CWP, 23 December MMXX Anno Domini

 CWP, 23 December MMXX Anno Domini

Merry Christmas! Sheepdogs,
     I'm not doing you a favor by listing all of these articles for you to read.  
The favor that I am doing you, is not listing the literally hundreds of articles
that are published every month that are not worth reading.  The signal to noise
ratio on the internet and print magazines is extremely low.  
 
*****     *****     ***** Software *****     *****     *****
 
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
 
----- Mindset -----
 
It’s about prevention, not response.
-- Michael Mann
 
The Fight Is Coming [MINDSET] by Taylor
https://defendersanddisciples.com/are-you-prepared-for-the-fight/
     [Taylor's definition of condition Black is not that taught by Col. Jeff Cooper.  
Cooper's Black was engaged with the enemy delivering lethal force, using the Combat
Mindset to push all thoughts out of your head, except hard focus on the front sight,
smooth trigger press for a surprise trigger break.]
 
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."  
-- Tom Givens
 
Skill Set: Politeness by Tiger McKee
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/f5806fbd-7381-4789-9916-59a2b768017c
Excerpt:  
     "A dying culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners.
Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness,
of gentle manners, is more significant than is a riot."
-- Robert A. Heinlein
 
     A young lady (wife and mother of small children) told me that her employer forbids
her from carrying any type of defensive weapon (pistol, knife, pepper spray, baton, etc.).  
This is a problem because she drives long distances and interviews people in their homes
as part of her job.  My advice to her was to quit and find another job.  My mouth often
out runs my brain.  After more consideration, I explained that getting fired from her
job requires that she be alive to be fired.  So, she may want to carry a concealed
weapon, because if she needs it, she will have it; and if she doesn't need it, no one
will ever know.  
 
Why Shooters Should Understand Psychology
For the same reason that gamers use cheat codes, of course!
by Samantha Mann
https://www.nrawomen.com/content/why-shooters-should-understand-psychology/
Excerpt:  
     "Most importantly, she switched her thinking from “I’m not ready” to “I can do this.” "
 
The Time to Fight by Tim
https://www.gunnuts.net/2015/12/03/the-time-to-fight/
 
“You are no more armed because you are wearing a pistol
than you are a musician because you own a guitar.”
from Principles of Personal Defense by
Col. Jeff Cooper, USMC, (1920 – 2006 A.D.)
 
----- Safety -----
 
Jeff Cooper's Rules of Gun Safety
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY
RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET
 
Avoid And Escape by Tiger McKee
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/avoid-and-escape/
 
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
 
----- Training -----
 
"The real value of training and practice isn't gaining technical competence,
it's achieving confidence in your abilities."
-- Claude Werner
 
Self-Defense for Women: Turn Your Lizard Brain Into a Wizard Brain
Communication and problem solving are key to survival and self-defense.
by Samantha Mann
https://www.nrawomen.com/content/self-defense-for-women-turn-your-lizard-brain-into-a-wizard-brain/
 
     You need training because:  
You don't know what you don't know.  
Much of what you know is false.  
It's good to the have the answers before the criminal tests you.  
-- Claude Werner (paraphrased)
 
Tactical Moment by John Holschen
https://www.youtube.com/user/tacticalmoment
 
Concealed Carry: Issues and Perspectives by John Murphy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ju5GtzzgLE&list=PLkL2g0uY2GSduhVBwzGL2ROyN-TSdDGLq
 
Murphy’s Law by John Murphy on Ballistic Radio
http://ballisticradio.com/2020/12/03/murphys-law-season-8-episode-333/
     What is the importance of technical proficiency inside of a self-defense encounter?
How critical is it to prepare for worst case scenarios?
If we find ourselves selected for violence who actually has the advantage in the incident?
 
Chasing and shooting by tacticalprofessor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/12/04/chasing-and-shooting/
     Self defense, that is the use of defensive force, is to prevent the attack.  
So, you don't get hurt.  Failing that, self defense is to stop the attack.  
So, you don't get hurt anymore.  
     The use of force after the attack, when there is no threat to you (because
the bad guy is running away) is not self defense.  It is revenge and retribution,
which is not legal.  You may feel justified and righteous, but it's not legal.  
 
Trainers You Should Know - John Murphy  by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/trainers-you-should-know-john-murphy
 
3 Must-Have Skills for Winning a Fight by Steve Tarani
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/12/9/3-must-have-skills-for-winning-a-fight
Excerpt:  
     "At the end of the day you are only as prepared to defend against a violent physical threat
as you have prepared to defend against a violent physical threat.  Your decision to make the
time and commitment to do so affords you solid footing on the cornerstones of mental toughness,
threat recognition, and tactical performance — the bedrock of an optimal self-defense outcome."
 
