WKD Resonations – November 13, 2026
#fridayfundamentals
This is a different kind of Fundamentals; no marksmanship or skills with arms is involved. Synchronicity happened several times when I read this week’s Weekend Knowledge Dump. https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/weekend-knowledge-dump-november-13-2026
Earlier in the week, I become aware of the incident in which Amanda Colley and her friend, Lindy Dobbins were murdered. https://www.news4jax.com/news/2018/07/13/medical-examiner-testimony-james-colleys-wife-shot-9-times/ I’ve tried to find a link where their loathsome killer isn’t mentioned first with no luck.
Two links in WKD resonated with me about this incident. The first link was about getting shot.
What it’s like to get shot
https://www.survivalsullivan.com/how-it-feels-to-be-shot/
Three women were present during the murders. One was wounded and not killed.
“Hendricks said a shot fired through the closet door grazed her arm and felt ‘like a rug burn.’”
I found that to be an interesting analogy.
The second link concerned skills not taught.
Never Get Taken To A Second Location | Active Self Protection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho-VyzyiouE
Although the Colley incident didn’t involve being taken to a second crime scene, Greg’s comment “Over the years I’ve seen fewer and fewer instructors teaching the skill sets to avoid being taken to the second crime scene” made me think of something related.
When the Colley killer incident began his rampage, there were four innocent people in the house, one man and three women. When the killer started shooting from outside, the man immediately said “Run” and he ran. According to court testimony:
“He ran into the garage, rolled under the garage door and ran from the home. He wasn’t hurt and found someone a few streets away to call 911.”
In contrast, all three women hid in the house. Amanda hid in a bathroom. Lindy, the other fatality, and Rachel Hendricks, who survived, hid in a walk in closet.
“Colley put the handgun he was carrying up to [Lindy] Dobbins’ head, and that’s when Hendricks ran out of the closet and through the front door, looking for help.”
Both of the survivors RAN. One at the outset and the other when she had the opportunity to. Since most of our training is structured as ‘firing squad practice,’ running is not a survival skill we include. Years ago, when I taught my Advanced Concealed Carry Skills Course, one of the exercises was to run away to a specified safe point when the clients ran out of ammo during an extended decisional shooting exercise. They would run out of ammo at different times in the exercise and had to make a personal judgement call about when to run. Running away as an individual judgement call isn’t a skill often seen in firearms or self defense training.
The third resonant to me was Significant Advantages to the Revolver in Deep Concealment https://reflexhandgun.com/2021/11/02/a-significant-advantage-to-the-revolver-in-deep-concealment/
This article had a personal implication. As fond as I am of my Walther PPS, I have largely gone back to my 640-3 as my EDC. My reasons mostly align with the themes of the article.
I admit I have a probably excessive interest in deep concealment because of the amount of time I’ve spent in NPEs. Another aspect I’m influenced by is my desire to avoid a ‘Hindi Incident.’ Las Vegas Police officer Bob Hindi had occasion to quickly run out to the store late in the evening. Because it was so time sensitive, he didn’t take any of his personal protection equipment. Naturally, a robbery occurred while he was there. As he was struggling with the robber, he thought “I wish I’d brought my gun.” Fortunately, Bob fought the guy enough to force a Break In Contact https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2021/04/10/breaking-contact-part-i/, https://ccwsafe.com/resources/breaking-contact-pt-1/ and he wasn’t injured. Bob is a very squared away officer and ordinarily will never leave home without his gear but it took a few minutes to put on. He simply didn’t have time in this case.
The concept of having a tool I can quickly slip in my pants is very appealing to me as a result. I wouldn’t do a Clip Draw with a striker fired gun but I’m very comfortable using one with a double action revolver. Although I used a Barami Hip-Grip for decades, I became uncomfortable with it when I had my revolver slip out after a fall on ice. The Clip Draw seems a little more secure. How much so, I haven’t measured.
