Remember the old saying to “keep your friends close and your enemies closer?” I understand what that means … about not wishing the ex-wife would slip and fall beneath a road roller, for example, or…

Look through just about any magazine or website devoted to gun owners, especially if it has a focus on self-defense, and you will find ads for laser sights. Lasers have generated a lot of interest…

You’ve read about tactical pens in this space and you’ll continue to do so. That’s because I’m a firm believer in their efficacy as self-defense tools. You know how every now and again you have an…

I often tell people during concealed carry classes, “You can often stay out of trouble if you don’t do stupid things with stupid people in stupid places.” The meaning of that catchy little line is to…

AS INSTRUCTORS, trainers, teachers, educators, coaches, mentors or whatever we choose to call ourselves, our jobs are to effect behavioral change within those under our charge who are seeking to…

So, this is definitely not the first time I’ve heard or experienced what I’m about to tell you. But it still shocks and disheartens me every time someone shares this type of detail with me… A few…

The fighting shotgun is certainly not the stately fowling piece of blued steel and walnut from days gone by. It is a tool for stopping bad people from doing bad things. Choosing a self-defense…

There are currently something like 55 standard handgun cartridge options between .17 HMR and .500 Smith & Wesson. Any of them could be used for self-defense. It’s just that some are better than…

We toss that “comforting, not comfortable” line around quite a bit, don’t we? But it’s a legit philosophy: Carrying a gun, concealed, usually requires some kind of compromise in comfort. Thankfully,…

Today, with the public becoming aware that more than 15 million Americans are legally carrying firearms, you would think that people would be less inclined to engage in road rage. But even more…

Consider if you will the multiple-opponent gunfight, and I’m using the term “gunfight” even if you’re the only one with the gun(s). In most areas of the United States, unarmed but multiple attackers…

A few weeks ago, I posted a blog about some thoughts and suggestions for wives whose husbands do not support firearms ownership or concealed carry. Things got even more interesting recently when I…

We train how to fight, but how often do you think about what you won’t do during a deadly force encounter? Escape should always be your first consideration. Consider this scenario: You are at the…

Bersa’s polymer .380 concealed carry pistol could replace your plinker as the fun gun in your arsenal. At the same time, it can be a legit concealed carry gun as well. How so? A formula based on the…

Not long ago, I heard Carrie Lightfoot speak. Lightfoot founded The Well Armed Woman, “Where the Feminine and Firearms Meet.” She talked about “What Women Want” and mentioned four notions. When women…

Kahr Arms has been manufacturing finely crafted semi-automatic defensive handguns since 1995 — without enough fanfare, as far as I’m concerned, considering the quality and ahead-of-the-curve design…

Two things make concealed carry effective: concealment and access. Your gun needs to be out of sight until you need it. When you need it, access must be almost instant, because when you need it, you…

Any piece of mechanical equipment needs preparation and maintenance, especially if it may one day be needed in an emergency. The time to find out if your brand new whiz-bang 8000-Watt portable…

Crisis Averted A family of four from Hoonah was walking in line through a wooded area to a favorite fishing hole when a brown bear emerged from the woods and charged the group from the front. The…

Cautiously, I opened the lid to the large, overstuffed container, trying carefully to avoid the jack-in-the-box explosion that I expected at any moment. Luckily, everything stayed put, enough that I…