Wednesday Wisdom: 10 June 2026

Medal of Honor: Richard M. McCool, Jr.

Sharply vigilant during hostile air raids against Allied ships on radar picket duty off Okinawa on 10 June, Lt. McCool aided materially in evacuating all survivors from a sinking destroyer which had sustained mortal damage under the devastating attacks. When his own craft was attacked simultaneously by two of the enemy's suicide squadron early in the evening of 11 June, he instantly hurled the full power of his gun batteries against the plunging aircraft, shooting down the first and damaging the second before it crashed his station in the conning tower and engulfed the immediate area in a mass of flames. Although suffering from shrapnel wounds and painful burns, he rallied his concussion-shocked crew and initiated vigorous firefighting measures and then proceeded to the rescue of several trapped in a blazing compartment, subsequently carrying one man to safety despite the excruciating pain of additional severe burns.

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Our Country's Top 25 Iconic Arms

 

Red, white, and polished blue steel. America was forged through courage and gunpowder, and as we celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, it’s a fitting tribute to reflect on the arms that helped define that journey.

We're looking back at the top 25 American guns of all time, and the competition is fierce. From the Revolution to the Global War on Terror, from the gunmaking valleys of New England to the Old West frontier, each firearm was selected for its innovation, popularity, historical influence, or cultural impact. Click the images and videos throughout this article to learn more about each historic gun model.

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Review: Chiappa Rhino 60DS 10 mm Auto

The Chiappa Rhino has been in production for 16 years now, introduced to the American market at the 2010 SHOT Show. The Italian-designed-and-manufactured revolver was groundbreaking then and remains unique today; it’s the only current revolver with the barrel mounted at the bottom of the frame, firing from the chamber at the cylinder’s 6 o’clock position.

Initially offered only as a 2-inch-barreled .357 Mag., barrel-length options now include 3, 4, 5 and 6 inches. Chamberings have also expanded to include 9 mm, .40 S&W and a dedicated PPC-style gun in .38 Spl., resulting in the Rhino now being available in more than 50 variations. Chiappa expanded versatility by adding two new models chambered for the resurgent 10 mm cartridge: a 3-inch 30DS with a nickel finish and a 60DS with a 6-inch barrel and a matte-black finish.

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Smith & Wesson Model 396 Night Guard Revolver

Back in 2008, about a decade before the launch of the Model 69, Smith & Wesson released one of most well-balanced big-bore wheel guns in the company's history: the Model 396 Night Guard. Like the Model 69, it too was a K-Frame size 5-shot but with two notable changes. First, it was chambered for .44 Special only. This kept the recoil to much more manageable levels. And secondly, it sported a Scandium alloy frame with titanium components which shaved the weight down by nearly 11 oz. making it noticeably more comfortable to carry.

But this year there is great news for fans of the Night Guard revolvers and the .44 Special cartridge. Lipsey's has teamed up with Smith & Wesson to re-introduce two models including the 7-shot .357 Mag. Model 386 and the 5-shot .44 Special. In doing so, they have incorporated up-to-date features not available in the original design.

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Review: The Military Armament Corporation MAC-5K

A list of iconic 20th-century gun designs would be a crowded one, as that 100-year period saw rapid advancement and innovation in firearms technology. There is no debate, however, that Heckler & Koch’s MP5 has a place on that list. Though its big brother, the G3 infantry rifle, is more prolific, with more than 8 million produced, it was the 9 mm-chambered MP5 submachine gun that captured our imaginations, from movies to video games to news photos of elite military and law-enforcement units employing the MP5 around the world.

Part of that appeal was its exclusivity. For decades, semi-automatic, roller-delayed blowback firearms were rarities on the U.S. civilian market; they were only imported for a few years before being banned, leading to exorbitant prices for the few in circulation. The demand was there and the market answered it, initially with U.S.-made firearms assembled out of parts kits, and later with licensed-built models imported from Pakistan and Turkey.

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Do You Have the Right Flashlight Skills?

One long-time trend that is tough to ignore is that many violent situations occur during the hours of darkness. Law enforcement agencies have noted this trend for years and it is supported by data from NYPD, the FBI and other definitive sources. Roughly two-thirds of all police shootings occur under dim light conditions. But what about armed citizens who have taken up a firearm for self-defense? Is there a heightened risk associated with violent crime and low light?

NRA’s American Rifleman magazine’s The Armed Citizen column typically highlights a half dozen or so recent events where a responsible member of society used a firearm to protect their life or that of another. These events often take the form of attempted carjackings, home invasions, muggings and robberies and, more often than not, take place at night. It may not be the final word, but it does give us a great deal of insight.

