In today’s show David is interviewing Tom Givens of Rangemaster. Before coming to Rangemaster full-time in 1996, Tom completed a 25-year career in law enforcement and specialized security work.
Tom has over thirty-five years experience in firearms instruction. He has trained security officers; law enforcement officers at the local, state, and federal level; and foreign government agents. He is a well known professional in the firearm industry.
In this episode we discuss firearm training – including what skills the new shooter needs to focus on, handgun selection, firearm statistics, holster selection, and what the typical handgun permit student looks like demographically.
We spend a little time talking about balancing a person’s Constitutional right to own guns with the responsibility to train.
Tom is very knowledgeable, and trains constantly – which allows tonight’s show to pass on some very valuable insights into the world of defensive pistol craft.
I would invite you to visit the Rangemaster.com website to learn about their classes, as well as their Annual Tactical Conference.
It seems that Tom has semi retired and no longer teaches full time in Memphis. He still travels to teach.
And as always, please visit the Shepherd School website at www.tngun.com
The show is scheduled for Monday at 10pm central time at this link.
Used book stores are great for finding reference books at a great discount. I think books are a great way to store up information that may be needed in disaster situations.
Without Cable TV or the Internet, cheap books are the best way to get both information and entertainment.
We have a cool place that buys used books and gives store credit, and I found a very reasonable late edition of the Physician’s Desk Reference. Normally these books cost $75-100 but since I traded in some fiction books, I basically got it free.
We have some articles discussing some books that we think every prepper needs
Some of my best books were found in the used book store, I think that is because the threshold for exploring is so much lower. In a new book store I don’t want to take the chance on a book at $20, but I will definitely pick up the same book for a dollar or two.
The best thing about the used book stores I go to is that I can turn back in all the books that are either not useful, or are fiction books I read but did not connect with (I keep all the Louis L’Amour, Steven Hunter, and Mad Mike Williamson books I buy so that I can share them with the boy as he grows up) and get store credit. I have all manner of store credit coupons in my wallet that I use whenever I have a trip to Nashville and have time to kill.
Lately we have been doing some shows that blend sustainable living and mortgage free DIY home building with a view toward preparedness and disaster resilience.
In today’s show David interviews one of the leading innovators in Cordwood masonry, Mr RobRoy.
RobRoy runs the Earthwood Building School at www.cordwoodmasonry.com. Here is an explanation on Cordwood from his website.
“Cordwood masonry is an old building technique whereby walls are constructed of short logs (called “log-ends”) laid up widthwise in the wall within a special mortar matrix. The wall derives excellent insulation and thermal mass characteristics from insulation sandwiched between the inner and outer mortar joints. Cordwood houses are low in cost, use indigenous materials, and are easy and fun to build.”
I think cordwood masonry is beautiful, as well as a very interesting method of construction. Combined with timber framing, I think it would make a wonderful cabin, as well as being something an owner could build mortgage free.
Rob Roy’s Cordwood book is a great book to own and I love talking with him
The show is scheduled for Monday at 10pm central time at this link.
If you cannot listen on Monday, you can always download the podcast for listening at your own leisure.
The OODA loop is a training concept used to explain the decision making process and to help develop the ability to process information and make GOOD decisions under stress.
It was developed by a young air force fighter pilot in Korea named John Boyd, and is credited with playing a large part of the success in air combat during that conflict.
The OODA loop is an acronym describing the steps needed to make decisions it stands for:
Observe
Orientate
Decide
Act
First you need to observe an event – say you are walking up to an automatic teller machine in a “bad” part of town and you observe two male youths loitering near the terminal.
You would then orientate yourself based upon your observation – are they waiting for a friend, or do they seem to be waiting to mug a bank customer? How important that you get the money at THIS location.
Once you have gathered and processed the information you need to decide what to do – pick a new atm, talk to the guys, grab your gun; these are all decisions you could make and some are better in certain situations than others.
What is important is, that after you have made your decision you act with decisiveness and confidence. Half steps or hesitant action in interpersonal conflict gets people hurt. Avoidance is almost always the best answer, but sometimes the only real option is to fight.
When it is time to fight it is time to stop talking and to dominate the exchange.
Now, why the OODA loop is important is because once you understand it, and realize that all decisions run through these steps – you can use this to “get inside your opponent’s OODA” – meaning if accosted you can take action to make them react to you.
As an example, an older post of the former TN handgun permit scenario video shows when a bank robber runs out and points a gun at you – it is not the time to try to draw on a cocked and sighted pistol.
The robber has already decided to take action if confronted and all he has to do is send a command from his brain to his trigger finger, while the armed citizen must see the robber, process that they are a robber, and they are pointing their gun, decide the tactical and legal repercussions, decide to draw, draw, and fire.
Long story short – Action is always quicker than reaction
But what happens if you do something that makes the attacker have to reobserve, reorientate, make a new decision tree, and then react?
This is one reason I recommend concealed carry rather than open carry – going from – Hey I am going to rob this guy to heck this guy has a gun is a large leap for a criminal to make and would most likely ensure I would have a split second to take action.
Remember, there is a big difference between theory and practice, but the more you understand theory, and practice the greater chance you will survive when crisis calls.
When I garden or work with my hands I tend to end up with dry hands – I have all sorts of beeswax based salves, but preventing is better than treating, at least in my opinion. So I wanted to show you how to use beeswax for dirty hands to keep them clean.
I have found that if I have some warm beeswax (body temperature) and rub it on my hands I get just enough wax rubbed in to protect my hands, but not so much that I get it caked on (as when I am working with melted wax.)
Because I am using wax and not a salve or cream, the coating is dry and relatively durable, and still comes off with soap and water when I am done working.
I hope this tip on using Beeswax for Dirty Hands helps – if it doesn’t (or your hands are cracked and dry from other things) try my beeswax balm recipe.
This tip does take some work to rub it on, as you have to knead the wax and rub it into between your hands to heat it up. You can’t just swipe the wax across you palm. However, from personal experience, this is worth it when you are going to be working in the dirt for a while.
