Good Afternoon All,

DSCN1504 (Photo credit: Luodanli)

A former co-worker and very good friend of mine has asked me to expound upon my original posting on situational awareness. This is essentially the next step in  situational awareness that I outlined earlier. I originally wanted to get into a bunch of specifics regarding physically dealing with a threat but, I didn’t think that it would be prudent for me to attempt that through this medium. Those are skills that one should learn in a CCW and other hands on training classes. This is intended to be a guide and a way to get you thinking. This is not a substitute for real training or legal advice. Seek out the training you need to make you successful in a deadly force encounter. No amount of reading can equip you better than hands on in person training can.

Essentially at this point, you are the master of your surroundings, you know what is going on around you and you are able to identify a potential threat. The next step is what to do after the threat is identified. You are there trying to conduct your business. You have a few more errands to run today but it’s starting to get dark. You’ve just left the drug store and you’re headed to your car to move on to the next destination. You’re looking around and you observe a subject moving towards you from around the back side of the pharmacy. What now?

Once you have identified a potential threat, you have a few choices to make. Do you try to escape? Do you deal with the threat? If your decision is to escape, it would be prudent to do so in an efficient manner. You should maintain the option of engaging the threat if the escape isn’t going as you had hoped. In a perfect world you would have enough time to go through several steps in order to neutralize the threat without having to resort to deadly force. Often times you’re not given enough time to actually go through the steps and you may have to skip a few, this is okay. The world isn’t perfect, things escalate quickly, people are unpredictable. This is an important thing to keep in the back of your mind. Those of you in the Military/LE fields are well versed in what is called the Use of Force Continuum, this is very simply an outline for steps to take in the use of force. An example of a Law Enforcement Use of Force Continuum goes like this:

1. Officer Presence. A situation where Officer presence alone de escalates the situation
2. Verbal Commands. Verbal commands are given to the offender in order to subdue them.
3. “Soft Hands”. Joint locks or “come alongs” are used to gain compliance.
4. “Hard Hands”. Hard strikes/baton/punch, kick are necessary to gain compliance.
5. Deadly force. You are presented with no other option, your opponent is attempting to use deadly force against you or if you were to continue with the current struggle, you would no longer be effective in the fight and you would lose control of your weapon.

As an armed civilian sheepdog, you are not constrained by the professional standards necessary in LE. A Use of Force Continuum designed for LE isn’t going to be suitable for use by you, the armed civilian sheepdog. It has to be adapted to your individual needs and capabilities. You have the ultimate right to self preservation and the preservation of others. You can apply the necessary and appropriate level of force without having to necessarily worry about apprehending a suspect. Did you catch that part about necessary and appropriate? That is the standard upon which civilian uses of force are judged. You wouldn’t break up a simple fistfight with deadly force, nor would you attempt to stop a rape with a couple slaps.

An example of an armed civilian sheepdog Use of Force Continuum goes a little like this:

1. Verbal Commands. Issue verbal commands to your threat, ensure they are loud and easily understood. You want any potential witnesses in the area to be able to hear you. Call attention to what’s going on. Stop! Get Back! Please Stop! Continue to make the verbal commands.
2. Attempt to retreat. There are many states where you have the legal duty to retreat from an attack if possible. The key there being “if possible”. I don’t have much of an issue with this, you just need to be able to justify either why you didn’t retreat or articulate how you did retreat and it wasn’t successful. The best fight is the one you don’t have to be in.
3. Draw Weapon. Well that escalated quickly! You don’t have to get into a physical struggle with an attacker. Draw your weapon and keep issuing those verbal commands.
4. Deadly Force. Your attacker has ignored your verbal commands, they have ignored the fact that you have a weapon in your hands pointed at them and they continue to advance. They are reaching for something hidden in their waistband. They have left you with no ability to retreat. You have only one option left. Use deadly force, your life or the lives of others depend on it.
5. Call your lawyer. This is the last step on my Use Of Force Continuum. I highly suggest that it’s on yours as well. Your adrenaline is rushing, you’re distraught and possibly in shock or injured. This is hardly the best time to be giving a statement to the police. They have a job to do and will more than likely be on your side but you don’t want a statement you made in the heat of the moment to be used against you in criminal court or in a lawsuit. Get yourself a lawyer and make your statements through them, it’s their job to defend you and make sure nothing can be used against you. This is also something to be done before you wind up in a deadly force situation. Research attorneys in your area and meet with a few. When you find one you like and want to do business with find out what’s necessary to have them on call for you. A lawyer will be your best friend.