Skill Set: Politeness by Tiger McKee
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/f5806fbd-7381-4789-9916-59a2b768017c
     A dying culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness.  Bad manners.
Lack of consideration for others in minor matters.  A loss of politeness,
of gentle manners, is more significant than is a riot.
-- Robert A. Heinlein
 
Smart Choices by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/smart-choices
     Yes, this is an advertisement for a product.  But, one that I think makes sense
and would recommend.  
     I did not give the product to my daughter to use with my grandson.  Rather,
I mentioned it to her and my son-in-law and let them make the decision.  
(That is being wise, not manipulative.)
 
Why the Most Important Part of Being Armed is Being Armed by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/12/14/why-the-most-important-part-of-being-armed-is-being-armed
Excerpt:  
     "Yes, the first rule of gunfighting is to have a gun.
But, the second rule of gunfighting is to learn to use it effectively, safely and lawfully.
With the huge amount of training available today, finding a nearby class from a reputable
instructor is not difficult.  In this manner, we can begin to rely more on our ability
and less on luck to save the day."
 
10 Advanced Handgun-Training Terms You Should Know by W.H. "Chip" Gross
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/12/15/10-advanced-handgun-training-terms-you-should-know
     "Indexing the target" isn't necessarily with the sights.  When the bad guy is too
close (could reach out an grab your gun), indexing by forearm or grip contact with your
body is what is meant.  Which of course takes a lot of practice to actually point the
muzzle in the correct direction.  
     "Press check" is also known as "chamber check".
     "Tap and Rack" is usually, "Tap, Rack, Assess" in NRA lingo, or "Tap, Rack, Point in"
else where.  
     If you are pushing forward with you firing side hand and pulling backward with your
support side hand, you won't get malfunctions due to limp wristing.  That's why we teach
the Weaver arm position.  In an isosceles position, you can't really pull with the
support side hand and arm, because the support side arm is locked out straight.  
     Mr. Gross is assuming the instructors are running a cold range (all guns unloaded
when not actually on the firing line doing a drill), as all NRA classes are.  
But, most private classes from competent instructors are under the condition of a
hot range (all guns always loaded).  A hot range is safer.  Remember our safety rules.  
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED
This is a safety rule.  If you don't obey this safety rule, you will have a huge amount
of unnecessary gun handling.  As John Farnam says, the primary cause of negligent
discharges is "unnecessary gun handling".  
 

Your Tactical Training Scenario: A Pistol Whipping and Gun Disarm by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/your-tactical-training-scenario-a-pistol-whipping-and-gun-disarm
 
"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
 
----- Practice -----
 
     Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
 
Fundamentals of dry practice by tacticalprofessor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/12/12/fundamentals-of-dry-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
 
What does effective Dry Practice actually look like?  By tacticalprofessor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/12/18/what-does-effective-dry-practice-actually-look-like/
 
When it comes to survival, “just barely” beats the heck outta “not quite good enough.”
-- John Connor
 
     "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
 
To Catch Or Not To Catch?  By Ralph Mroz
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/tactics-training/to-catch-or-not-to-catch/
     As a product of Front Sight (I started with them when they started in 1995 in
Bakersfield, CA and taught for them for a few years), I was taught to cup my hand
over the ejection port to catch the good round, because ammunition was valuable.  
And I taught this technique for many years.  Several years ago, I changed and teach
to let the good round fall to the ground.  Because I believe Ralph to be correct,
and that this is currently best practice.
 
Trigger Control vs. Follow Through by Taylor
https://defendersanddisciples.com/trigger-control-vs-follow-through/
Excerpt:  
     "Trigger Control is a mechanical process, while Follow-Through is a mental process."
     "Dry fire Follow-Through is much easier than in live fire.  When trying to execute
good Follow-Through in live fire, think of it in terms of passively allowing the gun to
recoil, rather than bracing the moment before the recoil.  This does not mean that you
should not have a good firm grip on the gun, but that your firm grip should be constant
throughout the firing sequence."
     [What the author attributes to "jerking the trigger" is actually due to pushing
the pistol in anticipation of the recoil.  
     The real purpose of the surprise trigger break (as taught by Col. Jeff Cooper)
is to defeat all of the shooter's autonomic nervous system responses to the recoil
and report.  
     The author uses the word "milliseconds", actually it is "millisecond".  
Average speed of bullet during internal ballistics = (final speed - initial speed) / 2
= (~1000 feet per second - 0 feet per second) / 2 = 500 fps.
Length of barrel < 0.5 feet
So, the time from lock time to bullet exiting the muzzle is 0.5 feet / 500 fps = 0.001 seconds.
-- Jon Low]
 
CCW & Appendix Carry: Physical Therapist's Advice by Dr. Joseph Logar, PT, DPT
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/11/30/ccw-appendix-carry-physical-therapists-advice
     Yes, as a matter of fact appendix carry will cause back problems.  
I stretch twice a day, go to yoga class once a week, and get a massage (a real
therapeutic massage, the kind that hurts and feels intense, not a fru fru salon
feel good massage) at least once a month; in order to avoid the surgery, pain
killers, muscle relaxants, and epidurals.  You need to take this seriously,
especially if you are getting older and your body is breaking down.  
     It doesn't matter if you shot your penis or testicles, because that is not life
threatening.  It does matter if you shoot your femoral artery, because that is
life threatening.  
 
