Want to improve your skill development? Take notes during class. Lots of ’em.

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Want to improve your skill development? Take notes during class. Lots of ’em.

A couple of years ago I was teaching a class in which there was an interesting mix of students: there were two public-sector firearms instructors, one from a state agency and one from a federal agency, along with the normal range of people you’d find at any shooting course anywhere in the country — blue collar, white collar, redneck and professional. All of them were motivated enough to sign up for class and pay good money for the dubious privilege ...

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17
JUN
0

Training & Teaching

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Your Hump Day Reading List for June 15, 2016

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Your Hump Day Reading List for June 15, 2016

This week we’re going to look at the importance of first aid during a terrorist attack; a man defends himself with a saucepan; some realities your CCW instructor didn’t tell you; why the pistol caliber carbine is a home defense winner; the fallacy behind night sights; understanding flashlights beyond lumens; senior citizens head to the range, for good reasons; why your defensive shooting instruction may not be all that valid; and finally, it’s not just the drug addict on the ...

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15
JUN
0

Accessories, Current Events, Defensive Shooting, Other Defensive Tools, Personal Safety, Street Smarts, Training & Teaching, Unarmed Defense

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Your Hump Day Reading List for June 8, 2016

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Your Hump Day Reading List for June 8, 2016

I’m always looking for great self defense information that the average person can really use, and this week I found a bunch of great articles! First, a look at training to use a defensive firearm even if the user has some infirmities; a real-life reason why you should have a “get home bag”; don’t call unwanted attention to your car; a look at some realities of police shootings that have important lessons in the private sector; the 12-gauge shotgun, properly ...

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8
JUN
0

Accessories, Ammunition & Reloading, Current Events, Defensive Shooting, Other Defensive Tools, Personal Safety, Prepping, Revolvers, Rifles & Shotguns, Training & Teaching, Unarmed Defense

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Your Hump Day Reading List for May 18, 2016

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Your Hump Day Reading List for May 18, 2016

It’s the Hump Day Reading List! To start off, we look at a case where a police officer used his trauma kit to save his own life; a story of a man who shot a neighbor under less-than-perfect circumstances; the horrific incident that started one man on the path to an armed lifestyle; the myth of racking a shotgun; taking apart a classic Savage pistol; a comprehensive look at what cover is and isn’t; what you know determines what you ...

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18
MAY
0

Accessories, Gunsmithing & Maintenance, Handguns, History, Incident Analysis, Legal Issues, Personal Safety, Rifles & Shotguns, Street Smarts, Training & Teaching, Unarmed Defense

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Did your defensive shooting instructor get his certificate from the University Of Facebook?

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Did your defensive shooting instructor get his certificate from the University Of Facebook?

A couple of weeks ago I was witness to an interesting incident on social media. There were two involved parties with me as a mutual contact observing both sides. In that incident are lessons for those who are searching for reliable self defense training and information.

The first party — who is fairly well known in the defensive training world — posted a link to an article or video (I really don’t remember which) about a specific type of response technique. The second party ...

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9
MAY
0

Training & Teaching

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How to afford the training you need? Sell a gun! (I’m serious.)

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How to afford the training you need? Sell a gun! (I’m serious.)

First, I’m going to ask you to go to the PDN site and watch this video of Rob Pincus speaking at last year’s NRA Annual Meeting (watch through at least the 4:45 mark, but I strongly suggest watching the whole thing.)

One of the issues I confront frequently is the excuse that people “can’t afford” the self defense or defensive shooting training they need. They’ll acknowledge that it’s important, agree that they should have it, then say that they just ...

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25
APR
0

Training & Teaching

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Your Hump Day Reading List for April 20, 2016

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Welcome to Wednesday — and the Hump Day Reading List! Today Greg Ellifritz has some lessons to be learned from recent news events; a look at why what works in the shoothouse may not work in the real world; Ian McCollum examines the pinfire revolver; storing a defensive shotgun; some women and gun myths get busted; how to deal with people who suddenly find that they aren’t as prepared as you are; and a look at why black women are ...

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20
APR
0

Current Events, Defensive Shooting, History, Home Security, Incident Analysis, Personal Safety, Prepping, Rifles & Shotguns, Street Smarts, Training & Teaching

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“It’s a training issue.” I don’t think that means what you think it means.

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“It’s a training issue.” I don’t think that means what you think it means.

Hoo boy, I heard it again just the other day: “it’s a training issue”. The subject at hand was a discussion about the traditional double action pistol, the kind that has a long and heavy double action first shot and a shorter, lighter single action (DA/SA) for each subsequent shot.

I’m not a fan of the things as a defensive tool in this modern age. They are the most complicated of the autopistols in use, owing to the two different trigger ...

