Gun & Prepping News #101

Some links that may be of interest: 

• "SAF Wants to Know Why ATF Thinks Rare Breed’s Patent Litigation Is Any Of Its Business"--Shooting News Weekly.  The ATF is trying to insert itself into a patent lawsuit between Rare Breed and competing forced reset trigger products. Presumably this is because the ATF knows that if it can help Rare Breed win its lawsuit, it will keep the prices high and supply low on forced reset triggers.
• "Gun Skills – Pieing a Room"--Shoot On. The author starts out by explaining:

    Knowing what’s going on inside a room is essential prior to entry, as pandemonium can ensue otherwise. Of course, what I’ve just stated is nearly impossible, especially in an unfamiliar environment; however, this doesn’t mean that we must rush straight in. There is a means of slowly revealing what is on the other side while mitigating our own exposure to danger. The process is called slicing the pie or simply pieing. It involves dividing the room of interest into angular sections based on your position to the door.

    Understanding the practice of pieing begins with learning the basic mechanics of a door by observing the hinges. Doors will swing toward this hardware. So, in most cases, it pays to be on the other side when opening them. Now, your starting position might change depending on the layout of the room you’re about to enter (if you know it), but for the sake of simplicity, let’s leave it there for now. 

The remainder of the article has instructions and tips for pieing a room and concludes with a couple drills you can run at an appropriate shooting range or favorite shooting area.

• "Tactical Intelligence: The Thinking Man’s Guide to Civilian Body Armor"--Bone Tactical. As an initial matter, the author notes the two basic reasons for your average citizen to own and use body armor: as part of a home defense plan or strategy; or civil unrest/SHTF. But in the latter case, he recommends something concealable and low-key, lest you become a target. He has other tips and advice, so be sure to read the whole thing. 
• "Faster, Accurate Shooting: Mastering Pistol Trigger Control"--Handguns Magazine.  An excerpt:

The first rule of trigger control is that pressure should be applied evenly to the front of the trigger. It’s vitally important that the trigger press is straight back because any uneven pressure will result in muzzle movement. This straight-back trigger press offers another advantage that few people consider: better recoil control. If I’m consistently pressing the trigger right to left, then the gun is moving in my hand. When the gun settles out of recoil the sights will be out of alignment. When you press straight back and the gun settles, the sight will be closer to centered (provided you have a solid grip and even pressure, but we’ll address this more later). 

And while he doesn't think it matters exactly where what part of the finger rests on the trigger, he comments:

What most certainly does matter is which joint flexes when firing the gun. There are three bones—known as phalanges—that compose each finger. The bones at the tip of the finger are known as distal phalanges, and they are attached to the medial (or middle) phalange. The finger bone closest to the hand is the proximal phalange. When firing, flexion primarily occurs at the joint between the proximal and medial phalange. This is the primary lever that you use when shooting, and this is the joint that you should flex each time you fire. Your knuckle joint should not move while firing. 

• "The AK-47: A History of Practical Design That Still Matters Today"--Ammo Land.  A brief history of the weapon, including its origin, production history, and impact. As the author observes: "The AK prioritizes reliability and ease of manufacturing over precision. It wasn’t designed to be perfect—it was designed to work, and to keep working under harsh conditions."
• On a related note: "Maintaining The AK Series Of Rifles: From The User To The Maintainer"--The Firearm Blog. This article covers the inspection of the rifle (including common wear and failure points), cleaning, and maintenance and replacement of components over time. For instance, the author relates that "AK barrels typically last 10-20k rounds" depending on use, and "it's recommended to replace all the springs at roughly 5-8k rounds."
• "Basic Defense Handgun: Taurus Model 82"--The Tactical Wire. Some people don't have the money to buy a Gucci priced revolver or defensive pistol, and don't have the time, money, and/or interest to put into a lot of training or practice. But they still need something basic for self-defense. That appears to be the niche for this weapon. The author relates:

    Like many, I’ve seen and read about Caleb Giddings’ extensive use of the most basic Taurus revolver. Described as a “security guard’s gun,” apparently a number of agencies, private and public, in South America make extensive use of the Model 82. 

    A fixed sight, four-inch 38 Special revolver, rated for +P ammunition, it’s analogous to the guns worn by US police and security since before WWII. 

    When last I took note of Caleb’s trek with the plain old 38, his gun had consumed around 13,000 rounds of ammunition. He shot it at matches where “modern” semi-autos and pistol-mounted optics covered the ground. He shot it at distance, with an enviable group, and shot it quickly in match prep and competition.

    And he’s carried it concealed more than just a little. 

    That’s confidence.  

He goes on to describe the pistol as well as the results of testing some ammunition through it. The firearm does appear to be regulated for 158-grain projectiles. Looking up the prices, it appears that the MSRP is about $540, but Sportsman's Warehouse was listing it for roughly $420. 

• CCI has released some new .22 LR options:
• "The Rimfire Report: What's Different About CCI's Golden Boy Ammo?"--The Firearm Blog.  This round uses a 36-grain projectile and is supposed to be optimized for feeding a lever action.
• "CCI’s New Hunter Series .22 LR Is Hitting Shelves"--The Truth About Guns. This comes in a standard super-sonic loading and a sub-sonic loading, both using a 40-grain lead flat-nose Small Game Bullet (SGB). The author points out: "A flat-nose solid lead projectile tends to retain its mass through soft tissue and bone rather than fragmenting the way a hollow point will — which is exactly the trade-off squirrel and rabbit hunters care about. You want the round to kill clean, but you don’t want to pick lead out of the meat or lose half the quarter to pulp." 
• "Manticore Arms Ripley Rail: The 1980’s Aliens Upgrade Your AR Needs"--Recoil Magazine. A product that allows you to mock up the M41A rifle used by the Colonial Marines in the movie Aliens using a short barrelled AR as the base weapon (sorry, no display showing the number of rounds remaining, though). 
• "Yes, Airsoft Guns Can Be a Useful Part Effective Firearm Training"--Shooting News Weekly. The author points out:

    Training is where you go and what you do to learn how and what to practice. Practice is what you do on your own to develop and maintain skill. In addition to learning how to press the trigger without disturbing the sights, there are many other things we learn in training; holster drills, moving and shooting, multiple target drills, etc.  

    For those whose only option is the local indoor range with severely restrictive rules, much of what you learned during training, things you want to practice, might be forbidden. This is when setting up your own airsoft practice range in a basement, garage, or backyard might be a legitimate idea.

    Also, some of us live on the opposite spectrum of the indoors-only range. I have lived in rural areas where the only ranges were outdoors and during the winter, blowing and drifting snow prevented access. When I lived in the northern part of the United States, I spent many January and February afternoons in my basement airsoft range getting in some valuable practice.  

• "Craig Boddington: How to Pick the Perfect Hunting Scope"--Rifleshooter Magazine. The author notes:

The vital zone of deer-sized animals isn’t small. Modern rifles that lack this level of accuracy are rare. So, you need the skill to hit that vital zone. Within 100 yards, with average vision and in decent light, this should be possible with open sights. Beyond that distance, and in the critical periods just before sunrise and after sunset, it’s your scope that enables you to properly see your animal, resolve your point of aim, and make the shot. 

The last sentence is probably the most critical one, so a scope with better glass but a lower power will be better than something with higher power that has poor quality glass. You also don't need too much power. The author reports good performance from his Leupold VX3 3.5-10x40mm. But, he adds, "a good quality 3-9X (or thereabouts) will do everything most of us need done. And that is about the maximum power you can have without parallax adjustment (which adds cost)." He likes the 32mm tubes over the 1-inch, but recommends against the 36mm which he believes are too big and heavy for hunting. 

• "The Budget Hunting Knives We Actually Use and Recommend"--Outdoor Life. Several knives ranging from $13 to $68. 
• "Undertsanding Elk Vocabulary is an Important Hunting Skill to Master"--Petersen's Hunting. Some of the calls discussed as those of the estrus cow, the calf call, and a couple bugle calls that the bulls will make.
• "Walker Razor Walkie Talkie Review: Real-World Range & Frequency List"--Modern Survival Blog. The ranges advertised for most walkie talkie radios are for ideal (and, frankly, unrealistic) conditions. The real-world ranges are generally much, much less. For instance, the Walker radios tested in this article had an advertised range of 2 to 3 miles, but the author's test put the good communication range as 300 feet, and essentially no communication beyond 1,300 feet. On the other hand, he purchased these specific radios because they integrated with the Razor electronic ear muffs and the real world ranges were sufficient for what he needed. 
• "Microprepping for People with Small Homes"--Urban Survival Site. The article begins:

    When most people picture an emergency stockpile, they imagine a basement lined with shelves, a spare bedroom packed floor to ceiling, or a garage full of five-gallon buckets. And if you've got that kind of room, great. But a lot of us don't. If you live in a small house or apartment, you might have nothing more than a single closet to work with.

