Hi Sheepdogs,
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***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
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----- 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.
"Gun Safety for Kids" by Chris Sajnog
https://www.chrissajnog.com/blog/gun-safety-for-kids/
"Eliza Fletcher death: Memphis kidnapping suspect Cleotha Abston held without bond"
Covered by: Lorraine Taylor, Adam Sabes, Bradford Betz, Michael Ruiz, Danielle Wallace,
Stephanie Pagones, Lawrence Richard and Audrey Conklin
https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/eliza-fletcher-abduction-memphis-police-find-body-near-where-billionaire-heiress-went-missing
I became aware of this incident when members of my church fellowship group were
discussing it at yesterday's (9/6/2022) meeting. Some of the members were from Memphis
and knew her and her family.
Lessons learned: Don't go jogging by yourself. Don't go jogging at 04:00 (in the dark).
Don't go anywhere unarmed. If you are a young female, NEVER go jogging by yourself
at 4:00 AM, unarmed in Memphis, TN (Memphis is the murder capitol of the U.S.).
The result is as predictable as stepping off the roof of a tall building.
"You're blaming the victim!"
So, it's funny when red neck guys do stupid things to get themselves killed and win the
Darwin Award, but it's tragic when white women do stupid things to get themselves killed?
Oh, it's much worse than it appears. How did the bad guys know exactly where and when
to set up the ambush for the kidnapping? The bad guys observed repeated behavior.
Stupid behavior is bad. Repeated stupid behavior at the same time time everyday is fatal.
How did the bad guy get caught? The family offered a $50,000 reward.
For those of you who have sent a sample off for DNA testing (in the law enforcement
context) you know how long it takes. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is a law
enforcement agency. There is a backlog of 2 years for rape kits awaiting DNA testing in
large metropolitan cities. So the TBI getting an instant DNA result is . . . surprising.
---
"Even while jogging…!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/even-while-jogging/
---
"Tucker Carlson: This couldn't be more horrible"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgZ9a27Pjes
---
Every crime ridden city is Democrat controlled. Not a coincidence.
"Awareness saved my life" by the Tactical Professor
https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2022/09/04/awareness-saved-my-life/
I've taken so many court ordered defensive driving classes, and taken them so often,
that I've lost count. I can't imagine anyone taking such a course voluntarily. Of course,
it's a good and smart thing to do. And Claude is much smarter than I am.
"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 Safety – A Tactic You Can’t Live Without" by Chris Sajnog
https://www.chrissajnog.com/blog/firearms-safety/
Excerpt:
Real operators don’t break safety rules.
"When I go to the money machine tonight, I ain't looking over my back for the media.
I'm looking for niggers."
-- Chris Rock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65HlzW32hG4
Mr. Rock is not being racist. He is "keeping it real". Don't let political correctness get you
killed. Profiling as practiced by local police and county sheriff deputies is not racist. Profiling
is application of statistical science.
Profiling as practiced by the FBI is nonsense as explained in Mr. Malcolm Gladwell's
writings. https://www.gladwellbooks.com/]
"Dangerous Minds
Criminal profiling made easy." by Malcolm Gladwell
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/11/12/dangerous-minds
[There is something inherently wrong with the FBI.]
Oh yes, political correctness will get you (or others) killed. Let me give you two examples.
When I was in the Marine Corps, a young lady was in Jeep school with us. She was in
Motor T (Motor Transport). Going down a steep hill at Bellows Air Force Base, she rolled the
Jeep and crashed badly, destroying the vehicle. Anytime there is an incident, all involved are
drug tested. She popped for marijuana. Normally, this would result in disciplinary action and
failing the school. But, not only was she female, she was also Black. So, she graduated the
school and went on to truck school, the Deuce and a half (2.5 ton trucks). In that school she
drove her truck off a bridge, killing herself and her A-driver.
Decades ago, my insurance agent had been a Naval fighter pilot. He was very proud of
being "carrier certified" meaning he could land his aircraft on an aircraft carrier. Apparently,
taking off ain't that hard. It's the landing that's difficult. He told me that when he was in,
they had a quota for female pilots. So, the schools had to reduce the standards to get the
females to pass. There was a female pilot in his group who everyone knew by observation
was going to get herself killed, and maybe others. So, he spoke to her, telling her that there
were hundreds of ways to get out honorably. There are a myriad of medical and technical
things that will cause the pilot to lose her flight status. A lot of them, you just claim it and
they will transfer you out. But, she wouldn't do it, because "she was blazing the way for
future women". When attempting a carrier landing, she crashed her aircraft into the aft edge
of the landing deck, killing herself, her EWO (electronic warfare officer), and destroying
the aircraft. The EWO knew what was going on. He had tried to get reassigned. He should
have had sinus problems that day. But, he didn't want to screw her over, because no one
else would fly with her.
Don't get yourself killed for political correctness. It's not worth it.
A friend of mine fell and broke her hip. She had to have an unplanned hip replacement
surgery. An unplanned surgery is very different from a planned surgery. It's more complicated.
Takes longer to recover. Takes more pain medication, because the pain is much worse.
Moral: If your doctor tells you that you're going to need a hip replacement eventually,
plan it. Even if you plan it out in the future, plan it.
Your funeral is planned and paid for, right? Your vacation is planned and paid for, right?
Your grandchildren's college education is planned and paid for, right? So should be your
surgeries.
"7 Gun Safety Rules You Must Follow In the Field" by NRA Staff
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/7-gun-safety-rules-you-must-follow-in-the-field/
"How to Safely Reholster Your Handgun" by Brad Fitzpatrick
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/how-to-safely-reholster-your-handgun/
Excerpt: (paraphrased)
"At Gunsite, speed reholstering is considered a safety violation."
"The Misleading Murderer You Know Lie, a Look at the Data" by Dean Weingarten
https://www.ammoland.com/2022/09/misleading-murderer-you-know-lie-latest-data/#ixzz7eFSLwydf
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA, http://spw-duf.info
Of course, most people are murdered by people they know. Otherwise, there would be no
motive. Random acts of violence is not really a thing. It's only a media / propaganda thing.
This is how to avoid the incident and resultant aftermath.
"You win 100% of the fights you don’t have" by Grant Cunningham
https://www.grantcunningham.com/2017/08/win-100-fights-dont/
Excerpt:
"There’s something you need to internalize if you’re going to actually keep yourself (and
your loved ones) safer: in any conflict, in any defensive incident, there is a greater-than-zero
chance that you’ll lose."
"Developing the courage to say “no” when friends want to go to stupid places to do stupid
things is a tough thing for a lot of people to do, but it’s a core part of actually being safer."
"Ready Positions & Better Outcomes" by Erick Gelhaus
https://americancop.com/ready-positions-better-outcomes/
The less obstructed your field of view, the more information you get, the better the outcome.
So use a ready position that allows you to see the assailant's hands to the limit of their range
of motion.
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.
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***** ***** ***** Personal Security, Medical, Survival, etc. ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House
“Rampage: The Social Roots of School Shootings” by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/rampage-the-social-roots-of-school-shootings
Excerpt:
If you are interested in the prevention of school shootings, this book belongs in your
library. It provides critical information about school shooting prevention that isn’t found
in any other text. You can pick it up in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle editions from
Amazon.com.
"Thoughts on Home Invasions
There's more to defending your home than just having a home defense gun nearby."
by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/thoughts-on-home-invasions/
Excerpt:
"How do you make your home and your family a harder target for home invasions?
Only you can answer that and it is far more involved than you might think."
"Home Defense Strategies — To Stay Put Or Clear It?" by Jim Davis
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/home-defense-strategies-to-stay-put-or-clear-it/
"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
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----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
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
Steve Cooper <steve@paladintraining.com> writes --
I sincerely hope you’re doing all you can to improve your skills and develop a team.
If you need medical or dental work, get it done now. If you need to get in shape, it’s
never too late to start improving. Being able to shoot, move and communicate is
weapon independent. Remember the Combat Triad. Mindset at the top, Skills next,
followed by Equipment down at the bottom. If you’ve got the mindset and skills,
you can get a better weapon. Stop buying guns and train on what you’ve got.
-- Steve Cooper
Did you get that last sentence?
!!! STOP BUYING GUNS AND TRAIN ON WHAT YOU'VE GOT. !!!
You wouldn't believe the number of friends and colleagues I know who spend all of their
disposable income buying guns and ZERO on training. Racking your slide while watching
TV is not practice, no matter how buttery smooth and satisfying it is.
"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
"The thing about violence is . . . " by Varg Freeborn
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/the-thing-about-violence-is/
Excerpt:
"That whole sheepdog movement is something I personally have come to detest . . . "
[I disagree. I believe that part of being a civilized human is to defend the innocent.
I understand:
Sometimes you can't figure out who the innocent is. There might not be any innocents.
The victim could have trained and practiced as I did. Her gross negligence does not
cause me to become responsible for her. I have invested a huge amount of time and money
to acquire my skill. Why should I exercise my skill and incur the risk to protect her?
Not my circus. Not my monkeys. Not my tribe. Not my family. Not my loved ones.
Why should I risk my life, my family's income, my responsibility to raising my children?
I am familiar with all the arguments. I have simply decided that I will protect the
innocent. I have decided that that is the type of person I wish to be.
Remember Catherine Susan "Kitty" Genovese (July 7, 1935 - March 13, 1964). Raped,
stabbed, screaming (for a long time), murdered. Lots of witnesses (at least 30 documented).
No one helped her. No one protected her. Do you want to live in such a world? Or, will
you step up to protect the innocent?
-- Jon Low]
"You can’t truly call yourself 'peaceful' unless you are capable of great violence.
If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful, you’re harmless.
Important distinction." -- Stef Starkgaryen
The Bible exhorts us to be ready, like the wise virgins; to be prepared, . . .
"Hero shot in the head recalls ordeal with Tucker"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hApiMtU-CDo
There are heroes. The liberal mass media won't report on them, but they exist and are
legion.
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens
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----- Training (figuring out the correct tasks to learn) -----
"Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
Tom Givens says, "In just the past few years the training community has lost a staggering
amount of experience and expertise. Death took from us Louis Awerbuck, Pat Rogers,
Jim Cirillo, Todd Green, Paul Gomez, Chuck Taylor, William Aprill, and James Yeager.
In addition, master trainers Ken Hackathorn and Dave Spaulding retired from active teaching.
In every case, people said to me, “I really meant to train with him, but I never got around to it.
Now it’s too late”. There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them. Plan
accordingly.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rangemaster/permalink/10158764385475924/
---
When I took Tom's Instructor Development class, Tom got out of his hospital bed to teach
the class. That is a crazy level of dedication, because his assistant instructors were doing a
fine job of teaching the class. He could have convalesced in the hospital. But he knew we
were there for his teaching. So he came. You need to be that serious and dedicated when
you attend training. And of course the first step is to ATTEND training.
I'm not a hypocrite. I'm attending the Guardian Conference this weekend, September
16th, 17th, and 18th of 2022. $750 plus round trip air fare, hotel, rental car, and money for
snacks. (Unlike the Secret Service agents who accompanied President Obama to Caracas,
Venezuela, I have no money budgeted for prostitutes and drugs.)
Please read the article below. It is very important for you, your children, and grandchildren
who will eventually serve in the Armed Forces. I took my son to the M-16 course at Front
Sight before he enlisted in the Marine Corps.
"AL TARMIYAH FIREFIGHT!: Lessons Learned The Hard Way" by Paul Gardner
https://www.swatmag.com/article/al-tarmiyah-firefight-lessons-learned-hard-way/
Excerpt:
After completing that three-day course, I can say with complete confidence that had I
been able to attend a Trident Concepts, EAG Tactical, or Magpul Dynamics carbine course,
or similar training offered by a quality instructor before I deployed to war in 2003, and had
been able to learn and put into practice what is taught in those courses, I would not have
been shot in the manner in which I was on that Sunday afternoon in Iraq.
John Murphy is listing his classes on ShootingClasses.com these days.
https://www.shootingclasses.com/fpf-training-llc/
Guardian Conference, September 16th - 18th, 2022 in Oklahoma City
https://guardianconference.com/
Course descriptions:
https://guardianconference.com/courses/
Amazingly, tickets still available. They are starting to make up the student's schedules,
so better get your tickets, NOW, if you intend to attend.
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)
"Some things take time" by the Tactical Professor
https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2022/09/02/some-things-take-time/
I distribute the "Dale Carnegie’s Golden Book" to my students as one of documents they
get when they express interest in my Defensive Pistol course. Send me an email and
I'll send you a copy.
Excerpts from "Dale Carnegie’s Golden Book":
The Perfect Way to Conquer Worry
1. Pray.
---
6. Don’t worry about insomnia.
[I've always felt insomnia was God's way of telling me to get up and do something.
As I always have a long list of things to do. -- Jon Low]
"Take training from different instructors.
