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I've previously mentioned the use of "full charge" wadcutters in .38 Special. As with much of the stuff I do, I got the idea from C.E. Harris. Read his article here.

Today I ran 10 such loads over my Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph with the following results:

Full specs for my handloads:

• .358 powder coated 148 grain double end wadcutters from Missouri Bullet Company
• 3.5 grains of Alliant Bullseye powder
• Winchester WSP small pistol primer
• Mixed .38 brass

A Kempsville High School assistant principal and his brother are facing charges stemming from an alleged conversation they had about threatening to hurt ICE agents for “kidnapping individuals” and a possible meeting with other like-minded individuals to discuss “ideas and plans,” according to a criminal complaint. [More] This is what parent entrust their children to? … Continue reading "Teach Your Children Well"

The post Teach Your Children Well first appeared on The War on Guns.

Today I took the M-1905 Military & Police .32-20 to the range and ran a couple different loads over my Garmin Xero C1 chronograph.

First up were 10 of the rounds I loaded last week with an antique Ideal tong tool. These had a 107 grain RNFP bullet over 3.85 grains of Unique.

Next were 10 rounds from a box of HSM .32-20 cowboy action shooting ammo, which have a 115 grain RNFP bullet that's rated at 850 FPS, though HSM doesn't specify on the box or their website from what barrel length. I suspect it's from a rifle or at least a 7.5" revolver.

When I've chronographed this gun before it's been on the slow side. After I got home and cleaned it I measured the barrel/cylinder gap for each chamber using feeler gauges. They ranged from .003" to .008", so the gaps are in spec.

I need to measure the cylinder throats. I have a feeling they're a bit large and that's why the muzzle velocities I'm seeing are slower than load data suggests.

It’s conference day today at the Supreme Court and instead of going live Monday morning to tell you all the bad news, we decided to give it to you ahead of time. Washington Gun Law President, William Kirk, discusses all 41 2A cases before SCOTUS on conference today so that you can understand the blood … Continue reading "Slaughterhouse Cases"

The post Slaughterhouse Cases first appeared on The War on Guns.

Appearing at a Veterans Day ceremony to score a photo-op hardly makes Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti a supporter of veterans … Instead, she ingratiated herself with hard left “progressives” by issuing a mayoral “Wear Orange” proclamation. [More] Good letter and good points by WarOnGuns Correspondent Andy M. Letters to the editor are an often-overlooked tool … Continue reading "Dishonoring the Dead"

The post Dishonoring the Dead first appeared on The War on Guns.

In an interview on the Shawn Ryan Show, Brian Harpole, Charlie Kirk’s head of security, publicly revealed text messages with Utah Valley University Police Chief Jeff Long in which they discussed the rooftop vulnerabilities and the chief vowed, “I got you covered.” [More] Let me guess. Jeff still has a job. Meanwhile, the Sheriff wants … Continue reading "We’re the Only Ones Uncovering Enough"

The post We’re the Only Ones Uncovering Enough first appeared on The War on Guns.

Rampaging grizzly bear attacks schoolchildren and teacher on Canada hike leaving at least 11 injured with two in critical condition [More] You might ask what kind of teachers would knowingly expose their charges to lethal threats while deliberately having no means of protecting them, and the answer is most of them. [Via bondmen]

The post Bear Minimums first appeared on The War on Guns.

Weisenburg and Thomas prepared from August 2024 to July 2025 to execute their plans, in which they allegedly intended to buy a boat, sail to Gonâve Island, kill every man on the island, overtake it by force, and take the women and children as sex slaves. [More] At least they had realistic expectations. Seriously, WTF??? … Continue reading "Today’s Low-Hanging Fruit Report"

The post Today’s Low-Hanging Fruit Report first appeared on The War on Guns.

The Council on American‑Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil‑liberties group, filed a federal lawsuit against Texas Governor Greg Abbott after he designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations. CAIR called the designation “unconstitutional and defamatory.” [More] Yeah. Just because they “have long made their goals clear: to … Continue reading "Without a CAIR in the World"

The post Without a CAIR in the World first appeared on The War on Guns.

Dem Congressional Candidate Hates Nashville With a Passion, Wants to Represent It In Congress [More] That probably explains why she wants to disarm people whose values she hates. [Via Michael G]

The post Burning Passion first appeared on The War on Guns.

“If our country falters because it is not prepared to accept – let’s be honest – to lose its children, to suffer economically because defence production will take precedence, then we are at risk,” he added. [More] True dat. Too many today haven’t read their Clausewitz. That means whatever it takes to break the will … Continue reading "The Ultimate Price"

The post The Ultimate Price first appeared on The War on Guns.

If you are of a certain age, you will remember this Pultizer Prize winning photograph of a US Air Force officer returning from the Hanoi Hilton in 1974.

