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