Prior to your decision to use deadly force, there are many things to consider. If you are able to, maneuver so you are able to safely engage your threat. The firearms safety rule “be aware of your target and what’s beyond” applies off the firing line as well. Being aware of crossfire is very important as well, particularly if you’re in a busy area or are with your family. This only applies if you are afforded the luxury of time in a bad situation however. Ultimately, you have to make the decision and it’s not an easy one to make. This is why training is so important. Take classes and talk to your fellow armed civilian sheepdogs. Develop a relationship with local LE. Learn as much as you can about deadly force situations that have happened in the past and what made them successful or failures. All of these things can help you, should you wind up having to use deadly force. As for now stay safe, train and have a good ‘un.

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• A Primer on Situational Awareness

Hey Folks,

Today’s discussion topic is situational awareness. Any of you Military and LE folks out there have had these two words drilled into your head since day one of training. Those of you in the civilian world that have had no experience in the professional LE/Military world may not be aware of the utmost importance of this. Situational awareness can be translated simply as being aware of your surroundings and adapting to the observations you make. If you are an armed sheepdog or not, being aware of your surroundings is just so incredibly crucial. “I never saw the car that hit me.” “No Officer, I don’t remember what the mugger was wearing.” Would somebody who is constantly aware of their surroundings have to say these things?

Don’t get me wrong here, being aware isn’t a simple mindless task. It’s actually quite the opposite. Being situationally aware is a deliberate and actually somewhat tiring task that requires development and constant honing much like any other skill. How many times have you been out and about and you’ve been approached by someone that you would have rather not dealt with? Did they make you feel uncomfortable? Did the hair on the back of your neck stand up? What was the outcome of that encounter? If it was something that didn’t result in you becoming a victim, I’m willing to bet that at the very least it left you feeling uncomfortable and possibly somewhat shaken.

A few weeks ago my wife, infant son and I were returning from having dinner with her parents. We stopped at a busy local and very well lit gas station to fuel up at about 8:30pm. Upon driving into the gas station I made sure to survey the area for any potential threats both inside the main building and by the pumps. I pulled up to a pump which is clearly visible from the main street, took another look around and exited the vehicle. As I began to gas up the car, I observed a 30ish long haired and bearded white male in blue jeans and an unbuttoned green flannel shirt walk up to a middle aged female patron who was seated in her vehicle and knock on the window(remember that whole hair on the back of the neck thing?). She was visibly startled and stayed where she was and refused to engage the subject. He was telling the woman something but at this point the interaction was too far away from me to hear. She kept her eyes to the front after initially viewing him at her window and didn’t respond to him. Since he wasn’t getting what he wanted at that vehicle, the male subject then walked towards another vehicle with a female inside. He appeared to be visibly nervous and twitchy. He attempted the same thing with the next female patron who was closer to my location. I was able to overhear his pitch this time. “My buddy ran out of gas, can you help us out?” At this point my spider senses were tingling. What kind of person is intentionally seeking out the female patrons versus the other male patrons that were around? This individual then appeared to notice my wife seated in the front seat of our vehicle and began walking towards her. I stepped from around the vehicle and positioned myself between him and my family. I then instructed him that he was close enough and to stop where he was. He complied with my instructions and began his pitch to me, although with me he added the statement “well I bet you won’t help me anyway but..” I informed him that I was unwilling to help and suggested that he move on from the area. He quickly walked back towards the main building of the gas station and kept walking passed the entrance to a black coupe idling in a parking spot and got in the passenger seat. I completed refueling our car and we departed the area before I could observe if they left.

Why did I tell you that story? Well there are tons of hypothetical situations that go through my mind when I get approached out in public. What is this person’s intent? Capability? Mental state? Weapons? Can I see their hands? Like I said before it’s tiring work. I told you this story to illustrate the “right way” to do it. I made the decision to go to a well lit and busy gas station. I made a visual check of the area prior to parking and getting out of the vehicle. I was being observant enough to see this guy walking up to people and making a note of his appearance and demeanor. I kept an eye on the guy to see what he was up to but this didn’t completely distract me from my task at hand, although I would have had no problem leaving the area and moving on to another gas station should it have been necessary. I also made a note that this guy was only approaching females. That last part alone is more than enough to justify my suspicion of this character and his decision to attempt to approach my wife while seated in our car was the last straw. My actions were non-violent but I did made it abundantly clear that he wasn’t welcome in the area anymore. Was he trying to rob a woman who would have been gullible enough to believe his story? I can’t say with certainty, but if I had to wager a bet I’d put my money on yes.

