Sometimes I think, sometimes I don't.
(Ya, that's the Columbia University campus. I remember walking by this statue everyday.)
Greetings Sheepdogs,
NEVER talk to the police. Your legal team will be spending all of their resources,
(your money) mitigating the incriminating things you said. You ain't that smart.
You ain't that sophisticated. Your "innocent" statement will be used to convict you.
Your pointing out witnesses and evidence will be used against you. There is absolutely
nothing you can say that will help you. Everything you say will be used against you.
"No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
-- Thomas Jefferson
So there are many slave states in the United States.
Table of Contents:
Prevention
Mindset
Situational Awareness
Safety
Training
Practice
Intervention
Strategy
Tactics
Techniques
Postvention
Aftermath
Medical
Survival
Education
Legal
Instruction
Gear
*************************************************************************
Rhia, Cam, and Dad (Jon Low)
No matter how many times you issue the order,
no matter how much advance notice you give,
you can never get everyone into the same uniform.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Prevention ***** ***** *****
Things you can do to avoid the lethal force incident.
Table of sections:
Mindset
Safety
Training
Practice
*************************************************************************
----- Mindset and Attitude -----
Figuring out the correct way to think.
"Your life is as good as your mindset." -- Nicola Cavanis
"The Lies of Self-Defense" by CarryTrainer (Mickey Schuch)
It's the skills, not the tools.
‟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
How about this-
Let's strive for two very easy changes that pay big.
1. Daily, think of something that you are grateful for. Say it aloud.
"I'm grateful for the warm sunshine on my face." You get it.
2. Think of a person you are grateful for. Then tell them in person
or call/message and let them know. "Hey Bob. Happy Tuesday brother.
I just want you to know that I am grateful for you. You are an important
part of my life. Love you man."
That's it. I've got nothing else except this.
I'm grateful for you.
-Happy New Year
Mick (Mickey Schuch)
"I do not carry a pistol so that I may impose my will on others.
I carry a pistol so that others may not impose their will on me."
-- Tom Givens
"Can the Fighting Arts Promote Positive Personality Traits?" by E. Paul Zehr, Ph.D.
Hat tip to John Hearne
Excerpt:
Key points:
Martial arts provide many physical and psychological benefits
but effects on personality are little-studied.
Long-term martial arts training benefits extraversion, agreeableness,
openness, and conscientiousness.
Such training reduces neuroticism, anxiety, and depression.
Martial arts may complement strategies to foster positive personality traits.
---
Cited paper --
"Personality traits and levels of anxiety and depression among martial artists:
a cross-sectional study"
by Gaia Leuzzi, Benedetto Giardulli, Emanuela Pierantozzi, Filippo Recenti,
Andrea Brugnolo and Marco Testa
"Survival is a mindset, not a skill set."
-- Greg Shaffer
"How To Do Date Night At The Gun Range" by Jacob Paulsen
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"Have your affairs in order."
-- John Hearne
"Jordan Peterson: Why Do Nice Guys Nice Finish Last?"
It takes discipline.
‷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
"Where the battle is won: the ten second conflict" by Orion Taraban
Make the habits that you want to break inconvenient to do.
Make the habits that you want to develop convenient to do.
"Your gunfights will always be anomalies.
So are those of all the instructors you venerate.
It’s useful to keep those facts in mind."
-- Greg Ellifritz
From an email from Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
"No more, no less."
Wednesday, January 8th, 2025
In his excellent exposition on Japanese ethics, Bushido: The Soul of Japan,
Inazō Nitobe reminds us that “If there is anything to do, there is certainly a best
way to do it, and the best way is both the most economical and the most graceful.”
He then goes on to define grace as “the most economical use of force.”
To my mind, this is a beautiful definition – and one that is imminently practical.
The hallmark of graceful action is the complete absence of waste. As such, it
accomplishes its goal with the minimum required effort. This conceptualization
also implies that gracelessness occurs when we either underachieve or overperform.
Like all ideals, perfect grace is an infinitesimally small target that endlessly recedes.
However, we can all become more graceful with practice. A game I have played
with myself for many years is trying to perform household chores in the fewest
number of steps. This requires some degree of forethought to prevent backtracking
and an appreciation of how the stages of progress naturally build on one another.
Tidying up, cooking dinner, folding laundry: all of these tasks can be executed with
a greater economy of movement and effort. Approaching housework with this
intention not only makes chores more efficient, but it trains your body and mind to
seek out the most parsimonious solution to other problems of living, as well.
“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
***** Situational Awareness *****
How to avoid being taken by surprise.
"Many people don't realize that your awareness skills are more important than
your marksmanship skills. Well, you can't shoot something you don't know is there,
or don't know it needs to be shot!" -- Tom Givens
The Poles are aware of their situation.
"Polish children trained to use guns in school as fears grow over Russia invasion
attempt
Poland might be one of the safest countries in Europe, but they fear the Russian
threat as Moscow continues to escalate their war against Ukraine and their allies."
by Debadrita Sur
The Americans of Japanese ancestry were not aware of their situation, so the
Democrats arrested and imprisoned them during World War II. Oh, did the government
school teachers neglect to teach you that?
"Jeff Cooper's Color Code exists to help you get your head
around the need to kill someone in the immediate future."
-- John Hearne
---
Jeff Cooper's Color Code of Mental Awareness
UNAWARE - of what's going on around you. (White)
AWARE - of who is around you and what they are doing. (Yellow)
ALERT - to a POTENTIAL threat and taking action to avoid the threat. (Orange)
ALARM - by a REAL threat and taking action to escape the threat,
which might include shooting to PREVENT the attack. (Red)
COMBAT - front sight, press. Shooting to STOP the attack. (Black)
*************************************************************************
----- Safety -----
How to prevent the bad thing from happening in the first place.
How to avoid shooting yourself, friendlies, and innocent bystanders.
How to prevent unauthorized persons from using your guns.
"Gut feelings are guardian angels."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"We had a plan!" by John Farnam
1) The innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions,
and
2) Only lukewarm, indifferent, and uninterested support among those who may do
well under the new.
-- Nicolo Machiavelli
Jeff Cooper′s Rules of Gun Safety
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING
THAT 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.
---
RULE V: Maintain control of your gun. -- Stephen P. Wenger
"Kat Timpf - Our Lives Depend On It"
For those of you who don't understand that "TSA is security theater", let me tell
you what happened when I was still in the Marine Corps reserve. We were
assigned to "test" the security protocols at the Philadelphia airport. We placed a
roll of duct tape on the conveyor belt. Inside the roll of tape, we placed a
handgrenade with a little tissue paper around it to disguise it. We got it past
TSA without a question.
Other Marines got through screening while carrying pistols.
Other Marines got through screening with rifles by hiding them in baby strollers
and wheelchairs.
"It's easier to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble."
-- Claude Werner
"Familiarity Breeds Contempt — We Must Do Better"
by Kevin McPherson
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
"If you’re attending firearms training and any part of the curriculum involves
violating the foundational safety rules with live guns, pack up your gear and leave."
If you cannot fight, RUN! Always run.
Never hide. Hiding is criminal stupidity. Only the stupid advise hiding.
If school administrators are teaching your children to hide, take your children
out of that school.
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.
Have a “normal” appearance.
Be in bed by 10:00 PM (your own bed).
Don’t fail the attitude test.
"By Intent!" by John Farnam
"Without discrimination, you're going to shoot the wrong person really fast."
-- Paul Howe
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
----- Training -----
Figuring out the correct tasks to practice.
"The two paths: how people learn" by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
"Why are the little things called little things? They are everything."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"Training Your Kids For Self Defense" by Tim Larkin
"Lessons on Gunfighting from Wyatt Earp" by American Shooting Journal Staff
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
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)
------------------------- Task Overload Confusion -------------------------
Weapon Mounted Lights -
Chuck Haggard
says, use your support side thumb to manipulate your weapon mounted light.
