One Shot Stop

Here is a link to the article and I strongly suggest folks read it, pay special attention to his observations in the end. They are spot on and reflect my experiences and observations. I cannot help but bring this back up as a subject because I continue to get questions as to what caliber to select for personal protection.

The Ballistic Basics

I have said it before, but I will say it again for those who haven’t heard. You first need a firearm that is reliable, it must go bang every time you pull the trigger. I just finished a private class where we had a few old war horses that experienced some problems throughout the low round count. Second is marksmanship, you need to be able to hit and hit multiple times. All the latest hoopla will be of little use if you cannot hit the target. In the article from Greg of interesting note was the number of immediate stops that were generated from the common defensive rounds (38spl, 9mm, 40cal and 45ACP). You can expect a little bit more than half the time to see an immediate stop. Since the other half will require multiple hits you will then need to able to deliver multiple hits on target in a quick manner. One of the major points to take away was the time it takes to deliver multiple accurate hits quickly with the 9mm. I feel for the large majority of the population they will be more successful with the 9mm at achieving multiple accurate hits quickly than any other common defensive caliber. You will see some anomalies, but don’t get too wrapped around the axle with the few who might be somewhat faster.

Is It Tomato or Tomato???

The real take away from his article was how similar all the main defensive calibers were as far as terminal performance was concerned. So, with all things being equal what is the deciding vote. In my opinion it is pretty simple; capacity. The more rounds you can carry in the firearm the more likely you are to avoid a reload during a lethal encounter. That and the better equipped you are to handle multiple threats in a lethal encounter. Standard capacity for a primary defensive firearm should start at 10 rounds. If you can get higher capacity that is great, but I believe this is the minimum.

Plan For The Worse and hope For The Best

The other take away from the article is that while in a high percentage of the shootings people stopped their violent action after being struck one time anywhere on the body with just about any bullet/caliber it would be unwise to use this as justification for carrying anything other than the standard defensive calibers. Instead, folks should not expect the violent action to cease with one shot, they should expect it to continue forcing the violent criminal actor to be physically stopped with the continued application of effective fire.

We have come a long way, but it is funny that we are circling back to the “Wonder-9”.

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Save Their Own Butts

It should come as no surprise how this would work. The criminal element becomes aware the citizen population are armed. They think more about their own lives than committing a crime. It is working and a great example is the city of Detroit. In a time when the city was forced to significantly reduce the police departments budget how does one explain a decline in violent crime. It’s really not that hard to figure out, Detroit Police Chief James Craig went on record to encourage his residents to arm themselves. In a city of 700,000 patrolled by 3,000 sworn officers it’s the right thing to do. No doubt he was criticized. I won’t even bother going into some of them, but the central theme was either the average citizen is not qualified or defending against violence should be left to the police. He was even criticized for suggesting vigilantism. Wow, defending your own life is now being defined as vigilantism.

Leading By Example

The real question I want to pose is why has there been an increase in permit requests? It’s not like all of a sudden Detroit became a violent city. Something I think we can all agree on is how Detroit is either damn close if not the murder capital of the world. That couldn’t be the real reason. It has to be something else. The only thing that makes sense is a public figure, the police chief no less actually took a stand and did the right thing.

Best Intentions

Detroit Police Chief Craig truly cares for his residents. He recognizes despite the honorable service of all law enforcement officers there is the reality. They cannot be every where all the time. We have all heard the phrase, “when seconds counts the police are minutes away.” It really does put things into perspective. Unless the crime was committed in front of police there will be a response time involved. Even the fastest response time will still be minutes away. At some point you will have to take responsibility for your own personal safety and the safety of your family and loved ones. I have the utmost respect for his decision and believe it was a watershed moment for all of us.

Advocates of Self Protection

We are going to see some very troubled times ahead of us, it will get worse before it gets better. It will mean at times you will be on your own. There will be nobody to hold your hand, at the local, state and federal level. It has happened before and it is only a matter of time before it happens again. My hope is the courageous words from Chief Craig, “We’re advocates of self-protection. We want people to be safe” will echo across the country and more people will become self reliant when it comes to their self protection.

