Wednesday Wisdom: 19 August 2026

Accounted for: U.S. Army Corporal Orestus M. Stewart

U.S. Army Corporal Orestus M. Stewart of Magnolia Springs, Texas, was killed in action during the Korean War but his remains were not recoverable. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency fulfilled our nation's promise and identified Corporal Stewart on November 26, 2025.  CPL Stewart returned home and was buried on May 24, 2026, in his hometown.

 

In the summer of 1950, Stewart was a member of Medical Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reportedly killed in action on Aug. 11 in the vicinity of Kyong-ju, Republic of Korea (South Korea) when his unit was ordered to seize control of Yonil Airfield in the eastern sector of the Pusan Perimeter. His remains were not recovered following the battle and on January 16, 1956, Stewart was declared nonrecoverable. 

Separately, in April 1954 U.S. Army personnel and South Korean citizens recovered a set of remains, later designated X-5495 Tanggok, from a shallow grave near Pugni-dong, South Korea. The Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan, compared X-5495 to all unresolved U.S. casualties from the general area of recovery; however, the remains could not be associated with Stewart at the time. They were transported to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl in Honolulu, where they were interred as an Unknown.

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The Lifetime Likelihood of Needing a Gun for Self-Defense

A few months ago, a burglar confronted John Correia of Active Self Protection in his home. The man fled, no shot was fired, and Correia walked away thinking about a question many armed citizens eventually ask. Realistically, what are the odds I will ever need my gun? In a video on his channel, he ran the numbers from two major firearms surveys and arrived at a startlingly large lifetime probability. This article borrows his framework and pushes further into the underlying data.

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Review: Smith & Wesson Model 386 Night Guard

Lipsey’s has teamed up with Smith & Wesson to revive a pair of short-lived, but highly sought after, Night Guard revolvers. The L-frame options include the Model 386, a seven-shot .357 Mag. and the Model 396, which is a five-shot .44 Special. These re-introduced double-action revolvers incorporate up-to-date enhancements while sticking closely to the classic lightweight design. The revolver reviewed here is the Lipsey’s exclusive Model 386 Night Guard in .357 Magnum (comment: S&W has exhibited a serious quality problem recently in my experience. Perhaps they do better with the Lipsey’s exclusives.)

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To Shop or Not to Shop—That is the Question: Ignoring the No Guns Sign is the Weakest Option

You know the sticker. Small pistol in a red circle, diagonal slash through it, mounted at eye level on a door you were about to walk through. Ask around in most concealed carry circles about what to do next and you will get one of three answers. The sign isn't law, so ignore it (of course that depends on your state of residence). What they don't know can't hurt them. Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six. All three are answers to the wrong question.

The argument we keep having is whether to carry past the sign or disarm and shop anyway. There's a third option nobody spends much time on: don't give them your business at all. This isn't a compliance lecture. The question is why that store is getting your money in the first place.

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It is Better that Ten Guilty Persons Escape, than One Innocent Suffer

Flock cameras are much upon the public mind lately, and with good reason. For those who have been living under a rock, “Flock cameras” are the Automatic License Plate Readers marketed and owned by the private corporation Flock Safety. They are solar cell powered and use Artificial Intelligence to capture vehicle data, license plates, and unique vehicle details like make, model, color, and bumper stickers — together with location and time — and store all these details for (allegedly) 30 days.

Since Flock Safety is not a governmental entity, they claim this practice does not violate the Constitution. The issue that arises is that any law enforcement officer working for an agency that contracts with Flock Safety has unfettered access to any of the camera data collected anywhere. A deputy sheriff in Bugscuffle County, Texas is able to look for a license plate registered to Los Angeles, California; or New York City, New York; or Toadstomp, Montana — with no Constitutional protections for the owners of that plate whatsoever.

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Flock Camera Captures Woman Driving With Her Phone on Her Lap (Face Down), Georgia Mailed Her a $1251.00 “Public Safety” Ticket

A woman drives with both hands on the wheel. Her phone sits face-down on her lap. No officer pulls her over. No lights flash. Weeks later, a $1,251.00 ticket arrives in the mail. The evidence: a single frame from a Flock Safety surveillance app. The charge: phone use while driving.

