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Quote of the Day goes to B, who hits center mass:
50 years from now, no one is gonna bother to restore an electric Mustang to collect or drive.
Just sayin’.
Yup.
In October, federal agents arrested Cody Holmes, the 31-year-old former CFO of Shangri-La Industries, a downtown Los Angeles-based developer who was supposed to be providing housing for homeless people in Southern California. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California, a Trump appointee, charged him with mail fraud.
Holmes, who pleaded not guilty, is accused of embezzling more than $2 million in taxpayer funds slated for homeless housing construction to host extravagant parties; a $46,000-per-month Beverly Hills mansion; private jet travel; leases of exotic cars; high-end handbags totaling $128,000; a $35,000 diamond watch; and 20 VIP passes for the 2023 Coachella Music and Arts Festival.
Meanwhile, Shangri-La Industries executives showered Newsom and Los Angeles County Democrats with political donations as they were applying for some $100 million in state contracts that the CFO later allegedly looted to fund his and his ex-girlfriend’s lavish lifestyle.
Even after federal prosecutors exposed the massive fraud, Newsom and L.A. Democrats haven’t severed ties with the embattled developer and have kept political donations from the firm’s executives. Newsom has also allowed the construction firm to continue to tout his endorsement on its social media.
I support the government providing some level of assistance for those in need of basic shelter, food, medical care, and clothing. This need not be overly generous; we can meet basic needs without making the system dangerously attractive for those too lazy to work. Advocates of the welfare state should be concerned about widespread fraud of the system so that people too lazy to get real jobs abuse the system in this way. Every penny that ends up leasing a Ferrari is a lot of food and shelter that should be going to the needy, not the greedy.
A push to put body cameras on all ICE agents has Democrats running headlong into a new problem: fear that the technology will provide another avenue for mass surveillance of protesters.
Congressional Democratic leaders have made universal use of body cameras one of their prime demands for imposing accountability on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, especially after federal agents fatally shot two American citizens in Minneapolis. But after an outcry from privacy advocates that surveillance tools will allow ICE agents to identify and track protesters, Democrats are also calling for restrictions on how the body cameras can be used.
Lawmakers and legal observers have accused ICE of leveraging a variety of cameras to surveil protesters, feeding pictures into license plate readers and facial recognition systems. Democrats now worry that the body cameras they’re demanding could be used for similar purposes.
It could not be because bodycams have repeatedly showed police responding appropriately to really messed up people, could it?
A New York University bioethicist at the World Economic Forum argues for infecting people with a disease to make them give up red meat (to save Mother Earth from a fever) because they will get sick from eating it. Do you wonder why may Americans throw themselves into the camp that regards academia as an evil to be barely tolerated? This guy is not typical, but he is not alone.
According to records, the woman was involved in an argument with her ex-boyfriend, Johnathan Stevenson. Records show, Stevenson waved a gun at his ex-girlfriend, her new boyfriend, Pierre Teamer, and their 2-month-old baby.
The woman said Stevenson fired several shots at them. Teamer returned fire, records show. According to the affidavit, the woman was in the crossfire and struck in the neck. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition, police said.
Both men were arrested, MPD said.
On February 8, 1807, the Battle of Eylau ended inconclusively between Napoleon Bonaparte‘s forces and the Russian Empire. This was the first battle where Napoleon wasn’t victorious. — February 8, 1627: Gunpowder was used for the first time in a mining operation, in present-day Slovakia. — And on February 8,1743: Comet C/1743 C1 approached within 0.0390 Astronomical Units of Earth. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their …
The post Preparedness Notes for Sunday — February 8, 2026 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
The following is an overview on the installation of a new gun part known as the Hoffman Tactical Super Safety. It is a do-it-yourself open-source forced reset mechanism characterized as an “active reset trigger system.” It makes your AR go fast. If you do not approve of guns going fast, then please don’t read this article. You can desist from clutching your pearls and return with alacrity to the closest available nursing home, the banned books section of Barnes and Noble, or the United Methodist Church. Your cat misses you. Everything discussed in this article is currently legal at the …
The post The AR Super Safety – Part 1, by St. Leibowitz appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Joe Rogan’s New Look Joe Rogaine Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks! Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.
