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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