Flock Safety markets its devices as automated license plate readers — tools for catching stolen cars, flagging warrants, and aiding serious investigations. The company has publicly stated its ALPR system "is not used to enforce traffic violations," according to documentation the Electronic Frontier Foundation highlighted. What police departments are actually doing with the cameras is a different story entirely.

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The Model 1892 May Be One of the Most Underappreciated Hunting Rifles in America

When John Moses Browning designed the Model 1892 for Winchester, he wasn’t trying to create a novelty rifle or a theatrical prop. He was improving upon the aging toggle-link system of the earlier lever guns with a stronger, smoother, and more compact action designed around the popular revolver cartridges of the day.

The result was one of Browning’s most graceful designs. Strong enough to inspire confidence, trim enough to carry effortlessly, and fast enough to cycle almost as quickly as thought itself, the Model 1892 became exactly the sort of rifle a working outdoorsman needed.

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The Evolution of the Martial Arts Part I: From Predator and Prey to the Warrior

The term martial art is commonly used as though it describes a single category of human activity. Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, military Combatives, civilian self-defense, judo, mixed martial arts, and even competitive shooting are consequently discussed as different expressions of essentially the same endeavor: learning how to fight. They certainly share techniques, training methods, and historical influences, but treating them as equivalent obscures a more important distinction. They do not exist to solve the same problem.

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General Naglee's Colt 1860 Army Revolvers

Around November 1861, Samuel Colt presented several cased sets containing his latest revolver models to a group of leading figures within the Union Army and federal government. These presentations are generally believed to have been part of Colt's efforts to ensure lucrative government arms contracts for his company, but they also demonstrated good faith and support for the Union after recent reports of Colt selling arms to the Confederacy, rumors that he remained a southern sympathizer, and arms deals that appeared to take advantage of American taxpayers.

Naglee’s Colt Model 1860 Army revolvers feature German silver blade front sights, the one-line "-ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA-" barrel addresses, small "COLTS/PATENT" markings on the left side of the frames which are cut for using a shoulder stock and have the slightly protruding "fourth-screws", "44 CAL" on the left side of the trigger guards, the classic Naval Battle of Campeche roll-scene on the distinctive rebated cylinders, "Genl Henry M. Naglee" neatly inscribed down the back straps, and all matching serial numbers including the wedges ("6" struck over "0" on the B wedge) along with the factory dot marking designating special finishing. The grips are deluxe walnut with a high gloss varnish finish.

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SureFire SOCOM556-MINI4 Review

Suppressors have come a long way. Technology, materials, and manufacturing capabilities have all advanced, but some of the biggest changes have come from understanding the needs of the end-users for modern cans. Between the lessons learned from global conflicts and the testing abilities we now have, suppressors have slowly been tuned over time to be some of the most technically advanced pieces of gear you’ll pick out. SureFire has been one of the leading suppressor brands you could get your hands on and that legacy continues today.

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Auto-Ordnance Introduces Classic Thompson Short-Barreled Rifle

Auto-Ordnance is proud to introduce the model T1SB50DH Short Barreled Rifle (SBR), crafted entirely in the United States. Combining historical Prohibition-era styling with modern precision engineering, this new Thompson variant delivers the authentic look and feel of the legendary "Tommy Gun" in a compact semi-automatic platform.

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Incident Analysis: Shooting to Stop with a Pistol

Meriden, Connecticut: On 19 July 2026, Meriden police officers were dispatched to a residence in response to an active domestic violence incident where Robert Lee Jenkins III was beating his father, Robert Jenkins, Jr. with a baseball bat. Meriden Police Officer Anthony Offiaeli arrived and ordered Jenkins III to drop the bat four times as he approached Jenkins III who again started to strike his father on the head with the bat. Officer Offiaeli fired his pistol eighteen times at Jenkins III and according to police reporting struck Jenkins III with “several” rounds.

John Farnam is quoted as saying: “What does someone do when you shoot them with a pistol? What they were doing before you shot them.” That is exactly what happened during this incident. It is unclear which, where, or how many shots struck Robert Jenkins III. What is clear is that after the officer started firing at Jenkins III, he struck his father six additional times with the bat.

