Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.

A recent robbery trend that you should be aware of.

A very deep dive into the issue of whether the use of SSRI anti-depressants increase the rate of violence among the people using them. It’s true. A lot of active killers were taking SSRIs before or during the attack. The real issue comes down to the chicken or the egg. Which came first?

It’s possible that the drugs caused the violence. It’s also possible that violent and mentally ill people are regularly prescribed SSRI medications. It could just be the fact that the people who commit a lot of these atrocities have mental issues for which they’ve unsuccessfully tried to seek treatment. The patient’s underlying condition for which he is seeking treatment might be the root cause of the desire to kill lots of people. It may have nothing whatsoever to do with the drugs the killer is taking.

Why gun knowledge is useful. I cover this tactic in my close quarters shooting classes. If the 12 gauge shell actually fired in that plastic flare gun, it would have blown up in the dude’s hand. Anyone within 10 feet would be getting fragments of the pistol, shot, and shell.

I’ve had one melanoma removed. I had another likely melanoma cut off last week (pending lab results). I’ve had four different basal cell carcinomas removed. Even though I’ve been diagnosed with several different cancerous lesions caused by the sun, I still try to get daily sun exposure if I can. I think the benefits of sun exposure outweigh the risks.

“When we combine the estimated number of annual diagnoses for the cancers I just mentioned in the US, we get a staggering figure: 1,071,000. What about melanoma? 76,100. Incredible, huh? Getting adequate amounts of ultraviolet radiation (scary!) may very well reduce the incidence of cancers that are afflicting over a million Americans each year.

Even if the dermatologists and sun alarmists are right and melanoma risk increases linearly with sun exposure and ultraviolet availability, the protection we get against so many other cancers (and the tan, and the sublime feeling of the sun on your skin) might make the tradeoff worth it. That’s clearly, objectively true, at least on the population level. Melanoma just isn’t as large an absolute threat as the totality of other cancers.”

Only about 1% of CCW licensees take a training class beyond their initial CCW certification. That’s sad. Many of those people feel intimidated and are scared at the thought of failing.

This author was not. Even with minimal gun knowledge and the fact that she is a black female in an industry where relatively few of the students look like her, she stepped up and took an advanced class.

Since the class she wrote about, she has also taken my Extreme Close Quarters shooting class, my TDI Impact weapons class, and my knife class.

Be more like Candy. Step out of your comfort zone. Take a class. You might even like it.

Ernest Langdon explains the basics of making the double action shot in this video. I’ve trained with him and can attest to the validity of his advice. I’ve seen him make some pretty amazing shots with a Beretta DA auto.

Continuing on the topic of fear, this is the latest book I’m reading. A lot of you instructors might find it valuable.

Lots of gun owners fail to understand that they are far more likely to be involved in a physical altercation than a gunfight. Having a holster that will retain your pistol while fighting with someone is critical. This performance is sub optimal.

A good list here. Two other pieces of advice from me:

1) Combining Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and Acetaminophen (Tylenol) will provide the best OTC pain relief. Some medical studies (in fracture patients) showed this combination of 800mg Ibuprofen and 1000 mg of Acetaminophen (taken every 8 hours) produced pain relief equal to or better than taking Vicodin or Lortab (hydrocodone).

2) Add some OTC caffeine pills (200mg) to your emergency supplies. They are useful if you have to stay up later than normal or remain alert at night. They also help with combating caffeine withdrawal if you can’t get your morning coffee. A slow tapering dose of daily caffeine pills will prevent all the annoying side effects present in caffeine withdrawal.

Some good information about fighting when in the presence of your kids.

I get lots of questions about the 9mm Ruger LCR. While I don’t own one personally, they seem to be good guns. I haven’t seen any problems other than the bullets “walking” out of the cases during recoil. This article describes the issues and discusses some remediation tactics.

Why I don’t like the gunpowder-powered pepper spray “blasters” available on the market. They dramatically increase the risk for injuries like this one.

If you are a cop who carries pepper spray on duty, are you aware of the “hydraulic needle effect?” That’s what happened here. The chemical didn’t cause damage, it was the force of the spray itself that tore the eye tissue. It’s uncommon, but it happens. The best way to avoid it is to have at least three feet of separation between your spray canister and the suspect’s eyes. If you haven’t been taught how to do this, your training has been inadequate. Don’t end up facing a jury like the cop in this story.

Excellent commentary on a road rage incident out of China. It highlights the importance of staying out of such entanglements. In this one a car drove into a bike lane and hit a bicyclist. The driver of the car then attacked the cyclist with a machete. He dropped the blade. The cyclist picked it up and killed him with it.

The article also has an interesting discussion about the laws of self defense in other countries. Most people are unprepared for that reality.

You should also read Wim’s classic article 8 Self-defense tips for men.

This is article is full of frightening statistics. Can you imagine the implications this data has for the future of health care costs?

What baffles me most is this data point:

“83 percent of millennials think they are in ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ health.”

Walk around at a public event. Look at the other people there. Would you say 83% are in good or excellent health? Not even close.

