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
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
The Wal-Mart Parking Lot Killing Legal Outcome
The State Attorney of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida has ruled that there will be no prosecution of the woman who shot a man to death following a dispute over a parking space at a Wal-Mart in June. https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/north-lauderdale-self-defense-walmart-shooting-stand-your-ground/
A lengthy and detailed STAND YOUR GROUND IMMUNITY MEMO was released to explain the legal reasons for this decision. https://browardsao.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Homicide-Unit-Memo-re-June-30-2026.pdf
In summary,
“The video does not demonstrate that MP was in the right, rather it demonstrates that the State of Florida cannot overcome her claim that she was in reasonable fear of great bodily harm by clear and convincing evidence. Florida is a Stand Your Ground State. MP did not have to wait to be attacked before resorting to deadly force. She did not have to retreat as long as her fear was reasonable and no evidence has been presented to disprove that.”
A video timeline has also been posted by the State Attorney. https://browardsao.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Timeline-6-30-26.mp4
Reading the Memo and watching the video gave me a much different opinion of her retreat around the vehicles than I had previously. There was a much greater distance covered than just moving to the back of her vehicle. Given that she was neither a spring chicken nor a petite flower, she may well have retreated as much as she was physically capable of.
Prior to the release of the Memo, several persons had opined that because she exited her car with her pistol in hand she had committed an Aggravated Assault on DG (Dead Guy) and therefore had a Duty to Retreat. This issue is specifically addressed by a footnote in the Memo.
“If one argues that when MP exited her vehicle she committed the crime of Aggravated Assault with a Firearm, the State would point to §776.031 of the Florida Statutes which allows non-deadly force to be used in defense of property. As MP was clearly concerned about BD’s threats to damage her vehicle, this conduct was not unlawful. See, Little v. State, 302 So. 3d 396, (Fla. 4th DCA 2020).”
Note that displaying a weapon is non-deadly force as a matter of law in the State of Florida. This is not true everywhere so concealed carriers should be aware of the law wherever they happen to be. Legal nuances can be complicated, as this case clearly shows.
I still believe that the situation could have been handled differently in the context of CAN-MAY-MUST-SHOULD https://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=19028. However, my opinion has been tempered greatly by the depth of information in the Close Out Memo by the State Attorney. As is sometimes the case, the SHOULD in an incident can be decided differently, as defined by a person’s personal beliefs and capabilities.
For those who are interested, I will have more commentary on my Patreon page in the next few days.
CCW Safe Podcast – Maintain Situational Awareness
My latest podcast appearance is with CCW Safe https://ccwsafe.com/series/ . The topic is The Armed Defender’s Dilemma Lesson 9: Maintain Situational Awareness. It is available for both reading on their website https://ccwsafe.com/series/lesson-9-maintain-situational-awareness/article/lesson9-podcast/ and listening on various podcast sites, including YouTube.
A topic I brought up was about Decision Points. They are often overlooked in the community, especially the concept of forcing the Decision Point.
“[I]t’s called a Decision Point, and that was always very important to me to look at that. And I think about it now in our context of ‘[H]ow do we force the Decision Point on the situation where it’s to our advantage as opposed to the predator’s[?]’”
Whenever possible, we want to avoid becoming decisively engaged https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2014/06/25/situational-awareness-and-positioning-part-i/ and having to fight the engagement to a conclusion by ourselves. Forcing the Decision Point makes the predator react to us rather than us react to them. We can put Boyd’s Process https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2025/02/16/more-again-about-boyd-and-ooda/ to work for ourselves this way.
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
Rock Hill SC Assassination Attempt
You don’t have to be President Trump to be ‘Targeted for Termination.’ Bad Decisions lead to Negative Outcomes; one Justifiable Killing and one 10 year prison sentence.
“This was basically an assassination attempt,” Judge Bill McKinnon said. “It’s pre-planned. I mean, they intercepted him in traffic to block his car in and then tried to kill him.”
Many thanks to Good Guy With A Gun for reporting on this case.
Executive Summary of the Crime
- Woman (aka WBM ‘would-be murderer’) gets into argument with a male co-worker (MCW).
- Texts girlfriend (GF) to bring her a ‘tool’ (aka pistol) and sends picture of the male’s car.
- GF picks up WBM and they follow MCW in car when he leaves work.
- MCW tries multiple times to escape the confrontation.
- GF and WBM finally box MCW in at a stoplight.
- WBM exits GF’s car with pistol concealed in a grocery bag and confronts MCW.
- MCW retrieves his own pistol from his vehicle and then shoots and kills WBM.
- GF gets out of her car and punches MCW in the face.
- MCW indicates to GF with pistol to back off.
- GF is arrested by POlice.
- GF charged with Assault and Battery and Felony Murder because of WBM’s death.
- POlice say MCW acted in self-defense https://www.heraldonline.com/news/local/crime/article289406968.html and no charges are filed against him.
- GF pleads Guilty to Aggravated Assault and Battery.