We are all wrong about something."
-- John Farnam
"Ladies and Classes" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022-09_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Excerpt:
Put on your big girl panties and come on out to train.
---
Tom is encouraging women to attend the Instructor Development class and then teach
other women, as some women are hesitant to take classes from men. That's why it is so
important for men to be genteel when teaching their classes. No foul language. No rough
language. No war stories that scare the students.
“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
"MIRROR IMAGE SHOOTING" by Massad Ayoob
https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/mirror-image-shooting/
Excerpt:
It’s useful for a number of reasons.
• An injury to anything from eye to hand may, someday down the road, force you to shoot
this way. It would be nice to know how to do it beforehand, and not have to learn it while
suffering through a recuperation period.
• For defensive shooting, particularly with a rifle or shotgun, if vertical cover must be used
mirror image shooting will give the practitioner minimum exposure from behind the cover.
• For those of us who teach, how will we teach a student with opposite-side dominance to
shoot if we can’t teach ourselves to do it?
• Many professionals and serious users carry a backup gun on their non-dominant hand side,
in case they ever have to shoot weak-hand only. One should be prepared to do so, no?
• I ask my staff instructors to teach a class, compete in a match, or at least shoot a
qualification once a year “mirror image.” It’s my insurance that they continue to master the
techniques they teach, and aren’t overcoming bad technique with physical strength or
constant repetition. (Either of the latter can eventually work for an individual, but they don’t
lend themselves to transmission to students.)
[It is critically important to be able to face your student and mirror demonstrate what you
want the student to do. (While both of you are keeping your pistols pointed down range.)
-- Jon Low]
Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
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----- Practice (how to get good at that task) -----
Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
"So how did I get that joke that fast under that much pressure?"
"I've been practicing all my life, just like you've probably been practicing.
You just didn't know you were practicing. I'm here to let you know you've been practicing."
"For a lot of you guys, it's game time. It's game time."
-- Michael Jr.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twSvd5bQLDw
Listen carefully to what Michael says about mindset.
"This will put your alarm clock out of business."
Do you understand what is missing? Do you know your punchline?
[If you can twist the narrative, twist the flow of action, in an unexpected way, you can
beat your enemy every time.
I've used this technique in fencing, in debate, and in combat. It works.
-- Jon Low]
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
Slow is smooth (because you can control what you're doing).
Smooth is efficient (because controlling what you are doing removes inefficiencies).
Efficient is fast (because there is no wasted motion).
Fast is good (because whoever hits first usually wins).
[Which is not the same as whoever shoots first.]
"Shooting Tips with @Danyela D'Angelo Episode 5 - Common Competition Mistakes"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRBe8RRMS_Q
Notice how all of the tips are really about attitude. To avoid forgetting to bring equipment,
make a list, check it as you pack the car the night before. So, you're not in a rush when you
pack. Being in a rush causes errors.
Marine Corps says, mishaps are caused by breaking habits (not doing things the way you
have trained and practiced doing them), time compression (rushing, usually self imposed and
needless), and distraction (Pay attention. Pilot the aircraft, don't text message your buddy.
Drive the car, don't text message your girlfriend. Command your troops, don't stop to care
for the wounded.).
"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
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----- 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
“Self-defense warning: the "knockout game", a.k.a. "polar bear hunting", is back”
by Peter
https://BayouRenaissanceMan.blogspot.com/2022/08/self-defense-warning-knockout-game-aka.html
That's why it is so important to be aware of what is going on around you.
"Who is around you and what are they doing?" -- Tom Givens
That is why it is so important to preempt the attack. You must shoot before you are hit.
The purpose of self-defense is to prevent your injury. No law requires you to suffer the
first blow before defending yourself. If you allow your enemy to strike first, you'll be dead
or you will be down on the ground getting stomped to death, unable to defend yourself or
your loved ones. You must strike preemptively. To be able to do this, you must be aware.
So, you must be able to recognize the pre-assault indicators. (Take a class and read
Greg Ellifritz' articles at ActiveResponseTraining.net, search for pre-assault indicators.)
There are many documented incidents of a person being killed by a single punch.
You should document as many of these as you can. And use them as justification for your
preemptive strike. You may need to help your attorney, because if you don't have a lot of
money or a good self-defense insurance policy, you won't be able to afford a very good
attorney. In American, you get as much justice as you can afford.
"Soft Skills in the Survival Spectrum — Here’s Why They’re So Important"
by Steve Tarani
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/soft-skills-in-the-survival-spectrum-heres-why-theyre-so-important/
This essay has to be read carefully. A superficial reading will leave you with a false
impression.
Excerpt:
"All hard skills are perishable. Even after receiving professional instruction, you then
need to maintain those skills. If you plan on using those skills to preserve life and limb
then you’re probably going to want a high level of competency which means a higher
level of commitment to your training. Regularly practicing your newly learned skills is
the only way to stop hard skills erosion."
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, and Escape
"Church Security" by PATRICK KILCHERMANN
https://www.concealedcarryconfidence.org/church-defense-strategic-doctrinal-map
PDF file,
https://d2saw6je89goi1.cloudfront.net/uploads/digital_asset/file/619743/CHURCH_SECURITY_PROPOSAL_1A.pdf
"Confronting the Mobile Killer" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/confronting-the-mobile-killer
"Stopping the Attack
Sheriff Jim reminds us that stopping an attacker as soon
as possible is critical to surviving a criminal encounter."
by Jim WIlson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/stopping-the-attack/
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
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----- Tactics (tasks that you should strive to be able to do in support of your strategy) -----
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
Surprise your assailant. Attack him NOW! Without warning. No wind up. No preparation.
Just ATTACK!
As Tim Larkin says, there is no Self-Defense. There is only violence. After the fact, in the
calm of air conditioned carpeted offices, others (who, as Andrew Branca points out, don't know
what actually happened, because they were not present during the incident) will decide if the
violence was self-defense or a criminal act. And in a sense, it doesn't matter.
If you're dead, it doesn't matter to you, because you're dead.
If you're alive, it doesn't matter, because being alive is better than being dead.
Even life in prison is better than death. There is always hope. (Maybe even conjugal visits.)
[President Trump might pardon you, when he gets elected. Or your governor might pardon
you. Or you may be released because the prison is overcrowded. Or you may be released
because the warden is afraid of everyone getting Covid-19. The possibilities are endless.
Remember, God can do more than you could hope or imagine. You may be able to save a
soul in prison. Wouldn't that make it all worthwhile?]
"Rethinking 'Show me your hands!' " by By Lewis “Von” Kliem, MCJ, JD, LLM
https://www.police1.com/patrol-issues/articles/rethinking-show-me-your-hands-4IontF9cQseTOghq/
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA, http://spw-duf.info
(My father always looked askance at people who chose to put alphabet soup after their
names.)
"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
"The Most Common Mistakes in Your Drawstroke
Practice your drawstroke carefully, properly and often." by Jeff Gonzales
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/the-most-common-mistakes-in-your-drawstroke/
Many instructors teach going to a lower position, such as kneeling (though I think squatting
is better, if you have the requisite flexibility, as it allows you to get in and out of position
faster), to change the trajectory of your bullet to avoid hitting innocent bystanders. You
should also be prepared to stand on a chair, table, or counter top to shoot down at your targets.
Ya, you might get a ricochet off the floor, but is that worse than rounds going up over the
innocents? The bullets are going to come down somewhere. Depends on the background.
I mention this because a colleague sent me a video with audio of a bank (I assume it's a
bank) robbery in a foreign country. (He did not give me permission to share it. I think the
incident is still under investigation.) Three bank robbers enter the bank and start shooting
and demanding everyone get down. But the panicked customers do not get down. They
start running around. (Maybe they don't understand the language the bank robbers are
using?) There are several counters on which customers stand to write out their deposit
slips and such. A gentleman jumps up and stands on one of these counters. The bank
robbers apparently mistake him for one of the bank robbers, as he is dressed in a similar
manner, though not exactly. Such is the confusion and chaos of combat. The gentleman
shoots down at the three bank robbers with a pistol, one shot each. I'm thinking, that's very
professional. I suspect the gentleman was a law enforcement officer who had followed the
bank robbers into the bank (or was waiting for them in the bank?) and knew their modus
operandi. But, I speculate. From the video, it appears that no innocent bystanders were shot.
Though in any stampede, you're going to have injuries. (Perhaps another reason to be up
on the counter.)
I note that Israelis are taught to lie flat on the ground when they hear the order to get down
spoken in Hebrew. That is how the Israeli operators are able to kill the terrorists without
harming the innocents. I don't know of European civilians getting this sort of training. I don't
know of any American civilians getting such instruction. I don't know about elsewhere.
The only mass civilian training that I know of is the Eddie Eagle program,
"Stop. Don't touch. Leave the area. Tell an adult."
Innocents running around makes the operator's mission difficult. There may have been
more than three bank robbers. The gentleman may have shot innocent bystanders as
well as bank robbers. It was not clear from the video that all three were armed. It was not
clear from the video that the three targets were the bank robbers. You've got to have balls
of steel to execute such a mission. Getting up on that counter and shooting down, certainly
helped. It's the kind of move that only a good guy would do. It drew the bank robber's fire
away from the innocent bystanders. This was not a military operation; no one was wearing
uniforms. So, it's hard to distinguish good guy from bad guy.
In some countries there is a national uniform. Everyone dresses the same. Very difficult
to distinguish good guys from bad guys. My friends in Saudi took me to a music festival.
I was the only one dressed in Western clothes. Everyone else was in thobe and gutra.
There were no women. Men and women don't intermingle.
All women wear the black abbya. So, except for body type, they are unrecognizable.
Their faces are covered, just two slits for their eyes. Try distinguishing good guys from
bad guys in such an environment.
"MARK YOUR STUFF | Witness Marks - How and Why" by Tessah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzFFxqKxmWo
"4 Reasons to Learn the Isosceles Shooting Stance
Why this might be the best shooting stance for you to memorize." by Brad Fitzpatrick
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/4-reasons-to-learn-the-isosceles-shooting-stance/
1. It’s Natural
2. It Allows For Rapid Movement
3. It’s Versatile
4. It’s Easy to Master
"The Sight Alignment Dilemma
Aligning your gun to the target seems easy. Mastering this skill, however, is hard work."
by Steve Tarani
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/the-sight-alignment-dilemma/
Excerpt:
Travis McCamish, “You can only shoot as fast as you can visually process.”
[Yes, shooting faster than you can see is a fatal mistake. Usually fatal for the innocent
bystander that you mistakenly shot. -- Jon Low]
[The correct way to adjust your natural point of aim is to move your entire body relative to
the ground, not to twist your legs or torso. -- Jon Low]
Mike Pannone says, “With the red dot if you stare at a precise point on the target your
vision will “pull” the dot to the point you are staring at. Conversely, if you look at the dot,
the dot will “pull” your vision wherever it goes in the recoil cycle. Vision drives the process
and so direct your vision to a distinct spot on the target and maintain it there to get the
best results.”
Bill Rogers and Joe Knapp advise, “When you shoot, it should be with a hard focus on
the visual center of the target.” [They are talking about red dot sights, not iron sights.
because the red dot is in focus at the target. So the shooter is able to focus on the target
and the red dot at the same time. This is not possible with iron sights.
-- Jon Low]
"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
"Gateway Instructor Certification with Tiffany Johnson and Aqil Qadir"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za01DD3NEow
Everytime I raised my prices, I got more students. -- James Yeager
When we raised our prices, we got more business and higher quality
students. -- Tiffany Johnson ("we" refers to Tiffany and Aqil Qadir)
I increased the fees for my classes by over 50% and my enrollments
went up. -- Lee Weems
---
[I have found the demand-supply curve to be completely inelastic. Most of my students
are sent to me by fathers, husbands, and boyfriends. They never ask the price and they don't
care. They will pay whatever I ask. On the rare occasion that I have advertized a class, I have
gotten zero students, because I don't spend any time or effort marketing. When asked to give
a class at a gun club or church, the hosting entity takes care of getting the students. Lucky me.
-- Jon Low]
---
John Farnam charges a lot. The purpose is to weed out non-serious students.
He only wants serious students. This is a good idea, because wasting your time with
non-serious students is dangerous and wastes the other student's time.
It's a matter of perceived value.
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
"Polya explains the problem solving technique"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0gbw-Ur_do
Attitude of teaching.
Allowing the student the opportunity to discover.
Let us teach guessing.
A demonstration of a teaching methodology.
[I have read many of Polya's books and articles. -- Jon Low]
The problems are often incompletely stated. So the first problem is to correctly and
completely state the problem. Is the problem well defined? Could it ever be well defined?
Some problems can never be well defined. Can you recognize such problems, so you
know how to approach them? (Yes, I'm talking about tactical problems.)