What is likely from analyzing the body worn camera video is that Officer Offiaeli did not strike Jenkins III in the central nervous system (CNS). Bullet strikes to the CNS tend to drop the subject like a puppet with its strings cut. Shots that do not strike the CNS must rely on a critical level of blood loss to cause unconsciousness. Often someone who has received a fatal wound (or wounds) that reduce blood circulation will still be capable of purposeful activity for many seconds because the brain can remain sufficiently oxygenated.

In other words, even though Officer Offiaeli inflicted a fatal wound(s), Jenking III continued purposeful and deadly activity for approximately eight seconds. This is not unusual—the Miami Grow House Incident is another example.

So how do we achieve rapid incapacitation with a pistol? In 2024 I attended Dr James William’s Shooting With X-ray Vision (SXRV) instructor’s course at Meade Hall Range in Oklahoma. People have made fun of the name, but the concept of understanding the location of vital zones in the human body where a bullet strike will likely lead to rapid incapacitation is critically important. This is where the commonly taught “center of mass” fails. How do we determine the location of the center of mass on a human? From the top of the head to the feet? From the shoulders to the waist? Some other measurement?

I have been using 2D anatomical targets for several years in my classes and matches. Typically, I cover the targets with t-shirts so the shooter must decide where to shoot without having an obvious reference aiming point. These work well for targets squarely facing or at a slight angle to the shooter; however, they do not work well for targets at more severe angles. 

The 3D targets we used in Doc Williams' Tactical Anatomy class were the Action Target 3D targets. These targets are expensive and not ideal because they offer no means to easily score multiple hits beyond putting an intact t-shirt on the target.

John Hearn of Two Pillars Training has marketed some 3D torso shell targets that provide a 3D perspective and they are also available from Action Target and may be a good alternative. They allow for a "scoring" insert, but do not accommodate 90 degree side nor 180 degree rear shots.

I am a firm believer in Dr William’s Shooting with XRay Vision concept and plan to teach it as a stand-alone class and incorporate SXRV principles in my other classes where possible. Dr Williams has been teaching the instructor class once a year at the Meade Hall Range in Mcloud, Oklahoma and he may not do too many more. The 2027 schedule has not been announced. If he does offer it next year anyone interested in the topic should take it while they can.

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Wednesday Wisdom: 12 August 2026

Medal of Honor: John Edward Kilmer

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against North Korean forces. With his company engaged in defending a vitally important hill position well forward of the main line of resistance during an assault by large concentrations of hostile troops, Hospital Corpsman Kilmer repeatedly braved intense enemy mortar, artillery, and sniper fire to move from one position to another, administering aid to the wounded and expediting their evacuation. Painfully wounded himself when struck by mortar fragments while moving to the aid of a casualty, he persisted in his efforts and inched his way to the side of the stricken Marine through a hail of enemy shells falling around him.

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The Stevens 520 Shotgun: An Underrated Gem

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the idea of a pump-action weapon wasn’t protected by a patent. Winchester went to court to prove that against claims made by the rights owner of the Spencer shotgun. However, lots of different aspects of shotguns were patented. This meant you had to be creative, and the Stevens Model 520 was nothing if not creative.

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What 5.56 Ammo Does the FBI Use? 

In June 2026, The Kinetic Group (TKG) — parent company of both Federal Premium and Remington Ammunition — was awarded one of the largest law enforcement ammunition contracts in the company’s history valued at $77.4 million. The FBI selected TKG as the sole supplier across all four requested rifle ammunition categories, with delivery expected to begin in 2026.