- Judge is unsympathetic to her plea for leniency due to pregnancy and sentences GF to 10 years imprisonment.
- Prosecutors drop Felony Murder and other charges after 10 year sentence for A & B.
There is no shortage of wackadoos who will try to kill you for nonsensical reasons.
If you would like to read more in-depth articles about self-defense and personal protection, please consider subscribing to my Patreon page.
Surviving Edged Weapons
There is plenty of commentary, both informed and uninformed, available about the legalities and moralities of Austin Metcalfe’s murder, so I’m not going to go into those aspects of the incident. What has been focused on less is the actual mechanics of the incident. What’s most important for us and our loved ones to know is how to avoid becoming a casualty or fatality in such an incident.
“Yes, Karmelo put his hand in the bag and said five times, ‘touch me and see what happens,’ the witness testified.”
Note that the weapon used was a camping multitool available at WalMart. It has a knife blade, which is 3.5 inches long. This was more than sufficient to pierce Austin Metcalfe’s heart and kill him. Since Anthony had his hand in the bag long enough to repeat his threat five times, the knife was probably already open when it came out. Being within arm’s length in that situation is very dangerous.
Contrary to the pronouncements of some foolish common taters, knives are definitely deadly weapons. While many edged weapon attacks involve multiple slashes or stabs, just one can be sufficient to cause death. Austin Metcalfe’s demise is a sad example of how quickly that can happen.
The video Surviving Edged Weapons is available on YouTube. Made in 1988, it’s still well worth watching, either for the first time or as a review. It contains multiple actual incidents and re-enactments of edged weapon attacks and their aftermaths.
As noted in one comment to the video, the example at 7:15 of an officer being stabbed with a sword through the opening of a door recently occurred IRL in Boston. https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/boston-police-northeastern-university-sword-stabbing/
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
Defense of a Third Party – Double Trouble
“What’s the difference between truth and fiction? Fiction has to make sense.” Variously attributed to Mark Twain, Tom Clancy, and other notable authors of fiction.
A recent incident was summarized in a news release by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation because it involved a GBI Agent’s interaction with an Armed Citizen. It is an example of why I don’t bother making up ‘Worst Possible Cases.’ I just follow the news. I’m not clever enough to dream up something as weird as this.
Incident Summary
While driving with his daughter, a man was blocked in by an unhinged driver. The attacker exited his vehicle and approached the victim. The victim put a revolver in his pocket and got out of his vehicle. A fight ensued and the attacker got control of the victim’s revolver. The victim regained control of the revolver and shot the attacker.
A Georgia Bureau of Investigation Agent passing by saw the confrontation. Upon seeing the victim shoot the attacker, the GBI Agent opened fire on the victim. Fortunately, no hits were scored. The victim dropped his revolver and complied with the Agent’s commands.
The attacker drove off. He went to an adjacent county and called for medical assistance. After being treated, he was arrested and charged with multiple felonies.
This incident contains at least three, possibly all four, elements of the Avoid, Escape, Confront, Resist paradigm. https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2016/07/24/the-cost-of-killing/ The underlying causes of all this weirdness have not yet been revealed.
A few of the elements involved in the incident for consideration
- Road rage
- Perils of Intervention
- Don’t Go Outside
- Car carry
- Entangled fight
- Defense of 3d party
- Mistaken identity shooting
This incident is worthy of an entire series on my Patreon page.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/complicated-of-i-156362758
Tactical Conference 2026 – I
The 2026 Rangemaster Tactical Conference, aka TacCon https://taccon.info/, wrapped up last Sunday evening. It was three full days of training focused on personal development for self-defense and personal protection. A wide variety of subjects were presented in a buffet format. The classes ranged from live fire with pistols and shotguns to hands-on encounters without firearms to theoretical and philosophical seminars. Friday’s schedule gives a glimpse of the classes that are available.
I gave my presentation A Deep Dive into Boyd’s Process aka the O-O-D-A Loop twice. It seemed to be fairly well received. My object was to dispel some myths and give a more detailed analysis of what Colonel John Boyd actually said.
In Memory of Chuck Norris concluded my presentation.
Good Guys Wear Black Airport fight
Although I spent much of the Conference in discussions with my colleagues, I attended two classes; Concealment Workshop by Jon and Sarah Hauptman and Target, Bullets, and Body Parts by Chuck Haggard. With a lineup of dozens of classes, it’s not possible to take them all in. I also observed or sat in for a bit on several others. What You Should Know About Defensive Shooting by John Farnam, Hardest State Carry Quals by Karl Rehn, Low Round Count Evaluations by Lee Weems, and Defensive Knife for Concealed Carriers by Greg Ellifritz were worthwhile additions to my schedule.
An important part of the Conference to me is the Pistol Match because it is a rare opportunity to shoot at turning targets. Visual cues are rather different than an audio cue such as a shot timer. The staff graciously consented to allow me to shoot it twice, once for record with my Glock 19 and a second time the next day with my LCP II .380 for comparison. The results will be in my next post.
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