The post JWR’s Meme Of The Week: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said …
The post The Editors’ Quote Of The Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
A couple examples of AI-created videos:
I was never able to raise the money to make my script The Laws of Men into a movie:
Like this hysterical book documents. Nor is it the depravity of masked fox-tossing:
At some of the German Courts, fox-tossing remained long in favour; Landgravine Emelie of Hesse was a great patroness, but it was left to Duke Louis of Brunswick to add a further element of grotesque absurdity to this pastime by inventing masked fox tossing. Not only did the tossers dress themselves up in bizarre costumes as Dianas, nymphs, hobgoblins, centaurs and other creatures of mythology, but these master-buffoons did the same thing to the animals they tossed. By means of tinsel, gaudy bits of cloth and wire, the wretched foxes and hares-the latter being the favourites for this purpose-were dressed up either in the most fantastic manner they could invent or to represent unpopular personages or political foes in the most life-like manner that could be contrived.
I lucked out and found on eBay a vintage WFC peep sight meant for the Stevens 325 / Savage 340 and snagged it.
This should noticeably improve the practical accuracy of the rifle compared with an open rear sight. It's missing the mounting screws but I just checked the threads on the rifle and they are 10-32, so sourcing a couple suitable cap screws will be easy. I may have some in my shop but if not, Lowe's or Home Depot will have them.
Since this peep sight design hangs off the back of the receiver it's a bit more vulnerable to damage than a barrel-mounted open sight. So, I want a backup. I have a Marble's #95 sight on the way from Midwest Gunworks. The #95 has a folding leaf so it will be down and out of the way of the peep sight.
From a student essay:
English colonial expeditions were often funded through early forms of crowd funding
Yes, in a sense, a corporation is a type of crowdfunding.
Close Relationship Marriage Nurse / Midwife NICU - 2 yrs...
The CRM neonatal nurse/midwife will provide comprehensive care and support to families who have recently had a baby and are close relatives (e.g., cousins, uncles, aunts, or other closely related family members). They will work with a multi-disciplinary healthcare team to ensure the well-being of neonates, particularly in the context of genetic risks and health challenges that may arise from consanguinity. The role includes monitoring, assessing, and advocating for the health and developmental needs of newborns, as well as offering guidance to families on genetic and medical considerations.
I’ll be out Monday. Please hold off on sending news tips until I signal my return on Tuesday, otherwise it will probably be a wasted effort on your part.
The post Break in the Action first appeared on The War on Guns.
Several years ago when Ruger introduced their Ruger American Ranch Rifle in 7.62x39 I had immediate case of the wants. I have a large supply of the caliber and it would be very useful here in Pennsylvania. However, I generally don't buy right handed bolt action rifles unless they are a classic or military surplus. So, I've held off on getting one.
However, yesterday I got my hands on a suitable alternative in another caliber I stock with similar ballistics. It's a right handed boltgun but for this case I'll make an exception. It's a Savage Stevens 325B in .30-30 Winchester.
In 1947 or '48, Savage Arms' Stevens subsidiary introduced a new rifle, the model 325. It was designed to appeal to returning GIs who'd gotten used to shooting bolt action rifles and was chambered initially in .30-30 and .22 Hornet. After a few years it was renamed the Savage 340 and in addition to these two calibers, was chambered in .222 Remington, .223 Remington, and .225 Winchester. Savage sold the 340s until 1985.
These rifles used modern manufacturing techniques including many stamped sheet steel parts, to help keep the cost down. Instead of walnut the stock was made from birch. It sold for $38 in 1948, which an inflation calculator tells me is worth about $656 today.
The Stevens is rather plain, but a serviceable rifle. I imagine that many of them were working guns on farms. Over on the Gun and Game Forum, member Outpost75, who owns a Savage 340A in .30-30, described them, "These are good, sturdy, accurate little rifles, if a bit "agricultural" looking."
This Stevens 325B in .30-30 followed me home from the Oaks, PA gun show yesterday. It's in excellent shape for a 76 year old gun. It's stamped on the top of the barrel near the receiver with a B inside of a circle. This appears to be a Savage date code indicating it was built in 1950. The bore and crown are spotless. Along with the gun I bought a Chicom SKS sling. I like these because they are simple, light, quiet, and easy to adjust.
The unloaded rifle weighs 7 lbs. but feels a little lighter to me because it balances very well. The barrel is 21" long, and the length of pull is about 13-5/8", which fits me nicely.
If you're enamored with Jeff Cooper's scout rifle concept one of these would be a good scout-ish platform, keeping in mind that it cannot be rechambered for .308 and scope mounting requires a side-mounted rail. You won't get stripped clip loading but because it uses detachable box magazines, that's moot, IMHO.
