Greetings Sheepdogs,
Scam warning! If you get a free smart watch in the mail, it's a scam.
https://www.techspot.com/news/99187-if-you-received-unsolicited-smartwatch-mail-dont-turn.html
https://www.pcmag.com/news/did-you-receive-a-free-smartwatch-in-the-mail-dont-turn-it-on
Lots of persons in the Armed Forces have received such smart watches.
If you wear it into a secure area, you're a damn fool. TEMPEST!
Eversafe Window Laminate
$15 per square foot
Wayne Gregory (256) 656-6459
For the glass windows and doors of your church and school.
"Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance;
they are the peoples’ liberty’s teeth."
-- George Washington
Donald Trump, Jr. will be the keynote speaker at the Tennessee Firearms Association
annual banquet. September 9th of 2023 at the Expo Center in Lebanon, TN.
https://tfalac.org/2023-annual-event/
‶Next to the right of liberty, the right of property is the most
important individual right guaranteed by the Constitution.″
-- William Taft
[Arms are property, including cannon at the time of the founding of our country.
If you are forced under threat of confiscation and imprisonment to pay property
taxes, you don't own your property. You're just renting it from the government.
Once we re-establish the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, we must eliminate
property taxes and income taxes (a recent notion that required a Constitutional
amendment). We must eliminate the minimum wage, which prevents young
persons from getting entry level jobs.
Yes, we are the radicals, we are the revolutionaries. Future generations
will be grateful for what we do, just as we are grateful for what the Founding
Fathers did.
-- Jon Low]
I have removed the politics and religion sections, as they were distracting from
the purpose of this newsletter which is defensive pistolcraft, in particular
civilian concealed carry for self-defense.
The cryptology and intelligence sections remain, because there are those who
cannot communicate in any other way.
Table of Sections:
Prevention
Intervention
Postvention
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Prevention ***** ***** *****
All the things you can do to avoid the lethal force incident.
Table of contents:
Mindset
Safety
Training
Practice
*************************************************************************
----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
“It is often said that power corrupts.
But, it is equally important to realize that weakness corrupts too!
Power corrupts the few, while weakness corrupts the many.”
-- Eric Hoffer
"Cowards!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/cowards/
Excerpt:
‷As this defenseless girl lay on the pavement, getting kicked in the head repeatedly,
a male teacher is seen standing right next to the attack, and does absolutely nothing,
not even so much as crying-out for them to stop!‴
[This is the reality of California public schools. When I was a substitute teacher in
the Hawaii public schools, I spent all of my time breaking up fights. No one in
their right mind sends their kids to government schools controlled by the teacher's
unions. No education takes place in government schools controlled by the teacher's
unions. Only indoctrination.
New Jersey, for all its faults, has extremely small independent school districts.
And weak to non-existent union influence in curriculum. When you think about it,
it's amazing.
Hawaii on the other extreme, has one massive statewide school district.
Ya, Hawaii is small, but it is still a grave disservice to the communities. Resulting
in violence, pregnancy, and illiteracy. They litter, because they don't care. They
drive, as if playing bumper cars, because they don't care and they know there are
no consequence. There is no law and order in Democrat controlled states.
-- Jon Low]
“The truth has no defense against a fool determined to believe a lie.”
-- Mark Twain
‟Inspirational Quotes For Independence Day” by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/inspirational-quotes-independence-day/
‷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
"Developing the Combative Mindset" by Eugene Nielsen
https://spotterup.com/developing-the-combative-mindset/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
‟We don’t decide what is necessary to survive a lethal force encounter initiated
by someone else. That person decides what’s necessary for us to survive.”
– William Aprill
"A simple mental exercise that increases your chances of surviving a gunfight"
by Alex Hollings
https://sofrep.com/news/a-simple-mental-exercise-that-increases-your-chances-of-surviving-a-gunfight/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpts:
"If you have a bad feeling about a situation, don’t dismiss it as nonsense,
engage with it."
"In total, we’re talking about a gun fight lasting between 2-3 seconds in
close quarters — leaving very little room for complacency born out of assumptions."
"Trust your gut and act before something bad happens. It may be inconvenient
to get the hell out of the mall when you spot someone looking nervous and fumbling
with what could be a weapon inside their backpack . . . but inconvenienced beats
dead any day."
"Don’t approach possible threats in a constant state of paranoia, but rather
approach daily life like you might when merging on a congested highway:
stay alert and be prepared to react.
Because you’ve only got to be wrong once to lose your life."
[I remember my dad telling me, ‶No second chance.″ -- Jon Low]
‟Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice.”
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
"Blending In While Carrying Concealed
Living the concealed carry lifestyle is easier than ever."
by Kevin Creighton
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/blending-in-while-carrying-concealed/
Excerpt:
‶This was brought home to me a few years ago at Tac-Con, where a bunch of
attendees were milling about in a hotel lobby, and we all looked exactly the same.
Our choice of clothing made it clear that we were all part of some event and
shared a common culture, the problem was, it wasn’t the same culture as our
peers. We stood out like a sore thumb compared to the other patrons of that hotel.″
‶The idea of being an armed citizen is to blend in with the citizenry,
not stick out like a sore thumb.″
“Willingness is a state of mind. Readiness is a statement of fact!”
-- David M Shoup, USMC Commandant, 1960-1963
I strongly encourage you to view this video in its entirety.
"The Andrew Tate interview" by Tucker Carlson
https://twitter.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1678873144201818115
From Tucker's introductory monologue:
"Tate’s view is that men want respect above all. It's how they’re wired.
In order to get respect, men must become worthy of it; they must become
more impressive. Wake up early, work as hard as you can, stay sober,
find God, keep yourself physically fit, don’t complain. That’s his worldview.
Earlier generations of western leaders might have found parts of Tate’s
message inspiring. Now, it’s seen as a threat."
[If you don't think the liberal media and governments can do this to you,
you’re a damn fool. Do you understand the part about the U.S. Embassy
in Romania? Do you understand the part about the U.K. Embassy in
Romania.
This was an interview. It was not scripted. What do you notice?
There are no filler words, no stumbling. When you say what you believe,
what you understand, what is true, your speech is very smooth.
"I would never kill myself."
You can’t escape the battle.
I don’t believe in depression. [Because it is nonsense. -- Jon Low]
[I wonder why the U.S. Marine Corps Commandant "resigned" and
hasn't been replaced?
No, I don’t. -- Jon Low]
Masculine excellence! If you were pursuing Masculine excellence, you
wouldn't have time for porn. [You wouldn't have time for TV either. -- Jon Low]
“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. . . .
There's nothing virtuous about harmlessness.
Harmless just means you’re ineffectual and useless.”
-- Jordan Peterson
‷When I was at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, the Drill Instructors
told us that, ‶Marines do not solve their problems by killing themselves. We
solve our problems by killing our enemies.″ All enemies, foreign and domestic.‴
For the bad guy, combat is easy. He makes very few decisions. He doesn't care.
For the infantry or artillery man, combat is not intellectually or emotionally taxing.
He follows his orders. He executes his training. He does not worry about consequences.
For the good guy (civilian defender), combat is a high order intellectual activity,
because the task is complex and many decisions must be made immediately while
under life or death stress. If he is trained, practiced, and educated, he knows that
even if completely justified, he will suffer severe criminal and civil consequences.
He knows that his life and the life of his family will be disrupted.
*************************************************************************
----- Safety ----- (How to prevent the bad thing from happening in the first place.
How to avoid shooting yourself, friendlies, and innocent bystanders.)
"Be the sort of father predators fear." by Nick Freitas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgGAe9kEJ6E
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.
“Flash-Mob” by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/flash-mob/
Being in a flash mob would be bad for your children’s health. So pay attention to
what's going on around you, always. You may be warned of flash mobs if you have
the appropriate apps on your smart phone.
This is happening in urban areas all over our country, because kids are out of school,
out of parental control, and it’s summer time in the projects. Whether you’re aware of it
or not, it’s happening. An officer may be forgiven for losing a battle, but never for being
taken by surprise.
A few years ago, I was putting money in an ATM (Automated Teller Machine)
in an alley of shops and restaurants just off Broadway in downtown Nashville, TN.
The place was empty. Within seconds, over 100 teenagers filled the alley. Fights
broke out, singing and dancing, yelling and screaming, breaking store windows,
looting, etc. I had the machine open at the time and didn’t want to turn my back
to the action. So I stood there with my pistol drawn and waited for them to leave.
Hair raising to put it mildly. Don’t let this happen to you. Pay attention.
‟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
‶Road Rage″
A quick Internet search reveals that post-Covid America is back on the road, angrier,
more aggressive and crazier than ever. For reasons, frequently beyond rational
understanding, some people take grave offense at the slightest interaction while
they’re on the road. This results in “brake checks” where one vehicle pulls in front
of another and slams on the brakes. Another tactic to express outrage and assert
dominance is following too closely, honking the horn coupled with aggressive
driving. “Digital communications” and other gestures, including the display of
weapons are all indicative of a rolling road rage incident. Life threatening violence
can be the result. My best advice is to give people plenty of room if they start
manifesting these behaviors and maneuver behind them if possible while getting
in contact with the police. Seek every opportunity to separate yourself from the
problem, to include leaving the highway. It’s just not worth it!
-- John Murphy
https://www.fpftraining.com/fpf-calendar
“Security Theater!” by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/security-theater-3/
‟Vehicle Equipment For Modern America„ by Gabe Suarez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nTZTyKHeM0
Just in case.
Pay for parking. Don't be a cheap skate. [Park correctly. Parking across two or
more spaces triggers some people. -- Jon Low]
Clear eye protection, because dark glasses don't work at night.
Food and water. You can never have enough water. [Death in 3 minutes without
air, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food. Debilitation much sooner.]
What keeps you combat effective? Hydration.
Last night, I went to the movie theater in the Green Hills Mall to see
"Sound of Freedom". The protagonist (not the hero) in the movie quit his job
10 months before getting vested in the federal pension program in order to
rescue the victim. How many of us would?
Standing next to the gentleman collecting tickets, was an armed guard.
After the movie, around 23:30, as I was walking out, I stopped by the armed
guard to say hello and to ask him which company he worked for. He was
wearing ear buds and couldn't hear anything. I had to wave at him to get his
attention, at which point he removed one ear bud. One of these days, a bad
guy is going to walk up behind him and take his pistol. Because that's reality.
We teach young ladies to NEVER wear ear buds, because 100% of young ladies
attacked by strangers in public places (transitional spaces) were wearing ear buds in
a study done by Tim Larkin. Why? Because even when they have their eyes fixed
on their phone, if they don't have ear buds in, they can still hear the predator
approaching at which point they will, generally speaking, lift their head and
look around. Predators like taking their victims by surprise.
"Timing School Shootings for Higher Body Counts- Updated" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/timing-school-shootings-for-higher-body-counts-updated
"Raising Cognizance of Jugging Crimes and Situational Awareness"
https://www.uslawshield.com/raising-cognizance-of-jugging-crimes-and-situational-awareness/
Excerpt:
"Police agencies across the country have issued warnings about jugging,
including the police department in Austin, Texas, which reported around
130 incidents last year that totaled more than $1.3 million."
"Dangers Of Lead: Why You MUST Wash Your Hands After Range Day"
by Jim Davis
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/dangers-of-lead-why-you-must-wash-your-hands-after-range-day/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz
"The best defense is still not being there" by Grant Cunningham
https://www.grantcunningham.com/2018/07/the-best-defense-is-still-not-being-there/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
“The Psychology of Evil People” by Jordan B Peterson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjS5FYpLC9U
You can't recognize evil people by looking at them.
‷End ‶Gun-Free Zones″ To Stop Mass School Shootings‴ by Massad Ayoob
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOKBC3Kw5uU
The purpose of gun-free-zones is to create unarmed victims for armed criminals
to prey upon. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. Ya, they may be too stupid to
know they are lying, but they are still lying. That's how Satan works.
"5 Biggest Mistakes Concealed Carriers Make
Taking charge of your own safety comes with some responsibilities."
by Jim WIlson
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/5-biggest-mistakes-concealed-carriers-make/
"Why Dads Should Be Dangerous" by Nick Freitas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynGPNeIZcSE
"Crime Wave!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/crime-wave-2/
All gun control laws insult your intelligence. The purpose and effect of gun
control laws is to create unarmed victims for armed criminals to prey upon.
Just say no to stupidity by voting against anti-gun politicians, speaking up when
someone advocates gun-control and explaining why they are wrong no matter
how uncomfortable you may find the situation. Silence is acquiescence.
This is your best defense against the lurching totalitarianism. If you don't actively
defend your ability to defend yourself and your loved ones, the enemy will take
that ability away from you. This fact pattern has repeated in history so many times
that not knowing it is willful ignorance.
John Farnam's rules to keep you out of trouble:
Don’t go to stupid places.
Don’t associate with stupid people.
Don’t do stupid things.
Be in bed by 10:00pm (your own bed!).
Don’t look like a freak.
Don’t fail the attitude test.
*************************************************************************
----- Training (figuring out the correct tasks to practice) -----
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)
Last blog posting, I mentioned a Simunitions training in a shoot house in which
children were screaming and gun shots were loud and numerous. As I got to the
top of a staircase, I saw a young pregnant white female in a flower patterned dress
with a pistol in her right hand. The pistol was held by her right hip. The pistol
was pointing at me.
I immediately fired two rounds into the center of the triangle defined by her
nipples and the notch at the top of her sternum.
A friend that I work with, who is a retired Nashville Police officer and retired
Marine mustang, told me that I had made a mistake. She might have been a good gal.
I should have taken cover and told her to drop the gun.
In retrospect, I agree.
The guys who did not shoot her, or hesitated to shoot her, were not as wrong as I
had initially thought. Though if she had been a bad gal, they would have been dead.
So which is worse? Shooting a good gal or getting shot by the bad gal?
Life is full of no-win scenarios.
"Cooper’s Color Code | You’re Doing it Wrong" by Aaron Haskins
https://www.breachbangclear.com/cooper-color-code/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
‟Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses.”
-- Tom Givens
--- Classes ---
May I recommend Kari Grayson?
https://www.license2kari.com/
Email: kari@license2kari.com
Kari Grayson and I took an Instructor Camp conducted by Lee Weems of
First Person Safety in Georgia, U.S.A. Kari teaches out of Fort Worth, TX.
Her schedule of classes is at
https://www.license2kari.com/training-schedule/
"Advanced Firearms Instructor Course", $526.77
by Tom Givens
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/advanced-firearms-instructor-course-tickets-405956987277
Two additional days of classroom and range training building
on the skills learned in our Instructor Development course, which is a prerequisite.
September 22 · 9am - September 23 · 6pm EDT
Xenia Police Range
847 Ford Rd, Xenia, OH 45385
HARRIS COMBATIVE STRATEGIES
harriscombative.com
classes,
https://harriscombative.com/calendar/
"Tactical Buzzwording and Practical Pistols " by Tamara Keel
https://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2023/07/tactical-buzzwording-and-practical.html
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Dave Spaulding's 3 levels of training:
Essentials - safe gun handling, administrative actions, properly wearing your gear, etc.
Combative Aspects - presentation from concealment, marksmanship, positions, cover, etc.
Interactive Aspects - fighting with a pistol.
While a round count is an indicator of what type of class it is, asking for an outline
of the class would probably be better. If the instructor doesn't respond to your request,
that's a red flag. If the instructor's response is vague, that's a red flag.
More on the "Active Shooter Response" training at Royal Range in Nashville, TN.
In the live fire portion, we ran about 100 yards from outside in the parking lot
to a bay in range 1, where we saw 4 photo-realistic targets. Two had guns in
their hands pointed at us, two did not. The guns were down at the side, not
up in an isosceles position. Hard to see the guns.
(A lot of pistols fell out of holsters on the run.)
Then we did some standard live fire drills from the firing line.
Then we shot at a laterally moving target, one shooter at a time.
Supposed to simulate the bad guy running from room to room across a hallway.
---
In the Simunitions shoot house, we entered a building with several rooms.
Had to clear each room while there was no stimulus. When the shooting and
screaming started, we had to run upstairs and shoot the young white pregnant
woman with the gun. At least that is what I did. In the review, the instructors
brought up the fact that the women might be a good guy, how did I know she
was a bad guy? I should have talked to her before shooting her. But she did
have her gun pointed at me. Oh, well, . . .
A lot of the guys did not shoot her. So, she shot them.
A lot of the guys hesitated before shooting her. So she shot them.
---
They failed a lot of guys in the class. One woman was kicked out of
the class when she returned from a break smelling of marijuana.
A lot of students could not safely handle their pistols. The assistant
instructors had to grab some pistols and hands during live fire.
There were 38 persons in the class. I don't know how many passed.
They broke us up into two groups, and then each group was broken
into two relays for the live fire exercises. Some of the exercises were
done two at a time. Only the shooting at a laterally moving target was
done one at a time. Just too many students.
The two man team tactics were taught pretty well, but for those
who had never done such before it was overwhelming.
The colleagues that I work with took the class a month later and
told me that they had only 14 students in their class. So it was much
better.
--- End of Classes ---
“Take training from different instructors.
We are all wrong about something.”
-- John Farnam
"Improving Defensive Semi-Automatic Handgun Skills" by Richard A. Mann
https://gundigest.com/more/how-to/firearm-training/semi-automatic-handgun-skills
Excerpts:
" “Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas”—Latin for accuracy, power and speed."
[Speed and accuracy can be controlled by you in real time. Power is what you brought
to the fight. So you better bring the most powerful pistol cartridge that you can shoot
accurately and quickly.
-- Jon Low]
"Combat Triad represents the desired balance of mindset, marksmanship and
gun handling."
[The stages of learning are:
Proper mindset (so you understand what you are doing and why you are doing it).
Safe gun handling (so you don't shoot yourself or innocent bystanders).
Shooting accurately (so you don't shoot friendlies or innocent bystanders).
Fighting with your gun (so you know when not to shoot and who not to shoot).
-- Jon Low]
‷When something happens you need to think, "I thought this might happen and
I know what to do", as opposed to, "Holy hell, what do I do now?" ‴
"You must be able to do everything you need to do with it [your pistol] safely,
swiftly and efficiently. This encompasses everything from taking it out of your
range bag, to loading it, to unloading it and keeping it running if you have a stoppage.
It also encompasses maintenance. If you cannot handle/maintain your gun,
you cannot win the fight." [Deep truth. -- Jon Low].
---
If you believe in isotropic space and smooth and continuous time (which contradicts
Quantum Mechanics), then you must conclude that momentum is conserved. Therefore,
the less massive your pistol, the more recoil you will suffer. So carry the biggest heaviest
pistol that you can. You will be more accurate with less recoil. Also, remember when
we were toddlers, we played with big blocks because we couldn't manipulate the small
Lego pieces. But as our manual dexterity improved, we wrote with the thinner pencils.
So carry the biggest pistol that will fit your hand.
The pistol fits your hand if when gripped correctly with the barrel in line with
the bones of your forearm, and your thumb high, and the skin in the web between your
thumb and index finger bunched up under the tang of the pistol; the tip of your middle
finger should point back toward you. If you can't get the tip of your middle to point
back toward you, the grip is too big in girth.
Your trigger finger should be able to press your trigger straight to the rear. No vector
component of lateral force. If you can't achieve this, have your gunsmith move your
trigger. Yes, as a matter of fact, all triggers on all pistols can be moved. You just have
to find a gunsmith competent to do the job. It may require replacement of the trigger.
The lives of your loved ones is going to depend on your ability to correctly
manipulate your pistol, so ensure everything is correct.
---
For the bad guy, fighting is easy and does not require much intelligence. Because
bad guys don't care who they kill. For the good guy, fighting is an extremely difficult
high order intellectual activity. Because the friendlies and innocents must not be
injured. Because that is the purpose of the fight for the good guy.
[So, if you're spraying the background with fire, you're not the good guy.]
“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
From an email from Ox & David Morris --
If you ever find yourself in a self-defense shooting situation, that first shot will
change the course of your life. Take too long because you "over aimed", and you
may be out of the fight before the first shot. "Under aim," rush the shot and
miss . . . or fumble your draw . . . and you’ve got the same bad outcome. The
difference between getting this first shot right and messing it up will add or
subtract years from your life . . . maybe decades. So, it’s critical that you get it right.
It’s critical that you are able to get to your gun, get a consistent grip, get the sights
on target, press the trigger without disturbing the sights, and make a threat stopping
hit with that first shot . . . quickly and automatically . . . without having to think
about any of the steps. Because if you think too much or mess it up, you may
not get a 2nd chance.
-- Ox & David Morris
"The Importance Of Hyper Accurate Pistol Shooting" by Gabe Suarez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgH4ym5XV7c
Criminal gangs cannot afford to train their recruits. So they either send their
young prospects to join the U.S. Armed Forces or a law enforcement agency for
the training. (Why do you think the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office is full of gang
members?) Or they recruit from the recently discharged veteran population.
Nothing better than recent combat experience.
"Don't allow yourself to fall prey to the low standards of others. Face shots
(from below the eye brows to the mustache, from eye to eye) out to 25 yards.
Body shots (high thoracic cavity) out to 100 yards. That's the standard."
Hey, I was alive in 1975.
"Armed Defense and Binary Thinking" by Rich Grassi
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/330003ef-a2e2-42df-bb3c-dd4c355ecb3e
"When I started taking formal training, from Massad Ayoob, in his old
Lethal Foce Institute, Ayoob and a writer named Bradley Steiner were engaging
in an ongoing, vitriolic debate [in Petersen's Handguns magazine, as I recall]
over point shooting versus sighted fire. Within a few years, with some broader
exposure, I came to the conclusion that the true issue wasn't either-or but a
continuum of technique, determined primarily by distance and time."
-- Stephen P. Wenger
"Learn an Easy Magic Trick!" Daniel Roy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftdG2IcxQe0
Do you see how this applies to your training and practice? Do you understand
the math? Do you understand moving your hands as if in honey (a high viscosity liquid)?
