Hi Sheepdogs,
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
----- Mindset -----
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens
"Your Tactical Training Scenario- Surprise Attack" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/your-tactical-training-scenario-surprise-attack
Excerpt:
". . . To build this mindset, do more hard things.
They don’t have to be shooting related. Do workouts that
require mental toughness. Learn a foreign language.
Climb a mountain. It doesn’t matter what you do.
Doing anything that requires mental fortitude will help
you survive an ambush attack."
"Verily, I have often laughed at the weaklings who
thought themselves good because they had no claws."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
Post on Cornered Cat by Kathy Jackson
https://www.facebook.com/CorneredCatCCW/posts/1757325767693839
Aqil Qadir's comment, "The real value in training is that
if you do it right and make it habit, nothing happens.
Things may start to “happen” once complacency sets in."
“If *I* won’t protect myself, what right do I have to
expect another person to risk his or her life for mine?”
-- Sunni Maravillosa
Guns 101 - Home Carry with Massad Ayoob
http://bitly.ws/8vCu
Zeroed In: Clint Smith –
Meet One of the Godfathers of Tactical Training
by Rob Curtis
https://www.recoilweb.com/zeroed-in-clint-smith-78119.html
Excerpt:
". . . I teach military members that if you have shot the threat
and have to move forward over them, I teach them to shoot the threat
again as required. That is not what I teach to my civilian and
Law Enforcement students."
". . . Here's the drill, I have a spare tire in my car and I haven't
used it for a long time, but I still have it. Does that make me paranoid
or prepared? I carry two, or three, or four, or five, or six spare
magazines for a pistol, does that make me paranoid or prepared?"
. . . “Don't shoot faster, shoot better.”
The Importance of Situational Awareness by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/5/12/the-importance-of-situational-awareness/
Avoidance, Deterrence, and De-escalation
-- John Farnam
----- Safety -----
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.
-- John Farnam
"Standard Firearms Class Safety Checklist and Briefing" by Ralph Mroz
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087MYB7JF
Ralph says,
"The reason for the Safety Checklist and Briefing is that there is
no standard for either in widespread use; each instructor does their own
version, and that itself can vary from day to day. I wrote this booklet
in order to combine all the best ideas I've heard over the years on this
subject, and to propose a standard. I want this to be widely available,
and thus the cost is a nominal $1.29 (Amazon won't let you give a book away.)"
"Safe Force-on-Force Firearms Simulations: With Minimal Resources" by Ralph Mroz
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08798WL1P
Ralph says,
"This is a prose version of the PowerPoint presentation and program
that I developed many years ago. For years the Massachusetts Law Enforcement
Firearms Instructors and Armorers Association sold a video version of this
presentation on DVD, and it's been presented at several ILEETA conferences
by the former director of the Smith & Wesson Academy, Bert DuVernay. I'm
taking advantage of my new-found familiarity with Amazon's Kindle publishing
to make it available now in booklet form for, again, the nominal cost of
$1.79 in order to get the material out there. We lose several police
officers and even civilians in poorly designed, ad-hoc managed simulations
every year. While there are some reasonably safe safety methodologies in
circulation, they tend to be too complicated and too resource (time,
personnel) intensive to be practically implemented. The protocol presented
in this booklet solves both problems."
“Maintain a constant state of alert.
Do not walk alone.
Weapons are to be kept on your person,
and ready for immediate use, at all times”
-- Wehrmacht Directive, Eastern Front, July 1941
"The fast and/or emphatic reholster is an awesome way to shoot yourself."
-- Chuck Haggard
----- Training -----
"Reasons for training:
1. You don't know what you don't know.
2. Much of what you know is wrong.
3. It's good to have some of the answers to the test before taking it."
-- Claude Werner the Tactical Professor
"Serious gun owners want to attain a high level of responsibility
commensurate with the power of the weapon. Today it’s common knowledge
in those circles that not only is a reasonable level of skill with the
gun itself necessary, but so is a strong legal knowledge of the laws
regarding the use of force. Even so, few high-level civilian gun owners
participate in simulation training. Perhaps it’s because they don’t
realize how easy and inexpensive it can be."
-- from "SAFE FORCE-ON-FORCE FIREARMS SIMULATIONS With Minimal Resources" by Ralph Mroz
Legal Information for Concealed-Carry Permit Holders by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/5/1/legal-information-for-concealed-carry-permit-holders/
Excerpt:
"Getting good legal advice is one of the most important
things that you can do in preparing your personal defense plan.
Don't overlook it."
At the very least, you should read "Law of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca.
Andrew gives an online course about 4 time a year.
Attend the lectures by the self-defense pre-paid legal services. They are
all free and open to the public. Ya, they're trying to sell you a policy,
but they also give you valuable information.
Attend the law lectures at the annual Tactical Conference.
[If you need help doing this, contact information, etc., send me an email, Jon_Low@yahoo.com]
Behavioral Cues to Impending Aggression by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/166.62.115.254/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2020-05_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
4 Tips for Responsible Concealed Carry by Jim Wilson
https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2020/5/8/4-tips-for-responsible-concealed-carry/
Excerpt:
"Besides, if you like to shoot then a defensive shooting school can be
one of the best and most fun vacations that you have taken in your life."
John Correia preaches the “Three R’s.”
Training must be (1) recent, (2) relevant, and (3) realistic.
Are you Violating Key Training Program Principles?
https://www.shooting-performance.com/are-you-violating-key-training-program-principles/
"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
----- Practice -----
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
Mr. Happy/Frowny Face Decisional Drill by the Tactical Professor (Claude Werner)
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/04/30/mr-happy-frowny-face-decisional-drill/
Firearm Practice: Slow and Steady by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/5/1/firearm-practice-slow-and-steady/
Excerpts:
"In practice, the smart thing to do is to shoot however
slow is necessary in order to have every shot go exactly
where it is supposed to land."
". . . working slow and working to create good habits
is the foundation that winning speed is built upon."
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
Skill Set: How I Practice by Tiger McKee
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/3c8b2405-0750-4536-9003-4f88f8402dce
Excerpts:
"The speed you practice should be slow.
This is a tempo that eliminates, or greatly
reduces the chances of making a mistake."
"Your “speed” comes from making the decision
to move, draw, fire and such in a timely fashion.
If you wait too long it won’t matter how fast you
can draw and fire a shot; you won’t have time."
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
----- Techniques -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
Drills for Maximizing Trigger Control
https://secureservercdn.net/166.62.115.254/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2020-05_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Wrestling - Tactical Environment Strategy by Craig Douglas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjzX5O_Ofds&feature=youtu.be
“Watch his hands . . .”
https://edpoint.tumblr.com/post/115128592888/watch-his-hands-ed
I love watching magicians. I took some friends to the House of Cards
in Nashville, TN recently; several magicians doing close up magic at tables,
a fine dinner, and a great magic show. I love watching Penn and Teller's
"Fool Me". As Ed says, watch his hands, because that's where weapons
are held. The guy uses verbal patter to distract and disarm the targets.
The guy uses movement, distraction, and sleight of hand to bring the
pistol to bear. Notice there is no holster. Criminals generally don't
use holsters, because a holster is evidence of possession of a pistol,
which convicts are prohibited from possessing. He pulls the pistol
from his waistband while pulling his shirt up to display his waistline
to show he is unarmed. As long as he is doing what he wants to do, as
opposed to obeying your commands to do what you want him to do, he is
in control and can play such games with you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TacticalMoment.com redirects to
https://www.youtube.com/user/tacticalmoment
Handgun Grip - Tactical Moment #1 by John Holschen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDvdmn1ZnAU
Optimized Use Of Cover - Tactical Moment #8 by John Holschen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyFUXXI67KY
You don't win gunfights by shooting the other guy.
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
So, you're not using this technique in competition
or a qualifying course. You would use this technique in
combat. Self-defense is combat.
Movement - Tactical Moment #5 by John Holschen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIMB6_GT550
Your velocity vector should be perpendicular to the
enemy's fire vector. This maximizes the angular displacement
that the enemy must make to hit you.
Sight Picture - Tactical Moment #2 by John Holschen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxK-Nvx_2dw
Sight video vs. sight picture. Striving for fluid movement.
Yes, "sight picture" really is a misnomer. I like the term
"sight movie".
Shot Placement - Tactical Moment #10 by John Holschen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbqKS7f5oxs
Cardiac triangle. Ocular cavity. Pelvic girdle. Temple.
He doesn't mention the nose. He doesn't metion the external
auditory meatus (ear hole).
There are lots of legitimate reasons for shooting the bad
guy in the back. Make sure you can articulate them. Or, better
yet, keep your mouth shut and let your attorney articulate them
for you.
Ready Position - Tactical Moment #3 by John Holschen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9nJnnktOgc
I disagree with bending the wrists. I think that weakens your
grip. I think you should bend the elbows to get the pistol pointing
downward.
Drawing From Concealment - Tactical Moment #6 by John Holschen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDyL0VPmoEg
Telegraphing your intent, an excellent way to get shot.
Use tactical deception, both words and actions.
Tactical Reload - Tactical Moment #4 by John Holschen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep-_m4TWsjk
You really have to think about when you would want to do this.
Automatically doing this when you get behind cover or when there is
a lull in the action may not be reasonable.
Move And Shoot - Tactical Moment #11 by John Holschen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ_uwRJLPmA
A much deeper analysis than is given in most gun schools.
John Holschen always was one of the deep thinkers. I had the
good fortune of training with him at one of the Tac Cons. And the
pleasure of meeting his wife.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
I have obeyed Master Lee.
I used to teach putting your pistol into the Sul position when
doing your 360 degree scan in your after action drills. I don't
teach that anymore, because taking your pistol out of your correct
grip is wrong, as it takes too long to get your pistol back into
your shooting grip. I now teach holding your pistol in a compressed
ready position and pivoting at the elbows to point the pistol down at
the ground in front of you. The elbows, not the wrists. You must
keep your wrists straight to have a strong grip.
This is better than holding your pistol at a cheek index,
because it does not block your field of view and does not have
your pistol up by your head for everyone to see and fear.
Appendix Carry . . . Thousands of Thugs Can’t be Wrong! by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/appendix-carry-thousands-of-thugs-cant-be-wrong
Excerpts:
"If your chest is larger than your waist . . ."
[You have to see Greg to understand this. Most of us normal people have a
waist that is larger than our chests.]
"There is also a very real danger of killing yourself
if you have an accidental discharge while drawing or holstering."
[Ya, I would say that's a big downside.]
Here is the problem. What's the probability of a light bulb burning out
in a given day? Very small, near zero. Will probably not happen. In a high
rise building with tens of thousands of light bulbs, what's the probability
that a light bulb will burn out in a given day? Very large, near one. So,
if you're running a big gun school, training hundreds of people every week,
in a year you will almost certainly have someone shoot himself. That's why
most of the big gun schools (military, law enforcement, and civilian) forbid
appendix carry.
Shit . . . Millions of flies can't be wrong.
Our Guide To Improving Your Carry Optics Scores by Chris Christian
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2020/5/6/our-guide-to-improving-your-carry-optics-scores/
No front sight focus, all target focus. This is a game changer.
Newer sights have larger windows so you won't lose the red dot in the
window when moving while shooting. This is a big deal.
REFINING THE DRAW STROKE FOR THE CONCEALED CARRIER PT. 3
by Steve Moses quoting Spencer Keepers
https://ccwsafe.com/blog/33061
Video: Perfect stance vs. odd angles . . . which is faster? by Mike Ox
https://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/video-perfect-stance-vs.-odd-angleswhich-is-faster/recreation-leisure
What is your range of motion? It's good to know this before the combat
engagement.
"I thought I could reach that position to engage the target. I guess I
couldn't. Oops!" Well, in a match it's "Oops", in combat it's . . .
Visual Speed: Key To Success In Practical Shooting by John B. Holbrook, II
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2020/5/13/visual-speed-key-to-success-in-practical-shooting/
Excerpt:
". . . You have to train your brain to process visual (and tactile) information
rapidly. If you can process the information, you can make micro-sized adjustments
to be on target at speed. Visual speed is the key to any practical shooting sport
success."
"If (this is a big if) your shooting fundamentals are solid, then increasing
your visual speed will be the lowest hanging fruit to improving your scores at
matches." [If you've never had expert/professional training, your fundamentals
are not solid. There is no such thing as a natural shooter. -- Jon Low]
John's method is to set a timer at a Grand Master par time, and then
practice to complete the drill before the timer goes off. Of course, he
couldn't do it at first. But, with practice, he was able to.
I have found the same to be true when trying to bat baseballs in a batting
cage. The machine shoots the ball over the plate at 90 mph. At first you
don't even see it. But, with practice, you see it; then you swing and miss;
then you swing and foul; then you start getting good hits. It's a matter
of acclimating to the event. With practice (deliberate intentional practice),
you will get the hang of it, and you will succeed.
Practice the Draw Stroke(s): There Are More than One
https://reflexhandgun.com/2020/05/12/practice-the-draw-strokes-there-are-more-than-one/
1-The Default Draw
2-Single-Handed Draw
3-Support-Hand Draw
4-Surreptitious Draw
I agree. I teach such in my Defensive Pistol course.
----- Tactics -----
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
Kidnapping of local businessman and his son while stopped at an intersection.
View the right hand side of the screen. Later released after the family paid the
ransom.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7pCM8Nlrv0/?igshid=f8mi7lh89tf9
Pay attention to what's going on around you. When someone tries to box
you in, hit the gas and go!
