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One of the most beloved machine guns of all time is finding new life in the fields of Ukraine. As it turns out, it is a useful, low-cost alternative when shooting down drones.
Imagine that, a partial belt of .50 cal is cheaper than using a missile. Who'd a thunk it?
Flintlock pistol from about 1730, courtesy Rock Island Auctions
During and after the American revolution, there was no registration of firearms in the colonies which were to become the United States. There is good evidence handguns were commonly owned during this period. One of the primary sources comes from records during the occupation of Boston by General Gage before and after the battles of Lexington and Concord. The history of these engagements were meticulously recorded by Richard Frothingham in the History of the Siege of Boston, published in 1873. Frothingham uses original sources, particularly of the Boston Town Meeting Minutes of 22-28 April, 1775, for the numbers of weapons.
After the disastrous battles at Lexington and Concord, which are considered the start of the American revolution, General Gage was besieged in Boston. There were about 5,000 inhabitants in the city. Food was running short in Boston. Many people wished to leave. General Gage made a deal with the Selectmen. People could leave the city *if* the inhabitants surrendered their weapons to the town council. They were to identify themselves so the weapons could be returned later. People leaving the city were thoroughly searched. Even small amounts of food, such as a loaf of bread, were confiscated. It would have been difficult to smuggle out even handguns. It is possible some weapons might have been left hidden in the city.
Page 94 from image 118 Frothingham image
The agreement was for "the inhabitants in general", so it was to encompass all the inhabitants, who were not under the control of General Gage. We have the number of the arms which were turned in.
From Frothingham image 119, page 95.
The total number of firearms were 1778 fire-arms plus 634 pistols and 38 blunder-busses or 2,450 total, about one for every two inhabitants. Pistols were almost 26% of the total. This is obviously common, about one for every eight people. All firearms were more expensive in relative terms than they are in the United States in the twenty-first century. The cost of a pistol in 1776 is difficult to find, with the suggestion common flintlock pistols were about 1.7 British lbs, or roughly two weeks of skilled labor. When the American dollar came into being there were 20 dollars per ounce of gold and 4.25 British lbs per ounce of gold, or about 8 silver dollars per flintlock pistol. The term "buck" came from one deerskin being worth about 1 dollar. There are about 540 million privately owned firearms for about 340 million people in the USA, or about 1.6 firearms for every person. It is likely firearms were more common in rural areas and on the frontier. An analysis of Plymouth Colony probate inventories during the 1670s showed 13% of the firearms were pistols.
Analysis: It is the experience of this correspondent that firearms, especially handguns, are often taken from an estate before probate, by members of the family. They are frequently given to heirs before death. The numbers from probate records are very likely considerably lower than numbers owned by the population. The records from the siege of Boston and the probate records show concealable firearms were commonly owned during the immediate period leading up to the ratification of the Constitution. Handguns were not considered "dangerous and unusual weapons". As noted previously, concealed weapons, of which handguns are only one type, were common in the colonies and the early Republic.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
The post Q&A April 2026: The Good, the Bad, and the Really Dumb first appeared on Forgotten Weapons.
The injured suspect was transported by Memphis Fire Department to Regional One in critical condition.
Officers also spoke with the injured suspect’s girlfriend, who said her boyfriend was pumping gas when he began arguing with about 5 men. One of the men said he was going to get his gun and started shooting.
Officers spoke with the owner of the tire shop, who said that approximately 2 shots were fired from the gas station parking lot and that a customer got out of his vehicle and returned fire.
According to the Medford Police Department, officers responded around 4:55 a.m. to a report of a person in mental distress. A caller reported that a neighbor in an adjacent apartment was screaming and behaving erratically.
While officers were heading to the scene, they learned the person was trying to break into a neighboring apartment using an axe. The person inside that apartment fired a gun, hitting the man.
Mission control, to everyone’s relief, ordered them to come home early. They buttoned up Salyut and climbed into the Soyuz, wearing only their leisure suits. Which became a problem when they prepared to disengage and a warning light began to blink. Sounding nearly hysterical at this point, Volkov shouted at ground control, “The hatch isn’t pressurized! What should we do? What should we do?” Obviously they couldn’t disengage if the hatch wasn’t completely sealed, unless they were in their spacesuits and helmets. They tried various procedures suggested by the techies on the ground. Nothing worked.
