Pro shooting advice: Buying a specific handgun because you read good reviews is not as good as renting and shooting it yourself.
Category: Personal Defense
Self Defense In Extremes
Two recent court cases highlight situations that terrify me.
Let’s start with Kyle Rittenhouse’s case. His was in all respects a clear-cut case of self-defense. I’m not going to debate his decision to be in Kenosha that night. That’s a whole ‘nuther can o’ worms. Suffice to say, it would have taken a lot more to put myself in that area. Here’s the two parts that terrify me: 1) being cut off and surrounded by angry people, and 2) then having my story rocketed to the front of national news because of the media climate at the time. The former because of the tactical situation. The latter because of its downstream impact on my life.
Then let’s take a look at the case of Andrew Coffee IV. This highlights that my fear of the police fucking up and deciding to no-knock my house. Because there have been too many episodes of police mistakes and swatting for me to consider it outside the realm of possibility. As for Mr. Coffee’s particular case, I think McThag summed it up quite well.
Whatever your feelings of how they got into their situations, both of these young men had the right of self-defense. They used that right of self-defense appropriately. And they will pay a price for it.
These are the extremes. You have been warned.
Is It Good For Society?
As the Rittenhouse trial goes into jury deliberations, Sean Sorrentino (host of the defunct Gun Blog Variety Cast), posted this question on FB:
One of my friends left a very good comment elsewhere…
“If he had stayed home, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. Minding your own business is a critical self-defense skill, yet no one teaches it.”
My question is: “This is good advice for the individual, but is it good advice for society?
I think this is a ramifications of some trends in America:
1. The transition from a high-trust society to a low-trust society
2. The increasing Balkanization among certain segments of the society, particularly the political extremes
3. The loss of influence of traditional institutions that promote mutual aid
4. The muddled definitions of what is expected among upstanding citizens – especially among the men
When we can’t trust strangers because they are outside of our tribe, when we consider those outside the tribe to be dangerous, when we no longer participate in organizations that foster goodwill and charity, and when we don’t have common principles to guide us through demanding times, is it any wonder that it may be preferable to just mind one’s own business?
Tri-Link Wednesday
The Brother shared a NY Times article on glitter. Yeah, I was surprised about how cagey people were about how glitter was manufactured. I still maintain that glitter is the herpes of the craft world. And I detest how endemic it is on girls clothing.
Miguel (via Lawdog) brings us a helpful hint. BTW Miguel, great job on the weight loss!
And on a more serious note, Reason has an article on the Firearms Policy Coalition filing in opposition of Texas’s new abortion law. They assert that turning the citizens against each other to stop abortion can be done to stop the citizens from exercising their Second Amendment rights.
Sometimes You Come Back On Your Shield
Instead of with it. John Hurley stepped up and stopped a madman bent on killing police. Unfortunately, he was killed by responding officers who mistook him for the madman. First, let me offer my condolences to his family and friends. Mr. Hurley did a courageous thing, and I hope that offers them some comfort in their grief.
Yet, like many tragedies, this is a good incident to examine for lessons. J. KB over at Gunfreezone has a good examination of the event. I agree that Mr. Hurley should not have picked up the madman’s rifle. Also, making yourself as much a non-threat when the cops roll up is also a good lesson to take to heart.
However, you can still do everything right and end up shot by the cops. You may not know the danger is over and are still scanning for threats. They are rolling into an extreme situation. Adrenaline is pumping on all sides.
Understand that. You can do everything right and still end up dead. That’s another lesson that needs to be learned.
Who Wants Some Links?
First, an article from Active Response Training on spotting a bad guy.
An article from Techradar asking how influential Babylon 5 was for today’s tv shows.
From Flatfile, we have listicle of common Excel mistakes.
From Popular Mechanics, an article about a very long missile shot.. This is interesting considering that I grew up with Tomcats and Phoenix missiles.
Finally, scientists and zookeepers in South Florida identified a new species of spider. The best part of the article is when they say it’s probably already in danger of being wiped out.
Clearing the Browser Tabs
This week’s kind of a big one at the Ward household as we’re closing on the new Ward Estate of Northern Rural Suburbia. Yeah, I’ll explain that later. Today, it’s links.
From Military.com comes an older article on Sig delivering its final prototypes for the new Army SAW. Including chambering in a new 6.8mm cartridge. The article expects new individual rifles in that chamber next year.
In the “Yes, Please” category, Variety reports that the Justified crew are looking to bring Raylan back in a new series. Still need to get The Wife through that series.
