models of the six other
guns tested alongside the FN 509, he did offer that the FN experienced
zero malfunctions."
[Two pistols that fired about 12,000 rounds each of at least 3 different types of
ammo, and suffered 0 malfunctions. That is amazing! -- Jon Low]
Notice that the FN 509 is ambidextrous.
Retailing for $600. But, you can't buy one in Los Angeles, nor anywhere in
California. Because it's not on the California "Handguns Certified for Sale" list.
https://www.oag.ca.gov/firearms/certified-handguns/search
---
In this article at The Firearms Blog, FN says they continued the testing and that the
two test pistols fired another 20,000 rounds each with zero malfunctions.
That is really amazing.
The article states that 10,000 pistols were delivered.
Latest public statement I could find states that the LAPD has 9,974 police officers.
As someone who has worked in an battalion armory, I can tell you that you need lots of spares.
So, I'm sure there will be future deliveries.
"Four Reasons to NEVER Carry Just a .38 Snubnose Revolver" by Jim Grant
Slow, Difficult Reloads
Big Kick, Little Pew
.38 Special Terminal Ballistics Suck
You’re Not a Good Enough Shot.
Excerpt:
"The combination of minimalistic carry sights and ultra-short sight radius stack
the odds against the shooter purely from a usability perspective."
Colt recall of rifles.
The recall only covers the following MSR's (Modern Sproting Rifles) manufactured
beginning on March 5, 2021:
AR15A4, CR6700A4, CR6920, CR6920-EPR, CR6920MPS-B, CR6921,
CR6921-EPR, CR6933, CR6933-EPR, CR6960, LE6920-EPR,
LE6920MPS-B, LE6920-OEM1, LE6920-OEM2, LE6920-R, LE6933-EPR,
SP633784, and LE6920SOCOM.
These MSRs could still be for sale at dealers TODAY.
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
----- Technical / Maintenance -----
"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
"How Does a Thumb Safety on a Handgun Work?" by GEORGE HARRIS
"8 Gun-Cleaning Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Firearms"
BY RICHARD MANN
I you haven't cleaned your every day carry pistol in a month, I guarantee the trigger
mechanism is full of lint from your clothing, even if you can't see it.
Your body creates a warm moist environment, because you are warm and you perspire.
What grows in such environments? Bacteria.
What happens to metal parts, especially springs, in such an environment?
They rust and crack.
Why do you regularly clean your pistol? Because cleaning is inspecting. And
inspecting is far more important than cleaning. But, you might as well clean while
you're at it.
Don't use carburetor cleaner. Marines would use it to pass inspection. Bad idea.
Don't use Hoppes No. 9 on nickel plated pistols and magazines. The nickel will
come off. (The ex-wife, who owns the Sig P226 pistol and magazines, will not forgive you.)
Cloth patches have lint. Paper coffee filters don't and they are cheap.
"The 10 Types of Bullets (& 5 Bases)" by NRA STAFF
“Chance favors the prepared.
Fortune, the bold.
Providence, the audacious!”
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Legal ***** ***** *****
"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 fly through New York with guns.
Excerpt:
" I was flying to LA from Ohio, was supposed to connect in Dallas.
That got canceled so it was either connect in JFK airport or not make it
and miss the class. I thought it’s just a connection, I’m not getting my
bag so let’s see what happens. I boarded the flight (American Airlines)
[in New York, NY]
and my seat was in the very back. Everybody’s boarded when they
called my name over the loudspeaker as two agents came and told me I
needed to leave the plane. As I walked off the plane I was told the
TSA agents were coming to talk to me as “weapons” were found in my
bag and that was a real problem."
"Gun Trusts: What Are They? Are They Worth Doing? Cost?"
by Attorney Derek DeBrosse, of Munitions Law Group (http://munitionsgroup.com)
out of Ohio
NFA trust to hold full auto weapons, short barreled rifles, short barreled shotguns,
and suppressors, and such.
Estate planning.
If the object is owned by the trust, any trustee may possess and use the object.
"Self-Defense Immunity: A Real World WIN for a Defender!" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apBgnBXgQO0
A preponderance of the evidence. Burden on the state to prove.
Clear and convincing evidence. Burden on the state to prove.
Beyond a reason doubt. Burden on the state to prove.
"Law of Self Defense News/Q&A Show" by Andrew Branca
Does Home Insurance Cover You Defending Against An Intruder?
Missouri's Controversial Effort to Adopt Self-Defense Immunity
What's With the TikTok "Door Kick Challenge?"
Conviction of Kayla Giles, former USCCA Platinum Member
Upcoming "movie theater popcorn shooting" trial NEXT WEEK!
Andrew's upcoming Texas Hill Country motorcycle trip!
Infographic by Andrew Branca
LawOfSelfDefense.com/elements
which resolves to
"Law of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca
Free of charge. Just pay shipping.
Educate yourself. So, you don't spend the rest of your life in a cage.
“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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Survival, Personal Security, etc. ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House
"Running a few short sprints at full intensity a couple times a week will provide more
longevity and survival benefits than shooting twice a week."
