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Ruger Tactical Tips by Dave Spaulding

By Richard on December 18, 2009 1 Comments

Ruger teamed up with firearm trainer Dave Spaulding to produce a series of videos called Ruger Tactical Tips. These training videos are completely free and available on the Ruger website.

The Ruger Tactical Tips videos are several minutes in length, and will be published during the coming weeks and months. The first video on mental preparation is already available on the Ruger site.

Dave Spaulding is a retired law enforcement officer with more than 28 years of experience in patrol, investigations, SWAT, undercover operations and training. Spaulding takes a no-nonsense approach to firearms training, which I appreciate a great deal.

We previously reviewed Dave Spaulding’s Defensive Living book here.

Categories : Training

Tags : Dave Spaulding, Ruger, Tactical Tips, Training, video

LaserLyte Introduces the Laser Trainer Pro

By Richard on August 27, 2009 3 Comments

laserlyte_trainer3 LaserLyte introduced a new training laser: the LaserLyte Laser Trainer Pro. In a nutshell, this device adjusts to fit the barrels of most handguns. Once inserted into the barrel, the device will flash a laser each time it “hears” the hammer fall.

The idea is you would use this device while dry firing to make sure that you are properly exercising the fundamentals of accurate shooting (especially trigger control) and the bullets would have gone where you thought they would have. If the laser shines someplace different than where you were aiming, then you know something is off, and you can set about correcting your shooting.

In a time when ammo is both scarce and expensive, this little device could be valuable for anyone who practices with dry firing. See the video below for a demonstration of how the Laser Trainer Pro works. Read More…

Categories : Misc Gear, Training

Tags : laser, LaserLyte, Trainer Pro

Intruder Response Training from Strategos International

By Richard on April 2, 2009 2 Comments

Virginia Tech, Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, Kirkwood City Hall, and Columbine, are just a few names of the churches, schools and workplaces that should be places of refuge, comfort, and learning, but instead are associated with violent acts. Two million Americans face violence in their workplace annually with 1,000 losing their lives. Extremist behavior, hate crimes, and violence associated with big cities are now within the boundaries of small towns and neighborhoods we call home. Over 50% of Active Shooting incidents occur in cities with populations of less than 10,000. In response to the demands of church officials, school administrations, and workplace management, Strategos International, LLC, has developed Intruder Response Training programs specific for each vulnerable environment. Read More…

Categories : Self-Defense Issues, Training

Tags : church shooting, Intruder Response, school shooting, Strategos, Training

Gun Gifts: Christmas Shopping Ideas For The Firearms Enthusiast In Your Life

By Richard on December 12, 2008 1 Comments

Trying to figure out what to buy the gun-guy or -gal in your life for Christmas? Here are a few ideas:

Less Than $20

In the Gravest Extreme, Stressfire, and the The Gun Digest Book Of Concealed Carry are all excellent books written by Massad Ayoob. I highly recommend each of them. Another very good book for someone interested in self protection is Armed Response: A Comprehensive Guide to Using Firearms for Self-Defense by David Kenick, which I reviewed here.

Most ammunition can be purchased for less than $20/box. For a single box, your local dealer is probably the best vendor. For a larger quantity or for harder to find calibers, an online vendor like Natchez Shooters Supply, AmmoMan, or Midway USA is the best bet.

Speaking of ammunition, quality AR-15 magazines can still be had for less than $20. My favorites are the Bownells with the Magpul anti-tilt followers, but I also like the Magpul PMAG polymer magazines. Brownells is shipping as quickly as they come in, so if you order ASAP, they will likely be shipped before Christmas.

Bore brushes, cleaning patches, solvents, and oils are always needed and a good idea as a stocking stuffer.

Less Than $50

A NRA membership is perhaps the most important gun-related gift anyone can give this year. $25 includes a magazine of your choice plus all of the standard benefits such as firearms insurance, life insurance, legislative updates, and much more.

Handgun magazines are a useful gift. (The metal/poymer kind, not the paper mailed to you monthly kind.) With the run on all-things-gun, certain magazines, such as the Glock, have gotten more expensive ($25-30 tyically), but almost all common hangun magazines can be had for $35 or less.

More Than $50

A high intensity flashlight such as the inexpensive SureFire G2 Defender or the ultra-compact SureFire E1E are excellent choices for tactical lighting.

