Everything about keeping yourself and your family safe and sound.
Humans have had bows for millions of years, before that the ranged arrow was loosed from an atl-atl, which still exists today. The invention of the bow changed hunting and over the years changed warfare… The English used longbows to dominate warfare for hundreds of years, as the bow could be nocked, drawn and loosed … Read more
Among ancient weapons, the spear might well be the king of the battlefield. Compared to swords, axes, clubs, and other melee weapons, spears have major advantages both logistically and operationally. Spears provide reach, and reach equals safety. Spears used as part of a group act as a force multiplier compared to other weapons and spears … Read more
Sambo is a Russian martial art developed in the early 20th century, originally intended to improve the hand-to-hand fighting capabilities of Red Army servicemen. It has since spawned myriad forms or schools, some with an emphasis on sport and others on very real self-defense or military action. This is a martial art that has combined … Read more
For most preppers, weapons will be among the many things you accumulate to get ready for a survival situation, be it a long-term or short-term one. Chances are that means firearms much of the time, perhaps with a smattering of bows or crossbows along with our personal knives. You definitely won’t hear any complaining out … Read more
When discussing weapon systems useful for putting meat in the freezer and warding off threats, the conversation among preppers naturally turns to guns much of the time. However, other projectile weapons have special qualities to recommend them for the job, both during everyday life, and during an SHTF survival event. The two that most often … Read more
Being prepared to defend oneself and one’s holdings is a big part of prepping. As it turns out, we won’t all just be able to get along. Weapons are an important part of these plans and preps, as they will afford you the power, effectiveness and sometimes the range needed to fend off desperate looters, … Read more
Among all the vintage actions that remain popular and more or less viable today, the pump action shotgun is overwhelmingly the most popular among shooters, and one of the most viable for defense and general readiness. For preppers, shotguns are the do-all firearm, equally at home bagging game that walks, crawls or flies or felling … Read more
The inclusion of a manual safety on a handgun is an intensely personal choice for a shooter. There is no right or wrong answer as a safety lends itself better to certain kinds of shooters and certain situations better than others. A shooter’s own preference for a safety is usually formed by the sum of … Read more
Modern pistol design has embraced the striker-fired action as the current paradigm. There are good reasons for this, greater mechanical simplicity and a moderate consistent trigger pull being two of the most common. Of course, the blockbuster success of a little pistol called the Glock (though not the first striker fired handgun by a long … Read more
Imagine a scenario where you are low on ammunition. You used the last of your supply some time ago and despite your searching high and low for more, you have come up with nada. A gun without ammo is little better than a clumsy club, or an intimidation tool at best. You know you won’t … Read more
Smith & Wesson revolvers are iconic and nearly timeless firearms that remain the fabled manufacturer’s flagship product. Their excellence in manufacture and highly innovative designs has set and continue to set very high benchmarks for wheelgun performance. There is no doubting that S&W makes effective and reliable guns for self-defense. Without question some of the … Read more
The shotgun has remained a popular weapon for personal preparedness since shortly after its inception and it is, aside from innovations in the action departments, virtually unchanged since. The adaptability and versatility of the shotgun makes it a solidly dependable choice for hunting and a deadly defensive weapon. If it is a humble wood and … Read more
Ruger is one of the most iconic and popular of American firearms manufacturers. While they may not have the cache and history of Remington, S&W or Colt, they have carved a place as one of the most innovative and market-disrupting of the “Made in the USA” gunmakers. Starting from literally nothing with an idea for … Read more
There is something primally appealing about tomahawks. Something about a crescent blade on the end of a stick that gets the blood up. Maybe it fires the imagination with a vision of a lone, rugged individual making his way against nature. Perhaps its history as a vicious and brutal close combat weapon is an object … Read more
by Tim Makay Smith & Wesson makes all kinds of nice guns these days, even rifles, but to the faithful the name conjures images of only one thing: revolvers, and damn good ones. For 100 years S&W has been making wheelguns that have served citizens, cops and soldiers continuously all over the world. They continue … Read more
by Charles While U.S. citizens enjoy their natural right to keep and bear arms far more than the overwhelming majority of the rest of the world’s residents in other countries, this does not mean that the laws and regulations restricting those rights are applied evenly or consistently throughout the 50 states. This is a fact … Read more
It seems like every year is a good year for shotguns. No doubt; since their inception, shotguns have been prized by civilians, hunters, police, guards and soldiers who have need of a ferociously effective close-quarters long gun. The shotgun’s bone-crunching power makes it the obvious choice when fighting is going to be up close and … Read more
If you carry a handgun for self-defense you’ll need something to carry it in unless you are an inveterate slob or stereotypical gangbanger. That means a holster is required equipment. For the majority of holsters, you’ll need to carry them on a belt. If you are smart, you’ll choose a proper gun belt. A gun … Read more
by Charles Most preppers know the AR-15 is America’s most popular rifle, and even more call on one or several of these excellent guns to serve as defensive or SHTF weapons. The AR-15 brings so many advantages to the table that the reductive method is often an easier conversation to have when selecting a rifle … Read more
by Tim Makay. It’s true that having a gun beats no gun at all, but that does not mean that any gun will do as well as another. In fact, guns, as with all tools and products of man, suffer from their fair share of losers, lemons, bad-ideas and poor performers. In fact, just like … Read more
by Charles As hard as this may be to believe for some of you, not everyone likes guns. I know, I know, sit down if you feel woozy. It’s true, though: some folks do not, in fact, take to the way of the gun like a duck to water. This does not mean that a … Read more
There is no such thing as a gun suitable for one and all, for every shooter. But if there was, if there was one gun that damn near everyone in the world could make use of, if would be a .22 LR pistol; the one, true, jack-of-all-trades, Swiss Army knife firearm. From small game hunting … Read more
Handgunners today enjoy a market crowded with excellent options. Some writers and experts have dubbed the current era of firearms a second golden age at least so far as refinement, if not innovation is concerned. You cannot walk into a gun shop anywhere without tripping over stacks of handguns that are so good in so … Read more
My readers know that I am a proponent of shotguns, so long as one understands their limitations and trains to mitigate them. One of the biggest general limitations compared to other types of firearm used for self defense is the simple fact that your average shotgun demands more thought and engagement from the shooter. Simply … Read more