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What are Moon Clips for Revolvers?

There are two potential downsides to carrying a revolver instead of a semi-automatic pistol: low capacity and slow reloading. Most service-caliber revolvers hold five or six rounds, though some hold more. But once expended, reloading requires more steps than simply dropping an empty magazine and inserting a new one. The process can be streamlined by using various speed loaders and strips. Another workaround is to get a revolver that uses moon clips.

Revolvers chambered in semi-auto cartridges held by moon clips have been around for over a hundred years and are on the rebound. Here are some pros and cons of the moon clip system as it pertains to a concealed carry setup.

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What the Numbers on Your Ammo Box Actually Mean

Pick up a box of ammunition and you'll see a string of numbers and abbreviations that look like they were written for engineers. Caliber designations, grain weights, velocity ratings, lot numbers, pressure specs. If you're newer to shooting, it can feel like reading a foreign language. Here's what all of it actually means, and which numbers matter most when you're choosing ammunition.

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 Better to be Judged by Twelve?

Something that's always been near and dear to my heart, but took up special meaning from 2020 to 2022: random internet assholes who suggest and push breaking the law on weapons carry.

Especially the ones who spout such bumper sticker wisdom as: "Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six."

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Six Things You Can Do to Improve Your Recoil Control with a Handgun

There are SIX simple things that will dramatically improve your ability to control the recoil of your handgun. And the even BETTER news? Learning and applying the proper grip mechanics will make you a dramatically more accurate shooter as well, simply because you will move the gun less as you fire it. This article will give you those six tips.

I have come to the conclusion that most shooters can improve their ability to shoot faster (and better) simply by improving their grip on their handgun. I have discussed this in my book, but thought I would share the information once again.

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Carrying a Gun While Camping and Hiking: Practical Guide

You probably have a defensive plan for your house. You might have one for your vehicle, your office, and your kid's school drop-off. Ask most concealed carriers what their plan is twenty miles off the nearest paved road, though, and you'll get a shrug.

Camping, hiking, and backpacking change the variables on you. The threats are different. The timelines before help arrives stretch out. The legal landscape shifts under your boots from one parcel of land to the next. And most of us mentally relax the second we get out of cell range — which is the real problem.

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So, Iran. What Are We Dealing With?

The Mullahs. These are the chunks floating at the top of the pit. While Islam in Iran is of the Shi’a variety, the mullahs are a subset of the Twelver Sect of same. Where the Iranian mullahs diverge from Twelver orthodoxy is that they believe that if the entire world is aflame in war and conflict, it will force the Twelfth Imam to reveal himself and start the whole Day of Judgement process.

The Basij. Best thought of as your neighborhood Karen with clubs and a whole-hearted belief in their Righteous and Holy Duty To Be Bastards. Basijis are unpaid paramilitary volunteers who have decided that since the mullahs can’t be everywhere, they’ll help carry out “the Imam’s Will.”

Ansar-e Hezbollah. What happens when you have a particularly vicious basiji? One who spouts Koranic verses while raping a woman for showing her ankles, then tells her, “Nothing personal, but this was best way to keep your soul from hell.” 

Sepah-e Pasdaran--The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Not only the terrorist’s terrorists, but a military-industrial complex of a level that should only exist in the sweaty dreams of conspiracy theorists. 

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Understanding Barrel Thread Pitch for Suppressors and Muzzle Devices

If you’re planning to add a suppressor or muzzle device to your rifle or pistol, understanding barrel thread pitch is one of the first things you need to know. It’s not glamorous, but getting the right thread pitch is critical if you want your suppressor to mount correctly, stay aligned, and perform safely. Whether you’re running an AR-15, a precision hunting rifle, or a pistol-caliber carbine, the threads at the muzzle determine what accessories you can attach and how well they’ll fit.

Thread pitch refers to the threading cut into the muzzle end of a firearm barrel. These threads are usually covered by a thread protector or occupied by a muzzle device such as a flash hider, compensator, or muzzle brake. Once the protector or device is removed, those threads allow you to attach accessories like suppressors.

