Hi Sheepdogs,
A person will believe what he wants to believe. A person will refuse to believe anything
that is obnoxious to his worldview, especially his political/religious view. The vast majority
of persons on our planet are not capable of being educated (as opposed to indoctrinated,
it's easy to indoctrinate) nor are they capable of changing their minds. That's why we fight
wars. We can't change their mind, so we have to kill them. Sorry, that's just reality. To think
otherwise is dangerous self-deception. The enemy's point of view is not just as good as
our point of view. Surrendering liberty for our own good or the greater good is criminal
stupidity. (That's what the Harry Potter series of books is all about. That's why liberals
hate J. K. Rowling. Never judge a book by its movie. The movies were made by
Hollywood and are stupid to put it politely. I don't begrudge Rowling for selling the rights.
It was the capitalist thing to do.)
“Genocide will commence shortly after they force us to turn-in our guns.
That’s the way it always happens!”
-- Marshall
The latest version (25 October 2022 A.D.) of the book
"Defensive Pistol" by Jonathan D. Low
is available free of charge at
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/474513
Words: 47,895
Language: American English
ISBN: 9781311454133
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Prevention ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
"If you are one of the great majority who never needs to pull the trigger, the money you
spent on self-defense training and equipment wasn't wasted; it gave you full value in peace
of mind. But, if it did happen . . . well, you were damn glad you were prepared and ready
for it."
-- Massad Ayoob
from "Straight Talk on Armed Defense"
"The sword is more important than the shield,
and skill is more important than either.
The final weapon is the brain.
All else is supplemental."
-- John Steinbeck
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
"Decision and Determination" by the Tactical Professor
https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2022/10/16/decision-and-determination/
Primary source document,
"Mickey Shunick Fought for Her Life, Court Documents Reveal
Mickey Shunick fought her attacker with Mace and stabbed him several times."
by CHRISTINA NG
https://abcnews.go.com/US/mickey-shunick-killer-pleads-guilty-court-document-reveals/story?id=17029059&fbclid=IwAR3LyrMSs8m5SEQDrtyOsK9bgIxLWoFdwSVmI-OdqFAbaFN8AddaShIyp9k
Having the will to fight is good. Fighting for your life is good. But all the good intentions
are useless without the tools to accomplish the mission. Every study has shown that the
best self-defense tool is a pistol. So you must carry one with you ALWAYS. You must be
trained in the correct use of the pistol. Because a weapon system without a trained user
is a danger to everyone within range.
---
"Violence begins and ends with injury. Injury is the raison d'être. In a fight for your life,
there is no substitute for inflicting injury on your enemy."
-- Tim Larkin
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
"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
"Hustle beats talent."
"If you're not failing, you're not trying."
"The games not over unless you give up."
"You only get to vote for communism once."
-- John Rich (the famous musician, The Band Lonestar)
Excerpt from
https://www.prageru.com/video/john-rich-how-wokeness-killed-country-music
His comments on wokeism start at 11:03. The reality of the country music industry.
"Critical Carry Theory" by Richard A. Mann
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/critical-carry-theory
Safety Concerns Simplified
Handgun Choice
Carry Method(s)
Accessories
Skill Level
Excerpt:
Currently, 21 of 50 states have Constitutional Carry, meaning that the concealed carry
of a firearm is allowed without a permit. This also means there are now a lot of folks who
can conceal carry legally who may have no training at all.
"Respect is not an obligation. It is given freely after it is earned.
Courtesy and civility is an obligation . . . the loss of which can also be earned."
-- Brent Yamamoto
"Is the sheep preaching hate..." - Denzel Washington (1992)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhG3JTuFyis
"Train For Pain" by Richard Nance
https://www.handgunsmag.com/editorial/train-for-pain/137727
Excerpts in quotes, my comments unquoted:
"When you are hit, regardless of what by, you need to be even more resolved to fight back.
There's no time to feel sorry for yourself or dwell on the pain. You need to shift your focus
to what you are going to do to him and launch a counterattack so overwhelming that the
assailant looks for a way out."
With regards to eye injury --
You can also force the shooter to use his peripheral vision to aim by setting up targets beyond
the limit of his range of motion.
"When you draw the gun from the holster, you will be holding it backward."
Here, Nance, is assuming you are reaching across the front of your body and gripping the
pistol with the palm inboard. This is not the only option. My students (with a little stretching
and practice) are typically able to establish a correct grip and draw while reaching behind their
back (a forward cant of your holster would hinder this technique). It is also possible to reach
across your front and turn your hand palm outboard and establish a correct grip, and draw
(a forward cant of your holster would make this technique easier). There are many other
options. (No, it is not genetic. It's just a matter of stretching daily to extend the limits of
your range of motion. Just like squatting. It's not genetic. With stretching and practice,
you can do it.)
"If you're standing, placing the gun between your knees momentarily will allow you
to roll your hand over and achieve a proper shooting grip."
Well, that immobilizes you for the amount of time it takes you to do the technique. Better
would be to place the pistol inside your belt by your navel to turn it around, or turn the pistol
around in the holster as taught at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC).
(I only know for sure of the FLETC in Charleston, SC, but I hear it is taught nationwide.)
"One way to replicate shooting with a compromised grip is by slathering some baby oil
on your hands and gun."
I have found that using liquid dish washing detergent is better, because it cleans up more easily
with water. Oh yes, you have to have lots of water, as the students will get things in their eyes.
Humans touch their faces (in particular their eyes and nose) constantly. That's why in Marine
Corps recruit training they use "not touching your face" as a discipline exercise.
"In a deadly force encounter, there's a good chance you'll be injured. This doesn't mean
you are going to die. When injured, your only option is to dig deep and push past the pain
and doubt to stop the deadly threat that faces you. Don't expect this mindset and skill-set to
come to you mysteriously mid-fight. Train to make it happen."
I have read and highly recommend
"Gunfight! An Integrated Approach to Shooting and Fighting in Close Quarters"
by Richard Nance
ISBN-10 : 1608851400
ISBN-13 : 978-1608851409
*************************************************************************
----- 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.
"Every class I tell people not to cover the ejection port with their hand
when unloading to catch the round."
-- Ernest Langdon
https://www.facebook.com/ernest.langdon.1/posts/pfbid02fnz8ey1i5x85CGYipbnoCs5AhWrJumCavxmy2rGKbseMgzwu4zshfui2AbL17ZL4l
Look at the photo. The caption reads,
"Note the nose of the round on the hood of the slide and the base of the round, primer,
sitting on the ejector."
Remember,
a “click” when you expect a “bang!” can be as deadly as
a “bang!” when you expect a “click.”
-- Stephen P. Wenger
"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
Use eye and ear protection.
Eye glasses, screen glasses, pin hole glasses. God only gave you two eyes.
Lose one and you've lost stereo vision, no depth perception. Lose two and you're blind.
Foam ear plugs, roll, squish, and insert. Custom molded ear plugs. Reusable rubber
ear plugs. Ear muffs. Electronic ear muffs. Hearing loss is permanent and cumulative.
You may not be able to afford the surgery or hearing aids necessary to restore your hearing;
if it is even possible to restore.
"While swallowing a large lead bullet probably won’t produce a measurable increase in
your blood lead level, the particles produced in lead mists and when bullets impact on steel
backstops and targets are small enough to dissolve in stomach acid, allowing the lead to get
into the blood. Repeated exposure of this sort will eventually produce toxicity, affecting
almost all organ systems of the body. Additionally, the lead will get incorporated into bone,
allowing the lead to persist longer in the body, even after you take steps to limit exposure.
Take all reasonable steps to avoid tracking these tiny particles into your home, where they
will find their way into carpeting and upholstery and continue to find their way into your
body for years to come."
-- Stephen P. Wenger
from "DEFENSIVE USE OF FIREARMS" by Stephen P. Wenger
https://www.spw-duf.info/Defensive%20Use%20of%20Firearms%20text%20bw.pdf
"Delta College Police Academy halts live firearm training after two accidental gunshots"
by Terry Camp
https://www.abc12.com/news/local/delta-college-police-academy-halts-live-firearm-training-after-two-accidental-gunshots/article_62fa8994-4f28-11ed-bddb-a70b7f7d65b7.html
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, http://spw-duf.info
More evidence that holstering is by far the most dangerous thing a person can do in
training.
Solution: obey Safety RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER
UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET.
And immediately return your trigger finger to the register position when your sights come
off the target. The trigger finger must be in the register position (straight along the frame
of the handgun) before the pistol is drawn from the holster. The trigger finger must be in
the register position before the pistol is holstered.
"Florida U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer killed in accidental shooting was
conducting training exercise prior to death
Agent Jorge Arias was shot in the chest during a role-playing scenario by another officer
who mistook his handgun for his training pistol
Duty Death: Jorge Arias - [Miami, Florida]
End of Service: 10/19/2022" by Charles Rabin and David Ovalle
https://www.police1.com/officer-down/fla-cbp-officer-killed-in-accidental-shooting-was-conducting-training-exercise-prior-to-death-XG3T2y3sF96j87gQ/
There are no accidents. These killings are negligence. (And there are many of these
incidents.) That's why you have to pay attention to the safety protocols that the instructors
are using. ATTENTION TO DETAIL! If they are not safe, LEAVE. Yes, it is that simple.
I didn't say it was easy. I didn't say there would be no repercussions. Yes, you may get
fired. But is the risk of losing your life worth the risk of losing your job?
The article mentions another "accidental" car crash that killed another law enforcement
officer. There are no accidental car crashes. There are only negligent drivers ramming their
cars into stationary objects or other cars or other people.
Saying something is an accident is the reporters way to avoid saying that so and so killed
the other person or himself through negligence or recklessness. Someone is always at fault.
That's reality. It's not journalism, but it is reality.
Why do you think they refused to identify the shooter?
"It wasn't his fault."
The killing absolutely was his fault. It was also the fault of the instructors. It was also
the fault of the executives. But it was predominantly the shooter's fault.
---
I have heard big name instructors say, if you shoot long enough you're going to have an
unintended discharge. That is completely false. Pay attention, don't be negligent, and you
will never have a negligent discharge.
Metro Nashville Police Department, West Precinct reports (16 October 2022),
So far this year (2022 A.D.), 1,087 guns have been stolen from vehicles in Nashville.
More than 70% of ALL guns reported stolen in 2022 (1,547) were taken from vehicles.
Last week, 22 guns were stolen from cars and trucks.
The MNPD strongly encourages Nashvillians to lock their automobile doors, secure any
valuables---especially guns, and REMOVE THE KEYS.
[They don't mention in the report that just about all of the cars were unlocked or the
thief had access to the keys. Why go through the trouble of breaking into a car, when
a superficial search will reveal so many unlocked cars?]
"3 Things You Do That Make You a Target For Crooks" by Jim WIlson
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/3-things-you-do-that-make-you-a-target-for-crooks/
As Tim Larkin says, every girl who was attacked by a stranger in his study was wearing
ear phones at the time of the attack.
"Experts!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/experts-4/
John Farnam's rules to keep you out of trouble:
Don't go to stupid places.
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
Be in bed by 10 PM. Your own bed.
Don't look like a freak.
Don't fail the attitude test.
*************************************************************************
----- Training (figuring out the correct tasks to learn) -----
"Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
Care enough to continue your training.
"DEFENSIVE USE OF FIREARMS" by Stephen P. Wenger
https://www.spw-duf.info/Defensive%20Use%20of%20Firearms%20text%20bw.pdf
I put this on my required reading list for my Defensive Pistol course. I don't agree with
everything in this book. I don't think there exist two humans who agree on everything.
Well written. Thoughtful. Well researched. Stephen tells me that a third edition is in
preparation and will be published soon.
"Defensive Shooting for Real-Life Encounters:
A Critical look at Current Training Methods"
by Ralph Mroz
Copyright © 2000 by Ralph Mroz
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/909276.Defensive_Shooting_for_Real_Life_Encounters
"Street Focused Handgun Training"
by Ralph Mroz
Volume I: Equipment
Volume II: Training
Volume III: Tactics
https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=%22Street+Focused+Handgun+Training%22+by+Ralph+Mroz&qid=8H5U6Q3g90
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)
I have run into many training junkies at the gun schools, gun classes, and gun conferences
that I have attended. Many have skill. But having a skill does not mean that you will use the
skill when the time comes. I did not say, "will not be able to use the skill". I said, "will not
use the skill". Let me give you some examples.
---
"For instance, annual statistics from the FBI tell us that practically every year, the majority
of police officers who are feloniously killed, are killed without ever removing their service
weapon from the holster."
-- John Hearne from "Straight Talk on Armed Defense"
---
I got an envelope in the mail from a company that I work for (part time, sometime).
The enclosed letter had a check at the bottom of the page with perforations across the
page to allow the check to be removed from the letter. I neatly tore the check off and took
it to my bank to deposit. The bank teller (who I know well and who knows me by name)
gave me a quizzical look and asked me what she wanted me to do with the paper. I said
please deposit it in my checking account. She said, this is not a check. Printed diagonally
across the front were the words "This is not a check". Across the bottom was written
"Not negotiable".
I can read. I have a large vocabulary. I have a high level of reading comprehension.
The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) says so. With a dictionary in hand, I can read graduate
level physics and math texts in German. I read the Harry Potter books to my kids smoothly
and correctly. I was able to explain the words that my kids did not understand. I have read
Modern English Shakespeare, Middle English Chaucer, and Old English Beowulf.
So I can read very well.
Being able to read well is independent of reading when required.
---
A friend of mine, who is an Emergency Medical Technician and rides around in the
ambulances, had a death bed conversation with a gentleman who had crashed his car.
Man: I don't understand it. I have mad driving skills. I've been to [driving] schools.
I'm an expert.
[His phone was still clutched in his hand.]
EMT: Were you texting while driving?
Man: Ya, but I can do that. I've done it before. I can multitask.
(He gave the EMT a resigned look, fell into unconsciousness, and died.)
[Another example of "superiority bias". Psychological term mentioned in the last blog post.]
---
Having skills is not the same as using skills. You must know when to use the skills.
You must recognize that this situation requires those skills. If you think this is obvious,
you're WRONG! It's not obvious. It's not easy. As I hope the three examples demonstrate.
Ya, sometimes it is obvious. You need to present your gun and shoot him. But
sometimes it is not obvious. That's why in the statements the victim will say, "He was so
nice.", "He was so charming.", "He was such a gentleman.", before the assault, rape,
beating, etc.
---
"In a civilian environment, with or without a badge, Jim continued, you will be dealing
with a human being when, suddenly, before your very eyes, he becomes a monster that
requires you to unleash deadly force."
-- Jim Andrews
from "DEFENSIVE USE OF FIREARMS" by Stephen P. Wenger
https://www.spw-duf.info/Defensive%20Use%20of%20Firearms%20text%20bw.pdf
---
In the field of psychology this is referred to as "inattentional blindness". You can't
see what you're not paying attention to.
The cop thought that some non-lethal interaction was going on, but in fact a lethal
force action was happening.