If you move slowly with correct technique, with deliberate intentional practice,
you will eventually be able to perform the task quickly automatically. But if you
push for speed, it's not likely you will every develop the correct technique.
"Those motivated by a desire to improve their gunfighting skills as opposed
to a quest for trophies, must be willing to bleed ego on the match results to avoid
shedding real blood in combat." -- Andy Stanford
"What to Expect Following the Use of Deadly Force" by Daniel Necci
13 July 2023, Royal Range in Nashville, TN. Some of the things I learned:
This is not precise. It's just a generalization. Burdens of proof --
Mere suspicion 25% (sufficient to stop and talk, maybe frisk)
Probable cause 35 - 40% (sufficient to make an arrest, must be able to articulate)
Preponderance of the evidence 51% (more likely than not, used in civil cases)
Clear and convincing evidence 75% (used in some self-defense immunity hearings)
Beyond a reasonable doubt 99% (used in criminal trials, this does not mean to an
absolute moral certainty, the juror was not there, so he can never be sure)
We have statutes (written law), common law (history and traditions), case law
(rulings by higher courts), and jury instructions (the plain English read to the jury).
All elements of a crime must be proven by the prosecution. Otherwise, the
defense may ask for a dismissal and the judge should grant it. Of course, the
prosecutor would have to be grossly incompetent.
{I've seen it happen. In the internationally infamous Nanakuli [Hawaii]
rape trial (a gang rape including many males and one female victim from
Finnland) all of the underage boys were convicted in family court.
https://staradvertiser.newspapers.com/search?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstaradvertiser.newspapers.com%2Fsearch&tpa=&query=nanakuli%20rape%20trial
Then when the adults were tried, the prosecutor failed to present a prima facie
case (no mention of force or coercion, no mention of the weapon, a knife, etc.).
The defense (many many attorneys, because there were many defendants) moved
for acquittal on the grounds that the prosecution failed to present a prima facie
case. The judge did not want to, but he had no choice. Riots in the streets,
people throwing rocks at the busses, etc.
Then attorney's for the convicted juveniles went to Circuit Court arguing that if the
adults were not guilty, how could the less culpable children be guilty? So the Circuit
Court overturned all of the juvenile convictions. More protests in the streets.
Charles Marsland, the elected prosecutor (Republican), made lame excuses for
his deputy who handled the case at trial. But there was no getting around the fact
that she was grossly incompetent. Or perhaps just corrupt.}
There are basically two ways to get acquitted: jury nullification and failing to
convince the jury that the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Jury nullification is rare, because during voir dire the prosecutor will ask the
judge to dismiss for cause any prospective juror who says that even if the case
is proved beyond a reasonable doubt, the juror will not vote to convict. This often
happens in drug cases, where the juror thinks that drug laws are wrong, and so
won't enforce them.
Failing to convince the jury is also rare, because the prosecutor only tries cases
that he knows that he can win. The other cases are resolved by plea deals or dropped.
[You want your case dropped. As Andrew Branca says, the process is the punishment.
If the prosecutor drags you through the meat grinder of the legal system, you and
your family will end up destitute. Unless you have a good self-defense insurance
policy.]
In order to claim self-defense, you must not be engaged in any felony or class A
misdemeanor, and you must be in a place that you have a right to be.
If you are committing a crime, you don't necessarily lose your right to self-defense
(depending on what crime you are committing), but you do lose your right to stand
your ground. Which means you must retreat.
To justify the use of lethal force in self-defense, you must reasonably fear death,
grave injury, or grave sexual abuse. You're going to have to testify because that's
the only way the jury will hear of your reasonable fear. A self-defense case is not
like other criminal cases. It usually makes sense to not testify in your own defense
in a criminal trial, but self-defense is different.
Hearsay exceptions:
Admission by a Party Opponent.
Excited Utterance.
This is why it is so important that you NEVER say anything to the responding
officers or the detectives, except "I want my attorney." Saying this legally prevents
the cops from questioning you. But if you start talking, you have waived your
right to remain silent and you have waived your right to counsel.
So KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!
You must call 911. Your 911 call should be as follows --
"Send EMS to <address> a man has been shot. Everyone is safe."
And then hang up and call your attorney. Don't answer any of their question.
Don't stay on the line. 911 is recording and the recording will be used against you.
The police will use deception. Don't fall for it. The police will act like your friend,
trying to help you out, so that you can go home. Don't fall for it. If you start talking,
they will arrest you and use everything that you have said against you. If you don't
think they can because you haven't said anything incriminating, you're a damn fool.
You're supposed to have a Riverside hearing (bond hearing) within 48 hours
of your arrest. But don't bet on it. It may take much much longer.
All jail calls are recorded and will be used against you. It's not your phone. You
have no expectation of privacy.
When can police officers shoot? Same as everyone else. Same laws.
Qualified immunity is only for civil cases. And only applies if the officer was doing
his duty, as in within the scope of his job description.
Rookies are the first one to show up on any scene. They are less experienced.
They are less calm. So don't have a pistol in your hand when they show up. They
will shoot you.
After you are acquitted, having spent 18 month in jail, not able to work, not
able to care for your family, your family was evicted, you lost your job, your
family is destitute, and all kinds of other bad stuff. You have no recourse.
Theoretically, you could sue the prosecutor for malicious prosecution
(Are you a member of an oppressed / favored minority group? No? Too bad.).
The prosecutor will tell the jury all kinds of nonsense. The jury will be made
up of easily influenced idiots. So you better have money for expert witnesses
who can educate the jury for you. The gentleman hosting the lecture was an
expert witnesses. He told us that he charges $6000 up front and $200 per hour,
plus expenses such as round trip air fare, hotel, rental car, etc.
Don't claim to have any kind of injury. Ask for medical treatment. If the
cops don't get you medical treatment, someone is going to be writing a big
check to you. Go to the emergency room in any case.
When I asked about self-defense immunity hearings, Mr. Necci said he
didn't know what I was talking about. Apparently Tennessee has no criminal
self-defense immunity statute. But Andrew Branca tells me that Tennessee
does have civil immunity hearings. And cites the following statute.
https://lawofselfdefense.com/statute/tn-39-11-622-justification-for-use-of-force-exceptions-immunity-from-civil-liability-civil-action-based-upon-defendants-use-or-threatened-use-of-force-or-the-results-o/
Excerpt:
(f) If the court dismisses the civil action pursuant to subdivision (e)(5)(A) or
otherwise determines that the defendant is entitled to immunity from civil
liability under this section, the court shall award the defendant attorney’s fees,
court costs, compensation for loss of income, and all expenses incurred by the
defendant in defense of the civil action.
---
The host of the lecture told us,
"The more training and practice you do, the more time traveling you can do."
Explanation of the quote --
Tachypsychia (word not found in the Random House nor the American Heritage
dictionaries, sad) is the neurological condition that results in the distortion of time.
In practice, everything seems to slows down, giving you more time to do whatever
you need to do. Your mind is processing everything much faster than normal,
causing the action around you to appear to slow down.
"The Myth Of Pointing Accuracy" by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/the-myth-of-pointing-accuracy/
What is it going to be like when it happens to me?
"Defensive Gun Uses By People Legally Carrying Guns: 32 Cases During May 2023"
https://crimeresearch.org/2023/07/defensive-gun-uses-by-people-legally-carrying-guns-32-cases-during-may-2023/
‟Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice.”
-- Claude Werner
*************************************************************************
----- Practice (how to get competent at that task) -----
“Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans.”
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
"Inside Peek At The Range Monkey's Dry Fire Practice"
by Active Self Protection Extra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDtB4AswxkE
She is making mistakes intentionally to explain them to you.
Notice that her shoulders are down and relaxed, head is erect.
Notice her conclusion. She giggles, but is competent in form
and analysis. So, yes, you can learn things from little girls.
Don't let your attitude get in the way of your learning.
‶Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.″
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
"Discipline and Speed Control" by Jeff Gonzales
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/discipline-and-speed-control/
Excerpt:
"When we push accuracy over speed, we get a better product, one that can
withstand being exposed to an unknown and unknowable situation. Your speed
will naturally increase, not because you are going faster, but because you are
using the minimal amount of movement making the fewest errors possible.
This is the peak of skills confidence. Situational confidence develops as you
are exposed to novel situations relying on your skills confidence to free up
mental energy to solve the problem. The discipline is staying focused on first
developing skills confidence, then your situational confidence. Then, you will
be able to solve a problem faster and more accurately."
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
"How To Know When To Stop Your Practice" by Brian Hill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FeU8s4O4z0
Sleeping! Truth!
‟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 ***** ***** *****
Suggestions on how to deal with the incident that you failed to avoid.
Table of contents:
Strategy
Tactics
Techniques
*************************************************************************
----- Strategy (deciding on the end state and how to achieve it,
which tactics to use, which includes walking away) -----
"You have the rest of your life to solve your problems.
How long you live depends on how well you do it."
"Compliance IS an Option" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/compliance-is-an-option
A cop demanding a bribe ain't the same as a sexual predator demanding sex.
The cop is executing a standard business practice (for the place and time).
The predator, not so much.
Even if you've got a fire team of Marines in the van with you, would it be
cleaner to pay the bribe and drive on? Would it be worth the risk of an
international diplomatic incident? Killing a cop ain't going to go over well
in any country. You going to leave the body on the side of the road?
Scam warning! If you get a free smart watch in the mail, it's a scam.
https://www.techspot.com/news/99187-if-you-received-unsolicited-smartwatch-mail-dont-turn.html
https://www.pcmag.com/news/did-you-receive-a-free-smartwatch-in-the-mail-dont-turn-it-on
Lots of persons in the Armed Forces have received such smart watches.
If you wear it into a secure area, you're a damn fool. TEMPEST!
Eversafe Window Laminate
$15 per square foot
Wayne Gregory (256) 656-6459
For the glass windows and doors of your church and school.
"Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance;
they are the peoples’ liberty’s teeth."
-- George Washington
Donald Trump, Jr. will be the keynote speaker at the Tennessee Firearms Association
annual banquet. September 9th of 2023 at the Expo Center in Lebanon, TN.
https://tfalac.org/2023-annual-event/
‶Next to the right of liberty, the right of property is the most
important individual right guaranteed by the Constitution.″
-- William Taft
[Arms are property, including cannon at the time of the founding of our country.
If you are forced under threat of confiscation and imprisonment to pay property
taxes, you don't own your property. You're just renting it from the government.
Once we re-establish the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, we must eliminate
property taxes and income taxes (a recent notion that required a Constitutional
amendment). We must eliminate the minimum wage, which prevents young
persons from getting entry level jobs.
Yes, we are the radicals, we are the revolutionaries. Future generations
will be grateful for what we do, just as we are grateful for what the Founding
Fathers did.
-- Jon Low]
I have removed the politics and religion sections, as they were distracting from
the purpose of this newsletter which is defensive pistolcraft, in particular
civilian concealed carry for self-defense.
The cryptology and intelligence sections remain, because there are those who
cannot communicate in any other way.
Table of Sections:
Prevention
Intervention
Postvention
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Prevention ***** ***** *****
All the things you can do to avoid the lethal force incident.
Table of contents:
Mindset
Safety
Training
Practice
*************************************************************************
----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
“It is often said that power corrupts.
But, it is equally important to realize that weakness corrupts too!
Power corrupts the few, while weakness corrupts the many.”
-- Eric Hoffer
"Cowards!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/cowards/
Excerpt:
‷As this defenseless girl lay on the pavement, getting kicked in the head repeatedly,
a male teacher is seen standing right next to the attack, and does absolutely nothing,
not even so much as crying-out for them to stop!‴
[This is the reality of California public schools. When I was a substitute teacher in
the Hawaii public schools, I spent all of my time breaking up fights. No one in
their right mind sends their kids to government schools controlled by the teacher's
unions. No education takes place in government schools controlled by the teacher's
unions. Only indoctrination.
New Jersey, for all its faults, has extremely small independent school districts.
And weak to non-existent union influence in curriculum. When you think about it,
it's amazing.
Hawaii on the other extreme, has one massive statewide school district.
Ya, Hawaii is small, but it is still a grave disservice to the communities. Resulting
in violence, pregnancy, and illiteracy. They litter, because they don't care. They
drive, as if playing bumper cars, because they don't care and they know there are
no consequence. There is no law and order in Democrat controlled states.
-- Jon Low]
“The truth has no defense against a fool determined to believe a lie.”
-- Mark Twain
‟Inspirational Quotes For Independence Day” by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/inspirational-quotes-independence-day/
‷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
"Developing the Combative Mindset" by Eugene Nielsen
https://spotterup.com/developing-the-combative-mindset/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
‟We don’t decide what is necessary to survive a lethal force encounter initiated
by someone else. That person decides what’s necessary for us to survive.”
– William Aprill
"A simple mental exercise that increases your chances of surviving a gunfight"
by Alex Hollings
https://sofrep.com/news/a-simple-mental-exercise-that-increases-your-chances-of-surviving-a-gunfight/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpts:
"If you have a bad feeling about a situation, don’t dismiss it as nonsense,
engage with it."
"In total, we’re talking about a gun fight lasting between 2-3 seconds in
close quarters — leaving very little room for complacency born out of assumptions."
"Trust your gut and act before something bad happens. It may be inconvenient
to get the hell out of the mall when you spot someone looking nervous and fumbling
with what could be a weapon inside their backpack . . . but inconvenienced beats
dead any day."
"Don’t approach possible threats in a constant state of paranoia, but rather
approach daily life like you might when merging on a congested highway:
stay alert and be prepared to react.
Because you’ve only got to be wrong once to lose your life."
[I remember my dad telling me, ‶No second chance.″ -- Jon Low]
‟Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice.”
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
"Blending In While Carrying Concealed
Living the concealed carry lifestyle is easier than ever."
by Kevin Creighton
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/blending-in-while-carrying-concealed/
Excerpt:
‶This was brought home to me a few years ago at Tac-Con, where a bunch of
attendees were milling about in a hotel lobby, and we all looked exactly the same.
Our choice of clothing made it clear that we were all part of some event and
shared a common culture, the problem was, it wasn’t the same culture as our
peers. We stood out like a sore thumb compared to the other patrons of that hotel.″
‶The idea of being an armed citizen is to blend in with the citizenry,
not stick out like a sore thumb.″
“Willingness is a state of mind. Readiness is a statement of fact!”
-- David M Shoup, USMC Commandant, 1960-1963
I strongly encourage you to view this video in its entirety.
"The Andrew Tate interview" by Tucker Carlson
https://twitter.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1678873144201818115
From Tucker's introductory monologue:
"Tate’s view is that men want respect above all. It's how they’re wired.
In order to get respect, men must become worthy of it; they must become
more impressive. Wake up early, work as hard as you can, stay sober,
find God, keep yourself physically fit, don’t complain. That’s his worldview.
Earlier generations of western leaders might have found parts of Tate’s
message inspiring. Now, it’s seen as a threat."
[If you don't think the liberal media and governments can do this to you,
you’re a damn fool. Do you understand the part about the U.S. Embassy
in Romania? Do you understand the part about the U.K. Embassy in
Romania.
This was an interview. It was not scripted. What do you notice?
There are no filler words, no stumbling. When you say what you believe,
what you understand, what is true, your speech is very smooth.
"I would never kill myself."
You can’t escape the battle.
I don’t believe in depression. [Because it is nonsense. -- Jon Low]
[I wonder why the U.S. Marine Corps Commandant "resigned" and
hasn't been replaced?
No, I don’t. -- Jon Low]
Masculine excellence! If you were pursuing Masculine excellence, you
wouldn't have time for porn. [You wouldn't have time for TV either. -- Jon Low]
“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. . . .
There's nothing virtuous about harmlessness.
Harmless just means you’re ineffectual and useless.”
-- Jordan Peterson
‷When I was at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, the Drill Instructors
told us that, ‶Marines do not solve their problems by killing themselves. We
solve our problems by killing our enemies.″ All enemies, foreign and domestic.‴
For the bad guy, combat is easy. He makes very few decisions. He doesn't care.
For the infantry or artillery man, combat is not intellectually or emotionally taxing.
He follows his orders. He executes his training. He does not worry about consequences.
For the good guy (civilian defender), combat is a high order intellectual activity,
because the task is complex and many decisions must be made immediately while
under life or death stress. If he is trained, practiced, and educated, he knows that
even if completely justified, he will suffer severe criminal and civil consequences.
He knows that his life and the life of his family will be disrupted.
*************************************************************************
----- Safety ----- (How to prevent the bad thing from happening in the first place.
How to avoid shooting yourself, friendlies, and innocent bystanders.)
"Be the sort of father predators fear." by Nick Freitas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgGAe9kEJ6E
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.
“Flash-Mob” by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/flash-mob/
Being in a flash mob would be bad for your children’s health. So pay attention to
what's going on around you, always. You may be warned of flash mobs if you have
the appropriate apps on your smart phone.
This is happening in urban areas all over our country, because kids are out of school,
out of parental control, and it’s summer time in the projects. Whether you’re aware of it
or not, it’s happening. An officer may be forgiven for losing a battle, but never for being
taken by surprise.
A few years ago, I was putting money in an ATM (Automated Teller Machine)
in an alley of shops and restaurants just off Broadway in downtown Nashville, TN.
The place was empty. Within seconds, over 100 teenagers filled the alley. Fights
broke out, singing and dancing, yelling and screaming, breaking store windows,
looting, etc. I had the machine open at the time and didn’t want to turn my back
to the action. So I stood there with my pistol drawn and waited for them to leave.
Hair raising to put it mildly. Don’t let this happen to you. Pay attention.
‟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
‶Road Rage″
A quick Internet search reveals that post-Covid America is back on the road, angrier,
more aggressive and crazier than ever. For reasons, frequently beyond rational
understanding, some people take grave offense at the slightest interaction while
they’re on the road. This results in “brake checks” where one vehicle pulls in front
of another and slams on the brakes. Another tactic to express outrage and assert
dominance is following too closely, honking the horn coupled with aggressive
driving. “Digital communications” and other gestures, including the display of
weapons are all indicative of a rolling road rage incident. Life threatening violence
can be the result. My best advice is to give people plenty of room if they start
manifesting these behaviors and maneuver behind them if possible while getting
in contact with the police. Seek every opportunity to separate yourself from the
problem, to include leaving the highway. It’s just not worth it!
-- John Murphy
https://www.fpftraining.com/fpf-calendar
“Security Theater!” by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/security-theater-3/
‟Vehicle Equipment For Modern America„ by Gabe Suarez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nTZTyKHeM0
Just in case.
Pay for parking. Don't be a cheap skate. [Park correctly. Parking across two or
more spaces triggers some people. -- Jon Low]
Clear eye protection, because dark glasses don't work at night.
Food and water. You can never have enough water. [Death in 3 minutes without
air, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food. Debilitation much sooner.]
What keeps you combat effective? Hydration.
Last night, I went to the movie theater in the Green Hills Mall to see
"Sound of Freedom". The protagonist (not the hero) in the movie quit his job
10 months before getting vested in the federal pension program in order to
rescue the victim. How many of us would?
Standing next to the gentleman collecting tickets, was an armed guard.
After the movie, around 23:30, as I was walking out, I stopped by the armed
guard to say hello and to ask him which company he worked for. He was
wearing ear buds and couldn't hear anything. I had to wave at him to get his
attention, at which point he removed one ear bud. One of these days, a bad
guy is going to walk up behind him and take his pistol. Because that's reality.
We teach young ladies to NEVER wear ear buds, because 100% of young ladies
attacked by strangers in public places (transitional spaces) were wearing ear buds in
a study done by Tim Larkin. Why? Because even when they have their eyes fixed
on their phone, if they don't have ear buds in, they can still hear the predator
approaching at which point they will, generally speaking, lift their head and
look around. Predators like taking their victims by surprise.
"Timing School Shootings for Higher Body Counts- Updated" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/timing-school-shootings-for-higher-body-counts-updated
"Raising Cognizance of Jugging Crimes and Situational Awareness"
https://www.uslawshield.com/raising-cognizance-of-jugging-crimes-and-situational-awareness/
Excerpt:
"Police agencies across the country have issued warnings about jugging,
including the police department in Austin, Texas, which reported around
130 incidents last year that totaled more than $1.3 million."
"Dangers Of Lead: Why You MUST Wash Your Hands After Range Day"
by Jim Davis
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/dangers-of-lead-why-you-must-wash-your-hands-after-range-day/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz
"The best defense is still not being there" by Grant Cunningham
https://www.grantcunningham.com/2018/07/the-best-defense-is-still-not-being-there/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
“The Psychology of Evil People” by Jordan B Peterson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjS5FYpLC9U
You can't recognize evil people by looking at them.
‷End ‶Gun-Free Zones″ To Stop Mass School Shootings‴ by Massad Ayoob
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOKBC3Kw5uU
The purpose of gun-free-zones is to create unarmed victims for armed criminals
to prey upon. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. Ya, they may be too stupid to
know they are lying, but they are still lying. That's how Satan works.
"5 Biggest Mistakes Concealed Carriers Make
Taking charge of your own safety comes with some responsibilities."
by Jim WIlson
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/5-biggest-mistakes-concealed-carriers-make/
"Why Dads Should Be Dangerous" by Nick Freitas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynGPNeIZcSE
"Crime Wave!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/crime-wave-2/
All gun control laws insult your intelligence. The purpose and effect of gun
control laws is to create unarmed victims for armed criminals to prey upon.
Just say no to stupidity by voting against anti-gun politicians, speaking up when
someone advocates gun-control and explaining why they are wrong no matter
how uncomfortable you may find the situation. Silence is acquiescence.
This is your best defense against the lurching totalitarianism. If you don't actively
defend your ability to defend yourself and your loved ones, the enemy will take
that ability away from you. This fact pattern has repeated in history so many times
that not knowing it is willful ignorance.