Being aware of your surroundings is more than passive observation. It’s the act of taking that passive observation and translating it into whatever necessary actions you need to take. It’s what dictates whether or not you need to pull your firearm or other chosen defensive tool. It’s what dictates whether or not you run away or just simply dismiss the observation as a non-threat and carry on. Too many times I see people nearly walking into things because they’re too wrapped up in whatever piece of technology they have in their hands. They wouldn’t see a threat until it was literally too late to do anything about it. The same goes for people walking around with headphones on all the time.

Here are some steps to take to kick your situational awareness up a few notches.

1. Put the phone down. There is no reason to walk around texting constantly or be on a Bluetooth headset all the time. If you need to make a quick text to get a question answered, get out of the way of others and do it quickly, the same applies for phone calls. These are distractions that aren’t necessary and can be detrimental to your situational awareness. Pay attention!

2. Keep your head on a swivel. Don’t get yourself sucked into “oooh shiny” mode. Constantly look around and take in what’s going on around you. If you are holding a conversation with someone, they may see this as disrespectful. If you feel the need, just let your conversation partner know that you just like to be aware of whats going on around you and leave it at that. No need to go into detail. Continue with the conversation.

3. Make meaningful decisions. Make these decisions based upon the information that you take in. It may be something as simple as changing lanes on the highway because you see a car pulled over by the police up ahead, but by making that choice you may well have saved yourself a ticket or prevented a fatal accident. If you’re making the effort to expand your awareness, then use the information you’re taking in.

4. Trust your instincts. If it doesn’t feel right then it probably isn’t. Move on to your next task and come back to that one later. If that isn’t an option then deal with the issue as necessary.

5. Be the master of your surroundings. While you may not be able to control everything in your environment, you can control what the environment is. Make sound choices in where you go, avoid places where less than desirable things tend to occur. Avoid any potential threats, this will help to force a threat to extend themselves into your world versus you stumbling into theirs.

Situational awareness is a skill that constantly needs work. I don’t expect to be able to show you a picture and have you recite every single detail from a short look. What I do expect is that this will help you to be more aware of what’s going on around you. The actions of others have an impact on you and you need to be thoughtful enough to know what to do when those actions force you to react to them and be a step or two ahead. I came across a post the other day from ITS Tactical that ties into this topic very well. Please take a moment to take a look at that as well. As for now stay safe, train and have a good ‘un.

Good Day All,

Today I’m going to tell you about a firearm that is near and dear to my heart, the Beretta Cougar my first handgun. This Particular handgun was brought to the market in 1994 and received a slightly less than stellar reception. This can be attributed to two things in my opinion, Beretta‘s famously understated advertising and the Glock craze that was going on at the time and still continues today. Don’t get me wrong, the Glock is a fine firearm, but it is far from the only game in town.

English: This is a picture of the rotating barrel lock on the Beretta PX4 Storm which is similar to the Beretta Cougar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Beretta Cougar was brought to market with several different models (F, G, and D) and calibers (9mm, .40S&W, .357Sig and .45ACP). Those of you familiar with Beretta’s more commonly available models the 92/96/M9 the Cougar will have a very familiar form factor and controls. The profile from the operator perspective of the handgun is identical to the 92 making it a very comfortable pistol choice for prior military personnel like myself. The cougar operates on a rotating barrel locking system where the barrel does not tilt up like on most other pistols. The barrel instead rotates to unlock the barrel from the slide when it recoils then extracts the spent cartridge and loads the next into the chamber. This method, in theory, is more accurate than the other more common system that is used in most other handguns. It keeps the barrel on the same plane throughout the entire operation cycle. Personally I’m not aware of any other firearms that use this same system other than the successor to the Cougar, Beretta’s PX4.

The Beretta Cougar holding it’s own next to more “modern” handguns in a large round count class.