The driver thought his task was to communicate with his friend and so was texting.
He didn't understand that his task was to drive the car. So, he did not apply his mad
driving skills to that task.
I thought my task was to deposit a pay check into my banking account, so I applied
the appropriate skills to accomplish that task. It never occurred to me to read the
letter that I had received in the mail. It never occurred to me that the letter was notifying
me that my pay had been direct deposited into my bank account.
That is how stage magic works, especially close up magic. The last time I went to
House of Cards in the basement of the Johnny Cash museum, we watched some close
up magic with cards. I was sitting within arm's length of the magician at a table.
He said, I found your card. But it wasn't in his hand. It was held in the center of his
chest by his tie clip. No one had seen him place the card under his tie clip. It wasn't
there when he started the trick a minute earlier.
It's really easy to play such tricks on yourself. It's really easy (with practice) to play
such tricks on others. Did you ever wonder why Bass Reeves and Wyatt Earp were
never wounded during their careers as lawmen? For some, playing these sorts of tricks
is obvious and comes naturally. It's not a superpower. It's just an understanding of
how humans perceive.
Misdirection to cause inattentional blindness. If I can misdirect your attention, you can't
see me presenting my pistol. Because you didn't see me draw my pistol, you may not
become aware of me pointing my pistol at you. Because it doesn't fit any of your mental
maps. Bang! You're dead without knowing what hit you.
---
A friend, who is a criminal defense attorney, asked me to view some video recordings
for a case he was working on. The defense attorney thought something was strange about
the scenario. He couldn't understand why the bad guy let the good guy (his client) shoot
the bad guy.
The bad guy (mugger) had his pistol pointed at the good guy (client). Other bad guys
were standing around. The good guy shot the bad guy in the head, killing him instantly.
I explained to the attorney how the good guy had misdirected the bad guy's attention by
hand gesture, verbiage, and body language. Once the bad guy was shot, the other bad
guys fled. Because none of the other bad guys had seen the good guy draw his gun.
They were all wondering, "What's going on?", "Who fired the shot?"
The defense attorney had not understood prior to my explanation. The prosecutor
apparently never understood. All charges were dropped prior to trial. Because it's
self-defense.
---
"Your Tactical Training Scenario- Properly Timing your Resistance Efforts" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/your-tactical-training-scenario-properly-timing-your-resistance-efforts
Greg says to "Wait for the bad guy to be momentarily distracted.
Act while he is doing something else or when he looks away for a second."
I suggest you take control of the situation by misdirecting the bad guy's attention,
by creating the distraction. Yes, this takes training and practice.
"Look at the monkey!" probably won't work. Though Daniella would use that on me
and get me to look every time. It was the surprise and shock in her face and voice, and
that her eyes were focused on something behind me. She would use such distraction and
misdirection to steal food off my plate. "What happened to my hamburger?" [Fond
memories of times at Lulu's restaurant in Watertown, TN. Lulu's no longer exists.]
Once she was sitting to my right while we were eating lunch, she simply looked to my left
with an expression of fear. I turned to look and saw a middle aged man, a teenage boy,
and a 8 or 9 year old girl. They were paying their tab at the restaurant. Everything appeared
to be fine. But, in the time it took me to figure that out, my milkshake disappeared.
And Danny was slurping it down.
---
"DID THIS MAGICIAN LIE ON PENN & TELLER ?? | Fool Us EXPOSED"
by irehman7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN-80zJsfD8
This is actually very deep. If the technique fooled Penn and Teller, consider how effective
it would be against your assailant. The technique, not the specific trick.
Original --
"AMAZING MAGICIAN FOOLS PENN & TELLER WITH JUST A RING!
Garrett Thomas on Penn & Teller: Fool Us"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_Lm7cvA4Vw
Do you see how you can use this in combat to gain time? to get your hand on your pistol?
to get your pistol out of your holster? without the assailant noticing, without the assailant
reacting because he didn't notice it.
---
Any time a normal human witnesses a miracle (or anything that doesn't make sense) the
mind slips into WTF (What The Fuck) mode. And automatically focuses attention,
concentrates, on the thing that "could not have happened". How did Jesus of Nazareth
attract thousands to his lectures? By telling deep and profound parables? No, by previously
performing miracles. Thereby creating the expectation that He would perform another
miracle, that they could see. The effect was so strong that He had to ask the recipients of
the miracles not to tell anyone what happened. Which is the opposite of trying to spread
the word to get a larger following. Because Jesus didn't come to save everyone. He came
to save those that God had given to him. But, I digress into theology.
The point is that the "magic trick" does not have to be Earth shattering. It just has to be
enough to cause the assailant's mind to slip into WTF mode. This is almost exactly what
is taught in disarming and shots on bad guys holding a hostage. Talking is a high order
intellectual activity. Answering a question is a high order intellectual activity that takes up
a lot of mental bandwidth. So we are taught to ask the bad guy a question, and when he
starts to answer, shoot him in the head (or attempt the disarm).
---
"Shooting at hostage/bad-guy targets is a widespread, amusing, and totally dangerous
practice. If you think you can make this shot in the heat of combat while all parties are
moving and screaming, you are probably mistaken. It’s foolish to train your reflexes
to try it."
-- Ralph Mroz
Excerpt from "DEFENSIVE SHOOTING FOR REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS"
"Take training from different instructors.
We are all wrong about something."
-- John Farnam
"Take the discipline of self-protection, which is what we’re talking about here.
Most folks seem to go about it all wrong. Mistakenly, they first study one of its
subdisciplines — martial arts, guns, or what have you. Then they view the real-life
problems of self-protection through the lens of their particular subdiscipline.
Martial arts people see self-protection as a series of martial arts problems, largely
ignoring, for example, the issues of multiple and/or armed assailants. Gun people
see self-protection as a set of shooting scenarios, always assuming that they’ll be
able to get the gun in their hand and generally ignoring the issues of less than
lethal force or encounters too close in to allow access to their gun."
-- Ralph Mroz
Excerpt from "DEFENSIVE SHOOTING FOR REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS"
"On the range, drawing and shooting is hardly ever done within touching distance
of the target; on the street, that’s where it all happens."
-- Ralph Mroz
Excerpt from "DEFENSIVE SHOOTING FOR REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS"
"The range is flat, open, unobstructed, well lit, safe, unidirectional, stress-free, and
clear of distractions. The street, or wherever else you’ll have to fight for your life, is not.
Range targets are flat, static, facing head-on, quiet, nonpersonal, and nonthreatening.
The person trying to kill you isn’t.
So obviously, range training, no matter how “practical” or “tactical” is not real-world
training."
-- Ralph Mroz
Excerpt from "DEFENSIVE SHOOTING FOR REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS"
“Distance favors the trained.”
-- Paul Howe
"Color Codes Of Awareness In Developing a Combat Mindset" by Chris Sajnog
https://www.chrissajnog.com/blog/combat-mindset/
What does condition White, Yellow, Orange, and Red mean? You have to translate.
So better would be to use the words Unaware, Aware, Alert, Alarm as the NRA recommends.
Just because Col. Cooper taught it doesn't make it best practice. Just because the NRA
recommends it doesn't make it stupid. If you believe that keeping things simple is better,
you will use the NRA recommended verbiage.
"Making The Long Distance Pistol Shot
If you can make the shot at longer distances,
you'll be able to make the shot close in as well."
by Steve Tarani
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/making-the-long-distance-pistol-shot/
Remember, on long range pistol shots, you have to aim low. The point of impact relative
to the point of aim is going to be high. So you have to aim below the intended target.
You have to practice to know exactly how low to aim, or you can use a free online ballistic
calculator. But unless you practice aiming low on long range shots, you won't actually do it.
Every miss is an unintended hit, destroying property, injuring innocent bystanders, maybe
killing them.
If you don't believe me, plug your data into a ballistic calculator. Or, go to the range and
do the experiment yourself. If you're shooting a pistol chambered in 45 ACP with standard
loads (230 grain bullet at 850 feet per second), if you aim at the center of an 8 inch circular
plate (4 inch radius) at 25 yards, you will consistently shoot over the plate, because your point
of impact is 5 inches high. Oh! So that's why I always miss the plates at long range.
"How to Shoot From Unconventional Positions: Learn How"
by Richard Nance
https://www.handgunsmag.com/editorial/how-shoot-unconventional-positions/465533
Excerpt:
Don’t think these positions will magically come to you during a deadly force encounter.
Get an inert training gun and change out of your church clothes. Hit the deck and practice
getting into and out of these atypical positions. See what works for you and, just as
importantly, what doesn’t. The time to figure it out is in training, not on the street.
“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
"Night Operations Summit November 18-20, 2022", $1,000
https://www.greenlinetactical.com/store/p/night-operations-summit-nov-18-20-2022
Barnwell, SC at the GTI, Government Training Institute
https://gtitraining.org/training-facilities/
On-site lodging,
https://gtilegion.com/product-category/lodging/
"Nightfighter", $700
Grand Junction CO, Cameo Shooting Complex
October 21-22, 2022
https://www.greenlinetactical.com/store/p/feb-25-27-camden-tn-5n4dy-cnrky-3n3wy-bp8dc
PISTOL GROUND FIGHTING by Brent Yamamoto, $575
https://suarezinternational.com/pistol-ground-fighting-november-18-20-2022-novato-ca/
November 18-20, 2022
Novato, CA
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
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
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens
"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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intervention ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
----- Strategy (deciding on the end state and how to achieve it, which tactics to use, which
includes not getting involved) -----
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
"At the onset of the confrontation, for example, it is common for the person to experience
tunnel vision, auditory exclusion, alterations in perceived time, and the loss of fine motor
control, among others."
-- Anthony Semone, Ph.D.
Others would be: shaking uncontrollably, hyperventilation, defecating and urinating on
yourself, not knowing where you are or what you're doing, all kinds of strange thoughts.
Know that these things are normal reactions to high stress. Don't let them bother you.
Focus on what you need to do. Front sight, press.
"John Farnam - Katrina Gunfight"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuRGGp8cdDs
Must be able to change strategy in an instant based on circumstances.
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, and Escape
"The truth is that safety is a holistic discipline and, as with so many activities,
success depends on attention to detail."
-- Ralph Mroz
---
In the Marine Corps, from the beginning with the Drill Instructors to the end with the
officers and staff NCOs there is a constant practice and teaching of "attention to detail".
"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
"Weapon Malfunctions in an Active Shooter Event" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/weapon-malfunctions-in-an-active-shooter-event
"How Sketching Like a Sniper Can Help Your Situational Awareness:
13 Things You Should Practice Observing" by Imminent Threat Solutions
https://store.itstactical.com/blogs/knowledge-articles/how-sketching-like-a-sniper-can-help-your-situational-awareness-13-things-you-should-practice-observing/
When I was in the Marine Corps, we could mark our maps putting our own names on
all the major streets. Names that we could pronounce and remember.
"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
"Fixing Jams" or
"Clearing Malfunctions Under Duress of a Gunfight"
TAP RACK AS THE PRIMARY IMMEDIATE ACTION DRILL
RELOAD AS THE SECONDARY IMMEDIATE ACTION DRILL
UNLOAD AND RELOAD AS THE TERTIARY IMMEDIATE ACTION DRILL
-- Gabe Suarez (paraphrased, I left out all of the explanatory verbiage)
The point is, no thinking. Fix and fire. If the gun don't go BANG! Go to the next
immediate action.
The first one takes care of failure to fire, failure to go into battery, and failure to feed.
The second one takes care of failure to extract and empty gun.
The third one takes care of a shell or cartridge stuck in the chamber.
[This minimizes the expected time to get us back into the fight. In large part by eliminating
all decision making. Even for those who don't believe in it, Hicks Law is real. The fewer
decision we make, the faster we go. The fewer options we have to choose from in each
decision, the faster we go.
Hick’s Law: Reaction time increases with the number of choices.
Hick, W. E. (1952), “On the Rate of Gain of Information”,
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, Vol. 4, pages 11-26.
]
Of course, going for the spare gun might be faster, if it's not in an ankle holster. Ankle
holsters are slow.
Of course, all of this can be avoided by keeping your pistol clean and lubricated, and
using factory new ammo. Ya, you're a competent reloader, but the time spent reloading
would be better spent dry practicing, practicing, or training. Okay, if reloading is your
mechanism for meditation, I get it.
-- Gabe Suarez
-- Gabe Suarez
"POINT SHOOTING" by Stephen P. Wenger
https://www.spw-duf.info/point.html
Excerpts:
[Point shooting] is part of a continuum that begins with shooting from the hip and ends
with traditionally aimed fire, depending on the distance to the threat.
---
More recently, the people who ran the annual National Tactical Invitational "match"
observed that virtually all participants used some form of two-handed shooting position
when confronted with inanimate targets, even at close range. However, in force-on-force
exercises, where participants were armed with guns that fired something other than bullets
and actually shot at and get shot by role players, they almost always ended up shooting
one-handed.
---
This group makes its arguments on the basis of the physiology of stress, rather than the
speed of the subconscious, as Cirillo argues. They claim that it can take as long as half a
second to shift the visual focus from the threat to the front sight, if you can do so at all.
---
This is why some people have been trained to look slightly away from what they wish
to see in low light - so that the available light falls on the rods, which can detect lower
levels of light than the cones.
---
However, there are many more types and subtypes of light receptors [not just cones and
rods] in the human eye. Some of them are specific for detecting motion. Some of them do
not even form visual images and are responsible for such tasks as adjusting the size of the
pupil and regulating the body's natural rhythms as the days grow longer and shorter.
---
Most people who have studied enough biology have been taught that that the visual
"screen" in the brain is located in the occipital lobe, at the rear of the cortex. In the
simplified explanation of human vision, it is usually taught that the images from the right
eye travel to the left side of the brain and vice versa. Both of those statements are
oversimplifications and different types of visual signals travel to different parts of the brain.
For example, you will usually dodge or duck if your peripheral vision senses something
close, coming at you rapidly, before your conscious mind has any idea of what it is - from
an image projected onto your primary visual cortex.
[More precisely, the left field of vision from both eyes is processed by the right
hemisphere of the brain and the right field of vision from both eyes is processed by the
left hemisphere of the brain. -- Jon Low]
Dr. Wenger corrects me -
To my knowledge, central vision goes to the contralateral occipital visual cortex while
peripheral vision goes to the ipsilateral occipital visual cortex. Then there are tracts - typically
associated with balance - that go to older parts of the brain. I don't know where my
physiology text is buried, to give you more explicit details but not all rods nor all cones
send their input to the same areas.
[We are clearly speaking past each other. Because I am correct. -- Jon Low]
---
I should note that not all techniques work equally well for all people so, as an instructor,
it's also nice to have a variety of techniques available, according to what seems to fit each
student.
---
While a former teaching partner was concerned with the legal liability of teaching
students to fire shots without a confirmed visual index, several years ago I became
concerned about moral liability of only teaching sighted fire when I know that Mother
Nature is likely to tell them not to wait that long in a gunfight. If they will fire without
getting the gun up to the line of sight, I feel that I have to teach how to score hits from
such positions.