    Here's the good news: it absolutely is. This is where microprepping comes in. Microprepping is all about squeezing a bunch of survival supplies into a tiny space by being organized, intentional, and clever about what you choose to store. Emergency supplies can take up a ton of room if you're careless, but if you plan well, you'd be surprised how much you can fit in one closet.

    In fact, you can put together a full 60 days of supplies for two adults in a single linen closet. We're talking food, water, health items, self defense, all of it. It just takes a bit of thought about what earns a spot on the shelf.

The article goes over 9 steps to putting together a "microprepping" stockpile, plus links to an video demonstrating how to transform that bathroom linen closet into your storage for preps. 

Trump Comes Through For Shooters & Hunters

A couple notable items:

• "Trump Tells DOJ: Don’t Appeal the Silencer NFA Ruling"--The Truth About Guns. A reminder from the article, however:

One important caveat: the way [Judge] Hendrix’s order was written, the relief currently applies only to members of the plaintiff organizations — current and future GOA members, plus PSA and SilencerCo customers. If you’re not covered by one of those, you’re still working under the old NFA rules for now, even as the underlying regulatory basis has collapsed for everyone else.   

• "New Trump orders loosen regulations on hunting, recreational fishing"--USA Today. The biggest point for most of us is that the order rolls back a Biden-era policy that prevented hunters and fishermen from using lead ammunition and tackle. The article also notes that the Interior Department recently issued a new rule permitting hunting at 95% of National Wildlife Refuge System lands, encompassing 92 million acres. Also:

The order takes aim at the lottery system that limits who can access high-demand Forest Service-administered river areas, directing Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to overhaul the lottery to prioritize U.S. citizens and applicants who haven’t previously received access. 

There is a lot more to the order, however, which you can read here. 

Weekend Reading #71

Some longer or more involved reading:

• Greg Ellifritz has a new Weekend Knowledge Dump at his Active Response Training blog.  Some of the more notable items:
• Greg links to the most recent Range Master newsletter, which itself has several items of interest including the drill of the month, some comments about the importance of institutional memory (i.e., history of techniques), and why 00 buckshot is the best buckshot size for self defense.
• Speaking of institutional memory, Greg notes that over the course of his career, he has "seen how the events encountered in historical police gunfights have completely changed training doctrine and equipment use for both police and armed citizens alike," and indicates that he is going to start a series discussing some of the most important law enforcement shootings and events that changed police training, gear and doctrine. In that vein, he links to an article about the Norco Bank Robbery. 
• Something that we may need to think about is whether to get involved in the defense of a stranger. Greg links to a piece that raises the issue of whether we are best serving our family if we do so.
• A historical article on combat using a Bowie knife. In the 19th Century, there were schools of fencing across the United States that specialized in teaching how to use this weapon.
• A review of Federal Punch in .22 LR as a defensive round. Short take: "But the .22 LR Federal Punch round stands above [other .22 LR rounds] in terms of performance and delivers penetration approaching the levels of .22 Magnum or even .380 ACP."
• Lucky Gunner's testing of ballistics from varying barrel lengths shooting .300 BLK. The testing didn't show much gain from using a longer 16" barrel over the short barrels. Conclusion: "The real advantage of .300 Blackout is flexibility rather than raw ballistics. You get solid performance inside 150 yards, it’s easy to run in a suppressed, short barreled rifle, easy to switch between subsonic and supersonic ammo without changing anything else about the gun, and there’s no shortage of factory loads for either." 

• John Wilder muses about "The Passing Of The American Empire?" First he lays out his case that the United States really does preside over an empire. Then he provides thoughts on whether we are in an empire in decline and where we are at on that path. 
• A long video (41 min.) rather than a read: "How cartel drug smuggling actually works, according to a trafficker"--Business Insider. 
• "Jim Corbett: Eradicator of Man-Eating Tigers & Conservationist"--Shooting Times.  If you like reading about the great dangerous game hunters, you've probably heard of Jim Corbett. If not, Corbett was tasked with hunting man-eating tigers and leopards in colonial India and became a bit of hero. But he also championed preservation of the big cats, with a national park in India named after him. And his caliber of choice was the 7x57mm Mauser (aka, .275 Rigby)--something that would probably be considered underpowered for hunting the big cats in this era. This article give a short biography of his life.  A couple more articles about Corbett:
• "Edward James Corbett - Hunter Turned Conservationist"--Nature Safari India. 
• "Inside Hunter Jim Corbett’s Legendary Showdowns With History’s Scariest Man-Eating Big Cats"--All That Is Interesting. 
• "Inside the disappearance of Hollywood starlet Jean Spangler that saw Kirk Douglas dragged into investigation... after mysterious note bombshell"--Daily Mail. An interesting article if you like true crime stories:

    In Hollywood's golden age, Jean Spangler was just one of countless young starlets dreaming of a fairytale rise to fame.

    With her porcelain doll looks and willowy 5ft8 frame, along with a resume of film bit parts, Spangler seemed destined to make some kind of mark in Tinseltown - even if it was not with her name in lights alongside darlings Betty Grable or Olivia De Havilland. 

    Tragically, the fame Spangler would so desperately seek would not come from her onscreen appearances, but her haunting disappearance in 1949.

    All Spangler left behind was a ripped purse, a mysterious note and a young daughter who never knew why her mother failed to come home. 

    The vanishing of the 26-year-old even saw megastar Kirk Douglas dragged into the fracas.

    Theories swung wildly - from her death during a botched abortion to Spangler leaving LA with gangsters.  

The article also notes that "Spangler disappeared just two years after the heinous murder of Elizabeth Short, who is immortalized in true crime history as the Black Dahlia. Spangler's striking resemblance to Short, combined with her work at Florentine Gardens, owned by Short's acquaintance and murder suspect Mark Hansen, saw police wonder if she was another victim of the killer." Unfortunately, Spangler's case has never been solved and remains open.

For Hunters: Why Pick A 200 Yard Zero Over A 100 Yard Zero

This video shows, using steel targets sized similar to the vitals of a deer, that with a 100 yard zero, you are wasting half of the vital zone. That is, if holding on the center of the vital zone, the strikes at 100 yards or less are basically the middle of the vital zone, and beyond 100 yards or less they fall below the midline until by 200 yards (using his 6.5 Creedmoor) it was hitting at the very bottom of the vital zone. Conversely, with a 200 yard zero--again aiming at the midline of the vital zone--the shots out to 200 yards were above the midline but still in the vital zone, and they you still had additional room beyond 200 yards where it was still striking in the vital zone. Obviously there will be some variance between this and other calibers and rifles, but the principle generally holds true.  

 VIDEO: "Why a 100-Yard Zero Wastes Half Your Vital Zone"
The Break (21 min.)

Gun & Prepping News #91

 Some links that may be of interest: 

• "Violence of Mind & Action: Combat Marksmanship"--Breach Bang Clear. 

    Combat marksmanship (CMMS) is the ability to place lethal precision fire on a threat target in all environments under the stress of combat in order to reduce a threat to a point that it is no longer viable.

    CMMS principles differ from those of marksmanship (MMS) because with the former, an enemy is either actively firing at you or has just been firing at you. In the latter, the Gunfighter has all the time to make a shot count. In CMMS, the Gunfighter has limited time to perceive a threat and then eliminate the threat. That time is literally the rest of their life.  

He goes on to discuss topics of preparedness, mental rehearsal, determination, passion, and speed in order to achieve violence of action:

Violence of action is the execution of actions with surprisingly overwhelming force. It is a culmination of all the passion, determination and speed needed to realize victory. When faced with violence of action the assailant must reevaluate the situation. Violence of action also diminishes the bravado of the assailant and increases the bravery of the Gunfighter. Violence of action is the one aspect that criminals use to surprise victims and totally dominate the situation. By dominating the situation, they control the victim. The Gunfighter must use all the aspects of the combat mindset to be the one that dominates the situation, eliminates any threats with the appropriate level of force and be prepared to go to that level of force.  Thereby controlling the situation and being victorious. 

• "Your Hunting Bullet Choice is Too Small: The Case for a .30 Caliber All-Around Rifle"--Shooting Times. The author's perspective is addressing a single rifle for hunting big game in North America, with his pick being either the .30-06 or .300 Winchester Short Magnum (WSM). He explains:

I recommend that most people wanting to be one-gun hunters focus on .30-caliber cartridges. Those can handle 180-grain to 200-grain bullets for black bears and big nondangerous game like elk and moose, where lighter, smaller-diameter bullets may be less effective.

