Good places to visit ...
The Link Farm
Below are links to various pages. Some of them are from people I know
and love in real life. Others are from long-term online friends. Some
are from people I've never met, or from people whom I know by reputation
only. Some are for products I've personally used, while others are companies
whose products I haven't tried. I've done my best to sort out who's who
below, but as you follow these links, please remember: I'm not responsible
for anything any of these people or companies say or do. Click at your
own risk!
Disclosure statement: none of these people have given me any money to
be listed here.
~ Kathy
Quick Jumps to Sections Below
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For the most part, these blogs are written by people whom I know by
online reputation only. These links are here because I think these folks
have good stuff to say, and say it in entertaining ways.
The Breda Fallacy --
written by a reference librarian in Ohio. The writing is smooth, easy to read,
evocative, and sometimes very funny. But that's not why I'm linking it. I'm linking
it because of her "Chicks
with Guns" series. Breda is on a one-woman crusade to make the world a better and
safer place, one new shooter at a time. More power to her!
Civilian Gun Self-Defense Blog -- a blog where Clayton
Cramer, Pete Drum, and "DaveLoneRanger" keep track of civilians using
guns in self-defense. If you've ever wondered whether a gun could "really"
be useful in self-defense, or if you doubt that guns can save lives, it's
worth keeping one eye on this blog for awhile. What you read might surprise
you.
Lawdog Files
-- the Lawdog is known for his truly awe-inspiring rants and for his screamingly
funny tales of life as a rural Texas law enforcement officer. We're all
still waiting with bated breath to find out how his exploit in the pink
gorilla suit ended.
Limatunes' Range Diary -- a blog written by an enthusiastic
young lady who has recently begun working in a gun store. With lots of
engagingly-written notes and full-length articles about customer interactions,
firearms, holster selections, and the concealed-carry world, this one
is worth a daily visit.
Monster Hunter Nation
-- My friend Larry Correia's blog, so named because that is also the name
of his first book. Larry co-owns a gun store in Utah, teaches concealed
carry classes, participates in 3gun and other firearms competitions, and
is just an all-around Nice Guy. The blog is worth reading because it's
funny and often talks about things going on in the firearms world.
Revolver Liberation
Alliance -- this blog is written by Grant Cunningham,
one of the most talented revolversmiths working today. If you're interested
in wheelguns at all, reading Grant's blog is an education in itself. Grant
has an engaging, direct writing style and his "Friday Surprise" posts
are simply not to be missed. Incidentally, if you ever need custom revolver
work done, Grant is absolutely the one you want to do it. Go read the
site. You'll see what I mean.
Taking Care of
Ourselves -- the author of this blog, Nancy Jane Moore,
has studied martial arts for nearly three decades, and holds a third-degree
black belt in Aikido. Although she is decidedly anti-gun, I've linked
her blog here because I agree with her on one major essential: a firearm
is not the be-all, end-all of self-defense. There are a lot of
things you can do to protect yourself well before any
physical response comes into play. It begins with awareness, understanding,
and trusting your instincts; flexible thinking and staying calm are important
no matter how the scene eventually plays out. Whether you choose to buy
a gun and get training, or dedicate your life to learning a martial art,
or both, these things are really just tools. No matter what tools you have
at your disposal, your best and only real defense is yourself
-- your instincts, your knowledge, your will to survive. Moore has a very
practical, down to earth way of breaking down and describing the defense
basics.
TFS Magnum
-- a blogspot belonging to Zendo Deb, which frequently features snippets
and tidbits of news, often news about self-defense, along with Deb's very
perceptive comments. A good way to keep track of firearms related news.
The Ten Ring
-- Bill and Denise live in New Hampshire, and blog about freedom, firearms,
and related topics.
View From The
Porch -- this is the online digs of the inimitable Tamara,
long known for her acerbic wit and insightful commentary on firearms discussions
boards. Her daily blog often includes nifty pictures of cool old firearms
and educational bits about firearms history.
Xavier Thoughts
-- a registered nurse, Xavier has an excellent ongoing series
about the stupid stuff some people do with guns and why they shouldn't
do stuff like that. He frequently posts about his pawn shop excursions,
and has some beautiful photographic evidence of the deals he's found.
