The 1911 design is, as most of its more emotional followers are quick to point out, over 100 years old. Mostly I don’t care about that at all. It’s interesting but it’s not better because it’s ancient any more than your Glock is better for being filthy or Austrian or grey in color. However, I do care about that in as much as the old design requires some special considerations in use and handling. Today I’m going to talk about one of those: dropping the slide on the 1911.
Defensive AR Setup 3: The Rifle Itself
Many of you are probably wondering why I chose to write about accessories (Part I, Part II) for the rifle before writing about the AR-15 rifle itself. I have been operating under the assumption that most of you reading this already own your rifle. I realize that is not the case for everyone, so today I am going to talk about a few considerations in regards to the selection of your carbine.
Defensive 1911: Cleaning & Maintenance
The 1911 is not a platform that suffers long periods of inattention gracefully. It has to be cleaned and lubricated at least somewhat regularly in order to keep running efficiently. This is in contrast to a lot of guns that will keep running notwithstanding a dearth of maintenance. Let’s look at cleaning and maintenance of the defensive 1911.
Defensive AR-15 Setup 2: Everything Else
In my last post on the defensive AR-15 I talked about sighting options for the defensive AR. Today I am going to talk about the only other accessories you truly need on a defensive AR. This is just my opinion and reflects my experience with the platform and my personal preferences and biases, so they may differ from yours. Also, I know this ground has been covered, but I haven’t had my say yet, so here it is.
Defensive AR-15 Setup 1: Sights
The AR-15 is about as common a rifle as you’ll find in this country. If you don’t own an AR-15 you might want to think about it. Few other firearms give you the same defensive capability. The AR platform is extremely easy to operate, infinitely customizable, reliable, and easy for most people to use. Whether you plan to purchase one in the future or already own one, you may want to know about defensive AR-15 setup.
Defensive 1911: 1911 Reliability
Some of you have expressed interest in the defensive 1911. Some others have written in with more general questions about 1911s. These days there aren’t a whole lot of people – at least people of my generation – taking 1911s very seriously. Today I’m going to talk about some reliability factors of the defensive 1911, maybe a few things to think about before taking up the 1911.
Stockpiling Ammunition: A Thorough Approach
I have long advocated the practice of stockpiling ammunition. Today I’m going to attempt (again) to encourage you to purchase ammunition at your leisure rather than in knee-jerk response to external stimuli.
Setting Up a Range Bag
I hate to admit this, but despite a lifetime of being a shooter and firearms enthusiast, I only put together my first range bag about two years ago. Honestly, it changed my life. I cannot imagine not having a range bag now. I know there are a whole lot of new shooters finding their way into the sport, so I though this might be a good time to talk about setting up a range bag.
Shotgun Ammo Selection: The Slug
In my last article about shotguns I mentioned being a fan of the slug. I had planned to address this, but it drew quite a bit of email, so I’m addressing it a little sooner than I expected.
Thoughts on Defensive Shotgun Setup
During the month of April I am doing two-a-days with dry practice. Aside from my normal practice routine with my EDC handgun, I am also spending ten minutes per day with my shotgun. This has me thinking a lot about the defensive shotgun setup. Additionally, with the surge of gun sales in recent weeks I’m sure at least a few people are the brand-new owner of a shotgun, so I will share a few of my ruminations.