The detachable box magazine feed also makes these ideal for truck gun usage. You can keep a couple magazines loaded and locked in a separate container from the rifle, but quickly load it when required.
The standard scope mounts for this series of rifles mounts to the side of the receiver, due to the split bridge design. My rifle was built before Savage came out with their side mount so it lacks the drilled and tapped mounting holes. However, it is drilled and tapped for a receiver peep sight. I setup a search on eBay to see if one turns up.
For now I'll rely on the open iron sights. Another possibility is to drill and tap the receiver ring for a short section of Picatinny rail and mount a small dot sight on it. That would help preserve the rifle's handling while giving a much better sighting arrangement.
Something to keep in mind if you buy one of these is that the bolt has only one locking lug, relying on the root of the bolt handle to act as a safety lug. Compared with, e.g., a Mauser, Mosin-Nagant, or Lee-Enfield, the action is relatively weak. That said, it is plenty strong enough for factory loads in the calibers for which it was built.
The Stevens feeds from a three-round detachable box magazine. I like such magazines on hunting rifles because they facilitate easy loading and unloading, and with a spare magazine in your pocket you're set for a day's hunt. I ordered a couple reproductions from Numrich Arms, which may require a little final fitting.
The magazine is also a limiting factor on those who want to use spitzer bullets in the .30-30. While rifles with tubular magazines can't use hard-tipped pointed bullets because of the risk of unwanted detonation in the mag, the short length of the Savage / Stevens pretty much limits cartridges to those with the same length as factory loads. Here's the mag filled with Remington 170 grain Core Lokt factory loads. You can see there isn't much room for a longer bullet.
An interesting feature on my rifle is a .30-30 case head inlet into the right side of the butt. The pictures I've found of the Stevens lack this so I'm guessing a previous owner put it there. Pretty cool.
The .30-30 cartridge is great for shooting cast bullets, which I plan to do. So I slugged the bore by driving a .32 caliber lead bullet through the barrel and then measuring the groove diameter, which came out to .30905". I have some .310" bullets from MOD Outfitters I'll be trying in the Stevens after I get the chance to load some .30-30s.
In my wanderings online to search for info about the Stevens 325 and Savage 340 rifle I ran across these two articles by Leeroy Wisner, which are worth saving if you have one:
- Stevens 325 and Savage 340 Bolt Action Rifle
- Gunsmithing the Savage Model 340 Rifle
And also this site:
I've always thought this series of rifles was neat and I'm happy to have finally acquired one. Now all I need to happen is for the weather to warm up so it's normal Southeast, PA winter instead of feeling like I live on Hoth, and I'll get to shoot it.
California v. Gatalog (Sup.Ct.Cal. 2026):
The People bring this action against Gatalog Foundation Inc., CTRLPew LLC, Alexander Holladay, Matthew Larosiere, and John Elik (a/k/a “Ivan The Troll”) for unlawfully distributing computer code for 3D printing firearms and prohibited firearm accessories and for promoting and facilitating the unlawful manufacture of 3D printed firearms and firearm accessories in violation of Civil Code sections 3273.61 and 3273.625 and the Unfair Competition Law (Bus. and Prof. Code § 17200 et seq.).
I had no idea that distributing computer code was unlawful.
The Cowboy Fast Draw Association is shooting their national championship this weekend in St. Augustine, FL. This championship moves around, and this is the first time it has been on the east coast. About 150 shooters from all over the country are enjoying Florida weather and testing their skills.
Belle and I didn't make it this year, for a variety oof reasons. It just didn't fit into our schedule. We've pared our schedule back some this year. We'll do Texas in March, Georgia in April, and we are hosting Louisiana in May. We plan to go to Kentucky in September.
I'm told that there is some trifling football game tomorrow. I don't follow football as much as I used to, but the Super Bowl was one game I always watched. I met Belle at a Super Bol party in 2001. Back then, the big game was the last Sunday in January. Sometime since then, it has moved to February.
More currently, today is Saturday and I have things on my list.
Farewell to the Washington Post. Journalists never cared when mills across the land shut down and people and towns were wiped out; now it's wailing like the End Of The World by journalists, for journalists.
I'm having trouble summoning up sympathy. Welcome to the club, pal.
The post The Real Deal: My New Mexico Public-Land Elk Hunt first appeared on Forgotten Weapons.