[back to top]
Carry Concealed
-- still a young forum, but shows a lot of promise. The site owners have
obviously worked very hard to design a clean interface and put up a lot
of other content, including articles, reviews, and a legal database with
a state reciprocity map. Content appears to be added and updated very
frequently, and although the discussion forums aren't (yet) very busy,
but I'm willing to bet they will be once the word gets around. One to
watch!
Defensive Carry
-- a very calm, very well-moderated forum focused on concealed carry and
closely related issues. It is a lot more focused than the larger firearms
sites, and a lot more active than most smaller boards. When you are looking
for information or discussion specifically related to concealed carry,
the DC board may be the first place to look.
The Firing Line
-- a busy forum founded by SWAT magazine owner Rich Lucibella, TFL prides
itself on having the best signal-to-noise ratio of any firearms discussion
board on the 'net. I'm a moderator there, and have posted there for years
under the username pax (which is the Latin word meaning peace).
GlockTalk --
really big, really busy, and despite the name, not all about Glocks. I've
lurked there for years, but never posted. They've got a sub-forum for
women.
The High Road
-- another busy forum and a sister board to TFL, THR had its beginnings
during a time when TFL was shut down. It shares many of its moderators
and a lot of members with TFL, but has a flavor all its own. You can often
find me posting there under the username pax.
Packing4Life
-- a quiet forum, which is still new enough not to have developed a unique
personality of its own yet. Friendly and civilized so far! Worth stopping
by to see how it's growing.
Taurus Armed dot net
-- a small forum, primarily focused on Taurus brand firearms but with
discussion areas for other topics too (including concealed carry). If
you're looking for Taurus or Rossi specific information, this is a good
place to ask.
Texas CHL Forums
-- an active regional board with strict rules against profanity and personal
attacks. Founder Charles Cotton is very serious about keeping the board
friendly and welcoming for newcomers, women and young folks, and it's
a safe place to ask questions and learn more about firearms.
Women &
Guns -- affiliated with
Women & Guns magazine, this board is fairly active and
just for women shooters. A good, safe place to ask questions.
[back to top]
Manufacturers -- Gear
Crimson Trace
-- Crimson Trace manufactures laser grips,
which allow the user to aim by putting a red dot on the target from
any kind of contorted or awkward position and to get really fast, really
good hits even in dim lighting. What sets these lasers head and shoulders
above most of the competition is that they are activated by a simple squeeze
of the firing hand, which takes no time and little thought, instead of
by awkwardly straining to flip barely-reachable levers hung off the front
end of the gun. Another advantage is that CT grips don't require you to
remove important and functional factory parts and substitute non-standard
replacements.
Elvex -- Elvex sells
protective and safety gear, primarily for the workplace. They are included
here simply because they offer
child-sized safety glasses, which can be difficult to find in
stores.
EnviroSafety Products -- ESP is the
exclusive US distributor of Peltor Kid earmuffs, ear protection in fun colors designed for ages
seven and up. This company also distributes eye protection in child sizes.
Franzen (Secure
Case) -- Franzen makes lockboxes, bore locks, cable locks, and other innovative
ways to lock up your firearms. Of particular interest is the "Armloc
II," an incredibly sturdy yet portable gun case you can use to tote
your handgun around when you are traveling, or to keep your gun secure
from your children at home. It features a 3-number programmable combination
lock and a key lock, and can be secured to a sturdy bed frame so it doesn't
walk away from your hotel room.
Law-17 Lasers --
the best-kept secret in the laser sight industry, you can get a Law-17
laser built right into your Glock. These are well made and quite durable.
The chief drawback is also the chief benefit: the Law-17 laser is a permanent
installation. If you want a less-permanent solution and don't mind the
altered grip feel, go with the Crimson Trace laser grip for Glocks. If
you want something permanent, with the same intuitive squeeze on/off function
and which doesn't alter the feel of the grip at all, go with
a Law-17.
Knoxx Industries
-- Knoxx makes recoil-absorbing shotgun stocks. They're ugly as sin, but
very comfortable to shoot. The SpecOps stock in particular is a handy
piece of gear, since it can be quickly and easily adjusted for various
pull lengths. Caveat: experienced shotgunners probably will not love these
as much as novices do, since they require a different shooting style entirely
compared to what most experienced folks are used to doing.
