Bob's Guns and Stuff

If you’ve spent any time in firearms training, whether in the private sector or in a police or military setting, you’ve probably seen the same model play out. Shooters stand on a line, an instructor calls a drill, and the class runs that drill over and over again. Then they move on to the next skill and repeat the process. At the end of the day, everyone leaves having completed a high volume of repetitions, and most feel like they’ve improved. Then those same shooters step

The countdown to the 2026 Southeast Law Enforcement Handgun Classic has begun. Last year, this match was the highlight of my shooting year, and one of the clearest examples I’ve seen of what law enforcement firearms training could look like if we did it right. There is a strong and growing group of cops that shoot competitions in and around Knoxville, Tennessee, and they teamed up to put on one heck of a match. I’ve been shooting competitions in one form or another since

Few phrases are repeated more in the shooting community than “slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” It shows up in classes, on ranges, and in conversations between shooters at every level. It is often presented as a foundational truth. It shouldn’t be. At best, it is incomplete. At worst, it is actively misleading. “Slow is smooth” may be true in a narrow sense. Controlled movement tends to look smooth when speed is removed. But the second half of the phrase does not hold up. Slow

I hear the same thing all the time when we start talking about weapon lights: “As long as I can see, I’m good.” No! You’re not. If your standard for a weapon light is “I can see in the dark,” you’re evaluating it at the lowest possible level. That’s like judging a pistol by whether it goes bang. It technically works, but it tells you nothing about how it performs when it matters. A weapon light is not just an illumination tool. It’s a control tool. And if you’re not thinking

Across defensive shooting, law enforcement, military training, there has been a noticeable shift in emphasis over the last decade. Increasingly, we are focusing on scenario-based training, decision-making exercises, and interleaved drills designed to replicate the complexity of real-world encounters. On its face, this evolution makes sense. Armed encounters are chaotic, unpredictable, and cognitively demanding, and training should reflect that reality. However, in the process

Recently, I taught a private shooting lesson. After the lesson, the student asked when he should schedule another one. As an instructor, I only make money when students are paying for lessons or classes—but I also have an ethical obligation to give sound advice, even if it costs me money. Since I’m sure this student isn’t alone in asking that question, let’s break it down. Lessons Private shooting lessons are often the most expensive option—but they can also be the most effec