My Home Defense Nightstand

I’ve trained a lot of people who come to me after they’ve experienced a home invasion. One such fellow is a billionaire from Texas who got in a shootout in his home with the intruder, and another is a woman from Virginia who was raped twice before she realized she ought to have a gun for home defense.

And, just this weekend, I was teaching my Spy course in Las Vegas when one of the women who attended mentioned she had survived a home invasion.

Obviously, there are few things worse than being violated in your own home, which is why I want to share with you the items and tools I currently have on my nightstand to help me stop a home invasion should some criminal try and break into my home.

1) First, the nightstand itself. I have the nightstand right next to my bed. The size of the top of the nightstand is about 24 inches by 18 inches. I believe I got this nightstand from a thrift store awhile back so there’s nothing fancy about it.

2. I have a humidifier on the nightstand. The only reason I tell you this is because I’ve been sick lately and in bed a lot, as I am right now. I am literally typing this from my bed and looking at my nightstand and I plan to share everything that is on it.

3. There is a Gunvault gun safe. The exact model I have is the Gunvault MV500-STD Microvault.

4. Inside the gun safe is a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm. Attached to this gun is a Viridian laser/light combination, model C5L. Also in the safe is a spare magazine. (The two guns I use most often are the Smith & Wesson mentioned above and also a Glock 19. Both of these rotate in and out of the safe.)

5. Also on the nightstand is a dedicated cell phone. It’s a pre-paid phone I picked up from Walmart. That phone is always there so I at least have one cell phone for an emergency call and if I add my regular cell phone to the top of the nightstand then I have a backup.

6. At this moment on my nightstand there are three flashlights. You should obviously have one light available at all times, but I like flashlights and they tend to congregate on top of my nightstand. The three flashlights I have on the stand are a Surefire 6PX Pro, a NexTorch TA1, and an Olight T10. All three of these flashlights have worked well for me and I don’t have any complaints about any of them.

7. I have a set of scriptures on my nightstand for religious reading before I go to bed each night.

As you can see, there’s not a lot of clutter and nothing fancy. It’s a simple set up that gives me what I need in case my home alarm goes off in the middle of the night and I have to quickly access my gun to protect my family.

If you’re not fully prepared to defend your family from a home invasion make sure and work on your own “nightstand setup” this week.

How to Store Guns and Cash

A reader mentioned to me how he’s having his first child soon (congrats) and wants to not only keep his guns away from his child, but also have a safe that protects other documents.

First, it should hopefully go without saying that if there are children in the house all of the guns should be locked up. Even the “heirlooms” that you never shoot should at the very least have a trigger lock on them to make them inoperable.

As far as the home defense guns they need to be in a rapid-access safe. Lots of companies make these types of safes and every one of my home defense handguns is locked up in one. Check out the Gunvault company and Stack-On company for some of the better rapid-access safes. Also, Hornady recently released a quick-open safe. (I would stay away from the biometric versions of these safes as I am still hearing horror stories about people having to swipe their finger numerous times before the safes open.)

The thing is, in addition to having a handgun safe, I also believe you need a safe to store money and other valuables and I don’t think you should mix them. The fact is, my rapid-access safes are small and can fit only one or two full size handguns.

I don’t want to also store money in them because when I reach in the safe for my gun in a life or death situation, I only want to grab my gun and not something else. This is the same reason you never carry anything in your pants pocket when you are carrying a gun in your pocket. The hand only goes in the pocket (or your safe) when your life depends on it or when you’re actively training for that situation.

The safe that can be used to store money and important documents needs to be fireproof and can be one of the inexpensive Sentry brand of safes. I would have a least $1,000 cash stored in this safe and I would add more if you have the means.

Several years back a family member of mine was arrested in Washington, DC. Apparently, he and his business partner were in DC for a meeting and when they came back to his business partner’s car there was a boot on the car from unpaid parking tickets.

The only way this relative could get out of jail that Friday night (and not have to wait until Monday) was if someone showed up with $1,400 cash. Thankfully, we had some rich Italian friends who kept money in their home and they loaned us the $1,400 and the relative was able to get out of jail that night.

This story shows that life is unpredictable, which is why you need to always be prepared to protect yourself, and also have some extra cash on hand.

Should gun owners study martial arts?

Years ago, I was spending time with well-known firearms instructor Massad Ayoob. Since he’s been in the shooting business more than 40 years, I asked him, “What’s one thing you wish you’d known or done when you first started out?”

