Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Enigma Micro
I’ve long been a fan of the Enigma beltless carry system since it was originally introduced. Their latest model just dropped this week. It is for smaller pistols, has a smaller footprint, and is much easier to adjust. PHLster sent me one for my little Glock 42. I got it two days ago and made all the necessary adjustments in less than 10 minutes. I look forward to giving it a workout at the range next week.
Leather Holster Q&A with Galco Gunleather
Even if you instructors don’t see a whole lot of leather holsters in your classes, you should still know enough about them to be able to provide useful information to your students.
How to Start Dry Fire Training (Without Overthinking It)
Dry practice basics. On the same topic, you’ll also like Dry Practice Gear: Ready Up Gear Dummy Ammo | Swift/Silent/Deadly.
Are Pistol Sights Actually Useful For Self-Defense?
“The real paradox of the point shooting versus sighted fire debate is that learning to quickly acquire a sight picture essentially trains you to point the gun at the target. If you practice sighted fire the correct way, you will automatically get pretty good at point shooting at the kind of ranges where a lot of people claim you will not have time to see the sights.”
While you are on the Lucky Gunner site, you’ll also want to check out their latest article on .223 ballistics.
Cooper Laid the Foundation…
Fewer and fewer of my students have any idea who Jeff Cooper was. While we are talking about historical figures in the shooting world, you should also know about Elmer Keith. Read Elmer Keith: The Original Influencer – GUNS Magazine.
In the Australian Spectator: The shocking truth about Australian crime rates – Crime Prevention Research Center
Do you think a lower firearms ownership rate equals less violent crime? Read this.
Stop Being a Soft Target
Behaviors that send a message to potential criminal attackers.
Stop Using Your Car as a Holster: 6 reasons
These are universally bad ideas.
The Dangers Of Bullet Setback
Why you should be rotating your carry ammo.
Aero Precision, Ballistic Advantage, Stag Arms & VG6 Enter Receivership
Some industry news.
•security is a gorgeous little liar•
“It’s completely normal, and part of being human, to be slightly hesitant on doing something new where you’re unable to forecast the outcome. Whether it’s starting a business, going to your first BJJ class, your first shooting match, or seeking out a therapist for trauma you’ve been ignoring for years, the faux security you’ve placed in staying where you are will inevitably kill you.”
Pistol As Your Primary: A Complete Training Manual for Carrying and Fighting with the Pistol
What I’m reading…
The Key to HOSTING a Healthy Class
I’m always looking for good hosts for my classes. Here’s how to do it right.
Catching Charges For Carrying Where You Shouldn’t | Active Self Protection Extra
Lots of my students are “black and white” thinkers. Unfortunately, the legal system isn’t quite so easy to navigate. There are LOTS of gray areas. This video explains some of them.
Simple Knife Carry Hack – The Static Cord
Me using static cords to carry both a pistol and a blade.
The static cord is a very good way to carry a fixed blade knife for optimal concealment. It provides easy access, but you can shove the entire knife down into your pants if necessary and nothing will be seen. This is how I carry my fixed blade knife when I travel internationally. For more covert weapons advice, check out Choose Adventure.
An Official Journal Of The NRA | It’s OK to Have Fun
Sometimes I think we gun “professionals” forget this to our own detriment.
The Diligent Mindset: The Fight Against Complacency & Justification » Concealed Carry Inc
“You can be disciplined without being diligent. You can be diligent without being disciplined. The complete defender is both.”
Brandishing And When You Can Legally Display A Gun
I get a surprising amount of questions about this topic. If you are in reasonable fear that you will be seriously injured or killed, you are not likely to be arrested for “brandishing” if you display a firearm to discourage your attacker from harming you. If you still have questions, watch my podcast interview on the topic where I discuss a couple of real life examples from my police career.
For more legal information, you should also read Alex Ooley’s latest article on Civil Liability After Self-Defense.
39 (Or So) Lessons On The Way To 39
The master of modern stoicism hands out some valuable life advice.
Skills Check: Pistol Standard Xray 2 Drill
This is a great shooting drill from Jeff. You might also try The DOPE Drill: Combining Speed and Accuracy. Need even more drills? Read Great Shooting Drills For Beginners.
Could You Weak-Hand Draw If You Had To?
You may have to draw weak handed if your dominant hand/arm is injured in the gunfight. Master that skill NOW rather than trying to figure something out when someone is trying to kill you.
38 Special Ammo Power Factor Guide
A valuable resource for those of you who shoot a lot of revolvers.
EDC Bottle in a Sling Bag
I like to think that I know a lot about low profile improvised weapons. I’m ashamed to admit that I hadn’t ever considered this brilliant idea from Lee Morrison.
Target Evolution: B-21, B-21X, to B-27 and beyond
Karl Rehn discusses the evolution of common defensive pistol training targets from 1917 to the present.
TCCC Quick-Look:Tourniquet Reassessment
Last week I shared some update training on tourniquet use. Continuing on the same theme, this PDF covers reassessment, removal, and tourniquet conversions.
The Three Blade Rule
Contemporary wisdom dictates that you should carry one knife for utility functions and a different knife for defensive roles. The argument is that your utility knife should not cause panic when you use it to open a box. You don’t want to freak out the Karens by whipping out a fixed blade whenever the mail arrives. People also fear dulling the defensive knife if also used for utility purposes. I don’t subscribe to this theory.
I carry a defensive knife that is relatively small (Spyderco Delica) that doesn’t attract much attention. I use it daily for utility purposes. Every time I pull the knife out to cut a box open, I get an extra rep of drawing, opening, and using my defensive knife. I think being able to get a few practice draws in every day during your normal activity gets you useful repetitions you wouldn’t otherwise get.
With that said, you must be diligent about keeping your single knife blade sharp. I find that I have to sharpen mine about every two months. I use the Spyderco Sharpmaker for that task. I think it’s the fastest way on the market to get a razor sharp edge on your knife.
Nationwide Best Practices? – American Cop
For my police readers.
Quote to Ponder:
“Never get too serious. Too many people get serious and try to be ‘right’ all the time. If you aren’t getting where you want to go in your life and still feel being right is the most important thing, more important than being happy, this is where you’ll waste your life’s energy and then, after 10 years, you’ll discover you weren’t ‘right’, and it didn’t matter.”
– Richard Bandler
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