I purchased the .40S&W model from a fellow police officer friend of mine quite a few years ago who had bought it and never shot it. I have put several thousand rounds through it since, without much issue other than replacing the extractor and extractor spring as they had worn out after a significant period of time where I was shooting hundreds of rounds on a weekly basis. When you shoot a lot, parts tend to wear out. This is true of any firearm even the precious Glock.  This pistol conceals as well as any other large frame semi-auto with the correct holster selection and is as reliable and rugged as its bigger brother the 92FS/96FS/M9. Shortly after returning from my second tour to Iraq I signed up for a class from a local training group. The class was a one day defensive handgun class with a 600 round count for the day. My Beretta was pitted against Glocks, Springfield XD’s, S&W M&P’s, and of course the expensive and very awesome Sig. My Beretta did not experience any malfunctions other than the ones we purposely induced for training purposes. I definitely had the most different handgun on the line that day and it performed flawlessly. Later on I wound up using my Cougar as a duty weapon while working a private security job with the NCDOC, I shot a perfect 100 on both day and night qualification and later as a police officer I qualified with it again as an off-duty gun and shot 100 day and night. This pistol in my hands is far more comfortable and accurate than the Glock 23 I was issued as my duty weapon as a police officer.

English: Beretta 8040 Cougar Pistol disassembled to show parts. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Several things are important to consider with this particular pistol. It is a little lacking in the accessory department. Holsters are available but usually require special order, the choice of sights are a little limited but both Trijicon and Meprolight night-sights are available. Grips are available from Hogue in the aluminum and wood variety and of course you have the option of using the universal grip sleeve from Hogue as well. Another important note is that Beretta is no longer manufacturing this pistol, it is now being made by their subsidiary Stoeger. Stoeger is based out of Turkey and makes mainly shotguns similar to the models already made by Beretta and Benelli. Stoeger does not manufacture the .357Sig model, but I personally don’t really see this as a great loss. The .357Sig cartridge is an expensive and difficult to find round and as far as I’m concerned the merits of it’s ballistics don’t outweigh it’s cost and difficulty to procure. It is also important to note that the .45ACP model is actually a larger pistol than the .40S&W and the 9MM models so holster selection is made a bit more difficult for that particular model. The offering from Beretta did not have an accessory rail available on this pistol. I don’t see this as a shortcoming personally. Adding a light/laser on a handgun makes it bigger and harder to conceal. I carry a Flashlight with me all the time anyway and I have trained using my support hand to use a flashlight in low-light shooting situations. There are Stoeger models that do have an accessory rail on them if that is a necessity for you. The best part about this pistol? you might ask, well it’s very budget friendly. My father and brother both just bought Stoeger Cougars in .40S&W and 9MM respectively. The total bill for both handguns came in at under $900 out the door from a local dealer here in NC, and that is during the current buying frenzy going on. I’ve given you quite a few things to consider here, take the knowledge and run with it. As always stay safe, train and have a good ‘un.

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• The Truth About Gun Buying Advice

Hey Folks,

Ammunition (Photo credit: simonov)

Ammo prices have gone through the roof. Gun store shelves are bare as can be. This is most likely a sign of many more things to come. Given new state government regulations in New York and several states to come, it is now going to be very difficult to train or even just enjoy a day at the range. I’m sure most of you have considered this and have already or are planning on taking appropriate actions.  Today I am going to outline why a .22 is going to be such an important firearm in your collection for training and survival.

There are many things to consider when training and above all is whether or not your training has any true value. By this I mean that you should be getting true benefit from it. If you are not benefiting and growing with each day of training you put in. Another very important thing to consider is that you can’t reap any benefits from training if you can’t afford to do it. Ammo in major rifle and handgun calibers is so hard to get ahold of that I myself have just stopped trying for now. I’ve built a very modest stock of what I can carry in a “worst case” situation and that’s been about it. Even now .22 ammo is hard to find but when you can find it, it is still cheap and available in bulk packs of 500 or so rounds for what you’d pay for a 20 round box of 5.56/.223. Firearms in .22 are usually more inexpensive than major caliber firearms with a few exceptions and from what I’ve seen are still widely available. This makes a similar “for training use only” firearm to what you already own a little more budget friendly.

I myself do not own a .22 version of my defensive carbine or handgun, but I do own a simple bolt action .22 that my father taught me to shoot on.  Time with that rifle is spent on the range perfecting the basics of marksmanship (Trigger manipulation, breathing, sight picture and sight alignment). With constant work in these areas it is of great benefit to me in both rifle and handgun shooting.  Not flinching is something that I constantly have to work on as well and I’m certain that most of you have this issue as well.

