The CNN Spin on DC versus Heller

From time to time, I like to highlight what "the other side" is saying about the Second Amendment and gun ownership rights.  And this CNN video is about as "other side" as it gets when it comes to gun rights and the attitudes expressed by those who are ignorant about the reason for gun rights or just hate guns that much.

Although this video is from almost 7 years ago, it highlights what gun owners are up against when it comes to the interpretation of the right to keep and bear arms.  Leave it to CNN to inject their own interpretation into the wording and interpretation of the 2008 Supreme Court DC versus Heller ruling and even the wording of the Second Amendment itself.  It always seems that those who don't understand the Second Amendment or who have a blatant agenda to severely limit or even do away with gun ownership in this country, twist words and meaning to suit that agenda.

This Writer's Opinion: The Founding Fathers made it clear in their language when they wrote the Second Amendment that the citizenry had an absolutely individual right (and responsibility) to keep and bear arms.  The "militia" clause simply meant that all able-bodied citizens make up the militia, and "well regulated" simply means that these same citizens should be well trained in the use of firearms.  And according to several constitutional and second amendment scholars and lawyers, the founders agreed to this very opinion.  The Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting, as many today will often claim.  The Second Amendment is all about an individual right to self-defense, whether that defense is from a criminal or a tyrannical government entity.

The same opinions expressed by CNN in this video are still being expressed today.  It is important for all of us to be sure that we are aware of what is being said by both sides of the argument, and then being able to articulate facts and truth.  Stay active in Second Amendment issues.  Attend rallies, gun rights events, city council meetings, and town hall events with your representatives.  Don't be afraid to question them on their stances and express your opinions.  But most important of all, VOTE!  Supporting and electing good Second Amendment friendly candidates is crucial to our ability to maintain our rights and our heritage.

And in Other News...

SCOTUS Contemplating Case Regarding Unconstitutional Bans...:

I always get excitedly optimistic but at the same time a little worried when the Supreme Court decides to take up a gun rights case.  Given the current makeup of the Supreme Court, I lean more on the optimistic side in hopes that SCOTUS will again maintain the opinion that not only is the Second Amendment an individual right but also rule that it is a right that protects firearms and firearm accessories in common use, as the framers intended.  But these rulings can go either way, which will influence the way that states and municipalities make or modify their laws.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed in hopes that SCOTUS rules correctly on this matter.

You can find out more information about the Worman versus Healey case that is discussed in this video.  Click on the various "Main Document" links there to read the Amicus (friend of the court) briefs filed by the various organizations for this case.  You can also stay up on Second Amendment news and get some great gear reviews by subscribing to The Guns and Gadgets Channel.

Training

Trigger Finger Isolation Drill:

This week's drill is another good one from The Tactical Rifleman Channel.  Trigger finger placement has a huge influence on where the shots land.  Too far across the trigger, or too shallow, and your trigger finger could possibly throw your point-of-aim/point-of-impact relationship off and your shots will not go where they were intended.  As they show in the video, this drill is done very close to the target into a 1-inch by 1-inch square.  As you can see in the video, a slight error at this distance will be greatly magnified at farther distances.

This drill can be done in a dry fire environment using the LASR App software, but then should be done in the range under live fire to get a feel for actual recoil and trigger press from the pistol that you are carrying with or shooting in competition.  My competition pistol and my daily carry pistol are two different guns, so I practice this drill with both. Practice putting your trigger finger at different positions to find the best spot.  Once you have found the ideal trigger finger placement, practice over and over until you build up good muscle memory.

The link for the target used in this drill is here:  https://instructorzee.com/targets-%26-stuff.  This target can be programmed into the LASR App software as well so that you can see how the various trigger finger placements affect the actual point of impact on the target.  Then when you think you have found your proper trigger finger placement, go to the range and practice under live fire to confirm.



Shameless Commercial Plug:

For more information about the LASR App Training System that you can use to set up this drill in a dry fire environment, see my LASR App page and receive a discount when using my discount code.

To receive a 10% discount on Live Fire Drill Cards, a shooter's training log and some great training ideas visit Burnett LFDC!

