Hi Sheepdogs,
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
----- Basics -----
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
Law of Self Defense News/Q&A Show: July 15, 2021
by Andrew Branca
https://lawofselfdefense.com/law-of-self-defense-news-qa-show-july-15-2021/
Excerpt: (paraphrased)
A man breaks into a home in which a girl is home alone. Girl calls her
mother. The mother is not going to get home in time. Girl calls 911. The
police are not going to get there in time to rescue her. Only the girl could
have protected herself. The girl shoots the bad guy through her bedroom door
when she sees the door knob turn. The bad guy was positively identified.
The girl did not have to see the bad guy to positively identify the bad guy.
This is why laws forcing parents to lock up their guns to prevent their
children from using their guns are criminal stupidity.
“The gun has been called the great equalizer, meaning that a small person
with a gun is equal to a large person, but it is a great equalizer in another
way, too. It insures that the people are the equal of their government
whenever that government forgets that it is servant and not master of the
governed. When the British forgot that they got a revolution. And, as a result,
we Americans got a Constitution; a Constitution that, as those who wrote it were
determined, would keep men free. If we give up part of that Constitution we
give up part of our freedom and increase the chance that we will lose it all.
I am not ready to take that risk. I believe that the right of the citizen to
keep and bear arms must not be infringed if liberty in America is to survive.”
— Ronald Reagan
If you meet an asshole in the morning, then you've met an asshole.
If you are meeting assholes all day long, maybe you're the asshole and
need to change your attitude. Change your attitude, not just your
behavior.
"The most important element of intelligence has to be understanding
the mindset and intention of the enemy."
-- Brigitte Gabriel, an Arab who was born and reared in Lebanon
Some people don't understand the enemy. Miss Brigitte explains in
"The Religion of Peace" by Brigitte Gabriel
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-06-Newsletter.pdf
"Genesis of Protection - Meet with Church Leadership -
Michael Mann Security Services"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBHjpMYlyvM
Starting a security ministry in your church.
"Implementing Armed Church Security Teams"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbS-4xIfisU
The primary purpose of a security team is to prevent, not respond.
The gun doesn't prevent anything. It's just a tool for response. If team
has to go to guns, your prevention has failed.
Questions the insurance company will ask:
1. Are these people being paid? (Insurance companies have difficulty
understanding unpaid volunteers.)
2. How many people are armed? (The purpose of the insurance company
is to transfer risk. The church is transferring the risk to the insurance
company. More people more risk.)
3. What kind of training do they have to go through? Is there a state
requirement? Is there a standard you have in place to make sure this is
going to be safe and effective? What are the training requirements?
What is the frequency of training? Who has to go through the training?
4. What are the specific procedures with regards to:
The use of force?
When they can use force?
What kind of force they can use?
Besides guns, what other weapons are they carrying?
[They might also ask what kind of first aid gear are they carrying
(tourniquets? pressure dressings? chest seals? hemostatic gauze?)
and do they have the training to use these items?
They might also ask what kind of restraint devices are they carrying
(handcuffs, zip cuffs, etc.) and do they have the training to use
them correctly? Handcuffing is extremely dangerous!]
5. Continuous improvement?
What are you going to do every year, every month, etc. for continuing
education and training? To ensure the team is continuously improving.
"A Non-diagnostic Approach to Pistol Malfunctions" by Nate Parker
https://www.usacarry.com/non-diagnostic-pistol-malfunctions/
"Better to stay out of trouble than get out of trouble."
-- Tactical Professor (Claude Werner)
----- Aftermath -----
(You have to be alive to have these problems: criminal and civil liability.)
"The science behind delayed interviews after a self defense shooting"
https://www.buckeyefirearms.org/science-behind-delayed-interviews-after-self-defense-shooting
"Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our
ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul."
-- Samuel Ullman
Email from me to the volunteer members of the Stephens Valley Church security team.
Hi Guardians,
Mike spoke to Brian, the armed guard at our church, and Brian informed Mike
that U.S. Law Shield is the only company that will cover persons acting as a
guard (volunteer, paid, licensed, or not). May I invite your attention to
US Law Shield
https://www.uslawshield.com/
I have the standard policy and "Bail Bond & Expert Witness" and
"Multi-State Protection".
If you want to look at the other insurance policies that I consider reasonable,
I invite your attention to
https://defensivepistolcraft.blogspot.com/p/self-defense-insurance.html
There are many insurance policies that are criminally stupid, such as any
policy that reimburses you upon acquittal. You need the money up front
to pay for attorneys, private investigators (because the police are not on
your side and won't be investigating for you), expert witnesses, and consulting
subject matter experts for your attorney. Otherwise, you're going to get
convicted. Any policy that reimburses upon acquittal has a huge financial
incentive to see you convicted. Any policy that will attempt to get their money
back if you are convicted is criminally stupid.
The U.S. Law Shield policy will pay up front as much as it costs, and will
continue to pay through the appeal process. Remember Oliver North, Admiral
Poindexter, and General Secord were all acquitted on appeal. Bill Cosby is a
free man due to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturning his conviction on
appeal.
In America, you get as much justice as you can afford. A $50,000 defense
is entirely different from a $500,000 defense. Metro Police Officer Andrew Delke
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
----- Basics -----
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
Law of Self Defense News/Q&A Show: July 15, 2021
by Andrew Branca
https://lawofselfdefense.com/law-of-self-defense-news-qa-show-july-15-2021/
Excerpt: (paraphrased)
A man breaks into a home in which a girl is home alone. Girl calls her
mother. The mother is not going to get home in time. Girl calls 911. The
police are not going to get there in time to rescue her. Only the girl could
have protected herself. The girl shoots the bad guy through her bedroom door
when she sees the door knob turn. The bad guy was positively identified.
The girl did not have to see the bad guy to positively identify the bad guy.
This is why laws forcing parents to lock up their guns to prevent their
children from using their guns are criminal stupidity.
“The gun has been called the great equalizer, meaning that a small person
with a gun is equal to a large person, but it is a great equalizer in another
way, too. It insures that the people are the equal of their government
whenever that government forgets that it is servant and not master of the
governed. When the British forgot that they got a revolution. And, as a result,
we Americans got a Constitution; a Constitution that, as those who wrote it were
determined, would keep men free. If we give up part of that Constitution we
give up part of our freedom and increase the chance that we will lose it all.
I am not ready to take that risk. I believe that the right of the citizen to
keep and bear arms must not be infringed if liberty in America is to survive.”
— Ronald Reagan
If you meet an asshole in the morning, then you've met an asshole.
If you are meeting assholes all day long, maybe you're the asshole and
need to change your attitude. Change your attitude, not just your
behavior.
"The most important element of intelligence has to be understanding
the mindset and intention of the enemy."
-- Brigitte Gabriel, an Arab who was born and reared in Lebanon
Some people don't understand the enemy. Miss Brigitte explains in
"The Religion of Peace" by Brigitte Gabriel
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-06-Newsletter.pdf
"Genesis of Protection - Meet with Church Leadership -
Michael Mann Security Services"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBHjpMYlyvM
Starting a security ministry in your church.
"Implementing Armed Church Security Teams"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbS-4xIfisU
The primary purpose of a security team is to prevent, not respond.
The gun doesn't prevent anything. It's just a tool for response. If team
has to go to guns, your prevention has failed.
Questions the insurance company will ask:
1. Are these people being paid? (Insurance companies have difficulty
understanding unpaid volunteers.)
2. How many people are armed? (The purpose of the insurance company
is to transfer risk. The church is transferring the risk to the insurance
company. More people more risk.)
3. What kind of training do they have to go through? Is there a state
requirement? Is there a standard you have in place to make sure this is
going to be safe and effective? What are the training requirements?
What is the frequency of training? Who has to go through the training?
4. What are the specific procedures with regards to:
The use of force?
When they can use force?
What kind of force they can use?
Besides guns, what other weapons are they carrying?
[They might also ask what kind of first aid gear are they carrying
(tourniquets? pressure dressings? chest seals? hemostatic gauze?)
and do they have the training to use these items?
They might also ask what kind of restraint devices are they carrying
(handcuffs, zip cuffs, etc.) and do they have the training to use
them correctly? Handcuffing is extremely dangerous!]
5. Continuous improvement?
What are you going to do every year, every month, etc. for continuing
education and training? To ensure the team is continuously improving.
"A Non-diagnostic Approach to Pistol Malfunctions" by Nate Parker
https://www.usacarry.com/non-diagnostic-pistol-malfunctions/
"Better to stay out of trouble than get out of trouble."
-- Tactical Professor (Claude Werner)
----- Aftermath -----
(You have to be alive to have these problems: criminal and civil liability.)
"The science behind delayed interviews after a self defense shooting"
https://www.buckeyefirearms.org/science-behind-delayed-interviews-after-self-defense-shooting
"Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our
ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul."
-- Samuel Ullman
Email from me to the volunteer members of the Stephens Valley Church security team.
Hi Guardians,
Mike spoke to Brian, the armed guard at our church, and Brian informed Mike
that U.S. Law Shield is the only company that will cover persons acting as a
guard (volunteer, paid, licensed, or not). May I invite your attention to
US Law Shield
https://www.uslawshield.com/
I have the standard policy and "Bail Bond & Expert Witness" and
"Multi-State Protection".
If you want to look at the other insurance policies that I consider reasonable,
I invite your attention to
https://defensivepistolcraft.blogspot.com/p/self-defense-insurance.html
There are many insurance policies that are criminally stupid, such as any
policy that reimburses you upon acquittal. You need the money up front
to pay for attorneys, private investigators (because the police are not on
your side and won't be investigating for you), expert witnesses, and consulting
subject matter experts for your attorney. Otherwise, you're going to get
convicted. Any policy that reimburses upon acquittal has a huge financial
incentive to see you convicted. Any policy that will attempt to get their money
back if you are convicted is criminally stupid.
The U.S. Law Shield policy will pay up front as much as it costs, and will
continue to pay through the appeal process. Remember Oliver North, Admiral
Poindexter, and General Secord were all acquitted on appeal. Bill Cosby is a
free man due to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturning his conviction on
appeal.
In America, you get as much justice as you can afford. A $50,000 defense
is entirely different from a $500,000 defense. Metro Police Officer Andrew Delke
spent 3 million dollars before jury selection started. George Zimmerman's defense
cost 8 million dollars. The prosecutors effectively have unlimited funds to prosecute you,
because they won't hesitate to go to the tax payers to get more money to use
against you.
Remember, Metro Police Officer Andrew Delke got convicted, even though
the convicted felon suspect had a pistol in his hand the whole time and
pointed it at Officer Delke. Think it can't happen to you? Consider who the
prosecutor is in Davidson County. György Schwartz (George Soros) put
Glenn R. Funk in as District Attorney General for the 20th Judicial District
specifically to prosecute people like us. There are many cases similar to
Delke's.
If you accept a plea deal, you are confessing to a crime that you did not
commit in order to avoid a potential long time in prison. That is lying.
Lying is a sin. In the end, you will have to answer to God. I am not a
hypocrite. I plead "not guilty" in both my state (New Jersey) prosecution
and my federal prosecution. This happened many years ago, before such
insurance policies existed. That's why I have no savings, no house, and
no wife. Learn from my mistakes. Get an insurance policy.
After you are acquitted, or the prosecutor drops the charges, or the court
dismisses the charges, you can get the arrest record expunged for about $800
in legal fees. Then you can legally answer "no" to any employer or document
that asks, "Have you ever been arrested?" Which will allow you to get a job,
get bonded, get a security clearance, get insurance, and such.
Of course, this is all under the assumption that you have the training and
practice to operate legally and competently. The Tennessee Handgun Permit
class is not adequate. The 4 or 5 day class given by Gunsite Academy or
because they won't hesitate to go to the tax payers to get more money to use
against you.
Remember, Metro Police Officer Andrew Delke got convicted, even though
the convicted felon suspect had a pistol in his hand the whole time and
pointed it at Officer Delke. Think it can't happen to you? Consider who the
prosecutor is in Davidson County. György Schwartz (George Soros) put
Glenn R. Funk in as District Attorney General for the 20th Judicial District
specifically to prosecute people like us. There are many cases similar to
Delke's.