The topic of the .22 as a survival rifle has been covered by so many others and there is a wonderful wealth of knowledge available all over the internet.  I am not a survival expert, that’s not my training background. I am a self proclaimed firearms expert with much to learn still. Here is what I do know. .22 rifles are quiet, light and you can carry hundreds of rounds in a package about the size and weight of one .223 30-round magazine. This affords you a very portable package that can be packed with you virtually anywhere that will allow you to get small game and extend your life span in a survival situation. So the next time you see that old .22 just sitting on the rack at your local gun shop, give it a serious consideration. That very firearm might be the most important purchase you ever make. As for now train, stay safe and have a good ‘un.

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Afternoon all,

Today I’d like to talk about a somewhat little considered necessity for survival and field craft; Keeping our knives sharp. There are so many different methods out there to get your blades razor sharp. There are stones and similar tools like diamond files, kits from all kinds of manufacturers are available for all kinds of budgets. Today I’d like to gloss over a few of my favorites that won’t break the bank. There are options out there that are  just so cost prohibitively expensive that I’m not even going to go over them here.

Credit Smith’s

One of my go to knife sharpening implements is my Smith’s Diamond Precision Knife Sharpening System. ($39.99 MSRP) This tool is very useful for getting a good usable edge on your favorite daily carried blade. I’ve had this kit since about 2007 and used it quite often on my knives and the blades of my buddies while in Iraq. This kept our blades combat effective for opening our MRE‘s and packs of bottled water among other things. This method has a guide you clamp onto the blade that offers two options for blade angles a 20 degree and a 25 degree. The latter being the more durable blade angle which in theory would require less maintenance. The 20 degree is more suited for kitchen knives or anything you’d like to put a more fine edge on. That being said 20 degree was my go to setting. This set comes with three “stones”(a strip of metal coated with a diamond abrasive) a coarse, fine and a serrated edge stone which has a triangular shape. This works well for most serrated edges but not all and requires a careful and light touch. The individual stones have metal dowels that are screwed into the end of the stone to maintain the angle. This system works very well and it has served me well for years. Make sure you use the supplied oil with the kit and follow the directions.

Credit Smith’s

Another tool I have found useful is another offering from Smith’s. It is pretty much identical in function to the tool above with a few obvious differences. This tool is the DCS4 Smith’s 4″ Diamond Combination sharpening tool (MSRP $19.99). The type of abrasive used is identical but doesn’t have a guide so you have to sharpen free hand. This tool works as well as the previous system and for me is better suited to field use. I don’t find it practical to carry a full sharpening kit into the field where weight and size is of the utmost importance, also I don’t use this method nearly as much as other options as this is more suited to maintaining an edge quickly versus creating one after hard use of the knife.

My current go-to method of knife sharpening is what is called convex knife sharpening. This is the opposite of what is called “hollow ground” and results in a very sharp and durable blade. This is however by far the most complicated and difficult method for knife sharpening. With this method you are going to be using a bench top belt sander. With this method you have to be very cautious with what you’re doing as any slip of the hand or inattention to what you’re doing will result in a knife that is no longer usable or that will require a lot of grinding to fix. I only recommend this method to the experienced hand if you don’t have much to practice with. The belts necessary are also a little difficult to find. I had to travel to two separate woodworking shops to find the sanding belts needed to get a good edge. The first belt I use for a blade I haven’t sharpened with this method before is a 600 or 650 grit. Moving down the way I wind up with a micron grit belt which is comparable to a 3000 grit belt. I use several steps moving up methodically in grits, all the while maintaining a constant pressure and angle for the blade. The blade is finished off with a leather stropping belt to get the smooth finish on the edge. Many people use a compound to finish off the blade. I have used compound and have gone without and I can’t tell any appreciable difference in the finishes.

I have tried a few other inexpensive methods like “pull through” sharpeners that usually have two carbide or other ultra hard substances set to a fixed angle that are designed to “shave” off the metal on the blade to create an edge. I have not once gotten a good edge from one of these sharpeners and do not under any circumstance recommend them. Also I have recommended two sharpening systems from the same company and I am aware of that. These tools are inexpensive and work. These are meant to be an illustration of the method more than the exact item. If you have any questions for me, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments section and I’ll get back to you. As always stay safe, train and have a good un’.

