Wednesday Wisdom: 29 July 2026

WWII Marine Killed on Saipan Finally Returned Home to Louisiana

 

Marine Sergeant Frank L. Schmaltz, who was killed more than 80 years ago in the Battle of Saipan during World War II was laid to rest on October 13, 2025, in Metairie, Louisiana. Welcome Home Marine.

On June 15, 1944, roughly 70,000 American soldiers and Marines landed on the Japanese-occupied island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands. Sergeant Frank L. Schmaltz of Company A, 1st Battalion, 29th Marines, was part of the initial assault waves as American forces landed at Tanapag Harbor. Allied commanders planned to use Saipan as a base for long-range B-29 Superfortress bombers to strike the Japanese mainland.

On June 25, 1944, Schmaltz and the 1st Battalion were ordered to seize Mount Tapotchau and destroy the Japanese forces occupying the high ground. The Marines encountered Japanese sniper and mortar fire as they maneuvered up the mountain. The movement was slow and costly for the Americans. Around 10 a.m., Schmaltz and his men encountered fierce resistance as they approached the main Japanese defensive line on Mount Tapotchau.

 ____________________

E Company No. 32 Marked U.S. Colt Model 1847 Walker Percussion Revolver

Samuel Colt's firearms are intimately linked to the American West, especially to the State of Texas. The Walker was officially made the Texas state handgun in 2021. The state legislature noted: "The original 1847 Colt Walker pistol was historically crucial to the early survival of the great State of Texas" and was "an essential tool in the defeat of the Mexican army during the Mexican-American War to reclaim Texas, the 28th state of the Union." The formidable Colt Model 1847 Walker revolver was designed in collaboration between Samuel Colt and Captain Samuel H. Walker of the Texas Rangers and the U.S. Regiment of Mounted Riflemen. 

The original intent was to issue a pair of Walkers to each man in the U.S. Regiment of Mounted Rifles, and the revolvers were marked for A Company through E Company. There were 120 revolvers marked for E Company out of the total of 1,000 U.S. contract revolvers. Many of the revolvers were used by the First Regiment of Texas Mounted Rifle Volunteers led by John Coffee Hays. The last 500 Walker revolvers were delivered to the Ordnance Department in March 1848.

 ____________________

A Smile and an Arsenal

While Capone’s official love was his wife Mae, he had only one Sweetheart. What he called his Sweetheart was his favorite sidearm, a Colt 1911 that he claimed saved his life on multiple occasions.

Manufactured in 1912, the .45 ACP pistol has a three-digit serial number, making it collectible enough as-is. It had aftermarket stag horn grips that have been excellently patinaed with years of constant use (and perhaps a little blood), and the slide has been engraved with ornate scrolling that is still sharp a century later.

 ____________________

Evolution of the M1 Carbine: From M1 to M3 Carbine

Before the M4 carbine went to war in the Middle East, before American grunts began humping the boonies in Vietnam with the M16, before all of that anodized aluminum and Space Age black plastic, there was the M1 carbine. Lightweight, compact, and generally adored by the dogfaces who carried it, the carbine helped wrest the world back from the likes of the Nazis and the Nipponese. While the handy little carbine was the most-produced American long gun of World War II, it wasn’t really intended to serve as a general-issue infantry combat weapon.

 ____________________

The History of the Back Lock Folding Knife

Modern lock-blade folding knives encompass a wide variety of lock mechanisms. Although many of them are relatively recent innovations, others trace their origins back hundreds of years to the earliest days of their genre. The grandfather of them all, however, is the back lock. To truly appreciate this brilliantly simple design, it helps to understand the rich history of its evolution.

 

The oldest known folding knife is believed to be about 2,500 years old. Known as the “Hallstatt Knife,” it was discovered near Hallstatt, Austria, and is estimated to date back to between 600 and 500 BCE. Made of iron and bone, it featured a hawkbill-style blade, a metal bolster, and simple “friction folder” style of construction. Amazingly, the folding knife’s basic form would remain largely unchanged for almost 2,000 years before the advent of lock-blade folding knives.