Say “Gun Lobby” One More Time…

I DARE you!  I DOUBLE DARE you!  Seems I always hear the same old worn out talking points from the usual gun-control suspects about how our lawmakers are in bed with the so-called “Gun Lobby.”  Every time someone opposes the new gun control legislation, the gun control crowd is all up in arms (pun intended) about how the “Gun Lobby” is controlling everything.  When the NRA or one of the other gun rights groups gives money to support a pro-Second Amendment candidate’s campaign, it is always the corrupt “Gun Lobby” that is the root of all this evil.  The people spewing this nonsense somehow think that the “Gun Lobby” ONLY supports and is beholding to big business and manufacturers.  Or maybe they think the “Gun Lobby” is in the pocket of some cabal with no regard for the fact that actual people just want to protect and enjoy their rights.  Basically, when the people in gun grabber land don’t get their way, it’s resistance to the evil “Gun Lobby” that becomes their battle cry. 

 “OMG!  The ‘Gun Lobby’ just gave $500 thousand dollars to Senator Smith’s campaign.”

“This is outrageous!  The ‘Gun Lobby’ gave $200 thousand dollars to help defeat our latest gun control measure.”

“Congressman Carson is in bed with the ‘Gun Lobby.’  That is so corrupt that he would take money from a special interest!”

“The ‘Gun Lobby’ is raising millions of dollars to oppose ‘common sense’ gun regulations.”

“This is sad!  The ‘Gun Lobby’ is responsible for the mass shooting that just occurred…”

Evidently, these people don’t realize that the Second Amendment is an enumerated individual right in the U.S. Constitution.  Nor do they realize that these gun rights groups are huge and active because of their large citizen memberships.

I apologize that I can’t write this post in crayon so that those who don’t get it can understand.  But this so-called “Gun Lobby” of which the gun control crowd speaks, The National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, National Association for Gun Rights, Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, and a whole host of others, is made up of over five million American Citizens!  That’s right!  We The People are members and make up the body of this so-called “Gun Lobby.”  We are members of these organizations because we are up against very rich and powerful people who oppose gun rights, and we know that the only way that we can win is to join together in a unified voice, and leverage the political and legal clout of these gun rights organizations to help preserve our RIGHTS. 

We pay dues and give donations to these organizations with the full expectation that they will use their muscle on our behalf to help elect pro-Second Amendment candidates, and strongly oppose draconian gun control measures.  So if you are going to claim that the so-called “Gun Lobby” is giving money to these efforts, then my response is: “You’re darn right they are!”  They are doing exactly what We The People, We The Members, and We The CITIZENS are paying them to do.  They are doing their JOB!

Oh, and by the way, the “Gun Lobby” does not cause any of these mass shootings for which the “Gun Lobby” seems to get the blame.  Those are done by sick and broken INDIVIDUALS.  And it’s funny: practically none of these mass murderers are ever NRA members.  Imagine that!

Not that any in the gun control culture will acknowledge these truths, or admit to their own hypocrisy.

