SafeMind LLC

06/02/2026

Road rage is dumb and childish. If you can't drive a car without being a dick, you shouldn't drive.

Your Defense is Personal

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05/30/2026

I'm fortunate to teach folks from all backgrounds and experience. One thing that I truly enjoy is teaching those who didn't grow up in the U.S. and whose only experience with fi****ms is what they have seen on the little and big screens. T is from Italy and was curious about fi****ms and, like many others, felt that it was important to learn how they work, how to be safe around them and how to shoot.
Well, he crushed it!
The B8 he is pointing at was his first run from 25 yards (2 hours into his first time on the range). I gotta say, there are a lot of those who "grew up around guns" that can't do this.
Strong work, Tony!

Your Defense is Personal

05/23/2026

Today was load development day for an upcoming elk hunt. I already have recipes for my guns but am wanting to move to a heavier bullet, the Berger 156gr EOL (6.5 Creedmoor) and hoping I can find a recipe that works with the powder I have on hand (H4350), which isn't ideal, but it's what I have.
I always start with a known load, shown at the top square, and then move through the various charge weights, using a particular process to ensure consistency.
I did this for two rifles, and think I've hit the money.
Next I'll work through seating depths and dial it in, finding zero and finishing with a tall target test and some confirmation at different ranges.
A lot of work for meat in the freezer, but it's worth it.

Your Defense is Personal

05/18/2026

Following a learning session with a new student it was time to load up with our "social ammo" before departing the range.
We walked to the firing line and, as always, I observed him go through the loading process and watched him place the round that he previously ejected from the chamber, prior to our training, back into the chamber and run the slide forward.
Knowing that this can lead to issues I had him clear his pistol and upon picking up the cartridge from the ground this is what we found.
He had been cycling the same cartridge as the one in the chamber for, at least, a year. The repeated impact of the slide hitting the chambered cartridge caused considerable setback and could cause increased chamber pressures or a failure to fire.
While there are many great processes to prevent this I just unload the entire magazine and put the round in first, randomizing where the previously chambered cartridges are.
What's your process?

Your Defense is Personal

05/09/2026

Last night, while shooting a match, my dot disappeared mid-stage. Fortunately, I'm fairly dialed in using the optic body and was able to finish the stage, but it cost me some time.
I'm pretty consistent on maintaining my gear, always loktite and witness mark my screws, but I, obviously, was neglecting this one after several back to back matches.
Lesson learned. Check your gear, yet be ready for it to fail. Even if it fails you have to keep driving on and finish the job.

Your Defense is Personal

05/07/2026

There is an old saying, "beware of the man with one gun". While I appreciate the sentiment, meaning that it's best to master one thing, yet I would be more wary of those who can shoot any gun that they pick up well.
As a teacher, I often have to not shoot my preferred firearm, but to shoot something similar to my student.
Today, it was a revolver, which gave me the opportunity to get some rounds down range with my new competition gun, a S&W 929. She's sweet.

Your Defense is Personal

05/05/2026

It's not long between times when I see really bad "self defense" tools being released into the wild. The list is long, but this one is especially problematic.
Byrna is a "less lethal" pepperball gun that is supposed to be for those who a) don't like guns, b) live in anti-gun states, c) for those who, correctly, want a tool for those instances between a harsh word and a gun.
However, primarily, they suck. Like bad suck. Like mostly useless.
However, however, what is super dangerous is that they look like a gun. Lemme say, if you point one of these at someone, it would be reasonable to believe that they are in imminent jeopardy of grievous bodily harm, or death, and it could get you justifiably shot. And killed.
Or, it could be mistaken for a gun and you wind up in the California penal system.
Please, do me a favor, do the hard pass on these horrible gimmicks. You'll thank me later.

Your Defense is Personal

04/22/2026

Perhaps you've been following this, but I'll break it down.
A woman, late at night, heard a noise at her door and alerted her husband and called 911. He woke, grabbed his pistol and went outside to investigate and to ensure that whomever was trying to break in didn't.
Cops arrive due to another 911 call about the same prowler. They are posted up on the street, with only their headlights and spotlight on, no flashing reds and blues.
Husband sees these cars, makes the decision to fire a warning shot into the air and PD responds by sending 9 random shots towards him, striking him once in the leg with the other projectiles hitting occupied homes.
Prowler is found, and arrested, and has 35 convictions (9 felonies and the remaining misdemeanors). Husband is arrested for a variety of offenses including aggravated assault on a police officer.
The grand jury declines to prosecute three times, however, the Maricopa County Attorney chooses to crucify him and make an example of him. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
Essentially, other than someone losing their life, the worst possible situation.
This one was simple to prevent. If you hear an intruder, stay in your house. If the intruder comes in do what you feel that you have to do to protect your family.
Don't go outside.
Don't fire warning shots.
Don't talk to the police.

Your Defense is Personal

Facing prison, trauma surgeon Kris Johnson speaks out about a chaotic 2022 night when he fired a warning shot to scare off a prowler and was shot by Phoenix police.

04/03/2026

It's like watching a zombie movie.

The days of the Good Samaritan are coming to an end. Instead of getting out, call 911, provide good information and be a good witness.

Your Defense is Personal

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03/20/2026

If you are using an exercise tracking app, such as Strava, be aware that if you set your profile to public the whole world, literally, can track your patterns of life, including those who may be interested in you for malicious reasons.
Learn from this instance of a French sailor on board an aircraft carrier.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1gEWVfaQEN/

Your Defense is Personal

On March 13, a sailor aboard France's nuclear aircraft carrier — the FS Charles de Gaulle — went for a morning jog on the ship's deck, logged it on Strava, and left his profile public. The GPS map attached to his 7km run showed the carrier's exact position in the eastern Mediterranean, in waters France hadn't publicly disclosed. Within hours, the image had been picked up by Le Monde and was spreading across the internet. One morning run. One public profile. Mission compromised.

This isn't a one-off. In 2018, Strava's global heatmap accidentally traced the perimeters of classified U.S. military bases in Syria and Afghanistan — bases the government had never acknowledged publicly. In 2024, journalists identified members of Macron's security detail by following their running routes. Each time the story breaks, defence departments issue new guidance, Strava updates its settings, and everyone moves on. Clearly not everyone got the memo.

For the rest of us, the lesson is less dramatic but still worth taking seriously. A public Strava profile can reveal your home address, your daily routine, and everywhere you run regularly — information that's more useful to the wrong person than most of us realise. Strava does have privacy controls, including activity defaults and a privacy zone feature that hides your home location, but none of it is switched on by default. Head to Settings → Privacy Controls and spend two minutes sorting it out. You're probably not hiding a warship, but your front door is worth protecting too.