Principles of Personal Defense
The Jeff Cooper Legacy Foundation https://jeffcooperfoundation.org/ has made available, as a free PDF download, Jeff Cooper’s short book, Principles of Personal Defense https://jeffcooperfoundation.org/?page_id=1546 The download link is at the bottom of the page.
You now have no excuse for not reading it. It is a short book and well worth an hour or so of your time.
Many thanks to Greg Moats for the heads-up.
Defense of a Third Person Incident
Two years ago today, an Atlanta mother shot her daughter’s ex-boyfriend when he showed up at their home, threatened them, and fired a pistol in the air.
https://www.goodguywithagun.online/p/good-guy-with-a-gun-120-atlanta-ga
Often, Defensive Gun Uses can be described as ‘Defense of a Third Person/Party,’ rather than Defense of Self, per se. That’s why I generally use the term ‘Personal Protection’ rather than ‘Self Defense.’
“A person is justified in threatening or using force against another when and to the extent that he or she reasonably believes that such threat or force is necessary to defend himself or herself or a third person [emphasis mine] against such other’s imminent use of unlawful force”
–Official Code of Georgia Annotated Section 16-3-21 https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-16/chapter-3/article-2/section-16-3-21/
Defenders need to be aware of the fact that innocent parties may be downrange in addition to the assailant. Whether that was the case in this incident is unclear but it is a possibility. Defense of a third person by an armed citizen often does not involve the classic hostage rescue shot.
Nonetheless, when others are downrange, spraying and praying isn’t a good tactic. This was a counter-point article I wrote about the subject years ago.
Being a successful defender doesn’t mean you have to be a Delta Force sniper but you do need to know where your bullets are likely to go. Meghan Brown’s incident is a good example of having patience and making a good decision.
If you would like to read more in-depth information about shooting and personal protection, consider subscribing to my Patreon page.
He Saved My Life!
#mousegunmonday #win
The victim of the robbery wouldn’t go on camera but said, “He saved my life!” Customer’s mousegun comes to the rescue. The surveillance video of this incident shows a customer in a Michigan convenience store react to an armed robbery of the store clerk.
The customer draws a pocket carried, probably laser equipped, mousegun from his pocket, activate the laser, and fire seven shots in three volleys at the robber. His initial volley of three shots is taken at the closer end of the Near Phase of Public Space, probably about 12-15 feet. He made at least three hits for the seven shots; a minimum of a 43% hit rate. The firing solution required him to shoot past the clerk who is downrange and in close proximity to the robber. He was able to do this despite shooting with his Primary Hand Only.
The robber was neutralized by the customer’s bullets and the clerk was unharmed. #WIN It wasn’t a 25 yard headshot but it was beyond “arm’s length.”
Legal post-mortem: The District Attorney ruled that the shooting was Justified as a Defense of Another Individual.
SELF-DEFENSE ACT (EXCERPT)
Act 309 of 2006
780.972 Use of deadly force by individual not engaged in commission of crime; conditions.
Sec. 2.
(1) An individual who has not or is not engaged in the commission of a crime at the time he or she uses deadly force may use deadly force against another individual anywhere he or she has the legal right to be with no duty to retreat if either of the following applies:
(a) The individual honestly and reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent the imminent death of or imminent great bodily harm to himself or herself or to another individual.
Note that some common taters to the video were outraged that charges would even be considered. In any use of deadly force against someone, a decision will have to be made about the legality of the use of force. The news story was published three weeks after the shooting and the decision had not yet been made, pending the completion of the POlice investigation. Anyone who shoots at someone else for any reason is going to have a period of sweating it out waiting for the decision about prosecution. Be ready for that.
The robber was arraigned for three charges including armed robbery. He could face up to life imprisonment because he’s a three-time loser.
I’ll do a more in-depth analysis of this incident on the Incidents and Walkbacks Tier of my Patreon page in a day or two.
Underestimating Your Opponent
A picture is circulating on Facebook that many people are mocking because the only AR platform rifles they know are in caliber 5.56mm. The picture is of two youths in Minneapolis sitting on a car. One of them is holding a rifle. He’s muzzling his friend but that’s for another time.
“What do you notice about his magazine?”