The title of this NY Post story kicked over my giggle box. Cancel culture is out of control – and Gen X is our only hope. Considering how overlooked the Gen Xers, I find this highly amusing.
I’ve got two articles from The Wirecutter. The first is how to clean your ear buds.. The second one is on why many of The Wirecutter’s picks are on the expensive side. These are good principles when looking at any purchase.
I’ve got an article from the Mises Institute on why everyone is so more freaked out about the riot at the Capitol. I refuse to call that an insurrection any more than I’d call a violent BLM an insurrection. It was a violent political protest, not an attempt to take over the government.
Finally, The Firearms Blog has a look at the 1986 Miami Shootout. This is one of those seminal gunfights that people who are serious about using guns in self-defense should study. How to stay in the fight when you’re hurt, nothing seems to be working, and everything around you is going to hell.
EDC Post 2021
Another in my series of seeing how things change year over year. I tend to carry a lot of stuff. It helps that I wear cargo pants pretty much every day. Here are my previous posts:
2018 post.
2019 post.
2020 post.
Wallet
I use a Saddleback Large Leather wallet.. I keep a Tool Logic Credit Card inside it. It’s not that I use it that much. Mostly, it’s because I’ve had the damn thing for probably twenty-five years, and my wallet feels empty without it.
Keys
My brother picked me up a Lifelong Ring 300 key ring system. I mainly use the main big ring and have all of my keys on the wire key rings. In addition to my keys, I have:
- Kingston 32GB Flash Drive – Because you never know when someone has a file they want to give you
- Gerber Artifact – I’m not sure if Gerber is still selling these, but their Shard would be a good substitute
- Surefire Sidekick – This flashlight is often the most convenient and gets the most work
“Urban Kit”
This is one of a Maxpedition pocket pouch that I stash useful stuff. I keep the following:
- First aid kit – Coleman Mini First Aid Kit– This handles handles minor emergencies, and I like the tin as a container.
- Scissors and tweezers – Because sometimes a knife isn’t the tool for every situation
- Bic disposal lighter – Must Have Fire
- Lightning to 3.5 mm adapter – in case I need to use wired headphones
- Anker lipstick battery – useful recharge for all of my little electronics
- Short lightning cable for phone – Three foot or less, just long enough to use the lipstick battery
- 2 Spare CR123 batteries – Mainly for my flashlights
- Reusable twist ties
- Lightning to micro USB adapter – So I can recharge my lipstick battery and not have to carry a second cable
- Emergency cash – No, I’m not going to say how much
Pocketknife
Most of the time, I carry a Kershaw-Emerson CQC-10 along with a Gerber Dime multi-tool.
For the rare times I’ve had to go into the office, I’m carrying a Leatherman Skeletool. It’s a bit “friendlier” when dealing with coworkers.
Flashlight
Lately, I’ve been carrying the bigger Sreamlight ProTac 750 lumen flashlight. It’s too big to really be a pocket flashlight, so I carry it in the spare magazine holder.
If I have to go into the office, I carry an older Streamlight ProTac.
Pepper Spray
I carry a small Sabre Pepper Spray for when I need something between strong words and deadly force.
Earbuds
Currently, I’m using a pair of Apple AirPods Pro. Expensive, but worth the cost IMHO. I particularly like the “transparent” mode which allows more of the outside sound through.
Phone
I’m using an iPhone XR. I have the 256 GB model because I cram it with audiobooks. Lots of audiobooks. I use a simple case that has the texture of a MagPul P-MAG.
Watch
I’m using a 44mm Series 5 Apple Watch. I like the always on feature.
Pen
For the day job, I carry a Smith and Wesson M&P tactical pen.
Otherwise, I carry a CRKT tactical pen.
Sidearm
Unless I’m going to someplace I’m not legally allowed to carry, I generally have my Smith and Wesson M&P9 (First Gen) equipped with a Streamlight TLR-1 and Trijicon night sights. I keep it and the spare magazine loaded with 124-grain Speer Gold Dots (since that’s what the local cops use). I’ve switched to using a Bravo Concealment kydex IWB holster after the leather on my hybrid started folding over and preventing good holstering. I’m using a BladeTech kydex magazine holder for the spare magazine and the flashlight.
State of the Podcasts 2021
This is the fourth year I’ve reviewed which podcasts I listen to, how I listen to them, and when I listen to them. Part of it’s my own curiosity at how my podcast habits change. I’m also curious what others think about the same podcasts and which podcasts come and go. Here are my previous years’ entries:
I listen to my podcasts in Overcast. I prefer Overcast because the app deletes podcasts I’ve listened to, plus it has a smart speed feature which will speed up if it hears dead air. Generally, I listen to my podcasts at 2X speed.