Dwight has the details, and it is quite a sad story.  Rest In Peace, COL Stirm.  I hope you now truly have the opportunity to put out your hand and touch the face of God.
 

Blue State Somalis Allegedly Sent Welfare Money To Al-Qaeda Ally Planning Another 9/11 [More] Securing the Blessings of Liberty to themselves and their Posterity again, I see. I wonder how soon we’re going to have a State Department travel advisory for Minneapolis… That, and rigorous! Brought to you by the same traitors who want your … Continue reading "The Finest Caliphate Tax Plunder Can Buy"

The post The Finest Caliphate Tax Plunder Can Buy first appeared on The War on Guns.

Mirror mounts are obvious.  I have done them before.  It gave me a very detailed explanation for making it out of PVC with drawings.

🛠 Materials

• 52 mm achromatic doublet lens (crown + flint, already matched)
• PVC pipe with inner diameter slightly larger than 52 mm (commonly 2" schedule 40 works well)
• PVC coupler or end cap (for rear support)
• Thin brass or plastic shims/spacers (0.1–0.2 mm thick)
• Retaining ring (can be cut from PVC or aluminum stock)
• Black matte paint (for internal surfaces)
• Small screws (optional, for collimation adjustments)

⚙️ Step‑by‑Step Build

1. Prepare the PVC tube
• Cut a section of PVC pipe ~60–70 mm long.
• Bore the inner diameter on your lathe to a snug fit for the 52 mm lens.
• Leave ~2 mm clearance so the lens can drop in without binding.
2. Machine the lens seat
• Face one end of the tube flat.
• Cut a shallow internal shoulder (~2 mm deep) so the front crown lens rests squarely.
• Ensure the seat is concentric with the tube axis.
3. Insert the crown lens
• Place the convex crown element facing outward.
• Add three tiny foil or plastic spacers evenly spaced around the edge to maintain the air gap.
4. Add the flint lens
• Place the concave flint element behind the crown, aligned with the spacers.
• Check that the doublet sits flush and centered.
5. Secure with retaining ring
• Turn a PVC or aluminum ring on your lathe to thread or press into the tube.
• The ring should hold the lens gently — not tight enough to pinch.
• If threading PVC is tricky, you can cut a groove and use a snap‑in ring.
6. Blacken the interior
• Paint the inside of the cell with matte black to reduce reflections.
• Also blacken the lens edges if not already done.
7. Rear support / mounting
• Attach a PVC coupler or end cap to the back of the cell.
• Bore it to fit your telescope tube.
• Optionally add three push‑pull screws around the perimeter for collimation.
8. Final assembly
• Test fit the cell into your telescope tube.
• Adjust screws (if used) to align the optical axis.
• Verify that the lens is secure but free to expand slightly with temperature.

📐 Simplified Cross‑Section Drawing (textual)

Code

   Front (sky side)

   -----------------

   | Retaining Ring |

   -----------------

   | Crown Lens     |

   | Spacer Foils   |

   | Flint Lens     |

   -----------------

   | Rear Support   |

   -----------------

Telescope Tube Connection

This diagram shows:

• Retaining ring: Holds the crown lens from the front
• Crown lens: Convex side facing outward
• Spacer foils: Maintain air gap between crown and flint
• Flint lens: Concave side facing inward
• Rear support ring: Secures the lens stack from behind
• PVC tube body: Main housing, lathe-bored for precision
• Telescope tube interface

Machining Tolerances & Dimensions

🔹 PVC Tube Body

• Inner diameter (ID): 52.2 mm ± 0.1 mm
• Slight clearance for the lens stack (52.0 mm nominal lens diameter)
• Shoulder depth: 2.0 mm ± 0.1 mm
• For seating the crown lens
• Tube length: 60–70 mm
• Allows space for lens stack + retaining ring

🔹 Crown Lens Seat

• Seat diameter: 52.0 mm ± 0.05 mm
• Snug fit without binding
• Flatness: ≤ 0.05 mm deviation
• Ensures optical alignment

🔹 Spacer Foils

• Thickness: 0.1–0.2 mm
• Use 3 evenly spaced shims
• Material: Brass, Mylar, or thin plastic

🔹 Flint Lens Fit

• Same diameter: 52.0 mm ± 0.05 mm
• Should rest flush against spacers

🔹 Retaining Ring

• Outer diameter: Match PVC ID (52.2 mm)
• Thickness: 2–3 mm
• Fit type:
• Press-fit: OD = 52.3 mm ± 0.05 mm
• Threaded: Cut internal threads in PVC, external threads on ring

🔹 Rear Support Ring

• Outer diameter: Match telescope tube ID
• Mounting method:
• Press-fit or screw-on
• Optional: 3 push-pull collimation screws (M3 or M4)

