Black Spider Optics 1-4×24 Riflescope
The new Black Spider Optics variable power riflescope is field tested and reviewed by Paul Markel, host of Student of the Gun.
Wilderness Survival Pt. 6: Field Craft and Repairs
Not every problem you encounter in the field or woods is a matter of life and death. Some issues are simply annoying and bothersome. Take, for instance…
Canik TP9DA 9mm Pistol
The Canik TP9DA 9mm pistol performed admirably during the initial testing and evaluation phase. All manual controls functioned as expected. The gun…
Wilderness Survival Pt. 5: Navigation – Know Where You Are Going
I have a challenge for you. Gather your spouse and kids together outside and ask them individually to point to the North. Ask them which direction the sun rises and in which it sets. Wait for a clear and star-filled night, now ask them all to find the North Star. Basic land navigation or “orienteering” is not rocket surgery. Anyone with the desire can learn to navigate with a map and a compass.
Wilderness Survival Pt. 4: Injury and Blood Loss
While many wilderness survival situations begin with a person or people getting lost, there have been numerous incidents where someone is injured and that injury prevents them from returning to safety.
Wilderness Survival Pt. 3: Exposure and Hypothermia
Let us continue with our wilderness survival discussion. This time we are going to consider the dangers of exposure, exposure to extreme temperatures from both end of the spectrum.
Wilderness Survival Pt. 2: Water
Continuing our series on wilderness survival, no one ever plans to get lost or to be injured and stranded in the woods. Just as we don’t wear our seat belt because we “plan” to be in a crash, and we don’t have a fire extinguisher in our kitchen because we “plan” to have a fire.
Wilderness Survival Pt. 1: Fire
Welcome to the first in a series of short articles dealing with the subject of wilderness survival. Every year thousands upon thousands of Americans step off…
Why Do Firearms Instructors Hate Dry Fire?
“Aside from the movies and TV, dry fire instills more bad habits than any other activity.” Such was the comment of the owner of one of the nation’s top…
My First Gun: 5 Simple Steps to Making your First Gun Purchase a Success
Picking your first gun can be a daunting task. By the time you reach the gun store counter you’ve likely been given more advice from friends and family…
Tactical Masturbation: Top 3 Stupid Human Tricks
Though you may not have put a name on it, we have all witnessed tactical masturbation. Like the more traditional form of self-gratification, tactical…
Safety is Dangerous
“What is the most important thing on the range?” yelled the Navy Firearms Instructor to the group of young sailors amassed in front of him. “Safety!”…
3 Reasons Every Gunfighter Should Learn to Box
“I don’t need to know Karate, I know Ching-Ching.” (mimics racking the slide on a pistol) so said the man standing at the counter in a small gun store many years ago. In my younger days, I spent a great deal of time at gun shops and at gun shows. Sadly, most everyone one who frequented gun stores, at least in my experience, viewed themselves to be a gunfighter.
Voter Fraud: Who will Pick Up the Turd?
“There isn’t a need for you to wait in line anymore. Took care of it for you. Gave you a straight Democratic ticket.” said a North Carolina man via Facebook as he bragged about committing voter fraud.
Open Letter to American Cops: America has Your Back
There were certainly a lot of lessons and takeaways from the 2016 Election, especially for cops. The platform of the liberal Democrat Party was…
Comrade Barry: Preserving His Legacy
Given this desire to focus on the legacy of Comrade Barry, we find it fitting to consider the condition of the United States of America and the world since January 2009…
Gun Control is Mind Control; Everything You’ve been told is a Lie
Professor Paul provides some examples as to why Gun Control is mind control. Gun Control is mind control whereas you must believe in your heart that…
Candy
I was in elementary school when America was in love with disco music, Reggie Jackson, and mood rings. Looking back, it was a great time to be a kid.
Dallas Police Murders: Class Warfare’s Bloody Result
Class Warfare has become genuine warfare and blood is spilling nationwide, not from standard criminal behavior, but as a result of the creation of an entire class of angry victims.
How to Survive your CCW Class Without Being Shot
The question we should ask is, what can we or should we as members of the gun culture do differently in the aftermath of such an incident? Or, are we the clinical definition of insane, doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different outcome?
