Don’t worry…I didn’t pack up and leave revolverscience to die in gutter somewhere.  It’s still here!  After the long drive home from the 2017 20th Anniversary Rangemaster Instructor Conference and Reunion, I had about ten hours to think about where I am currently and where I want to be in the future, in terms of professional development.

I really appreciate all of the faithful readers that subscribe to my feed here (thank you, all 50 of you!) and it was great to meet several of you in person this past weekend at the conference.  In the, “civilian self-defense,” world, I realized that I am known for a few different reasons:

1. I am a dentist.  Not sure why, but people really like, “their,” dentist to be a gun enthusiast.  Maybe because of the precision involved, or due to the Hollywood gun-slinging dentist persona, people dig it.
2. I wrote (my most popular essay) BECOMING THE CIVILIAN DEFENDER and then that essay got a TON MORE traction thanks to Tom Givens posting it on his Rangemaster Newsletter.  In the wake of the Antioch Church shooting here, in Nashville, in October 2017, I started teaching a 4 hour course for the layperson called, “CIVILIAN DEFENDER:  HEMORRHAGE ARREST COURSE,” and I needed a logo for my presentation, thus, the logo you see here was born.
3. Revolvers, although they are making somewhat of an industry comeback right now, are far from, “state of the art,” for civilian (and certainly law enforcement) applications.  So while I think that it is a VERY important skill (revolver operation) for the well prepared Civilian Defender to have, I don’t think it should supplant a modern, self-loading pistol for everyday carry.  YES…I do carry a back up gun on my ankle and it is a revolver, but as soon as I find a semi-automatic pistol that is as reliable, concealable, and tolerates a good deal of exfoliated skin cells, leg hair, smart wool shavings and associated dirt and grime from walking about, a Smith J frame will be my ankle gun, and I will tell you about it.  However, much like my mentor Tom Givens, I firmly believe that if you MUST carry a revolver for self-defense, that you should carry two.  Despite what Herbert behind the gun counter will tell you, revolvers don’t have fewer controls, nor are they easier to shoot, nor are they more accurate, nor are they more reliable, nor do they, “jam less,” than any quality self-loading service or concealed carry pistol.  YES…they are more tolerant of oddly shaped ammunition (like wadcutters) and YES, they are more tolerant of neglect, but they aren’t a panacea.  Thus, it would be disingenuous of me to give the impression that I SOLELY think that revolvers are the answer for civilian self-defense.
4. I am one of the two co-founders of the PAUL-E-PALOOZA MEMORIAL TRAINING CONFERENCE, in remembrance of the late trainer, Paul Everett Gomez.  Dr. William Aprill and I designed the conference in the days following Paul’s death to raise money to support Paul’s three children.  We wanted to have a conference similar in format to Tom Givens’ Rangemaster Tactical Conference, but, like Paul, allow the instructors to teach the WEIRD skills, tactics, concepts or ideas that might not get covered in their regular curriculum, OR, go into further detail than their regular curriculum permits.  Thus, just completing its fourth iteration this past August, “PEP,” as it is known in the community, has turned into an interesting, thought provoking, welcoming and very fun event.  I present something odd at every conference, and the masthead always reads, “DR SHERMAN HOUSE/THE PEOPLE’S DENTIST/REVOLVERSCIENCE,” which seems to cumbersome and odd, and thus the simple, “CIVILIAN DEFENDER,” as a website, concept, and url is far simpler.  Correspondance stock (and Speedo) too.
5. I am one of the few people in the industry with relevent experience gleaned from my pre-graduation days as a Shotgun Messenger on an armored truck.  If you’ve read any of my essays here at all, you’ve noticed that I’ve earned a few lessons from my time there.  It’s not a prestigious job, and there are many turds that work in the industry, like just about every other industry (including medicine and dentistry) but if you have a dollar bill in your pocket, thank an armored truck guy or gal for getting it to that bank, store or casino.  So, like the regular civilian CCW person, the armored truck crew is ALSO just trying to go about their daily life, the chief difference being that ONE: the armored truck crew has cash, precious metals, jewels or valuables that nearly everyone wants, TWO:  the armored truck crew travels about in an eponymous armored truck that has their contents, mission and contact info graphically described on the side of the vehicle.  There is no way to be a, “gray man,” in that job.  Thus, teaching or talking about the counter-ambush aspects of that particular job, and how they relate to the armed civilian are far more applicable under the idea of the CIVILIAN DEFENDER than they do for REVOLVER SCIENCE.
6. I always thought the name, “REVOLVER SCIENCE,” was cool, and presented a neat idea.  However, many people in the industry have said to me, “I don’t read your page because I don’t like revolvers.”  Then I would say, “There’s more than just revolvers there!”  To which they’d reply, “I don’t care.  I don’t like revolvers.”  At first I thought that this was simply a sentinel event, but it wasn’t!  I hear it frequently!
7. Dr. William Aprill was kind enough to mention me and my term, “CIVILIAN DEFENDER,” in his section of Massad Ayoob’s, “STRAIGHT TALK ON ARMED DEFENSE,” and thus, it has gained traction, and needs a, “home base.”
8. I DON’T SOCIAL MEDIA!  Social media isn’t social…I much prefer to meet and interact with people the old fashioned way:  in person at classes and conferences, on the phone, or via email etc.  I think when we are talking about matters of self-defense, freedom of speech and the right to keep and bear arms, ALONG WITH the entirety of the Bill of Rights must be respected and adhered to.  Until there is a, “social media,” platform that allows unimpeded rights to the consumer, I won’t be on it.  So, welcome to the, “back corner,” of the exhibit hall.  This is the most punk-rock solution I have at the moment, and it works for me.  All the cool kids are here, and you should be too.

So, hopefully that explains the changes.  This will also let me post more content, since I don’t have to spin a revolver twist into it (which I don’t always do, but I do try and preach to my entire audience, not just the choir).

Thanks for hanging around.  Please subscribe, encourage your friends to subscribe, and share my work on social media if you like it.  If you have reader questions you’d like to submit, leave me a comment or hit me up at drhouse@civiliandefender.com

Thank You,

Dr. House