It is not reasonable to believe that the kidnappers will eventually release you.
As we learned in Tom Givens' class, from zero to 24 hours there is a 75% chance
the victims are dead. After 24 hours there is a 100% chance the victims are dead.
The errors in these probabilities are not statistically significant.
If your granddaughter is kidnapped in your presence, you should take the
shot. Yes, you might miss and kill your granddaughter. But, if you let the bad
guy get away with her, she will be raped, tortured, and murdered. You have to
believe that because it is statistically true. A person's actions are based on
that person's beliefs. So, it is essential you believe the truth, as opposed to
denying it.
You also have to believe that you can make the shot. Your training and
practice will give you the confidence you need to make the shot.
When a Deranged Gunman Attacks . . . Terror Strikes the Local Shopping Mall
by Matthew Brockmann
https://www.uslawshield.com/active-shooter-shopping-mall/
Transcript is below the video.
Don't say things on the 911 call like, "I was just trying to warn him."
Because killing someone in self-defense is an intentional act. If your
shooting him was not intentional, it's not self-defense. If you kill someone
unintentionally it's reckless.
Lock your doors. Forcing the bad guy to break something to get in
removes all the ambiguity. Now there is no question of malice.
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
----- Education -----
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
Church Security Q&A by Michael Mann
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=264926937974773&ref=watch_permalink
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
***** ***** ***** Hardware (which includes you) ***** ***** *****
"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley
----- Gear -----
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
I enthusiastically recommend Hocks Noise Braker.
http://www.noisebrakers.com/
They are ear plugs that allow normal hearing when worn and automatically block
damaging noise from gun fire and such. A student gave me a pair.
I've used them for several years. They work. They are comfortable to the point
I forget I have them in my ears. No electronics, so you don't have to replace
batteries. They allow the passage of air, so changes in air pressure don't
affect them (or you). No moving parts, so nothing to wear out. Easily clean
with soap and water.
A single pair is about $15. The price drops to about $10 each when you order 10.
The state of Oregon does not charge sales tax.
http://www.noisebrakers.com/store
Made in the United States. Veteran owned company.
Hocks also makes "Custom" pairs molded to your ear canals. But, I have no
experience with those.
Nobody paid me to write this. Nobody asked me to write this. I didn't
pay for the ear plugs. I got them as a gift from a student, not the manufacturer.
[Because of my nature, I had to tear one apart to figure out how it works. In my non-expert
opinion, the ear plug is a multi flange design with a hollow central core that uses a
ceramic acoustic baffle to block loud noise. But, I only had an under grad level physics
class in acoustics.]
Women’s Concealed Carry Holster Options by Jacob Paulsen
https://www.concealedcarry.com/gear/unique-female-options-to-concealed-carry/
Magnets instead of belt loops or hooks, so no belt required, that's pretty
cool. JM4 Tactical
Not just for women.
Practice Ammo Vs. Defensive Ammo — What You Need To Know by Dave Anderson
https://gunsmagazine.com/discover/exclusives/practice-vs-defensive-ammo-what-you-need-to-know/
I buy my ammunition by the case (1000 rounds) from online retailers
like Target Sports USA, as it is cheaper. A lot of the guys at work buy
their ammo by the pallet from distributors, as it is much cheaper.
If you look around you will find small local manufacturers. I always
believe in buying local. For instance, Alpine ammo in Mount Juliet, TN is good.
The small businesses appreciate you much more than the big corporations.
Action Target is offering a 15% discount on all paper and cardboard targets.
https://shop.actiontarget.com/prodcat/papercardboard-all.asp
Use promo code "PAPER15" at check out.
Another ambidextrous pistol, MASADA from IWI US,
the U.S.-based arm of Israel Weapon Industries (IWI).
MSRP $480
5 Essential Traits Every Carry Gun Needs by Joshua Gillem
https://www.concealedcarry.com/gear/5-essential-traits-every-carry-gun-needs/
Reliability
Shootability
Manipulation
Concealment
Arthritis Tips: How to Load & Unload Semi-Autos by Dr. Joseph Logar, PT, DPT
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/5/13/arthritis-tips-how-to-load-unload-semi-autos/
“Your car is not a holster.” – Pat Rogers
Wear it or lock it up.
----- Technical -----
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
A Glossary of Gun Terms
https://www.ammoman.com/blog/a-glossary-of-common-gun-terms/
Bullet Ballistics - Shooting Terms You Should Know by Joseph von Benedikt
https://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/common-ballistic-terms-you-should-know/249409
Well, no, the trajectory is not a parabola. It would be if
one were shooting in a vacuum in a uniform gravitational field.
But, on the surface of our planet, we have an atmosphere (hence air friction)
and a spherically radial gravitational field.
Doesn't matter much for pistols at pistol ranges (~7 yards). Because,
when the line of sight intersects the trajectory (first crossing, the bullet is
going up as it crosses the line of sight) both curves are nearly straight lines.
[Though it does matter at 25 yards.]
Matters for rifles at rifle ranges (~500 yards). Because, when the trajectory
intersects the line of sight (second crossing, the bullet is going down as it
crosses the line of sight), the line of sight is a light line following the
curve of space due to the mass of the Earth, while the trajectory is a free fall
path.
Matters a lot for artillery at artillery ranges (~33,000 yards). Even
fixed buildings are moving targets, because the Earth is rotating. So, the
building has moved quite a bit between launch and impact.
(I actually graduated from a U.S. Army Forward Observer Artillery School
at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. I served as a gun bunny in the Marine Corps.
So, I've got some idea of what I speak.)
My friend Libert O'Sullivan developed a cartridge.
http://www.375libert.com/
It's designed for long range rifle shooting.
US Army Research Brings Tough Polymer to Low-Cost 3D Printers
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2020/04/30/us-army-3d-polymer/
The Extreme Danger of Squibs, Broken Guns — And Stuck Bullets! by Brad Miller
https://americanhandgunner.com/handguns/the-extreme-danger-of-squibs/
Excerpt:
"Can the gun cycle if the bullet doesn’t leave the barrel?
I had been under the impression the bullet had to exit in order
for there to be enough reciprocal rearward force to make the
slide move far enough back to cycle the gun. I don’t know why
I thought that, but I did. And I was wrong."
"So, in three out of three incidents where the bullet was
stuck in the barrel, the gun cycled normally. This is as
dangerous as it gets."
So, if you get a blast of hot gas in your face or any sound
other than a bang, STOP! You might have a bullet stuck in your
barrel.
"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
I often run into the young military types who complain about how pussy
civilian training is. I tell them, you have the wrong mindset to be an instructor
of civilians. When you are more mature, more spiritually mature, and understand
how to teach little old ladies with arthritis, and actually want to teach such
people, then you may be ready to be an instructor in the civilian world.
Instructors, may I suggest this drill?
With your student looking away, set up the magazine in his pouch to have several
live rounds, except for the second from the top, which should be a dummy round.
Insert the magazine into the student's magazine pouch.
The pistol is set up with an empty chamber and a magazine with dummy rounds only.
Insert the pistol into the student's holster.
Have the student face the target down range and give the command to fire
two rounds into the center of mass. Observe. Do not comment. When the string
of fire is completed, instruct the student to holster. Ask the student what
he did and why. (Does his statement have any resemblance to what he did?)
Discuss the following with the student --
Did the student execute Immediate Action? [Tap, Rack, Point (aim in, slack out)]
Or, did he Tap, Rack, Bang!
If so, did the student actually Tap? (They often don't.)
When, if ever, did the student decide to reload the pistol?
If so, was the reloading procedure correct? Was it elegantly done?
Did the student get the final sight movie after the second shot?
Did the student see the muzzle flash? If not, he was closing his eyes. (A common
problem.) The bright orange muzzle flash is easily seen, even in broad daylight;
if the aiming eye is open.
"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
----- Pedagogy -----
Teach positive. Teach what to do. Don't talk about what not to do.
-- John Farnam
Pass out detailed notes and tell your students that everything you say will
be in the notes. You want your students paying attention to you, not scribbling
in their notebooks. They must be watching and listening to you, otherwise it's
dangerous.
An instructor should not expect any learning to take
place the first time new information is presented.
-- "Building Shooters" by Dustin Solomon
***** ***** ***** Legal, Political, and Philosophical ***** ***** *****
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
"Murder charge dropped against woman (Amber Angelovic) in fatal Costa Mesa stabbing"
https://www.ocregister.com/2020/02/11/murder-charge-dropped-against-woman-in-fatal-costa-mesa-stabbing/
Just because it's “straight self-defense.” Doesn't mean the defender isn't going
to be "charged with murder and a sentencing enhancement for the use of a deadly weapon."
And have to put up bail money and wait 3 years for the prosecutors to drop the case.
Do you think anyone would hire her, have any business dealings with her, or even
socialize with her during the past 3 years?
Do you have the resources to satisfy a 1 million dollar bail?
https://www.ocregister.com/2017/03/14/21-year-old-woman-charged-in-mans-stabbing-death-in-costa-mesa/
"Oh, but I would never have need of such resources, because I would never
put myself into such a situation in the first place."
If someone tried to rape and murder you, you would have done exactly what
Amber Angelovic did. Criminals don't give you the option of not getting into the
situation in the first place.
But, her 3 year nightmare was worth it. Because if she hadn't stopped her attacker,
he would have raped and murdered her. How do we know this? Because the police
found evidence of the assailant's plan on his computer.
Life is not fair. But, it's survivable, if you choose to get the training.
Which she did.
"Prosecutors said that believing she would be raped or killed,
Angelovic grabbed a knife she carried for her personal protection and
“engaged in a self-defense drill she learned in a self-defense class.” "
Based on Derek Valentine's dossier, I speculate that if Angelovic had not
chosen to get the training, her body would never have been found. There would
never have been a missing person report. There would never have been an
investigation. We learned in Tom Givens' class how many people in the U.S.
disappear every year. In the context of these people not being counted
in the murder statistics.
Marxist Tyranny up North!
https://defense-training.com/archives/4909
Canada imposed gun registration. Now they are using those lists to
implement gun confiscation.
Stand Your Ground Law Myths Debunked by Massad Ayoob
https://gundigest.com/article/stand-your-ground-law-myths-debunked
Make sure to watch the video at the end of the article.
Remember Jay Lewis. Avoid ending up homeless and destitute,
by buying pre-paid legal services, examples of which are in
the two articles that follow.
Pre-paid legal services:
6 Concealed Carry Insurance Options To Protect Your Six (2019)
by Gun Digest Editors
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/4-self-defense-insurance-options
Self-Defense Gun Owner Insurance Programs Compared
https://www.concealedcarry.com/self-defense-gun-owner-insurance-programs-compared/
This web page, the chart, and the PDF file are updated on a regular basis.
Andrew Branca's info-graphic describing the 5 elements of the law of self defense.
https://lawofselfdefense.com/beginjourney/
https://lawofselfdefense.com/elements/
Foundations: The 5 Elements of Self-Defense Law by Andrew Branca
https://lawofselfdefense.com/foundations-the-5-elements-of-self-defense-law/
Andrew Branca will be teaching a live online "Law of Self Defense" class on
July 25th of 2020.
https://lawofselfdefense.com/product/live-online-class/
If you vote in Delaware, please vote for Lauren Witzke,
Republican Candidate for U.S. Senate.
My father was proud of the fact that he was a 3rd generation Republican
and always voted a straight Republican party ticket. But, since his death,
he casts a straight Democrat ballot.
Following a spate of infringements on Constitutional Rights in the wake of
the Coronavirus Pandemic, Louisiana Pro-Rights Representative and LSA Life
Member Blake Miguez (R, Dist. 49) has filed four pro-Gun bills that will
be heard in the House Criminal Justice Committee.
House Bill 746 allows those who lawfully possess a firearm to carry
concealed for self-defense during a mandatory evacuation under a declared
state of emergency or disaster.
House Bill 781 establishes that firearms and ammunition manufacturers,
distributors, wholesalers, suppliers, and retailers are “Essential Businesses”
that shall not be prohibited from conducting business during a declared
disaster or emergency. HB 781 further prevents law-abiding gun owners’ rights
from being infringed during proclaimed curfews.
House Bill 140 prevents local authorities and municipalities from
imposing restrictions to prohibit the possession of a firearm. Preemption
legislation is designed to stop municipalities from creating a patchwork
of different laws that turn a law-abiding citizen into a criminal for
simply crossing a jurisdictional line.
House Bill 334 authorizes a concealed handgun permit holder to carry
a concealed handgun in a church, synagogue, mosque, or other similar place
of worship.
Thanks to the LOUISIANA SHOOTING ASSOCIATION.
"The Media Lynching of Gregory and Travis McMichael" by Mark at Practical Eschatology
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-media-lynching-of-gregory-and.html
Police at the scene investigated and declined to arrest. District Attorney
investigated and declined to prosecute.
NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) puts out
an alert asking their constituents to call the prosecutor's office to demand that
the two white men be prosecuted. Thus, murder charges.
After Action Analysis: Arbery Shoplifting Video: May 20, 2020 by Attorney Andrew Branca
https://lawofselfdefense.com/after-action-analysis-arbery-shoplifting-video-may-20-2020/
Three ways to bring in character evidence in a self-defense case.
Kind of deep legal stuff.
