18 June 04

Excellent summary from a stock broker and friend:

"We mostly agree on:

Movement. Whether you're talking, reloading, looking around, picking your nose, drawing, holstering, etc, you're constantly moving off the line of force, slightly faster than it can be reestablished in the mind of the attacker.

Looking for trouble. It can come from behind as well as in front, and you have to look ALL THE WAY AROUND to protect yourself adequately. Predators see that you know what you're doing and routinely deselect you.

Tape Loops. Getting in the habit of projecting a clear verbal challenge, not being embarrassed to holler, 'Can I help you, sir?' and 'Police, don't move; drop your weapon!' I've read a number of testimonials from students telling how that one skill and the willingness to use it has terminated numerous potentially dangerous encounters in dimly-lit parking lots. I think it's among the most important things DTI teaches, and it's independent of firing a gun.

Staying alert in the world. Avoiding fights. Not being there.

Staying in the fight, until his will to fight is destroyed, or you're destroyed. Do what you have to do, including transitioning to a backup gun or blade.

ACT at the critical moment! Have a blueprint, a plan. Tweak it as necessary, but DON'T DITHER! Predators have no interest in dealing with decisive people.

Jettison unnecessary baggage. Unhelpful things and thoughts alike must be cast aside without delay. Fighting is not a good venue for 'multi-tasking.'

Among investors I run into plenty of people who just wanted to know what to buy now 'and are 'so confused' by varying opinions of brokers, financial advisors, et al. They all 'want answers.'

I refer to such thinking as 'financial immaturity' and tell them so. The best financial minds in the country argue with each other all the time. Even Alan Greenspan doesn't hold the same opinions today that he did ten years a go, five years ago, even one year ago. In the end, its still your money. Only you get to decide what to do with it. Win or lose, you've only yourself to blame or credit. No one else cares, nor ever will.

Guru-chasers, like church-switchers, are all the same. It's a common and natural desire to long for incontrovertible, unalterable remedies for life's uncertainties. That's what children see in their parents. Grownups need to 'grow up. "Absolutes" may exist, and we may know them. We just don't get to be sure we know them. Welcome to Planet Earth!"

/John

18 June 04

On Fobus Holsters from a friend at Fobus:

"Of the thousands of holsters involved in the recall, a total of eight unintentional discharges have been brought to our attention. These incidents have produced one finger injury, and damage to one pair of pants. No new incidents have been reported this year. A redesigned retention strap is standard on all currently available holsters. It is designed to eliminate this problem.

Instructions for the free replacement of holsters (including all shipping charges) is available by contacting Fobus at 866 508 3997.

Please know that all Fobus holsters are of polymer construction, rather than Kydex."

Comment: Sooner or later, every manufacturer will have problems like this one, no matter how careful they try to be. The "problem" is not the issue. How the problem is handled by the manufacturer is the issue. Fobus has done the right thing by acknowledging the problem and fixing it.

/John

18 June 04

I conducted a Defensive Shotgun Clinic at the just-completed IALEFI Annual Conference in Dayton, OH. It is a conference I recommend to all range officers, as one gets the opportunity to mingle and talk with other trainers from around the country and around the world.

In any event, I was surprised at the number of Benelli Super-90 and Beretta 1201 shotguns present. They were the only brands of autoloaders represented. There were no 11-87s. The rest of the shotguns present were Remington 870s and Mossberg 590s.

The Benelli Super-90 and Beretta 1201 are nearly identical and both use an impulse/recoil system of operation. Many operators were unfamiliar with the correct operating procedure for these fine weapons. Both shotguns have a permanent magazine cutoff. With the magazine tube charged, pulling back the bolt handle and releasing it will NOT bring a round into the receiver and subsequently into the chamber.

After charging the magazine tube, the weapon's chamber must be physically checked and the weapon must then be aimed in a safe direction and dry fired. The hammer dropping will bring a round out of the magazine tube and into the receiver. You'll see it sitting on top of the shell lifter. The shotgun is now in "carry mode," and pulling the bolt handle back and releasing it will immediately chamber that round, thus rendering the weapon ready to fire. The manual safety is already "off". Pressing the "shell release" lever will also release the first round from the magazine tube, but I prefer dry firing, because that put the hammer at rest, and it assures that the manual safety is off."

Having an empty chamber and, in addition, the manual safety in the "on" position is a pointless redundancy.

/John