The post Reproduction GX-607 and XM-177 Moderators: Do They Work? first appeared on Forgotten Weapons.

On January 28, 2025, Harmeet K. Dhillon filed an amicus curiae brief for the Trump administration, detailing the reasons the Massachusetts handgun roster is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.  Harmeet K. Dhillon is Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. The timeline for the lawsuit started almost five years ago.

In 2021, a number of Massachusetts residents and the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed suit against then AG Maura Healey in Massachusetts, contending the Massachusetts handgun roster violated the rights protected by the Second and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.  On May 19, 2022, the District Court granted a motion to dismiss the case, claiming the handgun roster regulations were allowed as "safety requirements".  Plaintiffs appealed the ruling to the ruling to the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.  On April 7, 2023, the appeals court remanded the case back to the District Court, to be reconsidered under the Supreme Court Bruen Decision. On August 29, 2025, the District Court granted summary judgement to the Defendants (State of Massachusetts) for a second time. Plaintiffs appealed the ruling to the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit for a second time on September 9, 2025.  The lawsuit is now Granata v Campbell, as Andrea Joy Campbell is the current AG of Massachusetts.

The amicus brief filed by the Trump administration Civil Rights Division, makes several important arguments in the case. In particular, the brief shows the following:

• Supreme Court precedent: Arms which are in common use may not be banned.
• Regulations on the sale of arms may not be used to effect a ban
• Bans do not have to be complete to be unconstitutional
• The American people decide what arms are in common use, not judges.
• Some arms are clearly not in common use, such as ICBMs or nuclear weapons.
• Some arms may be at the margins of common use, but handguns are not at the margins.
• The right to keep and bear arms includes the ancillary right to acquire arms.

The brief by the Civil Rights Division makes clear how courts are to determine whether a law infringes on the rights protected by the Second Amendment. The procedure is spelled out in the Bruen decision.  From the brief:

Bruen makes clear that whether a law “infringes” the right to bear arms is a legal conclusion, based on text and history. See Bruen, 597 U.S. at 79 (Kavanaugh, J., concurring) (“The Court employs and elaborates on the text, history, and tradition test that Heller and McDonald require for evaluating whether a government regulation infringes on the Second Amendment.”). 

The Supreme Court has repeatedly stated, all rights have limitations. The limitations of the rights protected by the Second Amendment are dependent on what the right to keep and bear arms meant at the time the Second Amendment was ratified in 1791. As examples, the right to keep and bear arms did not mean a person had the right steal a weapon because they did not possess one. It did not mean a person with a weapon had the right to use the weapon to murder another person without consequence.

The Civil Rights Division brief shows there were no bans on the purchase of weapons which were in common use at the time of the ratification of the Second Amendment. The Massachusetts handgun roster bans guns in common use from commercial sale in Massachusetts.  From the brief:

 It is thus undeniable that the weapons banned by the Massachusetts scheme are “widely legal and bought by many ordinary consumers” across the Nation. See Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos, 605 U.S. 280, 297 (2025). For this reason alone, the decision should be overturned.

The arguments put forward by the Civil Rights Division do not show if a weapon is not in common use, it may be banned. They show weapons in common use cannot be banned, even if circuitous and indirect means are used by a state government to effectuate a partial and incomplete ban.

The submission of an amicus brief by the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice shows the Trump administration is committed to aggressively preventing state governments from infringing on rights protected by the Second Amendment. No other federal administration has been willing to do so.

The earliest federal infringement on rights protected by the Second Amendment appears to be the ban on the mailing of handguns put into place in 1927.  The Office of Legal Counsel in the Trump Department of Justice has issued an opinion the ban on the mailing of handguns violates rights protected by the Second Amendment.

Restoring rights protected by the Second Amendment is a process which must be built in the law and the courts, bit by bit, because the infringements were put in place little by little, over time.  Mark Smith, Constitutional Attorney, winner of two Gundie Awards for the Top Voices of the 2A , and AmmoLand contributor, explains the process in a video about the Civil Rights Division brief at his YouTube channel.

Analysis:

For the last hundred years, the federal government has been unwilling to enforce rights protected by the Second Amendment. The reasons are complicated and numerous. The people of the United States have been demanding the restoration of those rights, with building momentum, starting about 1968. The administration of President Trump is, in part, a political force put into place to effect the restoration of Second Amendment rights. The process is ongoing.

©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch 

The police investigation found an argument happened between the hospitalized man and his former girlfriend. The two have an adult son, who was there amid the argument.