---
Check out Mr. Wenger's thoughtful essays at
https://www.spw-duf.info/
You can get on the email list to get the informative emails by going to
http://lists.pongonova.org/mailman/listinfo/duf-digest
"Advocating point shooting as a universal solution, rather than a specific technique
for certain circumstances, is downright deceitful."
-- Ralph Mroz
Excerpt from "DEFENSIVE SHOOTING FOR REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS"
"During other types of shooting, I sometimes find myself in a Chapman stance, and
sometimes in an isosceles. I’ve come to not care about it anymore, figuring that my body
is automatically doing what it can to give me the best advantage in the circumstances and
physical position I’m in."
-- Ralph Mroz
Excerpt from "DEFENSIVE SHOOTING FOR REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS"
[The Chapman version of the Weaver position has the firing side arm locked out straight,
like the stock of a long gun, and pushing the pistol forward; while the support side arm has
the elbow bent and down (not sticking out to the side) and the hand pulling the pistol
backward, so the support side bicep is bulging.]
"Editor's Notebook: Pushing Left" by Rich Grassi
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/232088
Food for thought, as Dr. Wenger would say.
"How to Carry a Concealed Gun While Driving
Whether you're a commuter or someone who drives for a living,
there are comfortable and effective ways to carry a defensive handgun."
by Frank Melloni
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/how-to-carry-a-concealed-gun-while-driving/
Weaselcraft at its finest!
"The Way Of The Weasel
Getting Your Concealed Handgun Out Faster"
by Massad Ayoob
published in American Handgunner
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/the-way-of-the-weasel/
Mas is absolutely correct. If you show your willingness to use more force, the bad guy
will usually leave. Happened to me last night. I had to ask 5 young males to leave our parking
lot as they were loitering and drug dealing. One of them said, "What's it to you?" (I punctuate
the sentence as a question, but it was a challenge to fight.) and moved towards me aggressively.
I deployed my baton by whipping it past his face and rested it on my shoulder. [Just as I was
taught in Marine Corps Military Police training, not the security company I work for. The
private security company that I work for tells us not to draw any weapon from our belt
(because it forces them to do an investigation and write a report). Try to imagine how little
I care.] They all hopped into their cars and left. [My partner was behind them between cars
(as cover) with his hand on his pistol and retention devices defeated. I'm not stupid.]
"Society and the law alike see capture instead of killing as “a good thing.” "
Even better for us is to let the bad guy leave. Capturing means you have to feed the
prisoner and provide medical attention. That's why the Marine Corps teaches us to NEVER
take prisoners. Much better to let them run away. (As long as they drop their weapons.
Running in any direction with a weapon is maneuver, not surrender. That's why it is perfectly
fine to shoot the enemy armed combatant in the back.) [Now you see why I carry one million
dollars of professional liability insurance. It's for when I get sued for something that I taught
my student to do.]
Notice how far forward the pistol is relative to Mas' body when he fires. I would
recommend you pull the pistol as far back as you can. Better for weapon retention. Your
elbow should be pulled as far back as you can. I don't think human anatomy allows you to
get your pistol behind you, no matter how far you pull your elbow back.
"Way of the Weasel"
Harries flashlight technique demonstrated by Mike Harries.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Postv ention ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
In the aftermath of a lethal force confrontation, you may suffer:
difficulty sleeping, reoccurring nightmares, appetite disorders, ulcers, digestive track disorders,
self doubt, depression, impotence and sexual dysfunction; pharmacological assault from well
intentioned doctors prescribing a wide variety of pills to help you cope with sleep disorders,
depression, appetite disorders, anxiety, and stress; divorce, family relationship problems, and
such. Rather than resorting to alcohol or drugs to cope, may I suggest a pint of Häagen-Dazs
ice cream, which is a single serving, followed by a nap. Yes, this may cause you to gain weight,
but it's much better than the alternatives. Besides you need to gain a little weight, you're
looking frail.
If you are aware that these maladies are coming, you will understand that it is normal and
it won't bother you as much. You'll remember that you did what needed to be done to save
innocent lives. You're proud of yourself for doing it. This shit is just the natural fall out of
your heroic actions. Attitude is everything. The bad things will be as water off a duck's back.
You're going to want to tell the whole story. You're going to want to be understood by
your peers. Suppress those feelings and keep your mouth shut. Everything you say
will be twisted and used against you, at pre-trial hearings, at trial, at sentencing hearings,
at parole hearings; so remain silent. You blathering, "That's not what I said.", "That's not
what I meant.", is going to have you sounding like an idiot or a liar. Never speak. Let
your attorney speak for you. If you have hired a competent attorney, he will be much
smarter than you, much more knowledgeable than you. If you didn't hire a competent
attorney because you didn't have the money, well that's on you for neglecting to buy a
self-defense insurance policy.
Attorneys who have stupid clients, spend all of their time and effort trying to explain the
statements that their clients made.
"I was just telling the truth."
No, you were not telling the truth. You were relating all of your false memories. You were
neglecting to mention all the things that you temporary amnesia blocked from your recall.
(If you don't think you will suffer from these psychological effects, you're a damn fool.)
You were talking yourself into a conviction. Because that's how our justice system works.
---
"Major memory gaps, inaccurate details, and false memories are common in everyday life,
and can become worse during stressful situations."
-- Sapolsky, R. M. (2004). "Stressed Out Memories".
Scientific American Mind, 14(5)28-34.
---
"Your brain does not process information, retrieve knowledge or store memories."
-- Robert Epstein, "The Empty Brain"
https://aeon.co/essays/your-brain-does-not-processinformation-and-it-is-not-a-computer
May 18, 2006.
---
Hat tip to Alexis Artwohl, Ph.D.
You have to be alive to have these problems: criminal and civil liability.
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
“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 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
Read this before you buy insurance. You need to make an informed decision.
“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
----- Medical -----
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House
TACTICAL EMERGENCY CASUALTY CARE COURSE, $495.00
https://www.dontbleedout.com/products/tactical-emergency-casualty-care-course
October 28-29, 2022 A.D.
At the GlockStore
1930 Air Lane Drive
Nashville, TN 37210
"4 Essentials for Your Individual First Aid Kit" by Langdon Tactical
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqdfVBZ5jeI
The Essentials for People Without Medical Training
* Gloves
* Tourniquet
* Chest Seal
* Bandages
Because average ambulance response time is 4 minutes.
The victim of a severe arterial cut can bleed out in 2 minutes.
"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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Education ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
"The Ugly Truth About Violence" by Tim Larkin
https://rumble.com/v1p2ffo-the-ugly-truth-about-violence.html
Intent is primary, not training, not skill.
There are lots of mentally disturbed people on the streets. They are not being arrested.
They are not being institutionalized.
There are lots of murderers and other violent criminals out on bail or released without
having to pay any bail or released early from prison. They are free to roam in your society.
Violence is a tool. Learn to use it. Otherwise, it will be used on you. That's a true
statement. If you are a skilled practitioner of violence, that information will leak out in
your body language, posture, and behavior. It will be obvious to the competent observer.
All criminal predators are competent observers. That's how they avoid getting killed by
skilled practitioners of violence.
"UPDATED: Compiling Cases where concealed handgun permit holders have stopped
likely mass public shootings
Aug 24, 2022 | Defensive Gun Use, Original Research"
https://crimeresearch.org/2022/08/uber-driver-in-chicago-stops-mass-public-shooting/
Crime Prevention Research Center
https://prezi.com/6baszjujoz1m/copy-of-crime-prevention-research-center/
We all know that good guys with guns stop the bad guys' attacks on a continual basis
throughout the world. No amount of liberal media propaganda can change that.
"Massive errors in FBI’s Active Shooting Reports regarding cases where civilians
stop attacks:
Instead of 4.4%, the correct number is at least 34.4%.
In 2021, it is at least 49.1%.
Excluding gun-free zones, it averaged over 50%."
https://crimeresearch.org/2022/10/massive-errors-in-fbis-active-shooting-reports-regarding-cases-where-civilians-stop-attacks-instead-of-4-4-the-correct-number-is-at-least-34-4-in-2021-it-is-at-least-49-1-excluding-gun-free-zon/
"TEDxPioneerValley - Sue Barry - Fixing My Gaze"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCCtphdXhq8
The point is that the science is never settled. People who say, "the science is settled" are
idiots.
Confirmation bias is twisting the facts to fit your beliefs.
Critical thinking is bending your beliefs to fit the facts.
Seeking the truth is not about validating the story in your head.
It's about rigorously vetting and accepting the story that matches
the reality in the real world.
-- Adam Grant
Rangemaster Firearms Training Services
NOVEMBER 2022 NEWSLETTER
https://rangemaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-11_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
"Best Practices" by Dan Brady
https://apachenc.com/2022/08/test-post-1/
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
***** ***** ***** 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
"Federal Court Rules that federal law making it a crime to possess a firearm with an
obliterated serial number is unconstitutional" by Tennessee Firearms Association
https://tennesseefirearms.com/2022/10/federal-court-rules-that-federal-law-making-it-a-crime-to-possess-a-firearm-with-an-obliterated-serial-number-is-unconstitutional/
"Burden of Production PLUS Burger Shooting Analysis (members!)" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GmmGFyLqhM
Do you have a God given right to argue self-defense at trial?
Do you have a Constitutional right to argue self-defense at trial?
No.
The defense has to satisfy the "burden of production". Only when the defense has done
so to the satisfaction of the trial judge, does the burden shift to the prosecution to convince
the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant did not act in self-defense, the
"burden of persuasion".
"I don't have to know this shit. My attorney will take care of it for me."
Unless you have the money to pay a competent attorney $500 per hour for years of
pre-trial, trial, and post-trial work; and his staff billing at perhaps $1000 an hour; and
private investigators billing at $300 per hour; and expert witnesses billing at $5000 per
day; you're going to have an incompetent attorney.
"The court has to give me a competent attorney."
No, the court has no such obligation. Only if you can't afford an attorney is the court
obligated to assign an attorney of the court's choice to you. If you've got any assets,
the court will tell you to pay your own way. The court ain't looking for competenc in your
attorney. The court is looking for any attorney who will accept what the court is offering
to pay, which is very little. If the assigned attorney is not a paid public defender, he's
probably going to claim the work is pro bono for tax purposes and to satisfy the Bar.
If you don't have any assets, the court will appoint an attorney from a list of attorneys.
These are inexperienced attorneys, probably fresh out of law school who are willing
to work for cheap. Or are incapable of getting anyone or any law firm to hire them.
If you are fortunate enough to have a public defender in your jurisdiction, you may get
a public defender assigned to your case. But, you should be aware that that public defender
is presently working on 50 cases besides yours simultaneously. Can you do that multitasking?
Do you think anyone can?
You get what you pay for in this world. It's nice to be rich.
---
1. Beyond a reasonable doubt. (high level of proof) Used at criminal trials.
2. Clear and convincing evidence. (somewhere in between) Used at immunity hearings.
3. A preponderance of the evidence. (more likely than not) Used at civil trials.
"Tennessee IS NOT a “constitutional carry” state" by JohnHarris
https://tennesseefirearms.com/2022/08/tennessee-is-not-a-constitutional-carry-state/
"It’s Still a Very Good Idea to Have a Conceal Carry Permit in Permitless Carry States"
by Dan Reedy
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/its-still-a-very-good-idea-to-have-a-conceal-carry-permit-in-permitless-carry-states/
Excerpts:
While standards in conceal carry classes are typically very low, they’re still standards
that are recognized by the state. Having established a record of your marksmanship skill
is an excellent thing to have on your side if you ever have to use your gun in self-defense.
In addition to that, the record of your written test, in states that require one, can also
reflect a higher level of knowledge than that of average gun owners. That’s especially the
case in permitless carry states, showing that you’ve gone above and beyond the minimum
required.
Even with the rise of constitutional carry, though, many states — even constitutional
carry states — still require a concealed carry permit for out of state visitors.
---
[Some states won't recognize your state issued permit to carry, but federal law requires
every state to recognize state licensed armed guards.
Armored Car Industry Reciprocity Act (ACIRA) of 1993, amended several times thereafter.
https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/armored-car-industry-reciprocity-act-and-local-law-enforcement
Some jurisdictions won't recognize the law enforcement credentials of other jurisdictions.
But, ACIRA requires every state to recognized the Armed Guard License of every other state.
If you've got a clean record, it's easy to get a state issued armed guard license. Every state
issues such licenses. In Tennessee it's $160 and a 16 hour class, and being able to hit the
side of a barn.
"barn", unit of area used to measure the reaction cross section (generally different from
the geometric cross section) of atomic nuclei and subatomic particles in the study of their
interactions with other nuclei or particles. It is equal to 10^(−24) square centimeters.
The name, coined by U.S. scientists, is derived from the proverbial phrase “side of a barn,”
something easy to hit. -- Encyclopidea Britannica]
"Fatal Fireman Fight: Lawful, Awful, or Justified?" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTkEDAC3IAE
You must look out for other assailants. In this case the girlfriend of the bad guy shot the
good guy, in the back, killing him.
(It is a common practice for girlfriends to carry guns for boyfriends who are prohibitted
from carrying because they are convicted felons. Though that did not happen in this case.
The attorney just mentions it for context. In this case the bad guy passed the pistol to the
girlfriend, who then used the pistol to shoot the good guy.)
A person will believe what he wants to believe. A person will refuse to believe anything
that is obnoxious to his worldview, especially his political/religious view. The vast majority
of persons on our planet are not capable of being educated (as opposed to indoctrinated,
it's easy to indoctrinate) nor are they capable of changing their minds. That's why we fight
wars. We can't change their mind, so we have to kill them. Sorry, that's just reality. To think
otherwise is dangerous self-deception. The enemy's point of view is not just as good as
our point of view. Surrendering liberty for our own good or the greater good is criminal
stupidity. (That's what the Harry Potter series of books is all about. That's why liberals
hate J. K. Rowling. Never judge a book by its movie. The movies were made by
Hollywood and are stupid to put it politely. I don't begrudge Rowling for selling the rights.
It was the capitalist thing to do.)
“Genocide will commence shortly after they force us to turn-in our guns.
That’s the way it always happens!”
-- Marshall
The latest version (25 October 2022 A.D.) of the book
"Defensive Pistol" by Jonathan D. Low
is available free of charge at
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/474513
Words: 47,895
Language: American English
ISBN: 9781311454133
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Prevention ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
"If you are one of the great majority who never needs to pull the trigger, the money you
spent on self-defense training and equipment wasn't wasted; it gave you full value in peace
of mind. But, if it did happen . . . well, you were damn glad you were prepared and ready
for it."
-- Massad Ayoob
from "Straight Talk on Armed Defense"
"The sword is more important than the shield,
and skill is more important than either.
The final weapon is the brain.
All else is supplemental."