"Evil" Rifle Features - Hand Grips

Why am I showing a video of rifles being modified to comply with California gun laws? Because with all the new talk about gun control, California is being looked at as the model for gun laws for the rest of the country. The sheer nonsense and poorly thought-out reasoning of all this is likely coming to a state/city near you, so I wanted to use their example to give you a preview of things to come. California is the home of some of the most Draconian and worthless gun laws in the nation, but it's not surprising that other states, in their haste to "do something," would quickly adapt their model.
There are various accounts in gun control lore about California Senator Diane Feinstein deciding what types of guns to try to ban simply by picking up a gun magazine and circling all the pictures of guns that had "scary" or "evil' features. Adjustable/foldable stocks, pistol grips, flash hiders, forward grips, detachable magazines, and even the infamous "barrel shroud" are all "features" of what she calls an "assault weapon" and all seem to make the gun more "shootier" to her. So she wants to ban these features. Actually, she wants to ban ALL guns. But that pesky U.S. Constitution keeps getting in the way.
“If I could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States, for an outright ban, picking up every one of them (every gun) Mr. and Mrs. America, turn ‘em all in. I would have done it.” - Diane Feinstein 
First off, these laws concerning firearms configuration are "engineered" by people who know nothing about firearms or firearms safety and are simply reacting to the fact that firearms are "scary" looking.  This is simply more of the "we gotta do SOMETHING" mentality, even if that something is meaningless or even dangerous.
The fact of the matter is that some of these modifications are just downright dangerous to the operator and those around him/her.  Things like certain handgrip modifications that make it easier to drop a rifle or fixed magazine modifications that make it more dangerous to clear certain types of firearms malfunctions all lend themselves to situations where people can get seriously hurt.  I'm not sure who the "experts" are that these people obtained when dreaming up these things, but I assure you that they just didn't think them through.  But I will discuss some of these modifications in more depth in separate posts.
So in this particular video, which mainly discusses "featureless rifles" and in particular different hand grips.  The issue with the handgrip, according to people like Diane Feinstein, is that it allows you to shoot the rifle "from the hip."  Really, Diane?  Is that your concern here? And I always thought that properly holding the rifle in a secure and safe manner would be a primary concern.  I want you to notice in this video how some of these grips just don't allow the operator to securely hold the rifle.  Dropping rifles is not what I call a safe practice.
If you don't have time to watch the whole video right now, at the very least, go to 12:55 in this video to listen to what Chris has to say about some of these ridiculous laws, and how they only penalize the law abiding.  Criminals and those with evil in their heart who want to shoot up Christmas parties, concerts, churches, or schools will not be following these laws.
Stay tuned for more information and more in-depth articles.  And stay involved!  Here in Colorado, we have a new legislative session coming up, not to mention the 2018 elections.  Now is not the time to go back to sleep.

Armor Concepts

Defensive Pistol Tactical Training Styles

Over the years, I have had the good fortune to train with a wide variety of firearms and tactical instructors, and have learned efficient and effective gun-handling techniques from each and every one of them.  The instructors that I have worked with and trained under include law enforcement, SWAT Team Leaders, NRA civilian instructors, a former Navy SEAL, and even a former Army Delta Operator.  Each has their own style, and each has preferences for things such as stance, grip, front-sight focusing techniques, ready positions, malfunction clearing, and how to rack a slide. 

While one Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team who instructed in one of my classes was a proponent of the over-hand method for racking a slide, the Delta guy was a big fan of the “pinch” method.  The SEAL taught us the high compressed ready position for moving about and looking for threats, while many of the Army guys I trained with were taught the SUL position.  Most all NRA civilian instructors that I know teach the “tap, rack, bang” method for dealing with malfunctions, while the SEAL taught us the SPIR (Slap, Pull, Inspect, Release), then assess for threats method.  Rob Pincus, a law enforcement, and Personal Defense Network instructor teaches a point shooting method for aiming at a target that does not involve front sight focus at all, while many other law enforcement and NRA instructors I have worked with insist on front-site focus all the time.  And the Israeli instructors seem to teach completely different methods for everything all together.

The great value of receiving training from people who all do things differently is that you get to experience different techniques and hear different perspectives about what worked for them and their teams.  But at the end of the day, you need to find out what works best for YOU, and what will make you a better shooter and (should the worst happen) a winning gun-fighter.  So a few tips that I have learned over the years that have helped me: 

1. Go into the training with an open mind and a willingness to perform to the techniques being taught.
   
   
2. Practice what is being taught and HOW it is being taught by that particular instructor.  
   
   
3. Try (at least for that moment) to forget what has been taught in previous classes, and be willing to learn a new way of doing things.
     
4. Then, be able to pull everything back together and reflect afterward on what you have learned from a variety of people to put together your own menu of options that you will put into your personal training routine.