 ____________________

AI (and thus Scammers) Can Find Your Location 91% of the Time Using Just One Photo

Something to consider if you travel. Consumer research found that more than 1 in 3 Americans have encountered a travel-related cyberthreat, and 41% of those impacted lost money, often exceeding $500. At the same time, rising travel costs and time pressure are pushing people toward faster, riskier decisions. Those are exactly the conditions scammers are built to exploit.

The data reveals just how exposed travelers make themselves without realizing it. Nearly two-thirds of Americans connect to public Wi-Fi while traveling (63%), and a similar share scan QR codes without verifying where they lead (62%). Almost half use airport Wi-Fi specifically (49%), and 41% admit to trusting travel-related messages without checking the sender. One in five logs into financial apps while on public networks, and the same group shares travel plans in real time on social media. Twenty percent click travel-related links without verifying the source first. And finally, around 1 in 5 (22%) admit to sharing travel plans in real time.

I do not share travel information or pictures real-time. For what its worth, ChatGPT failed to identify the correct location for the image above even though it had 90-95% confidence. 

 ____________________

OpenAI Artificial Intelligence Models Went Rogue During Testing

Oopsie. OpenAI said that an autonomous agent that one of its advanced artificial intelligence models powered went rogue during a security test and triggered a hack that compromised the infrastructure of AI startup Hugging Face. The ChatGPT creator ‌was testing capabilities of some of its most advanced models in a controlled environment, but the agent escaped containment, reached the internet and ‌broke into Hugging Face to satisfy its testing goal.

The incident signals that AI's expanding capabilities are already fueling the security threat experts long feared and even top developers can be caught off-guard ​by flaws their models can exploit. The breakout was "an unprecedented cyber incident, involving state-of-the-art cyber capabilities" and OpenAI is reinforcing its safeguards, the company said in a blog post.

It also drew attention as New York-based Hugging Face said it had used an open-source Chinese model to contain the attack because leading U.S. models, unable to tell a defender from an attacker, refused to process the data needed for analysis.

 ____________________

Handgun Ergonomics

I see people trying to master handguns that fit poorly all the time—often with challenging results. An excellent article from Karl Rehn of KRTraining concerning pistol fit.

Pistol fit is widely misunderstood or completely neglected in the handgun buying process, and the impact of poor gun fit on shooting capability mostly ignored. Those coming from the military/law enforcement background taught in an environment where everyone was stronger/fitter than the average population, with more grip strength than average, and equipment was mandated. Those that could not perform to standards because of equipment issues were washed out, often without the instructors understanding why the individuals were struggling – leaving the instructors ill equipped to assist or advise private sector/armed citizen students with small hands, short fingers and limited grip strength.

 ____________________

Shooting 101: Myths and Facts About Snapping Revolvers and Slamming Slides

I’ve had a front-row seat to this argument for years, both in person and online. Likewise, I’ve watched people get into heated arguments over it. I’ve even seen YouTube videos that make fun of both camps. And I already know that when this article drops, somebody’s going to send me hate mail with the subject line “You’re Dead Wrong.” That’s fine. However, before you die on your hill, let’s look at what’s happening when people do these things. Not to mention what it can cost them.

 ____________________

The RXD22Ti Suppressor Collaboration from Ruger and Dead Air

 

This is most interesting--a 3D printed 22 caliber suppressor. In collaboration with Ruger, Dead Air has developed a .22-caliber suppressor with Dead Air’s Triskelion baffle design. This baffle layout helps spin and push the gas forward to dissipate at the muzzle instead of building up in the face of the shooter. The titanium suppressor is incredibly light at only 5.6 ounces but is full-auto rated for .22 LR.

 ____________________

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.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. 