An issue I ran into last year was podcasts that fit into multiple categories. So, instead of trying to put each podcast into one category, I’m adding all the applicable categories to each podcast. I also used to designate a podcast as promotable. What I’ve found is that I’m trying to get podcasts around current events (i.e., have a shelf life) up to the top. The rest I listen to as I have time.
Podcast Categories
Comedy – One of the central themes of the podcast is making me laugh
Debate – The podcast uses a formal debate format
Economics – Discusses economic theory and impacts
Entertainment – Main subject matter is an entertainment form or persons
Free Speech – Discussing the current issues and assaults on free speech culture and laws
Government – Discusses the review of government operations
Guns – Discussing gun hardware and associated technology and skills
History – Delving into history in general or one facet/era
Legal – Discussing legal cases and theories
Libertarianism – Discusses libertarian theory
Interview – Substantial episodes interviewing guests
Opposing Views – Hosts regularly espouse politics or theories that are substantially different to my own
Prepping – Discussing prepping gear, methods, and skills
Politics Of The Day (POTD) – Discussion of current political events
Right To Keep and Bear Arms (RKBA) – Discusses issues around gun rights
Science – Discussing current science news and skepticism-related issues
True Crime – Podcast is a narrative/story of real crime events
War – Discusses issues surrounding armed conflicts
Writing Improvement – Helps me improve my writing
My podcasts as of March 2021:
13 Hours Inside the Nova Scotia Massacre (True Crime, Writing Improvement) – This podcast relates the events surrounding an active shooter event in Nova Scotia in 2020.
Advisory Opinions (Legal, POTD) – David French and Sarah Isgur discuss legal issues and theory on the politics of the day. With some pop culture on the side.
Alienating the Audience (Entertainment, Libertarianism, Interview) – Andrew Heaton brings on guests to discuss different aspects of various science-fiction properties.
All the Presidents’ Lawyers (POTD, Opposing Views, Legal) – I picked this one up because Ken White is one of the hosts. It’s a different perspective on Trump’s – and soon to be Biden’s – legal issues than most of my normal feeds.
Angry Planet (War, Interview, Opposing Views) – Formerly known as War College, this podcast is an interesting look at politics and military issues through interviews with specialists.
Assorted Calibers Podcast (RKBA, Guns, Entertainment, Interview) – Weer’d Beard and Erin Pallette are the real reason I listen to this, but the other segments are generally surprisingly good. I’m also a patron, and listen to the Mag Dump round tables, Film Tracks, and Blooper Reels.
Black Man With A Gun (Guns, RKBA, Interview) – After an almost year-long hiatus, Kenn Blanchard continues his musings on gun rights, the black community, and other issues. Yes, I have a fondness for Kenn’s podcast since I wrote the Zombie Strike segment for a few years.
Blocked and Reported (Free Speech, POTD) – Katie Herzog and Jesse Singal discuss the various social media dust-ups with occasional interviews.
Bound By Oath (Legal, Libertarianism) – From the Institute for Justice, this podcast focuses on specific issues. The current season is focusing on the myriad of protections and immunities public officials enjoy.
The Bradenton Times Podcast (Interview, POTD, Opposing Views) – This podcast is focused on my local area. I’m using it to get better acquainted with the ins and outs of Bradenton, Manatee County, and the Sarasota area. It’s still new enough that I’m not sure if I have all the categories correct.
Bribe, Swindle, and Steal (Interview, True Crime, Opposing Views, Writing Improvement) – This one popped up when I was searching for podcasts on white-collar crime. It focuses on issues, challenges, and items that are of note for compliance officials.
Cato Daily Podcast (Libertarianism, Economics, Interview, POTD) – A good quick podcast that covers various topics from a libertarian viewpoint.
Cato Events Podcast (Economics, Libertarianism, POTD) – Recordings of various panels put on by the Cato Institute. I’ve heard a lot of very interesting discussions and arguments. Some, not so much. I would recommend listening even if the subject doesn’t seem interesting. I’ve been surprised by what I learned.
Clockwise (Tech) – Two hosts and two guests discuss four tech topics in thirty minutes. Sometimes those topics on current tech news. Sometimes it’s just musing on tech and life. Generally enjoyable.
Daily Tech Headlines (Tech) – Good fast summary of the big tech stories.
Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History (History, Writing Improvement)- Dan Carlin’s storytelling on various historical events is spellbinding. Unfortunately infrequent, which can be a bit daunting since he does multi-part stories. I highly recommend, when possible, going back and relistening to the previous parts before continuing onto the new one.
Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History: Addendum (History, Interview, Writing)- A companion to the Hardcore History podcast where Dan Carlin does segments outside his normal narrative style.
The Dispatch Podcast (POTD, Interview) – The flagship podcast of The Dispatch network, the Wednesday show has the main hosts discussing the politics of the day, while the Friday show is an interview with a newsmaker, thought provoker, or just someone the hosts like.
Econtalk (Interview, Economics)- Economist Russ Roberts does great interviews with a wide variety of guests and topics. I’ve been learning a lot on economics, and even more on some wildly different topics.
The Economist (POTD, Opposing Views)- I listen to the Economist, because it provides a different perspective and reports on areas that barely hit my normal feeds.
The Editors (POTD) – Editors from National Review discussing the issues of the day. Part of my keeping an idea of the conservative side of the issues of the day.
FBI Retired Case File Review (Interview, True Crime, Writing Improvement) – A former FBI Special Agent and current author interviews retired FBI agents about the cases that had a unique impact on them.
The Femsplainers (Interview, POTD, Free Speech, Opposing Views) – The hosts discuss free speech, free thoughts, and feminism of the issues of the day.
The Fifth Column (POTD, Free Speech, Opposing Views) – This is an excellent roundup focusing on the issues of the day and how the media reports them. They also bring on guests who will disagree with them and have excellent discussions.
Firearms Nation (Guns, Interview) – Interview podcast with leading competition shooters and others to discuss both competition and practical shooting techniques and strategies. I’ll be honest, if they’re just discussing how to make you a better competition shooter, I’m more likely to bypass it. However, they have had some great interviews on self-defense and self-defense scenarios.
Free Thoughts (Interview, Libertarianism) – The hosts interview authors who promulgate new books that cover or intersect with libertarian issues and theories.
GAO Podcast (Interview, Government) – The Government Accountability Office discussed some of their reviews they’ve done on federal agencies.
Geeks Gadgets and Guns (Guns, Tech, Entertainment, POTD, RKBA) – A couple of geeks discussing guns and other geeky stuff – with sometimes politics intruding.
GLoP Culture (POTD, Entertainment) – The hosts muse on the POTD, and the entertainment industry.
Gun and Gear Review (Guns) – This is a good review podcast for new stuff in the gun world. I enjoy the reviews and the banter between the hosts.
Guns Guide To Liberals (RKBA) – This is a good podcast focusing on techniques to use when talking about guns and RKBA to those who don’t share our views.
Handgun Radio (Guns, Interview) – Delving more into the history and technological aspects of guns – mostly handguns. Also, just fun musings on different aspects of guns. Sometimes they bring on interesting guests.
Handgun World (Guns, Interview, RKBA) – Bob has good information on carrying and self-protection, but sometimes his views annoy me, particularly when he goes off on rising evil.
High Caliber History (Guns, History, Interview) – Logan Metesh interviews specialists on the history of guns, as well as lending his own vast expertise.
The History of WWII Podcast (History, Interview) – This one is going through WWII chronologically, with interview episodes interspersed.
The Incomparable Game Show (Comedy) – Rotating panels playing rotating series of ostensibly board games. Often hilarious, sometimes dangerously so when driving.
Left, Right, & Center (POTD, Opposing Views) – This covers the week’s political events with a progressive, a conservative, and a host who’s a left-leaning centrist. Guests are brought on to provide additional commentary – who have been overwhelmingly on the left-side of the aisles.
Mad Dogs and Englishmen (POTD) – Charles Cooke and Kevin Williamson opine on the issues of the day and other things that amuse them.
Make No Law (Free Speech, History, Legal)- Ken White delves into the case law around the First Amendment and free speech. Unfortunately infrequent.
Managing Uncertainty (Prepping, Writing Improvement) – This podcast is mainly focused on risk management from an organizational standpoint, but I find it’s useful as a prepping exercise as well.
The Michael Shermer Show (Interview, Science, Opposing Views) – Michael Shermer interviews scientists, scholars, and other intellectuals on a variety of topics.
The One With Greg Gutfield (POTD, Interview, Entertainment) – Sometimes Greg interviews a variety of guests. Other times, it’s just clips from his tv show.
Part of the Problem (POTD, Libertarianism)- Rabid anti-war libertarian comedian Dave Smith is interesting. He’s certainly challenging some of my ideas. Particularly when he veers over to the conspiracy theories.
Polite Society Podcast (RKBA, POTD, Interview, Opposing Views) – The hosts interview people in the RKBA movement, while also discussing news (often gun-related), and self-defense analysis.