However, he does recommend larger calibers for dangerous game (e.g., brown bear). 

• Speaking of .30 caliber hunting rifles: "Lightweight AR-10: Building a Hunt-Focused Backcountry Rifle (Part 1)"--American Hunter. The author begins:

AR-10 rifles are a lot of things, but “lightweight” typically isn’t one of them. That is, until the Ruger SFAR was released. But since that rifle is being discontinued, and the guns were somewhat scarce as it is, I thought I’d try my hand at building a lightweight AR-10 and getting it even lighter, if possible. I wanted to stay within a reasonable budget, though. That said, I observed diminishing returns in weight versus cost—it could be lighter by shaving off a few ounces (maybe as much as half a pound depending on the optic you pick), but it would be ridiculously expensive.

The first part focuses on the lower receiver, while the future part 2 will focus on the upper (including optic) and part 3 will cover tuning the rifle. The author used a Nemo Arms receiver set that is made of "billet 7075-T6 aluminum, it’s skeletonized in some places and has lightening cuts in others, minimizing weight." When I built mine, I used a Roam lower receiver made of magnesium which is listed as having a weight of 7.3 ounces. (I also used a Roam upper). 

Related:

• "Is an AR-10 a Good Hunting Rifle?"--Battlbox.  

Quick Answer: Yes, the AR-10 is an excellent hunting rifle. It is most effective for medium to large game like whitetail deer, feral hogs, and elk due to its semi-automatic action and chambering in powerful cartridges like .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor. 

• "How to Build an AR Hunting Rifle"--Peterson's Hunting.  Some discussion of building an AR-10 for hunting.
• "Building a Lightweight AR-10 on a Budget"--Shooting Illustrated.  

• On the subject of lightweight receivers (albeit for the AR15 platform): "33% Weight Reduction: New 1791 Industries LiteRaider MMC Receivers"--The Firearm Blog. Pricey, but here is the basics:

The weight race for AR platform receivers just shifted, and this is of interest for anyone who’s running & gunning a lot. 1791 Industries is introducing its LiteRaider line of ultra-lightweight uppers and lowers built from Metal Matrix Composite, a material engineered to sit 33 percent lighter than aluminum while matching the strength profile of 7075-T6. That's not a marketing-thin claim; it's built on an actual material science play, one that could reshape how builders approach the sub-eight-pound rifle conversation.

• If you are just looking for a lightweight hunting rifle, it is hard to beat a lightweight bolt action: "Howa Superlite: The Most Affordable Ultralight Hunting Rifle on the Market"--The Truth About Guns. The rifle, sans scope, is only 4.7 lbs. And as to price:

... Most of those ultralight rifles carry price tags north of $2,000, often $3,000 or more, before a scope ever touches the rail. The Howa Superlite in 6.5 Creedmoor breaks that pattern. At a street price that is typically under $1,000, you can easily build a complete rifle-and-optic package that comes in well under the price of other ultralight rifles. After putting rounds downrange from 100 yards out to 750 yards, it’s clear this mountain rifle backs up the affordable price tag with real performance.

• "I Want a Good Defensive Bullpup Shotgun…Is That Too Much to Ask?"--Shooting News Weekly. A quick look at the various bullpup shotguns on the market, including problems or downsides he sees to the different designs. He seems to lean toward the KSG-7 because he believes the extra tubes (and ammunition) just complicate the designs. And although the bullpup shotguns are slower to reload than standard layouts, the author does not believe this is a problem:

But I don’t think most people using a shotgun defensively will ever need to reload. I’ve looked, and I can’t find a single example of a civilian defensive shotgun encounter that required a reload. Even John Correia of ASP hasn’t seen a civilian defensive encounter that required a reload across the entire spectrum of civilian defensive firearms use. 

But, he also adds, "[a]t the end of the day, if having higher capacity and faster reloads is one of your must-haves, a shotgun probably isn’t going to be the weapon you’re going to pick anyway." 

• "KelTec KP50 Review: 100 Rounds of 5.7x28mm in a Compact, Folding Platform"--Guns America.  Another weapon you probably would not need to reload in a defensive context:

 KelTec completely reworked its original P50 concept, replacing the awkward top-loading design with a drop-free magazine, machined receiver and far more practical controls. We put the new KP50 through a high-volume range session, with and without a suppressor, to find out whether the unusual 5.7x28mm pistol is more than a novelty.

The review is very detailed--much more than most firearms reviews. However, the conclusion is:

    The KP50 is not for everyone, and KelTec clearly did not design it to be.

    It is heavier and larger than a conventional handgun. It lacks a last-round bolt hold-open, and its unusual internal arrangement requires the shooter to learn a different manual of arms.

    Ammunition cost will also discourage casual shooters from treating it like a rimfire plinker, no matter how mild the recoil feels. A 50-round box costs us $29, so it’s not ridiculously expensive but also not cheap like 22 LR.

    Within those limitations, however, the KP50 is a remarkably successful redesign.

    The new bottom-loading magazine corrects the original P50’s most awkward feature. The machined construction feels substantial. The folding brace, flat magazine orientation and uninterrupted top rail produce a compact package that is easy to configure and transport. Recoil is almost nonexistent, practical accuracy is excellent and the 9.6-inch barrel produces a meaningful increase in velocity compared with shorter 5.7mm pistols. 

     Most importantly, the KP50 is enjoyable to shoot.

    That may sound like faint praise, but it is not. Firearms do not always need to imitate existing service weapons or satisfy a narrowly defined tactical requirement. There is still room in the market for a well-built, mechanically interesting gun that is accurate, reliable under reasonable conditions, and genuinely fun on the range.

    The KP50 is strange, but it is not strange merely for the sake of attracting attention. Its unusual shape follows an unusual mechanical solution: fitting 50 or 100 rounds of 5.7x28mm into a compact firearm without hanging a large magazine underneath it.

    KelTec took an intriguing but awkward concept and turned it into a much more mature platform. The KP50 remains unmistakably KelTec, but this time the unconventional engineering is paired with unexpectedly good execution.

• "How the Kentucky Rifle Turned Frontier Hunters into America’s First Snipers"--Outdoor Life. A reprint of a 1948 article. An excerpt:

     It was in response to the demands of obstinate frontiersmen that the famous Kentucky model evolved. It hit its stride by about 1730 but underwent steady change for many years. Most rifles were built to the buyer’s specifications or according to the maker’s latest experiments, and the resulting new ideas were eagerly seized upon by competing smiths. For this reason, surviving examples show wide variations in detail. 

    No frontiersman wanted to carry a heavy weapon on his long treks in the wilderness. The weight was steadily reduced until the average Kentucky hunting rifle weighed between 9 and 10 pounds. (Those made for match shooting averaged about 19 pounds.) Similarly, using a large-caliber rifle meant that the lone pioneer had to carry a heavy load of bullets. So the caliber was reduced from the .65 and .70 common in Europe to about .45. The pound of lead that once yielded sixteen .70 bullets now gave forty-eight .45 balls — three times as many shots. 
    
    Simultaneously the front sight was enlarged and the trigger guard strengthened while it was stripped of its old bulk. But probably the most distinctive change came in the barrel, which on previous rifles had been uniformly short and heavy.

    Now it was lengthened, ranging in the early Kentucky models from 51 to 77 inches, or up to more than triple the length of the average big-game rifle of today. This meant that less powder was needed than before, because it burned cleaner. In the opinion of several authorities, this long barrel which gave great accuracy at the same time that it deadened the noise of the firing was the main factor in the success of the Kentucky rifle. 

    Coupled with this was the novel “patch” method of loading invented by some unsung genius. Thanks largely to this discovery, rifles could be reloaded in one fourth the time it took before, and eventually backwoodsmen were getting off their second shot in less than half a minute after the first.  

• "Butterfield Effect Hits ‘The Trace’ Hard as They Try to Reconcile Lower Crime, Higher Gun Ownership"--Shooting News Weekly. It's hard for gun haters and cowards to understand how gun crime can be declining at the same time as gun ownership continues to climb. 
• "Separate outbreak of diarrhea parasite with dozens of cases not related to recalled lettuce identified"--Daily Mail. 

    Health officials are tracking another outbreak of the 'explosive diarrhea' parasite as the disease runs rampant across the US.

    The FDA said 72 people had been infected with cyclosporiasis, a disease transmitted by food or water contaminated with human feces, in a separate cluster than the one with thousands of suspected cases potentially linked to lettuce and Taco Bell. 