PAST
-- the PAST company makes a lot of cool gear, but the reason I'm listing
them here is because of one specific product: the "Heraean Shield"
or "Hidden Comfort" recoil pad. This is a recoil-absorbing pad
designed to be worn underneath a bra strap, and it is absolutely a godsend
for women who enjoy shooting long guns but who don't enjoy bruised shoulders.
One nice thing about it is that because it goes underneath the bra strap,
you can also use it to prevent getting nasty owies caused by bra hardware
getting slammed into or slid around by long gun recoil.
Tasco -- this
company makes safety gear of all kinds. What merits their listing here
is a wonderful product called the B-52 sideshields. These sideshields
slide onto the earpieces of regular glasses, and can be used to prevent
flying brass entering the sides of your glasses and landing near your
delicate eye area or even on your eyes. Please be aware that these sideshields
do not turn just any old prescription glasses into safety glasses,
and are only recommended for glasses which have polycarbonate safety
lenses. Unless your glasses are made of impact-resistant lenses and are
large enough to cover the entire area around your eyes, it's better to
find goggles to wear over your regular prescription glasses, or to purchase
prescription safety goggles. With that caveat, these sideshields are a
useful addition to the range bag. While ordering your sideshields, consider
picking up a box of nitrile gloves to wear while cleaning your gun. Nitrile
gloves are more chemically resistant than standard latex gloves, which
means you're less likely to ruin your nails because the chemicals are
less likely to disolve your gloves while you're cleaning the gun.
[back to top]
Manufacturers -- Holsters
The holster manufacturers listed here all have specific offerings for
women. If you have a favorite holster whose maker isn't listed here please
write to me and tell me about it. When I get your email, I will
add your holster maker to the list for the benefit of others who are looking
for good, female-specific gear.
If you are looking for a bare-bones list without descriptions, the largest
and most comprehensive list of holster manufacturers that I know of can
be found on the Defensive
Carry site.
Bianchi International
-- an established company primarily catering to law enforcement, Bianchi
offers a wide variety of quality holsters and carry belts.
Blade Tech --
a Kydex holster supplier. Blade-Tech makes quality products at reasonable
prices. Check out their dropped and offset range use holster which features
a speed cut for ease of draw.
Comp-Tac -- Comp-Tac
sells quality Kydex holsters. I'm particularly fond of their CTAC holster,
a tuckable IWB type which is extraordinarily comfortable because it is
designed to wrap around the body and move with you as you move. CTAC features
two belt loops for stability, and you can swap out the standard black
kydex loops for other types of belt attachments that might be more concealable
for you.
Coronado
--one of the two biggest holster-purse companies. Coronado's purses are
absolutely first class, and to my eye, their purses are more attractive
than most of Galco's offerings. Coronado also manufactures many
other holster designs in addition to their line of concealed carry purses.
If you're fond of leatherwear, Coronado's beautiful leather concealment
vests or leather jacket designs may be just what you're looking for.
C. Rusty Sherrick
-- maker of fine leather holsters, Sherrick has a large selection of women's
gear and a solid understanding of what makes a holster work for different
body types. If you have a fairly straight waist, look at Sherrick's "Ladies'
High Ride II" or "Extreme High Ride." Those who have a
little more hip flare might prefer the original "Ladies' High Ride,"
which is designed to keep the grips out of the ribs. And the Sherrick
"Rangemaster" holster is designed to accommodate women with
short waists, because it sits considerably lower and has a speed cut to
further abbreviate the draw stroke. If you have a particularly difficult
figure to work with, Sherrick will work with you to design a custom fitted
holster.
Cunningham Custom Leather
-- Chris Cunningham (a real-life friend of mine) does beautiful and affordable
work. Her speedloader holder design is among the best on the market. Her
site includes a great article explaining how
women's holsters are different from men's holsters, and why it
matters.
DelFatti Leather
-- Matt DelFatti makes fine leather holsters, including some made from
exotic leathers. Check out model SLP/F, a muzzle-forward design intended
to be carried forward of the hip on the strong side. DelFatti's website
features a short but pretty
good article explaining what muzzle rake is and how to determine
which degree of muzzle rake will work well for you.
DeSantis Holster & Leather
Goods -- plenty of inexpensive holsters to choose from
on DeSantis' site.