🌡 Thermal Expansion Allowance

• PVC expands ~0.07 mm per 10 °C per 100 mm
• Leave ~0.2 mm axial clearance to avoid lens stress
• Avoid tight radial clamping — use gentle retaining pressure

🎨 Surface Treatment

• Blacken interior: Use matte black paint or flocking
• Edge blackening: Paint lens edges to reduce stray light
• 
  
  
  

A Queens senior citizen who shot dead a man who tried to rob him will spend four years in prison after admitting to toting an unlicensed revolver — as his lawyer ripped the city’s “draconian” gun laws. [More] Good morning, Ms. Dhillon. Your mission, should you choose to accept it… [Via Andy M]

The post Mission Possible? first appeared on The War on Guns.

The CA legislature recently passed Assembly Bill 1263, which puts additional regulations on the sale and shipment of firearm parts and gunsmithing tools. Unfortunately, this means that there will be some new restrictions on how you order and how we ship firearm parts and gunsmithing tools to you. [More] I wonder how they’d be able … Continue reading "Upcoming Account Changes Due to CA Assembly Bill 1263"

The post Upcoming Account Changes Due to CA Assembly Bill 1263 first appeared on The War on Guns.

The post Pienoiskivääri m/91 Finnish .22 Mosin Trainer first appeared on Forgotten Weapons.

 Because those porch-pirate videos keep populating my feed, I am learning things about those miscreants who think it is okay to steal from others.  There is no demographic.  Old, young, skinny fat, well-dressed or tacky.

What surprises me is the outrage they inevitably exhibit when the trap is sprung.

Or, I'm all wrong and these are staged simply for the clicks and entertainment.

The parish (county) where I reside has its problems, but locally, porch-pirate doesn't seem to be a concern.  Perhaps it is our affinity for the 2nd Amendment and our general loathing of thievery. I'm not saying that I would shoot a thief, but depending on the details of the encounter, it is certainly an option.

• The 1878 bridge over Loughery Creek in Ohio and Dearborn Counties in Indiana is the last one of its design in the world


• The Suicide Song of the 2nd Lanai


• Practically Tactical

Authorities said all evidence was presented to the Madison County District Attorney’s Office, which determined no charges would be filed.

Tim Gann from the district attorney’s office said Paige was arguing with a man who lived at the apartment.

“He tried to defuse the situation, went inside, locked the door, did everything he could do to make this go away,” said Gann

Gann said later Paige broke into the home, and that is when the resident shot and killed Paige.

More Here

“And she rewind the cameras, I see him on the camera a minute before I stepped outside,” Davis said.

Her father then went outside with the suspect still in the area.

“He did find him and next thing you know the man emptied a clip out on my father.”

Davis said her father shot back, but the suspect got away. One mother, who was fearful for her two kids, heard more than a dozen shots.

“I ducked down and peaked out the window. That’s when I saw my neighbor cutting through the yard coming back over here and I could tell he had been shot cause he was limping,” she said.

Davis had a message for the suspect: stop stealing and stop shooting.

More Here

More Here

November 21, 164 BC: During the Maccabean Revolt, Judas Maccabeus recaptured Jerusalem and rededicated the Second Temple. This victory has been commemorated ever since as the festival Hanukkah, aka The Festival of Lights. — On November 21, 1916, Britannic, the sister ship to the Titanic, sank in the Aegean Sea, killing 30 people. In the wake of the Titanic disaster, the White Star line had made significant modifications to the design of the ship, but on its way to pick up wounded soldiers near the Gulf of Athens, it was rocked by an explosion causing even more damage than that …

The post Preparedness Notes for Friday — November 21, 2025 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

JWR’s Introductory Note: The following is an update and expansion to a post that I made in SurvivalBlog back in December, 2005. It is part of a series of SurvivalBlog 20th Anniversary update re-posts, in recognition of the fact that the majority of readers did not join us until recent years. — The majority of SurvivalBlog readers that I talk with tell me that they live in cities or suburbs, but they would like to live full-time at a retreat in a rural area. Their complaint is almost always the same: “…but I’m not self-employed. I can’t afford to live …

The post Update: A Home-Based Business — Your Ticket to The Boonies appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

In Economics & Investing Media of the Week we feature photos, charts, graphs, maps, video links, or occasional news items of interest to preppers. Today, a map showing the top imports of most countries of the world.  The thumbnail below is click expandable.  (Map courtesy of HowMuch.net, by way of Reddit.)       — Links of Interest Housing alarm as half of all US homes fall in value — biggest drop since the Great Recession. Pennies are being canceled and the US Mint won’t make any more. What does that mean? At Zero Hedge: Visualizing The World’s $111 Trillion …

The post Economics & Investing Media of the Week appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

“There is nothing government can give you that it hasn’t taken from you in the first place.” – Winston Churchill

The post The Editors’ Quote of the Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

“What I try to do with these things is show readers a politician will go beyond platitudes and demonstrate an understanding of concerns and developments the constituents are expressing and following”… [More] The Second Amendment is the sole focus of this article, not any other policy issues or the reasons Trump wants to end Massie’s … Continue reading "What Does Massie Challenger Gallrein’s Promised 2nd Amendment Support Really Mean?"