NEVER use your trigger finger. Task Overload Confusion will cause you to press the
trigger and fire the pistol subconsciously when you meant to turn the light on or off
consciously. In high stress situations your subconscious will execute your Automatic
Motor Programs. (If you don't understand this, take Dustin Salomon's course on the
neuroscience of firearms training. He lives here in Nashville and gives his class at the
Glock Store occasionally.) You have trained to press the trigger with your index finger
tens of thousands of times. You will not be able to overcome this training under the
debilitating stress of a lethal force encounter. Your index finger will press the trigger.
Lots of documented cases, some resulting in unintentional death.
---
Tasers -
Police officers in the subway in Manhattan, New York, New York were struggling
with a suspect. While her fellow officers held the suspect down on the ground, the
officer yelled, "Taser! Taser! Taser!". And then shot the suspect in the chest with
her pistol, killing him. She honestly thought she was holding her Taser, not her pistol.
(I can't find the original news reports. They seem to have been scrubbed.)
Having two different tools that are handled and manipulated in the same way
caused Task Overload Confusion. NEVER carry or use a Taser.
A more recent incident.
"Daunte Wright bodycam shows how officer ‘mistakenly shot & killed’
man while trying to use taser
Horrifying footage has emerged from the latest police killing in the US,
where a senior officer mistakenly used a handgun instead of her taser."
by Imogen Braddick and The Sun
"How Could an Officer Mistake a Gun for a Taser?"
by Shawn Hubler and Jeremy White
Excerpt:
" “If you train enough, you should be able to tell,” said Scott A. DeFoe,
a retired sergeant with the Los Angeles Police Department. "
[That is complete bull shit. No amount of training or practice can overcome
Task Overload Confusion -- Jon Low]
---
Holsters -
NEVER use a holster that uses your trigger finger to defeat the retention mechanism.
In a high stress situation, your trigger finger will continue to press. When the trigger clears
the holster, the trigger finger will press the trigger. BANG! Now you've got a hole in your
leg.
Using your trigger finger to both defeat the retention device and to fire the pistol will
cause Task Overload Confusion.
"The Serpa Compendium" by Greg Ellifritz
---
This list could go on for pages, but you get the idea. Don't overload your trigger finger
with multiple tasks. Don't carry lethal and non-lethal tools that have the same
manual of arms.
---
In the preceding, I use the word "never". John Farnam says it's a matter of balancing
risk. For some the risk of using the Taser or the SERPA holster may be worth it.
"Understand the risk. It may well be larger than you think!" -- John Farnam
“Training deals not with an object,
but with the human spirit and human emotions.”
--Bruce Lee
Having the killer instinct is very important.
Develop it in yourself.
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of people always
possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Richard Henry Lee
Signer of the Declaration of Independence
"Tactical vs Competition" by Paul Howe
Without discrimination, you're going to shoot the wrong person really fast.
“It may seem difficult at first but everything is difficult at first.”
-- Miyamota Mushashi
"BREAKING:
Trump's Florida assassin shot at 6 times by Secret Service at 5' away . . . and missed"
by Leagally Armed American
Would that indicate a lack of training? Lack of practice? Lack of caring?
If it's a 2-way gunfight, on average, the police hit their intended target 18%
of the time.
If it's a shooting (1-way, the bad guy didn't shoot at the cops), on average
the police hit their intended target 30% of the time.
On average, 50% of the time a given police officer never hits his intended target.
---
Now you understand why Greg says,
"I wish more people understood that criminals are
generally not scared of or impressed by your firearm."
-- Greg Ellifritz
"We should not forget that the spark which ignited the American Revolution
was caused by the British attempt to confiscate the firearms of the colonists."
-- Patrick Henry
"INSIDE STORY EPISODE 4, PART 1"
"If you're teaching your students to fire all rounds in the magazine (mag dumps,
shoot them to the ground, etc.), you're wrong. Stop it."
-- Paraphrased from John Farnam and Dave Spaulding
“Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans.”
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
“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
"Safe gun handling and knowing how to operate the gun competently is one thing.
How to fight with the gun is a whole other plane of knowledge."
-- Tiger McKee
"Train and practice so that you can stay in your rational mind,
and force your enemy into his emotional mind. The emotional
mind makes bad judgments which will allow you to win."
-- John Hearne
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
"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 blood in combat."
-- Andy Stanford
"There are three different areas, or disciplines, in which the armed person must train.
These are mindset, gunhandling, and marksmanship. Each is equally important, and
you must be at least competent in all three areas."
-- Tom Givens
"A mistake that makes you humble is better
than an achievement that makes you arrogant."
-- Nicola Cavanis
------------------------------ Classes and Conferences --------------------------------
"The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword;
because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force
superior to any bands of regular troops that can be, on any pretense,
raised in the United States."
-- Noah Webster
Rangemaster Certified Instructors
Map of Rangemaster Certified Instructors
Law of Self Defense, live online class upcoming dates
April 26, 2025, and
September 27, 2025
Active Self Protection
Training Events: $500.00
---
ASP Skills Summit
March 1-2
Fort Smith, AR
---
ASP Skills Summit
March 15-16
Cohutta Pines, GA
---
ASP Skills Summit
plus One Day Church Security Add On Option
May 17-19
Manhattan, KS
Registration not open yet. Check,
Bullets & Bibles Conference
Friday, September 6, 2024 – Sunday, September 8, 2024
Living Water Ranch, north of Manhattan, KS
For more information about lodging on site or
if you have any questions regarding the event,
contact our Bullets & Bibles Conference Coordinator,
Vonda Copeland
director@fhftc.org
or call 785-293-2449.
Guardian Conference
September 19th - 21st, 2025 in Oklahoma City
Tactical Conference
Rangemaster Tactical Conference
Friday-Sunday, March 28-30, 2025
Dallas Pistol Club; Carrollton, TX
Dustin Salomon
KR Training
Kari Grayson
Citizens Safety Academy
Carry Trainer, Mickey Schuch
Paladin Training, Inc.
FPF Training, John Murphy
Defensive Training International, John Farnam
Rangemaster, Tom Givens
Trident Concepts, Jeff Gonzales
Apache Solutions, Tim Kelly
Harris Combative Strategies, Randy Harris
PATRIOT TRAINING
Mead Hall Range & Tactics
DFW Defensive -Guy Schnitzler – Monthly Training Group
Jan 18 : Capstone
Symtac Consulting – Rob and Matt Haught – 8-9 March 2025
Shotgun Skills
Sentinel Concepts – Steve Fisher – 22-23 March 2025
Practical Urban Carbine
Rangemaster – Tom Givens – 4-6 April 2025
Instructor Development Course
Presscheck Consulting – Chuck Pressburg – 10-13 April 2025
No Fail Pistol
No Fail Rifle
Tactical Anatomy Systems LLC – Dr. James Williams 17-18 May 2025 (prelim)
Shooting with Xray Vision Instructor Course
(this should go live in a few days after this newsletter goes out)
Agile Training and Consulting – Chuck Haggard – 24-25 May 2025 (prelim)
OC Instructor Course
“Pocket Rockets”-Small Pistol and Snub Revolver Skills
Lone Star Medics – Caleb Causey – 21 Jun 2025 (prelim)
MedPrep
Lone Star Medics – Caleb Causey – 4-5 Oct 2025 (prelim)
Contingent Medic
Two Pillars Training – John Hearne – 7-9 Nov 2025
Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why +Cognitive Pistol
Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why (Lecture only)
Lone Star Medics – Caleb Causey – 15-16 Nov 2025 (prelim)
Medicine X
Cougar Mountain Solutions – Erick Gelhaus – 5-7 Dec 2025 (prelim)
Reactive Shotgun – 5Dec
Proactive Shotgun - 6 Dec
Pistol Mounted Optics - 7 Dec
‟Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice.”
-- Claude Werner
*************************************************************************
----- Practice -----
How to get proficient at that task.
"Try.
Try again.
Try once more.
Try differently.
Try again tomorrow.
Try and ask for help.
Try find someone who's done it.
Try to fix the problem.
Keep trying until you succeed."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"What I Learned After 3 Years of Competitive Shooting" by Better Marksman
Dry practice is way more important than live fire. Winning championships
after shooting only 9000 rounds live fire in his life time.
