If anyone has spent much time working force on force, or reviewed gunfight debriefs, they will soon realize that hands and arms tend to take damage in gunfights. Luke McCoy, the owner of USA Carry, went through some force on force training this week while filming an episode of First Person Defender. In the first…
Body Armor for Civilian Self-Defense: Is It For You?
[toc]The Chicago City Council passed the most restrictive and weirdest self-defense law in the United States in March 2018, some say. The ordinance passed was to ban civilians from having and wearing body armor or "bullet-proof" vests. Yes, even banned for self-defense or personal protection use by all civilians. And the entire state of Illinois…
Options To Protect Yourself From Aggressive Dogs
Dogs. Man's best friend, right? As a kid, I remember some neighbors down the street had an Australian shepherd that was just the nastiest, meanest dog I ever met. It was leashed most times when I walked by to catch the bus. One day it wasn't. And I remember looking over to the usual place…
How Old Is ‘Too Old To Carry A Concealed Gun’?
One of the hardest moments in my life was explaining to my uncle that he can't keep his 1911 in the nursing home. He had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and dementia and lived in an assisted living facility surrounded by his peers. The whole family came and helped him move into the facility and, as…
Improving Shooting Fundamentals With Airguns
Airguns aren't classified as firearms by the BATF. This means that people that couldn't even typically own a firearm can own an airgun. Many gun owners turn their noses up at the idea of owning an airgun. After all, why own an airgun when you can own the real thing? Here are five quick reasons…
Can You Make a Shoot or Don’t Shoot Decision in 2 Seconds?
Can you make an effective split-second decision about employing deadly force in self-defense? Well, scientific research says it should take you and your brain about 13 milliseconds to see and interpret a deadly-force event. So then you have the luxury of about two whole seconds to make your "Shoot-No Shoot" (SNS) decision and take proper…
Why Movement is Essential for Self-Defense
Defensive firearms training is very concerned with shooting skills. This makes a lot of sense, of course, but in our training and practice, it is important to keep the big picture in mind. Defensive firearms training is firearms training, but in a larger sense it is, or at least it should be, part of broader…
Ready Positions for Reality: Compressed, Single-Hand and Temple Index
Handgun ready positions are a topic surrounded by a lot of kung fu-like mythology. Certain well-known instructors tout many different ready positions for various reasons, and the minutia of each is the source of endless debate. If we strip all of the kung fu away, however, the overall principle is generally simple. There are a…
Is Point Shooting Still Relevant?
Formerly, the method of combat shooting that entirely more than anything else was point shooting, which does not employ handgun sights. The Modern Technique developed by Jeff Cooper, disseminated by Gunsite and taught across the world, is undoubtedly the dominant method taught today and for a good reason. So is there any reason to learn…
Ruger SR1911 Lightweight Officer-Style Review
Beauty and appearance, performance and doing what it is supposed to do, comfortable, right fit, reliable, and optimum weight. These are just some of the adjectives and terms which might describe your new car or even a spouse, the latter even by some uncouth person. Well, I am using them to initially describe the new…
Single-Hand Pistol Manipulation: An Often Overlooked Skill
Being able to not only shoot the handgun but also operate its different functions with a single hand is considered a more advanced skill set by most. The modern technique of pistol shooting, as founded by Jeff Cooper, ushered in the almost universal embrace of shooting the handgun with both hands on the gun whenever possible.…
Ruger PC Carbine 9mm Review
Why would someone want a rifle or carbine that shoots pistol-caliber 9mm ammo? If you use it for home defense, it would be so loud indoors. Isn't a rifle or carbine like this as loud as a shotgun or larger caliber gun? What would you use it for? Plinking or home defense or what? Isn't…