CWP, 31 August MMXXII Anno Domini
Hi Sheepdogs,
Giving money is very much akin to giving blood. You can make more. Having too much
in storage can cause problems. Especially for those of us with vices.
Civilized moral persons do not murder babies because their fathers (or mothers) committed
rape. Nor do they murder babies because their parents committed incest. Right thinking
persons do not visit punishment on the children for the sins of the parents. Warped thinking
is the work of Satan. Try not to be confused.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
----- Safety ----- (How to prevent the bad thing from happening in the first place.
How to avoid shooting yourself, friendlies, and innocent bystanders.)
Jeff Cooper's Rules of Gun Safety
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.
RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET.
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET.
"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
Bob Allen, Director of Training at Royal Range in Nashville, TN, gave my church security
team a class. One of the take aways was that robbers stealing the tithes and offerings, in the
collection plate after the collection has been made, is a real threat.
Probably best to ask the congregation to give to the church online. This information will
leak out causing the robbers to attack some other church. Criminals are not stupid. They
do recon.
Seacoast Church in Mt. Pleasant, SC has lock boxes bolted to the walls where donations
may be dropped. After the service, an armed team will collect the money from all the boxes
and deposit it in a time locked safe that is bolted to the floor in a secured room. An armored
car service picks up the sealed bag of money early Monday morning and takes it to the bank.
(The church doesn't want any of their members transporting large somes of money.)
An expensive proposition. A very safe proposition.
"Twenty Seconds!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/twenty-seconds/
Excerpt:
"We see that even when he enjoyed “protection” provided by at least two armed LEOs,
who were both close-by and assigned to look-after him, author Salman Rushdie was forced
to endure (by himself) twenty seconds of murderous attack by a knife-wielding Islamic
radical, before anyone came to his aid."
"The ones who finally jumped on-stage to subdue the attacker were not LEOs,
but attendees who had come to hear Rushdie’s lecture!"
[I wonder what the LEOs were doing at the time. Law enforcement is not the same as
executive protection (body guarding). Entirely different skill set. Entirely different
mindset. Oh, you didn't know that? I bet that's why you've hired off duty cops to protect
your church. Shame on you. You've made a mistake. I know you did it for liability
reasons. You're not going to get the outcome you're hoping for. As Michael Mann
says, it's prevention, not reaction. Your security team is a reaction force. You want a
team that will prevent the incident. That's the only way to ensure zero casualties. -- Jon Low]
"If violent crime is to be curbed, it is only the intended victim who can do it.
The felon does not fear the police, and he fears neither judge nor jury. Therefore
what he must fear is his victim."
-- Col. Jeff Cooper
"Firearms are relentlessly unforgiving" by the Tactical Professor
https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2022/08/19/firearms-are-relentlessly-unforgiving/
Cited article,
" ‘I thought I had my training gun. Why did I do this?’
Retired officer charged in library shooting" by Jack Moore
https://wtop.com/dc/2022/08/retired-dc-officer-charged-in-shooting-death-during-training-exercise-at-library/
Never horse around with guns. Because it actually is CRIMINAL STUPIDITY.
As in "charged with involuntary manslaughter".
Stay out of Philadelphia!
"Philly PD is short 1,300 officers and the situation is about to get worse"
by Anna Orso and Ryan W. Briggs
https://www.police1.com/police-recruiting/articles/philly-pd-is-short-1300-officers-and-the-situation-is-about-to-get-worse-pOUeLq4iMtxELRkt/
---
More than 800 officers and civilian employees have set retirement dates within the next
four years after enrolling in the city's deferred pension program.
Last year, there were 562 homicides, the most in recorded history . . .
Today, about 580 police officers report being too injured to work,
and another 110 are on "limited duty."
---
"The city's residency requirement has been a major barrier to hiring,
department leaders have said. In 2020, City Council passed a law requiring
applicants live in the city for a year before applying. Philadelphia is the only
large American city with such a rule." [Stupidity has consequences. -- Jon Low]
"During a spring City Council hearing, police leaders said after the rule
took effect in 2021, applications dropped by 30%."
Hi Sheepdogs,
Giving money is very much akin to giving blood. You can make more. Having too much
in storage can cause problems. Especially for those of us with vices.
Civilized moral persons do not murder babies because their fathers (or mothers) committed
rape. Nor do they murder babies because their parents committed incest. Right thinking
persons do not visit punishment on the children for the sins of the parents. Warped thinking
is the work of Satan. Try not to be confused.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
----- Safety ----- (How to prevent the bad thing from happening in the first place.
How to avoid shooting yourself, friendlies, and innocent bystanders.)
Jeff Cooper's Rules of Gun Safety
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.
RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET.
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET.
"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
Bob Allen, Director of Training at Royal Range in Nashville, TN, gave my church security
team a class. One of the take aways was that robbers stealing the tithes and offerings, in the
collection plate after the collection has been made, is a real threat.
Probably best to ask the congregation to give to the church online. This information will
leak out causing the robbers to attack some other church. Criminals are not stupid. They
do recon.
Seacoast Church in Mt. Pleasant, SC has lock boxes bolted to the walls where donations
may be dropped. After the service, an armed team will collect the money from all the boxes
and deposit it in a time locked safe that is bolted to the floor in a secured room. An armored
car service picks up the sealed bag of money early Monday morning and takes it to the bank.
(The church doesn't want any of their members transporting large somes of money.)
An expensive proposition. A very safe proposition.
"Twenty Seconds!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/twenty-seconds/
Excerpt:
"We see that even when he enjoyed “protection” provided by at least two armed LEOs,
who were both close-by and assigned to look-after him, author Salman Rushdie was forced
to endure (by himself) twenty seconds of murderous attack by a knife-wielding Islamic
radical, before anyone came to his aid."
"The ones who finally jumped on-stage to subdue the attacker were not LEOs,
but attendees who had come to hear Rushdie’s lecture!"
[I wonder what the LEOs were doing at the time. Law enforcement is not the same as
executive protection (body guarding). Entirely different skill set. Entirely different
mindset. Oh, you didn't know that? I bet that's why you've hired off duty cops to protect
your church. Shame on you. You've made a mistake. I know you did it for liability
reasons. You're not going to get the outcome you're hoping for. As Michael Mann
says, it's prevention, not reaction. Your security team is a reaction force. You want a
team that will prevent the incident. That's the only way to ensure zero casualties. -- Jon Low]
"If violent crime is to be curbed, it is only the intended victim who can do it.
The felon does not fear the police, and he fears neither judge nor jury. Therefore
what he must fear is his victim."
-- Col. Jeff Cooper
"Firearms are relentlessly unforgiving" by the Tactical Professor
https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2022/08/19/firearms-are-relentlessly-unforgiving/
Cited article,
" ‘I thought I had my training gun. Why did I do this?’
Retired officer charged in library shooting" by Jack Moore
https://wtop.com/dc/2022/08/retired-dc-officer-charged-in-shooting-death-during-training-exercise-at-library/
Never horse around with guns. Because it actually is CRIMINAL STUPIDITY.
As in "charged with involuntary manslaughter".
Stay out of Philadelphia!
"Philly PD is short 1,300 officers and the situation is about to get worse"
by Anna Orso and Ryan W. Briggs
https://www.police1.com/police-recruiting/articles/philly-pd-is-short-1300-officers-and-the-situation-is-about-to-get-worse-pOUeLq4iMtxELRkt/
---
More than 800 officers and civilian employees have set retirement dates within the next
four years after enrolling in the city's deferred pension program.
Last year, there were 562 homicides, the most in recorded history . . .
Today, about 580 police officers report being too injured to work,
and another 110 are on "limited duty."
---
"The city's residency requirement has been a major barrier to hiring,
department leaders have said. In 2020, City Council passed a law requiring
applicants live in the city for a year before applying. Philadelphia is the only
large American city with such a rule." [Stupidity has consequences. -- Jon Low]
"During a spring City Council hearing, police leaders said after the rule
took effect in 2021, applications dropped by 30%."
[Stop and think about this. Not a national requirement, you have to be a U.S. citizen. Not
a state residency requirement. Not a county residency requirement. Most New York City
police officers don't live in NYC. They can't afford to. Similarly for Philadelphia.]
---
The department said last year, for example, it invited nearly 3,800 applicants to attend
spring orientation.
Just 900 showed up. Upwards of 500 failed the reading test or agility test. More were
eliminated following drug tests, background checks, and a psychological evaluation.
The department ultimately offered jobs to 65 people. Forty-eight (48) started training
at the academy.
Just 41 graduated.
---
"Tucker Carlson: This is a clear indication of things unraveling"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8p0-0kvOW4
---
[This is a cultural problem and will continue as long as the people of Philadelphia continue
to elect Democrats. As my bother is fond of saying, people get the government they deserve.
-- Jon Low]
"A recent incident where a prisoner slipped her cuffs and shot an AR-15 from inside a cruiser"
by Warren Wilson
https://www.police1.com/police-products/firearm-accessories/firearms-storage/articles/analysis-vehicle-stowed-firearms-security-5tB3uz99KVRVzeAr/
Handcuffs are mechanical devices that can fail. We are always saying the same thing about
safeties on firearms. It's TRUE! The locks holding your rifle are mechanical devices that can
fail. Or, be defeated with sufficient force.
"The perils of holsterless carry" by the Tactical Professor
https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2022/08/22/the-perils-of-holsterless-carry/
I know you know better, but unless you educate those around you, you are at risk. Your
safety depends on others. You can't live in isolation. Even if you could, you wouldn't be
safe from the ignorant. Only your educating the ignorant will increase the probability of your
safety.
"Christmas Eve in Memphis" by Tom Givens
On Christmas Eve in Memphis, a man whose initials were CB (name withheld for family’s
sake) brought a semiautomatic pistol to the kitchen table. Apparently intending to clean it,
he ejected the cartridge from the chamber, then removed the magazine, and put the gun on
the table. His wife, who was also in the kitchen, told him to put the gun away. In the process
of picking it up, he swept his wife with the muzzle, which prompted a sharp response from
her. He protested that he had just unloaded the gun and it was therefore harmless. He said to
his wife, “If it was dangerous, would I do this?” He then put the gun to his temple and pulled
the trigger. Of course, since he unloaded it incorrectly, it discharged, killing him on the spot.
His funeral was Monday, Dec 27 [2011 A.D.] in Halls, TN. I would be willing to bet a week’s
pay that CB had never had any formal training with handguns, but “grew up around guns”.
Here at the school we hear that constantly from ignorant people who don’t know how much
they don’t know. If you have friends and relatives who own handguns and have “been around
guns all their lives” urge, cajole, and berate them into getting some formal handgun training.
This type of incident is entirely preventable.
-- Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2011-02_RM-Newsletter.pdf
"Safe Neighborhoods
Who'd want to hurt us?" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/2017-12_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
You need to read this and understand. Cowardice has consequences. Neglecting to prepare
has consequences.
To prevent this from happening in the first place: He should have taken his family to
training (he could easily have afforded it). He should have locked his doors. He should have
trained his family members to lock the doors.
To stop the incident once it had started: He should have had an alarm system to wake him
up. He should have had a gun and lots of training, he could easily have afforded it. If he had
training, he would have read
"Principles of Personal Defense" by Jeff Cooper
and
"The Truth about Violence" by Sam Harris
https://www.samharris.org/blog/the-truth-about-violence
His gross negligence resulted in his incompetence which resulted in the rape and murder
of his wife and daughters. This was not an accident. This was not a random act of violence.
The criminal predator's selection process was good as evidenced by the results of the attack
and their ability to leave the crime scene unhindered. The good gal's behavior enticed the
bad guys to select them. This incident was completely avoidable.
Incompetence and complacency has tragic and dire consequences. Learn from his mistakes.
Don't let this happen to you or your loved ones.
---
The department said last year, for example, it invited nearly 3,800 applicants to attend
spring orientation.
Just 900 showed up. Upwards of 500 failed the reading test or agility test. More were
eliminated following drug tests, background checks, and a psychological evaluation.
The department ultimately offered jobs to 65 people. Forty-eight (48) started training
at the academy.
Just 41 graduated.
---
"Tucker Carlson: This is a clear indication of things unraveling"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8p0-0kvOW4
---
[This is a cultural problem and will continue as long as the people of Philadelphia continue
to elect Democrats. As my bother is fond of saying, people get the government they deserve.