Physical Therapist's CCW Advice: Strong-Side Hip Carry by Dr. Joseph Logar, PT, DPT
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/12/11/physical-therapists-ccw-advice-strong-side-hip-carry
 
The Greyhound Rules by John Connor
https://americanhandgunner.com/guncrank-diaries/the-greyhound-rules/
     Description of a gun fight.  Lessons learned.  And a protocol for how to engage targets
at various distances.  It's always good to learn from the experience of others.  
 
The Hidden Dangers of Removing Your Gun in the Car by Joshua Gillem
https://www.concealedcarry.com/gear/the-hidden-dangers-of-removing-your-gun-in-the-car/
Excerpt:  
     ". . . you should just leave your gun holstered on your body all day, every day.
The only time you should take it off is when you're going to bed at night."
     ". . . if your holster or the place where you carry your gun is so uncomfortable
that you can't sit down with it for long periods of time then you need a new setup."
 
Eyes Up!  by Tiger McKee
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/eyes-up/
 
     Tom Givens on AIWB (Appendix Inside the WaistBand) carry,
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rangemaster/permalink/10157648936770924/
or
https://www.facebook.com/tom.givens.37/posts/10221862301179169
 
The Devil's In The Digits
... AND THE GREMLIN’S IN THE GRIP
by John Connor
https://americanhandgunner.com/guncrank-diaries/devils-in-the-digits/
 
Rethinking “Show Me Your Hands!” by Von Kliem, JD, LL.M
https://www.forcescience.org/2020/12/rethinking-show-me-your-hands/
     Don't kid yourself.  Your lethal force encounter is not going to be as practiced
in the pristine conditions of the indoor range with the instructor.  It's going to be
chaotic and ambiguous.  And you will be under extreme stress trying desperately to
protect your loved ones.  If you haven't thought about it and visualized many scenarios,
you probably won't do anything.  Much less the optimal thing.  (No, the optimal thing
might not be an immediate counter-attack.  It might be talking; using your big boy
command voice, which you have practiced.)
 
Surviving on the throne
“Takin’ care of business,” self-defense-style
by Brent Wheat
https://gunsmagazine.com/our-experts/surviving-on-the-throne/
     This is WRONG!  Keep your pistol in your holster.  There is never any reason
to remove your pistol from your holster.  John Farnam says, negligent discharges
are caused by unnecessary gun handling.  So, do not handle your gun.  Keep it in
your holster!  
 
The Home Defense Vs Concealed Carry Gun by Richard A. Mann
https://gundigest.com/handguns/the-home-defense-vs-concealed-carry-gun
Excerpt:  
     "If there’s one universal truth when it comes to personal protection with a handgun,
it’s that those practicing the discipline don’t get enough training.  It’s not a good
idea to complicate the process with the necessity of being able to effectively run
two different weapon systems.
     Similarly, as my friend, Sheriff Jim Wilson, likes to point out,
“If you rotate your everyday-carry gun, you don’t have an everyday-carry gun.”
     Finally, there’s a lot of logic to support the concept of the “dedicated tool.”
Your lug wrench stays with your car, and your dustpan stays with your broom.
You don’t have to look for them; you know where those tools are in case you need them.  
     That’s the role of the home-defense handgun. It exists for a single purpose,
and it lives out its life in the same—never-changing—location.  It’s not your gun;
it’s not your partner’s gun.  It’s your home’s gun.  It should be best configured
to defend your home."
 
"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
 
     A few decades ago in Hawaii, the government built a new prison facility and installed
glass windows that passed all the "requirements".  They could not be broken.  That is to say,
within the normal parameters specified by the requirements, the windows could not be broken.  
Within days of the facility opening, a prisoner, working in the laundry, used an electrical
extension cord to place a hot iron (used for ironing clothes) against the window.  Once
heated beyond the normal parameters, the prisoner easily broke the window and escaped.  
     When playing chess, especially when the opponent is a higher rated player, it is
usually a good strategy to take the game out of the book.  That is to say, play an opening
not documented in Modern Chess Openings or in the literature (all match games are recorded
and published in the various journals).  If you can't take the opening into new line,
take the middle game into an undocumented line by aggressive sacrifices of material for
positional advantage or time advantage.  This allows the person with superior analysis
ability to defeat the person with superior memory (database knowledge of past games).  
If you have studied Basic Chess Endings by Fine, you can grind out the end game to checkmate
or win on time if all else fails.  
     How do you take your fight out of the book? out of the normal parameters?  
Usually, by an immediate counter-attack without warning, without telegraphing your intention.  
You have to get ahead in time (the tempo in chess), so you have to use your hands.  
Because, you can palm strike, knee, or elbow without warning in a 10th of a second.  
It takes 2 seconds to get your pistol out and fire (0.5 to clear the concealment garment,
1.5 to present to the target and fire; if you have decided to fire which may take 0.5 seconds;
if you've practiced a lot, 2000 correct repetitions; if nothing fouls your draw).  
Deciding what to do will take more time than the entire fight.  So, you have to have a
plan in mind before the violence starts.  You have to be the first one to use force.  
Self defense is to prevent the attack, so you don't get hurt.  If you were not paying
attention and allowed the attack to start, self defense is to stop the attack.  
If you hesitate, the fight will be over before you act.  That's reality.  
     The immediate overwhelmingly violent counter-attack will win.  Gouge his eyes.  
Stomp his foot near the ankle.  Don't worry about cover and concealment.  Don't worry
about movement.  Don't worry about legal justification, your attorney will do his job.  
Your mission is to prevail.  As General Patton said, "Don't worry about your flanks.  
Let your enemy worry about his flanks."  (I paraphrase, because I could not find the quote.)
 
