Massad Ayoob's Blog, page 4

HOW JURORS SEE US…AND OUR GUNS

How do jurors see armed citizens who have to shoot criminals in defense of self or others? And how does the type of gun we use impact their impressions? My old friend Glenn Meyer retired from a distinguished career as a psychology professor, during which he was involved in a number of mock trials reflecting […]

GOOD ADVICE FROM A LAWYER

[image error] My reading is primarily non-fiction, so I’m pretty picky about which novelists I’ll spare reading time for. One is Scott Turow, a former attorney whose fiction set in courtrooms rings true to my own experience after years as an arresting officer, police department prosecutor, and expert witness. His latest, this year’s “Presumed Guilty,” ran true […]

WHICH GUNS WOULD YOU SAVE?

Let’s say some horrible day one of those giant wildfires is sweeping toward your home. Grab up your loved ones, important papers, and life landmark mementos…and what guns would you feel compelled to rescue during the evacuation? My fellow writer at GUNS magazine, Clayton Walker, had to face exactly that recently. Let us know which […]

STAY COOL DURING SUMMER SHOOTING

When the outside temperature gauge on my vehicle registers 108 degrees as it did here recently, I pay attention. We Americans are going through a nasty heat wave all over the country. I’ve always preferred outdoor ranges to indoor, but this summer I’m limiting my “gun in the sun” time as best I can. I’ve […]

HOW LARGE A FIREARM DO YOU NEED?

Here’s an article I wrote almost 20 years ago for Backwoods Home magazine. It’s still relevant today, and I’ll tell you why. I live in an area where deer are hunted in dense vegetation, and a sporting hunter is only likely to have a long shot if they stake out a power line. The deer […]

A GREAT LAWYER PASSES

I was saddened to learn that Roy Black had passed away a few days ago, at 80. I first met him in 1983 during a high-profile manslaughter case, the trial of Miami Police Officer Luis Alvarez. His autobiography, “Black’s Law” (not to be confused with Black’s Law Dictionary which everyone should have anyway) focuses on […]

R.I.P. JOHN BENNER

The Grim Reaper continues to decimate the ranks of great firearms instructors. My old friend John Benner, founder and head of the Tactical Defense Institute in Ohio, has passed. With a long and distinguished record in law enforcement and SWAT, John’s school hosted many of today’s leading instructors and of course, he was a great […]

A VERY POPULAR PISTOL

When a firearm becomes hugely popular, there are generally good reasons. I’ve carried a Glock 19 for much of this year. Here’s why, from GUNS magazine where I’ve been writing the Handguns column for many years now.

A GREAT AMERICAN WHO SHOULD BE MORE FAMOUS

I enjoyed heck out of researching and writing about Holt Collier. I  hope you’ll enjoy reading about him. It appeared in my Ayoob Files series in American Handgunner magazine.

R.I.P. BIG AL

A friend and a truly great lawman has passed. Our mutual friend Jeff Chudwin informs us that Al Kulovitz died peacefully after a long illness. Al began his career as an evidence technician with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office headquartered in Chicago. As you might imagine from the location, he worked a great many homicides. […]