The post What Does Massie Challenger Gallrein’s Promised 2nd Amendment Support Really Mean? first appeared on The War on Guns.

How some of the state's welfare funds ended up in the hands of a terror group"

Worth reading in full and getting angry.

Muslim Dearborn mayor weighs in on residents’ complaints about mosque’s call to prayer – Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said its noise levels were ‘not an issue’ despite residents’ complaints at city council meetings [More] Just their way of letting you know who’s in charge… Who but a fool or an apparatchik would say he’s joking? Now, … Continue reading "Caliphate, USA"

The post Caliphate, USA first appeared on The War on Guns.

In the initial reporting, we believed Reed had 22 prior arrests. That’s inexcusable enough, but it turns out Reed had 49 prior arrests, including for arson, as well as ten felony convictions. And it seems Reed’s victim didn’t get into an argument with him at all. Reed just approached her, doused her with a flammable … Continue reading "Forget It, Jake…"

The post Forget It, Jake… first appeared on The War on Guns.

Ex-boyfriend killed woman after being dumped [More] Who does he think he is, a jilted “Only One”? [Via bondmen]

The post Unauthorized Murderer first appeared on The War on Guns.

Joshua Morency, 28, of Dorchester, allegedly sold 21 firearms to a law enforcement informant at a Stop & Shop parking lot and a Shell station, among other sites. [More] I wonder what they had on the snitch, because I can’t believe anyone would be stupid enough to sell to someone he didn’t trust. It’s a … Continue reading "Today’s Low-Hanging Fruit Report"

The post Today’s Low-Hanging Fruit Report first appeared on The War on Guns.

In a withering critique of Brown’s handling of the case, Smith decried his fellow jurist as an “unskilled magician” caught in an “illogical straitjacket,” who was handing a victory to Democratic billionaire George Soros and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. [More] Why did Trump nominate him? Why did Abbott stump for the guy? Why did Republicans … Continue reading "You Get What You Pay For"

The post You Get What You Pay For first appeared on The War on Guns.

 From a study of incentives on teaching skills in North Carolina at the National Bureau of Economic Research:

Graduate degrees 

One of the most counterintuitive findings to emerge from the basic models is the small or negative effects of having a graduate degree. Most of those degrees are master’s degrees that generate higher salaries for teachers. A negative coefficient would suggest that having such a degree is not associated with higher achievement.  Thus, if the goal of the salary structure were to provide incentives for teachers to improve their teaching, the higher pay for master’s degrees would appear to
be money that is not well spent, except to the extent that the option of getting a master’s degree keeps effective experienced teachers in the profession.

 Associated Press article lacks date:

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Philippine court on Thursday convicted a former mayor, who officials say is a Chinese national, of human trafficking charges for helping establish an illegal online gaming complex in a northern province where hundreds of Chinese and other foreign nationals were forced to conduct scams.

The Pasig city regional trial court in metropolitan Manila sentenced Alice Guo to life in prison with seven other Filipino and Chinese co-accused, and ordered them to pay a fine of 2 million pesos ($34,000) each and compensate several trafficking victims, who filed the complaints.

Guo denied all allegations against her and says she is a Filipino citizen.

Vast online scam centers have flourished in Southeast Asia in recent years, especially in the border areas of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The U.N. has estimated that hundreds of thousands of people have been trapped in virtual slavery by gangs who force them to financially exploit people around the world through false romances, bogus investment pitches and illegal gambling schemes....

Philippine authorities allege that Guo is a Chinese national named Guo Huaping, who faked Filipino citizenship to run for mayor of the town of Bamban in northern Tarlac province, where she ran a sprawling illegal scam compound near the town hall....

Last year, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a ban on hundreds of mostly Chinese-run online gaming operations, which proliferated under the administration of previous President Rodrigo Duterte. Marcos accused the gaming operations of crimes including financial scams, human trafficking, torture, kidnapping and murder.

Many have been raided and shut down since then, with tens of thousands of trafficked workers rescued and sent back to their home countries. But more scam centers remain in operation, officials said....

Philippine security officials and Hontiveros have said the scam centers operated by Guo and other Chinese nationals may have also been used for espionage by China, which has had increasingly fierce territorial conflicts with the Philippines in the South China Sea and has strongly opposed the presence of American forces in the country. The Philippines is the oldest U.S. treaty ally in Asia.