If you accept a plea deal, you are confessing to a crime that you did not
commit in order to avoid a potential long time in prison. That is lying.
Lying is a sin. In the end, you will have to answer to God. I am not a
hypocrite. I plead "not guilty" in both my state (New Jersey) prosecution
and my federal prosecution. This happened many years ago, before such
insurance policies existed. That's why I have no savings, no house, and
no wife. Learn from my mistakes. Get an insurance policy.
After you are acquitted, or the prosecutor drops the charges, or the court
dismisses the charges, you can get the arrest record expunged for about $800
in legal fees. Then you can legally answer "no" to any employer or document
that asks, "Have you ever been arrested?" Which will allow you to get a job,
get bonded, get a security clearance, get insurance, and such.
Of course, this is all under the assumption that you have the training and
practice to operate legally and competently. The Tennessee Handgun Permit
class is not adequate. The 4 or 5 day class given by Gunsite Academy or
Front Sight Firearms Training Institute would be a bare minimum to start.
At least one class a year, monthly live fire practice such as an IDPA match,
and daily dry practice is required to ensure you hit your target under combat stress.
Remember, every miss is destroying property, injuring innocent bystanders,
and maybe killing them.
In Christo,
Jon
Please check out the web page "Self Defense Insurance" by clicking
on the link in the column to the right.
"MIKE DARTER AND STEPHEN MADDOX: THE AFTERMATH"
https://ccwsafe.com/blog/34795
---
Mike Darter's story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbQLQMV7MjM
---
The Stephen Maddox Case: How it Happened
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6a_xm7PplI
----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
“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
The “A” Student by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-11-Newsletter.pdf
The five A’s of defensive firearms training:
ACCEPTANCE
AWARENESS
AVOIDANCE
ACTION
AFTERMATH
"The Most Dangerous Man in the Room" by Warrior Poet Society
https://warriorpoetsociety.us/the-most-dangerous-man-in-the-room/
Excerpts:
"Don’t Broadcast Yourself as a Dangerous Man"
“Let your movements be as dark and impenetrable
as night and when you fall [upon your prey], fall like a thunderclap.”
-- Sun Tzu
"This is essentially tactics. Let them underestimate you,
and never let them see you coming."
"If time be of all things most precious,
wasting time must be the greatest prodigality,
since lost time is never found again."
-- Benjamin Franklin
[So, you must train and practice, instead of watching TV or viewing
YouTube.com nonsense. Yes, I am a hypocrite. -- Jon Low]
"Riots in South Africa an Overview, by Mac"
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/weekend-knowledge-dump-july-16-2021
"When I talk about this type of “dual systems” of protection
(police vs. private security) in third world countries, people tell
me “that could never happen here.” Really? I’ve spent some time
in South Africa. It’s far from a third world country. I guarantee
you will see the same thing here in the next decade."
-- Greg Ellifritz
[It's already here in the U.S. I make a decent living as a private armed
security officer, protecting those who can afford protection or those
who can get the government to pay for it for them. The Department of Homeland
Security allocated money to protect soft terrorist targets. So, I was one
of several who got hired by a Jewish Community Center to guard the people
and the facility (preschool, elementary school, outdoor pool, Adventure
Park, soccer fields, and community center). I often guard members of rich
families. The contractors strive to send us to old established wealthy families,
as they are economically more stable (generally) than the nouveaux riche
(plural of nouveau riche). Hmmmm, just like the butler schools. -- 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
Patrick Kilchermann quoting an Emergency Response Team commander
of a cluster of regional maximum-security prison facilities. (The ERT
is the prison equivalent of SWAT work).
He said something I'll never forget when I asked about the high rate
of failure his "entrance tests" were seeing. (Basically, 8 out of 10 guys
who applied to this ERT team were not even welcomed to actually 'try out'
for the team!).
These were his words:
"Here's the thing, Pat. You can give me a coward and I can spend
forty thousand bucks putting him through all the best training I have
available to me over a three year period, and put the best gear in his
hand. And you know what kind of man will pop out on the other side?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"A well-armed, and well-trained coward."
He went on to say: "This is my team, Pat. Think of the Spartans.
That's how we have to be. And when you march into a prison in the
middle of a riot and there are 40 of you and 5,000 of them . . . you do
not want a coward on your team. One coward and your entire outfit is
compromised."
---
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
---
I absolutely believe that. I've seen Marines transform from cowards
into courageous men. They just had to make the decision. And once made,
everything changes. (Of course, it would have been better if they had
made the decision before they enlisted. But, better late than never.
Otherwise, you have to do something to prevent the coward from going into
combat with you.)
---
"Sooner or later, we all must die. Warriors choose to do so on their feet,
weapons in hand, defiantly standing between their enemies and those they
hold dear. Cowards do so on their bellies, unarmed." — David Weber
"You need to train hard to prevail, not just survive.
Even then if you can't prevail you should do everything you can to survive,
and if you can't survive you need to take the motherfucker with you.
Don't put your family through his murder trial."
— Dr. Alexis Artwohl
"Jordan Peterson ~ Never Ignore Small Signs Of Coming Betrayal"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAs0JKj9YzA
Yes, as a matter of fact, this pertains to your ability to handle
bad guys. Look for the small signs and correct / de-escalate immediately,
before the situation becomes an all or nothing situation (where you have
to surrender or shoot the bad guy).
“The common trait of old warriors is that they continually sharpen themselves
by study, by training, by cultivation of spirit: always striving to be better
tomorrow than today. Warriors who do not do this do not live to be old warriors.”
-- Unknown
"Evaluating Your Own Mindset, Tactics And Marksmanship" by Richard A. Mann
https://gundigest.com/more/how-to/firearm-training/evaluating-your-own-mindset-tactics-and-marksmanship
“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
*************************************************************************
----- Safety -----
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.
"12 Easy Ways to Secure Your Home Against Bad Guys" by Aden Tate
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/easy-ways-to-secure-home/
If you force the bad guy to break something in order to get in,
you have a much stronger legal argument as to why you shot him.
"Serious Gunowner Mistakes – Unintentional Discharges (Part I)"
by the Tactical Professor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2021/07/19/serious-gunowner-mistakes-unintentional-discharges-part-i/
I'm going to have to correct what I teach.
Front Sight Reality Check #82
https://www.frontsight.com/fsrc82/patriot-tbd.asp
Examples of violations of Safety Rule 4:
Be sure of your target and what's in front of it and behind it.
"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe."
-- Luke 11:21
"Concealed Carry: Armed Self-Defense Part 2 SAFETY" by John Murphy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOoXy0FTuMU
"5 Things to Say When Talking to Your Kids About Guns" by Brad Fitzpatrick
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2021/7/24/5-things-to-say-when-talking-to-your-kids-about-guns
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)
"Visually Neutral" by Lee Weems
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUGNJsJvX3U
The body cam video gives a real world incident that is dark (extremely
difficult to see, can only see what is in the flashlight beam), chaotic,
and full of innocent bystanders (some of whom are running around instead
of taking cover). The cops are moving in because of a sense of duty. No
amount of money can induce a person to run into gun fire. You might not
be a cop, but your mission may be to rescue loved ones.
Without training and practice, the only option is to run away or take
cover. With training and practice, all kinds of options open up.
"That's a thing! Episode 5, The spicy treat surprise!" by John Murphy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_GaChpG0X8
"Vehicle CQB is a New Reality and Centrifuge Training Addresses It"
by Sean Utley
https://www.tactical-life.com/lifestyle/tactics/centrifuge-training-vehicle-cqb/
Greg Ellifritz recommends.
"The real value of training and practice isn't gaining technical competence,
it's achieving confidence in your abilities."
-- Claude Werner
"10 Commandments of Concealed Carry" by Massad Ayoob
https://www.tactical-life.com/lifestyle/tactics/10-commandments-of-concealed-carry/
“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
Get your training while you can, because life spans are short,
and teaching careers are even shorter.
---
“Requiem for an Unsung Hero (Mike Waidelich)” by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/requiem-for-an-unsung-hero
Excerpts:
"It was quite interesting to get them to balance the speed and
accuracy appropriate for their abilities and I think it gave them a
proper mind set for actual combat."
-- Mike Waidelich
"How good were Bakersfield Police Department officers? 85% hits when the
national average was 15%. (Lyle Wyatt says this number would be higher but
for one outlier shooting in which an officer missed with his entire first
magazine.)"
-- Andy Stanford
[Mike Waidelich was the firearms instructor at the Bakersfield Police Department
at the time. -- Jon Low]
"When training in the L.A. area, Waidelich and other Bakerfield P.D.
officers frequently heard comments like, “Oh. You’re from BAKERSFIELD.
Our bank robbers go there to get killed.” Clearly the department had a
widespread and well-earned reputation as real deal gunfighters."
-- Andy Stanford
---
From a Front Sight lecture --
Mike Waidelich designed a study which measured the amount of time the
"average" man can present his weapon from the holster or the "Ready" position
and fire a single shot to the center of mass of a humannoid target and
compared it to the distance a man armed with a contact weapon could run
and inflict a fatal wound. The time is 1.5 seconds. In that 1.5 seconds,
the "average" man can travel 21 feet. Therefore, when facing an opponent
armed with a contact weapon, 7 to 10 yards away, with nothing intervening
between you and the weapon, you are in immediate danger of death or serious
bodily injury. Dennis Tuiller later wrote an article on Mike Waidelish's
study which appeared in SWAT Magazine, 1983 and the study became known as
the Tueller Drill.
---
I read "Surgical Speed Shooting:
How to Achieve High-Speed Marksmanship in a Gunfight"
by Andy Stanford and James Yeager
and highly recommend it.
"3 Essential Tips for Personal Defense" by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2021/7/23/3-essential-tips-for-personal-defense
Excerpt:
"Shooting a gun well is far different from being able to fight with a gun"
"Personal defense is not about how much fun it is to shoot guns at the
public range; it is about staying alive and protecting yourself and loved ones."
Mike Ox quoting from Ken Murray’s “Training At The Speed Of Life”
Reality Based Training instructor training course.
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/knowledge-bombs-from-training-at-the-speed-of-life-instructor-training-with-ken-murray/
"Flip Side of “Dunning Kreuger”.
The Dunning Kreuger effect is what happens when people who have a taste
of experience and minimal skill grossly overestimate their skill level.
The flip side is that exceptional performers oftentimes aren’t aware of how
good they are and they teach above the level of their students . . . thinking that
if something is easy for them, it must be easy for everyone."
"It’s important to NOT train to stop fighting after being hit once . . .
it’s important to train to make sure that, if we have to shoot,
that we stop the threat before thinking the fight is over."
"Cost of shots fired by officers.
$10k for each shot fired in public.
$25k for each shot that hits something.
$50k for each shot that hits someone."
"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
*************************************************************************
----- 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
Is “Missing In Practice” the key to “Hitting In Combat?” by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/is-missing-in-practice-the-key-to-hitting-in-combat/
Mike delays the sales pitch to the last two paragraphs. A guy's got
to make a living.
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
"Visualization, or Mental Imagery" By Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-03-Newsletter.pdf
"Actually, these are among the most important times in one's life, when one is alone.
Certain springs are tapped only when we are alone. The artist knows he must be
alone to create; the writer, to work out his thoughts; the musician, to compose;
the saint, to pray."
-- Anne Morrow Lindbergh
[And I would add ";the shooter, to dry practice." -- Jon Low]
"Safe and Effective Dry-Fire Training at Home" by Travis Pike
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/dry-fire-guide-training-home/
Don't buy gadgets. You can't buy your way to competence.
Where to shoot (because live fire is important)
https://www.nssf.org/shooting/where-to-shoot/
“Cold” vs “Warmed Up” by Tom Givens
https://www.facebook.com/tom.givens.37/posts/10223475504228237
Excerpt:
"Any time I get a practice session, I always start with a timed/scored
drill shot completely cold, no dry presentations or other warm up — just
step up and shoot the drill. This gives me a chance to evaluate my on-demand
skill level and to evaluate clothing/gear combinations."