This led to the father allegedly hitting the mother, when the son came to her defense, according to the Roswell Police Department. Investigators also believe he was shot after aggressively approaching the son.

More Here

The man complied, exited the car, and then there was an exchange of gunfire between the victim and the suspects, the news release states.

The victim shot two of the assailants; one in the leg, the other in the back, the news release states. “The injuries the suspects sustained are considered non life threatening at this time,” police said.

 More Here

By Lee Williams SAF Investigative Journalism Project Special to Liberty Park Press New York state native turned Floridian Robert Cekada spent just over two hours Wednesday along with four judicial candidates testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley. By all accounts, Cekada passed the test, and he […]

The post President Trump’s ATF Pick Clears Senate Hearing Easily appeared first on Liberty Park Press.

On February 6, 1891:  The first great train robbery by the Dalton Gang: Southern Pacific #17, near Alila (now Earlimart), California. Pictured are deceased Dalton gang members, following the failed 1892 Coffeyville, Kansas raid. Left to right: Bill Powers; Bob Dalton; Grat Dalton, and Dick Broadwell. — On this day in 1935, the board game Monopoly went on sale for the first time. — For folks who missed out on ordering SurvivalBlog archive USB sticks, in January:  We had set aside 32 of the standard sticks and 5 sticks in keepsake tins in reserve, just in case any of this …

The post Preparedness Notes for Friday — February 6, 2026 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

(Continued from Part 2.  This concludes the article.) In Part 1 and Part 2, we hit a few of the “How it works” or “Why it works” stuff.  Proven by experience, or our family ham antenna business would have failed immediately.  So, what do you have laying around the house, farm, garage – that can be turned into a high performance antenna for just listening? In the basement / garage, Metallic stuff, old copper pipe that burst from freezing, Telephone wire, cable TV wire, Ethernet cable (4,6,8 strand stuff), Iron pipe… will work, again not as good. Old extension cords! …

The post Antenna Building: Theory and Practice – Part 3, by Hoofer appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

In Economics & Investing Media of the Week we feature photos, charts, graphs, maps, video links, and news items of interest to preppers. Today: A Map Showing the Largest Type of Electric Generating Capacity, By County. The thumbnail below is click-expandable.       (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) Economics & Investing Links of Interest H.L. sent this very troubling news: The Great Taking: Global Looting of Humanity Imminent? Reader Tom H. mentioned this essay by Adam Sharp at The Daily Reckoning: Silver’s 27% Drop, in Context. Video from The Economic Ninja: Why I am pivoting from Silver investing into something …

The post Economics & Investing Media of the Week appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

“Every man should make his son or daughter learn some useful trade or profession, so that in these days of changing fortunes of being rich today and poor tomorrow they may have something tangible to fall back upon. This provision might save many persons from misery, who by some unexpected turn of fortune have lost all their means.” – P. T. Barnum

The post The Editors’ Quote Of The Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

This is obviously a clumsy attempt at stirring the pot and creating divisions between the administration and Second Amendment supporters. [More] So… are trolls just doing it for kicks, or is there something more insidious at play here?

The post ATF Warns of Hoax Homeland Security Letter ‘Suspending Second Amendment’ first appeared on The War on Guns.

 Newspapers are a relic of a bygone era.  In the 20tth century, every town had a newspaper.  It's where we got the news, weather, and sports.  Classified ads and legal notices.  My hometown paper, the Alexandria Daily Town Talk, exists as a pale shadow of its former self. The press is gone; I'm not sure if they print anything at all. At one point, it was being printed in Lafayette, but now I'm not sure at all.

Other newspapers hang on, grimly.  The news earlier this week was that the Washington Post was eliminating positions and laying off staff.  That seems to be the trend in the newspaper business these days.  However, those journalists still have employment opportunities.

That's funny, right there.

Cleared: The Palestine Action six whose raid on defence firm left woman police officer with a fractured spine [More] Some aren’t taking the news very well. Maybe if they weren’t willing to arrest their countrymen for social media posts there’d be a little more sympathy. And as for the commies, they’ll get theirs. I don’t … Continue reading "Meanwhile, Across the Pond"

The post Meanwhile, Across the Pond first appeared on The War on Guns.

Dems embrace “law and order” in ICE shutdown fight [More] Sometimes you just gotta shake your head. This whole situation was created by their treasonous lawlessness. [Via DDS]

The post Gaslight Me Harder first appeared on The War on Guns.

I know I could be trusted with one. How about you? Anybody hear an answer? [Via Jess]

The post Good Question first appeared on The War on Guns.

