When I was starting my law enforcement career, I had excellent vision. Since then I have been very lucky and was able to avoid needing glasses up until only a few years ago. Carrying a firearm as part of my job, and for self-defense when not on duty, I had a serious interest in being able to see my sights, and be able to quickly get them lined up on a target. Over the years I have seen Continue reading “Sights for Old Guys & Older Eyes”
We are very lucky today. The choices in quality self-defense ammunition that are available now are greater than they have ever been. I’ll go into greater detail in a moment, but for now, know that most questions about what ammo you should buy are easy to answer. Most major ammunition manufactures produce a line of self-defense ammunition, and the differences in performance between Continue reading “Choosing Self-Defense Ammunition”
I get this question a lot. Some people really want advice and direction, others just want an affirmation that their favorite is mine as well. Here’s the deal – If you have a favorite caliber, intend to continue carrying that caliber for self-defense, and you shoot it well, then you can stop right here. If it works for you – more power to you. If you are undecided, then please continue – maybe I have something to offer, Continue reading “What’s The “Best” Self-Defense Caliber?”
Several years ago a cop buddy and I decided to do some low light live fire training at the range. We headed out in the late afternoon, and when we got to the range there were several people still out there shooting. We took advantage of the time and did some sighting in of his new .308 rifle and scope set-up. Soon we were all alone at the range – it being too dark to do much shooting, Continue reading “Low Light Firearms Training”
The “OODA loop” That stands for Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act. Developed by Col. John Boyd for fighter pilots as a way to train and understand how to stay one step ahead of your opponent in aerial dogfights. The OODA loop has been evaluated, researched, added to, subtracted from and generally discussed in great detail in many forms and on many Continue reading “USAF Col. John Boyd’s OODA Loop”
How do you maintain an appropriate level of awareness, and stay prepared to act, and react. Trying to remain “hyper-alert” at all times is not practical, and quickly becomes tiresome. Thinking that you will be able to suddenly jump from a low level of awareness to being ready to take immediate physical action to protect yourself or others is also folly. Where can we find some Continue reading “Staying Alert: Cooper’s Color Codes”
In his book “On Killing” Col. David Grossman categorizes the elements of society into three general groups: the sheep, the wolves, and the sheepdogs. The sheep, are the multitudes of average people that go through their day oblivious, and unaware of their surroundings. The wolves, are the bad guys. The predators. The criminals. Those who would take advantage of others, and are only looking Continue reading “On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs”
In self-defense or home protection, you generally have three choices – the handgun, the shotgun, and the carbine rifle. Later I’ll talk more about the handgun and the shotgun, but today, let’s talk about the carbine. Specifically, the AR-15 pattern carbine. I’ll start with some background and history on why it’s popular, then make some suggestions on how to set up your own AR for Continue reading “The Carbine for Self-Defense Use”
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