Creating A Home Invasion Plan by Kevin Creighton
https://www.ammoman.com/blog/what-to-do-during-a-home-invasion/
 
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
 
----- Education -----
 
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
 
Neural Based Training: Book One: Retrospectives by Marcus Wynne (Author), Peter Morgan (Editor)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PCBCTFV
 
ENGAGE, DESTROY, SURVIVE:
CHARACTERISTICS OF U.S . ARMY PISTOL, CARBINE, AND RIFLE DIRECT FIRE ENGAGEMENTS IN MODERN COMBAT
(Masters Thesis) by MATTHEW L. SIMON, MAJOR, U.S. ARMY
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD1085602.pdf
This is the primary source (long and scholarly, the methodology section is interesting).
Below is a magazine article (easy reading) about the above Masters Thesis.
Training for a Gunfight: Military Analysis of 133 Firefights by Jake
https://www.tierthreetactical.com/training-for-a-gunfight-military-analysis-of-133-firefights/
 
Walking Back the Cat by tacticalprofessor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/12/09/walking-back-the-cat/
 
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
 
*****     *****     ***** 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
 
Guns Break!  by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/guns-break/
Excerpt:  
Lessons affirmed for me:  
1. Guns break!  Breakage, as in this case, can be ruinous, catastrophic,
and without warning, especially with serious rifles that are run hard
and sometimes get hot.
2. Such breakage usually occurs at annoyingly inconvenient times!  
3. When you carry a rifle, always carry a pistol too, because of #1 above!  
4. Critical spare parts, on hand, can get you up and running immediately.  
Much better than waiting two weeks (while sitting around a non-functional
rifle) for FedEx to bring you what you need!  
 
How to Buy Guns From Pawn Shops by Jeff Johnston
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/11/20/how-to-buy-guns-from-pawn-shops/
Excerpts:  
     "Before buying, disassemble the gun and inspect it. You are looking for cracks,
dents, broken pieces of plastic and rust.  Have a handkerchief or paper towel to
wipe away grime and fouling.  (You'll also likely need it for your hands soon
afterward.)  Hold the barrel up to a light and look at it.  Even though it will
likely be dirty with copper fouling, it should be smooth.  Don't buy if you see
pits or heavy rust.  Reassemble the gun and try the trigger."
     “You can save money at a pawn shop,” said Summers. “That's the bottom line.”
[I have been very pleased with my pawn shop purchases over the decades. -- Jon Low]
 
     “No possible rapidity of fire can atone for habitual
carelessness of aim with the first shot.” -- Theodore Roosevelt,
(26th President of the United States) The Wilderness Hunter, 1893
 
     If you are:  
Active Duty Military
Reservist / National Guard
Military Veteran / Retiree
Law Enforcement Officer
Paramedic / Fire Rescue
EMT
Medical Professional
     Spyderco offers you product discounts, go to
Spyderco.com/opfocus
1.  Register an account on Spyderco.com
2.  Once registered click on My Account
3.  Select from one of the 5 qualifying groups noted at the bottom of the screen.
4.  Follow the prompts in the window to verify your eligibility.
You will receive an email verifying your eligibility and telling you what discount you will receive.  
Once verified, return to your My Account page and your status will be noted along with the discount amount.
The email I got said,
OpFocus Discount: 50% off MSRP on all eligible products.
The OpFocus program discount is limited to 10 knives and or sharpeners per year.
Once you reach the limit, you may continue to make purchases, but no further discounts will be applied.
     Hey, 50% off manufacturer's suggested retail price is nothing to sneeze at.  
 
     Change your magazine springs before they get weak or mushy.  Brownells is a good
place to get them.  
https://www.brownells.com/magazines/handgun-magazines/magazine-parts/magazine-springs/index.htm
     If you used to need to use a magazine loading tool, but now can push the cartridges
into the magazine with your thumb, it's time to replace your springs.  
 