Gunfight Analysis--The Keith Prock Incident

This is another posting in a series where I explore just how fast a criminal attack can happen through analyzing actual video-recorded events. One of the critical challenges both police and private citizens face when confronted with a criminal attack is recognizing what is happening and then reacting fast enough to respond effectively. This is not trivial since the attack is often underway before a defender even realizes that there is a problem. Even if the defender has a planned response, the speed of the attack can often preclude them from effectively responding in time.

Maricopa Police Officers spotted Keith Tyler Prock at a Circle K gas station in Maricopa, Arizona. Since Prock had several warrants out for his arrest, officers at the gas station attempted to contact him. When he spotted the officers, he turned and ran with officers giving chase. As he was running, Prock drew a pistol and shot Maricopa Police Officer Sebastian Sanchez multiple (I believe two) times. The Sanchez survived and recovered.

Prock continued to fire at another officer who was also chasing him as well as two other officers who arrived during the gunfight. The other officers returned fire striking Prock who died at the scene.

So how fast did it happen? As mentioned above, Prock drew a 9mm pistol from his waistband as he was running. From the pursuing officer’s perspective, Prock’s motion in drawing the pistol looked exactly like someone pumping their arms as they ran. 

Prock Starting His Draw

So how much time did it take for Prock to draw and fire his pistol? His draw from the time he initiated the movement to the moment he fired at Sanchez was 1.535 seconds.

The Moment Sanchez Could Have First Seen Prock's Pistol

From the moment that Sanchez could have initially seen Prock's pistol (circle in the picture above) until Prock fired the first shot (see pictures below) was 0.567 seconds. Prock fired his second shot 0.560 seconds later.  

Prock Fires His First Shot at Sanchez

Prock Fires His Second Shot at Sanchez—The Brass 

Cartridge from the First Shot is Visible

The Force Science Institute conducted several experiments in a 2014 study to measure police officer reaction time to start and stop shooting. The experiment showed that a police officer who had already made the decision to act (i.e. pull a trigger) still took an average of 0.310 seconds to react to a visual stimulus.(1) 

If we subtract the experiment's 0.310 seconds from the 0.567 seconds Sanchez had to see and mentally recognize that he faced a deadly threat, Sanchez had only 0.257 seconds to decide. Even if Sanchez had his pistol in hand, finger off the trigger, with his pistol aimed at Prock it would have been a challenge to react in time. 

In this incident however, Sanchez was sprinting at full speed and he did not have is pistol in his hand. If we pair down COL Boyd’s Observe, Orient, Decide, Act cycle, to two elements: Observe, Act (act in this instance defined as drawing his pistol) it was not humanly possible for Sanchez to react to Prock’s deadly threat in time to prevent the assault. (2)

Also of note: If we assume Officer Sanchez could have reacted in time to prevent Prock’s assault, his shots would have likely struck Prock in the back. The value of body camera videos is apparent in this context since numerous police officers have been charged for shooting suspects in the back. Just because a suspect’s back is turned, it does not mean he is incapable of posing a deadly threat.

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

(1)  During the Force Science Institute experiments to measure police officer reaction time to start and stop shooting, in one experiment the officers were positioned in a firing stance with a training pistol and were instructed to fire the pistol when a green light came on for 0.500 seconds. On average, it took officers 0.250 sec to begin the trigger pull (i.e. react to the stimulus) and .06 seconds to complete the trigger pull (defined as the actual travel time of the trigger from a position of rest to a position back against the frame) for a total reaction time of 0.310 seconds.

 

See: Lewinski, Hudson, & Dysterheft (2014). Police Officer Reaction Time to Start and Stop Shooting: The Influence of Decision-Making and Pattern Recognition. Law Enforcement Executive Forum 14(2), 1-16   

 

(2) If you are not familiar with COL Boyd’s Observe, Orient, Decide, Act cycle, it is worth reviewing. In a previous article (see here), I discussed the OODA framework and how it applies to armed encounters. For separate in-depth discussion of Boyd’s OODA framework go here.

Wednesday Wisdom: 22 July 2026

Medal of Honor: Luther Skaggs Jr.

