Wednesday Wisdom: 21 January 2026

Breaking Contact by De-escalation and Disengagement

His slow retreat, his defensive display, and his verbal commands all failed to break contact with Crofut. What is unclear is why Strebendt suddenly stopped those efforts 80 feet away from the car. If Strebendt had been committed to a strategy of breaking contact, he could have double-timed his efforts to disengage. Most likely, he would have quickly disappeared into the darkness, and the deadly encounter could have been averted. Instead, Strebendt apparently reacting to Crofut grabbing the barrel of his rifle (forensics found Crofut's DNA on the barrel), shot Crofut in the head.  Strebendt later sat in jail while his lawyer fought to reach a plea deal that potentially spared him decades in prison. 

 ____________________ 

How to Spot Cell Phone Spy Software (and What to Do)

More on cell phone spy/surveillance apps. Although most people do not need to worry about the more sophisticated spyware applications like Pegasus, some of the commercial versions can be a concern. This info is particularly important for someone who has been in an abusive relationship. A frequent competitor in my SSD-A Short Range Match had a former boyfriend stalking her. He would appear at restaurants and other locations she frequented with suspicious regularity. Her abusive “ex” may have installed spyware on her phone without her knowledge.

 ____________________ 

Using Patrol Vehicles for Cover

Written for police, however, applicable for the private citizen as well. How do you use your patrol vehicle to provide cover while under fire, and do certain areas of the vehicle offer more or less protection? There is no clear-cut answer that could apply to every scenario. As with any form of cover, it depends on the situation and terrain.

 ____________________ 

Hotel Security in Bad Places

I traveled, worked, and lived on the economy, in high threat, “bad places” for over twenty years while in the military and as a federal civilian employee. This article contains good advice.

 ____________________ 

Minocqua Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Money Laundering

I am always amazed that otherwise intelligent people fall for this stuff. Don’t get scammed. If it is substantially outside a reasonable expectation of performance (e.g. Nancy Pelosi’s stock picks), there is probably something amiss.

Kromray admitted that between September 2018 and March 2025, he used social media and other online communications to falsely portray himself as a successful trader in stocks, mutual funds, cryptocurrency, and the foreign currency exchange market (forex). Kromray also used social media to display wealth he allegedly acquired from trading, including images or references to expensive watches, a large home, tropical vacations, and exotic sports cars. During meetings with investors, Kromray told them that they could expect a monthly rate of return of approximately 4% to 8%, with the potential of earning up to 30% a month.  

 ____________________ 

Nothing From Government Is Free-- That Goes Double If Government Tells You It's Free

There’s been a lot of grumbling here recently about how bad the kids have it, financially. Lot of breathless examples of what the latest generation would have to make to equal what [Insert Random Generation Here] made. This grumbling is being used to justify a head-long dive into the khazi that is communism socialism Democratic Socialism. 

 ____________________ 

I Have This Old Gun: The Ruger Mini-14 GB

Ruger introduced a new version of the Mini-14 in 1979 that was equipped with a special barrel profile. Unlike the standard model, the 18.5" Mini-14 GB (for “government barrel”) incorporates a muzzle brake and a combination front sight block/bayonet lug capable of mounting the USGI M7 bayonet. Other than that, the GB is no different than the standard model insofar as it is built on the same investment-cast receiver, uses the same adjustable rear-sight assembly and is capable of semi-automatic fire only. 

 ____________________ 

Ruger AC556: The totally legal, totally select fire Mini 14

While we’re on the topic of Mini-14s, let’s look at the Ruger AC556. Who hasn’t looked at a Mini-14 or Mini-30 rifle and thought, man this baby would be a blast on full-auto? Well, it would seem great minds think alike because Sturm Ruger did just that back in the 1990s when they made a little-known variant built around this concept. The US State Department purchased the AC556 for the Diplomatic Security Service and I had the opportunity to carry and use them in the early 1990s. They were almost impossible to control on full auto and the muzzle blast from the short barreled versions was horrific. 