John Farnam's rules to keep you out of trouble:
Don’t go to stupid places.
Don’t associate with stupid people.
Don’t do stupid things.
Be in bed by 10:00pm (your own bed!).
Don’t look like a freak.
Don’t fail the attitude test.
*************************************************************************
----- Training (figuring out the correct tasks to practice) -----
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)
Last blog posting, I mentioned a Simunitions training in a shoot house in which
children were screaming and gun shots were loud and numerous. As I got to the
top of a staircase, I saw a young pregnant white female in a flower patterned dress
with a pistol in her right hand. The pistol was held by her right hip. The pistol
was pointing at me.
I immediately fired two rounds into the center of the triangle defined by her
nipples and the notch at the top of her sternum.
A friend that I work with, who is a retired Nashville Police officer and retired
Marine mustang, told me that I had made a mistake. She might have been a good gal.
I should have taken cover and told her to drop the gun.
In retrospect, I agree.
The guys who did not shoot her, or hesitated to shoot her, were not as wrong as I
had initially thought. Though if she had been a bad gal, they would have been dead.
So which is worse? Shooting a good gal or getting shot by the bad gal?
Life is full of no-win scenarios.
"Cooper’s Color Code | You’re Doing it Wrong" by Aaron Haskins
https://www.breachbangclear.com/cooper-color-code/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
‟Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses.”
-- Tom Givens
--- Classes ---
May I recommend Kari Grayson?
https://www.license2kari.com/
Email: kari@license2kari.com
Kari Grayson and I took an Instructor Camp conducted by Lee Weems of
First Person Safety in Georgia, U.S.A. Kari teaches out of Fort Worth, TX.
Her schedule of classes is at
https://www.license2kari.com/training-schedule/
"Advanced Firearms Instructor Course", $526.77
by Tom Givens
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/advanced-firearms-instructor-course-tickets-405956987277
Two additional days of classroom and range training building
on the skills learned in our Instructor Development course, which is a prerequisite.
September 22 · 9am - September 23 · 6pm EDT
Xenia Police Range
847 Ford Rd, Xenia, OH 45385
HARRIS COMBATIVE STRATEGIES
harriscombative.com
classes,
https://harriscombative.com/calendar/
"Tactical Buzzwording and Practical Pistols " by Tamara Keel
https://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2023/07/tactical-buzzwording-and-practical.html
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Dave Spaulding's 3 levels of training:
Essentials - safe gun handling, administrative actions, properly wearing your gear, etc.
Combative Aspects - presentation from concealment, marksmanship, positions, cover, etc.
Interactive Aspects - fighting with a pistol.
While a round count is an indicator of what type of class it is, asking for an outline
of the class would probably be better. If the instructor doesn't respond to your request,
that's a red flag. If the instructor's response is vague, that's a red flag.
More on the "Active Shooter Response" training at Royal Range in Nashville, TN.
In the live fire portion, we ran about 100 yards from outside in the parking lot
to a bay in range 1, where we saw 4 photo-realistic targets. Two had guns in
their hands pointed at us, two did not. The guns were down at the side, not
up in an isosceles position. Hard to see the guns.
(A lot of pistols fell out of holsters on the run.)
Then we did some standard live fire drills from the firing line.
Then we shot at a laterally moving target, one shooter at a time.
Supposed to simulate the bad guy running from room to room across a hallway.
---
In the Simunitions shoot house, we entered a building with several rooms.
Had to clear each room while there was no stimulus. When the shooting and
screaming started, we had to run upstairs and shoot the young white pregnant
woman with the gun. At least that is what I did. In the review, the instructors
brought up the fact that the women might be a good guy, how did I know she
was a bad guy? I should have talked to her before shooting her. But she did
have her gun pointed at me. Oh, well, . . .
A lot of the guys did not shoot her. So, she shot them.
A lot of the guys hesitated before shooting her. So she shot them.
---
They failed a lot of guys in the class. One woman was kicked out of
the class when she returned from a break smelling of marijuana.
A lot of students could not safely handle their pistols. The assistant
instructors had to grab some pistols and hands during live fire.
There were 38 persons in the class. I don't know how many passed.
They broke us up into two groups, and then each group was broken
into two relays for the live fire exercises. Some of the exercises were
done two at a time. Only the shooting at a laterally moving target was
done one at a time. Just too many students.
The two man team tactics were taught pretty well, but for those
who had never done such before it was overwhelming.
The colleagues that I work with took the class a month later and
told me that they had only 14 students in their class. So it was much
better.
--- End of Classes ---
“Take training from different instructors.
We are all wrong about something.”
-- John Farnam
"Improving Defensive Semi-Automatic Handgun Skills" by Richard A. Mann
https://gundigest.com/more/how-to/firearm-training/semi-automatic-handgun-skills
Excerpts:
" “Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas”—Latin for accuracy, power and speed."
[Speed and accuracy can be controlled by you in real time. Power is what you brought
to the fight. So you better bring the most powerful pistol cartridge that you can shoot
accurately and quickly.
-- Jon Low]
"Combat Triad represents the desired balance of mindset, marksmanship and
gun handling."
[The stages of learning are:
Proper mindset (so you understand what you are doing and why you are doing it).
Safe gun handling (so you don't shoot yourself or innocent bystanders).
Shooting accurately (so you don't shoot friendlies or innocent bystanders).
Fighting with your gun (so you know when not to shoot and who not to shoot).
-- Jon Low]
‷When something happens you need to think, "I thought this might happen and
I know what to do", as opposed to, "Holy hell, what do I do now?" ‴
"You must be able to do everything you need to do with it [your pistol] safely,
swiftly and efficiently. This encompasses everything from taking it out of your
range bag, to loading it, to unloading it and keeping it running if you have a stoppage.
It also encompasses maintenance. If you cannot handle/maintain your gun,
you cannot win the fight." [Deep truth. -- Jon Low].
---
If you believe in isotropic space and smooth and continuous time (which contradicts
Quantum Mechanics), then you must conclude that momentum is conserved. Therefore,
the less massive your pistol, the more recoil you will suffer. So carry the biggest heaviest
pistol that you can. You will be more accurate with less recoil. Also, remember when
we were toddlers, we played with big blocks because we couldn't manipulate the small
Lego pieces. But as our manual dexterity improved, we wrote with the thinner pencils.
So carry the biggest pistol that will fit your hand.
The pistol fits your hand if when gripped correctly with the barrel in line with
the bones of your forearm, and your thumb high, and the skin in the web between your
thumb and index finger bunched up under the tang of the pistol; the tip of your middle
finger should point back toward you. If you can't get the tip of your middle to point
back toward you, the grip is too big in girth.
Your trigger finger should be able to press your trigger straight to the rear. No vector
component of lateral force. If you can't achieve this, have your gunsmith move your
trigger. Yes, as a matter of fact, all triggers on all pistols can be moved. You just have
to find a gunsmith competent to do the job. It may require replacement of the trigger.
The lives of your loved ones is going to depend on your ability to correctly
manipulate your pistol, so ensure everything is correct.
---
For the bad guy, fighting is easy and does not require much intelligence. Because
bad guys don't care who they kill. For the good guy, fighting is an extremely difficult
high order intellectual activity. Because the friendlies and innocents must not be
injured. Because that is the purpose of the fight for the good guy.
[So, if you're spraying the background with fire, you're not the good guy.]
“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
From an email from Ox & David Morris --
If you ever find yourself in a self-defense shooting situation, that first shot will
change the course of your life. Take too long because you "over aimed", and you
may be out of the fight before the first shot. "Under aim," rush the shot and
miss . . . or fumble your draw . . . and you’ve got the same bad outcome. The
difference between getting this first shot right and messing it up will add or
subtract years from your life . . . maybe decades. So, it’s critical that you get it right.
It’s critical that you are able to get to your gun, get a consistent grip, get the sights
on target, press the trigger without disturbing the sights, and make a threat stopping
hit with that first shot . . . quickly and automatically . . . without having to think
about any of the steps. Because if you think too much or mess it up, you may
not get a 2nd chance.
-- Ox & David Morris
"The Importance Of Hyper Accurate Pistol Shooting" by Gabe Suarez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgH4ym5XV7c
Criminal gangs cannot afford to train their recruits. So they either send their
young prospects to join the U.S. Armed Forces or a law enforcement agency for
the training. (Why do you think the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office is full of gang
members?) Or they recruit from the recently discharged veteran population.
Nothing better than recent combat experience.
"Don't allow yourself to fall prey to the low standards of others. Face shots
(from below the eye brows to the mustache, from eye to eye) out to 25 yards.
Body shots (high thoracic cavity) out to 100 yards. That's the standard."
Hey, I was alive in 1975.
"Armed Defense and Binary Thinking" by Rich Grassi
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/330003ef-a2e2-42df-bb3c-dd4c355ecb3e
"When I started taking formal training, from Massad Ayoob, in his old
Lethal Foce Institute, Ayoob and a writer named Bradley Steiner were engaging
in an ongoing, vitriolic debate [in Petersen's Handguns magazine, as I recall]
over point shooting versus sighted fire. Within a few years, with some broader
exposure, I came to the conclusion that the true issue wasn't either-or but a
continuum of technique, determined primarily by distance and time."
-- Stephen P. Wenger
"Learn an Easy Magic Trick!" Daniel Roy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftdG2IcxQe0
Do you see how this applies to your training and practice? Do you understand
the math? Do you understand moving your hands as if in honey (a high viscosity liquid)?
If you move slowly with correct technique, with deliberate intentional practice,
you will eventually be able to perform the task quickly automatically. But if you
push for speed, it's not likely you will every develop the correct technique.
"Those motivated by a desire to improve their gunfighting skills as opposed
to a quest for trophies, must be willing to bleed ego on the match results to avoid
shedding real blood in combat." -- Andy Stanford
"What to Expect Following the Use of Deadly Force" by Daniel Necci
13 July 2023, Royal Range in Nashville, TN. Some of the things I learned:
This is not precise. It's just a generalization. Burdens of proof --
Mere suspicion 25% (sufficient to stop and talk, maybe frisk)
Probable cause 35 - 40% (sufficient to make an arrest, must be able to articulate)
Preponderance of the evidence 51% (more likely than not, used in civil cases)
Clear and convincing evidence 75% (used in some self-defense immunity hearings)
Beyond a reasonable doubt 99% (used in criminal trials, this does not mean to an
absolute moral certainty, the juror was not there, so he can never be sure)
We have statutes (written law), common law (history and traditions), case law
(rulings by higher courts), and jury instructions (the plain English read to the jury).
All elements of a crime must be proven by the prosecution. Otherwise, the
defense may ask for a dismissal and the judge should grant it. Of course, the
prosecutor would have to be grossly incompetent.
{I've seen it happen. In the internationally infamous Nanakuli [Hawaii]
rape trial (a gang rape including many males and one female victim from
Finnland) all of the underage boys were convicted in family court.
https://staradvertiser.newspapers.com/search?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstaradvertiser.newspapers.com%2Fsearch&tpa=&query=nanakuli%20rape%20trial
Then when the adults were tried, the prosecutor failed to present a prima facie
case (no mention of force or coercion, no mention of the weapon, a knife, etc.).
The defense (many many attorneys, because there were many defendants) moved
for acquittal on the grounds that the prosecution failed to present a prima facie
case. The judge did not want to, but he had no choice. Riots in the streets,
people throwing rocks at the busses, etc.
Then attorney's for the convicted juveniles went to Circuit Court arguing that if the
adults were not guilty, how could the less culpable children be guilty? So the Circuit
Court overturned all of the juvenile convictions. More protests in the streets.
Charles Marsland, the elected prosecutor (Republican), made lame excuses for
his deputy who handled the case at trial. But there was no getting around the fact
that she was grossly incompetent. Or perhaps just corrupt.}
There are basically two ways to get acquitted: jury nullification and failing to
convince the jury that the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Jury nullification is rare, because during voir dire the prosecutor will ask the
judge to dismiss for cause any prospective juror who says that even if the case
is proved beyond a reasonable doubt, the juror will not vote to convict. This often
happens in drug cases, where the juror thinks that drug laws are wrong, and so
won't enforce them.
Failing to convince the jury is also rare, because the prosecutor only tries cases
that he knows that he can win. The other cases are resolved by plea deals or dropped.
[You want your case dropped. As Andrew Branca says, the process is the punishment.
If the prosecutor drags you through the meat grinder of the legal system, you and
your family will end up destitute. Unless you have a good self-defense insurance
policy.]
In order to claim self-defense, you must not be engaged in any felony or class A
misdemeanor, and you must be in a place that you have a right to be.
If you are committing a crime, you don't necessarily lose your right to self-defense
(depending on what crime you are committing), but you do lose your right to stand
your ground. Which means you must retreat.
To justify the use of lethal force in self-defense, you must reasonably fear death,
grave injury, or grave sexual abuse. You're going to have to testify because that's
the only way the jury will hear of your reasonable fear. A self-defense case is not
like other criminal cases. It usually makes sense to not testify in your own defense
in a criminal trial, but self-defense is different.
Hearsay exceptions:
Admission by a Party Opponent.
Excited Utterance.
This is why it is so important that you NEVER say anything to the responding
officers or the detectives, except "I want my attorney." Saying this legally prevents
the cops from questioning you. But if you start talking, you have waived your
right to remain silent and you have waived your right to counsel.
So KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!
You must call 911. Your 911 call should be as follows --
"Send EMS to <address> a man has been shot. Everyone is safe."
And then hang up and call your attorney. Don't answer any of their question.
Don't stay on the line. 911 is recording and the recording will be used against you.
The police will use deception. Don't fall for it. The police will act like your friend,
trying to help you out, so that you can go home. Don't fall for it. If you start talking,
they will arrest you and use everything that you have said against you. If you don't
think they can because you haven't said anything incriminating, you're a damn fool.
You're supposed to have a Riverside hearing (bond hearing) within 48 hours
of your arrest. But don't bet on it. It may take much much longer.
All jail calls are recorded and will be used against you. It's not your phone. You
have no expectation of privacy.
When can police officers shoot? Same as everyone else. Same laws.
Qualified immunity is only for civil cases. And only applies if the officer was doing
his duty, as in within the scope of his job description.
Rookies are the first one to show up on any scene. They are less experienced.
They are less calm. So don't have a pistol in your hand when they show up. They
will shoot you.
After you are acquitted, having spent 18 month in jail, not able to work, not
able to care for your family, your family was evicted, you lost your job, your
family is destitute, and all kinds of other bad stuff. You have no recourse.
Theoretically, you could sue the prosecutor for malicious prosecution
(Are you a member of an oppressed / favored minority group? No? Too bad.).
The prosecutor will tell the jury all kinds of nonsense. The jury will be made
up of easily influenced idiots. So you better have money for expert witnesses
who can educate the jury for you. The gentleman hosting the lecture was an
expert witnesses. He told us that he charges $6000 up front and $200 per hour,
plus expenses such as round trip air fare, hotel, rental car, etc.
Don't claim to have any kind of injury. Ask for medical treatment. If the
cops don't get you medical treatment, someone is going to be writing a big
check to you. Go to the emergency room in any case.
When I asked about self-defense immunity hearings, Mr. Necci said he
didn't know what I was talking about. Apparently Tennessee has no criminal
self-defense immunity statute. But Andrew Branca tells me that Tennessee
does have civil immunity hearings. And cites the following statute.
https://lawofselfdefense.com/statute/tn-39-11-622-justification-for-use-of-force-exceptions-immunity-from-civil-liability-civil-action-based-upon-defendants-use-or-threatened-use-of-force-or-the-results-o/
Excerpt:
(f) If the court dismisses the civil action pursuant to subdivision (e)(5)(A) or
otherwise determines that the defendant is entitled to immunity from civil
liability under this section, the court shall award the defendant attorney’s fees,
court costs, compensation for loss of income, and all expenses incurred by the
defendant in defense of the civil action.
---
The host of the lecture told us,
"The more training and practice you do, the more time traveling you can do."
Explanation of the quote --
Tachypsychia (word not found in the Random House nor the American Heritage
dictionaries, sad) is the neurological condition that results in the distortion of time.
In practice, everything seems to slows down, giving you more time to do whatever
you need to do. Your mind is processing everything much faster than normal,
causing the action around you to appear to slow down.
"The Myth Of Pointing Accuracy" by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/the-myth-of-pointing-accuracy/
What is it going to be like when it happens to me?
"Defensive Gun Uses By People Legally Carrying Guns: 32 Cases During May 2023"
https://crimeresearch.org/2023/07/defensive-gun-uses-by-people-legally-carrying-guns-32-cases-during-may-2023/
‟Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice.”
-- Claude Werner
*************************************************************************
----- Practice (how to get competent at that task) -----
“Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans.”
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
"Inside Peek At The Range Monkey's Dry Fire Practice"
by Active Self Protection Extra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDtB4AswxkE
She is making mistakes intentionally to explain them to you.
Notice that her shoulders are down and relaxed, head is erect.
Notice her conclusion. She giggles, but is competent in form
and analysis. So, yes, you can learn things from little girls.
Don't let your attitude get in the way of your learning.
‶Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.″
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
"Discipline and Speed Control" by Jeff Gonzales
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/discipline-and-speed-control/
Excerpt:
"When we push accuracy over speed, we get a better product, one that can
withstand being exposed to an unknown and unknowable situation. Your speed
will naturally increase, not because you are going faster, but because you are
using the minimal amount of movement making the fewest errors possible.
This is the peak of skills confidence. Situational confidence develops as you
are exposed to novel situations relying on your skills confidence to free up
mental energy to solve the problem. The discipline is staying focused on first
developing skills confidence, then your situational confidence. Then, you will
be able to solve a problem faster and more accurately."
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
"How To Know When To Stop Your Practice" by Brian Hill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FeU8s4O4z0
Sleeping! Truth!
‟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 ***** ***** *****
Suggestions on how to deal with the incident that you failed to avoid.
Table of contents:
Strategy
Tactics
Techniques
*************************************************************************
----- Strategy (deciding on the end state and how to achieve it,
which tactics to use, which includes walking away) -----
"You have the rest of your life to solve your problems.
How long you live depends on how well you do it."
"Compliance IS an Option" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/compliance-is-an-option
A cop demanding a bribe ain't the same as a sexual predator demanding sex.
The cop is executing a standard business practice (for the place and time).
The predator, not so much.
Even if you've got a fire team of Marines in the van with you, would it be
cleaner to pay the bribe and drive on? Would it be worth the risk of an
international diplomatic incident? Killing a cop ain't going to go over well
in any country. You going to leave the body on the side of the road?
You going to bury it?
Of course, the overriding question is, "Will I win the fight?"
"Think Fast
Your reaction to a violent encounter might depend
on your ability to out-think your opponent."
by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/think-fast/
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
"Suspected car ramming 'terror attack' wounds 9, Israeli police say
The assailant was shot and killed by a civilian at the scene of the attack, police say"
by Timothy H.J. Nerozzi
https://www.foxnews.com/world/suspected-car-ramming-terror-attack-wounds-9-israeli-police-say
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
Excerpt:
"He [bad guy] was reportedly shot and killed by a civilian bystander
at the scene of the attack."
[This is good in that it stopped the attack. But it didn't prevent the attack. In order
to achieve zero casualties, as opposed to nine casualties, one has to prevent the attack.
Does your strategy prevent the attack or just stop the attack? How many casualties
are you willing to tolerate? If you say zero, then you must prevent the attack. This
means killing the bad guy before he kills the innocent bystanders. Do you understand?
Are you willing?
-- Jon Low]
"Living In An Active Shooter World" by Marty Hayes
https://gundigest.com/handguns/personal-defense/active-shooter-preparedness
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
"There’s no question that putting yourself in harm’s way to save innocent lives
is the moral thing to do. Let’s move on."
[Wait a minute. It may or may not be the moral thing to do. Let's think about
that before moving on. It may or may not be the smart thing to do. Let's think
about that before moving on.
Are those strangers of more value to me than my spouse and children? If I get
myself killed by the bad guys, other armed citizens, or the responding officers,
have I done the morally correct thing for my spouse and kids? I could go on, but
you get the idea.
-- Jon Low]
"But some people don’t have access to that distance of shooting range,
and they have to settle for the commercial indoor range. No problem:
Practice shooting inside a 2-inch circle at 7 yards. That equates to a
6-inch group at 25 yards. If you can do that consistently, you should be
well on your way to active shooter interdiction competency."
[No, that is false. The point of aim relative to the point of impact for a
pistol at 7 yards if different from that at 25 yards. You have to know the
difference so that you will know where to aim. (If you don't believe me,
you can plug your data into any online ballistic calculator to see for yourself.)
The target area for a head shot to the front of the head is the triangle
defined by the eyes and bottom of the nose on the front of the face.
That is very small. To the side of the head, the target is the ear hole.
That is very small. To the back of the head, the target is the spinal
column at base of the skull and above any body armor. That is very small.
So knowing exactly where your bullet will hit relative to your point of aim
is critical. Otherwise, you're not going to hit these small targets.
If you think your pistol bullet will penetrate a human skull at 25 yards,
your belief is at odds with what the experts at Royal Range taught us in
"Active Shooter Response", state mandated training for armed guards,
taught by Bob Allen, Joe Shelton, Beau Smith, Eric Miller,
Joseph W. Smith, and Warren L. Smith. They taught us that pistol
bullets will not penetrate adult human skulls in general and certainly
not at 25 yards distance.
-- Jon Low]
"Wow, Her Husband Can't Have A Gun Because
She Doesn't Want Home Invaders To Die"
by Colion Noir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUmzXjAB1Fg
Just say NO to stupidity. No matter how smoking hot she is, it's not worth it.
"Training Notes" by Jim Shepherd
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/7f184d27-8855-44b3-b478-485949b18671
Keep in mind what you want the end state to be. That will avoid many mistakes.