Our friend Andrew Branca has a list of links to articles on the
"Ahmaud Arbery Files" at
https://lawofselfdefense.com/ahmaud-arbery-files/
The Alexander Weiss Duty-to-Retreat Case
Part 2: Using Your Words Against You
by Shawn Vincent
https://ccwsafe.com/blog/33055
Yes, the actions of the government prosecutors do infringe on your First Amendment
right to free speech. But, the U.S. Constitution does not say that your "right to
free speech shall not be infringed". Only the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
has the verbiage
". . . the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Hidden Victory in Tossed Supreme Court Case by Dave Workman
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/hidden-victory-in-tossed-supreme-court-case/
NC sheriff says he won’t stop people from eating in restaurants despite pandemic rules
by Bailey Aldridge
https://www.policeone.com/coronavirus-covid-19/articles/nc-sheriff-says-he-wont-stop-people-from-eating-in-restaurants-despite-pandemic-rules-k1OWr7eCjmeZUdT0/
This is why it is essential to have locally elected sheriffs.
America’s Complex Relationship With Guns
An in-depth look at the attitudes and experiences of U.S. adults
by Kim Parker, Juliana Menasce Horowitz, Ruth Igielnik, J. Baxter Oliphant and Anna Brown
https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2017/06/22/americas-complex-relationship-with-guns/
"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
(the one we swore to uphold and defend against all enemies foreign and domestic)
***** ***** ***** Survival, Medical, and such ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
Common Epitaph!
https://defense-training.com/archives/4931
Excerpt:
"Seldom do police arrive while shots are still being fired!
No matter how fast the police response, the “incident” is almost
always over by the time police get there, and police are thus
not usually in a position to affect the outcome.
Police arriving “in the nick of time” is mostly confined to movies!
Accordingly, when you find yourself in such a dire circumstance,
the only person in a position to save your life will likely be you,
and only you. Having the heart, ability, and confidence to act
unhesitatingly and precisely, at the critical moment, will save your life,
and there is nothing else in the universe that can!"
“Be armed, or don’t be around me!”
-- Patton (paraphrased)
Trauma Medical Skills Survey
https://concealedcarryinc.typeform.com/to/yg9cYR
Greg Ellifritz says, if you can't answer the questions,
your next class should be a medical class before a gun class.
I've taken classes where what they taught differed from
the "correct" answer is in this test. So, be careful.
Willingness is a state of mind. Preparedness (or lack thereof) is a fact.
***** ***** ***** Basics ***** ***** *****
"Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
Range Etiquette For New Shooters By Joshua Gillem
https://www.concealedcarry.com/safety/range-etiquette-for-new-shooters/
Actually, range Etiquette for all shooters.
All guns are always loaded: discussing the Four Rules of Gun Safety by Caleb Giddings
https://gatdaily.com/all-guns-are-always-loaded-discussing-the-four-rules-of-gun-safety/
Yes, critical thinking, not dogma.
Proper Grip with Max Michel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh1oFKnbrvk&utm_campaign=ProperPistolFit&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua
***** ***** ***** Miscellany ***** ***** *****
When it's least expected, you're selected.
-- John Farnam
Lots of neat posts.
Cornered Cat
https://www.facebook.com/CorneredCatCCW/
An interesting web site.
https://reflexhandgun.com/
7 parts saltpeter (potassium nitrate KNO3)
5 parts brimstone (sulfur S)
5 parts charcoal (carbon C)
-- Roger Bacon 1260 A.D.
from "Epistalae de secretis operibus artis et naturae et de mullitate magial"
Of course, this requires grinding and sieving to ensure all particles are the
same size. Good to know in case you can't find your favorite propellant at
the local gun store during the zombie apocalypse.
Shooting Sports USA
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nra/ssusa_202005/index.php#/p/Cover1
A friend from work told me that when his mother died recently, her doctor
told my friend that she died from a heart attack. But, the death certificate
listed the cause of death as Covid-19 virus.
/* Random data from the HotBits radioactive random number generator */
unsigned char hotBits[55] = {
118, 39, 130, 223, 173, 169, 227, 56, 141, 102, 251, 16, 64, 159, 206,
153, 31, 91, 38, 2, 65, 254, 191, 105, 235, 66, 40, 24, 230, 21, 150,
196, 234, 215, 139, 36, 227, 30, 10, 221, 213, 113, 159, 36, 78, 106,
4, 110, 132, 201, 122, 136, 47, 16, 127
};
Wow, I spent way too much time scrolling through this Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/AR15BeautifulWomen
A young lady giggled at me during a conversation as she handed me
my dental appliances. It made my day. Ah, the little things in life.
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com
Monday, May 25, 2020
Friday, May 1, 2020
CWP, 1 May MMXX Anno Domini
Hi Sheepdogs,
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
----- Mindset -----
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens
Should I Provide First Aid to the Attacker I Just Shot? by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/should-i-provide-first-aid-to-the-attacker-i-just-shot
If you don't understand this, STOP, and think about it.
If you are thinking the Good Samaritan laws in your state will
protect you from liability, STOP, your perspective is wrong.
I put this article is in the mindset section, not the medical/survival section.
If your mindset is wrong, you're not doing self-defense; you're vying for
organ donor.
If you approach the downed criminal, he will attack you,
his accomplices will attack you, the police will shoot you to prevent
you from continuing your attack on the helpless victim, a civilian
will shoot you to defend the guy lying on the ground that you just shot.
As a civilian self-defender, your primary mission is to escape.
You should be moving away from the criminal.
Approaching the criminal is not escape. Approaching the downed
criminal is your continuation of your attack on the helpless person.
No one can read your mind. No one will attempt to read your mind.
They are just going to shoot, because it is a very high stress situation.
“Choice, not chance, determines your destiny.”
-- Aristotle
10 Cases Where An Armed Citizen Took Down An Active Shooter
An armed “good guy or gal” who is at ground zero of an attack can stop the carnage sooner.
by Massad Ayoob
https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2015/03/10-cases-where-an-armed-citizen-took-down-an-active-shooter/
I put this in the mindset section because your beliefs control
your actions. If you don't believe that you can do good, you won't
carry consistently, religiously. If you don't believe that only you
can stop the carnage, you won't take action. If you haven't made
peace with your God in your decision to use lethal force to protect
the innocent beforehand, you will hesitate at the crucial moment.
And as we saw in the White Settlement church incident, hesitation
of a second is enough to get yourself killed.
“Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems
is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that
you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.”
-- Colin Powell
Cases where concealed handgun permit holders have stopped mass shootings by John Lott
http://johnrlott.blogspot.com/2015/04/this-past-friday-uber-driver-with.html
On Her Own: You Are Worth Defending
Even if you are not in current danger,
or you have no child to keep safe . . . you,
on your own, are worth defending.
by Annette Evans
https://www.nrawomen.com/content/on-her-own-you-are-worth-defending/
Please share this with your female loved ones and friends.
Some ladies need these words of truth spoken to them. And will
appreciate your effort in the future.
Avoidance, Deterrence, and De-escalation
-- John Farnam
----- Safety -----
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.
-- John Farnam
Store guns out of sight and inaccessible by the Tactical Professor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/04/17/store-guns-out-of-sight-and-inaccessible/
If the good guy had been wearing his pistol in a concealed holster
while taking his nap, the outcome would probably have been different.
Yes, as a matter of fact, I do nap with my pistol on; don't you?
When I was in Riyadh, the CIA field agent at the U.S. Embassy told
me that the enemy was aware of my presence and that I should take
precautions. I took that warning seriously and still do.
Let me give you the warning.
"The enemy knows of your presence. Take precautions."
Muzzleloader Explodes Like Grenade, Takes Off Shooter’s Fingers
https://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2014/12/16/muzzleloader-explodes-like-grenade-takes-shooters-fingers/
That's why shooters must read and follow the instructions in
the manual that comes with the firearm. All manufacturers have
web sites from which you may download the manuals.
If you are reloading or muzzle loading, you have to use the correct
propellant, you have to use the correct amount of propellant.
Teaching children about guns by the Tactical Professor (Claude Werner)
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/04/22/teaching-children-about-guns/
Julie Golob’s book
"Toys, Tools, Guns & Rules: A Children’s Book About Gun Safety"
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078TB9RJB
Free downloads at
https://www.juliegolob.com/books/kids-gun-safety-book
"Knowing When Something's Wrong" with Vince Harrison
https://www.cv-ministries.com/podcast.html?mc_cid=ea41f05f51&mc_eid=3081363eff
Church Security Through Prevention
All kinds of good stuff at CV Ministries, check out the web site.
https://www.cv-ministries.com/
"The fast and/or emphatic reholster is an awesome way to shoot yourself."
-- Chuck Haggard
----- Training -----
"Reasons for training:
1. You don't know what you don't know.
2. Much of what you know is wrong.
3. It's good to have some of the answers to the test before taking it."
-- Claude Werner the Tactical Professor
John Farnam has posted all of his DTI Operator Series Videos,
including his series on Tactical Treatment of Gunshot Wounds, on the
DTI Web Page at defense-training.com, as a service to all his Students,
Instructors, and Operators.
https://defense-training.com/videos
"The Good flashlight technique is named after Ken Good.
Ken used to work for Surefire. Now, I believe he is out consulting on his own."
-- John Farnam
Plans are folly. Planning is essential.
-- Dwight Eisenhower
"Experiential Learning Laboratory with Craig “SouthNarc” Douglas –
The stuff you don’t learn in gun school" by Tim
https://www.gunnuts.net/2015/03/19/experiential-learning-laboratory-with-craig-southnarc-douglas-the-stuff-you-dont-learn-in-gun-school/
Excerpts:
. . . Under stress and experiencing the mental lockup described earlier,
they simply had no idea what they had actually done.
Imperfect recall while under the effects of adrenaline and stress
is one of the reasons those with experience in the criminal justice system
advise you not to be too chatty in the aftermath of a shooting. You can
very easily say something that is inaccurate and that can dramatically
complicate your life.
. . . People experiencing extreme stress often do strange things
because normal thought processes simply aren’t available to them.
. . . I like having a high level of shooting skill but even world-class
skill is no substitute for being a competent tactician when the chips are down.
Craig’s approach to instruction has a better shot at giving you the tools
to become that competent tactician than most of the other options on the market.
“There’s a huge training myth out there.
That MYTH is that Information = Something of Value.
FACT: Information = 0, unless people are inspired to act.”
-- Valerie Van Brocklin
-------------------------------------------------------------------
An email to the junior rifle shooters that I have coached --
Hi Team,
The following articles are recommended by USA Archery.
---
Motor Learning: Block vs Random Practice by Trevor Ragan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_5nWKyRzKM
Excerpt:
"The most important thing is reading."
What would random practice be?
Every shot in a match or practice session or
combat is similar, but not the same.
---
Growth Mindset Introduction:
What it is, How it Works, and Why it Matters by Trevor Ragan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75GFzikmRY0
Coaches, herein is presented a list of things
you need to cause your athletes to believe. Because
all behavior springs from one's belief system.
---
Cheers,Coach Jon
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The Strength Of The Concealed Carry Family by Matthew Maruster
https://www.concealedcarry.com/safety/the-strength-of-the-concealed-carry-family/
Excerpt:
It may sound cliche, but the family that trains together stays together.
Or better yet, survives together! Stay safe out there and God bless.
Pistol Shooting With Physical Challenges by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/4/20/pistol-shooting-with-physical-challenges/
Personal preferences based on esthetics and sentimental attachments
to certain types of pistols have no place in combat. Self-defense is combat.
I shot a qualification course that was part of a job application.
The interesting thing about this test was that they issued all equipment,
ensuring that you've probably never used this equipment before.
And if you have, they change the equipment to ensure you haven't.
So, I was using a rather wide nylon duty belt with two magazine pouches
on the left side (I'm right handed) with flaps over the top that snapped
into place and a level 2 retention holster at 3 o'clock. In order to get
the Glock 22 (40 caliber) out of the holster, I had to push one lever
down with my firing side thumb and then push another lever to the right
(toward the pistol) with my firing side thumb. They gave us several
minutes to practice with the holsters to figure out how they worked and
to get a smooth presentation. The course of fire was a total of 50 rounds
at varying distances (If you didn't know that with a pistol you have
to aim low at long range, you would have missed several targets.),
varying number of rounds fired in each string, and varying time limits.
[If you didn't already know the counts for timing your rate of fire,
you would have had a hard time with the time limits. Fortunately,
I had learned from a class at the Citizens Safety Academy that
"1 front sight, 2 front sight, . . . " will give you one shot per second;
"1 and, 2 and, 3 and, . . . " will give you two shots per second; and
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . . " will give you four shots per second.]
The course of fire was not described before hand, no walk through.
The range officer explained the course of fire immediately before
you shot it, and then gave the command to fire. There was some slow
fire (no time limit), rapid fire (very short time limit), support hand only,
firing hand only, forced (because the magazine is empty) reloads, etc.
I think the 50 round boxes of ammunition that they gave us had dead
cartridges mix in, because everyone was getting malfunctions that they
were expected you to clear automatically and continue firing to finish
the course of fire. But, nothing was said about there being dead rounds
in the boxes of ammo. Very little instruction was given. No help with
clearing malfunctions was given.
I had to do the qualification twice because the Tennessee Armed Guard
license specifies the pistol that you are carrying down to the make, model,
and caliber. And I wanted to be able to carry another type of pistol.
The test was not the same the second time I did it. I'm sure that's because
they know that the people who have finished the test, walk out into the
waiting room and talk to the people waiting to take the test.