Personal responsibility includes personal safety. It’s a difficult choice, but it is the right choice.

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So, if you were listening to last night’s radio broadcast on Ballistic Radio you heard John and I discuss pressure testing. What is pressure testing?

The Suck Fest

It’s a phrase we use to describe pushing you, your gear and your TTP’s to the failure point. Learning their left and right limits in training so you are better prepared and confident in combat. Most folks don’t do their own pressure testing, they rely on myself and others, which I believe is a huge mistake. You have to do it yourself, it is not as valuable unless you have the chance to experience the suck itself. That’s right, if it’s not a suck fest, then you are probably really not testing.

The Standards Life

So, in our classes we have a high level of standards we enforce. We enforce them universally and consistently, which has lead to our success. Developing and implementing standards is so critical to long term sustainability that I will have to cover that in another blog article down the road. Suffice it to say that if you do not have standards or do not enforce standards or have lowest common denominator type standards you are living a lie. Standards should be observable, repeatable and here is the big one measurable. Anything of value must be measurable.

Move With a Purpose

We can sometimes get some bad press because our philosophy is once we have the standards nailed down then it is all about repetitions. Not just repetitions for the sake of sending rounds downrange, but instead repetitions that support your standards. If every round fired was fired in an attempt to meet a valid standard then every round is fired with a purpose, every round was willed to the target because it was a conscious choice. I will cover more on repetitions and what we call “repp’ing them out” in another blog, but one thing we notice is fatigue.

The Mental Drain

Fatigue or lack of physical readiness is a huge deterrent for the majority of folks we come into contact with during training. It is not the physical act of being accurate that drains them, it’s the mental drain to maintain such a high level of focus to achieve success on each and every round. That is the real culprit, the act of shooting is taxing, but staying focused for an extended period of time is exhausting.

Define Fitness for You

Every person has their own goals in life, to include their fitness. It certainly is a personal choice and I am not suggesting everyone needs to stop what they are doing and focus on that, what I am saying is we could ALL probably stand to be a bit fitter. Whatever that means to you is your choice, for me it means maintaining a high level of physical readiness. At the end of the radio segment you heard John and I talk about our friendly competition to support some noteworthy charities.

Mental fatigue is real and about the only thing you can do to bolster your mental toughness is subject yourself to the labor. Do the work and with time it will become easier.

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In most of our classes I have to remind students repeatedly to slow down. Too many of them are trying to move fast, thinking fast movement would make up for any flaws in the technique. While partially true, in the learning stages it is probably the worst thing you can do. The better approach is to move at slower speeds, speeds that allow you to recognize the situation, recall the right choices and then execute them smoothly.

Speed

We break movement speeds down to slow, half and full speed. While you will want to execute your actions, tactics or movements at full speed in real life combat, trying to do so during training will give you a a false sense of security. Folks will come to believe that sporadic success is a good thing. Well, it is not. Flawless execution is what leads to consistent success. You need to really soak that up, flawless execution. So, how do we get to that flawless execution? It starts by slowing things down during the learning stages. Performing your movements at what we call slow speed. You have to be able to see the individual steps, then chain them together. I cannot emphasis the importance of attention to details. In the learning stages you really can only see these details when you slow things down.

Half Speed

Once you have the details hammered out, then we move up to half speed for practice. It is assumed you have developed a high level of proficiency with the skill during the learning stages at slow speed. When you can perform with minimal mistakes you start to see your speed increase. That speed is masqueraded as efficiency. The more efficient you are, the faster it feels. Half speed is pretty much where you really hone your skills. You have to take great pains during the learning stages to do it until you cannot do it wrong. This level of discipline pays off by allowing you to divert some of your focus away from the actual skill. You begin to reap the benefits of the learning stages, albeit with some setbacks, but you can still see the progress being made.

