News & Updates
The Blog
In-depth writing on training, marksmanship, safety, gear and Florida firearms law from instructor Dan Ribacoff.
50 articles across 7 categories
- Concealed Carry (8)
- Fundamentals (11)
- Getting Started (8)
- Guns & Gear (6)
- Home & Personal Defense (6)
- Safety (6)
- South Florida (5)
How to Hold a Handgun: The Grip That Fixes Almost Everything
Grip is the single highest-leverage thing a shooter can fix. Here is exactly how to build one that survives recoil, fatigue and adrenaline.
Read article →FundamentalsTrigger Control: Why the Last Quarter-Inch Decides Everything
Perfect sight alignment ruined in the final instant is the most common shooting error there is. Here is how trigger control actually works and how to build it.
Read article →FundamentalsSight Alignment vs. Sight Picture: The Distinction That Fixes Your Accuracy
They sound like the same thing. They are not, and confusing them is why many shooters focus on exactly the wrong object.
Read article →FundamentalsWhy You Shoot Low and Left (And How to Fix It in One Session)
The most common shooting fault in existence, explained properly — including why the popular diagnostic wheel chart is mostly wrong.
Read article →FundamentalsShooting Stance: Isosceles, Weaver and What Actually Matters
Stance debates consume a lot of internet oxygen. Here is the short version of what stance does, what it does not do, and how to build one that works under stress.
Read article →FundamentalsThe Complete Guide to Dry Fire Practice at Home
The highest-return firearms practice available costs nothing, uses no ammunition and can be done in your living room. Here is how to do it safely and correctly.
Read article →Getting StartedYour First Live-Fire Session: What Actually Happens
Nervous about walking into a facility for the first time? Here is the whole process, step by step, so nothing surprises you.
Read article →FundamentalsHow to Shrink Your Groups: A Diagnostic Approach
Your groups are the size they are for identifiable reasons. Here is how to work through them systematically instead of guessing.
Read article →FundamentalsRecoil Management: Controlling the Gun Instead of Surviving It
Recoil is physics, and physics can be managed. Here is what actually controls muzzle rise and what merely feels like it does.
Read article →FundamentalsReloads and Malfunction Clearing: The Skills Nobody Practises
Everyone practises shooting. Almost nobody practises what to do when the gun stops. Here is the whole subject, drilled down to procedures you can rehearse at home.
Read article →Getting StartedHow to Choose Your First Handgun (Without Wasting Money)
The gun store counter is the worst possible place to make this decision. Here is a framework that starts with purpose and ends with a gun that actually fits you.
Read article →Getting StartedPrivate vs. Group Firearms Lessons: An Honest Comparison
Group classes are cheaper per hour. Private lessons are usually cheaper per unit of actual learning. Here is the real trade-off.
Read article →Getting StartedGun Fit and Hand Size: When the Firearm Is the Problem
Some shooting problems cannot be trained away because the gun genuinely does not fit the hand. Here is how to tell the difference.
Read article →Getting StartedTwelve Mistakes Almost Every New Shooter Makes
None of these are signs of a bad shooter. All of them are predictable, and all of them are fixable in a single session.
Read article →Getting StartedHow Many Firearms Lessons Do You Actually Need?
An honest answer, broken down by goal — from basic safety through defensive competence.
Read article →SafetyThe Four Rules of Gun Safety, Explained Properly
Everyone can recite them. Far fewer understand why they are redundant by design, and why that redundancy is what actually keeps people alive.
Read article →SafetySafe Firearm Storage at Home: Balancing Access and Security
The tension between having a firearm available and keeping it out of the wrong hands is real. Here is how to resolve it deliberately rather than by default.
Read article →SafetyTeaching Children About Firearms: What Actually Works
Curiosity is a greater risk than knowledge. Here is how to handle firearms education with children of different ages.
Read article →SafetyHearing and Eye Protection: The Gear Most People Get Wrong
Cheap hearing protection is one of the hidden causes of poor shooting. Here is what to buy and why it matters more than you think.
Read article →SafetyFiring Line Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules Nobody Tells You
The rules posted on the wall are the easy part. Here are the social conventions that separate the welcome from the merely tolerated.
Read article →Concealed CarryThe Florida Concealed Weapon License: A Practical Guide
What the training requirement involves, how the application process works, and why the license still makes sense even where it is not strictly required.
Read article →Concealed CarryHow to Choose a Holster (And Why Your Belt Matters More)
Most holster complaints are actually belt complaints. Here is how to buy the whole system correctly the first time.
Read article →Concealed CarryDrawing From Concealment: Building the Skill Safely
The draw is the most dangerous thing a carrier does regularly. Built correctly, it is also entirely routine. Here is the progression.