This test induced a bit of stress, causing several persons to fail,
as in they didn't qualify, so they didn't get the job or lost their job,
a BIG DEAL. Can you imagine getting fired because you couldn't pass a
shooting test? That took it to a new level mentally for me.
Ya, I know in self-defense classes we talk about shooting to save
your life or the life of a loved one, which would of course be high stress.
But, it's theoretical. Shooting to get a job or keep your job is real.
[Yes, I passed with a 93% and 96%.]
"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
----- Practice -----
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
"Skill Set: What I Practice" by Tiger McKee
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/e0ece7db-301c-4de9-96e2-4bb321d6f20f
Measurements and Standards for Pistol Shooting by Tamara Keel
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/4/13/measurements-and-standards-for-pistol-shooting/
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
----- Techniques -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
How to Spot a Bad Guy -
A Comprehensive Look at Body Language and Pre-Assault Indicators
by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/how-to-spot-a-bad-guy-a-comprehensive-look-at-body-language-and-pre-assault-indicators
REFINING THE DRAW STROKE FOR THE CONCEALED CARRIER PT.2
https://ccwsafe.com/blog/32090
[It appears that someone has hijacked this web site. I hope they get it fixed
by the time you read this. -- Jon Low]
Where Should You Carry Your Reload? by Chris Christian
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/4/16/where-should-you-carry-your-reload/
It's always better to have and not need than to need and not have.
Stickfighting Angles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhAHH84_d9s&feature=youtu.be
Combative Knife
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZH4XP8DPr8
Combative Knife II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xUB5K_Jkpo
Combative Knife III
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62sttt9Ohb8
Verbal Judo principles:
1. Everyone needs to be respected.
2. People would rather be asked than told.
3. People would like to know why they are being asked to do something.
4. People would prefer to have options over threats.
5. People want to have a second chance.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
----- Tactics -----
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
Question from Marcus Wynne: what is the current doctrine about tracking from one
target (active shooter) to the next target (second active shooter) when the muzzle
will cross non-shoots in between?
Back in the Dinosaur Days, I was taught, practiced and taught in a crowded
scenario to retract the pistol to a center chest or high ready when moving my
shooting platform to position to a place where I could then extend and shoot the
second or third shooters. Rationale was to retract the gun close to maintain
control with a number of uncontrolled panicked people and hostile shooters until
I had a clean line of fire on my next target. And that was considered to be a
better solution instead of tracking across non-shoots, or shifting to a low
extended ready.
What is the current doctrine and what are the thoughts about it?
[There were many responses from much more experienced and competent instructors than I.
But, I am not at liberty to display their responses.]
Jon Low's response:
I think it is a bad idea to muzzle friendlies and innocent bystanders.
So, I train my students never to do it. Because Murphy's Law says,
anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, at the worst possible time. Unlike
the military and police, who have a tolerance for collateral damage, my civilian
students cannot tolerate the civil (reckless endangerment) and criminal
(aggravated assault with a deadly weapon) liability of muzzling an innocent person.
[How I implement my philosophy in training. Actually, only the last
paragraph is pertinent to our conversation. But, I included the whole section
for context.]
In my Defensive Pistol course, we use IDPA or IPSC matches for the tactical
scenarios. We used to set up the scenarios on our range, but that was just too
much work for the assistant instructors. The IDPA clubs do a better job than
we ever could. But, we always shoot the matches in a tactically correct manner:
Moving slowly, not racing to win the game. We will go very slowly to
ensure we positively identify every shoot-target and every no-shoot-target.
It is common for the Safety Officer to inform the shooter that he failed to
engage several targets, because the competitor just ran past them without seeing them.
Staying back away from corners, not crowding cover. We will stay back
away from corners, windows, and doors, because we understand that there is
someone hiding there who will grab our pistol.
Staying away from walls, as bullets do not ricochet off walls as light
reflects off a mirror. We know that when a bullet hits a surface most of the
momentum perpendicular to the surface is absorbed by the surface,
while most of the momentum parallel to the surface is retained by the bullet.
So, bullets tend to skim along surfaces that they hit.
We will shoot at the first part of the enemy that comes into view,
because we can do so without exposing our bodies. We can always get the
A-zone hit later as we come around the corner. But, we understand that
whoever gets the first hit will usually win the encounter.
We will not muzzle no-shoot targets. We will not sweep across no-shoot
targets when transitioning from one shoot-target to another shoot-target.
Because unlike the other competitors, we are not playing a game.
We are training for combat. Self-defense is combat.
Considerations for Home Defense by Varg Freeborn
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/considerations-for-home-defense/
Excerpts:
You may be surprised to find out that based on FBI over-penetration testing,
the .223/5.56 shot by common AR-15 rifles can be the safest caliber over shotgun
and pistol rounds in this situation.
If you really want to take home defense seriously, it is advisable to take
some quality CQB training from reputable instructors who have experience in
dealing with domestic structures in the U.S. and criminal threats. Not just one,
but a few teachers.
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
----- Education -----
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Every book or lecture or class has at least a few gold nuggets that you
will find if you have a good attitude and want to learn. Ralph's books have
many polished diamonds embedded in the text.
Ralph Mroz's books - They are a compilation of his blog posts and articles
from 1994 to 2019, and a few before then.
Street Focused Handgun Training, Volume 1 — Equipment; ASIN: B086P6F9J3
Street Focused Handgun Training, Volume 2 - Training; ASIN: B086Q7F4DJ
Street Focused Handgun Training - Volume 3, Tactics; ASIN: B086RWNMPM
https://www.amazon.com/Street-Focused-Handgun-Training-Equipment-ebook/dp/B086P6F9J3/
I offer you my glossary of the acronyms that he uses, in order of appearance --
[The following is what I think the acronyms mean.
I may not have gotten the correct meaning.]
ND = negligent discharge
COM = center of mass
AIWB = appendix (on the belt between the point of the hip and the navel) inside the waist band
CT pros = counter terrorism professionals
b/u or bug = back up gun
case of ammo = 1000 rounds of factory new ammo, not reloads, not remanufactured,
not a box of 50 or a big box of 100
BTW = by the way
HD = home defense
BG = bad guy
ear pro = hearing protection
PALS = pouch attachment ladder system
DSS = Department of State Security (The secret service of the State Dept. --
unlike the Secret Service of the Treasury Department,
they get into gun fights regularly. -- Ralph Mroz)
MIPS = million instructions per second
PC = personal computer
YMMV = your mileage may vary
EDC = every day carry
NV = night vision
NVG = night vision goggles
HDPE = high density polyethylene
OTC = over the counter (drugs)
CC = concealed carry (bag)
SBR = short barreled rifle
AOR = area of responsibility
FS = full size
CQC = close quarter combat
1st SFOD-D = 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta (US Army)
POA = point of aim, as opposed to POI = point of impact
MRDS = mini red dot sight
IPSC = International Practical Shooting Confederation,
United States Practical Shooting Association in the United States of America
IDPA = International Defensive Pistol Association
GSSF = Glock Sport Shooting Foundation
DERP = foolishness; stupidity. I can't belive this appeared in the
Random House dictionary without etymology. Random House used to be
a scholarly dictionary.
DQ’ing = disqualifying
po’ed = pissed off (I think.)
CT = counter terrorism (I think.)
PO = police officer
F-o-F = force on force training (Simunitions, Air Soft, etc.)
OODA = observe, orient, decide, act
FIs = firearms instructors
LE = law enforcement
LEO = law enforcement officer
AG = attorney general (politician)
DA = district attorney (prosecutor, also a politician)
Atty. = attorney (defense counsel)
2A = second amendment to the U.S. Constitution (the one we swore to uphold and defend)
GSW = gun shot wound
PR = public relations
PC = probable cause (or maybe person computer?)
FWIW = for what it's worth
AT = anti-terrorist (I think?)
WTF = what the fuck (I think?)
Ralph says to zero your pistol at 25 yards, because you'll be on at
25 yards in case you need to make that long distance shot, and you'll only be
an inch low at 2 yards, which is well within the margin of error. But,
if you are zeroed at 2 yards (as pistols from the factory are) you will be
5 inches high at 25 yards, which is outside an acceptable margin of error (in
the sense that if you are aiming at the center of an 8 inch diameter disk,
being 5 inches high will be a miss, 8" diameter = 4" radius).
Ralph says, "Very few people know how to run a force-on-force simulation properly."
Proper, specific training is not obtained by shooting an IDPA match on weekends, BTW.
[Ralph lists 25 things with which you need to be competent in order to prevail
in a lethal force encounter.]
And yet, almost all American training focuses only on element 13. 13. If you have to shoot, you have to hit the BG (bad guy), preferably COM (center of mass).
That is, one out of 25+ things you need to be competent at to truly survive a violent
encounter.
Competence with speed and accuracy at 7 yards doesn’t necessarily translate
into an easy day at 3 yards, IF YOU MAKE THE EXERCISE REALISTIC, and not just a
shooting exercise. At those close distances you have to deal with an attacker
who can reach you before your draw is completed, thus you have to integrate empty
hands skills with drawing and shooting, which is a much harder thing to do
correctly than simply drawing and shooting. I emphasize “correctly” because,
as the technique (there’s really one that works*) for dealing with that situation
has diffused throughout the training community over the last 10-15 years, it has
gotten watered down and feeble, quite often by instructors who don’t really know
what they are doing. Of course that makes it easy to teach, and too easy for the
unwitting students to perform well.
". . . you can start to concentrate on what has always been a better
survival strategy than improving your technique — improving your tactics."
"Get physical therapy if you need it."
[If your shoulder does not have the range of motion that it should. Suffer
through the pain of physical therapy and get it working properly. -- Jon Low]
". . . if the BG “shoots you” through a wall, you lose. Very few shoot
house exercises that I’ve been through enforced that real-world rule that has,
unfortunately, resulted in cops killed. Drywall and wood walls don’t stop
bullets and a BG has no ethical compunctions about shooting through them,
while you mostly can’t (because: target discrimination).
. . . Problems we ran into over the years were that we taught
people to shoot faster than they could discriminate and see.
This caused many problems with fratricide and friendly fire.
-- MSgt. Paul Howe
Teaching clearing techniques and tactical medical skills is of far less
value than showing you how to not have to use those skills to begin with
as the situation presents itself.
Five habits of responsible gun owners:
They get training.
They know the law.
They are unconsciously obsessive about safety.
They don’t mix alcohol and guns.
They are discreet.
MSGT Howe’s position is that you get a sight picture for every shot.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Webinar: Site Emergency Plans 04_16_2020 by Michael Mann
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMBNp2RgIKI&feature=youtu.be
Dynamics of Police Shootings by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/dynamics-of-police-shootings
Search for the term “Trigger Affirmation” about 3/4ths down the
web page. Check out all the reasons that a person will touch their
trigger in violation of our safety rule. And in these situations,
the person doesn't know that he's touching his trigger and doesn't
believe that he's touching his trigger. This should concern you and
cause you to video record your training in high stress scenarios to
see if you are doing this.
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
***** ***** ***** Hardware (which includes you) ***** ***** *****
"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley
----- Gear -----
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
Ambidextrous Controls by Bryan McKean
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/ambidextrous-controls
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. Herstal Group includes FN Herstal, Browning, and Winchester.
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 Honor Defense, Honor Guard pistols are ambidextrous.
They retail for around $300. I've never groped one, so I can't say anything.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following have ambidextrous slide locks --
The latest Glocks (shown in the article) 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.
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 following has an ambidextrous magazine release --
The Springfield Armory XD has an ambidextrous magazine release.
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I neglect DA/SA pistols because I believe a pistol should have the
same trigger pull on every shot.
I neglect revolvers, because I haven't found any that allow the
cylinder to swing out on both sides.
All of those that I have mentioned can be purchased without thumb safeties.
I have read too many reports of persons being unable to fire the pistol because
they forgot to defeat the safety. Yes, it is of course a lack of training and
practice. But, why make the weapon system more complex than it needs to be?
"Top 5 Cleaning Tips To Keep Your Pistol Pristine" by Brad Miller, Ph.D.
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2020/4/21/top-5-cleaning-tips-to-keep-your-pistol-pristine/
Buying Holsters for Dummies: A Guide to Choosing a Proper Holster by Luke C.
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2020/04/14/buying-holsters-for-dummies/
Excerpt:
. . . I find that holsters that leave the muzzle of the gun exposed
at the bottom of the holster are not so great as they increase the
likelihood that you’ll bump the muzzle and unholster the gun – try to
avoid these styles of holsters. [Also, exposing the leather of a holster
doesn't scream "GUN!" as exposing the muzzle would. -- Jon Low]
. . . remember that the holster is an extension of the gun.
Your holster is part of your life-saving equipment that you’ll likely
be carrying with you every day. Buy a high-quality, functional rig
and maintain it and it will serve you when the time comes.
[I agree with the author. When I was an armed guard, I used the
Safariland ALS and found it to be effective. I found that you can
unscrew the ALS holster from the plastic belt attachment that it comes
with and bolt it onto the leather portion of an Alien Gear or
Crossbreed holster for an inside the waistband ALS holster. -- Jon Low]
Tatiana Whitlock talks gear
https://www.facebook.com/TriggerTimeTV/videos/1090994444594506/
Excerpt:
Red dot sights are effective for people suffering from aging eyes.
As John Farnam so insightfully puts it,
“You are far more likely to run out of time than rounds”.