News conference on repossession of Lorain County sheriff deputies’ cars – In a Facebook post, the Lorain County Deputies Association says Lorain County Commissioners have defaulted on their car loans with Enterprise Fleet Management. [More] Now try not paying the county.

The post We’re the Only Ones Deadbeat Enough first appeared on The War on Guns.

According to multiple sources who were in the room but requested we not identify them, the terrorism training involved dozens of actors, brought in by the school board, to act as Loudoun County parents. Those pretend “parents” sat in the gallery in the school board meeting room as actual families normally would. In this training, … Continue reading "Parent/Teacher Day"

The post Parent/Teacher Day first appeared on The War on Guns.

However, the students called the university police when one user threatened gun violence to stop the group’s event.  In response to a question asking how long TPUSA will be on campus, the user wrote, “until I come with my gun.” Another user responded, saying, “I’ll be there to prevent anyone from stopping you.” A different user … Continue reading "Can We All Get Along?"

The post Can We All Get Along? first appeared on The War on Guns.

NOW – Trump says he is adjusting his mass deportations policy to only go into cities if the mayors or governors “ask” and “say please,” adding, “I don’t want to go and force ourselves into a city, even if their numbers are terrible.” [More] And: NOW – Reporter: “Is your mission now to deport everyone … Continue reading "But I Have Promises to Keep…"

The post But I Have Promises to Keep… first appeared on The War on Guns.

With that as a backdrop, in between capitalizing on her notoriety through selling her story and her sex tapes, Fisher served a brief stint as an opinion columnist, where she advocated for the government disarming those of us who haven’t shot innocent people in the face.[More] Y’ever notice how those who can’t — or won’t … Continue reading "Recollections of Decades-Old Crime Omit Key Details about Assailant"

The post Recollections of Decades-Old Crime Omit Key Details about Assailant first appeared on The War on Guns.

 In September 2012, The Times published an extensive overview of the phenomenon.3 The paper reported that for more than a decade, organised groups of men had been able to groom, exploit, and traffic girls across multiple towns and cities in Britain, often operating with minimal interference from authorities....

Yet, event The Times underestimated the scale of this. By early 2015, senior police figures were publicly acknowledging the scale of the crisis. One officer spoke of “tens of thousands” of current victims of grooming gangs. A Member of Parliament, representing a constituency widely associated with the problem, went further, suggesting that the total number of victims nationwide, past and present, could reach as high as one million.4

These figures are almost impossible to comprehend. They refer to school-aged girls systematically identified, isolated, and exploited over many years. And yet, despite the magnitude of the harm, perpetrators were able to operate with remarkable impunity.....

Across policing, social services, local government, and related professions, many officials felt unable to speak frankly about the defining characteristics of the problem. Not because those characteristics were unclear, but because acknowledging them carried perceived risks, to careers, professional standing, and social legitimacy. The boundaries of what could be said narrowed to the point where silence became the safer option.

This produced a self-reinforcing cycle. As fewer people were willing to speak openly, institutional inaction deepened, and the cost of dissent appeared ever higher to colleagues and peers.

In some instances, professionals were directly cautioned against drawing attention to ethnic or cultural patterns. In most, it appears such warnings were unnecessary. The fear of being accused of racism ensured that, for decades, there was little formal recognition of the grooming-gang phenomenon as a distinct and systemic form of abuse.

That the victims were overwhelmingly young white schoolgirls, while the perpetrators largely muslims with darker skin, proved decisive, not in prompting action, but in paralysing it. This dynamic allowed abuse networks to operate with remarkable freedom, even as evidence accumulated.

So again, to ask the central question: how could an abuse network of this scale persist for decades without decisive intervention?

The answer is stark in its simplicity. It was not fear of the crime that silenced authorities, but fear of a word: racist....

To understand the scale and nature of the grooming gang scandal, one must first confront the cultural context from which the perpetrators emerged. The statistical overrepresentation of men from Pakistani and other South Asian heritages in these specific group-based exploitation networks has been documented by multiple inquiries and judicial remarks.6 The abuse is rooted in a specific worldview imported from rural, patriarchal societies where the status of women is determined by rigid codes of honour (sharaf) and where non-Muslim or “out-group” women are viewed through a lens of religious and racial contempt.7

Central to this incompatibility is the existence of a dual morality within the perpetrator networks. While the women within their own communities are often cloistered and protected to maintain family “honour,” Western women, particularly those who are liberated or vulnerable are viewed as “immodest” and therefore “fair game” for sexual predation.8 This perception is reinforced by the use of dehumanising language, such as the term “kuffar” (non-believer) or “khal” (black/outsider), which serves to strip the victims of their humanity and justify their exploitation.9...