Another aspect of the 640-3 that I like is that it’s stainless and very visible when drawn. A Chicargo cop told me something a long time ago about stainless steel revolvers that I had never considered.
“Most of these nitwits are in a fog or can’t see very well. I want them to know I’m pointing a gun at them.”
I doubt optometry is high on the list of health care services considered essential by low-lifes and other undesirables.
A friend and I were discussing a few days ago what the most useful survival skill was. A point of agreement is that one of the most valuable skills is ‘emotional control.’ Within that broad category, I place ‘fear control’ as key. It’s another skill we don’t train on very well.
Fear Illusions: How Your Brain Gets Hacked Every Day
https://www.neilstrauss.com/neil/fear-illusions-and-the-brain/
Note that some of best literature about controlling fear comes from the swimming community. Fear of drowning is pretty high on everyone’s list.
In the past I’ve referenced many Army and other Service Field Manuals in my writing. Unfortunately, most of the official digital copies have now been removed from public access. No CAC card, no access. The Field Manual Vault is a good substitute resource.
Military Field Manuals
https://www.trex-arms.com/field-manual-vault
Colonel Max Radl spoke about Carl Jung and synchronicity.
“A very great thinker. A rational man And yet he speaks of something called synchronicity, events having a coincidence in time, creating the feeling that a deeper motivation is involved.”
If you would like to read more in-depth articles about self-defense and personal protection, please consider subscribing to my Patreon page.
Analogue Guns for Training and Practice
Greg Ellifritz https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/ posted an heirloom article that is totally worth reading. Several of my colleagues have commented to me about having people trying to use small guns in a class and how it handicaps the clients that do. I have long been an advocate of using a larger size handgun, with the same action type and controls, for practice and training. It’s what I call an analogue. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/analogue#h1 “something that is similar or comparable to something else either in general or in some specific detail”
Small guns are great for carry but are often painful to shoot for any useful amount of training or practice. Using a larger analogue allows a shooter to develop skill and familiarity that can be transferred to the smaller handgun.
This is especially true for Airweight snub revolvers. Even practicing with a steel framed analogue instead of an Airweight makes a world of difference. Using something like a Model 10 snub allows a shooter to get in a meaningful practice session without the pain caused by an Airweight.
For shooters who are serious about improving their skill level, there’s a lot of downside to the philosophy of “shoot what you carry.” Having a second gun, analogous to the carry gun has a lot of upside.
If you would like to read more in-depth articles about self-defense and personal protection, please consider subscribing to my Patreon page.
Tiny Guns – Keeping It Real
My friend Mark Luell recently published a post about his “Dog Walk Rig,” which is a very interesting take on the subject of really tiny guns. https://www.growingupguns.com/2026/11/04/underwear-gun-naa-sentinel-mini-revolver/
In his article, he references a Patreon post I recently made. One of my Patrons had asked about incidents involving really small guns, such as mini-revolvers.
“Claude, do you have any real world experiences or insights as to use, and actual examples of these tiny guns in actual shootings? I envision them useful in very specific scenarios.”
https://www.patreon.com/TacticalProfessor/posts/tiny-guns-irl-173153879
It’s an interesting discussion about Rule 1 of a gunfight; “Have a Gun,” so I’ve unlocked the Patreon post and anyone can read it.
I’ve owned an NAA mini and didn’t care for it so I sold it. My issue was that the gun was so small and the sights so off that I couldn’t hit anything past arm’s length. This latest evolution of the mini seems to be more useful.
What’s noteworthy about the discussion is that it brings up something the late Pat Rogers said.
“The Mission drives the gear train.”
In my case, copperheads on a dog walk aren’t one of my concerns. Rat shot doesn’t fit into my mission profile. But in Mark’s case it does. In the case of the motel clerk referenced in my Patreon article, the mini with solids was ideal for her mission profile.
Once again, we’re back to that discussion about METT-TC. https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2019/12/01/mett-tc-and-how-it-applies-to-us/
What’s The Best Load For A Snub Revolver?