10 Great Defense Loads
Factory ammo with proven performance
by Eric Conn
https://americanhandgunner.com/gear/10-great-defense-loads/
“Your car is not a holster.” – Pat Rogers
Wear it or lock it up.
----- Technical -----
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
Guniversity: AMMO 101 - Naming Conventions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzG5XVRvhzo
A Primer On Buying Used Handguns by Patrick Sweeney
https://gundigest.com/more/classic-guns/a-primer-on-buying-used-handguns
This is actually a detailed protocol for inspecting various
types of handguns by a master gunsmith.
Stuff You Don’t Read, The Back-Beat Story On Connor-Style T&E’s by John Connor
https://americanhandgunner.com/guncrank-diaries/stuff-you-dont-read/
A list of things you ought to check on your pistol.
The 4 Things to Look for in a Folding Knife by Justin White
https://madsciencedefense.com/4-things-folding-knife/
Ask Yourself These 5 Questions Before Choosing a Knife by Terry Trahan
https://www.theorganicprepper.com/choosing-a-knife/
Terry Trahan's article didn't have any pictures. So, I couldn't
figure out how the lock types worked. So, Terry referred me to the
web pages below.
KNIFE LOCK TYPES GUIDE by Andrew Hamilton and Logan Rainey
https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Knife-Lock-Types-Guide--3511
KNIFE BLADE SHAPES GUIDE by Andrew Hamilton
https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Knife-Blade-Shapes-Guide--3429
BEST KNIFE STEEL COMPARISON AND CHARTS by Trevor Brown and Andrew Hamilton
https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Best-Knife-Steel-Guide--3368
Locking Mechanisms
https://www.spyderco.com/edge-u-cation/knife-anatomy/locking-mechanisms/
[ARFCOM News] NEW 3D Printed FGC-9 + Gunshops Essential + NRA Layoffs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3Y_Z8KR12Q
This article in in the Technical Gear section because they report
on a 3 dimensional printed 9mm pistol that is effective and reliable,
as in combat worthy. This not a zip gun. It has a rifled bore.
Electronically rifled, not machined.
"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
Contrary to rumors, Lockton Affinity Outdoor is still insuring NRA instructors.
I just renewed my policy for
$500,000 Bodily Injury & Property Damage Each Occurrence Limit
$500,000 Professional Liability Each Occurrence Limit (this is in case you get
sued for something you taught)
$1,000,000 General Aggregate Limit
$1,000,000 Products-Completed Operations Aggregate Limit
$500,000 Personal and Advertising Injury Limit - Any One Person or Organization
$100,000 Fire Damage Limit- Any One Fire
$5,000 Medical Expense Limit - Any One Person
Deductible $0.00
and would recommend you carry at least this much coverage. We live in a litigious society.
Note that teaching the real stuff, like a 360 degree scan , violates NRA
safety rules, IDPA safety rules, IPSC safety rules, and the range safety
rules of just about all of the commercial ranges. So, be careful.
"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
In the armed security training that I went through over
the past two weeks, one of the things they stressed was to maintain
a high level of personal hygiene.
Floss your teeth (because you have to remove the plaque
below the gum line, or else it will become tarter, destroy your
teeth, and stink), brush your teeth (to remove all stains
(as in from the tobacco you've been chewing), plaque, and such),
and brush all surfaces in your mouth (especially the tongue,
which has a lot of hair, which means lots of surface area).
Scrub all surfaces of your body before going out in public
(especially before meeting the client or customers) so as not
to have any offensive odors.
All hair should be neatly groomed. No beards or mustaches,
as they are extremely difficult to keep clean, especially after eating.
And they generally stink. You may not notice it, but others do.
After washing your clothes, dry them immediately.
Otherwise, they will stink of mildew. It doesn't matter
that you can't smell it, others can.
If you keep yourself and your uniforms clean, you won't
need to cover the stink with obnoxious perfumes, and no one
will have to tell you to leave work to wash off the perfume.
We never have a second chance to make a good first
impression. Attempting to repair a bad first impression is
very difficult.
I recommend that you wear an undershirt, so as
not to show skin when demonstrating presentation from concealment.
At one end of the spectrum, a hairy flabby belly is not pretty.
At the other end of the spectrum, a svelte abdomen may be
sexually provocative. Either way, it's inappropriate for a
professional setting.
----- Pedagogy -----
"Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
Teach positive. Teach what to do. Don't talk about what not to do.
-- John Farnam
An instructor should not expect any learning to take
place the first time new information is presented.
-- "Building Shooters" by Dustin Solomon
***** ***** ***** Legal, Political, and Philosophical ***** ***** *****
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
Defensive Gun Uses By Those Legally Carrying Guns:
Dramatic cases from the middle of August to the middle of September 2019
by John Lott
https://crimeresearch.org/2020/04/defensive-gun-uses-by-those-legally-carrying-guns-dramatic-cases-from-the-middle-of-august-to-the-middle-of-september-2019/
"Propaganda" is what the mass media choose not to show you.
Defense of Last Resort Part 2: Crossing the Threshold
https://ccwsafe.com/blog/32051
Excerpt:
Andrew Branca says, “going to the fight never looks like self-defense.”
Charles Dorsey made a decision that he would not use his firearm unless
or until Espinoza got through the front door. He had established a threshold,
and he waited for the perceived intruder to cross that threshold before
deploying deadly force. It very likely saved him from prosecution and
potential conviction.
[Note that the Dorsey incident went on for 13 minutes. That's a long time.
The police did not arrive within that 13 minutes.
Dorsey was patient and won. Wafer was impatient, advanced through the
front door, and encountered a stranger. WHY? Just stay inside and hunker down.
-- Jon Low]
In Self Defense - Episode 57: with Don West and Shawn Vincent
Defense of Last Resort Part 2:
Non-legal Consequences and the Trouble with Video
https://ccwsafe.com/blog/32072
The transcript of the pod cast is below the audio player,
so you don't have to listen to the pod cast. I find it much
faster and easier to read the transcript.
After Action Analysis: April 22, 2020 by Andrew Branca
https://www.facebook.com/LawofSelfDefense/videos/246480630059678/
This is really important. You can shoot the armed robber
when he is attempting to rob you. But, you can't shoot him when
he's running away.
"Korematsu!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/archives/4902
When the duly elected Nazis (National Socialists) controlled Germany,
they arrested the Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, mentally retarded, and other
undesirables, put them in concentration camps, and killed them.
When the duly elected Democrats controlled the United States, they arrested
U.S. citizens of Japanese ancestry and put them in concentration camps.
And the Democrat controlled U.S. Supreme Court said it was Constitutional.
I pray you would never order your subordinates to carry out such
"legal" and "Constitutional" orders. Especially, if you are a field grade officer.
[I emailed the above words to every field grade officer and flag grade
officer that I know well enough to ask a personal favor of. Exactly one
half of them assured me that they would never obey such orders and would
never issue such orders. The other half told me things like "It's
sometimes difficult to tell right from wrong when you are very close
to it." I suggest that it is very difficult to do what's right, but
it's fairly easy to decide what's right.]
The following is from Tom Givens.
There are still some among us who are so naïve they believe the system
will somehow protect them. One of the hardest things for a lot of modern
people to accept and internalize is the fact that no one is coming to save
you and that you alone are responsible for your safety and security.
Here is a perfect example. Gary Ridgway was convicted as the
“Green River Killer”, one of the most prolific serial murderers in US history.
When captured, to avoid the death penalty, he agreed to lead authorities to
many unrecovered bodies of his victims. He was convicted of 49 (yes, 49)
murders and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Last week
a committee voted 5 to 4 against releasing him from prison so he wouldn’t be at
risk to catch the Corona virus.
There is no doubt that he killed more than 49 people and he likely would
re-offend if released. Only one vote kept him from being released. The
people who voted to release him don’t give a rat’s ass about you.
District Judge Halts California’s Ammunition Background Checks
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/04/24/district-judge-halts-californias-ammunition-background-checks/
This is why you have to vote for pro-gun politicians, because they
appoint pro-gun judges.
Lynchburg, VA Circuit Judge F. Patrick Yeatts rules Virginia gun range can open amid virus closures
https://www.nbc12.com/2020/04/27/judge-rules-virginia-gun-range-can-open-amid-virus-closures/
Did Illinois just ban or at least strictly limit concealed carry? by John Lott
https://crimeresearch.org/2020/04/did-illinois-just-ban-or-at-least-strictly-limit-concealed-carry/
After Action Analysis: April 29, 2020 by Andrew Branca
https://www.facebook.com/LawofSelfDefense/videos/520170728649398/
As Andrew says, all of the anti-police activists were demanding that the
police wear body cameras, anticipating that it would expose excessive use of
force by the police. But, such is not the case. The body cameras, in the
vast majority of cases, provides evidence to justify the police actions.
". . . the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
-- Second Amendment, U.S. Constitution (the one we swore to
uphold and defend against all enemies)
***** ***** ***** Survival, Medical, and such ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
Troxler Effect And Instability Of Our Sight Picture by Norman H. Wong, O.D.
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2020/4/14/troxler-effect-and-instability-of-our-sight-picture/
Winning Vision, Revisited by Norman H. Wong O.D.
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2018/8/15/winning-vision-revisited
If you think you can do precision position rifle shooting with
regular prescription eye glasses, you are WRONG! It is physically
impossible to look through the center of the ground prescription
while in a correct shooting position. So, you are looking at a bad
angle, probably over the bridge of your nose or through the top of
the lens. This creates a huge amount of distortion.
Coaches, don't let your athletes wear their regular glasses.
Get their parents to get them contact lenses or get them shooting
glasses. Accurate and precise shooting is impossible with distorted
vision.
At the level 3 coaches course at the Olympic Training Center
in Colorado Springs, CO, the instructors taught us that holding
one's breath for 8 seconds would cause the partial pressure of oxygen
in the blood stream to decrease to the point where the athlete would
lose fine vision resolution. The immature shooter will never notice
this, so you must teach this.
The athlete with good cardio vascular conditioning has to hold
his breath for 1 to 2 minutes before the carbon dioxide build up will
cause discomfort. Note that a lack of oxygen will not cause discomfort.
As long as the carbon dioxide is removed from the respiratory system,
the oxygen can be depleted until the person dies without any discomfort.
This is why so many aircraft pilots crash, and why so many SCUBA divers
die. So, the athlete must be taught to breath continuously, and not
hold his breath.
With practice, the shooter will automatically release the shot
at the respiratory pause after the exhale and before the inhale. With
significant dedicated practice, the shooter will automatically release
the shot between heart beats. (I learned this in the late 1970s in
a lecture from personnel from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Training Unit.)
The athlete who has been training, as in a real training program,
will have a low pulse rate ~60 beats per minute, a low blood pressure
~60/90 mm Hg, and a low respiratory rate which the shooter will adjust
automatically to the environment (elevation / barometric pressure,
temperature, humidity, clothing being worn, etc.). So, the trained
athlete will not notice the loss of fine visual acuity unless you
bring it to his attention. And maybe not even then. So, you have
to train the shooter to breath continuously and not hold his breath
for more than 8 seconds. Because he will easily be able to do it and
want to because he is distracted by the shot process, especially the
sight movie.
High Tensile Strength Increases Multifunctional Use of Survival Blankets in Wilderness Emergencies
https://www.wemjournal.org/article/S1080-6032(20)30011-9/fulltext?rss=yes
Excerpt:
Conclusions
Both brands of survival blankets show impressive tensile strength,
indicating that they have the potential to serve as temporary
pelvic binders or even as makeshift tourniquets when urgent
bleeding control is needed.
Willingness is a state of mind. Preparedness (or lack thereof)
is a fact.
***** ***** ***** Basics ***** ***** *****
Guns 101 – Loading a magazine by the Tactical Professor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/04/16/guns-101-loading-a-magazine/
Using the term "load" as in loading the magazine, overloads the word "load".
That's why John Farnam teaches we charge and void magazines. We load and unload
pistols.
Guns 101 - Locking the Slide to the Rear by the Tactical Professor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/04/13/guns-101-next-episode/
Some pistols don't have a slide lock lever. Some pistol slides won't lock
back on an empty magazine.
"Personal Defense on a Budget" by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/4/24/personal-defense-on-a-budget/
Beginners:
Understanding The Difference Between JHP, FMJ, +P And Other Types Of Ammo
by Brandon Curtis
https://concealednation.org/2020/03/beginners-understanding-the-difference-between-jhp-fmj-p-and-other-types-of-ammo/
A picture is worth a thousand words.
All kinds of good stuff at
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/
Polite Society Podcast, Guns 101
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEZ1iwbKuzg&list=PL89tFFATrvZfDOJWBSGn4JCufXk7r9s2u
A series of introductory presentations of about 10 minutes each.
10 Common Concealed Carry Mistakes To Avoid by Brandon Curtis
https://concealednation.org/2020/04/10-common-concealed-carry-mistakes-to-avoid/
Tips For New Pistol Shooters by John Parker (actually Brian Zins)
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2020/4/14/watch-tips-for-new-pistol-shooters/
***** ***** ***** Miscellany ***** ***** *****
When it's least expected, you're selected.
-- John Farnam
Gathering of Gun Geezers
Understanding the roots of today’s handgun training and competition
by Massad Ayoob
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/gathering-of-gun-geezers/
I had the privilege of interacting with Jim McClary when I was
a Concealed Weapons Permit instructor in South Carolina. I didn't
know he had retired from SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division).