Ground control finally advised them to tape a piece of paper over the warning light and proceed. Read that sentence again. Nothing shouts “Soviet space program!” like that single sentence.These tales and more can be found in the book I just finished reading, The Wrong Stuff, by John Strausbaugh. Recommend!
On April 25, 1644, the last Ming Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself from a tree on Jing Mountain, Beijing, rather than be captured by the forces of Li Zicheng, the Chinese peasant rebellions leader — who soon after ruled over northern China briefly as the Yongchang Emperor. Thus ended the Ming Dynasty. — Today is the birthday of physicist, inventor, and entrepreneur Guglielmo Marconi (1874–1937). He was known for his pioneering work on long-distance radio transmission as well as for the development of Marconi’s law and a radio telegraph system. He is often considered the inventor of radio. — Just a …
The post Preparedness Notes for Saturday — April 25, 2026 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
As a public service, I’d like to share my ham radio antenna designs with SurvivalBlog readers. We handed out these antenna-building diagrams, free of charge, at Hamfests. We sell laminated copies of wall charts and pocket band charts. Below, I am including drawings for Fan Dipoles and OMTA Verticals. (The original idea was Robert Wilson, a nice guy, we shared several ideas, but, after improving on his “math-inspired idea”, we designed and built many iterations of a more practical design.) For the Fan Dipoles we sell a kit without wire, or a complete build. Please note that the Fan Dipole …
The post Simple and Proven Ham Radio Antenna Construction, by Hoofer appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds …
The post Editors’ Prepping Progress appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
“The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged. A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food. They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them. Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the Lord understand all things. Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is …
The post The Editors’ Quote Of The Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
Millionaire US big game hunter, 75, is trampled to death by five elephants while hunting antelope in central Africa [More] I didn’t know and AI couldn’t answer my question either. Why not? Looks like he was fine either way. Now look at all the celebratory comments. Every one I’ve seen, to a man (!) is … Continue reading "Sporting Chances"
The post Sporting Chances first appeared on The War on Guns.
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is facing fresh accusations after Republicans flagged her reported push to direct more than $1 million in federal taxpayer funds to a small Somali-led nonprofit whose listed project address matches a Minneapolis restaurant.
The nonprofit, Generation Hope MN, describes itself as providing addiction recovery services, peer support, job training, and mental health support for the East African community. The address tied to Omar’s earmark request - 326 Cedar Ave S / 411 Cedar Ave S - matches Sagal Restaurant and Coffee, a Somali eatery. Conservative investigator Angela Rose documented the site in a video, using Google Street View archives and on-site footage to show minimal or no clinic signage over years, with the building primarily operating as a restaurant. The owner has confirmed Generation Hope uses upstairs space in the multi-tenant property, but critics highlighted the optics amid Minnesota’s fraud history. ..
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and other Republicans flagged multiple concerns: the restaurant address, three directors listing the same residential home address in filings, and the organization’s limited demonstrated capacity for large-scale treatment services. House Republicans stripped the earmark from a FY2026 spending package in January 2026. GOP senators later requested a formal DOJ fraud investigation into Generation Hope MN.
I wonder hown much of that million plus was going into Rep. Omar's pocket. 4/18/26 New York Post:
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar blamed an accounting “discrepancy” for errors in a financial disclosure that listed her net worth at up to $30 million – while doubling down that she is not a millionaire, a report said.
She says it is more like $95,000. I have a pretty clear picture of my net wealth. I would never accidentally misstate my net wealth as $50 million.
A petition launched by a freshman at Harvard University argues that campus leaders’ efforts to reform grade inflation at the Ivy League institution is racist.
The lobbying comes as a Harvard faculty consider capping the number of A grades they give out in each class. That proposal came after a report published last fall found that 60 percent of all undergraduate grades are now As.
The petition calls on Harvard to reject the proposed reforms, arguing they are “flawed” and “racially harmful in effect.”
“We center racism as a core concern, contending that although the policy is framed as neutral ‘differentiation,’ it functions as a system of ranking and sorting that mirrors and reinforces existing racial and socioeconomic hierarchies,” the petition states.
Yes, this guy is arguing that BiPOCs can't make it without grade inflation. In 1955, you could find Americans who believed that blacks lacked the intelligence to compete with whites. In the 19th century, even many abolitionists supported returning blacks to Africa (one that most had never seen) because they were thought unlikely to be able to compete on equal basis with whites.
