There are many different options for carrying your handgun in a concealed manner. Body type, clothing selection, firearm, holster type, and mission all mandate different styles of carry. It ultimately comes down to personal preference, but here are a few hints and guidelines to help you make your decision. If you are new to […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of open carry (carrying an unconcealed handgun or long gun in public). Except in a hunting context or in very rural areas where one is unlikely to encounter another human, I generally think it’s a poor decision to carry openly. Too […]
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Thinking About Deep Concealment I agree with Michael here. Most of my time I’m either armed with a very compact 9mm or my .22 mag J-frame. I’m finding myself carrying the full sized 9mm […]
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Pocket Pistol Shootout: 380 vs 22 More evidence that the .22 might be a better defensive choice than most people consider. A Frank Discussion of Knives for Self-Defense Thoughts about using knives […]
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. The Perfect Hiking Load-Out? Since I retired from my police job last year, I’ve made it a point to do much more hiking. For the last year, I’ve averaged hiking 15-20 hours a week […]
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. 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 […]
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. GunBroker and Tips for Buying a Used Firearm I purchase most of my newly-acquired guns from GunBroker. Here’s how to avoid being taken by a scam or an improperly described item. Gel […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz Terrorists worldwide use bombs as their weapons of choice. Occasionally, these bombs will be supplemented by sniper fire, grenades, or active shooters but it’s the bombs that get media attention. Many of my readers have been to numerous shooting schools and have trained in martial arts for years. How many […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I was recently re-reading Mark MacYoung’s book “In the Name of Self Defense.” It’s an amazing resource for anyone interested in better protecting himself.. I want to share a quote from the book: “Until you: 1. Develop the ability to take a hit without having an emotional meltdown 2. Have […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Take a moment to imagine one of the following scenarios: – While stopped in traffic at an inner-city intersection, a man with a gun approaches you. He begins striking your closed window with the weapon, demanding that you give him your car. You fear that if you get out […]
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Overview of gun laws by nation A lot of Americans think that no one can own guns in other countries. It’s simply not true. There are nearly 40 countries that have some type of […]
“95% of criminals carry their guns on their strong side, mostly stuck in the front of their bodies, inside the waistband without a holster.” – From a US Secret Service Seminar on detecting concealed weapons Why are all the thugs carrying pistols in their waistbands in front of the hip? And why do most […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Have you ever trained to draw and fire your pistol from any position other than standing? Most recreational shooters haven’t. Fights are messy. Sometimes the unexpected happens. Take a look at this story. A man was fleeing armed robbers and slipped on the ice, causing him to fall. […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz Depending on the source of the research you read, you’ll find that about 40% of violent criminal attacks will involve you fighting more than one attacker. Fighting one person is bad enough. Fighting a group is exponentially worse. I’m seeing lots of recent news articles where groups of teens […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Students who have taken my knife fighting class will likely remember “The Bag Trick”. I demonstrate it in every 2-day class I teach. My students all give me the same feedback after seeing it “That’s so simple, but it’s genius! Learning that one technique was worth the price of the […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz Tom Givens, firearms trainer and owner or Rangemaster Shooting School made an important observation in a recent class I attended. To paraphrase, Tom said “The average person gets most of his education about firearms and gunfights from television and the movies.” It’s an important idea…and it’s important that we as […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I’ve seen some stunning examples of irresponsible behavior by gun owners lately. All made the nationals news; which, as a gun carrier, you should try to avoid. All of them involved carrying a gun in a faulty holster or carrying without a holster at all. Let’s look at a […]
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Self Defense Ammunition Ballistic Test Ammunition-to-go has published a large study of ballistic gelatin performance using defensive rounds fired from shorter barrels into clothing covered gelatin. These tests are not the same as […]
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Good Guys Win! Tamara Keel pens a nice monthly column in SWAT Magazine. It’s full of short narratives (Like the NRA’s “Armed Citizen”) about armed citizens defeating criminals. It’s good to read these scenarios […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz I will state this right off the bat: I’m not a 1911 guy. I was fairly fond of them at one point. That was back before I actually learned how to shoot. My first year working at TDI cured me of desire to carry one defensively. In the beginning […]
