Friday, February 26, 2016

Restraining Orders: Far from Bulletproof

ABC's news headline reads:

Kansas Gunman Issued Restraining Order at Scene of Deadly Shooting Before Killings . . . .

The story underscores the fact that a restraining order represents a judge's declaration on paper. As such, it cannot in and of itself compel compliance. I has no more power to physically restrain someone of violent intent than one of those "Gun Free Zone" signs.



Worse, as Gavin DeBecker has pointed out in his book The Gift of Fear, restraining orders too often precipitate the very violence they assay to prevent. An article by Steve Albrecht in Psychology Today, "Do Domestic Restraining Orders Ever Work?" concurs:

 Restraining orders work really well for good rule followers in general, and for those who fear the consequences of violating the order in particular. Sadly, most dv suspects have already proven they are not good rule followers and don’t always fear the police, arrest, jail, prison, or even death by their own hands or via the police. Someone who says, “If I can’t have you, no one else will,” and means it, is not often deterred by papers, even when they are handed to them through the screen of a patrol car or betwixt the bars at jail. 

If you fear for your safety or that of your family, you need to strongly consider using more than a piece of paper as your first line of defense. The labels at the bottom of this post will take you to some relevant articles.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Is the 1911 Still Relevant?

Intuitively, I have embraced the ergonomic fit of the 1911 in my hand. To me, it points naturally and accurately. It pleased me to see the design advantages of the trigger and safety mechanisms explained in the video below.


In addition to point shooting, I have begun to practice focusing on the front sight. The slide trigger mechanism makes a surprising difference in negating extraneous movement.

One more thing: for a large handgun, the 1911 has a really slim profile. I wear it virtually undetectable in a Crossbreed IWB holster.

Thursday, February 18, 2016

When Your Attacker Has the Advantage

In any violent encounter, initiative and aggressiveness count for a lot. Witness this video sent to me by my barber.