Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Wednesday Wisdom: 1 July 2026

 
While serving as the commanding officer, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, United States Army, at Fire Support Base Ripcord in Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam, LTC Lucas distinguished himself through extraordinary heroism. Although the fire base was constantly subjected to heavy attacks by a numerically superior enemy force throughout this period, LTC Lucas, forsaking his own safety, performed numerous acts of extraordinary valor in directing the defense of the allied position. On one occasion, he flew in a helicopter at treetop level above an entrenched enemy directing the fire of one of his companies for over three hours. Even though enemy fire heavily damaged his helicopter, he remained in an exposed position until the company expended its supply of grenades. He then transferred to another helicopter, dropped critically needed grenades to the troops, and resumed his perilous mission of directing fire on the enemy. LTC Lucas's courageous actions prevented a larger enemy force from encircling and destroying the company.
 ____________________

Declaration of Independence: A Transcription 



In Congress, July 4, 1776: The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

____________________

Factory Master Engraved and Relief Gold Inlaid Winchester Model 21 Deluxe

The Winchester Model 21 was one of, if not, the finest American double barrel shotgun made during the 20th century and was the choice for innumerable sportsmen, from the trap field to the grouse woods and everywhere in between. This exceptional Model 21 was completed in 1947, just as Winchester was shifting their attention back to the civilian market after spending the last five years in full war-time production supplying the Allies during World War II and completing only a limited number of civilian arms. Winchester produced over 500,000 M1 Garands and 800,000 M1 Carbines for the war effort along with a plethora of other war materiel and was instrumental in the fight against the Axis Powers.

____________________

Satellite Reveals Immense Scale of GPS Signal Tampering


I occasionally include articles that may have impact and perhaps interest. This is one of those. An experimental satellite has mapped the scale of GPS jamming across Europe and the Middle East from space for the first time (there has been a lot of it). The data surprised the team behind the project and indicated that satellites orbiting far from Earth aren't the only ones that experience degradation of their positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) signals, which could affect their performance and the safety of their operations.

____________________

Switching It Up in West Texas: The WTO SwitchLug System


There are a lot of cool barrel-swap systems in the firearm world, but most are expensive, and sometimes a whole new rifle is required. The SwitchLug by West Texas Ordnance is designed for popular rifles, and it’s a modern system that doesn’t require buying new rifle. Instead, it’s a simple lug change on the action, and it’s about as easy of a barrel change as possible.

____________________

Supreme Court Hands Down Significant Second Amendment Victory


In a major victory for gun owners, the U.S. Supreme Court has released its opinion in United States v. Hemani, a case challenging the lifetime firearms ban for marijuana users.

The Second Amendment Foundation filed an amicus brief in support of Hemani which explained that firearm possession by marijuana users affects millions of law-abiding Americans who face losing their Second Amendment rights simply for using a substance that is state-legal and widely accepted, often for medical reasons. Marijuana is currently legal to an extent in 40 states. In the decision, the Court affirmed the Fifth Circuit's ruling that the lifetime ban for marijuana users is unconstitutional and secured a victory for Second Amendment advocates and firearms owners nationwide.

____________________

A Better Battle Belt: Safariland’s Baseline Molle Belt 


The Baseline Molle Belt is designed for users requiring a comprehensive load-bearing platform. Unlike other belts on the market, the Baseline prioritizes rigidity and comfort, featuring an improved MOLLE interface for precise placement of pouches and accessories. I value gear that can be customized for specific missions, as I prefer modular, scalable setups. A versatile MOLLE belt should handle a variety of scenarios and loadouts comfortably without adding bulk, and that’s where the Baseline Molle Belt excels.

____________________

The Wait Is Over—The Aimpoint COA


In 2025, there was only one good reason to buy a Glock: to get your sweaty mitts on Aimpoint’s hot, new COA sight—a rugged closed emitter sight with a minimalist housing for an unobstructive sight picture, and the tougher-than-nails, low-profile A-CUT mounting system. The COA quickly became the red dot as well as mounting system by which others are judged. Unfortunately, Glock had the A-CUT and the COA locked up for a year before other manufacturers could start integrating it into their platforms.