"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
*************************************************************************
----- Tactics (tasks that you should strive to be able to do) -----
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
"Armed Defense from Your Vehicle" by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2021/7/17/armed-defense-from-your-vehicle
"The most important thing in life is not to capitalize on your gains.
Any fool can do that.
The really important thing is to profit from your losses."
-- William Bolitho
A Tennessee Highway Patrol officer came to speak to us last night at the
Tennessee Firearms Association meeting. He told us that their policy was
never to shoot into moving cars. That policy makes a lot of sense, as you
can't predict where the car is going to go once the driver is disabled.
So, if you're shooting into a moving car, you're probably not living
up to the standards of good guy.
"Violence of Action" by John Chapman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUly90fy6yk
Excerpt:
Assume someone is going to be at the point of your muzzle when you turn
the corner, so you don't have to start your decision process after you are
startled by someone being there.
Beltline Placement as a Tactic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdtkwysHzVg
"That' a thing! Episode 6 The advantages of a fixed bladed knife" by John Murphy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykjBAYaraGs
"3 Reasons I don’t Like Backup Guns" by Matthew Maruster
https://www.concealedcarry.com/firearms-ownership/no-backup-guns/
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Techniques (ways to do that task) -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
You have to watch this! This is really important!
"Shoot Fast & Accurate" by Michael Voigt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBk-X54m_YA&list=PLGEq1uyckXhQ_KTQYuu8AZ-SfAt6WGs31&index=13
"You Stopped Shooting, Now What?" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-07-Newsletter.pdf
---
The Wyatt Protocol:
Fight!
Do I need to Fight anymore?
Do I need to fight anyone else?
Get Ready to fight again!
---
Tactical Response Protocol:
Fight, Assess, Scan, Top-off, Treat
---
Chuck Taylor's Protocol:
Did I hit him?
Is he down?
Is he out of the fight?
Where are his friends?”
"Learning Trigger Control" By Tom Givens,
"CARTRIDGE CONFUSION",
"Firearms Safety",
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-12-Newsletter.pdf
This is important!
"Handgun Red Dot Sights" by John Spear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5khq_kA8F0k&list=PLGEq1uyckXhQ_KTQYuu8AZ-SfAt6WGs31&index=21
Excerpt:
". . . knowing what fundamental elements you need to achieve success.
And that's where seeking training comes in."
Most important is FOLLOW THROUGH and CALLING YOUR SHOTS.
You have to get the red dot in the center of the viewing window.
[The red dot that you see is an image from a concave reflector that appears
to be at infinite distance (on the target). Correct concave reflectors
are parabolas. But, machining a parabola is extremely difficult and
expensive (~$5000). So, your cheap (~$500) sight uses a hemispherical
reflector. Which means when you get away from the center of the viewing
window the undergraduate equations of optical physics don't hold anymore.
So, the red dot does not indicate the point of impact. So,
You Have To Get The Red Dot In The Center Of The Viewing Window!
-- Jon Low]
"The Myth Of Pointing Accuracy" by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/the-myth-of-pointing-accuracy/
"I catch myself flinching or pushing before I release the shot."
That's good. Because you caught yourself, you were able to abort the shot.
A bad shot not fired is just as important as a good shot fired, maybe more important.
As Claude Werner asks, "Is the worst case scenario getting shot (because you took
too long) or shooting an innocent bystander (because you didn't get a
surprise trigger break)?" I paraphrase.
The beauty of the surprise break technique is that not only does it
defeat all of your autonomic nervous system responses that will cause a miss,
it also gives you the time to abort bad shots before you fire them.
". . . stresses the importance of cold (not warmed up) performance.
Since you probably won't get a chance to warm up before a self-defense
shooting, cold, first shot performance is incredibly important.
-- Mike Ox
"Applications of White Light" by Travis Haley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMO9WMdc2ks&list=PLGEq1uyckXhQ_KTQYuu8AZ-SfAt6WGs31
Excerpt:
Be like a firefly. (Not like a neon sign.)
"What Are the Effects of a Contact Shot for Personal Defense?" by George Harris
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2021/7/24/what-are-the-effects-of-a-contact-shot-for-personal-defense
"Pros vs. Cons of Appendix Carry" by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2021/7/28/pros-vs-cons-of-appendix-carry
Excerpt:
"As with all things concerning personal defense with firearms,
the best recipe for safe appendix carry is to get professional training.
The person who simply buys a handgun and straps it on is just asking
for trouble."
"Trigger Reset Simplified :
3 (or More) Reasons Why Everything You Know About it is Probably Wrong"
by Riley Bowman
https://www.concealedcarry.com/training-2/proper-trigger-reset/
I disagree. I think "pinning the trigger to the rear after the shot" is an
essential part of follow-through, which is an essential part of accuracy.
But, I love citing other opinions for your consideration.
In Christo,
Jon
Please check out the web page "Self Defense Insurance" by clicking
on the link in the column to the right.
"MIKE DARTER AND STEPHEN MADDOX: THE AFTERMATH"
https://ccwsafe.com/blog/34795
---
Mike Darter's story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbQLQMV7MjM
---
The Stephen Maddox Case: How it Happened
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6a_xm7PplI
----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
“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
The “A” Student by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-11-Newsletter.pdf
The five A’s of defensive firearms training:
ACCEPTANCE
AWARENESS
AVOIDANCE
ACTION
AFTERMATH
"The Most Dangerous Man in the Room" by Warrior Poet Society
https://warriorpoetsociety.us/the-most-dangerous-man-in-the-room/
Excerpts:
"Don’t Broadcast Yourself as a Dangerous Man"
“Let your movements be as dark and impenetrable
as night and when you fall [upon your prey], fall like a thunderclap.”
-- Sun Tzu
"This is essentially tactics. Let them underestimate you,
and never let them see you coming."
"If time be of all things most precious,
wasting time must be the greatest prodigality,
since lost time is never found again."
-- Benjamin Franklin
[So, you must train and practice, instead of watching TV or viewing
YouTube.com nonsense. Yes, I am a hypocrite. -- Jon Low]
"Riots in South Africa an Overview, by Mac"
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/weekend-knowledge-dump-july-16-2021
"When I talk about this type of “dual systems” of protection
(police vs. private security) in third world countries, people tell
me “that could never happen here.” Really? I’ve spent some time
in South Africa. It’s far from a third world country. I guarantee
you will see the same thing here in the next decade."
-- Greg Ellifritz
[It's already here in the U.S. I make a decent living as a private armed
security officer, protecting those who can afford protection or those
who can get the government to pay for it for them. The Department of Homeland
Security allocated money to protect soft terrorist targets. So, I was one
of several who got hired by a Jewish Community Center to guard the people
and the facility (preschool, elementary school, outdoor pool, Adventure
Park, soccer fields, and community center). I often guard members of rich
families. The contractors strive to send us to old established wealthy families,
as they are economically more stable (generally) than the nouveaux riche
(plural of nouveau riche). Hmmmm, just like the butler schools. -- 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
Patrick Kilchermann quoting an Emergency Response Team commander
of a cluster of regional maximum-security prison facilities. (The ERT
is the prison equivalent of SWAT work).
He said something I'll never forget when I asked about the high rate
of failure his "entrance tests" were seeing. (Basically, 8 out of 10 guys
who applied to this ERT team were not even welcomed to actually 'try out'
for the team!).
These were his words:
"Here's the thing, Pat. You can give me a coward and I can spend
forty thousand bucks putting him through all the best training I have
available to me over a three year period, and put the best gear in his
hand. And you know what kind of man will pop out on the other side?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"A well-armed, and well-trained coward."
He went on to say: "This is my team, Pat. Think of the Spartans.
That's how we have to be. And when you march into a prison in the
middle of a riot and there are 40 of you and 5,000 of them . . . you do
not want a coward on your team. One coward and your entire outfit is
compromised."
---
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
---
I absolutely believe that. I've seen Marines transform from cowards
into courageous men. They just had to make the decision. And once made,
everything changes. (Of course, it would have been better if they had
made the decision before they enlisted. But, better late than never.
Otherwise, you have to do something to prevent the coward from going into
combat with you.)
---
"Sooner or later, we all must die. Warriors choose to do so on their feet,
weapons in hand, defiantly standing between their enemies and those they
hold dear. Cowards do so on their bellies, unarmed." — David Weber
"You need to train hard to prevail, not just survive.
Even then if you can't prevail you should do everything you can to survive,
and if you can't survive you need to take the motherfucker with you.
Don't put your family through his murder trial."
— Dr. Alexis Artwohl
"Jordan Peterson ~ Never Ignore Small Signs Of Coming Betrayal"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAs0JKj9YzA
Yes, as a matter of fact, this pertains to your ability to handle
bad guys. Look for the small signs and correct / de-escalate immediately,
before the situation becomes an all or nothing situation (where you have
to surrender or shoot the bad guy).
“The common trait of old warriors is that they continually sharpen themselves
by study, by training, by cultivation of spirit: always striving to be better
tomorrow than today. Warriors who do not do this do not live to be old warriors.”
-- Unknown
"Evaluating Your Own Mindset, Tactics And Marksmanship" by Richard A. Mann
https://gundigest.com/more/how-to/firearm-training/evaluating-your-own-mindset-tactics-and-marksmanship
“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
*************************************************************************
----- Safety -----
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.
"12 Easy Ways to Secure Your Home Against Bad Guys" by Aden Tate
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/easy-ways-to-secure-home/
If you force the bad guy to break something in order to get in,
you have a much stronger legal argument as to why you shot him.
"Serious Gunowner Mistakes – Unintentional Discharges (Part I)"
by the Tactical Professor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2021/07/19/serious-gunowner-mistakes-unintentional-discharges-part-i/
I'm going to have to correct what I teach.
Front Sight Reality Check #82
https://www.frontsight.com/fsrc82/patriot-tbd.asp
Examples of violations of Safety Rule 4:
Be sure of your target and what's in front of it and behind it.
"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe."
-- Luke 11:21
"Concealed Carry: Armed Self-Defense Part 2 SAFETY" by John Murphy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOoXy0FTuMU
"5 Things to Say When Talking to Your Kids About Guns" by Brad Fitzpatrick
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2021/7/24/5-things-to-say-when-talking-to-your-kids-about-guns
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)
"Visually Neutral" by Lee Weems
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUGNJsJvX3U
The body cam video gives a real world incident that is dark (extremely
difficult to see, can only see what is in the flashlight beam), chaotic,
and full of innocent bystanders (some of whom are running around instead
of taking cover). The cops are moving in because of a sense of duty. No
amount of money can induce a person to run into gun fire. You might not
be a cop, but your mission may be to rescue loved ones.
Without training and practice, the only option is to run away or take
cover. With training and practice, all kinds of options open up.
"That's a thing! Episode 5, The spicy treat surprise!" by John Murphy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_GaChpG0X8
"Vehicle CQB is a New Reality and Centrifuge Training Addresses It"
by Sean Utley
https://www.tactical-life.com/lifestyle/tactics/centrifuge-training-vehicle-cqb/
Greg Ellifritz recommends.
"The real value of training and practice isn't gaining technical competence,
it's achieving confidence in your abilities."
-- Claude Werner
"10 Commandments of Concealed Carry" by Massad Ayoob
https://www.tactical-life.com/lifestyle/tactics/10-commandments-of-concealed-carry/
“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
Get your training while you can, because life spans are short,
and teaching careers are even shorter.
---
“Requiem for an Unsung Hero (Mike Waidelich)” by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/requiem-for-an-unsung-hero
Excerpts:
"It was quite interesting to get them to balance the speed and
accuracy appropriate for their abilities and I think it gave them a
proper mind set for actual combat."
-- Mike Waidelich
"How good were Bakersfield Police Department officers? 85% hits when the
national average was 15%. (Lyle Wyatt says this number would be higher but
for one outlier shooting in which an officer missed with his entire first
magazine.)"
-- Andy Stanford
[Mike Waidelich was the firearms instructor at the Bakersfield Police Department
at the time. -- Jon Low]
"When training in the L.A. area, Waidelich and other Bakerfield P.D.
officers frequently heard comments like, “Oh. You’re from BAKERSFIELD.