Good to see Mas is still alive and well.
We're all getting old. Better get your training before the wisemen pass.
I haven't been able to find the oral histories on Wilson Combat's
YouTube.com channel. Hoping they appear soon.
Tressa Joubert (Wilson Combat Support) says, "We have not released those
just yet, we hope to have them available soon however."
They will appear on
https://www.youtube.com/user/gowilsoncombat
All kinds of interesting stuff at
Practical Eschatology
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/
List of headlines,
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/?m=1
All kinds of neat stuff at
Gun Nuts Media
https://www.gunnuts.net/
************************************************************************
The epilogue to the written test in my Defensive Pistol course --
. . .
In case you didn't notice, this is an attitude test.
If your answers (not the ones you marked because you
thought they were acceptable, but the ones you thought
because that is your true nature) indicate that you
have a bad attitude, please refrain from carrying a
gun for self-defense, until you have an appropriate
level of maturity. With rights come responsibilities.
Carrying a gun does not make you a sheepdog.
Your maturity, mental preparation, and attitude make
you a sheepdog. If you are a sheepdog, always carry.
Because Murphy's Law says that anything that can go wrong,
will go wrong, at the worst possible time. That time is
when you are not carrying.
My son and I had a hobby. We often had battery problems.
So, we started carrying extra batteries. Then we never had
battery problems. That's how life works.
Dr. Ignatius Piazza says, it's better to have a gun and
not need one, than to need one and not have one. By having one,
the confidence and attitude (displayed in body language and
manner because of your training) may well cause you not to
need one. That's how life works.
"Being willing to do violence means you probably
won't have to do violence." -- Marc MacYoung
This is deep truth. This is how life really works.
May God keep you and bless you.
************************************************************************
Life is very short. If you waste time watching TV or playing
video games, you are a damn fool.
/* Random data from the HotBits radioactive random number generator */
unsigned char hotBits[55] = {
202, 13, 100, 190, 109, 219, 212, 142, 174, 174, 165, 151, 78, 107, 146,
219, 218, 123, 186, 196, 22, 159, 160, 160, 113, 11, 19, 119, 227, 92,
102, 229, 104, 118, 61, 215, 44, 223, 145, 155, 159, 122, 114, 197, 118,
123, 32, 93, 208, 84, 43, 59, 65, 143, 236
};
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
----- Mindset -----
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens
Should I Provide First Aid to the Attacker I Just Shot? by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/should-i-provide-first-aid-to-the-attacker-i-just-shot
If you don't understand this, STOP, and think about it.
If you are thinking the Good Samaritan laws in your state will
protect you from liability, STOP, your perspective is wrong.
I put this article is in the mindset section, not the medical/survival section.
If your mindset is wrong, you're not doing self-defense; you're vying for
organ donor.
If you approach the downed criminal, he will attack you,
his accomplices will attack you, the police will shoot you to prevent
you from continuing your attack on the helpless victim, a civilian
will shoot you to defend the guy lying on the ground that you just shot.
As a civilian self-defender, your primary mission is to escape.
You should be moving away from the criminal.
Approaching the criminal is not escape. Approaching the downed
criminal is your continuation of your attack on the helpless person.
No one can read your mind. No one will attempt to read your mind.
They are just going to shoot, because it is a very high stress situation.
“Choice, not chance, determines your destiny.”
-- Aristotle
10 Cases Where An Armed Citizen Took Down An Active Shooter
An armed “good guy or gal” who is at ground zero of an attack can stop the carnage sooner.
by Massad Ayoob
https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2015/03/10-cases-where-an-armed-citizen-took-down-an-active-shooter/
I put this in the mindset section because your beliefs control
your actions. If you don't believe that you can do good, you won't
carry consistently, religiously. If you don't believe that only you
can stop the carnage, you won't take action. If you haven't made
peace with your God in your decision to use lethal force to protect
the innocent beforehand, you will hesitate at the crucial moment.
And as we saw in the White Settlement church incident, hesitation
of a second is enough to get yourself killed.
“Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems
is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that
you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.”
-- Colin Powell
Cases where concealed handgun permit holders have stopped mass shootings by John Lott
http://johnrlott.blogspot.com/2015/04/this-past-friday-uber-driver-with.html
On Her Own: You Are Worth Defending
Even if you are not in current danger,
or you have no child to keep safe . . . you,
on your own, are worth defending.
by Annette Evans
https://www.nrawomen.com/content/on-her-own-you-are-worth-defending/
Please share this with your female loved ones and friends.
Some ladies need these words of truth spoken to them. And will
appreciate your effort in the future.
Avoidance, Deterrence, and De-escalation
-- John Farnam
----- Safety -----
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.
-- John Farnam
Store guns out of sight and inaccessible by the Tactical Professor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/04/17/store-guns-out-of-sight-and-inaccessible/
If the good guy had been wearing his pistol in a concealed holster
while taking his nap, the outcome would probably have been different.
Yes, as a matter of fact, I do nap with my pistol on; don't you?
When I was in Riyadh, the CIA field agent at the U.S. Embassy told
me that the enemy was aware of my presence and that I should take
precautions. I took that warning seriously and still do.
Let me give you the warning.
"The enemy knows of your presence. Take precautions."
Muzzleloader Explodes Like Grenade, Takes Off Shooter’s Fingers
https://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2014/12/16/muzzleloader-explodes-like-grenade-takes-shooters-fingers/
That's why shooters must read and follow the instructions in
the manual that comes with the firearm. All manufacturers have
web sites from which you may download the manuals.
If you are reloading or muzzle loading, you have to use the correct
propellant, you have to use the correct amount of propellant.
Teaching children about guns by the Tactical Professor (Claude Werner)
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/04/22/teaching-children-about-guns/
Julie Golob’s book
"Toys, Tools, Guns & Rules: A Children’s Book About Gun Safety"
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078TB9RJB
Free downloads at
https://www.juliegolob.com/books/kids-gun-safety-book
"Knowing When Something's Wrong" with Vince Harrison
https://www.cv-ministries.com/podcast.html?mc_cid=ea41f05f51&mc_eid=3081363eff
Church Security Through Prevention
All kinds of good stuff at CV Ministries, check out the web site.
https://www.cv-ministries.com/
"The fast and/or emphatic reholster is an awesome way to shoot yourself."
-- Chuck Haggard
----- Training -----
"Reasons for training:
1. You don't know what you don't know.
2. Much of what you know is wrong.
3. It's good to have some of the answers to the test before taking it."
-- Claude Werner the Tactical Professor
John Farnam has posted all of his DTI Operator Series Videos,
including his series on Tactical Treatment of Gunshot Wounds, on the
DTI Web Page at defense-training.com, as a service to all his Students,
Instructors, and Operators.
https://defense-training.com/videos
"The Good flashlight technique is named after Ken Good.
Ken used to work for Surefire. Now, I believe he is out consulting on his own."
-- John Farnam
Plans are folly. Planning is essential.
-- Dwight Eisenhower
"Experiential Learning Laboratory with Craig “SouthNarc” Douglas –
The stuff you don’t learn in gun school" by Tim
https://www.gunnuts.net/2015/03/19/experiential-learning-laboratory-with-craig-southnarc-douglas-the-stuff-you-dont-learn-in-gun-school/
Excerpts:
. . . Under stress and experiencing the mental lockup described earlier,
they simply had no idea what they had actually done.
Imperfect recall while under the effects of adrenaline and stress
is one of the reasons those with experience in the criminal justice system
advise you not to be too chatty in the aftermath of a shooting. You can
very easily say something that is inaccurate and that can dramatically
complicate your life.
. . . People experiencing extreme stress often do strange things
because normal thought processes simply aren’t available to them.
. . . I like having a high level of shooting skill but even world-class
skill is no substitute for being a competent tactician when the chips are down.
Craig’s approach to instruction has a better shot at giving you the tools
to become that competent tactician than most of the other options on the market.
“There’s a huge training myth out there.
That MYTH is that Information = Something of Value.
FACT: Information = 0, unless people are inspired to act.”
-- Valerie Van Brocklin
-------------------------------------------------------------------
An email to the junior rifle shooters that I have coached --
Hi Team,
The following articles are recommended by USA Archery.
---
Motor Learning: Block vs Random Practice by Trevor Ragan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_5nWKyRzKM
Excerpt:
"The most important thing is reading."
What would random practice be?
Every shot in a match or practice session or
combat is similar, but not the same.
---
Growth Mindset Introduction:
What it is, How it Works, and Why it Matters by Trevor Ragan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75GFzikmRY0
Coaches, herein is presented a list of things
you need to cause your athletes to believe. Because
all behavior springs from one's belief system.
---
Cheers,Coach Jon
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The Strength Of The Concealed Carry Family by Matthew Maruster
https://www.concealedcarry.com/safety/the-strength-of-the-concealed-carry-family/
Excerpt:
It may sound cliche, but the family that trains together stays together.
Or better yet, survives together! Stay safe out there and God bless.
Pistol Shooting With Physical Challenges by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/4/20/pistol-shooting-with-physical-challenges/
Personal preferences based on esthetics and sentimental attachments
to certain types of pistols have no place in combat. Self-defense is combat.
I shot a qualification course that was part of a job application.
The interesting thing about this test was that they issued all equipment,
ensuring that you've probably never used this equipment before.
And if you have, they change the equipment to ensure you haven't.
So, I was using a rather wide nylon duty belt with two magazine pouches
on the left side (I'm right handed) with flaps over the top that snapped
into place and a level 2 retention holster at 3 o'clock. In order to get
the Glock 22 (40 caliber) out of the holster, I had to push one lever
down with my firing side thumb and then push another lever to the right
(toward the pistol) with my firing side thumb. They gave us several
minutes to practice with the holsters to figure out how they worked and
to get a smooth presentation. The course of fire was a total of 50 rounds
at varying distances (If you didn't know that with a pistol you have
to aim low at long range, you would have missed several targets.),
varying number of rounds fired in each string, and varying time limits.
[If you didn't already know the counts for timing your rate of fire,
you would have had a hard time with the time limits. Fortunately,
I had learned from a class at the Citizens Safety Academy that
"1 front sight, 2 front sight, . . . " will give you one shot per second;
"1 and, 2 and, 3 and, . . . " will give you two shots per second; and
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . . " will give you four shots per second.]
The course of fire was not described before hand, no walk through.
The range officer explained the course of fire immediately before
you shot it, and then gave the command to fire. There was some slow
fire (no time limit), rapid fire (very short time limit), support hand only,
firing hand only, forced (because the magazine is empty) reloads, etc.
I think the 50 round boxes of ammunition that they gave us had dead
cartridges mix in, because everyone was getting malfunctions that they
were expected you to clear automatically and continue firing to finish
the course of fire. But, nothing was said about there being dead rounds
in the boxes of ammo. Very little instruction was given. No help with
clearing malfunctions was given.
I had to do the qualification twice because the Tennessee Armed Guard
license specifies the pistol that you are carrying down to the make, model,
and caliber. And I wanted to be able to carry another type of pistol.
The test was not the same the second time I did it. I'm sure that's because
they know that the people who have finished the test, walk out into the
waiting room and talk to the people waiting to take the test.
This test induced a bit of stress, causing several persons to fail,
as in they didn't qualify, so they didn't get the job or lost their job,
a BIG DEAL. Can you imagine getting fired because you couldn't pass a
shooting test? That took it to a new level mentally for me.
Ya, I know in self-defense classes we talk about shooting to save
your life or the life of a loved one, which would of course be high stress.
But, it's theoretical. Shooting to get a job or keep your job is real.
[Yes, I passed with a 93% and 96%.]
"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
----- Practice -----
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
"Skill Set: What I Practice" by Tiger McKee
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/e0ece7db-301c-4de9-96e2-4bb321d6f20f
Measurements and Standards for Pistol Shooting by Tamara Keel
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/4/13/measurements-and-standards-for-pistol-shooting/
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
----- Techniques -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
How to Spot a Bad Guy -
A Comprehensive Look at Body Language and Pre-Assault Indicators
by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/how-to-spot-a-bad-guy-a-comprehensive-look-at-body-language-and-pre-assault-indicators
REFINING THE DRAW STROKE FOR THE CONCEALED CARRIER PT.2
https://ccwsafe.com/blog/32090
[It appears that someone has hijacked this web site. I hope they get it fixed
by the time you read this. -- Jon Low]
Where Should You Carry Your Reload? by Chris Christian
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/4/16/where-should-you-carry-your-reload/
It's always better to have and not need than to need and not have.
Stickfighting Angles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhAHH84_d9s&feature=youtu.be
Combative Knife
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZH4XP8DPr8
Combative Knife II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xUB5K_Jkpo
Combative Knife III
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62sttt9Ohb8
Verbal Judo principles:
1. Everyone needs to be respected.
2. People would rather be asked than told.
3. People would like to know why they are being asked to do something.
4. People would prefer to have options over threats.
5. People want to have a second chance.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
----- Tactics -----
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
Question from Marcus Wynne: what is the current doctrine about tracking from one
target (active shooter) to the next target (second active shooter) when the muzzle
will cross non-shoots in between?
Back in the Dinosaur Days, I was taught, practiced and taught in a crowded
scenario to retract the pistol to a center chest or high ready when moving my
shooting platform to position to a place where I could then extend and shoot the
second or third shooters. Rationale was to retract the gun close to maintain
control with a number of uncontrolled panicked people and hostile shooters until
I had a clean line of fire on my next target. And that was considered to be a
better solution instead of tracking across non-shoots, or shifting to a low
extended ready.