• "How to survive the apocalypse, according to the world's best doomsday preppers"--BBC Science Focus. This article is mostly about the booming underground shelter business in the UK and the different survival needs a shelter must address. But there are some tips on storing food and water.
• "Why 20 Million Americans Now Identify as Preppers—and What They’re Buying"--Inc.  The article itself is not significant as it is just another piece on how the underground shelter business is booming--this time focused on the U.S.--but I was somewhat surprised at the statistic of 20 million Americans identifying as preppers, a number that has doubled since 2017 according to the article. 
• Perhaps more realistic for many Americans: "How to prepare for a huge disaster when you live in a tiny apartment"--Vox. An excerpt of an interview with Anna Maria Bounds, a sociology professor at Queens College in New York, and the author of Bracing for the Apocalypse: An Ethnographic Study of New York’s ‘Prepper’ Subculture. (There is a link to the podcast with the full interview). It has some useful advice on storing food and water when living in a small space. For instance, Bounds related:

    ... Another myth about prepping is that people think that that means that you have to have a whole room dedicated to stacks of toilet paper and rice and spaghetti sauce. Absolutely not. You just need to think carefully about how you live in order to learn how to manage your space.

    In the living room in the corner, I had a white freezer, which looked absolutely ridiculous. So I applied wallpaper to it, and I think it looks really cute. The things that I keep in there are varied. I keep several different types of meat. I have some uncooked, and then I have some that are cooked and sliced and that I’ve cooked and ready to go, and I’ve packaged them. We have vegetables, we have pasta, and we have soup. We have pot pies and extra bottles of water because in the event of a blackout, our food will stay colder longer because we have the frozen bottles of water in there. If we get an injury and I need to place something cold on our leg or on our back, we could use that. 

• "CPAP Battery Solutions" (Part 1) (Part 2) -- Blue Collar Prepping. The author discusses her solution for powering her CPAP is the power should go out. Her solution involved the Rockpals Freeman 600 power bank (which can be charged by solar) and some cords so she would power the CPAP using a 12 V output rather than AC. 
•  "How Long Do Firestarters Typically Last?"--Modern Survival Online. This is discussing ferrocerium rods. There are a lot of variables, not the least being the composition and hardness (or softness) of the rod. However, the author states they generally last between 5,000 and 15,000 strikes. However:

    The rule of thumb is that harder alloy compositions last much longer but they don’t produce as many sparks from a typical strike. That’s because less material is physically being consumed.

    Conversely, your softer alloy blends produce a much larger and more intense shower of sparks but they wear out much quicker due to greater consumption.

Gun & Prepping News #88

Some links that may be of interest: 

• "Goodbye M7, Hello XM8"--The Firearm Blog. Key bit:

The Pentagon's FY2027 budget request booklet outlines continued investment in the Generation Squad Weapons program but previously planned procurement of more M7s will now be replaced by the XM8. The US Army hasn't procured any M7 rifles in Federal FY2026 (which began on 1 October 2025).    

Also:

The Army states that the XM8 is approximately 3.5 inches shorter and over a pound lighter than the M7. The XM8 features a slimmer barrel, a shorter suppressor and new 25-round magazine. The XM8 also has improved hanguard rigidity and a fixed, rather than folding stock.

• "Field Shooting Positions & Real-World Hunting"--American Hunter.  The author observes:

    The reality is, hunting is chock full of randomness. Sure, you can pattern animals’ travel and, to an extent, timing, but everything else—such as where a big-game animal stops, the angle of its body, etc.—is unsystematic. Perfection is rare. And so it is with shooting, too.

    When a suitable shot is presented, and you’re confident in your abilities, you must do so at the earliest moment; procrastinating can cost you an animal, and potentially that once-in-a-lifetime trophy. Learning about, as well as practicing from, the various shooting positions can prepare you for whatever you encounter.

    In the subsequent sections, I detail some of the real-world field shooting positions, ranging from prone to standing, unsupported or “freehand,” along with middle-ground techniques. Not all shooters are comfortable with all of them, but the more versed you are, the better. Let’s begin with the most stable shooting position—prone. 

• "5 Red Dot Pistol Drills to Find the Dot Faster and Shoot Better"--Ammo Land.  This is an updated version of a 2025 article. The author begins by noting that it is not easy to switch from iron sights to a red dot, before giving a presentation drill. Alternatively:

    Another great way to get better at finding your dot is to work the draw and presentation in reverse. Start with the firearm extended and the dot on target, then reverse the presentation, breaking it down step by step. This is a great drill to do dry, but can be done with live ammo as well.

    Start in the ready position, on target. I use a B8, but you can use anything. With the dot on target, fire a shot, and then break the position down. Pull the weapon inward to the pre-presentation position, but try and keep the dot on target until the gun dips below your eyesight.

    From there, you can reverse the draw and reholster the firearm. Now you can draw and do a presentation drill. Then, repeat the process: start in the ready, fire a shot, and then break the form down, constantly looking for that dot.

• "Silencer Saturday #438: Wheel Gun Suppression With Revolver Seal"--The Firearm Blog.  In interesting product: a shroud that goes around the frame and cylinder of a Heritage Rough Rider to seal the cylinder gap when using a suppressor. 
• Mixing two great things: firearms and the Cthulhu Mythos: "The Tandemized Ruger MK IV"--The Truth About Guns: 

    I talked to the folks at TANDEMKROSS last year at GunCon and had a chance to shoot some of their customized guns at range day. Late last year I followed up with them and picked up the parts to do a build of my own. While TANDEMKROSS does offer complete pistols, I opted to put one of my own together.

    The MK IV is a pretty popular mod platform so you can buy just about any component you want individually. I picked up a new 22/45 Lite barreled upper in Flat Dark Earth as my base. It came with a threaded barrel, iron sights, and a Picatinny rail, but no bolt. From TANDEMKROSS I got one of their Cthulhu grip frames, bolt with Halo extended charging ring, compensator, fiber optic sights, and upgrade components for 22/45 magazines. 

    The primary upgrade piece from TANDEMKROSS is their Cthulhu lower. Cthulhu is an ancient eldritch horror from H.P. Lovecraft’s 1928 short story, The Call of Cthulhu. He’s represented as a colossal being with a tentacled face and is pretty much the epitome of uncaring evil. Why is the TANDEMKROSS lower named the Cthulhu? You’ll have to ask them that. I’m an H.P. Lovecraft fan so I’m good with it. I will say though, there’s nothing evil about their Cthulhu. 

• Some firearm history: "Beretta 1934: First Hit by the World’s Oldest Gunmaker"--Breach Bang Clear. Although Beretta is 500 years old, the article indicates that they didn't actually start manufacturing whole firearms until WWI. The Beretta 1934 was a .380 caliber that was adopted by the Italian military in 1935 and continued in production until 1991. The article discusses the history in more detail as well as describing how to field strip the pistol. 
• ".30-30 Winchester Ammo — Performance and Top Loads"--Mag Life. An excerpt;

    Shooters can expect 20 to 30 inches of penetration with the .30-30 Winchester. Traditional soft point ammo tends to penetrate about 20 to 25 inches, while solid copper monolithic rounds can achieve over 30 inches. Because of the slower velocity and heavy bullet design, .30-30 will typically travel through light barriers and bone without much deflection.

    Both soft point and hollow point rounds expand to roughly twice their original diameter, resulting in 0.60 to 0.65 inches. .30-30 is known for its excellent weight retention, and quality expanding loads retain 80 to 95 percent of their initial weight. Again, this is due to their moderate velocities, which prevent the intense forces that tear bullets apart. 

• "50/200 Yard Zero Simplified for 5.56 and .308 Rifles"--Ammo Land. The author writes:

The concept behind a 50/200 yard zero is straightforward: zero your rifle at 50 yards, and the bullet will cross the line of sight again at approximately 200 yards. This means that within this distance, your point of aim and point of impact will be very close, minimizing the need for adjustments. This is particularly advantageous in dynamic situations where quick target acquisition is crucial. I live in Northeastern Ohio where the longest shot I would realistically take is 200 yards, so this zero makes sense for my area. 