____________________ 

Aliaj v. Fort Lee Police Department

After a misunderstanding led to Elsid Aliaj’s wife being subjected to a three day hold and mental health evaluation, Aliaj found himself face to face with Fort Lee Police Officers at his door. The officers, without warrant or other order, claimed they were there to confiscate Aliaj’s guns. Fearing arrest for non-compliance, Aliaj turned over his lawfully owned firearms. But after explaining that the guns were his and not his wife’s, and that he had a safe to store them that his wife did not have access to, law enforcement officials refused to return his lawfully owned, and constitutionally protected, property.

 ____________________ 

The Martial AR-7

Back in the late 1950’s Eugene Stoner figured he would expand on his repertoire of futuristic firearms utilizing modern materials like aluminum and plastic to create the ultimate survival rifle with a focus on downed pilots. The goal was small, in size and caliber, compact when taken down, the ability to float, and could hold enough ammo to procure food. The AR-7 was eventually born. 

____________________ 

If you enjoy reading these articles, please follow/subscribe. The link is on the upper right side of the page. All that will happen is that you will receive an e-mail when I post an article. Your information will never be distributed. 

 

No Dot? There Should Be a Dot. Where's the Dot?

As the timer sounded for a stage in a recent Sensible Self Defense Short Range Match, I drew my pistol and—No Dot. Instead of immediately going to iron sights, my brain sorta went: “No dot? Hmmmm, where’s the dot? I have a good grip so there should be a dot. Where’s the dot?” After a couple of seconds dithering, I started using the iron sights and finished the stage with zero points down. The Safety Officer for that particular stage was a good friend of mine who is a retired firearms instructor for the Treasury Department. When I finished the stage said: “I thought you fell asleep.” (It is nice to have supportive friends.)

Is there a lesson here? I think so. I learned that I need to practice immediately going to iron sights if I present the pistol and do not see a dot. After all, that is what back-up iron sights are for; however, I never practice using them because my optic sights are very reliable. In fact, prior to this instance I cannot remember the last time I drew my pistol and there was no dot.

In 2025, I attended a class that the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS or state police) instructed. The Texas DPS qualification as of August 2025 uses the DPS proprietary target which has a scoring area somewhat similar to the FBI QIT-03 target. One thing I found interesting about the DPS qualification course of fire was the use of iron sights only in Stage #1. Troopers fire ten rounds in Stage #1 from the ten-yard line as follows: From the ready position, turn the pistol optic off and holster. On command, draw, fire 6 shots, move one step right, and fire 4 additional shots, two-handed grip.

The DPS Firearms Training Unit designed this stage to remind troopers that if they draw and do not see a dot, go immediately to irons. What a novel idea. The first thing I plan to do in future practice sessions is to turn off the dot and conduct several draw/fire sequences using iron sights.

If you enjoy reading these please subscribe. The link is on the upper right side of the page. Your information will never be distributed.

Wednesday Wisdom: 14 January 2026

Medal of Honor: Staff Sergeant Earl D. Plumlee

Sergeant Plumlee instantly responded to an enemy attack on Forward Operating Base Ghazni—Ghazni Province, Afghanistan —that began with an explosion that tore a 60-foot breach in the base’s perimeter wall. Ten insurgents wearing Afghan National Army uniforms and suicide vests poured through the breach. Sergeant Plumlee and five others mounted two vehicles and raced toward the explosion. When his vehicle was engaged by enemy fire, Sergeant Plumlee reacted instinctively, using his body to shield the driver prior to exiting the vehicle and engaging an enemy insurgent 15 meters to the vehicle’s right with his pistol. Without cover and in complete disregard for his own safety, he advanced on the enemy, engaging multiple insurgents with only his pistol. Upon reaching cover, he killed two insurgents —one with a grenade and the other by detonating the insurgent’s suicide vest using precision sniper fire. Again, disregarding his own safety, Sergeant Plumlee advanced alone against the enemy, engaging several insurgents at close range, including one whose suicide vest exploded a mere seven meters from his position.

 ____________________

Breaking Contact by Avoidance Pt 2 

Claude Werner provided one piece of advice that encapsulates many of the lessons we’ve learned from studying high-profile self-defense cases, lessons that include the importance of avoidance, de-escalation, disengagement, and the use of less lethal force. Claude said, “Our goal in personal protection is to force a break in contact. We want them to go away, or we want to go away. One or the other.”

