Quote of the Day The political arms of three leading gun-control groups have massively outraised and outspent those of the three largest gun-rights groups in the midterm election cycle, with new Federal Election Commission reports showing them at about a … Continue reading →
by Dean Weingarten in GUN WATCH on 2026-10-11T13:39:23Z
Gonzalez “appeared intoxicated and agitated” when the father tried to send him on his way, police said, adding that Gonzalez then “physically assaulted” the father. The father was forced to the ground and suffered several injuries, according to police.
Police said Gonzalez also attacked the daughter when she tried to intervene on her father’s behalf.
Fearing for his and his daughter’s safety, the father drew a gun and fired one shot at Gonzalez, hitting him in the midsection, according to police. The daughter’s boyfriend, an off-duty police officer, arrived at the scene a short time later and handcuffed Gonzalez.
by Dean Weingarten in GUN WATCH on 2026-10-11T13:36:11Z
Minutes later, the man reportedly confronted the DoorDash driver again, and stated that he was going to take his vehicle, walked to the front passenger-side door, and opened it. The DoorDash driver was seated in the driver’s seat and displayed a firearm, telling the man that he did not want any further trouble and directing him to leave him alone.
The man is then accused of responding to say he was going to take the DoorDash driver’s gun as well. The man reportedly moved around the vehicle to the driver’s side and lunged through the open driver’s door, attacking the DoorDash Driver while he remained seated in the driver’s seat. The DoorDash driver fired three rounds in self-defense, striking the man with all three shots.
by Dean Weingarten in GUN WATCH on 2026-10-11T13:31:21Z
According to NBC Los Angeles, the two men had argued during a physical custody transfer of a child before one of them threatened the other with a shovel, prompting the other man to respond by firing a gun. Deputies later recovered a firearm at the scene. Separately, hometownstation.com reported that the two men were known to each other and that their verbal argument escalated before one charged at the other with a sharp gardening tool, leading the other man to discharge a firearm — while signalscv.com reported that the gunshot victim was the one who began chasing the other man, in that account with an ax. The accounts do not agree on exactly which tool was involved or who wielded it, and that detail remains unresolved.
by Dean Weingarten in GUN WATCH on 2026-10-11T13:29:07Z
On October 6, 2026, State Police and South Glens Falls Police Department responded to a home on Main Street in South Glens Falls for the report of a home invasion.
On October 6, 2026, at approximately 4:39 a.m. Law Enforcement responded to a residence on Main Street in South Glens Falls for the report of a home invasion. The investigation has determined that an individual unknown to the homeowner entered the occupied home and was shot by the homeowner. The homeowner and other occupants were uninjured. The individual shot has been transported to Albany Medical Center for treatment of the gunshot wound, which is believed to be non-life-threatening.
The investigation is ongoing. A heavy police presence is anticipated in the area. There is no threat to the public at this time.
As we write this, we hear that SpaceX’s first orbital flight of the Starship was not a total success. But not a failure (despite how some have claimed that it was). Good for them. But the entire saga should remind … Continue reading →
Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday, brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturer of the new Victra 20-gauge shotgun suppressor . The ATF released its long-awaited guidance letter regarding changes to the National Firearms Act today. It is a banger. The long and short of it is that the NFA, as we have all known it, is essentially dead. This is breaking news and I scrapped the initially planned article for today to cover this with some initial reaction and thoughts.
I'm only going to use his name once, so listen up. Do you remember Nidal Hassan? He was a US Army officer and psychologist who perpetrated a mass casualty event at Fort Hood in 2009. He killed 13 people and injured 32 before he was captured.
Yeahh, this is the asshole who abrogated his oath both as an officer and as a physician and decided to go all Aloha Snackbar at the Fort Hood reediness center, a place where soldiers and dependents get ID cards and register vehicles. So, he brought a pistol and started shooting people, because Aloha.
Well, it seems that the War Department has decided to Aloha his ass by firing squad at Fort Hood on December 3rd. Rumors are that it is going to be a public execution. We're talking livestream here.