I watched the movie "Spartan" by David Mamet, staring Val Kilmer, with a friend. She had
never seen it before. At one point we paused the movie to get snacks and drinks. Then we
returned to continue the movie. I clicked on scene selection to find where we had left off. The
scene was titled "Homeless". After the movie, she said she didn't understand the title of the
section of the movie titled "Homeless", as the movie had a happy ending and no one was
homeless. I explained to her that the government was not paying for the mission and the hero
could not afford to do the mission. So the hero sold his home, his farm (the family farm), etc.
to generate the money to pay for the intel, personnel, air fare, hotel rooms, cargo frieght,
shipping container, tools, pocket cash, etc. for the mission. It was obvious to me from the
hero's conversation with the character the Chinaman (who was not portrayed by an Oriental
person). The Chinaman refers to a real world person. You might know him. But, it was not
obvious to her, because it was not explicitly stated in the script that the actors spoke, nor by
any action in the video.
Such is the problem with cultural background. It is very easy to falsely assume that the
other person understood what happened. But, unless it was said, shown, or demonstrated
there is an excellent chance that they missed it. Be careful. Take precautions.
"The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."
-- Robert John Meehan
*************************************************************************
----- 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 107: Post Incident Actions Pt.3"
with Shawn Vincent, Don West, and Steve Moses
https://ccwsafe.com/news/in-self-defense-episode-107-post-incident-actions-pt-3/
Excerpt:
"And he actually declined some medical treatment that he could have had,
which probably would’ve helped the case."
[Don't decline medical treatment. ASK for medical attention! You may be bleeding and not
know it. YES! That's true. A lot of guys don't feel anything when shot or stabbed.
You may be bleeding internally and not know it.
Andrew Branca mentions in his classes how he was slashed to the bone on his forearm
and didn't notice it.
-- Jon Low]
"Saying, “I’m happy to take a breath test. You can take my blood. I’m not under the
influence of alcohol or drugs.” "
[If you're carrying a firearm, you are much more dangerous than if you were driving a car.
So don't consume alcohol or any intoxicant. To do so is criminal stupidity. -- Jon Low]
[Stop using social media. Monkeys throw shit at each other on social media. You're
not a monkey. Stop! Read a book. (I was going to say, write a book. But, if you're
going to be like Voltaire writing "Candide", you're just like a little monkey throwing shit
at the 800 pound gorilla (French aristocracy). And nothing good ever comes of that.)
-- Jon Low]
"The police are going to get your phone. They’re going to get it at the scene.
They may not get into it that night, but they’re going to get a search warrant and
be able to inspect it.
So they’re going to see your history. They’re going to see the text messages."
[Don't carry a smart phone. If you have to carry a smart phone, have a key preset to delete
everything on your phone. If you refuse to give the cops the password for your phone
after they have obtained a warrant to search your phone, you are in contempt of court.
You can be imprisoned until your give them the password. So, you can be imprisoned
indefinitely. Setting up your phone so that it deletes everything when a given password
is entered, might be a reasonable idea. Or, just get into the habit of deleting messages
after you read them. I do. It's not that hard. Remember, there is phone memory and
there is SIM card memory, and if you have a service set up, there is off site backup
memory. -- Jon Low]
"Then that sets you up, that undermines this whole notion of reasonableness."
[Remove all the stupid bumper stickers ("Keep honking. I'm loading.") from your car
that make you look like an extremist. Take all those stupid T-shirts ("Kill 'em all.
Let God sort them out.") and give them to Goodwill. Take down all the signs around
your house ("Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again."). Immature acts
of stupidity will come back to haunt you. -- Jon Low]
"There is no accidental self-defense. It is an affirmative, deliberate action."
"There’s no insanity defense."
"And so the big resonance on this is “shut your mouth,” stop posting on social media,
tell the police only what they need to hear, and get your counsel involved right away."
"Lawyers don’t change the facts. Lawyers do the best they can with the facts they have.
They can employ expert witnesses. They can have forensic examinations and hire jury
consultants and social media consultants to get you the best possible outcome under
your facts, but they can’t change the facts. So just don’t make bad facts."
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
"Getting to Safety After a Self-Defense Shooting" by Shawn Vincent, et al
https://ccwsafe.com/news/getting-to-safety/
Excerpt:
"From a legal perspective, we encourage defenders not to leave the scene of a self-defense
shooting. Attorney Don West says, “The reason you don’t want to leave the scene is that,
if you’re charged with a crime, the prosecutor may ask the jury to infer some consciousness
of guilt because you fled.” Fleeing the scene can make a shooter look guilty. Don stresses,
however, that the legal considerations are obviously secondary to the immediate safety
concerns, and a defender who can articulate the nature of the threat and how they sought
safety can mitigate any “consciousness of guilt” implications. Steve Moses notes that a
defender facing multiple attackers may have to flee farther from the scene to find safety,
and that is perfectly acceptable, provided the defender immediately initiates a 9-1-1 call."
As Steve Gosney says, there are some crimes for which you cannot bond out [in Florida],
such as murder. There is no bail, so you're in jail until you are acquitted. The prosecutors will
use this power against you. They will delay and delay and delay. After a year locked up away
from your spouse and children, the prosecutor will offer you a plea deal for time served.
Which means you confess to the crime and you get released. The prosecutor wins!
[Prosecutors don't care about releasing violent criminals. They are happy to do so as long
as they get their conviction. Prosecutors don't care about locking up innocent persons. They
are happy to do so as long as they get their conviction. All that matters to them is the
conviction. If they plead the case down to time served, doesn't matter, it's still a conviction.
Prosecutors take very few cases to trial. Just about all cases are plea deals (97%). Trials are
expensive and time consuming. Cuts into golf time.
-- Jon Low]
---
What are you going to be thinking after having spent the past year in jail. Even if you were
not beaten and sodomized everyday. If you are a female, raped by the guards. Yes, amazingly
there are male guards in female prisons. Who would have thought? The judge will dismiss
your law suit accusing the government of mistreating, abusing, torturing you while incarcerated.
Focus. Let's deal with reality, not what should be.
I had friends who were prison guards in South Carolina. They told me that only the new
prisoners file complaints. After the first retaliatory beating, they never file another complaint.
---
As Andrew Branca says, some people thrive in prison. But those people are not like us.
People like us don't survive in prison.
---
How do you bond out and avoid jail? Don't talk to the police. Don't talk to anyone, except
your attorney. The prosecutor has to outline a prima facia case to the judge in order to get the
no bail order. If you say, "Yes, I shot him and I was justified in shooting him. It was
self-defense." You have provided the prosecutor with sufficient evidence to make a prima facia
case. Because you confessed to the homicide. Whether or not it was justified is neither here
nor there as far as the judge is concerned during the bail hearing. That can all be decided later
at trial.
Never admit to shooting the assailant. Force the prosecutor to prove it beyond a reasonable
doubt. The prosecutor might not be able to. Witnesses disappear. Witnesses forget. Witnesses
refuse to testify. Evidence disappears or gets excluded. All kinds of things can happen.
God works in mysterious ways.
And if you have the money, your defense team may also work miracles. As Andrew Branca
says, your attorney can't change the facts, so give him good fact. But, depending on how
politically connected your attorney is, how much juice he has, all kinds of extra legal things can
be made to happen. Extra legal things are not illegal. Extra legal is not tampering with
evidence, witnesses, jurors, etc. The prosecutor will do all kinds of extra legal things like
threatening to deport the person's relative unless the person testifies the way the prosecutor
wants. If you have money, your attorney can play that game too. If you have money.
Instructors who teach, get your self-defense claim recorded as soon as possible, even in the
911 call are WRONG! Never admit to shooting the scum bag.
If you have a good self-defense insurance policy, the attorneys will have you bailed out
immediately after booking.
"I never got arrested."
If the cops photographed you and rolled your fingerprints, you were arrested, whether they
told you that they were arresting you or not.
"They never read me my rights."
Doesn't matter. Shut up!
"They never let me make a phone call."
Doesn't matter. Shut up!
“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
"NFA Under Pressure - Made in Texas Suppressor Lawsuit Update" by Armed Attorneys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSQgRvbOZb0
Tennessee has a similar law, but it's never been tested in any court.
"MONUMENTAL DECISION –
Pennsylvania State Police ENJOINED In Relation to Substantial Delays In
Firearm Background Checks" by Joshua Prince, Esq.
https://blog.princelaw.com/2022/09/02/monumental-decision-pennsylvania-state-police-enjoined-in-relation-to-substantial-delays-in-firearm-background-checks/
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA, http://spw-duf.info
"EXCLUSIVE: The FBI Secretly Pressured Americans To Waive Away Their Gun Rights"
by Gabe Kaminsky
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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.
"Gun Safety for Kids" by Chris Sajnog
https://www.chrissajnog.com/blog/gun-safety-for-kids/
"Eliza Fletcher death: Memphis kidnapping suspect Cleotha Abston held without bond"
Covered by: Lorraine Taylor, Adam Sabes, Bradford Betz, Michael Ruiz, Danielle Wallace,
Stephanie Pagones, Lawrence Richard and Audrey Conklin
https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/eliza-fletcher-abduction-memphis-police-find-body-near-where-billionaire-heiress-went-missing
I became aware of this incident when members of my church fellowship group were
discussing it at yesterday's (9/6/2022) meeting. Some of the members were from Memphis
and knew her and her family.
Lessons learned: Don't go jogging by yourself. Don't go jogging at 04:00 (in the dark).
Don't go anywhere unarmed. If you are a young female, NEVER go jogging by yourself
at 4:00 AM, unarmed in Memphis, TN (Memphis is the murder capitol of the U.S.).
The result is as predictable as stepping off the roof of a tall building.
"You're blaming the victim!"
So, it's funny when red neck guys do stupid things to get themselves killed and win the
Darwin Award, but it's tragic when white women do stupid things to get themselves killed?
Oh, it's much worse than it appears. How did the bad guys know exactly where and when
to set up the ambush for the kidnapping? The bad guys observed repeated behavior.
Stupid behavior is bad. Repeated stupid behavior at the same time time everyday is fatal.
How did the bad guy get caught? The family offered a $50,000 reward.
For those of you who have sent a sample off for DNA testing (in the law enforcement
context) you know how long it takes. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is a law
enforcement agency. There is a backlog of 2 years for rape kits awaiting DNA testing in
large metropolitan cities. So the TBI getting an instant DNA result is . . . surprising.
---
"Even while jogging…!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/even-while-jogging/
---
"Tucker Carlson: This couldn't be more horrible"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgZ9a27Pjes
---
Every crime ridden city is Democrat controlled. Not a coincidence.
"Awareness saved my life" by the Tactical Professor
https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2022/09/04/awareness-saved-my-life/
I've taken so many court ordered defensive driving classes, and taken them so often,
that I've lost count. I can't imagine anyone taking such a course voluntarily. Of course,
it's a good and smart thing to do. And Claude is much smarter than I am.
"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 Safety – A Tactic You Can’t Live Without" by Chris Sajnog
https://www.chrissajnog.com/blog/firearms-safety/
Excerpt:
Real operators don’t break safety rules.
"When I go to the money machine tonight, I ain't looking over my back for the media.
I'm looking for niggers."
-- Chris Rock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65HlzW32hG4
Mr. Rock is not being racist. He is "keeping it real". Don't let political correctness get you
killed. Profiling as practiced by local police and county sheriff deputies is not racist. Profiling
is application of statistical science.
Profiling as practiced by the FBI is nonsense as explained in Mr. Malcolm Gladwell's
writings. https://www.gladwellbooks.com/]
"Dangerous Minds
Criminal profiling made easy." by Malcolm Gladwell
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/11/12/dangerous-minds
[There is something inherently wrong with the FBI.]
Oh yes, political correctness will get you (or others) killed. Let me give you two examples.
When I was in the Marine Corps, a young lady was in Jeep school with us. She was in
Motor T (Motor Transport). Going down a steep hill at Bellows Air Force Base, she rolled the
Jeep and crashed badly, destroying the vehicle. Anytime there is an incident, all involved are
drug tested. She popped for marijuana. Normally, this would result in disciplinary action and
failing the school. But, not only was she female, she was also Black. So, she graduated the
school and went on to truck school, the Deuce and a half (2.5 ton trucks). In that school she
drove her truck off a bridge, killing herself and her A-driver.
Decades ago, my insurance agent had been a Naval fighter pilot. He was very proud of
being "carrier certified" meaning he could land his aircraft on an aircraft carrier. Apparently,
taking off ain't that hard. It's the landing that's difficult. He told me that when he was in,
they had a quota for female pilots. So, the schools had to reduce the standards to get the
females to pass. There was a female pilot in his group who everyone knew by observation
was going to get herself killed, and maybe others. So, he spoke to her, telling her that there
were hundreds of ways to get out honorably. There are a myriad of medical and technical
things that will cause the pilot to lose her flight status. A lot of them, you just claim it and
they will transfer you out. But, she wouldn't do it, because "she was blazing the way for
future women". When attempting a carrier landing, she crashed her aircraft into the aft edge
of the landing deck, killing herself, her EWO (electronic warfare officer), and destroying
the aircraft. The EWO knew what was going on. He had tried to get reassigned. He should
have had sinus problems that day. But, he didn't want to screw her over, because no one
else would fly with her.
