TRIANING TIPS

Rangemaster’s Tom Givens gathers master instructors to brainstorm on teaching issues.

There was a time not so long ago when people who spent much time outdoors — trapping, prospecting, fishing, camping, surveying, farming, ranching, logging...

There is often one missing piece to the puzzle of training, physical conditioning, mindset, marksmanship and tactics.

The pistol caliber carbine doesn’t replace either the handgun or the full-power service rifle but does provide considerable utility. For many homeowners,...

Research shows about 10 percent of the population is left-handed. My interest in the left handed thing is from a firearms perspective to include training...

It is true that you’re not likely to use a Ransom Rest in a defensive shooting. Nor are you likely to have a shot timer. But each do have a role to play.

Shooting stance is a topic I try not to get too dogmatic about it. In formal bullseye shooting, there is plenty of time to settle in a solid stance. In a...

The fundamentals of the threat response are Move, Communicate, Use Cover, Shoot — as necessary — and Think. Moving is the first response to danger....

If you want to be safe when traveling on an aircraft — and have the potential to keep many others safe as well — consider the information in this...

Ever ponder questions like this? How should I be standing? Does this gun shoot better than that one? Where should I put my trigger finger? Good news: we...

It seems only a small percentage of handgun owners shoot in organized competition. At various times I’ve competed in bullseye, metallic silhouette, speed...

Mention flashlight and personal defense in the same sentence and gun people automatically think of lowlight shooting and a plethora of ways of trying to...

Shooting stances have become a pseudo-religion with some instructors. It’s almost as if they believe that unless your feet are placed in the prescribed...

Carry optics. Passing fancy in concealed carry, or true state of the art? The answer depends on the needs of the user and the gear chosen.

The bad guy who attacks is the one who acts. The good guy who is the intended victim is the one who has to react. Action beats reaction. It’s pretty...

What about .22s as carry guns? I’m not talking about them as backup or last-ditch firearms but as primary personal defense weapons. The short answer is...

The fundamentals of responding to a threat are Move, Communicate, Use Cover, Shoot — if necessary — and Think. “Move” is first for multiple reasons....

It has been my great privilege recently to meet a true gunfighter. Robert “RJ” Thomas is one of the original Navy SEALs. He found himself in a gunfight...

I never realized, and probably still don’t, how many shooters don’t understand natural point of aim. How to find my NPA (natural point of aim) was one...

Fights are dynamic and violent, and unpredictable. When and where will your fight take place? Answer that and you could avoid it completely, or if necessary...

We can learn a lot from the actions of the heroic young man who stopped a bad guy with a gun at an Indiana mall. The Gun Cranks discuss these lessons and...

A pistol out of ammo or with a stoppage is not bad luck, it is just a dangerous possibility while in a fight. The real issue is the prompt application of...

What of the survival handgun? What features should it have? This was the central question in an event I recently attended at Gunsite: if you were limited...

After a few decades of teaching, it’s still surprising how many students are reluctant to let their weapons get dirty, dinged or, heaven forbid, scratched.

When challenging a suspect, muzzle-down is no handicap.

These four simple rules make handling guns much safer.

A defensive gun has to work, all the time, and you have to be able to hit with it.

Success in a gunfight comes from hits on target, not how many bullets you fire.

I know of no better tool for learning handgun skills than a quality double-action revolver. For me, the Smith & Wesson K22 is about perfect.

I’ve shot dozens of pistols at media events, many of which were equipped with red dot sights. Most were exposed reflex — smaller red dots with a sleeker...