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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Weapon Critical Comparisons
A practical framework for comparing defensive firearms: look beyond price and brand loyalty to quality control, components, assembly, support, and the likelihood of reliability problems.
Read articleBaselines
I am LE and I have a decent baseline of competency with a pistol. What would you say a good basic competency with a rifle would look like?…
Read articleWitch Hunts & Manufactured Outrage
We are living in a new era of witch hunts and manufactured outrage. There are puppet masters making a lot of money off of the masses by creating…
Read articleEmotional honesty in brand recommendations
Brand loyalty is stupid. Here’s an absolute fact: we live in the Golden Age of striker fired semi-automatic pistols. If I showed up for work Saturday and instead…
Read articleThoughts 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
A systems-thinking approach places marksmanship fundamentals inside a continuous shot process built around feedback, context, and corrective action.
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
Round count alone does not build skill. Caleb Giddings explains how short, focused dry-fire sessions and planned live-fire practice produced better results.
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…
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