I know we have the list of schools posted here, but what about training books/magazines. I will say that most magazines are nothing but fancy gun adds. I read SWAT, as it seems to be about the only one I have found to actually have worthwhile information. What do you guys read, and what books are recommended reading for training/shooting/fighting with a firearm, be it a sidearm, carbine, or shotgun.
Andy Stanford’s [i]Surgical Speed Shooting[/i] has some excellent descriptions and explanations about marksmanship fundamentals such as grip and stance. I don’t agree with everything in the book (for example, he repeats the oft-heard myth that racking the slide is more reliable under stress than using a slide release/catch lever) but much of his information is given in a contextual, scientific manner.
While primarily competition-oriented, two “advanced” works on running a pistol with speed & accuracy are J. Michael Plaxco’s [i]Shooting From Within[/i] and the even more zen-like [i]Practical Shooting: Beyond Fundamentals[/i]. Ironically, much of the information in the books which was considered “only good for playing games” has now become standard teaching for SWAT teams, military units, etc.
[i]On Killing[/i] and [i]On Combat[/i] by Dave Grossman are incredibly valuable studies of warrior mindset and “killing psychology.”
[i]Training at the Speed of Life[/i] by Ken Murray is primarily focused on conducting force-on-force training, but much of the book, especially the beginning chapters, do an outstanding job covering many issues related to mindset, tactics, etc.
Peyton Quinn’s [i]Real Fighting[/i] isn’t specifically about shooting, but is an outstanding discussion of the need for realistic stress-based training as opposed to the more traditional “dojo” training which is really very common among shooting schools, too.
A must-have for any serious shooter both from a mental conditioning and historical standpoint, Cooper’s [i]Principles of Personal Defense[/i] should be on everyone’s bookshelf.