"You win gunfights by not getting shot."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Tactics (maneuver and fire in support of your strategy) -----
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
"7 Must-Know Tips to Survive and Prevent a Carjacking" by Richard Nance
https://www.handgunsmag.com/editorial/seven-tips-to-preventsurvive-a-carjacking/139154
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"Street Cop Tactics" by Clint Smith
https://americancop.com/street-cop-tactics/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Maximizing distance makes sense unless:
Your marksmanship is incapable of guaranteeing the hit. You could look for
support, something to brace against. Or, you could take a lower supported position
(e.g. supported kneeling position where you rest your support side elbow in front
of your support side knee cap). Or, you might need to close with the enemy to be
able to make the shot.
You don't have a projectile weapon.
“Fortuitous outcomes reinforce poor tactics.”
-- Chuck Haggard
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, and Escape
From an email from Gabe Suarez --
JUSTIFIED OR NOT? IT DEPENDS
https://twitter.com/i/status/1677308184132820993
This is one that I first saw a few days ago on a friend's Facebook. The comments
that followed illustrated the ignorance shared by the dumbed down gun community
when it comes to justification and articulation after the fact.
Without a full context of what this was about and the perceptions of the shooter,
it's not as easy to determine whether this is justified or not as the Facebook experts
think. Without the shooter's perspective, the only thing we have to go on is how it
appears. The shooter's statement could easily change that reality, with evidence to
back it up.
Can you shoot an adversary in the back legally? Of course you can. Can you
shoot an adversary that appears to be running away? Under some circumstances,
yes you can? Nothing is ever black and white in an event like this. And while
there are definite varying shades here, some will require almost no explanation
while others will require a great deal.
There are tactical points to discuss here as well as information management
issues, and police investigation management issues. I will try to keep it brief.
The tactical aspects will be discussed separately.
1). The masses of the comments on Facebook seemed to follow that narrative
promoted by the aftermath peddlers - "Say nothing to the police and wait for your
mouthpiece to talk for you". That is a mistake.
As I have said in class, the police investigation will not pause and wait for
you to get your thoughts together, nor for your attorney to show up and speak
for you. It will take a course with you or without your help. And your place in
that report will be set as either a victim or a suspect.
The victim will be treated with kindness and will [go] home in short order.
The suspect will be arrested and charged with a crime, will need to post a hefty
bail, and need to source a worthwhile attorney to represent him during a criminal
proceeding. And no, the "free lawyer" you get with that membership will hardly
be a worthwhile attorney. Lawyers love suspects. Suspects make them the most
money. Victims do not need lawyers. And if you do your part, you will get to be
the victim and not the suspect . . . it's that simple.
The victim needs to tell his story to qualify as a victim. If the victim refuses
to talk, he will most likely become the suspect, even if he didn't need to be.
2). There were so many comments stating irrefutably that it is illegal to shoot
someone in the back, or when they are running away. That is false. But the fact
that you did either of these must be explained and justified. And they can be.
Reasons that would justify shooting an adversary in the back or when they
appeared to be running away include - they were moving to a better tactical
position to reengage or arm themselves, they were not actually running away
but moving to cover, or buying space to access a weapon. There are other viable
explanations of course limited only by the shooter's perceptions of the events
unfolding before him that lead him to the realization that shooting was the only
course of action realistically available. But none of these will be known if they
are not presented by the victim.
[Retreat is a tactical maneuver. Retreat is not surrender. -- Jon Low]
3). The reality of this event is that it could have been avoided, but that doesn't
invalidate any legal justification that there may be.
[Well, I don't know about that. The good guy was trapped against the car and
door by the bad guy. -- Jon Low]
How would it have been avoided? In a number of ways by the shooter - first is
to not look soft. The shooter does not look like someone an aggressor would think
twice about. If he had ten pounds more of muscle, ink and a beard, and was wearing
motorcycle club colors, I suspect the fat dude would have been more circumspect.
That doesn't mean you need to sell that Prius and buy a Harley, but looking the part
of a tough man will go a long way to never having to actually defend yourself.
[Well, that's not the sort of transformation many of us can make. -- Jon Low]
The second point of course is positioning. Always move to an advantageous
position and don't let yourself be trapped anywhere. Along with that is having
the ability to fight with your hands. In this case, an angry man crowding you
between the door and the car? There are myriad of physical solutions here,
one that immediately comes to mind is a preemptive eye jab, throat punch - buy
time to push forward, close the door and move away from the trap.
Beatings are easier than shootings, and it is so easy to justify preempting this
with your hands that it is astounding so many simply don't get it.
[Well, neither do I. The physical disparity of force doesn't make hand-to-hand
combat a viable option. In my humble opinion. -- Jon Low]
4). Finally of course is the back story. What the hell lead up to this? True that
some people are angry at life, and their circumstances and something as simple
as the color of your car could set them off. With those guys there isn't much you
can do . . . but have you done anything to provoke or instigate the event . . . even
unintentionally? If so, and you know if it is, consider apologizing from a position
of power. "Sorry bro . . . I didn't see you".
Telling the first responders that you attempted to disengage and deescalate,
and failing in that the adversary left you no other option is a powerful tool
called "Preclusion", that cements the path toward Victimhood.
At the end of the day it is not only important to fight well and shoot well,
you need to think well and speak well too. And just as you study how the thugs
think and operate so you have an advantage when you face them, you must
also gain an understanding of how a police investigation is conducted so you
will have the advantage there as well.
Cited Twitter video -
https://twitter.com/Alphafox78/status/1677308184132820993
"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
"How to Pepper Spray" by Chuck Haggard
https://www.recoilweb.com/how-to-pepper-spray-139086.html
Excerpts:
". . . OC tends to work very well (roughly 85 percent of the time, or better) . . ."
[In my military police training the instructor told us that pepper spray was ineffective
on 10% of the population. Chuck is saying 15%. -- Jon Low]
"I strongly prefer using OC with my strong hand. This leaves me able to use a
flashlight at the same time, and keep that light if I decide to ditch the spray and
go to guns."
"OC spray should be used with a strong grip, allowing the thumb to activate
the spray button, not the index finger."
"Use the spray in short one-second bursts. Just like with defensive pistol
shooting, if you miss, or your shot doesn’t take effect, adjust your aim and give
another burst."
"Moats’ Notes: Randy Watt, Guru of the Fighting-Shotgun"
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/349d2579-0cdc-49f5-9041-a1c6cd70740f
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
Excerpt:
"At that rate of fire, it’s physically impossible to assess the termination
of a threat prior to shooting excess rounds."
"Appendix Carry: Safe, Efficient and Comfortable" by Richard Nance
https://www.handgunsmag.com/editorial/appendix-carry-safe-efficient-comfortable/476790
"Beware the emphatic holster" by John Daub
https://blog.hsoi.com/2018/06/27/beware-the-emphatic-holster/
Excerpt:
"The emphatic holster has no place in safe gun handling.
Holster by looking, holster slowly."
"Engaging high angle active shooters at distance. Can you? Should you?"
by Ox & David Morris
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/engaging-high-angle-active-shooters-at-distance-can-you-should-you/
Mike says that pistol ranges are so short that compensating for elevation doesn't
matter. I disagree. You should plug your data into several free online ballistic
calculator and see how many inches high your point of impact is when shooting up
or down. You point of impact will be higher when shooting up and when shooting
down, because the vector of gravity is not perpendicular to your bullet's velocity
vector. If the deviation is small enough that you decide to ignore it, that's fine.
But you should know what you are ignoring.
If your target is small, as a bad guy holding a hostage in front of himself. That inch
will matter.
"If I only had a pistol, I wouldn't take that shot."
Okay, but sometimes you can't make your scoped rifle magically appear. We are
not in the wizarding world of Harry Potter.
https://www.facebook.com/mark.fitzhenry.37/posts/pfbid0W6GFxPde2vtx57Ucu1c35VzLifkPbDuQckpX2UFH5nEvHXQSXbyCcNdLJkfTiC2Xl
"Gun Skills: Fight Your Way Up" by Frank Melloni
https://www.americas1stfreedom.org/content/gun-skills-fight-your-way-up/
This article induces me to let my students start with a holstered pistol in the
lower position and fight / shoot their way into a standing position and move to
cover / safety before holstering. We already teach drawing the pistol and then
going to the lower position to shoot.
"The 4-L Rule: Self-Defense Flashlight Techniques" by Richard A. Mann
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/self-defense-flashlight
I disagree with the comment about lanyards. I don't think you should have your
flashlight swinging around your wrist. It could bop you in the face. It could
swing around your wrists, handcuffing you. All kinds of strange things happen
Of course, the overriding question is, "Will I win the fight?"
"Think Fast
Your reaction to a violent encounter might depend
on your ability to out-think your opponent."
by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/think-fast/
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
"Suspected car ramming 'terror attack' wounds 9, Israeli police say
The assailant was shot and killed by a civilian at the scene of the attack, police say"
by Timothy H.J. Nerozzi
https://www.foxnews.com/world/suspected-car-ramming-terror-attack-wounds-9-israeli-police-say
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
Excerpt:
"He [bad guy] was reportedly shot and killed by a civilian bystander
at the scene of the attack."
[This is good in that it stopped the attack. But it didn't prevent the attack. In order
to achieve zero casualties, as opposed to nine casualties, one has to prevent the attack.
Does your strategy prevent the attack or just stop the attack? How many casualties
are you willing to tolerate? If you say zero, then you must prevent the attack. This
means killing the bad guy before he kills the innocent bystanders. Do you understand?
Are you willing?
-- Jon Low]
"Living In An Active Shooter World" by Marty Hayes
https://gundigest.com/handguns/personal-defense/active-shooter-preparedness
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
"There’s no question that putting yourself in harm’s way to save innocent lives
is the moral thing to do. Let’s move on."
[Wait a minute. It may or may not be the moral thing to do. Let's think about
that before moving on. It may or may not be the smart thing to do. Let's think
about that before moving on.
Are those strangers of more value to me than my spouse and children? If I get
myself killed by the bad guys, other armed citizens, or the responding officers,
have I done the morally correct thing for my spouse and kids? I could go on, but
you get the idea.
-- Jon Low]
"But some people don’t have access to that distance of shooting range,
and they have to settle for the commercial indoor range. No problem:
Practice shooting inside a 2-inch circle at 7 yards. That equates to a
6-inch group at 25 yards. If you can do that consistently, you should be
well on your way to active shooter interdiction competency."
[No, that is false. The point of aim relative to the point of impact for a
pistol at 7 yards if different from that at 25 yards. You have to know the
difference so that you will know where to aim. (If you don't believe me,
you can plug your data into any online ballistic calculator to see for yourself.)
The target area for a head shot to the front of the head is the triangle
defined by the eyes and bottom of the nose on the front of the face.
That is very small. To the side of the head, the target is the ear hole.
That is very small. To the back of the head, the target is the spinal
column at base of the skull and above any body armor. That is very small.
So knowing exactly where your bullet will hit relative to your point of aim
is critical. Otherwise, you're not going to hit these small targets.
If you think your pistol bullet will penetrate a human skull at 25 yards,
your belief is at odds with what the experts at Royal Range taught us in
"Active Shooter Response", state mandated training for armed guards,
taught by Bob Allen, Joe Shelton, Beau Smith, Eric Miller,
Joseph W. Smith, and Warren L. Smith. They taught us that pistol
bullets will not penetrate adult human skulls in general and certainly
not at 25 yards distance.
-- Jon Low]
"Wow, Her Husband Can't Have A Gun Because
She Doesn't Want Home Invaders To Die"
by Colion Noir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUmzXjAB1Fg
Just say NO to stupidity. No matter how smoking hot she is, it's not worth it.
"Training Notes" by Jim Shepherd
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/7f184d27-8855-44b3-b478-485949b18671
Keep in mind what you want the end state to be. That will avoid many mistakes.
"You win gunfights by not getting shot."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Tactics (maneuver and fire in support of your strategy) -----
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
"7 Must-Know Tips to Survive and Prevent a Carjacking" by Richard Nance
https://www.handgunsmag.com/editorial/seven-tips-to-preventsurvive-a-carjacking/139154
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"Street Cop Tactics" by Clint Smith
https://americancop.com/street-cop-tactics/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Maximizing distance makes sense unless:
Your marksmanship is incapable of guaranteeing the hit. You could look for
support, something to brace against. Or, you could take a lower supported position
(e.g. supported kneeling position where you rest your support side elbow in front
of your support side knee cap). Or, you might need to close with the enemy to be
able to make the shot.
You don't have a projectile weapon.
“Fortuitous outcomes reinforce poor tactics.”
-- Chuck Haggard
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, and Escape
From an email from Gabe Suarez --
JUSTIFIED OR NOT? IT DEPENDS
https://twitter.com/i/status/1677308184132820993
This is one that I first saw a few days ago on a friend's Facebook. The comments
that followed illustrated the ignorance shared by the dumbed down gun community
when it comes to justification and articulation after the fact.
Without a full context of what this was about and the perceptions of the shooter,
it's not as easy to determine whether this is justified or not as the Facebook experts
think. Without the shooter's perspective, the only thing we have to go on is how it
appears. The shooter's statement could easily change that reality, with evidence to
back it up.
Can you shoot an adversary in the back legally? Of course you can. Can you
shoot an adversary that appears to be running away? Under some circumstances,
yes you can? Nothing is ever black and white in an event like this. And while
there are definite varying shades here, some will require almost no explanation
while others will require a great deal.
There are tactical points to discuss here as well as information management
issues, and police investigation management issues. I will try to keep it brief.
The tactical aspects will be discussed separately.
1). The masses of the comments on Facebook seemed to follow that narrative
promoted by the aftermath peddlers - "Say nothing to the police and wait for your
mouthpiece to talk for you". That is a mistake.
As I have said in class, the police investigation will not pause and wait for
you to get your thoughts together, nor for your attorney to show up and speak
for you. It will take a course with you or without your help. And your place in
that report will be set as either a victim or a suspect.
The victim will be treated with kindness and will [go] home in short order.
The suspect will be arrested and charged with a crime, will need to post a hefty
bail, and need to source a worthwhile attorney to represent him during a criminal
proceeding. And no, the "free lawyer" you get with that membership will hardly
be a worthwhile attorney. Lawyers love suspects. Suspects make them the most
money. Victims do not need lawyers. And if you do your part, you will get to be
the victim and not the suspect . . . it's that simple.
The victim needs to tell his story to qualify as a victim. If the victim refuses
to talk, he will most likely become the suspect, even if he didn't need to be.
2). There were so many comments stating irrefutably that it is illegal to shoot
someone in the back, or when they are running away. That is false. But the fact
that you did either of these must be explained and justified. And they can be.
Reasons that would justify shooting an adversary in the back or when they
appeared to be running away include - they were moving to a better tactical
position to reengage or arm themselves, they were not actually running away
but moving to cover, or buying space to access a weapon. There are other viable
explanations of course limited only by the shooter's perceptions of the events
unfolding before him that lead him to the realization that shooting was the only
course of action realistically available. But none of these will be known if they
are not presented by the victim.
[Retreat is a tactical maneuver. Retreat is not surrender. -- Jon Low]
3). The reality of this event is that it could have been avoided, but that doesn't
invalidate any legal justification that there may be.
[Well, I don't know about that. The good guy was trapped against the car and
door by the bad guy. -- Jon Low]
How would it have been avoided? In a number of ways by the shooter - first is
to not look soft. The shooter does not look like someone an aggressor would think
twice about. If he had ten pounds more of muscle, ink and a beard, and was wearing
motorcycle club colors, I suspect the fat dude would have been more circumspect.
That doesn't mean you need to sell that Prius and buy a Harley, but looking the part
of a tough man will go a long way to never having to actually defend yourself.
[Well, that's not the sort of transformation many of us can make. -- Jon Low]
The second point of course is positioning. Always move to an advantageous
position and don't let yourself be trapped anywhere. Along with that is having
the ability to fight with your hands. In this case, an angry man crowding you
between the door and the car? There are myriad of physical solutions here,
one that immediately comes to mind is a preemptive eye jab, throat punch - buy
time to push forward, close the door and move away from the trap.
Beatings are easier than shootings, and it is so easy to justify preempting this
with your hands that it is astounding so many simply don't get it.
[Well, neither do I. The physical disparity of force doesn't make hand-to-hand
combat a viable option. In my humble opinion. -- Jon Low]
4). Finally of course is the back story. What the hell lead up to this? True that
some people are angry at life, and their circumstances and something as simple
as the color of your car could set them off. With those guys there isn't much you
can do . . . but have you done anything to provoke or instigate the event . . . even
unintentionally? If so, and you know if it is, consider apologizing from a position
of power. "Sorry bro . . . I didn't see you".
Telling the first responders that you attempted to disengage and deescalate,
and failing in that the adversary left you no other option is a powerful tool
called "Preclusion", that cements the path toward Victimhood.
At the end of the day it is not only important to fight well and shoot well,
you need to think well and speak well too. And just as you study how the thugs
think and operate so you have an advantage when you face them, you must
also gain an understanding of how a police investigation is conducted so you
will have the advantage there as well.
Cited Twitter video -
https://twitter.com/Alphafox78/status/1677308184132820993
"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
"How to Pepper Spray" by Chuck Haggard
https://www.recoilweb.com/how-to-pepper-spray-139086.html
Excerpts:
". . . OC tends to work very well (roughly 85 percent of the time, or better) . . ."
[In my military police training the instructor told us that pepper spray was ineffective
on 10% of the population. Chuck is saying 15%. -- Jon Low]
"I strongly prefer using OC with my strong hand. This leaves me able to use a
flashlight at the same time, and keep that light if I decide to ditch the spray and
go to guns."
"OC spray should be used with a strong grip, allowing the thumb to activate
the spray button, not the index finger."
"Use the spray in short one-second bursts. Just like with defensive pistol
shooting, if you miss, or your shot doesn’t take effect, adjust your aim and give
another burst."
"Moats’ Notes: Randy Watt, Guru of the Fighting-Shotgun"
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/349d2579-0cdc-49f5-9041-a1c6cd70740f
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
Excerpt:
"At that rate of fire, it’s physically impossible to assess the termination
of a threat prior to shooting excess rounds."
"Appendix Carry: Safe, Efficient and Comfortable" by Richard Nance
https://www.handgunsmag.com/editorial/appendix-carry-safe-efficient-comfortable/476790
"Beware the emphatic holster" by John Daub
https://blog.hsoi.com/2018/06/27/beware-the-emphatic-holster/
Excerpt:
"The emphatic holster has no place in safe gun handling.
Holster by looking, holster slowly."
"Engaging high angle active shooters at distance. Can you? Should you?"
by Ox & David Morris
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/engaging-high-angle-active-shooters-at-distance-can-you-should-you/
Mike says that pistol ranges are so short that compensating for elevation doesn't
matter. I disagree. You should plug your data into several free online ballistic
calculator and see how many inches high your point of impact is when shooting up
or down. You point of impact will be higher when shooting up and when shooting
down, because the vector of gravity is not perpendicular to your bullet's velocity
vector. If the deviation is small enough that you decide to ignore it, that's fine.
But you should know what you are ignoring.
If your target is small, as a bad guy holding a hostage in front of himself. That inch
will matter.
"If I only had a pistol, I wouldn't take that shot."
Okay, but sometimes you can't make your scoped rifle magically appear. We are
not in the wizarding world of Harry Potter.
https://www.facebook.com/mark.fitzhenry.37/posts/pfbid0W6GFxPde2vtx57Ucu1c35VzLifkPbDuQckpX2UFH5nEvHXQSXbyCcNdLJkfTiC2Xl
"Gun Skills: Fight Your Way Up" by Frank Melloni
https://www.americas1stfreedom.org/content/gun-skills-fight-your-way-up/
This article induces me to let my students start with a holstered pistol in the
lower position and fight / shoot their way into a standing position and move to
cover / safety before holstering. We already teach drawing the pistol and then
going to the lower position to shoot.
"The 4-L Rule: Self-Defense Flashlight Techniques" by Richard A. Mann
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/self-defense-flashlight
I disagree with the comment about lanyards. I don't think you should have your
flashlight swinging around your wrist. It could bop you in the face. It could
swing around your wrists, handcuffing you. All kinds of strange things happen
in combat.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Postvention ***** ***** *****
Suggestions on how to treat your wounds, avoid prosecution, conviction, and prison time.
Table of contents:
Aftermath
Survival, Medical, etc.
*************************************************************************
----- Aftermath (You must be alive to have these problems: criminal and civil liability.) -----
"The Aftermath: What to expect after a self-defense shooting" by U.S. Law Shield
https://www.uslawshield.com/defensive-gun-use/
Call your attorney first! If you call 911 first, you may not be able to call anyone
else. The 911 dispatchers can take control of your smart phone and keep the line
open to record what is going on. We learned this at a lecture from the 911 dispatchers
at a Citizens Police Academy given by the Lebanon, TN Police Department.
The hackers have been able to do this since 1983. Why would you think the
police / dispatchers / government can't do it?
If you have a decent self-defense insurance policy, you will have an attorney
(not an answering service) on call 24 hours a day / 7 days a week / 365 days a year,
even on Christmas Eve. If you don't have such a service, get a real self-defense
insurance policy. Your life may not depend on it, but the consequences of not
having a real policy may be your family being destitute, because you are in prison
after expending all family assets to pay your legal fees. If you think I'm joking,
you're a damn fool.
I carry U.S. Law Shield (because they are the only ones who will cover us,
state licensed armed guards) and Firearms Legal Protection.
Andrew Branca carries CCW Safe.
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.
The various policies are drastically different.
"You need to read the fine print." -- Massad Ayoob
"Breaking Down the CCW Safe Cease-and-Desist Letter"
by Attorneys Marc J. Victor and Andy Marcantel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNbazIB4wm4
“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
Sometimes things turn out okay for the good guy.