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The FBI Says this is the Best AR-15 Barrel Length

While we’re on the 5.56, veteran FBI ballistician Robert explains why muzzle energy alone tells you very little, why the FBI prefers expanding projectiles over traditional fragmenting ammunition, and how every bullet has an optimal performance window. Depending on the ammunition and intended distance, a longer barrel can even drive a projectile too fast and produce worse terminal performance at close range. We also get direct answers on the practical differences between 7.5-, 11.5-, 14.5-, 16-, 18-, and 20-inch AR-15 barrels. For law enforcement and home defense, Robert identifies an 11.5-inch barrel with a 1:7 twist and a properly selected 64- to 75-grain bonded projectile as the practical sweet spot. This is not internet theory. It is a detailed discussion of actual projectile testing, terminal-ballistics standards, and the variables that determine whether a 5.56 round performs as designed. (opens to a video)

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Backcountry Silence: Divide Gun’s MTN Lite Ti Titanium Suppressor

Part of the beauty of this new era of expanding silencer ownership is the fact that many companies have been able to specialize their designs to do one thing very well. On that note, Divide Gun Company has launched a new titanium suppressor built for hunters and long-range shooters who want to cut weight without giving up sound suppression.

The Salmon, Idaho-based manufacturer introduced the MTN Lite Ti suppressor in July 2026. It’s machined from 6Al-4V titanium in small batches at Divide’s Idaho facility. The company uses a tubeless, welded design to reduce weight while keeping the structure rated for centerfire rifle use.

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How To Avoid ATF’s Homemade Silencer Entanglements

The easiest way to avoid AFT entanglements in making a silencer at home is to not do it.  If you must, a former ATF official reached out recently with a strong warning: The ATF is asking for information that could very easily be used against anyone who tries to make a homemade silencer lawfully. If you answer certain questions on a digital Form 1, you may regret it--your honesty could lead to your imprisonment.

The former ATF official said on the electronic ATF Form 1, which you need to complete to make a homemade silencer, there is an electronic documentation box, which states: “Please submit the following descriptive information: Pictures of the parts that you will use to make the silencer (the pictures should be clear and allow the identification of the parts photographed). Failure to upload additional documentation could lead to the Form 1 being Disapproved.” This, the former ATF official said, is a classic example of the ATF’s NFA Division, “not having a clue about what the law says, which they’re supposed to enforce.” The federal definition of a silencer at 18 USC 921(a)(24) not only includes completed silencers, but also includes “any combination of parts, designed or redesigned, and intended for use in assembling or fabricating a firearm silencer or firearm muffler, and any part intended only for use in such assembly or fabrication.” Therefore, any photos of silencer parts that someone submits to ATF can be legally seen as pictures of silencers--for which the applicant does not yet have authorization to possess.

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Beretta M9 vs. Girsan Regard: Two Takes on an Icon

 

A comparison between the Beretta M9 and the Girsan Regard. You can spot a Beretta M9 from across the room. That open-top slide, the long nose, the classic “service pistol” shape-it’s a look. The open-top slide can help with feeding and clearing, and it’s a big reason the M9 doesn’t look like every other modern pistol. The Girsan Regard is basically saying, “Cool--let’s do that, but cheaper… and with a few extras.” 

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Terminator Anyone? OpenAI Finds Evidence Other AI Agents Escaped Containment as It Widens Hacking Probe

OpenAI has discovered other instances in which autonomous agents have escaped containment. The new breakouts were uncovered during the company's publicly announced investigation into how one of its agents escaped what was meant to be a ‌contained testing environment in July 2026. Anthropic, an OpenAI rival company disclosed that its models were also responsible for a series of break-ins that led to breaches at three other ‌companies dating back to April 2026. In August 2026, Facebook owner Meta announced that one of its AI models was able to connect to the internet and hack into another organization's systems during testing.

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Miyamoto Musashi 宮本 武蔵

The Go Rin no Sho is an important and useful work for the martial artist or anyone engaged in conflict, but value it for what it is and recognize what it is not. It is not a moral or ethical guide. That's the caveat--there are useful things in the book, things of value and ways to think, feel, and see.

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NITECORE NPL25 GL Weapon Light and Green Laser

 

Some of us have the need to hang a full-size weapon light (think SureFire X300, Streamlight TLR-1 or similar) on a compact or a duty-size pistol. Most of us, however, don’t. In my opinion, a laser is a better choice and a light/laser combo is the best choice. 