Three people were inside the home at the time of the shooting — one woman and two men.
Homicide detectives spoke with the woman, who said she was visiting her 39-year-old boyfriend’s house when her 22-year-old ex-boyfriend showed up and began banging on the front door and window.
The woman told detectives that after a prolonged period of this, she decided to open the door to go outside. That’s when she said her ex-boyfriend forced his way into the house and walked toward her current boyfriend.
The woman said she then heard multiple shots, and her 39-year-old boyfriend left the scene.
“If you break into somebody’s home, you should beg to get shot. And that’s exactly what happened,” said Sheriff Bill Leepe, with the Nassau County Sheriffs office.
The sheriff’s office said the shooting was in self-defense. Investigators 18-year-old Anson Shawn Drew and a juvenile broke into a home on Clearwater Road in Nassauville. The report states the suspect pointed a flashlight at the homeowner, who then shot his revolver at the suspect in fear for his life.
The juvenile suspect is recovering at the hospital and is in stable condition after being shot in his lower back. Sheriffs office says both suspects tried to flee on foot after the shooting. The report states Drew left one of his shoes behind when he ran off. He was later arrested at his home.
On February 7, 1812, a magnitude 8.2 earthquake shook New Madrid, Missouri. The public domain photo above was taken in 2006. JWR’s Comment: I’d suggest woodframe rather than brick construction, for earthquake-prone locales… — And on February 7, 1904, The Baltimore Fire. An estimated 1,500 buildings were destroyed. Fires raged through 80 blocks. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 …
The post Preparedness Notes for Saturday — February 7, 2026 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
We have all seen the media drama these past few weeks regarding the weather. Until about 10 years ago, I never even heard the term “polar vortex”, it was just winter. Living in Maine for the past 20 + years and making through the harsh winters has been a humbling and rewarding experience. Every spring you can hear people sigh in relief. I feel sorry for the lower portion of the country that has been experiencing the extreme cold, ice and snow. It’s something that takes getting used to and it helps to have the proper clothing and gear to …
The post Some Extreme Cold Weather Advice, by Hollyberry appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds …
The post Editor’s Prepping Progress appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
“And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the Lord hath commanded, that ye should do them. Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day. And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying, Take …
The post The Editors’ Quote Of The Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
Tennessee Appeals Court Rejects Argument That Covenant Shooter Manifesto Must Remain Concealed to Avoid Copycats [More] So we’re children…? Who are the adults, and who decides? You could use that excuse to suppress just about anything. [Via Michael G]
The post Monkey See, Monkey Do first appeared on The War on Guns.
Stop Idaho Federal Constitutional Convention Resolutions HCR 23 and HCR 25 [More] It would help if they had a date on this and ID’d who the Republicans pushing this are. I can’t believe anyone representing himself as a “conservative” is still backing this nonsense. It’s tantamount to a proclamation that they can come up with … Continue reading "Con Game"
The post Con Game first appeared on The War on Guns.
Look who wants to send armed men to come for your guns. [Watch] I’d be interested in knowing who this spoiled child is and why he believes his opinion matters to any men. Anybody know? Does he have a following? Actually, what I find most disturbing is the amount of gun owners fixated on “10 … Continue reading "First You Cry"
The post First You Cry first appeared on The War on Guns.
How They’ll Use Your Schools and Doctors to Disarm You [Watch] Maybe him, but not me. Defeatist titles send the exact wrong message. [Via Jess]
The post The Choice is Yours first appeared on The War on Guns.
Dad tried to grow a mustache once. It was in the early 70's, and was less than successful. Dad had fine, dark red hair that gave rise to a mustache that was thin and sparse. I remember my Mom looking at the final outcome and trying her darnedest not to giggle and failing. Dad looked at it with a wry smile, shrugged, and went back to the bathroom and shaved it off. Mom wasn't trying to belittle his efforts; her love fluttered over all of us like small wings, whisking away tears and brushing aside fears. She treated Dad the same way, but oh dear Lord, was that a sorry-looking mustache, and even Dad realized it.
I remember my Dad's ritual, which remained as long as he lived. After he did his morning workout (which he did six days a week for 80 years), he'd go shave. He would never use an electric razor or any shave cream in a can. No, Dad always had a mug of fine soap, a high-quality brush,, and a regular razor, with a straight razor when he wanted an extra-close shave for a special occasion.