If they are thinking about a good old-fashioned stand-him-up- and-shoot-him, that is too good for him. I'd get a bit more creative. Maybe a couple of kneecap shots just to start the party. Or, maybe after a quick coup de grace, feed him to a herd of hogs. They could stake him out somewhere and eh would be gone in three days.
A standard killing and burial is too good for this asshole.
by Clayton Cramer in Clayton Cramer. on 2026-10-10T21:34:41Z
I run into cases like this.
Victor, Cal. (1973)
11/07/1973: Seven adults were bound and gagged in a
semicircle, then shot to death. Two children were found shot to death in a
bedroom. Police eventually arrested two persons for whom arrest warrants were
already outstanding for a similar crime in Phoenix One of the dead owned a
nearby market. An undetermined amount of cash was missing from its floor safe
which had not been forced. Police believed this mass murder was to cover up the
robbery. Police across Northern California were stacking up charges against
these two for murder and rape. Arizona executed one of them in 1978; the other
died of cirrhosis of the liver on death row in 1986.
by Clayton Cramer in Clayton Cramer. on 2026-10-10T19:01:24Z
My wife went to an ATM to get some cash. She walks up to the ATM and saw an account balance. Odd, almost like the previous customer walked away with exiting a menu. She put in her card and took out $20. The new balance in checking was essentially what it showed before she put her card in the machine.
Her first thought and mine was that someone put a scanner on the front of the ATM. The cleek in the store spoke little English. Our online account showed the transaction she had just completed.
I called the credit union. After hours goes to somewhere with cheap labor but at least English sufficiently free of accent that he could well have been an American.
He agreed it was odd, but he said some ATMs actually interrogate your card as you get close. Think of this as an aggressive tap card interrogation. He had me turn on alerts for all accounts just in case.
There is something special about an old rifle. Especially Bill’s Sweet Thang which won him the local bench rest competition at his local match. Maybe it is the walnut. Maybe it is the steel. Maybe it is knowing that somebody was shooting that rifle long before we ever got our hands on it. Or maybe […]
Quote of the Day It’s one of the biggest victories against federal gun control in American history; so we’re pretty happy with it. … We still think the ATF is unconstitutional. We still want to see it abolished, and we … Continue reading →
by Dean Weingarten in GUN WATCH on 2026-10-10T12:41:58Z
A man was shot and killed after trying to break into a home on Shoreline Drive early Monday morning, according to the Portsmouth Police Department.
Around 3:25 a.m., Portsmouth police officers arrived at the 3700 block of Shoreline Drive on the report of a shooting after a break-in. Officers say they found a man with gunshot wounds, and he was declared dead at the scene.
by Dean Weingarten in GUN WATCH on 2026-10-10T12:30:00Z
A police spokesperson says just before 6:45 p.m. Monday, officers were called to a Paige Drive home for shots fired.
They discovered there had been a fight between Keith Smith and a woman that turned physical. Police say the 37-year-old man tried to run the woman over with his car, which led to her shooting at the vehicle.
Police say Smith managed to get control of the gun and chased the woman before leaving the scene.
Isaias is hammering Fort Walton/Destin/Pensacola right now. I'm watching Ryan Hall, who does a great weather channel on YouTube,
I shared texts with Termite, a frequent commenter and good personal friend, who is currently on an offshore rig riding it out. They couldn't leave the rig yesterday at shift change, so they are drawing overtime pay until the helicopters can get out to pick them up. Probably tomorrow. Termite is fine, eating well, and drawing overtime. Hopefully, he will drop by next week, drink a beer, and tell me all about it.
NICS stands for National Instant Criminal Background Check System, an FBI database that licensed gun dealers must use to determine whether or not a potential purchaser is legally barred from buying a gun. Obviously, if you know how many NICS checks happen in a month, you have a very rough idea how many guns were sold in that month—but it’s not quite that simple. Private sales between individuals obviously don’t rely on the NICS database, and in some jurisdictions, authorities require NICS queries for a concealed carry permit or other checks. Or a NICS query could cover multiple firearm purchases. Some jurisdictions use other systems instead of NICS. So, using the FBI’s NICS numbers to definitely state how many guns were sold is kind of like playing Whose Line Is It Anyway? … as Drew Carey used to say, “where the points are made up and the rules don’t matter.”