Concealed Carry Corner: Replacing Your Gear Over Time by Matt E.
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2020/12/03/concealed-carry-corner-replacing-your-gear-over-time/
Excerpt:  
     ". . . it’s important to take care of your gear so it can be 100% reliable
when you need it most in a self-defense situation.  Paying for things like ammo,
magazines, and holsters doesn’t set me back financially but gives me incredible
peace of mind knowing I have the best tools for the job and the probability of
them failing is extremely low if I do my part."
 
     My friend, Rich Modzelewski, who owns and runs
Echo-3 Armory
214 North Horton Parkway, Chapel Hill, TN 37034
(931) 364-5486
https://www.facebook.com/echo3armory/
got two pallets of 5.56 X 45mm / .223 ammo.  55 grain full metal jacket.
Federal packaged in 500 round cases, $400.  PMC packaged in 1000 round cases, $800.
 
How to Store Bulk Ammunition by Richard Mann
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/12/7/how-to-store-bulk-ammunition
Excerpt:  
     "Remember, security and sustenance are the foundation of life,
and both can be secured with ammunition and a gun to shoot it."  
 
When a pistol is less than a bb gun, well what did you think you were buying?
by Paul Popov
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3683079895047530&set=p.3683079895047530&type=3
 
     In the context of concealed carry and those who are lazy or sloppy about concealment,
“Just because no one said anything to you doesn’t mean no one said anything to anyone else.”
-- Jules
 
Tom Givens calls a 1911 a “two bad guy gun.”  If that’s the case, the J-frame snub is a
“one bad guy gun.”  This retired firefighter made a good showing with his snubby,
but it wasn’t enough to keep him from being killed. -- Greg Ellifritz
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=744694319739035
 
Why You Should Have an EDC Flashlight by Ed Head
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/12/6/why-you-should-have-an-edc-flashlight
 
Giving Guns As Gifts: Don't Forget the "Batteries" by Mark Fike
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/12/15/giving-guns-as-gifts-dont-forget-the-batteries
     Giving a pistol to someone without the necessary accessories is a really bad idea.  
It marks you as clueless.  And is dangerous to the poor newbie who doesn't know any better,
and who assumes that you do because you're the gun guy.  
 
“Your car is not a holster.”
– Pat Rogers
 
----- Technical -----
 
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
 
Terminal Ballistics: Shooting Through Walls by Philip Massaro
https://gundigest.com/gear-ammo/ammunition/terminal-ballistics-shooting-through-walls
     Mr. Massaro did the experiments for you and offers you the data.  
 
Ballistics Made Simple by Richard Mann
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/12/7/ballistics-made-simple
     Internal, external, terminal.
 
Super Sleeper: Why To Consider The .38 Super For Self-Defense by Richard A. Mann
https://gundigest.com/gear-ammo/ammunition/super-sleeper-why-to-consider-the-38-super-for-self-defense
     The ex-wife and I had a lot of pistols chambered for the .38 Super because
we shot a lot of the IPSC matches in Hawaii.  But, we moved to the .45 ACP
because it did a better job of knocking down the steel targets and bowling pins.  
Of course, that was a long time ago.  
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What Does it Mean to Proof a Firearm? by George Harris
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/11/29/what-does-it-mean-to-proof-a-firearm
Excerpt:  
     ". . . that can be as much as 30-percent higher pressure than the recommended
industry safety standard for a given round."
     The +P and +P+ rounds are only slightly higher pressure than the  
Sporting Arms and Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI) standard.  
---
What is +P Ammunition? by David Lewis
https://www.ammunitiontogo.com/lodge/what-is-p-ammunition/

Understanding +P Ammunition by Dick Jones
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/understanding-plus-p-ammunition
Excerpt:  
     "No handgun ammunition for practical defense applications is capable of producing
hydrostatic shock, which disrupts tissue far beyond the wound channel."

     What Does +P Ammo Mean?  (The Ammo Club, no author listed)
https://www.ammoforsale.com/ammo-club/what-is-p-ammo/
Excerpt:  
     "Second, you must absolutely be certain your firearm is rated to handle
the greater chamber pressure that a +P load generates."  
     [My Ruger American pistol in 45 ACP has a stamp on the barrel that says it is rated
for +P ammunition.  But, the manual that came with the pistol says to never use +P ammo
in the pistol.  Who you going to believe? -- Jon Low]
     "Don’t confuse a +P cartridge with a “proof round.” A proof round is exclusively
used to test a newly manufactured firearm to determine whether it is defective or not.
You would have to go out of your way to get proof rounds — breaking into Winchester
after hours, for example — so don’t worry about accidentally loading one."
---
     If you have a machinist or gunsmith flute your bull barrel, you have to have it
proofed again.  
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Ammunition Safety: Mysterious Detonation Phenomenon by NRA Staff
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/11/25/ammunition-safety-mysterious-detonation-phenomenon/
 
LIQUID METAL BULLETS in Slow Motion! by The Backyard Scientist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhbWfhBDNzk
     What if you replace the lead in the bullet with sodium or potasium or a sodium-potasium alloy?  
Slow motion video in water, not gelatin.  What's the problem with using mercury?  Oh ya, it's been
done, but what's the problem?  It's expensive and poisonous.  
 