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Wednesday Wisdom: 3 June 2026

OSS SGT Frederick Mayer and Operation Greenup 

Mayer in a German Uniform

In the dark room, the Gestapo officers slapped and punched Mayer in the face. His cover wasn't holding water, and so the tall one stripped him from head to toe. Despite the agent's bullish strength, the SS men brutally manhandled him, shoving him to the floor. Cuffing his hands in front of him and pulling his arms over his bent knees, they forced him into a constricting fetal position, then shoved the barrel of a long rifle into the tiny gap behind his knees and his cuffed hands. With a man on each side of the rifle, they lifted his naked, rolled-up body and suspended the human ball between two tables, like a piece of meat on a skewer. Uncoiling a rawhide whip, the tall one put his full weight behind each swing, mercilessly thrashing the agent's body like a side of beef.

Mayer was a Jewish-German immigrant whose family emigrated from Freiburg to Brooklyn in the late 1930s to escape the Nazis. He kicked around the borough at mechanic jobs until Pearl Harbor when he enlisted. He trained in demolition, infiltration, raiding, sniping and hand-to-hand combat. His knowledge of German, French and Spanish led him to the OSS. In the film, “The Real Inglorious Bastards,” about their mission, Mayer said, “It felt like I had my chance to do what I set out to do — kill Nazis. That’s why all the Jewish boys joined.”

OSS Sgt. Frederick Mayer's Colt Model 1903 Hammerless Service Pistol

Mayer, his friend Hans Weinberg and a third agent known as Franz Weber planned for Operation Greenup for several months. Fred Mayer and his comrades parachuted into Austria in 1945 and spent months organizing elements of the anti-Nazi resistance, collecting vital intelligence about German troop movements, spying on war factories and infrastructure, and tracking the whereabouts of Mussolini and Hitler. In the two months he spent behind enemy lines, Fred Mayer often dressed in a German officer's uniform.

However, during the mission Mayer was betrayed and the German's captured him. While in German hands, Fred Mayer convinced a top Nazi to surrender Innsbruck, Austria, and all German forces in the area. He then met the advancing U.S. Army, crossing German and American lines in a combat zone at great risk to himself, to inform the Americans of the surrender. Fred Mayer's actions are credited with saving "countless lives" on both sides, according to the OSS Society.

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Knives 101: Knife Steels, Their Attributes, and Their Purpose

Everything you wanted to know about knife steels. Not all knives are created equal. A crucial determining factor in a knife’s construction that makes it unique is the steel it is made of. Assuming the heat treat is done properly, the steel itself determines factors such as purpose, performance, edge retention, durability, cost/value, etc.

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Microsoft Edge Keeps All Saved Passwords Unencrypted

If you use Microsoft Edge and save passwords in its password manager, there’s a security risk you should know about. According to a new disclosure, whenever you open Edge, the browser immediately loads all saved passwords into memory in readable form — not just the password for the website you’re logging into. That means credentials for every account saved in Edge could be exposed if malware, a compromised admin account, or another attacker gains access to your device or user session.

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Applying Covert Field-craft in Your Daily Life

 

Many people might find it surprising but much of the field-craft that goes into such things as surveillance detection and special protective operations—even some of the sexier stuff—can be applied in your own life as well. There’s a reason why stalkers usually start by following their victims on social media, then close in on their victim’s residence and workplace, and then begin following them to see where they go from there. This is a classic hostile planning process in which the hostile planner, or stalker, initially pulls their intel from readily available open sources before transitioning to static surveillance and then moving on to mobile surveillance.

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M14: Past, Present & Future

Retro has been all the rage in recent years, and the interest level in guns from the Cold War era has skyrocketed. Ignoring the nuclear reality of the geopolitical situation during the time period, the guns in question have become something of a cozy nostalgic experience against the constant barrage of bad international news and rampant domestic consumerism in the industry today.

Simpler times, if you will.

The past few years have seen a growing appreciation for the early War on Terror era and its various attempts to adapt Cold War systems to the needs of the time, among them the venerable M14. We look at the state of the rifle today and what might be to come for the legendary rifle.

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“We Both Know Why You Don’t Like Combatives”

The Soldier’s Creed says: “I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.”

It does not say: “I stand ready to discuss conflict in a collaborative professional environment.”

The Soldier’s Creed statement implies more than technical proficiency with weapons systems. It implies psychological comfort with controlled violence, physical dominance, and aggression under life and death pressure. Modern militaries do not send soldiers into buildings, compounds, tunnels, vehicles, and densely populated urban terrain because they intend to kill everyone they encounter. If that were the objective, cruise missiles and air strikes would often suffice. Soldiers are sent because modern warfare, even in a peer to peer engagement, requires discrimination, restraint, physical control of human beings, and the ability to dominate complex environments occupied by civilians, detainees, noncombatants, and actively hostile enemies simultaneously.

