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Sunday, August 23, 2026

Gun & Prepping News #95

Some links that may be of interest: 

    However, for the sake of argument, let’s accept that a handgun bullet does indeed fracture the critical bone structure of the deadly human animal and they lose the ability to run, walk, or even stand. Keep in mind that the stated reason for the pelvic girdle shot was a failure to stop from impacts to the torso area. 

    That puts us in the Type 3 physiological stop attacker category, an attacker who’s not psychologically inclined to surrender. If said attacker is armed only with a melee weapon — a machete, bat, or kitchen knife — they can no longer get to their victim(s). If they have a distance weapon — a rifle or handgun, even from the ground — they’re still deadly threats to any target they can see. This is akin to blowing the track off of a T-80 tank with an AT4. The tank can no longer maneuver, but the turret with that big gun can still take aim at you.  

The author notes that there are times where you will be forced by circumstances to shoot the attacker in the groin or pelvic area. "However, we also train to break contact, create distance and then get our guns back up to the TT area in order to rinse, lather, and repeat as necessary to force the attacker to stop trying to kill us. We don’t just shoot them in the balls and then retire for the day."

Related:

  •  "Pelvic Shooting, the Best Worst Option"--Moderno Blog. The author discusses the medical aspects of pelvic shooting but concludes that "[t]he pelvis is on the bottom of my list of priority targets unless the situation puts it at the top, which I think is how it should be looked at when we consider the facts." Those situations that put it on top? "when it's the only part of the bad guy you can see (extreme angle shooting), the initial rounds in extreme close quarters such as a hip fire situation, or when fire to the chest is ineffective and a head shot is not possible."
  • See also my post from 2013, "The Pelvic Shot".  

    A rifle sling is often treated as little more than a carrying strap. For a gun owner relying on a rifle, shotgun or pistol caliber carbine for home defense, that is a mistake.

    A properly set-up sling helps retain the rifle, frees a hand when necessary, and gives the shooter more control in hallways, doorways, and other confined spaces. A poorly adjusted sling can bind the rifle, slow a shoulder transition, or leave the gun swinging around when the shooter needs both hands.

    In a recent training video, Travis Haley of Haley Strategic demonstrates how sling configuration affects shoulder transitions, body exposure around corners, and the shooter’s ability to keep a rifle in action after an injury. Haley discusses those techniques primarily through the lens of close-quarters operations, but several of the underlying lessons have direct value for civilian gun owners who keep a carbine for home defense.  

The article goes on to relate the main points from the video and discusses more about sling options, so be sure to read the whole thing.  

The other major issue with DA/SA pistols is the fact that the user must practice the two different trigger presses.  That DA first shot, in a self-defense scenario, will probably be the most important shot the user takes.  As Paul Howe said in that article linked above, many shooters of DA/SA pistols throw away that first shot.  The two different trigger presses also means that the user must be able to transition from the one press (DA) to the other (SA) seamlessly.  Many shooters cannot do so.

    ... The above instances are accurately called negligent discharges, but most striker-fired pistols are like the Glock in that they have no manual safety. The only external physical safety they have is the lever on the trigger, or in the case of the S&W M&P, the safety lever is the pivoting hinged trigger. This prevents the gun from being fired unless the trigger is pulled. 

     The only problem with that? If something gets wedged inside the trigger guard of your striker-fired pistol, the gun is going to go bang. This doesn’t get talked about a lot, but there have been a huge number of true accidental discharges involving striker-fired pistols because foreign objects find their way inside the trigger guard. These objects range from leather straps on thumb-break holsters to drawstrings of windbreakers activating the trigger. Some ADs involved people just forgetting to move their finger fully out of the way as they re-holster. Or people stuff small CCW-sized striker-fired guns inside bags or purses to bounce around, something gets wedged inside the trigger guard, and … .

    What does this have to do with DA/SA pistols? The double action trigger pull on DA/SA pistols acts as an additional safety on the pistol. How many of the ADs and NDs in the above paragraph wouldn’t have occurred if the person was using a DA/SA pistol will never be known, but I’m guessing an accurate guess would be most of them. Appendix carry is hugely popular right now, and while I am not a big fan, I know a lot of people are. I also know for a fact that some of those people will only carry a DA/SA pistol in an appendix holster, to reduce the chances of incurring a SIFV (self-initiated field vasectomy). They’re called “family jewels” because they are both valuable and irreplaceable.

