Innholdsfortegnelse for #225 i Personal Defense World

Do you have children? Kids are adorable, messy creatures that can absolutely make your day despite (hopefully brief) instances that will make you want to pull your hair out. Talk to any parent and they’ll tell you that there’s nothing they care about more. As soon as their son or daughter was born, their life changed completely. Everything immediately shifted to raising that child in a safe, supportive environment. Which is probably one of the reasons why you picked up this magazine. You understand, on some level, that police officers are, by definition, reactionary. Unless they’re providing security for some event planned well in advance, they’re often dispatched to a scene after it’s been called in. Their response times fluctuate based on a number of variables—the number of officers on…

CAST your mind back to tricycles, chalk dust and school paste—a time when there was nothing better than hearing a delightful tale about fastidious forest creatures and their troubles with a flippant little girl and her issues with personal space. It’s a story of three bachelor bears returning to their quaint home in the woods, dismayed to find their food eaten, their chairs broken and their beds in disarray. Like most fairy tales, this one also ends in attempted murder. “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” is a well-known tale that has morphed quite a bit since its original version was set to paper by Robert Southey in 1837. The ursine bachelors grew into a family of bears, complete with mama, papa and baby bear. In Flora Annie Steel’s 1904 version,…

Unlike what you see in movies, the real to-the-death swordfights of the past barely lasted a few minutes, if that. There weren’t large candleholders being thrown in the opponent’s path, nor did the combatants travel upstairs and across balconies until it was time for one to finish off the opponent. In fact, the skilled practitioner broke through the less experienced fighter’s defenses within seconds and killed him on the spot. With a sharp blade and, at times, an accompanied dagger in his free hand, a seasoned swordsman would capitalize on the slightest mistake of his foe and deliver the killing blow. Present-day street fights are quite similar. There is no trading punches nonstop while standing in one spot. Instead, it’s just one person exploiting the mistake or inexperience of the…

Let’s assume you’ve decided to take your protection into your own hands. That means you’ve earned your concealed-carry license, attended some training courses and now pack heat discreetly wherever you go to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. But there are some places that prohibit firearms, including post offices, schools and most federal buildings. So how do we maintain our vigilance when we aren’t able to have our firearms? How do we protect ourselves while we’re at school or even on a road trip when we enter a state that doesn’t allow concealed carry? “ASP is probably best known for its expandable batons.” First, do your homework and know the laws in your area as well as those in neighboring states. But the answer will often be to opt…

Few guns carry the same cachet as the Smith & Wesson Model 19. Built on the K-Frame, the Model 19 was a staple in the company’s line through much of the 20th century. Street cops and average Joes relied on the classic .357 Magnum for self-defense, home defense and shooting matches. By the start of the new millennium, however, the tried-and-true gun had fallen out of favor. The good news is that revolvers are enjoying a comeback. Much like vinyl records that are seeing significant growth in today’s market, the interest in classic six-shooters is also on the rise. In the last decade, some companies have reintroduced old classics and others have developed new lines. Smith & Wesson is frequently known by many as a revolver company. While the company…

The world is not a fair place. Those who believe it is can be sadly proven wrong when faced with an armed or oversized attacker. This aggressor doesn’t care if you are smaller or weaker. In fact, that is exactly the type of person two-legged animals prefer to prey upon. They don’t want a victim who will fight back, give them any extra trouble or pose a possible physical threat to their own safety or wellbeing. There is, however, a way to turn the tables on an unsuspecting assailant, even if you are dwarfed by his size or height. That is by attacking his skeletal structure, hyperextending, dislocating and even breaking joints and bones. Although this idea might seem difficult to accomplish or morbid to even consider, when your life…

You can always find new ways to use good gear. When I think of equipment designed for duty use, I think of rugged gear engineered to hold up to hard use. It also needs to be simple, even instinctive, to use without being too heavy or requiring much maintenance. When I first saw the BlackHawk T-Series duty holster, I was sure that it could provide good service to those in uniform. Then it occurred to me that the holster would be excellent for another type of duty—namely for the outdoorsman who carries a handgun while hunting, hiking, canoeing and otherwise frequenting remote areas. ROCK SOLID The BlackHawk T-Series duty holsters are made of glass-reinforced nylon—much thicker than your usual Kydex holster without being bulky. The slick inner surface provides for…

Competitive shooting can be great preparation for a situation where you are called on to defend yourself. The high-adrenaline atmosphere of action shooting allows you to build skills and reflexes that would potentially be diminished by the intense stress of a disaster scenario. There has been a lot of debate over the years between the self-defense and competitive communities about the right ways to work and fundamentally train with firearms. Heath Clevenger, commander of the York County, South Carolina, Special Operations Group and SWAT tactical commander, has been shooting competitively for 12 years and holds two Medals of Valor as well as a Life-Saving Medal. He shared some insight on the benefits that action shooting can have on self-defense skills. According to Clevenger, through training for competition, shooters develop the…

SINCE 1992, Hi-Point Firearms has produced inexpensive handguns marketed for the common man. The company’s pistols feature a simple blowback design, one of the best transferable warranties in the industry and ridiculously low prices. Pawn shops are cluttered with these no-frills, American-made guns. And today we’ll pit the basic Hi-Point C9 against another inexpensive entry-level handgun. The Canik One Series TP9SF is a new bargain-packaged variation of the proven Turkish TP9 line of pistols imported by Century Arms. This new gun features modern manufacturing and design packed into a Spartan case along with a single magazine and interchangeable backstrap. The One Series TP9SF is also shockingly cheap. THE HI-POINT The Hi-Point C9 is as simple an autoloading handgun as might be contrived. A direct-blowback weapon, the gun’s cast-aluminum slide must…