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a squad leader with a mortar section of a rifle company in the 3d Battalion, 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces on the Asan-Adelup beachhead, Guam, Mariana Islands, 21-22 July 1944. When the section leader became a casualty under a heavy mortar barrage shortly after landing, Private First Class Skaggs promptly assumed command and led the section through intense fire for a distance of 200 yards to a position from which to deliver effective coverage of the assault on a strategic cliff. Valiantly defending this vital position against strong enemy counterattacks during the night, Private First Class Skaggs was critically wounded when a Japanese grenade lodged in his foxhole and exploded, shattering the lower part of one leg. Quick to act, he applied an improvised tourniquet and, while propped up in his foxhole, gallantly returned the enemy's fire with his rifle and hand grenades for a period of eight hours.

 ____________________

What Instructors Should Know About Jacketed Frangible 5.56 Ammo

During a recent NLEFIA Shoot House Instructor Certification Course, instructors discussed frangible ammunition and its compatibility with suppressors. Students using suppressed rifles reported that some suppressor manufacturers explicitly warn against “conventional” (non-jacketed) frangible ammunition. The cited risk: projectile breakup inside the barrel, which could damage the suppressor and void the warranty.

Warranty concerns appear to stem from a reported (though unverified) incident involving three 30-round magazines of unjacketed frangible ammunition fired full-auto through a suppressed M4 until the system overheated, allegedly causing baffle strikes. (Note: Sustained full-auto fire of this volume is rarely — if ever — necessary or realistic in law enforcement training or operations.)

 ____________________

Explore the Secrets of Thermal Imaging Sights-How do they work?

In low-light nighttime environments, traditional optics are limited and struggle to perform effectively, while night vision goggles rely on visible light to amplify for observation. There is a better solution in such conditions—thermal imaging sights. Thermal imaging has become a powerful tool for shooters in complete darkness. Whether for night outdoor, range shooting at night, or home defense, thermal sights significantly enhance your shooting capabilities and reduce safety threats. So, how does thermal imaging work, and why is it important?

 ____________________

Bullet Expansion Testing: What Gel Tests Actually Tell You (and What They Don't)

Ballistic gelatin is a standardized testing medium designed to approximate the density and resistance of human soft tissue. The FBI protocol uses 10% ordnance gelatin calibrated to a specific density at a specific temperature.

The key word is "approximate." Gel is a uniform, consistent medium. Human tissue is not. Gel doesn't have bones, organs, fat layers, clothing, or varying density. It provides a controlled baseline for comparison, not a prediction of real-world performance. Think of gel testing like a standardized test for ammunition. It measures specific things under specific conditions. It's useful for comparing one load to another. It's not useful for predicting exactly what will happen in an uncontrolled real-world scenario.

 ____________________

The Nielsen Device: How it Works and Why it's Necessary for Some Pistols

The Nielsen Device is a type of suppressor mount that allows a suppressor to move forward upon firing and thus allow a recoil-operated firearms to cycle reliably despite the added weight of a suppressor. Popularized by Doug Olsen in the 1980s, they allow pistols to be readily suppressed without needing to tinker with spring strength, slide weight, and suppressor weight. They are not necessary or useful on fixed-barrel pistols, carbines, or rifles however. (opens to a video)

If you'd rather read an in-depth article: Silencer Central's article: What is a Nielsen Device? is very informative.

 ____________________

What Does the O-Ring on an AR-15 Extractor Do?

 

The O-ring on an AR-15 extractor significantly enhances the firearm’s reliability by providing increased extractor tension and improving its ability to grip and hold onto spent cartridges during the extraction cycle. This added tension helps prevent failures to extract, especially when the rifle is dirty, heavily used, or experiencing fluctuations in ammunition pressure.