Illegal aliens, human trafficking, Chinese spies.  What, no extraterrestials, mutilated cattle, AI?

Gun rights groups hail Trump’s pick to lead ATF: ‘First ever truly pro-Second Amendment nominee’ [More] A true champion of the Second Amendment, eh? I wonder what Fletcher thinks. He’ll be a DOJ team player. This is how the team plays:

The post BFF at ATF first appeared on The War on Guns.

 Try to imagine their attempt to understand it, socially and technologically.  11/19/25 Fox News:

The estranged wife of a NASA astronaut pleaded guilty to lying to law enforcement over what was alleged to be the first crime to be committed in space. 

Summer Worden now faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine in relation to the false reports she made about Anne McClain, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas. 

"In July 2019, Summer Heather Worden alleged her estranged spouse had guessed the password and illegally accessed her bank account while the spouse was deployed to the International Space Station," the office said.

Estranged wife of someone named Anne?  How do you go to the teller of a bank from a space station?  What is a space station, much less an international space station?

 11/20/25 CNN:

They are titans of industry and best-selling authors, world-renowned scientists and banking moguls, top-tier journalists and political power players.

In message after message, they often turned to the same man for advice, for connections, and to banter and trade gossip about President Donald Trump.

That man, Jeffrey Epstein, was already a registered sex offender after a 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution with a minor – but that did not seem to deter his pen pals, some of whom even looked to him for guidance on avoiding their own sexual scandals.

There are scads of references to Trump but as the article admits, they are overwhelming hostile statements by Epstein, with no evidence of Trump's involvement or knowledge of Epstein's crimes.

When A reports what B told him that C told B.  As flaky as that sounds, Federal Rule of Evidecce sec. 805:

Hearsay within hearsay is not excluded by the rule against hearsay if each part of the combined statements conforms with an exception to the rule.

This must be why reporters are relying on what I would have to call the "double hearsay of scum" rule.  11/18/25 Newsnation:

(NewsNation) — Mark Epstein, the brother of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, tells NewsNation that his brother revealed he had “dirt” on President Donald Trump.

Epstein joined “CUOMO” days after Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released thousands of never-before-seen emails.

Earlier Monday, Trump called for the release of the files, in a reversal of course for the president. Mark Epstein told NewsNation that he believes the FBI is participating in a cover-up of the files relating to his brother, Jeffrey.

Mark Epstein alleges an FBI cover-up

“I’ve been recently told the reason they’re going to be releasing these things, and the reason for the flip is that they’re sanitizing these files,” Epstein alleged.

“There’s a facility in Winchester, Virginia, where they’re scrubbing the files to take Republican names out of it. That’s what I was told by a pretty good source,” he added.

Epstein doubled down on his claims, alleging FBI Director Kash Patel is participating in a cover-up of the way his brother died behind bars.

“He was the one who said in his testimony ‘you know a suicide when you see one.’ I had a laugh. How many suicides has that j****** seen?”

I am also trying to figure what slur starts with J applies to Patel.

Yes, a guy who pimps out teenagers is such a reliable source of moral judgment.  And secondhand?

Video shows Chicago mother, young son brutally attacked while walking home [More] Blurred video… Forget it, Jake, it’s Chi-Town.

The post My Kind of Razzmatazz first appeared on The War on Guns.

Federal charges were filed on Wednesday against a man accused of setting a woman on fire on a CTA Blue Line train in downtown Chicago this week.

Lawrence Reed, 50, was charged in a criminal complaint with committing a terrorist attack or other violence on a mass transportation system — a federal offense rather than a state offense.

Later in the article is discussion of video showing him buying gasoline, his long criminal history, and his bizarre behavior before the judge.

Mental illness is at the core of much of what is wrong in most big cities.  This guy's release without bail is another consequence of seeing racial equity as an important part of the criminal justice system.

"The projections for the unemployment rate are nearly unchanged from those of the previous survey. Like the previous survey, the unemployment rate is projected to be an annual average of 4.2 percent in 2025 and 4.5 percent in 2026 before falling to 4.4 percent in 2027, and 4.3 percent in 2028."

Beach Village Apartments is a complex at the eastern edge of Palm Coast on State Road 100, near the municipal line with Flagler Beach. “There was a domestic dispute between a boyfriend and a girlfriend, and a third individual tried to intervene,” the sheriff said. The boyfriend is the 22-year-old. “A struggle ensued over a gun, and the gun was discharged.” A sheriff’s release specified that according to the woman’s statements, she was struck and fell during the confrontation, causing her to hit her head. She then began screaming for help.

