Friday Fundamentals for 2026
#fridayfundamentals
Over 10 years ago, I began writing a series called #fridayfundamentals. https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2015/09/25/friday-fundamentals-01-establishing-your-baseline/ It started with ideas from a couple of my friends, Mark Luell and Cecil Burch.
“My friend Mark Luell, the author of Growing Up Guns suggested I provide a ‘Friday Fundamentals’ post weekly. We got the idea from my colleague Cecil Burch who wrote a blog post about Fundamentals. It’s a great idea to stay in touch with the basics.”
The #fridayfundamentals series has continued intermittently ever since. An opportunity has arisen to continue to expand it. As the saying goes, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” https://quoteinvestigator.com/2021/10/07/difficulty/
For the past two years, I’ve been writing a monthly column for the digital edition of the NRA magazine Shooting Illustrated. https://www.shootingillustrated.com/ Sadly, we authors have been notified that both the digital and print editions of the magazine will cease to be published at the end of this year.
My 2024 monthly columns were about practice sessions derived from Concealed Carry License Qualification Courses. The sessions were focused on a theme and mostly limited to 50 rounds or less. While highly skilled shooters consider qualification courses to be ‘sobriety tests,’ that’s not true for the majority of gunowners. Especially when a person buys their first pistol, actually having to prove they can shoot it at even an elementary baseline level is intimidating. And because qual courses are designed for ease of administration rather than to have any training or feedback value, they can be segmented into smaller sections that actually do have some training and feedback worth.
First and foremost in my mind when I wrote the series was the Resource Constrained Environment that most gunowners have to practice in. Only a tiny minority of gunowners have access to an outdoor range where movement is possible and shot timers are workable. Almost all gunowners are limited to a booth at an indoor range where universally they can’t move, drawing from a holster isn’t allowed, and a shot timer is useless. Sometimes shooting faster than one shot every three seconds is prohibited. One of the benefits of qual courses is that they are mostly designed with this limitation in mind, so I capitalized on that benefit for the series.
Since Shooting Illustrated is going away, I’ll be re-publishing the series on a weekly basis here on my blog. In addition to the articles, I’ll be creating videos of what each session looks like from a third person POV and the shooter’s POV. YouTube has been taking down some of my videos for vague reasons unspecified other than:
“We think your content violated our firearms policy.
Content that facilitates the sale of certain regulated goods, like firearms, ammunition, or prohibited firearm accessories, isn’t allowed on YouTube.”
As a workaround, I’ll just post a Short of the specified qualification course on YouTube. Then the video of the course with the training enhancements will go up on my Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/TacticalProfessor as a free post because Patreon does not give me a hard time about them.
It’s my hope that gunowners who want to increase their proficiency will find the series useful as practice regimens. There are no shortage of incidents where gunowners find out that the gun they’re depending on doesn’t work or they can’t work it. In the context of personal protection, just knowing you can make the gun go off https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2025/09/17/testing-a-new-gun/ has a lot of value. Being able to hit something with it is even better.
Close Quarters Handgun Training
My latest Shooting Illustrated article is posted.
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/close-quarters-handgun-training/
The topic is the ‘Close Quarters Handgun’ class I attended last month. It was taught by Chuck Haggard of Agile Training https://agiletactical.com/ and hosted by The Complete Combatant https://www.thecompletecombatant.com/.
Fair disclaimers up front: Chuck, Shelley, and Brian are all dear friends of mine and I didn’t pay for the class; in fact, Chuck picked up my range fee. Furthermore, I shot the class with the HK CC9 https://hk-usa.com/cc9/ that HK gave me. Chuck called it my “stubby gun,” which it is. Almost everybody else was shooting full size service pistols, most with Red Dot Sights. That said, nobody is paying me for my comments.
If you are interested in more in-depth commentary about shooting and Personal Protection incident analysis, please consider subscribing to my Patreon page. https://www.patreon.com/c/TacticalProfessor
Preventing Unintentional Discharges with a Revolver
#wheelgunwednesday
In my “Off-duty Shootouts of the LAPD” presentations, one section is devoted to Notable Incidents – Unintentional Discharges. The LAPD still authorizes snub revolvers for backup and off-duty carry. Unintentional Discharges occur to both revolvers and autoloaders, although there are no reported on-duty UDs with revolvers. Off-duty is when they occur. I’ve written about this before. https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2020/08/19/dry-practice-safety/
No doubt someone will comment that the correct term is Negligent Discharge. The LAPD uses the terms Unintentional Discharge, Negligent Discharge, and Accidental Discharge in very specific context, so I will use their terminology here.
A common cause of Unintentional Discharges is Impromptu Dry Practice and faulty unloading procedures. Another is attempting to clean/maintain loaded weapons. Upon conclusion of the investigation, such incidents will be adjudicated by the Board of Police Commissioners as Negligent.