Full Speed

Full speed I reserve for full contact or real combat. You obviously need to move fast, but not so fast that you are all over the place. When you move at that breakneck speed you are more than likely going to make mistakes. As I mentioned earlier some of the mistakes can be made up, but others cannot. You really cannot shoot fast enough to make up a miss. The key to full speed movements is creating the correct neural pathways through the learning and practice stages, so in the application stages you literally are moving as fast as the situation allows. The major takeaway is movement at this speed does not feel fast. It feels “right” and that is the difference.

The Racetrack Analogy

How fast is that, well think of it in terms of driving on a non-oval racetrack, an asymmetrical landscape. If the end result is to get to the finish line as fast as possible it probably will not be helpful if you run off the track. If you try to take a curve so fast you loose control and end up off track you probably won’t make it before someone else gets to the finish line. All you’ve done is add time, time to get back on track. If you allow the situation to dictate your speed and apply your skills under those conditions you will see greater success and fewer mistakes.

Don’t be a slave to speed, don’t let speed pull the wool over your eyes. Speed cannot make up a mistake or poor skill development.

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I just completed a team tactics class out in California which was a huge success. One of the successes in my opinion was creating a faster processing time for common tactical problems or what I like to call split second decision making. You can pull the trigger lighting fast, but that doesn’t mean you are doing it right. Same goes for decision making, you can make a quick decision, but it doesn’t always have to be the right one. Then on the flip side, you can take forever and a day to make the right decision, but the solution comes too late. The situation has changed or you are dead.

When Too Much is a Bad Thing

So, how do you get to the split second decision making, the first thing you have to do is limit your options. When there are so many options to choose from, the simple aspect of processing through all of them will take time and introduce the other pitfall, which is second guessing. Instead, you have to be able to take a step back and look at common problems, then identify common solutions. Solutions that can transcend or be applied to still create a winnable outcome.

We are gearing up for a Shoothouse Instructor Class at the end of the month and students are going to learn how to take a simple task and dissect it down to the maximum number of variables or at a minimum three. Then they have to come up with contingencies for each. The drill helps the would be instructors start to predict behavior as a means to reducing risk.

The Look

The same theory can be applied to tactics, whether directed internally or externally the principle is the same. What we are trying to do is create as many “looks” at the problem as we can. These looks help the individual familiarize themselves so that when they come across them in the real world, it has reduced the processing time. The key is to get as many looks as possible, the more looks at the same problem from different angles helps the individual by not only decreasing the processing speed, but gaining in confidence. Having seen the problem before lowers the stress somewhat or at the least removes the newness.

Indecision

A mistake I see often in shoothouse is the indecision or hesitation. That does tie into the problem with multiple options, but it also has to do with taking in information for the first time. That can be a little overwhelming and as the individual is attempting to process, time is ticking away. Once the individual is able to recognize the situation, then they have to select their response. Another way to help is the type of training apparatus you use. For most of our CQB type classes we love the Hell Box, a collaboration between us and Action Target. While simple in concept, a single room. It allows us to run a multitude of scenarios so that students can achieve the highest level of looks.

While you may not see exactly the same scenario in real life, you will more than likely see something familiar or at least not new. In the end, our goal is to remove hesitation and increase correct decision making in the quickest way possible.

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Mention the word “cover” and you immediately get visceral responses of solid, robust and of course bullet proof. That’s great, most folks know the difference between cover and concealment. I suppose I would be remise if I didn’t explain the difference for those just starting out in the art. Concealment obscures your position from the enemy, while cover absorbs the enemy’s bullets.

Cover, Cover All Around

With that being said, how often do you find yourself near cover, true cover. I mean think about your daily activities. How often do you find yourself near a reinforced wall or engine block? The problem I have is while most folks understand what cover is, there is this idea that cover will be readily available. While teaching an advanced tactics class last month, many of the troopers had a hard time giving up their notion of cover. It took them a while to realize that cover isn’t always what it is cracked up to be, sometimes your cover can become your coffin. I don’t blame them at all, it seems indicative of today’s tactics being taught.