The woman “reported that a juvenile family member entered the room with a firearm and told Smith to stop,” the release states. “Smith allegedly became aggressive toward the juvenile, who then fired a shot that struck Smith. According to the statements, a struggle over the firearm followed in the hallway. During that struggle, an additional shot was fired, striking the juvenile in the leg. Smith then fled from the apartment and was found at the nearby convenience store.”

More Here

Keller was hit in the arm and drove himself to South Central Regional Medical Center, where he was treated and then arrested. 

More Here

Police said the owner of the home called the police and told them that an unknown person had forcefully entered the rear door of his home.

The homeowner, described by the police as an elderly male, was armed with a hunting rifle. He confronted the burglary suspect “who was rummaging through property inside of the house,” the release said.  

Police said the homeowner, who was not identified, shot the suspect in fear for his life. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

More Here

By Lee Williams SAF Investigative Journalism Project Special to Liberty Park Press I was on a radio show this week when I first saw Everytown’s latest anti-gun campaign: “Debunking Gun Myths at the Dinner Table.” The show’s host, Mark Walters, of Armed American Radio, is a longtime friend who enjoys discussing new anti-gun propaganda with […]

The post Everytown’s Latest Assault on Gun Rights Raises Questions about Author’s Sanity appeared first on Liberty Park Press.

November 20, 1789: New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights. — National Sovereignty Day (Spanish: Día de la Soberanía Nacional) is a national public holiday in Argentina, celebrated each year on November 20th. — November 20, 1914: The U.S. State Department began requiring photographs for passports. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value), …

The post Preparedness Notes for Thursday — November 20, 2025 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

JWR’s Introductory Note: The following is an update and expansion to a post that I made in SurvivalBlog back in November, 2005. It is part of a series of SurvivalBlog 20th Anniversary re-posts, in recognition of the fact that the majority of readers did not join us until recent years. — Many letters and e-mails I’ve received over the years have mentioned motor oil and chainsaw fuel mixing oil.  That reminded me about a subject that I’ve meant to address on the blog: the key considerations of oil and lubricant storage.  It is important to think through all of your …

The post Update: Oil and Lubricant Storage in Retreat Planning appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, news of some Ominous rumblings from Washington’s Mount Rainier. Some Frequent Mount Rainier Rumblings America’s deadliest volcano enters unprecedented 72-hour tremor phase as eruption threat looms over millions. …

The post The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

“Economic freedom, limited government and unlimited respect for private property are essential elements for economic growth.” – Javier Milei

The post The Editors’ Quote of the Day:  appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

A couple months ago I realized I needed a new softshell jacket. However, I didn't want to spend REI-money as this will be mostly used around town, with light field usage. So, after doing some searching on and off Amazon I ordered a Free Soldier brand Soft Shell Hooded Military Tactical Jacket.

Like most of the tactical soft shells on the market it's a copy of the TAD Gear Stealth Raider Hoodie, but at a much lower price.

My initial impressions were favorable. The sewing seems to be good quality, the zippers all move smoothly, there were no loose threads, and it fits me well with room for layering. I'm 5'5" but with a spare tire and broad shoulders for my height so I got a 2XL.

Jackets should have a hood if you're going to be out in inclement weather for an extended time. They keep you dryer and warmer. Ideally, the hood should fit comfortably over a hat without forcing it down onto your head. The hood on this jacket meets that requirement. The hood can be rolled up and secured with a flap although I normally just leave it unrolled. The front of the hood can be adjusted with shock cords that run down into the front pockets. It's big enough to comfortably fit over a ball cap and the brim is long enough to fully cover the cap's brim. Aside from helping to create a nice microclimate in front of your face, this is also great for those of us who wear glasses.

The FS jacket has six external pockets. There are two front pockets with long zippers. Inside each is a D-ring to dummy cord items to and a pen or penlight pocket. The right front pocket also has an internal vertical cell phone pocket that easily fits my iPhone 16 Pro.

Both arms have bicep pockets with Velcro panels on the outside. There's also a small pocket on the lower left arm.

Finally, there's a poacher's pocket on the back with zips on both sides. This would be good for stashing a beanie, gloves, or scarf but I wouldn't want something too bulky back there.

There are no inside pockets, which is a negative IMO. A Napoleon pocket would also be nice.

The cuffs are adjustable with Velcro and the hem is adjustable with shock cords to keep out the wind. There are pit zips for ventilation. The front zipper is two way and the pull is on the right side, i.e., American style.

Softshells should be wind and water resistant.

My initial test of the jacket's water resistance was to stand outside from about 10 - 15 minutes in a pouring rain while it was 70*F. While a short test it did not wet through. I felt some cold from the rain on my shoulders but after I came back inside and doffed the jacket it was completely dry inside. Based on this it should handle brief showers fine, and snow shouldn't be a problem, either.

Wind resistance is very good. I've taken it on a couple half hour walks in ~40*F weather with wind at 20 MPH, gusting to 35 MPH. It kept out the wind just fine.