The post-deployment research from Iraq and Afghanistan strongly reinforces this reality. In one of the most important studies conducted on the subject, Peter Jensen of the Center for Enhanced Performance at West Point analyzed 30 post-combat surveys administered to U.S. Army soldiers returning from deployments between 2004 and 2008. Out of 1,226 soldiers surveyed, 216, approximately 19%, reported using hand-to-hand combat skills during at least one combat encounter (Jensen, 2014).

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AXIO 9mm – From Shadow Systems

Shadow Systems has launched the AXIO 9mm pistol platform, a new full-size, duty-capable handgun engineered from the ground up around an all-steel chassis design. It is offered in two trim levels: AXIO and AXIO Pro. The platform is also available in a 4.4-inch configuration for shooters who prefer a longer sight radius and enhanced controllability. Unlike iterative updates to existing designs, AXIO represents a clean-sheet project centered on first principles of handgun performance: mass distribution, geometry, recoil management, and control. At the core of the platform is a precision-machined steel chassis. This chassis places weight where it is most effective, delivering balance, rigidity, and a precise slide-to-frame fit. 

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Choosing a Carry Gun

A lot of guns are sold on uninformed reasoning - because the gun looks cool, feels good, or Dad was issued one way back when. Some people choose a sexy cartridge - 10mm or .45, for instance - then choose a gun around that. Others, the "gun hipsters," buy something just because it's different. Those are all fine reasons if the gun is a range toy. If you are purchasing a firearm for self-defense, these criteria are terrible. You might get a good gun, or you might not. With bad selection criteria you're leaving it to dumb luck.

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Observe, Orient, Decide Act -- An Introduction

Boyd’s OODA loop has become the standard nomenclature for combative decision making. In essence, each person must Observe what is happening; Orient to the observations- basically interpret the sensory input; Decide what to do about it; and Act. This isn't new- I remember one martial arts instructor from long ago who had the "Four P's": Percieve, Present, Plan, Perform. My sensei taught it as the elements of speed- perceptual speed, interpretation by experience, the decision tree and then neuromuscular speed. It isn't new or even fresh, but OODA has become standard.

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Leupold’s Freedom RDS Red Dot Sight

Leupold makes two versions of the Freedom RDS. The base model has a 1 MOA red dot and standard windage and elevation adjustments like any red dot. The RDS BDC model has an elevation turret that’s pre-calibrated for 5.56/.223 55 grain ammo at 3100 fps. If you like to shoot a different load, Leupold’s Custom Dial System lets you get a dial calibrated for your favorite load.

The point of the BDC model is that it lets you dial your distance anywhere from 100 to about 550 yards and be right on target. That’s something other 1X red dots don’t do.

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Getting Zeroed: A Laser Bore Sighter Is a Useful Tool, But . . .

Let’s talk about laser bore sighters. Used correctly, they can help you get on paper faster and save a few rounds. But if you’re not thinking a few steps ahead, they can also lead you into problems that compromise the performance of your optics and cost you time, precision, and confidence.

Here’s how to use a laser bore sighter without undermining your gear or your results. A laser bore sighter projects a visible laser beam from your barrel or chamber, to help align your optic’s reticle with the bore of the rifle. It’s meant as a time-saver, a way to get “close enough” before sending that first round.

That part works, but here’s the problem...too many shooters take the laser as gospel. They drop the sighter in, match their reticle to the beam, and start cranking on their turrets like they’re dialing in a long-range shot. That’s where the trouble begins. 

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Ballistic Gelatin Penetration Test: 9mm vs 5.56

A colleague posed a question: Which is likely to penetrate more, a 9mm full metal jacket bullet fired from a pistol or a 5.56 fired from an AR-15 pistol? Hmmm. . . I had never really thought about it. To find out, I conducted gel penetration tests for both calibers fired into calibrated 10% Clear Ballistics gelatin blocks.