The Coffin Theory

What does that mean, in my experience of teaching tactics many of the tactics discussed for active gunfights have a heavy emphasis on seeking cover. I get it, it’s easy to just lump the response into a simple concept. It is much harder to apply in practical terms. Then there is the whole issue of what to do once you have obtained cover. This is where you get a lot of dumbfounded looks. Ok, so you got cover…now what? You see if you are not willing to maneuver/move on the bad guy they will more than likely out maneuver you and in so doing that precious cover you held onto now has become the big “X” you were trying to avoid.

Vertical Fetal Position

Sometimes folks get sucked into cover and it becomes what we call the “vertical fetal position”. You get right up on the corner with no room to do much of anything. The way you need to look at cover is always temporary, I don’t care if you are buried deep in some presidential bunker, it is only temporary. Movement is life and if you don’t have a plan on what you are going to do once you are behind cover then it’s only a matter of time before someone decides to take the fight to you. Add quick peeks and it is just a major recipe for disaster. If you have reason to believe danger is around the corner, don’t do a quick peek…like ever.

Total Cover

We teach some simple concepts when working around cover. First, you have to understand what cover really is. It starts with your bullets, your bullets are the best form of cover. If you are putting the pain to the bad guy, it’s hard for them to do that to you. Then your body armor to protect you agains their bullets, then your buddy putting the pain to them and last is ballistic protection or what every one thinks as cover. See, it’s a lot more complicated that what folks lead you to believe.

It’s a major mindset shift, from a reactive measure of getting to cover to employing tactics that emphasis total cover. Believe me, your reactionary gap when someone busts the corner where you thought you were safe and sound is too much to catch up from. And that is how cover becomes a coffin.

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Does anyone remember that show, Wild Kingdom? I LOVED it as a kid, was glued to the TV as long as it was on. Partly because of Jim, you know, the guy Marlin was always sending to wrestle the wild animals. I feel at times that I’m Jim being sent into wrestle the wild animals, wild animals being gun control people.

Set The Example

If you’re going to wrestle wild animals there are a few things you might want to consider. The most important thing to consider is that you are representing more than just yourself or the firearms industry, you’re representing future generations. If you want these same liberties we enjoy for future generations you will have to act in a manner that allows good dialogue. I’m not saying you roll over, but you have to set the example for your opponent to follow. The better educated you are, the easier it is to be confident and stand up for what you believe with out it turning into an all out fight. Help them to rise to the occasion.

Know Your History

You then need to be a student of history. Study not only our history, but other country’s history. Educate yourself on the subject of gun control, learn how it started, how it worked and more importantly what it cost. I have found that cost usually is represented in loss of human life, but in addition I challenge you to research the cost in actual financial terms. Suffice it to say it’s astronomical. This is a major flaw in any of the main arguments proposed for gun control. One question that needs to be addressed is even if confiscation were to be ruled a law, who is going to pay for it? I mean in serious economic woes, how are politicians going to justify the expenditure of so much money. More than likely they will start with you cannot put a price tag on a human life. I absolutely agree, so then it becomes a matter of cost. How many living human lives versus humans no longer living, what is the forumula? There is more to it than that of course, but emotion will wiggle its way in, for that see more below.

Stay Focused on the Point

You then need to improve your ability to communicate. I enter in any “dialogue” or argument with the idea I could be wrong or through the discussion my view is re-validated. I try to listen to their main points, it’s not easy because a lot of times they are layered behind some common practices. The moment you bring reason, logic and data to the table the discussion usually takes a turn for the worse. Typically you see a lot of name calling, bullying and in some cases outright attacks against you. If you are going to step into this arena, you will have to be prepared for these types of tactics. Recognize them for what they are, at best a distraction and at worse a recognition of their own failure. Either case, stay on point. I think it is worth it for everyone to sit down and think about what the phrase “gun control” means to you. Give it some thought, very detailed thought. Then think about the phrase “freedom” and “liberty”. What do they mean to you. You cannot expect to win an argument unless you are prepared.

Be polite, be respectful and in the end make an honest decision. Did anything you hear change your view point? If not, then express to them they failed to persuade you to their way of thinking and that they will have to use force from that point to change your way of thought. Remind them that your way of thinking does not infringe upon their rights nor does it force them to do anything. That pretty much sums it up.