 ____________________

Values as Revealed Commitments, Not Slogans

American public life is full of references to “values.” Schools publish lists of them, corporations celebrate them, political movements claim them, and the military codifies them in the well-known set of Army Values. But whether we are speaking of a Soldier or a civilian, a society or an individual, values are not what we say they are. They are what our actions reveal we truly place value upon. Economists call these “revealed preferences.” Anthropology describes them as “lived norms.” In ordinary language, they are simply what we prove we care about when it costs us something.

The problem in modern America is that publicly stated values have increasingly taken on the character of platitudes, statements affirmed out of habit or social expectation, detached from the lived commitments they demand. People can repeat words like loyalty, duty, or community while living in ways that demonstrate radically different priorities. Institutions, including the Army, sometimes reinforce this problem by presenting values as lists to memorize rather than deep obligations to understand.

 ____________________  

‘If It Dries It Dies’: A Surgeon's Guide to Wound Care

Excellent information on wound care from someone who is qualified to have an opinion. Disclaimer: If you’ve recently had surgery or an injury and are being treated by another physician, please follow their instructions, not these. There are some differences in thinking about how to care for wounds, especially in different places around the body. 

 ____________________  

The Hidden Benefit of Firearms Competition: An Anecdote

“I bet these old guys pushing their buggies around are going to kick our ass.” Quote from a SWAT team member whose team was shooting a Steel Challenge match in preparation for the TTPOA 2025 SWAT competition. (Although his team members shot well, he was right. The “old” guys – all of whom were Steel Challenge Masters or Grand Masters – smoked them in the match.) Firearms competition can help or hurt if you don’t approach it with the correct mindset. Competition puts you under stress and learning to shoot well under stress is a valuable skill. 

 ____________________ 

Cell Phone Spy Apps: What You Need to Know

Good to know information concerning cell phone spy applications. Mobile spy apps have surged in popularity—and controversy in recent years. Whether it’s a parent trying to protect a child, a business owner safeguarding sensitive company data, or someone crossing ethical lines in a relationship, these tools offer powerful capabilities that can easily blur the line between safety and surveillance. 

____________________

Scaling Penetration Depth from Clear Ballistics Gelatin to FBI 10% Porcine Ballistic Gelatin

I often see discussions concerning whether gelatin tests truly reflect what a bullet does when striking living flesh. Gelatin does not; however, what gelatin does do is allow apples to apples testing and comparisons of different bullet designs. Many (me included) use the Clear Ballistics 10% synthetic gelatin for ammunition testing due to convenience. However, Clear Ballistics 10% synthetic gelatin does not directly replicate the 10% nominal porcine gelatin that the FBI uses. This article compares the two gelatin types and tests their performance. 

____________________

Pattern Your Home Defense Shotgun

I personally believe that the shotgun is an excellent choice of a home defense weapon. I teach home defense shotgun classes and often run competitions where we allow the use of home defense shotguns in the match. A critical but often overlooked aspect of being prepared to use your home defense shotgun is determining the pattern that your shotgun produces with a particular buckshot load. In shotgun circles, this process is called patterning your shotgun.

Without patterning you will not know the size and shape of your shotgun’s pattern with a given load at a given distance. You must do this with the ammunition you intend to use in your home defense shotgun. The way manufacturers produce shotgun barrels means that no two guns will pattern exactly alike--even with the exact same ammunition. Your gun may pattern very poorly with one brand or size of buckshot yet do very well with another. The only way to know is to shoot the buckshot loads at varying distances. This article discusses the process of patterning your shotgun with a given 00 buckshot load. If you are interested in more information on the home defense shotgun, you can download my Home Defense Shotgun Manual for the nominal sum of $5.00 here. 

____________________

Wi-Fi Jamming Attacks Are on the Rise -- How They Affect Your Smart Home Security.

With more than a third of North American homes protected by a video doorbell or some other Wi-Fi-dependent device, it’s reasonable to worry about the growing threat of Wi-Fi jammers. These devices can override your smart home security system’s ability to communicate making it easier than ever for criminals to block your security system’s primary communications signal. With that signal blocked, the burglars can break into your home without you noticing—until it’s too late.