Perpetrators in Rochdale were explicitly told by Judge Gerald Clifton that their treatment of victims was influenced by the fact that the girls were “not of your community or religion”.10 This judicial acknowledgment confirms that the selection of victims was not random but was driven by an “us versus them” mentality that prioritised tribal and religious identity over the laws of the host nation. The victims were not only objects of sexual desire but symbols of a “conquered” or “inferior” culture to be dominated.11

The frequent use of racial slurs such as “white trash,” “white slag,” and “white meat” indicates a racialised hierarchy in which the victims were viewed as having no inherent value.12 In Keighley, a victim reported that when she attempted to stop working as a drugs courier for her abuser, she was called a “little white slag” and a “little white bastard” while being raped.13 These terms are ideological markers that define the victim’s place in the perpetrator’s worldview, a place of total subservience and worthlessness.

It is an article of faith in some circles that "outsiders" are only a small part of this problem. The vast numbers in Britain argue otherwise.  Hat tip to Small Dead Animals.

If you think today’s Antifa ground troops are nuts, wait ’til these programmed zombies grow up. [Watch] Remind you of anything…? Hey, you don’t let your toddlers watch Ms. Rachel, do you…? Y’oughta stick with something safe, like Disney… [Via Michael G]

The post Teach Your Children Well first appeared on The War on Guns.

 That $2 million damages must have speeded up review of the "science." 2/5/26 Advocate:

The American Medical Association, which has long supported gender-affirming care for transgender youth, has now endorsed some restrictions.

The AMA recommended Wednesday that any gender-affirming surgeries be delayed until adulthood, The New York Times reports. While genital surgery is almost never performed on minors, some teens undergo top surgery or facial modifications. Gender-affirming care for youth more commonly includes puberty blockers, hormone therapy, social transition, and counseling.

The AMA’s policy shift comes a day after the American Society of Plastic Surgeons recommended that surgeons delay breast/chest, genital, and facial surgery until a patient is at least 19 years old.

Gender-affirming care for minors has been under attack from conservative politicians for several years. Twenty-seven states ban all or some such care for minors, and the U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld Tennessee’s law restricting the treatment. A year ago, Donald Trump signed an executive order banning federal funding for any institution that provides the treatment to people under 19. He has also ordered the National Institutes of Health to study transition regret.

How long before the psychological, counselling, and social worker associations realize that they threw away their credibility supporting sexual mutilation to be among the "cool kids."

Teen linked to neo-Nazi satanic hate group accused of planning mass shooting at Wimauma church: HCSO [More] So, by definition, a leftist. And “Pagan”: Talk about an aptronym! What did Father Flanagan say? How do they find this crap? It’s not like there’s a TikTok page… I grok this stuff as much as I do … Continue reading "Today’s Low-Hanging Fruit Report"

The post Today’s Low-Hanging Fruit Report first appeared on The War on Guns.

This is a fascinating breakdown of the (quite serious) engineering problems facing SpaceX as they attempt to build a Mars city. 

Democrat Party Caters to New Base – Communists, Socialists, and Fellow Travelers [More] I’d question how “new” it is, although it’s true they’re a lot more open about it now.

The post Spider & the Fly first appeared on The War on Guns.

In Washington, Democrats in Olympia are looking at adding $100 to the nonrefundable fee for a concealed pistol license, jacking the cost up from $36 to $136… In neighboring Oregon, there’s a move on via House Bill 4145 which would raise the cost of a permit-to-purchase from the $65 maximum to $150. [More] What are … Continue reading "The Devil to Pay"

The post The Devil to Pay first appeared on The War on Guns.

Major firearms distributor serving thousands of retailers across multiple countries files for bankruptcy [More] Looks like it was business practices-based instead of being hounded by antis… Chapter 7 in a nutshell…

The post Bad Day at Big Rock first appeared on The War on Guns.

I always hesitate to use ICYMI because that seems presumptuous, but if you want to hear me ‘n Mark talk about Judge Jeanine, here it is.

The post Daily Defense Redux first appeared on The War on Guns.

Dean Weingarten in front of the Supreme Court

The filibuster in the United States Senate is not created by the U.S. Constitution. It exists because of Senate rules. From early in the history of the Senate, the ability of Senators to talk for unlimited amounts of time was used as a tool to slow down legislation, as a bargaining chip to gain concessions on bills, or to stop bills altogether. This extended use of "debate" became known as a filibuster.