Making your skills subconscious.
Positive talk, positive thought.
"Levels of Confirmation: A Great Tool for Faster Shooting" by Better Marksman
How good a sight picture do I need at a given distance? Only experimentation
will determine that, as it is different for every person.
"Better Marksman"
"Remember, the day you plant the seed is not the day you earn the fruit."
-- Nicola Cavanis
John Hearne shooting moving targets at Mead Hall.
"Be so focused on watering your grass that
you don't have time to check if someone else's is greener."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"People rust faster than equipment."
-- John Hearne
‶Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.″
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
‟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
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
“Willingness is a state of mind. Readiness is a statement of fact!”
-- Lt. Gen. David M Shoup, USMC Commandant 1960-1963
*************************************************************************
I can't remember why Sam's photo is here.
I guess my dementia is progressing.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intervention ***** ***** *****
Suggestions on how to deal with the incident that you failed to avoid.
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, Escape
Table of sections:
Strategy
Tactics
Techniques
*************************************************************************
----- Strategy -----
Deciding on the end state and how to achieve it,
which tactics to use, which always includes walking away.
"Never let fear decide your fate." -- Nicola Cavanis
‟Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice.”
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, U.S. Navy
“How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.”
-- John Farnam
"Having a gun is important. But knowing WHEN to use it is even more important."
-- Greg Ellifritz
"You win gunfights by not getting shot."
-- John Holschen
“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.)
*************************************************************************
----- Tactics -----
Maneuver and fire in support of your strategy.
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
"COUNTERMEASURES TO THE VEHICLE BORNE TERROR ATTACKS"
by Gabe Suarez
"You brought a gun to the fight. That doesn’t mean it’s YOUR gun.
The gun belongs to whomever can keep it. Think about that before intervening
in other folks’ problems. When is the last time you practiced your in-hand
weapon retention skills?"
-- Greg Ellifritz
---
". . . if the assailant has a gun, it may actually be the easiest gun for you to access,
if you know how to take it from him."
-- Stephen P. Wenger
---
When was last time you practiced your in-holster weapon retention skills?
Have you taken a class on such techniques?
-- Jon Low
Never lead with your gun. Never stick your gun through a window or doorway.
Yes, as a matter of fact, there is a guy hiding behind the corner waiting to grab
your gun and take you down.
Your eye should be the fist thing the enemy could possibly see.
“Fortuitous outcomes reinforce poor tactics.”
-- Chuck Haggard
“What’s the number one reason for reloading? Missing the target!”
-- Claude Werner
"You often don't know where the bad guy is who is shooting at you."
-- Phillip Groff
“When you’re in the dark, stay in the dark;
when you’re in the light, light up the dark.”
-- Stephen P. Wenger
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
“People shoot you because they see you.
They see you because you let them.
Don’t let them see you.”
-- Clint Smith
*************************************************************************
----- Techniques -----
Ways to execute a given task in support of your tactics,
especially when disabled or under stress.
"Denn jedes Mal, wenn was geht, ist Platz für Neues.
Und wenn es gestern nicht sein soll, dann klappt es heut 🦋"
-- Nicola Cavanis
"Massad Ayoob: One-Handed Reload Tactics"
Depending on where your holster is and your range of motion, you might not be
able to reach far enough back to insert your magazine into your holstered pistol.
Inserting your pistol between your tummy and your belt by your navel, might be
easier.
"The foundations of your grip are established
before you even draw the pistol from the holster."
-- Tanner Denton
Try this. See if it works for you.
Lie on your side (I lie on my Lazy Boy recliner. Because I am the pussy. And I
naturally point at my front door.) Get a proper two-handed grip. Pull your knees up,
so that your knees sandwich your hands. You don't need to squeeze with your thighs.
The weight of your leg is enough.
I think you will find this comfortable (can hold this position indefinitely, because
you never know how long you'll have to wait for the cavalry to arrive).
Don't fall asleep.
"Grip first, then press."
-- Mike Seeklander
A lady walked into the Jewish Community Center with her firing-side (left) arm
in a sling. She said that she had just had surgery on her thumb. I asked her if she
were carrying. She said yes, on her support-side (right). I said, Bravo! Because I
knew that she had practiced carrying and shooting right-handed.
"5 Tips for Shooting More Accurately With A Handgun | Episode #68" by Mickey Schuch
Tip #1 - A good Master Grip.
Tip #2 - Proper Trigger Press (pulling the trigger straight back without
mis-aligning the sights).
Tip #3 - Use Your Sights! Don't shoot if your not lined up.
Tip #4 - Body Posture, Slight forward bias but don't get hung-up over
your shooting stance.
Tip #5 - Self Talk, Think and review all these fundamentals when
you are shooting for accuracy.
---
Mickey starts with a straight wrist (which gives you a strong grip), but then bends the
wrist (which weakens the grip). Doesn't make sense to me. Keep your wrists straight,
by keeping your thumbs up, not pointing forward.
---
"How to Make a Card DISAPPEAR (Tenkai Vanish Tutorial)" by Bao Magic
Do you see how you can use this? You don't have to make your pistol vanish or appear.
Doing a vanish or production with anything will misdirect the enemy attention from you
drawing your pistol (knife handing him in the throat or vagas nerve). If the enemy is
watching something else, he will never see you draw your pistol. No matter how gross
your motion.
As Bao says, it takes practice. But it is well within your ability.
Elbow strikes.
The following is what I consider a correct shot process. Initially, it is very long and
complex. But with practice (2000) correct repetitions, it will compress in time and
become very fast. Practice the shot process correctly. Engrain the correct shot process,
and you will never lose it, no matter how fast you go.
Establish a correct grip while the pistol is still in the holster. (An incorrect grip
will destroy your shot process.)
Present to the target by pushing the sights straight forward to the target. (You
may want to shoot from a close contact position. That's a different situation.)
When your sights are on the target and you've decided to shoot, move your trigger
finger from the register position to the the trigger. Correctly placing your finger on
the trigger. (I know other instructors teach taking the slack out as you present to the
target. They are WRONG. They are setting you up for a negligent discharge. The
situation can easily change from grip to shooting. Two to three seconds for most of
us. Reaction time is 0.25 seconds for an anticipate stimulus. Much more for an
unanticipated stimulus. The bad guy can drop his weapon and turn to run away in
about 0.3 second, depending on which study you read.)
Touch the trigger. Actually, you don't know where the trigger is, because you drew
the pistol in a high stress situation. Perhaps while being punched (George Zimmerman).
Touching the trigger lets you know exactly where the trigger is.
Take the slack out of the trigger.
Smoothly press the trigger. If you are striving for a high precision shot, recite your
mantra, "Keep pressing. Keep pressing. Keep Pressing. . . ." While holding your sights
on the point that you are aiming at. (The point, not the area.)
Your shot process determines where the pistol is pointed when the striker hits the
primer. Your follow through determines where the pistol is pointed when the bullet
exits the muzzle, a millisecond later (more than enough time to move the sights off target).
Keep pressing the trigger. Trap the trigger to the rear.
Get your sights back on the target (the one you just shot, not the next one.)
Reset the trigger.
Take the slack out of the trigger.
Assess the situation.
---
Always use the same shot process. Using a different shot process in different
conditions will cause Task Overload Confusion.
---
We are responsible armed citizens. We do not automatically do mag dumps. We do not
automatically shoot the bad guy to the ground. Only if the bad guy continues to aggress.
As John Farnam says, mag dumping into the bad guy is a good way to spend the rest of your
life in a penitentiary.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
Susanne Bennett
Pictured without her Heckler & Koch USP Tactical in 45 ACP.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Postvention ***** ***** *****
Suggestions on how to treat your wounds or the wounds of your loved ones.
Suggestions on how to avoid prosecution, conviction, and prison time.
Suggestions on how to avoid the civil law suit and judgment.
Table of contents:
Aftermath
Medical
Survival
*************************************************************************
----- Aftermath -----
You must be alive to have these problems: criminal and civil liability.