The GIGN's Force Sécurité Protection brought Ukraine to Eurosatory 2026, staging a scenario rooted in hard operational reality. Since February 2022, the FSP has deployed repeatedly into contested territory, evacuating diplomats threatened by active fighting across front lines and missile strikes.
Welcome back to another edition of Fudd Friday. This week, we are looking at a cartridge with a dedicated fan base that many shooters have never heard of. The .35 Whelen uses common components to create an affordable American competitor to legendary safari cartridges like the .375 H&H or 9.3x62 Mauser.
By Dave Workman The Portland, Oregon City Council is giving serious consideration to an ordinance which would ban licensed concealed carry in “certain city-owned buildings where official government meetings are held,” according to published reports, igniting a bristling reaction from Second Amendment advocates. KPTV News is reporting the proposal would remove the current exemption for […]
Federal Ammunition, Mossberg, and Palladyne AI have announced the launch of a joint development of SwarmShot a "purpose-built ammunition, an airborne weapon module". The new consortium plans for SwarmShot to first be developed as a modular mission add-on for Palladyne AI’s Gremlin-X Group 1 quadcopter mini-bomber with future plans to develop an integration kit for compatible third-party drones. The consortium's announcement explained:
Back in July Colt CZ Group announced that the Montenegrin Armed Forces had selected CZ small arms, ammunition and accessories. This included the new CZ Bren 3 as well as pistols, precision rifles and CZ Scorpion EVO 3 submachine guns. At the time Colt CZ Group's CEO, Radek Musil, said: "We are pleased to become a partner to another NATO member state in the process of modernization of its armed forces. We are also proud that CZ BREN 3 rifles will be newly adopted into the service of a NATO country."
Welcome back to Front Line Friday. This week is an editorial, and the topic is how agency procurement cycles produce gear that is already behind the curve by the time it hits the field, and why the officers holding that gear are right to be frustrated. Front Line Friday is brought to you by Dead Air Silencers , whose support keeps this column going every week.
I had an opportunity to put a few rounds through an M3M during a recent FN range day and the cyclic rate of 1,100 rounds per minute, twice that of the M2, is something to be experienced. The FN land and sea pintle mount is incredibly stable and the shoulder support helps rapidly traverse and elevate the gun. The recoil dampening mount means the operator feels almost none of the weapon systems recoil and keeps its sight picture through mounted optics stable. It also has an articulated charging handle which makes readying the weapon to fire much easier and (along with the mounts reduction of recoil) reduces operator fatigue.
This was the key figure in a Nature Medicine paper published on Dec 14, 2021. It showed clearly that myocarditis after vaccination (in this case, Moderna dose 2) was higher! than myocarditis after sars-cov-2 infection for people <40.
There were a few remaining issues. While the denominator for vaccines is known with precision, the true number of infections is unknown. Many people don’t seek testing or medical care. So the red bar above will be shorter if you used a sero-prevalence (aka the correct) denominator. The authors needed to fix this.
The other problem is that this analysis lumps together men & women, while men have the greatest risk. Well, the authors are back with a new pre-print to fix this point, and here is what they find.
It is now clear for men <40, dose 2 and dose 3 of Pfizer have more myocarditis than sars-cov-2 infection, and this is true for dose 1 and dose 2 of Moderna.
Pfizer boosters (Dose 3) have more myocarditis for men <40 than infection.
Myocarditis post infection is more common as you get older, in contrast with myocarditis post vaccination, which is more common as you are younger (reverse gradients).