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How Car Doors, Glass, and Barriers Affect Ammunition

 

  

Cars show up in defensive scenarios more than most people think about. You might be in one, next to one, or using one as cover. And the way ammunition behaves after passing through automotive materials is nothing like how it behaves in open air or bare gel. Steel panels, tempered glass, laminated windshields, and interior components all change bullet trajectory, expansion, and penetration in ways that matter if you carry a firearm.

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Miranda – The Case that Changed Policing

“You have the right to remain silent,” a phrase recited across the United States by police officers when making an arrest. June 13, 2026, marked the 60th anniversary of the historic ruling that fundamentally changed policing practices nationwide by establishing what we now refer to as Miranda Rights. The Phoenix Police Department conducted the original investigation that led to this pivotal case.

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Update: The Olight Baldr Pro R with a Green Laser Failed

My Olight Baldr Pro R rechargeable light with a green laser failed after approximately 1,000 rounds of of buckshot and slugs with the light attached to my home defense shotgun.  When it worked, it worked great as you can see in this review. I believe the charging port on the light had an internal component break which caused the failure. It will no longer take a charge. 

As of August 2026, you can still purchase them for +/- $135.00 from several retailer outlets. The Olight Baldr Pro R rechargeable might be a viable choice for someone who does shoot as much as I do or someone who does not want to spend the money for a Surefire® or other brand. From my research, it appears that Olight has discontinued the remote pressure switch.

Original Review:

This is a quick review of the Olight Baldr Pro R rechargeable light with a green laser. The Baldr Pro R has a flashlight with a 1,350-lumen output and five milliwatt (5mW) class llla green laser located within the flashlight’s reflector. I wanted a light for my home defense shotgun to replace a Surefire® light with a fragile plastic latch that frequently failed. I believe the light failed due to the light’s inability to handle the shotgun’s recoil.

A compact light with a laser seemed to be just the trick and the Olight Baldr Pro R fit my requirements. The Baldr Pro has a selector which gives you the ability to switch between white light only, green laser only, or both white light and green laser. The Baldr Pro is rechargeable and has an internal battery charged via a magnetic charging port. This port also accepts a remote pressure switch which attaches to the magnetic port (the picture below is the light installed on my Beretta 1301).

Recharging the light is simple. Simply take it off the Picatinny rail (it also works with Glock rails) and plug the (included) USB recharging cord into a charging device (not included). You could also charge the light while mounted on the gun although this might not be as convenient. The small LEDs turn green when the battery is fully charged. I always replace the light in the same position on the rail and have had no problems with the laser’s zero wandering.

I zeroed the laser at twenty five yards with the Federal LE-132 low recoil slug—putting four of five shots in a five-inch circle (picture below left). This zero gave me the same point of impact for Federal LE-133 8-pellet buckshot at twenty yards  (picture below right - five shots of Federal LE-133). 

I still had some slugs (I hate partial boxes) so I finished the session shooting four Federal slugs at a 10x12 inch plate 65 yards away.  Four hits for four shots (see picture below and video here).

If you like these articles you can follow by clicking the link in the upper right corner.

Note: I purchased this light and received no remuneration from Olight.
 

Update: Federal Court Strikes Down NFA Registration Requirements for Suppressors, Short-Barreled Rifles, and Short-Barreled Shotguns

In another major victory for law-abiding gun owners, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas today held that the National Firearms Act’s registration and approval requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns exceed Congress’s constitutional authority after Congress eliminated the NFA’s transfer and making taxes on those arms.

The court concluded that Congress enacted the NFA as an exercise of its taxing power and that the statute’s extensive regulatory requirements—including registration, applications, ATF approval, fingerprinting, and related criminal penalties—were constitutionally permissible only because they aided the collection of the NFA’s taxes. The court held that once Congress eliminated the transfer and making taxes for suppressors, SBRs, and SBSs last year, the constitutional foundation for those regulatory provisions disappeared.

The court rejected the government’s argument that the remaining regulations could instead be justified under the Commerce Clause or the Necessary and Proper Clause, explaining that Congress enacted the challenged provisions solely pursuant to its taxing authority. The court therefore held the challenged provisions unconstitutional on Article I enumerated-powers grounds and declined to reach the plaintiffs’ Second Amendment claims.