“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
I joined Attorneys on Retainer. Marc J. Victor gives you an hour and twenty minute
video explaining the fee agreement, the contract, in detail. Total transparency.
I have read the contract. I recommend.
Check out the "Costs and Expenses". Expert witnesses, etc.
"Attorneys on Retainer"
Use code GNG and receive $50 off your individual sign-up fee or
$25 of your family plan sign-up fee!
My father told me that doctors get sued for malpractice because they don't communicate
with their patients (Doctors are very arrogant.). If the doctor is transparent, answers
question, and communicates, he never gets malpractice law suits; and his malpractice
insurance premiums drop drastically. I have know doctors who would have to take out
loans at the beginning of each year to pay for malpractice insurance in the hopes that
they would be able to earn enough to cover the expense in the coming year. (Arrogance
is a very expensive sin.)
---
After joining Attorneys on Retainer, they will send you an Emergency Contact form
to fill out. It is much more than an Emergency Contact form. It's a demonstration of
how 30 years of experience and a well thought out plan of preparation can put you in
an excellent position to weather the storm of a malicious prosecution. Do you
understand what happened to Daniel Penny?
---
Ya, I'm still a member of U.S. Law Shield.
In the right hand column of this web page, click on "Never Talk To The Police"
or use the address,
One way to avoid letting the bad guys know where you and your family live
is by keeping your mouth shut. Don't say anything. Just walk away. (Because
the cops will give your information to the bad guys during discovery pre-trial.
The cops will make no effort to protect your information. The cops will make
no effort to protect you or your family.)
Okay, if forced, you can tell the cops to speak to your attorney. Your attorney
will refuse to give the information to the cops because it is covered by
attorney-client privilege. But, it gets you off the hook.
"But if the cops identify you, they will have your drivers license, which has your
home address."
The address on your driver's license and carry permit need not be where you
keep your family. It just needs to be where the government can mail stuff to you.
(Of course, it cannot be a Post Office Box. It must be a physical address. Your
work address, perhaps. A prepper friend's address? Who is eager to test his
defenses.)
You don't want the bad guys invading your home in the middle of the night.
But, some guys are eager for such a challenge (especially if it's the government
doing the invading). [You will only read reports in the mass media of the horrible
government invading citizens home and murdering innocent civilians. You will
never read reports of the government officers getting killed, panicking, and
scattering in such a home invasion. Because such stories are suppressed / censored,
because the mass media is a branch of the government, as are the law enforcement
organizations. The government (no matter how bad) always wins. Of course,
that is not truth.
You don't have to believe me. Talk to the old timers in the hollows of rural
Tennessee. They'll tell you. There are a lot of people who don't fear the government.
(Why does the federal government need to hire 85,000 new IRS agents? Because
their attrition rate is so high. Check their employment rolls.)
When Trump takes office and the new U.S. Attorneys are appointed and confirmed,
inhibitions preventing the killing of corrupt cops will evaporate. Because the feeling
will be that prosecution of such perpetrators will be highly unlikely. It happened last
time, and it will happen again. Honest cops aren't going to expend much effort finding
the murderers of corrupt cops. That's just human nature. Institutional loyalty only
goes so far.]
In the right hand column, click on the link labeled "Self Defense Insurance".
Or, the link is,
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
"Why I Left The USCCA" by Jared Yanis
USCCS would not let Jared out of his contract.
That's why it took so long for Jared to release this video.
"Why I Had To Walk Away From USCCA!" by Armed Scholar
"Why I Left USCCA: The Truth Behind Their Failures in Self-Defense Cases!"
by Andrew Branca
“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
*************************************************************************
----- Medical -----
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Course - NAEMT Certified, $495.00
When you get sick, you may not feel like eating. Force yourself to eat. Your body
needs nutrients and energy to recover. Drink water or at least beverages that are
predominantly water. No sugary drinks. The sugar has to be diluted to be digested,
so you are effectively dehydrating yourself by drinking soda pop.
If your nose is congested, flush it out with saline solution.
Don't use Afrin. You will get addicted to it. All kinds of horrible thing will follow.
If your nose is bleeding, flush it out with saline solution.
My daughter, who recently finished medical school at U.C. San Diego, did an ear,
nose, and throat clinical rotation. She told me that the doctors would not perform
surgery until the patient had been flushing his nose for the previous 6 months.
I had given my daughter and her husband the above nasal rinse years ago. She
dismissed me as a crackpot. It was so nice to hear her say, "Dad, you were right."
As if daddy is ever wrong.
Follow the money. Who pays for food research?
“Your character is what you do when no one is looking.”
-- Thomas Jefferson
*************************************************************************
----- Survival -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
"The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – November 2024" by Claude Werner
I found the security officer (who was open carrying on the job) attacked from behind
was very interesting. Notice the techniques used by the security officer. Ya, I know it's
hard to see (the bad guy has a pistol in his right hand). The bad guy tries to blood choke
the security officer, but fails, because the security officer obviously had some training.
The security officer bides his time and when the opportunity arises, draws his pistol and
shoots the bad guy. Notice the blood on the front of the bad guy in the final scene.
But the bad guy is still fighting, even after being shot. So, the security officer kept
fighting. Bravo!
The culture tells you to wear make up. You don't need to.
It's a huge expense. And it tells the criminal predator something
you don't want to be saying.
Your social circles tell you to smoke. You don't need to.
It's a huge expense. And it will kill you, slowly and painfully.
The culture tells you to wear fancy clothes. If you buy at
Goodwill, no one will notice the difference. Except the criminal
predator, and this will help toward de-selection.
The culture tells you to eat fast food. You don't need to.
You don't need to eat out at all. (Though I admit it's better than
eating alone.) Just because President Trump does it, doesn't
mean you should.
You don't need to buy a new car. You definitely should not
borrow money to buy a car. (Never borrow money to buy things
that depreciate.) The new car says to the car jacker, free takes!
The culture tells you to buy jewelry. Jewelry doesn't clothe,
feed, nor shelter. It depreciates. It is conspicuous consumption.
It is vanity, which is a sin. It tells the criminal predator that you
are rich or that someone will pay a big ransom for you.
The culture tells you to keep up with the Jones. But you
should live within your means. 10% to God, 20% to savings,
70% for food, shelter, clothing (including holsters, belts, etc.),
transport, guns, and ammo (job required of course). Your job
is to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community.
Live debt free. It's good for your mental health.
Drink enough to always be generating large volumes of clear
urine. It's good for your physical health, which is good for your
mental health. (I squeeze half a lemon and mix 3 table spoons
of honey, a table spoon of maple syrup, and a cup of apple sauce
in a quart jar; and then pour in boiling water to dissolve
everything together. Cap and let cool. When the mixture cools
in your refrigerator, it will form a partial vacuum seal.)
If you exercise daily, eat properly, and sleep correctly,
you won't have medical problems decades in the future.
No, it's not pollution. No, it's not your bad genes. It's your
diet and lack of exercise in the past that causes your present
medical problems. You could go back in time and fix things,
but if you don't have the self-discipline now, what makes
you think you would have had the self-discipline then?
Better to start NOW!
"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
*************************************************************************
Megan Williams
That vapid look may mean she's really into you.
Or, she may be dehydrated. Better offer her a bottle of water.
Just to be sure.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Education ***** ***** *****
Table of contents:
Legal
Instruction
Gear
How to learn.
*************************************************************************
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
Quips
Active Response Training
The Tactical Professor
Rangemaster Newsletter
The picture at the end is . . .
ConcealedCarry.com articles
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
*************************************************************************
----- 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
"Kentucky to consider bill that would hold parents accountable for children’s gun crimes"
by Charles Creitz
"jointly and severally liable"
"Law of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca
(free book, just pay for shipping so you don't have to go to Colorado to pick it up)
Law of Self Defense, live online class
upcoming dates April 26, 2025, and September 27, 2025
"Supreme Court 6-3 Decision & Remand Order
Set To End Carry Permit Restrictions Nationwide!"
by Armed Scholar
"Gun Law Database" by U.S. Law Shield
"Supreme Court Issues 9-0 Unanimous Decision With Major Nationwide & 2A Implications!!!"
by Armed Scholar
"Build A Reciprocity Map:" by Concealed Carry Inc.
