If you know how to train yourself, the process doesn't necessarily become easier, but it does become simpler.​ Training classes and ammo are expensive investments, but they are non-negotiable requirements for those learning how to use a firearm. Everyone can and will absolutely benefit from a guided approach to learning what right looks and feels like. From an objective standpoint, training classes are a temporary event that give you experience, personal performance references and standards, and a format to organize your own training. I refer to training classes as the 2% issue because only a small portion of your time is spent there while the rest of your time (the other 98%) is spent alone trying to develop your skills based off what you know or learned in that class. Unfortunately, many people consider training classes as an endpoint (90%) rather than a starting point. The common mindset is the student is gathering information on "WHAT" to do (drills and shots fired) rather than thinking "HOW" to build skills and competencies (improving precision, speed, reflexes, processing capacity, etc.). This is partly on the teacher/instructor for failing to organize the classes around a concept of teaching 'how to train' rather than just doing a bunch of arbitrary drills. All this is to say that I am going to talk about why and how to shift your focus to "HOW TO TRAIN".

Competence in Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) is just as important as shooting and fighting. The common saying is "if you can learn to poke holes, you should know how to plug them". The most common preventable cause of death in the beginning of the Global War On Terror (GWOT) was extremity hemorrhage. This is solved by having a rugged and user-friendly Tourniquet.  The Committee on TCCC (CoTCCC) is the authority most of us look to for what TQs are "combat-worthy". They have a relatively short list of approved TQs, and people love to debate the merits of each and which is BEST. I am going to compare the SAM Extremity Tourniquet, CAT TQ, and the SOF-TW TQ based on my uses, my experiences, and other objective and subjective points of data.

The Quick and The Dead is an exercise protocol that was developed as a minimalist training program utilizing Kettlebell and Calisthenics. The main goal of the program is to develop pure power using Kettlebell swings and pushups. This is the opposite of most trendy training where you are left on the floor panting and covered in sweat. Power is a skill and this program is set up to allow you to "practice" rather than endure the exercises. The book is detailed in describing the concept of power development/training and utilization, while also being an instruction manual for the exercise program. You are given clear instructions, options, and ways to scale up or scale down your training. 

When you travel outside your home, you are exposed to a vast network of threats. Collisions, robberies, Identity and information theft, assault/battery, or freak accidents. Many of these issues are mitigated through preventative action and contingency plans. We mitigate vehicle collisions through careful driving and insurance. We mitigate assault by minding our business and de-escalation tactics. I do not see many people talking about mitigation of robberies or theft. The best case scenario in a robbery is to just comply and give the thief what they want if you are not trained to handle an armed threat. I recently developed an anti theft decoy kit for myself for when I travel to prevent a massive loss of funds that may strand me.

The Walther PDP F-series is marketed as being an optimal design for female shooters. They have used female competition shooters to advertise it's worthiness for use by females of all types. Other reviewers seemed to feel like the F-series may fit their hands a bit better than the standard full size models of the PDP that had a bigger grip. The pistol generally reviewed well, but there was/is a lack of long term user reviews out there.
I had my wife use the heck out of it for over a year, and she has run roughly 1000 rounds through the pistol. I helped increase the round count by about 700-1000 rounds as I used the pistol as a tool for demonstrating shooting techniques and testing the red dot on the pistol.

​The Glock is a well-trusted brand around the world. The Glock 26/27 has served in Law enforcement for decades, and still does. It has served as a backup gun and as an off-duty option for decades, starting in the 90's. It has changed as time goes on to make the platform more user-friendly or more durable. The biggest functional changes were to the extractor and barrel, while the other changes were grip and finish-related. Despite the changes, the function and service it offers and provides has remained unchanged. No matter what generation you invest in, the legacy of the Glock 26/27 as a reliable concealed carry pistol remains. It is the OG baby Glock you don't want to turn away. It may not be the BEST option for every concealed carry need, but it is the standard by which other subcompact pistols and micro pistols are judged.

Since the 2020 panic, MREs have been hard to find for a good price. It would appear that MRE prices are not going to come back down any time soon. When I used to buy MREs prior to 2020, I paid $55 for a case of standard MREs in Alaska. Now, you will be paying at least three times that. Lets face it, the days of $4 MREs are gone and now it is a question of availability and cost effectiveness. If you can even get MREs, they are going to cost about $20 per meal and another chunk of change to have them shipped. However, there is another option by a company called MRE STAR out of Sarasota, Florida. In this article, I am going to review a single meal that I found in a local store that is common here in Arkansas, but MRE STAR also makes other types of meals like this 24 hour ration sold on mremountain.com.

