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There are consequences to both winning and losing a gunfight and consequences still for never taking up the duty to defend your family. Weighing in the balance that winning is the preferred option, how can we prepare? Much of this article, past the introduction, is interesting, and it has many links to excellent primary source material for the conscientious Concealed Carrier. The links and book mentions are one main reason to post it here.

Please do your own research to become conscientious about carrying a weapon; it’s no small thing. Having a weapon lends power, making a man no longer a victim; with it comes great responsibility.

For those who’ve been carrying for a while, we can become complacent. Perhaps mindset refresher training is even more critical than maintaining shooting ability, or at least it’s due an equal time and importance. Most firearms negligent discharges have their root not in any action, but long before that, in a complacent or casual mindset, leading to carelessness.

Mindset is at the core of self defense. From what I recall from the martial arts I studied in my youth, the concept of “mind, body, and spirit” was frequently mentioned and I think that mind being the first element identified by the concept was intentional. Some prominent firearms training organizations include this concept in their slogans and marketing. For example, the first thing one sees on the homepage for Tactical Response is a slideshow with mindset as the first item, that’s followed by tactics, skill and gear. Again, the order is intentional. Another example is Active Self Protection, who uses “Attitude, Skills, Plan” as a slogan in their logo and throughout their content. I suspect attitude in this slogan is synonymous to mindset. Other synonyms might include terms like “mental preparedness” or “emotional fortitude”. Regardless of the term used for mindset, it seems like every philosophy that surrounds every martial art fundamentally identifies mindset as the foundation that is required and necessary in order to win a fight universally. Even various depictions of the Combat Triad introduced by the late Jeff Cooper, which was used to explain the philosophy of violence places mindset as either the foundation of a pyramid or the base side of an equilateral triangle.

For us Christians, the spirit must be the first consideration and the body last. If you have to shoot somebody, you’ll learn the hard way why you should have set your heart right before the God of creation because your mind, sooner or later, for one reason or another, will surely fail to keep you grounded in your prior reality; that’s a promise.

You must have something larger than yourself; that must be God through His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Nobody really knows their own spirit until they meet God because He alone is holy, and we, at our core, are full of sin and corruption. May you meet Him before you die; God have mercy on them.

Consider carefully what will become of your mind if you kill a man, even if justified before God and the laws of men; this is why I prefer the translation of “Thou shalt not kill.” It’s easy to tell a man who has never had to take a life if he prefers the word murder instead of kill. If you kill for any reason, you will soon be met with the knowledge of the depths of the curse of sin upon man and earth. Blood in taking a life made in the image of our God upon your hands, for any reason, is no small thing, and you will never fully recover your innocence nor be the same again. Rarely do some men take to war. But it’s also easy to tell somebody who has never been shot at because they ignorantly promote war.

In my opinion, which I’m still refining, mindset is part confidence and part commitment. Both of those components are developed over time as one works on becoming better prepared to deal with a violent encounter including its prevention (avoiding it), intervention (fighting to break contact), and postvention (dealing with the aftermath). Neither confidence nor commitment are things that can be taught. They are things that are built through education, developing abilities, and introspection. Let’s break these components down a little bit more individually.

Confidence comes from having well placed and earned trust in our abilities and tools. Abilities, in my opinion once again, aren’t limited to marksmanship and tactics. It also includes our abilities to make good decisions. Meaning we know in our heart of hearts that we are unlikely to make a serious mistake that could result in a negative outcome that Claude Werner’s work has warned us about. Confidence minimizes doubt which in turn minimizes hesitation.

Confidence also comes from being adequately prepared to solve the self defense problem that is in front of us. This means being competently skilled and familiar enough with our tools while knowing enough about violent encounters so that there is little to no novelty about what is happening. Based on my limited understanding of the research and work from Dr. Paul Whitesell, Jeff Cooper, John Hearne, and Dr. William Aprill, novelty is something that our brain doesn’t deal well with and can trigger the flight, fight, or freeze response that occurs when the limbic system, or “animal brain”, takes over preventing the use of our cognitive abilities during the encounter which can lead to serious mistakes and negative outcomes.

Commitment comes from knowing and understanding what is at stake coupled with having a deliberate game plan. The stakes at a minimum are serious injury or death for yourself and loved ones present. Those are pretty high stakes, but like I said, those are the bare minimum.

The real danger in mindset, the article goes on to explain, is in finding yourself not knowing what to do. You can read the rest at the link. It’s nice to find worthwhile firearms knowledge that doesn’t gratuitously and needless cuss and denigrate. America needs more family-friendly gun knowledge.

It’s a leap worth making; that concealed carriers are always examining surroundings and people, profiling for danger and a thing or person that seems out of place or acting strangely. It’s a natural fit that you would be on the lookout for anything, even a low-threat profile minor in distress. We suppose this can also apply to folks who witness for Jesus Christ in public places or other ministries for Christ as well.