"Self Defense Case OVERTURNED" by Guns & Gadgets (Jared Yanis)
"Concealed Carry Laws in America" by CCW Safe
"This is 'so damaging' for the FBI, ex-special agent warns" by Fox News
Former FBI Special Agent Nicole Parker.
"The Special Agent In Charge will not get disciplined or fired for lying.
She will get promoted."
Yup, that's the state of the FBI under Brandon's administration.
Wow! Promotions and $100 gift cards for kneeling to the Black Lives Matter protestors.
You have to stop and think about that. BLM are hard core communists. The FBI used to
fight the communists.
NEVER underestimate the evil of the government.
"Innocent Man Dead after Cops Raid Wrong House Looking for Judge's Missing Weedeater"
by The Civil Rights Lawyer
Incompetent judge who signed the search warrant. (To be executed at night?
For a weed eater? Multiple officers?)
Incompetent supervising cop who executed the warrant at the wrong address.
Incompetent cop making entry into the house, because he failed to give warning
as required by Tennessee v. Garner.
Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1 (1985)
Who is responsible? The leader. In this case, the mayor, Randall Weddle.
Where have we heard that name before?
The narrator of the video suggests we wait until we can review the body camera
videos. Sorry, there is no body camera video, because the London, KY police department
stopped all use of body cameras in March 2023.
"London, Ky. Police Dept. suspended use of body cameras"
by Samantha Valentino
"London police say man pointed gun at officers before they shot, killed him"
by Christopher Leach
When you break into a man's home in the night, you should expect him to point a gun
at you. Which is a good excuse to shoot the man to death. Especially, if that was your
intent in the first place.
"Federal Court Rules On 2A Ban For Domestic Abusers" by Jared Yanis
Can the prosecutor use that against me? The answer is always YES.
But what's the alternative?
"Guardsmen Under Fire for Leading County Militia" by Liberty Doll
"How Illinois Will Use Dirty Cops to Disarm Their Own" by Washington Gun Law
Qualified immunity, denied.
Immunity under the Illinois FOID Act, denied.
Going to trial.
"HUGE WIN Against Civil Asset Forfeiture" by Steve Lehto
If you've got the time and money to fight the government, sure.
If not, there is the Second Amendment.
Nevada State Police are corrupt. Stealing money from drivers.
All corruption starts at the top.
“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 -----
"The limited time you spend with students may be the only training they ever receive!"
-- John Farnam
----- Instructors -----
Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."
"An Interesting Experience at the Shooting Range…" by Greg Ellifritz
"Every time I teach a class,
I discover I don't know something."
-- Clint Smith, Director of Thunder Ranch
I have had students walk away at the end of a class disappointed that they didn't
learn anything. I have had students write me letters saying that they will use the
stuff I taught them for the rest of their lives.
I like to think that my study and learning has improved my teaching over the
years.
But, I've come to the realization that what the student gets out of the class
depends on where the student is (in life, in experiential background, in attitude,
in motivation, etc.). And that's out of my control.
“The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives.”
-- Robert John Meehan
“He who dares to teach must never cease to learn.”
-- Richard Henry Dana
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
"Remember,
the students who require the extra effort
are the ones who need us the most!"
-- John Farnam
"You must teach skill sustainment as part of training."
-- John Hearne
----- Students -----
"Growth is uncomfortable because you've never been there before."
-- Nicola Cavanis
I know training can be difficult. Let me share some words of
encouragement that my teacher told me, that I believe apply to
all training regimens.
"Keep in mind that this is some seriously next level material.
It is totally normal that the first time you see this stuff, you find
it confusing. You find it difficult to understand. So, confusion
should not discourage you. It does not represent any intellectual
failing on your part. Rather, keep in mind that it represents an
opportunity to get even smarter."
– Tim Roughgarden, Professor of Computer Science and other
stuff at Stanford University
I will testify for my students. I do not charge my students for this service.
Though transportation and hotel would be nice, if the venue is far away.
Whether or not the trial judge accepts me as a expert witness is up to the
trial judge. Whether or not you and your attorney consider it a good legal
strategy for me to testify for you is up to you and your attorney. But I will
always be willing.
---
"Choosing an Instructor
An Interview with Massad Ayoob 2024"
by Gila Hayes
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
"If you’re outdoors and there are bugs and you’re subject to anaphylactic shock,
we need to know where your epinephrine auto-injector is; if you’ve got a heart
condition, we need to know where the digitalis is; if you’re a brittle diabetic,
we need to know that and make sure we have everything in place accordingly.
We’re prepared for the trauma, but you need to warn us about pre-existing medical
conditions."
---
William Aprill Tribute Page
---
Mas says in every one of his classes that he is available to testify for his students.
It's your choice to ask him or not.
The test of whether or not you understand a thing is whether
you can explain it to someone familiar with the field. The test of
whether or not you have a deep understanding of a thing is your
ability to explain it to a layman.
-- Norman Christ
"It's better to be wrong than to be vague."
-- Freeman Dyson
----- Andragogy -----
‟An instructor should not expect any learning to
take place the first time new information is presented.”
-- ‶Building Shooters″ by Dustin Salomon
That's why it is so important to prime your students
by giving them the material to read before they show up
to your class. Otherwise, when you say it, it goes over
their heads. As opposed to "Oh, ya, I've heard that before.
I'm familiar with that."
Which makes understanding much easier.
*************************************************************************
Col. Lipson and Lt. Low
The Colonel got up in the middle of the night, got an attorney friend of his,
and drove a long way to get me and my son out of jail.
Such things are never forgotten.
*************************************************************************
----- Gear -----
And the safe storage thereof.
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
If it's not part of your mission, you don't need it. Take it off your belt.
Take it out of your pocket. Leave it at home. The less junk you carry,
the faster you move. Speed is an essential part of combat.
Having a pressure button on your your grip to activate your weapon mounted light
is a bad idea, because your grip should always be strong, which means your light is
always on. The light is a tactical tool. As such, you must be able to control it.
You must be able to turn it off, without loosening or compromising your grip.
Better would be to use your support side thumb to control your weapon mounted
light. (See Task Overload Confusion above in the Training Section.)
"Carry Options for Women" by Lee Weems (but Lee's not present)
"Malfunctions: The Squib Load" by Justin
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
If you can't see your sights clearly, you need to fix your sights:
bigger sights, brightly colored sights, glowing sights, etc.
Or your eyes: surgery (common now days).
Or your corrective lenses: contact lenses, glasses, etc.
---
If you can't see your sights clearly at night, you need to carry a
hand held flashlight of at least 500 lumens. You can get one at
Ace Hardware for about $30 (brand name Coast). Hey these are
perfectly functional and cheaper than the Streamlight, Sure Fire, etc.
Yes, as a matter of fact, I picked up a couple for my students to
use in classes.
Your weapon mounted light will be in front of your sights,
so it won't help you to see your sights.
"My weapon mounted light will back light my sights, so I'll
be able to see the silhouette of my sights."
Maybe, maybe not. It depends on the background, the target, and the
situation. I'm talking real combat, not the pristine conditions of your air
conditioned indoor range. But even in an indoor range, at this past
Guardian Conference, some students could not find their iron sights
against the background in the dark. Tritium glow in the dark sights
would have helped. But the real solution is a strong (500 lumen or
greater) hand held flashlight.
Some of the students could not find their red dots, because the dot
was not bright enough to be seen in the light of the flashlight. Some
could not find their red dot, because the glare off the window of their
sight obscured the dot.
There are all kinds of problems. You need to discover and fix them
in training. Discovering them in combat is suboptimal.
---
Van Evans says, have everyone wear a reflective vest during the
night shoots. I've witnessed incidents where the range safety officer
started the stage of fire with someone still down range pasting targets
or setting poppers. At night, it's even easier to not see a person down
range.
Red dots on Joe Rogan.