The elegant white uniforms, classic stances and traditional etiquette might lead you to believe that fencing isn’t a sport for the “tough guy” in you, but this idea is totally false. Here’s why. ■ The tip of the fencing sword is the second fastest object in any sport, behind only a marksman’s bullet. Baseballs, tennis balls and footballs all come up short. ■ Fencing is highly physical. In fact, it is one sport that uses nearly every part of the body. From the toes and fingers to the head, neck and torso, no body part sits out during an intense bout. ■ Protective gear helps to prevent serious injury, but don’t expect to escape from some battle damage. An aggressive bout can leave you bruised and exhausted. ■ The adrenaline…

Revolvers might seem old school—even obsolete to some—but there’s still plenty of life in the trusted design. The double-action revolver, which hasn’t changed much in more than 100 years, is still tops when it comes to versatility, power and ammo compatibility. While the revolver continues to be popular with many people concerned about their personal defense, there isn’t much instruction nowadays about how to use them to their best advantage. Here are some ways to get the most out of your defensive wheelgun. TRIGGER CONTROL For defensive purposes, you want to fire a revolver in double-action mode, even if your revolver has an exposed hammer. Manually cocking the hammer gives you a very short and light single-action trigger pull. That can be a liability when you’re stumbling downstairs in the…

■ No, you don’t need a medical degree to injure an attacker’s joints and bones, but there are significant differences when it comes to how much damage is dished out. So let’s sort it all out. › Sprain/Strain: A sprain occurs when a ligament (fibrous tissue that connects bone to bone) is stretched or tears. A strain produces the same results but happens in a muscle or tendon. › Hyperextension: This condition happens when a limb or joint, such as an elbow or knee joint, is forcibly extended beyond its normal limits. › Dislocation: This is when the end of a bone is forced from its normal location within the joint. The most common dislocation areas are the fingers and shoulders. › Simple Fracture: This is where the bone breaks…

THE new STAR10-P from DoubleStar is a very large AR-style pistol. And it isn’t for everyone. There will undoubtedly be people out there who point at it and scream, “But why?!” Others will point and respond with, “Why not?! This thing is awesome!” I fall into the latter camp. This awesome multi-purpose pistol excels when it comes to personal and home defense as well as hunting. As DoubleStar put it, “Whether it’s wild game destroying your property or an advancing enemy, the .308 STAR10-P has the power to stop the threat.” DEVILISH DETAILS The STAR10-P starts with upper and lower receivers made from forged 7075-T6 aluminum. The railed upper is angular like the handguard, which has dozens of lightening cuts as well as M-LOK slots for accessories. Within the forend…

“If you ever needed to retrieve your kids from the pickup line at school in the midst of the zombie apocalypse, this would be your ride.” The Arquus Trapper is the French military’s newest general-purpose utility vehicle. The full title is the ACMAT VLTP-NP (Vehicule Leger Tactique Polyvalent Non Protégé). This loosely translates to “Non-Protected Light Multi-Role Tactical Vehicle.” I think we can all agree that “Trapper” is easier. The truck is also called the VT4. The current order is for 4,380 trucks to be distributed throughout all branches of the French military. Built around the proven Ford Everest SUV, the Trapper is hardened and militarized to meet the demands of a harsh combat environment. Sporting rugged GI features, a powerful but forgiving diesel power plant and striking aesthetics, the…

Pistol-caliber carbines have really made a huge impact on the market over the past few years, especially Ruger’s PC Carbine, which I fell in love with last year when I first got my hands on one. It shot well, felt incredible, was easy to take down and looked pretty good. I ended up purchasing the test gun because it was nearly perfect. With that being said, I have always thought Ruger needed to update the gun a bit and make it even more user friendly. Well, the company must have been listening because the new and improved PC Carbine is everything I loved about the original with the addition of pretty much everything I thought could have been improved. THE BASICS The PC Carbine looks and functions a lot like…

We live in an age where active-shooter situations must be considered when planning a self-defense strategy. For most of us, our first line of defense is a concealed-carry handgun with a backup weapon in reserve. But there are places where we cannot carry a weapon. In most states, such places include federal buildings and schools. Some states even extend gun-free zones to places of worship, bars and any place or event that charges admission for entry. We’d like to avoid these places, but sometimes we don’t have a choice. Even without a weapon, however, there are steps we can take to prepare ourselves and our family members for such an event. PLAN AHEAD Like the fire drills we had growing up, today’s students have the additional burden of active-shooter drills.…

There are several reasons why a revolver is still a good choice for home defense and concealed carry. Here are some to consider. 1 Reliability. Modern semi-autos are pretty reliable, but they’re still dependent on recoil to function properly. Absorb some of the recoil by bending your arm or loosening your wrist when you’re diving for cover, or touch the slide on something that impedes its movement, and your semi-auto might jam. A friend of mine had his usually reliable duty Glock jam after the first shot when a bad guy was swinging a club at him. The bad guy got hold of my friend’s gun and would have killed him, but fortunately he couldn’t figure out how to clear the malfunction. 2 Versatility. I can load my revolvers with…