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 […]
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Reader Questions
Questioning the Effectiveness of the .380 Auto Cartridge

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. […]
Ka-Bar TDI Shark Bite

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 […]
Damaged Defensive Ammunition

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 […]
Why I Don’t Carry an Expandable Baton

Written by: Greg Ellifritz With all the violent protests going on, people are interested in supplementing the firearms they carry on a daily basis with some less lethal alternative weapons. I’ve been getting lots of questions about impact weapons recently. Here is one such question from a friend and long-time reader. “How do […]
Attacked at Home

Written by: Greg Ellifritz I had a long time reader write to ask the following questions: “My wife (who is not a fan of guns, concealed carry, etc.) and I were talking about self-defense the other day, and she asked what percentage of self-defense incidents happen on a person’s property (house/yard/garage/etc) versus anywhere […]
How to Help a Cop During a Life-Threatening Struggle

Written by: Greg Ellifritz As we see more officers attacked by rioters and more police stations under siege, I’m getting this question more often. If you want to help a cop under attack, this is how to do it. And be sure to read PART TWO, how you can help a cop even if […]
The Rayshard Brooks Shooting

Written by: Greg Ellifritz Lots of folks have contacted me asking for my perspective on the recent police shooting of Rayshard Brooks. For those of you unfamiliar with the incident, police received a 911 call about a man unconscious behind the wheel in the drive through lane of a Wendy’s restaurant. A cop arrived, […]
“Watching a Murder”

Written by: Greg Ellifritz I had a friend send me a message yesterday. He wanted to know how a bystander might intervene in a situation like what happened in Minneapolis. My friend told me he didn’t want to stand around “watching a murder.” How does one safely intervene when cops are mistreating a prisoner? […]
Should I Provide First Aid to the Attacker I Just Shot?

Written by Greg Ellifritz I had an interesting question posed to me by a student in the Systems Collapse Medical Class I taught in Virginia. 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 […]
Using a Fire Extinguisher as a Weapon

Written by: Greg Ellifritz A would-be victim of last month’s London Bridge terrorist stabbing attack used a fire extinguisher to distract/disorient the terrorist as another person stabbed the man with a narwhal tusk to end the attack. Seeing the photo below got me thinking about how best to use a fire extinguisher as a […]
5 Tips for Making Online Sales Transactions Safer

Written by Greg Ellifritz A friend sent me the following question last week: “Greg, I have been shopping on eBay and Craigslist lately and it brought some concerns to mind. I was wondering if you have any safety advice regarding buying items on eBay/Craigslist. My two main issues are: 1) Personal safety when […]
Best 9mm Carry Ammo

Written by: Greg Ellifritz I got a question from a friend and student last week. I think the answer will help all my readers better understand terminal ballistics and choose an optimal bullet for self protection. Here’s the question: “Quick question: What’s your suggestion for 9mm carry ammo? I’m about to replace my near […]
Training Students with Physical Disabilities

Written by: Greg Ellifritz I got this interesting question through Facebook last week: “Greg, have you found any good sources of alternative techniques when overcoming physical disabilities? I have reduced neck mobility and no left scapula control, from a radical neck dissection, Extending the left arm out or up is both difficult and unstable. […]
Should I Leave the Scene of a Defensive Shooting?

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 […]
Criminal Motivation

Written by: Greg Ellifritz 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, […]
The .380 for Police Backup and Off Duty Carry

Written by: Greg Ellifritz I received this question (edited for brevity) from a police firearms instructor last week: “A lot of my guys on the department are going with .380 pocket guns for off duty carry instead of carrying their issued Glock 26 9mm pistols. Our policy will not allow officers […]
Pistol Choice for a Shooting Class

Written by: Greg Ellifritz 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) […]
Seat Belts and Appendix Carry

Written by Greg Ellifritz Last week, I got the following question from a friend on my Facebook page. He inquired: “I carry appendix IWB, but usually remove it while driving because I’ve always been afraid of the personal damage the seat belt would do going across my gun. I figure I’m more likely to […]
No More Stinky Body Armor

Written by: Greg Ellifritz A reader recently emailed me a question: “What have you found that works best to keep cool while keeping dry (sweating), when wearing a vest? I find myself wearing a vest for as long as 12-hours a day.” It’s a great question. As temperatures broke 80 degrees here last week, […]