-- Jon Low]
"A recent incident where a prisoner slipped her cuffs and shot an AR-15 from inside a cruiser"
by Warren Wilson
https://www.police1.com/police-products/firearm-accessories/firearms-storage/articles/analysis-vehicle-stowed-firearms-security-5tB3uz99KVRVzeAr/
Handcuffs are mechanical devices that can fail. We are always saying the same thing about
safeties on firearms. It's TRUE! The locks holding your rifle are mechanical devices that can
fail. Or, be defeated with sufficient force.
"The perils of holsterless carry" by the Tactical Professor
https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2022/08/22/the-perils-of-holsterless-carry/
I know you know better, but unless you educate those around you, you are at risk. Your
safety depends on others. You can't live in isolation. Even if you could, you wouldn't be
safe from the ignorant. Only your educating the ignorant will increase the probability of your
safety.
"Christmas Eve in Memphis" by Tom Givens
On Christmas Eve in Memphis, a man whose initials were CB (name withheld for family’s
sake) brought a semiautomatic pistol to the kitchen table. Apparently intending to clean it,
he ejected the cartridge from the chamber, then removed the magazine, and put the gun on
the table. His wife, who was also in the kitchen, told him to put the gun away. In the process
of picking it up, he swept his wife with the muzzle, which prompted a sharp response from
her. He protested that he had just unloaded the gun and it was therefore harmless. He said to
his wife, “If it was dangerous, would I do this?” He then put the gun to his temple and pulled
the trigger. Of course, since he unloaded it incorrectly, it discharged, killing him on the spot.
His funeral was Monday, Dec 27 [2011 A.D.] in Halls, TN. I would be willing to bet a week’s
pay that CB had never had any formal training with handguns, but “grew up around guns”.
Here at the school we hear that constantly from ignorant people who don’t know how much
they don’t know. If you have friends and relatives who own handguns and have “been around
guns all their lives” urge, cajole, and berate them into getting some formal handgun training.
This type of incident is entirely preventable.
-- Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2011-02_RM-Newsletter.pdf
"Safe Neighborhoods
Who'd want to hurt us?" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/2017-12_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
You need to read this and understand. Cowardice has consequences. Neglecting to prepare
has consequences.
To prevent this from happening in the first place: He should have taken his family to
training (he could easily have afforded it). He should have locked his doors. He should have
trained his family members to lock the doors.
To stop the incident once it had started: He should have had an alarm system to wake him
up. He should have had a gun and lots of training, he could easily have afforded it. If he had
training, he would have read
"Principles of Personal Defense" by Jeff Cooper
and
"The Truth about Violence" by Sam Harris
https://www.samharris.org/blog/the-truth-about-violence
His gross negligence resulted in his incompetence which resulted in the rape and murder
of his wife and daughters. This was not an accident. This was not a random act of violence.
The criminal predator's selection process was good as evidenced by the results of the attack
and their ability to leave the crime scene unhindered. The good gal's behavior enticed the
bad guys to select them. This incident was completely avoidable.
Incompetence and complacency has tragic and dire consequences. Learn from his mistakes.
Don't let this happen to you or your loved ones.
"There Are Rules with Mark Fricke" by Lee Weems
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aXidZPmSUU
Muzzling no-shoot-targets (even in competitions) is WRONG! It violates our safety rule.
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.
Putting your finger on the trigger when not intending to shoot is WRONG!
RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET.
It doesn't matter whether or not you are using your eye to aim the sights. You might be using
an indexed position to aim the pistol. You should still know when your sights are on your
target, and never move your trigger from the register position until your sights are on the
target. [If you don't understand what I'm saying, ask me. Jon_Low@yahoo.com]
Bending your wrists is bad because it weakens your grip. Much better is to straighten your
elbows to point the pistol down at the ground in front of your feet. Always try to keep your
wrists straight.
Scanning is not a stupid range drill. Searching for the accomplices is a smart thing to do.
SUL position is bad because it breaks the two handed grip. Which means you must
re-establish your two handed grip. That takes time.
" “Expert” advice? " by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/expert-advice/
John Farnam's rules to keep you out of trouble:
Don't go to stupid places.
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
Be in bed by 10 PM. Your own bed.
Don't look like a freak.
Don't fail the attitude test.
*************************************************************************
----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
"Good enough" is a false idol. Beware of those who preach its virtue.
If you look at someone bigger, faster, and stronger and immediately think,
'I'm at a disadvantage,'
I have news for you: you are.
But that's only because you just put yourself there for no reason.
The truth is that anyone can do debilitating violence to anyone else.
Your size, your speed, your strength, your gender --
all the factors that untrained people think make the difference when it comes to violence --
all matter far less than your mindset and your intent.
-- Tim Larkin
"Carry Every Day?" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2012-07-Newsletter.pdf
A logic exercise (thought experiment) explaining why you should always carry.
"You have the rest of your life to solve your problems.
How long you live depends on how well you do it."
-- John Fernau
"Thinking with a Gun in Your Hand: Interview with John Hearne"
https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/thinking-with-a-gun-in-your-hand-interview-with-john-hearne/
Excerpt:
"Something we have to understand is what we’re struggling to do first and foremost is
develop emotional control."
God always forgives . . .
. . . man sometimes forgives . . .
. . . but nature never forgives.
-- Patrick Kilchermann
SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM
(IF YOU SEEK PEACE, PREPARE FOR WAR)
"If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to
shoot back with your own gun.” — Dalai Lama (Seattle Times, 05-15-2001).
Hat tip to Tom Givens.
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2009-12_RM-Newsletter.pdf
"Ten Rules for Winning a Gunfight" by Detective Jared Reston
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/2014-08-Newsletter.pdf
"HOW TO MEDITATE AND TRAIN YOUR BRAIN FOR IMPROVED SHOOTING PERFORMANCE AND BETTER FOCUS"
by Chris Sajnog
https://www.chrissajnog.com/train-your-brain-for-improved-shooting/
I had just left Carrabba's Italian Grill after having had dinner with friends. I was fat dumb
and happy. Stopped at the stop sign and proceeded to turn left through the intersection. Was
nearly T-boned by a car approaching from my left. Seeing the car, I hit my brakes. (Sight
distance to my left was very short, as there was a bend in the road.) Which was the wrong
move. I should have hit the gas to get through the intersection and out of harm's way.
Fortunately, the other car stopped and merely honked at me.
I should have visualized the possible problems with the intersection before entering the
intersection. Then I would have hit the gas to accelerate through the intersection to avoid the
oncoming car. But, instead I defaulted to hitting the brakes, as I would in any other bad
situation.
I was in condition yellow (aware). But I was not visualizing obstacles. I was taught that
the road is an obstacle course. Drive it as such. Defensive driving is driving the obstacle
course, not driving in a fat dumb and happy state.
"The devaluation of masculinity won't end well because feminine, passive men don't stop
evil. Passive men don't defend, protect, or provide. Passive men don't lead. Passive men
don't do the things we have always needed men to do for society to thrive."
-- Dennis Prager
"The Culture of Victimhood" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2019-11_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens
*************************************************************************
"Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
----- Training (figuring out the correct tasks to learn) -----
Law of Self Defense ADVANCED Live Online Course, $149
Saturday, October 1, 2022 A.D.
9AM-4PM Mountain time
https://lawofselfdefense.com/live-online-class-221001/
The leader (Walt Valentine, retired FBI) of our volunteer security team (the Guardians)
at my church (Stephens Valley Church) arranged a training day at Royal Range, where the
Director of Training (Bob Allen, retired Nashville Police) told us of an incident in Franklin,
TN just south of Nashville.
A church greeter, greeted and offered to shake hands with a person whom he had never
seen before (not a member of the church). The person refused to shake hands. The person
was carrying a small backpack. The greeter alerted the volunteer security. One of the security
volunteers sat next to the person and attempted to strike up a conversation, asking where he
was from, etc. The person walked away. Security reported the incident to the local police.
A police officer stopped the person on the road and asked to search the backpack. The suspect
consented. The police found a BB pistol in the bag. The suspect had intended to rob the
church of the offering plate.
Walt told us of an incident he had investigated in a suburb of Memphis, TN. A church
security team member noticed a odd (nothing obvious, just out of the ordinary for that church)
person with a backpack enter the church and head upstairs to the balcony. A couple of
members of the church security team approached the person and asked him what was in the
backpack. He dropped the back pack and ran. So they chased and tackled him when they
caught up to him outside. (I don't know how many guys in the Guardians are capable of
running, much less out running a teenager, much less tackling him. We are an elderly team
with many replaced joints, fused vertebra, and such.) They held him for the police. When
the police searched the backpack, they found an AK-47 (folding stock), 20 charged magazines,
a 9mm pistol and multiple charged magazines. The suspect had intended to shoot the church
members from the balcony.
So yes, church security is a thing. A real serious thing.
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)
"The Essentials of Combative Pistolcraft – Part I" by Dave Spaulding
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/28151983-fc92-4ccc-b931-7b6c43b8b05f
"The Essentials of Combative Pistolcraft – Part II" by Dave Spaulding
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/0750f0f0-a7be-4d6e-b3e2-9aed39102732
"Take training from different instructors.
We are all wrong about something."
-- John Farnam
Some training is not graded. Some training is graded with written tests, marksmanship
shooting tests, tactical scenario tests, etc. I took the Front Sight 4-day Defensive Handgun
class four times before I got the graduate certificate. No big deal. As my father says, no one
is going to ask you where you graduated from; no one is going to ask you how many times
you took the bar before you passed. All that matters is that you have passed the bar.
Sorry, that's just reality. Sorry you wasted so much money on that Ivy League degree.
(So is my father, who graduated from Yale, sent his daughter to Harvard where she got a
fine arts degree, and sent his son to Columbia where he chased girls and wasted money.)
On the other hand, it doesn't matter that you passed the bar, if you're incompetent. In
our case, incompetence results in good guy deaths. So it's strange that many don't train.
And many who have trained, don't practice to perfect what they learned in training.
Oh yes, it is attitude. Nothing to do with time. People make time to do the things they
want to do. Nothing to do with money. People buy what they want, not what they need.
Prof. Jordan Peterson says you must have 10 times more information in your head than
you are presenting in the lecture (if you expect to deliver a competent lecture and answer
questions). Similarly, you should be 10 times better trained and better practiced than your
enemy in combat, if you expect to win. That's how we won when I was in the Marine
Corps. I hear things in my beloved Corps have changed in the intervening decades.
“The secret of success is this.
Train like it means everything when it means nothing –
so you can fight like it means nothing when it means everything.”
-- Lofty Wiseman
"Your Tactical Training Scenario . . . Attacked While Doing Yard Work" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/your-tactical-training-scenario-attacked-while-doing-yard-work
"People tend to hold overly favorable views of their abilities in many social and
intellectual domains. The authors suggest that this over-estimation occurs, in part,
because people who are unskilled in these domains suffer a dual burden:
Not only do these people reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices,
but their incompetence robs them of the meta-cognitive ability to realize it."
-- Kruger & Dunning
"Unskilled and unaware of it:
How difficulties in recognizing one's own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments."
in the "Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"
1999, Vol. 77, No.6, pages 1121-1134, Kruger & Dunning.
1999, Vol. 77, No.6, pages 1121-1134, Kruger & Dunning.
https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0022-3514.77.6.1121
"In our discipline, this means that very often, people are woefully unskilled and
unprepared, but think they’re ready for the fight of their lives. They know so little,
that they don’t realize how little they know. The purpose of professional training is
to identify those skills you need, and instill and ingrain these skills, bringing them
to a useful level. Train as if your life depends on it (it does!)."
-- Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2009-11_RM-Newsletter.pdf
May I invite your attention to the section,
"BEHAVIORAL CUES TO IMPENDING AGGRESSION-"
in the article,
"Intelligence Gathering for Personal Safety" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2010-02_RM-Newsletter.pdf
You must know when the enemy is going to attack. If you don't know what to look for
you're going to be surprised. Being surprised in combat is bad.
May I invite your attention to the article,
"Training Summary: Shooting Through Automobile Glass" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2010-12_RM-Newsletter.pdf
on page 8. You must know how to shoot through the glass in a car and when such a shot is not
feasible. And how to minimize glass shards flying around the passenger compartment.