NON-TACTICAL UNINTENTIONAL DISCHARGE – 040-19 UD at home
NON-TACTICAL UNINTENTIONAL DISCHARGE – 076-08 UD at hotel
NON-TACTICAL UNINTENTIONAL DISCHARGE – 014-23 UD at Rampart Station
Example Proximate Cause of UD
Officer A placed his left hand under the open cylinder and used his left index finger to depress the ejector rod, releasing the live rounds into his left hand. Officer A did not count the live rounds and placed them on top of the kitchen counter directly behind him. Officer A then closed the cylinder and pressed the trigger twice.
According to Officer A, believing his revolver was still unloaded, he placed his finger on the trigger and pressed it a third time, which caused the revolver to discharge a single round. No one was injured by the discharge.
Since my previous post, an even better solution and accompanying procedure has become available. The solution is the SafeSnap™ Training Disc for 5-Shot J-frame Size Revolvers. https://zetasix.com/product/safesnap-5/
Fair disclaimer: I was involved in the development of the SafeSnap™ but I receive no compensation for commenting about it.
The procedure works as follows. Have a SafeSnap and a twist knob speedloader such as HKS, 5 Star, or Lyman of the correct size for your revolver. Keep both of them readily available.
When you decide to dry practice or do maintenance on your revolver, get them before doing anything.
- Take the live cartridges out.
- Count and secure them in the twist knob Speedloader. If there are any empty holes left in the speedloader, the FBI calls that ‘a clue.’
- Put the SafeSnap™ Training Disc in the revolver.
- Do your dry practice or maintenance.
- When finished, don’t reload the gun.
- Do something else to occupy your mind and remove dry practice from your thoughts.
- When you do reload, say “This gun is loaded” out loud three times.
Using such a procedure will go a long way toward preventing Unintentional Discharges. Nevertheless, muzzle direction is still the Primary Safety; always has been, always will be.
The SafeSnap™ is also available for K frames and LCRs. There are other procedures appropriate for autoloaders but this post is specific to revolvers.
Other causes of Unintentional Discharges
- Administratively carrying or handling loaded handguns without a holster
- High stress tactical situations
- Drunkenness
Final note: It’s also inappropriate to dry practice using your girlfriend’s cat as a target.
https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/04/17/brief-gillette-man-didnt-know-gun-was-loaded-when-he-shot-pet-cat-dead/ Not only will it sour your relationship with her but could conceivably lead to Animal Cruelty charges, which are a Felony in most States.
If you are interested in more in-depth commentary about shooting and Personal Protection incident analysis, please consider subscribing to my Patreon page. https://www.patreon.com/TacticalProfessor
Trigger Press Casualty
A post is circulating on Facebook about a fellow whose hand became a casualty when the chambered round in his Glock 44 (.22 Long Rifle caliber) failed to eject. He then pressed the trigger and a loud noise occurred instead of the ‘click’ he expected. Unfortunately for him, his hand was over the muzzle and the bullet injured his hand.
Many, in fact most, of the comments involve some version of Rule 2 “Never let your muzzle cover anything you’re not prepared to destroy.” This is true. While that statement tells you what NOT to do, it doesn’t cover what the correct thing you SHOULD do is.
The correct thing to do is always establish a proper grip and deliberately take a sight picture whenever you press the trigger. It doesn’t matter when, do it at all times. When clearing your pistol at the range, take a sight picture on some particular target and observe what the sights do when you press the trigger. When you have to press the trigger to disassemble the pistol, aim at something that will involve the least amount of “damage to property and/or injury to personnel.” Aim at a door frame or something else solid that is more likely to stop a bullet than an interior wall made of Sheetrock.
“Avoid damage to property and/or injury to personnel”, was repeated to us daily during the Weapons phase of the Special Forces Qualification Course. We spent all day handling and working on small arms so the instructors drummed it into our heads regularly. It was my first exposure to the concept of Negative Outcomes and set the concept firmly in my mind.
Establishing grip and taking a sight picture even when you don’t expect the pistol to fire reinforces good marksmanship principles and mitigates safety risks simultaneously. It’s a total WIN WIN.
Open Carry v. Doofus Carry
A video is circulating on the Interwebz now about an unfortunate situation in which a man’s gun was snatched from him in a gas station. He chased the thief and was subsequently shot with his own gun.
Although I am not a fan of Open Carry, let’s analyze the situation in a little more depth. The proximate cause of the snatch was that he simply stuck his gun in his back pocket unconcealed and then walked into a crowded environment where a bunch of lowlifes were coming and going.
As a result, a ne’er-do-well nonchalantly walked up behind him and simply grabbed the gun out of his pocket.