For decades there was talk about changing the Senate rules to limit debate, but nothing was done until 1917, during the Wilson administration. In 1917, the Senate adopted Senate Rule 22, which allowed a 2/3 super-majority in the Senate to close debate and force a vote on an issue.  The cloture vote was only used five times over the next 40 years. In 1975, the Senate changed the rule from requiring a 2/3 super-majority of the senators voting to end debate, to a super-majority of 3/5 of all senators correctly chosen and sworn in. A cloture vote to limit debate has come to require 60 votes. Use of the filibuster limited by a cloture vote has become more and more common over time.  It has become a primary way for the party in the minority in the Senate to stop controversial bills.

The Senate rules can be changed with a simple majority vote. When the Democratic Party controlled the Senate in 2013, Majority leader Harry Reid orchestrated a rule change to exempt votes of all nominees except for the Supreme Court from the 60 vote requirement for cloture. When the Republicans took control of the Senate, they expanded the exemption to include all nominees.

Currently, a vote to stop debate in the Senate requires 60 votes for legislation. An exemption exists for budget reconciliation, as required in the Budget Reconciliation act of 1974. Limits on the time for debate are included in the act, which prevents a filibuster.

The filibuster has been used to stop and slow down gun control legislation and to stop and slow down legislation to restore Second Amendment rights. The filibuster does not appear to have been used in attempts to stop the gun control act of 1968. The Brady Act of 1993 was slowed by use of the filibuster, but was not stopped. The Universal Background Check gun control bill promoted by President Barack Obama in 2013 failed to overcome a the filibuster by Republicans.  The vote was 54-46. The 2022 gun control bill had to overcome a filibuster. Cloture passed with 65 votes.  It was a relatively weak bill.  In 2025, removal of short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, silencers, and Any Other Weapons (AOW) was stymied because of inability of Second Amendment supporters to overcome a Democratic Party filibuster.

The filibuster is a strong tool to slow down legislation, facilitate compromises, and limit governmental action.  Support for the filibuster by Senators Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia has been credited from preventing draconian measures proposed by far left Democratic politicians in 2021. Both Sinema and Manchin were purged from the Democratic Party, in large part for their support of the filibuster.

President Trump has called for Republican senators to eliminate the filibuster. His logic is clear: The next time Democratic politicians control the Senate, they will eliminate the filibuster. Republicans should pre-emptively do so in order to pass legislation to cement the Trumpian counter revolution against radical leftism. President Trump wants to end the filibuster in order to stop the current government shutdown. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin explains this.  From newsmax.com:

"The Democrats purged the last two senators who held out and supported the filibuster," he said. "We know they have no respect for it. So we need to strike first."

Johnson said if Republicans move first, it should be "for the benefit of the American people."

"When the Democrats eliminate the filibuster, it'll all be about their maintenance of power," he said.

"If we're to do it, it will be to further secure our border, to secure our elections, and to pass good pieces of legislation," Johnson added. 

He also warned Democrats would "pack the Supreme Court" and push for statehood for Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico if they regain control of the Senate.

The Senate has two senators for each state. For decades, far more Democratic Senators than seemed warranted came from what were expected to be "conservative" states such as Montana and North Dakota. In the last 20 years, states have tended to sort themselves out more consistently. This is likely because the left no longer has unquestioned dominance in the media. Conservative dominance in the Senate seems probable in the future.

The Republicans have both senators in the 25 states which voted for Donald Trump in all three of his presidential elections.  This makes control of Congress by the Democratic Party very difficult. The Senate was designed, in part, to protect small states from being made politically irrelevant by large population states.  Control of the Senate by the Democratic Party is probably diminished for at least a few years.

Legislation is important, but court decisions tend to be more durable. It is harder to overcome Supreme Court decisions than to pass legislation. The protection of the filibuster is less important if the Supreme Court has an originalist majority, such as currently exists.

Packing of the Supreme Court has been supported by the Democratic Party to overcome the originalist majority.  To do this, they need control of Congress. They need to overcome a filibuster in the Senate. They can eliminate the filibuster anytime they have a majority in the Senate, so continuing the filibuster is not much of a protection against radical leftists.  As Sinema and Manchin demonstrated, it has some value.

Analysis:

If the Senate Republicans eliminate the filibuster, they open the door to pass more of President Trump's agenda, more quickly. The potential of pro-Second Amendment legislation passing increases somewhat. Is this potential worth the loss of the protections of a filibuster? This correspondent tends to approve of limitations on government power. Limitations which are only applied to Republicans are worse than no limitations.  It is a close call. This correspondent would keep the filibuster in hopes the radical left Democratic party is rejected by voters, at least in the Senate.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch  

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A male suspect is dead after a robbery turned shooting at a gas station in Lakeland early Tuesday morning.