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What is the main purpose for today’s tactical (cringe…I hate using that word to describe something) belts? I mean, why do people pick certain belts over others?

How Does One Get To Tactical

First off, what makes a belt tactical? Is it because it is black, has Velcro or made of some sort of super metal? I have no idea I suppose, but for me a good belt holds my pants up, which are sometimes loaded down with a daily carry pistol. My first “tactical” belt, was not tactical at all, in fact it was a competition belt. Part of the Ernie Hill “Speed Leather” line that went with my holster and magazine pouch. I loved it! It started out stiff, but a couple of excursions in the drink and lots of wear that belt become almost human. It conformed to my body, but never lost it’s ability to support the weight. I still have that bad boy and no…it doesn’t still fit. I wish, it’s hard to find a belt that’s comfortable and good at it’s job; plus looks damn cool.

From Old School To New

I strayed away from leather belts with the mass appeal of nylon “riggers belts”. Partly because I needed something I could use for a safety harness. Then, that’s what all the cool kids where using. I liked these nylon belts for the most part and still wear them almost on a daily basis. But, I recently went back to wearing a leather belt. I have to say, I love it! I’m still hoping to find the perfect balance between lightweight and supportive, the search continues.

Streamlining Your Gear Is A Good Thing

How do you go about choosing a good belt for you? First, you have to define the mission. What do you intend on using it for, is it for daily carry or duty? While I have found some that can do both pretty well, comfort is more important to me these days so that makes it pretty hard. The common theme with duty is to wear a light weight pants belt then your heavier gun belt on top and I do mean heavy. Some of these gun belts are ridiculous, I mean really; even Batman might be a little jealous. I think if your job really entailed running and gunning you might think twice. I have gone back to my old school minimalist approach so I really only wear one belt; it’s good enough to hold my holster plus a magazine pouch or two and that’s it.

Back To First Line Gear

We use to break things down into different “line’s” and I don’t know why we moved away, but I see the move back (funny how we are cyclical). First line; what is on your person and essential. Second line, what is on your load carrying equipment and critical; third line, what is in your rucksack and enhancing. For most people out there it is all about daily carrying of a firearm in a concealed mode. So, I need a belt that is comfortable. Yes, I need it to carry the load, but if it is uncomfortable then it will compromise my ability to carry discreetly and that sort of defeats the purpose of concealed carry. Since most concealed carry involves inside the waistband or IWB the support we needed is a lot less. Comfort and freedom override, stiffness and rigidity.

Belt Basics

Some considerations for concealed carry. It should be the same width as the holster loops. This will ensure the holster doesn’t slide around on your body through daily movements. It should be stiff “enough” to support the weight of your load out. That can be achieved through extra rigid material, doubling up on the material or reinforcing the material through internal bands or extra stitching (my preference). It should easily secure and adjust for different clothing options and weather conditions. That big meal over the weekend can have a lasting effect, or adding more layers becuase it’s cold might make me a bit more husky. Lastly, it should be somewhat discreet. Avoid flashy or loud hardware or colors. Keep it neutral and monotoned.

I want to wear the belt and not have the belt wear me.

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Probability Over Possibility

So, one in particular had a lot of detailed questions geared towards an already single answer. They were more looking for validation than suggestions. I didn’t feel like what they were proposing was a good idea for first time firearm owner; double action in .40cal. Is it possible to develop solid marksmanship skills with this combination, yes. It is not probable without developing a lot of bad habits and struggles in the process.

Define The Mission

Since we are seeing more and more first time firearm owners purchasing their first handgun what should they be looking for? Before we get too far down the rabbit hole, define what you intend on doing with the handgun. Is it for home defense only, concealed carry only or both? That will start you off on the size of the handgun, full size versus compact. Truthfully there are a few compacts that can fulfill both roles well, On the flip side, unless you are a super large human the full size pistols are going to be harder to conceal.