Now, if this student wanted to argue that kids coming from poverty were going to have trouble competing, that might be an interesting argument, but not every BiPOC is coming from poverty and there are white Harvard students who also come from poverty and underprivileged backgrounds. (At least I hope so; there are plenty of J.D. Vances out there.) But no, this/student is playing the white supremacist tune, saying every black is inferior.
I’ve been wasting time I don’t have deleting spam comments, mostly for porn and foreign language hackers, and I noticed name and email address were not required in settings so I changed that. I thought I’d set it up that way originally, but for whatever reason it’s set now. I just tested it and I … Continue reading "Some Changes Around Here"
The post Some Changes Around Here first appeared on The War on Guns.
Blue state residents ‘fleeing in droves’ after ‘insane’ progressive takeover, says top state attorney [More] How they gonna vote in their new home? Anybody hear this guy include “citizen disarmament” among his reasons for leaving…? Good thing the “Great Replacement” has been debunked!
The post Off to Unfouled Nests first appeared on The War on Guns.
He didn’t commit a crime, but Flock cam alerts keep getting him pulled over [More] That it happened was inexcusable. That it hadn’t been corrected is unforgiveable. I hope he sues all involved, including rope-selling capitalist Garrett Langley. He can afford it. [Via Michael G]
The post We’re the Only Ones All Flocked Up Enough first appeared on The War on Guns.
Kellogg: Arming the Iranian People ‘a Good Idea’ [More] Hey, how about “America First“? [Via bondmen]
The post A Better Idea first appeared on The War on Guns.
The official cause of death has not been determined, but officials don’t suspect foul play, according to the office. Officials are conducting an internal review. [More] Sounds like what’s needed is an EXTERNAL review. If the guy did it, hang him after full due process. Regardless, the state has an obligation to keep its prisoners … Continue reading "We’re the Only Ones Self-Checking Enough"
The post We’re the Only Ones Self-Checking Enough first appeared on The War on Guns.
Sometimes I miss the old days. [Via bondmen]
The post Speaking of ‘A Holes’… first appeared on The War on Guns.
And just happened: I’m sure more will be forthcoming, so if you want to know more, I suggest you follow his feed. [Via Andy M] Related UPDATE [Via bondmen]
The post Menace to Society…? first appeared on The War on Guns.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick Says He Would Leave GOP if Pennsylvania Had Open Primaries [More] So, he’ll just make it official? He’s running unopposed? Probably because he’s got a f_ton of money, with the top donor being AIPAC. Any gun owner who votes for this traitor because “he’s not a Democrat” is a willing dupe. Republicans … Continue reading "Promises, Promises"
The post Promises, Promises first appeared on The War on Guns.
“Because machine guns are not protected by the Second Amendment as weapons in common use for lawful purposes, we affirm,” wrote Chief U.S. Circuit Judge William Pryor, adding the 11th Circuit joins “several sister circuits in holding that the Second Amendment does not protect the possession of machine guns.” [More] Don’t believe him? How ’bout … Continue reading "Pryor Restraint"
The post Pryor Restraint first appeared on The War on Guns.
His mom, Selma Allen, claimed it was actually the victim had bullied her son at school and described him as a “humble” Christian. “She was being a bully to him, that’s it,” Allen told The Post after her son’s court appearance. [More] Everything you need to know right here about the victim/entitlement/reparations mentality that the … Continue reading "R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find Out What It Means to Me"
The post R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find Out What It Means to Me first appeared on The War on Guns.
A Virginia state senator told colleagues he understands rural America because he grew up watching “The Dukes of Hazzard.”
Democratic state Sen. Lamont Bagby made the claim during a floor debate on the state’s gerrymandering amendment, according to video posted by WJLA reporter Nick Minock. Bagby pushed back on Republicans who argued Democrats have no grasp of rural life.
“I grew up watching the Waltons. I grew up with Opie. I even watched the Dukes of Hazzard. I think I know a little bit about rural America,” Bagby said, apparently referencing “The Waltons” and “The Andy Griffith Show” alongside the hit CBS series. He then rattled off characters from urban-set sitcoms to argue he fights for all Virginians. “I’m not just here for Theo. I’m not just here for Arnold or Willis. I’m here for Opie, John Boy. Blossom, Topanga.”
The post Model 1867 Trapdoor: A Unique Rifle for West Point Cadets first appeared on Forgotten Weapons.