"Learning Curves" by Todd Louis Green (pistol-training.com)
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2011-04_RM-Newsletter.pdf
The Shot Process -
Grip the pistol so that you can push with your firing-side-hand and pull with your
support-side-hand. (The Chapman version of the Weaver arm position is optimal for this.)
This will minimize muzzle flip, allowing you to get your sights back on target more quickly,
thus allowing you to get your subsequent shots on target more quickly.
Align your sights. If using iron sights (a post front sight and notch rear sight is optimal),
ensure the top of the front sight is level with the top of the rear sight, and the front sight is
centered in the rear sight notch. If you do not have an ample amount of light on either side
of the front sight, machine out the rear sight notch by 2/100ths of an inch (1/100th of an
inch on each side). If you don't have a lot of light on both sides of the front sight, you won't
be able to center the front sight in low light conditions. -- If you are using a red dot sight,
center your dot in the window. Yes, it does matter, no matter what the advertisements say.
Sight movie is placing the top of the front sight in the center-of-mass of whatever your
target is. (If your target is the foot visible around the corner, then your point of aim is the
center-of-mass of the exposed foot.) A picture is static (except in Harry Potter's world).
You will never get a static sight picture. That would require a machine rest. You will always
have a wobbling sight movie. Accept it. Even with a wobbling sight movie, you will still
get a good hit if your trigger control gives you a surprise trigger break. Yes, it is magic.
Any sufficiently advanced technology will appear to be magic to the ignorant. The human
is God's masterpiece of creation. It is extremely advanced technology.
Aiming is closing your non-aiming eye to eliminate the double image. (Murphy's Law
guarantees that in a high stress situation, if you have both eyes open, you will be aiming at
the wrong image.) Hard focus on the front sight with your aiming eye. You should see the
scratches or serrations on the front sight post. -- If you are using a red dot sight, relax your
eyes (they should focus at infinity, if not get corrective glasses or contact lenses, and always
wear them). Overlay the dot on the target. You will see much more wobble than you would
with iron sights. Accept it. -- The surprise break will give you a good hit no matter how much
wobble you see. The perceived wobble is the Devil attempting to deceive you. One of my
coaches told me that my hold was stable and fine. The wobble I saw was a gremlin down
range moving my target around. There was nothing I could do about that gremlin. So best
to ignore him.
Trigger control is - touch the trigger (you need to find out where the trigger is, you might
not have a perfect grip, especially in a high stress situation), take the slack out of the trigger
(movement of the trigger without sear movement, necessary for combat pistols), smoothly
increase pressure on the trigger without intentionally firing the shot (achieving a surprise
trigger break), the pistol will fire, watch for the muzzle flash (Yes, even in bright sunlight you
will see the orange flash. If you don't see the flash, you have closed your aiming eye.
Watching for the flash will cause you to keep your eye open.), watch the sights move, keep
pressing the trigger trapping it to the rear, the pistol will recoil, get the sights back on the target
that you just shot (not the next target), release the trigger just enough to feel and hear the click
of the reset, take the slack out of the trigger (Yes, there will be slack after the reset.).
Trigger terms:
slack = trigger movement without sear movement (necessary for combat pistols)
break dawn = the hard stop at the end of slack and the start of sear movement
creep = the movement of the sear before the break (there shouldn't be any)
break = when the sear releases the striker (firing pin)
over travel = movement of the trigger after the break (this should be minimized)
reset = releasing the trigger until you hear or feel the click of the trigger resetting
(only after resetting the trigger will you be able to fire the next round)
Assess. You may need to fire again to save innocent lives. You may need to stop firing,
as there is no threat. So further firing would be excessive force, maybe murder. Never shoot
faster than you can think.
"Whoa! Staff, this is an extremely long and complex shot process."
Yes, but with practice, as in 2000 correct repetitions, it will compress in time and become
very fast. The shot process is of course much more complicated than I have described, as
I have had to skip many details. You would have to take a class to have an expert describe it
to you and show you how to do it. And there are many techniques to help you achieve a
surprise trigger break, such as apply 1/8th pressure, smoothly increase to 2/8ths pressure,
gently increase to 3/8ths pressure, etc. The pistol will fire before you get to 8/8ths. And
because you never intended to fire, you will have achieved a surprise break. When you first
achieve a surprise break, it will startle you. But, with practice you will feel comfortable with
the surprise break. At some point you will experience an epiphany and be able to perform
a surprise break on demand.
Execute the shot process. That is the way to hit on demand every time.
If you miss, STOP! Physically and psychologically STOP. Revert to fundamentals. Talk
yourself through the shot process. That is the way to hit on demand every time. Which is what
you need to do in a hostage situation.
Shooting a bunch of rounds in hopes of hitting your target is WRONG! (I know you've
seen people in competitions do this.) It's a waste of ammo and engraining a bad habit. A very
dangerous training scar.
"Modern Police Training" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/2019-01_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Excerpt:
However, on a "bullet level" basis, they found that out of 354 shots fired, there was only a
35% hit rate. One half of all officers missed with every shot they fired, including one officer
who fired 23 misses and no hits. This means that six out of every ten shots fires was a miss.
Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
*************************************************************************
----- Practice (how to get good at that task) -----
Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
May I invite your attention to the article,
"Skill Atrophy" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2010-07_RM-Newsletter.pdf
This is why you must practice regularly and recently.
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
"Mastering Trigger Control" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-11_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
I am right-handed. I wore my pistol left-handed (at 9 o'clock) and dry practiced left-handed
for two months before shooting the USPSA match left-handed this past July. Try it. All you
need is a left-handed holster. Everything else should be ambidextrous. If you can't operate
your pistol with your left-hand, time to get an ambidextrous pistol. A small injury will make
you left-handed. Just because you are right-handed does not mean you will be right-handed
in combat. Strange unpredictable things happen in combat. Shooting around the left side of
a barrier is much safer when done left-handed.
It's an experience you ought not to miss.
"DRY FIRE DRILLS" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/2014-12_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
"Be careful what you practice.
Because you will do in combat whatever you have practiced,
no matter how ridiculous."
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
*************************************************************************
----- Strategy (deciding on the end state and how to achieve it, which tactics to use) -----
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, and Escape
"Back--Up Guns for Civilians . . . Good Idea?" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2011-05_RM-Newsletter.pdf
Tom gives a long list of pistols that he has seen break (not just malfunction), making the
point that you need to carry a BUG (back up gun).
I would like to add that magazines being dirty or breaking will also cause your weapon
system to fail. If you haven't cleaned your magazines recently, the springs are probably rusty,
which means they are close to cracking.
"Criminals: Real life vs. the often popular portrayal" by Rangemaster Instructor Craig Harper
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2012-12-Newsletter.pdf
A realistic portrait of the criminal you will face.
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Tactics (tasks that you should strive to be able to do in support of your strategy) -----
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
Bob Allen, Director of Training at Royal Range in Nashville, TN, gave my church security
team a class. One of the take aways was, pray with your eyes open, looking around.
Closing your eyes to pray is reverting to condition white (unaware).
"Self-Defense Myths that Could Get you Killed" by Tactical Life
https://www.tactical-life.com/lifestyle/self-defense-myths/
---
Self-Defense Myths 1: Criminals will Run Away from a Drawn Gun
[The NRA Personal Protection class teaches that competent presentation of the pistol will cause
the bad guy to flee 90% of the time. So there is that 10% that will continue to attack you.
You must shoot them because if you let them take your gun, they will kill you and those
around you. -- Jon Low]
---
Self-Defense Myths 2: You Shouldn’t Carry Pepper Spray and a Gun
"Pepper spray is an especially effective tool in a civilian context."
[In my experience as a military policeman and private security officer, pepper spray is
ineffective. -- Jon Low]
---
Self-Defense Myths 3: Printing Doesn’t Matter
"Free gun!", thinks the criminal.
---
Self-Defense Myths 4: You’ll Have time to Chamber a Round
[You won't have time to get the gun if it's not in your holster attached to your belt on your body.
You won't have time to chamber a round. You'll barely have time to fire the first shot and may
not be able to fire subsequent shots. So, the first shot must hit. -- Jon Low]
---
Self-Defense Myths 5: Criminals Don’t Know How to Shoot
---
"Training vs. Experience" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/training-vs-experience
Excerpt:
Nearly 40% of the criminal attackers in this study had received FORMAL firearms training
(mostly in the military). More than 80% of the criminal attackers regularly practiced with their
firearms, with an average number of 23 Practice Sessions Per Year. They conducted these
practice sessions in trash dumps, wooded areas, back yards and “street corners in known drug
trafficking areas”. What that means is that the practice sessions were taking place in realistic
environments, under conditions similar to those the attackers were likely to face in combat.
---
"25 Gunfighting Stats Learned From Convicted Cop Killers"
by Jake (a fellow Marine Intel POG)
https://www.tierthreetactical.com/25-gunfighting-stats-learned-from-convicted-cop-killers/
Excerpts:
"16 of 43 offenders had received weapons training"
Hit rate offender on officer: 68%
Hit rate officer on offender: 39%
Most common offender shooting method: point shooting
[Stop and think about this. Most of the criminals had no training. All of the police officers
had training. The criminals are not using their sights to aim their pistols. In spite of all that,
the criminal hit rate was 29% higher than the police hit rate. -- Jon Low]
Offender’s had a higher hit rate because they almost always shot first.
---
Self-Defense Myths 6: Having a Gun and Knowing how to Shoot is Enough
"Are you really prepared? Or do you just have a gun?"
"Florida mail carrier, 61, mauled to death by pack of dogs after truck breaks down"
by Andrew Mark Miller
https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-mail-carrier-mauled-death-pack-dogs-after-truck-breaks-down
NEVER fire warning shots! There is no safe direction to fire a warning shot, especially
with a rifle. Firing warning shots is an act of criminal stupidity.
If you see a pack of 5 dogs attacking an old lady, SHOOT THE DOGS! If you neglect to
shoot the dogs, the lady will die. This was obvious to the neighbor with the rifle.
"Postal carrier killed in Interlachen by dog attack identified as 61-year-old Pam Rock"
https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/postal-carrier-pam-rock-61-years-old-interlachen-dog-attack/77-7e982d15-085c-4c99-9a38-415ce64e8a7b
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA, http://spw-duf.info
"Friends Don’t Let Friends Open Carry" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/friends-dont-let-friends-open-carry
Open carry will not deter crime. The criminal predator will see your gun and think,
"Free gun!"
You will be mistaken for a police officer or a courier of high value items. Your exposed
gun is one of those high value items.
In any criminal scenario, you will be the first one shot. What do bank robbers do when
they enter the bank? Identify the armed guard and kill him. That's why most banks do not
have guards openly carrying guns. Armored car personnel is a different situation. They
have already been identified as the target and they know it. So, it makes sense to shave the
fraction of a second off their draw stroke by openly carrying.
Do you have any retention devices on your holster? Open carry without a retention holster
is an act of criminal stupidity. Do you practice enough to get your pistol out of your retention
holster under stress? Can you do it and get a good hit on a humanoid shaped target in 1.5
seconds? (Do you know why I mentioned 1.5 seconds?)
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Techniques (ways to execute a given task in support of your tactics) -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
"Follow Through and Recovery" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022-02_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
"Strong-Side Draw Tactics from Open-Front Garments" by Massad Ayoob
https://www.thearmorylife.com/strong-side-draw-tactics/
"Gunfight Science: One Handed Shooting" by Fred Mastison
https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/gunfight-science-one-handed-shooting/
Flipping the pistol 180 degrees with one hand takes a bit of practice.
"How to Shoot With Both Eyes Open (How to Aim With Both Eyes Open)"
by Chris Sajnog
https://www.chrissajnog.com/blog/how-to-shoot-with-both-eyes-open/
---
Shooting with both eyes open will give you two sight pictures. Focus on the target and
you will see two front sights. Focus on the front sight and you will see two targets. (Yes, as
a matter of fact, you can have the same problem when using a red dot sight.) In a high
stress situation, Murphy's Law (Anything that can go wrong will go wrong at the worst
possible time.) guarantees that you will be using the wrong sight movie (pictures are static,
movies are dynamic, you will never get a static sight picture [that requires a machine rest])
missing your intended target and getting unintended hits destroying property, injuring innocent
bystanders, maybe killing them. So shooting with both eyes open is a bad idea.
