Author: Gunner Quinn
Gun: Flintlock BlunderbussManufacturer: John ProbinCaliber: .675Manufactured: c. 1780Condition: NRA Fine (Antique Gun Standards)Value: $4,250 The blunderbuss, with its risible name and bell-mouthed barrel, is, not uncommonly, regarded as a sidebar in firearm history. This is a mistake. These purpose-built defensive shotguns, within their limitations, were deadly, efficient and widely employed by civilians, the military and law enforcement. The origin of the name “blunderbuss” likely arises from a corruption of the Dutch word donderbus (thunder box), the firearm itself likely premiering in Holland or Germany in the late 1500s. The purpose of the gun’s gaping maw is often misinterpreted as allowing…
Today’s graphic: Non-Hispanic White Population in Each US Congressional District. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) The thumbnail below is click-expandable. — Please send your graphics or graphics links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted. Read the full article here
00:00:10 Speaker 1: From Meat Eaters World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This is Cow’s Week in Review with Ryan cow Calahan. Here’s cal Over. In Connecticut, East Hartford Animal Control fielded a complaint this week about two squirrels who were discovered painted head to toe, one in red paint, the other in blue. Has the partisan divide in this country gotten so bad that it spread even to our bushy tailed brethren. The department put out a notice calling for any info that could lead to the perpetrator in the case, but so far they have no leads. Although…
The following recipe for Sweet Potato Chowder is from SurvivalBlog reader R.S.. Ingredients 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 sweet onion, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon ground sage ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg ½ cup chopped carrots 3 cups chopped sweet potato, about 1 inch in size 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock ⅓ cup cream (or substitute half-and-half or coconut cream) 2 cups chopped tuscan kale 4 ounces pancetta, diced, for topping 3 tablespoons roasted salted pepitas, for topping Directions Heat a large pot over medium-low heat and add the pancetta. Cook, stirring…
00:00:08 Speaker 1: This is the me Eater podcast coming at you shirtless, severely, bug bitten, and in my case, underware. Listening past, you can’t predict anything brought to you by first Light. When I’m hunting, I need gear that won’t quit. First Light builds, no compromise, gear that keeps me in the field longer, no shortcuts, just gear that works. Check it out at first light dot com. That’s f I R S T l I t E dot com. We’re joined today by Benji Backer of Nature Is Nonpartisan, and we’re gonna talk about can it be? You’re…
When the Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law on July 4, 2025, it eliminated the $200 tax on silencers. This change will become effective on January 1, 2026. Many SurvivalBlog readers may want to purchase their first silencer now that the tax has been eliminated. I decided to go ahead with a silencer purchase before the big day so that I could describe what that process looks like for first-time silencer buyers. I contacted Dead Air Silencers to see if they would be willing to provide the silencer while I would pay the tax and the SOT/FFL transfer fee.…
September 29th, 1668, the English expedition to Hudson Bay led by Médard Chouart Des Groseilliers of France arrived at Nemiscau River aboard the Nonsuch. This was the genesis of the Hudson Bay Company. The company soon developed wealth and influence that rivaled nation-states. In June of 2025, (357 years later), the company declared bankruptcy. — September 29th, 1881, was the birthday of economist Ludwig von Mises. (He died October 10, 1973.) — September 29th,1915: The first transcontinental radio telephone message is sent by the U.S. Navy radio station at Arlington, Virginia, to the naval radio station at Mare Island, San…
Cartridge shortages are periodic and have a variety of catalysts. A few of the reasons include armed conflicts thousands of miles away, heightened defense procurement to discourage them, raw material shortages, rumors and more. Hoarding and gouging are common byproducts that amplify the pain. Thankfully we are not experiencing one right now, although their frequency and challenges haven’t escaped the notice of Tampa, Fla.-based D&M Holding Company. The firm specializes in design and manufacture of ammunition and energetics equipment and turnkey factories for customers worldwide to support the defense and sporting markets. D&M Holding was established in 2018 by Dan…
The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: What Does Donny Osmond Call Marie? Osmosis 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. Read the full article here
Editor’s Introductory Note: This guest article was written by our friend and fellow blogger, Patrice Lewis. Her entertaining and informative Rural Revolution blog has been published several times a week since 2009. We highly recommend bookmarking it. – JWR — Last year, we bred Maggie, our Jersey heifer, to a neighbor’s young Angus bull. It was a convenient arrangement, and little Stormy was the product of that breeding. But our neighbors no longer have that little bull, so we were trying to figure out how to get Maggie bred this year. After some discussion, we decided to use…