If your someone special owns a J-frame Smith and Wesson revolver, the Crimson Trace LG-405 Overmold Grips are an excellent purchase! Trust me, you surprise your significant other with a set of these, things are very good on Christmas morning!

While an AR-15 is certainly more sexy, the ubiquitous .22 rimfire rifle is a fun rifle to shoot plus it is inexpensive to purchase and keep fed with rimfire ammo. Nearly every rifle maker has at least one .22 rimfire in their line. Ruger’s 10-22 is pretty much the gold standard, but I really like the inexpensive, tube fed Marlin 60, which can be had for less than $150 at your local dealer or even WalMart.

Price Is No Object

If price is not a consideration, a trip to Gunsite or Lethal Force Institute is one of the best Christmas gifts you can give. Nothing beats professional training, and these schools are the best at what they do.

Categories : Ammunition, Books, General Information, Misc Gear, NRA, Pistols, Revolvers, Rifles, Self-Defense Issues, Shotguns, Training

Tags : Ammunition, Christmas gift, firearm, gun, second amendment

FNH USA and NRA join forces to offer Women’s Wilderness Escape in July 2008

By Richard on April 29, 2008 No Comments

FNH USA is sponsoring the NRA Women’s Wilderness Escape scheduled for July 16-24, 2008 at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico. The event is described as a nine-day “get away” opportunity to experience the softer side of firearm education with an exposure to a wide variety of shooting sports activities and an array of enticing hunting and outdoor related activities.

FNH USA will provide many of the firearms used in the program – including semi-automatic pistols, carbines and long-range rifles – as well as providing an FN tactical light and cleaning kit for each participant to use during the event. Ben Voss, of FNH USA, will serve as lead rifle instructor and Jack McMillan will serve on the pistol range and as lead instructor for the long range rifle event.

Participants will learn to shoot rifle silhouette, scoped/tactical carbine, long-range high power rifle, conventional and tactical pistol, historic firearms, shotgun, and archery. Other activities include game calling, orienteering, survival training, Refuse To Be A Victim® Seminar, NRA Wild Turkey Hunter Clinic, Laser Shot (shooting simulator) and a unique day of cowboy action shooting in Coal Canyon. Participants may even spend a night under the Rocky Mountain stars if the weather is favorable. Women attending the Wilderness Escape will be guided by some of the most skilled firearms instructors and outdoor specialists in the country.

For more information, visit http://www.nrahq.org/women/wilderness_escape.asp.

Categories : NRA, Training

Tags : FNH, NRA, Women's Wilderness Escape

U.S. Concealed Carry Association: The Ultimate Resource for the Armed Citizen

By Richard on March 26, 2008 2 Comments

The U.S. Concealed Carry Association is an organization founded by Tim Schmidt to address the unique needs and concerns of law abiding U.S. citizens exercising their rights to carry a firearm for self defense.

The USCCA professes to be “the ultimate resource for the law-abiding, armed citizen.” With a library of articles on the website, an active member forum, a full color magazine, a weekly e-mail newsletter, and a store featuring training videos and more, the USCCA certainly goes a long way to back up that claim.

Part of your membership includes “Concealed Carry Magazine.” Concealed Carry Magazine is a full color, glossy magazine published by USCCA eight times each year. The magazine features product reviews, profiles of regular people who carry a concealed firearm, and plenty of practical training information. Unlike some of the newsstand gun magazines, the product reviews are honest, you can really relate to the people interviewed, and the tactics and training relate to the average citizen carrying a gun for self defense (not some tacti-cool SWAT tactics).

The website features an active member forum, which can be quite lively at times. Also on the site are member classified ads, informative articles, and a complete archive of all of the past Concealed Carry Magazine issues in PDF files.

The e-mail newsletter is also informative combining editorial pieces, product reviews, brief training tips, and other interesting information.

USCCA is a good organization for the armed citizen. I am a member and wholeheartedly recommend membership.

Categories : Concealed Carry, Second Amendment Issues, Self-Defense Issues, Training

Tags : armed citizen, CCW, self defense, USCCA

Dry Fire: Improves Your Trigger Control and Smooths the Trigger

By Richard on January 31, 2008 1 Comments

One of the best things a person can do to improve their ability to shoot a handgun is to dry fire.