To my surprise, he said he wished he’d started studying the martial arts and hand-to-hand self-defense a lot sooner than he did.

And, actually, I can say the same thing. When I was with the Agency we spent a heck of a lot more time doing firearms training than training with a knife or empty hand defense. And when I left the Agency I continued the firearms training but didn’t spend the amount of time I should of studying the martial arts.

After all, I try and carry my gun with me every time I leave my house, but there are places I go that I can’t bring it, such as the post office. And, in two weeks I’ll be teaching a course in Los Angeles where I won’t be able to carry my gun at all.

The fact is, as much as I love guns, when it comes to personal protection I believe in being as well-rounded as possible in case I find myself in a life or death situation and I don’t have my gun.

Plus, even if I do have my gun with me, martial arts training teaches you how to move properly (to help you get off the X quicker) and it also teaches you how to fight in close quarters situations so you can properly defend yourself against an attacker while you draw your gun.

This is why I currently study the Filipino martial arts, but there are plenty of other choices to study too, including Krav Maga. If you do a simple Internet search I’m sure you’ll find lots of places around your home where you could get training (you’ll be amazed what you’ll be able to do with an edged weapon or even empty handed after having some of this training.)  

Another important thing to consider is that you don’t have to be a ninja or in the best shape of your life to train in the martial arts. I’ve talked to a lot of people who seem intimidated by going out to this type of training, but you’ll find people from all walks of life in most places you visit. And of course, if you try a place and it’s a little too “Rambo-ish” or the people are jerks then just try somewhere else.

When bad things happen you want to have as many options as you can to protect yourself. So even though I’ve got my gun on me anytime I legally can, I still want to know as many methods as possible to protect myself and my family.

So if you’ve ever thought about training in a martial art, look up a place near you today, and make it a goal to attend a class next week.

11 Items in My Range Bag

The other day, I realized it’s been quite a while since I’ve written about the items in my shooting range bag (that are always changing). And because I’ve gotten a lot of questions about this recently from new shooters, I thought I’d share the list with you today.

Keep in mind, because I have my own shooting range my list may be slightly different than someone who goes to an indoor range. So, pick and choose from the items below that work for you and your situation.

1. Range Bag- The bag I use for the range is a bag for police officers called the Galls Original StreetPro Gear bag. I purchased this bag many years ago when I first became a police officer and I’ve been using it ever since because it’s got plenty of room for all of my gear.  

2. Baseball Cap- The purpose of the cap is not to keep the sun out of my eyes (although it helps) but to keep hot brass from hitting me in the face and falling down my shirt.

3. Medical Kit- I carry the Adventure Medical Kits Field Trauma kit. I also carry extra packages of QuikClot with me in case there is ever an accident.

4. Hearing Protection- I have a set of Pro Ears electronic earmuffs. (If you’ve never tried electronic hearing protection, I highly recommend it.) I also have several soft earplugs in my bag in case people come shooting with me who forget their hearing protection.

5. Timer- I use a Pocket Pro II competition timer on the range to improve my skills and run various drills.

6. Stapler and Staples- I have a heavy duty Bostitch stapler. Since I have my own range I have to put up my own cardboard and targets.

7. Safety Glasses- I typically wear my Oakley sunglasses when shooting but I also have Remington shooting glasses too for when it’s not sunny enough for sunglasses.  

8. Targets- I have a variety of paper targets that I bring, ranging from the “Dot Drill” target to the “5-Square” target.

9. Ammunition- Obviously, the ammunition in my range bag depends on what I’m shooting that day. But, right now I have some 9mm Remington UMC and the .22 Remington Golden-Bullet Pack.

10. Guns- Just like ammunition, it depends what I’m shooting that particular day. But this week when I go to the range I think I’m taking my Glock 19 and Ruger LCP with me.

11. Gun Oil- A small bottle of Remington gun oil also stays in the bag.

You’ll notice one thing that’s missing is a cleaning kit. Personally, I clean my guns when I get home and not while at the range. But I know everyone has their own routines so you might want to include this if you prefer cleaning your guns at the range.  

186,873 Reasons to Carry a Gun

Picture this scenario…

You’re a police officer in Florida who pulls someone over for speeding. You run the driver’s information and it comes back that he’s wanted in Pennsylvania for sexually assaulting a 14-year old girl. You call the Philadelphia police department who issued the warrant and tell them you’ve got their fugitive under arrest and they can come and get him.