The Court stayed the effect of the Final Judgment for seven days to allow the government an opportunity to seek relief from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals if it so desires so nothing changes for consumers as of this writing. Please continue following the current ATF process and all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The NRA’s case, Jensen v. ATF, was brought alongside the American Suppressor Association, Second Amendment Foundation, and Firearms Policy Coalition, with the plaintiffs Texas State Rifle Association, FPC Action Foundation, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, Hot Shots Custom LLC, and individuals John Jensen, Jeremy Neusch, and David Smith. The Jensen case was ultimately consolidated with Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF.

For an in-depth review of exactly how this affects various parties, see: Understanding the August 5th ruling in the Silencer Shop Foundation v. BATFE case

 

Wednesday Wisdom: 5 August 2026

Staff Sergeant Don Worley, missing from the Vietnam War—Returns Home

 

In 1968, Staff Sergeant Don Worley and 18 other men were assigned to Lima Site 85, a tactical air navigation radar site on a remote, 5,600-foot mountain peak known as Phou Pha Thi in Houaphan Province, Laos. In the early morning of March 11, the North Vietnamese commandos overran the site causing the Americans to seek safety on a narrow ledge of the steep mountain. A few hours later, under the cover of A-1 Skyraider aircraft, U.S. helicopters were able to rescue eight of the men, one of whom was wounded and died of his injuries before he reached the evacuation base. Worley and 10 other Americans were killed in action and their remains could not be recovered at the time of the incident.

 

From 1994 to 2009, joint teams consisting of personnel from Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) predecessor organizations, Vietnam and Laos, conducted recovery operations at the site and investigations which included interviewing and pursuing leads from dozens of witnesses. Related investigations and site surveys continued taking place from 2016 and onward, including an aerial survey of the area. In 2023, 2025, and 2026, joint teams from DPAA conducted multiple missions at the site, recovering unexploded ordnance, incident-related materials, possible material evidence, and possible bone fragments.

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Night Vision and the PVS-14: How Does It Work?

As technology has advanced, many items formerly relegated to “Buck Rogers” are now not only available, but common. It wasn’t too many years ago that a GPS or handheld laser rangefinder would have been looked upon as something straight out of a science fiction movie. Today, they can be found in most gear bags. As technology steadfastly marches forward, modern electronics continually become smaller, more effective and less expensive. The same is also true of Night Vision Devices (NVDs). Like GPS and laser rangefinders, NVDs were originally designed with the military in mind. Today though, commercial NVDs are widely available. A highly useful tool in its own right, a quality NVD is something more and more outdoorsmen are interested in adding to their gear bag.

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‘Let George Do It’: A Marine’s Medal from Guadalcanal

The George Medal may not be regulation, but for those that received it, it is as real and as earned as any decoration Uncle Sam ever struck in bronze. The horrors of Guadalcanal defied easy explanation. Marines tried anyway. They called it the “green hell,” though even that fell short. So, one miserable night on that crocodile-infested island, a few officers decided the division deserved a medal—not for heroism in the traditional sense, but simply for surviving that dreadful place.

What they came up with was an irreverent decoration absolutely unfit for a general’s podium: a wide-eyed Marine frantically catching a hot potato on one side, and the rear end of a cow primed to unload into a spinning electric fan on the other. Crude? Perhaps. But the so-called “George Medal” was more than a gag. It is emblematic of something deeper.

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Experts Warn You Should Never Share These 5 Things With ChatGPT — And What You Can Do If You Already Did

By any measure, the adoption and use of LLMs (large language models) is astounding, Lee Rainie, director of Elon's Imagining the Digital Future Center, said in a university news release. "I am especially struck by the ways these tools are being woven into people's social lives." While these tools can be useful when it comes to, say, helping you write an email or brainstorm questions for a doctor's appointment, it's wise to be cautious about how much information you share with them.

A recent study from the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI helps explain why. Researchers analyzed the privacy policies of six of the top U.S. AI chat system developers (OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, Amazon's Nova, Meta's MetaAI and Microsoft's Copilot) and found that all of them appear to use customer conversations to "train and improve their models by default" and "some retain this data indefinitely."