I remember vividly those winter mornings of childhood, all of us dressing quickly, not so much that the house was cold, but hearts and blood and minds weren't quite awake yet, and movement was with willful purpose until such time as the chocolate milk or the caffeine kicked in. Dad would come through the kitchen from where he worked out, giving my Mom a kiss, the morning sun highlighting the freckles on her face, then a kiss for each of us, still in our pajamas, our faces innocent of either guile or water.
When he was done, he'd finish as he started, with a clean washcloth doused in extra hot water, laid on his face to steam it. Then he'd finish with a splash of aftershave. There were only a few that he would wear.
Then there was the Hai Karate. My Dad had some of that and was supremely disappointed, and he used to tease my Mom that his bottle must have been a dud, since he didn't have to fend off any supermodels with karate chops like in the commercials. I don't remember what it smelled like, but I don't think he ever had to fend off Mom wearing it, though, come to think of it, once, when he put on too much, she drove a golf ball from the back yard through the back kitchen window with a Five Iron.
Dad gave that up for Old Spice, which he wore from then on, though once in a while he'd put on "Stetson" cologne and give Mom this look, and she'd giggle, and we'd go have a sleepover with our beloved Aunt and Uncle.
Now, there's not just aftershave; there is cologne, shampoo, body washes, and shampoo/body washes (and what's the difference?).
Most advertise themselves as smelling like "fresh glacier extinguishing a giant forest fire full of deer in heat" or something like that. I think the perfect man's natural scent would be a mysterious combination of gun cleaning fluid, coffee, bacon, and woodsmoke, but I loved Dad's Old Spice and the sandalwood scent my husband wears.
When he is done, he'll join me on the couch in his bathrobe, the house quiet but for hundred-year-old sconces on the walls that lend the room an aura of timelessness. We won't talk much but of books we are reading, of things in our home that need repair, or simply our day as we sit and stroke the flanks of a rescue dog that lies beside us. Such rituals are as fine as a blade, as comforting as stone. Shared, they are as bright and uplifting as the flash of sparks as dulled blade and stone meet.
There won't be any trips back "home", Dad gone 5 years now, but I remember the last ones vividly. I dreaded the changes I would see in his physicality and changes in his world. But when I went home, and my frail Dad gave me an affectionate bear hug of welcome, he still smelled like Old Spice, and I was six years old again.
-Brigid
We already saw it wouldn’t leave. This is telling: In addition to their website’s “contact us” and “media inquiries” buttons being disconnected, replies their X posts are disabled. Like all gun control groups, they like preaching to the choir. I’d argue “mob,” not “choir,” but it’s a valid observation. Check it out: Their whole purpose, … Continue reading "The THING That Would Not Engage"
The post The THING That Would Not Engage first appeared on The War on Guns.
Back during the Depression, Congress decided to protect poor people from investing in small companies by setting a minimum level of wealth you had to have to invest: one million dollars (excluding value of your home). Really, the goal was to make sure big opportunities were limited to those already wealthy. But of course, these being Democrats, they had to pretend they were helping the poor.
The only significant exception was Incentive Stock Option plans that were how those of us who worked for startups were allowed to enjoy.
In a recent appearance on The Iced Coffee Hour podcast, Robbins pointed to a recently passed House bill that he says could open the door to investing strategies once reserved for the country’s “very wealthy.”
“Did you see what they passed in Congress two days ago? It’s really important,” Robbins said (1), referring to the Incentivizing New Ventures and Economic Strength Through Capital Formation (INVEST) Act, which passed the House of Representatives in December 2025 (2).
One of the most consequential changes, Robbins argued, involves who is allowed to invest in private markets.
“It used to have a minimum net worth you have to have, or a minimum income,” he said (1). “They just changed the rules … all you have to do is take a test.”
Under current securities laws, access to many private investments is limited to accredited investors — a designation that generally requires a net worth of at least $1 million (excluding primary residence) or annual income above $200,000 for individuals, or $300,000 for couples (3).
Those thresholds have historically restricted participation in private equity, venture capital and other alternative investments to institutions and high-net-worth households.
The INVEST Act includes a provision titled “Equal opportunity for all investors,” which aims to update that framework.
Instead of qualifying solely through wealth or income, the bill would allow investors to become accredited by passing an exam approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission — potentially expanding access to millions of Americans.
I am not thrilled about the test requirement, but it at least no longer actively discriminates against little people. Standard Oil made some pretty ordinary employees very rich.
Here is the Congressional elevator pitch for the law.