These are perishable skills.  Each technique requires constant practice for the buildup of muscle memory needed in order to master them.  The problem is that when you go into training that teaches a different technique than you’ve already learned, you will have a tendency to use what you are already practiced in and familiar with.  So don’t take it personally when the new instructor corrects you into doing it the way that is being taught in THEIR class.  The purpose of learning new things is to find out what works for you and what doesn’t.  You actually have to cheerfully accept the discipline that comes with these corrections to practice the movements in order see if the tools they are teaching to you are things that you want to (or even can) put into your own toolbox.

  

There is no law that says that when you pick your techniques that you only have to pick ALL of the techniques from only ONE particular class or instructor.  In other words, just because you learned something that works best for you from one instructor, it does not mean that you have to use ALL of the techniques from THAT instructor and not any of the others.  For example, I prefer the SPIR malfunction clearing methods that I learned from the SEAL over the tap/rack/bang method that the NRA people teach.  I alternate between the “pinch” and “overhand” slide rack techniques, depending on the necessity of the situation and arthritis in my hands.  I practice both.  The holster draw that I learned from the Delta guy seems more efficient and more natural.  I am now practicing a slide release after reloading technique that an Israeli instructor teaches because that one makes more sense to me for shaving those precious fractions of a second off of a critical movement that will make a difference in competition or, heaven forbid, a gunfight.  Some of the Israeli gun handling techniques, while unusual from what I have already learned, are worth it to me to look at and practice because they make sense also.  

So the bottom line here is that you have a lot to choose from.  If your instructors are reputable and have actual real-world experience, then it is safe to say that what all of them are teaching you is based on some pretty sound principles and tactics.  Pick which of the techniques from each area (and from each instructor) that work best for you (stance, grip, malfunction clearing, aiming, racking a slide, etc).  Practice your chosen techniques until you have complete mastery and fully developed muscle memory for them.

I honestly hope that none of us should actually get into a gunfight.  But if (when?) we do end up in one, we will not suddenly be able to rise to the ability of super-star combat warrior gun-fighting techniques.  We will always fall back to our level of training.  So we must make sure that our training includes many different perspectives, we should practice each of them over and over, and then pick the one that works best.  Then, practice some more until it is second nature and our level of training makes our natural actions as highly perfected as possible.  Learn and practice a wide variety of skills from each area, but master to perfection the skills from each area that will serve you the best.  Whether it is in competitive shooting or an actual emergency scenario, using consistent and thoroughly practiced gun handling skills will help you win.  

As the saying goes: professionals don’t practice until they get it right.  They practice until they can’t get it wrong.

Israeli Gun Handling Techniques

A few videos definitely worth watching.  The Israelis offer some different gun handling and tactical styles than what many of us in the U.S. are used to.  But I have a hard time discounting it when it's coming from an Israeli Special Forces instructor who has spent some time protecting his small country fighting the evilest people on the planet.

I'm going to practice these techniques and see how they work at my next pistol match.  A lot of what this guy shows seems to shave some valuable time off of the whole mechanical process for dealing with malfunctions, reloads, etc.

Another one worth watching.  In fact, I've watched this one a few times just to get some of the intricacies of the stances that he teaches.  These guys seem to have a very fast and efficient shooting style.

Israeli combat shooting with Masada Tactical - the audio is a little crappy at times due to the wind noise, but the techniques are interesting and worth a look.

Designed to Kill Large Numbers of People Quickly?!

This NRA-ILA article speaks to the rabid and incredible misunderstanding (and fear) possessed by the left of firearms. It also speaks to their complete lack of knowledge about firearms and their refusal to understand firearms usage facts, which leads to their inability make sound decisions when it comes to the legislation of firearms.

In the article, the lawmakers of Wisconsin say they want to ban so-called "assault weapons" and most other types of firearms because they deemed them dangerous because they are “designed to kill large numbers of people quickly.”

 In fact, it appears they are taking a shotgun approach (pun intended) to just ban any and all firearms they can think of. I am not sure they even know enough about firearms to know what kinds of guns can perform what actions, to be honest.

Hmmm.... well what d'ya know? I looked through all of the owner's manuals for all of my firearms, and in NOT ONE of these documents does it say that the firearm was designed for the explicit purpose of killing large numbers of people quickly.