• "Concealed Carry Corner: Useful Vs Necessary Concealment Items"--The Firearm Blog. The author discusses three items: red dot; "upgraded" parts; and weapon lights/lasers. He considers the red dot to be necessary and the other two items as unnecessary. I am going to have to disagree. Red dots work well with race guns and openly carry duty weapons, but create snagging problem and increase bulk with concealed carry making it more difficult to conceal carry a weapon. Thus, they also fall into the "useful" category and, I would argue, actually detrimental with pocket carry. 
• "One Law at a Time: How Congress Dismantled the Second Amendment Over 90 Years"--The Truth About Guns. How Congress usurped the Second Amendment starting with the National Firearms Act, which tested the waters by justifying the violation of the Second Amendment as merely a form of taxation; and then when nothing happened, abandoning the taxation excuse and just moving on as if Congress had the inherent authority to regulate firearms. 
• "How to Vacuum Seal Rice for Long-Term Storage"--Modern Survival Blog.  Short version: "Yes, you can vacuum seal rice for long-term storage. For best results, use dry white rice, seal it in smaller vacuum sealer bags, keep it cool, dry, and dark, and protect the bags inside a bin or bucket so they do not get punctured."
• "14 Survival Supplies Most Emergency Kits Are Missing"--SHTF Preparedness. Some things that can be easy to overlook: a manual can opener; extra eye glasses; important documents; work gloves; dust masks or respirators; etc. I was a little disappointed to see no reference to nail files or clippers which are important to avoid injuries (and infections) that would result from a torn nail, and just plan hygiene benefits by having short nails which won't accumulate dirt and other material. I would also include nail brushes. 
• "How to Sharpen a Knife"--The Alpha Survivalist.  The author begins by noting that "[i]f a knife is properly taken care of,  it should never have to be “sharpened” it should only have to be honed or touched up. So to start honing your knife you can use many different things, but for this I will  just use the tools that are made for the job. I’ll start with an Arkansan sharpening stone."
• "How Many Gallons in a 20 lb Propane Tank?"--Modern Survival Blog. From the article:

Quick Answer: A properly filled 20 lb propane tank holds about 4.7 to 4.8 gallons of propane. Many exchange tanks contain only 15 lb, which is about 3.6 gallons.     

• "My 10-Step Guide to Preparing for an EMP"--Modern Survival Online. The author discusses each, but the basic 10 steps are:

1. Stock up on basics;
2. Assess vulnerabilities;
3. Get a generator;
4. Invest in radios;
5. Consider an older vehicle;
6. Protect critical gear with a Faraday cage;
7. Have an alternative method of heating your home;
8. Get analog tools and gadgets;
9. Establish a family contingency plan; and
10.  Improve your skills or learn new skills to become a Renaissance man.

• "Real World Solar Charging"--Blue Collar Prepping. 

    This winter, my parents gifted me a set of RV solar panels that they have no real use for as virtually all of their RV time is spent in parks with full hookups. Most of mine is as well, but there are places that I enjoy camping that do not have utilities at each site. In these places, you're constrained to what you can haul and what you can generate, and these constraints mean I have 58 gallons of water and whatever amperage my batteries are charged to when I leave home. When I reach the ends of that, I need to either be headed home or have a way to resupply.

    Today we'll look at recharging those batteries. Without an electrical outlet to plug into, my charging options are pretty limited:

•  I can hook my truck electrical system to the trailer, similar to jump starting, but that's very inefficient and doesn't provide a good charge to RV batteries. 
•  I can hook a generator to my trailer and create 120v power, which works very well with regards to convenience and utility, but it is quite loud, which the neighbors don't appreciate. Generators are also fairly heavy, require regular maintenance, and take up quite a bit of space. 
• Use a small solar array.

Gun & Prepping News #87

 Some links that may be of interest :

• "The Mount"--The Tactical Wire.  An excerpt:

    In wing shooting, a critical aspect is the mount – bringing the comb of the stock to the cheek under the dominant eye, bringing the gun to your eye line, not ducking your head to see the bead.

    In riflery, when crossing a plain in search of small varmints for example, the technique is largely the same -- as it is in combat. Bring the rifle to your eye, don’t duck down to the rifle.

    When shooting a handgun, according to an aged document from the American Pistol Institute (now known as Gunsite Academy), the plan for the 250 – Defensive Pistol included students beginning range experience with the mount.

    As there are less points of contact with the handgun than long guns, you could argue the mount is more critical. It’s certainly critical when learning the gun. 

    Some will decry this beginning as “range world,” alleging that one can never do this operationally. Is there something to this? It seems a bit like using the sights. Walt Rauch once told me that the sights on a handgun are like the training wheels on a child’s first bicycle; once you learn the mount through extensive practice, the sights confirm your hold.  

• "Overrated & Unneeded: Back-Up Iron Sights"--Recoil Magazine. Despite the click bait title, the author notes that if your handgun's red dot sight becomes occluded for some reason, your front iron sight will not be visible either. He discusses three alternative methods of sighting:

•  Guillotine/Shoulder Squaring

First popularized with the Trijicon RMR due to the convex top glass, the guillotine is simply placing the top edge of your MRDS at the base of the target’s neck, like you’re chopping the head off a French noble. Similarly, you can align the edges of the optical body with the shoulders and press.

• Owl Horns/Crowning

This method simply lines up the top of the optical window with the top of the target’s head. With an RMR this may look like horns on the head, and with a rounded window you’ll give them some new headgear — right before you turn their face inside out.

• Meat-In-Window

Sealed sights work exceptionally well with this method because they have both front and rear windows to line up (sound familiar?). Look for misalignment between your pistol and target by observing shadows in the window itself. The longer the optical body, the more accurate this method will be.

He has other advice, so read the whole thing. 

• "Behind the Bullet: The .500-416 Nitro Express"--American Hunter. 

    Unlike the American system of naming a cartridge derived from an earlier design—the .25-06 Remington, 7mm-08 Remington and .338-06 A-Square come quickly to mind—where the new bullet diameter comes before the parent cartridge, the British method uses the parent cartridge name before the new bullet diameter. The .450/400 NE is the .450 Nitro Express necked down to hold .400-inch (actually .411-inch) diameter bullets; the .500/465 NE used by Teddy Roosevelt is the .500 Nitro Express cartridge necked down to hold .465-inch-diameter bullets; and so on and so forth. Kreighoff mated the case of the .500 Nitro Express with the abundant bullets of the .416 Rigby, resulting in the .500/416 Nitro Express, a well-balanced cartridge which makes a sound choice for dangerous game. 

     Looking at the ballistics of the .500/416 NE, you might recognize the formula: a 400-grain .416-inch-diameter bullet at a muzzle velocity of 2,300 to 2,350 fps, generating 4,700 to 4,900 ft.-lbs. of energy at the muzzle. These figures are common to the .416 Rigby, .416 Remington Magnum and .416 Ruger, and are certainly more than adequate for any and all game species on earth. A 400-grain bullet of this nominal diameter possesses a Sectional Density figure of .330; anything above .300 is considered perfectly acceptable to deliver the penetration needed for taking thick-skinned dangerous game, and modern premium bullets are even more effective in the field. In fact, for the visiting sportsman using the services of a Professional Hunter, this formula is just about as perfect as you could ask for, and just might represent the quintessential balance of striking power and ease of shooting, especially in a double rifle which has a little more weight to it.

• "WSM Legionary 22: Lightweight .22 LR Can Under $200"--The Firearm Blog.  An excerpt:

    The suppressor weighs 3.5 ounces with a 1-inch diameter, keeping it from upsetting the balance of lightweight rimfire rifles and pistols. The body is 6061-T6 aluminum with a Type III hardcoat anodized black finish. Thread pitch is 1/2x28, which covers the vast majority of threaded .22 LR barrels on the market. I have a few .22LRs, and they’re all threaded in this pitch.

    On the performance side, WSM claims the Legionary 22 reduces sound levels to 114.10 dB on .22 LR, which works out to roughly 27 dB of noise reduction compared to unsuppressed fire. That should put it in a competitive territory for aluminum rimfire suppressors in this price range. 22s are one of the few rounds I dare to shoot suppressed without hearing protection, apart from the odd sub-9mm here and now.

• "Hunting with Air: Getting Started"--American Hunter. The author notes:

Here in Idaho, you can use PCP air rifles to hunt upland game, small game, big game and furbearers. Different caliber restrictions apply depending on the animal you’re pursuing. For example, projectiles must be at least .35 caliber for deer, pronghorn, wolf and black bear, and at least .45 caliber for elk, moose and sheep. The bottom line, whether it’s varmints, game animals or furbearers, it’s legal to pursue with an air rifle here in Idaho.

• "Myth Of M1 Carbine Penetration Failures in Korea"--Scattered Shots.  There had been persistent reports from some troops in the Korean War that the M1 Carbine was unable to penetrate the heavy winter clothing worn by Chinese troops. This assertion always seemed strange to me because nothing comparable was reported in WWII of which I'm aware. The author of this piece decided to test the story. He writes:

    Being August, I could not manage sub freezing temps, but I did set up a cardboard target behind a very thick pad that I added extra clothing by stuffing it inside to make it even thicker.  I set up from 200 yards away and fired.