From stone-age man to modern EDC, the fixed blade knife has served humanity well! Here are just a few of our favorites and what we carry daily!
In 2025, the number of officers feloniously killed each year has dropped to the lowest level since 2013. The Officers Down Memorial Page (ODMP) appears to have more complete data than the FBI Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) data. The LEOKA data depends on voluntary reporting from law enforcement agencies. The ODMP evaluates officer deaths which are submitted to it. The largest discrepancy noticed was in 2013, where ODMP listed 37 officers feloniously killed in that year and LEOKA lists 27. In 2025, the two numbers are the same.
The Crime Prevention Research Center has compare the first three months of 2026 with the first three months of 2024 and 2025, using the LEOKA data. You can see 2026 is lower than the previous years for the first quarter.
The number of officers feloniously killed has been dropping since the 1970s. There are reasons for this drop. It has not been smooth. The numbers are relatively small, so there are significant changes from year to year. The chart below shows the numbers of officers killed feloniously with firearms from 1963 to 2014
The number of officers feloniously killed with firearms is a pretty good fit to the number of officers feloniously killed, because most homicides of officers in the line of duty are committed with firearms. There are several reasons which may explain the drop. First is the introduction of soft body armor, especially the Second Chance vest in the early 1970s. There was better training on firearms retention, and the use of retention holsters. We also developed much better communications and emergency response systems, as well as better emergency room care. Together these things resulted in a two thirds drop in the numbers of officers killed in felonious attacks. The officers killed numbers tend to follow the overall homicide numbers which also dropped significantly since the 1990s. The numbers in the first Trump term are lower than the numbers during the Biden administration.
Analysis: As we continuously improve the technology used by the police, the officers killed feloniously will continue to drop. Robots are already being used to search houses. Cameras everywhere make criminals easier to find, and crimes easier to solve.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Officers reportedly canvassed the neighborhood where the shooting occurred, interviewed witnesses, collected evidence, and executed a search warrant at the home.
Detectives were able to determine that the two individuals had engaged in a verbal altercation, which eventually escalated into a physical confrontation after someone pulled out a gun. Investigators believe a fight over the gun took place, which left both individuals shot.
According to SPD, a woman told police they had all been drinking.
Detectives said that during the robbery, one 44-year-old customer refused to give money to the masked man and a struggle ensued between them.
The masked man then shot the customer at close range multiple times, deputies said.
Meanwhile, the on-duty manager got a handgun from an office in the arcade and shot once in the direction of the masked man, the sheriff's office said, adding that the suspect was not hit and fled from the arcade.
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Where is The Safest Place to Sit to Avoid Danger? Some things to consider when you are out in various public venues. Capability or Size? What’s Best For Pistol-Mounted Lights If you […]On April 24, 1913, the Woolworth Building was opened in New York City by Frank Winfield Woolworth. It was completed at a cost of $13.5 million. At 792 feet, it was then the world’s tallest building. It is pictured above (at center) in 1965. — April 24, 1944: The first Boeing B-29 arrived in China after flying “Over The Hump”. — And on April 24,1990 STS-31 was launched. It was the 35th mission of the US Space Shuttle program. It carried the Hubble Space Telescope. — Today we present a short guest article by our friend Hub Moolman, of South …
The post Preparedness Notes for Friday — April 24, 2026 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
Silver is trying to get back into this important channel previously pointed out: (Click to expand.) This puts the current bull market in a similar position to 2004 in the previous bull market. In other words, it is still very early in this bull market. If you consider the current bull market structure in this context, then it should be apparent that silver prices are currently not as overextended as many may think. It would be like saying silver at $5.60 in 2004 was overpriced. Silver is currently only about 58% higher than its 1980 peak (the …
The post Silver Prices Will Still Go Much Higher, by Hubert Moolman appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
In Economics & Investing Media of the Week we feature photos, charts, graphs, maps, video links, and news items of interest to preppers. The public domain photo above of drought-cracked clay soil was taken by Bert Kaufman. Economics & Investing Links of Interest UBS Warns Drought Shock Unfolding Across Breadbasket Of America World Silver Survey, 2026 Aluminum Market Descends Into Supply ‘Black Hole’ Are Credit Card Numbers Going Away? War turns sulphur market toxic in acid supply shock. Uranium Supply Crunch Worsens Amid Kazakhstan’s Plan For Strategic Reserve. Andurand’s “Hedge” Fund Lost 52% In First Two Weeks Of April On …
The post Economics & Investing Media of the Week appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
“The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.” – John Adams, from A Defence of the Constitutions of the Government of the United States of America, 1787
The post The Editors’ Quote Of The Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., all voted against a modified version of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act early Thursday morning. [More] Search this site — and the old one — for each of these names and tell me this surprises you.