What I noticed about his magazine is that it’s an M&P 15-22 .22 rifle with a partially loaded magazine. This fact seems to escape some ‘cognoscenti’ who aren’t as cognizant as they think. The follower isn’t all the way down but it’s not obscured by the magazine well either. There are definitely some ammos in it. It might be a magazine blocked to 10 rounds.
Within their performance envelope, which covers many urban situations, .22 rifles are incredibly lethal. One of my colleagues calls them ‘three step guns.’ After being shot with one, the shootee takes three steps and falls down dead as a hammer. Underestimating their lethality is a grave mistake. I have many incidents in my database of people killed by a single round to the chest from a .22 rifle.
“There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent.”
― Lao Tzu
If you would like to read more in-depth information about shooting and personal protection, including making good decisions, consider subscribing to my Patreon page.
Facebook Marketplace Robbery Foiled
#throwbackthursday
A friend sent me the Good Guy With A Gun desk calendar https://goodguywithagun.store/ as a Christmas present. There’s a story of self-defense or personal protection each day on the calendar.
It’s an excellent resource to rebut the contentions of anti-gunners that guns are never used for self-defense. It’s also useful for updating your own mindset about personal protection. Here is today’s story.
Good Guy with a Gun #76: Peoria, IL
https://www.goodguywithagun.online/p/good-guy-with-a-gun-76-peoria-il
This incident occurred on January 15, 2024. The Substack provides numerous links about the incident and follow-ups but here’s a few for synopsis and easy reference.
Fourth Defendant Pleads Guilty in Fatal Facebook Marketplace Robbery
State’s Attorney News Posted on December 15, 2025
On the evening of January 15, 2024, two individuals traveled to Peoria to purchase a vehicle arranged through Facebook Marketplace. They were directed to an alley in the south end, where several individuals, including Williams, attempted to rob them at gunpoint.
One of the purchasers, who possessed a lawfully owned firearm, exchanged gunfire with the robbers, and one of the robbers was killed. The purchaser was not charged, as the shooting was determined to be self-defense.
https://www.peoriacounty.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/1250
Two men charged in deadly Facebook Marketplace robbery attempt
The victim is a legal gunowner with an out-of-state carry permit.
Fourth person pleads guilty to 2024 Facebook Marketplace robbery in Peoria
The person who shot and killed one of the robbers was not charged, as [Peoria County States Attorney spokeswoman Anna Perales] said that he acted in self-defense.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/local-news/aggravated-robbery-sentencing-hearings/
Note: I don’t receive any compensation for mentioning the calendar. It’s a good resource worth looking at.
If you would like to read more in-depth information about shooting and personal protection, including making good decisions, consider subscribing to my Patreon page.
Gun Grab Attempt Washington SRO Deputy
Every time a POlice officer is attacked in a gun grab, it’s a reminder that Open Carry is not necessarily a deterrent. It may be to a rational criminal but many folks are irrational.
Newly-released videos show the moments a suspected impaired driver grabbed a Thurston County Sheriff’s deputy’s gun during a fight at the scene of a car crash last month.
Items of note from the incident.
- The deputy’s openly carried firearm wasn’t a deterrent, it was an opportunity.
- The reason the deputy had to get into the fight of her life was because she was preventing the violent suspect from going toward the other parties who were involved in the crash. Don’t assume because you’re a rational person without malevolent intent that others you may have to become involved with are also rational.
- The suspect wasn’t a goof at personal combat, he was a Brown Belt in jujitsu.
- The taser had no effect on an adrenalized and pain resistant opponent.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving with your loved ones and be cautious when traveling to and from your gatherings. There will be plenty of drunk drivers about.
Lots of lessons from this incident. More about it on my Patreon page.
Boyd’s Process In Application Not Theory
From a post on my personal Facebook page.
I avoid Stop and Robs in general. One of my men was murdered in one while working an evening part time. It scarred me forever. The hardest thing I ever had to do in the Army was sit with his mother while he was dying in the hospital and listen to her tell me how that POS had killed her son. It was heart breaking.
Many years ago, Evan Marshall, a long time Detroit policeman, wrote a column in Combat Handguns magazine. One month he described his plan if he was caught up in a convenience store robbery.
As long as all they’re doing is robbing the till (register), I’m going to act like a CPA from Akron and be a good witness. But if they start searching people, making people get down on their knees, or herding people into a back room, my wife knows to get away from me because I’m going to start shooting.