 ____________________

The Legend of Scarface

Scarface roamed the Masai Mara, Kenya’s famed game reserve teeming with wildlife and home to every species of the iconic “Big Five.” When one conjures up classical images of Africa, those visions most assuredly come from this massive sanctuary that runs contiguous with Tanzania’s Serengeti. This is Hemingway’s Africa in its fullest grandeur. And this is where Scarface ruled for an incomparable 14 years or more.

 ____________________

Understanding Primal Aggression vs. Cognitive Aggression

Although written for a police audience, the discussion has applicability for the private citizen as well.

 ____________________

Ian’s Thoughts

A discussion about random internet assholes who suggest and push breaking the law on weapons carry. Especially the ones who spout such bumper sticker wisdom as: "Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six." Before you suggest that young woman carry a weapon in violation of State and Federal laws, why don't you show us the escrow account where you've set aside $10,000 in bond money, and another $50,000 in legal fees for her?

____________________ 

If you enjoy reading these articles, please follow/subscribe. The link is on the upper right side of the page. All that will happen is that you will receive an e-mail when I post an article. Your information will never be distributed. 

 

Wednesday Wisdom: 7 January 2026

Happy New Year, and belated welcome to 2026.  Hopefully the progress started in 2025 will continue. 

Why the Department of War is Afraid of Guns

Current events provide a glimpse into some of the forces that impact training processes and competency for armed professionals.

The recent attack on members of the National Guard in Washington D.C. struck a bit of a personal chord. Video (note that this video is behind a paywall) obtained by the Wall Street Journal showed soldiers scrambling under fire with what appeared to be unloaded weapons—clearly struggling to rectify the issue. This event touched a nerve because it is reminiscent of so many of the experiences that led to the writing and publication of the book Building Shooters and, ultimately, to the development of the NURO® Shooting System.

To be clear, we have no inside knowledge. We don’t know for sure what the standing orders for the National Guard members were. As a result, we are making some educated assumptions based on experience as to what most likely led to the events shown in the video.

 ____________________

 Big Talk, but Scant Change!

Our new Secretary of War is aggressively emphasizing “The Warrior Ethos,” and inspiring all our troops to embrace his way of thinking: “Everyone who serves must be individually ready to defend himself and our nation, instantly and enthusiastically, with lethal force when necessary.” The (Nov 25) fatal armed attack on two of our uniformed National Guardsmen in Washington DC by a lone Islamic terrorist unhappily reveals that little has changed at the base level.

 ____________________

A Triple Barrel Shotgun?

The concept of a three-barrel shotgun is not new. As early as the late 19th and early 20th centuries, prestigious gunmakers from Britain — such as Boss & Co. and John Dickson & Sons — produced triple-barrel shotguns.

American Tactical Cavalry 3B is making an affordable triple-barrel shotgun that would be a extreme home-defense shotgun. 

____________________

Breaking Contact

Lead prosecutor Jason Hermus cross-examined Amber Guyger during the former Dallas police officer’s trial for the murder of Botham Jean. Coming off a long double shift, Guyger mistakenly entered the wrong apartment — one floor above her own. When she encountered the occupant in a dimly-lit living room, she shot him, thinking he was an intruder in her own home. The shot was fatal.

____________________  

The "Twilight Zone" of Wound Ballistics 

The (now defunct) International Wound Ballistics Review had a wealth of information from actual experts. (Note: This article references the television show The Twilight Zone, which featured actor Rod Sterling) There is one common misconception which has done much to confuse and mislead people about wound ballistics: the belief that there is some mysterious mechanism by which a bullet can cause sudden incapacitation without disruption of the central nervous system or rapid blood loss. Rod Serling might have introduced it this way: "There is another method of incapacitation beyond that which is known to man. It is in the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition and it lies between the pit of man's ignorance and the summit of his imagination. It is a mechanism we call:

(Chose any or all:)

- Stopping power

- Hydrostatic shock

- Relative Incapacitation Index

- Remote effects

- Kinetic energy transfer

- Temporary cavitation

- "Chi" vibrations

- Reticular activating system shutdown

- Shocking power

While the above exotic, mysterious, and always ambiguous definitions have a powerful attraction to many people, the reality of incapacitation is much more banal. The only reliable mechanisms by which bullets can cause rapid incapacitation are:

