Just some gun and prepping related links that I thought interesting or useful:
I believe the draw stroke is the most important physical skill you can learn for self-defense, but it doesn’t do you much good if you can’t put it into some kind of real world context. The typical violent attack happens unexpectedly at conversational distance with one, or maybe two attackers. So once you have the fundamentals down for basic gun handling and marksmanship, and then a good draw stroke, the second most important self-defense skill you can practice is following the draw stroke with multiple accurate rapid shots at close range.
Now in reality, you might not have to actually fire after you draw, so we have to sometimes practice drawing the gun straight to a low ready position. For obvious reasons, it could be problematic if we were to develop an automatic reflex where we have to fire every time the gun comes out of the holster.
But for those scenarios that do require shots to be fired in self-defense, most of them don’t involve technically difficult feats of marksmanship or complex gun manipulations. It can be fun to practice the coolguy tactical ninja stuff, and eventually it’s good to push yourself and work in progressively more difficult drills and maybe even get into some competition shooting. But it’s possible to focus too much on the so-called “advanced” technical skills at the expense of being really proficient with the simple gun handling and shooting skills that get people out of 90% of the lethal force encounters that actually happen to non-uniformed citizens.
According to Silencer Shop’s ATF wait time tracker, updated on March 16, 2026, eForm 4 approvals over the last 30 days have been exceptionally fast. The numbers break down by applicant type, and the differences are worth understanding before you file.
Individual filers are seeing the fastest approvals by a significant margin. Individual eForm 4s are currently returning in a range of 1 to 31 days, with a median of just 5 days. Read that again. Five days. That is not a typo, and it is not an outlier. That is the median, meaning half of individual filers are getting approved faster than that.
Trust filers are moving quickly as well, though slightly slower than individuals. Trust eForm 4s are showing a wait range of two to 49 days, with a median of 25 days. Corporate filers land in a similar window, with a range of 21 to 43 days and a median of 28 days.
Dealer-to-dealer Form 3 transfers have become nearly instantaneous. eForm 3 approvals are currently being processed in as little as 27 minutes, with a median of 15 hours and a maximum of about 4 days. For context, a fast Form 3 used to mean a few weeks. This changes how quickly a dealer can get inventory on hand and ready for customer transfer.
It’s hard for me to recommend this particular load to anyone, given that it’s both less accurate and more expensive than CCI Standard. Out of the same gun, CCI Standard outperforms ELEY’s 38‑grain Hollow Point in virtually every metric that matters. The only advantage I can point to for ELEY Subsonic over its less expensive American counterpart is that it’s noticeably quieter and consistently produces a slower projectile in the same firearms.
In all fairness, it seems more than accurate enough for killing pests within 50 yards.
There’s a bit of a cult following for AR builds that clone the service rifle from the video game Fallout New Vegas. While the parts are available to make a pretty nice rifle, the game bayonet remains elusive. Let’s look at how you can make a stand-in, at least until I can convince some company to start making these for real. And trust me, I’ve been trying.
The .30-30 cartridge was introduced in 1895, more than 130 years ago, and it has come a long way since then. The original loading saw a .30-caliber, 160-grain jacketed bullet pushed by 30 grains of smokeless powder. The result was a 1970 fps load that had a flatter trajectory than blackpowder loads of that era, hitting hard enough to take down big game despite the smaller bullet.
Cartridge technology has come a long way since the 1890s, but so has the .30-30. While the casing’s dimensions haven’t changed, the bullets sure have. Originally loaded with blunt-nosed bullets due to the limitations of tube magazines, typical to most lever guns, you can now buy .30-30 rounds with streamlined, pointed bullets that extend the rifle’s practical range well past the 100 yards (or less) that shooters once restricted the round to. One of those new Hornady conical bullets, the 140-grain version, is also lead-free, so it can be used in states that require such ammunition.