 ____________________

John Farnam Quips – August 2002

Per a student: I was coming to the end of my day shift. Our department runs all one-man, beat cars. I fell in behind a speeder, got a radar fix, and attempted to pull him over in traffic. It was late afternoon but still light. I became suspicions and concerned when the driver was slow to respond and started moving things around in the front seat with his right hand and arm. Eventually, he pulled over and stopped.

The moment the vehicle stopped, the driver (an extremely large, Hispanic male) hopped out and started walking back toward me. I ordered him to get back in his car, but he continued to walk as he put his hand in his right pocket, all the time saying, “License, license!” in Spanish.

 ____________________

Ayoob: My Take on the SA-3 

The Hi Power, known generically as P-35 because it was introduced in 1935, is a modern classic. Conceived by the incomparable John Moses Browning and finalized into the form we know it by his protégé Dieudonne Saive after Browning’s death, the P-35 was adopted by many nations, and it was manufactured in multiple countries — sometimes with a license, and sometimes not.

It was the first popular double-stack 9mm, its magazine holding 13 rounds of 9mm. Many considered it John Browning’s ultimate handgun design. The grip shape fit both small and large hands. It was reliable with the full metal jacket 9mm Luger it was designed for. However, it had its shortcomings. Its burr hammer often bit the web of the shooter’s hand. The thumb safety was small and flat with a mushy feel that made it hard for the hand to know whether it was “on” or “off” safe. It was iffy in terms of feeding most hollow point rounds.

 ____________________

 Reviewing the S&W 500 Revolver 

Big wheel guns inspire many feelings in firearm enthusiasts, whether it’s historical yearning or just a desire for power in your hand. The smooth metallic clicking as a cylinder rolls cartridges into place is a soothing sound.

Large revolvers have always been an American custom, and Smith & Wesson has been part of it for more than 170 years. One of S&W’s masterpieces is the mighty X-frame, built to carry the massive .500 S&W cartridge. The Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model S&W500 7.5-inch pistol is built for shooting its mighty cartridges comfortably and accurately.

 ____________________

Iran’s Unarmed Citizens Show Why the Second Amendment Still Matters

Once government decides who may possess the means of self-defense, and who may not, political favor replaces individual rights. Those trusted by the controlling regime remain armed. Those who resist are disarmed, or worse. That does not mean every government disagreement should become an armed confrontation. It means the balance of power matters. The ability to throw off the yoke of a despotic and tyrannical government matters. Elections, courts and constitutional institutions remain essential safeguards. The Second Amendment ensures those protections are backed by an independent citizenry that is never entirely dependent on government for personal security or liberty.

 ____________________

The Revamped, Redesigned BANISH 30-V2 .30 Caliber Suppressor

 

The original BANISH 30 suppressor was one of the best-selling cans in America for a goodly amount of time. In 2025, BANISH gave the suppressor a thorough makeover. The result — the BANISH 30-V2 — is lighter, shorter and quieter than version 1.0. It’s a modular design that’s rated for use on everything from .17 HMR to .300 Weatherby. It has a titanium baffle stack inside a titanium tube that makes it light weight and completely user serviceable.

 ____________________

This Common Travel Convenience Is Becoming One of Scammers’ Favorite Tools, According to Cybersecurity Experts

 

According to a recent 2026 McAfee report on travel scam experiences and digital behaviors, 62% of travelers are putting themselves at risk by scanning QR codes while they’re in transit or in a new place. When you mindlessly pull out your phone and scan the QR code for a restaurant menu or to download a hotel’s app, there’s a chance you could expose your personal data to scammers or malicious websites.

 ____________________

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.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. 

 

Rusted Shut? Maintain Your EDC Pistol

I recently attended Dustin Salomon’s 2-day class titled Understanding the Terrain: An Overview of Brain-Based Tactical Training Design. A good class by the way; however, this note is not about the class although I do intend to write an after-class review. This note is about maintaining your everyday carry (EDC) pistol.

This was not a shooting class, and our shooting performance was not graded beyond what you might expect from a group of type-A instructors. We fired a couple of hundred rounds during the class and I used one of my EDC pistols, a SIG P365 9mm and it performed flawlessly.

