Swift | Silent | Deadly


Firearms


Don’t Use FMJ Ammo for Self-Defense

Occasionally I’ll see someone using cheap, ball ammo for self defense. Sometimes this is borne out of simple frugality. More frequently it is the result of misunderstanding how modern, expanding, hollowpoint ammunition behaves. In this article I hope to convince you otherwise. Bottom line up front: don’t use FMJ ammo for self-defense if (and only if) you have better options available.

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Carry 1911 Review: RIA TAC Ultra CS 9mm

Pistols of the 1911 persuasion are not generally at their best when forced into the budget category. Notoriously finicky eaters by nature, their reliability is usually directly proportional to their cost, and cheap 1911s usually suffer in the “fit and finish” department, as well. Usually. Rock Island Armory has a strong reputation as an affordable 1911 that is still a solid shooter. I decided to test out the RIA TAC Ultra CS 9mm 1911, and here’s how it did.

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Shooting Clothed Targets

I have thought a lot about the visual cues we create for ourselves in training. We shoot at targets with clearly defined “A” Zones, bullseyes, down-0 areas, and other clearly marked hits. Are we likely to have these visual cues in a life-or-death confrontation, though? Probably not, and thus the idea of shooting clothed targets. 

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Best 1911 Magazines: Wilson Combat ETM Magazines

I have a deep body of experience with the 1911 handgun. I am one of a fairly small group of U.S. military personnel to deploy with a 1911 pistol well in to the 2000s, and  trained with it for tens of thousands of rounds. Since that time I have used a lot of 1911 pistols. One question this experience has definitively answered is the best 1911 mags: Wilson Combat ETM magazines are the best 1911 magazines, period.

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Shooting Through Brush…with Pistols

I like to shoot my carry pistol in some uncommon ways. I occasionally go to the range after dark (a wintertime activity, since it closes at 18:30). Once in a while I make it a point to go to the range in the rain. Pretty regularly I shoot my carry gun at 100 yards. I even jumped at the chance to shoot up a car with with a revolver, back when I was carrying a wheelgun. Recently I was a the range and needed to walk to the truck. As was walking back to the firing line I noticed a stand of pretty heavy brush between me and my target. That gave me an idea: how would my 9mm pistol perform when shooting through brush?

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ATP Podcast E026: Handgun Selection with Mike Seeklander

Welcome back to the Across The Peak Podcast, the show Where Rich and Justin discuss preparedness, the birds and the bees, guns, history, tattoos, and… well, basically all the stuff your old man shoulda taught you! After a four-year silence we are re-releasing the ATP archive. Here it is, folks, Across The Peak Episode 026: Handgun Selection with special guest Mike Seeklander! This show was originally released on 12/26/2018.

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ATP Podcast E022: A Brief Introduction to Firearms

Welcome back to the Across The Peak Podcast, the show Where Rich and Justin discuss preparedness, the birds and the bees, guns, history, tattoos, and… well, basically all the stuff your old man shoulda taught you! After a four-year silence we are re-releasing the ATP archive. Here it is, folks, Across The Peak Episode 022: A Brief Introduction to Firearms! This show was originally released on 11/28/2018.

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Planning a Good Range Session

I usually go the range and have a decent session. Occasionally I go and have a horrible session where everything seems to go wrong. Lately during most of my range sessions everything seems to go right – I get a lot done, perform well on drills, and feel great the end of it. The difference between all other sessions and a great one is preparation. Today I’m going to talk about planning a good range session.

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MEU(SOC) Pistol Qual: A Very Unusual Course of Fire

Today I offer you a video post of me shooting a very interesting course of fire, the MEU(SOC) pistol qual. This qualification requires the use of a rifle in addition to the pistol. The drill is started by firing a shot from the rifle, simulating the rifle running dry, then transitioning to the pistol. Watch the video to learn more.

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