Republican women are 14% more likely to own guns than Democrat men. [More] That may not be a fair metric since one party knows how to define genders. Still, it’s telling. And it also illustrates why new gun owners are nothing to crow about. In terms of total numbers, I wouldn’t be starting any civil … Continue reading "Enemy Strength"
The post Enemy Strength first appeared on The War on Guns.
Ready for your first SBR or SBS? Make the process easy and inexpensive by filing your own eForm 1 with the ATF! Here is what you need to know.This is the last component. It holds the lens in a cell that can be adjusted for tiny angles by set screws in the tube impinging on the outside of the cell.
The OD is 59mm to fit in a 59.28mm PVC tube. That lip near the bottom is 50.08mm ID (the original tube ID). The bored section above is 52mm ID. This is just large enough for the 51.90mm OD lens to slide with slight encouragement (not a hammer) down to the lip. I will put a rubber O-ring at the lip to cushion the lens, then another O-ring on top of the lens, then a 52mm retaining ring to keep it in position.
Lessons Learned
I cut a 1.30" section off the tube. Then I squared it and trimmed it to .875" long. Then I turned the exterior to 60mm OD where I discovered that the workpiece was not exactly centered in the 3-jaw chuck. Why? Aren't 3-jaw chucks self-centering? I had removed the jaws to reverse them. While reversing the jaws, I did not reinstall them correctly, so they were not centering the workpiece on the axis of rotation. The exterior trim had the jaws holding the interior of the tube and the 2.5" 3-jaw chuck cannot enlarge enough to firmly hold a 60mm tube.
Fortunately, one of the useful aspects of a lathe is minor discrepancies like this are not terminal. Once properly centered, turning the tube to 60mm OD meant that I could now hold the tube on the outside and turn the interior to a properly centered bore.
Once turned, I discovered the lens cell would not quire go into the PVC tube which was actually 59.28mm. So back to the lathe to turn off another mm. (I need a little slop so that the set screws in the PVC tube can move the lens cell.)
Cutting the tailpiece tube adapter from a 1" thick piece of Delrin was a win. I am not sure how much of the inability of the extension tube to stay square was that the adapter made of CFC was 1/2" thick and how much was that I bored the entry hole slightly too large, but with the hole 0.05" larger than the extension tube, it is now a snug fit that can be pulled or pushed with just a little effort before locking down with an 8-32 thumbscrew. (The extension tube is really just a coarse focus with a helical focuser in the end to provide fine focus, held by an 8-32 thumbscrew, so it does not need to move effortlessly.)
I had been worried that I might need to bore a compression ring channel on the inside of the tailpiece tube adapter. Telescope eyepiece holders can go cheap and use just a thumbscrew to hold the eyepiece in place. A little fancier model has a brass compression ring sitting in a channel inside the tube.
The thumbscrew squeezes down on the ring, applying pressure around the eyepiece barrel, thus avoiding marring the eyepiece barrel. These are boogers to do. You need to cut typically a 1/2" wide, .01" deep channel on the inside of the tube to accept the brass. I have done this once at special request for ScopeRollers for an Astro-Physics mount where the finish on the legs is so beautiful you do not want to scratch them. This required making a reverse rake boring bar.
The helical focuser is at lower left. Yes, the PVC tube needs to be painted bright glossy white again.
So I'm hearing about this kidnapping in Arizona and I admit that it is a compelling tale. The woman who has been abducted is in her 80s, and that simple fact alone puts this outside the standard bell curve. The locals and the Feds are working the case. From what little I've seen of the local Sheriff, he seems to be straight-arrow.
Hopefully, they will find this lady and bring her home safely.
RX: "'Archaeologists find evidence of Hannibal's war elephants in Spain'."Me: "I'm so glad that final consonant turned out to be what it was, because I was braced for 'Archaeologists find evidence of Hannibal's war elephants in space'."
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A young, left-leaning law professor from a very liberal family decides to become a cop. Where’s that gonna go? Why, into the 2021 book “Tangled Up In Blue: Policing the American City” by Rosa Brooks. When her mom learns her daughter is signing up as a reserve police officer with DC Metro, she is horrified: […]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.
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.
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. The Insurrection Intersection Michael Bane covers some ideas for optimally handling a protestor “checkpoint.” I’ve got two guns! — Citizen-Defender There are lots of articles out there covering “the best first gun […]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. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This can be used for …
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 …
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“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
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