In the ultra-competitive and crowded market for polymer-frame, striker-fired 9 mm handguns, manufacturers seek to balance out their flagship model with an entry-level choice at an affordable price. Due to that competition, however, “entry-level” can’t mean lacking in features. Springfield Armory accomplishes this with its XD series of guns. Now nearly a quarter-century old, Springfield continues to evolve the XD platform to offer a reliable and feature-rich product at an affordable price. New for 2026, the company is introducing the XD Mod.4 OSP. The XD Mod.4 OSP is another evolution of Springfield Armory’s tried-and-true eXtreme Duty platform of handguns. The…

The advent of tank warfare during World War I introduced a totally new battlefield threat to the infantryman. The first operational tank was fielded by the British during the Battle of the Somme in September 1916, and the French developed their own tanks in the spring of 1917. Although slow- moving and plagued by mechanical difficulties, the tanks were relatively safe from rifle and machine-gun fire and struck fear into the average German soldier. But, the Germans soon concluded that a large-bore rifle firing a high-velocity cartridge would be able to penetrate the armor of these early armored vehicles. The…

(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.) Where do I start if I’m new? Okay, this all sounds great but maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed. Where do you start if you are starting from scratch? Or maybe you have a large garden but aren’t sure you want to convert the whole thing over to this approach. I’m going to give you my method for establishing a garden bed on new ground, which I have used successfully in multiple beds on my property including my entire greenhouse. Establishing a New Garden Bed Mark out your bed in a location that gets…

On March 23, 1856, 18-year-old English chemist William Perkin accidentally produced the first synthetic aniline dye ‘mauveine’ (aka Perkin’s mauve and Aniline purple) during his Easter holiday. — March 23, 1903: The Wright brothers first filed a patent for a flying machine, which was granted three years later. — March 23rd is also the birthday of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. He directed 30 films. — 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…

The Shooters Global SG Pulse Pro is an impressive all-in-one gadget, offering you a timer, DOPE (data on previous engagements) cards, a level and a stability tracker in one aluminum, water-resistant body with multiple mounting options. The LCD display indicates actual numbers, but bright LED lights quickly indicate whether you’re on target or angled too far in one axis or another—significantly simplifying shot assessment. It’s highly customizable for audio alerts, cant tolerance and LED brightness. Switch between DOPE cards for stages, including wind speed and direction, plus target distance, elevation, etc. The app also lets you learn from each shot…

The flood gates opened on Jan. 1, 2026, when the cost of an NFA stamp to take ownership of a suppressor dropped to $0. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) reported that in the first three weeks of 2026, 178,000 Form-4s had been submitted for the hearing-healthy devices. 4473 Cloud—a company that provides services that include cloud storage of BATFE forms FFLs are required to complete and store—notes that number includes enthusiasts who purchased one in the last half of the year but waited until Jan. 1 to submit. According to the company’s conservative estimate, which is…

Nearly 90 years ago, the Battle of Shanghai introduced the world to the horrifying brutality of modern urban combat. Prior to the hellscape of Stalingrad, the fighting in Shanghai showcased man’s inhumanity to man on a grand scale within China’s largest and most modern city, years before World War II. By the time the Battle of Shanghai was over, nearly 200,000 Chinese were killed or wounded, along with almost 50,000 Japanese. Most modern weapons were used in the battle, including poison gas, deployed by the Japanese 13 times by their own admission. The Second Sino-Japanese War began with the Japanese…

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(Continued from Part 2.) The microbes in the soil are master mineral miners using various acids, such as carbonic acid, to break down minerals into soluble forms that are bioavailable to the plants. The plants in turn exude sugars to feed and power the microbes during the mining operation. If you live east of the Mississippi or in commercial agricultural areas where we’ve been unsustainably exploiting the soil nutrients for decades or even centuries, there is a pretty good chance your soil is deficient in micronutrients, especially anion molecules like boron, sulfur, and molybdenum that tend to leach from the…

March 21, 717: The Battle of Vincy. This was a pivotal engagement in the Frankish civil wars of 715–718. The battle was fought near Cambrai (modern Les Rues-des-Vignes) between Austrasian forces led by Charles Martel, mayor of the palace, and the Neustrian army under King Chilperic II and Mayor Ragenfrid. Martel’s forces routed the Neustrians, pursuing the defeated king and his ally to Paris, which crippled Neustrian opposition and enabled Austrasia to reassert dominance over the divided Frankish realms. This victory underscored the declining authority of Merovingian kings amid rising mayoral power, paving the way for Martel’s consolidation of northern Francia…