Self-Defense Articles | Personal Defense Network

Safety in Defensive Gun Training

February 27, 2017 By Paul Carlson & filed under All Articles, Defensive Training.

When it comes to defensive gun training courses, safety is the responsibility of the instructor. The instructor’s job is to make constant assessments to ensure that the benefits of the training activity significantly outweigh the risks involved in that specific activity. Students come to defensive training courses to learn how to lead a safer life…

Dealing With the Double-Action Trigger

February 25, 2017 By Grant Cunningham & filed under All Articles, Handguns, Self Defense Firearms.

The double-action handgun, whether revolver or autoloader, is a great threat management tool. The long, heavy trigger means that accidental discharges under stress are less likely to occur than with a light, short action. What happens, though, when shooting has to be done? The trigger that requires deliberate action to fire also requires more attention…

The Well-Balanced Training Diet

February 14, 2017 By Klint Macro & filed under All Articles, Defensive Training Concepts.

If we decide to take on the responsibility of being our family’s first responder, a serious training regimen becomes a necessity; a lifestyle choice. Considering how the brain retains information, the body masters skills, and the fact that time, budget, day jobs, and environmental factors are difficult to negotiate, a well-balanced diet of training can…

Setting Your Sights for Success

January 30, 2017 By Michael John Lowe & filed under All Articles, Handguns.

As a defensive instructor and shooter, I convey the concept that “the target dictates the need for precision.” This is based on the size of the target or the relationship of distance between the intended target and that of the shooter. PROPERLY ZEROED SIGHTS When a higher level of precision must be achieved, the shooter…

To Rack or Not To Rack: The Perpetual Shotgun Question

January 28, 2017 By Daniel Watson & filed under All Articles, Defensive Issues, Home Defense.

A discussion I’ve had with students and friends, almost as frequently as the “Which gun should I buy?” discussion, is in response to that age-old statement, “I have a shotgun for home defense. All I have to do is rack it and the bad guy will go away.” I have heard this skewed logic many…

When Does a .380 Beat a 9mm?

January 7, 2017 By Grant Cunningham & filed under All Articles, Defensive Issues.

Have you ever heard the phrase “Friends don’t let friends carry mouseguns”? I have; in fact, I’ve uttered it more than a few times myself over the years! The implication, of course, is that calibers below a certain threshold, arbitrary though it may be, are not suitable for protecting one’s life. What that threshold is,…

Diversify Your Self-Defense

December 1, 2016 By Rob Pincus & filed under All Articles, Defensive Issues.

Commit yourself now to the reality of your responsibility to protect yourself and those you care about in a worst-case scenario. If you’re reading this, I assume you already think you’ve accepted that reality. But have you committed to being able to do it without your preferred tools? Have you committed to being able to…

The Baby Blanket Approach to Personal Safety

November 21, 2016 By Jarrod Needs & filed under All Articles, Defensive Issues.

The realization that you are solely responsible for your personal safety and protection is an important undertaking. Once this occurs, people are quick to look for easy and simple solutions to try to protect themselves. The problem is that personal safety is neither easy nor simple, and requires an honest look at how your probable…

Pistol Reloads, Blue Guns, and Brain Function

November 7, 2016 By Andy Loeffler & filed under All Articles, Handguns.

Editor’s Note: Repeated student errors in defensive handgun classes sent the author on a mission to understand why these mistakes were happening, and what we can learn from them about reloading pistols. Not long ago, I saw a post in an online firearms forum (Best advice, all too often: “Never read the comments!”) and followed…

Are You Ready To Carry a Defensive Firearm?

October 24, 2016 By Jarrod Needs & filed under All Articles, Defensive Issues.

I’m not asking if you passed an arbitrary state minimum course or qualification course as an armed professional. I’m asking, are you really ready to carry a defensive firearm? Many people in both the civilian and professional worlds seem to believe that passing these minimum standards means they are ready — but that could not…