---
"Quick Fixes For Eye Dominance And Both-Eyes-Open Shooting
for Automatic Aiming That's Faster Than A Laser" by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.easywebinar.live/registration-vision-on-demand
https://VisionTraining.com
---
Shooting with both eyes open is just asking for trouble. You only need to close your
non-aiming eye for the fraction of a second that it takes to release the shot. Eye dominance
is psychological, not physiological. Eye dominance can change for all kinds of reasons.
Murphy's Law guarantees you will be using the wrong eye / wrong eye dominance / wrong
sight movie. Training one eye to be dominant is nonsense. It's like training yourself not to
blink when a fly approaches your eye. It's like training yourself not to kick when the doctor
taps you below the knee cap. It's sheer silliness and completely unnecessary. Just close
your non-aiming eye. Yes, you can do it. Just practice. Practice in the mirror.
If you care what you will be hitting, close your non-aiming eye when aiming the shot.
"The Drawstroke (Presentation)" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2012-06-Newsletter.pdf
"ăm·bi·dĕx·ter·i·ty
ACHIEVING LEFT / RIGHT PARITY" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/2014-12_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
A critically important skill.
"Follow Through" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/2015-06_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
"Reloading: Significant or unnecessary?" by Dave Spaulding
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022-02_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Excerpt:
IT IS NOT THE DURATION OF THE RELOAD THAT WILL GET YOU HURT OR
KILLED! IT IS THE LAG TIME BETWEEN THE GUN STOPPING AND YOU
RECOGNIZING WHAT YOU NEED TO DO!
A ONE SECOND RELOAD WILL BE USELESS IF IT TOOK YOU 3-4 SECONDS
TO SORT OUT THE PROBLEM.
[Well, I think how you release the slide does matter. You should always rack the slide.
Because you need to use a technique that works under all conditions. Sometimes the slide
will not lock back on an empty magazine. So sometimes pressing the slide release
button/lever will not load the pistol. -- Jon Low]
"Drawing Attention Away From Your Concealed Carry Gun" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/drawing-attention-away-from-your-concealed-carry-gun
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Instruction ***** ***** *****
Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."
----- Instructors -----
"Remember, the students who require the extra effort are the ones who need us the most!"
-- John Farnam
"Becoming a Firearms Instructor" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019-02_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Qui docet, discit. (Who teaches, learns.)
-- motto of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers
[Qui / Who is the pronoun, not "He". Ya, as a matter of fact, I am a Latin scholar.
-- Jon Low]
"The Training Junkie Fallacy
Or How Presuming Everyone is a Young Athletic Male is Bad for the Self-defense Community"
by Kjell Rosenberg MD
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022-02_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Excerpt:
Training junkies, don’t tell your listeners, readers, students to eat cake.
They aren’t you. They don’t have cake.
In a class that I was teaching, a right-handed student who was aiming with his right eye
learned that he shot better left-handed while aiming with his left eye.
A person isn't going to learn something like that, unless he takes a class, and you help
him to learn such things. This is valuable information!
I attended a lecture. The speaker did not understand the material that the speaker was
presenting. Never allow this to be you. Know your material. Know much more than the
material that you will be presenting.
Prof. Jordan Peterson says you must know at least ten times as much as you will be
presenting in the lecture.
Be able to answer questions: "What does that mean?", "Why?", "What is the context?", etc.
Be secure enough to be able to say, "I don't know. I will find out for you and get back
to you. What is your email address?"
You don't have to answer every question during the lecture, but you must repeat the
question so that everyone can hear it. Questions that are outside the scope of the present
topic may be answered during a break or after the lecture for those who care to hang around
to get their questions answered. Be prepared to hang around afterwards to answer questions.
"Answer questions" not engage in debates or arguments. If the student is demonstrating an
intellectual curiosity, you have a duty to satisfy that curiosity or at least cite references that
would allow the student to satisfy it.
"Instructing Instructors?" by that Weems Guy (Chief Lee Weems)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TL6loZW8oI
When is it appropriate for you or your organization to certify instructors?
There is no international or national certifying body? NRA. USA Shooting. CMP.
All the law enforcement organizations. State government. National government. Etc.
There is no recognized certifying body? The way there is an International Olympic
Committee, U.S. Olympic Committee, National Governing Bodies, . . .
I offered a Defensive Pistol class to the guys in my volunteer church security team. One
guy showed up (out of 17). The class was very efficient, as we didn't have to wait for others
to load the mags, use the restroom, or chit chat with others. Because the student was not
able to bend his knees or get up from the ground, many lower positions were skipped. We
finished a normal 10 hour class in 6 hours. Because it was very hot and humid outside,
we did two 3 hour sessions at the outdoor range.
If you can do a one-student class, I would encourage you to do so. You will learn a lot.
It will be a lot more fun than a larger class.
Be careful what you teach.
Because your students will do in combat
whatever you have trained them to do,
no matter how ridiculous.
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
----- Andragogy -----
An instructor should not expect any learning to take
place the first time new information is presented.
-- "Building Shooters" by Dustin Solomon
"The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."
-- Robert John Meehan
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Education ***** ***** *****
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
I enthusiastically recommend you read the back issued of the Rangemaster newsletter.
https://rangemaster.com/newsletter/
Lots of good information recorded therein.
"The Thinking Gunman’s Bookshelf" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2012-09-Newsletter.pdf
Fact 1: Reading can make you a better conversationalist.
Fact 2: Neighbors will never complain that you are reading too loud.
Fact 3: Knowledge by osmosis has not yet been perfected.
Fact 4: Books have stopped bullets. Reading could save your life.
Fact 5: Dinosaurs did not read. Look what happened to them.
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
----- Aftermath ----- (You have to be alive to have these problems: criminal and civil liability.)
“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him,
but because he loves what is behind him.”
― G.K. Chesterton
"In Self Defense – Episode 106: Post Incident Actions Pt.2"
https://ccwsafe.com/news/in-self-defense-episode-106-post-incident-actions-pt-2/
In the right hand column of this web page, click on "Never Talk To The Police"
or use the direct address
https://defensivepistolcraft.blogspot.com/p/never-talk-to-police.html
In the right hand column, click on the link labeled "Self Defense Insurance".
Or, the direct link is,
http://defensivepistolcraft.blogspot.com/p/self-defense-insurance.html
“Your understanding and consent are not required
for someone to take your life, kill your loved ones,
and destroy all you hold dear.”
-- William Aprill
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Legal ***** ***** *****
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.
It is wholly inadequate for the governance of any other.
-- John Adams, October 11, 1798
Bob Allen, Director of Training at Royal Range in Nashville, TN, gave my church security
team a class. One of the take aways was, call the police anytime you are forced to touch your
pistol. Report the incident, because the bad guy will report the incident claiming that you were
the aggressor.
"A Case That Pits Gun Rights Activism Against Federalism
Gun control advocates may embrace the 10th Amendment."
by Damon Root
https://reason.com/2022/08/19/a-case-that-pits-gun-rights-activism-against-federalism/
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA, http://spw-duf.info
Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County dismissed the case based on the
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). Superior Court of Pennsylvania
not only reversed that ruling but also held that the PLCAA itself is unconstitutional
because it violates the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Tenth Amendment --
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it
to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
"SELECTING AN ATTORNEY FOR A SELF-DEFENSE CASE" by Massad Ayoob
https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/selecting-an-attorney-for-a-self-defense-case/
Good guy wins!
"Judge rules teen was justified in shooting assailant 7 times"
by ActionNewsJax.com News Staff
https://www.yahoo.com/news/judge-rules-teen-justified-shooting-114622021.html
Sometimes the courts get it right. I have no sympathy for Iverson Gilyard's mother.
If she thinks it's okay to pistol whip a minor without consequences, she's a damn fool.
"1934 NFA, the Failed 1938 NFA, Miller, & the Regulation of Gun Parts" by Dean Weingarten
https://www.ammoland.com/2022/08/1934-nfa-the-failed-1938-nfa-miller-and-the-regulation-of-gun-parts/#axzz7c5gOBN3r
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA.
"Castle Doctrine v. Stand Your Ground: Which One?" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWFpkjiDY3s
Form of the Castle.
Who can claim? Against whom may you claim?
"Medical Examiner: Alec Baldwin Fatal Shooting An Accident--LOSD: Nope"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8W1tZyoVvQ
A medical (scientific) finding is not a legal finding.
---
Mens Rea.
Accident. No liability. No intent to kill.
Negligence. Civil liability. You didn't know, but should have known. No intent to kill.
Reckless. Criminal liability. You knew of the danger, but didn't care. No intent to kill.
Murder. Unlawful intent to kill.
Self-defense. Lawful intent to stop the attack. (Never claim accident. Self-defense only
applies when the shooting was intentional.)
---
Handling firearms is dangerous. You are held to the higher standard. There is no negligence.
There is only reckless.
---
Res Ipsa Loquitur
Latin for "the thing speaks for itself."
"If you carry a gun, so you're hard to kill, know the law, so you're hard to convict."
Free infographic on the 5 elements of self-defense.
https://LawOfSefDefense.com/elements/
Free one hour webinar, every Wednesday at 13:00 Central Time, register at,
https://www.hardtoconvict.com/
"Law of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca
https://lawofselfdefense.com/freebook/
The book is free of charge. Just pay shipping, so you don't have to drive to Colorado
to pick it up.
Law of Self Defense YouTube.com channel
https://www.youtube.com/c/Lawofselfdefense/videos
Law of Self Defense Rumble.com channel
https://www.Rumble.com/lawofselfdefense/
"Educate yourself. So, you don't spend the rest of your life in a cage."
"Killing Ethan Liming: Was A Toy Gun A Deadly Weapon?" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP37g4mBuY0
Unfortunately, being Caucasian or Negro does matter. Better to understand and accept
reality. Believing things are as you wish rather than as they are is a fatal mistake.
"NRA Armed Citizen Defensive Gun Events: Defense of Highly Defensible Property"
by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFsiXlzo1p8
"LAWFUL! Police Cleared in Death of Rayshard Brooks"
by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV_QdkC1q8k
"One Shot Too Many? From Lawful to Awful In One Blam!" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2K04_Oskgw
Always carry your gun! Yes, bad people come to your home at 11:00 AM.
Verbal warnings are not legally or morally required. Verbal warnings may not be tactically
sound.
Having multiple cameras on your front door area is a good idea.
Debris could have been from the door being shot through. Or, it could have been trash in
the barrel of an uncleaned gun. I'm speculating.
I think one shot per second is good. The good guy is not shooting faster than he can think.
One thousand. Bang! Two thousand. Bang! Three thousand. Bang! (About one shot per
second.)
One and. Bang! Two and. Bang! Three and. Bang! (About two shots per second.)
One. Bang! Two. Bang! Three. Bang! (About four shots per second.)
We can see the bad guy in the video. But, that doesn't mean the good guy had a clear
view of the bad guy. The camera saw what the camera saw, not what any human saw.
The grand jury refused to indict (no bill). Sometimes the good guys win.
“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 a dishonorable population
represents the height of self-deception.”
-- James Madison, 1788
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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
Bob Allen, Director of Training at Royal Range in Nashville, TN, gave my church security
team a class. One of the take aways was that if you are using modern 9mm self-defense
cartridges, make sure that the bullets are 147 grains or heavier. The lighter / faster bullets will
pass through the target which jeopardizes the innocent bystanders down range.
The heavier / slower bullets will not pass through. This is of course a statistical statement.
If you miss, well that's on you. If you hit and are using a cartridge whose bullet you should
have know would pass through your target and potentially injure persons down range, well
that's on you too. So hit your target and use an appropriate cartridge with lower probability
of passing through.
"Functioning in Low Light" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2017-02_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Excerpt:
". . . this means you need a handheld flashlight, not a weapon mounted light. Again, the
weapon mounted light is intended for the military and police paradigm. In your case, if you
use a weapon mounted light in your home, you are pointing your gun at an unknown person
in order to light them up and see if you need to point a gun at them. WTF? Pointing your
weapon-mounted light at a possible family member requires you to point a loaded firearm at
a family member under highly stressful conditions. This is a recipe for disaster. With a
handheld light, you can illuminate the shadowy figure without pointing your gun at it unless
you decide to shoot. This all goes back to context."