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11
APR
0

Defensive Shooting, Training & Teaching

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Your Hump Day Reading List for Mar 16, 2016

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Your Hump Day Reading List for Mar 16, 2016

Today’s Hump Day Reading list looks at the legal and practical sides of self defense, plus a few things: a home invasion successfully ended by the defenders; good news for owners of 5mm Remington rimfire rifles; a robbery which ended tragically for the defender but didn’t need to; why you need to learn how to respond to an active shooter; why you need to understand the legalities of self defense; Greg Ellifritz shows you what you need to consider before ...

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16
MAR
0

Ammunition & Reloading, Current Events, Defensive Shooting, Firearms Industry, Home Security, Incident Analysis, Legal Issues, Personal Safety, Rifles & Shotguns, Street Smarts, Training & Teaching, Unarmed Defense

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Boring doesn’t sell, and realistic self defense skills are kind of boring.

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Boring doesn’t sell, and realistic self defense skills are kind of boring.

No matter what you’re trying to get people to buy — from cars to breakfast cereals to political candidates — you have to make it exciting, because if it’s not folks will just pass it by. (Yes, political candidates. Anyone remember Scott Walker? He was an early entry into this year’s Republican field and widely regarded as being phenomenally boring. He went nowhere. Older people will remember Walter Mondale; nice guy, smart, pleasant — and as boring as getting socks ...

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11
MAR
0

Personal Safety, Training & Teaching

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Your Hump Day Reading List for Mar 9, 2016

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Your Hump Day Reading List for Mar 9, 2016

For this Hump Day we have an educational look at an actual attempted home invasion — from the intended victim himself; some resources for learning how to deal with an active shooter; some historical revolvers from a famous revolver shooter; trying to shoot a hole through titanium; a seasoned shooter finds out difficult it is to shoot a small gun; a blogger takes me up on a challenge; Greg Ellifritz analyzes what to do if you’re seated in your car ...

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9
MAR
0

Ammunition & Reloading, Concealed carry, Defensive Shooting, Handguns, History, Home Security, Incident Analysis, Legal Issues, Other Defensive Tools, Personal Safety, Revolvers, Street Smarts, Training & Teaching

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You don’t need to be a SEAL to defend yourself with a firearm. You need more relevant skills.

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You don’t need to be a SEAL to defend yourself with a firearm. You need more relevant skills.

Last week I got two emails about my front page headline: “You don’t need to be a Navy SEAL just to be safe!” One applauded me for “telling it like it is”, but the other one insisted that I was doing people a big disservice by saying that, because if everyone trained to the level of a SEAL they’d definitely be safer. “It’s a matter of priorities”, the writer concluded.

Sorry, but I really don’t think so.

I believe those of us in ...

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7
MAR
0

Defensive Shooting, Training & Teaching

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Airsoft for defensive shooting practice: good idea or a waste of time?

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Airsoft for defensive shooting practice: good idea or a waste of time?

A question I’m frequently asked regards the value of non-firearm projectile launchers like Airsoft and BB guns as training devices for defensive shooting. This is a discussion that doesn’t lend itself to soundbites; there are some important principles which need to be understood to be able to gauge, for yourself, the value of any non-firearm alternatives.

When we talk about the physical skills of defensive shooting we’re talking about things like drawing the gun, getting it indexed on target, manipulating the ...

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1
MAR
0

Defensive Shooting, Handguns, Training & Teaching

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Your Hump Day Reading List for February 24, 2016

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Your Hump Day Reading List for February 24, 2016

My week has already been a whirlwind, but I came up with some great links for you! We start with looking in the eyes of evil; finishing the fight is more important than worrying about your choreography; how to escape from an active killer incident; the get-home bag and why you should have one; an unexpected benefit of being the “grey man”; Greg Ellifritz looks at one area where violent crime is rising significantly; Ian McCollum shows you an extremely ...

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24
FEB
0

Accessories, Current Events, History, Personal Safety, Prepping, Rifles & Shotguns, Street Smarts, Training & Teaching, Travel Safety

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Your Hump Day Reading List for February 10, 2016

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Your Hump Day Reading List for February 10, 2016

Hump Day brings us more knowledge! This week, we look at kids who’ve protected themselves with firearms; Ian McCollum with a very unique “automatic” pistol; Claude Werner looks at another negative outcome, this time based on unreasonable fear; tips for handloading ammo for your AR-15; why crowds are dangerous, and what to do if you’re in one; Greg Ellifritz has some lessons from a recent series of terrorist attacks; the repercussions of not having a good teacher; and the fallacy ...