Don't get yourself killed for political correctness. It's not worth it.
A friend of mine fell and broke her hip. She had to have an unplanned hip replacement
surgery. An unplanned surgery is very different from a planned surgery. It's more complicated.
Takes longer to recover. Takes more pain medication, because the pain is much worse.
Moral: If your doctor tells you that you're going to need a hip replacement eventually,
plan it. Even if you plan it out in the future, plan it.
Your funeral is planned and paid for, right? Your vacation is planned and paid for, right?
Your grandchildren's college education is planned and paid for, right? So should be your
surgeries.
"7 Gun Safety Rules You Must Follow In the Field" by NRA Staff
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/7-gun-safety-rules-you-must-follow-in-the-field/
"How to Safely Reholster Your Handgun" by Brad Fitzpatrick
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/how-to-safely-reholster-your-handgun/
Excerpt: (paraphrased)
"At Gunsite, speed reholstering is considered a safety violation."
"The Misleading Murderer You Know Lie, a Look at the Data" by Dean Weingarten
https://www.ammoland.com/2022/09/misleading-murderer-you-know-lie-latest-data/#ixzz7eFSLwydf
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA, http://spw-duf.info
Of course, most people are murdered by people they know. Otherwise, there would be no
motive. Random acts of violence is not really a thing. It's only a media / propaganda thing.
This is how to avoid the incident and resultant aftermath.
"You win 100% of the fights you don’t have" by Grant Cunningham
https://www.grantcunningham.com/2017/08/win-100-fights-dont/
Excerpt:
"There’s something you need to internalize if you’re going to actually keep yourself (and
your loved ones) safer: in any conflict, in any defensive incident, there is a greater-than-zero
chance that you’ll lose."
"Developing the courage to say “no” when friends want to go to stupid places to do stupid
things is a tough thing for a lot of people to do, but it’s a core part of actually being safer."
"Ready Positions & Better Outcomes" by Erick Gelhaus
https://americancop.com/ready-positions-better-outcomes/
The less obstructed your field of view, the more information you get, the better the outcome.
So use a ready position that allows you to see the assailant's hands to the limit of their range
of motion.
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.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Personal Security, Medical, Survival, etc. ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House
“Rampage: The Social Roots of School Shootings” by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/rampage-the-social-roots-of-school-shootings
Excerpt:
If you are interested in the prevention of school shootings, this book belongs in your
library. It provides critical information about school shooting prevention that isn’t found
in any other text. You can pick it up in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle editions from
Amazon.com.
"Thoughts on Home Invasions
There's more to defending your home than just having a home defense gun nearby."
by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/thoughts-on-home-invasions/
Excerpt:
"How do you make your home and your family a harder target for home invasions?
Only you can answer that and it is far more involved than you might think."
"Home Defense Strategies — To Stay Put Or Clear It?" by Jim Davis
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/home-defense-strategies-to-stay-put-or-clear-it/
"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
*************************************************************************
----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
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
Steve Cooper <steve@paladintraining.com> writes --
I sincerely hope you’re doing all you can to improve your skills and develop a team.
If you need medical or dental work, get it done now. If you need to get in shape, it’s
never too late to start improving. Being able to shoot, move and communicate is
weapon independent. Remember the Combat Triad. Mindset at the top, Skills next,
followed by Equipment down at the bottom. If you’ve got the mindset and skills,
you can get a better weapon. Stop buying guns and train on what you’ve got.
-- Steve Cooper
Did you get that last sentence?
!!! STOP BUYING GUNS AND TRAIN ON WHAT YOU'VE GOT. !!!
You wouldn't believe the number of friends and colleagues I know who spend all of their
disposable income buying guns and ZERO on training. Racking your slide while watching
TV is not practice, no matter how buttery smooth and satisfying it is.
"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
"The thing about violence is . . . " by Varg Freeborn
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/the-thing-about-violence-is/
Excerpt:
"That whole sheepdog movement is something I personally have come to detest . . . "
[I disagree. I believe that part of being a civilized human is to defend the innocent.
I understand:
Sometimes you can't figure out who the innocent is. There might not be any innocents.
The victim could have trained and practiced as I did. Her gross negligence does not
cause me to become responsible for her. I have invested a huge amount of time and money
to acquire my skill. Why should I exercise my skill and incur the risk to protect her?
Not my circus. Not my monkeys. Not my tribe. Not my family. Not my loved ones.
Why should I risk my life, my family's income, my responsibility to raising my children?
I am familiar with all the arguments. I have simply decided that I will protect the
innocent. I have decided that that is the type of person I wish to be.
Remember Catherine Susan "Kitty" Genovese (July 7, 1935 - March 13, 1964). Raped,
stabbed, screaming (for a long time), murdered. Lots of witnesses (at least 30 documented).
No one helped her. No one protected her. Do you want to live in such a world? Or, will
you step up to protect the innocent?
-- Jon Low]
"You can’t truly call yourself 'peaceful' unless you are capable of great violence.
If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful, you’re harmless.
Important distinction." -- Stef Starkgaryen
The Bible exhorts us to be ready, like the wise virgins; to be prepared, . . .
"Hero shot in the head recalls ordeal with Tucker"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hApiMtU-CDo
There are heroes. The liberal mass media won't report on them, but they exist and are
legion.
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens
*************************************************************************
----- Training (figuring out the correct tasks to learn) -----
"Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
Tom Givens says, "In just the past few years the training community has lost a staggering
amount of experience and expertise. Death took from us Louis Awerbuck, Pat Rogers,
Jim Cirillo, Todd Green, Paul Gomez, Chuck Taylor, William Aprill, and James Yeager.
In addition, master trainers Ken Hackathorn and Dave Spaulding retired from active teaching.
In every case, people said to me, “I really meant to train with him, but I never got around to it.
Now it’s too late”. There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them. Plan
accordingly.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rangemaster/permalink/10158764385475924/
---
When I took Tom's Instructor Development class, Tom got out of his hospital bed to teach
the class. That is a crazy level of dedication, because his assistant instructors were doing a
fine job of teaching the class. He could have convalesced in the hospital. But he knew we
were there for his teaching. So he came. You need to be that serious and dedicated when
you attend training. And of course the first step is to ATTEND training.
I'm not a hypocrite. I'm attending the Guardian Conference this weekend, September
16th, 17th, and 18th of 2022. $750 plus round trip air fare, hotel, rental car, and money for
snacks. (Unlike the Secret Service agents who accompanied President Obama to Caracas,
Venezuela, I have no money budgeted for prostitutes and drugs.)
Please read the article below. It is very important for you, your children, and grandchildren
who will eventually serve in the Armed Forces. I took my son to the M-16 course at Front
Sight before he enlisted in the Marine Corps.
"AL TARMIYAH FIREFIGHT!: Lessons Learned The Hard Way" by Paul Gardner
https://www.swatmag.com/article/al-tarmiyah-firefight-lessons-learned-hard-way/
Excerpt:
After completing that three-day course, I can say with complete confidence that had I
been able to attend a Trident Concepts, EAG Tactical, or Magpul Dynamics carbine course,
or similar training offered by a quality instructor before I deployed to war in 2003, and had
been able to learn and put into practice what is taught in those courses, I would not have
been shot in the manner in which I was on that Sunday afternoon in Iraq.
John Murphy is listing his classes on ShootingClasses.com these days.
https://www.shootingclasses.com/fpf-training-llc/
Guardian Conference, September 16th - 18th, 2022 in Oklahoma City
https://guardianconference.com/
Course descriptions:
https://guardianconference.com/courses/
Amazingly, tickets still available. They are starting to make up the student's schedules,
so better get your tickets, NOW, if you intend to attend.
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)
"Some things take time" by the Tactical Professor
https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2022/09/02/some-things-take-time/
I distribute the "Dale Carnegie’s Golden Book" to my students as one of documents they
get when they express interest in my Defensive Pistol course. Send me an email and
I'll send you a copy.
Excerpts from "Dale Carnegie’s Golden Book":
The Perfect Way to Conquer Worry
1. Pray.
---
6. Don’t worry about insomnia.
[I've always felt insomnia was God's way of telling me to get up and do something.
As I always have a long list of things to do. -- Jon Low]
"Take training from different instructors.
We are all wrong about something."
-- John Farnam
"Ladies and Classes" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022-09_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Excerpt:
Put on your big girl panties and come on out to train.
---
Tom is encouraging women to attend the Instructor Development class and then teach
other women, as some women are hesitant to take classes from men. That's why it is so
important for men to be genteel when teaching their classes. No foul language. No rough
language. No war stories that scare the students.
“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
"MIRROR IMAGE SHOOTING" by Massad Ayoob
https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/mirror-image-shooting/
Excerpt:
It’s useful for a number of reasons.
• An injury to anything from eye to hand may, someday down the road, force you to shoot
this way. It would be nice to know how to do it beforehand, and not have to learn it while
suffering through a recuperation period.
• For defensive shooting, particularly with a rifle or shotgun, if vertical cover must be used
mirror image shooting will give the practitioner minimum exposure from behind the cover.
• For those of us who teach, how will we teach a student with opposite-side dominance to
shoot if we can’t teach ourselves to do it?
• Many professionals and serious users carry a backup gun on their non-dominant hand side,
in case they ever have to shoot weak-hand only. One should be prepared to do so, no?
• I ask my staff instructors to teach a class, compete in a match, or at least shoot a
qualification once a year “mirror image.” It’s my insurance that they continue to master the
techniques they teach, and aren’t overcoming bad technique with physical strength or
constant repetition. (Either of the latter can eventually work for an individual, but they don’t
lend themselves to transmission to students.)
[It is critically important to be able to face your student and mirror demonstrate what you
want the student to do. (While both of you are keeping your pistols pointed down range.)
-- Jon Low]
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
"So how did I get that joke that fast under that much pressure?"
"I've been practicing all my life, just like you've probably been practicing.
You just didn't know you were practicing. I'm here to let you know you've been practicing."
"For a lot of you guys, it's game time. It's game time."
-- Michael Jr.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twSvd5bQLDw
Listen carefully to what Michael says about mindset.
"This will put your alarm clock out of business."
Do you understand what is missing? Do you know your punchline?
[If you can twist the narrative, twist the flow of action, in an unexpected way, you can
beat your enemy every time.
I've used this technique in fencing, in debate, and in combat. It works.
-- Jon Low]
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
Slow is smooth (because you can control what you're doing).
Smooth is efficient (because controlling what you are doing removes inefficiencies).
Efficient is fast (because there is no wasted motion).
Fast is good (because whoever hits first usually wins).
[Which is not the same as whoever shoots first.]
"Shooting Tips with @Danyela D'Angelo Episode 5 - Common Competition Mistakes"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRBe8RRMS_Q
Notice how all of the tips are really about attitude. To avoid forgetting to bring equipment,
make a list, check it as you pack the car the night before. So, you're not in a rush when you
pack. Being in a rush causes errors.
Marine Corps says, mishaps are caused by breaking habits (not doing things the way you
have trained and practiced doing them), time compression (rushing, usually self imposed and
needless), and distraction (Pay attention. Pilot the aircraft, don't text message your buddy.
Drive the car, don't text message your girlfriend. Command your troops, don't stop to care
for the wounded.).
"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
“Self-defense warning: the "knockout game", a.k.a. "polar bear hunting", is back”
by Peter
https://BayouRenaissanceMan.blogspot.com/2022/08/self-defense-warning-knockout-game-aka.html
That's why it is so important to be aware of what is going on around you.
"Who is around you and what are they doing?" -- Tom Givens
That is why it is so important to preempt the attack. You must shoot before you are hit.
The purpose of self-defense is to prevent your injury. No law requires you to suffer the
first blow before defending yourself. If you allow your enemy to strike first, you'll be dead
or you will be down on the ground getting stomped to death, unable to defend yourself or
your loved ones. You must strike preemptively. To be able to do this, you must be aware.
So, you must be able to recognize the pre-assault indicators. (Take a class and read
Greg Ellifritz' articles at ActiveResponseTraining.net, search for pre-assault indicators.)
There are many documented incidents of a person being killed by a single punch.
You should document as many of these as you can. And use them as justification for your
preemptive strike. You may need to help your attorney, because if you don't have a lot of
money or a good self-defense insurance policy, you won't be able to afford a very good
attorney. In American, you get as much justice as you can afford.
"Soft Skills in the Survival Spectrum — Here’s Why They’re So Important"
by Steve Tarani
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/soft-skills-in-the-survival-spectrum-heres-why-theyre-so-important/
This essay has to be read carefully. A superficial reading will leave you with a false
impression.
