Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Carrying Isn’t Enough: What Our Data Reveals About the Gap Between Carry and Capability
I don’t think the problem is unique to the women who answered this survey. Training with a gun is great. Carrying the gun you train with is even better. But if you don’t train to draw the gun under stress you are setting yourself up for failure.
Rangemaster April Newsletter
A few very good articles here. The drill of the month involves replicating the shots that the FBI agents had to take during the 1986 Miami shootout. I recently visited the shootout site and will be writing an article about the gunfight for its upcoming 40th anniversary.
ATF: Brace Rule Gone — But You Could Still Be Charged
Details on the ATF’s apparent flip-flopping on the pistol brace issue again. For more information, watch ATF: Pistol Braces Are Felonies AGAIN!
Dry Practice on the Road
Claude Werner’s tips for conducting dry fire practice while traveling.
The body remembers
“People who were athletes carry something different in how they approach hard things. Not because sport builds character exactly. But because they have a physical memory of being uncomfortable and continuing anyway.”
Reloading a Revolver with a Wounded Arm
Caleb covers one handed revolver reloads.
What I’m reading…
My friend and fellow instructor Paul Sharp’s book just came out.
What is a Snub?
I find this article to be a useful classification system. The “compact service gun” is much easier to shoot than the true snub. But the snub can be dropped into pockets that the compact service gun could never fit. They may look similar, but they have vastly different roles.
Murder & Gun Violence Are Still Falling Fast At The Start Of 2026
More good crime news.
Targets and Better Hits
If you are shooting full size silhouettes, you aren’t optimizing your training. For simplicity, I use an 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of printer paper. I fold it in half for the chest zone and into 1/4 for the head.
Why Racking a Handgun Slide Gets Harder After 45 (And What Actually Helps)
Tatiana explains why you might have trouble racking a slide. If you notice you are having problems, read Stronger Hands, Better Shooting: 10 Exercises Every Shooter Over 45 Should Be Doing.
TANGLING WITH THE TRIGGER
I use this drill with a lot of my beginner students.
“A good way to prove your point is to stand next to them and face away from the target. Have them place their trigger finger on the trigger in a normal grip, while you reach over and get a sort of “sideways” firing grip on their gun with them, placing your finger on top of theirs. Then simply say, “Okay, you aim the gun, I’ll press the trigger.” And invariably, a wondrous thing occurs — bullet holes begin to appear right where they belong. This is usually accompanied by startled looks (on both your parts) and the beginnings of an understanding about trigger control by your student.”
Tells!
John Farnam shares some pre-assault behavioral cues.
RevolverFest & The State of the Modern Wheelgun
Justin Dyal’s review of RevolverFest. I’m happy to be teaching there again this year.
REDUCED CAPACITY MAGAZINE ISSUES (NEUTERED MAGAZINES) and WAYS to Navigate Them
Dr. House discusses navigating legal issues in states that have magazine capacity limits.
Gun Owner 101: Holsters and Carry
A whole lot of high quality information with regards to choosing a great holster.
The Vitality of Multidimensional Safety Training in Churches
For those of you on church security teams. You should also read The Importance of Mass Notification Systems in Churches: A Lifeline When Every Second Counts.
and 7 Steps to Secure your Church without Overwhelm and Stress
The Unicorn Speaks with Keith Tyler
A former cop and grandmaster class shooter discusses how some of the techniques specifically used in competition shooting may be detrimental to defensive encounters. One example he gives is how most of us teach “the eyes move first” when teaching transitioning to multiple targets. That may not give us the visual awareness we need to evaluate the target we just shot in a real-world defensive encounter.
I had a similar thought when first shooting on a Rogers range. The detailed focus on the “spot” on the target required to get a good time/score didn’t give me the ability to evaluate the target’s hands and make a good decision to properly stop shooting in a defensive encounter.
Watch/listen to the podcast and consider the information he shares.
Home Security Layer 2: Home Improvement Tips
Some unconventional home security tips.
Tenacious Talon: The Revenant Corps Talon V2 Offers Clandestine Defense
For those of you who have magnetometers in your life.
FBI Guns & Ammo: A History of the Bureau’s Weapons
A fun history lesson.
HONOR – III
Matt Larsen’s thoughts on honor.
Street Smarts 101 To Avoid A Mugging, Assault or Worse
The most common scams and distractions criminals use to victimize you on the street.
DIY: Making a “Drone” Training Knife to Match Your EDC Defensive Knife
“As logical as all that may seem, the fact remains that most tactical knife manufacturers don’t make trainers. Sadly, the few that do only make them for a tiny fraction of their product line. What do you do if your perfect self-defense knife doesn’t have a matching trainer? Easy. Buy two and “drone” one of them into a trainer.”
After The Shoot: 7 Real-Life Cases Imperative to Gun Owners
When Mas Ayoob and Marty Hayes write about legal issues, you should pay attention.
TOP 6 Appendix Carry MISTAKES In 2026
I have more students carrying appendix than behind the hip. Here is a great video to help you conceal your gun in the appendix position.
TESTING HOME DEFENSE SHOTGUN AMMO
How does defensive shotgun ammo perform in gelatin testing after being fired through a couple layers of drywall? You may also be interested in a similar test with 5.56mm cartridges. On the topic of shotgun ammo, you may also like Flitecontrol – Now In 20-Gauge.
Need shotgun shooting drills? Try Practical Drills for the Home Defense Shotgun.
How officers can counter the evolving tactics used during riots
Innovative crowd control tactics for my police readers.
Ten school shooting threats we are failing to imagine
School security threats you may not have considered.
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