DVD Training Products

www.paladinpress.com

These are some of the DVD training products I've produced with Paladin Press. "Inside the Crucible" was captured during a 2002 civilian program (Individual Protective Measures Course - Civilian) we offered to the public. The men being trained have widely varied backgrounds (only one in law enforcement).

The book is a collection of the "Personal Security" columns I wrote over six years as "Guns & Ammo" Personal Security Editor "Jim Grover" during the 90's.

 Edged Weapons

The "Gouge" This is a neat three finger fighter I designed to provide a small footprint fixed blade alternative. Overall length is 4 3/4" - the wharncliff blade and "eyebrow" bend improve cutting geometry. The height of the scales (finger groove to spine) ensure the knife doesn't roll in your hand on contact. I incorporated a pronounced guard for obvious reasons. The sheath is a two-part rig. Together, the curved  backplate is slid into the watchpocket of your jeans and positions the knife in a vertical carry over or under your belt. Apart, the top piece's Boston screw holes allow you to thread paracord through the sheath so it can be worn as a neck knife or, when looped around the waistbutton of your jeans, in a groin-line carry. Up and coming knifemaker Jeremy Krammes makes these and can be reached by clicking the photo.

I love swing guard knives. My old man had an old Case swing guard he kept in the workbench drawer. As a kid I was fascinated by it. I designed this updated, one-hand opening swing guard folder incorporating American emblematic features such as the coffin body, mosaic pin, and Bowie type blade with a slightly enlargened belly. This knife, beautifully executed by Jeremy Krammes, is remarkably light. Jeremy used carbon fiber for the scales and titanium for the guards, liners and bolsters. The opening action is amazingly smooth. Very cool, all-American, retro-folder.

The original Crucible Knives. The idea was to acknowledge the fact that most of the time when you're deployed you need a stout knife to use as a tool - not a weapon, but that the knife should also incorporate fighter characteristics.  The slight Persian bend orients the knife properly for cutting duties and when held in the guard. The jimping along the finger grooves and the spine along with the prounounced guard prevent the hand from slipping forward on hard contacts. The cutting surface of the blade is very long because of the spearpoint. The knife fills your hand creating better leverage. The pocket clip can be placed in four positions facilitating left and right hand tip up or down depending on your preference. All three knives handle the same and are weighted the same so the user has both folder or fixed blade options as the requirement dictates and a strong, reliable trainer. Mike Janich at BlackHawk Blades was instrumental in getting this project right and their initial execution and the subsequent Crucible II series are great knives. 

Personal Equipment Preferences

Man - carried this Benchmade, Ernest Emerson CQC-7 all over the world. I modified the scales to fit my hand better, relieved scale material to let the jimping on the liners work better, ground down the liner lock so it wouldn't unlock under rotational torque and generally tuned it up. I'm not a huge fan of ATS-34 because its so brittle, the point broke off several times and so I had to regrind the tip. What a great, concealable, reliable knife. Once, in a foreign venue when the local police came into a bar we were in to search everyone for weapons, I slipped it into my jeans just above my pubic bone - no issue. 

The Seecamp .32 is a classic "nose gun." Made exceptionally well, completely reliable and ultra compact, the Seecamp deserves the reputation it enjoys. Pictured here with a Greg Kramer horsehide wallet holster. There are many variants of holsters available making this pocket pistol an EDC no-brainer.

Covert Carrier for the Seecamp. Pretty slick. Works like the Barami Hip Grip seen below.

 Another great EDC set-up. S&W J-Frame 640 with a Barami Hip Grip  and Tyler T. +P+ Corbon .38 rounds. The Sure-Fire  Executive is tiny, exceedingly bright and high quality.  

Tried and true, my Glock 19. Estimated rounds through this pistol? Over 750K - the only significant thing I ever replaced was the parts package included in their "voluntary upgrade" years ago. I've used skateboard tape on it, an extended mag release, cut off the magazine well vertical lips, ground off the trigger guard and used a bicycle inner tube grip for years (works especially well by spraying DEET insect repellant on it then wiping it off with a cloth (NOT a paper towel). Makes the rubber super tacky). The finish wore off a long time ago. It's just getting broken in! It looks so nasty, when Gaston Glock saw it years ago at a "Guns and Ammo" writer's event and shoot, he offered to give me a new one...! Couldn't see the wisdom in switching from a pistol I'd become so accustomed to, to a new one - but I appreciated his offer. I switched to the Docter Optic sight years ago for two reasons - sight picture commonality with my carbine holographic sight and failing vision - yes, it's true - the eyes DO go first.

Elmer McEvoy's Leather Arsenal Surprise Special holster. Great inside the pants holster.

One of Tim Wegner's (Bladetech) original, vertical scabbard paddles. Great for the range where you want to be able to take the weapon on and off easily. Works well for "polite" concealment requirements. Super fast, reliable and sturdily built. Old school Laser Products light.