Excerpt:
"All hard skills are perishable. Even after receiving professional instruction, you then
need to maintain those skills. If you plan on using those skills to preserve life and limb
then you’re probably going to want a high level of competency which means a higher
level of commitment to your training. Regularly practicing your newly learned skills is
the only way to stop hard skills erosion."
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, and Escape
"Church Security" by PATRICK KILCHERMANN
https://www.concealedcarryconfidence.org/church-defense-strategic-doctrinal-map
PDF file,
https://d2saw6je89goi1.cloudfront.net/uploads/digital_asset/file/619743/CHURCH_SECURITY_PROPOSAL_1A.pdf
"Confronting the Mobile Killer" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/confronting-the-mobile-killer
"Stopping the Attack
Sheriff Jim reminds us that stopping an attacker as soon
as possible is critical to surviving a criminal encounter."
by Jim WIlson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/stopping-the-attack/
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
Surprise your assailant. Attack him NOW! Without warning. No wind up. No preparation.
Just ATTACK!
As Tim Larkin says, there is no Self-Defense. There is only violence. After the fact, in the
calm of air conditioned carpeted offices, others (who, as Andrew Branca points out, don't know
what actually happened, because they were not present during the incident) will decide if the
violence was self-defense or a criminal act. And in a sense, it doesn't matter.
If you're dead, it doesn't matter to you, because you're dead.
If you're alive, it doesn't matter, because being alive is better than being dead.
Even life in prison is better than death. There is always hope. (Maybe even conjugal visits.)
[President Trump might pardon you, when he gets elected. Or your governor might pardon
you. Or you may be released because the prison is overcrowded. Or you may be released
because the warden is afraid of everyone getting Covid-19. The possibilities are endless.
Remember, God can do more than you could hope or imagine. You may be able to save a
soul in prison. Wouldn't that make it all worthwhile?]
"Rethinking 'Show me your hands!' " by By Lewis “Von” Kliem, MCJ, JD, LLM
https://www.police1.com/patrol-issues/articles/rethinking-show-me-your-hands-4IontF9cQseTOghq/
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA, http://spw-duf.info
(My father always looked askance at people who chose to put alphabet soup after their
names.)
"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
"The Most Common Mistakes in Your Drawstroke
Practice your drawstroke carefully, properly and often." by Jeff Gonzales
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/the-most-common-mistakes-in-your-drawstroke/
Many instructors teach going to a lower position, such as kneeling (though I think squatting
is better, if you have the requisite flexibility, as it allows you to get in and out of position
faster), to change the trajectory of your bullet to avoid hitting innocent bystanders. You
should also be prepared to stand on a chair, table, or counter top to shoot down at your targets.
Ya, you might get a ricochet off the floor, but is that worse than rounds going up over the
innocents? The bullets are going to come down somewhere. Depends on the background.
I mention this because a colleague sent me a video with audio of a bank (I assume it's a
bank) robbery in a foreign country. (He did not give me permission to share it. I think the
incident is still under investigation.) Three bank robbers enter the bank and start shooting
and demanding everyone get down. But the panicked customers do not get down. They
start running around. (Maybe they don't understand the language the bank robbers are
using?) There are several counters on which customers stand to write out their deposit
slips and such. A gentleman jumps up and stands on one of these counters. The bank
robbers apparently mistake him for one of the bank robbers, as he is dressed in a similar
manner, though not exactly. Such is the confusion and chaos of combat. The gentleman
shoots down at the three bank robbers with a pistol, one shot each. I'm thinking, that's very
professional. I suspect the gentleman was a law enforcement officer who had followed the
bank robbers into the bank (or was waiting for them in the bank?) and knew their modus
operandi. But, I speculate. From the video, it appears that no innocent bystanders were shot.
Though in any stampede, you're going to have injuries. (Perhaps another reason to be up
on the counter.)
I note that Israelis are taught to lie flat on the ground when they hear the order to get down
spoken in Hebrew. That is how the Israeli operators are able to kill the terrorists without
harming the innocents. I don't know of European civilians getting this sort of training. I don't
know of any American civilians getting such instruction. I don't know about elsewhere.
The only mass civilian training that I know of is the Eddie Eagle program,
"Stop. Don't touch. Leave the area. Tell an adult."
Innocents running around makes the operator's mission difficult. There may have been
more than three bank robbers. The gentleman may have shot innocent bystanders as
well as bank robbers. It was not clear from the video that all three were armed. It was not
clear from the video that the three targets were the bank robbers. You've got to have balls
of steel to execute such a mission. Getting up on that counter and shooting down, certainly
helped. It's the kind of move that only a good guy would do. It drew the bank robber's fire
away from the innocent bystanders. This was not a military operation; no one was wearing
uniforms. So, it's hard to distinguish good guy from bad guy.
In some countries there is a national uniform. Everyone dresses the same. Very difficult
to distinguish good guys from bad guys. My friends in Saudi took me to a music festival.
I was the only one dressed in Western clothes. Everyone else was in thobe and gutra.
There were no women. Men and women don't intermingle.
All women wear the black abbya. So, except for body type, they are unrecognizable.
Their faces are covered, just two slits for their eyes. Try distinguishing good guys from
bad guys in such an environment.
"MARK YOUR STUFF | Witness Marks - How and Why" by Tessah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzFFxqKxmWo
"4 Reasons to Learn the Isosceles Shooting Stance
Why this might be the best shooting stance for you to memorize." by Brad Fitzpatrick
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/4-reasons-to-learn-the-isosceles-shooting-stance/
1. It’s Natural
2. It Allows For Rapid Movement
3. It’s Versatile
4. It’s Easy to Master
"The Sight Alignment Dilemma
Aligning your gun to the target seems easy. Mastering this skill, however, is hard work."
by Steve Tarani
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/the-sight-alignment-dilemma/
Excerpt:
Travis McCamish, “You can only shoot as fast as you can visually process.”
[Yes, shooting faster than you can see is a fatal mistake. Usually fatal for the innocent
bystander that you mistakenly shot. -- Jon Low]
[The correct way to adjust your natural point of aim is to move your entire body relative to
the ground, not to twist your legs or torso. -- Jon Low]
Mike Pannone says, “With the red dot if you stare at a precise point on the target your
vision will “pull” the dot to the point you are staring at. Conversely, if you look at the dot,
the dot will “pull” your vision wherever it goes in the recoil cycle. Vision drives the process
and so direct your vision to a distinct spot on the target and maintain it there to get the
best results.”
Bill Rogers and Joe Knapp advise, “When you shoot, it should be with a hard focus on
the visual center of the target.” [They are talking about red dot sights, not iron sights.
because the red dot is in focus at the target. So the shooter is able to focus on the target
and the red dot at the same time. This is not possible with iron sights.
-- Jon Low]
"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
"Gateway Instructor Certification with Tiffany Johnson and Aqil Qadir"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za01DD3NEow
Everytime I raised my prices, I got more students. -- James Yeager
When we raised our prices, we got more business and higher quality
students. -- Tiffany Johnson ("we" refers to Tiffany and Aqil Qadir)
I increased the fees for my classes by over 50% and my enrollments
went up. -- Lee Weems
---
[I have found the demand-supply curve to be completely inelastic. Most of my students
are sent to me by fathers, husbands, and boyfriends. They never ask the price and they don't
care. They will pay whatever I ask. On the rare occasion that I have advertized a class, I have
gotten zero students, because I don't spend any time or effort marketing. When asked to give
a class at a gun club or church, the hosting entity takes care of getting the students. Lucky me.
-- Jon Low]
---
John Farnam charges a lot. The purpose is to weed out non-serious students.
He only wants serious students. This is a good idea, because wasting your time with
non-serious students is dangerous and wastes the other student's time.
It's a matter of perceived value.
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
"Polya explains the problem solving technique"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0gbw-Ur_do
Attitude of teaching.
Allowing the student the opportunity to discover.
Let us teach guessing.
A demonstration of a teaching methodology.
[I have read many of Polya's books and articles. -- Jon Low]
The problems are often incompletely stated. So the first problem is to correctly and
completely state the problem. Is the problem well defined? Could it ever be well defined?
Some problems can never be well defined. Can you recognize such problems, so you
know how to approach them? (Yes, I'm talking about tactical problems.)
I watched the movie "Spartan" by David Mamet, staring Val Kilmer, with a friend. She had
never seen it before. At one point we paused the movie to get snacks and drinks. Then we
returned to continue the movie. I clicked on scene selection to find where we had left off. The
scene was titled "Homeless". After the movie, she said she didn't understand the title of the
section of the movie titled "Homeless", as the movie had a happy ending and no one was
homeless. I explained to her that the government was not paying for the mission and the hero
could not afford to do the mission. So the hero sold his home, his farm (the family farm), etc.
to generate the money to pay for the intel, personnel, air fare, hotel rooms, cargo frieght,
shipping container, tools, pocket cash, etc. for the mission. It was obvious to me from the
hero's conversation with the character the Chinaman (who was not portrayed by an Oriental
person). The Chinaman refers to a real world person. You might know him. But, it was not
obvious to her, because it was not explicitly stated in the script that the actors spoke, nor by
any action in the video.
Such is the problem with cultural background. It is very easy to falsely assume that the
other person understood what happened. But, unless it was said, shown, or demonstrated
there is an excellent chance that they missed it. Be careful. Take precautions.
"The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."
-- Robert John Meehan
*************************************************************************
----- 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 107: Post Incident Actions Pt.3"
with Shawn Vincent, Don West, and Steve Moses
https://ccwsafe.com/news/in-self-defense-episode-107-post-incident-actions-pt-3/
Excerpt:
"And he actually declined some medical treatment that he could have had,
which probably would’ve helped the case."
[Don't decline medical treatment. ASK for medical attention! You may be bleeding and not
know it. YES! That's true. A lot of guys don't feel anything when shot or stabbed.
You may be bleeding internally and not know it.
Andrew Branca mentions in his classes how he was slashed to the bone on his forearm
and didn't notice it.
-- Jon Low]
"Saying, “I’m happy to take a breath test. You can take my blood. I’m not under the
influence of alcohol or drugs.” "
[If you're carrying a firearm, you are much more dangerous than if you were driving a car.
So don't consume alcohol or any intoxicant. To do so is criminal stupidity. -- Jon Low]
[Stop using social media. Monkeys throw shit at each other on social media. You're
not a monkey. Stop! Read a book. (I was going to say, write a book. But, if you're
going to be like Voltaire writing "Candide", you're just like a little monkey throwing shit
at the 800 pound gorilla (French aristocracy). And nothing good ever comes of that.)
-- Jon Low]
"The police are going to get your phone. They’re going to get it at the scene.
They may not get into it that night, but they’re going to get a search warrant and
be able to inspect it.
So they’re going to see your history. They’re going to see the text messages."
[Don't carry a smart phone. If you have to carry a smart phone, have a key preset to delete
everything on your phone. If you refuse to give the cops the password for your phone
after they have obtained a warrant to search your phone, you are in contempt of court.
You can be imprisoned until your give them the password. So, you can be imprisoned
indefinitely. Setting up your phone so that it deletes everything when a given password
is entered, might be a reasonable idea. Or, just get into the habit of deleting messages
after you read them. I do. It's not that hard. Remember, there is phone memory and
there is SIM card memory, and if you have a service set up, there is off site backup
memory. -- Jon Low]
"Then that sets you up, that undermines this whole notion of reasonableness."
[Remove all the stupid bumper stickers ("Keep honking. I'm loading.") from your car
that make you look like an extremist. Take all those stupid T-shirts ("Kill 'em all.
Let God sort them out.") and give them to Goodwill. Take down all the signs around
your house ("Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again."). Immature acts
of stupidity will come back to haunt you. -- Jon Low]
"There is no accidental self-defense. It is an affirmative, deliberate action."
"There’s no insanity defense."
"And so the big resonance on this is “shut your mouth,” stop posting on social media,
tell the police only what they need to hear, and get your counsel involved right away."
"Lawyers don’t change the facts. Lawyers do the best they can with the facts they have.
They can employ expert witnesses. They can have forensic examinations and hire jury
consultants and social media consultants to get you the best possible outcome under
your facts, but they can’t change the facts. So just don’t make bad facts."
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
"Getting to Safety After a Self-Defense Shooting" by Shawn Vincent, et al
https://ccwsafe.com/news/getting-to-safety/
Excerpt:
"From a legal perspective, we encourage defenders not to leave the scene of a self-defense
shooting. Attorney Don West says, “The reason you don’t want to leave the scene is that,
if you’re charged with a crime, the prosecutor may ask the jury to infer some consciousness
of guilt because you fled.” Fleeing the scene can make a shooter look guilty. Don stresses,
however, that the legal considerations are obviously secondary to the immediate safety
concerns, and a defender who can articulate the nature of the threat and how they sought
safety can mitigate any “consciousness of guilt” implications. Steve Moses notes that a
defender facing multiple attackers may have to flee farther from the scene to find safety,
and that is perfectly acceptable, provided the defender immediately initiates a 9-1-1 call."