Our bank robbers go there to get killed.” Clearly the department had a
widespread and well-earned reputation as real deal gunfighters."
-- Andy Stanford
---
From a Front Sight lecture --
Mike Waidelich designed a study which measured the amount of time the
"average" man can present his weapon from the holster or the "Ready" position
and fire a single shot to the center of mass of a humannoid target and
compared it to the distance a man armed with a contact weapon could run
and inflict a fatal wound. The time is 1.5 seconds. In that 1.5 seconds,
the "average" man can travel 21 feet. Therefore, when facing an opponent
armed with a contact weapon, 7 to 10 yards away, with nothing intervening
between you and the weapon, you are in immediate danger of death or serious
bodily injury. Dennis Tuiller later wrote an article on Mike Waidelish's
study which appeared in SWAT Magazine, 1983 and the study became known as
the Tueller Drill.
---
I read "Surgical Speed Shooting:
How to Achieve High-Speed Marksmanship in a Gunfight"
by Andy Stanford and James Yeager
and highly recommend it.
"3 Essential Tips for Personal Defense" by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2021/7/23/3-essential-tips-for-personal-defense
Excerpt:
"Shooting a gun well is far different from being able to fight with a gun"
"Personal defense is not about how much fun it is to shoot guns at the
public range; it is about staying alive and protecting yourself and loved ones."
Mike Ox quoting from Ken Murray’s “Training At The Speed Of Life”
Reality Based Training instructor training course.
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/knowledge-bombs-from-training-at-the-speed-of-life-instructor-training-with-ken-murray/
"Flip Side of “Dunning Kreuger”.
The Dunning Kreuger effect is what happens when people who have a taste
of experience and minimal skill grossly overestimate their skill level.
The flip side is that exceptional performers oftentimes aren’t aware of how
good they are and they teach above the level of their students . . . thinking that
if something is easy for them, it must be easy for everyone."
"It’s important to NOT train to stop fighting after being hit once . . .
it’s important to train to make sure that, if we have to shoot,
that we stop the threat before thinking the fight is over."
"Cost of shots fired by officers.
$10k for each shot fired in public.
$25k for each shot that hits something.
$50k for each shot that hits someone."
"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
*************************************************************************
----- 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
Is “Missing In Practice” the key to “Hitting In Combat?” by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/is-missing-in-practice-the-key-to-hitting-in-combat/
Mike delays the sales pitch to the last two paragraphs. A guy's got
to make a living.
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
"Visualization, or Mental Imagery" By Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-03-Newsletter.pdf
"Actually, these are among the most important times in one's life, when one is alone.
Certain springs are tapped only when we are alone. The artist knows he must be
alone to create; the writer, to work out his thoughts; the musician, to compose;
the saint, to pray."
-- Anne Morrow Lindbergh
[And I would add ";the shooter, to dry practice." -- Jon Low]
"Safe and Effective Dry-Fire Training at Home" by Travis Pike
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/dry-fire-guide-training-home/
Don't buy gadgets. You can't buy your way to competence.
Where to shoot (because live fire is important)
https://www.nssf.org/shooting/where-to-shoot/
“Cold” vs “Warmed Up” by Tom Givens
https://www.facebook.com/tom.givens.37/posts/10223475504228237
Excerpt:
"Any time I get a practice session, I always start with a timed/scored
drill shot completely cold, no dry presentations or other warm up — just
step up and shoot the drill. This gives me a chance to evaluate my on-demand
skill level and to evaluate clothing/gear combinations."
"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
*************************************************************************
----- Tactics (tasks that you should strive to be able to do) -----
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
"Armed Defense from Your Vehicle" by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2021/7/17/armed-defense-from-your-vehicle
"The most important thing in life is not to capitalize on your gains.
Any fool can do that.
The really important thing is to profit from your losses."
-- William Bolitho
A Tennessee Highway Patrol officer came to speak to us last night at the
Tennessee Firearms Association meeting. He told us that their policy was
never to shoot into moving cars. That policy makes a lot of sense, as you
can't predict where the car is going to go once the driver is disabled.
So, if you're shooting into a moving car, you're probably not living
up to the standards of good guy.
"Violence of Action" by John Chapman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUly90fy6yk
Excerpt:
Assume someone is going to be at the point of your muzzle when you turn
the corner, so you don't have to start your decision process after you are
startled by someone being there.
Beltline Placement as a Tactic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdtkwysHzVg
"That' a thing! Episode 6 The advantages of a fixed bladed knife" by John Murphy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykjBAYaraGs
"3 Reasons I don’t Like Backup Guns" by Matthew Maruster
https://www.concealedcarry.com/firearms-ownership/no-backup-guns/
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Techniques (ways to do that task) -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
You have to watch this! This is really important!
"Shoot Fast & Accurate" by Michael Voigt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBk-X54m_YA&list=PLGEq1uyckXhQ_KTQYuu8AZ-SfAt6WGs31&index=13
"You Stopped Shooting, Now What?" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-07-Newsletter.pdf
---
The Wyatt Protocol:
Fight!
Do I need to Fight anymore?
Do I need to fight anyone else?
Get Ready to fight again!
---
Tactical Response Protocol:
Fight, Assess, Scan, Top-off, Treat
---
Chuck Taylor's Protocol:
Did I hit him?
Is he down?
Is he out of the fight?
Where are his friends?”
"Learning Trigger Control" By Tom Givens,
"CARTRIDGE CONFUSION",
"Firearms Safety",
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-12-Newsletter.pdf
This is important!
"Handgun Red Dot Sights" by John Spear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5khq_kA8F0k&list=PLGEq1uyckXhQ_KTQYuu8AZ-SfAt6WGs31&index=21
Excerpt:
". . . knowing what fundamental elements you need to achieve success.
And that's where seeking training comes in."
Most important is FOLLOW THROUGH and CALLING YOUR SHOTS.
You have to get the red dot in the center of the viewing window.
[The red dot that you see is an image from a concave reflector that appears
to be at infinite distance (on the target). Correct concave reflectors
are parabolas. But, machining a parabola is extremely difficult and
expensive (~$5000). So, your cheap (~$500) sight uses a hemispherical
reflector. Which means when you get away from the center of the viewing
window the undergraduate equations of optical physics don't hold anymore.
So, the red dot does not indicate the point of impact. So,
You Have To Get The Red Dot In The Center Of The Viewing Window!
-- Jon Low]
"The Myth Of Pointing Accuracy" by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/the-myth-of-pointing-accuracy/
"I catch myself flinching or pushing before I release the shot."
That's good. Because you caught yourself, you were able to abort the shot.
A bad shot not fired is just as important as a good shot fired, maybe more important.
As Claude Werner asks, "Is the worst case scenario getting shot (because you took
too long) or shooting an innocent bystander (because you didn't get a
surprise trigger break)?" I paraphrase.
The beauty of the surprise break technique is that not only does it
defeat all of your autonomic nervous system responses that will cause a miss,
it also gives you the time to abort bad shots before you fire them.
". . . stresses the importance of cold (not warmed up) performance.
Since you probably won't get a chance to warm up before a self-defense
shooting, cold, first shot performance is incredibly important.
-- Mike Ox
"Applications of White Light" by Travis Haley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMO9WMdc2ks&list=PLGEq1uyckXhQ_KTQYuu8AZ-SfAt6WGs31
Excerpt:
Be like a firefly. (Not like a neon sign.)
"What Are the Effects of a Contact Shot for Personal Defense?" by George Harris
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2021/7/24/what-are-the-effects-of-a-contact-shot-for-personal-defense
"Pros vs. Cons of Appendix Carry" by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2021/7/28/pros-vs-cons-of-appendix-carry
Excerpt:
"As with all things concerning personal defense with firearms,
the best recipe for safe appendix carry is to get professional training.
The person who simply buys a handgun and straps it on is just asking
for trouble."
"Trigger Reset Simplified :
3 (or More) Reasons Why Everything You Know About it is Probably Wrong"
by Riley Bowman
https://www.concealedcarry.com/training-2/proper-trigger-reset/
I disagree. I think "pinning the trigger to the rear after the shot" is an
essential part of follow-through, which is an essential part of accuracy.
But, I love citing other opinions for your consideration.
"Recoil Rhythm" by Serena Juchnowski
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/recoil-rhythm/
I disagree. I think you should trap the trigger to the rear after the
pistol fires, and release to reset after you have achieved the second sight
picture. Such is a good follow-through. And follow-through is essential.
But, I bring these articles to your attention, because I might be wrong.
In the sense that Juchnowski's technique might work better for you.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
----- Education -----
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
Lots of good stuff at,
"SureFire Field Notes"
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGEq1uyckXhQ_KTQYuu8AZ-SfAt6WGs31
Ya, I know that a lot of the stuff that these various instructors are
teaching will conflict with what you've learned elsewhere, that's why you
view such things, to get other opinions.
Dan Brokos' video has extremely high information density. Field Note 27.
Don't be embarrassed to stop and replay often in the video.
"One does not have to believe everything one hears."
-- Cicero
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Hardware (which includes you) ***** ***** *****
"The preservation of health is a duty.
Few seem conscious that there is such a thing as physical morality."
-- Herbert Spencer
[So, if you're out every night boozing, smoking, and doing drugs you are wrong.
It's cutting into your beauty sleep. -- Jon Low]
"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
Don't get special clothes for training. That defeats the purpose of the
training. If you use special equipment for an event, that event is a sport
or a game. In the real world, self defense is a come-as-you-are affair.
"Guns vs. The Environment" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/guns-vs-the-environment
Excerpt:
"Learn from my mistakes. Check out your carry guns anytime
they are exposed to the sweat or bad weather. If you don’t do
your part, the environment will win."
"Calm is contagious.
So is panic."
-- Bill Blowers
"Inspection and Care of Self Defense Ammunition",
"Little Things" by Rangemaster Instructor, Craig Harper
in "Tactical Talk"
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-01-Newsletter.pdf
If your elbow is hitting your pistol when you walk or move around,
you've got to move your holster. The little bruising will build up
over time and can get really nasty.
"So, I'm not trying to hold everything perfect and shoot a bad trigger shot.
I'm trying to hold an acceptable place and shoot a great trigger shot."
"I open up the back sight quite a bit. The brain is very good at centering
things. But, can't tell that the front sight is too far left or right in the
rear sight notch if the rear sight notch is too small."
-- Michael Voigt
[Machining out the rear sight by 2 to 3 hundredths of an inch
(0.020 to 0.030 of an inch) is appropriate, for my eyes and arm length.
Yours might differ. As Mr. Voigt says, pistols come from the factory
with sights made for target shooting, not combat.
-- Jon Low]
I have found that using an inside the waistband magazine pouch
allows me to use my support side front pants pocket. Win!
Ted de Loach designed a new target. Contact him to get a PDF file of the target.
Ted deLoach
Multi Drill Targets
multidrilltargets@gmail.com
www.multidrilltargets.com
843-670-3941
He's anticipating these will be released in late August with a wholesale
price of $390.00 per thousand. Thank you for supporting small local businesses!
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"Testing to Find the Best Tactical Flashlight" by Kevin Creighton
https://www.ammoman.com/blog/best-tactical-flashlight/
"Guide To Buying A Quality Handheld Or Weapon Light" by Patrick Roberts
https://gundigest.com/gear-ammo/accessories/guide-to-buy-a-quality-handheld-or-weapon-light
***********************************************************************************
Since my employer is requiring me to carry jacketed hollow point ammo,
I thought I had better test a few to figure out whether or not they work in my pistol.
I could only test what I could find in the gun stores around Nashville, TN.
All samples were 45 ACP jacketed hollow point that I bought at retail gun
stores. If my numbers differed significantly from those printed on the box or
web site, I noted my numbers in parentheses. All tests were conducted with my
Springfield Armory XD with 5 inch barrel. The pistol is stock from the factory,
no modifications. I neglected to note the model of the chronograph that I used.
At the ranges that I was concerned with, the trajectory was effectively a
straight line. So, I don't cite any trajectory information.
I did not fire enough to get a malfunction from any of the cartridges tested.
Energy is not a good indicator of anything. A better indicator of
penetration is momentum.