-- John Steinbeck
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
"Decision and Determination" by the Tactical Professor
https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2022/10/16/decision-and-determination/
Primary source document,
"Mickey Shunick Fought for Her Life, Court Documents Reveal
Mickey Shunick fought her attacker with Mace and stabbed him several times."
by CHRISTINA NG
https://abcnews.go.com/US/mickey-shunick-killer-pleads-guilty-court-document-reveals/story?id=17029059&fbclid=IwAR3LyrMSs8m5SEQDrtyOsK9bgIxLWoFdwSVmI-OdqFAbaFN8AddaShIyp9k
Having the will to fight is good. Fighting for your life is good. But all the good intentions
are useless without the tools to accomplish the mission. Every study has shown that the
best self-defense tool is a pistol. So you must carry one with you ALWAYS. You must be
trained in the correct use of the pistol. Because a weapon system without a trained user
is a danger to everyone within range.
---
"Violence begins and ends with injury. Injury is the raison d'être. In a fight for your life,
there is no substitute for inflicting injury on your enemy."
-- Tim Larkin
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
"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
"Hustle beats talent."
"If you're not failing, you're not trying."
"The games not over unless you give up."
"You only get to vote for communism once."
-- John Rich (the famous musician, The Band Lonestar)
Excerpt from
https://www.prageru.com/video/john-rich-how-wokeness-killed-country-music
His comments on wokeism start at 11:03. The reality of the country music industry.
"Critical Carry Theory" by Richard A. Mann
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/critical-carry-theory
Safety Concerns Simplified
Handgun Choice
Carry Method(s)
Accessories
Skill Level
Excerpt:
Currently, 21 of 50 states have Constitutional Carry, meaning that the concealed carry
of a firearm is allowed without a permit. This also means there are now a lot of folks who
can conceal carry legally who may have no training at all.
"Respect is not an obligation. It is given freely after it is earned.
Courtesy and civility is an obligation . . . the loss of which can also be earned."
-- Brent Yamamoto
"Is the sheep preaching hate..." - Denzel Washington (1992)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhG3JTuFyis
"Train For Pain" by Richard Nance
https://www.handgunsmag.com/editorial/train-for-pain/137727
Excerpts in quotes, my comments unquoted:
"When you are hit, regardless of what by, you need to be even more resolved to fight back.
There's no time to feel sorry for yourself or dwell on the pain. You need to shift your focus
to what you are going to do to him and launch a counterattack so overwhelming that the
assailant looks for a way out."
With regards to eye injury --
You can also force the shooter to use his peripheral vision to aim by setting up targets beyond
the limit of his range of motion.
"When you draw the gun from the holster, you will be holding it backward."
Here, Nance, is assuming you are reaching across the front of your body and gripping the
pistol with the palm inboard. This is not the only option. My students (with a little stretching
and practice) are typically able to establish a correct grip and draw while reaching behind their
back (a forward cant of your holster would hinder this technique). It is also possible to reach
across your front and turn your hand palm outboard and establish a correct grip, and draw
(a forward cant of your holster would make this technique easier). There are many other
options. (No, it is not genetic. It's just a matter of stretching daily to extend the limits of
your range of motion. Just like squatting. It's not genetic. With stretching and practice,
you can do it.)
"If you're standing, placing the gun between your knees momentarily will allow you
to roll your hand over and achieve a proper shooting grip."
Well, that immobilizes you for the amount of time it takes you to do the technique. Better
would be to place the pistol inside your belt by your navel to turn it around, or turn the pistol
around in the holster as taught at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC).
(I only know for sure of the FLETC in Charleston, SC, but I hear it is taught nationwide.)
"One way to replicate shooting with a compromised grip is by slathering some baby oil
on your hands and gun."
I have found that using liquid dish washing detergent is better, because it cleans up more easily
with water. Oh yes, you have to have lots of water, as the students will get things in their eyes.
Humans touch their faces (in particular their eyes and nose) constantly. That's why in Marine
Corps recruit training they use "not touching your face" as a discipline exercise.
"In a deadly force encounter, there's a good chance you'll be injured. This doesn't mean
you are going to die. When injured, your only option is to dig deep and push past the pain
and doubt to stop the deadly threat that faces you. Don't expect this mindset and skill-set to
come to you mysteriously mid-fight. Train to make it happen."
I have read and highly recommend
"Gunfight! An Integrated Approach to Shooting and Fighting in Close Quarters"
by Richard Nance
ISBN-10 : 1608851400
ISBN-13 : 978-1608851409
*************************************************************************
----- 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.
"Every class I tell people not to cover the ejection port with their hand
when unloading to catch the round."
-- Ernest Langdon
https://www.facebook.com/ernest.langdon.1/posts/pfbid02fnz8ey1i5x85CGYipbnoCs5AhWrJumCavxmy2rGKbseMgzwu4zshfui2AbL17ZL4l
Look at the photo. The caption reads,
"Note the nose of the round on the hood of the slide and the base of the round, primer,
sitting on the ejector."
Remember,
a “click” when you expect a “bang!” can be as deadly as
a “bang!” when you expect a “click.”
-- Stephen P. Wenger
"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
Use eye and ear protection.
Eye glasses, screen glasses, pin hole glasses. God only gave you two eyes.
Lose one and you've lost stereo vision, no depth perception. Lose two and you're blind.
Foam ear plugs, roll, squish, and insert. Custom molded ear plugs. Reusable rubber
ear plugs. Ear muffs. Electronic ear muffs. Hearing loss is permanent and cumulative.
You may not be able to afford the surgery or hearing aids necessary to restore your hearing;
if it is even possible to restore.
"While swallowing a large lead bullet probably won’t produce a measurable increase in
your blood lead level, the particles produced in lead mists and when bullets impact on steel
backstops and targets are small enough to dissolve in stomach acid, allowing the lead to get
into the blood. Repeated exposure of this sort will eventually produce toxicity, affecting
almost all organ systems of the body. Additionally, the lead will get incorporated into bone,
allowing the lead to persist longer in the body, even after you take steps to limit exposure.
Take all reasonable steps to avoid tracking these tiny particles into your home, where they
will find their way into carpeting and upholstery and continue to find their way into your
body for years to come."
-- Stephen P. Wenger
from "DEFENSIVE USE OF FIREARMS" by Stephen P. Wenger
https://www.spw-duf.info/Defensive%20Use%20of%20Firearms%20text%20bw.pdf
"Delta College Police Academy halts live firearm training after two accidental gunshots"
by Terry Camp
https://www.abc12.com/news/local/delta-college-police-academy-halts-live-firearm-training-after-two-accidental-gunshots/article_62fa8994-4f28-11ed-bddb-a70b7f7d65b7.html
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, http://spw-duf.info
More evidence that holstering is by far the most dangerous thing a person can do in
training.
Solution: obey Safety RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER
UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET.
And immediately return your trigger finger to the register position when your sights come
off the target. The trigger finger must be in the register position (straight along the frame
of the handgun) before the pistol is drawn from the holster. The trigger finger must be in
the register position before the pistol is holstered.
"Florida U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer killed in accidental shooting was
conducting training exercise prior to death
Agent Jorge Arias was shot in the chest during a role-playing scenario by another officer
who mistook his handgun for his training pistol
Duty Death: Jorge Arias - [Miami, Florida]
End of Service: 10/19/2022" by Charles Rabin and David Ovalle
https://www.police1.com/officer-down/fla-cbp-officer-killed-in-accidental-shooting-was-conducting-training-exercise-prior-to-death-XG3T2y3sF96j87gQ/
There are no accidents. These killings are negligence. (And there are many of these
incidents.) That's why you have to pay attention to the safety protocols that the instructors
are using. ATTENTION TO DETAIL! If they are not safe, LEAVE. Yes, it is that simple.
I didn't say it was easy. I didn't say there would be no repercussions. Yes, you may get
fired. But is the risk of losing your life worth the risk of losing your job?
The article mentions another "accidental" car crash that killed another law enforcement
officer. There are no accidental car crashes. There are only negligent drivers ramming their
cars into stationary objects or other cars or other people.
Saying something is an accident is the reporters way to avoid saying that so and so killed
the other person or himself through negligence or recklessness. Someone is always at fault.
That's reality. It's not journalism, but it is reality.
Why do you think they refused to identify the shooter?
"It wasn't his fault."
The killing absolutely was his fault. It was also the fault of the instructors. It was also
the fault of the executives. But it was predominantly the shooter's fault.
---
I have heard big name instructors say, if you shoot long enough you're going to have an
unintended discharge. That is completely false. Pay attention, don't be negligent, and you
will never have a negligent discharge.
Metro Nashville Police Department, West Precinct reports (16 October 2022),
So far this year (2022 A.D.), 1,087 guns have been stolen from vehicles in Nashville.
More than 70% of ALL guns reported stolen in 2022 (1,547) were taken from vehicles.
Last week, 22 guns were stolen from cars and trucks.
The MNPD strongly encourages Nashvillians to lock their automobile doors, secure any
valuables---especially guns, and REMOVE THE KEYS.
[They don't mention in the report that just about all of the cars were unlocked or the
thief had access to the keys. Why go through the trouble of breaking into a car, when
a superficial search will reveal so many unlocked cars?]
"3 Things You Do That Make You a Target For Crooks" by Jim WIlson
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/3-things-you-do-that-make-you-a-target-for-crooks/
As Tim Larkin says, every girl who was attacked by a stranger in his study was wearing
ear phones at the time of the attack.
"Experts!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/experts-4/
John Farnam's rules to keep you out of trouble:
Don't go to stupid places.
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
Be in bed by 10 PM. Your own bed.
Don't look like a freak.
Don't fail the attitude test.
*************************************************************************
----- Training (figuring out the correct tasks to learn) -----
"Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
Care enough to continue your training.
"DEFENSIVE USE OF FIREARMS" by Stephen P. Wenger
https://www.spw-duf.info/Defensive%20Use%20of%20Firearms%20text%20bw.pdf
I put this on my required reading list for my Defensive Pistol course. I don't agree with
everything in this book. I don't think there exist two humans who agree on everything.
Well written. Thoughtful. Well researched. Stephen tells me that a third edition is in
preparation and will be published soon.
"Defensive Shooting for Real-Life Encounters:
A Critical look at Current Training Methods"
by Ralph Mroz
Copyright © 2000 by Ralph Mroz
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/909276.Defensive_Shooting_for_Real_Life_Encounters
"Street Focused Handgun Training"
by Ralph Mroz
Volume I: Equipment
Volume II: Training
Volume III: Tactics
https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=%22Street+Focused+Handgun+Training%22+by+Ralph+Mroz&qid=8H5U6Q3g90
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)
I have run into many training junkies at the gun schools, gun classes, and gun conferences
that I have attended. Many have skill. But having a skill does not mean that you will use the
skill when the time comes. I did not say, "will not be able to use the skill". I said, "will not
use the skill". Let me give you some examples.
---
"For instance, annual statistics from the FBI tell us that practically every year, the majority
of police officers who are feloniously killed, are killed without ever removing their service
weapon from the holster."
-- John Hearne from "Straight Talk on Armed Defense"
---
I got an envelope in the mail from a company that I work for (part time, sometime).
The enclosed letter had a check at the bottom of the page with perforations across the
page to allow the check to be removed from the letter. I neatly tore the check off and took
it to my bank to deposit. The bank teller (who I know well and who knows me by name)
gave me a quizzical look and asked me what she wanted me to do with the paper. I said
please deposit it in my checking account. She said, this is not a check. Printed diagonally
across the front were the words "This is not a check". Across the bottom was written
"Not negotiable".
I can read. I have a large vocabulary. I have a high level of reading comprehension.
The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) says so. With a dictionary in hand, I can read graduate
level physics and math texts in German. I read the Harry Potter books to my kids smoothly
and correctly. I was able to explain the words that my kids did not understand. I have read
Modern English Shakespeare, Middle English Chaucer, and Old English Beowulf.
So I can read very well.
Being able to read well is independent of reading when required.
---
A friend of mine, who is an Emergency Medical Technician and rides around in the
ambulances, had a death bed conversation with a gentleman who had crashed his car.
Man: I don't understand it. I have mad driving skills. I've been to [driving] schools.
I'm an expert.
[His phone was still clutched in his hand.]
EMT: Were you texting while driving?
Man: Ya, but I can do that. I've done it before. I can multitask.
(He gave the EMT a resigned look, fell into unconsciousness, and died.)
[Another example of "superiority bias". Psychological term mentioned in the last blog post.]
---
Having skills is not the same as using skills. You must know when to use the skills.
You must recognize that this situation requires those skills. If you think this is obvious,
you're WRONG! It's not obvious. It's not easy. As I hope the three examples demonstrate.
Ya, sometimes it is obvious. You need to present your gun and shoot him. But
sometimes it is not obvious. That's why in the statements the victim will say, "He was so
nice.", "He was so charming.", "He was such a gentleman.", before the assault, rape,
beating, etc.
---
"In a civilian environment, with or without a badge, Jim continued, you will be dealing
with a human being when, suddenly, before your very eyes, he becomes a monster that
requires you to unleash deadly force."
-- Jim Andrews
from "DEFENSIVE USE OF FIREARMS" by Stephen P. Wenger
https://www.spw-duf.info/Defensive%20Use%20of%20Firearms%20text%20bw.pdf
---
In the field of psychology this is referred to as "inattentional blindness". You can't
see what you're not paying attention to.
The cop thought that some non-lethal interaction was going on, but in fact a lethal
force action was happening.
The driver thought his task was to communicate with his friend and so was texting.
He didn't understand that his task was to drive the car. So, he did not apply his mad
driving skills to that task.
I thought my task was to deposit a pay check into my banking account, so I applied
the appropriate skills to accomplish that task. It never occurred to me to read the
letter that I had received in the mail. It never occurred to me that the letter was notifying
me that my pay had been direct deposited into my bank account.
That is how stage magic works, especially close up magic. The last time I went to
House of Cards in the basement of the Johnny Cash museum, we watched some close
up magic with cards. I was sitting within arm's length of the magician at a table.
He said, I found your card. But it wasn't in his hand. It was held in the center of his
chest by his tie clip. No one had seen him place the card under his tie clip. It wasn't
there when he started the trick a minute earlier.
It's really easy to play such tricks on yourself. It's really easy (with practice) to play
such tricks on others. Did you ever wonder why Bass Reeves and Wyatt Earp were
never wounded during their careers as lawmen? For some, playing these sorts of tricks
is obvious and comes naturally. It's not a superpower. It's just an understanding of
how humans perceive.
Misdirection to cause inattentional blindness. If I can misdirect your attention, you can't
see me presenting my pistol. Because you didn't see me draw my pistol, you may not
become aware of me pointing my pistol at you. Because it doesn't fit any of your mental
maps. Bang! You're dead without knowing what hit you.
---
A friend, who is a criminal defense attorney, asked me to view some video recordings
for a case he was working on. The defense attorney thought something was strange about
the scenario. He couldn't understand why the bad guy let the good guy (his client) shoot
the bad guy.
The bad guy (mugger) had his pistol pointed at the good guy (client). Other bad guys
were standing around. The good guy shot the bad guy in the head, killing him instantly.