     The Rogers Shooting School has the following on the FAQ section of their web site.  
https://rogersshootingschool.com/pages/faqs
     "As of January 2012, all students other than military units must use a copper
plated or polymer coated lead bullet.  Any type of frangible bullet is also acceptable.
The copper jacket on standard ball ammunition poses a serious risk of separating from
the lead core and deflecting back on the shooter."
     "Do not arrive at the school and expect to do well if you cannot clearly see the
front sight of your handgun instantly while pointing at a spot with both eyes open.  
Bifocal or progressive lenses will not work.  Please consider mono-vision lenses that
allow the dominate eye to focus clearly on the front sight."  
     [So, the school is asking students to use specialized gear for the class.  I think
one should train as one fights and fight as one trains, which means use the gear that
you will most likely be wearing in normal life.  This demand for specialized gear by
shooting schools is more common than you might think.  If it's a safety thing, like
forbidding the Blackhawk SERPA holster, that's one thing.  But, requiring specialized
gear so that the student will do well in the class, is a little troubling. -- Jon Low]
 
Rear Sight Tool Works at the Range by Art Merrill
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2020/6/24/rear-sight-tool-works-at-the-range/
 
"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
 
     One of my students pressed the trigger, but the pistol would not fire.  The trigger
would not move backwards as it was supposed to.  By watching her, I determined that the
gloves she had put on (because it had gotten cold) added enough bulk to move her hand
back in the grip.  So, her trigger finger was pressing on the side of the trigger, not
the front of the trigger, so not defeating the trigger safety.  Using thinner gloves
would solve the problem.  Cutting the tip of the trigger of the glove off would solve
the problem.  Changing the back strap of the grip would solve the problem.  Having a
gunsmith move the trigger back by a quarter of an inch would solve the problem.  
 
     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 -----
 
     "The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.  
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."  
-- Robert John Meehan
 
     I always tell my students up front that we will go no faster than the slowest person
in the class.  I am presently training a lady who is interested in getting her
Tennessee Armed Guard License and pursuing a career in security work.  She has no
firearms experience.  We took about 30 hours covering the theory portion (in the
classroom:  lectures, dry pistol manipulations, etc.) of my defensive pistol course.  
The average class gets through it in about 20 hours.  A class of persons who have
had previous training, may get though it in 10 hours, because we don't do all the
pistol manipulation exercises, but concentrate on the lectures, discussions,
questions & answers.  In a large class, you won't have the flexibility to do this.  
So, the slower students will get lost and left behind.  So, I urge you to keep
your class size small.  When I teach the class is 5 students or less.  
     Ya, I know you can't cover expenses, or have to make the tuition too high
with such class sizes.  That's just my recommendation.  
 
Teach positive.  Teach what to do.  Don't talk about what not to do.
-- John Farnam
 
"HOW TO TRAIN AN ARMY" by Marcus Wynne
https://marcuswynne.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/IDF-AAR-v.1.pdf
Blog post about the above after action report,
https://marcuswynne.com/how-to-train-an-army/
 
     “The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference
between taking one’s work seriously and taking one’s self seriously.  The first
is imperative and the second is disastrous.”
-- prima ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn
 
     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
 
“Tactical Loitering” by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/tactical-loitering/
     This is truth from 1st person accounts.  Prepare for it.  If you get stopped
at a road block and the mob pulls you out of your car, it will be completely your
fault if your child in the back seat gets hurt, because you did not prepare.  
 
Ohio Bill Allowing the Arming of Teachers Passes State Senate
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2020/11/25/armed-teachers-ohio/
 
Minneapolis mayor, police chief call proposed police cuts 'irresponsible'
by By Liz Sawyer, Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
https://www.police1.com/chiefs-sheriffs/articles/minneapolis-mayor-police-chief-call-proposed-police-cuts-irresponsible-0SqvRjcPXKJXnQ6m/
     As Democrat cities de-fund their police departments, causing violent crime to
skyrocket, it behooves you to have the ways and means to protect your loved ones.  
Get trained.  Get armed.  
     Police officers are retiring and resigning en-mass across the country.  
Who you going to call?  
 
Apple security chief Thomas Moyer indicted in concealed firearm permit bribery case by Mike Peterson
https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/11/23/apple-security-chief-thomas-moyer-indicted-in-concealed-firearm-permit-bribery-case
     This is the result of gun control laws.  Law enforcement officers treat concealed carry
permits as commodities and sell them for bribes.  Basic economics.  
 
First-time gun buyers projected to top 8 Million: Women are making up 40% of new buyers
By Daniella Genovese
https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/first-time-gun-buyers-notch-projected-to-top-8m-smith-wesson
     Instructors, if you are not reaching out to female first time gun owners,
you are neglecting your duty.  
 