Ballistic gelatin is a testing medium designed to simulate the effects of bullet wounds in animal muscle tissue. Dr Martin Fackler (founder and head of the Letterman Army Institute of Research Wound Ballistics Laboratory) developed an improved ballistic gelatin model that he had scientifically correlated to porcine muscle tissue, which in turn is comparable to human muscle tissue.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) adopted the Army ballistic gelatin model using 10%, (by weight) ordnance gelatin to use as a tissue simulant. The FBI fires a .177 inch steel BB at 590 feet per second (fps) with a 15-fps allowable variance to calibrate their ballistic gelatin. The BB must penetrate 2.9 inches - 3.74 inches. The gelatin must be stored at 40° F until just prior to testing which makes its use on outdoor ranges problematic. The FBI does its testing with the gelatin placed ten feet from the muzzle of the test weapon. For more information see the footnote below.*

For my testing I used Clear Ballistics brand blocks because they are reusable and are not sensitive to temperature changes. I used a Glock 19 for the 9mm and a generic AR-15 pistol with a 10.5-inch barrel (typical AR pistol barrel length) for the 5.56.

I tested the following ammunition:

    -- Lake City 5.56 with the standard 55 grain full metal jacket bullet (FMJ)

    -- Monarch 9mm with a 115 grain full metal jacket bullet

    -- Winchester 9mm 115 grain full metal jacket bullet.

I fired five rounds of each brand from ten feet into bare gelatin. I placed two sixteen-inch blocks end to end because the 9mm FMJ bullet is known for its ability to penetrate.

Every Lake City 5.56 bullet broke apart and generally stopped within twelve inches in the first gelatin block. The Lake City 5.56 bullets were so fractured that it was not possible to recover the bullet fragments with one exception. I was able to recover fragments of one bullets that had fractured at the cannelure and it weighed eighteen grains--it had lost 67% of its weight. It appeared that all the fragments from all five bullets were still present in the ballistics gel (in various sizes ranging from almost microscopic to slivers of lead and bullet jacket) with one exception -- a small fragment exited the block at sixteen inches (see circle). The permanent cavities for the 5.56 rounds were two-three inches in diameter and approximately six-seven inches long. The dark areas in the picture represented lead "snow" resulting from bullet fragmentation.**

5.56 rounds

The Monarch 9mm 115 grain rounds penetrated the first block (sixteen inches) and an average of nine inches into the second block for a total penetration of twenty-five inches. The Winchester 9mm 115 grain rounds penetrated the first block (sixteen inches) and an average of eleven inches into the second block for a total penetration of twenty-seven inches. As expected, all recovered 9mm bullets retained 100% of their initial weight. 

9mm Rounds

So, what does this testing tell us? First, do not use 9mm ball ammunition for self-defense unless that is all you have available. There is a plethora of hollow point 9mm ammunition from reputable manufacturers that will do the job better.

The testing also begs the question of 5.56 ammunition over penetration concerns in a home defense role—at least for the 5.56 military ammunition. Since I did not do a barrier test in this process, I am unable to comment on what this round would do after passing through a barrier. I suspect that its penetration after passing through barriers found in a typical house’s construction would not be a great concern.

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* The tissue simulant the FBI uses in its ballistic tests is Kind & Knox or Vyse 250-A ordnance gelatin. A standard FBI protocol ballistic gelatin block for testing ammunition is composed of porcine gelatin mixed at a 10% concentration. This is dissolved in 140º degrees Fahrenheit water and then refrigerated at 40º F for two days. It must pass a strict calibration criteria to be valid as a test medium. The cooled gelatin solidifies and becomes a flexible solid with mechanical properties similar to human muscle tissue. A 10% porcine gelatin block matches living muscle tissue’s low-velocity flow characteristics and has a density like mammalian muscle tissue.

 

While the FBI has the resources to conduct testing with porcine gelatin, most private citizens wishing to test ammunition do not. Ballistic gels made from natural gelatin are typically a somewhat clear yellow brown color and are generally not re-usable. Therefore, most private testing is done with Clear Ballistics gelatin which is 100% synthetic, so it doesn't require any special storage and can be remelted. An additional benefit is that the gelatin is completely transparent and shelf-stable from -10 F to 95 F (-23.3 C to 35 C). Thus, it is much easier to use than the FBI standard gelatin; however, it does not mimic the FBI formula with 100% accuracy. Bullets fired into the Clear Ballistics gelatin often demonstrate a penetration that is approximately 20% greater than a bullet fired into the FBI standard gel. 

 

**  Lead snow is a term derived from the term "Lead Snowstorm" that Dr. DiMaio, M.D. used to describe a high velocity rifle bullet fragmenting and shedding lead fragments when it strikes human tissue or 10% gelatin simulant (pg 79); Gunshot Wounds: Practical Aspects of Firearms, Ballistics, and Forensic Techniques 2d ed.; Vincent J. M. DiMaio, M.D. © 1999, CRC Press LLC

Bad Shooting Habits

A participant in a recent Steel Challenge match was someone I have known for many years. He has attended several classes and private lessons with me in the past and we had to overcome several extremely bad habits that he had taught himself. Taught himself? Yes, for good or ill every time we perform a task we are training ourselves to perform the task, that way. If we do it correctly, we are practicing performing the task correctly. The reverse is also true if we perform the task incorrectly.