You are a Rental: How the Govt Sees You
One thing the peasant is never viewed as is an independent citizen imbued with natural and God given and inalienable rights.
Pop Culture Pacifists: Making the World a More Dangerous Place
These people will make statements such as “I could never harm another human being” or “violence only begets violence”. That is very true. If you attempt violence against me or my family, you definitely will beget some violence in return.
Home Invasion: Where Should you Secure your Firearm?
A nanny cam recorded the vicious and brutal attack including the screams of the terrified woman. Her daughter sat frozen in fear as her mother was pummel, choked and slammed around the house.
Confessions of a .40 (Cal) Lover
It was beautiful. I opened the black plastic container and there it was, a Glock 23 chambered in .40 Smith&Wesson. (Glock does not like to advertise for…)
Rapid Tourniquet Use Saves Philadelphia Police Officer
A young Philadelphia, Pennsylvania police officer will live to return to duty after being shot through the upper thigh by a thug trying to steal a…
Liberty is Light
Just as light is a result of the positive application of energy, liberty also requires effort and energy. If a people desire to have individual liberty,…
The Cigar and the Student
Let us consider for a moment the premium hand rolled cigar. For those unenlightened, neither the Black and Mild nor Swisher Sweet Cherry flavored tobacco products are “premium cigars”. A premium cigar is compose of numerous distinct parts.
“There’s Been An Accident!” Every Parent’s Worst Nightmare
“There’s been an accident, we are on the way to the hospital.” Those words heard through the earpiece of a telephone are enough to make any parent’s knees weak and their heart begin to pound in their chest. Although we don’t like to think about it, any time we let our kids out of our sight, let them stay over…
Never Throw the First Punch: the Failed Strategy of Defense
Never throw the first punch and Fire only if fired upon are two pieces of pseudo-tactical advice thrown out so often that people now merely parrot the phrases without ever thinking about what they mean.
Breaking: BATFE set to Expand NFA 1934
Based upon the fact that the NFA gave them the authority to define with is and is not a firearm, what is and is not a destructive device, what is and is not a handgun, shotgun, or long gun, and what is “Any Other Weapon”, more detailed classifications are necessary.
Professor Paul’s Tactical Chili; Eat It
Professor Paul’s Tactical Chili: start early in the morning so it can simmer all day. Minimum 6 to 7 hours is best. You cannot rush something this good.
Gun Owners for Obama, the “Responsible” People are Speaking Up
Cowards, Traitors, and Tories. Being gun owners is not enough. Do I believe that left-wing liberal-minded Obama voters do in fact possess firearms? Of course they do. And, you know what?
Call to Action: Stand Up for the Marine Corps
The Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, an Obama appointee with ties to the Clinton presidency has decided the time to screw with the Marine Corps is now. A January 1, 2016 memo from Mabus to Commandant of the Marine Corps Robert Neller instructed the Corps to begin “gender integration of officer and enlisted training”.
Oregon Militia, Bundy Ranch, BLM and the Long Train of Abuses and Usurpations
The current situation in Oregon, the previous situation at the Bundy Ranch, and future events yet to come, have at the core an ever expanding U.S. Federal Government with an seemingly unquenchable thirst for control over state land.
President Hillary Clinton signs Assault Weapons Ban of 2015
After a whirlwind first quarter as the first female president of the United States, Hillary Rodham Clinton was joined by congressmen and senators in the oval office for the official signing of H.R. 4269 “The Assault Weapons Ban of 2015”.
Open Letter to James Hatch and the USA Today Editorial Staff, Re: Good Guy with a Gun Myth
Having just finished reading your editorial in the Dec. 11 2015 issue of USA Today (online) entitled “The Good Guy with a Gun Myth” I was obliged to respond. Not a fan of the American Pravda, I became aware via a friend’s social media post.
M85 PAP, the Steel-Cased Solution
If you have been paying attention, and shame on you if you have not, we featured the M85 PAP pistol from Century Arms in the pages of this site last year. The M85 is unique as it uses a Kalashnikov action but chambers the .223 Remington cartridge.
You Cannot “Stand with France” but, Here is What you Can Do.