FIST -- a high-volume
holster company offering both leather and kydex "factory custom"
holsters. Of particular interest here is the
LadyFist series, a line of OWB holsters designed especially for
women's bodies. They also offer a cantable, tuckable, adjustable IWB holster
which may be of interest to you, the K-8 design. FIST offers a truly huge
selection of colors and leather types; if you're looking for an unusual
color, try them first. They also offer gunbags and holster purses, as
well as several other types of holsters including vertical shoulder holsters
both with and without a thumbreak. (If you buy a holster from these folks,
please tell them Kathy Jackson sent you. They offer a referral discount
which I could really use.)
Fobus USA
-- primarily a manufacturer of Kydex duty gear for law enforcement officers,
Fobus offers a good selection of holsters, many suitable for range use
or open carry.
Galco -- one of
the two biggest holster-purse companies. Galco's products are well made
of quality materials, and quite durable. In addition to purses designed
for concealed carry, Galco produces many other types of holsters, including
belly bands and a vertical shoulder holster.
Gould & Goodrich
-- female law enforcement officers take note of this one: G&G's "Sally
Browne Duty Belt" is a 2 1/2" wide contour-cut duty belt designed
for comfort on the female figure. Their version of the belly band, "The
Body Guard," has an adjustable pad in the area behind where the gun
rides to cushion it from your body. If you're looking for a paddle holster,
G&G offers a "Comfort Paddle Holster" which is designed
to hold the gun away from your body so that the poky parts don't poke
tender parts.
Graham's Custom Gun Leather
-- holstermaker Ron Graham specializes in pocket holsters for small guns,
but of interest here is the Memsahib, a high-ride OWB with a muzzle forward
cant, designed to work with a woman's curves.
Kramer Handgun Leather
-- Kramer offers several leather holsters designed to work with the natural
curve of a woman's hip. Of particular interest for range use is Kramer's
dropped and offset holster, designed to accommodate the curve of the hip
by dropping the holstered gun down and angling the grip outward. There's
also a belt scabbard designed for women, an OWB design with a radical
cant which makes it comfortable to wear and easy to draw. Uniquely, Kramer
offers an IWB clip holster with a fluffy sheepskin lining the back side;
I'm told it's very comfy, but have not had a chance to wear it myself.
Mitch Rosen Extraordinary Gunleather
-- beautiful, custom leather holsters in a wide range of designs. The
"Nancy Special," a high-ride design with a slight muzzle forward
cant, was designed specifically for women. Or if you like the idea of
an extremely concealable, tuckable holster, check out "The Workman,"
a great IWB for minimalists. “Tito’s Revenge,” a crossdraw holster, sits
deep inside the waistband and is especially well-suited for women who
have short waists.
Philip Clements
-- so far they only make one holster purse, which I have not personally
handled, and thus I cannot vouch for its internal construction -- but
man, is it pretty! Website says they'll be making others down the road.
SmartCarry --
a gun pouch designed to be carried front and center below the beltline,
SmartCarry is an alternative on-body carry method which works surprisingly
well with skirts and (for some women) with some styles of loose trousers.
SmartCarry and ThunderWear are both patented (the other guy is the imitator
of this original design), and they are totally different from
each other.1
ThunderWear
-- a gun pouch designed to be carried front and center below the beltline,
ThunderWear is an alternative on-body carry method which works surprisingly
well with skirts and (for some women) with some styles of loose trousers.
SmartCarry and ThunderWear are both patented (the other guy is the
imitator of this original design), and they are totally different
from each other.2
[back to top]
Concealed Carry Magazine
-- this magazine is unusual in the gun world because it focuses primarily
upon people and less upon hardware. In it, you'll find
articles geared specifically toward the armed citizen, with columns especially
targeted at seniors, women, and "ordinary guys." With a deluxe subscription,
you also get access to a members-only forum, which is a remarkably civilized
place to get answers to your specific concealed carry questions. (Fair
disclosure: I'm a regular columnist for this magazine, which means I do
get a paycheck from them from time to time. I'd be a subscriber even if
I weren't writing for them, however.)