Shelby County Sheriff’s Office deputies say they were called to the Exxon gas station on 3548 Canada Road around 3:12 a.m.

They say the suspect was found suffering from a gunshot wound outside the gas station. He was pronounced dead on the scene by paramedics.

More Here

An east Fort Worth homeowner shot a man yesterday after police say the man tried to force his way into the residence. Officers responded around 3 p.m. to the 6000 block of Grayson Street, where they found the wounded man and had him taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. According to police, the resident said he fired a small‑caliber handgun to stop the attempted break‑in and stayed at the house to speak with officers. Detectives have opened an investigation into the confrontation.

More Here

On February 5, 1736 British Methodist ministers John Wesley (pictured) and Charles Wesley arrived in Savannah, Georgia. — Today is the birthday of Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim (5 February 1840 – 24 November 1916). He was an American-British inventor best known as the creator of the first truly automatic machine gun, the Maxim gun. Maxim also held patents on numerous mechanical devices such as hair-curling irons, a mousetrap, and steam pumps. Maxim claimed to invented the lightbulb. He was the father of Hiram Percy Maxim, who founded the ARRL. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round …

The post Preparedness Notes for Thursday — February 5, 2026 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

(Continued from  Part 1.) A typical Trucker’s dual-mount CB antenna has 2 coaxes down to one connection to the radio.  We want the signal from both antennas, unified exactly for a nice strong signal / in phase voltage pulse, into the radio. Because the antennas are on the sides, like mirror mounts, the strongest, best signal (in phase), will come from the front and rear of the truck, while signals from either side, will cancel each other out (a little bit). The same thing happens with our Vertical antennas, 2-3-4-5-6-7-8 of them.  We want to get rid of the noise …

The post Antenna Building: Theory and Practice – Part 2, by Hoofer appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, a report on some odd Russian snow camouflage. A Russian Snow Camouflage Failure Mike in Alaska sent this odd news: Russian Troops in ‘Penguin’ Camouflage Killed by Ukrainian …

The post The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

“Government has three primary functions. It should provide for military defense of the nation. It should enforce contracts between individuals. It should protect citizens from crimes against themselves or their property.” – Milton Friedman

The post The Editors’ Quote Of The Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

1/30/26 Investing.com:

Investing.com -- Gold’s powerful rally across precious and industrial metals is increasingly showing signs of speculative excess, according to Peter Berezin, chief global strategist and director of research at BCA Research, who warned that prices may have moved “too far, too fast.”

In a new note to investors, Berezin outlined a long-term scenario where gold could theoretically lose almost all of its value.

Any commodity with irrational components to its demand either pretty or overhyped is easily manipulated  

Joseph Wang left his job at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, he came across an odd new research paper from his former employer. Wang had been a senior trader on the Open Market Trading Desk, carrying out the Fed’s monetary policy. In his five years there, the usual Fed research covered topics like inflation, labor markets, and bank capital. This paper, though, was titled “800,000 Years of Climate Risk.”

“I thought that was very strange,” Wang recalled. “The Fed writing about CO2 concentrations."

The article lists other areas where the Fed seems to have branched from economics to leftist activism. Perhaps a bit more adult supervision is in order. 

 I needed stainless steel 8-32 x 1" thumbscrews. Amazon had them, and American-made.

#8-32 x 1 Thumb Screw Stainless Steel - Black Knurled Round Plastic Knob - Standard/Coarse Thread Thumbscrew - Length: 1.000" - Proudly Built in USA - Package of (4)

 There is an old saying about "death and taxes" So far I've cheated death, but once again it is time to deal with the IRS. I despise those sonsofbitches.

Some ignorant twat I've never heard of was talking shit at the Grammys last weekend.  Something about illegals and stolen land.  Turns out, her house is on stolen land.

I can take the moral high ground here.  My land isn't stolen.  When this area was first colonized, a guy named Fulton bought a huge chunk of land from the Choctaw. Land north of the river was considered worthless, fit for nothing but pine trees and brambles.  Fulton bought it and started selling homesteads. The Choctaw are still around.  They own a casino north of here. That same tribe has a small reservation near Jena, LA.  When that area went dry, they opened a package liquor store.  That pleased the Baptists to no end.