You are not a cop (unless you are). All we’re doing is standard the security sweep and this extra thing; are there any young girls or even boys or adults who oughtn’t to be in that situation or environment? Nobody would blame you for not involving yourself with the police. Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, gather as much information as you safely can, and let them handle it. Defense of others, and especially the least among us, is the law of God!

Sure, there are high-likelihood areas, and the readership here is generally less likely to be in those places than some demographics, but, leaving our Oligarch pedophile global “leaders” aside for the moment, there is a higher socioeconomic level associated with the prostitution of minors than you might imagine.

The article is not offensive; however tragic the topic may be, read it and watch the video.

I’ll put it somewhat crudely one time, No 13-year-old girl says, hey, maybe I’ll go turn some tricks. They are kidnapped and forced.

Concealed carriers who, as the late, great William Aprill said, possess a “fully-formed mental map of the expected terrain” and heightened sense of awareness can take actions that reduce the chances that the persons they love and care about ever become sex trafficking victims. In addition, we can become quicker to recognize the signs of  other person or persons that we do not know become sex trafficked and take actions that may result in getting law enforcement involved and ultimately rescuing the victim or victims  that end up with the victim receiving assistance from a crisis services program such as the one offered by  Cross Timbers Family Services where the goal is recovery and an opportunity to live a full life. The rest of this article is dedicated to providing readers with at least a partially-formed mental map to what sex trafficking is and is not based upon the above-described panel’s presentation on Human Trafficking.

For some reason, I’m unable to embed this time; here’s the video link URL.

https://youtu.be/rmuZuhEpPJY

These Fundamentals apply to everyone.

First: Top Five Travel Safety Tips For Women

Top 5 Travel Safety Tips from Greg Ellifritz

Next: Mrs. Warrior Poet on Women’s Self Defense

Source:

The president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, announced an authorization this weekend that allows civilians to carry and use guns amid surging crime in the country.

Reuters noted that crime has reached a point where it is hard to curtail, and Lasso hopes to find some degree of respite in allowing citizens to be armed for self-defense.

Lasso—a political conservative—announced the new policy, saying, “We have a common enemy: petty crime, drug trafficking, and organized crime.”

“We’ve modified the decree that allows the possession and carrying of guns,” he continued. “In other words, in general terms … the possession and carrying of guns for civilian use in personal defense is authorized, in accordance with the requirements of law and regulations.”

We’re obviously not against this. And you might say that America needs or even has something similar to this. But that’s not the direction I wanted to take. I was thinking about this the other day, and others have mentioned it. What if the government news outlets in America, let’s not even say breathlessly but matter-of-factly, reported the thousands of self-defense gun uses in America every month?

Yes, thousands of times every month, somebody uses a firearm for self-defense in the United States. This includes everything from showing a firearm to a would-be assailant to brandishing or muzzling and, least often but sadly, actually having to shoot an assailant.

We applaud the move by Mr. Lasso in Ecuador, but the president there should also direct the daily and weekly stats to be aggressively released to the public and broadcast along with any footage of justified self-defense. Once criminals see the effective use of guns in self-defense, crime will plummet.

America’s problem isn’t so much of a crime problem in most states. The U.S. problem is the government narrative that denies guns’ utility and constantly promotes restrictions and confiscations despite the majority of states requiring nothing but the attainment of age to carry and use a handgun in self-defense. If the U.S. government wanted to actually lower crime, they would broadcast every self-defense use and encourage people to report self-defense uses to be included in official releases and broadcasts.

This article provides some good tips. I’ll quote a few of the points but read the short list for yourself.

I see a red flag when an instructor is more interested in selling their background and less interested in selling the quality of their classes. If someone is stuck talking about how awesome they are and not what their courses will teach you, they are likely more invested in their reputation than their instruction.

If your instructor believes that the specific way they do something is the only way to do something, then that’s a huge red flag.

Speaking of standards, does your instructor have any? Do they use a measurable, objective standard that allows you to see your improvement and track your progress? However, you should see some form of improvement from the beginning of the class to the end. Clearly defined standards also allow instructors to measure the progress of growth of their students and themselves. Are their students successfully improving in accordance with standards?

I had completely missed this significant case coming from U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, South Bend Division.  It had to do with Mr. John Holden who, upon completion of his Form 4473 as it turns out, was under indictment at the time.  Being under indictment is not the same thing as being found guilty of a crime.  Furthermore, recall that the Fifth Circuit has dealt with a situation somewhat similar to this one.

Anyway, the judge makes this startling statement in the conclusion of the decision.