GunTalk -- Tom Gresham's
GunTalk radio show airs every Sunday afternoon, and is also available
as a podcast which you can download from the website. Gresham also stars
in Personal Defense TV, a firearms- oriented TV show, and in
both the radio show and the TV show it is very evident that he knows what
he's talking about. Both shows are a pleasant indulgence for anyone interested
in guns, gun rights, and the shooting community.
GunTalk TV -- an
idea whose time has come! GunTalk TV is not a television show,
but a website full of professionally-produced firearms videos teaching
everything from the basics of firearms safety, through selecting a handgun
and holster for self-defense, through shotgun fit, wingshooting, and how
to sight in a hunting rifle. The safety videos are all free, and give
you an opportunity to decide if the $6/month membership fee would be a
good investment for you. Tom Gresham (GunTalk Radio, Personal Defense
TV) is the primary creative source behind the site, while many of the
videos feature instruction from nationally-known firearms trainers and
world-class competition shooters.
Urban Shooter
-- a podcast put out by Kenn Blanchard, a well-known firearms instructor
and the author of Black Man
With A Gun, A Responsible Gun Ownership Manual For African Americans.
The podcast is called "urban shooter" because Blanchard's target audience
is city-dwelling folks who enjoy firearms.
Women & Guns Magazine
-- a magazine put out by the Second
Amendment Foundation (SAF), Women & Guns features real women
doing real stuff with guns, product reviews, news from the shooting world,
and just enough political commentary to keep you apprised of what's going
on. Worth the subscription price. Their website features a discussion
board just for women shooters, but you do not have to be a subscriber
in order to access that board.
[back to top]
Association for Women's Self Defense Advancement
(AWSDA) -- not just another lobby, and not really about firearms. AWSDA
is a professional organization made up of women and men who are dedicated
to ending violence against women by providing training programs for instructors
and services for women, designed to increase their awareness of self defense
and rape prevention. AWSDA's site is chock-full of informative articles
about self-defense. A great resource.
Arming Women Against Rape & Endangerment
(AWARE) -- AWARE provides training, referrals, advice and
information for women who are at increased risk from harassment, stalking,
rape, domestic violence, or assault. Their website has a wealth of good
information, and if you're having a specific safety problem, these are
good folks to get in touch with.
Babes With Bullets
-- a book written by Debbie Ferns. It's also the name of a series of competition-oriented
ladies' action pistol camps. Kay Clark Miculek is the lead instructor,
along with other well-known shooting stars such as Lisa Munson, Julie
Goloski, Judy Woolley, and Sheila Brey. The camps are described as part
gun education, part pajama party and 100% enjoyment. Someday I'm going
to find the way to attend one!
Trapshooting Hall of Fame
-- The THOF is located in Vandalia, Ohio. I've never been there but, based
on their very professional and easy-to-navigate website, I have to believe
it's a fascinating place to visit. (If anyone out there in Reader-land
wants to visit the place and write up a decently readable review, I'd
love to post it here...) The THOF website is full of really interesting,
readable stories and pictures of memorabilia related to (what else?) trapshooting,
shotgunning, and (to a lesser extent) other types of public shooting.
Their vintage photographs and vintage postcards are a hoot, and Dick Baldwin's
Road to Yesterday column is not to be missed. Check out the RTY
columns about the "Fabulous Topperweins" to get the lowdown on the origins
of the word plinking.
[back to top]
Armed Females of America
-- primarily a lobbying organization, AFA has a detailed website complete
with current news, interesting articles, and useful links. Worth spending
some time on their site.
Buckeye Firearms Association
(BFA) -- Buckeye Firearms Association is a grassroots political action
committee dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of Ohio citizens
to own and use firearms for all legal activities, including self-defense,
hunting, competition, and recreation. Additionally, BFA produces a
free newsletter, which offers information on issues of general
interest to all gun owners.
Gun Owners of America
(GOA) -- primarily a political organization, GOA is a little more hardcore
and a little less prone to compromise than the political wing of the NRA.
They've got an interesting selection of articles for, by, and about women
on their website, under the link titled "Women's Voice."
Jews for the Preservation
of Firearms Ownership (JPFO) -- even more hardcore and
aggressive than the GOA. Despite the name, membership is open to all.
