Firearms Information: The Introduction

A quick survey of the web will tell you that another computer web site is about as needed as a good case of the clap. I did notice that there weren't many internet resources who were interested in the use of firearms for self protection and law enforcement. I had been kicking this idea around for several weeks when I found Keld Knudsen's excellent site www.tactical.dk which is a good source of information about the use of the AR-15/M-16 series of rifles from a soldier's perspective. Keld's web site served as an inspriration to get me off my butt and start working on these pages.

I have been fortunate enough to attend firearms training at some of the finest shooting schools in this country. It is my goal to share some of what I've learned. My goal is to serve as an on-line reference for the defensive use of firearms, primarily handguns since that is where most of my knowledge and training is based. I do not claim that the information I present here is the gospel according to John. There are many ways to accomplish the skills I'll discuss. Each way has its strenghts and weaknesses but what I'll share is what has worked well for me.

Also, remember that there isn't that much new in world of weapons and weaponcraft. For this reason you may see opinions expressed here that are practically identical to opinions shared and expressed by others. This is not plagarism or a lack of creativity. This is my agreement with the soundness of those ideas (or my belief in not stealing from the mediocre).

IMPORTANT PLEASE KEEP READING!!!

If you are serious about using a firearm to protect yourself or others, seek quality professional training. Certain skills such as weapon manipulations can be grasped through pictures and text but the more subtle nuiances such as trigger control (the most important skill) cannot. There is not a substitute for spending time with someone who is a masterful instructer.

For those of you who are law enforcement officers, with a few exceptions, the level of weapons mastery taught by your department, agency, or academy, is not as good as you would think. I was one of the best shooters at my agency/duty station. I was openly told by my firearms instructers that I could shoot better than they could. Despite this high level of profiency, my ability to deliver hits accurately in a small time frame has dramatically increased after I attened a real firearms training center. Also, my ability to manipulate a weapon, to clear malfunctions, to reload, etc. were not only improved but I also learned better ways to accomplish these skills. Let's face reality, we as LEO's are far more likely to need these skills. Yet many private citizens that I've trained and competed with possessed a level of skill beyond that of most officers I've worked with. You deserve, your community deserves, and your family and loved ones deserve to have your skills be as developed as possible so that everyone comes home at the end of your shift. Especially when we think that only 10-15% of the rounds fired by officers actually hit their target, we can all see the need to be our best.

(This concludes the end of the preaching.)