I couldn’t tell you exactly how many times I’ve heard a man in one of our classes say, “I’m trying to get my girlfriend to come take a class”, or a female acquaintance say, “My husband keeps trying to get me to go to a class”, but it happens a lot.

As I was walking out of my home, getting ready to go teach a level two Pistol class, I took one last look at my kids. I was struck by what I saw.

I ask, are you a modern-day minuteman? I’m proud to know many people, both men and women, that I consider to be the modern-day Minutemen that could be called on to defend Liberty at any time or any place.

Despite its prolific nature, the shotgun is one of the most misunderstood defensive firearms. On no subject is this truer than when it comes to ammunition selection. Choosing the correct ammunition for a defensive shotgun is much the same as for handguns and rifles, but with a few criteria unique to the shotgun.

I have read a great deal of discussion on the internet over which ammunition is best for your AR15. Much like pistol and shotgun ammunition, deciding upon a self-defense load is a straightforward task, provided you understand how you need the ammunition to perform. Here is what I feel are the basic criteria for an AR15 self-defense load.

It is a cornerstone of western common law that a man’s home is his castle – both in the sense that he may feel secure within and defend same from intruders. However, just like concealed carry, home defense is a multilayered proposition, with deadly force as the final option.

I’ve been working a lot of range time the past couple of months. Combination of LTAC, Army, and Agency Contracts. Talk about a wide range of individuals and experience levels. One thing that has been common among all these classes is the individual, or individuals, that allow self-induced stress to beat them.

I have the pleasure of introducing a new series of articles that we’ll be providing for you. They will cover how training reduces panic. The idea comes from, of all places, my mother.

As we get closer to the 4th of July, the day recognized as American Independence Day, I keep reflecting on what it means to me.

Turning Our Home into a Castle: Cameras - Part One discussed the different types of cameras and their effectiveness in the real world. We’re now going to talk about keeping and storing that data, and ways to keep your privacy safe in the big world of IOT (Internet of Things).

Video surveillance is a crucial part of home security, that will not only provide evidence of  invasions or burglaries, but will also enable you to have the advantage of situational awareness.

Let me start this article off by making one thing very clear: I’m not a doctor, but I am accident prone.

Lights are an excellent deterrent. It’s obvious -- bad guys want to stay in the concealment of the shadows. Having good lighting takes away an advantage from the bad guy and gives us increased security. In this article we’re going to go over two different ways to use lights to improve our security footprint.

This article was written a couple of years ago by my First SF Team Leader -- a good man who always has good advice.

There’s an old Yiddish Proverb that says, “A lock is meant only for honest men.” This means that if I really want to get into something, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes, I’ll get through your lock.

Among all the emotionally charged topics discussed amongst firearms owners, little generates as much controversy as ammunition selection. This is by no means an exhaustive study on the subject. Rather, it is intended to provide the reader with a decent baseline from which to make informed decisions.

I’ve spent the last twenty years in the Southeast. That time was split between North Carolina and Tennessee. While living in NC, I learned about hurricanes. One of the biggest take-aways I learned was boarding up windows.

Many of us have heard the term the “gray man” but if you haven’t, the concept is simple. It is the person that blends into their environment that you seem not to pay much notice to.

With our upcoming Land Navigation Series - Two-Day Workshop, I thought it was important to put this information out to the Lodestone Community. This article is going to talk primarily about compasses and hopefully clear up some of the confusion that you may have when purchasing your tools.

“Turning Our Home into a Castle” is a new weekly series that we will be bringing to you.  We will be sharing principles, tips and techniques to harden your home and make you less of a target.