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

Good information for any of you looking to start using a red dot on your pistol.

A fun shooting drill to try. I ran it a couple times last week. That one-inch square is rough to hit when you are moving fast.

Quality information about eyeglass features that are useful for shooters.

What I’m reading…

A very unconventional look at one of the key issues regarding leadership in all aspects of life.

An excellent article detailing why some loads have larger flash than others. It’s tough to tell how much muzzle flash your defensive load creates when you only shoot in the daytime. Get out at dusk, or turn off the lights in your range so that you can get a better idea about how much flash you may be creating.

Important guidance for this holiday weekend.

Besides volume and cadence, you should also listen for whistling sounds. Gun shots don’t whistle.

Look upward and see if you can view aerial fireworks going off. If more people actually looked outside after hearing popping noises, we wouldn’t get as many false gunshot calls around Independence Day.

Options for low recoiling shotgun shells. Two cautions…They may not cycle your semi-auto shotgun. They also perform very poorly against intermediate barriers in a defensive setting. I would not carry low recoil buckshot or slugs if I was planning on having to shoot into a car.

How to break your smartphone addiction.

“If you want to fly your “gang colors” as a gun carrier (and if we’re being honest, that’s exactly what they are: a way for members of a tribe to signal to each other that the general public doesn’t immediately catch) go for it. But don’t think that advertising yourself as such is going to help de-select you. “

Unfortunately, these myths are far more prevalent than one would ever expect.

If you haven’t had professional training (your CCW class doesn’t count), you probably don’t know how to properly grip a handgun. This article will help.

This happens with astonishing regularity. I hate to say it, but the majority of police firearms instructors are not trained in how to safely conduct and manage force on force training scenarios. My cop friends should pay very close attention to established safety protocols before participating in such exercises. As a civilian, if you are ever invited to participate in such a training scenario by your local PD, I would strongly urge you to abstain.

If you are carrying in a pocket, should you be packing a revolver or an autopistol?

More people should be asking themselves this question…

“What exactly are you qualified to do?”

Caleb Causey is my hero! In this article, he addresses the single most frustrating issue I have to deal with in my medical classes…survivalist wannabes who think that tampons are the best treatment for gunshot wounds. They aren’t. Caleb, your next assignment is to do an article about why cauterizing wounds with gunpowder and fire isn’t recommended. I think people have spent too much time watching Rambo movies!

Speaking of medical issues, here is a good equipment list for a home medical kit for treatment of a normal sized family in the event that professional medical care isn’t available. You’ll also want to read about his IFAK first aid kit list.

Don’t forget about dental emergencies either.

For any of you who “don’t have time to work out.”

The comply/resist decision is one of the most important decisions you can make in a violent encounter.

Grant’s advice is 100% accurate. He also has written one of the more sane prepper books on the market.

The comparison between gun ownership and car ownership isn’t a good one.

Are you prepared for this? A woman attempts to kidnap two children at the Atlanta airport. Watch the story. What would you have done differently?

Playing tug-of-war with your child as a rope is less than an ideal solution. I think Dad should have escalated to strikes in this scenario.

Remember, you are in an airport. Do you have any tools? Even in the secure area of the airport, I have my flashlight as an impact weapon. A couple smashes to the kidnapper’s face would have likely solved the problem.

Some excellent downloadable targets for home printing here.

Some of you might want to re-think your retirement strategy…

“In a nutshell, by putting in 10 more ‘hard’ years, after the age of 55, you could potentially forfeit 20 years of your Retirement. Or saying it differently, for every year you work beyond the age of 55, on average one forfeits two years of life span.”

Royce Gracie won the very first Ultimate Fighting Championship and popularized Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the United States. I’ve trained with him a couple times and graduated from both his basic and advanced law enforcement instructor training classes. Read what he has to say about gun ownership. At one time, he was one of the most highly skilled fighters on the planet. Why would he need a gun?

“What if there’s more than one person? What if the adversary is armed? If it’s just one guy who’s not armed, yeah, I can take care of him. But what if he pulls a gun? What if there’s more than one attacker and they have knives? What happens if there’s a terrorist attack? I’ve got a mentality that I’m going to try to stop an attack no matter what, but if he’s got a gun, that’s suicidal if I’m not armed. Also, if a criminal is attacking other people, it’s not always feasible for even someone with my skills to stop that attack without a firearm.

Attackers aren’t going to make it a fair fight. They launch surprise assaults; they try to take you out to get to your family or your property. It’s not the octagon. There’s no referee. And if he pulls a weapon, he’s not just trying to fight me—he’s trying to kill me. At that point, you’d be crazy to try to go hand to hand. I have a gun to defend myself if the situation escalates like that.”

An account of some female spree killers. Did you know that one of the first modern-day school shootings in America was committed by a woman?

Here are some more interesting statistics about mass murderers.

After some long flights and drives last week, I am finally getting caught up on all my podcasts. This one, featuring my friend Dave Spaulding, is exceptionally valuable. I agree with Dave and the hosts on the topic of newer shooters being completely unfamiliar with what has been taught in the past and how gunfighting doctrine has evolved over the years. This lack of context will be detrimental to the development of new shooters and instructors.

Another excellent podcast well worth your listen is Michael Bane’s take on why one might want to be armed in remote areas (or anywhere else).

The articles included in this month’s edition will broaden your perspective concerning a lot of training-related subjects.

Some of the above links (from Amazon.com) are affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn a small percentage of the sale price from qualifying purchases. It does not cost you any money.

If you would like to further support my work, head over to my Patreon page.