HP LaserJet Enterprise printers ship with a self-signed certificate and no ACME client. Mine now serves a Let’s Encrypt certificate on its admin page and on IPPS/AirPrint, and a small Alpine container on Proxmox renews it every two months without me touching the printer. Here is how.
https://youtu.be/uTrQiArjn_I Designed by Augustin Nečas in 1954, the ZKP-541 is a .22 rimfire target pistol, also called the Universal Super Rapid. It is designed to use .22 short, and long rifle, with different bolt assemblies [...]
by Dean Weingarten in GUN WATCH on 2026-10-09T13:25:53Z
The 1879 Reichsrevolver was adopted by the German military a few years after German unification. Author attached a red dot optical sight without modifying the revolver. It is clamped on, with no metal removed. Ejector rods were separate. The one above is homemade.
Consider the pistol the revolvers were to replace, the Kavalleriepistol M 1850. It is about .59 caliber, firing a 267 grain round ball from a smooth bore, contained in a paper cartridge with about 67 grains of black powder.
Interpolating from data measured at the Youtube channel capandball, the 267 grain ball from the smoothbore was probably traveling about 650-700 fps. Accuracy was sufficient to hit man sized targets at 23 yards.
When the German empire was consolidated under Bismark, the new government realized they needed a standardized cartridge revolver. Germany officially started to work on the problem in 1871. They considered the Swiss double action design, a 10.4 rimfire adopted in 1872. The French 1873 is a very similar double action, with a weaker cartridge. They considered an Adams double action design from England, the Colt 1873, and others.
In 1873, the Germans ordered 40 Colt Single Action model 1873 revolvers in 10.6 x 25, the German knock off of the .44 Russian. The .44 Russian was being produced in Germany at the time, for the Russians and their Smith & Wesson single action, top break revolvers.
There was a miscommunication, and Colt sent 40 revolvers in .45 Colt. The Germans rejected them and sent them back. Colt, through their brokers in London, immediately sent another 40 in 10.6 German. Those revolvers were tested and sent to German regiments for a year of testing according to Heinrich E. Harder in "Der Reichsrevolver und seine Varianten". The early Colt 1873 revolvers had iron frames.
In 1877, the Germans decided to stop testing foreign revolvers and to create a design of their own. What resulted was the 1879 Reichsrevolver. It is a large, single action revolver. The grip, sights, size, length of barrel and lack of ejector rod are derived from the M 1850 muzzle loading percussion pistol. The lockwork is highly reminiscent of the Smith & Wesson single action. The cartridge is a German pattern .44 Russian.
The Germans selected a cartridge and built a revolver around it.
The commission which selected the 1879 has been criticized for selecting an obsolete design when double action revolvers such as the Swiss (converted to centerfire in 1878) was available in 1872. From reading online, the 1879, and particularly the upgraded 1883 were well received by the troops. They found them rugged and reliable. The Reichsrevolvers have a reputation for not breaking and always working. They go bang when you pull the trigger (after being cocked). Both Russia and the United States had selected single action revolvers for their armies a few years earlier.
The 1879 was a huge improvement over the muzzle-loading M 1850. Consider the advantages of keeping about the same size, the same sights, the same grip and single action. The troops already understood the necessity of cocking the pistol before shooting. They were used to the grip. They were used to the sights. The 1850 had a safety guarding the percussion cap. The 1879 had a safety guarding the primers of the cartridges. Even the Lanyard ring was the same.
In one handgun the German military man had six shots compared to two shots with two different pistols. The revolver was many times as accurate as the smooth bore single shot. It was more powerful with about the same bullet weight and half a pound lighter. The 1850 muzzle-loader had its ramrod attached to the ammunition pouch. The 1879 revolver had its ejector rod attached to the cartridge carrier, which was a modified ammunition pouch from the M 1850.
Group shot with optical sight 1879 Reichsrevolver, from a rest at 10 yards. Center to center, .784 inches, six shots. Handloads were well under .44 Russian maximum pressures, according to the loading manual. They produced 787 fps with a 240 grain cast bullet from the 7 inch barrel.
The iron sights of the 1879 are near duplicates of the sights on the M 1850. The 1879 has mechanical accuracy comparable to good modern revolvers with good ammunition.
The front sight of the 1879. It still has the cannon ring to protect the muzzle.