"Salt and Savour Sauerkraut Celebrates “Independence” Day with U.S. LawShield"
https://www.uslawshield.com/a-fourth-of-july-that-started-out-with-a-bang/
Good guy talked to the responding officers with his attorney on the phone.
Good guy immediately called his attorney when sued by bad guy's parents.
What scum bags. Their son violently attacks a person sleeping in a van. And
the parents of the bad guy sue the good guy. Sort of the opposite of apologizing
and taking responsibility for their bad parenting.
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
“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
----- Survival, Medical, etc. -----
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
"Field Medicine for Terrorist Attacks- Bleeding Control and Chest Injuries"
by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/field-medicine-for-terrorist-attacks
Excerpt:
"Tourniquets were once demonized and treated as a “last resort”. Recent military
experience in Iraq and Afghanistan has changed medical thinking on this previously
controversial practice. The military is now teaching aggressive tourniquet use and
cites it as the single most successful battlefield medical intervention to prevent death
from combat trauma. Not a single soldier in our war on terror has lost a limb from a
properly placed commercial tourniquet."
[When Greg says, ". . . crank it down until the bleeding stops." with respect to
tourniquet application, you must understand that the victim (if conscious) will
be screaming and begging you to release the tourniquet, because it is going to
cause a lot of pain. If you don't crank it down until the bleeding stops, the
victim may die. -- Jon Low]
[Your belt can be used to improvise a tourniquet. We all wear belts. We don't
all carry a triangular bandage. -- Jon Low]
"Do not pack wounds in the chest or abdomen. Packing is only for extremities
and junctional areas where a limb meets the torso."
Don't drink Gatorade. It is full of sugar. All literature that says that Gatorade
has any value is paid for by Gatorade. All literature that says that Gatorade is
terrible for you is suppressed by Gatorade's legal team. [You learn such things
in the coaches classes at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO.]
If you want to hydrate yourself or another: water (by far the best), Pedialyte
(if you don't have water), IV (Intravenous) saline solution (if the guy is unconscious).
Electrolytes? We don't need no stinking electrolytes. Electrolytes from such
drinks will disturb your body chemistry (coaches course at the OTC).
Don't be deceived by the marketing and advertisements. Remember, the U.S.
is the only country in the world that lets pharmaceutical companies advertise
directly to the consumer to get the uneducated uninformed consumer to ask
their doctor to prescribe drugs to them. Yes, it is insanity.
Never drink anything with artificial sweeteners. The Federal Aviation Administration
has issued a warning informing pilots that the artificial sweeteners used in commercially
available drinks will cause vision problems. Pilots have reported not seeing aircraft
flying around them. Actually the chemicals (I certainly would not called them a food.)
will cause all kinds of vision problems. (The FAA warning was relayed to me by
pilot Ray Harvey.)
Why do fat private security guards miss their intended targets or hit unintended
targets with probability far exceeding industry norms? It might be bad training or
lack of training. But it could also be drinking artificially sweetened drinks.
(Ya, I know the data is extremely difficult to come by for many reasons and
available data is extremely difficult to analyze. No, really, I'm a school trained
and real world experienced (worked at TennCare for 5 years analyzing healthcare
data) statistician. I sort of know what I'm talking about.
NRA Family sent an email with an article about hydration, that triggered this
rant, but the article is so stupid I can't cite it in good conscience.
"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, History, etc. ***** ***** *****
Table of contents:
Legal
Instruction
Gear
*************************************************************************
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
May I recommend that you view the movie "Sound of Freedom" at a
theater near you?
https://www.facebook.com/michael.cutler.1297/posts/pfbid0vC3JzTNHX7FZyu3v1coapSqLjSSCiJKHS8bKF2tZcetDMJFWRKTk9zDPiNKTtikAl
"Startle Response and Firearm Draw Performance in Law Enforcement Officers
during a Lethal Force Simulated Domestic Assault" by
Michael A Kantor1, Dane E. Bartz2, William J. Lewinski, and Robert W. Pettitt
https://www.walshmedicalmedia.com/open-access/startle-response-and-firearm-draw-performance-in-law-enforcement-officers-during-a-lethal-force-simulated-domestic-assault-119739.html
"Kinematic Analysis of Naive Shooters in Common Law Enforcement Encounters"
by Michael A Kantor, William J Lewinski, Hina Garg, Joel Tenbrink, Jeff Lau and
Robert W Pettitt
https://www.walshmedicalmedia.com/open-access/kinematic-analysis-of-naive-shooters-in-common-law-enforcement-encounters.pdf
"Gaze Control and Tactical Decision-Making Under Stress in Active-Duty
Police Officers During a Live Use-of-Force Response" by
Nicholas P. Murray, William Lewinski, Gustavo Sandri Heidner, Joshua Lawton,
and Robert Horn
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00222895.2023.2229946
"39 aspects of vision for shooting that go beyond 20/20, readers, and astigmatism."
by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/39-aspects-of-vision-for-shooting-that-go-beyond-20-20-readers-and-astigmatism/
John Henry "Doc" Holliday (born August 14, 1851, died November 8, 1887)
https://www.facebook.com/gabriel.suarez.prescott.az/posts/pfbid0KWPtx8ps2dPd2bLmHvbvx2D9ohPnHx9v17dPRiWobfg5mZekZq8LLrNa7vXNGJihl
Hat tip to Gabe Suarez.
"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
"Oklahoma 18-Year-Old Woman Protects Herself and Her Newborn from a Stalker"
https://crimeresearch.org/2023/07/oklahoma-18-year-old-woman-protects-herself-and-her-newborn-from-a-stalker/
Here is a dramatic example of an 18-year-old mother who protected herself and
her young 3-month old from her stalker. For gun control advocates who want to ban
anyone under 21 from having guns, this might be something to remember.
Please subscribe to the Crime Prevention Research newsletter at
https://crimepreventionresearchcenter.nationbuilder.com/subscribe?
for articles as the one above.
There are actually no gun-control laws that make sense when you think about them.
They only appeal to the non-thinking emotional mind. Just say no to stupidity.
"The Essential Second Amendment" by The Heritage Foundation
https://secured.heritage.org/essential-second-amendment-ebook/
FREE eBook
"Law of Self Defense" book (free of charge, just pay shipping so you don't have to
drive to Colorado to pick it up)
https://bit.ly/losdpmax
"The 5 Elements of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca
lawofselfdefense.com/elements/
which resolves to
https://lawofselfdefense.com/beginjourney/
"The Basics of Concealed Carry Reciprocity" by U.S. Law Shield
https://www.uslawshield.com/the-basics-of-concealed-carry-reciprocity/
"With Traffic Stops on the Rise, U.S. LawShield Offers Safety Tips for Motorists with
Concealed Carry Licenses"
https://www.uslawshield.com/with-traffic-stops-on-the-rise-u-s-lawshield-offers-safety-tips-for-motorists-with-concealed-carry-licenses/
"U.S. LawShield® Presents Self-Defense Strategies for National Safety Month"
https://www.uslawshield.com/u-s-lawshield-presents-self-defense-strategies-for-national-safety-month/
In a members only video, "Car Trumps Gun–But Is This the Smart Play?"
by Attorney Andrew Branca, Andrew shows a video in which a bad guy attempts
to rob the 3 occupants of a car. (One of the occupants wisely runs away to
call 911.) A fight in the car ensues.
But it gets worse. The bad guy runs away to the get away car. But the driver
of the get away car drives off, abandoning the bad guy.
But it gets worse. The drive of the car that the bad guy had attempted to rob,
drives his car after the bad guy, hitting the bad guy, and throwing the bad guy's
body into the air.
But it gets worse. While flying through the air the bad guy shoots himself
in the head.
The bad guy survived and is in the hospital. The police Lt. who spoke to
the TV news reporters obviously thinks the incident is hilarious. As do I.
"My appearances on the Lars Larson and Bill Martinez national radio shows
talked about Hunter's legal team threatening to use the Supreme Court's Bruen
decision to declare that background checks are unconstitutional."
-- John R. Lott, Jr.
https://crimeresearch.org/2023/06/on-the-lars-larson-show-to-discuss-hunter-bidens-2nd-amendment-defense-plan/
https://crimeresearch.org/2023/06/on-the-bill-martinez-radio-show-discussing-hunter-bidens-second-amendment-defense-plan/
"UPDATED:
Compiling Cases where concealed handgun permit holders have stopped
likely mass public shootings" by John R. Lott, Jr.
https://crimeresearch.org/2023/06/uber-driver-in-chicago-stops-mass-public-shooting/
"Real Clear Investigations:
Murder, They Spun:
Selective Stats Leave Suspicious Fingerprints All Over the Crime Debate"
by John R. Lott, Jr.
https://crimeresearch.org/2023/06/real-clear-investigations-murder-they-spun-selective-stats-leave-suspicious-fingerprints-all-over-the-crime-debate/
John R. Lott, Jr.
President
Crime Prevention Research Center
http://crimeresearch.org
Sign up for the newsletter to be informed of the truth.
"230703 Stand Your Ground & Necessity Defense Show" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QZiSbsR6ks
State v. Perrier,536 S.W.3d 388, Tennessee Supreme Court, 2017
"Trying To Save People Might Get You In Trouble Like This" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KK17MsrBKU
This is why I would never go to New York.
When I was moving money in an armored car for ATM Solutions, we stopped in
Illinois to get lunch at a McDonalds. A plain clothed police officer approached me
and asked me if I was a cop. I said no.
He looked me over and said, "Private, eh?"
I responded, "Yes sir."
He said, "Be careful. You're in Illinois."
"U.S. Supreme Court Says NO Right to Remain Silent?!"
by Matthew Harris Law, PLLC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9a7bJ9Eds4
You have to invoke your right to remain silent. It's not automatic.
You have to invoke your right to counsel. It's not automatic. And even if you do
request an attorney, the court is not required to give you one. And do you really
want a court appointed attorney? That attorney is working on 50 cases at the same
time as yours. Admittedly, a lot of those cases are plea deals, but still.
If you say anything else, you are committing an act of criminal stupidity
that will be used to arrest you, and will be used as evidence against you at
trial in an attempt to convict you.
Might be best to go home. Let your attorney explain why you had to leave the
scene because you feared for your safety, as the bad guy's friends were going to
attack you in retaliation for you shooting their buddy.
Your attorney can explain that he advised you not to call 911, because he
would contact the police on your behalf. Your attorney didn't want you saying
anything, and certainly did not what anything you said to be recorded.
Your attorney can explain that you did not turn yourself in because you had
no reason to. And if the police wish to arrest you, your attorney can make
arrangements with the prosecutor for you to surrender at a convenient time and
place. And surrender to the authority of your choice with witnesses present,
because you legitimately fear police brutality. If your attorney cannot cite
many cases of police brutality in your jurisdiction, he's not worth his salt.
A competent politically connected attorney can take care of this for you,
without you appearing at all. It happens all the time (for rich people).
My father would never let his client surrender until everything had been decided
and scripted.
"Gun Control In Action: 6 Dead In Mass-Stabbing In China" by Docent
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/2023/07/gun-control-in-action-6-dead-in-mass.html
Excerpt:
"I don't know why they are even bothering in conducting more research.
Every liberal in the United States and Europe will tell you that mass killings
are the result of easy access to guns."
"The Admissibility of Expert Testimony In A Murder Case (Pt. 4)"
by Law of Self Defense
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKSUmThGj5Y
"Federal lawsuit filed to challenge ATF’s scope of authority to revoke
federal firearms licensees"
https://tennesseefirearms.com/2023/07/federal-lawsuit-filed-to-challenge-atfs-scope-of-authority-to-revoke-federal-firearms-licensees/
"The Indictment Of Daniel Penny" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai7yDL4wOaw
A different use of the self-defense theory. Traverse defense,
as opposed to an affirmative defense.
For your consideration (not legal advice). Things your attorney could say for you. --
"My client left the scene because based on the assailant's behavior and dress,
my client feared that the assailant was a member of a violent gang, and that the
gang members would attack my client in retaliation for shooting one of their gang
members."
"My client would be happy to surrender to authorities of the appropriate jurisdiction
as soon as the Sheriff (who controls the jail) has given us assurances of protective
custody, since known gang members are housed in that jail."
It's okay for your attorney to say, "No" to the law enforcement authorities.
That's one of the beauties of living in America.
If your attorney is politically connected or just powerful enough, he will arrange
for you to be released immediately after booking. You get as much justice in
America as you can afford. That's reality.
“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."
The 10% Rule
In business school, we learned the 10% rule. Given any audience, 10% of the
audience will not receive your message. Even if your subordinates are standing
at attention in front of you and you are addressing them in a quiet environment,
10% will not hear what you said or will not understand what you said.
If you are talking to a single person at a conversational distance, and you are both
looking at each other in the eyes, without distractions, the person will not understand
10% of what you said.
"I can fix this problem by giving the message to them in writing."
Wrong! 10% will not understand what you wrote. Or, they won't understand 10%
of what you wrote. Or some combination thereof.
Sorry, that's just reality. Assume this truth, and work to overcome it.
Thinking that, "That's their problem. I did my job. My presentation is articulate.
The semantics are crystal clear and concise. If they don't understand, it's their fault."
is a bad attitude and is not contributing to achieving the communication that you
should want to achieve.
"The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has happened."
What can you do to overcome this problem? Explain, demonstrate, observe the
students practicing while giving guidance and correction, and then have someone
else test them. Disinterested testing is essential on many levels. You really don't
learn anything by testing your own students. You cannot defeat your bias. Human
nature is what it is. Step back and let someone else test your students. [A friend
of mine owned and ran a pool hall with adjoining bar and restaurant in Sunnyvale,
CA. He would give a ‶pretty girl″ discount. Sometimes he would say it while
ringing up the sales, sometimes not. I know that was business, not academia,
but you get the idea.]
When I was in the Columbia University Math Department, we would take classes
from Professor X and be tested by Professor Y. The department never let a professor
test or grade his own students, not even homework. The Physics Department at
Middle Tennessee State University practices this to an extent, in that each question
on an exam is graded by a different professor. How can you rate a professor's
teaching competence if you allow him to grade his own students? You can't.
Of course, some professors are "research professors". They couldn't care less
about teaching undergrads, that's what slaves, excuse me, graduate students are for.
----- Instructors -----
"Remember,
the students who require the extra effort
are the ones who need us the most!"
-- John Farnam
‟um”, “you know”, ‶like″, etc. should never be spoken. Better to be silent.
Students will think you are thinking deep thoughts.
"Keep your perspective as safe as you keep your jewelry" by Grant Cunningham
https://www.grantcunningham.com/2018/06/keep-your-perspective-as-safe-as-you-keep-your-jewelry/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
"If you’re a defensive training instructor, I believe it’s your responsibility
to give your students a realistic perspective about the world of self defense.
Yes, bad things happen to good people, and they need to be ready to face evil
if it visits them. At the same time, though, those incidents aren’t the norm;
mortal danger doesn’t in fact lurk behind every blade of grass. Our students
are not running patrols in Kosovo."
If your language includes phrases such as:
"Like", "You know", etc. Your public speaking sucks.
If you say, "I don't know.", better would be "What is your email address? I'll find
out and get back to you."
If you say, "That's outside the scope of this class.", better would be "While that's
outside the scope of this class, I'd be happy to discuss it with you during a break or
after the class."
If the answer to the question would take too long or would take the lecture off
on a tangent, better would be, "Please write your question in an email so that I may
give your question the time and attention that it deserves." That way if you think
the question is pertinent to the class, you can distribute it to everyone in the class,
or everyone on your continuing education email list.
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 Salomon
"Teacher Or Instructor … Which Are You?" by Suzi Huntington
https://americancop.com/teacher-or-instructor-which-are-you/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
"If you’re a teacher, remember to dig deep inside yourself. Keep your own passion
for the subject matter at the forefront; remember your own excitement as you learned
what you are now teaching. Teach like the teacher you once had who caused you to
find that spark of interest in yourself, and helped you fan it into a blaze."
Yes, a good teacher learns from the students.
“The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives.”
-- Robert John Meehan
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Gear ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
"Reliability Testing" by tacticalprofessor
https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2023/07/14/reliability-testing/
"Reliability Testing – Part II" by Claude Werner
https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2023/07/15/reliability-testing-part-ii/
Excerpt:
A colleague asked me a few days ago:
“How many rounds would you say make up a legitimate ‘reliability test’ for a pistol?”
My response was 100 because that’s more than 99.9% of people will ever fire
from a pistol they buy.
‷To See or Not to See, That is the Question
A handheld ‶tactical″ flashlight is definitely a force multiplier for the armed citizen.‴
by Shelley Hill
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/to-see-or-not-to-see-that-is-the-question/
"Pro Tip: Look at Your Ammo As You’re Loading Your Magazines"
by Dan Zimmerman
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/pro-tip-look-at-your-ammo-as-youre-loading-your-magazines/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"Choices!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/choices-2/
In Europe, the Springfield Armory XD is known as the HS 2000. I carry and shoot
the XD in 45 ACP because Louis Awerbuck recommended it. I keep several on hand
at any given time (because when the police confiscate your pistol as evidence, what
you going to do?), as I give them as wedding presents and divorce presents. They
never fail to impress. Of course, I always give complete weapon systems, not just
the pistol.
‟Do You Have to Break-In a New Defensive Handgun?
Answer: Depends on if you don't mind a few "surprises" down the line . . . „
by Frank Melloni
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/do-you-have-to-break-in-a-new-defensive-handgun/
A lot of "breaking-in" is getting familiar with your equipment.
I would also recommend that you deburr all sharp corners and edges.
They will cut you in that upcoming 5-day course in which you will be firing
1000 rounds.
I would also recommend that you take your Dremel tool and remove material
from any area of the grip that is pressing against any bone, especially any joint, in
your hands. You don't want to develop Glock knuckle or inflame the tissue around
your sesamoid bones.
"Size Matters: Carrying Big EDC [Every Day Carry]" by Matt Ostrander
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/size-matters-carrying-big-edc/
I carry every day. I carry concealed for one part time job, polo shirt, cargo pants.
I open carry for another part time job, polyester slacks, dress shirt with tie.
I always carry a full-size / duty-size pistol. I'm 5'7", 160 pounds. I assure
you, you can comfortably carry a full size pistol. A full size pistol will allow
easier (safer) manipulation of the pistol and easier (more accurate) sighting.
The purpose of the pistol is to change the behavior of the bad guy. If
you can accomplish that without firing, you WIN! How do you achieve
that? Carry a full size pistol, as opposed to a compact pistol. You are what
you project. Project big and strong.
“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.)
"The Ammo Question
How much ammo should you carry on a regular basis?
That's a darn good question . . . "
by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/the-ammo-question/
Excerpt:
"The real mistake is to think that extra ammunition will make up for a lack
of tactics. It won’t. Nor will it make up for poor marksmanship."
"He or she must also realize that extra ammunition does not make up for
lack of practice or training."
"Alternatives to Red Dot Sights For Astigmatic Eyes" by Ilya Koshkin
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/alternatives-to-red-dot-sights-for-astigmatic-eyes/
Excerpt:
"Only EOTech and Vortex make holographic sights at the moment."
[My son has been trying to get me to use holographic sights. He has asked
me to try his, to see the difference. But, I am very slow to learn. And having
worked in the software industry for most of my adult career, I am a late adopter
as a matter of principle.
Why buy special equipment for shooting with astigmatism, when modern
soft contact lenses will correct astigmatism? Modern glasses will also correct
astigmatism.
-- Jon Low]
"How Fast Does a Bullet Travel?
Everything you need to know about bullet velocity,
broken down by rimfire and centerfire ammunition"
by Richard Mann
https://www.fieldandstream.com/guns/how-fast-does-a-bullet-travel/
The bullet has to be traveling at least 400 feet per second to break skin.
There is a real problem when the bullet transitions from supersonic to subsonic.
The bullet is in its own shock wave, which destabilizes the bullet; sometimes
causing the bullet to tumble. When traveling at supersonic speed, the bullet
is in front of its shock wave. When traveling at subsonic speed, there is no
shock wave. When traveling at sonic speed, it's in its own shock wave.
So pay attention to the muzzle velocity (Actually speed, not velocity. Velocity
is a vector. Speed is a scalar.) printed on the box and use any of the free online
ballistic calculators to determine the range at which your bullet will transition
from supersonic to subsonic. That is your maximum effective range.
(So you see why those cartridges with super fast, super light bullets are
stupid.) For self-defense, you want to throw the heaviest bullet you can.
Momentum is the primary factor for penetration. And penetration is the
primary factor for destroying tissue. Pass throughs are so rare as to be
statistically insignificant. As Ralph Mroz says, in 41% of self-defense
shootings the bullet penetrated one inch or less. So under-penetration is the
real problem.
If you manufacture your own ammo and push the speed of your bullets,
you will notice that at some point the bullets will start disintegrating as
they exit the muzzle. The centripetal acceleration (due to the spinning
of the bullet, due to the rifling) is causing the bullet to tear apart.
(This is a rifle thing.)
Yes, that is why I use the 45 ACP. It is subsonic from muzzle to target.
No supersonic-subsonic transition, no air turbulence, no sonic crack (which
all supersonic bullets create). So silencers work really well. And the recoil
is relatively mild.
"Top 4 Most Important Active Safety Systems
A tutorial on active safety systems, and what they do."
by NRA Staff
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/top-4-most-important-active-safety-systems/
Excerpts from the book "Handgun Training for Personal Protection"
by Richard A. Mann --
"Plus-P loadings for the .45 ACP push pressures up to 23,000 psi, and 9mm Luger +P
loads average around 38,000 psi. The pressures that defensive handgun cartridges
produce inside a chamber are rarely given much thought, but they are indeed important.
These high pressures are what allow smaller-caliber cartridges to deliver terminal
performance on par with larger-caliber cartridges."
"This fear of getting shot is the best example of handgun stopping power."
"The smaller the handgun gets, the easier it is to carry and the harder it is to shoot.
