(continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.) Battery Safety If you’ve ever watched the news you’ve probably heard stories about exploding Lithium batteries in cell phones, electronic cigarettes, USB battery packs, etc. They’re all true – lithium is an extremely hazardous chemical; it’s poisonous, it’s unstable, it burns extremely fast and hot (>3500F) and it produces hazardous gas when it burns. So why is it used in all of the most common forms of battery electrolytes? Because it has the best cost/size to energy density ratio currently available and manufacturers decided it’s worth the risks, and consumers agree with…

On February 22, 1889 US President Grover Cleveland (pictured) signed the bill to admit Dakotas, Montana, and Washington as states of the union. — February 22, 1857 was the birthday of  Heinrich Hertz, a German physicist who was the first to broadcast and receive radio waves and helped to invent radar technology.  He died in 1894. — On this day in 1943,  Sophie Scholl was executed by beheading for organizing the White Rose group–a student resistance to the Hitler regime.  She had been convicted of high treason, after having been found distributing anti-war leaflets at the University of Munich (LMU)…

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From a small company in Brooklyn making a single model to one of the largest firearms manufacturers in the country, Henry Repeating Arms has had quite a journey over the past 29 years. From its original lever-action .22 rifles, the company has expanded into big-bore lever guns, shotguns, pistol-caliber carbines, and handguns. This year, Henry has re-organized its catalog and introduced new models, including the new Deadeye adjustable-sight versions of the company’s Big Boy and Golden Boy revolvers. The Deadeye versions of Henry’s Big Boy (shown) and Golden Boy revolvers add a fully adjustable rear sight and fixed front post…

We recently posted a conversation about the sleeper surplus market composed primarily of LE trade-in handguns, rifles and shotguns. The pistols mentioned were fairly common duty-size models familiar to the American marketplace, including options from Beretta, Glock and Smith & Wesson. But, police and military service pistols from overseas are still cropping up in the surplus arena from time to time. Due to their age, caliber or less familiar manufacturers, they can be found in top-notch condition at comfortably low prices. Not too long ago I came across just such a pistol listed on the AIM Surplus website dubbed the…

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(Continued from Part 2.) Battery Drain While I briefly mentioned battery drain earlier it’s worth going into a bit more detail. Drain rate describes how fast a device uses power when a device is in operation. Examples of high-drain devices include things like digital cameras, GPS devices, portable gaming consoles, high-lumen LED flashlights, radios (when transmitting) and motorized devices like power tools. Some low-drain devices include television remote controls, wall clocks, smoke detectors, and red dot sights. Rapidly draining a battery’s charge can significantly shorten its life, so choosing the right type of battery for each type of device is…

On February 21, 1568, the treacherous Treaty of Adrianople: Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II (pictured) and Ottoman Sultan Selim II signed a peace agreement between the Habsburg monarchy and the Ottoman Empire; the Ottomans received cash and the territories of Transylvania, Moldavia, and Wallachia. — And on February 21, 1808, Russia invaded Finland (then part of the Swedish Kingdom), with 24,000 troops. — 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…

Armed Citizen® Today On Valentine’s Day, a man in Spartanburg, S.C. went to his ex-girlfriend’s apartment and became upset that another man was there with her. The woman and her companion decided to leave, but the ex-boyfriend followed them. He then reportedly rammed their vehicle with his, causing both vehicles to spin out. The ex then exited his vehicle and allegedly attempted to force the woman out of hers as she repeatedly told him to leave her alone. The other man shot the alleged assailant in the chest, ending the attack. The suspect attempted to flee but collapsed nearby. Police…