    The military FMJ round had no problem punching through the thick clothing and padding just as I knew it would.

    Even from 200 yards the carbine and its ammo said by “experts” to be puny. not only went through the padding with ease, it zipped through the wood and damaged it more than I expected.  But it was not done yet.

    It traveled another 10 yards and tore into the dry hard packed dirt and rocks behind   several inches deep with little deformation to the short stubby 110 ball rounds.      

Others have debunked this as well:

• "Debunking M1 Carbine Myths: What the Record Actually Shows"--Keep Shooting. 
• "The Box O' Truth #36 - Frozen Clothing And The Box O' Truth"--The Box Of Truth. 
• VIDEO: "Testing The M1 Carbine Myth That Won't Go Away: Can it Penetrate Winter Clothing at 100 Yards?"--Battlefield Curator.  

• "Review: Jim Green African Ranger barefoot boots"--Survival Common Sense.  

Barefoot boots have become a “thing.” The concept is that barefoot shoes/boots allow the foot to react to the ground as it would if the walker was walking barefoot. This strengthens muscles in the feet, bare foot proponents claim, which may have become weakened because of years of  wearing shoes. Going barefoot allows the legs and spine to align naturally, proponents further claim, reducing or eliminating back aches, joint issues and other posture-related problems.

• "How to Choose a Ferro Rod That Won’t Let You Down"--Survival Common Sense. The author recommends:

    A lot of people focus on rod length first, but diameter is often the more important detail.

    A thin ferro rod may still work, especially for occasional use, but thinner rods usually have less surface area and can wear down faster. They can also feel less forgiving when your technique is off. If your angle is not perfect, or if your scraper is not ideal, a small rod can make the whole process feel more difficult than it needs to be.

    A thicker rod generally gives a little more margin for error. It often feels easier to control, easier to scrape, and better suited for repeated use. That does not mean bigger is always better, but it does mean that ultra-small rods are often best treated as compact backup tools rather than primary fire starters.

    If you are building a main fire kit, choose a rod size that gives you confidence, not just portability.

• "Free Survival eBooks: Downloadable Straight from Amazon"--More Than Just Surviving. This isn't a list of specific titles--these change constantly--but instead includes searches for different categories of books by price (lowest to highest). 
• "Mother Nature’s Best Home Remedies"--Homesteading.  Some medicinal plants and how to use them. 
• "Older buildings and substandard construction left Venezuela vulnerable to earthquakes"--Associated Press. From the lede: "Older buildings, substandard construction and geography left many neighborhoods in Venezuela vulnerable to strong earthquakes like the ones that struck the country this week." Also:

    David Cocke, a structural engineer in California and former president of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, said that a combination of soft soils, tall towers and older concrete structures contributed to the widespread damage, particularly when buildings pancaked, or collapsed floor-by-floor.

    “They just don’t have the more modern reinforcing steel connections that we put in those kinds of buildings today,” said Cocke.

    Since the 1970s, engineers have known that concrete buildings are particularly susceptible to earthquakes and seek to reinforce new construction with steel. While many rich nations have forced property owners to retrofit or tear down dangerous buildings, many poorer or middle income countries have lagged in enforcing upgrades as they battled more immediate woes.

• "Astronomers: We might be experiencing a shower of comets from the distant Oort cloud due to a close pass of another star 2.5 million years ago"--Behind The Black. 

HD 7977 is a still nearby Sun-like star in the constellation Cassiopeia whose close passage was discovered by the Gaia mission. Approximately 2.5 million years ago, the orbits of the Sun and HD 7977 brought the two stars close together, but exactly how close is still an open question. Gaia data suggest they passed within 4000-25000 astronomical units of one another. Now, Kaib and Raymond have shown that the orbits of long-period comets suggest HD 7977 came within 6000-10000 AU of our Sun, setting off a major shower of new comets into the inner solar system.

Gun & Prepping News #82

Some links that may be of interest:

• "Silencer Saturday #433: Scout Rifle Silencers"--The Firearm Blog. The primary attribute of the Scout Rifle is that it is to be light and handy--i.e., light weight and a barrel length of 19" or less. Thus, this article looks at silencers that are light weight and compact. 
• "The Long Game: Gear That Actually Held Up"--Guns Magazine. The author mentions:

     The items below didn’t just review well — they stuck. They’re the things I kept using long after the article ran, the stuff that didn’t end up in the closet only to emerge a year or two later: “Oh heck, I forgot I had that!” This gear proved itself over time instead of just making a good first impression.

    Not new or trendy stuff, just durable, reliable and worth giving a second look.  

The products included are: Buck 791 Range Elite Knife,  5.11 Founder’s Jacket, Vortex Razor UHD 10x32 Binoculars, Viktos Range Trainer XD Shoe, 5.11 Aerial Short Sleeve Shirt, Fisher Space Pen, and Clinger Holster Cushion. 

• "HK VP9CC Review: Micro-Compact German Heat"--Guns America.  It looks like a great pistol, but at $1,400 it is out of my price range. Short take:

• Pros: Pure HK feel in a micro-compact package, 800 trouble-free rounds, excellent barrel accuracy, intuitive paddle magazine release, optic-ready slide cut that sits up to 40% lower, clear Vortex Defender CCW optic, ambidextrous controls, safe disassembly design, and 10-round and 12-round magazine options.
• Cons: Small trigger guard, short trigger shoe, potential trigger guard hot spot during longer range sessions, smooth grip side panels, and a base MSRP of $1,049 that will not appeal to everyone.

• "Fudd Friday: Why You Want An SKS For Hunting (And Why You Don't)"--The Firearm Blog. The author goes over the plusses and minuses including its reliable but not particularly accurate; and doesn't use a particularly powerful cartridge. Although, on that point:

The 7.62x39mm round the SKS fires has often been roughly equated to the hitting power of the .30-30. On paper, they’re relatively close out to the 150-yard limit where they both start to lose some steam; the 7.62x39mm actually fares better at longer ranges, thanks to its pointed bullets. We won’t get into the decades-old, tired arguments over bullet construction and everything else that clutters this conversation; we’ll just point out that on paper, the SKS looks like it will work, and that has been proven countless times in the real world, in North America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia. Big deer, little deer, big bears, little bears, big hogs, little hogs and a lot of other wild game has fallen to the SKS. And the gun is a lot easier to shoot than other full-power hunting rifles, thanks to low recoil. 

• "Fudd Friday: Marlin Model 60 - Classic Classy Rimfire"--The Firearm Blog. An excerpt:

    The Model 60 was developed by Marlin’s engineer Ewald Nichol. He had previously developed a rimfire rifle that was an exterior lookalike to the M1 Carbine; this was called the Model 99, and was released in 1959. The Model 60 came along in 1960, with a full-length tube magazine under the 22-inch barrel that held 18 rounds of .22 LR (barrel length and magazine capacity came in different numbers later on). The Model 60 was an adaptation of the Model 99 platform, and while the Model 99 ended production in the 1960s, the Model 60 or other variations of the platform were built until around 2020, with 11 million rifles sold.

     That’s a lot of guns, with production far exceeding centerfire hunting rifles like Marlin’s own 336 lever-action, or the Winchester Model 94. The Model 60 was not going to be immortalized on the cover of a deer-hunting book, but it—and rifles just like it—were the start of many kids’ hunting careers.

    Marlin wasn’t coy about it; the Model 60 was a hunting rifle, with a squirrel factory-carved right into the grip of many of the rifles sold. While millions of Model 60s probably shot an exponentially larger number of rounds at cans and targets in plinking mode, they were intended as a hunting rifle, and they did it well. You could snipe small game with this gun right off the shelf, with Marlin’s microgroove rifling providing excellent accuracy with .22LR ammo.

• It should have been a defensive gun use: "Woman, 50, 'dragged to her death' by neighbor's two bloodthirsty pit bulls as husband fought to save her"--Daily Mail.  Always carry. And it wasn't her husband, but a romantic partner. 
• "Frankford Arsenal’s Turret Press: Cast-Iron Reliability"--The Truth About Guns. 

Eight is the magic number for this turret press. I had graduated from the Lee’s four-holer to the RCBS six-station, and now had eight die stations. That allows some customization… You can add a “powder cop” and separate taper crimp dies if desired, not to mention adding a case-driven powder measure for pistol or practice rifle loads. The tool head is hand-advanced and has positive ball detents at each station, so it locks into place easily and doesn’t wobble. We got an extra tool head with the press, so another caliber can be set up and ready to go.

