- The first edition of Defensive Use of Firearms has been a welcome contribution to my understanding and
knowledge of firearms and their employment. It should not only be read by gun owners, but also by those who don the
uniform to protect and serve.
With regard to survival priorities, Steve Wenger separates mental awareness and mental preparedness. The distinction
is invaluable. Most folks only think they are prepared - unfortunately, that includes many in uniform. Many are
shooters; few are gunfighters.
We all have, at some point, met those who deem themselves experts in the defensive use of firearms - some are good;
some are better. Just as leadership is not a position so much as it is an action, expert status is not so much a
position as it is a process. Steve continues to go through the "process." He keeps an open mind and evaluates training
by asking, "Is this going to do me any good once I get off your range?" He distills the information gathered into
common sense practices - and this is the value of Defensive Use of Firearms. Its common sense approach in
developing a skill set that can be utilized by all gun owners is what separates this book from most. The second
edition, with its expansion of usable skills, is witness of Steve's desire to share gunfighting skills with those who
are willing to differentiate between shooting and fighting.
Officer Richard Nickoloff (retired), formerly Senior Weapons and Tactics Instructor, California Highway
Patrol Academy
- As a teaching tool, this book provides answers that other books don't know enough to ask. In a world of shooting
schools and publications that are locked into non-evolving "doctrines" based more on "gunfoo" than real world
experience, it's refreshing to read a book that clearly explains the need for flexibility in the world of tactics and
survival for those of us that carry a gun.
The fact that the author also has a background in martial arts helps prepare the reader for what actually happens in
close-quarter confrontations. The author doesn't hesitate to challenge the fossilized techniques of some of the most
well known shooting instructors, while showing the reader viable, life-saving alternatives. This book is for
serious students and open-minded teaching professionals who are willing to set their egos aside and wear the "student"
hat again.
I admire and perhaps even envy the eclectic odyssey that the author took in gaining the experience and knowledge to
write this book. While most people attend several schools and declare their training complete, this author chose to
declare his training as a beginning. The odyssey continues with a new edition of his book that expands the use of
the handgun at extreme close quarters. Understanding the OODA loop and a person's instinctive reaction to danger, the
author has integrated the proper techniques to confront that danger at close range.
Unlike the majority of law enforcement trainers who received their training and experience on departments with few
actual officer-involved shootings, I gained much of my experience as part of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's
Department Training Bureau, which investigated numerous officer involved shootings, in order to modify officer survival
training at all levels. I then taught these lessons at the LASD Laser Village Tactics and Survival unit and finished my
career as a Sergeant, working the infamous South Central reporting district, where we averaged one officer-involved
shooting a month for five consecutive years. Much of what I learned is in this book, and although I have an extensive
library of books, tapes, and DVDs on self-defense shootings and confrontations at my disposal, I GIVE a copy of this
book to my most serious and dedicated students. What more can I say?
Sgt. Harold R. Flynt (retired), Los Angeles Sheriff's Department; rangemaster/firearms instructor, private
security
|