I haven't owned it long enough to determine long term durability but the initial impressions are good, and the price was right.

 I'm seeing a bunch of Turkey frying videos on my feed and the one thing they never cover is how much oil to put in the pot.

That depends on your pot and the size of the turkey.  Once you have chosen your oil, and your turkey, it's time to prep the turkey and make sure that the bird will not overflow the pot with the hot oil.

The turkey must be fully thawed.  Please, God, do not drop a frozen turkey into hot oil. It will explode and at a minimum, a trip to the Emergency Room will be necessary. Once the bird is thawed, season it however you will.  Inject it, or rub it, or whatever.  It's your bird.

The way I was taught to do it was to test it before you lit the burner.  Simply put the bird in the pot, add oil until it covers the bird, then take the bird out.  Then light your burner and heat the oil to the desired temp.  When putting the bird into the hot oil, go slowly. Painfully slowly. Wear gloves and take your time.

Let the turkey fry 3 minutes per pound.  A 12-pound bird takes 36 minutes.  After frying, let it rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Bon apetit.

Lawrence has the details.  You can turn the damn stuff off. And oh by the way, they're getting sued over it.

The post Aly & Kaufman AKB-23: Better Than the SA80 / L85 first appeared on Forgotten Weapons.

GrabAGun, the first publicly traded firearms retailer, has had better sales than the overall industry for 2025.  Marc Nemati, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) stated sales increased by 16% compared to an industry decline, as shown by the NSSF adjusted firearm sales, of 5.3%, for 2025 through the end of September.  Sales are good in spite of the stock price dropping 70% after going public.

In 2025, Donald Trump Jr. became an advisor, then a stockholder in GrabAGun. GrabAGun went public in July of 2025 to become the first, and currently only, firearms retailer listed on the NYSE.  GrabAGun is designated PEW on the NYSE. Prices of the stock increased from about 11.8 in early January to over 17.2 on July 15. By July 29, the price had dropped to 6.2, then gradually dropping to 3.78 on November 14. GrabAGun remains the only firearms retailer listed on the NYSE.

Cash and equivalent assets of GrabAGun were listed as $3.65 per share at the end of September. GrabAGun has been repurchasing shares at these low prices. This is an indication GrabAGun management is convinced the company is on the right track. When a company purchases its own shares with cash, each remaining share owns a larger proportion of the company.

CEO Nemati reported GrabAGun has no debt. From yahoo.com:

 "With over $109 million in cash and no debt, we remain well positioned heading into the fourth quarter and the holiday season. Demand across our core categories remains steady, supported by strong customer engagement on our platform. We’re continuing to invest in the business, advancing our technology, expanding our supplier relationships, and strengthening our customer experience. Our focus remains on building scale, driving operational efficiency, and creating lasting value for our shareholders."

For the third quarter, net revenue was up, at $22.3 million. This is a 10% increase over the same quarter in 2024. Loss from the conversion to public listing and stock based compensation resulted in an overall loss for the quarter.

 Net loss was $3.3 million compared to net income of $0.6 million in the prior year quarter, reflecting the aforementioned stock-based compensation and expenses related to the Company’s public listing.

GrabAGun is dual listed on the NYSE Texas.  GrabAGun keeps its primary listing on the NYSE in New York City. The physical location of GrabAGun is in Coppell, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.

The focus of GrabAGun is online sales. Sales through mobile devices accounted for 67% of transactions and 64% of revenue in the third quarter. The strategy is to make online sales, particularly through mobile devices, simple and easy.

In Q3 2025, Mobile Sessions⁴ grew 13% year-over-year, and accounted for 67% of transactions and 64% of revenue, respectively (compared to 65% of transactions and 63% of revenue for the prior year quarter), demonstrating a meaningful shift in channel mix that aligns with the Company’s mobile-first strategy.

Overall, firearms sales, as measured by the NSSF adjusted background checks, have been stable for October, just .3 percent lower than October in 2024. This is good news for the industry as a whole. It should be good news for GrabAGun as well.

GrabAGun has not avoided politics. They have taken a pro-conservative position. They have publicly made Donald Trump, Jr. an advisor and prominent shareholder. GrabAGun has partnered with SigSauer to sell specially marked handguns. For each sale, Sig Sauer makes a donation to Turning Point USA.

With no debt, GrabAGun seems well positioned to increase profits. If GrabAGun delivers a simple and pleasant purchasing experience to its customers, in addition to competitive prices, it may win market share. As the company purchases back shares at low prices, the remaining shares are positioned to reap higher dividends.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch   

According to Sheriff Burch, the argument escalated quickly.

“Went to the kitchen, got several knives, began looking for his girlfriend, still yelling, cursing,” said Burch. 