If you are a new shooter, consider a full-size/duty-size pistol as a starter sidearm."
"The hardest thing to learn is something you do not want to believe."
"The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are,
first, hard work;
second, stick-to-itiveness;
third, common sense." -- Thomas A. Edison
"Handgun stopping power has very little to do with cartridges, calibers, and bullets."
[It's intelligent bullet placement on the target. -- Jon Low]
"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes."
-- Sherlock Holmes, "The Hound of the Baskervilles"
"The little bump near the end of your pistol is called the front sight. Use it."
-- Gunsite Instructor Charlie McNeese
"The most lethal weapon on our planet is the human brain. It has given us the knife,
the pistol, the atomic bomb, and the politician."
"Solving Anomalous Accuracy And Reliability Problems" by Philip Massaro
https://gundigest.com/rifles/accuracy-and-reliability-problems
Excerpt:
". . . but I’d have never known it without consulting a qualified gunsmith."
[Deep truth! -- Jon Low]
"Buying the most expensive ammunition isn’t a guarantee of optimal performance."
[When I was working with the gunsmiths (for though their title was armorer, they
were much much more) at Brigade Service Support Group (BSSG), 1st Marine
Expeditionary Brigade, I learned that one solution to the harmonics problem
described in the article was to bed the rifle at the muzzle, instead of the receiver.
Now the barrel will stretched when the rifle fires, as opposed to vibrate like a
tuning fork when a free floating barrel is fired. To prevent the barrel from bending
(actually just suffering non-zero stress at rest) the receiver end of the barrel is
supported, but not bedded. Usually with a couple of round nose set screws that
just touched the receiver. If you don't let the barrel vibrate, you don't have the
harmonics problem. Yes, this requires a full length stock. But the reinforced
fiberglass or carbon fiber materials make for very light stocks. (Yes, this is
rarely done because it is much more difficult to accomplish correctly than
bedding the receiver and free floating the barrel.)
-- Jon Low]
[Yes, shaping and polishing the feed ramp and the chamber hood is essential
for reliable feeding and chambering in a semi-auto pistol. Have a competent
gunsmith do the job, or a knowledgeable machinist who understands the dynamics
(as opposed to kinematics) of what you are trying to achieve.
-- Jon Low]
[The photo in the article is so wrong. NEVER clean your barrel from the muzzle.
The muzzle is the last place to touch the bullet. If you cause any nicks, dents,
scratches, or imperfection on the muzzle, the bullet's flight will be disturbed. That's
why match barrels have their muzzles crowned. I would recommend an 11 degree
flat crown. You will see on the face of the muzzle the residue pattern and easily
determine if something is wrong with the muzzle.
-- Jon Low]
[There is Hoppes No. 9 bore solvent for general cleaning, and then there is BJ's
for cleaning the bore down to the original metal surface. If you're going to shoot
multiple shots, it makes sense to shoot from a warm fouled barrel and to zero your
sights for your warm fouled barrel. (If you're going to shoot a few foulers and
sighters before shooting for record in a match, for instance.)
If you're going to shoot from a cold clean barrel, then it makes sense to zero
your sights for your clean cold barrel. (If you're going to spend three days crawling
into position, shoot once, and then boogie. That's why the modern uniforms are
impregnated with insecticide. Makes a world of difference. My girlfriend wouldn't
let me wash my uniforms in her washing machine.)
-- Jon Low]
[When Mr. Massaro talks about how the boat tail bullet will “settle down”
after 250 yards, I think he is referring to the boat tail bullet's nutation.
Prolate objects that rotate about their axis of symmetry, as bullets,
will precess (as in rotational precession, the terminology that you will
generally see in physics books) and this precession is always present as
long as the object spins and a force, such as air friction, is present.
There is another motion called nutation. Spinning objects will nutate.
But nutation is transient, in that it is not always present in spinning objects.
If you spin a top on your flat smooth table, the axis of the top will move
around a vertical line, tracing out a cone. That is precession (due to the
force of gravity). If you look carefully, perhaps with a high speed camera
that you can then slow down upon playback, you will see that the axis of
the top does not trace out a cone that spirals into the vertical line. Rather
the shape is scalloped. There are small semi-circular aberrations in the
larger scale motion of the cone. That is the nutation.
It is beyond the scope of this newsletter to explain the motion, but
you will find the explanation in a first year mechanics course in any physics
department. (Well, maybe not considering the state of education in America.)
My internet search of nutation didn't reveal anything worth reading.
-- Jon Low]
"8 Best Custom Glock Clones: Glock 19 Alternatives" by Travis Pike
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-glock-clones/
Wow! a Glock clone for $300.
My son turned me on to magazine dust covers. Doesn't matter how many rounds
are in the magazine. You can seal the magazine so dirt, sand, etc. won't get in.
Pretty useful for desert environments.
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/tapco-intrafuse-ar-magazine-dust-covers-10-pack.html
Following Tom Givens' advice, I painted my front and rear iron sights.
I used Kryon fluorescent green for the front post and fluorescent orange for the rear
sight notch. Krylon is a Sherwin-Williams paint. This stuff fluoresces in all visible
light and ultraviolet light.
I prepared the surface of the iron sights that faced me by brushing with a clean
brass brush. Then I brushed with a clean tooth brush. Then I wiped the surface with
lighter fluid (naphthalene) and a Q-Tip. Acetone would be better, but it's much more
dangerous. [I'm scared of such flammable / inflammable things, as I have played
with them and know what they can do. ↖ ↗ How strange that these two words are
synonyms.]
If you really want the color of the sights to pop, at this point you should put down
a layer of white nail polish. But the girlfriend didn't have any. It came out okay with
the fluorescent paint on the black metal. In the future, I may ask Aidan to machine
the rear surface of the sights to see what it looks like with the fluorescent paint on a
bright clean steel surface.
Takes about 15 minutes to dry. I put it by the air conditioner vent. The cool dry
air caused a nice even drying surface.
I was using cheap paint brushes from China. I think the bristles were plastic.
The Krylon paint eventually (couple of hours) melted the bristles. I'll use camel
hair brushes next time. I imagine the Krylon paint will melt the plastic Glock
sights.
The Krylon paint is a little strange in that when you paint it on, it will appear clear
or black depending on lighting. But when it dries, you will see the bright fluorescent
color.
"What is The Everyday Carry of The World's Top Underrated Movie Actor?"
by Shawn Ryan Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dox-Fh7ytec
"The Purpose of Low Profile Protection"
by Michael Mann Security Services
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0e_AOMss4w
It's about prevention, not response. If you want zero casualties, you must prevent.
If your plan is to respond instead of prevent, you can expect one casually every 10 seconds.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Postvention ***** ***** *****
Suggestions on how to treat your wounds, avoid prosecution, conviction, and prison time.
Table of contents:
Aftermath
Survival, Medical, etc.
*************************************************************************
----- Aftermath (You must be alive to have these problems: criminal and civil liability.) -----
"The Aftermath: What to expect after a self-defense shooting" by U.S. Law Shield
https://www.uslawshield.com/defensive-gun-use/
Call your attorney first! If you call 911 first, you may not be able to call anyone
else. The 911 dispatchers can take control of your smart phone and keep the line
open to record what is going on. We learned this at a lecture from the 911 dispatchers
at a Citizens Police Academy given by the Lebanon, TN Police Department.
The hackers have been able to do this since 1983. Why would you think the
police / dispatchers / government can't do it?
If you have a decent self-defense insurance policy, you will have an attorney
(not an answering service) on call 24 hours a day / 7 days a week / 365 days a year,
even on Christmas Eve. If you don't have such a service, get a real self-defense
insurance policy. Your life may not depend on it, but the consequences of not
having a real policy may be your family being destitute, because you are in prison
after expending all family assets to pay your legal fees. If you think I'm joking,
you're a damn fool.
I carry U.S. Law Shield (because they are the only ones who will cover us,
state licensed armed guards) and Firearms Legal Protection.
Andrew Branca carries CCW Safe.
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.
The various policies are drastically different.
"You need to read the fine print." -- Massad Ayoob
"Breaking Down the CCW Safe Cease-and-Desist Letter"
by Attorneys Marc J. Victor and Andy Marcantel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNbazIB4wm4
“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
Sometimes things turn out okay for the good guy.
"Salt and Savour Sauerkraut Celebrates “Independence” Day with U.S. LawShield"
https://www.uslawshield.com/a-fourth-of-july-that-started-out-with-a-bang/
Good guy talked to the responding officers with his attorney on the phone.
Good guy immediately called his attorney when sued by bad guy's parents.
What scum bags. Their son violently attacks a person sleeping in a van. And
the parents of the bad guy sue the good guy. Sort of the opposite of apologizing
and taking responsibility for their bad parenting.
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
“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
----- Survival, Medical, etc. -----
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
"Field Medicine for Terrorist Attacks- Bleeding Control and Chest Injuries"
by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/field-medicine-for-terrorist-attacks
Excerpt:
"Tourniquets were once demonized and treated as a “last resort”. Recent military
experience in Iraq and Afghanistan has changed medical thinking on this previously
controversial practice. The military is now teaching aggressive tourniquet use and
cites it as the single most successful battlefield medical intervention to prevent death
from combat trauma. Not a single soldier in our war on terror has lost a limb from a
properly placed commercial tourniquet."
[When Greg says, ". . . crank it down until the bleeding stops." with respect to
tourniquet application, you must understand that the victim (if conscious) will
be screaming and begging you to release the tourniquet, because it is going to
cause a lot of pain. If you don't crank it down until the bleeding stops, the
victim may die. -- Jon Low]
[Your belt can be used to improvise a tourniquet. We all wear belts. We don't
all carry a triangular bandage. -- Jon Low]
"Do not pack wounds in the chest or abdomen. Packing is only for extremities
and junctional areas where a limb meets the torso."
Don't drink Gatorade. It is full of sugar. All literature that says that Gatorade
has any value is paid for by Gatorade. All literature that says that Gatorade is
terrible for you is suppressed by Gatorade's legal team. [You learn such things
in the coaches classes at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO.]
If you want to hydrate yourself or another: water (by far the best), Pedialyte
(if you don't have water), IV (Intravenous) saline solution (if the guy is unconscious).
Electrolytes? We don't need no stinking electrolytes. Electrolytes from such
drinks will disturb your body chemistry (coaches course at the OTC).
Don't be deceived by the marketing and advertisements. Remember, the U.S.
is the only country in the world that lets pharmaceutical companies advertise
directly to the consumer to get the uneducated uninformed consumer to ask
their doctor to prescribe drugs to them. Yes, it is insanity.
Never drink anything with artificial sweeteners. The Federal Aviation Administration
has issued a warning informing pilots that the artificial sweeteners used in commercially
available drinks will cause vision problems. Pilots have reported not seeing aircraft
flying around them. Actually the chemicals (I certainly would not called them a food.)
will cause all kinds of vision problems. (The FAA warning was relayed to me by
pilot Ray Harvey.)
Why do fat private security guards miss their intended targets or hit unintended
targets with probability far exceeding industry norms? It might be bad training or
lack of training. But it could also be drinking artificially sweetened drinks.
(Ya, I know the data is extremely difficult to come by for many reasons and
available data is extremely difficult to analyze. No, really, I'm a school trained
and real world experienced (worked at TennCare for 5 years analyzing healthcare
data) statistician. I sort of know what I'm talking about.
NRA Family sent an email with an article about hydration, that triggered this
rant, but the article is so stupid I can't cite it in good conscience.
"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, History, etc. ***** ***** *****
Table of contents:
Legal
Instruction
Gear
*************************************************************************
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
May I recommend that you view the movie "Sound of Freedom" at a
theater near you?
https://www.facebook.com/michael.cutler.1297/posts/pfbid0vC3JzTNHX7FZyu3v1coapSqLjSSCiJKHS8bKF2tZcetDMJFWRKTk9zDPiNKTtikAl
"Startle Response and Firearm Draw Performance in Law Enforcement Officers
during a Lethal Force Simulated Domestic Assault" by
Michael A Kantor1, Dane E. Bartz2, William J. Lewinski, and Robert W. Pettitt
https://www.walshmedicalmedia.com/open-access/startle-response-and-firearm-draw-performance-in-law-enforcement-officers-during-a-lethal-force-simulated-domestic-assault-119739.html
"Kinematic Analysis of Naive Shooters in Common Law Enforcement Encounters"
by Michael A Kantor, William J Lewinski, Hina Garg, Joel Tenbrink, Jeff Lau and
Robert W Pettitt
https://www.walshmedicalmedia.com/open-access/kinematic-analysis-of-naive-shooters-in-common-law-enforcement-encounters.pdf
"Gaze Control and Tactical Decision-Making Under Stress in Active-Duty
Police Officers During a Live Use-of-Force Response" by
Nicholas P. Murray, William Lewinski, Gustavo Sandri Heidner, Joshua Lawton,
and Robert Horn
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00222895.2023.2229946
"39 aspects of vision for shooting that go beyond 20/20, readers, and astigmatism."
by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/39-aspects-of-vision-for-shooting-that-go-beyond-20-20-readers-and-astigmatism/
John Henry "Doc" Holliday (born August 14, 1851, died November 8, 1887)
https://www.facebook.com/gabriel.suarez.prescott.az/posts/pfbid0KWPtx8ps2dPd2bLmHvbvx2D9ohPnHx9v17dPRiWobfg5mZekZq8LLrNa7vXNGJihl
Hat tip to Gabe Suarez.
"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
"Oklahoma 18-Year-Old Woman Protects Herself and Her Newborn from a Stalker"
https://crimeresearch.org/2023/07/oklahoma-18-year-old-woman-protects-herself-and-her-newborn-from-a-stalker/
Here is a dramatic example of an 18-year-old mother who protected herself and
her young 3-month old from her stalker. For gun control advocates who want to ban
anyone under 21 from having guns, this might be something to remember.
Please subscribe to the Crime Prevention Research newsletter at
https://crimepreventionresearchcenter.nationbuilder.com/subscribe?
for articles as the one above.
There are actually no gun-control laws that make sense when you think about them.
They only appeal to the non-thinking emotional mind. Just say no to stupidity.
"The Essential Second Amendment" by The Heritage Foundation
https://secured.heritage.org/essential-second-amendment-ebook/
FREE eBook
"Law of Self Defense" book (free of charge, just pay shipping so you don't have to
drive to Colorado to pick it up)
https://bit.ly/losdpmax
"The 5 Elements of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca
lawofselfdefense.com/elements/
which resolves to
https://lawofselfdefense.com/beginjourney/
"The Basics of Concealed Carry Reciprocity" by U.S. Law Shield
https://www.uslawshield.com/the-basics-of-concealed-carry-reciprocity/
"With Traffic Stops on the Rise, U.S. LawShield Offers Safety Tips for Motorists with
Concealed Carry Licenses"
https://www.uslawshield.com/with-traffic-stops-on-the-rise-u-s-lawshield-offers-safety-tips-for-motorists-with-concealed-carry-licenses/
"U.S. LawShield® Presents Self-Defense Strategies for National Safety Month"
https://www.uslawshield.com/u-s-lawshield-presents-self-defense-strategies-for-national-safety-month/
In a members only video, "Car Trumps Gun–But Is This the Smart Play?"
by Attorney Andrew Branca, Andrew shows a video in which a bad guy attempts
to rob the 3 occupants of a car. (One of the occupants wisely runs away to
call 911.) A fight in the car ensues.
But it gets worse. The bad guy runs away to the get away car. But the driver
of the get away car drives off, abandoning the bad guy.
But it gets worse. The drive of the car that the bad guy had attempted to rob,
drives his car after the bad guy, hitting the bad guy, and throwing the bad guy's
body into the air.
But it gets worse. While flying through the air the bad guy shoots himself
in the head.
The bad guy survived and is in the hospital. The police Lt. who spoke to
the TV news reporters obviously thinks the incident is hilarious. As do I.
"My appearances on the Lars Larson and Bill Martinez national radio shows
talked about Hunter's legal team threatening to use the Supreme Court's Bruen
decision to declare that background checks are unconstitutional."
-- John R. Lott, Jr.
https://crimeresearch.org/2023/06/on-the-lars-larson-show-to-discuss-hunter-bidens-2nd-amendment-defense-plan/
https://crimeresearch.org/2023/06/on-the-bill-martinez-radio-show-discussing-hunter-bidens-second-amendment-defense-plan/
"UPDATED:
Compiling Cases where concealed handgun permit holders have stopped
likely mass public shootings" by John R. Lott, Jr.
https://crimeresearch.org/2023/06/uber-driver-in-chicago-stops-mass-public-shooting/
"Real Clear Investigations:
Murder, They Spun:
Selective Stats Leave Suspicious Fingerprints All Over the Crime Debate"
by John R. Lott, Jr.
https://crimeresearch.org/2023/06/real-clear-investigations-murder-they-spun-selective-stats-leave-suspicious-fingerprints-all-over-the-crime-debate/
John R. Lott, Jr.
President
Crime Prevention Research Center
http://crimeresearch.org
Sign up for the newsletter to be informed of the truth.
"230703 Stand Your Ground & Necessity Defense Show" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QZiSbsR6ks
State v. Perrier,536 S.W.3d 388, Tennessee Supreme Court, 2017
"Trying To Save People Might Get You In Trouble Like This" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KK17MsrBKU
This is why I would never go to New York.
When I was moving money in an armored car for ATM Solutions, we stopped in
Illinois to get lunch at a McDonalds. A plain clothed police officer approached me
and asked me if I was a cop. I said no.
He looked me over and said, "Private, eh?"
I responded, "Yes sir."
He said, "Be careful. You're in Illinois."
"U.S. Supreme Court Says NO Right to Remain Silent?!"
by Matthew Harris Law, PLLC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9a7bJ9Eds4
You have to invoke your right to remain silent. It's not automatic.
You have to invoke your right to counsel. It's not automatic. And even if you do
request an attorney, the court is not required to give you one. And do you really
want a court appointed attorney? That attorney is working on 50 cases at the same
time as yours. Admittedly, a lot of those cases are plea deals, but still.
If you say anything else, you are committing an act of criminal stupidity
that will be used to arrest you, and will be used as evidence against you at
trial in an attempt to convict you.
Might be best to go home. Let your attorney explain why you had to leave the
scene because you feared for your safety, as the bad guy's friends were going to
attack you in retaliation for you shooting their buddy.
Your attorney can explain that he advised you not to call 911, because he
would contact the police on your behalf. Your attorney didn't want you saying
anything, and certainly did not what anything you said to be recorded.
Your attorney can explain that you did not turn yourself in because you had
no reason to. And if the police wish to arrest you, your attorney can make
arrangements with the prosecutor for you to surrender at a convenient time and
place. And surrender to the authority of your choice with witnesses present,
because you legitimately fear police brutality. If your attorney cannot cite
many cases of police brutality in your jurisdiction, he's not worth his salt.
A competent politically connected attorney can take care of this for you,
without you appearing at all. It happens all the time (for rich people).
My father would never let his client surrender until everything had been decided
and scripted.
"Gun Control In Action: 6 Dead In Mass-Stabbing In China" by Docent
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/2023/07/gun-control-in-action-6-dead-in-mass.html
Excerpt:
"I don't know why they are even bothering in conducting more research.
Every liberal in the United States and Europe will tell you that mass killings
are the result of easy access to guns."
"The Admissibility of Expert Testimony In A Murder Case (Pt. 4)"
by Law of Self Defense
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKSUmThGj5Y
"Federal lawsuit filed to challenge ATF’s scope of authority to revoke
federal firearms licensees"
https://tennesseefirearms.com/2023/07/federal-lawsuit-filed-to-challenge-atfs-scope-of-authority-to-revoke-federal-firearms-licensees/
"The Indictment Of Daniel Penny" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai7yDL4wOaw
A different use of the self-defense theory. Traverse defense,
as opposed to an affirmative defense.
For your consideration (not legal advice). Things your attorney could say for you. --
"My client left the scene because based on the assailant's behavior and dress,
my client feared that the assailant was a member of a violent gang, and that the
gang members would attack my client in retaliation for shooting one of their gang
members."
"My client would be happy to surrender to authorities of the appropriate jurisdiction
as soon as the Sheriff (who controls the jail) has given us assurances of protective
custody, since known gang members are housed in that jail."
It's okay for your attorney to say, "No" to the law enforcement authorities.
That's one of the beauties of living in America.
If your attorney is politically connected or just powerful enough, he will arrange
for you to be released immediately after booking. You get as much justice in
America as you can afford. That's reality.
“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."
The 10% Rule
In business school, we learned the 10% rule. Given any audience, 10% of the
audience will not receive your message. Even if your subordinates are standing
at attention in front of you and you are addressing them in a quiet environment,
10% will not hear what you said or will not understand what you said.
If you are talking to a single person at a conversational distance, and you are both
looking at each other in the eyes, without distractions, the person will not understand
10% of what you said.
"I can fix this problem by giving the message to them in writing."
Wrong! 10% will not understand what you wrote. Or, they won't understand 10%
of what you wrote. Or some combination thereof.
Sorry, that's just reality. Assume this truth, and work to overcome it.
Thinking that, "That's their problem. I did my job. My presentation is articulate.
The semantics are crystal clear and concise. If they don't understand, it's their fault."
is a bad attitude and is not contributing to achieving the communication that you
should want to achieve.
"The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has happened."
What can you do to overcome this problem? Explain, demonstrate, observe the
students practicing while giving guidance and correction, and then have someone
else test them. Disinterested testing is essential on many levels. You really don't
learn anything by testing your own students. You cannot defeat your bias. Human
nature is what it is. Step back and let someone else test your students. [A friend
of mine owned and ran a pool hall with adjoining bar and restaurant in Sunnyvale,
CA. He would give a ‶pretty girl″ discount. Sometimes he would say it while
ringing up the sales, sometimes not. I know that was business, not academia,
but you get the idea.]
