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 […]
Last week I posted an article titled Shotguns for Home Protection. When I posted the article on my Patreon Page, as supporter asked the following question: “Thoughts on slugs versus buckshot?” It’s a good question and it deserved a more in depth answer than I could provide in a Patreon comment. Let’s dig […]
Last week in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio police officers had to shoot an armed patient in a local hospital. Officers recorded the entirety of the close range shooting with their body cameras. The shooting was unusual both by happening in a hospital and requiring a close quarters empty hand response to a lethal threat. […]
I received an interesting question from one of my readers. He wanted to know the best course of action to prevent his local businesses from being burned to the ground or looted during a violent protest. “Hi Greg I’m a big fan. I know you say that a person should mind their own business […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz I get a lot of questions about holsters. It seems that a lot of folks wants to know what holsters I wear and which holsters I consider “best.” Most folks who have been carrying for awhile will gravitate towards the inside-the- waistband (IWB) holster for optimal comfort and concealment. […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Recently, a couple of readers asked my opinion of cross draw holsters for carrying a small defensive revolver on the belt. The readers noted that this style of carry is comfortable and very easy to access from a seated position in a vehicle. Those are certainly worthy attributes of the cross […]
Because I see occasional squib loads when shooting .38 special ammo, I start every snub revolver class by allowing the students to fire a primed case to feel the difference between a squib and a full power round. It’s an idea I stole from Micheal de Bethencourt. I got this email last week: […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Many of you are aware that I designed the Ka-Bar TDI Last Ditch Knife. I recently received a question from a reader about some design features: “Greg: I noticed you mentioned you designed the Last Ditch blade for Kabar. I would be interested in an article about the design […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz You folks really like your .380 semi-automatic pistols. Two of the top 10 most read articles on my site are about the .380. Every post I’ve written about this caliber has been consumed voraciously. Lots of the email questions I get from readers concern the .380 as well. […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz *I’m re-posting this article from a couple years ago. I recently learned that Ka-Bar has discontinued this model. Whatever inventory is available right now is likely the last opportunity to purchase this excellent non-metallic defense option. The Shark Bites in the supply line now will soon be sold and there […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I recently had a reader reach out to me with a very intriguing question: “I’ve got about 50 rounds of quality JHP in 9MM divided between three guns (mine+wife) and they are getting beat up. Question is, do I stick with the beaters (dinged cases or heads, etc.)or switch to […]