A firearm has one, and only ONE purpose: To allow an operator to pull a trigger that actuates a firing pin that activates an ammunition cartridge and sends a projectile out of the barrel towards an intended target. THAT'S IT! That intended target may be a piece of paper, game being hunted, a home invader, or an invading enemy.

Killing large numbers of people is the intent of the heart of the operator of the firearm. The state of the heart may be that of a deranged and criminal mind who wants to kill as many innocent people as possible. Or the state of the heart may be a law abiding and decent citizen who wants nothing more than to protect loved ones and other innocents from a home invader or active shooter. Perhaps it's the heart of a hunter who wants to put food on the table. Or even just the heart of a sportsman who is competing in a shooting match.

The firearm itself does not have the ability to make these decisions, nor was it designed explicitly for any of these purposes.

Now I will tell you also what the 2nd Amendment was designed to do: It was designed to protect the individual RIGHT to own firearms for the purpose of protecting them from tyrannical governments and invading armies. And if it ever came to this, a firearm of the same type and action of those possessed by the invading entities was the idea of the framers when they wrote this amendment. In other words - possessing military style weapons was the intent of the framers, and is the RIGHT of individuals.

I'm not sure we're dealing with people of stellar intellect in these attempts to ban guns based solely on their perception (not knowledge) of the firearm's appearance, use, or purpose. The only thing I see in play here are people who act based on "feelings" (not knowledge) and the need to show others that they "are doing something."

Four Sheets of Parchment

The United States Constitution was written on just four sheets of parchment.  Compare that to a single bill today submitted by Congress that exceeds 2,000 pages.  And I’ll bet the Founders read every single word on every single page of that most precious of founding documents.  Not only that, but they understood exactly what they wrote!  Today, we can’t even get our legislators to be willing to make these huge bills available for us to try to read, much less read them themselves. 

Gary DeMar summed it up pretty well in an American Vision article

“The Constitution of the United States was written on four sheets of parchment. If you count the Preamble and all 27 Amendments (remember there were originally only ten), it comes out to 20 typed pages. If you don’t count the signatures and amendments, you’ll have a document of 11 typed pages. No single Amendment is a full page. Many are only a single sentence in length. The First Amendment covers a multitude of freedoms: religion, press, assembly, speech, and the right to petition the government. It does it with only 45 words. Those original four sheets, about 4500 words, were good enough to serve as a document to govern a nation.”

They give the excuse that the bills are too confusing for them to read.  They wrote them, didn’t they?!  And now they don’t want to read their own writing because it’s too confusing?  If that’s the case, then maybe they should take a lesson from the Founding Fathers and learn how to write things that are shorter and easier to read.  If they didn’t write these bills, then who did!?  Our Second Amendment which preserves our right to defend ourselves is only twenty-six words yet speaks volumes.  Come on – how hard is it to write something as simple, yet as explicit as that?

So what does this mean to us as gun owners?  Take one of the latest in gargantuan bills, the recent Affordable Health Care for America Act passed by Congress, and somehow allowed to stand by the Supreme Court.  In this monstrosity of a bill any number of amendments could spell gun control under the guise of “looking out for our health” and ensuring that we live in “safe environments” in our own homes.  Some say there is the possibility of further registration of every single entry of our medical records into national databases.  It takes only a little common sense for one to realize that buried in a bill that is over 2,000 pages long can be hidden any number of liberty killing amendments.  How about the prospect of turning you into a felon if you don’t buy the healthcare prescribed for you by law?  You do remember that felons can’t own guns, right?  At the very least, this represents further control of the American people by a government that is growing out of control.  

Here is what Gun Owners of America has to say about this bill:

“This bill will...most likely result in all of your gun-related health data being dumped into a government database that was created in the stimulus bill. This includes any firearms-related information your doctor has gleaned... or any determination of PTSD, or something similar, that can preclude you from owning firearms."

The bill will also create special "wellness" programs in section 112 which would allow the government to offer lower premiums to employers who bribe their employees to live healthier lifestyles -- and nothing within the bill would prohibit rabidly anti-gun HHS Secretary Sebelius from decreeing that "no guns" is somehow healthier.”