What is the current doctrine and what are the thoughts about it?
[There were many responses from much more experienced and competent instructors than I.
But, I am not at liberty to display their responses.]
Jon Low's response:
I think it is a bad idea to muzzle friendlies and innocent bystanders.
So, I train my students never to do it. Because Murphy's Law says,
anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, at the worst possible time. Unlike
the military and police, who have a tolerance for collateral damage, my civilian
students cannot tolerate the civil (reckless endangerment) and criminal
(aggravated assault with a deadly weapon) liability of muzzling an innocent person.
[How I implement my philosophy in training. Actually, only the last
paragraph is pertinent to our conversation. But, I included the whole section
for context.]
In my Defensive Pistol course, we use IDPA or IPSC matches for the tactical
scenarios. We used to set up the scenarios on our range, but that was just too
much work for the assistant instructors. The IDPA clubs do a better job than
we ever could. But, we always shoot the matches in a tactically correct manner:
Moving slowly, not racing to win the game. We will go very slowly to
ensure we positively identify every shoot-target and every no-shoot-target.
It is common for the Safety Officer to inform the shooter that he failed to
engage several targets, because the competitor just ran past them without seeing them.
Staying back away from corners, not crowding cover. We will stay back
away from corners, windows, and doors, because we understand that there is
someone hiding there who will grab our pistol.
Staying away from walls, as bullets do not ricochet off walls as light
reflects off a mirror. We know that when a bullet hits a surface most of the
momentum perpendicular to the surface is absorbed by the surface,
while most of the momentum parallel to the surface is retained by the bullet.
So, bullets tend to skim along surfaces that they hit.
We will shoot at the first part of the enemy that comes into view,
because we can do so without exposing our bodies. We can always get the
A-zone hit later as we come around the corner. But, we understand that
whoever gets the first hit will usually win the encounter.
We will not muzzle no-shoot targets. We will not sweep across no-shoot
targets when transitioning from one shoot-target to another shoot-target.
Because unlike the other competitors, we are not playing a game.
We are training for combat. Self-defense is combat.
Considerations for Home Defense by Varg Freeborn
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/considerations-for-home-defense/
Excerpts:
You may be surprised to find out that based on FBI over-penetration testing,
the .223/5.56 shot by common AR-15 rifles can be the safest caliber over shotgun
and pistol rounds in this situation.
If you really want to take home defense seriously, it is advisable to take
some quality CQB training from reputable instructors who have experience in
dealing with domestic structures in the U.S. and criminal threats. Not just one,
but a few teachers.
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
----- Education -----
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Every book or lecture or class has at least a few gold nuggets that you
will find if you have a good attitude and want to learn. Ralph's books have
many polished diamonds embedded in the text.
Ralph Mroz's books - They are a compilation of his blog posts and articles
from 1994 to 2019, and a few before then.
Street Focused Handgun Training, Volume 1 — Equipment; ASIN: B086P6F9J3
Street Focused Handgun Training, Volume 2 - Training; ASIN: B086Q7F4DJ
Street Focused Handgun Training - Volume 3, Tactics; ASIN: B086RWNMPM
https://www.amazon.com/Street-Focused-Handgun-Training-Equipment-ebook/dp/B086P6F9J3/
I offer you my glossary of the acronyms that he uses, in order of appearance --
[The following is what I think the acronyms mean.
I may not have gotten the correct meaning.]
ND = negligent discharge
COM = center of mass
AIWB = appendix (on the belt between the point of the hip and the navel) inside the waist band
CT pros = counter terrorism professionals
b/u or bug = back up gun
case of ammo = 1000 rounds of factory new ammo, not reloads, not remanufactured,
not a box of 50 or a big box of 100
BTW = by the way
HD = home defense
BG = bad guy
ear pro = hearing protection
PALS = pouch attachment ladder system
DSS = Department of State Security (The secret service of the State Dept. --
unlike the Secret Service of the Treasury Department,
they get into gun fights regularly. -- Ralph Mroz)
MIPS = million instructions per second
PC = personal computer
YMMV = your mileage may vary
EDC = every day carry
NV = night vision
NVG = night vision goggles
HDPE = high density polyethylene
OTC = over the counter (drugs)
CC = concealed carry (bag)
SBR = short barreled rifle
AOR = area of responsibility
FS = full size
CQC = close quarter combat
1st SFOD-D = 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta (US Army)
POA = point of aim, as opposed to POI = point of impact
MRDS = mini red dot sight
IPSC = International Practical Shooting Confederation,
United States Practical Shooting Association in the United States of America
IDPA = International Defensive Pistol Association
GSSF = Glock Sport Shooting Foundation
DERP = foolishness; stupidity. I can't belive this appeared in the
Random House dictionary without etymology. Random House used to be
a scholarly dictionary.
DQ’ing = disqualifying
po’ed = pissed off (I think.)
CT = counter terrorism (I think.)
PO = police officer
F-o-F = force on force training (Simunitions, Air Soft, etc.)
OODA = observe, orient, decide, act
FIs = firearms instructors
LE = law enforcement
LEO = law enforcement officer
AG = attorney general (politician)
DA = district attorney (prosecutor, also a politician)
Atty. = attorney (defense counsel)
2A = second amendment to the U.S. Constitution (the one we swore to uphold and defend)
GSW = gun shot wound
PR = public relations
PC = probable cause (or maybe person computer?)
FWIW = for what it's worth
AT = anti-terrorist (I think?)
WTF = what the fuck (I think?)
Ralph says to zero your pistol at 25 yards, because you'll be on at
25 yards in case you need to make that long distance shot, and you'll only be
an inch low at 2 yards, which is well within the margin of error. But,
if you are zeroed at 2 yards (as pistols from the factory are) you will be
5 inches high at 25 yards, which is outside an acceptable margin of error (in
the sense that if you are aiming at the center of an 8 inch diameter disk,
being 5 inches high will be a miss, 8" diameter = 4" radius).
Ralph says, "Very few people know how to run a force-on-force simulation properly."
Proper, specific training is not obtained by shooting an IDPA match on weekends, BTW.
[Ralph lists 25 things with which you need to be competent in order to prevail
in a lethal force encounter.]
And yet, almost all American training focuses only on element 13. 13. If you have to shoot, you have to hit the BG (bad guy), preferably COM (center of mass).
That is, one out of 25+ things you need to be competent at to truly survive a violent
encounter.
Competence with speed and accuracy at 7 yards doesn’t necessarily translate
into an easy day at 3 yards, IF YOU MAKE THE EXERCISE REALISTIC, and not just a
shooting exercise. At those close distances you have to deal with an attacker
who can reach you before your draw is completed, thus you have to integrate empty
hands skills with drawing and shooting, which is a much harder thing to do
correctly than simply drawing and shooting. I emphasize “correctly” because,
as the technique (there’s really one that works*) for dealing with that situation
has diffused throughout the training community over the last 10-15 years, it has
gotten watered down and feeble, quite often by instructors who don’t really know
what they are doing. Of course that makes it easy to teach, and too easy for the
unwitting students to perform well.
". . . you can start to concentrate on what has always been a better
survival strategy than improving your technique — improving your tactics."
"Get physical therapy if you need it."
[If your shoulder does not have the range of motion that it should. Suffer
through the pain of physical therapy and get it working properly. -- Jon Low]
". . . if the BG “shoots you” through a wall, you lose. Very few shoot
house exercises that I’ve been through enforced that real-world rule that has,
unfortunately, resulted in cops killed. Drywall and wood walls don’t stop
bullets and a BG has no ethical compunctions about shooting through them,
while you mostly can’t (because: target discrimination).
. . . Problems we ran into over the years were that we taught
people to shoot faster than they could discriminate and see.
This caused many problems with fratricide and friendly fire.
-- MSgt. Paul Howe
Teaching clearing techniques and tactical medical skills is of far less
value than showing you how to not have to use those skills to begin with
as the situation presents itself.
Five habits of responsible gun owners:
They get training.
They know the law.
They are unconsciously obsessive about safety.
They don’t mix alcohol and guns.
They are discreet.
MSGT Howe’s position is that you get a sight picture for every shot.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Webinar: Site Emergency Plans 04_16_2020 by Michael Mann
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMBNp2RgIKI&feature=youtu.be
Dynamics of Police Shootings by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/dynamics-of-police-shootings
Search for the term “Trigger Affirmation” about 3/4ths down the
web page. Check out all the reasons that a person will touch their
trigger in violation of our safety rule. And in these situations,
the person doesn't know that he's touching his trigger and doesn't
believe that he's touching his trigger. This should concern you and
cause you to video record your training in high stress scenarios to
see if you are doing this.
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
***** ***** ***** Hardware (which includes you) ***** ***** *****
"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley
----- Gear -----
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
Ambidextrous Controls by Bryan McKean
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/ambidextrous-controls
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. Herstal Group includes FN Herstal, Browning, and Winchester.
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 Honor Defense, Honor Guard pistols are ambidextrous.
They retail for around $300. I've never groped one, so I can't say anything.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following have ambidextrous slide locks --
The latest Glocks (shown in the article) 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.
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 following has an ambidextrous magazine release --
The Springfield Armory XD has an ambidextrous magazine release.
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I neglect DA/SA pistols because I believe a pistol should have the
same trigger pull on every shot.
I neglect revolvers, because I haven't found any that allow the
cylinder to swing out on both sides.
All of those that I have mentioned can be purchased without thumb safeties.
I have read too many reports of persons being unable to fire the pistol because
they forgot to defeat the safety. Yes, it is of course a lack of training and
practice. But, why make the weapon system more complex than it needs to be?
"Top 5 Cleaning Tips To Keep Your Pistol Pristine" by Brad Miller, Ph.D.
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2020/4/21/top-5-cleaning-tips-to-keep-your-pistol-pristine/
Buying Holsters for Dummies: A Guide to Choosing a Proper Holster by Luke C.
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2020/04/14/buying-holsters-for-dummies/
Excerpt:
. . . I find that holsters that leave the muzzle of the gun exposed
at the bottom of the holster are not so great as they increase the
likelihood that you’ll bump the muzzle and unholster the gun – try to
avoid these styles of holsters. [Also, exposing the leather of a holster
doesn't scream "GUN!" as exposing the muzzle would. -- Jon Low]
. . . remember that the holster is an extension of the gun.
Your holster is part of your life-saving equipment that you’ll likely
be carrying with you every day. Buy a high-quality, functional rig
and maintain it and it will serve you when the time comes.
[I agree with the author. When I was an armed guard, I used the
Safariland ALS and found it to be effective. I found that you can
unscrew the ALS holster from the plastic belt attachment that it comes
with and bolt it onto the leather portion of an Alien Gear or
Crossbreed holster for an inside the waistband ALS holster. -- Jon Low]
Tatiana Whitlock talks gear
https://www.facebook.com/TriggerTimeTV/videos/1090994444594506/
Excerpt:
Red dot sights are effective for people suffering from aging eyes.
As John Farnam so insightfully puts it,
“You are far more likely to run out of time than rounds”.
10 Great Defense Loads
Factory ammo with proven performance
by Eric Conn
https://americanhandgunner.com/gear/10-great-defense-loads/
“Your car is not a holster.” – Pat Rogers
Wear it or lock it up.
----- Technical -----
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
Guniversity: AMMO 101 - Naming Conventions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzG5XVRvhzo
A Primer On Buying Used Handguns by Patrick Sweeney
https://gundigest.com/more/classic-guns/a-primer-on-buying-used-handguns
This is actually a detailed protocol for inspecting various
types of handguns by a master gunsmith.
Stuff You Don’t Read, The Back-Beat Story On Connor-Style T&E’s by John Connor
https://americanhandgunner.com/guncrank-diaries/stuff-you-dont-read/
A list of things you ought to check on your pistol.
The 4 Things to Look for in a Folding Knife by Justin White
https://madsciencedefense.com/4-things-folding-knife/
Ask Yourself These 5 Questions Before Choosing a Knife by Terry Trahan
https://www.theorganicprepper.com/choosing-a-knife/
Terry Trahan's article didn't have any pictures. So, I couldn't
figure out how the lock types worked. So, Terry referred me to the
web pages below.
KNIFE LOCK TYPES GUIDE by Andrew Hamilton and Logan Rainey
https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Knife-Lock-Types-Guide--3511
KNIFE BLADE SHAPES GUIDE by Andrew Hamilton
https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Knife-Blade-Shapes-Guide--3429
BEST KNIFE STEEL COMPARISON AND CHARTS by Trevor Brown and Andrew Hamilton
https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Best-Knife-Steel-Guide--3368
Locking Mechanisms
https://www.spyderco.com/edge-u-cation/knife-anatomy/locking-mechanisms/
[ARFCOM News] NEW 3D Printed FGC-9 + Gunshops Essential + NRA Layoffs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3Y_Z8KR12Q
This article in in the Technical Gear section because they report
on a 3 dimensional printed 9mm pistol that is effective and reliable,
as in combat worthy. This not a zip gun. It has a rifled bore.
Electronically rifled, not machined.
"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
Contrary to rumors, Lockton Affinity Outdoor is still insuring NRA instructors.