I did not use ballistic gelatin. I fired into plastic 5 gallon buckets of
water (the kind you can pick up at any hardware store). The pail was filled
with water and the lid was snapped on. I fired from 10 feet. The bullets went
through the front and back of the plastic pail, so I did not get pretty flower
petals as you would in ballistic gelatin. They all expanded okay, blew the lid
off, and cracked the buckets.
The mass of one slug weighs 32.2 pounds (a force) at the surface of the Earth.
So, our unit of momentum is foot-slug per second (mass X velocity).
7000 grains (a weight, which is a force) = 1 pound (a weight, which is a force).
The V-Crown and the Guard Dog had the same momentum, but the V-Crown had
significantly deeper penetration into the dirt berm used to catch the bullets.
So, I guess bullet weight matters.
In order of my subjective preference: (ya, I know the formatting is messed up)
Manufacturer Model Bullet Weight Muzzle Speed Muzzle Energy Muzzle Momentum
in grains in feet/second in foot-pounds in foot-slug/sec.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hornaday Critical 220 990 479 (998)
Duty
Notes: Lot#3211473, nickel plated brass case, plastic plug in hollow point
cavity to prevent clogging when penetrating barriers, marked +P.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Punch 230 890 404 (934)
(405)
Notes: No lot number printed on box, nickel plated brass, lacquer seal
around primer and bullet, deep cavity in hollow point.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sig Sauer V-Crown 200 918 374 (837)
Notes: Lot#E45AP1, nickel plated brass case, shallow hollow point with hole
down the center, I guess the compromise is toward penetration vs. expansion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Guard Dog 165 1140 475 (837)
(476)
Notes: Lot#U7N511, nickel plated brass case, nickel plated bullet, looks like
a semi-wad-cutter but expands like a hollow point.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I generally prefer penetration over expansion, because my literature search
indicates over-penetration causing unintended injury is statistically insignificant.
The friendly fire injuries, innocent bystanders or good guys shot by good guys,
are all due to missing the intended target (including ricochets), not shooting
through the intended target. Pistol ammunition is ballistically deficient compared
to rifle or shotgun, so the risk of over-penetration is negligible. Therefore,
I generally prefer the heaviest bullet for deepest penetration,
all other things being equal (which they never are).
***********************************************************************************
Ambidextrous pistols: (updated list)
Because, being right handed doesn't mean you're going to be right handed in combat.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following are truly ambidextrous --
The latest FN pistols are ambidextrous, but they are expensive, FN 509
retails for around $900. They're good out of the box, but the grip
doesn't fit my hand.
The latest H&K pistols are ambidextrous. They have the magazine
release lever, as opposed to the button. The VP9 retails for around $600.00.
It's good out of the box and the grip fits my hand nicely.
The Ruger American pistols are ambidextrous. They retail for
around $500. But, they take a bit of gunsmithing to make them reliable.
For me it was worth it because the grip fit my hand and the angle fit my wrist.
The MASADA from IWI US, the U.S. based arm of Israel Weapon Industries (IWI)
is ambidextrous. I've never fondled one, so I can't say anything. MSRP $480
The Honor Defense, Honor Guard pistols are ambidextrous. I've never groped
one, so I can't say anything. They retail for around $300.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following has an ambidextrous magazine release, but not ambidextrous slide stop --
The Springfield Armory XD type pistols have ambidextrous magazine releases.
You can press it from either side to release the magazine. But the slide
lock is only on the left hand side of the pistol.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following have ambidextrous slide stops, but not ambidextrous magazine releases --
The latest Glocks have ambidextrous slide locks. But their magazine release
is reversible, which means you can make it right handed or left handed. That's not
the same as ambidextrous.
SIG Sauer P320 (military version is called M18) has ambidextrous slide locks.
The M-18 also has ambidextrous thumb safeties (but self-defense pistols should
not have thumb safeties, the military having them is bureaucratic stupidity).
The magazine release may be set up as left or right handed, but is not ambidextrous.
Similarly for the P365.
The latest Walthers have ambidextrous slide locks. But their magazine
release is reversible, not ambidextrous.
The S&W M&P's have a slide lock on both sides and a reversible mag release.
The Remington RP45 has a slide lock on both sides and a reversible mag release.
But, there are no instructions in the manual for reversing the mag release. This
pistol takes a lot of gunsmithing to make it reliable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Fantastic Voyage
The Meteoric Trajectory of America’s Bullet"
by Will Dabbs, MD
https://americanhandgunner.com/ammo/fantastic-voyage/
Excerpt:
"The 1911 kits from 1911Builders.com offer anything you might find in
a high-end custom 1911, all in a package you can legally craft in your
basement. Their precision rail cutter uses a little elbow grease and a
manual shuttle in a jig to cut the frame rails and barrel seat while
guiding the drilling of the requisite holes to finish out an 80% frame.
If you really want to be fancy Defense Distributed will sell you a Ghost
Gunner hobby-sized CNC mill that interfaces with your laptop, is about the
size of a fish tank and produces factory results."
“Your car is not a holster.” – Pat Rogers
A more complete version of the quote,
“Your car is not a holster. Wear your damned gun.” -- Pat Rogers
----- Technical / Maintenance -----
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
"The More You Know:
Living With Astigmatism When Using Red Dot,
Holographic and Prismatic Optics" by Pete
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2016/07/06/the-more-you-know-astigmatism/
"Weapons History!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/weapons-history/
“When we can’t see ourselves in our history,
we begin to think that we are disconnected and
suffering alone. Historical ignorance always
precedes cultural imbalances and individual despair.”
-- Aurin Squire
"Yup, Even You Can Sharpen A Knife" by Roy Huntington
https://americanhandgunner.com/our-experts/yup-even-you-can-sharpen-a-knife/
"Awesome Marine MARSOC Shooting Video" by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/awesome-marine-marsoc-shooting-video/
Excerpt:
"And a couple rules of thumb . . . most .45 ACP will drop 12″
at 100 yards and 80″ at 200 yards. A 9mm will drop 8″ at 100 yards
and 30ish inches at 200 yards. That’s a good starting point & caliber,
load, barrel length, etc. will take it from there."
[And this is relevant to what in the real world?
I have found that if your pistol firing standard 45 ACP ball ammo at 850
feet per second is zeroed at 2 yards, it will be zeroed at 100 yards.
Check it on any online ballistic calculator. So, I don't know what the
12 inch drop he refers to is relative to. -- Jon Low]
My command sent me to play with these guys in Tampa Bay, Florida
a while ago. At the time, the standard was Kimber 1911's and Wilson
Combat magazines. So, I guess it was quite a while ago.
"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
"Comparing Martial Arts & Firearms Instruction" hosted by Lee Weems
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDVfqgjFHpI
Cecil Burch of Immediate Action Combatives:
http://www.iacombatives.com/
Brian Hill of The Complete Combatant:
http://www.thecompletecombatant.com/
Steve Moses and Guy Schnitzler of Palisade Training Group:
https://www.ptgtrainingllc.com/
Ted de Loach designed a new target. Contact him to get a PDF file of the target.
Ted deLoach
Multi Drill Targets
multidrilltargets@gmail.com
www.multidrilltargets.com
843-670-3941
He's anticipating these will be released in late August with a wholesale
price of $390.00 per thousand. Thank you for supporting small local businesses!
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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** Political (legal), Religious, and Philosophical ***** *****
(So, skip this section if you don't want to be offended.)
"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
Law of Self Defense, the 5 elements of self-defense law,
LawOfSelfDefense.com/elements/
which resolves to
https://lawofselfdefense.com/beginjourney/
Rangemaster Firearms Training Services
AUGUST 2021 NEWSLETTER
https://rangemaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2021-08_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Read the article,
"MAGIC WORDS OR JUST MAGICAL THINKING?" by Steven M. Harris
The rest of the news letter is also very informative.
"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
Check out the Black Information Network, very conservative; pro-gun,
anti-homosexual, pro-2-parent-families (advocating that the father stay with
the family), pro-life (because statistically, just about all abortions in the
U.S. are Black babies in the Democrat controlled inner cities), etc.
Search the frequencies, you'll find it on your radio.
---
"Dr. Umar Johnson confronted by LGBT Feminist during Xseed in Life program KC 2015"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBpu_MWxYtM
Excerpt:
"The LGBT struggle is for the right to practice a behavior. The Black
struggle is to be treated as a human being."
---
Just as not all Republicans are pro-gun, not all Democrats are anti-gun,
not all Blacks are liberal Democrats. There are those in the Black community
speaking out to convince their brethren to be pro-gun conservatives.
Consider the millions of Black first time gun owners. (See the statements
by the National Shooting Sports Foundation in previous postings.)
"Governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just power from the consent of the governed."
-- Thomas Jefferson
"TFA joins as amicus party in US Supreme Court case involving 2nd Amendment rights"
by John Harris
https://tennesseefirearms.com/2021/07/tfa-joins-as-amicus-party-in-us-supreme-court-case-involving-2nd-amendment-rights/
The text is important, but the Winnie-the-Pooh picture says it all.
"I've never been able to understand why a Republican contributor is a
‘fat cat,’ while a Democratic contributor of the same amount of money is a
'public-spirited philanthropist'. ”
-- Ronald Reagan
---
"Labels!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/labels/
---
“I think the very word, ‘stalking,’ implies that you're not supposed to like it.
Otherwise, it would be called ‘fluffy harmless observation time.’ ”
-- Molly Harper
"When wealth is lost, nothing is lost;
when health is lost, something is lost;
when character is lost, all is lost."
-- German proverb
"Present Tense!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/present-tense/
Excerpt:
"3) Go armed! Violent crime in NYC, and other liberal-controlled metro areas,
is out of control and getting worse, by the day. Marxists/liberals thrive on chaos,
squalor, and widespread criminal violence. This is exactly the way they want it!
It won’t get better. Help is not on the way!"
"6) The naive, careless, unprepared, unarmed, and inattentive will continue
to die for stupid reasons. Don’t be among them!"
---
"Off-duty NYPD cop robbed at knifepoint, carjacked"
by Tina Moore, Joe Marino and Amanda Woods
https://nypost.com/2021/07/15/off-duty-nypd-cop-robbed-at-knifepoint-carjacked/
This is the news report of the incident that John refers to above.
"The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with,
but whether it's the same problem you had last year."
-- John Foster Dulles
"Constitutional Carry law goes into effect July 1" in Tennessee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmwV0-6M5S8
"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.
Thank God I am a Christian clinging to my God and Guns.
Every morning an Orthodox male Jew will pray, thanking God that he is not a woman.
I thank God I am not a Jew, so I can eat a cheeseburger. (Eating meat and dairy
at the same time is not Kosher.) I thank God that I am not a Muslim, so I can
eat a bacon cheeseburger and drink a beer. (During Operation Iraqi Freedom, I
operated for over a year in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. If you attempt to
smuggle in any pork product or alcohol they will cut off your head. That is not
a metaphor. A trial will never take more than a day and the sentence will be
executed on the following Friday in the town square. Appeal? You mean as in
America, decades of appeals? Nope. No such thing.)
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled,
public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should
be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands
should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again
learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.”
— Cicero, 55 B.C.
"New York Public Defenders Urge Supreme Court to Invalidate State’s Concealed-Carry Ban"
by Caroline Downey
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/new-york-public-defenders-urge-supreme-court-to-invalidate-states-concealed-carry-ban/
Did anyone ever really doubt that gun-control is racist and aimed at the poor?
"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
[Not women, because only women make babies. So, women control the population
rate of growth. If you kill off the women in your population, you doom your
population to decline. -- Jon Low]
Czech Lawmakers Vote to add 2nd Amendment to Constitution
https://www.guns.com/news/2021/07/22/czech-lawmakers-vote-to-add-2nd-amendment-to-constitution
"South Africa Descends into Chaos - What is Really Happening?" by Lauren Southern
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fEVHx-m_YA
Remember Executive Action?
Corruption of the ruling party. Disarm the law abiding citizens. This is the ANC.
Did you notice that the Democrats in the U.S. are prosecuting Trump's men?
Oh, yes, it is happening here.