Of course, this passive safety of a DA trigger pull only works if you remember to decock the hammer before holstering or putting the weapon down. For most Glock users, you can also get the Striker Control Device from Langdon Tactical which can aid in preventing accidental discharges when holstering or drawing the weapon.  

    You might ask yourself why the H&K G3 matters. Here in the U.S., we sometimes have AR myopia and forget there are other rifle designs besides the AR. The G3 is one of those designs, and once you get outside the AR bubble, its influence is impossible to ignore. Over 70 countries equipped their forces with a G3, and some 8 million G3s have been produced to date. The rifle has been in service since 1959 and is still very active in countries ranging from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

    The G3 has made its presence known in conflicts since the 1960s. The design is modular, easy to manufacture with a stamped steel receiver, and reliable, so much so that other HK weapons morphed from the G3, including the MP5, HK33, and an arsenal of others. At the heart of it all is a roller-delayed blowback action. If you want to continue the Cold War shooting experience, then the H&K G3 is next on your list. These are the rifles to shoot. Let’s start with the Heckler & Koch G3. 

See also my 2018 post, "Survival Weapons: The CETME/G-3/HK 91."

    The United States is at risk of a nationwide blackout that could last 18 months, according to the former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

    Jon Wellinghoff became aware of the alleged vulnerability after a shooting at a Pacific Gas and Electric Company's San Jose substation, according to the The New York Times Magazine.

    He conducted a power flow analysis that modeled the large-scale effects of knocking out the most critical substation in each of America's three power grids: the Western, Eastern and Texas interconnections. He said this led him to discover just how easy it would be to cripple America's power supply. 

  • Nitrile gloves
  • Quality tourniquet
  • Hemostatic gauze
  • Compressed or plain packing gauze
  • Pressure dressing
  • Trauma shears
  • Vented chest seal
  • Medical tape
  • Emergency blanket

The author goes on to discuss each of the items, so be sure to read the whole thing. He also discusses the difference between a trauma kit and a regular first aid kit. He adds:

    There is always another medical gadget you could put in a trauma bag.

    I would rather have a smaller kit containing equipment I understand than a large tactical medical pouch filled with things I have never practiced using.

    The ACS Stop the Bleed program teaches three very practical skills: applying direct pressure, packing a wound, and applying a tourniquet. Red Cross first aid training is another good option.

    I would stop the civilian trauma kit at that level rather than adding advanced airway equipment, decompression needles, or other gear intended for people with appropriate medical training.

    Practice with your equipment before an emergency. 

    The Farmers' Almanac made its official Winter 2026-2027 predictions this month, calling for a season full of coastal storms and snow in the Northwest and bitter cold and snow in the Midwest and Northern Plains.

    Overall, 150 million people across 29 states, from Maine to Montana, in the northern half of the US are expected to experience periods of snow and freezing temperatures between December 2026 and March 2027.

     The West, Northern Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lakes are predicted to see 'fast-moving clippers, sudden cold snaps and brief snowy periods.'

    In the Northeast, a so-called 'complicated' winter forecast is unfolding, with the 200-year-old publication predicting coastal areas receiving more rain or mixed sleet and ice.

    However, inland areas, such as Pennsylvania, western New York and parts of New England, could get several rounds of heavy wet snow, especially in January and February. 

SignalTrace, a system marketed by the security company Leonardo, is designed to work alongside automatic license plate readers. The company says it can recognize groups of consumer devices that regularly move together, then associate them with license plate records and time-stamped locations. The pattern can then be searched even when a police investigator does not know the plate number.

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Saturday, August 22, 2026

RPG Saturday: Ultimate Dungeon Terrain

Some six years or ago or so, Dan DeFazio (aka "Professor Dungeon Master") posted a video (the first below) on what he termed "ultimate dungeon terrain". The basic idea was to put a circular piece of floor/ground terrain on a turn table or lazy Susan to both (i) save space over using a standard battle mat or other terrain, and (ii) be able to turn the terrain so everyone around the table can easily see what is happening and move their miniatures around. The first video also demonstrates how to make it yourself.