Here is the rear sight of the 1879. It is the same small v-notch as filed in the rear of the 1850.
The 1879 Reichsrevolver is a fine example of German craftsmanship. It fires a powerful and accurate cartridge. It is tough and reliable. It used real German steel when Colt was still using iron for their revolver frames. Colt switched to steel in 1883, according to Grok. The 1879 was quickly supplanted by a lighter version with a better grip and a 4 5/8 inch barrel, in 1883. Both Reichsrevolvers are reported to have had good reputations in the German military. The German Luger and the 9x19mm cartridge were officially adopted in 1908. The Reichsrevolvers served in the reserves and with second tier troops, reportedly into WWII. The 9x19 Luger cartridge became a world standard.
In the black powder era of 1879, the .44 Russian/10.6x25 German was a world standard. It was known as an extremely accurate cartridge. It paved the way, with its inside lubricated bullet, for most modern cartridges. In hindsight, the double action/single action revolver was the wave of the future. It did not seem so to the German Commission which selected a new handgun in 1879.
by Dean Weingarten in GUN WATCH on 2026-10-09T13:21:53Z
A man is dead after an early morning shooting in Baker County that investigators say appears to have been an act of self-defense.
According to the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded around 4:30 a.m. Monday to the Macclenny Veterinary Hospital, where a 77-year-old woman reported shooting a man who attacked her.
Investigators said the woman, who has only been identified as the victim, shot 57-year-old Alvin Tyrone Tisdale. Tisdale was taken to UF Health Jacksonville, where he later died.
by Dean Weingarten in GUN WATCH on 2026-10-09T13:18:53Z
Priest described the tense encounter, "It unfolded quickly, but any reasonable person would definitely realize that their life is in danger. And of course, homeowner, wife, children in the house, so I mean he really, there wasn't really, I mean there was, I don't know of any options he could have used that wouldn't have, you know, potentially resulted in a more tragic situation than we already had."
The homeowner shot Edwards, who died at the scene. Police said Edwards had no connection to the second home.
Updated: 10/1/26 I taught my Sociology of Guns seminar at Wake Forest for ten years in a row, from 2015 to 2024. In year ten, I still enjoyed it but was not quite as excited as I was in year one. So, I took 2025 off. This fall I’m back teaching the course for the […]
Awoke this morning, got coffee started then walked outside to the patio to let the dawg get his morning constitutional. Chilly outside, almost brisk. Checked the thermometer, 57F. Clear skies, low humidity.
Florida and Alabama are bracing for what looks to be a major hurricane. This thing has shifted east enough that I expect no impact from it at all. That is fine with me. While I don't wish disaster on anyone, it is okay with me if hurricanes go somewhere else. I've lived through mine, some worse than others.
Belle has been out of town for the past two days helping her older brother. She is due back this afternoon, so the dawg and I have been batching it here on the acre. The dawg has not starved, but he is a bit concerned, wondering where she went. He will be quite excited when she pulls into the driveway. I can't say that I blame him.
A lever gun with M-LOK slots, a one-piece Picatinny rail and a suppressor-ready barrel is not what most people picture when they hear "lever action," but that is exactly what Savage Arms has built. The new REVEL Tactical joins the REVEL Classic and REVEL DLX as the third member of the series, and it keeps the smooth cycling of a lever action while adding the accessory-ready features modern shooters ask for.
New partnership brings together two leading boating organizations to advance safety education, strengthen collaboration with states and support America’s boaters.
Quote of the Day Armed Self-Defense Belongs in the Public Record The CDC’s correction does not establish an exact annual count or mean every defensive gun use saved a life. It does restore a fuller account of research on Americans … Continue reading →
The recent spate of cooler evenings had me thinking more and more about coffee-influenced cocktails to pair with my evening smoke. And then, as is often the case in Virginia, the temperature reversed direction. After a string of cool 60° evenings, we went right back to temperatures above 80° as the sun was setting.