Victims Of Some Serious Crimes In Tennessee Can Now Ask For A Lifetime Order Of Protection
https://crimeresearch.org/2021/07/victims-of-some-serious-crimes-in-tennessee-can-now-ask-for-a-lifetime-order-of-protection/
"The Monsters are Out!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/the-monsters-are-out/
Do you understand the part about slavery? We fought the War of Northern
Aggression to decide the policy issue of slavery in the U.S. We will have to fight
similar wars soon to extend our policy to the rest of the world. Or not.
"DID YOU SAY THAT’S ILLEGAL, AND THAT I AM UNDER ARREST?"
by Steve Moses
https://ccwsafe.com/blog/34801
Laws in other states and cities can jam you up!
Groucho Marx said he went to the doctor for a physical and the
doctor told him, you can still chase women, but it has to be down
hill.
"The constitution does not require that the people show the existence
of "tyranny" in order to overthrow the existing government and replace it.
All that is required is that enough people come together with the goal of
setting aside the existing government and proceeding to hit "restart" or
form an entirely new one. We did it once with the articles of confederation
and we can do it again."
-- John Harris
https://www.facebook.com/johniharris/posts/10159112925695967
And we did it in 1946 in
The Battle of Athens, Tennessee
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10221951023658423&set=p.10221951023658423&type=3
"Tennessee Firearms Association FILES AMICUS BRIEF IN
SIXTH CIRCUIT OPPOSING “BUMP STOCK” BAN"
https://tennesseefirearms.com/2021/08/tfa-files-amicus-brief-in-sixth-circuit-opposing-bump-stock-ban/
Either the BATFE can make laws or they can't. The U.S. Constitution
says only the legislature can make laws. So, we shall see.
“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, Medical, Security, and such ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House
"Living In Your Car, Part Two" by Marcus Wynne
https://marcuswynne.com/living-in-your-car-part-two-hill-people-gear-and-spyderco-love-too/
"4 Ways to Carry and Stage Your Tourniquet" by Brian McLaughlin
https://www.mountainmanmedical.com/4-ways-to-carry-and-stage-your-tourniquet/
"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
"Hidalgo
Of Cuba Then"
by John Connor
https://gunsmagazine.com/our-experts/hidalgo/
"Hidalgo Speaks Part II
Of Cuba Then"
by John Connor
https://gunsmagazine.com/our-experts/hidalgo-speaks-part-2/
I recently read "The Ultimate Book of Gunfighting" by Robert K. Campbell.
ISBN: 978-1-5107-0319-3
I disagree with some of the things he writes, that's why I buy and read such
books. I recommend the book. Excerpts: (pearls of wisdom)
"There are worse things than being shot, and one of these is shooting the
wrong person."
"Revolver: The cylinder release is pressed in the proper direction:
forward for Smith & Wesson, to the rear for Colt, and inward for Ruger."
[So, you have to look to see what type of pistol you are using. -- Jon Low]
"Firing a group for an average isn't as impressive as hitting the target
on demand."
"Training for any task is goal oriented. You do not go to college without
a plan, without the eye on a degree. You do not study haphazardly."
[Advice I wish I had when I first went to college. -- Jon Low]
"No matter how quickly you fire, the cadence of fire is not set by how
quickly you press the trigger; it is determined by how quickly you realign
your sights on the target after each shot."
"Over the years, I have coached many people who would fight but who could
not fight well. That is a minor problem. I can get practically anyone up to
speed if they are willing to fight. If you are not willing, then don't bother.
Save the money spent on a gun and buy extra health and burial insurance."
"Do not ever give up your gun. You have signed your death warrant when
you do so. The hostage will probably die as well. When the bad guy gives up
his gun and surrenders, he goes to prison. If you give your gun up, you are dead."
"There is but one answer to be made to the dynamite bomb,
and that can best be made by the Winchester rifle."
-- Theodore Roosevelt on Anarchists
"It is important to learn to quickly replenish ammunition. The first
hurdle is to convince the shooter to carry a spare supply."
". . . in many parts of the country animal attacks are a possibility.
The big cats and feral dogs are a real problem. The attack is usually very
fast, often bowling over the victim."
"Quality firearms are not inexpensive. Proficiency at arms is purchased
with a different coin. When you consider what you will spend on training and
ammunition over a decade of use, the difference between a cheap gun and a first
class pistol is inconsequential."
"There is a rule that the more junk on the gun, the less it works."
"While I respect the opinion of trainers who say the load that is carried,
or a load of the same power level, should be used for practice, I respectfully
disagree in this case. In a defensive confrontation, we will fire a minimum
of rounds."
"It is important that you are able to smoothly remove the handgun,
secure it in the vehicle, and return it to the holster. If your handgun
and gear combination does not allow such a balance of access and utility,
you need to find a combination that does."
"My ideal recommendation is a loading of .40-caliber or more that
penetrates a minimum of twelve inches in ballistic gelatin. The bullet
should expand to 1.5-caliber diameters, but with large-bore bullets, expansion
is simply a bonus. Penetration is the single most important factor.
Penetration is more than the depth of a human chest. Nor is it the widest
point of the body. If the arms are outstretched in front of the threat firing
at you, the bullet may need to penetrate heavy arm bones to reach the vitals.
Some authorities recommend eighteen inches in ballistic gelatin. There is a
factor called progression to consider. At times a bullet will tumble in the
body, and the base will travel forward. This doesn't seem to happen in gelatin,
but it will occur in water testing."
[I have seen progression in ballistic gelatin testing. Chuck Haggard
demonstrated it in ballistic gelatin at the last Tac Con. -- Jon Low]
"The bottom line on ammunition selection for serious use is: confirm
cartridge integrity first. If the ammunition doesn't feed right and does not
exhibit a good primer seal and a case-mouth seal, it is not service grade."
". . . A dozen repetitions a day is a good goal, and they should be
perfect trigger breaks. After a dozen repetitions a day for a month, you
will find yourself competent and in control of the trigger. The same goes
for the presentation from concealed carry. You will effortlessly be presenting
the handgun from concealed carry."
You ought to read through the Rangemaster newsletters. Lots of good
stuff in there.
https://rangemaster.com/publications/rangemaster-newsletter/
All kinds of neat stuff at:
Practical Eschatology by Docent
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/
The Tactical Professor by Claude Werner
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/
Active Response Training by Gregg Ellifritz
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/
Quips by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/quips/
Rangemaster newsletter by Tom Givens
https://rangemaster.com/publications/rangemaster-newsletter/
CIVILIAN DEFENDER by Sherman House
https://civiliandefender.com/
Handgun Combatives by Dave Spaulding
https://www.youtube.com/c/handguncombatives/videos
Marcus Wynne
https://marcuswynne.com/blog/
Jeff Gonzales
https://www.tridentconcepts.com/evolved-training/blog/
Michael Bane
https://www.michaelbane.tv/category/blog/
Jerry Miculek - Pro Shooter
https://www.youtube.com/c/MiculekDotCom/videos
OODA Loop
https://www.oodaloop.com/
"The Moon Kills
The School Of Light And Darkness"
by John Connor
https://gunsmagazine.com/our-experts/the-moon-kills/
*************************************************************************
"The Story of Shor's Algorithm, Straight From the Source" by Peter Shor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qD9XElTpCE
The primary source paper,
https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9508027v2
free to download.
Neil Sloane,
http://neilsloane.com/
groups, and Magma (a computer algebra program).
[In abstract algebra a magma is the simplest structure, a set with one
binary operation defined on the elements.]
I was at Neil's house one day, we were discussing coverings of a sphere.
I had a friend with me. She had been a nurse in one of the hospitals in Riyadh,
and had come for a visit when I was living in New Jersey. She was working at
some hospital in Pasadena, CA last I heard. Nursing is a good job, you can
work all over the world. Caltech is in Pasadena.
Preskill. We went round and round about conservation of information.
Feynmann. Doing physics while drinking in the strip clubs.
Fond memories.
*************************************************************************
"To J, J and E
for bringing joy to every day
and for understanding that universal decryption keys do not exist"
-- Paul C. van Oorschot
Universal decryption keys may not exist, but there may be tractable ways
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/recoil-rhythm/
I disagree. I think you should trap the trigger to the rear after the
pistol fires, and release to reset after you have achieved the second sight
picture. Such is a good follow-through. And follow-through is essential.
But, I bring these articles to your attention, because I might be wrong.
In the sense that Juchnowski's technique might work better for you.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
----- Education -----
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
Lots of good stuff at,
"SureFire Field Notes"
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGEq1uyckXhQ_KTQYuu8AZ-SfAt6WGs31
Ya, I know that a lot of the stuff that these various instructors are
teaching will conflict with what you've learned elsewhere, that's why you
view such things, to get other opinions.
Dan Brokos' video has extremely high information density. Field Note 27.
Don't be embarrassed to stop and replay often in the video.
"One does not have to believe everything one hears."
-- Cicero
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Hardware (which includes you) ***** ***** *****
"The preservation of health is a duty.
Few seem conscious that there is such a thing as physical morality."
-- Herbert Spencer
[So, if you're out every night boozing, smoking, and doing drugs you are wrong.
It's cutting into your beauty sleep. -- Jon Low]
"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
Don't get special clothes for training. That defeats the purpose of the
training. If you use special equipment for an event, that event is a sport
or a game. In the real world, self defense is a come-as-you-are affair.
"Guns vs. The Environment" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/guns-vs-the-environment
Excerpt:
"Learn from my mistakes. Check out your carry guns anytime
they are exposed to the sweat or bad weather. If you don’t do
your part, the environment will win."
"Calm is contagious.
So is panic."
-- Bill Blowers
"Inspection and Care of Self Defense Ammunition",
"Little Things" by Rangemaster Instructor, Craig Harper
in "Tactical Talk"
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-01-Newsletter.pdf
If your elbow is hitting your pistol when you walk or move around,
you've got to move your holster. The little bruising will build up
over time and can get really nasty.
"So, I'm not trying to hold everything perfect and shoot a bad trigger shot.
I'm trying to hold an acceptable place and shoot a great trigger shot."
"I open up the back sight quite a bit. The brain is very good at centering
things. But, can't tell that the front sight is too far left or right in the
rear sight notch if the rear sight notch is too small."
-- Michael Voigt
[Machining out the rear sight by 2 to 3 hundredths of an inch
(0.020 to 0.030 of an inch) is appropriate, for my eyes and arm length.
Yours might differ. As Mr. Voigt says, pistols come from the factory
with sights made for target shooting, not combat.
-- Jon Low]
I have found that using an inside the waistband magazine pouch
allows me to use my support side front pants pocket. Win!
Ted de Loach designed a new target. Contact him to get a PDF file of the target.
Ted deLoach
Multi Drill Targets
multidrilltargets@gmail.com
www.multidrilltargets.com
843-670-3941
He's anticipating these will be released in late August with a wholesale
price of $390.00 per thousand. Thank you for supporting small local businesses!
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"Testing to Find the Best Tactical Flashlight" by Kevin Creighton
https://www.ammoman.com/blog/best-tactical-flashlight/
"Guide To Buying A Quality Handheld Or Weapon Light" by Patrick Roberts
https://gundigest.com/gear-ammo/accessories/guide-to-buy-a-quality-handheld-or-weapon-light
***********************************************************************************
Since my employer is requiring me to carry jacketed hollow point ammo,
I thought I had better test a few to figure out whether or not they work in my pistol.
I could only test what I could find in the gun stores around Nashville, TN.
All samples were 45 ACP jacketed hollow point that I bought at retail gun
stores. If my numbers differed significantly from those printed on the box or
web site, I noted my numbers in parentheses. All tests were conducted with my
Springfield Armory XD with 5 inch barrel. The pistol is stock from the factory,
no modifications. I neglected to note the model of the chronograph that I used.
At the ranges that I was concerned with, the trajectory was effectively a
straight line. So, I don't cite any trajectory information.
I did not fire enough to get a malfunction from any of the cartridges tested.
Energy is not a good indicator of anything. A better indicator of
penetration is momentum.
