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AR-15 Rifle Ballistic Gel Testing- Best Choices for a Defensive Rifle Round

This is a guest post written by retired police chief Jeff Chudwin.  Jeff is a well known law enforcement trainer and has served as the president of the Illinois Tactical Officers Association.  Jeff recently sent out an email to a list of police firearms instructors describing his gelatin testing of numerous .223/5.56mm self defense rounds […]

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in Articles
AR-15, ballistics, gel testing, guest author, Jeff Chudwin View Post

“Understanding and Training the Female Shooter”

Written by: Greg Ellifritz   I first met Lou Ann Hamblin more than 10 years ago at a police training conference organized by the now -defunct American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers.  The conference brought together all of the biggest names in the police training business, putting on a bewildering array of classes.  In between […]

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in What's New
class reviews, firearms training, LouAnn Hamblin, LouKa Tactical View Post

Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 11, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better.  If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.     TangoFoxtrot’s Rifle Dust Tests: Mini-14, AUG, ARX-100, SCAR Some interesting dust tests using common rifles.  Now you know why I hate the Mini-14.  Even more interesting to me (since I don’t live in a […]

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
active killer, Active Self Protection, active shooter, AR-15, ccw, Cecil Burch, civilian gunfighter, Dan John, exercise, family safety, fitness, gelatin tests, Grant Cunningham, Gun Nuts Media, holsters, Ken Hackathorn, Max Velocity Tactical, Michael Bane, Michael Janich, physical fitness, police gunfights, police training View Post

The Lisa Mearkle Police Shooting- 7 Lessons to Learn

Written by: Greg Ellifritz I was recently reading this article about a police shooting that stemmed from a foot pursuit after a man violated a few traffic laws.  Officer Lisa Mearkle tragically ended up shooting an unarmed man.  She faced murder charges, but was acquitted.  Examination of some of the particulars of this case will […]

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in News and Tactical Advice
concealed carry, police View Post

The Tactical Professor’s “Baseline Evaluation”

Written by: Greg Ellifritz   The Tactical Professor describes a great shooting drill you can use to establish baseline competency and track improvement over time.   I like drills like this that provide a measurable standard that you can track over time.   The drill requires 50 rounds (five sequences of 10 shots each) and is […]

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in Shooting Drills
ccw, Claude Werner, shooting drills View Post

Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 4, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better.  If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.   INTERVIEW: Former SEAL Matt Bracken Talks SHTF and a Dirty Civil War Former Navy Seal Matt Bracken discusses some of his insights about the future.  The discussion isn’t pleasant.  If you haven’t read Matt’s […]

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
AK-47, Claude Werner, computers, concealed carry magazine, Dave Spaulding, fitness, Havok Journal, Larry Lindenman, Massad Ayoob, Matt Bracken, medical skills, medicine, police, Prepared Gun Owners, Rangemaster, shooting drills, shotguns, Tasers View Post

An Observation About Two Recent Active Killer Events

Written by: Greg Ellifritz   Within the last two weeks there have been two very high profile active killer events in the United States.  The first was when an Uber driver shot eight people in Michigan.  The second was when a lawnmower manufacturing worker shot 17 people in Kansas.   Even though the two killings […]

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in News and Tactical Advice
active killer, active shooter View Post

Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 26, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better.  If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.   Photos show what crime looks like before it happens A very interesting article about the algorithms used to alert surveillance camera operators to “suspicious” behaviors.  The list of “pre-crime” activities that trigger an alert […]

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
AR-15, awareness, concealed carry magazine, Dan John, Dave Spaulding, exercise, firearms training, fitness, Gun Nuts Media, gunsmithing, Karl Rehn, Massad Ayoob, optics, Prepared Gun Owners, shooting drills View Post

AARs from Last Weekend’s Knife Class

Written by: Greg Ellifritz   Last weekend, John Murphy of FPF Training hosted me for a Defensive Knife class in Manassas Virginia.  The class was well received by the 22 students who attended.   A couple of the students shared AARs (After Action Reviews) of the class.  If any of you are interested in seeing […]

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in What's New
class reviews View Post

Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 19, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better.  If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.   Too Much Gun Pointing?   Many of you understand when it’s legal to shoot someone, but what about merely pointing the gun as a threat?  Take a look at this article that describes when […]

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
Active Self Protection, ccw, Death Valley Magazine, exercise, fitness, Gun Nuts Media, health, Larry Lindenman, Legal, Loadout Room, Lucky Gunner, Massad Ayoob, Melody Lauer, modern service weapons, open carry, PERF, revolvers, scams, shooting drills View Post

gunFIGHT!