As Steve Gosney says, there are some crimes for which you cannot bond out [in Florida],
such as murder. There is no bail, so you're in jail until you are acquitted. The prosecutors will
use this power against you. They will delay and delay and delay. After a year locked up away
from your spouse and children, the prosecutor will offer you a plea deal for time served.
Which means you confess to the crime and you get released. The prosecutor wins!
[Prosecutors don't care about releasing violent criminals. They are happy to do so as long
as they get their conviction. Prosecutors don't care about locking up innocent persons. They
are happy to do so as long as they get their conviction. All that matters to them is the
conviction. If they plead the case down to time served, doesn't matter, it's still a conviction.
Prosecutors take very few cases to trial. Just about all cases are plea deals (97%). Trials are
expensive and time consuming. Cuts into golf time.
-- Jon Low]
---
What are you going to be thinking after having spent the past year in jail. Even if you were
not beaten and sodomized everyday. If you are a female, raped by the guards. Yes, amazingly
there are male guards in female prisons. Who would have thought? The judge will dismiss
your law suit accusing the government of mistreating, abusing, torturing you while incarcerated.
Focus. Let's deal with reality, not what should be.
I had friends who were prison guards in South Carolina. They told me that only the new
prisoners file complaints. After the first retaliatory beating, they never file another complaint.
---
As Andrew Branca says, some people thrive in prison. But those people are not like us.
People like us don't survive in prison.
---
How do you bond out and avoid jail? Don't talk to the police. Don't talk to anyone, except
your attorney. The prosecutor has to outline a prima facia case to the judge in order to get the
no bail order. If you say, "Yes, I shot him and I was justified in shooting him. It was
self-defense." You have provided the prosecutor with sufficient evidence to make a prima facia
case. Because you confessed to the homicide. Whether or not it was justified is neither here
nor there as far as the judge is concerned during the bail hearing. That can all be decided later
at trial.
Never admit to shooting the assailant. Force the prosecutor to prove it beyond a reasonable
doubt. The prosecutor might not be able to. Witnesses disappear. Witnesses forget. Witnesses
refuse to testify. Evidence disappears or gets excluded. All kinds of things can happen.
God works in mysterious ways.
And if you have the money, your defense team may also work miracles. As Andrew Branca
says, your attorney can't change the facts, so give him good fact. But, depending on how
politically connected your attorney is, how much juice he has, all kinds of extra legal things can
be made to happen. Extra legal things are not illegal. Extra legal is not tampering with
evidence, witnesses, jurors, etc. The prosecutor will do all kinds of extra legal things like
threatening to deport the person's relative unless the person testifies the way the prosecutor
wants. If you have money, your attorney can play that game too. If you have money.
Instructors who teach, get your self-defense claim recorded as soon as possible, even in the
911 call are WRONG! Never admit to shooting the scum bag.
If you have a good self-defense insurance policy, the attorneys will have you bailed out
immediately after booking.
"I never got arrested."
If the cops photographed you and rolled your fingerprints, you were arrested, whether they
told you that they were arresting you or not.
"They never read me my rights."
Doesn't matter. Shut up!
"They never let me make a phone call."
Doesn't matter. Shut up!
“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
"NFA Under Pressure - Made in Texas Suppressor Lawsuit Update" by Armed Attorneys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSQgRvbOZb0
Tennessee has a similar law, but it's never been tested in any court.
"MONUMENTAL DECISION –
Pennsylvania State Police ENJOINED In Relation to Substantial Delays In
Firearm Background Checks" by Joshua Prince, Esq.
https://blog.princelaw.com/2022/09/02/monumental-decision-pennsylvania-state-police-enjoined-in-relation-to-substantial-delays-in-firearm-background-checks/
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA, http://spw-duf.info
"EXCLUSIVE: The FBI Secretly Pressured Americans To Waive Away Their Gun Rights"
by Gabe Kaminsky
https://dailycaller.com/2022/09/06/fbi-second-amendment-nics/
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA, http://spw-duf.info
If the FBI asks you to sign a document, DON'T. It's always a confession of some sort.
"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."
This is very disturbing on many levels.
"Yet another loss in court for Brewer and NRA" by NRA in Danger
https://nraindanger.wordpress.com/2022/09/05/yet-another-loss-in-court-for-brewer-and-nra/
The article that is cited,
"SAVE THE NRA: D-WAYNE THE SWAMP" by Ben Langlotz
https://gunpatent.com/save-the-nra-d-wayne-the-swamp/
Why is the NRA hiring hard core anti-gun Democrats? There are lots of pro-gun law
firms that would be happy to take the cases (and the huge legal fees). Because orgainizations
rot from within. It is extremely rare for a large powerful organization to be destroyed by
outside forces. (Just like nation states.) They die by corruption from within.
“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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Education ***** ***** *****
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
Rangemaster SEPT. 2022 NEWSLETTER
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022-09_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Hardware (which includes you) ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
"I would like to see every woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley
----- Gear -----
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
"Rifles!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/rifles-4/
Ambidextrous pistols: (updated list)
Because, being right handed doesn't mean you're going to be right handed in combat.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following are truly ambidextrous --
Springfield Armory, XDM Elite
https://www.springfield-armory.com/xd-series-handguns/xd-m-elite-handguns/
Striker action. ~$653 MSRP.
FN (Fabrique Nationale Herstal), 509 and others
https://fnamerica.com/products/pistols/fn-509/
Double action / single action. MSRP: $719.00.
The H&K (Heckler & Koch), VP9
https://hk-usa.com/hk-models/vp9/
Striker action. Retails for around $600.00.
Ruger, American
https://www.ruger.com/products/rugerAmericanPistol/models.html
Striker action. MSRP:$669.00.
Global Ordnance, Arex Delta Generation 2M
https://globalordnance.com/arex-delta-gen-2/
Striker action. MSRP $535.
IWI (Israeli Weapon Industries), MASADA
Standard version,
https://iwi.us/product/m9orp17/
Tactical version,
https://iwi.us/product/m9orp17t/
Striker action. MSRP $480.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following has an ambidextrous magazine release, but not ambidextrous slide stop --
The Springfield Armory XD type pistols.
https://www.springfield-armory.com/xd-series-handguns
Striker action. MSRP $440 - $568.
Louis Awerbuck recommended the XD in 45 ACP.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following have ambidextrous slide stops, but not ambidextrous magazine releases --
(being able to move the magazine release to the other side is not the same as being
ambidextrous)
The latest Glocks. ~$600 to $700. Striker action.
https://us.glock.com/en/pistols/g17
The latest Walthers. MSRP: $649. Striker action.
https://waltherarms.com/pdp-full-size-5/
For those with small hands, or short trigger fingers, or weak hands and arms,
Walther PDP F-Series, MSRP $699.
https://waltherarms.com/pdp-f-series/
The S&W M&P's. MSRP: $ 665. Striker action.
https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/mp-m20
For those with small hands, or short trigger fingers, or weak hands and arms,
M&P® SHIELD™ EZ®
https://www.smith-wesson.com/9ez
The Remington RP, $349.00. Striker action.
https://remingtonarmsusa.com/remington-rp9-9mm-striker-fired-pistol/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Carrying Full-Size Handguns" by Josh Wayner
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/carrying-full-size-handguns
Larger pistols are easier to manipulate than compacts or sub compacts. As long as
the grip is long enough to allow you to get all of your fingers on the grip, I think it's okay.
If you can't get all of your fingers on the grip, you won't be able to manipulate the pistol
correctly.
I bought some ETS (Elite Tactical Systems) magazines for my Glock 21.
They are clear plastic. So you can see: how many rounds are in the mag, what's going on
with the spring (is it rusty? cracked?), what's going on with the follower, how dirty it is on the
inside.
If you stomp on a steel magazine, it will deform. Won't spring back. Can't use it anymore.
I accidentally stomped on one of these plastic magazines and it was just fine.
The lips of steel magazines will flex (and hopefully bounce back) when you yank hard
when clearing a failure to extract malfunction (Type III malfunction), also known as a double
feed. So you can pull the magazine out without locking the slide to the rear. The hard
reinforced plastic lips of the ETS magazines don't flex much. I had to lock the slide back to
clear a failure to extract malfunction.
They work well. I recommend.
GunMagWarehouse has them for $15.
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/
Elite Tactical Systems sells them for $22.
https://www.etsgroup.us/Default.asp
For years I had heard people complain about cheap Glock sights that had to be replaced.
"The first thing a person does when he buys a Glock is to replace the sights." I never
understood this, as the Glocks that I had used had perfectly good steel sights with tritium
inserts. The word "Glock" was engraved on the sights, so I knew they were Glock sights.
I didn't know that Glock ships its pistols to civilians with plastic sights.
When you order your Glock, you should specify steel sights with tritium inserts. The
glow in the dark sights make the pistol much easier to find in the dark. Especially when you
can't use your flashlight and are groping around on the ground trying to find all the things
you dropped.
If you're buying used, check out the police department trade-ins at OfficerStore.com or
other places that resell used police pistols. They are usually in good condition, because
police don't use their pistols much. Qualifying at the range once or twice a year is about it.
They are not like us.
There are a lot of pistols chambered for the 40 S&W being traded in because a lot of
departments are changing to the 9mm. You can get such pistols from the OfficerStore.com
for $340.
https://www.officerstore.com/firearms/pistols?brand=Glock&page=1
I have a hard time finding 45 ACP ammo for work. So I buy whatever I can find whenever
I find some in stores or pawn shops. As a result, I have an assortment:
165 grain Federal Guard Dog, not hollow point, but mushroom as if they were. (There are
some jurisdictions that forbid hollow point bullets, e.g. New Jersey.)
185 grain Sierra, jacketed hollow point.
200 grain Sig Sauer, jacketed hollow point.
220 grain Hornady Critical Duty, jacketed hollow point with a plastic thing in the cavity, +P.
230 grain Federal Punch, jacketed hollow point.
They all feed, chamber, and fire reliably. My gelatin tests (not scientific) indicate that when
fired a couple of feet from the gelatin block, they all start expanding at 6 to 8 inches in the
gelatin and that the heavier bullets penetrate deeper. [The +P blew through the length of two
blocks and jarred my hands. I think the red plastic thingy in the cavity prevented them from
expanding.]
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
----- Technical / Maintenance -----
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
"Wheelgun Woes, and how to prevent them" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022-09_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Excerpt:
First, you have to remember that a revolver has multiple
chambers in a revolving cylinder. Each of those chambers has to
line up with the opening in the barrel (forcing cone) precisely. To
accomplish this in the long run, the revolver needs periodic tuning
by a qualified armorer. This is NOT a user level task.
[Great revolver photos.]
"How To Disassemble a Modern S&W Revolver" by Terril Hebert
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/how-to-disassemble-a-modern-sw-revolver/
If anyone tells you that revolvers are more reliable than semi-autos, he's a damn fool.
See how many moving parts there are in a revolver? The more moving parts, the less
reliable; as with any mechanical device. And as Tom says in the above article, the timing of
the mechanism must be within tight tolerances, which requires periodic tuning. Something
you can't do. You have to have a gunsmith do it for you.
Don't use revolvers for self-defense. They require reloading too often. They take too long
to reload. They are much more difficult to reload, especially under stress. The only exception
would be firing from inside your purse or pocket, where the confined space would cause a
semi-auto to malfunction, because there is no space to eject the brass.
"Lehigh Defense -
Xtreme Defense 90gr Bullet with and without Flutes in gel -
Here's what happened." by Wilson Combat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM2t8Lq3geU
I found this gelatin block test interesting. Notice that this is a fluid physics experiment.
The terminal ballistics would be different in a non-liquid medium, such as bone or non-liquid
tissue.
If your leather holster or mag pouch is too tight and you can't loosen the screws to make it
work, try coating the inside unfinished surface with vegetable oil. You'll be amazed at how it
just soaks in and disappears. It will allow the leather to stretch. Then you can adjust the
tension with the screws.
We used to use vegetable oil to condition and soften our T-ball gloves. Ya, I never made it
to softball or baseball.
"Pistol Ejector Tuning Tips
How to find semi-automatic pistol ejection perfection" by Brad Miller, Ph.D.
https://www.ssusa.org/content/pistol-ejector-tuning-tips/
"Top 6 Expert Tips to Prevent Gun Rust
We asked our NRA Museum staff how they keep our priceless collection rust-free."
by NRA Staff
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/top-6-expert-tips-to-prevent-gun-rust/
I wore out my leather belt. Expect such thing to happen and be prepared to replace items.