By Lee Williams SAF Investigative Journalism Project Special to Liberty park Press It appears the anti-gun nonprofit 97Percent has returned, although there have been massive internal changes and it is much less now than it used to be. We haven’t heard much from them since they plagiarized photos of top female shooters to gaslight the public […]

The post Anti-gun Group 97Percent is Back, Now Led by Anti-gun Ex-Cop appeared first on Liberty Park Press.

New Mexico: Senate Committee to Hear Sweeping Gun Control Bill [More] It would help if the included link to the bill didn’t go to one about parole…

The post For All Your Activism Needs first appeared on The War on Guns.

This is a photo of Salt Lake City’s Delta Center arena taken when the arena was called under a previous name. A new proposal working through Utah’s state legislature could allow gun owners who carry their guns concealed to do so while attending professional sporting events in the arena. (Flickr photo)   Among pro-gun legislative […]

The post Utah gun rights proposal could allow for concealed carry in Salt Lake City sports arena appeared first on Liberty Park Press.

Good. I want to see more. [Via Michael G]

The post Getting What They Voted For first appeared on The War on Guns.

New Poll Shatters Narrative: Voters Overwhelmingly Back Deportations and ICE – “Americans support deporting those in the country illegally by a [nearly] 2-to-1 margin, 61% to 34%.” [More] We’ll see at the only poll that matters. [Via Michael G]

The post Survey SAYS… first appeared on The War on Guns.

Anti-gun group 97Percent is back, now led by anti-gun ex-cop [More] I’ve been warning against these Astro-Turfers since they first came on the scene and pretty consistently thereafter. I see “lifelong Republican” Olivia Troye needs a new gig, but before worrying she’ll suffer the same fate as Ladd, take heart: I just saw her in … Continue reading "The THING That Would Not Leave"

The post The THING That Would Not Leave first appeared on The War on Guns.

Last year a company called Magellan sent a deep sea rover 15,000 feet down to the site of the final resting place of the battleship Bismark, sunk 86 years ago.  The video is simply spectacular.  Here is a shortish excerpt with commentary. 

And since we're talking about the Bismark, this song is obligatory.

After the Department of Justice released three million files over the weekend, blockchain enthusiasts were quick to discover a certain Jeffery Epstein was an active and prominent figure in crypto during its formative years.

 2/3/26 New York Post:

Anti-ICE protests in Minnesota may appear to be “grassroots” efforts organized by concerned citizens, but they’re really funded with megadonor money — some coming from China.

A so-called “ICE Out” march drew an estimated 15,000 left-wing political activists to a frozen, snow-covered Minneapolis on Friday, with attendees chanting “ICE out now” and demanding an end to federal immigration enforcement in the city.

Although framed as a spontaneous uprising of concerned, everyday people, the demonstration — like countless that have regularly metastasized during President Trump’s terms — featured a familiar cast of politically obsessed activists and terminally online characters.

They organize on radical message boards and encrypted texting apps, but are backed by funds created by radical leftist billionaires.

“My team’s best judgement is that it’s the Neville Singham network that is most active [in Minnesota], partly because that’s the most crazy network. But they aren’t alone,” Scott Walter, president of Capital Research and an expert on dark money outfits, told The Post.

Walter was referring to the People’s Forum and the Party for Socialism and Liberation, both funded by China-based former software exec Singham.

Both groups promoted the “ICE Out” protests — which were organized by another group, called 50501 — through social media, and Walter said their members were in attendance, but he noted they have recently been getting their members to blend in more with the crowds.

“What’s new is, we are seeing truly extreme Communist splinter groups showing up alongside an American Federation for Teachers union or the Ford Foundation.

“That’s a disturbing trend for us who follow these things. Normally, they wouldn’t have been cheek by jowl publicly with those people,” Walter said. 

“That kind of self-policing on the left seems to be disappearing.”

Singham, who did not respond to a request for comment, has become a major funder of left-wing activist networks, including protests in Minnesota and other cities, all coordinated from his base in Shanghai.

This is the downside of capitalism.  It creates pockets of guilt-dominated wealth intent on making sure no one else gets that rich. 

The post Coenders’ Bolt-Less Last Ditch Bolt Action Rifle first appeared on Forgotten Weapons.

According to police, the man pulled out a gun and fired shots at security outside the bar. The security guard, who is a licensed Concealed Pistol License holder, returned fire, striking the man.

The man was taken to a local hospital for treatment. His condition was not released.

No other injuries were reported.