Shortly thereafter, he modified it to allow for zoned combat (see the second video). This second video also demonstrates how to make this updated version of "ultimate dungeon terrain". 

The third video provides a greater explanation of using zoned combat. 

The fourth video shows an example of combat using "ultimate dungeon terrain" with the added bonus that Prof. DM also shows off how combat works in his soon to be published game Deathbringer.  

I made my own "ultimate dungeon terrain" a few years back, but I will note that you really do need to have additional props to make it work--pillars or borders, stairs, furniture, etc.--and something to represent villains or monsters. 

VIDEO: "Ultimate Dungeon Terrain for D&D & Pathfinder! (Ep. #67)"
Dungeon Craft (16 min.)

 

 VIDEO: "Zoned Dungeon Terrain for D&D & Pathfinder (Ep. 100)"
Dungeon Craft (12 min.)

 

 VIDEO: "Combat Zones For D&D & Pathfinder (Ep. 136)"
Dungeon Craft (12 min.)

 

 VIDEO: "Ultimate Dungeon Terrain Demo & Live Play! THIS Will Change D&D Combat FOREVER!"
Dungeon Craft (10 min.)

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Weekend Reading #70

It’s been quite a ride.  Back when people actually read blogs like this, at least 20,000 of you would consume the knowledge dump on a weekly basis.  It’s how many of you first learned about me and my training.  Now it seems almost pointless to keep it up.  Fewer than 3,000 people read it each week and page views have been steadily dropping by 10-20% a year since 2017.  My website operates at a significant net loss.  No sane person would spend 40+ hours a week researching and compiling articles in this format for the $200 a month I get in advertising income.

He promises to keep doing it though for as long as he is able. Which is good, because it is a valuable source of valuable self-defense information. Of course, we have a bevy of links as well, including the following:

  • A link to a video from Gun Sam Revolver Ballistics entitled ".22 Magnum Spanks .380 ACP! Winchester FMJ Flat Point Ballistic Gel Test." While you are over at that channel, you should also check out his recent video comparing .327 Magnum to 9 mm. Greg also links to other videos showcasing the ballistic capability of .22 Magnum.
  • An article on preparing for and surviving a nuclear or radiological attack. An excerpt:

    A serious setup includes a few instruments worth their cost. A radiation survey meter reads the level around you in the moment; a personal dosimeter tracks the total dose you have absorbed over time. Round those out with an emergency radio for official updates, a water filtration system for when your stored supply runs thin, and a properly fitted respirator for any situation that forces you through contamination.

    The training matters more than the hardware, and most people have the ratio backward. Learn basic emergency communications, including how to work a radio when the cell network is gone. Take a first aid course, and look into disaster medicine if you want to push further. Run your shelter plan with your family until everyone can reach the right room without a word of direction.

    In the end, skill beats equipment every time. A person with real knowledge and a simple kit outperforms someone with a closet of expensive gear and no idea how to use it. Spend accordingly: Put your first dollars and first hours into understanding the material, then build out the equipment from there.

  •  An article covering common problems and solutions with AR-15 barrels, including what to check when purchasing or evaluating a barrel. Interestingly, the author notes that whereas it was once common for the gas ports to be oversized, it is now more common for the gas ports to be undersized.
  • Like many of us, Greg has taken note of the sudden debate on the usefulness of the vertical foregrip and links to an article discussing the issue (the debate, that is). Greg cuts to the chase, though, writing: "How about trying a vertical foregrip and seeing if it makes you shoot better?  If it does, keep it.  If it doesn’t, take it off.  It really isn’t that difficult."
  • An article on ground fighting, particularly if you, as the defender, get knocked to the ground. I particularly like this useful tidbit:

Unfortunately, traditional ukemi (break-falls) that involve slapping the mat to disperse the force of your fall don’t translate well to concrete and asphalt. The basic concepts of rounding your body (like the rockers on a rocking chair), tucking your chin to protect your head, and using your feet and butt to absorb the shock of a fall are more adaptable to hard surfaces than slap-style falls. The safest method I’ve found is to first learn the traditional falls on a mat, and then deemphasize the slappy part to focus on the other mechanics. Once you can fall on a mat without slapping, gradually progress to thinner mats and harder surfaces. 

