In October 1962, the C.I.A. and the U.S.A.F. requested that Lockheed study a high-speed, high-altitude drone concept for reconnaissance flights over particularly hostile territories to avoid endangering aircrews. Created during the height of the Cold War and following the shootdown of a U-2 spy p...
When Glock announced the sixth generation of its iconic striker-fired polymer pistol series in December 2025, the firearms community responded with the usual mix of cautious interest and the usual skepticism. For me, the release was really bad timing, as I had just bought another G45 Gen 5. Was t...
This question shows up at gun counters more than just about anything else. Someone grabs a box of ammo, notices it says .223 Remington, but their barrel is marked 5.56 NATO, and suddenly they are wondering if they made a mistake. I have watched this exact scenario play out dozens of times, and ho...
WASHINGTON, DC — The Department of Justice has moved to voluntarily dismiss its appeal in State of Texas v. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, a significant step that clears the path for the ATF to revisit the controversial “Engaged in the Business” rule. The cons...
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a Smith & Wesson Model 50 Chief’s Special Target, one of 568 manufactured in the range 930J45-936J19. The factory letter states this shipped March 27, 1973 and confirms the Model 50 was manufactured as special orders with no standard...
More than a century after the debut of John Browning’s most celebrated handgun design, the year 2020 marked the beginning of Springfield Armory’s most recent 1911 makeover. Long known as a premium purveyor of the .45-caliber, two-time World War champ, Springfield’s catalog of 1911s had grow...
Military aircraft design of the Cold War era could be described as akin to physics, or, more specifically, to Newton’s Third Law of motion, which states, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” From lessons learned in the Vietnam War, the United States Air Force determi...
Scotland played a pivotal role as a training ground for some of the most Elite Allied forces, including the U.S. Army Rangers, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), and the Jedburgh teams. The rugged landscapes of the Scottish Highlands, combined with the expertise of the Special Operations Exe...
The AK family of weapons is notorious, but the platform’s infamous partner is the 7.62×39 cartridge. Like Bonnie and Clyde, the AK’s reputation is inseparable from its chambering. That the cartridge is historically simple, robust, and effective is the key variable that makes the...
The new Springfield Armory 4″ SA-35 is here and multi-time world and national shooting champion Julie Golob delivers a full review of the gun. The compact handgun combines old-world elegance with modern amenities, all with a 15-round magazine. The company provided the gun to the author for revi...