The fact of the matter is that you cannot truly stand with France, unless you are a member of the French military or law enforcement agency. France is a socialist nation in the even more socialist European Union.
Urban Defense Course; more than just Marksmanship
“Don’t just stand around watching, find some work.” was the advice offered to a dozen students during the Urban Defense Course held at Combat Shooting and Tactics (CSAT) in Nacogdoches, Texas during the long weekend of October 23 to 25.
Stop! Don’t Shoot! Beware of Dangerous Targets
People who use cheap or damaged steel targets soon get to play a little game we call “pluck the jacket pieces out of your skin”. The biggest bullet splash injury I have ever witnessed was about a 3/4 inch cut across a guys forearm, not life-threatening, but not fun either. In that case the injured party was struck by splash from someone else’s shot.
Smashing the Gun Control Argument in 3 Easy Steps
Smashing the Gun Control (human control) argument is so easy that even a Columbia journalism major could do it, if they some how possessed the courage to try. What follows is a simple three step process to addressing the argument for civilian disarmament.
DuraCoat vs. Cerakote: Industry Feud or Deliberate Deception?
Simply put, a company has no real choice but to actively defend itself, regardless of the opinions or feelings of the gun culture.
Uncomfortable Truth, Cold and Timid Souls
Dismiss the “cold and timid souls” and enter the arena. As you are likely aware, Jarrad climbed back into the cage a couple of weeks ago for his first fight in over four years. His budding professional MMA career was interrupted by shoulder surgery and then the agonizing physical rehab that followed.
Deadly Harvest: Reaping the Bloody Fruit of the Class Warfare
The Democrat Party may as well list “Prolonged Class Warfare” as an official policy plank at their convention in 2016. Class warfare, as ugly and dirty as it is, has normally had as its goal the siphoning of votes away from one candidate to another.
WDBJ Roanoke Double-Homicide and the Perfect Victim
If there is a useful takeaway or lesson to be learned from this vicious criminal act, it is this; the Victim State produces vile and verminous monsters like our boy, Excrement. When you fully embrace victimization you abdicate all responsibility for your own actions.
Coach vs. Equipment Manager; Know the Difference
I know what you are thinking, “Paul, understanding the specs of the gear does not mean that you can coach or teach people how to use that gear, especially in a real game where they are keeping score.” Coaching is not about gear, it is about learning skill, maintaining skill, and executing that skill on demand.
Weakness is a Disease and the #1 Plague in America
What fosters this type of behavior? Intellectual laziness or a weakness of the mind. When considering the day to day news stories, the myriad crises facing those who still care about the fate of the United States of America, it is easy to become frustrated and be overcome by a sense of hopelessness.
Being a “Gun Owner” is Not Enough
The implication of the report was that we right-wing, conservative types need to be “inclusive” and recognize that left-wing, Democrat voters are gun owners as well. My response is, as Col. Sherman Potter used to say, “Horse Hockey!”
3 Things Your Concealed Carry Gun Cannot Do
A short video about concealed carry aimed at the gun culture choir would not seem to be all that controversial or difficult to understand, but we are dealing with the Internet here.
Defensive Policing: It’s not what you might think
If he observes criminal activity, he can look the other way or take his time responding until the crime is over. The result is defensive policing. And like defensive medicine, it is on the rise.
3 Methods to Prevent Your Son From Becoming a Pussy
Coddling your sons, attempting to shield them from all that is rough, ugly, and dangerous is the greatest form of child abuse you can inflict. I’m not telling you to name the poor kid “Sue”, but stop treating your sons like fragile little babies.
Hey Gun Culture; Your Priorities Suck and Here is Why
Am I telling you not to argue Weaver vs. Isosceles or Leather vs. Kydex? No, I am not. What I am going to tell you is that the United States of America as founded as a representative republic is in dire peril. It is far beyond time to get our priorities in order.
Did Gaston Glock Invent the Negligent Discharge?
The topic of conversation was, of course, the Austrian Wonder-Nine, the Plastic Fantastic, the hardest working pistol in show business today…the GLOCK 17.
3 Popular Fighting Shotgun Myths: Busted
The shotgun is a tremendous fighting tool surrounded by mythology. You don’t need a doctorate in history to realize that the saga of human conflict is cyclical. Consider the history of modern warfare. One of the most noteworthy instances of the shotgun’s use in combat came from WWI and the infamous Winchester “Trench Guns”.