  •  Notice that the DOJ has concluded that lawful gun owners can carry when visiting a Post Office.
  • Some tips on running an AK.
  • A video testing 8 different types of speed loaders. Sometimes you don't have a choice in speed loaders because most brands only produce loaders for a very limited number of firearms. In other words, you might be forced to use HKS for no other reason than that company produces the widest selection. 
  • Finally, you might check out the differences between the firearms market in 1986 versus 2026.  

    Some former FBI counterterrorism investigators point out that because mosques act as the hubs of Islamic enclaves – which include neighborhoods, religious schools (or “madrassas”), medical clinics, halal butchers, grocery stores, restaurants, and Sharia-compliant banks – the roots of 3,500 semiautonomous “exclusionary zones” have already potentially formed inside America. They say Muslim communities expand in a hub-and-spoke pattern out from the anchor mosque, grabbing more and more land and territory for Allah as they grow in numbers.

[snip]

    As much as they may want to take over parts of the country and implement Sharia law, however, Muslims living in the U.S. have to operate within the confines of the Constitution, which guarantees no foreign or religious legal system can override American laws and freedoms. And Muslims don’t have the numbers to change federal law. 

    But the threat is more nuanced, Sharia watchdogs insist. They worry that as more Muslims are elected to public office, they will increasingly change local ordinances to adhere to Sharia mandates, as they have in the suburbs of Detroit; and even protect Muslims from prosecution for crimes, which has happened in Minneapolis.

    In a recent speech, former National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard said that American Muslims are working to impose “Sharia law” and “Islamic principles” across the country by exploiting the democratic process, specifically citing the cities of Paterson, Dearborn, Minneapolis, and Houston.

    “CAIR issued a call to action to use American legal and political systems to implement Sharia law. This is already under way in places,” she said. “Paterson, N.J., is proud to call themselves the ‘first Muslim city.’ They [Muslim activists] are working to implement, in their own governments, these Islamic principles that are forced on people through the use of laws or violence.” 

    Former FBI agent John Guandolo, who has investigated the radical influence of the Muslim Brotherhood in America, which he says controls the majority of Islamic organizations and mosques in the country, warns that Islamist leaders tied to the Brotherhood are increasingly emboldened and implementing a formula for Islamist political power from coast to coast. He contends American cities are following a pattern seen in the U.K., where Muslim immigrants essentially have taken over at least five whole cities, including Britain’s two largest — London and Birmingham, where Sharia law is encroaching on Western law.

    “England is gone. Conquered. Done,” Guandolo said. “And we are next if we don’t stop their advance.”

 Importing Muslims will lead to sectarian violence. Count on it. 

    “A Literary Map of the United States,” a poster created by Ben Gibson, a design director at Big Think, charts that fascinating relationship between the word and the land on a nationwide level. Stephen King is still there — not just up in Maine (with It, Carrie, and ‘Salem’s Lot), but also in Colorado (The Shining, Misery) and Florida (Duma Key). But so are hundreds of other writers, their works anchored in various ways to other parts of the country.

    There are many ways to read this map: as a peculiar road map of the United States, a potted history of the same, a metatext of American literature, a guide to American literary genres and their centers of gravity, and more. I will get to at least some of them later, but for now, I want to examine the effect that scholars call broadly “imaginative geography,” more precisely “toponymic capture,” and more elegantly “authorial inscription.” It is the process by which a writer’s vision of a place becomes so dominant that it effectively overwrites that place’s prior identity in the public imagination.  

    We could say other parts of America have been “colonized” by other texts the same way King’s horror stories have influenced our perception of Maine. A gentler metaphor, from Rebecca Solnit’s Infinite City, is of cultural and literary memory as an “overlay.” It resides above physical geography like a transparency on an overhead projector, a slightly shifting but persistent presence. 

    In Landmarks, the English nature writer Robert Macfarlane develops the idea that a sufficiently powerful text doesn’t just describe a landscape, but alters the mind that subsequently encounters it. He uses the verb phrase “to see through” to define it: you see the Suffolk coast through W.G. Sebald, the Mississippi through Mark Twain, the South (as a particularly “Gothic” place) through Faulkner.  

