Today I drove about 125 miles away from my home on business. I did what I always do.
The items on the left were on my person. I also brought an ankle holster for that gun in case I switched to the larger gun and wanted to carry the snubbie as a back-up.
The items on the right were in the truck - pistol locked in the pistol safe that is bolted to the truck.
It was an uneventful day, so the items on the right never left the truck until I returned home. Had something happened that caused me to feel I needed more gun (civil unrest for example), I could easily have switched load-outs. There was also a level 4 vest, walkout bag with gear, food, water, an additional 100 rounds, 3 extra mags, and a satellite communicator in the truck.
Plan A: Drive home - if the route is safe.
Plan B: Find a hotel/motel and shelter in place until the storm passes. Then drive home, if my vehicle survives.
Plan C: Find a remote area to shelter in place and stay with the vehicle.
Plan D: Leave my vehicle if rendered inoperative, then commandeer another vehicle, pay for a ride, or walk.
I always keep enough cash to pay my way.
I will probably never need any of this. Still, a plan fails automatically when you don't have one. Also, have a plan B and a plan C for when B doesn't work.
In the first half, attorney Sean Maloney from Second Call Defense joins me to explain the lessons gun owners can learn from what happened to Kyle Rittenhouse.
In the second half, I discuss a home invasion case from Oceanside California in which the homeowner successfully defended himself.
Trump Just Made Virginia REGRET It's AR-15 Ban.
Jul 3, 2026 ✪ Members first on July 3, 2026
Virginia’s new AR-15 ban is already facing serious problems. Between court injunctions, confusion over who can enforce the law, questions for gun owners and FFLs, inheritance and family-transfer exceptions, a massive pre-July 1 buying surge, and a new DOJ lawsuit challenging the law, Virginia may have created a much bigger Second Amendment fight than it expected.
In this video, we break down what the injunction does and does not do, whether State Police or local law enforcement can enforce the ban, how FFLs may handle the risk, why the law does not simply erase existing AR-15s, and how the Trump DOJ lawsuit could turn Virginia into a major test case for AR-15 bans nationwide.
July 4th is a day of national significance. If you're going to a celebration, keep that in mind and set yourself up for success.
Here's a short list I follow (I made a graphic for you to make it easier):
1. Have an egress plan and a shelter-in-place plan. Those aren't mutually exclusive. Knowing when not to move can be just as important as knowing how to leave.
2. No plan survives first contact. Expect adaptation, not perfection. Always have alternatives. If Plan A or Plan B becomes unsafe, you're not starting from scratch under stress.
3. Remember that other people have agency too. Traffic, crowds, accidents, police activity, weather, terrorism, or a drunk driver can all change the situation through no fault of your own.
4. Preparation expands your options. It doesn't guarantee success, but it gives you more choices when circumstances change.
5. Your backup plan shouldn't be elaborate. My grandpa used to say, "The more bends you put in the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain." Keep it simple.
Here's an ...