4 Steps to Carrying a Full-Size Pistol Every Day
You are reading this article because you are either a pistol carrier or are considering carrying a pistol. What I am going to ask you now is to consider what kind of pistol you are carrying or thinking about carrying.
3 Reasons Your Hybrid Holster Failed
“I’d never own one of those things (hybrid holster), they are junk.” so said one self-styled expert at a shooting class I attended this year.
Win a Gun with Brownell’s Edge Program
WELCOME TO SERIOUS VALUE Brownells EDGE is the latest innovation to make your shopping experience with them even easier and more convenient. Place as many orders as you want – standard shipping on all of them is covered by the $49.95 annual membership fee. With FREE shipping*, your membership fee will be paid for with just a few orders. Bought the wrong…
2016 Presidential Campaign: Searching for a Savior
As we look out at the landscape and consider the stable of potential candidates for the highest office in the land, we desperately search for a savior. Not an ecclesiastical savior, no, instead we sort through a short list of politicians and hope upon hope that we can choose one that will be the nation’s savior.
This Week’s AAFU Official Giveaway: Win the Only Banner in Existence!
Once a week, until the end of time, the American Association of Firearms Users will be giving you something for FREE! Whats even better than free?…
Who the Hell is Hunter S. Thompson?
“The guy says his name is Hunter S. Thompson, does that mean anything to you?” To my relief, rather than being annoyed, the promoter exploded in laughter…
Saving Detroit?
Detroit: The Crime Scene The Dodge pickup truck rolled west on Eight Mile Road. Eight Mile road unofficially the line of demarcation. It separates former East Detroit, now East Pointe, from the incorporated war zone know as Detroit, Michigan. At Gratiot Avenue we had to make a “Michigan left turn”. That is we turned right onto Gratiot, merged to the…
Holster or Deathtrap?
In the 1970’s and ’80’s the market for concealed carry holsters was pretty thin, certainly nowhere near what it is today. For other than duty rigs, there…
The Test: Do you have the right stuff to be a “Gun Expert?
Thanks to the Internet, 100,000 self-proclaimed gun experts have arisen in all fields of endeavor. The television news channels trot out a gun expert to…
The Death of the Editor
Before the time of the Internet and self-proclaimed “gun enthusiasts”, we had this vetting process called an Editor. During the age of dead tree…
Top 3 Reasons to Avoid Gun Clips
When I speak of gun clips I am referring to the spring-steel device mounted to a handgun in order to allow it to be “clipped” to clothing in some fashion…
Insider Information about Original S.O.E. Gear from John Willis and Ben “Mookie” Thomas Part 3
This video contains adult language. If you are not an adult, do not watch it. This is part 3 of the John and Mookie series. John tells how he met James Yeager and Mookie decided to set a price point on the Mookie War Yarmulke. If you missed the previous videos, click here for part 1 and click here for…
Insider Information about Original S.O.E Gear from John Willis and Ben “Mookie” Thomas Part 2
John Willis and Ben “Mookie” Thomas sit down and talk about the history behind some of the gear SOE has made. Comedy and education in one video…
Sony Pictures Entertainment’s ‘The Interview’ Still Has Chance but Needs Your Help
I had the opportunity of speaking with a group of very intelligent individuals this past week. We got on the subject of Sony and The Interview. I have seen zero articles cover this information about Sony Pictures Entertainment. It is important information and you will see why.
Insider Information about Original S.O.E Gear Story Time With John Willis and Ben “Mookie” Thomas Part 1
This video contains adult language. If you are not an adult, do not watch it. John Willis of Original S.O.E. Gear and Ben “Mookie” Thomas sit down with Student of the Gun at the S.O.E Headquarters in Camden, Tennessee. John and Ben give us some behind the scenes information on the Mookie War Rig and some other gear from S.O.E.…
The MBV: the Donut that Could Save Your Life
Originally developed to be used in bloodless surgery on limbs, the Mechanical Blood Volumizer or MBV is a medical device that can be carried in a pack or kit and applied to victims of trauma at the base level.