When I first encountered this student, he had the habit of doing several things including:

    -- Regardless of starting position, he would drop his left hand (he is right-handed) completely down to his side when he would draw. Obviously, this is inefficient and slowed his ability to quickly get a proper firing grip.

    -- As he drew the pistol, he would point the muzzle upward as he extended the pistol and leveling only when he reached full extension (instructors often call it fishing or fly casting – the opposite is lowering the pistol when it clears the holster in a scooping or digging motion).

    -- And most concerning, when he finished a string of fire, he pointed the muzzle straight up in the air next to his temple and dropped his left hand to the side once again.

These habits we so ingrained in his subconscious that he found it extremely difficult to break them. In the first class he attended, I finally took him aside and told he that if he did not stop pointing the muzzle straight up that I would have to remove him from class for safety reasons (it was also a violation of the range rules).

The student subsequently took several private lessons and practice sessions from me where we concentrated on breaking these habits. Eventually, with a great deal of time, money, and effort he suppressed the habits and his shooting substantially improved.

Fast forward fifteen months at the Steel Challenge match. As I welcomed the student, I commented that I had not seen him in a while. He remarked that although he had not been participating in any shooting matches, he had still been practicing with his pistol. He was on my squad in the match, and I noticed that two of his three bad habits had returned in full. 

He was once again dropping his left hand completely down to his side and he was pointing the muzzle upward as he extended the pistol during the draw. In his “practice” sessions he had reverted to his bad habits. His previous time, money, and effort had been wasted, and his shooting had suffered accordingly.

Many shooters (such as this student) engage in Mindless Practice. Have you ever observed an athlete, musician, or shooter engage in practice? You'll notice that the activity generally follows a pattern--we simply repeat the same thing over and over. The same tennis serve, the same passage on the violin, the same draw and shoot holes in the target— a routine we execute while our brains are on autopilot and simply coasting through the repetitions. While this might look like practice, it is really nothing more than mindless repetition.

Unfortunately, there are several problems with practicing this way. First, it's a waste of time because very little productive learning takes place. This is why you can "practice" something for hours, days, or weeks, and still not improve very much. Even worse, you are probably digging yourself a hole (as was this student) because this model of practicing strengthens undesirable habits and errors as well. This model also makes it more difficult to correct performance problems later—as you are essentially adding to the amount of future practice you will need to eliminate the undesirable habits and errors. Practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent. Only perfect practice makes perfect. 

For more information on the correct way to practice see: Deliberate Practice Makes Perfect

https://www.sensibleselfdefenseblog.com/2017/11/deliberate-practice-makes-perfect.html 

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Wednesday Wisdom: 20 May 2026

Medal of Honor: Leslie Allen Bellrichard

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Acting as a fire-team leader with Company C during combat operations Pfc. Bellrichard was with four fellow soldiers in a foxhole on their unit's perimeter when the position came under a massive enemy attack. Following a 30-minute mortar barrage, the enemy launched a strong ground assault. 

Pfc. Bellrichard rose in face of a group of charging enemy soldiers and threw hand grenades into their midst, eliminating several of the foe and forcing the remainder to withdraw. Failing in their initial attack, the enemy repeated the mortar and rocket bombardment of the friendly perimeter, then once again charged against the defenders in a concerted effort to overrun the position. Pfc. Bellrichard resumed throwing hand grenades at the onrushing attackers. As he was about to hurl a grenade, a mortar round exploded just in front of his position, knocking him into the foxhole and causing him to lose his grip on the already armed grenade. Recovering instantly, Pfc. Bellrichard recognized the threat to the lives of his four comrades and threw himself upon the grenade, shielding his companions from the blast that followed.

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Strategic Sciences MFMD: Science Fiction or the New Gold Standard?

One look at the MFMD and it becomes obvious that Strategic Sciences did things differently. While it appears to have come off the set of a Hollywood science-fiction movie, the Multi-Function Muzzle Device (MFMD) is a modular device designed to provide optimal recoil reduction, eliminate flash, and reduce toxic material blown toward the shooter. It supports either bolt-­action or automatic firearms. Of course, it is also an effective sound suppressor.