When I was in the Columbia University Math Department, we would take classes
from Professor X and be tested by Professor Y. The department never let a professor
test or grade his own students, not even homework. The Physics Department at
Middle Tennessee State University practices this to an extent, in that each question
on an exam is graded by a different professor. How can you rate a professor's
teaching competence if you allow him to grade his own students? You can't.
Of course, some professors are "research professors". They couldn't care less
about teaching undergrads, that's what slaves, excuse me, graduate students are for.
----- Instructors -----
"Remember,
the students who require the extra effort
are the ones who need us the most!"
-- John Farnam
‟um”, “you know”, ‶like″, etc. should never be spoken. Better to be silent.
Students will think you are thinking deep thoughts.
"Keep your perspective as safe as you keep your jewelry" by Grant Cunningham
https://www.grantcunningham.com/2018/06/keep-your-perspective-as-safe-as-you-keep-your-jewelry/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
"If you’re a defensive training instructor, I believe it’s your responsibility
to give your students a realistic perspective about the world of self defense.
Yes, bad things happen to good people, and they need to be ready to face evil
if it visits them. At the same time, though, those incidents aren’t the norm;
mortal danger doesn’t in fact lurk behind every blade of grass. Our students
are not running patrols in Kosovo."
If your language includes phrases such as:
"Like", "You know", etc. Your public speaking sucks.
If you say, "I don't know.", better would be "What is your email address? I'll find
out and get back to you."
If you say, "That's outside the scope of this class.", better would be "While that's
outside the scope of this class, I'd be happy to discuss it with you during a break or
after the class."
If the answer to the question would take too long or would take the lecture off
on a tangent, better would be, "Please write your question in an email so that I may
give your question the time and attention that it deserves." That way if you think
the question is pertinent to the class, you can distribute it to everyone in the class,
or everyone on your continuing education email list.
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 Salomon
"Teacher Or Instructor … Which Are You?" by Suzi Huntington
https://americancop.com/teacher-or-instructor-which-are-you/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
"If you’re a teacher, remember to dig deep inside yourself. Keep your own passion
for the subject matter at the forefront; remember your own excitement as you learned
what you are now teaching. Teach like the teacher you once had who caused you to
find that spark of interest in yourself, and helped you fan it into a blaze."
Yes, a good teacher learns from the students.
“The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives.”
-- Robert John Meehan
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Gear ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
"Reliability Testing" by tacticalprofessor
https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2023/07/14/reliability-testing/
"Reliability Testing – Part II" by Claude Werner
https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2023/07/15/reliability-testing-part-ii/
Excerpt:
A colleague asked me a few days ago:
“How many rounds would you say make up a legitimate ‘reliability test’ for a pistol?”
My response was 100 because that’s more than 99.9% of people will ever fire
from a pistol they buy.
‷To See or Not to See, That is the Question
A handheld ‶tactical″ flashlight is definitely a force multiplier for the armed citizen.‴
by Shelley Hill
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/to-see-or-not-to-see-that-is-the-question/
"Pro Tip: Look at Your Ammo As You’re Loading Your Magazines"
by Dan Zimmerman
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/pro-tip-look-at-your-ammo-as-youre-loading-your-magazines/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"Choices!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/choices-2/
In Europe, the Springfield Armory XD is known as the HS 2000. I carry and shoot
the XD in 45 ACP because Louis Awerbuck recommended it. I keep several on hand
at any given time (because when the police confiscate your pistol as evidence, what
you going to do?), as I give them as wedding presents and divorce presents. They
never fail to impress. Of course, I always give complete weapon systems, not just
the pistol.
‟Do You Have to Break-In a New Defensive Handgun?
Answer: Depends on if you don't mind a few "surprises" down the line . . . „
by Frank Melloni
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/do-you-have-to-break-in-a-new-defensive-handgun/
A lot of "breaking-in" is getting familiar with your equipment.
I would also recommend that you deburr all sharp corners and edges.
They will cut you in that upcoming 5-day course in which you will be firing
1000 rounds.
I would also recommend that you take your Dremel tool and remove material
from any area of the grip that is pressing against any bone, especially any joint, in
your hands. You don't want to develop Glock knuckle or inflame the tissue around
your sesamoid bones.
"Size Matters: Carrying Big EDC [Every Day Carry]" by Matt Ostrander
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/size-matters-carrying-big-edc/
I carry every day. I carry concealed for one part time job, polo shirt, cargo pants.
I open carry for another part time job, polyester slacks, dress shirt with tie.
I always carry a full-size / duty-size pistol. I'm 5'7", 160 pounds. I assure
you, you can comfortably carry a full size pistol. A full size pistol will allow
easier (safer) manipulation of the pistol and easier (more accurate) sighting.
The purpose of the pistol is to change the behavior of the bad guy. If
you can accomplish that without firing, you WIN! How do you achieve
that? Carry a full size pistol, as opposed to a compact pistol. You are what
you project. Project big and strong.
“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.)
"The Ammo Question
How much ammo should you carry on a regular basis?
That's a darn good question . . . "
by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/the-ammo-question/
Excerpt:
"The real mistake is to think that extra ammunition will make up for a lack
of tactics. It won’t. Nor will it make up for poor marksmanship."
"He or she must also realize that extra ammunition does not make up for
lack of practice or training."
"Alternatives to Red Dot Sights For Astigmatic Eyes" by Ilya Koshkin
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/alternatives-to-red-dot-sights-for-astigmatic-eyes/
Excerpt:
"Only EOTech and Vortex make holographic sights at the moment."
[My son has been trying to get me to use holographic sights. He has asked
me to try his, to see the difference. But, I am very slow to learn. And having
worked in the software industry for most of my adult career, I am a late adopter
as a matter of principle.
Why buy special equipment for shooting with astigmatism, when modern
soft contact lenses will correct astigmatism? Modern glasses will also correct
astigmatism.
-- Jon Low]
"How Fast Does a Bullet Travel?
Everything you need to know about bullet velocity,
broken down by rimfire and centerfire ammunition"
by Richard Mann
https://www.fieldandstream.com/guns/how-fast-does-a-bullet-travel/
The bullet has to be traveling at least 400 feet per second to break skin.
There is a real problem when the bullet transitions from supersonic to subsonic.
The bullet is in its own shock wave, which destabilizes the bullet; sometimes
causing the bullet to tumble. When traveling at supersonic speed, the bullet
is in front of its shock wave. When traveling at subsonic speed, there is no
shock wave. When traveling at sonic speed, it's in its own shock wave.
So pay attention to the muzzle velocity (Actually speed, not velocity. Velocity
is a vector. Speed is a scalar.) printed on the box and use any of the free online
ballistic calculators to determine the range at which your bullet will transition
from supersonic to subsonic. That is your maximum effective range.
(So you see why those cartridges with super fast, super light bullets are
stupid.) For self-defense, you want to throw the heaviest bullet you can.
Momentum is the primary factor for penetration. And penetration is the
primary factor for destroying tissue. Pass throughs are so rare as to be
statistically insignificant. As Ralph Mroz says, in 41% of self-defense
shootings the bullet penetrated one inch or less. So under-penetration is the
real problem.
If you manufacture your own ammo and push the speed of your bullets,
you will notice that at some point the bullets will start disintegrating as
they exit the muzzle. The centripetal acceleration (due to the spinning
of the bullet, due to the rifling) is causing the bullet to tear apart.
(This is a rifle thing.)
Yes, that is why I use the 45 ACP. It is subsonic from muzzle to target.
No supersonic-subsonic transition, no air turbulence, no sonic crack (which
all supersonic bullets create). So silencers work really well. And the recoil
is relatively mild.
"Top 4 Most Important Active Safety Systems
A tutorial on active safety systems, and what they do."
by NRA Staff
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/top-4-most-important-active-safety-systems/
Excerpts from the book "Handgun Training for Personal Protection"
by Richard A. Mann --
"Plus-P loadings for the .45 ACP push pressures up to 23,000 psi, and 9mm Luger +P
loads average around 38,000 psi. The pressures that defensive handgun cartridges
produce inside a chamber are rarely given much thought, but they are indeed important.
These high pressures are what allow smaller-caliber cartridges to deliver terminal
performance on par with larger-caliber cartridges."
"This fear of getting shot is the best example of handgun stopping power."
"The smaller the handgun gets, the easier it is to carry and the harder it is to shoot.
If you are a new shooter, consider a full-size/duty-size pistol as a starter sidearm."
"The hardest thing to learn is something you do not want to believe."
"The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are,
first, hard work;
second, stick-to-itiveness;
third, common sense." -- Thomas A. Edison
"Handgun stopping power has very little to do with cartridges, calibers, and bullets."
[It's intelligent bullet placement on the target. -- Jon Low]
"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes."
-- Sherlock Holmes, "The Hound of the Baskervilles"
"The little bump near the end of your pistol is called the front sight. Use it."
-- Gunsite Instructor Charlie McNeese
"The most lethal weapon on our planet is the human brain. It has given us the knife,
the pistol, the atomic bomb, and the politician."
"Solving Anomalous Accuracy And Reliability Problems" by Philip Massaro
https://gundigest.com/rifles/accuracy-and-reliability-problems
Excerpt:
". . . but I’d have never known it without consulting a qualified gunsmith."
[Deep truth! -- Jon Low]
"Buying the most expensive ammunition isn’t a guarantee of optimal performance."
[When I was working with the gunsmiths (for though their title was armorer, they
were much much more) at Brigade Service Support Group (BSSG), 1st Marine
Expeditionary Brigade, I learned that one solution to the harmonics problem
described in the article was to bed the rifle at the muzzle, instead of the receiver.
Now the barrel will stretched when the rifle fires, as opposed to vibrate like a
tuning fork when a free floating barrel is fired. To prevent the barrel from bending
(actually just suffering non-zero stress at rest) the receiver end of the barrel is
supported, but not bedded. Usually with a couple of round nose set screws that
just touched the receiver. If you don't let the barrel vibrate, you don't have the
harmonics problem. Yes, this requires a full length stock. But the reinforced
fiberglass or carbon fiber materials make for very light stocks. (Yes, this is
rarely done because it is much more difficult to accomplish correctly than
bedding the receiver and free floating the barrel.)
-- Jon Low]
[Yes, shaping and polishing the feed ramp and the chamber hood is essential
for reliable feeding and chambering in a semi-auto pistol. Have a competent
gunsmith do the job, or a knowledgeable machinist who understands the dynamics
(as opposed to kinematics) of what you are trying to achieve.
-- Jon Low]
[The photo in the article is so wrong. NEVER clean your barrel from the muzzle.
The muzzle is the last place to touch the bullet. If you cause any nicks, dents,
scratches, or imperfection on the muzzle, the bullet's flight will be disturbed. That's
why match barrels have their muzzles crowned. I would recommend an 11 degree
flat crown. You will see on the face of the muzzle the residue pattern and easily
determine if something is wrong with the muzzle.
-- Jon Low]
[There is Hoppes No. 9 bore solvent for general cleaning, and then there is BJ's
for cleaning the bore down to the original metal surface. If you're going to shoot
multiple shots, it makes sense to shoot from a warm fouled barrel and to zero your
sights for your warm fouled barrel. (If you're going to shoot a few foulers and
sighters before shooting for record in a match, for instance.)
If you're going to shoot from a cold clean barrel, then it makes sense to zero
your sights for your clean cold barrel. (If you're going to spend three days crawling
into position, shoot once, and then boogie. That's why the modern uniforms are
impregnated with insecticide. Makes a world of difference. My girlfriend wouldn't
let me wash my uniforms in her washing machine.)
-- Jon Low]
[When Mr. Massaro talks about how the boat tail bullet will “settle down”
after 250 yards, I think he is referring to the boat tail bullet's nutation.
Prolate objects that rotate about their axis of symmetry, as bullets,
will precess (as in rotational precession, the terminology that you will
generally see in physics books) and this precession is always present as
long as the object spins and a force, such as air friction, is present.
There is another motion called nutation. Spinning objects will nutate.
But nutation is transient, in that it is not always present in spinning objects.
If you spin a top on your flat smooth table, the axis of the top will move
around a vertical line, tracing out a cone. That is precession (due to the
force of gravity). If you look carefully, perhaps with a high speed camera
that you can then slow down upon playback, you will see that the axis of
the top does not trace out a cone that spirals into the vertical line. Rather
the shape is scalloped. There are small semi-circular aberrations in the
larger scale motion of the cone. That is the nutation.
It is beyond the scope of this newsletter to explain the motion, but
you will find the explanation in a first year mechanics course in any physics
department. (Well, maybe not considering the state of education in America.)
My internet search of nutation didn't reveal anything worth reading.
-- Jon Low]
"8 Best Custom Glock Clones: Glock 19 Alternatives" by Travis Pike
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-glock-clones/
Wow! a Glock clone for $300.
My son turned me on to magazine dust covers. Doesn't matter how many rounds
are in the magazine. You can seal the magazine so dirt, sand, etc. won't get in.
Pretty useful for desert environments.
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/tapco-intrafuse-ar-magazine-dust-covers-10-pack.html
Following Tom Givens' advice, I painted my front and rear iron sights.
I used Kryon fluorescent green for the front post and fluorescent orange for the rear
sight notch. Krylon is a Sherwin-Williams paint. This stuff fluoresces in all visible
light and ultraviolet light.
I prepared the surface of the iron sights that faced me by brushing with a clean
brass brush. Then I brushed with a clean tooth brush. Then I wiped the surface with
lighter fluid (naphthalene) and a Q-Tip. Acetone would be better, but it's much more
dangerous. [I'm scared of such flammable / inflammable things, as I have played
with them and know what they can do. ↖ ↗ How strange that these two words are
synonyms.]
If you really want the color of the sights to pop, at this point you should put down
a layer of white nail polish. But the girlfriend didn't have any. It came out okay with
the fluorescent paint on the black metal. In the future, I may ask Aidan to machine
the rear surface of the sights to see what it looks like with the fluorescent paint on a
bright clean steel surface.
Takes about 15 minutes to dry. I put it by the air conditioner vent. The cool dry
air caused a nice even drying surface.
I was using cheap paint brushes from China. I think the bristles were plastic.
The Krylon paint eventually (couple of hours) melted the bristles. I'll use camel
hair brushes next time. I imagine the Krylon paint will melt the plastic Glock
sights.
The Krylon paint is a little strange in that when you paint it on, it will appear clear
or black depending on lighting. But when it dries, you will see the bright fluorescent
color.
"What is The Everyday Carry of The World's Top Underrated Movie Actor?"
by Shawn Ryan Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dox-Fh7ytec
"The Purpose of Low Profile Protection"
by Michael Mann Security Services
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0e_AOMss4w
It's about prevention, not response. If you want zero casualties, you must prevent.
If your plan is to respond instead of prevent, you can expect one casually every 10 seconds.
Statistically speaking. If your plan is to call 911 and let the police handle it,
you're looking at 7 minutes of active murder with one casualty every 10 seconds.
Clearly a brilliant plan.
"Firefighting CH-47D I-Pad Jammed Controls Fatality!" by blancolirio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0N15ihORHA
Do you understand? Keys and pens in your purse with your pistol. Toys and junk on
"Firefighting CH-47D I-Pad Jammed Controls Fatality!" by blancolirio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0N15ihORHA
Do you understand? Keys and pens in your purse with your pistol. Toys and junk on
the floor in your house. Trash all over your car. Etc.
"Gun Barrels: How Does Rifling Work?"
by NRA Staff
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/gun-barrels-how-does-rifling-work/
"How Do You Define Accuracy?
You’d think defining accuracy would be easy, but …"
by Tamara Keel
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/how-do-you-define-accuracy/
"Gun Barrels: How Does Rifling Work?"
by NRA Staff
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/gun-barrels-how-does-rifling-work/
"How Do You Define Accuracy?
You’d think defining accuracy would be easy, but …"
by Tamara Keel
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/how-do-you-define-accuracy/
Guitar stuff.
I asked, "What can I do if after tuning the guitar, the notes further down
the neck are out of tune?"
Gwen Forrester (she's got a few guitars in the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville,
quite the artist)
https://dismalax.com/
says, "On the bridge, you will notice that each string is on a saddle which has a
screw at the back of the bridge. Turning the screw moves the saddle forward or
backwards.
With your electronic tuner, compare a string played open and fretted at the 12th fret.
If it is higher at the 12th fret, turn the screw for that saddle clockwise a little bit,
which will pull the saddle back. Re-tune the open string and do the comparison again.
If the string is lower at the 12th fret, turn the screw counterclockwise, and you may
need to push it forward with the screwdriver if the spring doesn’t push it forward.
Keep trying until it is the same pitch open and at the 12th fret. Repeat the process
for the other strings.
If done correctly, this will cause the note at the 12th fret and the harmonic at
the 12th fret to be the same.
If you can’t figure it out or don’t want to, you can take it to Fanny’s in Nashville, TN
or Jack’s Guitarcheology in Lebanon, TN and they should be able to do the intonation.
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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]
"The Most Misunderstood Concept in Physics" by Veritasium
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxL2HoqLbyA
Boltzmann's constant as a unit of entropy? 1.380649 × 10⁻²³ joule per kelvin
Okay, I guess so.
When I learned about entropy in college we only talked about a change in entropy.
There was no such thing as absolute entropy.
"Your character is what you do when no one is looking."
-- Thomas Jefferson
"Precalculus teacher vs WolframAlpha student" by blackpenredpen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3w9ecPelqc
arccos(π) is undefined in the Real numbers, because the range (output) of
cos() is [-1, 1], and π > 1, so π is outside the domain (input) of arccos().
But in Complex numbers the arccos() function is defined for the value of π.
Notice that when he took the square root of both sides of the equation,
he only used one of the two roots. He ignored the other root. Always a dangerous
thing to do. Taking the nth root will give you n results. ∛ has 3 solutions.
∜ has 4 solutions. Etc. Be careful.
The Complex number system is a complete number system, so we never create
numbers outside of our number system. We can still run into problems when
inverse functions are undefined because the range of the function is not all of the
Complex numbers [(-∞, -i∞), (∞, i∞)].
Remember, in the computer world, Real numbers are floating point numbers
and Complex numbers are pairs of floating point numbers. So a lot of numbers
are missing. We no longer have a complete number system. So one should never
compare with equality, but rather should test to within an error range. And one
must be extremely careful when using inverse functions. Remember the Mirror
Visitor.
Yes, that is why their system did not work, intermittently, at the worst possible
time. Such is Murphy's Law. Thank God for Murphy's Law.
"Using topology to close a rubber band bracelet" by Henry Segerman,
Sabetta Matsumoto, and Saul Schleimer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyhqc8l03GE
"What's the point, Staff?"
There exist non-trivial chains into which you can jump to any position,
but the enemy cannot because the chain is symmetric. Every link (block)
looks the same to the enemy, but not to you because you know the
unknot (Kₙ). Can you create such? Yes, it does require geometric topology
and group theory. But you can learn that.
When he talks about "interval arithmetic", he's not talking about the stuff
engineers use to reduce or catch errors.
"Interval Arithmetic" by Miguel A. Sainz, Joaquim Armengol, Remei Calm,
Pau Herrero, Lambert Jorba, and Josep Vehi
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-01721-1_5
"What is the Schrödinger Equation? A basic introduction to Quantum Mechanics"
by Physics Explained
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WPA1L9uJqo
A derivation of the Schrödinger equation. Brilliant!
Well, the infinite square well is not exactly as described in the video. There is an effect
called "tunneling"
(defined in the American Heritage Dictionary,
https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=tunneling
but not in the Random House Dictionary,
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/tunneling
)
in which there is a non-zero probability of the particle existing outside of the infinite well.
The narrator teases this at the end of the video.
---
"What is Quantum Tunnelling?" by Physics Explained
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f8zeEI0oys
2.06 X 10⁷ meters per second is awfully close to 3 X 10⁸ m/s, the speed of light.
But no consideration of relativistic effects in the narration. In quantum mechanics,
one cannot create or destroy particles. Radioactive decay is a relativistic effect,
not a quantum mechanical effect. (One of the things I learned while studying
physics in college.)
"Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood.
Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have
perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must
believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing
must be attained."
-- Marie Curie
"Computer science has nothing to do with computers or science."
-- Donald Knuth
I asked, "What can I do if after tuning the guitar, the notes further down
the neck are out of tune?"
Gwen Forrester (she's got a few guitars in the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville,
quite the artist)
https://dismalax.com/
says, "On the bridge, you will notice that each string is on a saddle which has a
screw at the back of the bridge. Turning the screw moves the saddle forward or
backwards.
With your electronic tuner, compare a string played open and fretted at the 12th fret.
If it is higher at the 12th fret, turn the screw for that saddle clockwise a little bit,
which will pull the saddle back. Re-tune the open string and do the comparison again.
If the string is lower at the 12th fret, turn the screw counterclockwise, and you may
need to push it forward with the screwdriver if the spring doesn’t push it forward.
Keep trying until it is the same pitch open and at the 12th fret. Repeat the process
for the other strings.
If done correctly, this will cause the note at the 12th fret and the harmonic at
the 12th fret to be the same.
If you can’t figure it out or don’t want to, you can take it to Fanny’s in Nashville, TN
or Jack’s Guitarcheology in Lebanon, TN and they should be able to do the intonation.
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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]
"The Most Misunderstood Concept in Physics" by Veritasium
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxL2HoqLbyA
Boltzmann's constant as a unit of entropy? 1.380649 × 10⁻²³ joule per kelvin
Okay, I guess so.
When I learned about entropy in college we only talked about a change in entropy.
There was no such thing as absolute entropy.
"Your character is what you do when no one is looking."
-- Thomas Jefferson
"Precalculus teacher vs WolframAlpha student" by blackpenredpen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3w9ecPelqc
arccos(π) is undefined in the Real numbers, because the range (output) of
cos() is [-1, 1], and π > 1, so π is outside the domain (input) of arccos().