More Here

Police were called at 4:42 a.m. Friday to the shooting in the 12000 block of East Blake, which is near Pawnee and Oliver. A 56-year-old man shot the intruder inside his home, police said. “The investigation determined the 40-year-old male was burglarizing the home,” police said. “A confrontation occurred inside the residence, and a shot was fired by the homeowner striking the suspect in the leg.”

More Here

On February 4, 211, Roman Emperor Septimius Severus died in Eboracum (York) in England, leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons, Caracalla and Geta. From his biography: “Septimius Severus was the first Roman Emperor from Africa. He ruled from 193 to 211 AD and is known for having expanded the Roman Empire through military campaigns. Severus began his career in the Roman government, rising through the ranks during a period of political instability. He became emperor in 193 AD, a year known as the Year of the Five Emperors due to its rapid succession of …

The post Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — February 4, 2026 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

As an introduction, I started building Vertical & Yagi Beam antennas in the early 1980s for CB radio.  When the FCC dropped the ‘Morse Code’ requirement in 2007, many ‘tone deaf’ people like myself, transitioned to ham radio. My entire family are either General or Extra Class hams.  Having this license and operating ability is an essential ‘Life Skill’, like the ability to read, write and speak the native language. No tool is useful, in unskilled hands – unless you’re planning on selling/bartering it away, right?  Our family and I have taught Technician, General, and Extra classes – but, none …

The post Antenna Building: Theory and Practice – Part 1, by Hoofer appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

Our weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters. — Reader H.B. suggested a Facebook reel on how to make your own local topo maps. o  o  o At our friend Jack Lawson’s website: Do It Yourself! Building a 3500-Watt Portable Battery Bank Solar Power Unit. o  o  o Here is a free short story based rooted in an ancient legend, with …

The post SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

“Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice.” – Thomas Paine

The post The Editors’ Quote Of The Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

By Dave Workman A unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals which struck down the conviction of a Mississippi man for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, based on an earlier conviction for possession of methamphetamine, violated his rights under the Second Amendment, is causing […]

The post 5th Circuit: Lifetime Gun Ban for Single Non-Violent Felony Violates 2A appeared first on Liberty Park Press.

In this case, marine diesel engines which used to be famously long lived.  The Detroit Diesel engines of old were famous for running 20,000 or 30,000 hours before a four day rebuild at the dock set them up for another 20,000 or 30,000 hours.  You couldn't kill these engines.  Rather, you would leave them to your kids in your will.

That's over now, and it's because of the EPA.  Over a span of 15 or 20 years, they ratcheted up the emission requirements for these engines to the point that Detroit Diesel would be fined millions and millions of dollars for selling their old (famously reliable) design.

And so now you have to rebuild after 10,000 hours, and you have to replace three times as many parts.  Plan on a month, rather than four days.

This is a very interesting video on the subject.  While I'm not an expert on diesel engines, it certainly seems solid from an engineering perspective. 

Here are the main points.

1. Pressures have gone from 10,000 psi to 30,000 PSI for a bunch of EPA-imposed constraints.  This shortens the lifespan of parts used in the engines.

2. The higher pressure means that engines are much more vulnerable to bad diesel fuel: water particles or tiny flakes of rust now essentially sandblast the pistons, valves, and cylinders.  This didn't used to take place at the old lower pressure.  This sandblasting effect shortens part life even more, which makes engine rebuild and cost even higher.

3. Because parts will fail much more often now, manufacturers put all sorts of sensors in place.  The sensors themselves can fail - the high seas is a notoriously unforgiving environment and salt water will get into the engine room.  This causes corrosion, which triggers sensor faults.  The engine's computer (itself a new thing, with software of questionable quality) will detect the fault and sometimes put the engine into "Limp Home Mode" - not allowing it to go above, say, 1000 RPM.  A ship in a storm may find its engine dangerously under powered, putting at risk the lives on board and the safety of the ship itself.  If a ship sinks in a storm under these circumstances, the fuel oil in the tanks will pollute the environment.

4. Not pointed out in the video, ocean-going vessels do not have to worry about emissions.  From a pure regulatory perspective, that is.  However, finding a new engine with all the design "upgrades" discussed here is the challenge.  I don't know what EU regulations are, so maybe a MAN engine doesn't have to deal with this.  But I'm nasty and suspicious and think that EU regulations could be even worse than EPA's.

Thanks a whole lot of nothing, EPA.  You're supposed to protect the environment. Oh, and not get Americans killed.

The only thing I think is unfair about the video is the title.  Engine manufactures design their engines to fail after 10 years because the EPA forces them to. 

You could roll back all the environmental regulations since 1990 and shutter the EPA and this Republic would be a whole lot better off.