Gun sales in 2025 may not eclipse records, but the firearm industry’s generosity just might. Here are just a few philanthropic efforts we ran across in December, some of them quiet and local, but each should make those of us who exercise our Second Amendment rights proud. Vortex Optics announced the winner of an all-expenses-paid trip for a deserving U.S. military veteran and their guest to watch the 23rd Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas. The company accepted nominations from across the nation for the annual giveaway, which was free to enter, and gave the news to…

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Effective January 1, 2026, the ATF eliminated the $200 tax on firearm suppressors. This change will undoubtedly encourage many shooters to purchase or make a suppressor. In this article, I will share information for those new to suppressors to be able to make an informed decision as to whether to pursue getting one (or several). As a disclaimer, I have no financial involvement with any companies or products mentioned here. What are firearm suppressors? A firearm suppressor is a muzzle device mounted on a shotgun, rifle, or pistol to reduce the sound made when the gun is fired. They are…

On January 11, 1571 Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II granted Austrian nobility freedom of religion. — January 11, 1966: 550 people died in landslides in the mountains behind Rio de Janeiro after a huge rainfall. — The 20th Anniversary SurvivalBlog 2005-2025 Waterproof/EMP-Resistant Archive USB sticks are available for Pre-Ordering.  Orders should start to be mailed in the last week of January.  To be sure that you get yours, order soon! — Although it is quite blatantly pro-monarchist, the only fairly complete coverage of the anti-Khameni revolution in Iran seems to be coming from the YouTube channel Tousi TV. – JWR…

Columbia, S.C.-based Palmetto State Armory (PSA) got its start nearly two decades ago as a retailer of firearm accessories and ammunition. The company quickly moved into producing its own firearms, starting with well-established designs like the AR-15 and AK-47, becoming one of the top 10 firearm manufacturers in the country. Over the past few years, PSA has branched out to design its own unique firearms. One of these firearms, the piston-operated Jakl rifle, has been adapted into a bullpup configuration, which PSA calls the Olcan.  The PSA Olcan takes the company’s Jakl long-stroke gas-piston upper and pairs it with a…

Sarsılmaz is a Turkish manufacturer of military and law-enforcement firearms with a history which stretches back to the Ottoman Empire. Today, this company is the exclusive provider of pistols for the Turkish armed forces and national police while providing various arms to international buyers. But the story of pistol discussed here, and its sales to American shooting sports enthusiasts, begins in 2018. This is when the SAR USA division was established to import Sarsılmaz products directly to the U.S. market.     This compact version of the SAR9 SOCOM is loaded with popular features. The establishment of SAR USA coincided with the…

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(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.) The final aspect of emergency cooking stoves that I cover are biomass units, in particular the Kelly Kettle. I appreciate the ability to configure these units to either “cook” on or quickly boil water with. The small feed openings at the bottom or the chimney opening on top of the kettle do restrict the size of materials used to feed the flames when compared to other small biomass cookers. None the less, the kettle’s speed and efficiency for boiling water as well as its lower weight and ruggedness impress me. The final…

On January 10, 1776, the “Common Sense” pamphlet by Thomas Paine was first published, advocating American independence. — January 10, 49 BC: Julius Caesar defied the Roman Senate and crossed the Rubicon, uttering “alea iacta est” (the die is cast), signaling the start of civil war and his appointment as Roman dictator for life. — And January 10th, 1776, was the day that North Carolina Governor Josiah Martin issued a proclamation calling on the king’s loyal subjects to raise an armed force to combat the “rebels”. This ultimately led to Colonel Donald McLeod leading the men on an assault on…