First Time Gun Carrier: Gear Check List
This morning I had a meeting with a fellow business professional. In addition the business at hand, the topic turned to guns and concealed carry. My friend is a military veteran with some experience as a “Special Investigator” with a government agency, but he hasn’t carried a gun on a regular basis for nearly twenty years. The specifics of our discourse focused on concealed carry for himself and for his wife.
Hardware vs. Training: Fighting Rifle
Regardless of your individual motivation, if you are like tens of thousands of other Americans, you have purchased at least one AR-15 style rifle. These rifles, based on the original Gene Stoner design, come in numerous configurations from myriad manufacturers, but for all intents and purposes, they operate or function the same way.
What is the Color of Stupid?
We have seen it play out time and again, a piece of human debris goes on a killing spree and the immediate reaction of the Progressive Statist is to pass more legislation, i.e. changing a color. “There ought to be a law!” is the rallying cry.
“We’ve Always Done It That Way” Intellectual Laziness and Fear in the Firearms Training World
Though I have previously read various versions of the psychology experiment referenced below, this morning while perusing my email it occurred to me that this is an excellent avenue to consider an all too prevalent phenomenon in firearms training. Take a moment to consider the following: Have you rated us on iHeartRadio yet? Click Here to “Heart” us and Leave a…
Century AK63D: Classic Upgrade
The AK63D is Century’s version of the classic AK-47 “underfolder” model. This iteration of the venerable Kalashnikov was inevitable as most every battle rifle in modern history has at one point or another been modified for paratroopers or mechanized infantry.
5 Handguns Every Instructor Should Master
Regardless of your personal leanings, if you have taken the steps to become a firearms instructor, it is time to set your bias aside. There are tens of thousands of part-time or occasional firearms instructors in the United States.
Are you Prepared or Playing Dress Up with Your Gear?
Gut check time. Many of you folks went out during the last few years and spent hundreds and thousands of dollars on guns and gear. With a collective effort, you set the black rifle market on its ear and pushed sales and production to record levels.
This Colt Rifle May be the Perfect Deployment Gun
A few years ago, Colt Manufacturing introduced a new rifle called the LE901. The base rifle chambered the .308 Winchester cartridge, despite this fact, the gun was not just another AR-10 clone.
AK Pistol Follow Up
We’d like to take a moment to follow up two previous AK pistol articles “Best of Both Worlds” and “The Ultimate Truck Gun”. Both of these firearms are Kalashnikov style pistols available from Century Arms. The M85 PAP is imported from Serbia and the C39 is made in the USA.
Century Arms C39 AK Pistol: The Ultimate Truck Gun?
Could the Century Arms C39 pistol be the perfect truck gun? For many of you northeastern Yankees, “truck gun” may be a foreign term. Please allow a moment for elaboration and clarification.
Killing With No Regard to Healing. Are Your Priorities Backwards?
Take note of the date and time. Check your clocks and your calendar. Write it down if you have to, I’m about to admit an error on my part. That’s right, my judgment was clouded. I mistakenly thought that when addressing the matter of traumatic first aid, life-saving measures used to stop-gap a potentially terminal injury that “the choir” would understand.
Wilson Combat: AR-10 Performance From an AR-15 Platform
“The 7.62×40 has no business performing as well as it does, but it does.” That quote from Bill Wilson, founder of Wilson Combat pretty much sums up lethal force of the new 7.62×40 Wilson Tactical round.
Fighting Guns: Tools not Trophies
Every firearms instructor worth their salt will tell you that when it comes to choosing a defensive handgun, or any firearm for that matter, that function is the number one consideration. That advice is really is a no-brainer or a truism.
Kahr K9: The Cadillac of Concealed Carry?
While sitting down to pen this review of the Kahr K9 pistol, the previous statement seemed to be the most natural analogy I could use. There are dozens of compact pistols available for the American shooter.
Gun Control Works
Recently a colleague offered the observation that anti-gun or gun control laws are blatant and obvious failures. He pointed to the crime rates in Chicago, D.C. and New York as examples of areas with severely restrictive gun control policies and yet record-breaking violent crime.