*I am not a lawyer and none of the information in this post is to be construed to be legal advice.*

Recreational Vehicle (Photo credit: *Grant*)

Afternoon all,

Late last month, my father and I began a discussion about traveling with firearms. My dad has purchased a small RV and was keen to hear my opinions on carrying a firearm while on the road. This sent me on a trip of my own to do lots of research on the subject.  I rarely travel myself so I had to rely on the experiences of others to formulate an educated answer to my dad.

The first thing I did was look through several forums and blogs that are more dedicated to this particular issue. The one thing that I was able to take from them is that research on your destination’s local and state laws is paramount. First and foremost is the importance of the decision to carry a firearm with you in the first place. Carrying a pistol or rifle come with an inherent responsibility that you owe to every single person, place or thing that you encounter. Your decision to carry could affect the lives of many more than just yourself and travel companions. Once that decision is made, the decision on what to carry comes into play.  The primary question here is; what is your perceived threat? Do you spend a lot of time out in more primitive camping areas? Are predatory animals a concern? Do you tend to just pull up to any ole’ parking lot to take a rest for the night? Truck stops? What kind of lockable storage is available in your rig?  These are important questions to ask yourself and making a list of your answers is helpful.

Once you’ve narrowed down your needs then a selection is to be made. One thing to keep in mind is that RV’s are small cramped quarters. Shouldering a shotgun or long rifle isn’t going to be a practical option inside the RV. My suggestion here is to have a couple options on board. A handgun of course makes excellent sense inside a vehicle, I also suggest the consideration of a pistol caliber carbine that shares an ammunition and magazine commonality with your handgun. The same system applies if you’re more of a wheelgun fan, carbines are available in .38spc/.357mag and .44mag.  Of course you have the option to carry whatever you wish but this pairing in my opinion works well for the traveler. Whether you decide to go the route of a two firearm solution or a single firearm is a very personal decision and budget certainly comes into play here however, there are a few budget friendly options in these categories that offer all the benefits at the price of one “top shelf” handgun.

Gun laws are what will be the most important thing to consider after you’ve decided to carry a firearm in the first place.  Different states and municipalities have different laws and ordinances and when you place yourself with a firearm in that area, your ignorance of these regulations will not be a defense to your prosecution if you are discovered armed. These laws can limit the magazine capacity, length, and size of what weapon you can legally possess. There are a few websites that consolidate applicable laws in an easy to find database.  This is an example of one of these. Getting yourself a concealed handgun permit/cwp/chl…whatever your state calls it, is a very advisable thing for you to do.  Many states have reciprocity with other states that allow you to freely carry your loaded and concealed handgun into and through that state, without fear of prosecution.  Be advised though, that these reciprocity agreements do tend to change some, so research immediately before your trip to see if anything has changed. There are also many states that are so called “open carry” states. This means that a loaded firearm can be openly carried without breaking any laws. What this means to the RV traveler is that your firearm can be close at hand provided that it is not concealed from view in your rig.

If you still have any questions after your research is done, a phone call or visit to the attorney general’s website for the state you plan to travel to could help to clear up a lot of things. Many places also recognize the fact that when your RV is no longer moving down the highway and is serving as your “home”, the legal definition of your vehicle changes to a dwelling much like a hotel room is recognized as your dwelling when you’re inside.  This is a good question to ask in your phone call to the attorney general’s office. If traveling through more restrictive states, the federal standard for transporting of a firearm is to have it locked in a secure area and ammunition is to be locked away separately. I myself have no desire to visit places that would require me to give up my right and ability to protect myself and my family. The important thing to take away from this post is that your own research is necessary and so important to keep yourself on the right side of jail walls. The reason for traveling is to see wonderful sites and enjoy your time on the road. Simply ignoring the laws will result badly for you. Make good choices and train with your chosen firearms. That is what will make the difference. Enjoy your travels and have fun. As always stay safe, train and have a good un’.