But in Complex numbers the arccos() function is defined for the value of π.
Notice that when he took the square root of both sides of the equation,
he only used one of the two roots. He ignored the other root. Always a dangerous
thing to do. Taking the nth root will give you n results. ∛ has 3 solutions.
∜ has 4 solutions. Etc. Be careful.
The Complex number system is a complete number system, so we never create
numbers outside of our number system. We can still run into problems when
inverse functions are undefined because the range of the function is not all of the
Complex numbers [(-∞, -i∞), (∞, i∞)].
Remember, in the computer world, Real numbers are floating point numbers
and Complex numbers are pairs of floating point numbers. So a lot of numbers
are missing. We no longer have a complete number system. So one should never
compare with equality, but rather should test to within an error range. And one
must be extremely careful when using inverse functions. Remember the Mirror
Visitor.
Yes, that is why their system did not work, intermittently, at the worst possible
time. Such is Murphy's Law. Thank God for Murphy's Law.
"Using topology to close a rubber band bracelet" by Henry Segerman,
Sabetta Matsumoto, and Saul Schleimer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyhqc8l03GE
"What's the point, Staff?"
There exist non-trivial chains into which you can jump to any position,
but the enemy cannot because the chain is symmetric. Every link (block)
looks the same to the enemy, but not to you because you know the
unknot (Kₙ). Can you create such? Yes, it does require geometric topology
and group theory. But you can learn that.
When he talks about "interval arithmetic", he's not talking about the stuff
engineers use to reduce or catch errors.
"Interval Arithmetic" by Miguel A. Sainz, Joaquim Armengol, Remei Calm,
Pau Herrero, Lambert Jorba, and Josep Vehi
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-01721-1_5
"What is the Schrödinger Equation? A basic introduction to Quantum Mechanics"
by Physics Explained
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WPA1L9uJqo
A derivation of the Schrödinger equation. Brilliant!
Well, the infinite square well is not exactly as described in the video. There is an effect
called "tunneling"
(defined in the American Heritage Dictionary,
https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=tunneling
but not in the Random House Dictionary,
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/tunneling
)
in which there is a non-zero probability of the particle existing outside of the infinite well.
The narrator teases this at the end of the video.
---
"What is Quantum Tunnelling?" by Physics Explained
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f8zeEI0oys
2.06 X 10⁷ meters per second is awfully close to 3 X 10⁸ m/s, the speed of light.
But no consideration of relativistic effects in the narration. In quantum mechanics,
one cannot create or destroy particles. Radioactive decay is a relativistic effect,
not a quantum mechanical effect. (One of the things I learned while studying
physics in college.)
"Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood.
Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have
perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must
believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing
must be attained."
-- Marie Curie
"Computer science has nothing to do with computers or science."
-- Donald Knuth
[It is pure math.]
0 < 1 for all values of 0, no matter how large (the punch line of a math joke).
Well, that's not true. Consider the measure of a point on the number line.
The point has length 0. But when you take all the points from 1 to 2, the
interval [1, 2], the length is 1. So the sum of all those zero length intervals
is non-zero. That's what happens when you start adding elements of an
uncountably infinite set.
On the other hand, if you sum 0's for every natural number, 1, 2, 3, . . . , ∞;
0 + 0 + 0 + . . .
your sum will be 0.
"We don't have to worry about this. Our computers are discrete and finite.
So we will never have infinite sets, much less continuous uncountably infinite
sets, much less any higher cardinality of infinite set."
Wrong.
Quantum computers will have continuous and therefore uncountably
infinite data elements.
Your (non-quantum) computer memory may not be able to store an infinite set,
but your artificial intelligence (software / algorithm / protocol / . . . ) will be
able to manipulate infinite sets, subsets, cross products (Axiom of Choice),
elements, etc. correctly. Remember, we are talking about
"formalized symbol manipulation". So you will have these problems.
So you must write your code to throw exceptions at the appropriate junctures.
The software industry presently doesn't have the problem because the
algorithms for formalized symbol manipulation are procedural. Even
the non-procedural languages are procedural, in the sense that they can
be compiled into assembly language, which is procedural. But when
real / strong / truly-non-procedural Artificial Intelligence arrives on the
scene, you're going to have this problem.
"The Hydrogen Atom, Part 1 of 3: Intro to Quantum Physics" by Richard Behiel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y0XL-K0jy0
Excerpt:
"Path integrals are impossible to work with, but they are fun to imagine."
[Well, not impossible. We did them in the 4th semester of under grad calculus
when I was at Columbia. -- Jon Low]
From the Feynman Lectures --
Things on a very small scale behave like nothing that you have any direct
experience about. They do not behave like waves, they do not behave like
particles, they do not behave like clouds, or billiard balls, or weights on springs,
or like anything that you have ever seen.
Newton thought that light was made up of particles, but then it was discovered
that it behaves like a wave. Later, however (in the beginning of the twentieth
century), it was found that light did indeed sometimes behave like a particle.
Historically, the electron, for example, was thought to behave like a particle,
and then it was found that in many respects it behaved like a wave. So it really
behaves like neither. Now we have given up. We say: “It is like neither.”
There is one lucky break, however—electrons behave just like light.
[Well, so do bowling balls. λ = h/p, de Broglie wavelength
λ = wavelength of particle
h = Plank's constant
p = momentum = mv = mass X velocity
So for very slow moving bowling balls, you're going to see wave behavior.
What moves real slow in our cryptosystems? Remember, motion is relative.
The thing doesn't have to move slow relative to our observation. It just
has to move slow relative to the detector / observer / eavesdropper in
order to display wave / quantum-mechanical behavior.
-- Jon Low]
-- Excerpt from
"The Feynman Lectures on Physics", Volume III (quantum mechanics)
by Feynman, Leighton, and Sands
https://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/III_01.html
In this chapter, Feynman describes the Quantum Mechanical mystery. His use of the
term "probability amplitude" is a little confusing. Now days we would refer to the
wave function, ϕ, which is a complex valued function.
"Absolute value" of the complex value is the magnitude of the complex value.
| Aeⁱⁿ | = ±A, which ever is non-zero.
| a + bi | = ±√ (a² + b²), which ever is non-zero.
Excerpt:
The probability of an event in an ideal experiment is given by the square
of the absolute value of a complex number ϕ which is called the probability amplitude:
P = probability,
ϕ = probability amplitude,
P = | ϕ |²
When an event can occur in several alternative ways, the probability amplitude
for the event is the sum of the probability amplitudes for each way considered
separately. There is interference:
ϕ = ϕ₁ + ϕ₂,
P = | ϕ₁ + ϕ₂ |²
If an experiment is performed which is capable of determining whether one or
another alternative is actually taken, the probability of the event is the sum of the
probabilities for each alternative. The interference is lost:
P = P₁ + P₂
---
Which means that observing an event in such a way as to get information
as to how the event occurred disturbs the event in the sense that the macroscopic
phenomenon of interference is destroyed. Even if no human is observing. Even
if no human ever checks the observations.
The authors didn't mention it, but if the radiation of the electron gun is turned
down so low that only one electron is emitted in a unit of time, no matter how long
that time unit is, there will be an interference pattern (if the electrons are not
observed prior to impacting the detector). So, the electrons interfere with each other,
even if at any given time, there is only one electron in existence in the system.
Stop and think about that. It's because the wave function extends through all time
and space.
That's why I avoid checking the balance of my checking account.
"Premature optimization is the root of all evil."
-- Donald Knuth
Premature optimization is effectively assuming or knowing how the event is
occurring. It's the same principle as in quantum mechanics above. Observation
of how the event occurs affects the result of the event. Deep, right?
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intelligence ***** ***** *****
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
-- Second Amendment, U.S. Constitution
"Hundreds of Israeli Merkava Tanks on the Way to Europe" by Military TV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX3Excu-Ba0
Tanks are fungible. 200 tanks to any European country are 200 tanks to Ukraine.
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
"Western Weakness" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/western-weakness/
In case you haven't noticed, a lot of governments have fallen and been replaced in
recent history. As my Colonel liked to joke, "We, Marines, went to war,
while Americans back home went to the mall."
"It's not AI consciousness that worries me, but their intelligence."
by Sabine Hossenfelder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3EHANFeyns
We defeat our enemies by being more intelligent than they are. Intelligence is
processing speed and memory (no matter what Sabine says), because that is what
allows us to cycle through the OODA loop faster than our enemies.
The ability to see the whole picture based on a few pieces of the puzzle, as
taught in the intel schools is important, but as they teach in Officer Candidate School,
imperfect action now is better than near-perfect action later.
"US Destroys Last of Its Chemical Weapons, Closing Deadly Chapter Dating to WWI"
by The Associated Press
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/chemical-weapons-war-kentucky-colorado-sarin/2023/07/07/id/1126360/
What nonsense. The article mentions "Utah" once in passing. Tooele Army Depot.
I was there.
"The Fascinating Economics of Crime" by Thomas Sowell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipvR2pGnLu4
My friends who are bounty hunters, tell me that they have much better rules
of engagement than do police. They have no jurisdictional boundaries. And that
their bosses get their money back from the courts upon return of the fugitive or
upon proof that the fugitive is dead. Which means the bounty hunter gets paid
either way.
Yes, the purpose of gun-control-laws is to create unarmed victims for armed
criminals to prey upon. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. They may be too
stupid to know that they are lying, but they are still lying.
Remember, organized crime supplies a demand. So it is a business. Real
organized crime askew violence against civilians (prospective customers)
because it's bad for business. Violence against competitors is just the cost of
doing business. The problem is not the criminal organization, that's the symptom.
The problem is the bad person's demand for drugs, prostitutes, gambling, and
such (the "victimless" crimes). How do you eliminate organized crime?
Eliminate the extremely high profit margin by eliminating the demand.
Remember, the executives of the cigarette companies do not smoke.
The executives of organized crime do not partake of the goods and services
that they provide to their customers. Because they are not stupid.
If you have trouble believing this, just remember that Hollywood movies are
fiction. The leaders of organized crime are smart. So they are never suspected,
much less arrested, much less convicted. Because you're never going to get
highly intelligent persons to work in law enforcement, because such persons
are recruited into much higher paying jobs. And the high intellect person will
always choose the higher paying job (no matter how altruistic) because he is
considering his wife and kids. (I know there is propaganda saying that certain
politically correct and favored minority groups are highly intelligent, but that's
just propaganda. Intelligence is normally distributed in the population. But
the population is not randomly distributed across the intelligence spectrum.
Intelligent persons do not do stupid things. But stupidity and morality are
0 < 1 for all values of 0, no matter how large (the punch line of a math joke).
Well, that's not true. Consider the measure of a point on the number line.
The point has length 0. But when you take all the points from 1 to 2, the
interval [1, 2], the length is 1. So the sum of all those zero length intervals
is non-zero. That's what happens when you start adding elements of an
uncountably infinite set.
On the other hand, if you sum 0's for every natural number, 1, 2, 3, . . . , ∞;
0 + 0 + 0 + . . .
your sum will be 0.
"We don't have to worry about this. Our computers are discrete and finite.
So we will never have infinite sets, much less continuous uncountably infinite
sets, much less any higher cardinality of infinite set."
Wrong.
Quantum computers will have continuous and therefore uncountably
infinite data elements.
Your (non-quantum) computer memory may not be able to store an infinite set,
but your artificial intelligence (software / algorithm / protocol / . . . ) will be
able to manipulate infinite sets, subsets, cross products (Axiom of Choice),
elements, etc. correctly. Remember, we are talking about
"formalized symbol manipulation". So you will have these problems.
So you must write your code to throw exceptions at the appropriate junctures.
The software industry presently doesn't have the problem because the
algorithms for formalized symbol manipulation are procedural. Even
the non-procedural languages are procedural, in the sense that they can
be compiled into assembly language, which is procedural. But when
real / strong / truly-non-procedural Artificial Intelligence arrives on the
scene, you're going to have this problem.
"The Hydrogen Atom, Part 1 of 3: Intro to Quantum Physics" by Richard Behiel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y0XL-K0jy0
Excerpt:
"Path integrals are impossible to work with, but they are fun to imagine."
[Well, not impossible. We did them in the 4th semester of under grad calculus
when I was at Columbia. -- Jon Low]
From the Feynman Lectures --
Things on a very small scale behave like nothing that you have any direct
experience about. They do not behave like waves, they do not behave like
particles, they do not behave like clouds, or billiard balls, or weights on springs,
or like anything that you have ever seen.
Newton thought that light was made up of particles, but then it was discovered
that it behaves like a wave. Later, however (in the beginning of the twentieth
century), it was found that light did indeed sometimes behave like a particle.
Historically, the electron, for example, was thought to behave like a particle,
and then it was found that in many respects it behaved like a wave. So it really
behaves like neither. Now we have given up. We say: “It is like neither.”
There is one lucky break, however—electrons behave just like light.
[Well, so do bowling balls. λ = h/p, de Broglie wavelength
λ = wavelength of particle
h = Plank's constant
p = momentum = mv = mass X velocity
So for very slow moving bowling balls, you're going to see wave behavior.
What moves real slow in our cryptosystems? Remember, motion is relative.
The thing doesn't have to move slow relative to our observation. It just
has to move slow relative to the detector / observer / eavesdropper in
order to display wave / quantum-mechanical behavior.
-- Jon Low]
-- Excerpt from
"The Feynman Lectures on Physics", Volume III (quantum mechanics)
by Feynman, Leighton, and Sands
https://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/III_01.html
In this chapter, Feynman describes the Quantum Mechanical mystery. His use of the
term "probability amplitude" is a little confusing. Now days we would refer to the
wave function, ϕ, which is a complex valued function.
"Absolute value" of the complex value is the magnitude of the complex value.
| Aeⁱⁿ | = ±A, which ever is non-zero.
| a + bi | = ±√ (a² + b²), which ever is non-zero.
Excerpt:
The probability of an event in an ideal experiment is given by the square
of the absolute value of a complex number ϕ which is called the probability amplitude:
P = probability,
ϕ = probability amplitude,
P = | ϕ |²
When an event can occur in several alternative ways, the probability amplitude
for the event is the sum of the probability amplitudes for each way considered
separately. There is interference:
ϕ = ϕ₁ + ϕ₂,
P = | ϕ₁ + ϕ₂ |²
If an experiment is performed which is capable of determining whether one or
another alternative is actually taken, the probability of the event is the sum of the
probabilities for each alternative. The interference is lost:
P = P₁ + P₂
---
Which means that observing an event in such a way as to get information
as to how the event occurred disturbs the event in the sense that the macroscopic
phenomenon of interference is destroyed. Even if no human is observing. Even
if no human ever checks the observations.
The authors didn't mention it, but if the radiation of the electron gun is turned
down so low that only one electron is emitted in a unit of time, no matter how long
that time unit is, there will be an interference pattern (if the electrons are not
observed prior to impacting the detector). So, the electrons interfere with each other,
even if at any given time, there is only one electron in existence in the system.
Stop and think about that. It's because the wave function extends through all time
and space.
That's why I avoid checking the balance of my checking account.
"Premature optimization is the root of all evil."
-- Donald Knuth
Premature optimization is effectively assuming or knowing how the event is
occurring. It's the same principle as in quantum mechanics above. Observation
of how the event occurs affects the result of the event. Deep, right?
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intelligence ***** ***** *****
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
-- Second Amendment, U.S. Constitution
"Hundreds of Israeli Merkava Tanks on the Way to Europe" by Military TV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX3Excu-Ba0
Tanks are fungible. 200 tanks to any European country are 200 tanks to Ukraine.
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
"Western Weakness" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/western-weakness/
In case you haven't noticed, a lot of governments have fallen and been replaced in
recent history. As my Colonel liked to joke, "We, Marines, went to war,
while Americans back home went to the mall."
"It's not AI consciousness that worries me, but their intelligence."
by Sabine Hossenfelder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3EHANFeyns
We defeat our enemies by being more intelligent than they are. Intelligence is
processing speed and memory (no matter what Sabine says), because that is what
allows us to cycle through the OODA loop faster than our enemies.
The ability to see the whole picture based on a few pieces of the puzzle, as
taught in the intel schools is important, but as they teach in Officer Candidate School,
imperfect action now is better than near-perfect action later.
"US Destroys Last of Its Chemical Weapons, Closing Deadly Chapter Dating to WWI"
by The Associated Press
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/chemical-weapons-war-kentucky-colorado-sarin/2023/07/07/id/1126360/
What nonsense. The article mentions "Utah" once in passing. Tooele Army Depot.
I was there.
"The Fascinating Economics of Crime" by Thomas Sowell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipvR2pGnLu4
My friends who are bounty hunters, tell me that they have much better rules
of engagement than do police. They have no jurisdictional boundaries. And that
their bosses get their money back from the courts upon return of the fugitive or
upon proof that the fugitive is dead. Which means the bounty hunter gets paid
either way.
Yes, the purpose of gun-control-laws is to create unarmed victims for armed
criminals to prey upon. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. They may be too
stupid to know that they are lying, but they are still lying.
Remember, organized crime supplies a demand. So it is a business. Real
organized crime askew violence against civilians (prospective customers)
because it's bad for business. Violence against competitors is just the cost of
doing business. The problem is not the criminal organization, that's the symptom.
The problem is the bad person's demand for drugs, prostitutes, gambling, and
such (the "victimless" crimes). How do you eliminate organized crime?
Eliminate the extremely high profit margin by eliminating the demand.
Remember, the executives of the cigarette companies do not smoke.
The executives of organized crime do not partake of the goods and services
that they provide to their customers. Because they are not stupid.
If you have trouble believing this, just remember that Hollywood movies are
fiction. The leaders of organized crime are smart. So they are never suspected,
much less arrested, much less convicted. Because you're never going to get
highly intelligent persons to work in law enforcement, because such persons
are recruited into much higher paying jobs. And the high intellect person will
always choose the higher paying job (no matter how altruistic) because he is
considering his wife and kids. (I know there is propaganda saying that certain
politically correct and favored minority groups are highly intelligent, but that's
just propaganda. Intelligence is normally distributed in the population. But
the population is not randomly distributed across the intelligence spectrum.
Intelligent persons do not do stupid things. But stupidity and morality are
orthogonal.)
They don't realize it, but not telling us whose cocaine it was is telling us
whose cocaine it was.
Propaganda is the stories that are spiked.
"Unsolicited Smartwatches: Potential Threats and How to Respond
Military personnel have reported receiving unsolicited smartwatches.
Learn what to do if you become the target."
by Patrick Diedrich
https://www.offgridweb.com/preparation/unsolicited-smartwatches-potential-threats-and-how-to-respond/
Similar to attacks where the bad guy leaves thumb drives in the parking lot.
But much better targeting. And much better coverage. The useful idiot will wear the
smart watch into restricted areas. No need for burglars to plant bugs.
"Power LED Side-Channel Attack" by Bruce Schneier
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2023/06/power-led-side-channel-attack.html
Primary source,
"Hackers can steal cryptographic keys by video-recording power LEDs 60 feet away"
by Dan Goodin
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/06/hackers-can-steal-cryptographic-keys-by-video-recording-connected-power-leds-60-feet-away/
"Caviezel: “Epstein Island isn’t the only sex island out there.”
[in the context of the movie, "Sound Of Freedom"]
by The Daily Signal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiRSsOwQ2yw
Do you know which politicians / world leaders visited Epstein Island?
They don't realize it, but not telling us whose cocaine it was is telling us
whose cocaine it was.
Propaganda is the stories that are spiked.
"Unsolicited Smartwatches: Potential Threats and How to Respond
Military personnel have reported receiving unsolicited smartwatches.
Learn what to do if you become the target."
by Patrick Diedrich
https://www.offgridweb.com/preparation/unsolicited-smartwatches-potential-threats-and-how-to-respond/
Similar to attacks where the bad guy leaves thumb drives in the parking lot.
But much better targeting. And much better coverage. The useful idiot will wear the
smart watch into restricted areas. No need for burglars to plant bugs.
"Power LED Side-Channel Attack" by Bruce Schneier
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2023/06/power-led-side-channel-attack.html
Primary source,
"Hackers can steal cryptographic keys by video-recording power LEDs 60 feet away"
by Dan Goodin
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/06/hackers-can-steal-cryptographic-keys-by-video-recording-connected-power-leds-60-feet-away/
"Caviezel: “Epstein Island isn’t the only sex island out there.”
[in the context of the movie, "Sound Of Freedom"]
by The Daily Signal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiRSsOwQ2yw
Do you know which politicians / world leaders visited Epstein Island?
You should. The list is in the open source. It speaks to their vulnerability
to blackmail and influence.
"Green Beret received phone call from Kamala Harris" by Shawn Ryan Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6sug6AhjOY
Elliot Schneider offers the following via an email he sent me to encourage you
to sign up for his course.
"Lagrangian Fundamentals"
https://courses.physicswithelliot.com/lagrangian-fundamentals-page
Fictional force in the sense that there is no force acting on the object.
It just appears that there is a force, because you are observing the
object in an accelerated frame of reference. Translationally and rotationally
accelerated frame of reference.
F_fictional {resultant observed force}
=
-(ma) {translational force}
- ( mω X (ω X r) ) {centrifugal force}
- ( 2m (ω X v) ) {Coriolis force}
- (m (dω / dt) X r) {azimuthal force}
where
m is the mass of the object
a is the linear acceleration vector of the object (not that it need be linear,
just distinguishing it from the rotational acceleration)
ω is the angular velocity vector of the object relative to the axis of the frame of reference
(not an axis through the center of mass of the object,
we're not talking about the mechanical spin of the object)
X is the vector cross product operation
r is the radius vector from the axis of rotation of the frame of reference to the object
dω / dt is the derivative of angular velocity with respect to time, normally denoted by α
When planning artillery trajectories, all of these fictitious forces are taken into
account. Intel needs to know what everyone else is doing and how they are doing it.
At least that's my philosophy.
“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
