In this post, I expect my audience to be an ordinary civilian with no firearm experience. For whatever reason, you have decided to purchase a firearm for home defense and do not want to use a shotgun. What would I recommend? It may sound boring and old school, but I would recommend a large caliber […]
Category: self-defense
The Home Defense Shotgun – Part II
In my opinion, most ordinary civilians would be best served with a large-caliber (https://clayeolsen.com/archives/222) double-action revolver or a shotgun as a home defense weapon. I talked about some previous home shotgun suggestions here: https://clayeolsen.com/archives/359. I want to discuss some more considerations for shotguns here. First, many ordinary civilians may want to purchase short tactical shotguns. […]
Red Dots & Compensators
In the Guns & Ammo January 2025 issue, James Tarr has an important article on compensators and red dot sights. He indicates that compensators have become more popular because of the popularity of red dots. The reduction of muzzle flip allows for easier re-acquisition of the red dot. However, he also indicates that even pros […]
Uncomfortable Truths About Trigger Finger Discipline
What is trigger finger discipline? Well, it comes up quite a bit on semi-automatic weapons that have the hammer cocked (typically done automatically), a round chambered, and the safety off. In this state, the amount of pressure needed to depress the trigger and fire the weapon is very low. If you are not ready to […]
Identification Location on Long Road Trips
In this post, I discussed how I keep my identification separate from my wallet. Specifically, I’ll keep my identification inside an armband high on my arm (summer) or my wrist (winter, with long-sleeve shirts). I’ve learned that when I’m in the car for long periods of traveling, the armband can get uncomfortable. There seems to […]
The Mic Drop Slogan
It is better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it. This slogan is used to convince someone to carry a firearm for self-defense. It sounds persuasive, but is it true? Let’s examine it. Testing Without Symptoms To explore this topic, we must consider a similar […]
Air Travel with Firearms
There is an article in CONCEALMENT magazine, Issue 38, called “FLYING ARMED – Air Travel with Firearms” by Dave Merrill. Dave says: In this article, we’ll demystify the process, drawing from the collective hunders of times members of our staff has flown with firearms. I think the article is an excellent resource and has very […]
Self-defense Products I Wish Existed
Here are some modifications to products that I think would be very valuable for those interested in self-defense.
The Violent Crime Disinformation Matrix
When it comes to violent crime, there is what I would call a disinformation matrix. Surprisingly, this matrix is formed unintentionally by pro-gunners, intentionally by anti-gunners, by media coverage, by statistical terminology, and sadly, by an abuse of language. What this disinformation matrix does is prevent an ordinary civilian from truly understanding violent crime risks […]
Non-Fatal Carjackings
The Bureau of Justice Statistics used the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) data to run a report on carjackings. The report covers the years 1995-2021. I will note a few interesting details from the report, but I encourage you to read it fully yourself. A couple of things were shocking. Almost 40 percent happened at […]