Hurt yourself reloading?  Need special glasses for shooting?  Have an accident at the range?  My suggestion is to find another explanation for those things to your doctor.  The health care bill above is but one example. There have been several pieces of legislation considered in the past few years alone that have been so huge as to be unreadable and un-comprehended by the average citizen.  Next thing you know, it will be determined that firing a gun produces too much carbon dioxide, and you will face more taxes when buying guns and ammunition if cap and trade is ever passed.

Now, more than ever, it is crucial that gun owners (and all citizens) get involved and educate themselves on every single bill that our law makers try to push through.  ANY bill can have the potential of containing anti-gun content and or amendments.  We must be paying attention every step of the way if we are to have a say in how these laws are passed. 

I know – this represents time out from lives, families and friends.  But our future as a country depends on our willingness to sacrifice a little in order to help secure our future as a nation.  With the voluminous amounts of text in these bills, and the hundreds of amendments being slipped in, an innocent looking and sounding bill can turn into a gun owner’s (or everyone’s for that matter) worst nightmare in a single moment.  We must take an active role in our own governance and make sure our elected officials hear our needs and demands.  In this very important election year - Please – get off the bench and get into the game.

Getting Off The "X" - The Need For Tactical Training

I recently had the opportunity to go back for some excellent tactical training - low light pistol operator course at The Makhaira Group.  Excellent course - I highly recommend it.  So anyway - I’m not sure exactly what prompted the comment, but I recently mentioned to someone that I had just taken some formal tactical firearms training to refresh my own skills.  That prompted the comment: “Tactical training?!  Why in the world do you need tactical training?  You’re not a police officer or a member of the military special forces!”  That’s true.  I’m neither of those things.   And I’m pretty sure I won’t be gearing up to storm a hardened complex or rescue hostages any time soon.  But I am a “Sheepdog” - a concealed carry permit holder who loves his fellow citizens, and knows that I may very well be present someday in a crisis situation.  If I am present in such a situation (and the police are not), I want to make a difference and help preserve innocent life while waiting for the police to arrive.  Because of my commitment, I carry a concealed firearm for self-defense nearly always (except at work and when I’m in the shower).  I have made the commitment to protect my family, my neighborhood, and the members of my church.  That being said, I then also have an obligation to be proficient and have the ability to be as effective as possible if the opportunity for using my firearm in self-defense presents itself.  And to be honest, standing on a line in front of static paper bulls-eye targets in no way represents the types of situations encountered in real-world self-defense crisis situations.

The obligation: First, let me say this about the requirement for training: I do not believe it should be mandated by law.  The obligation to be proficient in firearms handling is a moral obligation, and each person needs to make the decision for themselves as to what level of training they think will give them the proficiency they need for their particular circumstances.  But if I am going to be a "Sheepdog" - one who is willing to be present in a crisis situation and I am armed, I then I feel that I have the duty to not be the cause of harm to others or myself.  If I freeze up, hesitate, or simply don’t know what to do, my chances of causing more harm are much greater.  This can lead to a whole variety of legal implications for me, or even more serious physical and emotional implications for all those present at the scene.  My goal then is to render aid to others, preserve life, protect the innocent, stop any imminent violence by the bad guys, and be an effective resource for the police who eventually arrive to investigate.  Again, I submit that performing proficiency training that involves standing on a line and shooting at static paper targets in no way prepares me to do any of the above.  But if I am engaged in a training regimen that teaches the concepts of moving, shooting, communicating, and making sound, decisions, my ability to be effective and prevent further harm greatly improves.  Tactical training provides just that environment, plus it provides a multitude of "stresses" that static target shooting does not provide.

"The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours." - LTC Dave Grossman, "On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs"

Enter a piece of terminology we in the self-defense circles fondly refer to as “getting off the X.”  If someone is attacking you, and you stand there like a statue, you will get injured or worse - shot.  It’s as simple as that.  But if you move and make quick, decisive actions, your chances of winning the fight and avoiding injury are greatly increased.  And if you can get the bad guy to “stand on his X,” then you further increase your chances of winning and stopping the attack.  The “X” is the place that gives an adversary static predictability.  In that case the person on the X might just as well be a paper target – easy to hit, and sure to be injured.  Your goal is to stay off of your “X” and put the bad guy back on his.