     In Maryland, if you are a resident and a member of the intelligence community,
you can get a concealed carry permit.  
     In Oregon, you have to stop at the yellow lights.
 
SHOULD YOU TALK TO POLICE AFTER A SELF-DEFENSE INCIDENT?
Don West talks with Andrew Branca about how to interact with authorities after a self-defense incident.
https://ccwsafe.com/blog/34105
     Be the first to call the police, because you are the good guy.  That is
what good guys do.  Tell the dispatcher where you are and ask for an ambulance.  
And then stop talking.  
     Saying things to the responding officers to avoid getting arrested should not
be a priority, and probably should not be done.  Instructors who teach such,
assume that you can talk intelligently, immediately after a high stress combat event.  
Highly unlikely due to false memories, amnesia, your extremely distorted perceptions
due to the stress of the event, etc.  
     Just point out witnesses and evidence.  And then ask for your attorney and
stop talking.  Don't tell the police that you will cooperate after you speak to
your attorney, because that might be a terrible legal strategy (and will be
used against you).  
     Don't try to explain what happened.  You won't be able to explain.  
If you attempt to explain, you will make all kinds of honest mistakes, which
will make you look like a liar.  
     Expect to be arrested.  It's no big deal.  Be gracious and comply.  
I've been arrest many times.  In the U.S. it ain't that bad.  In some countries,
you might want to fight your way out.  But, in the U.S. you'll be out on bail
in no time.  In New York and other Democrat states, you'll be released without
having to put up bail.  
     It's going to be okay, because you were smart and bought self-defense
insurance years ago.  If not, expect the legal expenses to leave you and your
family bankrupt and destitute.  
     "Life is hard.  It's even harder if you're stupid." -- John Wayne
 
US Marines and the US Mail
https://defense-training.com/us-marines-and-the-us-mail/
     This was part of our history that we learned in boot camp.
 
Is the System Rigged?  What Every Legal Gun Owner Should Know About Jury Selection
https://www.uslawshield.com/justice-system-jury-selection/
 
Second Amendment Sanctuaries:  Do We Need Them in the U.S.?
https://www.uslawshield.com/second-amendment-sanctuaries/
 
Everyday Heroes and Your Home Defense Guide to Calling 911
https://www.uslawshield.com/everyday-heroes-home-defense/
 
     “Is there no virtue among us?
If there is not, we are without hope!
No form of government, existing nor theoretical, will keep us from harm.
To think that any government, in any form,
will insure liberty and happiness for an dishonorable population
represents the height of self-deception.”
-- James Madison, 1788
 
*****     *****     ***** Survival, Medical, Security, and such *****     *****     *****
 
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House
 
Animal Dominance: A Quick Guide To Establish Dominance
When Confronted With Different Members of the Animal Kingdom
by Michael Tarasoff
https://www.skillsetmag.com/2020/12/01/animal-dominance-alpha-guide/
 
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.
 
Handgun Fundamentals by Michael R. Shea
https://www.range365.com/handgun-fundamentals/
Videos by SSgt. Masters
Excerpt:  
     ". . . they grew frustrated with popular dogmatic pistol instruction
that preached one single be-all, end-all way to run a handgun.
     “We wanted to start with the student, and build basics around them,”
he told the six of us in the Saturday morning course. Every person has
their own set of physical limitations, he said.  The goal of the day was
to “build a strong platform” tailored to each shooter . . . "
 
     “There is only one kind of shock worse than the totally unexpected:
The expected, for which you’ve refused to prepare.”
-- Mary Renault
 
*****     *****     ***** Miscellany / History *****     *****     *****
 
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
 
Jeff Cooper on .40 handguns by Larry Mudgett
http://www.marksmanshipmatters.com/jeff-cooper-on-40-handguns/
 
Pistol History!  by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/pistol-history/
 
Snapshots
The Little Things Can Outshine “The Big Picture.”
by John Connor
https://gunsmagazine.com/odd-angry-shot/snapshots/
 
All kinds of neat stuff at:  
     Practical Eschatology by Docent
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/
     The Tactical Professor by Claude Werner
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/
     Active Response Training by Gregg Ellifritz
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/
     Quips by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/quips/
     Rangemaster newsletter by Tom Givens
https://rangemaster.com/publications/rangemaster-newsletter/
     CIVILIAN DEFENDER by Sherman House
https://civiliandefender.com/
     Handgun Combatives by Dave Spaulding
https://www.youtube.com/c/handguncombatives/videos
     Marcus Wynne
https://marcuswynne.com/blog/
 
“Tactical Loitering” by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/tactical-loitering/
     John is referring to the incident cited in the following articles:   
     ‘Sheriff, hurry up please.’
Disabled Florida man battles intruder as cops wait down the street.  
by Eileen Kelley
https://www.tampabay.com/news/crime/2020/11/28/sheriff-hurry-up-please-disabled-florida-man-battles-intruder-as-cops-wait-down-the-street/
     Cops should’ve stopped intruder pounding on disabled man’s door, experts say
by Lisa J. Huriash and Eileen Kelley
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/crime/fl-ne-delayed-response-follow-20201203-nf5camha65a47nmyxj477tsk6a-story.html
Excerpt:  
     "Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony . . . suggested that approaching the man at Norkunas’ door, who is Black,
could have had a dire outcome for the community.  “We just cannot afford to kill an unarmed Black man in
this country without it having a ripple effect in this community,” Tony told NewsRadio 610 WIOD."
 
