Personal Defense

A note of encouragement to women who are struggling with how to fit a concealed handgun into their daily wardrobe.

A half hour of basic instruction in the fundamentals of shooting a pistol can get you up and running with good technique. Don’t spend years developing bad habits or think you can learn to shoot a handgun by watching others (and certainly not from what you see on television or in movies!).

Selecting a handgun is personal—too personal to allow me or anyone else to do it for you. That said, it needs to fit your hand, have a recoil impulse you can control, and be small enough and light enough you might actually carry it and have it with you when you need it. Yes, you need to like it. Not I nor anyone else is qualified to make those decisions for you. I don’t want you buying my underwear and I’ll bet you don’t want me picking out yours.

When can you use deadly force? The short answer is that your attacker must possess the ability and opportunity to do you grave harm—but you must also have to have done everything in your ability to avoid a confrontation. In "Armed: The Essential Guide to Concealed Carry," Bruce Eimer, Ph.D., provides a more detailed discussion of the issue.

Choosing a handgun for concealed carry or self defense is a very personal decision. If you are a man wanting to buy a handgun for a woman in your life, or a woman shopping for yourself, Grant Cunningham has some words of advice.

I would like to start my next post by laying the groundwork I believe is necessary for selecting the survival guns and weapons you...

In this final post in the series from "Personal Defense for Women," author Gila Hayes reveals insider tips and secrets for selecting and wearing concealed carry holsters and gear for women.

Massad Ayoob sums it up nicely: "Our daughters need more role models like Gila Hayes." In her book "Personal Defense for Women," Hayes disregards the stereotypes and tells women what they need to know to protect themselves and their families.

As reported by the Rockford Star, “Women who log onto an Illinois State Police Web page will find they are advised to protect themselves...

Colt's Manufacturing Company said it will introduce a new and improved version of the classic Colt Mustang. The new Colt .380 Mustang Pocketlite is small, lightweight and boasts enhanced durability, reliability and accuracy, making it an ideal handgun for personal protection.

Should the armed citizen carry an autoloader, revolver ... or both? There are advantages to each type of firearm, so if you carry concealed, don't overlook these options.

Law enforcement officials suspect a home invasion in Leon County is connected to a serial rapist who has been terrorizing elderly women in rural areas of Texas for months. On Saturday, police say a man broke into the home of an 81-year-old woman. The woman had a handgun and managed to fire several shots, scaring the man away.

A woman who was armed and eight months pregnant took aim at a man suspected of trying to break into her car.

Mobile police say a possible burglar was shot and killed while he was trying to break into a home.

This new defensive handgun ammunition, adopted by the FBI, is available for handgunners everywhere.

Don't let anyone tell you a compact 1911 won't compare to a full-sized government model. This gun review of the Nighthawk Global Response Pistol II proves as much.