The post The Usual Suspects first appeared on The War on Guns.
By Dave Workman An online publication, Legal Reader, is reporting how Americans own guns for many reasons, and oen thing the most recent data shows is that “female gun ownership (has) increased by 5-15 percent since 1980, while male gun ownership decreased by 11 percent.” This tends to confirm what the National Shooting Sports Foundation […]
The post New Report Says Data Points to Rise in Female Gun Ownership appeared first on Liberty Park Press.
Law enforcement responding to ‘active shooter’ at Mall of Louisiana [More] Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Check for updates here.
The post The Cost of Doing Business first appeared on The War on Guns.
DOJ moves to vacate Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders [More] Tyrants thought they could destroy an idea by destroying men. [Via Jess]
The post That’s Pretty Close to Vindication first appeared on The War on Guns.
When you listen to Hasan Piker speak it becomes very obvious why Lenin and Stalin killed so many people. He appoints himself judge, jury and executioner – anybody who ideologically opposes him is guilty of vague crimes like “social murder” and can therefore be executed. [More] He should be careful what he wishes for: [Via Michael … Continue reading "Rules of Engagement?"
The post Rules of Engagement? first appeared on The War on Guns.
In any case, in what follows, I argue (I strongly believe, soundly) that not only (i) owning, carrying, and/or using guns, but also (ii) The 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution, and (iii) their necessary consequence, gun violence, are all rationally unjustified and immoral on broadly Kantian ethical grounds, and that therefore, (iv) Gun Abolitionism … Continue reading "A Frostback’s Case for Disarming YOU"
The post A Frostback’s Case for Disarming YOU first appeared on The War on Guns.
Been saying exactly that for years– right down to repeatedly citing that New York Times paragraph, only to be ignored by the gun groups and flat out insulted or just put down by louder voices, none of whom have the integrity to take my challenge and all of whom deflect, run away, and even block … Continue reading "‘No More Important Issue to 2A Than Immigrants Voting for Democrats’"
The post ‘No More Important Issue to 2A Than Immigrants Voting for Democrats’ first appeared on The War on Guns.
Vivek: “The idea of a heritage American is about as loony as anything the woke left has actually put up”; Casey Putsch is the real deal on guns; and in re Democrat/media/Vichycon Alliance allegations of racism… [More] The post I’m replying to merits your attention, particularly if you’re an Ohio gun owner only influenced so … Continue reading "The Better Choice"
The post The Better Choice first appeared on The War on Guns.
Implausible growth in Minnesota autism cases and treatment. 97% survival rates for hospice agencies in Los Angeles County, some of which are apparently sharing addresses with tire stores and burrito shops. 4/22/26 KIRO:
Mayor Katie Wilson of Seattle said all options are on the table after a forensic evaluation found $13 million in public funds are unaccounted for at the King County Regional Homelessness Authority.
According to the evaluation, the financial troubles do not end with the missing money.
A 43-page report outlines the findings of the investigation. It states in 2025, more cash was leaving the authority than coming in to the tune of more than $40 million.
The evaluation was ordered by the city and county in August in response to a series of financial issues. It covers the KCRHA from mid-2021 to mid-2025. Among the money mishandling it cites are $1.26 million in interest charges, $2.96 million paid to a staffing company and $6.4 million in unapproved overspending in 2025.
“I think we need to take this seriously,” Maritza Rivera of the Seattle City Council said. “We need to disband KCRHA.”
This is not just defrauding taxpayers; it is reducing aid for the needy, instead of the greedy.
A former police officer and sheriff’s deputy was arrested in Florida on Wednesday after authorities found information suggesting he planned a mass shooting at a festival in New Orleans, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Christopher Gillum of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is wanted in Orleans Parish on a charge of making terroristic threats. “Authorities obtained information Gillum planned to travel to a festival in New Orleans to conduct a mass shooting and then commit suicide by cop,” the sheriff’s office said.
The question, of course, is what information did they have.