Forum Balls: How Online Anonymity Has Saved Countless Lives
Today, those afflicted with the condition we will refer to as Forum Balls are multiplying at an alarming rate. Embracing the anonymous screen or…
Could this Gun be the Best of Both Worlds?
Early this year, while perusing the quarterly catalog/flyer from Century Arms, I came across a product that piqued my interest. The Zastava PAP M85 NP is advertised as an AK-style pistol chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO feeding from standard AR-15/M-16 magazines.
Why the Russian AK Ban Matters to You
The simple response to the recent Executive Order issued by Our Dear Leader banning the importation of small arms from Russia is to say “I don’t care. I don’t own or desire to own an AK.” An additionally common response is, “No big deal, I’ll buy one of the new American AK’s or one from a country other than Russia.”
Disspelling the Tourniquet Boogeyman
When I attended USMC Infantry School, our first aid training mirrored that of the Red Cross civilian program. While battlefield trauma was talked about, little emphasis was put on self-aid and buddy-aid. The primary care giver on the battlefield was the Navy Corpsman and your first aid kit was carried merely to give the Corpsman some extra gear with which…
Will is More Important Than Skill
When it comes to deciding to use deadly force, is will more important than skill? We’ve all seen the dash-cam videos available on BluTube, YouTube, or “Insert-Cool-Name-Here” Tube.
Useless Horror and the Slow-Learner Syndrome
It’s happened again, another lone nut-job has murdered innocent citizens. No I’m not going to add to the infamy of this piece of human debris that is for some inexplicable reason still stealing oxygen from our planet. This week I add one more to the innumerable reasons why I am glad I don’t subscribe to cable television: 24/7 non-stop Useless Horror.
The Illusion of Neutrality: Eventually You Have to Choose a Side
“I’m not right-wing or left-wing, I consider myself more of a centrist.”. So said one of my acquaintances during a recent conversation. That’s not the first time I’ve heard such a statement or similar expression. Statements like that are nothing more than an illusion of neutrality. The truth is that it is far more common for people to say they…
The Fire Extinguisher Gun: Ready When You Need It
Do you have one or more fire extinguishers in your house? If not, shame on you. Stop reading this and go out and buy one. Now, when is the last time you moved your fire extinguisher? Do you play hide and seek with it, constantly shuffling it from one location to the next? Of course, you don’t. A fire extinguisher is…
Chicago Murder Demonstrates the Failure of Gun Control
Evil abounds in this world; it always has and always will. The great question for those who oppose evil has ever been the method of that opposition. Is it gun control, or no?
Hear While You Hunt; Protect Your Hearing for Life
“Your ears will get used to the noise.” or “Your ears will toughen up.” are two of the stupidest statements I have ever heard regarding gunfire and hearing protection. The sad truth, unfortunately, is that I heard those words or similar ones uttered far too often during my formative years as a shooter and hunter.
The Other Black Rifle: Accessorize Your AK
If you consider firearms today, the vast majority are built with the one size fits all or happy medium concept. Military battle rifles are designed to fit the body size of the “average soldier”. Whether we are discussing the M-16, AK-47, or G3, these rifles were sized for what was considered “average” and that concept has worked very well in practice.
Night Fire: Three Things You Realize When the Lights Go Out
For the last three decades I’ve had the good fortune to take part in some of the best firearms and tactics training available to the US Military, Law Enforcement, and citizen alike. Small arms trainers realized long ago that for any training program to be practical, the troops needed to shoot at night.
Gun Control: The Soft Pill for the Intellectually Lazy
Gun Control has been a term floated by social elitists for decades. The first official use of the term in the U.S. came from the “Gun Control Act of 1968.”
Blue on Blue Police Shootings: Why it Happens, Keeps Happening and How to Prevent it
“Watch their hands. It’s the hands that will kill you.” That advice has been offered in police academy classrooms and in-service training for decades upon decades. Like much that we have heard and learned over the years, if it sounds reasonable and rational, we glom on to it and…
Negligent Discharges: Preventable or Inevitable?
More than twenty years ago I recall one of my firearms instructors saying, “There are two kinds of shooters, those who’ve had negligent discharges and those who will.” At the time some of the other students scoffed and made comments about it not ever happening to them or only ‘untrained’ people having them. From…