You carry a spare tire in your car, right? Same thing.
"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)
*************************************************************************
***** ***** Religion, Politics, and War Stories ***** ***** *****
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
"James Yeager, 1973-2022" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/james-yeager-1973-2022/
If you don't understand what's going on, carefully view
"President Biden Full Speech on Democracy" C-SPAN recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JemWkV2Vcic
(It's not the same as the CNN recording. CNN changed the lighting and coloring in
post production so that the background would not look exactly like a speech given
by Adolf Hitler. But, they could not hide Biden's two fist gesture. Exactly as used
by Hitler and Benito Mussolini.)
and then consider John Farnam's note
"Unity?" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/unity/
"Language Police!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/language-police/
Franklin Graham expressed it well:
“After 9/11, there were a lot of things being said about how the God of Islam and the God
of the Christian faith were one and the same, but that’s simply not true . . . The God that I
worship does not require me to kill other people [Jihad, holy war]. The God that I worship
tells me I am to love my enemy, to give him food when he’s hungry and water when he’s
thirsty.” Matthew 5:43-48, Luke 6:27, Luke 6:35
"A New Study Suggests That Black Southerners' Access to Firearms Reduced Lynchings
The analysis reinforces the historical case for armed self-defense in response to racist violence."
by Jacob Sullum
https://reason.com/2022/09/08/a-new-study-suggests-that-black-southerners-access-to-guns-reduced-lynchings/
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA, http://spw-duf.info
If the FBI asks you to sign a document, DON'T. It's always a confession of some sort.
"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."
This is very disturbing on many levels.
"Yet another loss in court for Brewer and NRA" by NRA in Danger
https://nraindanger.wordpress.com/2022/09/05/yet-another-loss-in-court-for-brewer-and-nra/
The article that is cited,
"SAVE THE NRA: D-WAYNE THE SWAMP" by Ben Langlotz
https://gunpatent.com/save-the-nra-d-wayne-the-swamp/
Why is the NRA hiring hard core anti-gun Democrats? There are lots of pro-gun law
firms that would be happy to take the cases (and the huge legal fees). Because orgainizations
rot from within. It is extremely rare for a large powerful organization to be destroyed by
outside forces. (Just like nation states.) They die by corruption from within.
“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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Education ***** ***** *****
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
Rangemaster SEPT. 2022 NEWSLETTER
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022-09_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Hardware (which includes you) ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
"I would like to see every woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley
----- Gear -----
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
"Rifles!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/rifles-4/
Ambidextrous pistols: (updated list)
Because, being right handed doesn't mean you're going to be right handed in combat.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following are truly ambidextrous --
Springfield Armory, XDM Elite
https://www.springfield-armory.com/xd-series-handguns/xd-m-elite-handguns/
Striker action. ~$653 MSRP.
FN (Fabrique Nationale Herstal), 509 and others
https://fnamerica.com/products/pistols/fn-509/
Double action / single action. MSRP: $719.00.
The H&K (Heckler & Koch), VP9
https://hk-usa.com/hk-models/vp9/
Striker action. Retails for around $600.00.
Ruger, American
https://www.ruger.com/products/rugerAmericanPistol/models.html
Striker action. MSRP:$669.00.
Global Ordnance, Arex Delta Generation 2M
https://globalordnance.com/arex-delta-gen-2/
Striker action. MSRP $535.
IWI (Israeli Weapon Industries), MASADA
Standard version,
https://iwi.us/product/m9orp17/
Tactical version,
https://iwi.us/product/m9orp17t/
Striker action. MSRP $480.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following has an ambidextrous magazine release, but not ambidextrous slide stop --
The Springfield Armory XD type pistols.
https://www.springfield-armory.com/xd-series-handguns
Striker action. MSRP $440 - $568.
Louis Awerbuck recommended the XD in 45 ACP.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following have ambidextrous slide stops, but not ambidextrous magazine releases --
(being able to move the magazine release to the other side is not the same as being
ambidextrous)
The latest Glocks. ~$600 to $700. Striker action.
https://us.glock.com/en/pistols/g17
The latest Walthers. MSRP: $649. Striker action.
https://waltherarms.com/pdp-full-size-5/
For those with small hands, or short trigger fingers, or weak hands and arms,
Walther PDP F-Series, MSRP $699.
https://waltherarms.com/pdp-f-series/
The S&W M&P's. MSRP: $ 665. Striker action.
https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/mp-m20
For those with small hands, or short trigger fingers, or weak hands and arms,
M&P® SHIELD™ EZ®
https://www.smith-wesson.com/9ez
The Remington RP, $349.00. Striker action.
https://remingtonarmsusa.com/remington-rp9-9mm-striker-fired-pistol/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Carrying Full-Size Handguns" by Josh Wayner
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/carrying-full-size-handguns
Larger pistols are easier to manipulate than compacts or sub compacts. As long as
the grip is long enough to allow you to get all of your fingers on the grip, I think it's okay.
If you can't get all of your fingers on the grip, you won't be able to manipulate the pistol
correctly.
I bought some ETS (Elite Tactical Systems) magazines for my Glock 21.
They are clear plastic. So you can see: how many rounds are in the mag, what's going on
with the spring (is it rusty? cracked?), what's going on with the follower, how dirty it is on the
inside.
If you stomp on a steel magazine, it will deform. Won't spring back. Can't use it anymore.
I accidentally stomped on one of these plastic magazines and it was just fine.
The lips of steel magazines will flex (and hopefully bounce back) when you yank hard
when clearing a failure to extract malfunction (Type III malfunction), also known as a double
feed. So you can pull the magazine out without locking the slide to the rear. The hard
reinforced plastic lips of the ETS magazines don't flex much. I had to lock the slide back to
clear a failure to extract malfunction.
They work well. I recommend.
GunMagWarehouse has them for $15.
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/
Elite Tactical Systems sells them for $22.
https://www.etsgroup.us/Default.asp
For years I had heard people complain about cheap Glock sights that had to be replaced.
"The first thing a person does when he buys a Glock is to replace the sights." I never
understood this, as the Glocks that I had used had perfectly good steel sights with tritium
inserts. The word "Glock" was engraved on the sights, so I knew they were Glock sights.
I didn't know that Glock ships its pistols to civilians with plastic sights.
When you order your Glock, you should specify steel sights with tritium inserts. The
glow in the dark sights make the pistol much easier to find in the dark. Especially when you
can't use your flashlight and are groping around on the ground trying to find all the things
you dropped.
If you're buying used, check out the police department trade-ins at OfficerStore.com or
other places that resell used police pistols. They are usually in good condition, because
police don't use their pistols much. Qualifying at the range once or twice a year is about it.
They are not like us.
There are a lot of pistols chambered for the 40 S&W being traded in because a lot of
departments are changing to the 9mm. You can get such pistols from the OfficerStore.com
for $340.
https://www.officerstore.com/firearms/pistols?brand=Glock&page=1
I have a hard time finding 45 ACP ammo for work. So I buy whatever I can find whenever
I find some in stores or pawn shops. As a result, I have an assortment:
165 grain Federal Guard Dog, not hollow point, but mushroom as if they were. (There are
some jurisdictions that forbid hollow point bullets, e.g. New Jersey.)
185 grain Sierra, jacketed hollow point.
200 grain Sig Sauer, jacketed hollow point.
220 grain Hornady Critical Duty, jacketed hollow point with a plastic thing in the cavity, +P.
230 grain Federal Punch, jacketed hollow point.
They all feed, chamber, and fire reliably. My gelatin tests (not scientific) indicate that when
fired a couple of feet from the gelatin block, they all start expanding at 6 to 8 inches in the
gelatin and that the heavier bullets penetrate deeper. [The +P blew through the length of two
blocks and jarred my hands. I think the red plastic thingy in the cavity prevented them from
expanding.]
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
----- Technical / Maintenance -----
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
"Wheelgun Woes, and how to prevent them" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022-09_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Excerpt:
First, you have to remember that a revolver has multiple
chambers in a revolving cylinder. Each of those chambers has to
line up with the opening in the barrel (forcing cone) precisely. To
accomplish this in the long run, the revolver needs periodic tuning
by a qualified armorer. This is NOT a user level task.
[Great revolver photos.]
"How To Disassemble a Modern S&W Revolver" by Terril Hebert
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/how-to-disassemble-a-modern-sw-revolver/
If anyone tells you that revolvers are more reliable than semi-autos, he's a damn fool.
See how many moving parts there are in a revolver? The more moving parts, the less
reliable; as with any mechanical device. And as Tom says in the above article, the timing of
the mechanism must be within tight tolerances, which requires periodic tuning. Something
you can't do. You have to have a gunsmith do it for you.
Don't use revolvers for self-defense. They require reloading too often. They take too long
to reload. They are much more difficult to reload, especially under stress. The only exception
would be firing from inside your purse or pocket, where the confined space would cause a
semi-auto to malfunction, because there is no space to eject the brass.
"Lehigh Defense -
Xtreme Defense 90gr Bullet with and without Flutes in gel -
Here's what happened." by Wilson Combat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM2t8Lq3geU
I found this gelatin block test interesting. Notice that this is a fluid physics experiment.
The terminal ballistics would be different in a non-liquid medium, such as bone or non-liquid
tissue.
If your leather holster or mag pouch is too tight and you can't loosen the screws to make it
work, try coating the inside unfinished surface with vegetable oil. You'll be amazed at how it
just soaks in and disappears. It will allow the leather to stretch. Then you can adjust the
tension with the screws.
We used to use vegetable oil to condition and soften our T-ball gloves. Ya, I never made it
to softball or baseball.
"Pistol Ejector Tuning Tips
How to find semi-automatic pistol ejection perfection" by Brad Miller, Ph.D.
https://www.ssusa.org/content/pistol-ejector-tuning-tips/
"Top 6 Expert Tips to Prevent Gun Rust
We asked our NRA Museum staff how they keep our priceless collection rust-free."
by NRA Staff
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/top-6-expert-tips-to-prevent-gun-rust/
I wore out my leather belt. Expect such thing to happen and be prepared to replace items.
You carry a spare tire in your car, right? Same thing.
"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)
*************************************************************************
***** ***** Religion, Politics, and War Stories ***** ***** *****
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
"James Yeager, 1973-2022" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/james-yeager-1973-2022/
If you don't understand what's going on, carefully view
"President Biden Full Speech on Democracy" C-SPAN recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JemWkV2Vcic
(It's not the same as the CNN recording. CNN changed the lighting and coloring in
post production so that the background would not look exactly like a speech given
by Adolf Hitler. But, they could not hide Biden's two fist gesture. Exactly as used
by Hitler and Benito Mussolini.)
and then consider John Farnam's note
"Unity?" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/unity/
"Language Police!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/language-police/
Franklin Graham expressed it well:
“After 9/11, there were a lot of things being said about how the God of Islam and the God
of the Christian faith were one and the same, but that’s simply not true . . . The God that I
worship does not require me to kill other people [Jihad, holy war]. The God that I worship
tells me I am to love my enemy, to give him food when he’s hungry and water when he’s
thirsty.” Matthew 5:43-48, Luke 6:27, Luke 6:35
"A New Study Suggests That Black Southerners' Access to Firearms Reduced Lynchings
The analysis reinforces the historical case for armed self-defense in response to racist violence."
by Jacob Sullum
https://reason.com/2022/09/08/a-new-study-suggests-that-black-southerners-access-to-guns-reduced-lynchings/
"Largest-Ever Survey of Gun Owners Finds Diversity Increasing,
Carrying Common, and More Than 1.6 Million Defensive Uses Per Year"
by Stephen Gutowski
https://thereload.com/largest-ever-survey-of-gun-owners-finds-diversity-increasing-carrying-common-and-more-than-1-6-million-defensive-uses-per-year/
The vast majority of defensive firearms uses are "non-violent" meaning the gun is never
fired. As the NRA teaches in their Personal Protection classes, a confident competent
presentation to the ready position will cause the criminal to flee 90% of the time. WIN! for the
good guy. [If the criminal continues the attack, you must shoot him. You cannot let him take
your pistol, because he will kill you and others with it.]
Abstract
"2021 National Firearms Survey:
Updated Analysis Including Types of Firearms Owned"
by William English
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4109494
"State-Level Estimates of Household Firearm Ownership"
by Terry L. Schell, Samuel Peterson, Brian G. Vegetabile,
Adam Scherling, Rosanna Smart, and Andrew R. Morral
https://www.rand.org/pubs/tools/TL354.html
Database may be downloaded as a ZIP file. It's very big.