NRA -- everyone knows
the NRA. Whether you love them or hate them, they are the biggest firearms
education organization in the United States. The political wing of the
NRA is the 300-pound gorilla in American gun politics, and if you're serious
about gun rights, you'll get on board to keep them headed the right direction.
The NRA used to put out a decent magazine for women titled Women's Outlook,
but cancelled it in early 2007. Too bad!
Second Amendment Foundation
(SAF) -- this is a great place to look for general information about past
and current legal battles in all 50 states, and to find out more about
current and pending legislation that may affect your right to own and
carry a gun. SAF publishes Women and Guns magazine, as well as
the popular must-read Gun Week.
Second Amendment Sisters
-- primarily a political organization, the web site is worth a visit.
Women Against Gun Control
(WAGC) -- another lobbying organization. WAGC's website colors make this
one look positively masculine by comparison.
[back to top]
Schools and Instructors
Author's note: I have not taken classes from all of these
people, or even most of them. Those from whom I have taken classes are
marked with an asterisk (*). The ones so marked I recommend without reservation,
and you can look in the class reviews section
of the Table of Contents page for more information about those. If the
name is not marked with an asterisk, I have no personal experience with
the instructor or school, and am providing the name solely as a starting
place for students who are looking for instruction. Whether or not the
name is marked with an asterisk, please do your homework before enrolling,
research and ask questions of the instructors, and make your own decisions.
If you know of a school which you believe should be listed here, please
send me an email and tell me what you know about it.
American Women's Self Defense Association
(AWSDA) -- a professional organization made up of women and men who are
dedicated to ending violence against women by providing training programs
for instructors and services for women, designed to increase their awareness
of self defense and rape prevention. AWSDA's site contains a very comprehensive
list of self-defense trainers from across the United States and around
the world.
Arizona Women's Shooting Association
-- this shooting club offers classes, support, and shooting events for
women in the greater Phoenix area.
Arming Women Against Rape & Endangerment
(AWARE) -- AWARE provides training, referrals, advice and
information for women who are at increased risk from harassment, stalking,
rape, domestic violence, or assault. Their website has a wealth of good
information on it, and if you're having a problem, they are good folks
to get in touch with.
Defensive Use of Firearms
-- located in Arizona and owned by Stephen P. Wenger. Wenger offers basic
and advanced classes in carrying a concealed weapon, and has an impressive
resume. His website is full of great articles and is worth perusing even
if you don't live in that part of the country. Of particular interest
here is an article on his site titled "Instructor
Selection."
FBMG -- you've
gotta love this place. FBMG stands for Fuzzy Bunny Movie Guns,
believe it or not. It's a gun store in Utah which specializes in super-cool
firearms like you might see in the movies: full-auto guns, highly accurate
rifles, silencers and suppressors, and other high end goodies. The store
also offers solidly sensible firearms training for the novice up through
intermediate/advanced shooters, including Utah CCW classes. While I've
not taken any classes from these folks, I do know one of the owners (Larry
Correia) personally, and will vouch for him as a nice guy who knows what
he is doing on the firing line.
* Firearms Academy of Seattle
-- owned by Marty and Gila Hayes, FAS is an affordable regional school
which offers excellent facilities and world-class instruction. I've reviewed
many of their classes on this site. Marty and Gila are close friends of
mine, and I've worked as an assistant instructor on their range for some
time now.
Gunsite -- located
in northern Arizona, Gunsite first became famous as the school founded
by Col. Jeff Cooper, who is sometimes referred to as the father of the
modern pistol technique. While Cooper is retired now, the school is still
going strong and continues to teach the techniques first pioneered by
Cooper.
Gunthorp Firearms
-- a gun dealer and FFL in Minnesota which offers concealed-carry classes.
The website is extensive, with several articles of interest to beginning
shooters.
* The Jacobe Group
-- Jim Jacobe is an excellent firearms instructor located in Salem, Oregon.
His school offers courses in concealed carry (permits for Oregon and Utah),
personal security, knife/counter-knife, handgun retentions and disarms,
fighting rifle, handloading and reloading, and more. Several are NRA-certified
familiarization classes, while others move beyond the basic NRA curriculum
into material that is more appropriate for advanced self-defense. Jim
is a charming old bear of a man who runs a very efficient and friendly
classroom. Worth a visit if you're anywhere near the Salem area.