#wheelgunWednesday
From Legendary Lawman Chuck Haggard:
“It’s an equilateral triangle. Is the ammo reliable? Does it shoot accurately to the sights? Does it penetrate enough?
Then we can start to think about the nuances of bullet performance.”
The 5^4 Black Belt Test
More about the topic and drill on my Patreon page.
https://www.patreon.com/TacticalProfessor/posts/whats-best-load-173016099
Frugal Firearms Podcast – Part 2
The second part of my blathering on Frugal Firearms is up.
https://rss.com/podcasts/frugalfirearmspodcast/3228377/
The little Bauer .25 autoloader came up in the discussion. I haven’t shot mine in years so I broke it out and shot it yesterday. That was definitely a ‘gun whisperer’ exercise.
The Course of Fire I used was the New York State Concealed Carry License Live-Fire Proficiency Assessment.
The New York target is three sheets of paper in landscape mode stacked vertically. This is very similar in size to an FBI Q target. That seemed very generous to me so I used only one sheet of paper.
I managed to pass it several times. In fact, I never managed to fail it. Although many people will scoff at this Assessment as a marksmanship test, it is a workable Firing Solution for over 80% of the Armed Citizen incidents in my database. Oh, the horror!
Frugal Firearms Podcast – Part I
We had fun talking about Little Crappy Pistols, among other things, on Frugal Firearms.
There was a long list of topics and we ended up going much longer so the podcast is in two parts. Here’s Part I
https://rss.com/podcasts/frugalfirearmspodcast/3213813
When Part 2 is up, I’ll post the link.
Serious Mistakes Gunowners Make Link Updates
Some of the links to Serious Mistakes Gunowners Make have become unworkable over the years. The buttons have the current link and take my readers directly to the sources.
For those who aren’t familiar with it, here are some reviews.
Reviews
GAT Daily https://gatdaily.com/articles/claude-werner-serious-mistakes-gun-owners-make/
Pistol Training dot com https://pistol-training.com/serious-mistakes-gunowners-make/
KR Training https://blog.krtraining.com/book-review-serious-mistakes-gunowners-make-werner-2019/
CCW Safe Podcasts Discussing concepts in the book
AI tells me:
The most common ‘complaint’ from reviewers is actually a compliment to the content: several prominent reviewers expressed disappointment that it is strictly sold as a digital file (PDF/eBook).
I’m working on a print edition but it may take a little time.
Thanks for all the support my readers have given me over the years, it means a lot.
If you would like to read more in-depth articles about self-defense and personal protection, please consider subscribing to my Patreon page.
https://www.patreon.com/TacticalProfessor
Reasonable Proficiency
#fridayfundamentals
This question was posed to me as a possible discussion point for an upcoming podcast.
“Do people train adequately to a point of reasonable proficiency with their firearms? If not, what sort of drills would help them develop while being sufficiently interesting to keep them engaged?”
The note I wrote to myself for the discussion was as follows:
Let’s define “reasonable proficiency.” I often hear the FBI Qualification, which I consider elitist nonsense and ridiculous. My two favorite assessments are the New York State Concealed Carry License Live-Fire Proficiency Assessment and the San Diego County (California) CCW Practical Qualification.
New York is five rounds at 4 yards. San Diego is 5 rounds at each of 7, 5, and 3 yards. San Diego requires Primary Hand Only and Support Hand Only shooting at 3 yards. The two total 20 rounds. New York’s standard is four of the five shots must hit a silhouette target. San Diego’s standard is 13 of the 15 shots must hit a silhouette target. An Armed Citizen who simply shot those to standard once a quarter would prove formidable in a confrontation.
The ability to put five shots, or less, onto a criminal attacker at a range of three to seven yards will solve almost every incident in my database. There are exceptions but they represent fewer than one percent.
Let’s not overthink our expectations of newer or less experienced gunowners. All that does is intimidate and discourage them. Keeping inexperienced shooters engaged starts out by having a little empathy for where they are at in the process and remembering where we all started.