In my years of carrying, I have learned that you need two points of contact with the belt if you are going to carry a pistol the size of a Beretta APX A1 Compact. The Vedder holsters Pro-Tuck, the Clinger Holsters Hinge, and the Aliengear Cloak 3.5 were all good candidates with their own merits. When I got my APX A1 Compact, I soon found that the holster companies had not caught up with the fact that the APX A1 was on the market for two years. None of my favorite holster makers, listed above, had a holster for the APX A1, not to mention the compact model. There were other choices available in the appendix holster arena or the cheap single belt clip arena, but as I mentioned, they would not suffice for my needs. Eventually I ran upon the Beretta APX A1 Hybrid holster sold on Beretta's website. It was fairly expensive, but it seemed like the only option at the time.

When I was in the Marines, I was issued a variety of load carrying options. I had plate carriers, the Interceptor vest, the MOTV , and the LBV (Load-Bearing Vest) "ELL-BEE-VEE", also known as the FLC (Fighting Load Carrier) "FLICK" in the Army. I found the LBV to be an ideal method of carrying all my crap while leaving my plate carrier slick. This allowed me to shed the added combat load without dropping my body armor with it. I found it clumsy and odd to attach all my pouches to my armor and then try to get into a vehicle and drive for hours, just to have to then go on a patrol or go on post for four hours. I was just standing there in a Hesco tower, so it was ridiculous to have all my ammo ON me when I could lay out my LBV and take a load off my back, knees, and feet. Overall, I was able to turn my body armor into Line 1 and have my LBV as my Line 2 gear, making it more accurate to call it the Fighting Load Carrier (FLC). This worked out well and I have carried this concept forward with me. For the remainder of this article, I will use the acronym FLC, since I believe it describes the gear more accurately.

After experiencing the original Beretta APX full size, I felt that there may be a place for a pistol like it on my hip, albeit smaller. I liked the way the original APX functioned, and my local gun store had one for about $400 collecting dust. I was tempted to jump on the old APX, but after doing some research, I figured the APX A1 Compact would be a step up if I could get it at a comparable price. I ended up getting my APX A1 Compact on www.palmettostatearmory.com for about $300. After about 500 rounds, I feel that I have a good amount of experience to discuss what the pistol is like. If you did not see my article on the full size APX, read it here to get a more comprehensive review on the original APX design.

THE BERETTA LEGACY
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Beretta has been used in the US military since the M9 began service in the 80s. It has dazzled us on the big screen for decades and has left a lasting impression on us through cult classics like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. It was on scene during the North Hollywood shootout and served in Federal (Border Patrol) and State Law Enforcement holsters for years. Not to mention that they have 500 years of experience manufacturing firearms. Suffice it to say that Beretta has a reputation that it intends to uphold. The APX is just the continuation of this legacy. 

My attraction to the Rex Zero 1S started years ago when it first came out. YouTube channels were fawning over the new gun and were anticipating a swift rise to popularity for this Slovenian pistol. I reluctantly followed the updates about this pistol, and finally got the opportunity to handle it at SHOT show back in 2018. I found it to be borderline too awkward for me to handle effectively. I figured my first exposure was going to be the last I was going to give to the pistol, but fate had other ideas. Recently, Arex had released the Rex Zero 2S with the hope to answer consumer desires. Unfortunately, there are few places that sell the new design, and the classic Rex Zero 1S has been collecting dust on shelves. Yeah, leave it to me to buy a gun that has next to no consumer interest just to review it. SPOILER ALERT, I have been so pleased with the pistol that I got the compact version for concealed carry and I am looking at getting another so I can have one to put into service and one to beat up on the range.

I know how attractive it is to concentrate all our training time on the hard skills like shooting and tactics. I have been guilty of spending a good amount of time doing it myself in the past. However, I now spend a good bit of time practicing other skills needed for sustainment. There are more skills needed in the bush or when the grid goes down than just shooting. In this article, I am going to talk about a few things that are high priorities for you to learn.

The M16 has a special place in my heart. My military career revolved around two versions of the rifle. In bootcamp, I became familiar with the aging but rugged M16A2, becoming intimately familiar with its handling characteristics. In SOI and the fleet (Marine Corp infantry) I spent 99% of my time with an M16A4. The only difference between the A2 and A4, that I saw, was the A4 had a rail instead of a built-in carry handle that housed the rear sight. Other than that, there were no real functional differences.
About a year ago, I got myself a PSA16 which is pretty much like the M16A4, but without the metal rail system. It has rekindled my love for the M16 system, but is tempting me to buy a Harrington and Richardson M16A2 reproduction just so I can benefit from the battle proven iron sight/carrying handle setup. Anyways, this is what sparked this article.

​Having a record of your training and practice in self defense can help you in many aspects. It is a low possibility that you will have to use the training, but it is cheap insurance to keep a training record or log. In this article, I am going to provide some reasons why you should keep a training log and then discuss some options for how to format your training logs. This may be a dry topic compared to talking about ballistics or being John Wick, but this is just as necessary if you are going to reach a level of proficiency to be on par with John Wick…Just saying.