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10
FEB
0

Ammunition & Reloading, Current Events, Defensive Shooting, Handguns, History, Incident Analysis, Legal Issues, Personal Safety, Street Smarts, Training & Teaching

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Your Hump Day Reading List for February 3, 2016

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Your Hump Day Reading List for February 3, 2016

Another great collection of articles for you this week! Rob Pincus shows you how to take your guns with you when flying; Ian McCollum takes apart a Savage .45 pistol; a look at why safety isn’t in the gear you carry; how to recycle range brass for reloading; a detailed explanation of what “going gray” really means; how to keep your defensive handgun in perfect operating condition; and why 100-yard headshots with a pistol don’t make any sense. Read, learn ...

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3
FEB
0

Ammunition & Reloading, Defensive Shooting, Gunsmithing & Maintenance, Handguns, History, Legal Issues, Other Defensive Tools, Personal Safety, Street Smarts, Training & Teaching, Travel Safety

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Do you carry religiously? You may not be as safe as you believe.

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Do you carry religiously? You may not be as safe as you believe.

I know that most of the people reading this blog are here to learn about defensive shooting, concealed carry, firearms training, and related topics. The rest are interested in things like rifles, revolvers, reloading, and other technical issues. In other words, regardless of the group into which you fit, if you’re reading this you’re probably a “gun person” — and despite what the media might try to tell you, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. It can, however, limit your ...

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18
JAN
0

Personal Safety, Street Smarts, Training & Teaching, Travel Safety, Unarmed Defense

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The problem with defensive shooting is that it’s dominated by enthusiasts. That’s not necessarily good for you.

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The problem with defensive shooting is that it’s dominated by enthusiasts. That’s not necessarily good for you.

I have a confession to make: I once screwed up a lot of people who came to me for advice. Wait, it’s not what you think! It does, however, directly apply to what I do today, and probably why you’re reading this blog. Allow me to relate my short story.

Back in my much-younger days I ran a chain of camera stores and taught photography classes. It was the early 1980s and photography was the fad of the day, spurred mainly ...

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15
JAN
0

Defensive Shooting, Personal Safety, Training & Teaching

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Your Hump Day Reading List for January 13, 2016

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Your Hump Day Reading List for January 13, 2016

Today I bring you some thoughts about getting older; Ian McCollum has a video about a Savage that isn’t a rifle; Greg Ellifritz talks about jammed guns in active shooter incidents; I found a great review of a neat lever-action rifle; Tiger McKee has some pithy words about the gear and training you really need; and a superb article about using your mouth instead of your gun.

 

You’re going to age. Have you factored that into your defensive training?

I recently wrote ...

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13
JAN
0

Defensive Shooting, Handguns, History, Incident Analysis, Other Defensive Tools, Personal Safety, Rifles & Shotguns, Street Smarts, Training & Teaching, Unarmed Defense

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Your Hump Day Reading List for January 6, 2016

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Your Hump Day Reading List for January 6, 2016

The first Hump Day List of 2016! To celebrate, I’ve found information on avoiding stalkers; a very forgotten Colt pistol; Ian McCollum talking about some odd rifles from a familiar company; Greg Ellifritz dropping some knowledge about dealing with hostile crowds; Rob Pincus helping you plan ahead; Claude Werner showing how to avoid negative outcomes; and a video about training to overwhelm a shooter even if you don’t have a gun yourself.

 

Would you know how to deal with a stalker?

Recognizing and ...

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6
JAN
0

Handguns, History, Legal Issues, Other Defensive Tools, Personal Safety, Rifles & Shotguns, Street Smarts, Training & Teaching, Unarmed Defense

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What did you change your mind about in 2015? Here’s what I did.

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What did you change your mind about in 2015? Here’s what I did.

I’ve come to the belief that one of the most profound questions (courtesy of Rob Pincus) you can ask anyone who purports to be a defensive shooting instructor is “what have you changed your mind about?” This isn’t an easy question to answer, and most people you’ll ask will try to wiggle their way out of it: “well, of course the world is always changing, and I’m committed to keeping my knowledge and skills in pace with those changes, blah ...

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1
JAN
0

Accessories, Defensive Shooting, Handguns, Rifles & Shotguns, Training & Teaching

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Your Hump Day Reading List for Dec 30, 2015

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Your Hump Day Reading List for Dec 30, 2015

For this last Hump Day List of 2015, Ian McCollum shows us what a real “mousegun” looks like; another Craigslist deal goes bad; what preparedness items to carry in your vehicle; attackers don’t always fit a profile; someone actually likes the SCAR rifle; Joshua Gideon talks about feeling safe; and Greg Ellifritz shows us the guns criminals actually carry.

 

Mousegun? More like ant-gun.

You’ve probably heard the term mousegun applied to many calibers: it’s generally said about the .25ACP and .32ACP, and ...

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30
DEC
0

Current Events, Handguns, History, Personal Safety, Prepping, Street Smarts, Training & Teaching, Travel Safety

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Defensive Shooting Myths and Misconceptions: “I shoot that gun really well.”