Another Trump loyalist is taking over as acting head of the Navy: Undersecretary Hung Cao, a 25-year Navy combat veteran who ran unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. Senate and House in Virginia. [More] Let’s hope he bring more boldness to this new position than he did to his campaigns. [Via Andy M]
The post Hung Back first appeared on The War on Guns.
April 28th is the last day to register to vote in the May primary election. [More] I wonder how much of not having more good choices to vote for stems from not being personally involved in the fight while it’s still easy, compared to what it could be like when the choice becomes more existential.
The post Urgent and Final first appeared on The War on Guns.
Offering a lot more firepower than it's nakesake, the GForce Arms Jawbone is a 9mm PDW with a little extra under the hood.
The treatment for one illness may be fatally contradicted for another. So it is in medicine, and so in can be in law, specifically self-defense law. A classic example is the advice, “Say nothing to police except ‘I want to call a lawyer!’ after you’ve shot a criminal in self-defense.” Not talking to police is great […]
Wyoming lawmakers introduced a bill this year that would have given real protection to people dragged through the criminal justice system after using lawful self-defense. House Bill 14, titled Protecting self-defense-reimbursement and amendments, would have required counties to reimburse defendants who were found not guilty, had charges dismissed, or were otherwise released from prosecution because they reasonably used defensive force under Wyoming law.
But the bill did not make it out of the House. HB0014 failed introduction on February 10, 2026, by a 29-32-1 vote.
HB0014 was aimed at one of the most abusive realities of modern self-defense law: even when a peaceable citizen does everything right and ultimately beats the charge, the state can still leave that person financially wrecked. Lawyer bills, bail costs, lost work, and the stigma of arrest do not disappear just because a prosecutor loses.
This bill tried to address that by making the government pay when the system comes after someone who lawfully defended himself, his family, another person, or property. The bill text says the county “shall reimburse” reasonable costs, including attorney fees, bail costs, loss of time, and even costs tied to seeking expungement. From wyoleg.gov:
If a person who is subject to criminal prosecution is found not guilty, has had the charges dismissed or is otherwise released from custody or further prosecution because the person reasonably used defensive force in accordance with W.S. 6‑2‑602, the county where the person was charged or subject to criminal prosecution shall reimburse the person for all reasonable costs, including loss of time, bail costs, attorney fees and other costs and expenses involved in the person’s defense, including the costs of seeking or receiving an expungement under W.S. 6‑2‑605.
Under proposed W.S. 6-2-604, reimbursement would have been available when a defendant was found not guilty, when charges were dismissed, or when the person was otherwise released from custody or further prosecution because the person reasonably used defensive force in accordance with W.S. 6-2-602. That is broader than a simple acquittal-only rule and would have covered cases that never made it to a full trial.
If a defendant was acquitted at trial, the trier of fact would decide whether the person was eligible for reimbursement because the acquittal rested on lawful self-defense, but the court would determine the amount of the award. In dismissal or no-prosecution cases, the defendant could file a petition in the county court where the case arose, and the court would decide both eligibility and the reimbursement amount. In other words, the bill did not make the jury set the dollar value of the award.
HB0014 also would have added an expungement mechanism tied specifically to successful self-defense cases. A person found not guilty, released, or whose charges were dismissed because of lawful defensive force could petition for expungement in the county where the prosecution occurred. If the person was acquitted because of lawful self-defense, the bill says the court would advise that person upon acquittal of the right to immediately file for expungement. There would be no filing fee for the expungement petition.
(g) If the court enters an order of expungement under this section, the person shall be deemed to have never been arrested, charged or prosecuted with respect to the matters and charges that are subject to the order of expungement, and the person may so swear under oath.
Bill HB14 is sponsored by 23 representative(s): Brown, G, Allemand, Banks, Brady, Campbell, K, Guggenmos, Haroldson, Heiner, Hoeft, Knapp, Locke, Lucas, Ottman, Riggins, Schmid, Smith, S, Strock, Styvar, Wasserburger, Webb, Webber, Wharff and Winter. The bill is sponsored by 4 Senator(s): French, Ide, Laursen, D and Pearson.
The Wyoming Senate has 31 members: 29 Republicans and 2 Democrats. The Wyoming House of Representatives has 62 members: 56 Republicans and 6 Democrats. Governor Gordon of Wyoming took time to appear at the Governors Forum at the SHOT Show. He appeared to be a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. He does not appear to have made a statement for or against this bill.
