Reviews: The Modern Day Gunslinger: The Ultimate Handgun Training Manual

The PIPE-HITTER’s Bible to Pistolcraft!

The “Modern Day Gunslinger: The Ultimate Handgun Training Manual” is by far one of the most detailed compendiums on pistolcraft I have read in a longtime. The book covers a lot of information not covered in most pistol books; topics range from the mental aspects to the hardware, as well as the dynamics and mechanics of gunfighting and advanced marksmanship. If I was to make one complaint of the book it would be in the quality of the paper the book is printed on, which is flimsy and not a quality durable paper found in most other books. But I bought the book for the information not the quality of the paper. I highly recommend this book to military and law enforcement personal as well as the concerned and armed citizen.

If You Buy Only One Book on Shooting…

By D. Buxman “A Seeker of Truth” (Pueblo, CO United States)
The Modern Day Gunslinger is the one to buy. This book is the most comprehensive and well-written book on practical pistol shooting skills that I have ever read. Starting with the indispensable basics of gun and range safety, Don Mann covers every base from the Combat Mindset and weapon selection, to stance and practical shooting drills. When I got the book today, I couldn’t put it down, but I will certainly read it again and keep it handy for future reference. This book has practical and useful information for both beginners and experts. It is liberally illustrated with informative photographs that compliment the narrative. I appreciated the fact that the author didn’t make universal value judgments where they weren’t required. While the rules of gun safety leave little room for debate, the choice of caliber or concealment methods are a matter of unique personal choice, based upon individual needs and characteristics. The author understands this distinction and provides the information each shooter needs to make his or her own choices. The Modern Day Gunslinger is a book to be studied, contemplated and implemented on the firing line. I recommend it without reservation.

Read First If You Intend to Carry

Imagine that you are in a situation where you have every reason to believe that you are about to be murdered or at the least seriously injured. In this case you have two and one half seconds to kill the threat that 92% of the time will be within twenty feet of you. This is the subject of The Modern Day Gunslinger by Don Mann. Of course there are important considerations: what can you do to minimize the danger in the first place? What are the legal risks, i.e., where you reasonable? If not, you may be on your way to jail. And of course, how can you prepare yourself to do what you must do in the two and a half seconds that you have to do it. And then, what if there is more than one threat? This book is a training manual and all throughout there are helpful shooting tips that alone are worth the price but don’t look for any brand or type recommendation as there aren’t any. Don Mann spent twelve years writing this book and we – that is all of us who are carrying or considering carrying – owe him a debt of gratitude.

Interesting read.

By Milo W. Slater (Tulsa,Ok.)
If you keep everything in perspective that you read in this book, it’s really pretty good. I keep it next to my end table while watching TV and pick it up to read over and over several nights a week. Good info and entertaining. Shipping was on the mark.

An encyclopdia of gunfighting and tactical preparedness

By Judson I. Miers “jmiers” (Oklahoma City, OK)
There’s not a lot of information I can add to the reviews, but I wanted to add what I could.

Pros:
1) If you been in the shooting culture for a while, there is not a lot of “new information.” That is not a detractor because there are LOTS of people and trainers who are drawn from, so you’ll see information from Col. Cooper, Clint Smith, Rob Pincus, and others. What IS nice is that they’re compiled together in a single resource.
2) The topics are quite broad and expansive, which makes it a great read but also a great reference on the shelf and a companion to either a video series or training class. It’s the reinforcement that drives patterns home.
3) There are NUMEROUS pics!

Cons (very minor indeed):
1) I would’ve liked to see more of the technical side of Mann’s teachings such as range diagrams, gel blocks showing different round penetrations, etc.
2) I would have liked to have wider margins for note-taking, but that’s just a personal preference.
3) Comb binding or a larger format book would be better, but again, that’s just a personal preference.
4) While difficult to not offend some, I would have liked to have seen product evaluations for newbies such as pros and cons for an against leather vs kydex holsters, 1911 designs, Glocks, SIGs, Kel-Tecs, S&W, Rugers, etc. I would imagine they are not in here because of not wanting to sound biased, and I can understand that all too well.

All in all, I highly recommend this text and will be recommending it to those who go through my NRA courses. My cons are fairly minor and nit-picking, so don’t let them detract from the overall presentation of the material, the breadth of topics covered and the depth to which they are covered.

You did good, Don!

Great book!

By Travis Zee (South Dakota)
This was a great book on defensive shooting! The author does a good job of teaching the techniques without trying to make them overcomplicated. He gives you many options for different situations (like stances) while saying which one he (and the shooting community in general) likes but that there are other options that might work better for you. He offers shooting drills and different ways of learning how to shoot. Really good book.

Should be a must read for all U.S. citizens.

Even if you are anti-gun you should give this book a read, as it will give you the understanding to handling a handgun should the situation arise (I don’t mean the jersey shore joker). The M.D.G. walks through all the safety precautions of handling a handgun, shows practical lifesaving close quarters techniques, and gives the tips of a seasoned shooter. If you have taken the CHP class you will find some redundant info, but the rest of the read is worth it to make you a competent, efficient, and safe handgun owner.

Good Bull

This book is good for both a novice and a professional. It reaffirms what a pro should know, and gets him back in the “mode”

The Modern Day Gunslinger, great tips and techniques

This book covers things from the very basics of Safety and how to hold a firearm, to advanced techniques for shooting, accuracy, and self defense. Very informative no matter what level you are or what you are looking for, there is something for you in this book.

The best handgun book I have found

This is one awesome book! To me, it’s a great collection of some of the best firearms training I have ever had.

The author, Don Mann, is obviously very experienced and knowledgeable. The way this book is put together allows the reader to get great information but not be overwhelmed with a lot of technical information all at once. His instructions are clear, concise and listed in a way that is easy to follow.

I have recommended this book to many of my fiends in law enforcement and the military as well as civilians. If you are going to carry a pistol, whether professionally or for personal protection, I believe that this book is a must!

The new “go to” source for all things hand gun/carry questions

From Texas Game and Fishing magazine, by Steve LaMascus, Texas Ranger
Don Mann’s new book, the Modern day Gunslinger is the new “go to” source for all things hand gun/carry questions.