The 1911 isn’t recommended by gun writers and YouTube people much anymore. I think this is because of a unwritten rule I’ve observed in the gun world that says, “if it’s not suitable for everybody, it’s not suitable for anybody.” I don’t agree with that. Nor do I agree that the 1911 is the “ultimate” handgun. The 1911 can be a viable option, but it has some serious limitations. Here are some reasons to consider the 1911 when weighing defensive handgun options.
Prepping Others: The Handout Fire Kit
A couple weeks ago I wrote about small, handout first-aid kits. I made them for our hiking friends who have not made their own preparedness efforts. Both of these individuals are great people, they just don’t know where to start. More recently, I decided to build them each a handout fire kit. The handout fire kit is a small, relatively lightweight, fairly inexpensive kit full of really good tools. Let’s take a look at mine.
Book Review: Legal Boundaries by State
I used to travel a lot. One resource I wish I could have had at my disposal during that time was the book Legal Boundaries by State: The Travel Guide for American Gun Owners. In this article I give a brief history of my domestic travel and share a few travel pictures. And of course I review the book.
Instructor 101: The Basics
I wrote “Lessons Learned as a Professional Instructor” over three years ago. It is still one of my favorite things I have ever written. I wrote it at a time when I made my living surrounded by other professional instructors. At the time I was burdened with the idea that all instructors possessed some level of professionalism and pride in their craft. The paramedic class I have almost finished has taught me this is not the case. Here are some basic recommendations for running a high-value class.
Gun Review: The S&W M&P Shield Plus
This is a review of the new M&P Shield Plus, Smith & Wesson’s ultra-compact, 10+1/13+1 concealed carry pistol. This article is neither hit-piece nor glowing review. Rather it is a 100% honest, unbiased, unfiltered assessment obtained through 460 rounds and two months with this pistol. You’ll probably have to dig pretty deep to find a more detailed review of the new Shield Plus.
2021 Goal Progress: May
In January of 2021 I committed to some New Year’s resolutions: spend 15 minutes per day learning Spanish, workout 3 times per week, shoot my bow 3 times per week, read 73 books, and stay off tobacco. This is my progress so far in the year.
The Basic First Aid Kit
I’m guilty of getting a little too in-the-weeds sometimes. I like to explore topics to a point of near-expertise and where possible gain some actual experience in those topics. First aid is one such topic. I’ve written several articles on first aid kits and thought I would take a moment today to add a sanity-check to the mix. Today I’m going to veer away from sexy, expensive tools and talk explore the basic first aid kit.
Self Defense for EMS Professionals
By the very nature of the job Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel are exposed to dangerous situations. Emergencies are fluid, fast-moving affairs and they often happen in sketchy places. Patients are sometimes combative due to the call itself (assaults, domestic violence), or being drunk or high. EMS crews are asked to go into “bad” neighborhoods, walk into strange houses, and be left alone with a person they just met. There’s a lot that can go wrong. Today I’m going to explore some options for self-defense for EMS professionals.
Hiking with Trekking Poles
I’ve always questioned the value of trekking poles. To be honest, I’ve always thought of them as a somewhat goofy-looking fashion statement. Last year I began to reconsider, though. With a big increase in hiking and especially hiking over elevation, I started looking for something to ease my knee pain on hikes with lots of downhill. So, I gave them a try, and after ~40 miles on trail with them, they’re now essential kit for me. Bottom line up front: If you’re a banged-up, high-mileage model like me – and don’t want to give up hiking – you might benefit significantly from hiking with trekking poles.
AAR: Chuck Haggard’s OC Spray/Less-Lethal Weapons
Early last month I had the pleasure of attending the OC Spray and Less than Lethal Weapons for non LE Instructor Course taught by Chuck Haggard of Agile Training & Consulting.