The Political Orphanage (Interview) – Andrew Heaton interviews a variety of individuals to discuss issues. Not necessarily just the POTD.
Pop & Locke (Entertainment, Libertarianism, Opposing Views) – This one looks at pop culture media (books, TV, movies) through the libertarian lens. Sometimes the panel goes a little more woke than I appreciate.
Popular Front (Interview, War, Opposing Views) – A look into smaller conflicts going on or unusual aspects of modern warfare.
The Portal (Interview, Free Speech, Economics) – Eric Weinstein discusses a variety of subjects with guests. Very high-intelligence demanding.
Power Problems (Interview, Libertarianism) – A Cato podcast focusing on foreign affairs.
The Pursuit (Libertarianism) – The first season was a great overview of government seizures of private property, with the second going into various abuses of power by the government.
Quillette Podcast (Interviews, Free Speech) – Interviews and articles focusing in on free speech issues and cancel culture.
The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie (Interview, Liberatarianism) – Reason editor interviews a variety of guests. This would be an even better podcast if they had a different host.
The Reason Roundtable (POTD) – Four editors from Reason discuss the issues of the day.
The Remnant With Jonah Goldberg (Interview, POTD) – The Wednesday show is interviewing pundits, politicians, and others. The Friday show is Jonah musings.
Revolutions (History, Writing Improvement) – Really good series on various revolutions. Each season goes through one of the more pivotal revolutions in history, starting with the English Revolution.
The Rewatchables – (Entertainment) Variety panel of guests discussing a movie that is considered highly rewatchable. Depending on what movie they’re reviewing, if it’s one I haven’t seen, I’ll delete it.
Roboskull Cast – (Entertainment) A Robotech podcast where the hosts go through the episodes and the new comics. One has seen the series, one is watching it, and neither were old enough to watch in ’85. The hosts are finished up with the series and the movies, so new podcasts are going to be light on the ground unless/until something Robotech-media breaks (new comics, movies, etc)
Self-Defense Gun Stories (Guns) – I like the analysis of what went right and wrong from a variety of professional trainers. This is another I recommend to new shooters and those who are thinking about using a gun for self-defense.
Short Circuit (Legal, Libertarianism) – From the Institute of Justice, this one discusses notable cases that IJ is arguing. I put it under libertarian theory rather than politics because it discusses legal libertarian arguments rather than issues of the day.
Skeptics Guide to The Universe (Science, Opposing Views) – This was my first science podcast and really helped forge my skepticism.
Skeptoid (Science) – Another one that helped in developing my skeptical outlook. It takes a particular pseudo-science claim and investigates with a skeptical eye.
So To Speak (Free Speech, Interview) – FIRE’s podcast discussing free speech issues. The guests and legal theories put this more into theory although it sometimes delves into the issues of the day.
The SoHo Forum Debates (Debate, Economics, Libertarianism, Opposing Views) – Oxford-rules debates on a variety of issues.
Techmeme Ride Home (Tech) – This is a relatively short, but thorough examination of the big news in tech.
The Tom Woods Show (Economics, Libertarianism, Interview, POTD) – A mainstay of the Mises wing of the libertarian world interviews and discusses events and theories.
Unregistered with Thaddeus Russell (Interview, Libertarianism, Free Speech, Opposing Views) – Thaddeus interviews a varied list of guests he finds intriguing. Some are very interesting, some less so.
The Way I Heard It With Mike Rowe (Entertainment, History, Writing Improvement) – After growing up with Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story”, this one is a wonderful substitute.
Words & Numbers (Economics, Libertarianism, POTD, Interview) – An economist and a political scientist discuss different aspects of economics from a libertarian perspective. Sometimes dipping into issues of the day.
New Product Promo!
Disclosure: I met Sarah Hauptman way back in 2016 at the GRPC. I actually got to hang out with her for a quite a while. The funniest part was when she came over to where a bunch of us had congregated and said that my hat (S&W M&P) clearly said that this little group was probably “her people”. I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed the podcast she does with her husband Guns Guide to Liberals. I also am the proud owner of a Phlster Flatpack for daily carrying of a tourniquet. (Are you carrying a tourniquet? Why not?) Some of this may have shaded my excitement over Phlster’s latest announcement.
First, watch this:
This is a big step forward in letting people carry in their normal clothing without the need for heavy gun belts or the normal accoutrements. This is particularly of note for women, because women’s clothes suck for concealed carry.
My only real complaint is that it’s set up for appendix carry only at the moment, and I’m not comfortable with AIWB carry.
Still, if this interests you, here’s a link to order one.