In the mid-19th century, the French military had developed some new firearm designs to take advantage of what was then the novel concept of a self-contained cartridge. Initially, like many militaries, the French converted existing military muzzleloaders to…

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On May 4, 1415, reformers John Wycliffe and Jan Hus were condemned as heretics at the Council of Constance. Pictured is Jan Hus at the Council of Constance, in an 1883 painting by Václav Brožík. Hus had traveled to Constance with the promise of safe passage by both Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund and the Pope. But after he arrived the Pope and the cardinals soon ordered him to be thrown into prison. On July 6, 1415, after a ghastly stay fettered in prison and two trials, he was offered either recanting or death, and he chose a martyr’s death. He…

Slingshots are fun, but they can also be a legitimate backup defensive tool—in 2023, a 13-year-old Michigan boy saved his 8-year-old sister from being kidnapped by using a $3 slingshot to fire a marble and a rock at the assailant, striking him in the chest and head. Read the full article here

Like any hobby or pastime that is in any way even vaguely related to machines or technology, firearms attract a (possibly) disproportionate number of “right-brained,” STEM-oriented personalities who like numbers. Some percentage of those really, really like numbers.  Like, a lot. If you’re manning the counter at the local gun store, you don’t even have to worry about trying to pick them out of the crowd, because they will always make themselves known in short order. You don’t even need to be working at the local gun store to identify the breed, though. If you’ve spent any amount of time…

Editor’s Introductory Note: The recent spike in fuel prices prompted me to re-post this practical 2010 article from the SurvivalBlog archives. – JWR Although I live in a rural setting, my current employment depends on being able to reliably commute about 45 minutes each way to the state capital. Watching the shutdown and gradual restoration of the Colonial pipeline serving the southeast US in teh aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was a sobering experience. Fuel prices spiked to record levels and many stations were not able to re-supply for weeks because of the lack of sufficient movement in the pipeline. It…

On May 3, 1810, English poet Lord Byron swam across the dangerous Hellespont Strait in Turkey. (The modern day Dardanelles.) — May 3,1952:  The first airplane landed on the ice pack at the geographic North Pole. — And on May 3, 1999: A category F5 tornado hit parts of Oklahoma City and caused the record wind speed of about 301 mph (484 km/h). 45 people were killed, and 665 injured.  This was the highest tornado wind speed ever recorded. — Today’s feature article is a timely re-post from the SurvivalBlog archives. Read the full article here

There are many options on the market for off-body carry bags. Eberlestock recently released its “Fade Sling,” which looks very intuitive and promising. The Fade Sling is more of a large-format, everyday-carry-bag, though. It contains a quick-deploy area for your concealed firearm but is much different and larger than the bag we will be discussing in this article: the 945 Industries Q.A.P. Series off-body carry bag. I selected this particular bag after weeks of research and have been carrying in it for the last few months. Right off the bat, it should be understood that the 945 Industries bag is…

In 2026, CCI Ammunition—formally Cascade Cartridge, Inc.—marks its 75th anniversary with a fitting tribute to innovation and American ingenuity. Founded in 1951—or, actually, a few years before when Dick Speer and his brother Vernon moved to Idaho to start companies to manufacture components for the ammunition reloading market—this Lewiston, Idaho-based manufacturer evolved from a small primer operation in a converted chicken coop into a global leader in rimfire ammunition and reloading components. In this The Armed Citizen Podcast interview, CCI’s Product Manager Dan Compton, explains the product introductions and more CCI is bringing in celebration of this anniversary. “Let’s start…

Ruger brought the micro-compact .380 ACP semi-automtic pistol into the mainstream with its original LCP. Over the years, the company has enhanced the LCP with the introduction of the LCP II and LCP Max. New for 2026, Ruger is offering a new version of the LCP Max with the addition of a Magpul Enhanced Handgun Grip (EHG). New for 2026, Ruger is updating the LCP Max with a Magpul Enhanced Handgun Grip (EHG). Shown with the new 13-round magazine with Magpul extension. Ruger’s collaboration with Magpul on handguns goes back to the RXM, a modular 9 mm pistol that uses…