"10 Commandments of Concealed Carry" by Massad Ayoob
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2009-01_RM-Newsletter.pdf
Excerpt:
"If you carry a single-shot, .22 Short caliber derringer, you will be considered
armed with a deadly weapon in the eyes of the law. You will not, however, be
adequately prepared to stop a predictable attack by multiple armed assailants."
---
Similarly, our legal system will consider use of a knife deadly force. There are no degrees
of deadly force as there are with non-lethal force. All lethal force is the same legally. So,
you might as well carry the most powerful, longest range weapon that you can comfortably
conceal on your person. (Something I [Jon Low] picked up in Andrew Branca's Law of
Self Defense class.)
"How to Pick the Best Gun: Rent One!
Think of it as speed-dating . . . with firearms." by W.H. "Chip" Gross
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/how-to-pick-the-best-gun-rent-one/
Excerpt:
"Gun rental is not cheap, but again, it’s much more cost-effective than buying the
wrong firearm."
"Carry Light, Carry Right: Concealed Carry Tips" by Richard A. Mann
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/carry-light-carry-right-concealed-carry-tips
"7 Best Tactical Pistols: What They Are & Coolest Models" by Travis Pike
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-tactical-pistols/
The CZ P10-C Models and the Sig Sauer P320 XCarry Legion are not ambidextrous.
Your pistol must be ambidextrous. Just because you're right handed does not mean you
will be right handed in combat. Your friend who will be using your pistol in combat may
not be right handed. All kinds of strange things happen in combat. Be prepared by carrying
an ambidextrous pistol.
"Serpa Holster Information" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2009-12_RM-Newsletter.pdf
Lede - using the Blackhawk SERPA holster is a bad idea, because inserting the pistol into the
holster backwards will cause a jam, requiring disassembly of the holster to free the pistol.
If you think that you would never insert your pistol into your holster backwards, you don't
know what you don't know. And you are unfamiliar with the several techniques for support
hand only presentation. This technique is taught at the Federal Law Enforcement Training
Centers (FLETC).
---
"Friends Don't Let Friends Carry in a Finger-Release Holster" by Steve Harvey
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2018-11_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
---
If you don't understand what a bad design these holsters are or how dangerous they are,
write to me at Jon_Low@yahoo.com and I will send you documents from the National Park
Service and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers explaining why these holsters
are prohibited.
"Short Fingers and Fat Butts, or Handgun Fit for Defensive Shooting" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2011-02_RM-Newsletter.pdf
"What Happens When You Repeatedly
Load and Unload the Same Round
Over and Over and Over Again?" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2015-03_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Several important articles to read.
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-10_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
"SIG SAUER 9MM, 115gr, Elite Ball, FMJ Product Warning and Recall Notice"
https://www.sigsauer.com/blog/sig-sauer-9mm-115gr-elite-ball-fmj-product-warning-and-recall-notice
This ammo could cause squibs. (Bullet will get stuck in barrel.)
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA, http://spw-duf.info
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
----- Technical / Maintenance -----
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
"Who do not study history!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/who-do-not-study-history/
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add,
but when there is nothing left to take away.”
-- Antoine De Saint-Exupery
"Little Things" by Rangemaster Instructor, Craig Harper
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-01-Newsletter.pdf
"How To Shoot 9mm Out of Your .40cal Glock" by Lenny Magill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQN4hft5GKI
Mr. Magill (and many other instructors) says that if you shoot long enough, you will
eventually have a accidental discharge. That is completely FALSE. Any unintended discharge
is a negligent discharge, not an accidental discharge. If you follow the safety rules I and III,
you will never have a negligent discharge. Ignorance of the safety rules and carelessness
(knowing the safety rules and failing to obey them) are the causes of negligent discharges.
Learn the safety rules, practice them, and you will never have a negligent discharge.
Mr. Magill says to never put a 9mm ejector in a 40 caliber pistol, because the ejector might
hit the primer when racking the slide to eject a live round. This is true. That's why some
Safety Officers forbid shooters from ejecting live rounds into their support side hand by
cupping their hand over the ejection port when ejecting a live round. The SO is protecting the
shooter from his (or his gunsmith's) incompetence. So be patient with the SO's. They don't
know that you are competent in the art and science of pistolcraft.
Mr. Magill doesn't mention getting 9mm magazines because you can load your 9mm ammo
into your 40 caliber magazines. Not optimal, but functional.
"The “hydrostatic shock wave” seen in gelatin does not happen the same way in human
flesh. Depending on the load and caliber, you would generally need somewhere between
2000 and 2500 feet per second velocity to see hydrostatic shock causing tissue damage in
humans. That doesn’t happen with pistol rounds. When evaluating pistol bullets in gel, just
use the permanent wound cavity. That’s all that will be present in a handgun wound against
a real human."
-- Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/
I have a folding knife, M16® - 14SF. Designed by Kit Carson in Vine Grove, Kentucky.
Made by Columbia River Knife and Tool Company. Manufactured in Taiwan.
https://www.crkt.com/shop/tactical-knives/m16-14sf-special-forces-tanto-large-with-triple-point-serrations.html
Last night, I took it apart (requiring a flat thin screw driver and a Torx 19) and cleaned it, and
lubricated it. If you don't clean your knives regularly, you don't know what you're missing.
I guess a dishwasher is okay. But, disassembly and detailed cleaning is very satisfying. You
might even find out that your knife has features you never knew about. That weren't in the
manual. For instance, the recent versions will automatically lock the liner lock, requiring two
hands to fold the knife (I guess you could do it with one hand if you were very dexterous.)
The older versions have a manual lock that you have to push that prevents the liner lock from
releasing the blade.
I recently bought a tungsten carbide and ceramic knife sharpener. It also has a conical rod
covered with diamond dust to sharpen serrations. Your knife ain't reliable unless it's clean and
sharp.
I've heard some knife instructors say that you should prefer slashing, because when you
stab, you could get your knife stuck in bone and not be able to get your knife out.
I've heard some knife instructors say that you should prefer stabbing, because slashing
will not reliably go deep enough to rupture the main arteries and vital organs necessary to
incapacitate.
Both the pistol and the knife are legally considered lethal force, no difference in degree.
So you might as well carry the pistol. It has more range. Distance is your friend.
"Inspection and Care of Self Defense Ammunition" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-01-Newsletter.pdf
"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
(capitalization as in the original document, militia refers to YOU)
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Personal Security, Medical, Survival, etc. ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House
"Many years ago I was chatting with my late friend Marcus Wynne. He asked me if I had
written instructions included in my trauma medical kit. I answered “No, I teach this stuff for
a living. I don’t need the instruction manual.”
He laughed and said “Dumb ass, what if it was you who are injured and a clueless citizen
found your dying carcass along with your medical kit. Wouldn’t you want them to have
some instructions about how to use your gear?”
-- Greg Ellifritz
This study,
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26302453/
showed that a quick read of instructions prior to applying a tourniquet doubled that
tourniquet’s success rate. Now I have instructions in my medical kits."
-- Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/
"If you stay fit, you do not have to get fit.
If you stay trained, you do not have to get trained.
If you stay prepared, you do not have to get prepared."
-- Robert Margulies
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** War Stories, History, Politics, and such ***** ***** *****
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
"Do not fear the enemy, for your enemy can only take your life. It is far better than you
fear the media, for they will steal your HONOR. That awful power, the public opinion of a
nation, is created in America by a horde of ignorant, self-complacent simpletons who failed
at ditching and shoemaking and fetched up in journalism on their way to the poorhouse."
-- Mark Twain
"In our discipline, this means that very often, people are woefully unskilled and
unprepared, but think they’re ready for the fight of their lives. They know so little,
that they don’t realize how little they know. The purpose of professional training is
to identify those skills you need, and instill and ingrain these skills, bringing them
to a useful level. Train as if your life depends on it (it does!)."
-- Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2009-11_RM-Newsletter.pdf
May I invite your attention to the section,
"BEHAVIORAL CUES TO IMPENDING AGGRESSION-"
in the article,
"Intelligence Gathering for Personal Safety" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2010-02_RM-Newsletter.pdf
You must know when the enemy is going to attack. If you don't know what to look for
you're going to be surprised. Being surprised in combat is bad.
May I invite your attention to the article,
"Training Summary: Shooting Through Automobile Glass" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2010-12_RM-Newsletter.pdf
on page 8. You must know how to shoot through the glass in a car and when such a shot is not
feasible. And how to minimize glass shards flying around the passenger compartment.
"Learning Curves" by Todd Louis Green (pistol-training.com)
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2011-04_RM-Newsletter.pdf
The Shot Process -
Grip the pistol so that you can push with your firing-side-hand and pull with your
support-side-hand. (The Chapman version of the Weaver arm position is optimal for this.)
This will minimize muzzle flip, allowing you to get your sights back on target more quickly,
thus allowing you to get your subsequent shots on target more quickly.
Align your sights. If using iron sights (a post front sight and notch rear sight is optimal),
ensure the top of the front sight is level with the top of the rear sight, and the front sight is
centered in the rear sight notch. If you do not have an ample amount of light on either side
of the front sight, machine out the rear sight notch by 2/100ths of an inch (1/100th of an
inch on each side). If you don't have a lot of light on both sides of the front sight, you won't
be able to center the front sight in low light conditions. -- If you are using a red dot sight,
center your dot in the window. Yes, it does matter, no matter what the advertisements say.
Sight movie is placing the top of the front sight in the center-of-mass of whatever your
target is. (If your target is the foot visible around the corner, then your point of aim is the
center-of-mass of the exposed foot.) A picture is static (except in Harry Potter's world).
You will never get a static sight picture. That would require a machine rest. You will always
have a wobbling sight movie. Accept it. Even with a wobbling sight movie, you will still
get a good hit if your trigger control gives you a surprise trigger break. Yes, it is magic.
Any sufficiently advanced technology will appear to be magic to the ignorant. The human
is God's masterpiece of creation. It is extremely advanced technology.
Aiming is closing your non-aiming eye to eliminate the double image. (Murphy's Law
guarantees that in a high stress situation, if you have both eyes open, you will be aiming at
the wrong image.) Hard focus on the front sight with your aiming eye. You should see the
scratches or serrations on the front sight post. -- If you are using a red dot sight, relax your
eyes (they should focus at infinity, if not get corrective glasses or contact lenses, and always
wear them). Overlay the dot on the target. You will see much more wobble than you would
with iron sights. Accept it. -- The surprise break will give you a good hit no matter how much
wobble you see. The perceived wobble is the Devil attempting to deceive you. One of my
coaches told me that my hold was stable and fine. The wobble I saw was a gremlin down
range moving my target around. There was nothing I could do about that gremlin. So best
to ignore him.
Trigger control is - touch the trigger (you need to find out where the trigger is, you might
not have a perfect grip, especially in a high stress situation), take the slack out of the trigger
(movement of the trigger without sear movement, necessary for combat pistols), smoothly
increase pressure on the trigger without intentionally firing the shot (achieving a surprise
trigger break), the pistol will fire, watch for the muzzle flash (Yes, even in bright sunlight you
will see the orange flash. If you don't see the flash, you have closed your aiming eye.
Watching for the flash will cause you to keep your eye open.), watch the sights move, keep
pressing the trigger trapping it to the rear, the pistol will recoil, get the sights back on the target
that you just shot (not the next target), release the trigger just enough to feel and hear the click
of the reset, take the slack out of the trigger (Yes, there will be slack after the reset.).
Trigger terms:
slack = trigger movement without sear movement (necessary for combat pistols)
break dawn = the hard stop at the end of slack and the start of sear movement
creep = the movement of the sear before the break (there shouldn't be any)
break = when the sear releases the striker (firing pin)
over travel = movement of the trigger after the break (this should be minimized)
reset = releasing the trigger until you hear or feel the click of the trigger resetting
(only after resetting the trigger will you be able to fire the next round)
Assess. You may need to fire again to save innocent lives. You may need to stop firing,
as there is no threat. So further firing would be excessive force, maybe murder. Never shoot
faster than you can think.
"Whoa! Staff, this is an extremely long and complex shot process."