I explained to the attorney how the good guy had misdirected the bad guy's attention by
hand gesture, verbiage, and body language. Once the bad guy was shot, the other bad
guys fled. Because none of the other bad guys had seen the good guy draw his gun.
They were all wondering, "What's going on?", "Who fired the shot?"
The defense attorney had not understood prior to my explanation. The prosecutor
apparently never understood. All charges were dropped prior to trial. Because it's
self-defense.
---
"Your Tactical Training Scenario- Properly Timing your Resistance Efforts" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/your-tactical-training-scenario-properly-timing-your-resistance-efforts
Greg says to "Wait for the bad guy to be momentarily distracted.
Act while he is doing something else or when he looks away for a second."
I suggest you take control of the situation by misdirecting the bad guy's attention,
by creating the distraction. Yes, this takes training and practice.
"Look at the monkey!" probably won't work. Though Daniella would use that on me
and get me to look every time. It was the surprise and shock in her face and voice, and
that her eyes were focused on something behind me. She would use such distraction and
misdirection to steal food off my plate. "What happened to my hamburger?" [Fond
memories of times at Lulu's restaurant in Watertown, TN. Lulu's no longer exists.]
Once she was sitting to my right while we were eating lunch, she simply looked to my left
with an expression of fear. I turned to look and saw a middle aged man, a teenage boy,
and a 8 or 9 year old girl. They were paying their tab at the restaurant. Everything appeared
to be fine. But, in the time it took me to figure that out, my milkshake disappeared.
And Danny was slurping it down.
---
"DID THIS MAGICIAN LIE ON PENN & TELLER ?? | Fool Us EXPOSED"
by irehman7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN-80zJsfD8
This is actually very deep. If the technique fooled Penn and Teller, consider how effective
it would be against your assailant. The technique, not the specific trick.
Original --
"AMAZING MAGICIAN FOOLS PENN & TELLER WITH JUST A RING!
Garrett Thomas on Penn & Teller: Fool Us"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_Lm7cvA4Vw
Do you see how you can use this in combat to gain time? to get your hand on your pistol?
to get your pistol out of your holster? without the assailant noticing, without the assailant
reacting because he didn't notice it.
---
Any time a normal human witnesses a miracle (or anything that doesn't make sense) the
mind slips into WTF (What The Fuck) mode. And automatically focuses attention,
concentrates, on the thing that "could not have happened". How did Jesus of Nazareth
attract thousands to his lectures? By telling deep and profound parables? No, by previously
performing miracles. Thereby creating the expectation that He would perform another
miracle, that they could see. The effect was so strong that He had to ask the recipients of
the miracles not to tell anyone what happened. Which is the opposite of trying to spread
the word to get a larger following. Because Jesus didn't come to save everyone. He came
to save those that God had given to him. But, I digress into theology.
The point is that the "magic trick" does not have to be Earth shattering. It just has to be
enough to cause the assailant's mind to slip into WTF mode. This is almost exactly what
is taught in disarming and shots on bad guys holding a hostage. Talking is a high order
intellectual activity. Answering a question is a high order intellectual activity that takes up
a lot of mental bandwidth. So we are taught to ask the bad guy a question, and when he
starts to answer, shoot him in the head (or attempt the disarm).
---
"Shooting at hostage/bad-guy targets is a widespread, amusing, and totally dangerous
practice. If you think you can make this shot in the heat of combat while all parties are
moving and screaming, you are probably mistaken. It’s foolish to train your reflexes
to try it."
-- Ralph Mroz
Excerpt from "DEFENSIVE SHOOTING FOR REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS"
"Take training from different instructors.
We are all wrong about something."
-- John Farnam
"Take the discipline of self-protection, which is what we’re talking about here.
Most folks seem to go about it all wrong. Mistakenly, they first study one of its
subdisciplines — martial arts, guns, or what have you. Then they view the real-life
problems of self-protection through the lens of their particular subdiscipline.
Martial arts people see self-protection as a series of martial arts problems, largely
ignoring, for example, the issues of multiple and/or armed assailants. Gun people
see self-protection as a set of shooting scenarios, always assuming that they’ll be
able to get the gun in their hand and generally ignoring the issues of less than
lethal force or encounters too close in to allow access to their gun."
-- Ralph Mroz
Excerpt from "DEFENSIVE SHOOTING FOR REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS"
"On the range, drawing and shooting is hardly ever done within touching distance
of the target; on the street, that’s where it all happens."
-- Ralph Mroz
Excerpt from "DEFENSIVE SHOOTING FOR REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS"
"The range is flat, open, unobstructed, well lit, safe, unidirectional, stress-free, and
clear of distractions. The street, or wherever else you’ll have to fight for your life, is not.
Range targets are flat, static, facing head-on, quiet, nonpersonal, and nonthreatening.
The person trying to kill you isn’t.
So obviously, range training, no matter how “practical” or “tactical” is not real-world
training."
-- Ralph Mroz
Excerpt from "DEFENSIVE SHOOTING FOR REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS"
“Distance favors the trained.”
-- Paul Howe
"Color Codes Of Awareness In Developing a Combat Mindset" by Chris Sajnog
https://www.chrissajnog.com/blog/combat-mindset/
What does condition White, Yellow, Orange, and Red mean? You have to translate.
So better would be to use the words Unaware, Aware, Alert, Alarm as the NRA recommends.
Just because Col. Cooper taught it doesn't make it best practice. Just because the NRA
recommends it doesn't make it stupid. If you believe that keeping things simple is better,
you will use the NRA recommended verbiage.
"Making The Long Distance Pistol Shot
If you can make the shot at longer distances,
you'll be able to make the shot close in as well."
by Steve Tarani
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/making-the-long-distance-pistol-shot/
Remember, on long range pistol shots, you have to aim low. The point of impact relative
to the point of aim is going to be high. So you have to aim below the intended target.
You have to practice to know exactly how low to aim, or you can use a free online ballistic
calculator. But unless you practice aiming low on long range shots, you won't actually do it.
Every miss is an unintended hit, destroying property, injuring innocent bystanders, maybe
killing them.
If you don't believe me, plug your data into a ballistic calculator. Or, go to the range and
do the experiment yourself. If you're shooting a pistol chambered in 45 ACP with standard
loads (230 grain bullet at 850 feet per second), if you aim at the center of an 8 inch circular
plate (4 inch radius) at 25 yards, you will consistently shoot over the plate, because your point
of impact is 5 inches high. Oh! So that's why I always miss the plates at long range.
"How to Shoot From Unconventional Positions: Learn How"
by Richard Nance
https://www.handgunsmag.com/editorial/how-shoot-unconventional-positions/465533
Excerpt:
Don’t think these positions will magically come to you during a deadly force encounter.
Get an inert training gun and change out of your church clothes. Hit the deck and practice
getting into and out of these atypical positions. See what works for you and, just as
importantly, what doesn’t. The time to figure it out is in training, not on the street.
“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
"Night Operations Summit November 18-20, 2022", $1,000
https://www.greenlinetactical.com/store/p/night-operations-summit-nov-18-20-2022
Barnwell, SC at the GTI, Government Training Institute
https://gtitraining.org/training-facilities/
On-site lodging,
https://gtilegion.com/product-category/lodging/
"Nightfighter", $700
Grand Junction CO, Cameo Shooting Complex
October 21-22, 2022
https://www.greenlinetactical.com/store/p/feb-25-27-camden-tn-5n4dy-cnrky-3n3wy-bp8dc
PISTOL GROUND FIGHTING by Brent Yamamoto, $575
https://suarezinternational.com/pistol-ground-fighting-november-18-20-2022-novato-ca/
November 18-20, 2022
Novato, CA
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
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
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens
"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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intervention ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
----- Strategy (deciding on the end state and how to achieve it, which tactics to use, which
includes not getting involved) -----
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
"At the onset of the confrontation, for example, it is common for the person to experience
tunnel vision, auditory exclusion, alterations in perceived time, and the loss of fine motor
control, among others."
-- Anthony Semone, Ph.D.
Others would be: shaking uncontrollably, hyperventilation, defecating and urinating on
yourself, not knowing where you are or what you're doing, all kinds of strange thoughts.
Know that these things are normal reactions to high stress. Don't let them bother you.
Focus on what you need to do. Front sight, press.
"John Farnam - Katrina Gunfight"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuRGGp8cdDs
Must be able to change strategy in an instant based on circumstances.
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, and Escape
"The truth is that safety is a holistic discipline and, as with so many activities,
success depends on attention to detail."
-- Ralph Mroz
---
In the Marine Corps, from the beginning with the Drill Instructors to the end with the
officers and staff NCOs there is a constant practice and teaching of "attention to detail".
"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
"Weapon Malfunctions in an Active Shooter Event" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/weapon-malfunctions-in-an-active-shooter-event
"How Sketching Like a Sniper Can Help Your Situational Awareness:
13 Things You Should Practice Observing" by Imminent Threat Solutions
https://store.itstactical.com/blogs/knowledge-articles/how-sketching-like-a-sniper-can-help-your-situational-awareness-13-things-you-should-practice-observing/
When I was in the Marine Corps, we could mark our maps putting our own names on
all the major streets. Names that we could pronounce and remember.
"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
"Fixing Jams" or
"Clearing Malfunctions Under Duress of a Gunfight"
TAP RACK AS THE PRIMARY IMMEDIATE ACTION DRILL
RELOAD AS THE SECONDARY IMMEDIATE ACTION DRILL
UNLOAD AND RELOAD AS THE TERTIARY IMMEDIATE ACTION DRILL
-- Gabe Suarez (paraphrased, I left out all of the explanatory verbiage)
The point is, no thinking. Fix and fire. If the gun don't go BANG! Go to the next
immediate action.
The first one takes care of failure to fire, failure to go into battery, and failure to feed.
The second one takes care of failure to extract and empty gun.
The third one takes care of a shell or cartridge stuck in the chamber.
[This minimizes the expected time to get us back into the fight. In large part by eliminating
all decision making. Even for those who don't believe in it, Hicks Law is real. The fewer
decision we make, the faster we go. The fewer options we have to choose from in each
decision, the faster we go.
Hick’s Law: Reaction time increases with the number of choices.
Hick, W. E. (1952), “On the Rate of Gain of Information”,
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, Vol. 4, pages 11-26.
]
Of course, going for the spare gun might be faster, if it's not in an ankle holster. Ankle
holsters are slow.
Of course, all of this can be avoided by keeping your pistol clean and lubricated, and
using factory new ammo. Ya, you're a competent reloader, but the time spent reloading
would be better spent dry practicing, practicing, or training. Okay, if reloading is your
mechanism for meditation, I get it.
"POINT SHOOTING" by Stephen P. Wenger
https://www.spw-duf.info/point.html
Excerpts:
[Point shooting] is part of a continuum that begins with shooting from the hip and ends
with traditionally aimed fire, depending on the distance to the threat.
---
More recently, the people who ran the annual National Tactical Invitational "match"
observed that virtually all participants used some form of two-handed shooting position
when confronted with inanimate targets, even at close range. However, in force-on-force
exercises, where participants were armed with guns that fired something other than bullets
and actually shot at and get shot by role players, they almost always ended up shooting
one-handed.
---
This group makes its arguments on the basis of the physiology of stress, rather than the
speed of the subconscious, as Cirillo argues. They claim that it can take as long as half a
second to shift the visual focus from the threat to the front sight, if you can do so at all.
---
This is why some people have been trained to look slightly away from what they wish
to see in low light - so that the available light falls on the rods, which can detect lower
levels of light than the cones.
---
However, there are many more types and subtypes of light receptors [not just cones and
rods] in the human eye. Some of them are specific for detecting motion. Some of them do
not even form visual images and are responsible for such tasks as adjusting the size of the
pupil and regulating the body's natural rhythms as the days grow longer and shorter.
---
Most people who have studied enough biology have been taught that that the visual
"screen" in the brain is located in the occipital lobe, at the rear of the cortex. In the
simplified explanation of human vision, it is usually taught that the images from the right
eye travel to the left side of the brain and vice versa. Both of those statements are
oversimplifications and different types of visual signals travel to different parts of the brain.
For example, you will usually dodge or duck if your peripheral vision senses something
close, coming at you rapidly, before your conscious mind has any idea of what it is - from
an image projected onto your primary visual cortex.
[More precisely, the left field of vision from both eyes is processed by the right
hemisphere of the brain and the right field of vision from both eyes is processed by the
left hemisphere of the brain. -- Jon Low]
Dr. Wenger corrects me -
To my knowledge, central vision goes to the contralateral occipital visual cortex while
peripheral vision goes to the ipsilateral occipital visual cortex. Then there are tracts - typically
associated with balance - that go to older parts of the brain. I don't know where my
physiology text is buried, to give you more explicit details but not all rods nor all cones
send their input to the same areas.
[We are clearly speaking past each other. Because I am correct. -- Jon Low]
---
I should note that not all techniques work equally well for all people so, as an instructor,
it's also nice to have a variety of techniques available, according to what seems to fit each
student.
---
While a former teaching partner was concerned with the legal liability of teaching
students to fire shots without a confirmed visual index, several years ago I became
concerned about moral liability of only teaching sighted fire when I know that Mother
Nature is likely to tell them not to wait that long in a gunfight. If they will fire without
getting the gun up to the line of sight, I feel that I have to teach how to score hits from
such positions.
---
Check out Mr. Wenger's thoughtful essays at
https://www.spw-duf.info/
You can get on the email list to get the informative emails by going to
http://lists.pongonova.org/mailman/listinfo/duf-digest
"Advocating point shooting as a universal solution, rather than a specific technique
for certain circumstances, is downright deceitful."
-- Ralph Mroz
Excerpt from "DEFENSIVE SHOOTING FOR REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS"
"During other types of shooting, I sometimes find myself in a Chapman stance, and
sometimes in an isosceles. I’ve come to not care about it anymore, figuring that my body
is automatically doing what it can to give me the best advantage in the circumstances and
physical position I’m in."
-- Ralph Mroz
Excerpt from "DEFENSIVE SHOOTING FOR REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS"
[The Chapman version of the Weaver position has the firing side arm locked out straight,
like the stock of a long gun, and pushing the pistol forward; while the support side arm has
the elbow bent and down (not sticking out to the side) and the hand pulling the pistol
backward, so the support side bicep is bulging.]
"Editor's Notebook: Pushing Left" by Rich Grassi
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/232088
Food for thought, as Dr. Wenger would say.
"How to Carry a Concealed Gun While Driving
Whether you're a commuter or someone who drives for a living,
there are comfortable and effective ways to carry a defensive handgun."
by Frank Melloni
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/how-to-carry-a-concealed-gun-while-driving/
Weaselcraft at its finest!
"The Way Of The Weasel
Getting Your Concealed Handgun Out Faster"
by Massad Ayoob
published in American Handgunner
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/the-way-of-the-weasel/
Mas is absolutely correct. If you show your willingness to use more force, the bad guy
will usually leave. Happened to me last night. I had to ask 5 young males to leave our parking
lot as they were loitering and drug dealing. One of them said, "What's it to you?" (I punctuate
the sentence as a question, but it was a challenge to fight.) and moved towards me aggressively.