-- Greg Ellifritz
"How To Be Calm Under Pressure: 3 Secrets From A Bomb Disposal Expert"
by a Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team Leader (Officer as opposed to enlisted.)
Excerpt:
“I’m still breathing, so that’s good. Now what else do I have that’s going for me?”
That’s what you call “looking on the bright side.”
"And neuroscience research shows that making decisions reduces worry and
anxiety — as well as helping you solve problems."
An excellent article.
"7 Ways to Teach Kids Situational Awareness" by Morgan Rogue
If you get separated from your child, your child must know to "stay in place,
don't move" or where to go to find you (a pre-designated meeting place) depending
on your child's age. The child will do whatever you have trained the child to do.
Failure to train is training to fail.
"Grievance-Based Violence" BY JOHN FARNAM
Excerpt:
"When you’re not “adequately equipped and trained” by now,
it will become exponentially more difficult when Democrats have their way!"
"Guide to Home Security Camera Systems" by Patrick McCarthy
My neighbors have found the Ring system to be effective.
Another friend uses the Eufy, which works well.
"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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** War Stories, History, and such ***** ***** *****
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
Rest in peace, Marcus Wynne (July 5, 1957 to January 26, 2022)
Funneral home announcement,
"21 Years of Situational Awareness Training 1996-2017"
Note the archives in the right hand column.
"JOHN FARNUM at Rangemaster Tactical Conference"
"Promises! Promises!" by JOHN FARNAM
In case your history classes left you without perspective on what is going on in world
right now.
"VIRGINIA EARTHQUAKE
GOP ATTEMPTS TO RESTORE PREEMPTION" BY DAVE WORKMAN
Elections have consequences. If you don't vote, shame on you. Better persons
have sacrificed their lives and fortunes to give you the vote.
"To Keep and Bear Arms – The Big Picture" by the Tactical Professor
Daniel White bought "The Reloader's Bench" in Mount Juliet, TN from Larry in
January of 2022. So, if you don't see what you want, ask, as they are moving
everything around.
Hey you clowns in the back of the room,
Did you see Madam Wu has a U.S. Postal Service stamp?
I remember taking her class. I remember her giving us a tour of her lab.
What a great picture of her!
Cheers,
Jon
I have always thought of myself as an armed civilian. After reading Dustin Salomon's
books, I realize that I am an armed professional. My job requires me to be licensed to
carry and to carry. My responsibility is the safety of others. My duty is to use lethal
force when necessary to fulfill my responsibilities. I don't shoot much on the job, but
I am always prepared to.
Unlike the civilian, I don't have the option to escape. I am required to engage.
Unlike the law enforcement officer, I don't have to pursue and arrest. I don't have
to give verbal warnings. I don't have to render first aid. I don't have to protect the
enemy after he is no longer a threat, because I never arrest him, I never take him into
custody. I don't have to restrain him. (Handcuffing is extremely dangerous. Don't
attempt it.)
Good Morning SigInt Marines,
Laudes, Cuba was a big antenna farm during the Cold War. When the Soviets
fell apart, the place when into disrepair. Photos had shown it overgrown.
Recent photos show the lawns mowed, the volleyball court groomed, etc.
U.S. Army radio operators report Russian Woodpeckers (Delta Dirac Impulse
noise, sounds like a woodpecker) and Soviet Saw Mills (Gaussian White Noise
in stages, sounds like pushing trees through a sawmill). These are Russian jammers
that have become more active in Laudes recently. The target is probably the
Air Force base in Florida. Their spies are probably reporting the effectiveness.
When the time comes, the jammers will probably be much closer on ships off the
coast or on land in the vicinity of the base.
Same jammers active in Ukraine.
No one seems to be inclined to destroy them. I would give the order, but
no one listens to me. I don't even have "by direction" authority anymore.
So, you're on your own, as you always have been.
As Marcus Wynne said, "Sometimes it's easier to kill the wolf."
(The context was that we do all this defensive training and practice to protect
the sheep from the wolves, but . . . )
Semper Fidelis,
SSgt. Low
Copy and pasting is the sincerest form of flattery. So, I am honored that those
of you would copy my postings to other sites. I understand that everyone wants
information, but no one wants to leave fingerprints. If you have copied past postings,
I hope you have included the non-printing characters before, after, and embedded in
each line of text. Otherwise, some things are not going to make sense. The
non-printing characters on DefensivePistolcraft.com are all gone now. Time to
move onto new techniques.
There is an online subculture that refers to itself as INCEL (involuntarily celibate).
They are basically angry with all women for refusing to have sex with them. The law
enforcement intel units monitor the online subculture because some of them are violent.
If you run into one of them, invite their attention to
"How To Become ATTRACTIVE To Women & Find A Partner -
Jordan Peterson Motivation"
"Your character is what you do when no one is looking."
-- Thoms Jefferson
"Canadian truckers rule." -- Elon Musk
Denmark declared the pandemic is over.
Let's go Brandon!
*************************************************************************
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com
KI4SDN
(Without a signature and contact information, your writings are no more than graffito.)
God can do more than you can hope or imagine.
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