• Given the tick issues this year, this article may prove useful: "Permethrin: The “Chemical Weapon”
  Every Shooter Should Consider"--Guns Magazine. An excerpt:

    Most shooters obsess over optics, ballistic computers and gear selection while largely ignoring one of the simplest upgrades available for summer shooting comfort: treating clothing and equipment with permethrin.

    If the name sounds vaguely familiar, there’s a reason. Permethrin has been around for years and has long been used by military personnel, backpackers, hunters and serious outdoors enthusiasts. Yet many casual shooters either haven’t heard of it or misunderstand what it actually does.

    Unlike DEET or picaridin, which are applied to exposed skin, permethrin is designed exclusively for clothing and gear. Once applied and dried, the treatment bonds to fabric and helps repel or kill ticks, mosquitoes and other insects on contact.

    In practical terms, it means your pants, socks, boots and shooting mat become far less hospitable to things with too many legs. This matters more than you might realize. 

• "Tecsun PL-330 Review: Compact Shortwave Radio With SSB"--Modern Survival Blog. This is a receiver, Short take:

    ... This compact shortwave radio stands out because it gives you real enthusiast features, including SSB, synchronous detection, ETM+, and broad band coverage, in a very portable package. For preppers, travelers, and everyday shortwave listeners, the PL-330 hits a strong balance of size, capability, and price.

    What makes the Tecsun PL-330 appealing is not that it is the most advanced radio on the market. It is that it offers many of the features people actually want for real-world listening without moving into a much more expensive class. It is small enough for a travel bag or emergency kit, but capable enough for casual DXing, ham monitoring, and international broadcasts.

    That said, the PL-330 is not perfect. Speaker size is limited, the battery type is BL-5C rather than AA or 18650, and charging-port details can vary by version. But if you want a feature-rich portable shortwave radio with SSB and synchronous detection at a reasonable price, the PL-330 is one of the best-value choices available today.

• "The 5 Best Water Filters for Survival: Bug Out, Bug In, and Grid Down Scenarios"--Survival Life.  Short take:

At a Glance: Top Survival Water Filters for 2026

•     Best water filter for Bugging In (Home Use): Waterdrop Gravity Water Filter System
•     Best water filter for Bugging Out (Fast & Light): Sawyer Squeeze
•     Best water filter for Urban Disasters (Chemicals/Viruses): Survivor Filter Pro
•     Best water filter for Hiking & Camping: Katadyn Hiker Pro
•     Best water filter Budget Alternative: LifeStraw Personal Water Filter

• "My 10-Step Guide to Preparing for an EMP"--Modern Survival Online.  An excerpt:

     One of the very best and, somewhat humorously, most commonly overlooked defenses against the ravaging effects of an EMP is simply going analog.

    Basically, any gadget, function, tool, or anything else that can rely on muscle power or something else in order to operate is worth considering, especially if it’s something you need or use all the time.

    In the case of power tools, you could instead go with manually operated equivalents. You might replace a car with a bicycle, or even a horse. Trucks can be replaced with draft animals pulling wagons, etc.

    Get creative, and you might be surprised to learn how little electricity you actually need with the right approach.

• It is always interesting to see how the main stream media treats preppers: "I'm a doomsday prepper. These are the cheap and easy steps you should take to prepare for hantavirus or WORSE"--Daily Mail. Not just a "doomsday prepper" but apparently a well off one:

    The 31-year-old, who lives in Utah, has enough food stored in her house to sustain her family-of-five for at least five years.

    She also has a solar generator, seedling garden, body armor, water filtration system and freezers full of meat.  

And her recommendations?

    Krystal explained that she is already taking extra precaution by stocking up on more gloves, protective masks and medication amidst the surge in hantavirus cases, and she is even avoiding airports. 

But what drugs? The article doesn't say. Also, as the article notes, "There have now been 11 cases (eight confirmed, one inconclusive and two probable cases) and three deaths." So not exactly an epidemic. 

Jack O'Connor's Classic Article On "Deer And Deer Rifles"

Outdoor Life has reprinted Jack O'Connor's September 1962 article originally entitled "Deer and Deer Rifles." O'Connor discusses his first deer hunt and the rifle he used before moving on to a more general discussion on deer rifles. He writes:

    This hunter thinks there are two very different kinds of deer rifles—one to be used in brush and forest and the other to be used in hilly, open country. For the kind of brush and forest hunting done for whitetail deer in the East, for blacktails west of the Coast Range in northern California, Oregon, and Washington, for mule deer early in the season in thick spruce and fir at high altitude, and for mule deer in the brushier parts of the Sonora desert he likes a light, fast-operating rifle with a short barrel. He thinks such a weapon should be chambered for a reasonably heavy bullet at moderate velocity.

    The reason for this is that the heavy, round-nose bullet that isn’t traveling at breakneck speed gets through brush with less deflection than faster, lighter bullets with sharp points. But he also knows that any bullet can be deflected by brush. ...

[snip]

    Because there is always a possibility that the first shot at a deer in brushy country may hit a limb or a twig and deflect, he thinks that for hunting of this sort a lever action, a pump, or a semiautomatic is a good idea for the woods hunter. All of these are faster than the bolt action. ...

He discusses calibers, rifles, and types of sights suitable for the heavy brush and short ranges of this type of hunting. Then he turns his attention to rifles for more open country:

    For open-country deer hunting at longer ranges, this chap likes a flat-shooting cartridge giving a fairly light bullet a velocity of from 2.700 to 3 200 ft. seconds. Then he likes to sight in for the longest range that will not give him midrange misses. The world is full of good, open-country deer cartridges—the .30/06 with the 150-gr. bullet, the .270 with the 130-gr., the .280 with the 125-gr., the 7 mm. Remington Magnum with the 150-gr., the 7 x 57 Mauser with the 140-gr., the .300 Savage and the .308 with the 150-gr. He has never shot a deer with the .243 but considers it entirely adequate with the 100-gr. bullet. He bases this opinion on a good deal of use of the now-dying .257 Roberts on deer.

    However, he has done more open-country shooting of mule and whitetail deer with .30/06 and .270 rifles than with anything else. ...

 And he recommends a 4X scope as giving the best balance between field of view and magnification. 

Weekend Reading #56

Some longer and more involved reading for the weekend:

•  First up is Greg Ellifritz's Weekend Knowledge Dump. Lots of good stuff this week, but a few that stood out in particular to me:
• Since deescalation is one of the best tools in your self-defense kit when out on the street, I will first mention that Greg has included a link to an article from Skill Set Magazine on deescalation. This article runs through an actual encounter that happened to the author and how it was defused. As the author points out, "humble pie tastes better than jail food." And nods to acknowledging that sometimes the best way to deescalate a situation is to control those who you are with.
• Next one up is "Five Rules To Help You Win A Gunfight!" Just some good practical advice. 
• A piece entitled "My First Safaris" where the author reminisces about hunting trips when he was young. Nothing tactical--nothing really much about hunting, either--but just some good memories. 
• An article on the fastest way to reload a snub nosed revolver (but also applicable to full sized revolvers). The author mentions the standards: a second weapon (the NY reload), speed loaders, speed strips, and then the final which is a variant on the first--having a second weapon, except in this case it being a knife. The author likes the clinch pick.
• A piece entitled "The Lost Intent" which discusses how Cooper's color code had been watered down and changed over time so that it lost is original meaning. (I believe I had linked a similar article not too long ago). Basically, as the author explains:

Cooper was not concerned with whether you were looking around a room. He cared whether you had already made peace with the possibility that you might have to kill someone to survive. His Color Code was a psychological ladder. Each rung brought the mind closer to decisive action, action that most people are deeply unprepared to take.    

It is also the reason that the color code originally went to "black" because red meant you were ready to do some killing but black meant you were doing the killing.

• A nice article and video from Lucky Gunner on the M1 Carbine. 
• A lesson on what is ballistic coefficient and why it is important, including the difference between the G1 and G7 drag models. 
• And while I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, what looks to be an interesting video on the "Principles of the Armed Lifestyle".  

• "Novelty vs. Routine: The One Line Every Man Must Guard Or Watch His Life Slip Away"--Wilder Wealthy & Wise. Some deep thoughts on the difference between living and existing. John notes that "Routine is where life goes to die," but "Chaos is where life goes to lose meaning." Be sure to check it out. 
• "Mystery of sunken Russian ‘ghost ship’ grows after explosions reported while carrying alleged nuclear reactors to North Korea"--The New York Post.  This has to do with the loss of a Russian freighter in December 2024 off the coast of Spain. The article suggests that a Barracuda supercavitating torpedo was used without any explanation about why they think so. The more likely explanation was multiple remote detonated limpet mines with the initial blasts intended to disable the vessel and the remainder detonated after the crew had been rescued in order to sink the vessel. It sank in over 8,200 feet of water so no one will probably ever know. 
• "The Doomsday Organism"--Noema Magazine. The article relates:

    The organism of concern is an artificially created mirror-image form of bacteria, known popularly as mirror life. For decades, biologists have been trying to imitate what, so far, only nature has been able to do: build a living self-replicating cell from scratch. And many believe they are getting closer. But the work to create mirror life, while adjacent to this field, is different, stranger. Mirror life would be the genesis of an organism that does not imitate nature but contradicts it. It would have a molecular structure opposite to that of all existing life on Earth. It would be something completely new under the sun, and its creation would commence the beginning of a second tree of life.