The MFMD uses four flow paths that spin the gas away from the muzzle in opposing directions. The gas never stops moving since it isn’t trapped, which is one of the reasons why the suppressor is so effective at recoil reduction. The flow paths wrap around and folds over, creating more than 10 feet of flow path in a suppressor that measures only 4 1/2 inches in length. Longer suppressors have even longer flow paths. All that runway allows gas to cool and slow down without stopping.

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Armed Defense Skill Priorities--An Interview with Tom Givens

Most people commit one of these basic self defense errors in the area of mindset or mental preparation, in equipment, and in skills. Not everybody does all three, some people do one, some people do the other, and some people do the third.

The first one is mindset. Even people who carry a gun spend a great deal of time trying to convince themselves that violent crime will never happen to them. I think that is the biggest mistake that people make. It’s not just an assumption, but almost a religious fervor when they say, “I don’t work in bad neighborhoods, I don’t do drugs, I don’t go out late at night, and I don’t do this and I don’t do that, and so this will never happen to me!”

“It will never happen to me” is probably the most dangerous phrase you could ever utter! It sets your mind up for frozen-up inaction when violence does actually come, because you spent so much time, so much mental energy, trying to convince yourself that it won’t happen. When it does then you are stuck in a denial loop where you can do absolutely nothing about it in the time available.

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Access Log 002: What's in the Bag

"Tools do not make you effective. They amplify what you already are. If your tradecraft is sloppy, your tools just help you fail faster and louder."

People love to talk about tools like that is the job. The number of "What's in the bag?" talks in the industry keeps growing, but it is like flavors of ice cream. Like if you just buy the right kit, suddenly you are operating at a high level. That is not how this works. If your mindset is solid, your tools just make things easier, quieter, and more efficient. Tools should be quality and not some cut-your-hand style lock picks like we have seen on those creative business cards. Those are cool, but not something you would necessarily want to use during a professional assessment.

So let us be clear. This is not a complete list of every bypass device out there. It is a list of the tools that we personally go to time and time again to exploit the vulnerabilities we commonly face when conducting a covert entry or red team style assessment.

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Lightweight M1 Thompson – From Auto Ordnance

Some guns are simply iconic. One that wears this title well is the M1 Thompson. Born out of war and carried into American life, it is a design that still intrigues people after more than 100 years. Now, Auto-Ordnance has a take on this classic. The Lightweight M1 Thompson.

By engineering the firearm with a high-strength, lightweight alloy receiver and simulated American Walnut polymer furniture, Auto-Ordnance has achieved a significant weight reduction of approximately five pounds. This makes the new model 34.8% lighter than the traditional steel-and-wood TM1, a design choice that provides the classic look of the “Tommy Gun” with the added benefits of reduced shooter fatigue and a more competitive price point.

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Beretta's 1301 Tactical vs. A300 Ultima Patrol Shotguns

Ever since Beretta launched the A300 Ultima Patrol shotgun in 2024 as a less-pricey alternative to the 1301 Tactical, online gun forums and YouTubers have debated whether the 1301 is worth $650 more than the A300. Like any comparison, the answer lies in what features you value most and how capably each shotgun satisfies your intended use. (comment: I personally do not care for the Beretta stock so the 1301 is a clear choice since you can replace it with a MagPul stock).

This article lays out the most consequential mechanical and features differences between these two Berettas. It also compares their ballistic performance on 25-yard targets using Hornady Black and Rio Royal 00 buckshot loads and on 50-yard targets using Hornady American Gunner 1-ounce rifled slugs. 

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U.S. Military’s "Drone Killer" Rifle Cartridges

The U.S. Military’s Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane), has designed and developed the Drone Killer Cartridge (DKC). The cost-effective family of ammunition is designed to increase a warfighter’s probability of a hit and kill against drone threats.

DKC is designed for use in rifles, automatic rifles and machine guns, but it disperses a cluster of projectiles upon firing with an effective range far greater than a conventional shotgun’s capabilities. The effect increases probability hits and kills against Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) threats in a way that also minimizes risk of collateral damage from projectiles that don’t impact the target.

The DKC family of loads includes both pelletized and segmented designs. The segmented version includes a one-piece projectile that mechanically self-separates into discrete, spin-stabilized sub-projectiles prior to muzzle exit. Pelletized DKC includes a projectile assembly containing a stack of high-density, spherical buckshot-sized pellets mechanically disbursed at muzzle exit. 

