Written by: Greg Ellifritz Last week, I received the following question from one of my readers: “I have discussed ‘what to do’ after a successful ‘stop the threat’ shoot. Some have said that they would leave the scene rather than be subjected to the legal hassle, or additional danger, (depending on the circumstances). Please […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz A reader recently wrote to me asking the following question: “I am considering changing from a Glock .45 to a 10mm and am wondering if the 10mm with 200 grain hard cast would have better stopping power than my 230 grain hardball?” I get asked about the […]
Trying to figure out why a criminal chooses to commit a crime can be a bit tricky at times. Most crimes have very clear motivations. The one we see most often is that you simply have something the criminal wants and he thinks he can take that thing (your money, your property, your […]
I recently got this question from a reader: “Here’s a topic I’d love to see hear your opinion on: For someone new to training and looking to get the most out of defensive handgun courses, should I use the smaller pistol that I carry (P365) or larger bedside pistol (P320) that the instructor recommends? […]
A friend and fellow firearms instructor asked me an interesting question a few weeks ago. I thought that my answer would have a broad appeal for the instructors who read my articles. Here is the question, with some details redacted/edited to preserve anonymity: “Hey Greg, I have an instructor question that I would […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz I had an interesting question posed to me by a student in a recent Systems Collapse Medical Class I taught. He asked me: “If I have to shoot a criminal in a gunfight, should I provide first aid before the paramedics arrive?” It’s a good question. I’m probably going to […]
Written by- Greg Ellifritz When I was teaching at the Gunsite Pat Rogers Memorial Revolver Roundup last month (sign up for next year), I had a couple students using revolvers chambered in 9mm caliber. One of the students asked me about best choices for a defensive loads for a 9mm revolver. Looking […]
I recently posted an article discussing the fact that I occasionally carry a Ruger LCP .22 pistol as a defensive carry gun. I got this email from a long time reader: Greg I know you did a few articles on the Ruger 22 lr in the past. Last I remember you were having trouble finding […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz I got the following question from a reader. As I think this answer has a universal appeal, I chose to answer it here so that all of you can benefit as well. Here’s the question: “I want to assemble/integrate your suggestions for practice sessions, but I’m overwhelmed by the […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz People are getting worried. In response to the recent high-profile mass shootings, lots of legislators are hinting about restricting the sale of body armor to private citizens. Obviously, that will do nothing to prevent an active killer attack but they feel pressed to “do something.” With restrictions possibly forthcoming, I’ve […]
After seeing a guest post about the need to have a self defense shotgun, several readers asked me questions about the 20 gauge. Here is one: “Nice article on the shotgun for defensive use. Good to see the old stand by’s discussed from time to time. Question: what’s the 20 gauge equivalent of […]
I got a question from a reader about short barrelled, stockless “shotguns” that are technically classified as “firearms” allowing them to have shorter barrels than weapons classified as “shotguns.” They are very popular weapons and have been made in mass quantities by both Mossberg and Remington. “What are your thoughts on a ‘hipfire’ […]
A reader from California recently sent me some questions about long gun use for home protection. Due to his state’s restrictive gun laws, he can’t legally own a “normal” AR-15 and is considering using either a pump shotgun or lever action rifle for home protection. His questions (edited for clarity) are below. I get these […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Last week I posted a link to a firearms drill I was practicing. The drill involved switching from right hand to left hand and shooting as quickly as possible. A couple readers wrote in and asked me how exactly I perform my pistol hand transfers. There are lots of […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Handgun Bullets: How Do They Penetrate in Home Materials? is an interesting study evaluating how deeply modern defensive handgun rounds penetrate in common building materials. The data is useful. The author’s opinions and analysis are less so. Let’s cut to the chase. We should not be choosing our handgun ammunition based […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I recently received this question from a reader. Considering the popularity of the snub nose revolver as a carry pistol, I figured it would be useful if I answered the question in a blog post: “I’m looking to pick up a S&W 340PD here soon as a backup or […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz There has been a relatively recent resurgence of interest in the defensive use of Traditional Double Action (Also called TDA or Double-Single) autopistols for defensive purposes. I think this resurgence is being driven by two primary factors: 1) The development of lighter, shorter double action triggers. Guns like the […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz Last week I re-posted an article I wrote a couple years ago on my Facebook page. That article generated a lot of questions from my readers. Most of the questions were something along the lines of: “If I get stopped by a cop in a state where I have […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz A reader wrote in to ask me a question about what happens to a person who is carrying a firearm when that person needs medical assistance. “After one is involved in an auto collision (when not severely injured, but needs to be medically evaluated), what is the best practice […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz As the weather warms up, we are going to see a resurgence in protests, riots, and violent crowds in America’s cities. Our police are beaten down. They see that they don’t have support from their citizens, their politicians, and their supervisors. They know if they do something that looks even […]