From an email from Stephen P. Wenger --
Regarding those NAA mini-revolvers, another list member adds:
Mechanics aside, I avoid them from another safety standpoint. While maneuvering
into a firing position, and 'instinctively' using a 2-hand grip, the support hand is all
too easy to get in front of that muzzle.
(This is a valuable caution for anyone who is accustomed to shooting a full-size
gun on the range but normally or occasionally carries one with a shorter barrel.
Back in 1993, while I still assisted Massad Ayoob, we had a close call in an LFI-III
course. One of the exercises was to fire Ayoob's LFI "qualification" course with a
backup gun. None of those working the line had noticed it previously but this
student would thrust his gun all the way out, then swing up the stabilizing hand which,
with his full-length 1911 pistol, would contact the bottom of the frame, forward of the
trigger guard. When he used that technique with the shorter gun, that second hand
swung up in front of the muzzle. Most of us teach bringing in the stabilizing hand
somewhere around the point in the “presentation” where the elbow of the gun-side arm
clears the ribcage but, either way, the stabilizing hand should come in horizontally,
not vertically. By the way, “instinctively” would be more correctly called “reflexively”
as instincts are innate but we program reflexes in order to perform tasks consistently.)
-- Stephen P. Wenger
Fanny pack carry. Won't fall out, even when left open and riding a horse.
Not recommended, but interesting that Samantha Everly would do it. Or, maybe
she didn't notice that it was open.
"Off-Body Carry: The Pros and Cons" by Mikial
Wash and save your MRE (meals ready to eat) spoons. The back end can be used to
dig things out of your nose without scratching or cutting yourself.
"There is no such thing as a non-lethal weapon, only less lethal weapons."
-- James Dunnigan
Hi Jon,
I asked a gunsmith that I know about WD-40.
He said they use it all the time for cleaning and water removal.
He said not to use it for lubrication and never let it get near to any rifle scopes.
So looks like your advice is right, as usual.
Best Regards,
Mike
---
Hi MIke
No, it doesn't mean that I'm correct or that your gunsmith is correct.
It's just that our opinions agree. So you have affirmation.
In our world it is very difficult to get truth. So we muddle
through as best we can, making the best decisions we can.
Based on what we can find.
Cheers,
Jon
If your every day carry pistol is different from the pistol you practice with at the range,
you need to read this and WAKE UP!
"Big Pistols vs. Small Pistols
Sure, they're easier to carry, but they're also harder to shoot well."
by Karl Rehn
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
"Practicing with the small gun isn’t as much fun as the big gun, so most don’t do it,
relying on the untested assumption that their skill with one will carry over to the other."
"NLEFIA Pistol RDS Survey - Final Summary - Jan 2025"
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
"Many shooters at less than 5 yards indicated they did not see the red dot.
They used a “point shooting” / kinesthetic method."
[Were the batteries dead? Was the sight turned off? Was the sight too dim for the
background lighting conditions? Was the sight on and bright enough, but the alignment
of the pistol as gripped by the user causing the red dot to be outside of the window? . . . ]
"TCX" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/tcx/
Since my students updated the following information, I thought I should
publish it again.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For those with large hands --
If the pistol's grip is not large enough for your hands, you're not going to be able to
get a proper grip, which means you won't be able to control the pistol, which means
suboptimal accuracy and weapon retention.
For large hands, long fingers, etc. the pistols with double stack magazines,
chambered in 45 ACP are the way to go. The following pistols are listed in order
of grip girth from big to small, in order of pull length (distance from tang to front face
of trigger, when the slack is out of the trigger) from big to small. (In my opinion.) --
HK USP series, SA/DA.
Glock 21. Striker action.
(The Glock 30 is a bad idea, because the grip is too short. You won't be able to get all
of your fingers on the grip. Which means you won't be able to control the pistol.)
HK45, SA/DA.
Sig Sauer P220, DA/SA, .45ACP. I used this pistol for several years.
FN 545™ Series. Two interchangeable backstraps. Tech. spec. says double action
striker fired. Not sure what that means.
FNX™-45. Two interchangeable backstraps. Double-action/Single-action.
Smith & Wesson M&P 45, has 3 replaceable back straps. I've used this pistol and like it.
I recommend that you get one without the thumb safety, because such a manual safety
complicates the manual of arms. Your holster is the pistol's safety, so you don't need a thumb
safety.
I do not recommend Double Action / Single Action (DA/SA) because I think every
trigger press should be the same. Having a first trigger press that is longer and heavier
than subsequent trigger presses means you must train for two different trigger presses.
That just doesn't make sense to me. The heavy long initial trigger press is not a safety.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For those with small hands, or short trigger fingers, or weak hands and arms --
Walther PDP F-Series, MSRP $699. Striker action.
M&P® SHIELD™ EZ®, Striker action.
The Remington RP, $349.00. Striker action.
Sig Sauer P365, Striker action.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For those with small hands --
Pistols for small hands: (in order of grip girth from small to big,
in order of pull length from small to big, in my opinion)
Sig P365XL (the grip is long enough to allow all fingers on the grip
without a magazine grip extension. The regular P365 grip is too short.)
Fully charged magazine is very hard to seat in pistol. Changed routine
to only load 11 cartridges instead of 12, fixing difficulties.
Springfield Hellcat Pro, Fit is similar to P365X.
Initial/new trigger pull is 9 pounds. Had springs changed, dropping to
around 5 pounds. The gun is not comfortable to shoot as it is very snappy.
Walther PDP F series
Springfield XD-S, trigger is not great as it has long pull and long reset.
9 mm only holds 7 rounds since it is single stacked mags. Extended mags available.
Glock 48, like the Glock 43 but with a longer barrel, which I think is important.
Glock 43, my students have found them to be unreliable, even after switching
out the magazines and magazine release to all steel parts. Got about 1 malfunction
in every 50 rounds fired.
Smith&Wesson Military & Police Shield EZ
Ruger LCP Max (this has a longer grip allowing you to get all of your fingers
on the grip, the regular LCP grip is too short)
* If the grip is too short, you will pinch your hand between the grip
and the magazine when reloading. And you need the little finger of your
support side hand on the grip for the torque to minimize muzzle flip. *
---
Sig P938 small hammer pistol. Very difficult to rack.
Springfield Echelon has bigger grip.
================================================
Ambidextrous pistols:
Because, being right handed doesn't mean you're going to be right handed in combat.
And because left-handers should have pistols that work correctly for them.
Sinistral and dextral. Left handers are not sinister, they are blessed. Now, a sinistral
red head, that's something to watch out for. Remember the Sherlock Holmes story?
("The Red-Headed League" by Arthur Conan Doyle, 8 August 1891)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following are truly ambidextrous --
Springfield Armory, XDM Elite
Striker action. ~$653 MSRP.
FN (Fabrique Nationale Herstal), 509 and others
Double action / single action. MSRP: $719.00.
The H&K (Heckler & Koch), VP9
Striker action. Retails for around $600.00.
Ruger, American
Striker action. MSRP:$669.00.
Global Ordnance, Arex Delta Generation 2M
Striker action. MSRP $535.
IWI (Israeli Weapon Industries), MASADA
Standard version,
Tactical version,
Striker action. MSRP $480.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following has an ambidextrous magazine release,
but not an ambidextrous slide stop --
The Springfield Armory XD type pistols.
Striker action. MSRP $440 - $568.
Louis Awerbuck recommended the XD in 45 ACP. That's why I use it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following have ambidextrous slide stops, but not ambidextrous magazine releases --
(being able to move the magazine release to the other side is not the same as being
ambidextrous)
The Generation 5 Glocks. ~$600 to $700. Striker action.
The latest Walthers. MSRP: $649. Striker action.
The S&W M&P's. MSRP: $ 665. Striker action.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
*************************************************************************
Nicola Cavanis
Now that's a meaningful smile.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Cryptology ***** ***** *****
Cryptosystems are considered "arms" by federal law, ITAR,
International Traffic in Arms Regulations. That means cryptosystems are
protected by the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Never let the
government infringe on your right to keep and bear cryptosystems, to
include home made cryptosystems, to include sharing cryptosystems with
others.