1. The bullet either struck and damaged the central nervous system, the heart, a major vessel, organ or bone rendering the suspect physically incapable of continuing or;

2. The person being shot consciously and voluntarily decided to cease his assault or escape.

____________________  

 War on Heroes: The Hidden Battle That’s Unmaking Our Sons

The heroes our sons admire forge their souls, and our future. They Still Matter. Walk into a cinema today and you will be surrounded by heroes, or at least, by figures dressed in the costume of heroism. Capes flutter, swords clash, superpowers are flung about in a riot of special effects. Never before has the screen been so crowded with champions, and yet never before has the idea of heroism felt so hollow. These luminous figures entertain, but they do not instruct. They dazzle, but they do not inspire. For all their spectacle, they do not serve the ancient function of the hero: to teach men and women how to live.

____________________   

Emergency Eating: Survival Food for When the Stores are Empty!

Being prepared for the unexpected is not paranoia, but smart, sound thinking. Whether a manmade emergency strikes or Mother Nature displays her power, the norm of everyday living can get disrupted quickly. With such crises, the food supply chain can be broken with many people left scavenging for whatever they can find. Don’t be these people. Instead, prepare well ahead of any problems. The survival food listed below is a great starting point. They offer needed calories, durable packaging, and an incredibly long shelf-life that will go the distance until things get back to the status quo, whenever that may be.

____________________   

Beware Old Men--They are Dangerous

Back in high school, I had a wrestling and football coach who constantly said none of us would be able to beat him in Oklahoma drills or a bout on the mats because he was “old man tough.” I severely doubted his bold statement, given that he was only 5’ 6” and maybe weighed 160 pounds soaking wet. Moreover, I was confused as to how being old would be of any benefit in a test of physical strength.

While I am certainly not at an age that can be qualified as old myself, as the pages of the calendar are torn away, I am beginning to understand what he meant. Age breeds experience, specifically the experience of handling difficult circumstances, and while the body may be weaker, you are left with a more resilient spirit that cannot be as easily crushed.

Such was the case with my gray-haired coach (who, might I add, pinned even our best wrestlers every time they faced him), and such was the case of Captain Samuel Whittemore.

____________________   

Man attacks Wash. SRO who stopped to help at crash, tries to grab her gun 

After a TASER was ineffective, the man began fighting with the Thurston County SRO and others who arrived to assist, including a tribal officer and an off-duty corrections officer.

____________________  

Could You Really?

A female relative approached me with some concerns she had. “Kathy,” she asked me, with somewhat elaborate casualness, “your husband tells me you’ve been taking a lot of shooting classes…?”

“Yep,” I told her, “I’ve got another class coming up in March, an advanced class which I’m taking over again because I didn’t do as well on the test at the end as I’d hoped. It’s pretty challenging stuff.”

She shot me a weird, sidelong glance, and then said, “Well, as long as you enjoy it. You know, guns really scare me. I like shooting at paper a little bit, but … I’d never be able to shoot it, like at another person I mean. And guns really do scare me.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

“My husband kept telling me I should carry one, back when I was doing all that driving every weekend by myself. But I thought, you know, I’m not going to use it, I really wouldn’t.”

I told her, “I understand what you’re saying. I think you’re safer without a gun than with one, if you aren’t sure you could use it.”

She nodded. “Anyway, um, er (stammer stammer stutter), I wanted to ask you. Do you think you could use a gun, like that? Really?” 

____________________ 

Carry a Firearm - FBI Disrupts Alleged New Year’s Eve Attack

The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced that a Mint Hill, North Carolina man that allegedly planned to use knives and hammers to execute a deadly New Year’s Eve attack at a grocery store and a fast food restaurant in support of the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. The criminal complaint was filed on Dec. 31, 2025, and was unsealed on Jan. 2, 2026 after Christian Sturdivant, 18, appeared in federal court in Charlotte.

 

Yet another reminder of why all competent private citizens should carry a firearm at all times. 

____________________ 

If you enjoy reading these articles, please follow/subscribe. The link is on the upper right side of the page. All that will happen is that you will receive an e-mail when I post an article. Your information will never be distributed.