    Several such places — literary locations, real and imagined, that have lodged themselves firmly in the mind — stand out on Gibson’s map. The places below have been toponymically captured (or authorially inscribed) to such a degree that it has become all but impossible to think of them in any way except through the works of fiction that brought them to our attention. 

  •  "Companies Hate You"--Wilder Wealthy & Wise. A look at libertarianism and trying to suck that last bit of blood from the average American: John begins:

    In 2018, a Goldman-Sachs© researcher asked the question:  “Is curing patients a sustainable business model?”  This was in relation to what should be considered great news, a company coming up with a one-shot cure for hepatitis C that was over 90% effective.

    Where is the profit in making people better?  As someone who depends on my precious liver to take abuse like a housewife in Egypt every Friday and Saturday night, I’m all in favor of things that keep them healthy.  But it doesn’t make sense to Goldman™, because they’d much rather have me be an income stream forever than solve my problem.

    This is an example of a world where the Libertarian ideals fall apart, precisely because they presume the lowest common denominator when it comes to morality in society.  There are many flaws with Libertarianism, and this, along with optional personal bodily hygiene intervention are two big ones.  I mean, it isn’t a violation of the non-aggression principle to request they replace the mustard-coated shirt, is it?

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Friday, August 21, 2026

VIDEO: Why Printing Matters

"Printing" is a term referring to a situation where the shape of your concealed weapon is discernible in whole or in part through your clothing, generally because the clothing is stretched too tight against the weapon or the weapon is pressing up against the cover garment. This video covers the topic of printing and provides three general reasons why it matters--i.e., why you should not want your weapon printing. First, is to prevent selection--that is, being targeted by someone because you are carrying. It could be a criminal wanting to steal your weapon, a cop or security guard that might hassle you (or worse), or a busybody who wants to get you in trouble. Second, to maintain the element of surprise if you are caught up in a violent incident. And, third, avoiding social friction, because there are just some people who are going to be uncomfortable around someone who they know is carrying a gun (which takes us back to point #1). 

VIDEO: "3 Reasons WHY PRINTING MATTERS"
PHLster (8 min.)

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The Federal Government Has Wasted How Much?

Stephen Green at PJ Media tells us: "Instead of drawing out the big mystery over how much of your money Washington wastes on improper payments, I'll just tell you right up front: In the 20 years between 2003 and 2023, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimates the total money blown on payments made in error, or in the wrong amount, or with no documentation (!!!) is $2.7 TRILLION." 

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Thursday, August 20, 2026

An Update On The Salt Lake Church Shooting

 The video I had linked to the other day suggested that something that the Church could have done to avoid the shooting was to cancel the funeral. But a news report from KUTV indicated that police did not notify the Church about the tip off they received of potential violence. From the article:

    KUTV asked UPD whether they notified the local church about the “problems” tip, and, if so, when that notification was made; whether there was any discussion of sending everyone away with the possibility of a problem; and, if no notification was made, why?

    UPD Assistant Chief Justin Hoyal said officers were not aware of the funeral until they received the tip shortly before the shooting.

    Police did not notify the church because of how “last minute” the information was, and there was no credible threat, according to Hoyal.

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So This Was How USAID Wasted Our Tax Dollars?

The AP article, "Sex work or starve: Aid workers in Nepal left jobless by USAID cuts turn to sex work to survive," reports:

For nine years, Lama — who is transgender — had devoted her life to conducting HIV outreach in Nepal’s marginalized communities, including the LGBTQ+ sex workers who wait by this highway each night. But after the United States slashed its foreign aid funding last year, Lama and more than 280,000 aid workers worldwide found themselves out of a job. 

So Americans were working their butts off to pay taxes to be spent providing 280,000 jobs to do this type of work? 

    Of the more than 281,000 jobs lost due to Trump’s dismantling of USAID, just 23,000 were American, says Sadie Healy, who runs a global health consulting firm and has been tracking the job losses worldwide. The rest were overseas — many of them belonging to impoverished locals living in conflict zones or economically depressed regions where other employment options are scarce.