A busy week followed and I planned to clean the pistol the next week. I carried the pistol concealed during the class (it was very hot outside) and traveling home afterward. I also carried it several times when I was outside the next week including for a couple of hours setting up steel targets for a Steel Challenge match.

One thing south-central Texas does not lack in the summer is high humidity and heat. It is not unusual to literally be soaked in perspiration when working outside. My EDC holster is a made from Kydex and it has a sweat guard. I normally carry outside the waistband with a closed-front shirt.

When I got around to cleaning the pistol, I removed the magazine and started to pull the slide back to eject the live round. The slide would not budge; it was completely frozen in place. After a bit of tapping with a rawhide mallet, I was finally able to retract it and eject the live round. I was surprised to discover that the slide interior rails and frame rails were very rusted—particularly since the slide and the frame rails are made of stainless steel (see below).

I researched the SIG website and from what I saw, all P365 slides are made from stainless steel. My P365 pistol also has a SIG NITRON finish on the slide and barrel. The SIG NITRON finish is a proprietary surface treatment using the Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) process that is supposed to enhance corrosion and wear resistance. Clearly “enhance” corrosion resistance does not mean preclude corrosion resistance.

My father once pointed out the fact that “stainless” does not mean stain free. The stainless that SIG uses for their modular P365 fire control unit and slide is clearly not stain free and, in my case, did rust to an extent even though I use protective lubricant on my firearms. I normally use thin film of high temperature grease to lubricate my EDC firearms since it tends to stay where you put it. This precludes staining your clothing with firearms lubricant. However, in this instance it was not enough.

So how do we prevent this? Obviously disassembling and cleaning your EDC pistol every time you carry it would become tedious. Probably the most straight forward way to prevent corrosion/rust from forming is to ensure that you (at a minimum) wipe down the pistol and remove the slide and quickly relubricate the slide and rails anytime the firearm has been exposed to high levels of perspiration.

 ____________________

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.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: 15 July 2026

Medal of Honor: George Price Hays 

George Price Hays was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1917, and by July 14, 1918, was a first lieutenant serving in France with the 10th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Division. On that day, during the Second Battle of the Marne near Greves Farm, his unit came under a heavy German artillery barrage and the communication lines were destroyed. Despite the intense fire, Hays rode on horseback between his unit, the command post, and two French batteries for the rest of that day and the next. Although he was severely wounded and had seven horses shot out from under him, his efforts contributed to the halt of the German advance.

 ____________________

Law Allows Texas Residents to Carry Swords and Knives

Since September 1, 2017, Texans over the age of 18 have been allowed to carry knives, spears, sabers, machetes, and swords in most places statewide. H.B. 1935 (Texas Knife Law Reform Bill) eliminated ownership and restrictions on knives with blades longer than 5.5 inches, including daggers, double-edged knives, swords, dirks, poniards, dirks, stilettos, and Bowie knives.

If you’ve never heard of these types of knives, you’re not alone. Knife Rights, a national pro-knife advocacy group, said that the bill was 95 percent intact when Governor Abbott signed it. Advocates promised to continue fighting until all “minor restrictions” concerning knives are cleared in Texas.

 ____________________

Trijicon RMRcc: Concealed Carry Excellence

The RMRcc comes in two versions, one with a 3.25 MOA dot and another with a larger 6.5 MOA dot. While many folks get deep into the weeds over dot size, I’m not one of those people. If I can see it quickly, based on the lighting conditions of the moment, I’m good to go. At that point, I am going to superimpose the dot and depress the trigger.

Sights of all styles have long been something contested by shooters of all ages. Irons versus dots, black sight versus colored sights, tritium versus fiber optic, and so on. I don’t get it. All any sight system does is tell you where the muzzle is pointed. How you wish to receive this information is a personal choice. Pick what works for you and ignore all the outside clutter.

 ____________________

Carrying a Backup Gun – Do You Need One?