This opinion was drafted with an earnest hope that its author has misunderstood New York State Rifle v . Bruen, 142 S. Ct. 2111. If not, most of the body of law Congress has developed to protect both public safety and the right to bear arms might well be unconstitutional . For one constitutional reason or another, a similar fate has befallen several other laws that Congress adopted with beneficent purposes . But unlike those instances , the decimation of the nation’s gun laws would arise from an assumption that our leaders and ratifying legislators in the late 1700s didn’t foresee that their descendants might need a different relationship than the founders had between the federal government and the right to bear arms. Yet a glance at the Constitution they were amending shows that they could foresee the growth in population that would change the number of representatives to be elected ,that future members of Congress might need higher pay, and that future states might aspire to join the union.

The United States Constitution, as amended and as imperfect as itwas ,is the legacy ofthose eighteenth-century Americans ; it insults both that legacy and their memory to assume they were so short-sighted as to forbid the people, through their elected representatives, from regulatingguns in new ways.

The role ofa United States District Court is to apply the law as understood by the United States Supreme Court; today’s rulingrecognizes that role. But the author of this opinion retains hope that he hasn’t accurately grasped the Supreme Court’s understanding of the Second Amendment.

The court GRANTS Mr. Holden’s motion to withdraw guilty plea and GRANTS Mr. Holden’s motion to dismiss the indictment . Mr. Holden’s plea of guilty is WITHDRAWN and the indictment DISMISSED.

The Firth Circuit was unapologetic in their decision, whereas Judge Miller seems to be begging and pleading for his interpretation of Bruen to be shown incorrect.

I think his interpretation is correct, as much as he hates it.  On a positive note, it’s nice that he was honest in his stated loathing of the Bruen decision, while still coming to a constitutional decision.

Before you say you know it all and skip this article, there’s more here than a simple explanation. This will be a helpful start toward intermediate knowledge for those trying to learn more. It turns out there are many types of reticles. This article, in classic Widener’s fashion, provides a brief overview of 8 or so. One good thing about this format that they use is it provides a basis for further research into the areas within an aspect of firearms you need to know or have an interest in. You’ll learn something here.

Intro:

Many shooters select a rifle scope by researching its magnification, lens system, and physical specs. But it’s also important to consider the scope’s reticle in the decision-making process. Admittedly, it can be the most confusing part of choosing a scope. There are many types of reticles available on the market. Unless you’re a seasoned professional shooter, the subtle differences might be difficult to navigate.

At the very least, you should have a general understanding of reticle types. Once you know the different types, you’ll be able to easily match the rifle scope options to your hunting or shooting activity. Here’s what you need to know:

What Is A Reticle?

A reticle is a set of fine lines or fibers inside an optical device. The markings help you with aiming, measuring, or pointing. When you look through a rifle scope, the reticle is the cross, dot, or pattern that you see.

Originally, reticles were made from real hair or spiderweb, and the name “crosshair” stuck. Although optics can be traced back hundreds of years, the first practical rifle optic was invented between 1835 and 1840. After 1850, several U.S. manufacturers produced the sights that would become standard equipment for Civil War sharpshooters, basically the country’s first snipers.

Although the standard crosshair reticle was effective, shooters and equipment evolved to the point that they needed customizable reticles. The modern rifle optics industry was born, and mounted optics became more of a standard feature. While there are too many reticle models to provide an exhaustive list, we’ll look at several of the most popular types, beginning with the one that started it all.

The rest is an interesting primer on the various types.

Source.

Details about each method at the source. I would never have thought of welding a rod to the top of the screw so you could get a good grip to remove it. I’m sure readers have plenty of experience with stuck screws.

1. Use a torch
2. Use penetrating oil
3. Re-cut the screw slot
4. Drill the screw
5. Welding

If you work on firearms long enough, you will run into screws that refuse to budge. With the correct screwdriver and the proper force, a screw should move. If it doesn’t, stop. Go through this checklist: Is the screw a properly fitting screw? When was the last time this screw was moved? Has Loctite been applied? If you don’t know, is it a screw that is likely to be locked in place? (The most common places you will run into screws locking in place will be on scope mounts. People who don’t know how to properly tighten a screw will use Loctite when it’s not needed.)

I’ve met Representative Russel and heard him speak on other issues as well. The current Tennessee Constitutional Carry is not actual Constitution Carry. But, considering incrementalism TN is on its way. This bill would be very close to what many other states have. In TN open carry of long guns is restricted. This bill would remove that restriction, among others. The way things work in TN, the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee is a critical step in getting legislation to the full House floor.

The best part is when the witnesses all but admit they have no constitutional (TN) authority to oppose gun laws.

Via WoG, Video via TFA; both call for support action from Tennesseans.

Found on social. It looks like they tased him in a puddle of gasoline that they created when they attacked a man who had nothing to do with an initial call to the police about motorcyclists with guns. Reports indicate that he’s a 26-year-old FedEx employee. He’s not expected to live. There may be more details by now that readers can relate.