Wyoming is following Washington State’s lead. In Washington, there is a self-defense reimbursement statute, RCW 9A.16.110. The Washington statute is used infrequently. The Wyoming bill goes a bit further than the Washington statute, as it includes particulars for expungement. The bill’s supporters expect it will also be used infrequently. The bill is expected to prompt prosecutors to be more careful in prosecuting self-defense cases.
For gun owners, the principle behind HB0014 is easy to understand. The right to armed self-defense means less if the state can prosecute a lawful defender, fail to convict, and still leave him bankrupt and branded. Anti-gun politicians and activist prosecutors love to talk about “process,” but process itself becomes punishment when the innocent are forced to spend months or years and tens of thousands of dollars proving what should have been obvious from the beginning.
A reimbursement statute does not give anyone a free pass for criminal violence. It simply tells the government that if it comes after a person who lawfully used defensive force and loses, taxpayers—not the innocent defendant—should bear the cost.
HB0014 is dead for now, but the idea behind it is sound. If states are serious about recognizing self-defense as a fundamental right, they should also recognize that an innocent person cleared on self-defense grounds should not be left holding the bill for his own vindication. Wyoming had a chance to move in that direction this year. The House chose not to.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
UCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - The Pima County Sheriff’s Department says a suspect is dead after being shot during a robbery attempt Monday evening, April 20.
The PCSD says deputies responded to a residence in the 3600 block of West Avenida Fria for a reported shooting.
Detectives believe three male suspects, at least one of whom was a juvenile, attempted to rob a teen at gunpoint.
During the encounter, the PCSD says the victim fired his own weapon and hit two of the suspects.
One victim was allegedly seen pointing an AK-style weapon at the person who ended up being the shooter.
The three victims, according to Detroit police sources, were the aggressors in this situation and began beating the shooter in his vehicle.
Detroit police sources also said late Tuesday (April 21) that the Wayne County prosecutor’s office has denied charges against the shooter.
- Oops. It looks like half of all global seaborne sulphur shipments transit the Strait of Hormuz.
- Papyrus containing part of The Iliad found in tomb with Egyptian mummy.
- Meta to add facial recognition to its creeper glasses, to make being stalked even easier!
On April 23, 1014, the army of King Brian Boru of Ireland defeated Viking forces at the Battle of Clontarf, freeing Ireland from Viking control. (The imaginative painting above was rendered by Hugh Frazer, 1826.) — And on this day in 1940, a dance hall fire killed 198 people in Natchez, Mississippi. — Today’s feature article is by SurvivalBlog staff writer Tom Christianson. — We are seeking entries for Round 124 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $984,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 124 ends on May 31st, so get …
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My maternal grandfather owned two shotguns. One was a rusty old 12 gauge with a cracked buttstock and a broken butt plate. The other was a nice little Savage Model 220A in 20 gauge. When I was in my teens, I said to Grandpa, “I would like to try to repair that 12 gauge for you. If you like the work, you can give me the 20 gauge in payment.” That was a foolish offer on my part. Why would Grandpa want to give up a dandy 20 gauge just to get a battered old 12 gauge repaired. But for …
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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, new advances in UGVs. US Army’s Unmanned Hunter Wolf UGV in Field Tests Over at Modernity: US Army Trials Unmanned Hunter Wolf Robot With Gun, Radar In Combat …
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“As to the history of the revolution, my ideas may be peculiar perhaps singular. What do we mean by the revolution? The war? That was no part of the revolution; it was only an effect and consequence of it. The revolution was in the minds of the people, and this was effected from 1760 to 1775, in the course of fifteen years, before a drop of blood was shed at Lexington.” – John Adams, from a letter to Thomas Jefferson, August 24th, 1815
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I started today with a routine eye exam. Nothing much changed, but they dilated my eyes. Crap. I walked around blurry for most of the day.
I see that the Southern Poverty Law Center got indicted. It couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch. The SPLC was founded in the early '70s to combat racism. Over the past 20 years they have become a far-left organization that tries to stretch the definition so that they can still be relevant. Over the past decade they would put out lists of "hate groups" that included the Catholic church and Turning Point USA.
Over in Iran, it appears that the IRGC has taken over what little remains of the government. The Gay Ayatollah is only a figure-head and the IRGC is running the place. Vance and crew didn't leave for Pakistan because no one really knows who is in charge and the negotiators from Iran are a little squirrely.
Today is just Wednesday. Who knows what is going to happen tomorrow.