But guess what? The Philadelphia PD tells you they don’t want to come to Florida to pick up the guy because they don’t have the resources. So, you have to release the fugitive because he hasn’t committed any crimes in your state. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But anyone who’s been in law enforcement has been in this situation.

The scary thing is, most Americans have no idea how often this happens and how many felons are out on the loose. However, USA Today recently ran a feature series about this felon problem, shedding light on just how bad it is.

According to USA Today, there are 186,873 outstanding warrants for felons and “Police in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Little Rock — all among the nation's highest-crime cities — told the FBI they wouldn't pursue 90% or more of their felony suspects into other states.”

The USA Today article continues saying, “Among the fugitives police said they would not pursue: a man accused in Collier County, Fla., of hacking his roommate's neck with a machete during a fight over two cans of beer; a man charged with drawing a gun on a Newport News, Va., store manager during a robbery…”

The fact is, if you wanted to get away with a serious crime all you have to do is murder someone in Florida and hop on a plane to Nevada and there’s a good chance nobody will pursue you.

And unfortunately, I think it’s safe to say that the system isn’t going to change in the future. I don’t think states are suddenly going to be flush with cash so they can afford to send officers all over the country to retrieve felons. Plus, the state attorney’s who prosecute these cases will likely never find a day when they’re not overburdened and understaffed to the point that they have to pick and choose which cases to prosecute.   

For the rest of our lives, this means the guy standing behind you in line at the supermarket or pumping gas next to you could be a wanted felon in another state. This is why situational awareness is so critical and why you can’t take anything for granted. This is why I remember there’s no such thing as a “routine” trip to Walmart, or to get my haircut, or go to the grocery store. And of course, this is why I personally carry a gun everyday and why I do 25 “dry fire” trigger pulls everyday to ensure I am practicing and constantly working on my firearms skills.

Like everyone, I pray I never have to use my gun (or any weapon) to defend myself, but if the day comes that I do I want to be as prepared as possible to draw my Glock 19 from my hip (loaded with my Speer Gold Dot) to stop the threat as quickly as possible.

6 Self-Defense Tools To Save Your Life

Since I travel around the country doing training, I often find myself having to rely on different tools for my own safety.

For instance, today, I’m in New York City appearing on the Rachael Ray show. New York City has extremely strict gun laws (among other things) and NYC’s slogan might as well be: “we want our residents to be able to protect themselves as little as possible.”

So whether you live in NYC or in Texas, let me share with you the different tools you can use to keep yourself safe.

1. Firearm – Of course, I had to start with my favorite way to keep myself safe, which is a handgun. These days there are three guns that I switch between for concealed carry most often. First, my Ruger LCP, which fits nicely in my front pocket inside a small kydex holster. Right now, my LCP is loaded with Hornady Critical Defense ammunition. The next gun is my Glock 19. I carry it at the four o’clock position in an inside the waistband holster. I have several holsters for this gun and use the Clipper-DL, a CrossBreed holster, and a Kydex holster that a friend made for me. The last gun I carry is a full size Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm. Both my Glock and the Smith & Wesson are loaded with 124-grain Speer Gold Dot ammo. Unless it’s illegal to do so, one of these three guns is on me at all times.

2. Air Horn - I know a lot of folks have guns for home defense purposes only and don’t carry concealed. If this is the case for you, let me recommend an air horn. You can purchase an air horn at any boating supply store and the noise will scare the living daylights out of almost anyone. Let’s say you had an air horn in your purse and were being followed through the Walmart parking lot. You could quickly pull the air horn from your purse and use it to scare someone away. (If you haven’t tested an air horn lately make sure your ears are covered when you do… trust me on this one. Also, an air horn is great for college students and teenagers.)

3. Tactical Pen – The tactical pen is one of my favorite self-defense tools and what I’m using now since I’m in New York City. The tactical pens goes everywhere with me whether I’m on a plane, in a courthouse or in a city or state that has strict gun laws.

4. Knife – You never want to be in a knife fight, but if a knife were the only tool you had you would obviously use it. I keep my knife clipped to my pants pocket and the knife I typically carry is a Benchmade. However, the particular model I own is illegal in New York so it’s at home sitting on my desk right now.

