Primary & Secondary Article Library
Explore the Primary & Secondary Article Library: practical writing on firearms, defensive training, law enforcement, equipment, tactics, mindset, and the people who contribute to the professional training community. Articles are organized to help readers find durable information, professional perspectives, and useful resources by subject.
Search and browse the complete Primary & Secondary article archive. Filters update automatically as new material is published.
Thoughts on Fighting rifles
What makes a Great fighting rifle? Is it just reliability and the ever-present internet “MILSPEC” assembly and parts or is there something more?I have spent the better part…
Read articleSystems Thinking and the Shot Process: Why the ‘Fundamentals’ Don’t Work
Recently, I’ve been exposed to Peter Senge’s ‘The Fifth Discipline; the Art of the Learning Organization. Senge (2013) asserted that there are two types of complexity: dynamic and detail (p.71). Before…
Read articleGunslingin’ #6
This is part deux of The Shot Process. Check out Gunslingin’ #5 for part 1 A shot process can be as simple or as detailed as you need…
Read articleMethods of Engagement: Why Double Taps and Head Shots Will Let You Down
The U.S. Military’s (conventional forces any way), primary method for shooting threats at close range is Double Taps or Controlled Pairs. The difference between the two: Double Taps-…
Read articleGunslingin’ #5
If you haven’t been keeping up, I have done articles on Stability, aiming, and data. Those articles lead back to the first one and the shot process. For…
Read articleLow Power Variable Optics: The Close and The Far
The world of Low Powered Variable Optics (LPVO) has bloomed in recent years with their increased use in both sporting and professional roles. Just about every optics company worth…
Read articleEating Our Own Part Deux
This is a follow-up post to Eating Our Own, published by P&S last year. Most of the themes are the same. We still face dogged opponents set on…
Read articleSomething About Shooting in the Dark
Up front I need to let you know that this isn’t going to be another article on how to hold your flashlight. There are probably around three thousand…
Read articleGunslingin #4
If you have been keeping up with the series, you know that we have talked positions and data. Now its time to talk about the spot where a…
Read articleGunslingin’ #3
For this installment, I am going to talk about data. Now, I am not, nor ever claimed to be, one of the Sniper types. I am sure by…
Read articleBad reps don’t count
When I first started shooting, I was obsessed with my round count. I knew that the top pro shooters shot tens of thousands of rounds each year in…
Read articleCommunication Confusion
One of the most neglected aspects in Close Quarter Combat (CQB) training is communications. What I mean by this is- How to correctly pass information so that the…
Read articleTurning Corners, What’s the Rush?
My first military CQB (Close Quarters Battle) training experience was not actually in a room or building, but instead in a trench. Back in 1990 (yes, I am…
Read articleThe Folly Of The Four Man Stack
“CQB is a war of angles.” The first time I heard this was back in 2004 from Rich Mason, owner and head instructor of DARC (Direct Action Resource…
Read articleExpanding your lane
In my first post, I talked about the value of knowing your lane – how to understand your area of expertise as well as being aware of what…
Read articleGunslingin’ #2
If you didn’t read my last article, hit it up here As I mentioned before, the next few articles are going to be focused on the shooting I…
Read articleControl the Hall Control the Floor
In close quarter battle (CQB) the standard practice with regards to hallways with most U.S military, standard operating procedures (SOPs) is to treat halls very much the same…
Read articleWWDLD? (What Would Dave Landis Do?)
Matt asked me to start a series of short articles on leadership, and specifically leadership in the law enforcement world. Frankly, some of the issues are unique to…
Read articleKnowing your lane – introducing Caleb Giddings
I’m Caleb Giddings, I’ve been in the firearms industry for over a decade now. I’ve held almost every job you can imagine in the gun industry; paid professional…
Read articleGreetings from Primary & Secondary.
This is the first of what equates to a regular column here from me. I will be putting up articles every couple week on a variety of subjects…
Read articleCognitive Load: How Does This Affect our Shot Process?
“An intuitive user interface for a word-processing program will not, for example, make anyone a better writer… The phrase “make it intuitive” is a simplistic and…
Read articleTim Herron Class AAR
Last weekend I had the opportunity to take a two day pistol class with Tim Herron. Especially since Tim is a newer instructor, I wanted to take the…
Read articleWhat Gun Should I Buy? – Prioritizing Firearm Purchases
Nearly everyone who buys a gun, especially people new to guns, started with the question, “What gun should I buy?” We all have experiences that shape our…
Read articleA Beginner’s Guide to Ruck Marching
I am currently assigned as an Infantry OSUT commander (Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training, rolled into one 14-week course). As such, I manage the training for…
Read article