"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
"Was sind gaußsche Zahlen?" by Weitz / HAW Hamburg ( Prof. Dr. Edmund Weitz)
"Never memorize anything. Rather, study it until it becomes obvious."
-- Norman Christ
"This open problem taught me what topology is" by 3Blue1Brown
Do you see how to use this?
"Computer science has nothing to do with computers or science."
-- Donald Knuth
"Music And Measure Theory" by 3Blue1Brown
"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
Excerpt:
"The Huge Flaw in Quantum Mechanics Few Physicists Take Seriously"
by Roger Penrose
Full interview:
"20th Century’s Greatest Living Scientist | Sir Roger Penrose"
"Premature optimization is the root of all evil."
-- Donald Knuth
"You don't need to memorize theorems,
because you can always derive them from first principles."
-- Sven Hartman
***** Signals Intelligence and Ground Electronic Warfare, Cyber Security,
(sometimes Air Electronic Warfare too) *****
"A free people ought not only be armed and disciplined,
but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain
a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them,
which would include their own government."
--George Washington
"L3Harris Demos Real-Time Electronic Warfare Technology"
by Giulia Bernacchi
Don't use artificial intelligence generated pictures for your steganography.
There are all kinds of artifacts and hidden problems.
Is there anything better than real pictures of pretty girls? Real pictures
carry much more information on many levels. Get it?
Yes, Nicola is real.
Breaking Defense has a weekly newsletter, "Networks & Digital Warfare" at
Crypto-Gram by Bruce Schneier
2600
‟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, "Principles of Personal Defense"
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intelligence ***** ***** *****
Gathering, Analyzing, Disseminating
"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
"The NEXT 9/11? CIA Targeter’s Shocking Interview After New Orleans Attack
with Sarah Adams" by Liz Wheeler
First, the U.S. must bomb the terrorist's command and control center in Afghanistan.
Then, the U.S. needs to target the terrorist-mastermind behind this bomb: Saif al-Adel.
And, lastly, the U.S. needs to enact real changes to improves airport security and end
the joke of a policy we have now where moms of toddlers and little old ladies are
accosted by TSA agents.
[Anyone who thinks that TSA is security is criminally naive. -- Jon Low]
🔷 China’s Tech Reveal(s)
"The end of GPS - Quantum Navigation" by The Map Reading Company
Bosons vs. fermions. Statistics as in statistical mechanics. At the end, he explains
in detail.
"French Trained Brigade Flees Before Seeing Combat!" by Combat Veteran Reacts
The reality.
3D printed anti-personnel mine.
The reality of poppy farming in Afghanistan.
"Ukraines Masterstroke - Russian Khalino Air Base TOTALLY OBLITERATED"
by The Military Show
"Taliban-Pakistan Going To War . . ." by Business Basics
Friend today, enemy tomorrow, friend again next week, . . .
"Ukraine SHUTS DOWN Russia's BIGGEST Industry IN AN INSTANT"
by Business Basics
Ukraine shuts gas (not oil) pipeline from Russia to Slovakia. As the Ukrainians
control the city of Sucha, Russia. The Ukrainians are shutting it off in Russia, not
Ukraine. Yes, the pipeline passes through Ukraine. The narrator explains why the
Ukrainians delayed shutting the pipeline. Didn't want to hurt the European allies,
and wanted the revenue from the gas company for letting the gas flow through.
From James Dunnigan --
"Logistics: Many Ships Few Missiles"
January 10, 2025: Back in the 1990s the U.S. and Chinese navies both experimented
with using TRAM, or Transportable Re-Arming Mechanism for reloading the Vertical
Launch System or VLS cells that are now the standard on U.S. warships.
Back in the early 1980s American warships began using VLS cells to carry the many
different types of missiles which ships used for attacking other ships, defeating air
attacks, and bombarding land targets. Since 1982, nearly 12,000 VLS cells have been
installed in 200 American and foreign warships. The most common VLS user is the
American Burke class destroyer, with 90 VLS cells. There are currently 74 Burkes in
service and by the 2030s there should be over 90 of them. At that point there will be
over 8,000 VLS cells in all those Burkes.
The first ships to get VLS also received a strikedown crane so the cells could be
reloaded at sea. By the 1990s new types of missiles were too heavy for the strikedown
crane and it wasn't practical to install a larger and more powerful crane. Moreover,
there were few opportunities for reloading the missile cells at sea anyway and the
strikedown crane was omitted in new ships. This provided space for 3-6 more missile
cells. Another problem was that going to a port to reload VLS cells meant a whip was
unavailable for several weeks. [Liberty time for the sailors and Marines. -- Jon Low]
After 2010, it became obvious that navy missiles capable of intercepting ballistic
missiles were now more essential because Iranian and North Korean anti-ship ballistic
missiles became a growing threat. This meant ships had to fire more missiles for
missile defense as well as other tasks like anti-aircraft, anti-ship, anti-submarine, and
land bombardment. It became increasingly likely that a ship would run out of some
types of missiles.
That meant ships had to get replacement missiles during cruises for their empty
VLS cells. The problem was that most of the missiles were too heavy and unwieldy
to be loaded while the ship was at sea. This eventually led to TRAM, which works
because of its articulated crane that can keep a replacement missile canister stable
enough. Tests found that the stability remained even with winds up to 50 kilometers
an hour and waves up to 3.2 meters high. TRAM has worked in tests and by 2025
but TRAM was tested at sea in various sea conditions and found to work well enough
to be installed on ships that needed it.
In the 1990s China had also developed a system similar to TRAM but decided
they didn’t need it because they were developing ground-based anti-ship ballistic
missiles that could fire at American warships far out to sea. China had a satellite
constellation over the Pacific that tracked all ship movements 24/7. China expects
to spot and destroy most of the U.S. Navy warships in the Western Pacific before
they can get anywhere close to China. The Americans expect to use their SM3
anti-missile system against incoming Chinese anti-ship missiles. Most American
navy ships are armed with SM3, which has also shot down space satellites. SM3 is
launched from VLS cells and is one of the several kinds of missiles that TRAM will
reload at sea.
In 2024 the U.S. Navy used dozens of SM3s to take down Iranian missiles fired
at Israel. A similar number of SM3s were used against Iran-backed Yemen Houthi
rebels firing missiles at ships in the Red Sea. Over 700 SM3s have been produced
so far and the manufacturer has resumed production to replace missiles used and to
build up a reserve. The navy also has a program to extend the use life of SM3s while
also upgrading them. Missiles have a fixed shelf life and after ten to 20 years the
missiles must be refurbished or scrapped. Currently the navy plans to refurbish
SM3s into the 2030s.
Meanwhile the army is transferring some Patriot Missile systems to the navy
where they are used on ships to augment the SM3. The Patriot PAC-3 missile has
shot down missiles, including the hypersonic ones China is introducing in an effort
to get past the SM3 interceptors.
China has intelligence ships that monitor American missile tests in the Pacific
where Kwajalein Island has long been the center of missile testing. China knows
what the American missiles can do and is constantly developing countermeasures.
The U.S. has an advantage in that their SM3 and Patriot missiles have lots of combat
experience. Chinese troops haven’t been in combat since 1979, when they fought
combat experienced Vietnamese troops in a brief border war. The Chinese lost. [This
is very significant. Do you remember studying this war? -- Jon Low]
"Morale: Wartime Procurement of Skin For Medical Treatments"
January 10, 2025: Palestinians are outraged at the Israeli practice of using body
parts from dead Palestinian gunmen for treating Israeli soldiers and civilians as well
as Palestinians. The most obvious organ used is skin which is used for replacing skin
loss due to fire, explosion or other types of incidents that remove or badly damaged
skin. Despite Palestinian protests at using the skin of dead Palestinians, Israeli
hospitals continue to collect it, mainly for Palestinian and Israeli civilian victims
of skin injuries.
Damaged skin is a major problem among soldiers everywhere. Twenty years ago
the American military took inadvertent advantage of those fears by introducing Active
Defense System or ADS technology. ADS is a microwave transmitter that is directed
at a hostile crowd to scatter it. The microwave energy creates a burning sensation on
the skin of its victims, causing them to want to leave the area, or at least distract them.
