Steve Collins is a firearms and tactics instructor with over 25 years of teaching military, security and civilian personnel.  He spent 17 years on active duty with the US Army and served during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.  He has been head of Personal Security Details for field grade and General Officers during his time overseas.  He was also a shooter/instructor with the US Army Marksmanship Unit, competing in action pistol matches and training deploying military personnel in the combat use of the rifle and pistol.  While assigned to the Basic Officers Leaders Course at Fort Benning, GA, he was the primary instructor for Advanced Rifle Marksmanship, and was responsible for training over 400 newly commissioned lieutenants during his time there. He holds instructor certifications from the US Army and the National Rifle Association, and has conducted training classes in Alabama, Illinois, Washington, and Missouri. Steve began shooting in rifle competition when he was 12 years old, competition pistol at 15, and has won numerous awards since. When he's not shooting or writing, Steve spends his time chasing chickens, annoying his wife of 25 years, and playing with his grandkids on their compound in SW Missouri.

Home Defense Alternatives to the AR-15

Not all places or people are friendly to the AR-15. Regardless, there are plenty of gun alternatives for defending your home beyond the most popular — and regulated — semi-auto rifles in America today.

Shooting the Winchester Model 62A

I’m pretty sure everyone remembers their first gun, or at least the first one they ever shot. For me, it was a Ruger Blackhawk .357 Magnum, when I was about five years old, shooting at a stump across a dried-up pond. For most, it was some sort of .22 caliber pistol or rifle. I don’t […]

One Caliber, Two Guns: It’s not Just for Cowboys

In the 1800s, cowboys kept their rifle and handgun in the same caliber for convenience. It's no different today when looking to streamline your choices with one caliber, two guns.

A Short History of the 1911

The 1911 pistol has been pronounced dead many times, but it shows no sign of slowing down. More models come to market every year, and the basic design still dominates in action pistol competition. The future will see more high-capacity 9mm 1911s with red dots, but the original, the 5-inch barreled Government Model .45ACP, will never disappear completely.

Building Your Survival Battery

The world has changed a lot since I started my survivalist journey, and some would say not necessarily for the better. Long ago and far away in the middle of the Cold War, our biggest worry was nuclear Armageddon and the possibility of seeing Russian troops on US soil. Most of us believed that those […]

Do I Really Need Spare Ammo?

I’ve never heard anyone say they didn’t want more ammo. Ever since I started learning about guns and defensive shooting, I’ve always been told to carry at least one reload, and more if possible.  I think that traditionally we did this because that was the standard loadout for the 1911 — the gun and two […]

Shooting the Smith & Wesson Model 12 .38 Special

With the resurgence of interest in snubby revolvers, the Model 12 is a worthy option. It is an outstanding revolver in its own right.

Lessons and Lore from Elmer Keith

In the modern tactical and self-defense training world, a lof of discussion seems like knowledge that’s just been discovered in the last 20 years. Well, I hate to tell you, but it’s all been said before. The old saying, “If you want to learn something new, read an old book,” holds very true in the firearms field. Do yourself a favor and read Elmer Keith's classing shooting book, “Sixguns by Keith.”

Reload Your Own Ammo… If You Want To Be a Good Shot!

Reloading your own ammo offers plenty of benefits, not the least of which is that you'll have more ammo to train with. Try reloading your own ammo. You just might find it as addictive as I do.

Traveling With Guns and Gear: How to Safely Transport Your Training Gear

With a little bit of forethought, traveling to class and home again can be done with a minimal bit of effort. Do some planning, then get to training!

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