The subject of piston AR15s recently came up during a meeting of Lodestone staff. This is a topic that has fallen off the radar for many, but with so many new AR15 owners it seemed like a good time to discuss the reasons behind their initial development, and why they’ve fallen out of favor.

With all the man-made craziness and confusion going on, one of the most significant events in the history of the world is being overlooked. Saturday, November 21st marks the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims anchoring in Provincetown Harbor.

Given the current “Great Ammo Depression” going on in 2020, many shooters have turned to reloading their own ammunition or buy reloaded ammunition from someone they know. Some of you may have some reservations about reloaded ammunition.

I designed the RTG series of targets while I was deployed in 2010. As the senior Weapons Sergeant on my ODA, I was the primary trainer. Not just for our partner force, but for my Team as well. I had brought multiple targets for use on the range during training. Bringing them all took up a lot of space. Space, when you deploy, can be a precious commodity.

Well, you’ve done it – you’ve taken your first firearms training class, and now you’re wondering what to do next. You probably have a notebook full of notes, pictures of your targets, a bunch of answered questions, and some new questions – so what now?

I’ve been carrying a concealed firearm (mostly consistently) for about 16 or 17 years. Not having even seen an actual gun in real life until I was 20 years old, it took me a little while to get used to the idea of carrying a firearm. And it has taken me even longer to find the right way for me to carry.

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.