Yes, but with practice, as in 2000 correct repetitions, it will compress in time and become
very fast. The shot process is of course much more complicated than I have described, as
I have had to skip many details. You would have to take a class to have an expert describe it
to you and show you how to do it. And there are many techniques to help you achieve a
surprise trigger break, such as apply 1/8th pressure, smoothly increase to 2/8ths pressure,
gently increase to 3/8ths pressure, etc. The pistol will fire before you get to 8/8ths. And
because you never intended to fire, you will have achieved a surprise break. When you first
achieve a surprise break, it will startle you. But, with practice you will feel comfortable with
the surprise break. At some point you will experience an epiphany and be able to perform
a surprise break on demand.
Execute the shot process. That is the way to hit on demand every time.
If you miss, STOP! Physically and psychologically STOP. Revert to fundamentals. Talk
yourself through the shot process. That is the way to hit on demand every time. Which is what
you need to do in a hostage situation.
Shooting a bunch of rounds in hopes of hitting your target is WRONG! (I know you've
seen people in competitions do this.) It's a waste of ammo and engraining a bad habit. A very
dangerous training scar.
"Modern Police Training" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/2019-01_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Excerpt:
However, on a "bullet level" basis, they found that out of 354 shots fired, there was only a
35% hit rate. One half of all officers missed with every shot they fired, including one officer
who fired 23 misses and no hits. This means that six out of every ten shots fires was a miss.
Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
*************************************************************************
----- Practice (how to get good at that task) -----
Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
May I invite your attention to the article,
"Skill Atrophy" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2010-07_RM-Newsletter.pdf
This is why you must practice regularly and recently.
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
"Mastering Trigger Control" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-11_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
I am right-handed. I wore my pistol left-handed (at 9 o'clock) and dry practiced left-handed
for two months before shooting the USPSA match left-handed this past July. Try it. All you
need is a left-handed holster. Everything else should be ambidextrous. If you can't operate
your pistol with your left-hand, time to get an ambidextrous pistol. A small injury will make
you left-handed. Just because you are right-handed does not mean you will be right-handed
in combat. Strange unpredictable things happen in combat. Shooting around the left side of
a barrier is much safer when done left-handed.
It's an experience you ought not to miss.
"DRY FIRE DRILLS" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/2014-12_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
"Be careful what you practice.
Because you will do in combat whatever you have practiced,
no matter how ridiculous."
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
*************************************************************************
----- Strategy (deciding on the end state and how to achieve it, which tactics to use) -----
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, and Escape
"Back--Up Guns for Civilians . . . Good Idea?" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2011-05_RM-Newsletter.pdf
Tom gives a long list of pistols that he has seen break (not just malfunction), making the
point that you need to carry a BUG (back up gun).
I would like to add that magazines being dirty or breaking will also cause your weapon
system to fail. If you haven't cleaned your magazines recently, the springs are probably rusty,
which means they are close to cracking.
"Criminals: Real life vs. the often popular portrayal" by Rangemaster Instructor Craig Harper
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2012-12-Newsletter.pdf
A realistic portrait of the criminal you will face.
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Tactics (tasks that you should strive to be able to do in support of your strategy) -----
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
Bob Allen, Director of Training at Royal Range in Nashville, TN, gave my church security
team a class. One of the take aways was, pray with your eyes open, looking around.
Closing your eyes to pray is reverting to condition white (unaware).
"Self-Defense Myths that Could Get you Killed" by Tactical Life
https://www.tactical-life.com/lifestyle/self-defense-myths/
---
Self-Defense Myths 1: Criminals will Run Away from a Drawn Gun
[The NRA Personal Protection class teaches that competent presentation of the pistol will cause
the bad guy to flee 90% of the time. So there is that 10% that will continue to attack you.
You must shoot them because if you let them take your gun, they will kill you and those
around you. -- Jon Low]
---
Self-Defense Myths 2: You Shouldn’t Carry Pepper Spray and a Gun
"Pepper spray is an especially effective tool in a civilian context."
[In my experience as a military policeman and private security officer, pepper spray is
ineffective. -- Jon Low]
---
Self-Defense Myths 3: Printing Doesn’t Matter
"Free gun!", thinks the criminal.
---
Self-Defense Myths 4: You’ll Have time to Chamber a Round
[You won't have time to get the gun if it's not in your holster attached to your belt on your body.
You won't have time to chamber a round. You'll barely have time to fire the first shot and may
not be able to fire subsequent shots. So, the first shot must hit. -- Jon Low]
---
Self-Defense Myths 5: Criminals Don’t Know How to Shoot
---
"Training vs. Experience" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/training-vs-experience
Excerpt:
Nearly 40% of the criminal attackers in this study had received FORMAL firearms training
(mostly in the military). More than 80% of the criminal attackers regularly practiced with their
firearms, with an average number of 23 Practice Sessions Per Year. They conducted these
practice sessions in trash dumps, wooded areas, back yards and “street corners in known drug
trafficking areas”. What that means is that the practice sessions were taking place in realistic
environments, under conditions similar to those the attackers were likely to face in combat.
---
"25 Gunfighting Stats Learned From Convicted Cop Killers"
by Jake (a fellow Marine Intel POG)
https://www.tierthreetactical.com/25-gunfighting-stats-learned-from-convicted-cop-killers/
Excerpts:
"16 of 43 offenders had received weapons training"
Hit rate offender on officer: 68%
Hit rate officer on offender: 39%
Most common offender shooting method: point shooting
[Stop and think about this. Most of the criminals had no training. All of the police officers
had training. The criminals are not using their sights to aim their pistols. In spite of all that,
the criminal hit rate was 29% higher than the police hit rate. -- Jon Low]
Offender’s had a higher hit rate because they almost always shot first.
---
Self-Defense Myths 6: Having a Gun and Knowing how to Shoot is Enough
"Are you really prepared? Or do you just have a gun?"
"Florida mail carrier, 61, mauled to death by pack of dogs after truck breaks down"
by Andrew Mark Miller
https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-mail-carrier-mauled-death-pack-dogs-after-truck-breaks-down
NEVER fire warning shots! There is no safe direction to fire a warning shot, especially
with a rifle. Firing warning shots is an act of criminal stupidity.
If you see a pack of 5 dogs attacking an old lady, SHOOT THE DOGS! If you neglect to
shoot the dogs, the lady will die. This was obvious to the neighbor with the rifle.
"Postal carrier killed in Interlachen by dog attack identified as 61-year-old Pam Rock"
https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/postal-carrier-pam-rock-61-years-old-interlachen-dog-attack/77-7e982d15-085c-4c99-9a38-415ce64e8a7b
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA, http://spw-duf.info
"Friends Don’t Let Friends Open Carry" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/friends-dont-let-friends-open-carry
Open carry will not deter crime. The criminal predator will see your gun and think,
"Free gun!"
You will be mistaken for a police officer or a courier of high value items. Your exposed
gun is one of those high value items.
In any criminal scenario, you will be the first one shot. What do bank robbers do when
they enter the bank? Identify the armed guard and kill him. That's why most banks do not
have guards openly carrying guns. Armored car personnel is a different situation. They
have already been identified as the target and they know it. So, it makes sense to shave the
fraction of a second off their draw stroke by openly carrying.
Do you have any retention devices on your holster? Open carry without a retention holster
is an act of criminal stupidity. Do you practice enough to get your pistol out of your retention
holster under stress? Can you do it and get a good hit on a humanoid shaped target in 1.5
seconds? (Do you know why I mentioned 1.5 seconds?)
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Techniques (ways to execute a given task in support of your tactics) -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
"Follow Through and Recovery" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022-02_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
"Strong-Side Draw Tactics from Open-Front Garments" by Massad Ayoob
https://www.thearmorylife.com/strong-side-draw-tactics/
"Gunfight Science: One Handed Shooting" by Fred Mastison
https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/gunfight-science-one-handed-shooting/
Flipping the pistol 180 degrees with one hand takes a bit of practice.
"How to Shoot With Both Eyes Open (How to Aim With Both Eyes Open)"
by Chris Sajnog
https://www.chrissajnog.com/blog/how-to-shoot-with-both-eyes-open/
---
Shooting with both eyes open will give you two sight pictures. Focus on the target and
you will see two front sights. Focus on the front sight and you will see two targets. (Yes, as
a matter of fact, you can have the same problem when using a red dot sight.) In a high
stress situation, Murphy's Law (Anything that can go wrong will go wrong at the worst
possible time.) guarantees that you will be using the wrong sight movie (pictures are static,
movies are dynamic, you will never get a static sight picture [that requires a machine rest])
missing your intended target and getting unintended hits destroying property, injuring innocent
bystanders, maybe killing them. So shooting with both eyes open is a bad idea.
---
"Quick Fixes For Eye Dominance And Both-Eyes-Open Shooting
for Automatic Aiming That's Faster Than A Laser" by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.easywebinar.live/registration-vision-on-demand
https://VisionTraining.com
---
Shooting with both eyes open is just asking for trouble. You only need to close your
non-aiming eye for the fraction of a second that it takes to release the shot. Eye dominance
is psychological, not physiological. Eye dominance can change for all kinds of reasons.
Murphy's Law guarantees you will be using the wrong eye / wrong eye dominance / wrong
sight movie. Training one eye to be dominant is nonsense. It's like training yourself not to
blink when a fly approaches your eye. It's like training yourself not to kick when the doctor
taps you below the knee cap. It's sheer silliness and completely unnecessary. Just close
your non-aiming eye. Yes, you can do it. Just practice. Practice in the mirror.
If you care what you will be hitting, close your non-aiming eye when aiming the shot.
"The Drawstroke (Presentation)" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2012-06-Newsletter.pdf
"ăm·bi·dĕx·ter·i·ty
ACHIEVING LEFT / RIGHT PARITY" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/2014-12_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
A critically important skill.
"Follow Through" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/2015-06_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
"Reloading: Significant or unnecessary?" by Dave Spaulding
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022-02_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Excerpt:
IT IS NOT THE DURATION OF THE RELOAD THAT WILL GET YOU HURT OR
KILLED! IT IS THE LAG TIME BETWEEN THE GUN STOPPING AND YOU
RECOGNIZING WHAT YOU NEED TO DO!
A ONE SECOND RELOAD WILL BE USELESS IF IT TOOK YOU 3-4 SECONDS
TO SORT OUT THE PROBLEM.
[Well, I think how you release the slide does matter. You should always rack the slide.
Because you need to use a technique that works under all conditions. Sometimes the slide
will not lock back on an empty magazine. So sometimes pressing the slide release
button/lever will not load the pistol. -- Jon Low]
"Drawing Attention Away From Your Concealed Carry Gun" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/drawing-attention-away-from-your-concealed-carry-gun
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Instruction ***** ***** *****
Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."
----- Instructors -----
"Remember, the students who require the extra effort are the ones who need us the most!"
-- John Farnam
"Becoming a Firearms Instructor" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019-02_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Qui docet, discit. (Who teaches, learns.)
-- motto of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers
[Qui / Who is the pronoun, not "He". Ya, as a matter of fact, I am a Latin scholar.
-- Jon Low]
"The Training Junkie Fallacy
Or How Presuming Everyone is a Young Athletic Male is Bad for the Self-defense Community"
by Kjell Rosenberg MD
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022-02_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Excerpt:
Training junkies, don’t tell your listeners, readers, students to eat cake.
They aren’t you. They don’t have cake.
In a class that I was teaching, a right-handed student who was aiming with his right eye
learned that he shot better left-handed while aiming with his left eye.
A person isn't going to learn something like that, unless he takes a class, and you help
him to learn such things. This is valuable information!
I attended a lecture. The speaker did not understand the material that the speaker was
presenting. Never allow this to be you. Know your material. Know much more than the
material that you will be presenting.
Prof. Jordan Peterson says you must know at least ten times as much as you will be
presenting in the lecture.
Be able to answer questions: "What does that mean?", "Why?", "What is the context?", etc.
Be secure enough to be able to say, "I don't know. I will find out for you and get back
to you. What is your email address?"
You don't have to answer every question during the lecture, but you must repeat the
question so that everyone can hear it. Questions that are outside the scope of the present
topic may be answered during a break or after the lecture for those who care to hang around
to get their questions answered. Be prepared to hang around afterwards to answer questions.