ADS has a range of about 500 meters. ADS is carried on a hummer, along with a
machine-gun for those who are not put off by intense skin pain. ADS was never
employed as designed though one unit sent to Iraq in 2010 but never used at all.
ADS has been in development for over a decade, and the Marines were ready to
take delivery of some of the systems before September 11, 2001. But there were
always delays. First there were demands to make sure ADS would not cause permanent
damage or kill people. The trouble with non-lethal weapons is that, under the right
conditions, these devices, including tear gas, can cause serious injuries, or even kill
people. There is no such thing as a non-lethal weapon, only less lethal weapons.
This makes commanders reluctant to use these weapons, knowing that eventually
people will die, and the troops will be lambasted for misusing non-lethal weapons.
ADS has been ready to go for years, but not enough commanders and senior
officials were willing to sign off on it. There were some accidents while testing
ADS that led to severe burns. This happened a few times when some of the volunteer
testers got more exposure to the ADS microwaves than they were supposed and
needed skin grafts to repair the damage. The military could have taken advantage
of this but when people in Congress heard about it, further use of ADS was cancelled.
Like poison gas and biological weapons, some items are too gruesome to consider using.
ADS ended up in the gruesome category and was gone for good.
Meanwhile, soldiers still had battlefield skin problems. Fifteen years ago soldiers
fighting in the deserts of Iraq and southern Afghanistan endured lots of burns,
abrasions, insect bites and scratches. While the medics could treat these minor
injuries, the troops preferred to obtain their own cures. But none of the available
ointments seemed to do the job well. Then the wife of a soldier developed a new
skin balm which she called Combat Ready Balm. Commercially this was a
profitable item. That made it possible to send thousands of 59 ml jars of
Combat Ready Balm to military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers and
Marines bought a lot more at $25 a jar because, as most of them pointed out,
it worked.
"Combat Ready Skin Balm"
The balm was even useful during Afghan Winters, when dry skin replaced
insect bites.
-- James Dunnigan
From an email from Sidney Ontai --
I love this guy, who identifies only as "a Ukrainian ", probably to avoid polonium
in his coffee. He is biased in that he only covers Ukrainian successes, but he knows
his stuff.
He's been masterfully covering the very recent Ukrainian combined arms offensive
towards Bolshoye Soldatskoye, showing pathetic geolocated images of Strykers out of
ammunition running over North Koreans shooting at them with AK-47's.
-- Sidney Ontai
Polish canal to Baltic Sea
Hat tip to Sidney Ontai
"Battle of Pokrovsk" by Business Basics
"CHINA Suspends Bonds" by Joe Blogs
"CDC Makes Big Airport Announcement" by Roman Balmakov
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
"The Merge"
Breaking Defense
Intrigue
1440
29155
Global Recap
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** After Thoughts, Politics, and such ***** ***** *****
"I hate it when I'm trying to eat a salad and
it falls in the trash and I have to eat a taco instead."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"DEI?" by John Farnam
Excerpt:
“The election of President Trump is having an enormous,
positive effect on the entire Middle East.
Keep him safe!”
-- From a friend in Israel
---
[Interdicting the assassination plots against Trump and his allies (and their
families) is a big job. The Secret Service has demonstrated their capabilities
and whose side they are on. So, as always, it falls to us.
We're not going to get any help from the government. The government law
enforcement agencies would much rather arrest, prosecute, and imprison us.
Because there are those in the government who would like Trump dead.
Remember what Michael Mann said, it's prevention, not reaction. It's best to
find the enemy and kill them while they sleep. That minimizes friendly casualties.
-- Jon Low]
"Why the healthcare CEO was gunned down and why you don't have to feel bad about it"
by Legally Armed America
When a dirt bag dies, he becomes a dead dirt bag, not an angel.
He denied 33% of the claims. Those people died. So the insurance company never
paid anything on those claims. Pure profit.
---
In case you don't understand the United Heathcare fiasco.
"United Health's SHOCKING Scam: "One of the Biggest Frauds in History"
by Status Coup News
It's going to be hard to find a jury in New York that will convict
Luigi Nicholas Mangione. Liberals hate large greedy corporations.
This might be part of Mangione's plan.
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of people always
possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Richard Henry Lee
Signer of the Declaration of Independence
"Germany Disarms An Entire Political Party" by Liberty Doll
"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."
-- (Mary) Flannery O'Connor
"The FBI Proves Why They’re Terrible at Their Job" by Patriot Post
Special Agent Alathea Duncan. Notice the mistakes of facts. Notice the
errors in grammar. (The nose piercing is virtue signaling. I am woker
than you.)
Yes, Virginia, Alathea was a DEI hire and promotion. Could you tell?
Earlier in the day FBI says it's a lone wolf attack, no other suspects. Later in
the day, the Louisiana Governor says there are multiple accomplices that
they are searching for. If you don't know, say "I don't know."
ISIS. That says it all.
The terrorist's mosque is telling their members to refer all questions to CAIR,
Council on American Islamic Relations. CAIR is one of the organizations named
in the 9/11 report as an unindicted co-conspirator. But don't jump to conclusions.
"TV Host GOES OFF On WOKE FBI and Global Intifada after New Orleans Attack"
by Officer Tatum
“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
*************************************************************************
For men.
"The cherry on top: women are luxury goods" by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
For women.
"Only FOUNDERS get EQUITY:
the relationship between risk and reward"
by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
Only one in fifty start ups succeed. But having the discernment to choose the
one out of the fifty is not hard to achieve. Dating is doing the research to choose
the one out of the fifty. There might be more than 1 in 50. You never know.
"The lens of attraction: why you can't do anything right" by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
"WOMEN'S greatest ENEMY: overcoming pride" by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
Wow, deep truth. God says, pride is a sin.
"Women don't close: what you want doesn't matter" by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
*************************************************************************
Listen up city folk.
Trump's take on socialism.
Democrat Presidents don't get indicted, no matter how horrid the crime.
But Trump (a Republican) is indicted on nonsense.
Mass deportations. Tom Homan style.
"Why Can't I Use Credit Cards If I Pay Them Off Every Month" by Dave Ramsey
If you think you can beat the credit card companies, you're delusional.
When you use cash, each transaction moves that cash value.
When you use credit cards, the banks take 4% or more of each transaction.
So the value of each transaction decreases.
"SKS and Canada!" by John Farnam
Politicians are leaders therefore they are responsible.
"Manufactured Catastrophe!" by John Farnam
In yet another act of bureaucratic stupidity, Nashville Democrats installed speed bumps
on the roads resulting in damage to large city vehicles that could not negotiate the speed
bumps. The brilliant politicians also neglected to erect signs on the side of the roads to
indicate the presence of the speed bumps. So, natually, the snow plows are scraping the
speed bumps off the roads. Here's a picture,
Yes, more wasted tax payer money.
Javier Milei, the deficit is the root of all of our problems.
The 2nd Amendment makes enforcement of all other rights possible.
I'm thinking that, prior to releasing their video, the marketing team for
Los Angeles county should have asked a focus group this question:
"If you are about to be burned alive and can't get out of the inferno on your own,
do you want to be rescued by someone who
A) looks like you but lacks the upper body strength to carry people out or
B) does not share your race and gender but can get you and your loved ones out alive?"
-- Sid Ontai
---
"LA's Obese Female Assistant Fire Chief Says,
No, I'm Not Able to Carry Your Husband Out of a Fire,
But If You Think About It, Isn't That His Fault?"
Hat tip to Docent.
---
"LA Mayor Has A Melt Down Over Fire Chief's Firing"
---
---
---
"Lefties losing it: ‘Can you believe she actually said that?’ " by Sky News Australia
"The Next Time Someone Says You Voted For A “34-Time Convicted Felon”
Send Them This:"
I walked the neighborhoods for Tim Scott when I lived in South Carolina.
Then he got too important to return my calls.
But it was worth it.
Thomas Sowell, words of wisdom.
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Email: Jon_Low@yahoo.com
Radio: KI4SDN
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