     Some misunderstood my comments in the last post.  
     The police lady from the vice department telling me "not to cause trouble"
was actually telling me not to make more work for her.  
     Yes, confronting drug dealers is dangerous.  But, if you don't chase them out of your
neighborhood, they will scare off the nice residents.  And before your children graduate
from high school, your neighborhood will turn into a slum.  Yes, it does happen that fast.  
No, as a matter of fact, the police will not chase the drug dealers out of your neighborhood
for you.  As you can see from John Farnam's comments above, “Tactical Loitering”,
the police won't even rescue you from a home invader.  You think they are going to
chase drug dealers out of your neighborhood for you?  
     My downstairs neighbor called the Metro Nashville Police when someone was banging
on her front door trying to break in.  She also called me, thinking that I was upstairs.  
She also called her husband, who was at work.  I was coaching at a junior rifle match
and arrived in about 15 minutes.  Her husband arrived a few minutes later.  
The Nashville Police never showed up.  
 
     I saw a tee shirt with the inscription,
"Don't fuck with old guys.  
A life sentence isn't much of a deterrent for us."
     My brother-in-law (who is 20 years my senior) expressed this sentiment to me
when I was visiting him and my sister in Austin, TX during Thanksgiving last year.  
When you don't have kids or wife to worry about supporting and taking care of,
you have a sense of freedom that is very dangerous to predators.  Many instructors,
including my late Aikido Sensei, Sadao Yoshioka Shihan, and John Farnam intentionally
teach their students to be dangerous.
     Sadao Yoshioka Shihan,
https://www.aikidohawaii.org/yoshioka-index.html
https://www.aikidohawaii.org/yoshioka-biography.html
http://www.trussel.com/f_aik.htm
He would come to the University of Hawaii twice a week to train us, when I was in
grad school.  He wanted us to be able to be able to slice through a person from
base of the neck through the chest with a sword (which can be done with practice),
because he said, then you will be dangerous.  This was many decades ago, Hawaii
has always had strict gun-control laws.  So, one trained with the available weapons.  
He humbly referred to himself as a mailman.  
 
     You can't always see the importance of math when you learn it;
you can only see its value in hindsight.  You have to trust your
math teachers.  Work hard, and it will make all the difference in
your life. -- Steve Jobs (paraphrased)
     Similarly for self defense, it will make all the difference in
your life.  
 
     You should respect veterans for their sacrifice.  If you respect the Special
Operations guy more than the laundry man (the U.S. Army has laundry men, that's
a real thing, I've met them in the field in Korea running the field laundry
facilities) you should consider why.  For the most part, service members do not
choose their MOS (military occupational specialty).  They are assigned a job at
the convenience of the service; based on their test scores and abilities.  
Yes, you can request or volunteer for certain schools, but that does not mean
you will get them.  Yes, you can be assigned to certain schools, but that does
not mean you will graduate.  
     A person should be judged by the choices he makes, not the choices others
have made for him.  Signing the enlistment contract is a choice.  After that
it's the needs of the service.  
     I was assigned to a swim school.  I fully intended to pass.  I would never
have dropped out for any reason.  I was a strong swimmer, life guard qualified,
SCUBA certified, good surfer, etc.  On the first day, I went into hypothermia
and the school sent me home.  This sort of thing happens all the time.  
So, be careful how you judge.  
 
Firearms Trainers Association blog
https://ftaprotect.com/blog
 
     American Heritage Dictionary of the American Language is a scholarly dictionary.  
They list the word "surveil".  Random House used to be a scholarly dictionary.  Not
so much now days.  They don't list "surveil".  The other dictionaries are just
rubbish.  
 
     Say, if out of the goodness of my heart, and not because of anything you’ve done,
I start sending you $20 every week, for years and years, but one day, again for no
reason you can discern, I stop.  Do you have the right to complain that I am cruel and
unjust to stop the payments?  But, our gift of life (though worth significantly more
than $20) is a free, continuous gift from God that we have done absolutely nothing to
deserve — to the contrary, all of us richly deserve death for our sins.  What gives
anyone the right to complain when He recalls His Spirit and we die?
     He warns us both through sacred scripture and our own experience that He can call
any and all of us to final judgement at any moment.  It’s so typically illogical and
inattentive of us to get all upset when death surprises us “like a thief in the night.”
(Matt 24:43).
-- Trent Horn
 
“In the long-run, there is no such thing as ‘luck’.
However, the short-run is longer than many individual lifetimes!”
-- Anon
 
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com