Good afternoon all,

Today I just wanted to take a brief moment to just say a few things. On this past Friday a horrible tragedy occurred in a small town in Connecticut. A town not horribly far away from where I was born. From what I remember of that area is that it is quiet, quaint and a close knit community. My heart goes out to the families affected by this horrible event. As a new father I couldn’t even come close to imagining the horror that these parents are going through. The initial reaction I had was to get online and begin to bring a political message to all of you, I have found that I simply can’t get into that here. I have engaged in political debates on Facebook and those of you that know me well, know exactly where I stand on the issue at hand. I’m not going to get into all of that here. This is an information blog and while I will offer opinions on many things, I just feel this is just not the time or place and frankly I just don’t feel as though I’m truly eloquent enough to do it justice. I will leave that to others. Lets all just calmly reflect and not rush to conclusions and perceived solutions that can’t be taken back once they’re put in place. The lives of the many should not be affected by the actions of the few. No matter how vile or misguided. As always stay safe, train and have a good un’.

Springfield XD Sub Compact (with Galco ITW Holster) (Photo credit: jeffgunn)

Good Afternoon All,

Today I wanted to get into something that I find to be a very important but often disregarded habit. The habit of seeking out quality over convenience or price. This is a particularly common theme over at The Art of Manliness, which is an excellently written and maintained blog that I’ve been following for a few years now. Too often we will need an item and simply go to the nearest Wal-Mart and pop on in and get whatever it is that we wanted. The question however, is what you bought going to serve you well for years to come or is it just going to get you by for a little while? This isn’t to say that this particular retailer doesn’t sell some quality items but I’m sure you’re seeing my point. The philosophy is simply that I’d rather buy something that is “expensive” once than buy a cheaper item many times. Too often these cheaper items will give you the illusion of saving money, but in the long run is that really the case? With a cheaper, lower quality item the propensity to go wrong is usually going to be higher, thus forcing you to replace that item an unfortunate amount of times. This dismal event could possibly have been avoided if you had simply just spent the little bit of extra money on the front end and perhaps had some delayed gratification but ended up with a far superior product that will last a lifetime. Very simply the old adage “you get what you pay for” rings very true in our world……most of the time of that is.

This philosophy brought into the tactical/outdoor world will often times make for a very expensive investment and drive many to make poor decisions when it comes to gear. One thing I have taken notice of for some time now is cheap holsters. Many people are quite content to purchase a $500-$700 handgun and then put it in a $15 holster or one they got for free when they purchased the firearm. I’ve never really understood this practice. If you have a firearm that your life or the life of another may depend on and you carry it around in a cheap floppy nylon or plastic holster with an awkward and flimsy Velcro strap as your only means of retention. Do you really think that is going to serve you well? What if you have to run and evade with that weapon holstered? What if you are engaged in a struggle with an attacker and that flimsy holster gives way because it offered zero retention qualities? I could play the “what if” game all day but as I said before, I think you see my point. A good quality leather or kydex holster is a fairly inexpensive piece of kit these days. Manufacturers like Don Hume and Gould & Goodrich (a local to me NC company) produce fairly inexpensive and high quality leather goods that have served me well for years. Kydex holsters can be found all over the place these days and can even be made at home by you with a little care and time invested at a reasonable cost investment. Just remember that when carrying a holster on your hip, a good quality belt is of the utmost importance. Simply using a standard leather dress belt won’t do the trick. I find myself using my Blackhawk! rigger’s belt that I’ve had for the last ten years and it is still very sturdy and quite serviceable. The kydex option is particularly attractive if you own a handgun or other gear that isn’t exactly a standard. Everyone makes holsters for 1911′s, Beretta 92‘s, Glocks and the like but if you aren’t in that mainstream then you may want to take the time and make the investment in crafting your own gear. YouTube videos abound for making kydex gear to hold everything from your favorite handgun to AR magazines and even your iPhone. Bearing this philosophy of  quality vs. price in mind, I am not confusing price with quality. There are many items out there that fall into the quality category without breaking the bank. These items require a little research and determination to find but will often times be quite worth the effort. Craigslist and eBay have become great resources for good quality tactical/outdoor gear and will allow you to find what you need at a reasonable price, particularly if you opt for purchasing used equipment. Gear that has been well maintained or used very little will often times be an excellent bargain with a little cautious buying. A very cursory search on my part found some excellent deals on tactical gear from Blackhawk!, 5.11 Tactical, and Condor. It also produced some excellent deals on quality flashlights and knives so some searching on your part should prove fruitful, just take your time. Realistically it will still take a somewhat significant amount of time to build your kit, this is just how it works. We don’t have a large supply depot to draw our items from.  It will take a little ingenuity and patience, but if done correctly you’ll have a high quality set up that will serve you well when the time comes to need it. For now stay safe, train and have a good ‘un.