"Evaluation of the New York City Police Department
Firearm Training and Firearm-Discharge Review Process"
by Bernard D. Rostker, Lawrence M. Hanser, William M. Hix,
Carl Jensen, Andrew R. Morral, Greg Ridgeway, and Terry L. Schell
https://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/public_information/RAND_FirearmEvaluation.pdf
Abstract
"Hitting (or missing) the mark:
An examination of police shooting accuracy in officer-involved shooting incidents"
by Christopher M. Donner and Nicole Popovich
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/PIJPSM-05-2018-0060/full/html
"NATIONAL REVIEW OF RETAINING ELECTION RECORDS
FROM THE 2020 ELECTION" by John R. Lott and Stephen Smith
Abstract
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4205992
May be downloaded free of charge.
Yes, there is sufficient voter fraud to change the outcome of elections.
Crime Prevention Research Center
http://crimeresearch.org
johnrlott@crimeresearch.org
(484) 802-5373
Always worth checking out.
Stay away from the Paris hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"Las Vegas Warning!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/las-vegas-warning/
I would also stay away from the Hilton hotel in Reno, Nevada. When my cousin and I
were staying there, the hotel security raided our room because I had enquired as to what
the hotel's policy was on keeping guns in the rooms. No, we did not have any guns in the
room.
"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]
X = mutiplication.
1 X a = a. a X 1 = a. Commutative and associative identity.
-1 X -1 = 1. 1 X -1 = -1. -1 X 1 = -1. This can be proven, it's not axiomatic.
i X i = -1. R(i), Complex numbers, commutative, associative, complete.
j X j = -1. k X k = -1.
i X j = k. j X i = -k. Quaternions, associative, not commutative. Models rotations in
4-dimensional space. [No matter how you rotate in 3D, you can't move the steering
wheel from the left-hand side of the car to the right-hand side of the car. That requires
a rotation in 4D, a multiplication by -1 in Quaternion space.]
Octonions, Cayley Algebra, defined at
https://mathworld.wolfram.com/CayleyAlgebra.html
not commutative, not associative. The only non-associative division algebra with
real scalars. Models rotations in 8-dimensional space.
Imagine 3rd rank tensors whose elements are Octernions. What is the addition?
What is the multiplication? What are the curl, divergence, gradient? Do they exist?
Are they well defined? Can you define operations that are? The enemy has.
Yes, it is an arms race. Why are be losing? Because political correctness, wokeness,
etc. are the opposite of meritocracy. The liberals say, "Diversity is our strength."
Which is true. But, in our government agencies, liberals practice uniformity of thought,
not diversity of thought. And as Robert John Meehan says,
"The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."
Meehan assumes a diversity of perspectives. Liberals / Democrats who control our
government bureaucracy strive for a diversity of skin color and sexual confusion,
which is meaningless. And refuse to hire anyone with thinking contrary to the party line.
Or fire them once discovered. And so the puzzle palace fails.
[The private sector (at least for those who can evade wokeness) will always succeed
because capitalism is a meritocracy (as in professional sports). Competition eliminates the
dead wood. And historically, has always succeeded. While socialism / communism has
historically always resulted in mass murder. That is how you can tell that socialism,
communism, et al are schemata of Satan.]
Ever hear of Jane Street? Check out their job postings.
https://www.janestreet.com/join-jane-street/open-roles/
What do you think they are working on?
Don't trust, don't use, proprietary stream ciphers. They have all been broken. That's what
the guys in Waterloo mean by ". . . it remains proprietary and is not presented here."
"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.)
Consider "Candide or Optimism" by Francois-Marie Arouet de Voltaire (1694 - 1778).
Born Francois-Marie Arouet. Known as Voltaire.
Yes, there are English translations. May I suggest that of The Easton Press, Norwalk,
Connecticut? Translated from the French by Richard Aldington.
The original was outlawed by French authorites, so Caron de Beaumarchais [author
of "The Barber of Seville" and "The Marriage of Figaro", operas that my mother took
me to] published it in Kehl, Germany. The story starts,
"Candide, or Optimism
Translated from the German of Dr. Ralph with the additions found in the Doctor's pocket
when he died at Minden in the year of grace, 1757"
Minden is in Westphalia, Germany. Deceptions within deceptions.
"Gambling is a tax on stupidity." -- Voltaire
[In the context of the lottery.]
"The face is the mirror of the soul." -- Voltaire
[He is not referring to the superficial beauty or ugliness of the person's face.]
"Dr. Bryan Chappell | The Power of Mercy | Romans 12:1-2"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cKh8nDEz58
Listen carefully about what is happening in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and China. Why do
you think this is happening? Yes, God is doing it, but that begs the question. I'm asking for
an analysis. As in Vietnam, we want to win the hearts and minds of the people. Why aren't
these techniques working in the U.S.? They are. It's just that the anti-Christians are using
the TTP (Training Tactics & Procedures). Christians in the U.S. find it distasteful to use
guerrilla tactics. They have a Constitutional right, don't you know? They don't have to hide
in house churches. But most are willing to refrain from gathering when the government
tells them not to. It's a pandemic, don't you know? (I was disappointed with my daughter.
I reminded her that she had sworn an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. And that
the Constitution specifically states that peaceable assembly is a right, and that exercise of
religion is a right. So sad.) Christians in the U.S. don't want to get their hands dirty.
Serving dinner at the Nashville Rescue Mission means you have to associate with
"those people". Which I admit can be very unpleasant.
Where I work, on Wednesday, 7 September 2022 at around 15:15 Central Time, I observed
two black drones loitering over the elementary school and the soccer fields. Very high
altitude, below the cumulus clouds, but way above the birds. Maneuvering to imitate birds,
but definitely not birds. Any help would be appreciated.
When I worked at ORINCON (long before Lockheed Martin bought it), the Soviet
submarines used sonar that imitated whale songs. The sonarmen had a hard time
distinguishing, so we built neural networks to classify "Soviet sonar" vs. "biologic sonar".
We claimed a 98% confidence level, but you know how it is with limited datasets in the
real world.
Consider the classification problem between birds (too far away to recognize with optics)
and drones based on movement. Are there well defined patterns? What is the significance
of altitude, temperature, pressure, humidity, time of day, lighting, weather?
[ https://scijinks.gov/clouds/
Low Clouds (less than 6,500 feet): Cumulus, Cumulonimbus, Stratus, Stratocumulus.
Mid-level Clouds (6,500-23,000 feet): Altocumulus, Altostratus, Nimbostratus.
High Clouds (16,500-45,000 feet): Cirrus, Cirrostratus, Cirrocumulus.]
Fog is cloud at ground level. How do birds fly through it? How do drones fly through it?
What frequency of electro-magnetic radiation are clouds transparent?
May I invite your attention to,
"Are Americans To Blame For The Military's Recruitment Woes?"
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/2022/09/are-americans-to-blame-for-militarys.html
The medical disqualifications are astounding!
Warriors and hunters don't want to join the military, because such persons are not woke.
They find wokism disgusting. That's why my son left the Marine Corps after his first
enlistment. He made Sergeant (E-5) in his first enlistment, so he could have gone far.
I only made Corporal (E-4) in my first enlistment. Most Marines only achieve
Lance Corporal (E-3) in the first enlistment.
Did you ever wonder, "How did he figure that out?"
He must be super intelligent.
Maybe. But, not necessarily. Could be he just had more pieces to the puzzle.
How did he have more pieces? We had access to the same data.
It's a matter of how one processes the data. For example, every member of our church has
access to the church roster, which contains names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses,
and photos. Some members don't read the roster (just as some English speakers never read
the dictionary*, because they don't attribute any importance to reading it), some glance at it,
some peruse it, some scan it, some analyze it, and some study it. What does the person's
chosen email address (as opposed to a company email which generally is assigned, not chosen)
say about the person? What does the person's mailing address say about the person? (Yes, in
general, persons choose where they live.) Don and Nancy are married. What does that imply?
The machines analyzed the data and generated the association charts and the time lines.
We should have had more pieces to the puzzle than the opposition.
Let me tell you a truth. Computers are stupid. Artificial intelligence is stupid. The trained
intelligent humans will beat the machines in intelligence analysis every time. Because the
human is God's master piece of creation. The human is technology far beyond the
comprehension of any human. No, neural networks do not model the human brain. And
certainly not the human mind. Sorry, that's just reality. [I remember when "fuzzy logic" was
all the rage. It went out of fashion, because it didn't work. Consider how many humans have
been killed by cars that operate without human drivers. Lots of cases of robots in factories
killing humans. Of course, it's the human's fault. It's just misusing tools.]
When I was recruited into SigInt (signals intelligence), the required GT (General Technical)
score was 120 on the ASVAB suite of tests. (It varied depending on how hard up they were
for SigInt techs.) Within the first enlistment, a lot of guys got washed out, because IQ is not
correlated with patriotism, propensity for criminality, honesty, work ethic, toughness, etc.
As Prof. Jordan Peterson says, conscientiousness is the primary predictor of success, not IQ.
The conscientious person reads the dictionary. Because he wants to know what all the words
mean. Because he cares about getting the correct meaning out of the text. There just aren't
many people like that. There are zero woke persons like that. Because as Michael Savage
says, liberalism is a mental disorder. And as a side effect, it destroys intelligence and
conscientiousness. There are no woke savants, because wokeness does not make sense to
them. For the same reasons it doesn't make sense to us. Women are women. Men are men.
You can't change your sex by fiat. Not even by surgery. [Recreational self mutilation is an
act of criminal stupidity. (Of course, one has to understand the word "recreate" to understand
the previous sentence.) I wish I could make that facial expression like Ben Shapiro.]
* After taking the SAT test in high school, we were sitting in the Cafeteria discussing the
questions. One of the questions in the reading comprehension section of the test gave a couple
of paragraphs of text and asked "What did you just read?" One of the multiple choice answers
was "An excerpt from an introduction to a dictionary." James Azarello said that was the correct
answer. Lorrin Hirano asked how can you be so certain? James replied, because I read it.
James had read the Oxford English Dictionary cover to cover (the way books are meant to be
read).
"How Two Mexican Drug Cartels Came To Dominate America’s Fentanyl Supply"
by Driving MSSQL
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2022/09/how-two-mexican-drug-cartels-came-to.html
Hat tip to Mark of Practical Eschatology at
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/
Why Fentanyl?
Excerpt:
Fentanyl production is simpler than heroin, because it is entirely synthetic and doesn’t
require cultivating the poppies needed for heroin. Busts of Mexican labs or large seizures
at the border can be quickly offset by new batches without having to wait to harvest crops
or pay farmers.
It is also less expensive to make. The plant-based opium needed to produce a kilogram
of heroin can cost producers about $6,000, while the precursor chemicals to make a kilogram
of fentanyl cost $200 or less, according to Bryce Pardo, associate director of the
Rand Corporation’s Drug Policy Research Center, who helped lead a recent bipartisan report
on synthetic opioids.
“Synthetic opioids offer economic and tactical advantages that allow criminals to vastly
outpace enforcement efforts,” the report said. Illegal drug exports to the U.S. from Mexico
are worth tens of billions of dollars annually, it estimates, with fentanyl a growing share of
the business.
---
[The Sinaloa cartel has been buying former SigInt personnel and resources from the U.S.
for decades. And so have been able to evade U.S. intelligence gathering capabilities. (When
you hear of U.S. law enforcement intercepting and seizing a huge load of cash, that is a
cartel paying the U.S. LEOs a bribe.) Or, it could be that the woke recruits of the U.S. agencies
are incompetent. Sinaloa don't hire woke. Capitalism forces meritocracy. U.S. intelligence
agencies are bureaucracies, not meritocracies. That's why the cartels are winning. Remember
what Colin Powell said.
Every wonder why the U.S. liberal media expend so much time and effort bemoaning the
fentanyl overdoses and resultant deaths? To keep the profit margins up. No one is going to
risk capital, unless the profit margins are over 80% totaled over the supply chain. Lot of
beaks to wet. I'm talking about the politicians and law enforcement officers. The drug dealers
are earning their pay.
The drug cartels are supplying a U.S. demand. The demand-supply curve is inelastic.
The author says, the cartels don't just supply demand, they create new markets. Isn't that
the capitalist model? So the only realistic way to win the war on drugs is to stop the demand.
The Saudis, Taliban, and Turks do it effectively by killing the consumers; the drug users, the
drug buyers. Oh, but wait, that would be U.S. citizens who vote Democrat. (Why do
organized crime operations thrive in urban areas and not in rural areas? Why are urban areas
liberal and rural areas conservative? I could go on, but you get the idea.) Doesn't that
explain everything. It's the same with prostitution, gambling, etc. Never arrest or prosecute
those who vote for you. They might not vote for you the next time. The primary imperative
is re-election.
-- Jon Low]
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
*************************************************************************
"Staff, you've got some spelling errors in this post, and some word usage errors."
Do I? Maybe I'm using a different word that is spelled correctly. Maybe I'm using a word
that is spelled the same way as some other word. Maybe I'm using an uncommon definition
of a word. It's really hard to tell. Unless you've read the dictionary.
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Email: Jon_Low@yahoo.com
Radio: KI4SDN
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