Familiarity Breeds Contempt — We Must Do Better
I stopped at my local gun store recently to check what they had in inventory. There was a newly released pistol underneath the glass; the guy behind the counter asked if I wanted to handle it. I said yes, so he bent down and retrieved it. He locked the slide to the rear and then offered the grip to me with the pistol pointing directly at his sternum. I’m not sure when this technique became [...]
A Practical Reload – topping off your pistol while retaining rounds
This third article will cover the mechanics of a tactical reload in both forms. The desired end state is a pistol, carbine, or sub-gun with a round in the chamber, a full magazine in the gun, and whatever rounds were left in the magazine retained in your gear. One issue [...]
Working the Thumb Safety for new 1911/2011 Shooters
It has been interesting to watch the re-invention of STI into Staccato and, simultaneously, see the resurrection of a 1911-style pistol into the police duty-use world. I used a 1911 pistol on patrol and in investigations for over twenty years. I carried, competed, and taught with one. And I did [...]
Roka Arms’ Downrange Tab and Training for Off-body Carry
Most of us carry concealed firearms in or on our beltline, whether with a strong side hip holster, inside the waistband, or “appendix-ish” carry. At least one American Cop writer advocates for carrying smaller revolvers in pocket holsters. All those options are great until you can’t carry them that way [...]
See The Threat Or Hear It?:Training for visual stimulus with Reactionary Gap’s Muzzle Flash Simulation System
Do we respond more quickly to an auditory stimulus or a visual one? A significant amount of the research I’ve looked at, including two papers linked at the end of the article, says we respond quicker to sounds. By how much? 140-160 milliseconds for the sound and 180-200 milliseconds for [...]
STOPPING THE THREAT | Pairing Natural Response with Engagement Method
To incapacitate a threat as quickly as possible, many will agree shot placement is a key factor, accomplishing this with the double tap or controlled pair, (two aimed shots) into a vital area being taught spending an extraordinary amount time focusing on super tight accuracy, so one can place the [...]
MANTIS LASER ACADEMY | Affordable High-Tech Firearms Training at Home
It takes time and practice to become proficient with firearms. It’s an art that needs to be developed. And no matter how finely tuned a shooter you have become, shooting is a perishable skill. This is especially true with handguns. DRY-FIRE TRAINING The current ammo shortages and corresponding high ammo [...]
MAXIMIZING YOUR CCW PRACTICE WITH A CO2 PISTOL
Most of us don’t get to the range as we’d like to or should. I know I don’t. Few of us live where we can just step outside and shoot. Even when we do get to the range, restrictions often limit our training options. Ammo is not cheap these days. [...]
DRY FIRING DONE RIGHT
If you have been shooting for more than a day, chances are you already know, dry firing can improve one’s marksmanship and weapons manipulation. So just how much dry firing does it take? To effect change, such as learn a new method or technique? Maintain learned skills? Many will say, [...]
S&W 3RD GEN DAO’S | Autos For Revolver Guys
Smith and Wesson introduced Double Action Only (DAO) variants of their 3rd generation semiautomatic pistols in the first few years of the 1990’s. They were envisioned as a solution for agencies struggling with transitioning officers from revolvers to semi autos. At that time, I was in my early 20’s and [...]
AMERICAN COP | Through The Centuries
My first trip to the American Pistol Institute (now known as Gunsite) was in 1976, shortly after it was founded by Jeff Cooper. When asked how many times I have been there I honestly answer, “I don’t know.” In addition to classes and industry events, I normally go to Gunsite [...]