Joel Rosenberg
-- located in Minnesota, Joel Rosenberg offers courses designed to meet
the needs of beginning and experienced shooters who wish to carry concealed
firearms. His website features several articles about concealed carry
and the Minnesota political landscape.
* Lethal Force Institute
-- Massad Ayoob's brand name, LFI specializes in the legal and ethical
implications of lethal self-defense. If you can only afford to take one
firearms class in your entire life, LFI-1 would be a good choice.
NRA -- the NRA is the
biggest firearms education organization in the United States. NRA-certified
instructors are a mixed bag. While some are truly excellent, others may
not be. Contact the NRA itself for a list of instructors in your area,
then use that list as a jumping-off place for your own research. Remember
that not all good instructors are NRA-certified.
Oregon Firearms Academy
-- located in southern Oregon just off the I-5 corridor, OFA offers a
beautiful outdoor range with all sorts of fancy target systems and a full
line of defensive firearms instruction.
Permit to Carry
-- a Minnesota-based firearms school which offers classes leading to permits
in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Utah.
RangeMaster
-- Tom Givens' school, located in Tennessee, is known for its practical
courses geared toward the armed citizen. At the RangeMaster site you may
want to sign up to receive the informative e-newsletter they send out
periodically.
Tactical Pink
-- located in northern Virginia, Tactical Pink is a gun school with a
difference. As the owner says, "There are plenty of
high speed/ high intensity courses out there, where everything comes in
tactical black, for people who want to look cool and act tough. If you
would rather learn in a comfortable, low stress environment, this is your
place. We teach gun handling from the very beginning, starting with the
safety rules and the basic design and function of all guns. We de-mystify
the confusing terminology, and we provide plenty of hands-on 'dry' practice
in the classroom. You will be comfortable handling firearms before ever
setting foot on a live range. When we do head out for our first shooting
session, it is on a private range where you do not have to worry about
feeling self conscious, or having a camouflage gorilla next to you shooting
off cannons. Not only do our students already have a good grasp of the
fundamentals on their first range session, they find out that shooting
is just plain fun!"
Schools and Instructors list on TFL -- this link simply
goes to a thread on The Firing Line
which lists a lot of instructors and schools in various parts of the country,
along with short reviews from people who have attended.
Thunder Ranch
-- originally based in Texas, but now located in southern Oregon, Clint
Smith's school is among the most prestigious firearms training schools
in the United States. Students can expect clean, state of the art ranges,
and solidly Gunsite-esque instruction.
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Genitron dot com
-- this website is absolutely chock-full of shooty goodness, with scads
of information about various handguns and their technical details. Be
sure to check out their Handgun
Basics page, which contains a lot of very good information and
instruction ideas for the new handgun shooter. Several of the interactive
animations listed below can be found on Genitron's site.
Genitron's
Ammunition page -- If you are looking for a little more
information than Cornered Cat's Caliber
Confusion article provided, this is definitely the place to look.
The page contains clear, easy-to-understand pictures of various common
calibers, together with readable text. Technically speaking, this page
should be listed above as it is simply one page on Genitron's large and
useful site. But I am listing it separately so that those looking specifically
for information about ammunition and calibers will be sure to see it.
Interactive Firearms Animations -- if you are a visual
person, and interested in learning more about how firearms work, the following
interactive firearms animations are a great place to start.
Modern Firearms and Ammunition
-- this site is an excellent, detailed encyclopedia with technical information
for firearms designed and produced within the 20th & 21st centuries. New
material is constantly being added, and it is becoming a steadily-more
valuable resource with each addition.
Mouseguns dot com
-- of particular interest here is the
Pocket Auto Comparison Chart, a very useful little poster
that visually presents various small pistols along with some technical
data so that readers can get some idea of the guns' relative sizes. The
rest of the site is also full of good stuff. I'd love to gush about that,
but their penchant for tiny, non-relative, bright-red print on a black
background makes it pretty difficult for my wimpy eyes to navigate the
site so I surely didn't read it all, or even a sizeable percentage of
it. There's lots there, though, and most of I have been able to read there
is solidly good. One caveat: along with most defensive firearms instructors,
I'm not a fan of using anything less than .380 ACP as a defense round,
absent really exceptional circumstances. Even so, there's a good bunch
of good stuff there.