It’s one thing to be fat or unhealthy. You can change those conditions if you want to. It’s something completely different to be fat and unhealthy and believe that you are fit and healthy.

Denial will bite you hard.

With that said, it’s not my problem. At 46, I am healthier, stronger, and fitter than I was at 27. Don’t believe the narrative. You can change your reality.

The knife jab is a very useful technique that should be in your arsenal.

I’ve never been a fan of the practice of open carrying a defensive handgun in the presence of other people. The open carriers I’ve encountered have been almost universally either using the gun to appear tougher than they really are, or because they are attention-seeking idiots who want to be noticed. I think this picture falls solidly into motivation number two: “Look at Me!”

The article suggests that, should you encounter someone like this, you should give them some words of wisdom.

“Don’t be afraid to help your community. Conversations calling folks out on egregious errors like this might be uncomfortable, but it’s decidedly less uncomfortable than a bullet in the armpit.”

I disagree. These people aren’t “your community.” They aren’t carrying their guns in this manner to be better able to defend themselves and their families. They are carrying to feel like a badass or just to garner attention. Why do you think they would care about your tactical advice when they aren’t carrying the gun for any tactical purpose?

I say let them continue to carry in ridiculous ways. Their actions serve as a very recognizable warning signal telling you to keep far away. You don’t want to be around this person under any circumstances. By ignoring their childish behavior and getting far away from their idiocy, you’ve saved yourself lots of future frustration.

Friends don’t let friends open carry.

A comprehensive look at the school shooting statistics in the United States since 1970.

Everyone needs to understand the article’s final paragraph:

“These shootings have been carried out by all sorts of people from students to total strangers,” Mr. Reidman said. “They’ve happened in any part of the country and they’ve happened for just about every reason, and that makes prevention very difficult. There can’t be any one single or simple solution that’s going to address this problem.”

Any school safety plans should be multi-faceted and designed to identify and interdict a killer before he acts. If those systems fail, then we will need a speedy response from armed individuals to stop the killing as quickly as possible.

Your vehicle is a powerful weapon. Have you trained to use it as such?

I’ve written before about the dangers of these “Red Flag” laws. Without consequences to deter a falsified report, these laws will likely be abused by those who are anti-gun. If nothing happens to you when you make a fake report that the neighbor you hate is a danger to himself or others, why wouldn’t you just make up a narrative to harass your enemies?

Scroll down to the May 1, 2019 entry at the link above. Read John Farnam’s advice on the topic. I think his 10-point action plan should be adopted en masse by gun owners across the nation.

Thanks to Michael Bane for mentioning this article on his recent podcast episode.

It’s a lot easier to hit your target if you can see those bumpy things on the top of your gun.

All of you who carry in the appendix position should try a wedge like this. It pushes the butt of the gun tighter into your belly, making for better concealment. Spencer Keepers has done the most to highlight the advantages of this holster modification. It’s a brilliant idea and works well.

If your AIWB doesn’t have a wedge, Dark Star Gear has created this aftermarket wedge that can be Velcro attached to any AIWB kydex holster. It’s much nicer than improvising by using a gel shoe insert.

Here’s what DSG owner Tom Kelley has to say about his product:

“Folks have been DIY’ng pads of all sorts for some time. It made its way to the Garritty Invictus and then more widespread into the kydex aiwb market around the time I started, (2009). There have been a few people to pick up and offer them but they’re all cut foam. That works fine but there are some drawbacks, durability and moisture absorption are the worst of them. A closed cell injection molded foam stands the best chance at fighting both while actually being a finished product. The latter matters more to me than it should to anyone else, I want my products to be “finished” and the easier alternative doesn’t do that well enough for my liking.”

A valuable article that shows you how to fix your screwed up screws.

An incredibly informative piece about what you should do before your next shooting class. Dave mentions a personal pet peeve of mine…unloaded magazines. Load your magazines before class. If I have a class of 20 students, 15 of them will show up with pre-filled magazines. The other five students will waste an enormous amount of class time to fill their magazines while the other students and I wait.

Your are going to a shooting class. You will have to shoot. That demands magazines full of ammo. Don’t waste your instructor’s time. Load your shit the night before class.

A three-stage shooting drill to test your proficiency at your next range training session.

Hock’s thoughts on chokes and strangles are worth your time to read.

My friend Michael Bane is in the process of completely redesigning his website. I think it looks great and contains a massive amount of useful information. I’m not much of a “video guy.” I prefer the written word. I’m excited to see Michael increasing his blogging on the new site. Check it out and put it on your regular reading/viewing list.

One of the many reasons why gun control will never be effective at reducing gun violence. What people don’t understand is that making these “zip guns” isn’t the ultimate goal of the criminal. He knows that this isn’t the ideal weapon to carry. This is simply a way to get something better. If I can make a zip gun with a metal pipe and a nail, I can use it to ambush a cop or soldier at close range. Now I’ve got all his guns and gear. Repeat as necessary.

If you have any Magtech 5.56mm ammo, check your lot numbers.

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