The carry technique the man was using is more correctly described as “Doofus Carry,” having two parts. There’s no back story to the incident but it wouldn’t be surprising to find that his usual carry technique is in the side door pocket of his car. If so, then when he pulled into the gas station and saw a bunch of lowlifes going in and out, he decided to stick his gun in his pocket when he went in. He probably didn’t stick it in the front of his waistband because he had a striker fired gun and was concerned about ‘shooting his junk off.’
Sticking a gun in a back pocket is not the same thing as having it in a proper holster attached to the belt.
If my hypothesis is correct, it leads more credence to something the late Pat Rogers often said:
“Your car is not a holster.”
To reiterate, I’m not advocating Open Carry. But, if you’re going to carry a gun, at do it right. Have a decent holster and belt. Use it all the time when you leave home. If it’s uncomfortable and you don’t like wearing it, get a better holster or consider getting a more comfortable gun. “Your gun should be comforting not comfortable” is possibly the most ridiculous statement that’s ever been made about firearms.
The one good piece of advice in these retellings is that if your gun does get taken from you, Let it go. https://www.patreon.com/posts/let-it-go-107811846 The thief is now armed and you’re not. Chasing the felon means you’re going unarmed to a potential shooting. That’s a Serious Mistake. Don’t be foolish and assume the thief isn’t familiar and experienced with guns. As this incident shows, that’s the formula for a Negative Outcome.
If you like my work, join me on Patreon where I post more in-depth articles about shooting, marksmanship, and incident analysis.
Periodic Personal Evaluation
#saturdayskillsczech
My December article for Shooting Illustrated is entitled Near to Far Marksmanship Practice.
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/near-to-far-marksmanship-practice/
Although New Jersey made a strong try to keep people from getting their License To Carry, the qualification course itself is a decent practice regimen. It’s also a useful metric for measuring your skill periodically.
Try shooting it on an IALEFI-Q and score it by the rings. Center ring gets 5 points, next ring get 4 points, balance of the Q receives 3 points. Hits inside the face circle score 5 points. Anything outside the Q scores 0. A Possible would be 250 points (5 x50 shots). If you don’t have an IALEFI target, just trace around a paper plate in approximately the same place on your silhouette. Your scoring is then 5 points for the circle and 3 points for the rest of the silhouette.
To make it a good tune-up and personal evaluation, shoot the course as a version of Jimmy Cirillo’s 1-2-3-6 drill. Instead of 6, fire 4 shots for the final string. Start loaded with 6 rounds only. Draw and fire 1 shot, reholster, draw and fire 2 shots, reholster, draw and fire 3 shots, reload, and immediately fire 4 shots. Bear in mind that the second most missed shot in shooting is the shot immediately following clearing a stoppage. The reality of transitioning back to trigger control after doing a gross motor manipulation can be tricky.
Since CCARE starts at 3 yards, at that distance shoot all face shots. Repeat the same sequence at 5 yards, 7 yards, 10 yards, and 15 yards but shoot for the 8 inch circle. After shooting each distance, tape your hits before moving to the next distance. At the end of the course of fire, place your pistol in whatever condition you wish to when you leave the range.
Although the CCARE is rather stringent for a CCW qualification, it has value as a practice regimen. It includes a minimum of 10 presentations to the target or 15 if you use the 1-2-3-4 sequence. There are multiple opportunities to practice reloading, and it’s highly manageable with wheelguns. Even J-Frames can work, just reload in a slightly different sequence. It’s a good use for a box of practice ammo.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – November 2024
This month we have a Good story of thwarting a gun grab, a Bad story about muzzle direction, and awareness, and an Ugly story about stupidity.
Since November is the month of Veterans’ Day, the musical selection is “La Storia di un Soldalto” (The Story of a Soldier).
https://www.patreon.com/posts/good-bad-and-117021444
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY – NOVEMBER 2024
The Good
DA: Aurora convenience store guard shot gunman in self defense
The video of this incident is quite dramatic and demonstrates that Open Carry is not a deterrence to assault and theft. The criminal deliberately targeted the guard to get his gun. Fortunately, the guard gave the criminal a bullet instead of the gun in the struggle that followed the grab attempt.
The Bad
A DRAMATIC video shows a referee firing a gun at a competitor at point-blank range and hitting him in the bum [i.e., ass] after allegedly not putting the safety on.
“Muzzle direction is the primary safety; always has been, always will be.” –Bill Rogers
The Ugly
McAlester Football Coach Forrest Mazey was charged Friday for a July incident involving a handgun at a cabin in McCurtain County.
Aiming firearms, loaded or not, at other people to scare them is not funny in the least. It’s stupid and ugly.
Enjoy!