"Answer questions" not engage in debates or arguments. If the student is demonstrating an
intellectual curiosity, you have a duty to satisfy that curiosity or at least cite references that
would allow the student to satisfy it.
"Instructing Instructors?" by that Weems Guy (Chief Lee Weems)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TL6loZW8oI
When is it appropriate for you or your organization to certify instructors?
There is no international or national certifying body? NRA. USA Shooting. CMP.
All the law enforcement organizations. State government. National government. Etc.
There is no recognized certifying body? The way there is an International Olympic
Committee, U.S. Olympic Committee, National Governing Bodies, . . .
I offered a Defensive Pistol class to the guys in my volunteer church security team. One
guy showed up (out of 17). The class was very efficient, as we didn't have to wait for others
to load the mags, use the restroom, or chit chat with others. Because the student was not
able to bend his knees or get up from the ground, many lower positions were skipped. We
finished a normal 10 hour class in 6 hours. Because it was very hot and humid outside,
we did two 3 hour sessions at the outdoor range.
If you can do a one-student class, I would encourage you to do so. You will learn a lot.
It will be a lot more fun than a larger class.
Be careful what you teach.
Because your students will do in combat
whatever you have trained them to do,
no matter how ridiculous.
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
----- Andragogy -----
An instructor should not expect any learning to take
place the first time new information is presented.
-- "Building Shooters" by Dustin Solomon
"The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."
-- Robert John Meehan
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Education ***** ***** *****
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
I enthusiastically recommend you read the back issued of the Rangemaster newsletter.
https://rangemaster.com/newsletter/
Lots of good information recorded therein.
"The Thinking Gunman’s Bookshelf" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2012-09-Newsletter.pdf
Fact 1: Reading can make you a better conversationalist.
Fact 2: Neighbors will never complain that you are reading too loud.
Fact 3: Knowledge by osmosis has not yet been perfected.
Fact 4: Books have stopped bullets. Reading could save your life.
Fact 5: Dinosaurs did not read. Look what happened to them.
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
----- Aftermath ----- (You have to be alive to have these problems: criminal and civil liability.)
“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him,
but because he loves what is behind him.”
― G.K. Chesterton
"In Self Defense – Episode 106: Post Incident Actions Pt.2"
https://ccwsafe.com/news/in-self-defense-episode-106-post-incident-actions-pt-2/
In the right hand column of this web page, click on "Never Talk To The Police"
or use the direct address
https://defensivepistolcraft.blogspot.com/p/never-talk-to-police.html
In the right hand column, click on the link labeled "Self Defense Insurance".
Or, the direct link is,
http://defensivepistolcraft.blogspot.com/p/self-defense-insurance.html
“Your understanding and consent are not required
for someone to take your life, kill your loved ones,
and destroy all you hold dear.”
-- William Aprill
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Legal ***** ***** *****
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.
It is wholly inadequate for the governance of any other.
-- John Adams, October 11, 1798
Bob Allen, Director of Training at Royal Range in Nashville, TN, gave my church security
team a class. One of the take aways was, call the police anytime you are forced to touch your
pistol. Report the incident, because the bad guy will report the incident claiming that you were
the aggressor.
"A Case That Pits Gun Rights Activism Against Federalism
Gun control advocates may embrace the 10th Amendment."
by Damon Root
https://reason.com/2022/08/19/a-case-that-pits-gun-rights-activism-against-federalism/
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA, http://spw-duf.info
Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County dismissed the case based on the
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). Superior Court of Pennsylvania
not only reversed that ruling but also held that the PLCAA itself is unconstitutional
because it violates the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Tenth Amendment --
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it
to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
"SELECTING AN ATTORNEY FOR A SELF-DEFENSE CASE" by Massad Ayoob
https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/selecting-an-attorney-for-a-self-defense-case/
Good guy wins!
"Judge rules teen was justified in shooting assailant 7 times"
by ActionNewsJax.com News Staff
https://www.yahoo.com/news/judge-rules-teen-justified-shooting-114622021.html
Sometimes the courts get it right. I have no sympathy for Iverson Gilyard's mother.
If she thinks it's okay to pistol whip a minor without consequences, she's a damn fool.
"1934 NFA, the Failed 1938 NFA, Miller, & the Regulation of Gun Parts" by Dean Weingarten
https://www.ammoland.com/2022/08/1934-nfa-the-failed-1938-nfa-miller-and-the-regulation-of-gun-parts/#axzz7c5gOBN3r
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA.
"Castle Doctrine v. Stand Your Ground: Which One?" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWFpkjiDY3s
Form of the Castle.
Who can claim? Against whom may you claim?
"Medical Examiner: Alec Baldwin Fatal Shooting An Accident--LOSD: Nope"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8W1tZyoVvQ
A medical (scientific) finding is not a legal finding.
---
Mens Rea.
Accident. No liability. No intent to kill.
Negligence. Civil liability. You didn't know, but should have known. No intent to kill.
Reckless. Criminal liability. You knew of the danger, but didn't care. No intent to kill.
Murder. Unlawful intent to kill.
Self-defense. Lawful intent to stop the attack. (Never claim accident. Self-defense only
applies when the shooting was intentional.)
---
Handling firearms is dangerous. You are held to the higher standard. There is no negligence.
There is only reckless.
---
Res Ipsa Loquitur
Latin for "the thing speaks for itself."
"If you carry a gun, so you're hard to kill, know the law, so you're hard to convict."
Free infographic on the 5 elements of self-defense.
https://LawOfSefDefense.com/elements/
Free one hour webinar, every Wednesday at 13:00 Central Time, register at,
https://www.hardtoconvict.com/
"Law of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca
https://lawofselfdefense.com/freebook/
The book is free of charge. Just pay shipping, so you don't have to drive to Colorado
to pick it up.
Law of Self Defense YouTube.com channel
https://www.youtube.com/c/Lawofselfdefense/videos
Law of Self Defense Rumble.com channel
https://www.Rumble.com/lawofselfdefense/
"Educate yourself. So, you don't spend the rest of your life in a cage."
"Killing Ethan Liming: Was A Toy Gun A Deadly Weapon?" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP37g4mBuY0
Unfortunately, being Caucasian or Negro does matter. Better to understand and accept
reality. Believing things are as you wish rather than as they are is a fatal mistake.
"NRA Armed Citizen Defensive Gun Events: Defense of Highly Defensible Property"
by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFsiXlzo1p8
"LAWFUL! Police Cleared in Death of Rayshard Brooks"
by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV_QdkC1q8k
"One Shot Too Many? From Lawful to Awful In One Blam!" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2K04_Oskgw
Always carry your gun! Yes, bad people come to your home at 11:00 AM.
Verbal warnings are not legally or morally required. Verbal warnings may not be tactically
sound.
Having multiple cameras on your front door area is a good idea.
Debris could have been from the door being shot through. Or, it could have been trash in
the barrel of an uncleaned gun. I'm speculating.
I think one shot per second is good. The good guy is not shooting faster than he can think.
One thousand. Bang! Two thousand. Bang! Three thousand. Bang! (About one shot per
second.)
One and. Bang! Two and. Bang! Three and. Bang! (About two shots per second.)
One. Bang! Two. Bang! Three. Bang! (About four shots per second.)
We can see the bad guy in the video. But, that doesn't mean the good guy had a clear
view of the bad guy. The camera saw what the camera saw, not what any human saw.
The grand jury refused to indict (no bill). Sometimes the good guys win.
“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 a dishonorable population
represents the height of self-deception.”
-- James Madison, 1788
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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
Bob Allen, Director of Training at Royal Range in Nashville, TN, gave my church security
team a class. One of the take aways was that if you are using modern 9mm self-defense
cartridges, make sure that the bullets are 147 grains or heavier. The lighter / faster bullets will
pass through the target which jeopardizes the innocent bystanders down range.
The heavier / slower bullets will not pass through. This is of course a statistical statement.
If you miss, well that's on you. If you hit and are using a cartridge whose bullet you should
have know would pass through your target and potentially injure persons down range, well
that's on you too. So hit your target and use an appropriate cartridge with lower probability
of passing through.
"Functioning in Low Light" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2017-02_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Excerpt:
". . . this means you need a handheld flashlight, not a weapon mounted light. Again, the
weapon mounted light is intended for the military and police paradigm. In your case, if you
use a weapon mounted light in your home, you are pointing your gun at an unknown person
in order to light them up and see if you need to point a gun at them. WTF? Pointing your
weapon-mounted light at a possible family member requires you to point a loaded firearm at
a family member under highly stressful conditions. This is a recipe for disaster. With a
handheld light, you can illuminate the shadowy figure without pointing your gun at it unless
you decide to shoot. This all goes back to context."
"10 Commandments of Concealed Carry" by Massad Ayoob
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2009-01_RM-Newsletter.pdf
Excerpt:
"If you carry a single-shot, .22 Short caliber derringer, you will be considered
armed with a deadly weapon in the eyes of the law. You will not, however, be
adequately prepared to stop a predictable attack by multiple armed assailants."
---
Similarly, our legal system will consider use of a knife deadly force. There are no degrees
of deadly force as there are with non-lethal force. All lethal force is the same legally. So,
you might as well carry the most powerful, longest range weapon that you can comfortably
conceal on your person. (Something I [Jon Low] picked up in Andrew Branca's Law of
Self Defense class.)
"How to Pick the Best Gun: Rent One!
Think of it as speed-dating . . . with firearms." by W.H. "Chip" Gross
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/how-to-pick-the-best-gun-rent-one/
Excerpt:
"Gun rental is not cheap, but again, it’s much more cost-effective than buying the
wrong firearm."
"Carry Light, Carry Right: Concealed Carry Tips" by Richard A. Mann
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/carry-light-carry-right-concealed-carry-tips
"7 Best Tactical Pistols: What They Are & Coolest Models" by Travis Pike
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-tactical-pistols/
The CZ P10-C Models and the Sig Sauer P320 XCarry Legion are not ambidextrous.
Your pistol must be ambidextrous. Just because you're right handed does not mean you
will be right handed in combat. Your friend who will be using your pistol in combat may
not be right handed. All kinds of strange things happen in combat. Be prepared by carrying
an ambidextrous pistol.
"Serpa Holster Information" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2009-12_RM-Newsletter.pdf
Lede - using the Blackhawk SERPA holster is a bad idea, because inserting the pistol into the
holster backwards will cause a jam, requiring disassembly of the holster to free the pistol.
If you think that you would never insert your pistol into your holster backwards, you don't
know what you don't know. And you are unfamiliar with the several techniques for support
hand only presentation. This technique is taught at the Federal Law Enforcement Training
Centers (FLETC).
---
"Friends Don't Let Friends Carry in a Finger-Release Holster" by Steve Harvey
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2018-11_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
---
If you don't understand what a bad design these holsters are or how dangerous they are,
write to me at Jon_Low@yahoo.com and I will send you documents from the National Park
Service and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers explaining why these holsters
are prohibited.
"Short Fingers and Fat Butts, or Handgun Fit for Defensive Shooting" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2011-02_RM-Newsletter.pdf
"What Happens When You Repeatedly
Load and Unload the Same Round
Over and Over and Over Again?" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2015-03_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Several important articles to read.
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-10_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
"SIG SAUER 9MM, 115gr, Elite Ball, FMJ Product Warning and Recall Notice"
https://www.sigsauer.com/blog/sig-sauer-9mm-115gr-elite-ball-fmj-product-warning-and-recall-notice
This ammo could cause squibs. (Bullet will get stuck in barrel.)
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA, http://spw-duf.info
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
----- Technical / Maintenance -----
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
"Who do not study history!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/who-do-not-study-history/
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add,
but when there is nothing left to take away.”
-- Antoine De Saint-Exupery
"Little Things" by Rangemaster Instructor, Craig Harper
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-01-Newsletter.pdf
"How To Shoot 9mm Out of Your .40cal Glock" by Lenny Magill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQN4hft5GKI
Mr. Magill (and many other instructors) says that if you shoot long enough, you will
eventually have a accidental discharge. That is completely FALSE. Any unintended discharge
is a negligent discharge, not an accidental discharge. If you follow the safety rules I and III,
you will never have a negligent discharge. Ignorance of the safety rules and carelessness
(knowing the safety rules and failing to obey them) are the causes of negligent discharges.