- "Guns And Reliability" by Will Dabbs, MD. Even the most reliable firearms can fail due to mechanical issues or user error. But ...
All this leads us to the most reliable guns around. A proper double-action revolver is just about fail-safe. A simple break-action single- or double-barrel long gun doesn’t have much to break either. The trigger/hammer mechanisms could theoretically burp, but they remain fully enclosed within the frame or receiver. So long as the ammunition is up to scratch, there is just very little left to fail. There are options aplenty in these platforms, and pricing spans the spectrum from surprisingly cheap to ludicrous.
Some people online talk about having everything and the kitchen sink on their body just in case, but the reality is, you don't need everything under the sun. Instead of thinking you need everything, it's better to look at the bare minimum and what you need to get away from a dangerous situation. Some will argue you need 3-4 magazines on you with a baton, pepper spray and even flex cuffs, which is absolutely not needed. I think some people talk about carrying all these extra items because they fantasize about society crashing. Having a handgun and an extra magazine is more than enough to get you out of harm's way. If we are being realistic, you probably won't even need a spare magazine, but it's better to have one.
But lately, I’ve noticed you don’t see much talk about preparedness anymore. A check of online trend data verified my suspicion that far fewer people are talking about and searching for information on this important topic. So what gives?
After lots of reflection and study, I finally realized it’s simple: fear and anxiety are just not sustainable because humans cannot remain in a heightened state of alarm indefinitely. In line with Col. Jeff Cooper’s Color Code, you can remain in a state of cautious awareness indefinitely, but once you psychologically elevate to alarm and eventually fear, you can remain for a short period of time before it all becomes too overwhelming. You have to simply give up and say, “To heck with it.”
What is the threat? As a prepper hunkered down at your home, with food stores, the most likely threat will be from looters and marauders. These could take many forms from a simple beggar, through starving neighbors, mobs, tricks and deceptions, to a tactically organized group with weapons and equipment. The worst case is some sort of organized paramilitary style force with heavy equipment bent on forced redistribution. Therefore, remain flexible and have an emergency rally point and extraction route should you be overmatched. Know when you have no alternative but to bug out. You can make this decision if you have the information before the threat arrives and conduct the bug out in good order. Alternatively, you may be forced to make the decision as the attack progresses and have to ‘break contact’ and withdraw under enemy fire; this is one of the most difficult tactical maneuvers. Work on your leadership, decision making and decision points so that your response under the pressure of both time and enemy is optimal. Tied in with this is the need for clear rules of engagement and for the use of force appropriate to the threat.
- "Hearing Aids after SHTF"--Blue Collar Prepping. The author notes that modern in-ear hearing aids use zinc/air cells as a power supply, which are both not rechargeable and necessarily, because of their size, don't last for very long.
The largest common zinc/air cell provides 845 milli-Watt-hour (mWh) of power. Compare that to a standard AAA at 1850 mWh or a standard AA at 4200 mWh, both of which can be found in rechargeable forms, and you'll see it's time to start looking for a solution that uses a more common battery.
A quick search on Amazon found this pocket amplifier.
At less than $30, it fits in a pocket, uses AAA batteries, and boosts
sound by 110dB (enough to be painful). This would be worth looking into
if you need a backup for your in-the-ear hearing aids. There are several
others like it on Amazon; just search for “pocket hearing aid.” If your
hearing is poor in both ears, look for one that has stereo microphones
and ear plugs to help with your ability to locate the source of a noise.
He also suggests electronic ear muffs, although noting it would be less comfortable.
The minimum amount of food you should have in your emergency supply is based on the number of people in your household and the duration you want to be prepared for. Here’s a general guideline:
- One Week Supply: When you are just getting started, at a minimum, aim to have enough food to sustain your family for a week. This is typically the initial period during which emergency services may not be readily available.
- Two-Week Supply or more: Once you have a week covered, consider expanding your supply to cover a few more weeks. This ensures you can endure longer disruptions and recovery periods.