My soldier’s murder was captured on grainy surveillance video. He did everything the robbers wanted and opened the safe. They made him get down on his knees and then one of them shot him in the head. He survived for two weeks in hospital before he passed away.
When I went to visit him, his mother took me into an unoccupied waiting room and told me the story of what happened. I will never forget it as long as I live. Evan’s words came to mind and I decided then and there it would never happen to me.
This is Boyd’s Process; know ahead of time what your capabilities are and what you are going to do when the time comes. Then execute your plan without hesitation.
“He threatened me, and said he was gonna slice my head off, and that’s when I tried to call the police. He started throwing things at me, came behind the counter. I tried to run off, but he grabbed his hands around my neck, and pushed me out of the counter space, and that’s when I pulled out my gun and I shot him.”
https://okcfox.com/news/local/7-eleven-clerk-fired-after-shooting-attacker-in-self-defense
The 1950 Assassination Attempt on President Truman
This post and article are dedicated to the memories and heroics of Officer Leslie Coffelt, who made the ultimate sacrifice, and Special Agent Floyd Boring, who kept his cool under fire.
In the afternoon of November 1, 1950, two Puerto Rican Nationalists made an assassination attempt on President Truman. It’s been described as the biggest gunfight in Secret Service history. Before the assassins were able to enter Truman’s temporary residence on Pennsylvania Avenue across from the White House, their attack was stopped by the White House Police and the Secret Service.
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/546e4b74-c821-4f5c-a59d-8ddbbb64aba7
It’s worth noting that the assassins were stopped by two shots by two men armed with revolvers, who knew how to shoot them well.
If you would like to read more in-depth information about shooting and personal protection, consider subscribing to my Patreon page.
Another Mistaken Identity Shooting and Killing
Odds are that the ‘bump in the night,’ has no more than a 3% possibility of being an intruder. The other 97+% is either a family member, friend, or some harmless dumbass.
I calculated this based on information in the National Crime Victims Survey overlaid on several other authoritative sources. The analysis is slightly fuzzy but I stand by the general numbers.
CSU professor accidentally shot by roommate who mistook her for intruder
[Muscogee County Coroner] Bryan said [Professor] Anderson’s roommate had been receiving terrorist threats from her son, including threats of bodily harm and to burn down the house. When the roommate heard a noise while sleeping, she grabbed her pistol and walked into the hallway.
‘She fired one shot and then fired another one and hit her roommate,’ Bryan said.
Calling out “WHO’S THERE” would save many a life. The concept that using a flashlight and/or issuing a verbal challenge will ‘draw the intruder’s fire’ is foolish and unsupportable.
Flashlight skills at home are important enough that I made the flashlight chapter of Indoor Range Practice Sessions a free download on my ebook store.
https://store.payloadz.com/go/?id=2505573
Note also that she was killed by one hit; this is not uncommon when a shooting victim is not highly adrenalized. Modern bullets are very lethal.
If you would like to read more in-depth information about shooting and personal protection, including making good decisions, consider subscribing to my Patreon page.
Thoughts On ‘The Distance Issue’
#mousegunmonday
Rich Grassi of The Tactical Wire recently posted an article about distances at which Defensive Gun Uses can be successfully resolved. https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/a45b09c4-5997-4cd2-b959-a15df74293ac
One of his comments is well put and bears remembering in all cases of personal protection. It applies regardless of the implement used, whether personal weapons, impact tools, or firearms.
“Anyone who tells you that ‘if you shoot beyond (whatever) distance, you’ll have a lot to explain,’ forgets to add, ‘if you ever use deadly force to stop an immediate deadly threat, you’ll have a lot to explain.’”
This is an interesting topic and bears some further testing. Here’s my unlocked Patreon post about it.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/thoughts-on-140908907
To quantify his questions a little further for myself, the LCP II .22 provided a good platform. The standard I chose was well established and very basic, no pun intended. The NRA Basics of Pistol Shooting standard is to put five hits out of five shots into a four inch circle. Coincidentally, four inches is also the size of the -0 head zone on the IDPA target. To apply this standard to the question of ‘maximum effective range,’ two circles were shot at 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 feet. The question was at what distance did I fail to meet the standard.
If you would like to read more in-depth information about shooting and personal protection, consider subscribing to my Patreon page.
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