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Defensive Shooting Myths and Misconceptions: “I shoot that gun really well.”

If you spend any time around the internet, whether on gun forums or social media, sooner or later you’ll see someone defending a sub-optimal choice of defensive firearm by saying “I shoot it well.” Now of course everyone is certainly free to carry what they deem fit, and I don’t want to suggest they’re not, but my job is to present factual information to people so that they can make intelligent decisions. I don’t really have any stake in what ...

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28
DEC
0

Defensive Shooting, Training & Teaching

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The important role of a training partner in your defensive shooting skill development.

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The important role of a training partner in your defensive shooting skill development.

In the defensive shooting world we talk a lot about carry guns, calibers, holsters, belts, and all manner of accessories from flashlights to scopes. A large reason for this focus on things is because they’re easily understood and readily quantifiable; it’s easy to compare things by numbers, charts and graphs.

We pay comparatively little attention to concepts and ideas. They’re harder to understand, sometimes impossible to quantify, and require thought and reflection to properly understand and apply.

There is a combination of ...

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7
DEC
0

Defensive Shooting, Training & Teaching

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Your Hump Day Reading List for Dec. 2, 2015

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Your Hump Day Reading List for Dec. 2, 2015

Hope you and your family had a safe and peaceful Thanksgiving! I know, we all ate too much and are now forced to do exercise penance, but I’d do it all over again — and probably will next year! The holiday didn’t keep me from collecting some great articles, however, and for your reading enjoyment this week Claude Werner talks about changing his mind; the SIG Academy has a different way to talk about the relationship of sight alignment and ...

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2
DEC
0

Accessories, Firearms Industry, Handguns, History, Other Defensive Tools, Personal Safety, Rifles & Shotguns, Training & Teaching, Unarmed Defense

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No, things really haven’t changed: self defense in a post-Paris world.

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No, things really haven’t changed: self defense in a post-Paris world.

The bodies in Paris hadn’t even been buried when the agendas got trotted out.  No, I’m not talking about gun control or immigration restrictions; I’m not talking about refugees or intelligence sharing or air strikes or border checkpoints, either.

I’m talking about the “you need to prepare to deal with this new threat!” brigade.

If you listen to them, the terrorist attacks in public spaces are such a unique and over-riding threat that you must simply develop a new skill set and carry ...

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23
NOV
0

Current Events, Defensive Shooting, Personal Safety, Training & Teaching

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What if you disagree with your defensive shooting instructor?

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What if you disagree with your defensive shooting instructor?

You’re at a defensive shooting class; maybe this is your first, maybe it’s your twenty-first. Your instructor says (or does) something you disagree with. What do you do?

There are a lot of different approaches to teaching self-defense shooting, and while at least 90% of the mechanics that are taught are the same from instructor to instructor, the way in which they’re taught varies rather considerably. There is very little focus in this business on teaching in and of itself, most shooting ...

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2
NOV
0

Training & Teaching

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Tap-Rack is an action, not a dance. You don’t need to add moves to it.

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Tap-Rack is an action, not a dance. You don’t need to add moves to it.

I recently read a blog post about a trainer who got into trouble talking about the “tap-rack” methodology for clearing malfunctions. It seems this person, as many do, added a step to the procedure: “squeeze” (or some term which implied pulling the trigger.) This resulted in a virtual spanking from the internet experts, who decried that pulling the trigger was never the proper ending to a tap-rack, and that it should be “scan”, “assess”, “move”, “decide”, “bang”, or something else.

In ...

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26
OCT
0

Defensive Shooting, Handguns, Training & Teaching

How many self defense classes have you taken this year? They may be holding you back!

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How many self defense classes have you taken this year? They may be holding you back!

One of the common recommendations in the training world is to study with as many different people or schools as you can, to get as many different perspectives as possible in order to get a more fully formed opinion of the subject of defensive shooting (or self defense in general.) I think the idea is sound, but the execution is often lacking.

I see a lot of students come through my classes as part of their own effort to get that ...

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19
OCT
0

Defensive Shooting, Training & Teaching

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The Bullpup Rifle Experiment, Part 3: what did I learn about the Steyr AUG?

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The Bullpup Rifle Experiment, Part 3: what did I learn about the Steyr AUG?

(If you’re coming in late, please read Part 1 and Part 2 of The Bullpup Experiment for some background on the project!)

While I got to play with several bullpups during the last few months, the vast majority of my hands-on experience was with the Steyr AUG A3 M1 model. As I noted in Part 1, I picked the AUG in part because it was the first — the original — modern bullpup rifle and really set the ...

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6
OCT
0

Defensive Shooting, Rifles & Shotguns, Training & Teaching

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