A well trained warrior with inferior equipment will prevail over a novice with the best gear. Both will prevail over a novice with crappy gear, but a professional with good equipment, who knows how to use it, reigns supreme. As Michael Gaines says, “It’s not about the gear, but it sorta is.”
In this column we give you the unvarnished truth as we see it about various items touted for personal protection.
We also discuss different subspecies of weapons, so you will be able to make informed procurement decisions.
Lastly, because (as H.J. Poole pointed out) weapons and tactics are mutually dependent, we offer you tips and tricks for maximizing the effectiveness of specific systems.
One situation where a pistol mounted light might be very useful is counterattacking an active shooter–and only the active shooter–in a theater. Unless you get paid to stick your nose in other people’s business, you most likely will never need a PML. But then, you most likely will never need a pistol at all. With any life insurance, we’re not gambling on the odds; we’re banking on the possibilities. Here are some whys and wherefores for pistol mounted lights.
The Magpul Speed Plate for Glock magazines was a product in need of a raison d’être. I found a legit use for them, but I also found them to be less robust than other Magpul products.
This post addresses different types of slings, their uses, advantages, and disadvantages. Of particular importance, it discusses how to get slung behind you should you need to free your hands.
In 3 decades as a Glock operator and range master, I’ve seen one Glock-made magazine come apart when dropped. This article gives details, as well as some descriptions of your OEM and aftermarket options.
Weapons and tactics being mutually dependent, this article addresses both the Byrna pepperball launcher and the Use of Force contexts in which one might be useful–as well as when it probably wouldn’t.
This article explains the whys and wherefores of everyone’s favorite part of the Kalashnikov series: the right side mounted mode-of-fire selector lever.
Call it what you want. Some call them PDWs, personal defense weapons, after a unique brand of firearms initially considered for downed aircrew survival. Some call them “AR pistols” and “AK pistols.” Those are legal terms for getting around silly …
In this era of rifle-caliber pistols and SBRs, AKS-74U clones such as the Draco are popular as personal defense weapons. They are certainly more handy inside an automobile and easier to fit into a backpack or briefcase than longer carbines and rifles. If you own one, this article may help you appreciate the history and lore of your chosen system. It offers some lesser known details about the development and Western discovery of the AKS-74U, which we erroneously called a “Krinkov” for years.
Most people get guns for “GPs,” general purposes. But, like golf clubs, different guns have different niches in your battle plan. Before you get a gun (or another gun), you should have some idea what you plan to accomplish with …
This article outlines the history of long guns in police service during the past century or so, especially the last 50 years, comparing and contrasting the different types. Although there are some important lessons for the long gun armed citizen throughout, the article concludes with information specifically for rifle armed citizens (or those who are wondering if they ought to be). Originally published in February, 2021, this article was significantly revised in September 2021.
We often hear those in the know referring to ARs as “carbines.” But doesn’t AR stand for Armalite Rifle? What’s the difference? Carbines were originally short rifles issued to cavalry troopers. Troopers generally fought from the saddle with a …
A travelogue of a very cold trip to Colorado, and some limited testing we did with the Trijicon Ruggedized Miniature Reflex pistol sight under semi-arctic conditions.