5. Crow Bar – In the back of my vehicle is a crow bar. The beauty of the crow bar is that it has multiple uses, one being self-defense. It’s certainly not my number one choice for personal protection but it’s definitely better than nothing. If you don’t already have a crow bar in your vehicle pick one up this week from Walmart or Home Depot.

6. Monkey Fist Keychain – The Monkey Fist is a parcacord keychain wrapped around a ball bearing. It may not sound like much but getting struck by one definitely hurts. You can also use the paracord for escape & evasion purposes and another bonus is that you’ll probably never lose your keys since the Monkey Fist makes them easy to keep track of.

Updated Road Trip Checklist

Today, I head to Las Vegas to teach a survival course. Las Vegas is only 2.5 hours away so I’m driving instead of flying. Before I make any road trip, whether it’s a short one like this, or a seven-hour drive to Los Angeles, I always go through a quick checklist to make sure I’m prepared and have the gear I need.

Since the gear I use is always changing and I’m always searching for new gear, I want to share with you the current checklist of the items I have in my vehicle.

Before I get to that list, let me share with you one of the most important things I do before going on any road trip. It’s not the sexiest and most exciting thing in the world, but I make sure and check my tire pressure. Most people don’t realize that underinflated tires cause the majority of car crashes.

The reason for this is because a lot of folks have no idea what the correct tire pressure is for their car. You see, if you open your driver’s side door and look on the inside panel you’ll see a listing for your tire pressure. It might be something like 32 PSI (pounds per square inch.)

However, if you look on the tire itself it might say something like 44 PSI.

So if one says 32 and the other says 44, how much air should you put in your tires? Well, I have many friends who are experts when it comes to tire pressure and vehicle safety. And their recommendation is to put 10% less air in than what it says on the tire. In other words, if your tire says 44 PSI, you would put 40 PSI in your tire, which is exactly what I do.

So before you head off on your next road trip or even to work, check your tire pressure. You’ll save money on gas by properly inflating the tires, plus it may save your life if you ever have to make evasive maneuvers in your car.

Once I check my tire pressure and put gas in the vehicle, I quickly make sure I have the items below in the back of my vehicle. Since I live in Southern Utah and go through some pretty remote places, I want to ensure I’m prepared if my car ever breaks down.

-Two 72-hour kits that contain three days of food and water (Why two kits? Because they don’t take up much space and because as I just mentioned, I often travel in the middle of nowhere.)

-One quart of motor oil (Always have extra oil in your car, it’s a small investment that’s well worth it.)

-Full toolbox (I’ve got screwdrivers, hammers, wrenches, and a variety of tools if I have to do repairs.)

-Tow Rope (In case someone has to tow you to a gas station or you need the rope to tie down cargo. This rope goes inside my toolbox.)

-Guns (For this particular trip to Las Vegas I will have my Ruger LCP and my Glock 19.)

-Collapsible shovel (You can buy one of these folding shovels at any Army surplus store.)

-Ammunition (I have 100 rounds for every caliber of gun in the vehicle. So I’ll have 100 rounds of 9mm and 100 rounds of .380.)

-Knives (In the toolbox I have a Gerber LMF II. In my 72-hour kits I put a Swedish survival knife.)

-Flashlights (I have four flashlights in my car. Each of the 72-hour kits contains one of the LED flashlights that doesn’t require batteries. You simply squeeze it to generate light. I also have a light in my glove compartment and another in my door compartment.)

-Crow bar (These only cost about $15 from Walmart and have a variety of uses, from self-defense to opening doors to knocking debris out of the way.)

-Bolt cutters (For extreme emergency situations.)

-Toilet paper (Can be used for making fires and for that other important reason.)

-Dryer lint (Excellent for starting fires, just save the lint from your dryer for a few weeks and you’ll have a Ziploc bag full.)

-Zip ties (They can be used for making shelter by tying sticks together and securing other items.)

-Paracord (I often have a 1,000 foot spool in my trunk, but at the very least have 20 feet.)

-Map (A paper map in case GPS fails me, which happens far too often.)

-First aid kit (Both of the 72-hour kits have a small first aid kit but I add another kit to my car. Right now, I’m carrying the Voodoo Tactical Trauma Kit.)

I realize some people may think the above list of items I have in my vehicle is overkill. That’s why I recommend you pick and choose from the above list and put together a vehicle survival kit that works for you.

Even if you live in the city, snowstorms and earthquakes can happen at anytime and you never know what item in the vehicle will be crucial to your survival.