I just renewed my policy for
$500,000 Bodily Injury & Property Damage Each Occurrence Limit
$500,000 Professional Liability Each Occurrence Limit (this is in case you get
sued for something you taught)
$1,000,000 General Aggregate Limit
$1,000,000 Products-Completed Operations Aggregate Limit
$500,000 Personal and Advertising Injury Limit - Any One Person or Organization
$100,000 Fire Damage Limit- Any One Fire
$5,000 Medical Expense Limit - Any One Person
Deductible $0.00
and would recommend you carry at least this much coverage. We live in a litigious society.
Note that teaching the real stuff, like a 360 degree scan , violates NRA
safety rules, IDPA safety rules, IPSC safety rules, and the range safety
rules of just about all of the commercial ranges. So, be careful.
"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
In the armed security training that I went through over
the past two weeks, one of the things they stressed was to maintain
a high level of personal hygiene.
Floss your teeth (because you have to remove the plaque
below the gum line, or else it will become tarter, destroy your
teeth, and stink), brush your teeth (to remove all stains
(as in from the tobacco you've been chewing), plaque, and such),
and brush all surfaces in your mouth (especially the tongue,
which has a lot of hair, which means lots of surface area).
Scrub all surfaces of your body before going out in public
(especially before meeting the client or customers) so as not
to have any offensive odors.
All hair should be neatly groomed. No beards or mustaches,
as they are extremely difficult to keep clean, especially after eating.
And they generally stink. You may not notice it, but others do.
After washing your clothes, dry them immediately.
Otherwise, they will stink of mildew. It doesn't matter
that you can't smell it, others can.
If you keep yourself and your uniforms clean, you won't
need to cover the stink with obnoxious perfumes, and no one
will have to tell you to leave work to wash off the perfume.
We never have a second chance to make a good first
impression. Attempting to repair a bad first impression is
very difficult.
I recommend that you wear an undershirt, so as
not to show skin when demonstrating presentation from concealment.
At one end of the spectrum, a hairy flabby belly is not pretty.
At the other end of the spectrum, a svelte abdomen may be
sexually provocative. Either way, it's inappropriate for a
professional setting.
----- Pedagogy -----
"Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
Teach positive. Teach what to do. Don't talk about what not to do.
-- John Farnam
An instructor should not expect any learning to take
place the first time new information is presented.
-- "Building Shooters" by Dustin Solomon
***** ***** ***** Legal, Political, and Philosophical ***** ***** *****
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
Defensive Gun Uses By Those Legally Carrying Guns:
Dramatic cases from the middle of August to the middle of September 2019
by John Lott
https://crimeresearch.org/2020/04/defensive-gun-uses-by-those-legally-carrying-guns-dramatic-cases-from-the-middle-of-august-to-the-middle-of-september-2019/
"Propaganda" is what the mass media choose not to show you.
Defense of Last Resort Part 2: Crossing the Threshold
https://ccwsafe.com/blog/32051
Excerpt:
Andrew Branca says, “going to the fight never looks like self-defense.”
Charles Dorsey made a decision that he would not use his firearm unless
or until Espinoza got through the front door. He had established a threshold,
and he waited for the perceived intruder to cross that threshold before
deploying deadly force. It very likely saved him from prosecution and
potential conviction.
[Note that the Dorsey incident went on for 13 minutes. That's a long time.
The police did not arrive within that 13 minutes.
Dorsey was patient and won. Wafer was impatient, advanced through the
front door, and encountered a stranger. WHY? Just stay inside and hunker down.
-- Jon Low]
In Self Defense - Episode 57: with Don West and Shawn Vincent
Defense of Last Resort Part 2:
Non-legal Consequences and the Trouble with Video
https://ccwsafe.com/blog/32072
The transcript of the pod cast is below the audio player,
so you don't have to listen to the pod cast. I find it much
faster and easier to read the transcript.
After Action Analysis: April 22, 2020 by Andrew Branca
https://www.facebook.com/LawofSelfDefense/videos/246480630059678/
This is really important. You can shoot the armed robber
when he is attempting to rob you. But, you can't shoot him when
he's running away.
"Korematsu!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/archives/4902
When the duly elected Nazis (National Socialists) controlled Germany,
they arrested the Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, mentally retarded, and other
undesirables, put them in concentration camps, and killed them.
When the duly elected Democrats controlled the United States, they arrested
U.S. citizens of Japanese ancestry and put them in concentration camps.
And the Democrat controlled U.S. Supreme Court said it was Constitutional.
I pray you would never order your subordinates to carry out such
"legal" and "Constitutional" orders. Especially, if you are a field grade officer.
[I emailed the above words to every field grade officer and flag grade
officer that I know well enough to ask a personal favor of. Exactly one
half of them assured me that they would never obey such orders and would
never issue such orders. The other half told me things like "It's
sometimes difficult to tell right from wrong when you are very close
to it." I suggest that it is very difficult to do what's right, but
it's fairly easy to decide what's right.]
The following is from Tom Givens.
There are still some among us who are so naïve they believe the system
will somehow protect them. One of the hardest things for a lot of modern
people to accept and internalize is the fact that no one is coming to save
you and that you alone are responsible for your safety and security.
Here is a perfect example. Gary Ridgway was convicted as the
“Green River Killer”, one of the most prolific serial murderers in US history.
When captured, to avoid the death penalty, he agreed to lead authorities to
many unrecovered bodies of his victims. He was convicted of 49 (yes, 49)
murders and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Last week
a committee voted 5 to 4 against releasing him from prison so he wouldn’t be at
risk to catch the Corona virus.
There is no doubt that he killed more than 49 people and he likely would
re-offend if released. Only one vote kept him from being released. The
people who voted to release him don’t give a rat’s ass about you.
District Judge Halts California’s Ammunition Background Checks
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/04/24/district-judge-halts-californias-ammunition-background-checks/
This is why you have to vote for pro-gun politicians, because they
appoint pro-gun judges.
Lynchburg, VA Circuit Judge F. Patrick Yeatts rules Virginia gun range can open amid virus closures
https://www.nbc12.com/2020/04/27/judge-rules-virginia-gun-range-can-open-amid-virus-closures/
Did Illinois just ban or at least strictly limit concealed carry? by John Lott
https://crimeresearch.org/2020/04/did-illinois-just-ban-or-at-least-strictly-limit-concealed-carry/
After Action Analysis: April 29, 2020 by Andrew Branca
https://www.facebook.com/LawofSelfDefense/videos/520170728649398/
As Andrew says, all of the anti-police activists were demanding that the
police wear body cameras, anticipating that it would expose excessive use of
force by the police. But, such is not the case. The body cameras, in the
vast majority of cases, provides evidence to justify the police actions.
". . . the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
-- Second Amendment, U.S. Constitution (the one we swore to
uphold and defend against all enemies)
***** ***** ***** Survival, Medical, and such ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
Troxler Effect And Instability Of Our Sight Picture by Norman H. Wong, O.D.
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2020/4/14/troxler-effect-and-instability-of-our-sight-picture/
Winning Vision, Revisited by Norman H. Wong O.D.
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2018/8/15/winning-vision-revisited
If you think you can do precision position rifle shooting with
regular prescription eye glasses, you are WRONG! It is physically
impossible to look through the center of the ground prescription
while in a correct shooting position. So, you are looking at a bad
angle, probably over the bridge of your nose or through the top of
the lens. This creates a huge amount of distortion.
Coaches, don't let your athletes wear their regular glasses.
Get their parents to get them contact lenses or get them shooting
glasses. Accurate and precise shooting is impossible with distorted
vision.
At the level 3 coaches course at the Olympic Training Center
in Colorado Springs, CO, the instructors taught us that holding
one's breath for 8 seconds would cause the partial pressure of oxygen
in the blood stream to decrease to the point where the athlete would
lose fine vision resolution. The immature shooter will never notice
this, so you must teach this.
The athlete with good cardio vascular conditioning has to hold
his breath for 1 to 2 minutes before the carbon dioxide build up will
cause discomfort. Note that a lack of oxygen will not cause discomfort.
As long as the carbon dioxide is removed from the respiratory system,
the oxygen can be depleted until the person dies without any discomfort.
This is why so many aircraft pilots crash, and why so many SCUBA divers
die. So, the athlete must be taught to breath continuously, and not
hold his breath.
With practice, the shooter will automatically release the shot
at the respiratory pause after the exhale and before the inhale. With
significant dedicated practice, the shooter will automatically release
the shot between heart beats. (I learned this in the late 1970s in
a lecture from personnel from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Training Unit.)
The athlete who has been training, as in a real training program,
will have a low pulse rate ~60 beats per minute, a low blood pressure
~60/90 mm Hg, and a low respiratory rate which the shooter will adjust
automatically to the environment (elevation / barometric pressure,
temperature, humidity, clothing being worn, etc.). So, the trained
athlete will not notice the loss of fine visual acuity unless you
bring it to his attention. And maybe not even then. So, you have
to train the shooter to breath continuously and not hold his breath
for more than 8 seconds. Because he will easily be able to do it and
want to because he is distracted by the shot process, especially the
sight movie.
High Tensile Strength Increases Multifunctional Use of Survival Blankets in Wilderness Emergencies
https://www.wemjournal.org/article/S1080-6032(20)30011-9/fulltext?rss=yes
Excerpt:
Conclusions
Both brands of survival blankets show impressive tensile strength,
indicating that they have the potential to serve as temporary
pelvic binders or even as makeshift tourniquets when urgent
bleeding control is needed.
Willingness is a state of mind. Preparedness (or lack thereof)
is a fact.
***** ***** ***** Basics ***** ***** *****
Guns 101 – Loading a magazine by the Tactical Professor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/04/16/guns-101-loading-a-magazine/
Using the term "load" as in loading the magazine, overloads the word "load".
That's why John Farnam teaches we charge and void magazines. We load and unload
pistols.
Guns 101 - Locking the Slide to the Rear by the Tactical Professor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/04/13/guns-101-next-episode/
Some pistols don't have a slide lock lever. Some pistol slides won't lock
back on an empty magazine.
"Personal Defense on a Budget" by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/4/24/personal-defense-on-a-budget/
Beginners:
Understanding The Difference Between JHP, FMJ, +P And Other Types Of Ammo
by Brandon Curtis
https://concealednation.org/2020/03/beginners-understanding-the-difference-between-jhp-fmj-p-and-other-types-of-ammo/
A picture is worth a thousand words.
All kinds of good stuff at
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/
Polite Society Podcast, Guns 101
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEZ1iwbKuzg&list=PL89tFFATrvZfDOJWBSGn4JCufXk7r9s2u
A series of introductory presentations of about 10 minutes each.
10 Common Concealed Carry Mistakes To Avoid by Brandon Curtis
https://concealednation.org/2020/04/10-common-concealed-carry-mistakes-to-avoid/
Tips For New Pistol Shooters by John Parker (actually Brian Zins)
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2020/4/14/watch-tips-for-new-pistol-shooters/
***** ***** ***** Miscellany ***** ***** *****
When it's least expected, you're selected.
-- John Farnam
Gathering of Gun Geezers
Understanding the roots of today’s handgun training and competition
by Massad Ayoob
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/gathering-of-gun-geezers/
I had the privilege of interacting with Jim McClary when I was
a Concealed Weapons Permit instructor in South Carolina. I didn't
know he had retired from SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division).
Good to see Mas is still alive and well.
We're all getting old. Better get your training before the wisemen pass.
I haven't been able to find the oral histories on Wilson Combat's
YouTube.com channel. Hoping they appear soon.
Tressa Joubert (Wilson Combat Support) says, "We have not released those
just yet, we hope to have them available soon however."
They will appear on
https://www.youtube.com/user/gowilsoncombat
All kinds of interesting stuff at
Practical Eschatology
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/
List of headlines,
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/?m=1
All kinds of neat stuff at
Gun Nuts Media
https://www.gunnuts.net/
************************************************************************
The epilogue to the written test in my Defensive Pistol course --
. . .
In case you didn't notice, this is an attitude test.
If your answers (not the ones you marked because you
thought they were acceptable, but the ones you thought
because that is your true nature) indicate that you
have a bad attitude, please refrain from carrying a
gun for self-defense, until you have an appropriate
level of maturity. With rights come responsibilities.
Carrying a gun does not make you a sheepdog.
Your maturity, mental preparation, and attitude make
you a sheepdog. If you are a sheepdog, always carry.
Because Murphy's Law says that anything that can go wrong,
will go wrong, at the worst possible time. That time is
when you are not carrying.
My son and I had a hobby. We often had battery problems.
So, we started carrying extra batteries. Then we never had
battery problems. That's how life works.
Dr. Ignatius Piazza says, it's better to have a gun and
not need one, than to need one and not have one. By having one,
the confidence and attitude (displayed in body language and
manner because of your training) may well cause you not to
need one. That's how life works.
"Being willing to do violence means you probably
won't have to do violence." -- Marc MacYoung
This is deep truth. This is how life really works.
May God keep you and bless you.
************************************************************************
Life is very short. If you waste time watching TV or playing
video games, you are a damn fool.
/* Random data from the HotBits radioactive random number generator */
unsigned char hotBits[55] = {
202, 13, 100, 190, 109, 219, 212, 142, 174, 174, 165, 151, 78, 107, 146,
219, 218, 123, 186, 196, 22, 159, 160, 160, 113, 11, 19, 119, 227, 92,
102, 229, 104, 118, 61, 215, 44, 223, 145, 155, 159, 122, 114, 197, 118,
123, 32, 93, 208, 84, 43, 59, 65, 143, 236
};
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com
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