I did not use ballistic gelatin. I fired into plastic 5 gallon buckets of
water (the kind you can pick up at any hardware store). The pail was filled
with water and the lid was snapped on. I fired from 10 feet. The bullets went
through the front and back of the plastic pail, so I did not get pretty flower
petals as you would in ballistic gelatin. They all expanded okay, blew the lid
off, and cracked the buckets.
The mass of one slug weighs 32.2 pounds (a force) at the surface of the Earth.
So, our unit of momentum is foot-slug per second (mass X velocity).
7000 grains (a weight, which is a force) = 1 pound (a weight, which is a force).
The V-Crown and the Guard Dog had the same momentum, but the V-Crown had
significantly deeper penetration into the dirt berm used to catch the bullets.
So, I guess bullet weight matters.
In order of my subjective preference: (ya, I know the formatting is messed up)
Manufacturer Model Bullet Weight Muzzle Speed Muzzle Energy Muzzle Momentum
in grains in feet/second in foot-pounds in foot-slug/sec.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hornaday Critical 220 990 479 (998)
Duty
Notes: Lot#3211473, nickel plated brass case, plastic plug in hollow point
cavity to prevent clogging when penetrating barriers, marked +P.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Punch 230 890 404 (934)
(405)
Notes: No lot number printed on box, nickel plated brass, lacquer seal
around primer and bullet, deep cavity in hollow point.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sig Sauer V-Crown 200 918 374 (837)
Notes: Lot#E45AP1, nickel plated brass case, shallow hollow point with hole
down the center, I guess the compromise is toward penetration vs. expansion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Guard Dog 165 1140 475 (837)
(476)
Notes: Lot#U7N511, nickel plated brass case, nickel plated bullet, looks like
a semi-wad-cutter but expands like a hollow point.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I generally prefer penetration over expansion, because my literature search
indicates over-penetration causing unintended injury is statistically insignificant.
The friendly fire injuries, innocent bystanders or good guys shot by good guys,
are all due to missing the intended target (including ricochets), not shooting
through the intended target. Pistol ammunition is ballistically deficient compared
to rifle or shotgun, so the risk of over-penetration is negligible. Therefore,
I generally prefer the heaviest bullet for deepest penetration,
all other things being equal (which they never are).
***********************************************************************************
Ambidextrous pistols: (updated list)
Because, being right handed doesn't mean you're going to be right handed in combat.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following are truly ambidextrous --
The latest FN pistols are ambidextrous, but they are expensive, FN 509
retails for around $900. They're good out of the box, but the grip
doesn't fit my hand.
The latest H&K pistols are ambidextrous. They have the magazine
release lever, as opposed to the button. The VP9 retails for around $600.00.
It's good out of the box and the grip fits my hand nicely.
The Ruger American pistols are ambidextrous. They retail for
around $500. But, they take a bit of gunsmithing to make them reliable.
For me it was worth it because the grip fit my hand and the angle fit my wrist.
The MASADA from IWI US, the U.S. based arm of Israel Weapon Industries (IWI)
is ambidextrous. I've never fondled one, so I can't say anything. MSRP $480
The Honor Defense, Honor Guard pistols are ambidextrous. I've never groped
one, so I can't say anything. They retail for around $300.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following has an ambidextrous magazine release, but not ambidextrous slide stop --
The Springfield Armory XD type pistols have ambidextrous magazine releases.
You can press it from either side to release the magazine. But the slide
lock is only on the left hand side of the pistol.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following have ambidextrous slide stops, but not ambidextrous magazine releases --
The latest Glocks have ambidextrous slide locks. But their magazine release
is reversible, which means you can make it right handed or left handed. That's not
the same as ambidextrous.
SIG Sauer P320 (military version is called M18) has ambidextrous slide locks.
The M-18 also has ambidextrous thumb safeties (but self-defense pistols should
not have thumb safeties, the military having them is bureaucratic stupidity).
The magazine release may be set up as left or right handed, but is not ambidextrous.
Similarly for the P365.
The latest Walthers have ambidextrous slide locks. But their magazine
release is reversible, not ambidextrous.
The S&W M&P's have a slide lock on both sides and a reversible mag release.
The Remington RP45 has a slide lock on both sides and a reversible mag release.
But, there are no instructions in the manual for reversing the mag release. This
pistol takes a lot of gunsmithing to make it reliable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Fantastic Voyage
The Meteoric Trajectory of America’s Bullet"
by Will Dabbs, MD
https://americanhandgunner.com/ammo/fantastic-voyage/
Excerpt:
"The 1911 kits from 1911Builders.com offer anything you might find in
a high-end custom 1911, all in a package you can legally craft in your
basement. Their precision rail cutter uses a little elbow grease and a
manual shuttle in a jig to cut the frame rails and barrel seat while
guiding the drilling of the requisite holes to finish out an 80% frame.
If you really want to be fancy Defense Distributed will sell you a Ghost
Gunner hobby-sized CNC mill that interfaces with your laptop, is about the
size of a fish tank and produces factory results."
“Your car is not a holster.” – Pat Rogers
A more complete version of the quote,
“Your car is not a holster. Wear your damned gun.” -- Pat Rogers
----- Technical / Maintenance -----
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
"The More You Know:
Living With Astigmatism When Using Red Dot,
Holographic and Prismatic Optics" by Pete
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2016/07/06/the-more-you-know-astigmatism/
"Weapons History!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/weapons-history/
“When we can’t see ourselves in our history,
we begin to think that we are disconnected and
suffering alone. Historical ignorance always
precedes cultural imbalances and individual despair.”
-- Aurin Squire
"Yup, Even You Can Sharpen A Knife" by Roy Huntington
https://americanhandgunner.com/our-experts/yup-even-you-can-sharpen-a-knife/
"Awesome Marine MARSOC Shooting Video" by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/awesome-marine-marsoc-shooting-video/
Excerpt:
"And a couple rules of thumb . . . most .45 ACP will drop 12″
at 100 yards and 80″ at 200 yards. A 9mm will drop 8″ at 100 yards
and 30ish inches at 200 yards. That’s a good starting point & caliber,
load, barrel length, etc. will take it from there."
[And this is relevant to what in the real world?
I have found that if your pistol firing standard 45 ACP ball ammo at 850
feet per second is zeroed at 2 yards, it will be zeroed at 100 yards.
Check it on any online ballistic calculator. So, I don't know what the
12 inch drop he refers to is relative to. -- Jon Low]
My command sent me to play with these guys in Tampa Bay, Florida
a while ago. At the time, the standard was Kimber 1911's and Wilson
Combat magazines. So, I guess it was quite a while ago.
"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
"Comparing Martial Arts & Firearms Instruction" hosted by Lee Weems
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDVfqgjFHpI
Cecil Burch of Immediate Action Combatives:
http://www.iacombatives.com/
Brian Hill of The Complete Combatant:
http://www.thecompletecombatant.com/
Steve Moses and Guy Schnitzler of Palisade Training Group:
https://www.ptgtrainingllc.com/
Ted de Loach designed a new target. Contact him to get a PDF file of the target.
Ted deLoach
Multi Drill Targets
multidrilltargets@gmail.com
www.multidrilltargets.com
843-670-3941
He's anticipating these will be released in late August with a wholesale
price of $390.00 per thousand. Thank you for supporting small local businesses!
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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** Political (legal), Religious, and Philosophical ***** *****
(So, skip this section if you don't want to be offended.)
"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
Law of Self Defense, the 5 elements of self-defense law,
LawOfSelfDefense.com/elements/
which resolves to
https://lawofselfdefense.com/beginjourney/
Rangemaster Firearms Training Services
AUGUST 2021 NEWSLETTER
https://rangemaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2021-08_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Read the article,
"MAGIC WORDS OR JUST MAGICAL THINKING?" by Steven M. Harris
The rest of the news letter is also very informative.
"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
Check out the Black Information Network, very conservative; pro-gun,
anti-homosexual, pro-2-parent-families (advocating that the father stay with
the family), pro-life (because statistically, just about all abortions in the
U.S. are Black babies in the Democrat controlled inner cities), etc.
Search the frequencies, you'll find it on your radio.
---
"Dr. Umar Johnson confronted by LGBT Feminist during Xseed in Life program KC 2015"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBpu_MWxYtM
Excerpt:
"The LGBT struggle is for the right to practice a behavior. The Black
struggle is to be treated as a human being."
---
Just as not all Republicans are pro-gun, not all Democrats are anti-gun,
not all Blacks are liberal Democrats. There are those in the Black community
speaking out to convince their brethren to be pro-gun conservatives.
Consider the millions of Black first time gun owners. (See the statements
by the National Shooting Sports Foundation in previous postings.)
"Governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just power from the consent of the governed."
-- Thomas Jefferson
"TFA joins as amicus party in US Supreme Court case involving 2nd Amendment rights"
by John Harris
https://tennesseefirearms.com/2021/07/tfa-joins-as-amicus-party-in-us-supreme-court-case-involving-2nd-amendment-rights/
The text is important, but the Winnie-the-Pooh picture says it all.
"I've never been able to understand why a Republican contributor is a
‘fat cat,’ while a Democratic contributor of the same amount of money is a
'public-spirited philanthropist'. ”
-- Ronald Reagan
---
"Labels!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/labels/
---
“I think the very word, ‘stalking,’ implies that you're not supposed to like it.
Otherwise, it would be called ‘fluffy harmless observation time.’ ”
-- Molly Harper
"When wealth is lost, nothing is lost;
when health is lost, something is lost;
when character is lost, all is lost."
-- German proverb
"Present Tense!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/present-tense/
Excerpt:
"3) Go armed! Violent crime in NYC, and other liberal-controlled metro areas,
is out of control and getting worse, by the day. Marxists/liberals thrive on chaos,
squalor, and widespread criminal violence. This is exactly the way they want it!
It won’t get better. Help is not on the way!"
"6) The naive, careless, unprepared, unarmed, and inattentive will continue
to die for stupid reasons. Don’t be among them!"
---
"Off-duty NYPD cop robbed at knifepoint, carjacked"
by Tina Moore, Joe Marino and Amanda Woods
https://nypost.com/2021/07/15/off-duty-nypd-cop-robbed-at-knifepoint-carjacked/
This is the news report of the incident that John refers to above.
"The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with,
but whether it's the same problem you had last year."
-- John Foster Dulles
"Constitutional Carry law goes into effect July 1" in Tennessee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmwV0-6M5S8
"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.
Thank God I am a Christian clinging to my God and Guns.
Every morning an Orthodox male Jew will pray, thanking God that he is not a woman.
I thank God I am not a Jew, so I can eat a cheeseburger. (Eating meat and dairy
at the same time is not Kosher.) I thank God that I am not a Muslim, so I can
eat a bacon cheeseburger and drink a beer. (During Operation Iraqi Freedom, I
operated for over a year in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. If you attempt to
smuggle in any pork product or alcohol they will cut off your head. That is not
a metaphor. A trial will never take more than a day and the sentence will be
executed on the following Friday in the town square. Appeal? You mean as in
America, decades of appeals? Nope. No such thing.)
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled,
public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should
be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands
should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again
learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.”
— Cicero, 55 B.C.
"New York Public Defenders Urge Supreme Court to Invalidate State’s Concealed-Carry Ban"
by Caroline Downey
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/new-york-public-defenders-urge-supreme-court-to-invalidate-states-concealed-carry-ban/
Did anyone ever really doubt that gun-control is racist and aimed at the poor?
"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
[Not women, because only women make babies. So, women control the population
rate of growth. If you kill off the women in your population, you doom your
population to decline. -- Jon Low]
Czech Lawmakers Vote to add 2nd Amendment to Constitution
https://www.guns.com/news/2021/07/22/czech-lawmakers-vote-to-add-2nd-amendment-to-constitution
"South Africa Descends into Chaos - What is Really Happening?" by Lauren Southern
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fEVHx-m_YA
Remember Executive Action?
Corruption of the ruling party. Disarm the law abiding citizens. This is the ANC.
Did you notice that the Democrats in the U.S. are prosecuting Trump's men?
Oh, yes, it is happening here.