Read article →Concealed CarryProhibited Places: Where You Cannot Carry in Florida
The list of prohibited locations catches people out constantly. Here is the general framework and how to build habits around it.
Read article →Concealed CarryConcealed Carry in South Florida Heat: Practical Solutions
Ninety-five degrees and ninety percent humidity is a genuine concealment problem. Here is how people actually solve it.
Read article →Concealed CarryReciprocity and Travelling With a Firearm From Florida
Your license travels. Florida law does not. Here is how to cross state lines and fly without creating a problem.
Read article →Concealed CarryUse of Force: The Framework Every Florida Carrier Should Understand
An educational overview of the concepts underlying lawful use of force — and a strong recommendation to speak with an attorney.
Read article →Concealed CarryEveryday Carry: Building a System That You Will Actually Use
The gear that surrounds a carry gun matters as much as the gun. Here is the whole system, in order of importance.
Read article →Home & Personal DefenseBuilding a Home Defense Plan That Holds Up at 3am
A firearm is one component of a home defense plan and not the most important one. Here is how to build the rest.
Read article →Home & Personal DefenseHandgun, Shotgun or Rifle for Home Defense?
Each has real advantages and real drawbacks. The right answer depends on your home, your household and your training — not on internet consensus.
Read article →Home & Personal DefenseLow-Light Shooting and Flashlight Technique
You cannot shoot what you cannot identify. Here is how light actually works alongside a firearm.
Read article →Home & Personal DefenseSituational Awareness Without the Paranoia
Awareness is a habit, not a state of alarm. Here is what it actually looks like in daily life.
Read article →Home & Personal DefenseWhat Happens After a Defensive Incident
The moments after are as consequential as the moments during. An overview of what to expect and how to prepare.
Read article →Home & Personal DefenseHome Defense in a Condo or Apartment
Standard home defense advice assumes a detached house. Much of South Florida does not live in one. Here is the adapted version.
Read article →Guns & GearAR-15 Basics for New Owners
The most common rifle in America, explained from the beginning: how it works, how to zero it, and what actually matters.
Read article →Guns & GearPatterning Your Shotgun: The Exercise Every Owner Should Do
The belief that a shotgun cannot miss is the most dangerous myth in firearms. One afternoon with paper targets fixes it permanently.
Read article →Guns & GearRed Dots vs. Iron Sights on a Handgun
Pistol optics have gone from novelty to standard. Here is what they genuinely fix, what they do not, and who should switch.
Read article →Guns & GearAmmunition Explained: What the Numbers on the Box Mean
Calibre, grain weight, bullet construction, velocity and pressure ratings — a plain-language guide to reading an ammunition box.
Read article →Guns & GearGun Cleaning, Step by Step (And Why Most People Overdo It)
Cleaning is simpler than the internet suggests and lubrication matters more than spotlessness. Here is a practical routine.
Read article →Guns & GearRevolver or Semi-Automatic? A Realistic Comparison
The advice that revolvers are simpler for beginners is only half true. Here is the fuller picture.
Read article →South FloridaBuying a Firearm in Florida: The Process, Step by Step
What actually happens at the counter, what the background check involves, and how to prepare so the purchase goes smoothly.
Read article →South FloridaIndoor or Outdoor? Choosing the Right Setting for Your Training
Climate, distance, noise and facility rules all change what you can practise. Here is how to think about where a given lesson should happen.
Read article →South FloridaShooting in South Florida Heat: Performance, Gear and Safety
Ninety-plus degrees with high humidity affects your shooting, your firearm and your judgement. Here is how to work with it.
Read article →South FloridaHurricane Season and Your Firearms: Storage, Evacuation and Documentation
South Florida's storm season raises questions most firearm owners have never considered until the cone appears on the map.
Read article →South FloridaNew to Florida? What Gun Owners Moving Here Should Know
South Florida's climate, housing density and legal framework all differ from where you came from. Here is the orientation.
Read article →Getting StartedFirearms Training for Women: What Actually Helps
Less condescension, better gun fit, and instruction that starts where you are. What good training for women looks like.
Read article →Getting StartedFirearms Training for Older Adults
Changing vision, grip strength and joint comfort all affect shooting. All of them have practical solutions.
Read article →SafetyYouth Firearms Lessons: What a Good One Looks Like
What is taught, at what age, and why a third-party instructor is often more effective than a parent.
Read article →FundamentalsEye Dominance, Glasses and Aging Vision
Cross-dominance, presbyopia and astigmatism all affect shooting in specific ways. Here is how to identify and work around each.
Read article →FundamentalsPractice Drills That Actually Improve Your Shooting
Structured, measurable drills beat aimless round-dumping. Here are the ones worth your ammunition.
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