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The 300 BLK vs. the 5.56 NATO

   

  

 

So, what to get? 300 BLK vs. 5.56 NATO is a hot debate. AR-15s rule the roost as America’s rifle. The rifle’s proliferation is due in part to decades of use by our armed forces, which have made generations of young men familiar with the platform. On top of that, the AR’s standardization means parts are largely compatible across the board. A user can start with a serialized lower receiver and configure a rifle to serve whatever purpose they may need.

The recent reduction of the $200 tax stamp fee to $0 makes it more compelling for users to buy or convert their existing ARs into short-barreled rifles (SBRs). That puts users at a crossroads: what caliber to pick? In a short-barreled configuration, the two most likely options are 300 Blackout and 5.56 NATO. I’ve shot thousands of rounds of both out of short-barreled ARs, and both have their place, with positives and negatives across the board.

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The 7.62mm M14 Rifle: What You Didn't Know

The U.S. Army's M14 rifle occupies a unique place in American military history. Officially adopted in 1957, it was intended to be the one rifle that could do everything. It would replace the M1 Garand rifle, M1 and M2 carbines, Browning Automatic Rifle, and even the M3A1 submachine gun. Chambered in the new 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge and fed from a detachable 20-round box magazine, the M14 appeared to be the perfect Cold War battle rifle.

I was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Regiment in 1975 and they used the M14 as their primary rifle (still do I believe). I trained and qualified with the M14 and fell in love with the rifle. Hitting man-sized silhouettes at 460 meters with iron sights was no problem at all. In 1976 I spent a over a month’s pay on a Springfield Armory National Match M1A and it remains my favorite rifle.

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Primer Types Explained: Small vs. Large, Standard vs. Magnum

 

The primer is the smallest component in a cartridge and arguably the most critical. It's the ignition source for everything that follows. When the firing pin strikes the primer, it produces a flame that ignites the powder charge, which generates the gas pressure that sends the bullet downrange. If the primer doesn't perform, nothing else matters. Here's what you need to know about primer types and why they matter.

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Auto-Ordnance M1 Carbine Short Barreled Rifle

Every now and then you see something that causes you to go Hummm. The Auto-Ordnance M1 Carbine Short Barreled Rifle or SBR puts a 12-inch threaded barrel and M-Lok accessory slots into a walnut-stocked .30 Carbine platform. Announced on July 16, 2026, it is aimed at shooters who like the light, compact character of the M1 Carbine but want a factory short-barreled configuration.

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The Best .22 Trainer Pistols: 11 Current Models Tested

The “true trainers” are .22 pistols that attempt to mimic the look and feel of a specific centerfire model. The more common category is “pseudo-trainers.” These have the general look and feel of centerfire defense pistols, but they’re not based on any specific model. Most shooters tend to use them less for serious training and more as general plinking and range guns.

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Jeff Cooper's Commentaries: Vol. 4, No. 9; August, 1996

It has long been a principle of mine that a man cannot have too many books, too many wines, or too much ammunition. It turns out that a number of governments in the world manifest considerable distress at the idea of large amounts of ammunition in private hands. They insist that any man who stockpiles thousands of rounds must have some sinister and ulterior purpose which should be investigated by the state. Here we have yet another example of the thought control characteristic of the Age of the Common Man. Many on the left seem to hold that one may be punished not for what he does, but for what he thinks - as with what have come to be called "hate crimes." In this age of thought-control, various sorts of busybodies, in and out of government, feel the need to arrange your thinking for you. 

In this matter of ammunition, I personally like to keep a large supply on hand, not for any specific purpose, but simply because it makes me feel good. To have a large supply - several thousand rounds - of 45 ACP or 30-06 or 308 is comforting in and of itself, and by no means necessarily because one has some conspiratorial notion about expending it. As you know, there are people such as Democratic Senator [fill in the name] who feel that the subtle way to disarm the people is to cut off the supply of ammunition. We hope that such people do not prevail, but it does not hurt to be prepared for unpleasant eventualities - thus we have seat belts, crash helmets, life jackets, and pistols.

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