Carry The Most BB’s

Next, I suggest looking at magazine capacity. You want the largest standard capacity magazine you can get your hands on, literally. Sure you can find extra capacity magazines, but they will more than likely affect how well you can conceal the handgun by increasing it’s length. Think of it in terms of it is a come as you are war. If you didn’t bring it, then you won’t have it in the fight. Magazine capacity of at least ten rounds is a good start for both concealed carry and home defense.

9mm Is King

Now comes the big question, what caliber? Straight up without any reservations I’m going to recommend 9mm. Don’t get sucked into the caliber wars about this will expand more or this has history attached to it or any of the other numerous reasons folks come up with to justify their purchase. The 9mm has come a long way.  Technology and materials have allowed this caliber to close the gap between it and other calibers. I try to remind folks that for any caliber to be effective the shooter has to hit it’s target. That means the rounds need to be reliable first and foremost. They have to go bang every single time you pull the trigger, no exceptions. You want to ensure the three variables of firearm, magazine & ammunition are compatible with each other. Don’t rely on others to provide you this information, take the time to do it yourself.

Accuracy Matters

Once it goes bang every single time, then you need to be able to strike the target. That means you have to be accurate enough and fast enough. That will require training and no caliber will EVER make up for a miss so don’t get too wrapped around the axle there. Another reason 9mm does a good job here is the availability of the round. There is more of it in circulation so it is easier to obtain under normal conditions. Stockpiling and storing ammunition is a good habit to get into and the lower costs of 9mm makes that an easier choice.

Go Deep

The human is a very tough target, resilient to damage. When deadly force is called for, you will relying on the ammunition to stop the treat. For this to happen it must disrupt the body’s vital life processes. As long as the round is reliable (goes bang), hits the target (marksmanship skills) then it needs to penetrate a minimum of 12 inches in soft tissue. This will ensure it penetrates deep enough to reach the vital anatomy. It also gives us some flexibility when the projectile needs to penetrate through heavy clothing or an extremity such as the arm.

Now that you have all that advise, you need to follow it. Don’t try and force something that is suboptimal to work at peak conditions. It’s just not going to work out the way you might want it to at the time you need it to.

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Good Ole Days

It was interesting to hear his anxiety about attending class, even back then there was a reputation with our programs of being physically and performance demanding. Back then the programs were only two days in duration, but literally packed to the rim with evolutions. Those were the days for sure.

Vulnerability

The anxiety had more to do with his performance compared to his peers. While it is easy to look back and laugh a bit, I can imagine how difficult it must have been for him. I see this today only I would say it is ten times worse. Most folks don’t like to be seen as being vulnerable or fallible. That couldn’t be further from the truth, showing up to one of classes his a huge accomplishment. I commend those who have the courage to do so, many are returning students and some are new, but they all know that it’s time to put on their big boy or girl pants and go all in all the time.

Being Part of Something Special

One of the first things I do is to congratulate those who show up because even though someone might register we still see a no-show occasionally. I then tell everyone my expectations of them and their performance. It is no secret that I hold class members to a high standard, but the difference is I believe they can each attain new levels of skill. I believe in empowering the student and giving them the platform to excel. In my experience they eagerly step up to the plate and give it their all. They need the recognition, what I expect of them and the venue to perform.

Born of the Same Clothe

While some will look at vulnerability as weakness, I see it as courage. It is not easy to put yourself out there, society and the industry has a warped sense of being and performance. It takes courage to risk failure, ridicule and even defeat, but those who dust themselves off and get right back at it will always have my respect. Probably one of the best compliments I could receive came from a long time friend. A professional soldier whom I have the utmost respect. He had the opportunity to finally train as a student after so many years (secretly, I was jealous as we both admit how much we love to train) and the opportunity to push himself knowing my expectations. He gained a new affection for some of the more difficult drills and knowing he continues to use the drills for his own professional development is the greatest compliment I could receive.

Teddy Roosevelt said it best and I am paraphrasing his monumental “Man in the Arena” speech; “it’s not the critic who counts, but the credit goes to the man who is in the arena, face marred with blood, sweat and tears.” So, what are you waiting for, get in the arena.

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