Dry fire practice allows you to concentrate on sight alignment and your trigger control without having to be at the range or spending money on ammunition. As they say, perfect practice makes perfect, and dry firing allows you to perfectly practice trigger control and sight alignment.

There is a lot of concern about damaging the firing pin on a gun when dry firing. I have dry fired thousands of times with a variety of revolvers and autoloaders. To date not a single problem. Nor have I ever met anyone who broke a firing pin while dry firing. If you are concerned, no problem, buy some Snap Caps.

RangeMaster is a range, gun store, and training school in Tennessee that offers excellent firearms and tactics training from instructors that include Tom Givens and Jim Higginbotham. On their website, they have a series of dry fire training exercises. Just click the ‘dry fire drills’ link on the left side of their web page and follow the instructions.

The main objective of dry firing is to improve your shooting skills. The fantastic side benefit is you also improve the quality of the trigger pull. As you repeatedly work the trigger, you end up smoothing the pull much like a stream wears a rock smooth. I’ve got a Smith and Wesson Model 10 revolver that has a double action trigger pull that is as smooth as glass from all of the dry firing I have done with that gun.

Just remember: safety first! Make sure the gun is unloaded and only dry fire in a safe area where you are not pointing the gun at anything (your TV for example) that you would rather not shoot…just in case you failed to pull that round out of the chamber.

Categories : Training

Tags : dry fire, firearms training, practice, shooting, trigger, trigger control

Armed Response: A Comprehensive Guide to Using Firearms for Self Defense by David Kenick

By Richard on January 18, 2008 No Comments

One of the books I got for Christmas this year was Armed Response: A Comprehensive Guide to Using Firearms for Self-Defense. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. I found the writing style kept my interest and the content was well researched.

Armed Response is an excellent book that introduces the reader to the use of firearms in self-defense. The author, David Kenik, does a superb job in discussing the relevant issues in self-defense and the carrying of a firearm.

Kenik starts off the book with the Misconception of Police Protection. While some readers may be startled by such a statement, the fact is simply that the police cannot be everywhere, protecting everyone at all times. If they could, there wouldn’t be any crime. However, the majority of the public has the notion that the police will protect them. The reality is that people have to survive long enough for the police to arrive.

As radio host Tom Gresham says “When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.”

Massad Ayoob explains in the forward “…[Kenik] is being frank…law enforcement is necessarily reactive… If there is a crime of violence, the potential victim needs the wherewithal to stop the deadly danger and stabilize the scene until [the police] can get to the scene and do their job.”

Once Kenik discusses the need of the individual citizen to be an active participant in his or her own survival, he moves into the practical areas of self-defense and the use of firearms. Chapters include information on the reasonable use of force, body alarm reaction (the fight or flight reflex), action/reaction, Tueller Drill, safe gun handling, malfunction drills, reloading drills, realistic shooting practice, holster selection, back-up guns, post-shooting actions, and
much more.

Armed Response is a great book for any citizen considering the purchase of a firearm and for the officer starting out their career. I highly recommend it.

Categories : Books, Training

Tags : Armed Response, book review

In The Gravest Extreme by Massad Ayoob: Great Self Defense Book for Anyone Who Owns Owns a Gun for Home Protection or Concealed Carry

By Richard on December 28, 2007 2 Comments

In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection is a phenomenal book written by police training expert Massad F. Ayoob.

Massad F. Ayoob In The Gravest Extreme gun self defense Ayoob wrote this book as an introduction to the defensive use of firearms. Ayoob discusses the legal implications and practical aspects of owning and using a firearm for self defense. Although this is not a book to teach you to be an expert with a firearm, In the Gravest Extreme is one of the best first steps anyone can take to learn to defend themselves.

The book is written to a broad general audience. The information that Ayoob provides is equally useful to the armed citizen and the sworn law enforcement officer.

I often find myself in discussions with other citizens in my city regarding self-defense and the use of force. I try to offer them a broad understanding of the use of force as it applies in my state. I always suggest they read this book.

Massad Ayoob has distinguished himself as a master trainer, marksman, and writer. I have found all of his work to be worth every penny. Without hesitation, I recommend In the Gravest Extreme to anyone owns or is thinking about buying a firearm for self protection.

Categories : Books, Concealed Carry, Training

Tags : concealed carry, firearms, Massad Ayoob, police, Training

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