Learn the safety rules, practice them, and you will never have a negligent discharge.
Mr. Magill says to never put a 9mm ejector in a 40 caliber pistol, because the ejector might
hit the primer when racking the slide to eject a live round. This is true. That's why some
Safety Officers forbid shooters from ejecting live rounds into their support side hand by
cupping their hand over the ejection port when ejecting a live round. The SO is protecting the
shooter from his (or his gunsmith's) incompetence. So be patient with the SO's. They don't
know that you are competent in the art and science of pistolcraft.
Mr. Magill doesn't mention getting 9mm magazines because you can load your 9mm ammo
into your 40 caliber magazines. Not optimal, but functional.
"The “hydrostatic shock wave” seen in gelatin does not happen the same way in human
flesh. Depending on the load and caliber, you would generally need somewhere between
2000 and 2500 feet per second velocity to see hydrostatic shock causing tissue damage in
humans. That doesn’t happen with pistol rounds. When evaluating pistol bullets in gel, just
use the permanent wound cavity. That’s all that will be present in a handgun wound against
a real human."
-- Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/
I have a folding knife, M16® - 14SF. Designed by Kit Carson in Vine Grove, Kentucky.
Made by Columbia River Knife and Tool Company. Manufactured in Taiwan.
https://www.crkt.com/shop/tactical-knives/m16-14sf-special-forces-tanto-large-with-triple-point-serrations.html
Last night, I took it apart (requiring a flat thin screw driver and a Torx 19) and cleaned it, and
lubricated it. If you don't clean your knives regularly, you don't know what you're missing.
I guess a dishwasher is okay. But, disassembly and detailed cleaning is very satisfying. You
might even find out that your knife has features you never knew about. That weren't in the
manual. For instance, the recent versions will automatically lock the liner lock, requiring two
hands to fold the knife (I guess you could do it with one hand if you were very dexterous.)
The older versions have a manual lock that you have to push that prevents the liner lock from
releasing the blade.
I recently bought a tungsten carbide and ceramic knife sharpener. It also has a conical rod
covered with diamond dust to sharpen serrations. Your knife ain't reliable unless it's clean and
sharp.
I've heard some knife instructors say that you should prefer slashing, because when you
stab, you could get your knife stuck in bone and not be able to get your knife out.
I've heard some knife instructors say that you should prefer stabbing, because slashing
will not reliably go deep enough to rupture the main arteries and vital organs necessary to
incapacitate.
Both the pistol and the knife are legally considered lethal force, no difference in degree.
So you might as well carry the pistol. It has more range. Distance is your friend.
"Inspection and Care of Self Defense Ammunition" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2013-01-Newsletter.pdf
"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
(capitalization as in the original document, militia refers to YOU)
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Personal Security, Medical, Survival, etc. ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House
"Many years ago I was chatting with my late friend Marcus Wynne. He asked me if I had
written instructions included in my trauma medical kit. I answered “No, I teach this stuff for
a living. I don’t need the instruction manual.”
He laughed and said “Dumb ass, what if it was you who are injured and a clueless citizen
found your dying carcass along with your medical kit. Wouldn’t you want them to have
some instructions about how to use your gear?”
-- Greg Ellifritz
This study,
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26302453/
showed that a quick read of instructions prior to applying a tourniquet doubled that
tourniquet’s success rate. Now I have instructions in my medical kits."
-- Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/
"If you stay fit, you do not have to get fit.
If you stay trained, you do not have to get trained.
If you stay prepared, you do not have to get prepared."
-- Robert Margulies
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** War Stories, History, Politics, and such ***** ***** *****
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
"Do not fear the enemy, for your enemy can only take your life. It is far better than you
fear the media, for they will steal your HONOR. That awful power, the public opinion of a
nation, is created in America by a horde of ignorant, self-complacent simpletons who failed
at ditching and shoemaking and fetched up in journalism on their way to the poorhouse."
-- Mark Twain
Civil asset forfeiture in the U.S. is more than the dollar amount of burglaries in any given
time period.
-- Glenn Beck, on his morning radio show
What I learned at the Citizens Police Academy at the Lebanon, TN Police Department.
Drugs flow from Memphis to Nashville along I-40. The drug task forces let them through.
Because they can't do anything with the drugs. They would have to incinerate the drugs. The
cash for the drugs flows from Nashville to Memphis. The drug task forces intercept the
couriers and innocent persons who happen to be carrying cash. Because they can keep the
cash. And the cost of hiring an attorney to get your cash back is way more than the cash that
the drug task forces seized. Because attorneys are that expensive. And you have to pay the
attorney up front, in full, win or lose.
Can you say, "abuse of power under color of law"?
The drug cartels do not consider this "a cost of doing business". They do retaliate. That's
why the feds have to recruit task force members from the local state, county, and municipal
agencies. That's why it is so hard to get anyone to work on these drug task forces. The
narco cartels are not honorable. They are savage animals. And they are smart enough to bribe
LEOs and admins. So they know the names and addresses of the task force members.
Sorry, that's just reality.
For those of you who can't figure out why all those wackos support "Defund the Police".
"10 Chattanooga police officers reassigned after they
'misrepresented the truth or filed a false report,'
chief says" by Hannah Sarisohn
https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/10-chattanooga-police-officers-reassigned-after-they-misrepresented-the-truth-or-filed-a-false-report/article_76948a17-9f30-5ac0-8494-2f7848c9e7e3.html
So these 10 sworn police officers will remain on the payroll, but will never be able to
testify in court. I remember when a letter from the prosecutor saying that an officer's
testimony will not be used because the prosecutor does not trust the officer was a career
ender. Apparently not any more.
The defense attorney asks the police officer, "Have you ever lied?"
If the officer says, "Yes", the defense counsel asks the court to preclude all testimony and
evidence developed by this officer as fruit of the poisoned tree. If the officer answers, "No",
he's looking at perjury and the defense counsel will ask the court for a directed verdict of
'not guilty'. It's not just a mistrial; for all kinds of technical reasons.
"You need to have the capacity for danger. You need to be ‘dangerous.’ Yet, you need to
learn how to not use it except when necessary. And, that is not the same thing as being
harmless. Harmlessness is no virtue. It's like a rabbit. There's nothing virtuous about
harmlessness. It just means you’re ineffectual and useless."
-- Jordan Peterson
"Deception, as an Art Form!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/deception-as-an-art-form/
What's wrong with this picture?
"ATF agent (James Burk) charged with stealing wine from Kroger" by Jay Warren (2015 A.D.)
https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/delhi-township/james-burk-atf-agent-charged-with-stealing-wine-from-kroger
"ATF agent (James Burk) accuses Columbus police officers of excessive force"
by Bethany Bruner (2020 A.D.)
https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/crime/2020/12/10/atf-agent-accuses-columbus-police-officers-excessive-force/6505667002/
Body cam footage at
https://www.tactical-life.com/news/atf-agent-james-burk-columbus-police/
ATF agent James Burk refuses to obey police instructions. So they cuff and stuff him.
"4 Facts About IRS Gun Arsenal" by Fred Lucas
https://www.dailysignal.com/2022/08/12/with-87000-new-agents-on-way-4-facts-about-irs-gun-arsenal/
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA, http://spw-duf.info
The purpose of the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is to allow the people to resist a
tyrannical government.
May I invite your attention to
"Tucker Carlson: No honest person could believe this"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74lDvZ1IPj4
Mr. Carlson is warning of civil war. As I told my children, it happens
every so often. You're going to have to choose sides.
"Jesse Watters: Is anybody paying attention here?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ_vFi79ozY
Mr. Watters is pointing out the behavior of the FBI.
Good guy wins!
"Good Samaritan tackles suspect who attacked, robbed elderly man in Hollywood"
by FOX 11 Los Angeles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xdrjxkwSfg
“ ‘Democracy’ is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.
Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!”
-- Benjamin Franklin, 1759
"Lemmings!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/lemmings-32/
BEWARE! Our enemies are engaging in propaganda, not research.
"Fact Check: Are Armed Civilians to Blame For Mass Shootings?"
by Gary Mauser, Joanne D Eisen & Alan J Chwick.
https://www.ammoland.com/2022/08/fact-check-are-armed-civilians-to-blame-for-mass-shootings/
"Your character is what you do when no one is looking."
-- Thomas Jefferson
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Cryptology ***** ***** *****
"Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe,
and preserve order in the world as well as property.
Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of their use."
-- Thomas Paine
[Cryptosystems are considered "arms" by federal law.
ITAR, International Traffic in Arms Regulations]
---
"C'est en forgeant que l'on devient forgeron."
(It is by forging that one becomes a blacksmith.)
Medieval Latin Proberb
"The art of ciphering, hath for relative an art of deciphering,
by supposition unprofitable, but as things are, of great use."
-- Francis Bacon
"Number Theory . . . an inexhaustible storehouse of interesting truths."
-- Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss
"Number Theory . . . a building of rare beauty and harmony."
-- David Hilbert
"There are problems that one poses,
and there are problems that pose themselves."
-- Henri Poincaré
"Il faut donner quelque chose au hasard."
(You have to give something to chance.)
French Proverb
"Secret de deux, secret de Dieu, secret de trois, secret de tous."
(Secret of two, secret of God, secret of three, secret of all.)
French Proverb
"Die Theorie träumt, die Praxis belehrt."
(The theory of dreams, the practice teaches.)
-- Karl von Holtei
Hat tip to Eda and Evangelos Kranakis.
---
"Human Cryptology" by Jonathan D. Low
Modern English: do, did, done, dost, does (or doth), didst
Middle English: don, did(d)e, idon, dost, does (regularly doth), diddest
Old English: dōn, dyde, gedōn, dēst, dēth (plural dōth), dydest
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.
Cryptology is natural, not an artificial edifice of man made contrivance.
Some would use pure math to serve their machines to process massive
quantities of data. But it's not necessary.
Speaking in tongues, so that some may understand and some may not,
is God's gift to man. For those who choose to practice it.
Each man understood because he was being spoken to in his native
language. Speaking gibberish is not speaking in tongues. Speaking
gibberish is just an affectation of holiness. (As is transmitting noise, jamming.)
A thing is worth what someone else will pay you for it. Similarly,
you are speaking a language if someone else can understand you.
And you are practicing cryptology if only your intended recipient can
understand you. (The eavesdroppers may understand the carrier,
though not the signal.) Proofs that no human can understand are not proofs.
Proofs that can only be verified by machines are not proofs.
Spies do not need the contrivances (the machines, algorithms, protocols)
of cryptology. As the introductory example from the American Heritage
Dictionary demonstrates. You can prove it to yourself. Recite the lyrics
of a hymn to a believer. She will understand what you mean. Would the
non-believer understand any more than the words, syntax, grammar, lexicon, etc.?
Yes, you are taking advantage of a deep cultural background. But all adult
humans have some cultural background. You simply need to find the cultural
background of your intended recipient. See
"Handbook of Applied Cryptography"
by A. Menezes, P. van Oorschot, and S. Vanstone, CRC Press, 1996.
https://cacr.uwaterloo.ca/hac/
Chapter 12, Key Establishment Protocols.
Determining cultural background is key establishment.
"Premature optimization is the root of all evil."
-- Donald Knuth
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intelligence ***** ***** *****
“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.)
What the Army Corps of Engineers has been up to.
"Why the US Army electrifies this water" by Tom Scott
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3oLeSPINOk
OODAcon 2022 – The Future of Exponential Innovation & Disruption, $595.00
https://www.oodaloop.com/oodacon-2022/
October 18, 2022
8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center
7901 Tysons One Place
Tysons, VA 22102
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
*************************************************************************
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Email: Jon_Low@yahoo.com
Radio: KI4SDN
Chapter 12, Key Establishment Protocols.
Determining cultural background is key establishment.
"Premature optimization is the root of all evil."
-- Donald Knuth
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intelligence ***** ***** *****
“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.)
What the Army Corps of Engineers has been up to.
"Why the US Army electrifies this water" by Tom Scott
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3oLeSPINOk
OODAcon 2022 – The Future of Exponential Innovation & Disruption, $595.00
https://www.oodaloop.com/oodacon-2022/
October 18, 2022
8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center
7901 Tysons One Place
Tysons, VA 22102
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
*************************************************************************
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Email: Jon_Low@yahoo.com
Radio: KI4SDN
