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.
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What 15 Months of Sergeanting Taught Me About Leadership
When I was promoted to Police Sergeant, I was a 10-year cop who didn’t have a burning desire to get promoted. I liked being a working cop. As…
Read articleFormatting cells in Excel for a Weapons Mastery Data Tracker
For Training Tuesday, we are continuing our series on how to create range reports you can use to identify trends in your marksmanship program using Microsoft Excel.…
Read articleMuscle Relaxation, Natural Point of Aim, and Recoil Management for Stable Pistol Shooting
For Manual Monday, we are continuing our discussion on creating a stable platform for the pistol. Specifically, we will be addressing the role muscle relaxation, Natural Point of…
Read articleGrouping: the Baseline
Judge me by your group size do you? Grouping TC 3-22.9 states “The goal of the grouping exercise is for the shooter to fire tight shot groups and…
Read articleCapturing the Work of a Company
For Training Tuesday, we are continuing our discussion from previous weeks. How do we capture information from large groups of people? What is the most effective way…
Read articleEating Our Own
As I sit to write this the greater gun community is again up in arms over statements made in a video on a so-called news program. A 22…
Read articleYes, Experience Matters.
Yes, experience matters. When I started in the armory at DSS in March of 2008, the FTU was burning through guns at a ridiculous rate. I wasn’t an…
Read articleDealing with Media for Firearms Instructors
They Already Have Their Conclusion For more than ten years, I’ve been in leadership of the most effective gun rights organization in the country. For eight of those,…
Read articleSocial Media Gunfighters
Proficiency, knowledge, and experience are desired traits within many aspects of life. Unfortunately, a counter-culture is growing within social media that focuses on firearms. This isn’t new but…
Read articleDeveloping Wide-Band Situational Awareness
There are a lot of cliche statements repeated over and over ad nauseum in the training world. Many of those statements refer to situational awareness (SA), the most…
Read articleLaw Enforcement Emotional Survival
Every LEO, whether a rookie or a 30-year veteran, needs to learn emotional survival and how to prioritize their life. I wasn’t exposed to the concept until 14…
Read articleLegal Aspects of Warrant Service with NVG
One of the things I like best about being a travelling instructor is meeting cops from all over the place and talking about the similarities in the job…
Read articleSkill Drills vs. Scenario Training
I was inspired to write this article because of a curious phenomenon known as the Dunning-Kruger Effect. This describes how a person’s knowledge of a subject and their…
Read articleFackler Discusses Shots To The Pelvic Area
“I welcome the chance to refute the belief that the pelvic area is a reasonable target during a gunfight. I can find no evidence or valid rationale for…
Read articleTrainers, Training, and Mindset
“The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.” – Sun…
Read articleTomahawk Selection
I have had a few questions in regard to selecting a tomahawk for police work. I am no expert on ‘Hawk construction but a few things to consider…
Read articleThe Gun Elitist Debate
There are some who will argue pure price point in both the excessively cheap and unnecessarily high extremes when it comes to guns and gear. Some are brand…
Read articleBallistic Helmets, Construction, Testing, and Ratings
So, after one of my gear reviews, I received so much feedback, I decided to clarify/expound. It seems most end users are merely consumers. They want to give…
Read articleChoosing a Protection Level for Rifle Plates
Armor 101… I tell customers that armor is one of the most confusing commodities in the defensive industry. Understanding the rating systems, the materials, and the capabilities associated…
Read articleMaterials Used in Hard Armor
*Editor’s note: NiJ ratings do not consider 5.56 in classifications. If something is rated level III it will stop .308 but not necessarily 5.56/.223. Currently there are four…
Read articleThe Value of Backgrounds With Teaching
Something that’s been bugging me of late and I have to rant a bit about…let me be blunt (as those who know me can appreciate) – I CAN…
Read articleCritical Equipment
This article began as some thoughts when I was listening to the P&S Kyle Defoor interview a few months ago, and I am finally putting thoughts on paper…
Read articleAAR’s for Scenario Based Training: How to and Why
AAR. What is it? After Action Review is the short answer. Why do we do them? Because we have to. Because we’re supposed to. First Sergeant said to.…
Read articleBattlesight Zero
Those who carry guns for a living know the world isn’t a nicely manicured flat range and threats will present at differing distances. You won’t have an opportunity…
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