 

More thoughts on the backup gun. The main reason often given for carrying a backup gun is the possibility of your main gun failing. Should it break or malfunction so seriously that you can’t fix it, a spare gun comes in handy. Some may also see the backup gun as their reload. If your main gun goes dry, you can swap to your backup and continue to fight. A standard reload is typically faster, but if you’re carrying a backup gun, you might not feel the need for a spare magazine.

 ____________________

Reconsidering the Backup Gun

Carrying a second handgun is a practice that literally goes back centuries. In the days of flintlock pistols, which provided a single shot, multiple guns were often carried on body. In the old west, cap and ball revolvers, and even the later single-action revolvers that used contained cartridges, proved slow to reload; therefore, multiple guns were often carried by those expecting trouble. Even in 20th Century law enforcement, the majority of which witnessed the dominance of the double-action revolver, multiple guns were often carried by law enforcement as reloading a wheel gun simply proves too slow under fire. And, even now, although law enforcement carries modern, high capacity, auto loading pistols, those who know what they are doing still carry a BUG (backup gun). A small auto or revolver strapped to an ankle or tucked in a pocket proves standard.

 ____________________

Review of the Glock Gen6 G45 9mm

 

 

Glock brought a surprising number of changes with the new Gen 6 guns, making the already well-liked G45 crossover 9mm an all-around improved platform. Diving deeper into the feature set of the Gen 6 G45, the pistol field strips just like every other Glock generation, but very few parts interchange between the Gen 6 and Glock’s older models. Just the mags, sights, locking block, mag release, firing pin and spring, slide lock/spring, trigger pin/housing, trigger bar, recoil spring assembly, and connector are backward compatible. Almost everything else is Gen 6 only.

 ____________________

SIG’s Everyday Carry Optic

Pistol red dots are here to stay. If you’re still on the fence about the validity of red dots on a handgun or still holding out on making the transition, you probably just haven’t received the right education on it. Ten years ago, if someone showed you their go-to defensive carbine with just iron sights, you would question the validity of that build. The same applies to a solid defensive handgun today.

 ____________________

Pistol Red Dot Footprints Explained (2026 Guide)

If you’re mounting a micro red dot to a handgun, pistol red dot footprints determine whether the optic fits your slide or plate. This 2026 guide demystifies the major patterns (RMR, RMSc/Shield, Holosun “K,” Docter/Noblex, DeltaPoint Pro, and ACRO), how plate systems and direct-mill slides change the equation, and what to check before you buy. You’ll leave with a clear compatibility checklist, a comparison table, and links to brand hubs and category pages on GunGenius to continue your research.

 ____________________

Full-sized, Compact and Subcompact: What’s the Difference?

Today’s handgun buyers are spoiled for choice — to a degree that the number of options becomes almost bewildering. As a result, consumers often rely on any number of heuristics that help simplify their purchase decisions. Witness today the number of novice shooters who approach buying their first handgun as they would a pair of pants: “Will I be best served by big, medium, or small?”

 ____________________

Thugs in the Dark: A Low Light Practice Session

Student Hits Shown in Red Circle

Police say a husband opened fire on two home invasion suspects as they tried to hold his wife at gunpoint as she arrived home around 10:30 p.m. According to the Houston Police, it started when the man’s wife pulled into their driveway. Two armed suspects ran up and tried to rob her. They took her purse and then tried to force her into the house. However, her husband inside the house heard the commotion, grabbed his gun, and ended up exchanging gunfire with the intruders. Fortunately, the couple weren’t hit; however, the husband shot one of the suspects in the head, the other suspect took off running. 

This real-life incident is exactly like the decision-based scenarios that we use during the Sensible Self Defense Academy low light classes, matches, and practice sessions. I ran this during our final practice session in 2017 and several participants found it difficult, so we did it once again for our first session in 2018.

We will start low light classes and low light matches again this fall (2026) once daylight savings time ends. 

 ____________________

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.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.