    In Nepal alone, an estimated 35,000 aid workers lost their jobs amid the USAID cuts, says NGO Federation of Nepal President Arjun Bhattarai. With the country already facing high unemployment, the fallout was devastating.

I don't think we have an obligation to provide make-work jobs oversees for pet leftist projects. 

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The Lake Dolores Waterpark: Then And Now

The photos are from this New York Post article: "Forgotten waterpark footage perfectly captures ‘unabashed California culture that is long gone’." Per the article:

    Nearly 65 years ago, America’s first water park was created and home to over 250 acres deep in the Mojave desert. Right off I-15, its remote location proved to be a spot where kids across California drove hundreds of miles for a chance to drift down one of 10 waterslides.

[snip]

    The park had tons of legal and other financial troubles which ultimately led to its closing back in 1980s. Lake Dolores rebranded almost 20 years later, and reopened in 1998 under the new name “Rock-a-Hoola.”

    Shortly after opening, an employee was paralyzed after an accident resulted in a $4.4 million judgment against the park, forcing the investors into bankruptcy, according to Jam Press. But the park was resilient, in 2002, it was again trying its luck with a new name — Discovery Waterpark.

    The move was short-lived as it was only around for two years after closing for a third time in 2004. Reports show that slides were sold off to other major parks and the once-climbed structures were left to rubble. 

 


 


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Louve Jewel Thieves Hired By "Sponsor"

 In a July 14 article, the Robb Report relates: "The Louvre Jewelry Heist’s Suspects Say a ‘Mysterious Sponsor’ Recruited Them." The article begins:

    The two prime suspects in the infamous 2025 Louvre jewel heist claimed they were recruited by a “mysterious sponsor,” according to statements made to Paris judicial authorities that were published by Le Monde over the weekend.

    Arrested one week after the robbery and indicted on charges of “organized gang robbery,” Abdoulaye N., 40, and Ghelamallah A., 36, remained silent for months in pre-trial detention. In June, however, they appeared before investigating judges and, for the first time, offered an expanded account of the theft of the French Crown Jewels from the museum’s Apollo Gallery. According to the men, they were hired two or three days before the crime by a sponsor whom they do not name. That sponsor is reportedly still sought by police.  

    The alleged mastermind reportedly sent the pair a video filmed inside the Apollo Gallery, showing the royal jewels on display, along with concise instructions: break the gallery’s windows and retrieve the jewelry from the display cases. Abdoulaye N., a former motocross social media star who, by his own admission, was in desperate need of money, said he was promised between 15,000 and 20,000 euros to break into the Louvre—“maybe more,” depending on the outcome.

There's a lot more, so be sure to read the whole thing. As far as I can find, it appears that a total of 7 people have been arrested in relation to the crime, but the stolen jewelry has not been recovered. As you have probably already deduced, the suspects sort of named in the article are not really French. ABC News indicates that "[o]ne of the suspects has dual citizenship in France and Mali, and the other is a dual citizen of France and Algeria, investigators said, adding that both were already known to police from past burglary cases." 

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IRA Threatens Riots Unless Migrants Expelled

"New IRA 'may bring riots' to British Isles after issuing 'civil war' warning"--Daily Star. The article begins:

    The terror group the New IRA have threatened to bring “civil war” to the British Isles as experts have warned the group could trigger riots in their attempts to form an “United Ireland.”

    Experts fear the proscribed terror group the New IRA are plotting to capitalise on tensions around migration. And could use the anxieties to launch an intimidation campaign against vulnerable communities. In a recent video a masked spokesperson for the terror group took social media to make a chilling ultimatum.

    The man stated: "It is now going to be time for civil war, and that is exactly what these guys are going to be doing and can you blame them?

    "This will be a major wake-up call for the authorities. These guys will show them how it's done and give them 24 hours to leave." He added: "They will take control, and they will give an ultimatum, not to politicians but to the illegal migrants who are in the country."

It think it odd that this New IRA is being described as a "terror group" when it is the government that is terrorizing its own people. 

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Gun & Prepping News #95

Some links that may be of interest:  No. " Shot Placement: Is the Pelvic Girdle Really the Best Self-Defense Solution? "--Shooting...