That switch caused me to set aside my plans for an after-dinner Revolver, replacing it with a classic Bourbon Old Fashioned. I didn’t change my cigar plan, however. For the cool after-dinner smoke, I grabbed a Montecristo Espada Conquistador Ricasso. The cigar is part of the Espada family from the company formerly known as E.P. Carrillo, which was rebranded as Casa Carrillo in 2025. This particular addition to the Espada line was introduced in June 2026. I added some to the humidor only about six weeks ago, but figured that was enough rest time to light one up.
The box-pressed 5 x 50 Ascend Saddle features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers. The cigar is made at the Casa Carrillo factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The Ascend lineup was introduced in mid-2026, and my cigars have had about six weeks of rest in the humidor.
The cigar opens with notes of cedar, roasted nuts, earth, and soft spice. There’s already a creamy sweetness to the smoke. As the cigar progresses, lightly roasted coffee notes join in. A bit of black pepper and cedar remain in the background, but neither is a major part of the profile. The cigar eventually moves into the medium-full-bodied realm, remaining well-balanced with good depth of flavor.
The Old Fashioned turned out to be an excellent accompaniment to the Ascend. The drink doesn’t overwhelm the cigar’s softer coffee notes, allowing the cedar, nuts, baking spice, and sweetness to stand out. The bourbon cocktail adds its own caramel and vanilla notes, but the pairing never strays into overly sweet territory. The bourbon’s oak and vanilla also seem to reinforce some of the cigar’s own woody and sweet notes, while the expressed orange provides a bit of brightness that keeps the combination from becoming too heavy.
I particularly liked the way the two worked together without either one dominating. The Ascend has enough flavor and body to stand up to the bourbon, while the Old Fashioned provides just enough sweetness and contrast to complement the cigar’s richer notes. It was a fairly straightforward pairing, but sometimes that’s exactly what you’re looking for.
The Casa Carrillo Ascend Saddle was a fairly quick smoke, just around 45 minutes. The short-and-sweet pairing was rich but not heavy. Just the thing for a warm autumn evening repast.
The return of 80° evenings was a reminder that Virginia wasn’t quite ready to let go of summer yet. But that’s OK. There’s a good cigar and drink pairing for just about any weather.
Built for shooters who appreciate classic craftsmanship with modern performance, the Akkar USA Open Country Series delivers reliability, versatility, and timeless style in every shot.
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Run It Like A Violin – Shotgun Reloads Until a couple years ago, I was at best ambivalent towards the violin load. I knew some people used it successfully, but I did not teach […]
A correspondent recently shared this statement by Murray Rothbard with us. This is not just true, but in recent decades since Murray passed on, the evidence of its truth has grown. Perhaps exponentially. As followers of the Creator, we hasten … Continue reading →
The M4A1 is one of the most recognizable U.S. military carbines of the modern era. Still, the weapon that entered service in the 1990s is not quite the same M4A1 that soldiers and special operations forces use today. Its development has been driven by a recurring problem: how to keep the M4's compact size while making it withstand the much higher firing schedules of combat and intensive training.
Photo Of The Day: Exercise Crete, held at Waiouru Military Training Area and led by 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, stood as one of the largest NZ Army exercises in 2025, culminating in a live-fire defensive battle at dawn on the final day. More than 300 personnel participated, including infantry, armour, artillery, engineers, and supporting elements. The exercise served as a tactical milestone following 1RNZIR's December 2025 amalgamation with Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles.
Welcome to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner . Last week, we looked at why the Glock 19 became the gold standard in the concealed carry market. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I want to take a look at some of the biggest mistakes people make when training and how to bridge the gap between the drills you shoot at the range and carrying your concealed handgun every day. Let's take a closer look at how it can be beneficial to build skills at the range.
The ATF has just issued new guidance regarding the recent changes to the NFA, and gun rights haven’t been this good since 1934.
Knives! Celebrating American-made knives, we swing down through the Southwest to see what the deserts have to give.
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Run It Like A Violin – Shotgun Reloads Until a couple years ago, I was at best ambivalent towards the violin load. I knew some people used it successfully, but I did not teach […]