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.338 ARC vs. 8.6 Blackout

There’s a bit of a battle going on between the .338 ARC and the 8.6 Blackout. These cartridges exist due to a requirement from the U.S. Special Operations community whose details are tightly held, but they center around the need for subsonic accuracy and terminal performance at extended ranges. Supersonic performance is considered a bonus.

A key metric of how a subsonic cartridge will perform — especially as the range to the target increases — is the size of the velocity standard deviation (SD). The more deviation between rounds, the more the bullets will string vertically. Subsonic cartridges expected to hit targets at 300 — and maybe even 400 yards — need consistent velocity because the time of flight is so long. Where a deviation of more than 20 feet per second (fps) is no problem for a supersonic cartridge at 400 yards, that same deviation for a subsonic cartridge at 400 yards results in pronounced vertical stringing that’s even visible from the shooting position. A deviation more than 20 fps at 400 yards causes about 2 feet of vertical stringing.

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Do We Really Need These? Ethiopian AKs (GAFAT) Are Coming to The US

Royal Tiger Imports (a US company) has announced that it will start importing AK parts kits… from Ethiopia. I encountered plenty of Ethiopian-made AKs in Somalia and was probably the first gun writer to publish a detailed article about them. I never imagined I’d see those rifles enter the U.S. market — but here we are. Ethiopian AKs are certainly not the best Kalashnikov rifles out there. But they do have a unique and fascinating history, and I am sure the gunsmiths in the US will do a better job putting them together than Ethiopian factory workers. 

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Best Rifle Bipods: How to Pick the Perfect One

Looking for the best rifle bipod? A round up of seven top bipods—covering their features, pros, and cons. From proven favorites like Harris bipod and Atlas bipod and the MDT CYKE POD bipod, this guide will help you find which bipod is right for your setup.

A lot of factors come into play when choosing a bipod. The sheer number of options on the market today can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Rigidity preference, weight, features, attachment type, height, and of course price all matter. I like to start by thinking about how I’m going to use the rifle first, then find the right combination of specs and features before making a decision. Maybe this is a rifle you’ll only use occasionally, and you don’t want to overthink it. But if this is the rifle you’re taking on your once-in-a-lifetime trophy elk hunt, or a PRS gun where a great bipod genuinely matters, let yourself splurge on the one that suits you best.

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How To Clean a Suppressor 

Suppressors, like any tool in the firearms world, are exposed to carbon, lead, and fouling. When it comes to firearms, we know that cleanliness can ensure reliability, but what about suppressors?

Your suppressor should be kept clean for a couple of reasons. Most obviously, you clean your can to ensure it performs at its optimal level. After all, you enjoy all of the noise reduction it provides, so it’s wise to ensure it’s well-maintained. The other reason to clean your suppressor is to make sure all parts and pieces interface correctly with your gun. A clean suppressor outperforms a filthy one any day of the week.

However, first, identify whether your suppressor needs to be cleaned. For example, rifle suppressors chambered in high pressure rounds are less likely to need to be cleaned. The high pressure created by live fire burns out the worst of the debris and carbon.

In fact, many high-pressure rifle cans are fully welded rather than being user serviceable. Usually, a rifle suppressor can be maintained with nothing more than an occasional solvent soak and the thin end of a solvent brush.

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The Delightful Savage 1907: Ten Shots — Quick!

 

“A tenderfoot with a Savage Automatic and the nerve to stand his ground, could have run the worst six-shooter man the West ever knew, right off the range.” Perhaps even more interesting is the fact in the same ad showing Bat brandishing a 1907, the “second” reason for Bat’s assertion is: “The Savage Automatic is quicker and gets in the first shot every time against a revolver. You can fire 10 shots as fast as you can press (not pull) the trigger.” The italics and the “(not pull)” are in the original ad copy. Bat knew the ropes and this is why he eventually died of a heart attack at his desk writing sports copy for a newspaper rather than in the dusty streets of Dodge City.

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Those who suggest the feasibility of a nationwide pistol permit must realize that such a procedure would be un-constitutional according to the Tenth Amendment (assuming anyone still pays any attention to the Tenth Amendment). However, since the Constitution preceding the Bill of Rights makes it clear that states are bound to honor the acts of other states it would seem to follow that a citizen who has a permit to carry in a permit-to-carry state may expect his permit to honored in any other permit-to-carry state. The legal aspects of this issue are not fully understood and one should not expect the gendarme on the beat to be fully apprised of the situation.

Jeff Cooper's Commentaries Vol. 4, No. 3 February, 1996

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