I deployed my baton by whipping it past his face and rested it on my shoulder. [Just as I was
taught in Marine Corps Military Police training, not the security company I work for. The
private security company that I work for tells us not to draw any weapon from our belt
(because it forces them to do an investigation and write a report). Try to imagine how little
I care.] They all hopped into their cars and left. [My partner was behind them between cars
(as cover) with his hand on his pistol and retention devices defeated. I'm not stupid.]
"Society and the law alike see capture instead of killing as “a good thing.” "
Even better for us is to let the bad guy leave. Capturing means you have to feed the
prisoner and provide medical attention. That's why the Marine Corps teaches us to NEVER
take prisoners. Much better to let them run away. (As long as they drop their weapons.
Running in any direction with a weapon is maneuver, not surrender. That's why it is perfectly
fine to shoot the enemy armed combatant in the back.) [Now you see why I carry one million
dollars of professional liability insurance. It's for when I get sued for something that I taught
my student to do.]
Notice how far forward the pistol is relative to Mas' body when he fires. I would
recommend you pull the pistol as far back as you can. Better for weapon retention. Your
elbow should be pulled as far back as you can. I don't think human anatomy allows you to
get your pistol behind you, no matter how far you pull your elbow back.
"Way of the Weasel"
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Postv ention ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
In the aftermath of a lethal force confrontation, you may suffer:
difficulty sleeping, reoccurring nightmares, appetite disorders, ulcers, digestive track disorders,
self doubt, depression, impotence and sexual dysfunction; pharmacological assault from well
intentioned doctors prescribing a wide variety of pills to help you cope with sleep disorders,
depression, appetite disorders, anxiety, and stress; divorce, family relationship problems, and
such. Rather than resorting to alcohol or drugs to cope, may I suggest a pint of Häagen-Dazs
ice cream, which is a single serving, followed by a nap. Yes, this may cause you to gain weight,
but it's much better than the alternatives. Besides you need to gain a little weight, you're
looking frail.
If you are aware that these maladies are coming, you will understand that it is normal and
it won't bother you as much. You'll remember that you did what needed to be done to save
innocent lives. You're proud of yourself for doing it. This shit is just the natural fall out of
your heroic actions. Attitude is everything. The bad things will be as water off a duck's back.
You're going to want to tell the whole story. You're going to want to be understood by
your peers. Suppress those feelings and keep your mouth shut. Everything you say
will be twisted and used against you, at pre-trial hearings, at trial, at sentencing hearings,
at parole hearings; so remain silent. You blathering, "That's not what I said.", "That's not
what I meant.", is going to have you sounding like an idiot or a liar. Never speak. Let
your attorney speak for you. If you have hired a competent attorney, he will be much
smarter than you, much more knowledgeable than you. If you didn't hire a competent
attorney because you didn't have the money, well that's on you for neglecting to buy a
self-defense insurance policy.
Attorneys who have stupid clients, spend all of their time and effort trying to explain the
statements that their clients made.
"I was just telling the truth."
No, you were not telling the truth. You were relating all of your false memories. You were
neglecting to mention all the things that you temporary amnesia blocked from your recall.
(If you don't think you will suffer from these psychological effects, you're a damn fool.)
You were talking yourself into a conviction. Because that's how our justice system works.
---
"Major memory gaps, inaccurate details, and false memories are common in everyday life,
and can become worse during stressful situations."
-- Sapolsky, R. M. (2004). "Stressed Out Memories".
Scientific American Mind, 14(5)28-34.
---
"Your brain does not process information, retrieve knowledge or store memories."
-- Robert Epstein, "The Empty Brain"
https://aeon.co/essays/your-brain-does-not-processinformation-and-it-is-not-a-computer
May 18, 2006.
---
Hat tip to Alexis Artwohl, Ph.D.
You have to be alive to have these problems: criminal and civil liability.
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
“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 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
Read this before you buy insurance. You need to make an informed decision.
“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
----- Medical -----
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House
TACTICAL EMERGENCY CASUALTY CARE COURSE, $495.00
https://www.dontbleedout.com/products/tactical-emergency-casualty-care-course
October 28-29, 2022 A.D.
At the GlockStore
1930 Air Lane Drive
Nashville, TN 37210
"4 Essentials for Your Individual First Aid Kit" by Langdon Tactical
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqdfVBZ5jeI
The Essentials for People Without Medical Training
* Gloves
* Tourniquet
* Chest Seal
* Bandages
Because average ambulance response time is 4 minutes.
The victim of a severe arterial cut can bleed out in 2 minutes.
"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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Education ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
"The Ugly Truth About Violence" by Tim Larkin
https://rumble.com/v1p2ffo-the-ugly-truth-about-violence.html
Intent is primary, not training, not skill.
There are lots of mentally disturbed people on the streets. They are not being arrested.
They are not being institutionalized.
There are lots of murderers and other violent criminals out on bail or released without
having to pay any bail or released early from prison. They are free to roam in your society.
Violence is a tool. Learn to use it. Otherwise, it will be used on you. That's a true
statement. If you are a skilled practitioner of violence, that information will leak out in
your body language, posture, and behavior. It will be obvious to the competent observer.
All criminal predators are competent observers. That's how they avoid getting killed by
skilled practitioners of violence.
"UPDATED: Compiling Cases where concealed handgun permit holders have stopped
likely mass public shootings
Aug 24, 2022 | Defensive Gun Use, Original Research"
https://crimeresearch.org/2022/08/uber-driver-in-chicago-stops-mass-public-shooting/
Crime Prevention Research Center
https://prezi.com/6baszjujoz1m/copy-of-crime-prevention-research-center/
We all know that good guys with guns stop the bad guys' attacks on a continual basis
throughout the world. No amount of liberal media propaganda can change that.
"Massive errors in FBI’s Active Shooting Reports regarding cases where civilians
stop attacks:
Instead of 4.4%, the correct number is at least 34.4%.
In 2021, it is at least 49.1%.
Excluding gun-free zones, it averaged over 50%."
https://crimeresearch.org/2022/10/massive-errors-in-fbis-active-shooting-reports-regarding-cases-where-civilians-stop-attacks-instead-of-4-4-the-correct-number-is-at-least-34-4-in-2021-it-is-at-least-49-1-excluding-gun-free-zon/
"TEDxPioneerValley - Sue Barry - Fixing My Gaze"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCCtphdXhq8
The point is that the science is never settled. People who say, "the science is settled" are
idiots.
Confirmation bias is twisting the facts to fit your beliefs.
Critical thinking is bending your beliefs to fit the facts.
Seeking the truth is not about validating the story in your head.
It's about rigorously vetting and accepting the story that matches
the reality in the real world.
-- Adam Grant
Rangemaster Firearms Training Services
NOVEMBER 2022 NEWSLETTER
https://rangemaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-11_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
"Best Practices" by Dan Brady
https://apachenc.com/2022/08/test-post-1/
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
***** ***** ***** 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
"Federal Court Rules that federal law making it a crime to possess a firearm with an
obliterated serial number is unconstitutional" by Tennessee Firearms Association
https://tennesseefirearms.com/2022/10/federal-court-rules-that-federal-law-making-it-a-crime-to-possess-a-firearm-with-an-obliterated-serial-number-is-unconstitutional/
"Burden of Production PLUS Burger Shooting Analysis (members!)" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GmmGFyLqhM
Do you have a God given right to argue self-defense at trial?
Do you have a Constitutional right to argue self-defense at trial?
No.
The defense has to satisfy the "burden of production". Only when the defense has done
so to the satisfaction of the trial judge, does the burden shift to the prosecution to convince
the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant did not act in self-defense, the
"burden of persuasion".
"I don't have to know this shit. My attorney will take care of it for me."
Unless you have the money to pay a competent attorney $500 per hour for years of
pre-trial, trial, and post-trial work; and his staff billing at perhaps $1000 an hour; and
private investigators billing at $300 per hour; and expert witnesses billing at $5000 per
day; you're going to have an incompetent attorney.
"The court has to give me a competent attorney."
No, the court has no such obligation. Only if you can't afford an attorney is the court
obligated to assign an attorney of the court's choice to you. If you've got any assets,
the court will tell you to pay your own way. The court ain't looking for competenc in your
attorney. The court is looking for any attorney who will accept what the court is offering
to pay, which is very little. If the assigned attorney is not a paid public defender, he's
probably going to claim the work is pro bono for tax purposes and to satisfy the Bar.
If you don't have any assets, the court will appoint an attorney from a list of attorneys.
These are inexperienced attorneys, probably fresh out of law school who are willing
to work for cheap. Or are incapable of getting anyone or any law firm to hire them.
If you are fortunate enough to have a public defender in your jurisdiction, you may get
a public defender assigned to your case. But, you should be aware that that public defender
is presently working on 50 cases besides yours simultaneously. Can you do that multitasking?
Do you think anyone can?
You get what you pay for in this world. It's nice to be rich.
---
1. Beyond a reasonable doubt. (high level of proof) Used at criminal trials.
2. Clear and convincing evidence. (somewhere in between) Used at immunity hearings.
3. A preponderance of the evidence. (more likely than not) Used at civil trials.
"Tennessee IS NOT a “constitutional carry” state" by JohnHarris
https://tennesseefirearms.com/2022/08/tennessee-is-not-a-constitutional-carry-state/
"It’s Still a Very Good Idea to Have a Conceal Carry Permit in Permitless Carry States"
by Dan Reedy
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/its-still-a-very-good-idea-to-have-a-conceal-carry-permit-in-permitless-carry-states/
Excerpts:
While standards in conceal carry classes are typically very low, they’re still standards
that are recognized by the state. Having established a record of your marksmanship skill
is an excellent thing to have on your side if you ever have to use your gun in self-defense.
In addition to that, the record of your written test, in states that require one, can also
reflect a higher level of knowledge than that of average gun owners. That’s especially the
case in permitless carry states, showing that you’ve gone above and beyond the minimum
required.
Even with the rise of constitutional carry, though, many states — even constitutional
carry states — still require a concealed carry permit for out of state visitors.
---
[Some states won't recognize your state issued permit to carry, but federal law requires
every state to recognize state licensed armed guards.
Armored Car Industry Reciprocity Act (ACIRA) of 1993, amended several times thereafter.
https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/armored-car-industry-reciprocity-act-and-local-law-enforcement
Some jurisdictions won't recognize the law enforcement credentials of other jurisdictions.
But, ACIRA requires every state to recognized the Armed Guard License of every other state.
If you've got a clean record, it's easy to get a state issued armed guard license. Every state
issues such licenses. In Tennessee it's $160 and a 16 hour class, and being able to hit the
side of a barn.
"barn", unit of area used to measure the reaction cross section (generally different from
the geometric cross section) of atomic nuclei and subatomic particles in the study of their
interactions with other nuclei or particles. It is equal to 10^(−24) square centimeters.
The name, coined by U.S. scientists, is derived from the proverbial phrase “side of a barn,”
something easy to hit. -- Encyclopidea Britannica]
"Fatal Fireman Fight: Lawful, Awful, or Justified?" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTkEDAC3IAE
You must look out for other assailants. In this case the girlfriend of the bad guy shot the
good guy, in the back, killing him.
(It is a common practice for girlfriends to carry guns for boyfriends who are prohibitted
from carrying because they are convicted felons. Though that did not happen in this case.
The attorney just mentions it for context. In this case the bad guy passed the pistol to the
girlfriend, who then used the pistol to shoot the good guy.)
---
This report says the feds charged Ja’Von Taylor with felony murder. [Someone was
killed during Taylor's commission of a crime (aggravated assault with a pistol).]
"Man charged in shooting death of off-duty Kansas City firefighter"
by Makenzie Koch, Heidi Schmidt, Jonathan Ketz
https://fox4kc.com/news/police-identify-off-duty-kansas-city-firefighter-killed-in-independence-shooting/
Excerpt:
"Federal prosecutors charge a metro man in the death of an off-duty Kansas City
firefighter, but say he isn’t the one who pulled the trigger."
[It was the metro man's girlfriend who pulled the trigger. But, she is not being prosecuted
because the prosecutor couldn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she wasn't acting in
"defense of others". Legally, the girlfriend's perceptions don't have to be correct, they only
have to reasonable. Note that the girlfriend returned to the scene (after fleeing) to turn
herself in. Ya, her mother had to bring her back. But sometimes people panic in high stress
situations. So it wasn't as if the girlfriend's fleeing from the scene was a consciousness of
guilt sort of thing. At least the prosecutor didn't think so.]
"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/
"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."
Check out
http://HandgunLaw.us/
to find out if you need to inform the police officer, who stopped you for speeding, that you
are carrying.
“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
***** ***** ***** 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
"Selecting The Right Firearms Instructor"
by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/selecting-the-right-firearms-instructor/
"Every time I teach a class,
I discover I don't know something."
-- Clint Smith
"Trainers that have “one right way” to do something aren’t really teachers but merely
opinion holders. And you know what they say about opinions."
-- Ralph Mroz
Excerpt from "DEFENSIVE SHOOTING FOR REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS"
"Plain language makes it easier for students to learn, while confusing language serves
only to make it all seem mysterious and make the teacher appear omnipotent."
-- Ralph Mroz
Excerpt from "DEFENSIVE SHOOTING FOR REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS"
---
I agree. That's why we should use,
Unaware
Aware
Alert
Alarm
(as taught by the NRA)
as opposed to
White
Yellow
Orange
Red
(as taught by Col. Cooper)
The colors are meaningless to the newbie. And they add a level of indirection.
Indirection solves a lot of problems in computer science. But generally, causes problems
everywhere else.
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
---
John Farnam and Tom Givens have books that they expect you to read before attending
their classes. So, that when they lecture in class, it's not the first time you've heard it.
Likewise, you should send the documents for your class to your students before the class,
far enough in advance of the class to allow them time to read the material.
Ya, I know some of your students will not do the reading before (or after) the class,
but some will.
As the country song says, "Some girls don't like boys like me. Ah, but some girls do."
Sawyer Brown, "Some Girls Do".
"How to Introduce Senior Citizens to Shooting
America's population of seniors is growing . . . and vulnerable. Let's not forget them."
by Dave Campbell
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/how-to-introduce-senior-citizens-to-shooting/
Excerpts:
The secret to successfully starting anyone to shooting is to make it an enjoyable experience.
Start them slowly, and only progress to a new skill level once the previous one is mastered.
10 Rules for Teaching New Senior Shooters:
1 Do not start with a powerful centerfire.
2 Keep the shooting sessions short, no more than an hour.
3 Keep the ranges short so that it is easier to shoot good groups.
4 Be aware of and accommodate physical limitations.
5 Take frequent breaks; sit down off the range and discuss tactics and scenarios.
6 Make shooting fun.
7 Do not get too wrapped up in tactical dogma.
8 Give the shooter an opportunity to find the best way to solve a problem.
9 Celebrate successes; do not come down hard on corrections.
10 Let the shooter progress at their own rate; don’t try to force them too quickly.
"6 Tips to Introduce Kids to Shooting
There's a right way and a wrong way to do this. Here's the right way."
by Jo Deering
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/6-tips-to-introduce-kids-to-shooting/
Excerpts:
Wait Until They’re Ready
Don’t Push
Drill Safety
Use the Right Guns
Make It Fun
Consider a Team
"The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."