When the podcast goes live, I’ll post a link.
If you would like to read more in-depth articles about self-defense and personal protection, please consider subscribing to my Patreon page.
Another thought about Dot Sights ‘and more’
#fridayfundmentals
Several articles in Greg Ellifritz’s Weekend Knowledge Dump https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/weekend-knowledge-dump-september-18-2026 are very relevant to Friday Fundamentals today.
Fretting About Pistol Red-Dot Zeroes Is Silly
https://gatdaily.com/articles/fretting-about-pistol-red-dot-zeroes-is-silly
“It’s crazy to think about the fact that we’re discussing differences in points of impact between 1 and 1 ½ inches. These are tiny measurements in considering everything else pertaining to handgun shooting. In fact, think about how even proficient shooters would likely struggle to consistently shoot a “100” on a standard NRA B-8 target with a typical red-dot equipped pistol. And the 10-ring on a B-8 is 3.36 inches in diameter!”
This mirrors my thoughts about the worries folks have expressed about the non-adjustability of the Ruger ReadyDot sight. When I mounted it on a SCCY Gen 3, the Point of Impact had diverged from the X Ring Point of Aim into the 9 ring of a B-27 target at 10 yards. Would this make the slightest difference when shooting a concealed carry qualification test or in an actual Personal Protection incident? I doubt it.
You Can Improve Your Shooting Almost Anywhere…Even At An Indoor Range
Years ago, the Tactical Professor did his annoying little numbery thing and determined that in the Atlanta metro area, 999 out of 1,000 gunowners only have access to an indoor range to practice. And Atlanta has a lot of outdoor gun clubs compared to most metro areas. The hitch is that you have to be a member or know a member to shoot at one. My club has a several year waiting list.
Gunowners who want to develop even a modicum of proficiency have to learn how to do that on their own at an indoor range. That’s the underlying concept for my book Indoor Range Practice Sessions. https://store.payloadz.com/details/2501143-ebooks-education-indoor-range-practice-sessions.html
It’s also why most of the articles in my 2024 Shooting Illustrated series are most of the articles in my 2024 Shooting Illustrated series are oriented toward an indoor range (i.e., resource constrained) environment. https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/near-to-far-marksmanship-practice/ There are almost a dozen articles, one per month. After a year of one practice session per month, a gunowner will have some degree of proficiency.
As President Theodore Roosevelt said:
“Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are.”
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/quote/do-what-you-can-with-what-youve-got-where-you-are
Related to this is my rebuttal of “Everyone needs to get training.” Looking at the number of available facilities and instructors, it would take nearly 100 years to put every US gunowner through an equivalent of the NRA Basics Of Pistol Shooting course. The time it would take to put everyone through the equivalent of the NRA Personal Protection In The Home course isn’t even worth calculating.
This analysis was done over 10 years ago before the big boom in gun purchases during the past decade, so the situation is probably much more difficult now. Gunownership is way up and facilities are being put out of business on a weekly basis.
People are strange
When you’re a stranger
https://onherownlife.substack.com/p/people-are-strange
The title is a play on the song by The Doors
As the late WT Aprill often said, “They are not like you.” Don’t assume that people are going to be grateful for your help. Some will, some won’t. Understand there’s risk in helping others.
My Patreon is Graduate level study of Personal Protection. It’s not for everyone but some people really like it.
https://www.patreon.com/TacticalProfessor
9/2 Challenge
To keep my blood pressure down from the malfeasance of the NYC administration, I shot the Langdon Tactical 9/2 Challenge yesterday. There are two videos, one First Person Shooter. and the other 3rd person perspective. It’s a good drill and I enjoyed shooting it.
Here is the First Person Shooter. The 3rd person perspective is linked in the end screen.
I like to think of it as practicing the destruction of the enemies of our great Nation. My BP was only 117/71 this morning so I guess it worked.
The Langdon Tactical webpage with more information about the Challenge is here.
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