    The road to hell is paved with good intentions. The initial interest in creating mirror biology promised wonderful things: never-before-seen drugs, entirely new biomaterials and profound answers to the origins of life. The U.S. National Science Foundation, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the European Commission all supported work in this direction. But in recent years, many of the biologists working on its development have come to realize the potential worst-case-scenario consequences of their work. A mirrored organism would be essentially invisible to the immune systems of humans, animals and plants, bypassing the biological defenses that we and other living beings have evolved. Many natural predators, viruses and diseases would be unable to recognize it and therefore powerless to limit its reproduction. As Ariel Lindner, research director of the Systems Engineering and Evolution Dynamics Unit at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, or Inserm, told me in an interview: “Living systems know how to deal with invaders, but not with space invaders. Mirror life is a kind of space invader.” 

Such an organism has not been created yet, as far as we know. But the article warns it could happen in the near future.  

Weekend Reading #55

Some longer and more involved reading for the weekend:

•  First up is the most recent newsletter from Defensive Pistolcraft. Jon Low includes a thoughtful quote from Joe Shahoud:

     Here's something nobody tells you about defensive shooting . . .  The range is lying to you.  Not on purpose.  But every time you show up, plant your feet, take your stance, and run your drills in perfect sequence, your brain is quietly building a false sense of security.  It's cataloging all that repetition and whispering "you've got this" when the reality is that real defensive scenarios don't care about your routine, your comfort zone, or how clean your draw looked on a Tuesday afternoon. 

      Real threats are chaotic.  They're fast.  They close distance before your brain has even finished processing what's happening.  And the shooter who freezes isn't always the one who doesn't know how to shoot.  Sometimes it's the one who only knows how to shoot when everything feels controlled.  

     That gap between "I can shoot" and "I can defend myself under pressure" is a big one.  Most people don't find out how big until it's too late to do anything about it.  

    Jon recounted a class he assisted with training where they used a variety of balloons--some were targets and some represented innocents (bystanders, family members, etc.). There were real consequences to shoot an innocent--they had to sit out the rest of the shooting drills. Just ctrl-F and search for "balloon" and you should find it. 

    I liked this excerpt from an Tim Larkin:

... A man full of adrenaline can ignore pain.  He can push through burning muscles, absorb strikes that would stop someone else cold, override discomfort entirely.  But he cannot override a mechanically broken structure.  A shattered knee does not hold weight.  It doesn't matter how many fights he's survived.  A crushed throat does not breathe.  It doesn't matter how angry he is.  An overloaded carotid shuts the brain off like a light switch.  It doesn't care what he bench presses.  That distinction.  Pain versus Injury.  That is what changes everything.   

 And another from Larkin Jon comments:

      I don't use a shot timer in the classes that I teach.  Because I don't teach that type of class.  I tell my students that we are going to do everything slowly and correctly.  It is then up to them to practice on their own to develop the ability to do the task quickly.  Speed will come automatically with practice.  Just as starting your car and driving out of the parking space can be done quickly, because you've done it so many times.  

I sometimes wonder when I see videos of various classes and read of the high round counts, whether the class is less about instruction and more about practice. Class is for teaching, and your range sessions, dry fire, etc., is for practice.  In the same vein, Jon writes:

     In classical (normal) chess, the chess clock is not to force you to play fast.  It is to prevent you from winning by forcing your opponent to die of old age. 

      Similarly, the shot timer should not be used to force you to shoot faster, faster than you can see, faster than you can think.  Rather, the par time beep is to prevent you from dithering.  To encourage you to be decisive.  

     Subtle, but important.  Most training and practice is done in the mind, not the body.  Getting your attitude right.  Getting your mindset right.  

     Taking classes to learn the correct fundamentals is essential.  But once you know what you're supposed to do, dry practice and visualization are by far the best methods to perfect and engrain skills.  The report and recoil of live fire are gross distractions, that cause all kinds of autonomic nervous system responses.  Best to avoid the distraction, and dry practice or visualize in your bedroom after waking up and before going to sleep.  That's what world class Olympic athletes do.  It will work for you.   

Jon has some more tips on using the shot timer, as well as tons more links and commentary, so read the whole thing. 

• Greg Ellifritz has a new Weekend Knowledge Dump at his Active Response Training blog.  A few links that stood out:
• An article from Empty Cases on the speed loads and why you are probably better off moving to cover if you run out of ammo over attempting an immediate reload. Greg also comments that you are better spending your practice time becoming more proficient on hitting your targets than practicing speed reloads.
• A couple articles explaining the recent rule changes coming from the ATF.
• An interview with Steve “Yeti” Fisher on AR magazines. Because he wants magazines that work with a wide range of bullet weights, he recommends the Gen 3 Magpuls or  D&H/”Hartford” (NHMTG) metal magazines. He also relates that he likes using the shorter 20 round magazines when shooting prone or off a bipod or bag. He also uses 20 round magazines as a means to separate his heavier bullets weights (in the 20 rounders) from the lighter bullet weights (in the 30 rounders), or when he is operating the AR out of a bag (because it easier to get in or out without it catching on stuff).
•  A guide on lubing Glock pistols.

And a lot more, so be sure to check it out.

• While you are at Active Response Training, also check out Greg's article on "'Mass Shootings' versus Active Killer Attacks." Mass shootings, Greg explains, generally happen when gang bangers start killing each other. Because they will not be specifically targeting you, your biggest risk is taking a bullet by accident or mistake. You primary goal is to get out of the way of the shooters and get away from the scene. Active shooters, however, generally operate alone and their goal is a high body count. 
• From Outdoor Life: "'Why You Shoot Your Uncle for an Elk?' There Was a Time When Hunting Was Much More Dangerous" by Jack O'Connor. The article is a reprint of a 1973 article, but the editors comment: "Hunting accidents were much more common in the mid-century — before the advent of mandatory hunter safety courses. Hunting is now a relatively safe sport." From what I've read, hunting is actually one of the safest sports--far safer than most school sports. In any event, the article is why someone on a hunt might mistake another hunter as a legitimate game target. An excerpt:

    I have been shot at only once. That was many years ago in the high plateau country of central Arizona. Deer and turkey seasons both were open. I was pussyfooting along through the yellow pines and Gambel oaks on one side of a canyon, hoping to see a bunch of turkeys before they saw me. It was about 8 a.m. on a bright sunny day, but the air had been cold during the night and the frost on the grass was just beginning to melt. I saw a good deal of fresh turkey sign, and I thought the birds would probably be feeding in the sun to get last night’s cold out of their bones.

    Across the canyon at a distance of 300 yards or so I had from time to time seen another hunter. I had looked at him once with a funny little French binocular I had at the time. He was wearing a pair of blue bib overalls, a green sweater, and a blue stocking cap.

    Suddenly I heard the crack-boom of a bullet fired in my direction — the crack of the bullet breaking the sound barrier followed by the boom that is the report of the rifle. That bullet passed within prob-ably 15 or 20 feet of me. I shouted. Across the canyon I could see the other hunter kneeling and aiming at me. I let out another yell and threw myself behind a log on the ground. Again I heard the crack-boom as the bullet came my way.

    I crawled around to one end of the log and peeked. The hunter was still on one knee with his rifle trained toward my log. My life was in jeopardy, and yelling had done no good. I had to take radical action. I switched off the safety of my .30/06 and fired a shot close enough to the hunter to make him aware of my presence. He leaped to his feet and ran.

    Later in the day I ran into him. 

    “Ah,” I said. “You’re the guy who took a pot-shot at me this morning. What in the hell did you think I was?”

    At first he denied shooting at me, but then he admitted that he had shot at a turkey across a canyon and was very much astonished when the turkey shot back. How a tall guy in a 10-gallon hat and a red-plaid shirt resembled a turkey was something he was a bit vague about. 

A fellow student I knew in my university days related a similar story from an elk hunt. He had crested a hill when some hunters started shooting at him from a road down below. He put an end to that by putting a round from his rifle into the side of their pickup truck. They quickly jumped into their truck and took off.