(Example Tactical Training Course Activities)

So what is out there in the way of tactical training, and what does the term “tactical training” actually entail? Tactical firearms training, hand-to-hand (or “empty hand”) training, and sporting competitions all lend themselves well to this idea of tactical training to address immediate threats. The word “tactical” simply implies trying to make decisions to help meet an immediate or short term goal. The immediate goal in this case is that of stopping a bad series of gravely harmful events. Tactics nearly always involves movement, quick decisions, and having contingencies. Tactical training does not always mean donning forty-five pounds of web gear and playing Rambo. Receiving tactical training means training for a variety of events and environments, and with a variety of methods, skills, and tools.

Tactical Firearms Training: If you’re going to carry a gun for self-defense, you need to be able to deploy it beyond the paper targets at the pistol range. This can (and should) involve a variety of formal training environments where actual experts in this field of study are there to give you real-world insights. In Northern Colorado, we have one excellent resource at The Makhaira Group. Gunsite Academy (located in Arizona), Front Sight (located in Nevada), and Suarez International (various training venues) are all excellent examples of well-renowned and affordable firearms training venues to help you sharpen your tactical skills. The key here is formal training from experts in their field. Get a professional set of eyes (not your well-meaning buddy) on your techniques and use the guidance of a disinterested third party to improve your tactics through professional instruction, and honest criticism and opinion.

Hand-to-Hand Training: Often referred to as “open hand” training. You may not be able to draw your gun, you may not have your gun with you (shame on you!), or the firearm may just not even be the appropriate level of response. Tactics involves a variety of tools. Knowing how to stop an immediate threat through a variety of means, even your own body, is an important aspect of being willing to be that “Sheepdog” in a crisis situation. If you’re going to step up to help out in a crisis situation, you’re going to get hurt. That’s a fact. This type of training will not only help build skills to employ various empty handed defenses, but will help condition your body to be ready and will help make it “hurt” less. See your local health club, self-defense school, or other types of activities in your area. There are a variety of video courses that you can take, but the actual physical practice is irreplaceable.

Shooting Competition Activities: There are a wide variety of firearms recreational and sporting activities that lend themselves well to the idea of thinking on your feet and practicing tactical movements. IDPA, defensive pistol, and even steel challenge competitions fit right in with this category of training. Many shooting ranges even offer “combat leagues” and other dynamic events. Here in Northern Colorado, the Northern Colorado Rod and Gun Club hosts International Defensive Pistol (IDPA), Defensive Pistol, and Steel Challenge matches monthly. Participation is open to the public, and participation fees are minimal (usually $10 dollars). Not only are these events dynamic, but they are well attended, and you can meet many others who are trying to build up their skills and you can share ideas.

Professional Reading: You heard me right! I know reading doesn’t sound very “tactical.” Do some homework and find out what’s going on out in the real world. All those “armed citizen” reports and such are chock full of real-life examples where someone defended themselves successfully (or tragically not), and have some very detailed descriptions of what was done right, what was done wrong, and lessons learned for improvement. Learn from others. Monthly magazines from professionally written sources such as the US Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) and the National Rifle Association (NRA), for example, have sections devoted to reporting on these incidents and can provide valuable insight into what others went through. Those publications also have a plethora of well written articles that talk about holster and concealment techniques, equipment suggestions, and additional training ideas.

Regardless of how you choose to do it, you need to “get off the X” and make additional training an ongoing endeavor. Tactical skills tend to diminish rapidly as they are largely a matter of muscle memory and ingraining behavior so that it becomes second nature. To keep skills sharp, you need to continually practice and get training in updated techniques. Getting off of your X may mean being able to putting bad guy back on his X in a crisis situation. There are no points for second place in this game – you need to be in it to win it.