I attend a lot of training. The learning is its own reward, but there’s more. As someone who spent a decade as a full-time instructor, I enjoy seeing how other instructors do things. I have written before about opening a class with instructor introductions (and a bunch of other observations). Though I haven’t taught professionally in a while, I can offer the view from the other side of the podium, as a student. Today I’m going to talk about something that I think is important: closing the class with student certificates.
PSA: An Aggressive Email Scam to Watch Out For
This post is going to warn you about a very aggressive email scam. I thought I’d seen it all, but I have recently gotten some pretty aggressive phishing emails that caught my attention. I want to make you aware of this scam so you don’t get taken by it. This aggressive email scam can give you a big jolt of fear, but hopefully I can prepare you for the day you get one of these.
Helene: Natural Disaster Preparedness Lessons Learned
Today I hope to offer some lessons learned from the recent events I have lived through with Helene. Though the title of this article is “natural disaster preparedness lessons learned,” these lessons are applicable to just about any emergency. If you follow this advice and develop a decent, well-rounded system of preparedness, you will be ready for just about anything.
Working Through a Major Disaster: Helene
I am one of those folks in a major disaster area in the Southeastern U.S. I thought I would share a dog’s-eye-view of what is going on and a few of my own experiences. Be advised that this is mostly an update for the myriad friends and family who have reached out asking how I’m doing. In the near future I will post more typical content in the form of some lessons to be (re)learned for those of you interested in preparing for such events.
Looking for a Good Book? Five of My Favorite Authors
Regular followers of Swift|Silent|Deadly are probably aware of my personal reading list and prodigious reading habits. Several of you follow it and contact me to let me know you’re reading something I’ve read, or to offer reading recommendations. This post is a list of a few of my favorite authors. From these five authors alone I’ve read almost 30 books. If you’re looking for a good book, check these out!
Wilson Combat SFX9 Review: Full 2,000 Rounds
The Wilson Combat SFX9 is the second iteration of Wilson’s series of double-stack, 1911-style pistols. The series was introduced with the EDC X9 in 2017 and was followed by the SFX9. The SFT9 is the newest in the series. I purchased an SFX9 in the spring of 2023. A year and a half later, what do I think? This Wilson Combat SFX9 review covers my experience from day 1 to present.
A Very Unusual and Dangerous Ammunition Malfunction
I recently had a very unusual and dangerous ammunition malfunction. This was one I hadn’t seen before, but the end result is very similar to a squib load, which I have seen a couple times. This malfunction could have caused serious damage to the gun or injury to me or my friend. Let’s take a closer look at this malfunction.
Fulton Armory M1 Carbine Review & Defense w/ the M1 Carbine
I have always been fascinated by the M1 Carbine. Lucky Gunner’s series on the M1 Carbine has had me thinking about one for years. Fulton Armory has long been regarded as THE best M1 Carbine on the commercial market.They recently agreed to loan me a T&E sample. This detailed Fulton Armory M1 Carbine review shares what I learned. It also covers a great deal of info on using the M1 Carbine defensively.
BOLO: Beware Counterfeit Sig Romeo 5 Optics
The Sig Romeo 5 optic is a fantastic budget optic. It is inexpensive and most importantly, works well. I have purchased a couple of these optics and have been favorably impressed by them. Currently I am reviewing a M1 Carbine from Fulton Armory. Wanting to evaluate it with an optic, I ordered a Romeo 5. I ended up with a counterfeit Sig Romeo 5, and thought I would share what I learned.
Gunsite Patrol Rifle Qual Course with Rifle…and Pistol!
I ran across the Gunsite Patrol Rifle Qual while reading up on the M1 Carbine. Contained within a Gunsite article from 2020, I decided to give this qual a go. I enjoyed it so much, I even turned around and shot it with a pistol.