Victims Of Some Serious Crimes In Tennessee Can Now Ask For A Lifetime Order Of Protection
https://crimeresearch.org/2021/07/victims-of-some-serious-crimes-in-tennessee-can-now-ask-for-a-lifetime-order-of-protection/
"The Monsters are Out!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/the-monsters-are-out/
Do you understand the part about slavery? We fought the War of Northern
Aggression to decide the policy issue of slavery in the U.S. We will have to fight
similar wars soon to extend our policy to the rest of the world. Or not.
"DID YOU SAY THAT’S ILLEGAL, AND THAT I AM UNDER ARREST?"
by Steve Moses
https://ccwsafe.com/blog/34801
Laws in other states and cities can jam you up!
Groucho Marx said he went to the doctor for a physical and the
doctor told him, you can still chase women, but it has to be down
hill.
"The constitution does not require that the people show the existence
of "tyranny" in order to overthrow the existing government and replace it.
All that is required is that enough people come together with the goal of
setting aside the existing government and proceeding to hit "restart" or
form an entirely new one. We did it once with the articles of confederation
and we can do it again."
-- John Harris
https://www.facebook.com/johniharris/posts/10159112925695967
And we did it in 1946 in
The Battle of Athens, Tennessee
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10221951023658423&set=p.10221951023658423&type=3
"Tennessee Firearms Association FILES AMICUS BRIEF IN
SIXTH CIRCUIT OPPOSING “BUMP STOCK” BAN"
https://tennesseefirearms.com/2021/08/tfa-files-amicus-brief-in-sixth-circuit-opposing-bump-stock-ban/
Either the BATFE can make laws or they can't. The U.S. Constitution
says only the legislature can make laws. So, we shall see.
“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, Medical, Security, and such ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House
"Living In Your Car, Part Two" by Marcus Wynne
https://marcuswynne.com/living-in-your-car-part-two-hill-people-gear-and-spyderco-love-too/
"4 Ways to Carry and Stage Your Tourniquet" by Brian McLaughlin
https://www.mountainmanmedical.com/4-ways-to-carry-and-stage-your-tourniquet/
"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
"Hidalgo
Of Cuba Then"
by John Connor
https://gunsmagazine.com/our-experts/hidalgo/
"Hidalgo Speaks Part II
Of Cuba Then"
by John Connor
https://gunsmagazine.com/our-experts/hidalgo-speaks-part-2/
I recently read "The Ultimate Book of Gunfighting" by Robert K. Campbell.
ISBN: 978-1-5107-0319-3
I disagree with some of the things he writes, that's why I buy and read such
books. I recommend the book. Excerpts: (pearls of wisdom)
"There are worse things than being shot, and one of these is shooting the
wrong person."
"Revolver: The cylinder release is pressed in the proper direction:
forward for Smith & Wesson, to the rear for Colt, and inward for Ruger."
[So, you have to look to see what type of pistol you are using. -- Jon Low]
"Firing a group for an average isn't as impressive as hitting the target
on demand."
"Training for any task is goal oriented. You do not go to college without
a plan, without the eye on a degree. You do not study haphazardly."
[Advice I wish I had when I first went to college. -- Jon Low]
"No matter how quickly you fire, the cadence of fire is not set by how
quickly you press the trigger; it is determined by how quickly you realign
your sights on the target after each shot."
"Over the years, I have coached many people who would fight but who could
not fight well. That is a minor problem. I can get practically anyone up to
speed if they are willing to fight. If you are not willing, then don't bother.
Save the money spent on a gun and buy extra health and burial insurance."
"Do not ever give up your gun. You have signed your death warrant when
you do so. The hostage will probably die as well. When the bad guy gives up
his gun and surrenders, he goes to prison. If you give your gun up, you are dead."
"There is but one answer to be made to the dynamite bomb,
and that can best be made by the Winchester rifle."
-- Theodore Roosevelt on Anarchists
"It is important to learn to quickly replenish ammunition. The first
hurdle is to convince the shooter to carry a spare supply."
". . . in many parts of the country animal attacks are a possibility.
The big cats and feral dogs are a real problem. The attack is usually very
fast, often bowling over the victim."
"Quality firearms are not inexpensive. Proficiency at arms is purchased
with a different coin. When you consider what you will spend on training and
ammunition over a decade of use, the difference between a cheap gun and a first
class pistol is inconsequential."
"There is a rule that the more junk on the gun, the less it works."
"While I respect the opinion of trainers who say the load that is carried,
or a load of the same power level, should be used for practice, I respectfully
disagree in this case. In a defensive confrontation, we will fire a minimum
of rounds."
"It is important that you are able to smoothly remove the handgun,
secure it in the vehicle, and return it to the holster. If your handgun
and gear combination does not allow such a balance of access and utility,
you need to find a combination that does."
"My ideal recommendation is a loading of .40-caliber or more that
penetrates a minimum of twelve inches in ballistic gelatin. The bullet
should expand to 1.5-caliber diameters, but with large-bore bullets, expansion
is simply a bonus. Penetration is the single most important factor.
Penetration is more than the depth of a human chest. Nor is it the widest
point of the body. If the arms are outstretched in front of the threat firing
at you, the bullet may need to penetrate heavy arm bones to reach the vitals.
Some authorities recommend eighteen inches in ballistic gelatin. There is a
factor called progression to consider. At times a bullet will tumble in the
body, and the base will travel forward. This doesn't seem to happen in gelatin,
but it will occur in water testing."
[I have seen progression in ballistic gelatin testing. Chuck Haggard
demonstrated it in ballistic gelatin at the last Tac Con. -- Jon Low]
"The bottom line on ammunition selection for serious use is: confirm
cartridge integrity first. If the ammunition doesn't feed right and does not
exhibit a good primer seal and a case-mouth seal, it is not service grade."
". . . A dozen repetitions a day is a good goal, and they should be
perfect trigger breaks. After a dozen repetitions a day for a month, you
will find yourself competent and in control of the trigger. The same goes
for the presentation from concealed carry. You will effortlessly be presenting
the handgun from concealed carry."
You ought to read through the Rangemaster newsletters. Lots of good
stuff in there.
https://rangemaster.com/publications/rangemaster-newsletter/
All kinds of neat stuff at:
Practical Eschatology by Docent
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/
The Tactical Professor by Claude Werner
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/
Active Response Training by Gregg Ellifritz
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/
Quips by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/quips/
Rangemaster newsletter by Tom Givens
https://rangemaster.com/publications/rangemaster-newsletter/
CIVILIAN DEFENDER by Sherman House
https://civiliandefender.com/
Handgun Combatives by Dave Spaulding
https://www.youtube.com/c/handguncombatives/videos
Marcus Wynne
https://marcuswynne.com/blog/
Jeff Gonzales
https://www.tridentconcepts.com/evolved-training/blog/
Michael Bane
https://www.michaelbane.tv/category/blog/
Jerry Miculek - Pro Shooter
https://www.youtube.com/c/MiculekDotCom/videos
OODA Loop
https://www.oodaloop.com/
"The Moon Kills
The School Of Light And Darkness"
by John Connor
https://gunsmagazine.com/our-experts/the-moon-kills/
*************************************************************************
"The Story of Shor's Algorithm, Straight From the Source" by Peter Shor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qD9XElTpCE
The primary source paper,
https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9508027v2
free to download.
Neil Sloane,
http://neilsloane.com/
groups, and Magma (a computer algebra program).
[In abstract algebra a magma is the simplest structure, a set with one
binary operation defined on the elements.]
I was at Neil's house one day, we were discussing coverings of a sphere.
I had a friend with me. She had been a nurse in one of the hospitals in Riyadh,
and had come for a visit when I was living in New Jersey. She was working at
some hospital in Pasadena, CA last I heard. Nursing is a good job, you can
work all over the world. Caltech is in Pasadena.
Preskill. We went round and round about conservation of information.
Feynmann. Doing physics while drinking in the strip clubs.
Fond memories.
*************************************************************************
"To J, J and E
for bringing joy to every day
and for understanding that universal decryption keys do not exist"
-- Paul C. van Oorschot
Universal decryption keys may not exist, but there may be tractable ways
of finding specific decryption keys.
Problem: Given a crypto system and a given ciphertext, find the
crypto key for that given ciphertext. (You don't have the plaintext,
so you have nothing to compare the output to.) You might find a key that
Problem: Given a crypto system and a given ciphertext, find the
crypto key for that given ciphertext. (You don't have the plaintext,
so you have nothing to compare the output to.) You might find a key that
decrypts the ciphertext that was not the key that the enemy used to encrypt
the plaintext.
Solution idea: Consider the possible keys as the signal. Decrypt the
ciphertext. Twiddle bits of the key at varying frequencies.
Nothing can change the frequency of a signal. [A truth of physics,
otherwise you get causality problems.] So, the crypto system can't change
the frequency of the signal given by the changing key inputs.
Consider the output "plaintext" as a time series. Fast Fourier Transform
the "plaintext" to find the frequency amplitudes and phases. This will tell
you where information from a given key bit shows up in the plaintext.
(No, it's not uniformly distributed among all the bits of the plaintext,
that would indicate an irreversible function. The crypto system is not
irreversible, because information is conserved.) Use this information in
the feedback function to decide which bit to flip in a given decryption.
Set up a genetic algorithm to search the key space. The fitness function
is the entropy of the plaintext. (The correct plaintext is going to have much
lower entropy than any incorrect plaintext. Otherwise, the human wouldn't
be able to read it.) The genetic algorithm will give you local minima.
Where ever in the key space the entropy minimizes, you have a potential key.
Search for the crypto key in the vicinity (Hamming metric perhaps?) of
the potential keys.
If the plaintext is retrievable, the crypto system is reversible.
Reversibility of any system means entropy is constant. Which means information
is conserved in the system. Very few functions conserve information. This is
a very tight constraint on the decryption function (transforming the key
into the plaintext, as the ciphertext is held fixed) and therefore on the
decryption key.
Linus Torvalds at his best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2lhwb_OckQ
“In the long-run, there is no such thing as ‘luck’.
However, the short-run is longer than many individual lifetimes!”
-- Anon
Check out the song "Self Defense" set to music & sung to the tune of
The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-05-Newsletter.pdf
We recall the apology of Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) for the
length of a letter, indicating that he did not have time to write a
shorter one. (“Je n’ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n’ai
pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte.”)
I know these postings are way too long, but there are so many
people that I am writing to.
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com
Solution idea: Consider the possible keys as the signal. Decrypt the
ciphertext. Twiddle bits of the key at varying frequencies.
Nothing can change the frequency of a signal. [A truth of physics,
otherwise you get causality problems.] So, the crypto system can't change
the frequency of the signal given by the changing key inputs.
Consider the output "plaintext" as a time series. Fast Fourier Transform
the "plaintext" to find the frequency amplitudes and phases. This will tell
you where information from a given key bit shows up in the plaintext.
(No, it's not uniformly distributed among all the bits of the plaintext,
that would indicate an irreversible function. The crypto system is not
irreversible, because information is conserved.) Use this information in
the feedback function to decide which bit to flip in a given decryption.
Set up a genetic algorithm to search the key space. The fitness function
is the entropy of the plaintext. (The correct plaintext is going to have much
lower entropy than any incorrect plaintext. Otherwise, the human wouldn't
be able to read it.) The genetic algorithm will give you local minima.
Where ever in the key space the entropy minimizes, you have a potential key.
Search for the crypto key in the vicinity (Hamming metric perhaps?) of
the potential keys.
If the plaintext is retrievable, the crypto system is reversible.
Reversibility of any system means entropy is constant. Which means information
is conserved in the system. Very few functions conserve information. This is
a very tight constraint on the decryption function (transforming the key
into the plaintext, as the ciphertext is held fixed) and therefore on the
decryption key.
Linus Torvalds at his best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2lhwb_OckQ
“In the long-run, there is no such thing as ‘luck’.
However, the short-run is longer than many individual lifetimes!”
-- Anon
Check out the song "Self Defense" set to music & sung to the tune of
The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-05-Newsletter.pdf
We recall the apology of Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) for the
length of a letter, indicating that he did not have time to write a
shorter one. (“Je n’ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n’ai
pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte.”)
I know these postings are way too long, but there are so many
people that I am writing to.
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com