-- Robert John Meehan
---
That's why you must attend the annual conferences (and there are many). You must
listen to other instructors to find out what the best practices are. Yes, they change. Some
are things that never occurred to you, and never would have occurred to you had you
not attended the conference. For instance, Melody Lauer gives a class,
"The Next Step Beyond Shooting; Decision Making" which she describes as the smooth
transition between range drills (where you get explicit instruction as to what to do) and
force-on-force scenarios (where you get no instruction on what to do). But in fact it is
a course on thinking, making decisions in combat, exercising good judgment. Deep
gut wrenching realities that forced me to reevaluate what I was teaching.
If you think you don't need to collaborate with others, because you know what's best,
or you learned from the master (Col. Cooper or whoever), you're a damn fool.
Tom Givens tells me that he takes a least one class a year as a student from instructors
not in his wheelhouse. It was a common practice at Front Sight [at least back when I was
working there as a Line Coach (assistant instructor, the instructors were called
Rangemasters) in the latter half of the 1990s] to send instructors to other gun schools to
learn and bring back material to Front Sight. Any good instructor will tell his students
to take classes from other instructors. As John Farnam says, "Take training from different
instructors. We are all wrong about something."
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Gear ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
Do you have any knowledge of or experience with
Bulletproof Everyone
https://bulletproofeveryone.com/
? If so, please let me know.
Email me at Jon_Low@yahoo.com
A student of mine has small hands. We are looking at the following pistols for her
Springfield Armory Hellcat
Glock 48, like the Glock 43 but with a longer barrel
Glock 43
Smith&Wesson Military&Police Shield EZ
Sig P365XL, because the grip is long enough to allow all fingers on the grip without a
magazine grip extension. The regular P365 grip is too short.
Walther PDP F series
Ruger LCP Max (this has a longer grip allowing you to get all of your fingers on the grip,
the regular LCP grip is too short)
and others.
If you know of any others, please let me know.
The shooter must be able to get all fingers on the grip to control the pistol. Middle
finger, ring finger, and little finger of firing side hand; all 4 fingers of support side hand.
The tips of the middle finger and ring finger should point back at the shooter, when the
pist[ol is correctly gripped.
If necessary, move the trigger to allow the shooter to press the trigger straight to the rear.
Ya, a lot of gunsmiths won't move the trigger because they fear the liability. But, there are
competent gunsmiths who will. Craig, the gunsmith at the Glock Store, will move triggers.
The pistol must be ambidextrous. Just because you are right handed does not mean you
will be right handed in combat. Being able to move the magazine release to the other side
of the pistol does not make the pistol ambidextrous. You're not going to be able to move
the magazine release during combat.
"Ken Hackathorn analyzes Red Dot Sights on handguns and gives the pros and cons -
Masterclass EP 31" by Ken Hackathorn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjlL0hYgdag
It took Ken Hackathorn 5000 live fire rounds to get "natural" shooting a red dot. (He's
talking about deliberate intentional practice, not plinking.) How long do you think it would
take you? [Have you fired 5000 rounds in your life time? That's 5 cases of ammunition.
That's 100 of those 50 round boxes that you buy at the gun store. Are you willing to expend
that much money and time to master the red dot sight? Oh, you can do it in less time and
with less ammo? Because you're better than Ken Hackathorn?]
Are you a one-percenter (one who actually takes training on how to shoot the red dot
sight, practices a lot, in a realistic manner)? If not, you won't master the red dot sight.
So why put it on your emergency rescue tool that you life and the lives of your loved ones
will depend on?
"Exploded View: Glock 19 Gen5" by American Rifleman Staff
https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/exploded-view-glock-19-gen5/
Instructions for disassembly, not just field stripping. You must have a set of punches.
Do you really want to go that far? I was a battalion armorer when I was in the Marine Corps.
If we needed to punch pins out, we would send it up to higher echelon, like Brigade Service
Support Group (BSSG). Gunsmithing is a field, a discipline, a profession. You got the
time and perseverance to do a good job? If not, best to leave it to the pros.
"Guest Shot: Enhancing my Carry Gun" by Dave Spaulding
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/2264d329-dee9-425d-8d5e-b201f4b079bc
I agree, undercutting the trigger guard is an essential modification to allow a reasonable
and painless grip. On a plastic frame, you can do it easily with a Dremel tool. I did a good
job on my Glock 21 and Glock 22 in about 15 minutes each. Use high rpm, low pressure.
Start with rough grade sand paper and progress to finer grade sand paper. Take your time.
Be patient.
"How to Buy Guns From Pawn Shops" by Jeff Johnston
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/how-to-buy-guns-from-pawn-shops/
I have found that some pawn shops will clean the guns before putting them on display for
sale. I'm sure this increases their profit margin.
If they pawn shop won't let you disassemble the modern semi-auto pistol, DON'T buy it.
If the pawn shop or gun shop (Bass Pro) has trigger locks on all of their pistols and won't
take them off to let you test the trigger, DON'T buy from them. No matter what their excuse
is, DON'T buy from them. If you get home and find out the pistol does not work, they are
going to say it worked when they sold it to you. Of course, it didn't, but at that point you're
stuck. Now you have to ship it back to the manufacturer.
I have run into a lot of pistols that did not work at pawn shops. You must disassemble it,
visually inspect it, test the trigger, rack the slide while holding the trigger the rear to test the
reset, and such.
Point the pistol up, insert a pencil eraser end down into the barrel of the pistol, and press the
trigger. The pencil should pop out of the barrel. If the firing pin mechnism is strong, the
pencil will hit the ceiling. If the firing pin can't pop the pencil out of the barrel, you're going to
get light primer strikes, which means the pistol is not reliable. If they won't let you do those
things, DON'T buy.
If the clerk points the pistol at you, walk out, NOW!
The clerk should remove the magazine and chamber check the pistol before handing it to
you. Even if he does, check it again. He might be blind. (Legally blind, not totally blind.
Which means he didn't see the cartridge in the chamber because there was not enough contrast
or it's too dark.)
"More Room More Gun
Rethinking The Car Gun"
by Jeremy Clough
https://gunsmagazine.com/guns/more-room-more-gun/
Keeping a larger gun in your car is fine when you are using your car. But, in Nashville, TN
if you leave a gun in your car, it's almost a certainty that your gun will get stolen out of your
car or your car will get stolen, and the gun will be used in a crime. The police publish the
statistics monthly and it's horrendous. Leaving a gun in your car is an act of criminal stupidity.
"The Importance of Testing Your Ammo" by Paul Whaley
https://www.primerpeak.com/the-importance-of-testing-your-ammo-2022/
Excerpt:
Confirm general ammo reliability
Test reliability in a specific firearm
Confirm ammo consistency (velocity, recoil)
Learn point of aim/point of impact
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
*************************************************************************
***** ***** Religion, Politics, History, War Stories, et al ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
"Over?" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/over/
Peter Zeihan Reveals China's Unstoppable Population Collapse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Me2G6FJZMI
Women's rights is the result of mankind's harnessing of electricity for industrial purposes.
Full interview at
"The Old World Order Is About To Collapse - Peter Zeihan | Modern Wisdom Podcast 514"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRT7P-VKM0k
Check out the interview at 22:40. Wow!
"Do we need a Quantum Internet? CERN saves energy. Species Loss. And more."
by Sabine Hossenfelder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPupnpSB8YU
Explaining the stupidity of journalists. And the stupidity of governments. And the
stupidity of large scientific organizations.
"Every system is already perfectly designed . . . to achieve the results it’s getting."
-- Ralph Mroz
So if you don't like the results that you're getting, you have to change the system.
Yes, you can. Every participant in the system affects the system. If you don't understand
how, study the system. You will see.
"Hey Staff, that takes way more intelligence than I have."
No, it doesn't. It may take more perseverance than you choose to expend on the project,
but it is well within you mental capability. As Herr Doktor Professor Jordon Peterson says,
conscientiousness is the primary factor in success of any project, not intelligence.
"Hey Staff, that takes way more power than I have."
No, it doesn't. The American Revolutionary War, our Vietnam War, our withdrawal from
Afghanistan should convince you that the guerrilla can defeat the superpower.
Time is on your side. Do you have anything better to do?
"Hey Staff, that's going to seriously cut into my beer drinking, TV watching, contributing
to my girls college fund (attending strip clubs), and such. "
Well, there you have it.
A colleague at Allied Universal Security Services, Jaspreet Dhami, was working at
Alta Bates Emergency Department of the
Sutter Health's Alta Bates Summit Medical Center at
2450 Ashby Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705.
Dhami sensed that a young woman, who was with a male companion, was showing
unusual body language. “I could tell she wanted to talk to me but she didn’t want the
man to know,” Jaspreet said. “She was trembling when she was signing in and then
she wrote: Kidnap, call police, don’t make a scene.”
Dhami acted discreetly and safely to lead the woman to the treatment area to
confirm her claim and contact police to take the suspect into custody.
“Part of my job is to help patients by listening to them and relating to what they're
going through. I just wanted to help this young woman in need and I’m proud that
I could do my part.”
The point is, Dhami did not shoot the kidnapper. Dhami did not arrest the kidnapper.
He just got the hostage away from the kidnapper and called the cops. WIN!
Getting the hostage away from the kidnapper was way more difficult than described.
Dhami has mad social skills and command presence.
"When in Bear Country . . . !" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/when-in-bear-country/
When I lived in New Jersey (Cherry Hill a suburb of Philadelphia and Little Falls a
suburb of New York City), the state government outlawed bear hunting. Almost immediately,
reports of bear attacks on humans flooded the news. The bears aren't stupid. They can tell
when their enemies have disappeared. Then the state government told the news outlets to
knock it off, and immediately there were no news reports of bear attacks. So, I guess that
solved the problem.
“I can read the Second Amendment, it’s not rocket science, I will uphold it.
I know that the answer to a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun.
I know that people with gun licenses do not commit gun crimes; it’s a fact."
-- Jay McMahon, Republican Attorney General candidate Massachusetts
Hat Tip to Stephen P. Wenger, http://spw-duf.info
Wow! The American Red Cross has really stepped up their game in customer service.
I just got an email that told me which medical facility my blood donation was sent to and
what the patient's disorder was that needed my blood. Definitely made me feel more
involved and motivated me to donate in the future.
"Basic Right!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/basic-right/
Denying people the means to self-defense is evil.
For those too young or stupid to remember what the FBI and ATF did to the Branch Dividians
in Waco, TX.
This report says the feds charged Ja’Von Taylor with felony murder. [Someone was
killed during Taylor's commission of a crime (aggravated assault with a pistol).]
"Man charged in shooting death of off-duty Kansas City firefighter"
by Makenzie Koch, Heidi Schmidt, Jonathan Ketz
https://fox4kc.com/news/police-identify-off-duty-kansas-city-firefighter-killed-in-independence-shooting/
Excerpt:
"Federal prosecutors charge a metro man in the death of an off-duty Kansas City
firefighter, but say he isn’t the one who pulled the trigger."
[It was the metro man's girlfriend who pulled the trigger. But, she is not being prosecuted
because the prosecutor couldn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she wasn't acting in
"defense of others". Legally, the girlfriend's perceptions don't have to be correct, they only
have to reasonable. Note that the girlfriend returned to the scene (after fleeing) to turn
herself in. Ya, her mother had to bring her back. But sometimes people panic in high stress
situations. So it wasn't as if the girlfriend's fleeing from the scene was a consciousness of
guilt sort of thing. At least the prosecutor didn't think so.]
"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/
"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."
Check out
http://HandgunLaw.us/
to find out if you need to inform the police officer, who stopped you for speeding, that you
are carrying.
“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
***** ***** ***** 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
"Selecting The Right Firearms Instructor"
by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/selecting-the-right-firearms-instructor/
"Every time I teach a class,
I discover I don't know something."
-- Clint Smith
"Trainers that have “one right way” to do something aren’t really teachers but merely
opinion holders. And you know what they say about opinions."
-- Ralph Mroz
Excerpt from "DEFENSIVE SHOOTING FOR REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS"
"Plain language makes it easier for students to learn, while confusing language serves
only to make it all seem mysterious and make the teacher appear omnipotent."
-- Ralph Mroz
Excerpt from "DEFENSIVE SHOOTING FOR REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS"
---
I agree. That's why we should use,
Unaware
Aware
Alert
Alarm
(as taught by the NRA)
as opposed to
White
Yellow
Orange
Red
(as taught by Col. Cooper)
The colors are meaningless to the newbie. And they add a level of indirection.
Indirection solves a lot of problems in computer science. But generally, causes problems
everywhere else.
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
---
John Farnam and Tom Givens have books that they expect you to read before attending
their classes. So, that when they lecture in class, it's not the first time you've heard it.
Likewise, you should send the documents for your class to your students before the class,
far enough in advance of the class to allow them time to read the material.
Ya, I know some of your students will not do the reading before (or after) the class,
but some will.
As the country song says, "Some girls don't like boys like me. Ah, but some girls do."
Sawyer Brown, "Some Girls Do".
"How to Introduce Senior Citizens to Shooting
America's population of seniors is growing . . . and vulnerable. Let's not forget them."
by Dave Campbell
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/how-to-introduce-senior-citizens-to-shooting/
Excerpts:
The secret to successfully starting anyone to shooting is to make it an enjoyable experience.
Start them slowly, and only progress to a new skill level once the previous one is mastered.
10 Rules for Teaching New Senior Shooters:
1 Do not start with a powerful centerfire.
2 Keep the shooting sessions short, no more than an hour.
3 Keep the ranges short so that it is easier to shoot good groups.
4 Be aware of and accommodate physical limitations.
5 Take frequent breaks; sit down off the range and discuss tactics and scenarios.
6 Make shooting fun.
7 Do not get too wrapped up in tactical dogma.
8 Give the shooter an opportunity to find the best way to solve a problem.
9 Celebrate successes; do not come down hard on corrections.
10 Let the shooter progress at their own rate; don’t try to force them too quickly.
"6 Tips to Introduce Kids to Shooting
There's a right way and a wrong way to do this. Here's the right way."
by Jo Deering
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/6-tips-to-introduce-kids-to-shooting/
Excerpts:
Wait Until They’re Ready
Don’t Push
Drill Safety
Use the Right Guns
Make It Fun
Consider a Team
"The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."