When the confrontation reached his nephew Kenton Todd, who lives at home, the situation turned deadly. 

“He charged the younger Todd with the knives. And, the younger Todd fired twice, striking Keenta Todd in the chest,” said Burch. 

More Here

Witnesses said an ex-boyfriend of the apartment’s female occupant kicked-in the front door and busted the door frame.

A man inside the dwelling allegedly fired shots, striking the intruder and the woman.

Sheriff's department lieutenant James Hendricks says her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, but the male’s injuries have him in critical condition.

More Here 

On the scene, officers found one man who had been shot and another man who was involved in the incident.

The shooting victim was taken to the hospital, where he died of his injuries. Officers say the other man remained on scene and was cooperative.

It was determined that the domestic altercation involved a mother and her two adult sons. Police believe that the shooting may have been in self-defense.

More Here

The clerk refused to accept the bill, which is when police say Thompson allegedly jumped over the counter and attacked the woman. He was then shot by the employee.

Thompson then reportedly fled the store, before calling police about 30 minutes later, reporting he had been shot. Authorities found him blocks from the first scene and he was taken to the hospital.

More Here

November 19, 1530: The final decree of the Diet of Augsburg, “The Recess,” is signed by Charles V and Catholic princes, reaffirming Catholic rites and principles after the departure of Protestant princes. — On November 19, 1619, the Dutch ship Nieuw Hoorn exploded in the Sunda Strait, near Sumatra, after a fire on board reached the gunpowder, killing more than 100 men. — Today is the anniversary of the Kyle Rittenhouse “Not Guilty” verdicts, in 2021. — On this day in 1863, U.S. President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, at the dedication service for the National Cemetery in Pennsylvania. — …

The post Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — November 19, 2025 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

This article is about my experience using a shipping container as a mouse-proof cellar. A couple of important notes up front – shipping containers are not designed to have a load-bearing roof. I discovered that quickly while attempting to put a dirt cover over the top of the container. With a small load of dirt on top, the roof of the metal container began to bow. I shoveled the dirt back off of there, and revised my plan as explained below. So don’t do that. Also, it is essential that the container be installed above the groundwater table to prevent …

The post Experience with a Mouse-Proof Cellar, by Pescadores appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

Our weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters. — Last nuclear treaty between US and Russia nears expiration as Trump and Putin trade testing threats. (Pictured above are subsidence craters from underground nuclear weapons tests at the Yucca Flats portion of the DOE’s Nevada Test Site.) o  o  o “Unique” weather warning for winter as La Nina, Polar Vortex dance. (Our …

The post SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

“On what basis can a righteous God justify the ungodly? It is entirely and all of grace.” – Alistair Begg

The post The Editors’ Quote of the Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

Sometimes we would find ourselves in a place so captivating we would decide to spend all our time in the park. We talked to the ranger in the museum and later with a docent and author that was giving the tours at the Commanding Officer's quarters. Rode our bikes around and in the late afternoon as the sun was fading, hiked up to the overlook.  

This is the view looking down from the blockhouses toward the Missouri River. The building you can see are the barracks and the Commanding Officer's quarters. 

Fort Abraham Lincoln was a U.S. Army fort built on the banks of the Missouri River in 1873 along the construction route of the Northern Pacific Railroad. It was built on what had been Mandan tribal land until a smallpox outbreak killed about 95% of the settlement in 1837. The 150 survivors had abandoned the area and settled in with another nearby tribe.

There were no battles fought at the fort. The cavalry garrisoned here did participate in putting down a Sioux uprising in the summer of 1876. The commanding officer of the fort was Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and this is where he and the 600 men under his command rode out from. 

The need for the fort was gone in less  than twenty years and the Army abandoned it in 1891. Local civilians stripped the fort for it's lumber, nails, and hardware, leaving only the foundations and memories.

In 1907, Pr. Theodore Roosevelt signed the land over to North Dakota for use as a park. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps had a unit assigned to the area. They built an administration building, offices, garages, roads, and the service buildings. They also worked from the foundations and surviving documents to rebuild the fort. 

None of the original buildings had survived. Everything in the park is a CCC reproduction. The layout of the fort, all the buildings, can been seen on a walk, with interpretive signs. Two barracks have been restored and set up to look as they did in 1875. The blockhouses and support buildings were rebuilt as well. The C.O.'s quarters was rebuilt later, in 1989 as part of the North Dakota Centennial. 

In addition to the structures in the fort, the CCC worked with a local Mandan woman who served as a historical resource to build a section of a Mandan village consisting of five full size lodgehouses. It is maintained and used to display artifacts and interpretive displays about the Mandan.

 The CCC administration building is now the park museum. This isn't mine, but it's a slideshow of pictures of the museum and the Mandan village set to music.