Now for the good news—no longer can Glock hold shooters hostage—as of mid 2026 there are numerous platforms shooters can get with the A-CUT-mounted COA. Here is a short rundown of what to buy for those like me that dislike Glock.

____________________

Civil Liability After Self-Defense


Every armed citizen needs to understand the risks of civil liability after a self-defense shooting. Criminal acquittal or prosecutorial decision not to prosecute is not the conclusion of legal exposure following a self-defense shooting. The criminal and civil justice systems operate under fundamentally different rules and apply different standards of proof. A person can emerge from criminal proceedings without a formal charge and still face years of costly civil litigation. Understanding this distinction is a practical necessity for any citizen who carries a firearm.

____________________

Cleaning up the action of a Winchester New Model 94 Trapper


John Moses Browning specifically designed the 1894 Winchester lever action rifle as the first lever action rifle to be marketed for use with the new smokeless powders. The 94 has been in nearly continuous production since 1894, which makes it one of the most successful products in history. This gun makes a fine entry-level Cowboy Action lever gun and new owners of these successful rifles will want to know how to slick them up so they shoot better.

____________________

Awareness, Agility, and De-Escalation

The Wall Street Journal published an article about police use-of-force in rural America. In the article, a specific incident was highlighted where, according to the WSJ article, an officer responded to a report of an individual walking alone along a rural highway at night.

The individual was carrying a BB-gun pistol wrapped up in a shirt or jacket. The initial contact during the event can be seen in the linked video, which also includes demonstration and discussion of some related training mechanisms using the NURO System. Summarizing the video of the initial contact, the officer asked to see what was in the subject’s hand. The subject removed the pistol from the jacket and threw it aside. Shortly after the pistol left the subject’s hand, the officer fired four rounds.

____________________

Tested & Reviewed — The 28-Year Shotgun Evaluation

The gun was a gift. That detail alone elevates its score on whatever scorecard it is that gun writers use to rate firearms. After shooting my first turkey with a good friend’s gun, thrust into my hands after he’d downed a strutting tom while being admonished to shoot what must’ve been that bird’s twin brother, I walked into my office the following week and discovered a box leaning against my desk. Inside the box was a shotgun, a circa 1998 Remington 870 Express Magnum.

____________________

Patterning Your Home Defense Shotgun


A critical, but often overlooked aspect of being prepared to use your home defense shotgun is determining the pattern that your shotgun produces with a particular buckshot load. In shotgun circles, this process is called patterning your shotgun. Without patterning you will not know the size and shape of your shotgun’s pattern with a given load at a given distance. You must do this with the ammunition you intend to use in your home defense shotgun. 

The way manufacturers produce shotgun barrels means that it is unlikely that two guns will pattern exactly alike--even with the exact same ammunition. Your gun may pattern very poorly with one brand or size of buckshot, yet do very well with another. The only way to know is to shoot the buckshot loads at varying distances.

____________________

Semi-automatic pistols dominate the modern handgun market. Walk into any gun store, and you’ll find rows of pistols designed for concealed carry, home defense, and competition. Yet despite decades of innovation, the revolver continues to maintain a loyal following among experienced shooters, armed citizens, hunters, and firearm instructors. While it may not offer the capacity of a modern semi-automatic pistol, they still provide several advantages that keep them relevant today. Here are five reasons many shooters continue to choose a revolver.

____________________

Defending Your Family from an Armed Attacker 

Picture a family reunion in the front yard. Roughly twenty people, kids and older relatives among them, on a Sunday evening in Leesburg, Georgia. Five minutes later: rifle fire, people diving for cover, a 62-year-old woman on the ground next to her 77-year-old sister.

That is what witnesses say happened on June 7 on Autumn Leaf Drive in Lee County, according to a news channel. The family got several things right before a shot was fired, and the things they got right are the things you can train.

 ____________________

If you enjoy reading these articles, please follow/subscribe. The link is on the upper right side of the page. All that will happen is that you will receive an e-mail when I post an article. Your information will never be distributed.If you enjoy reading these articles, please follow/subscribe. The link is on the upper right side of the page. All that will happen is that you will receive an e-mail when I post an article. Your information will never be distributed.

 

No comments:

Post a Comment