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Box O' Truth
-- fascinating backyard ballistic science. Site owners build fake interior
walls and other barriers, then shoot their constructions with various
firearms and ammunition types and report the results. If you've ever wondered
if your chosen defense round will go through a wall, this is eye-opening
stuff.
Fr. Frog's Pad
-- chock-full of interesting information about shooting, safety, and firearms
training, Fr. Frog's Pad is also a good place to visit if you want to
know more about Gunsite and its founder, Jeff Cooper.
GunFacts -- here
on the Cornered Cat, I've tried to pass up the gun-rights debate for the
most part, because I figure that most newcomers to the shooting world
already have enough to think about, and because most firearms sites tend
to be nothing but politics. But GunFacts, a free e-book, deserves
at least a passing mention because it is so concise and well done. This
24-page pamphlet tackles some of the most common myths about gun control
and makes a stab at debunking them. It is easy to read and quick to reference
if you just want a bite or two of basic information, but also provides
some citations if you want to dig deeper.
Gun Safe Buyers' Guide
-- a truly excellent guide to evaluating and purchasing firearms
storage units. Lots of pictures, discussion of the pros and cons of various
features, and what appears to be a realistic and up-to-date assessment
of price.
Gunshopfinder dot com
-- this one's worth bookmarking. It's got all kinds of nifty goodies designed
to help you find the gun you want and a local store to buy it from. Easy
to navigate, too. Check out the "Gun Photos" section for information
about specific models from different manufacturers. The site is unique
in providing so much clear, concise information about different manufacturers
all in one place.
GunTalk TV -- an
idea whose time has come! GunTalk TV is not a television show,
but a website full of professionally-produced firearms videos teaching
everything from the basics of firearms safety, through selecting a handgun
and holster for self-defense, through shotgun fit, wingshooting, and how
to sight in a hunting rifle. The safety videos are all free, and give
you an opportunity to decide if the $6/month membership fee would be a
good investment for you. Tom Gresham (GunTalk Radio, Personal Defense
TV) is the primary creative source behind the site, while many of the
videos feature instruction from nationally-known firearms trainers and
world-class competition shooters.
Handgun
Drills and Standards -- bored at the range? Visit this
site and pick up information about useful shooting drills you can do to
improve your marksmanship. Or download testing standards from dozens of
different firearms schools throughout the country, and see how your work
compares. Plenty of ideas here to keep you interested and learning for
some time to come. If you are looking for more practice drills,
The Firing Line also has an excellent sticky thread on the subject,
which you can find at
this link.
Handgun Law dot US
-- a stable site which features a very intuitive, easy-to-use format and
lots of fast loading graphics about laws affecting handgun owners in the
United States. Has great maps which let you see exactly which states honor
your state's carry permit. The site also includes links to actual legislation
so you can easily check the accuracy of the information yourself.
A Human Right
-- a useful website owned by talented photographer Oleg Volk, A Human
Right walks fence-sitters through a series of arguments designed to show
that gun control is a bad idea. Oleg also owns several other cool sites,
among them www.olegvolk.net (a wonderful
compendium of original, high-resolution images) and
The High Road firearms discussion website. I've used many of Oleg's
posters and images on this website (thanks, Oleg!)
Janis Cortese's
Firearms and Self-Defense Site -- another woman who writes
about women and gun ownership. Janis shoots left-handed, and her stance
pictures are, therefore, more sinister than mine. The site is very informative
and covers all the basics, but she's a lot less verbose than yours truly.
Worth checking out if only for the slightly different perspectives this
down to earth woman offers.
No Nonsense Self Defense
-- Marc MacYoung's website is an absolute treasure trove of information.
A former thug turned good guy, Marc has some amazing insights into what
makes bad guys tick, and how to avoid getting sucked into their ploys.
His site is particularly useful in discussing the five stages of a violent
crime. He clearly explains the steps a criminal needs to accomplish in
order for an attack to go forward, and what you can do to disrupt each
step. A lot of my own material, especially about mindset, owes its foundations
to the stuff I learned from Marc on his website and through his books.
A few years ago, I finally managed to take a knife class from him.
Use of Force dot US
-- an excellent series of articles discussing American use of force laws.
Well worth taking the time to read and follow the links.