If you like my work, join me on Patreon where I post more in-depth articles about shooting, marksmanship, and incident analysis.
https://www.patreon.com/TacticalProfessor
The GBU isn’t drawn from The Armed Citizen column of the official NRA Journals but the November edition of The Armed Citizen is attached. Rather than an obsessive interest in ‘the worst case scenario,’ it shows what the vast majority of Defensive Gun Uses really look like.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – July 2024
No incidents from Chicargo in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly this month. There is one in The Armed Citizen column though, a bicycle robbery.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/good-bad-and-109150993
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – July 2024
The Good
Prosecutor says deadly shooting in downtown Anderson appears to be self-defense
Many, perhaps most, shootings take place in Social Space. This appears to be one of them.
The Bad
[Unintentional] shooting at Kentucky gun store under investigation
Another story emphasizing the importance of safe gunhandling by observing Fundamental Rules at all times. A combination of Rule Two (Point in a safe direction) and Rule Three (Keep finger outside trigger guard) violations caused the death of an innocent bystander. Rule One (All guns are always loaded) applies no matter where you are, even when examining a gun taken out of a display case.
The Ugly
Two women involved in custody battle shot dead
People sometimes get insane over child custody. Every unpleasant custody battle story I read makes me glad my parents weren’t like that.
“A 65-year-old retired probation officer from Chicago fatally shot her grandchild’s mother on an Upper East Side street Friday just yards from Gracie Mansion, then turned the gun on herself, NYPD detectives said.”
Enjoy!
If you like my work, join me on Patreon where I post more in-depth articles about shooting, marksmanship, and incident analysis.
https://www.patreon.com/TacticalProfessor
The GBU isn’t drawn from The Armed Citizen column of the official NRA Journals but the July edition of The Armed Citizen is attached. Rather than an obsessive interest in ‘the worst case scenario,’ it shows what the vast majority of Defensive Gun Uses really look like.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – June 2024
Unsurprisingly, my hometown of Chicargo leads the post this month. Fortunately, the incidents fell in the Good category. Safety and mindset are fundamental in the other incidents.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/good-bad-and-107216506
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – June 2024
The Good – Shenanigans from Chicargo
Chicago concealed carry holder scares off armed carjackers in Irving Park
Bonus! The second happened a few blocks from the gas station (probably gone by now) where I worked after school in my Senior year. It wasn’t a great neighborhood then but apparently has gotten much worse now.
Chicago concealed carry holder shoots 3 men who attacked him in Belmont Cragin
The Bad
School District of Palm Beach County employee accidentally [shoots himself] during ‘training exercise.’
This story points out the importance of safe gunhandling at all times. Guns are relentlessly unforgiving of carelessness.
The Ugly
Minnesota dad told landlord he ‘already dug a hole’ before executing daughter’s boyfriend for suspected abuse
The number of people who feel that gunfire is the solution to most every problem astounds me. Many tools are only for a very specific task and guns are one of those tools.
Enjoy!
If you like my work, join me on Patreon where I post more in-depth articles about shooting, marksmanship, and incident analysis.
https://www.patreon.com/TacticalProfessor
The GBU isn’t drawn from The Armed Citizen column of the official NRA Journals but the June edition of The Armed Citizen is attached. Rather than an obsessive interest in ‘the worst case scenario,’ it shows what the vast majority of Defensive Gun Uses really look like.
Keep Your Hand Away From the Muzzle
A friend of mine sent this link to me today.
Instagram video of Serious Mistake followed by Negative Outcome. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4LsHBArwtl
In the video, the person holding the gun is trying to get the laser to come on and repeatedly muzzles his own hand looking for the laser dot. Shortly after this frame, the gun discharges and shoots a hole in his hand, which was a definite Negative Outcome.
Sadly, the examples of dangerous gunhandling that gunowners and new shooters see while watching TV and movies are horrific. In the latest debacle by the ATF’s “expert” on the talking head TV show Face The Nation, he muzzles his own hand repeatedly. https://www.cbsnews.com/video/atf-director-and-firearms-expert-show-some-of-the-weapons-being-found-on-the-streets/
The ‘unboxing’ shows on YouTube by so-called wannabe gun ‘influencers’ are universally heinous, too. And before we get to feeling all righteous and self-congratulatory, even people we in the industry would consider legitimate Subject Matter Experts muzzle their own hands regularly when doing demonstrations on YouTube.
Probably the best firearm safety device that could be produced would be an extremely sharp Fairbairn Sykes British Commando Dagger with a 3 inch long 9mm diameter tang and no handle. If any knife producer wants to use this idea, feel free, no license or royalty required.
The 9mm tang could then be inserted all the way into the muzzle of a pistol so the dagger blade would be directly in front of the muzzle. It would teach the importance of keeping one’s hand away from the muzzle. In an emergency, it could also serve as a bayonet. 😊
Keep your hand away from the muzzle, PERIOD. It doesn’t matter if you think the gun is unloaded, keep your hand away from the muzzle. Rule 1: “All guns are always loaded” is a philosophical rule unlike Rules 2 through 4, which are operational rules. Not many people really understand this distinction.
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