Written by Greg Ellifritz   A couple weeks ago I opened my mail to find that my friend and fellow trainer Richard Nance had sent me a copy of his new book gunFIGHT!  I quickly skimmed the book and realized that it covered quite a few concepts that are not commonly addressed in most gunfighting […]

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in Book Reviews
book reviews, Richard Nance View Post

Prosecuted for a Negligent Discharge

Written by: Greg Ellifritz   Read this article.  An NYPD officer just got convicted of both manslaughter and official misconduct after an accidental shooting that occurred on his SECOND DAY of patrol.   For all my cop friends and those who want to be cops. Study this case.   Here’s the deal…   I don’t […]

Posted on February 15, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in News and Tactical Advice
accidental discharge, ccw, police, training View Post

Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 12, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better.  If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.   The Folly of Chasing Gear – CCW Gear Some advice to get you new carriers heading in the right direction.     A Quick Guide To Shooting Fundamentals Another resource for you brand new […]

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
AK-47, AR-15, ccw, exercise, gelatin tests, Grant Cunningham, Gun Nuts Media, gunsmithing, Havok Journal, ITS Tactical, Jim Cirillo, malfunctions, medical skills, OC, physical fitness, reloading, TCCC, terrorism, travel, Weapons Man View Post

Your Tactical Training Scenario- Robbery Turns Into Hostage Taking

Written by: Greg Ellifritz   You and a co-worker are working late into the night. As you open the door to leave, a man bursts in and holds a gun to your head. He marches you and  the co-worker to a different part of the building where the safe is located.   The attacker thinks […]

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in Tactical Training Scenarios
escape, hostage survival, robbery View Post

Hating on the Taurus Judge

Written by: Greg Ellifritz   One of my retired officers came to the range to shoot his requalification course a while back. He brought a new toy to play with…the Taurus Judge. This is a pistol that amazingly popular among neophyte gun owners. It’s a five-shot revolver with an alloy frame, fiber optic sights, and […]

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in Firearm Reviews
ccw, revolver, Taurus, Taurus Judge View Post

Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 5, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better.  If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.   Do you carry religiously? You may not be as safe as you believe. Grant brings up a very good point here and I tend to agree with him.  I travel out of the country […]

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
accidental discharge, active killer, Active Self Protection, Cecil Burch, Grant Cunningham, home security, John Mosby, Karl Rehn, Larry Lindenman, Legal, Massad Ayoob, modern service weapons, physical fitness, police, Prepared Gun Owners, Rangemaster, survival, training, travel View Post

Book Review- Gun Digest Book of the Revolver

Written by Greg Ellifritz I know what you are thinking….who carries a revolver?  I do.  So do many other knowledgeable firearms instructors.  In a recent conversation with John Benner (founder of the Tactical Defense Institute), I learned that John relies on a revolver for his PRIMARY night-time home defense weapon!  That’s what is on his […]

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in Book Reviews
book reviews, ccw, Grant Cunningham, guns, revolver View Post

A Robbery, a Shooting, and Citizen Intervention

 Written by: Greg Ellifritz   A Seattle TV videographer was in the right place at the right time and caught the take down of a robbery suspect on camera.  The video is remarkably clear and shows just how chaotic criminal encounters can become.   In the incident, a man allegedly robbed a jewelry store.  As […]

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in News and Tactical Advice
ccw, police, robbery, shooting View Post

Your Tactical Training Scenario…Sudden Deadly Attack

  Take a couple of minutes and watch the video in the link below.  Even if you aren’t a police officer, it highlights a dangerous situation for which you should probably be prepared.  If you are a cop, do you have a plan for dealing with a pursuit suspect who quickly jumps out of a […]

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in Tactical Training Scenarios
ambush, carjacking, ccw, police, pursuit, shooting View Post

Weekend Knowledge Dump- January 29, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better.  If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.   Beginner’s Guide to CCW: Arm yourself with knowledge   Arm yourself with knowledge. Are you a CCW permit holder who wants to learn more about protecting yourself? Tim lists a very complete list of […]

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
1911, active killer, Active Self Protection, active shooter, exercise, fitness, Gabe Suarez, gelatin tests, Grant Cunningham, Gun Nuts Media, gunsmithing, impact weapons, Larry Lindenman, Legal, police, Rory Miller, Scott Reitz, statistics, taser, third world travel View Post
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