-- Robert John Meehan
---
That's why you must attend the annual conferences (and there are many). You must
listen to other instructors to find out what the best practices are. Yes, they change. Some
are things that never occurred to you, and never would have occurred to you had you
not attended the conference. For instance, Melody Lauer gives a class,
"The Next Step Beyond Shooting; Decision Making" which she describes as the smooth
transition between range drills (where you get explicit instruction as to what to do) and
force-on-force scenarios (where you get no instruction on what to do). But in fact it is
a course on thinking, making decisions in combat, exercising good judgment. Deep
gut wrenching realities that forced me to reevaluate what I was teaching.
If you think you don't need to collaborate with others, because you know what's best,
or you learned from the master (Col. Cooper or whoever), you're a damn fool.
Tom Givens tells me that he takes a least one class a year as a student from instructors
not in his wheelhouse. It was a common practice at Front Sight [at least back when I was
working there as a Line Coach (assistant instructor, the instructors were called
Rangemasters) in the latter half of the 1990s] to send instructors to other gun schools to
learn and bring back material to Front Sight. Any good instructor will tell his students
to take classes from other instructors. As John Farnam says, "Take training from different
instructors. We are all wrong about something."
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Gear ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
Do you have any knowledge of or experience with
Bulletproof Everyone
https://bulletproofeveryone.com/
? If so, please let me know.
Email me at Jon_Low@yahoo.com
A student of mine has small hands. We are looking at the following pistols for her
Springfield Armory Hellcat
Glock 48, like the Glock 43 but with a longer barrel
Glock 43
Smith&Wesson Military&Police Shield EZ
Sig P365XL, because the grip is long enough to allow all fingers on the grip without a
magazine grip extension. The regular P365 grip is too short.
Walther PDP F series
Ruger LCP Max (this has a longer grip allowing you to get all of your fingers on the grip,
the regular LCP grip is too short)
and others.
If you know of any others, please let me know.
The shooter must be able to get all fingers on the grip to control the pistol. Middle
finger, ring finger, and little finger of firing side hand; all 4 fingers of support side hand.
The tips of the middle finger and ring finger should point back at the shooter, when the
pist[ol is correctly gripped.
If necessary, move the trigger to allow the shooter to press the trigger straight to the rear.
Ya, a lot of gunsmiths won't move the trigger because they fear the liability. But, there are
competent gunsmiths who will. Craig, the gunsmith at the Glock Store, will move triggers.
The pistol must be ambidextrous. Just because you are right handed does not mean you
will be right handed in combat. Being able to move the magazine release to the other side
of the pistol does not make the pistol ambidextrous. You're not going to be able to move
the magazine release during combat.
"Ken Hackathorn analyzes Red Dot Sights on handguns and gives the pros and cons -
Masterclass EP 31" by Ken Hackathorn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjlL0hYgdag
It took Ken Hackathorn 5000 live fire rounds to get "natural" shooting a red dot. (He's
talking about deliberate intentional practice, not plinking.) How long do you think it would
take you? [Have you fired 5000 rounds in your life time? That's 5 cases of ammunition.
That's 100 of those 50 round boxes that you buy at the gun store. Are you willing to expend
that much money and time to master the red dot sight? Oh, you can do it in less time and
with less ammo? Because you're better than Ken Hackathorn?]
Are you a one-percenter (one who actually takes training on how to shoot the red dot
sight, practices a lot, in a realistic manner)? If not, you won't master the red dot sight.
So why put it on your emergency rescue tool that you life and the lives of your loved ones
will depend on?
"Exploded View: Glock 19 Gen5" by American Rifleman Staff
https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/exploded-view-glock-19-gen5/
Instructions for disassembly, not just field stripping. You must have a set of punches.
Do you really want to go that far? I was a battalion armorer when I was in the Marine Corps.
If we needed to punch pins out, we would send it up to higher echelon, like Brigade Service
Support Group (BSSG). Gunsmithing is a field, a discipline, a profession. You got the
time and perseverance to do a good job? If not, best to leave it to the pros.
"Guest Shot: Enhancing my Carry Gun" by Dave Spaulding
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/2264d329-dee9-425d-8d5e-b201f4b079bc
I agree, undercutting the trigger guard is an essential modification to allow a reasonable
and painless grip. On a plastic frame, you can do it easily with a Dremel tool. I did a good
job on my Glock 21 and Glock 22 in about 15 minutes each. Use high rpm, low pressure.
Start with rough grade sand paper and progress to finer grade sand paper. Take your time.
Be patient.
"How to Buy Guns From Pawn Shops" by Jeff Johnston
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/how-to-buy-guns-from-pawn-shops/
I have found that some pawn shops will clean the guns before putting them on display for
sale. I'm sure this increases their profit margin.
If they pawn shop won't let you disassemble the modern semi-auto pistol, DON'T buy it.
If the pawn shop or gun shop (Bass Pro) has trigger locks on all of their pistols and won't
take them off to let you test the trigger, DON'T buy from them. No matter what their excuse
is, DON'T buy from them. If you get home and find out the pistol does not work, they are
going to say it worked when they sold it to you. Of course, it didn't, but at that point you're
stuck. Now you have to ship it back to the manufacturer.
I have run into a lot of pistols that did not work at pawn shops. You must disassemble it,
visually inspect it, test the trigger, rack the slide while holding the trigger the rear to test the
reset, and such.
Point the pistol up, insert a pencil eraser end down into the barrel of the pistol, and press the
trigger. The pencil should pop out of the barrel. If the firing pin mechnism is strong, the
pencil will hit the ceiling. If the firing pin can't pop the pencil out of the barrel, you're going to
get light primer strikes, which means the pistol is not reliable. If they won't let you do those
things, DON'T buy.
If the clerk points the pistol at you, walk out, NOW!
The clerk should remove the magazine and chamber check the pistol before handing it to
you. Even if he does, check it again. He might be blind. (Legally blind, not totally blind.
Which means he didn't see the cartridge in the chamber because there was not enough contrast
or it's too dark.)
"More Room More Gun
Rethinking The Car Gun"
by Jeremy Clough
https://gunsmagazine.com/guns/more-room-more-gun/
Keeping a larger gun in your car is fine when you are using your car. But, in Nashville, TN
if you leave a gun in your car, it's almost a certainty that your gun will get stolen out of your
car or your car will get stolen, and the gun will be used in a crime. The police publish the
statistics monthly and it's horrendous. Leaving a gun in your car is an act of criminal stupidity.
"The Importance of Testing Your Ammo" by Paul Whaley
https://www.primerpeak.com/the-importance-of-testing-your-ammo-2022/
Excerpt:
Confirm general ammo reliability
Test reliability in a specific firearm
Confirm ammo consistency (velocity, recoil)
Learn point of aim/point of impact
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
*************************************************************************
***** ***** Religion, Politics, History, War Stories, et al ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
"Over?" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/over/
Peter Zeihan Reveals China's Unstoppable Population Collapse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Me2G6FJZMI
Women's rights is the result of mankind's harnessing of electricity for industrial purposes.
Full interview at
"The Old World Order Is About To Collapse - Peter Zeihan | Modern Wisdom Podcast 514"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRT7P-VKM0k
Check out the interview at 22:40. Wow!
"Do we need a Quantum Internet? CERN saves energy. Species Loss. And more."
by Sabine Hossenfelder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPupnpSB8YU
Explaining the stupidity of journalists. And the stupidity of governments. And the
stupidity of large scientific organizations.
"Every system is already perfectly designed . . . to achieve the results it’s getting."
-- Ralph Mroz
So if you don't like the results that you're getting, you have to change the system.
Yes, you can. Every participant in the system affects the system. If you don't understand
how, study the system. You will see.
"Hey Staff, that takes way more intelligence than I have."
No, it doesn't. It may take more perseverance than you choose to expend on the project,
but it is well within you mental capability. As Herr Doktor Professor Jordon Peterson says,
conscientiousness is the primary factor in success of any project, not intelligence.
"Hey Staff, that takes way more power than I have."
No, it doesn't. The American Revolutionary War, our Vietnam War, our withdrawal from
Afghanistan should convince you that the guerrilla can defeat the superpower.
Time is on your side. Do you have anything better to do?
"Hey Staff, that's going to seriously cut into my beer drinking, TV watching, contributing
to my girls college fund (attending strip clubs), and such. "
Well, there you have it.
A colleague at Allied Universal Security Services, Jaspreet Dhami, was working at
Alta Bates Emergency Department of the
Sutter Health's Alta Bates Summit Medical Center at
2450 Ashby Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705.
Dhami sensed that a young woman, who was with a male companion, was showing
unusual body language. “I could tell she wanted to talk to me but she didn’t want the
man to know,” Jaspreet said. “She was trembling when she was signing in and then
she wrote: Kidnap, call police, don’t make a scene.”
Dhami acted discreetly and safely to lead the woman to the treatment area to
confirm her claim and contact police to take the suspect into custody.
“Part of my job is to help patients by listening to them and relating to what they're
going through. I just wanted to help this young woman in need and I’m proud that
I could do my part.”
The point is, Dhami did not shoot the kidnapper. Dhami did not arrest the kidnapper.
He just got the hostage away from the kidnapper and called the cops. WIN!
Getting the hostage away from the kidnapper was way more difficult than described.
Dhami has mad social skills and command presence.
"When in Bear Country . . . !" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/when-in-bear-country/
When I lived in New Jersey (Cherry Hill a suburb of Philadelphia and Little Falls a
suburb of New York City), the state government outlawed bear hunting. Almost immediately,
reports of bear attacks on humans flooded the news. The bears aren't stupid. They can tell
when their enemies have disappeared. Then the state government told the news outlets to
knock it off, and immediately there were no news reports of bear attacks. So, I guess that
solved the problem.
“I can read the Second Amendment, it’s not rocket science, I will uphold it.
I know that the answer to a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun.
I know that people with gun licenses do not commit gun crimes; it’s a fact."
-- Jay McMahon, Republican Attorney General candidate Massachusetts
Hat Tip to Stephen P. Wenger, http://spw-duf.info
Wow! The American Red Cross has really stepped up their game in customer service.
I just got an email that told me which medical facility my blood donation was sent to and
what the patient's disorder was that needed my blood. Definitely made me feel more
involved and motivated me to donate in the future.
"Basic Right!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/basic-right/
Denying people the means to self-defense is evil.
For those too young or stupid to remember what the FBI and ATF did to the Branch Dividians
in Waco, TX.
It's deer season in Tennessee!
Paraphrase of Charles L. Cotton, NRA President --
On July 17th of 2022 A.D. in the Greenwood Park Mall in Greenwood, Indiana
twenty-two-year-old Elisjsha Dicken stopped a mass murderer in 15 seconds. Mr. Dicken
fired 10 rounds, striking the murderer 8 times from 40 yards away.
Mr. Dicken said that his grandfather taught him to shoot. Remember that, all you moms,
dads, and grandparents. Teach your kids to shoot.
I [Mike Ox] share 9 examples of good guys with pistols taking out bad guys with long
guns including one that involved a close friend/neighbor of mine. Just because a situation
is not ideal or desirable doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
"Pistol vs. Active Shooter With A Rifle? Myths & Facts" by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/pistol-vs-active-shooter-with-a-rifle-myths-facts/
Excerpt:
"A member of the church drew his 5 shot snub nosed .38 special and wounded one
terrorist. This was enough to cause all 4 terrorists armed with full-auto rifles to flee."
[The bad guys had superiority of numbers and superior fire power. The good guy drove
them out because he had superior will. -- Jon Low]
"A murderer, armed with a rifle and 145 rounds shot 17 times, killing 3 before being
confronted by a guard armed with a pistol. The guard was worried about hitting innocent
people and didn’t fire, but the mere sight of a gun was enough to cause the better armed
murderer to run, hide, and shoot himself."
". . . we can look at Officer Stevens’ statements after taking out two terrorists shooting
at him with rifles from 15 yards away in Garland, TX for some great wisdom.
He said he just focused on his sights, pressed the trigger, and waited for them to come
back into alignment before pressing the trigger again."
"Officer Stevens applied basic fundamentals and hit with over 50% of shots fired,
while in the open and advancing on 2 shooters with rifles."
[The two bad guys were wearing body armor. Officer Stevens 45 ACP from his Glock 41
(like a Glock 21, but with a longer barrel and slide) penetrated the body armor and killed
the bad guys. So shooting center of mass, even when you recognize body armor, makes
sense. Even if you don't penetrate the body armor, you can still crack ribs and such.
-- Jon Low]
"The 3 “Mass Shootings” you didn’t hear about, but should have . . . " by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/the-3-mass-shootings-you-didnt-hear-about-but-should-have/
"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]
If you need more help with the quantum stuff, I recommend
"Understanding Quantum Physics
A User's Manual" by Michael A. Morrison
Published by Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1990.
QC174.12.M69
ISBN 0-13-747908-5
Which is volume 1.
This book will guide you through the math.
"Understanding Quantum Physics" by Michael A. Morrison
https://archive.org/details/UNDERSTANDINGQ.PHYSMICHAELA.MORRISON/mode/1up
Michael was at the University of Oklahoma, Homer L. Dodge Department of
Physics and Astronomy when last I corresponded with him (over a decade ago).
He told me that Volume 2 is published under the title
"The Joy of Quantum Physics" by Michael A. Morrison
Published by Oxford University Press, 2012.
I can't find his book at Oxford University Press nor at any bookstore.
I've written to Michael, but haven't heard yet. (Ya, I know there are a lot of web sites
claiming to allow you to read the book online, if you give them your information and money.
Most of those are fake. They are just trying to get your information.)
"500 years of NOT teaching THE CUBIC FORMULA.
What is it they think you can't handle?" by Prof. Burkard Polster of Monash University in
Melbourne, Australia and his team Prof. Marty Ross, Tristan Tillij, and Eddie Price.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-KXStupwsc
As noted,
[ 20 - 392^(1/2) ]^(1/3) + [ 20 + 392^(1/2) ]^(1/3) = 4 exactly, not approximately.
Not obvious. Do you see how you can use this in your cryptosystem?
Difficult to solve, easy to verify a correct answer. Where have we heard that before?
More interesting stuff at
https://www.qedcat.com/
And just for completeness:
"Quadratic Formula"
https://mathworld.wolfram.com/QuadraticFormula.html
"Cubic Formula"
https://mathworld.wolfram.com/CubicFormula.html
"Quartic Equation"
https://mathworld.wolfram.com/QuarticEquation.html
"Quintic Equation"
https://mathworld.wolfram.com/QuinticEquation.html
Yes, I know Abel's proof and Galois's proof.
("Galois's" is correct, as there is no "s" sound in Galois.)
But there are a lot of Quintics that you can solve in a closed form.
"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.)
"Major explosion kills three at gunpowder factory working 24/7
to make rocket launchers and air defence systems for war on Ukraine"
by Tom Scotson
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11345515/Major-explosion-kills-three-gunpowder-factory-Russia.html
Sabotage against key elements of the supply chain are effective. The further up stream
you can go, the better. Elements at the beginning of the supply chain affect more end products.
So, breaking the source of raw materials is quickest way to win the war. Of course,
that would hurt the people, which would be considered a humanitarian war crime. So . . .
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
*************************************************************************
"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
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Email: Jon_Low@yahoo.com
Radio: KI4SDN
