Battle of Britain: Myth vs. Reality

The idealized concept immediately took root and blossomed: the Royal Air Force saved Britain from invasion in 1940. The conventional wisdom holds that Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s legendary “few” handed Nazi Germany its first defeat in World War II and paved the road to eventual victo...

By Barrett Tillman

Fudd Friday: The .250-3000 Walked So The .243 Could Fly

Before World War II, and especially before World War I, the rifles of the whitetail-hunting world looked a lot different from today. Lever-actions ruled supreme, and they were often chambered for rounds that have fallen from favor. These include .33 Winchester, .303 Savage and even .44-40. But to...

By Zac K

USS Saratoga: WWII Carrier Sunk by an Atom Bomb

The USS Saratoga (CV-3) was one of just three United States Navy aircraft carriers—along with USS Ranger (CV-4) and USS Enterprise (CV-6)—to survive the entirety of the Second World War. Although outdated by 1943, as the newer and more capable Essex-cla...

By Peter Suciu

Shifty Powers: The Gun Guy from “Band of Brothers”

Editor’s Note: Today’s article is about Sgt. Darrell Powers, a World War II hero who served with the 101st Airborne Division. Nicknamed “Shifty”, Powers saw action in the American airborne landings in Normandy, Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. Powers was more than “j...

By Massad Ayoob

M1 Abrams — Best Job I Ever Had

The M1 Abrams was conceived with a singular, unyielding purpose: the total destruction of enemy armored formations. Over the last four decades, it has become the absolute pinnacle of tank warfare made manifest. Its sheer battlefield dominance has not only won conflicts, but forced militaries acro...

By Mason Berryman

America’s Flaming Bayonet in World War I

In early 1918, as the American Expeditionary Force prepared to face battle-hardened German troops in France, the bayonet was a vital component of the Doughboys’ combat equipment. It is difficult for many people today to understand the importance the U.S. military placed on “cold steel” duri...

By Tom Laemlein

BFG Monday: The Enemy – The Weight of Water

Issued load is only part of the problem. The real burden shows up in the field. After rain, river crossings, or sustained humidity, standard loadcarriage systems absorb and retain water. According to research published in Sage Journals, Soldiers are routinely “exposed to full clothing saturatio...

By Eric G

NRA Reform Gains Steam, But the Fight to Restore Trust Continues

The NRA’s 155th Annual Meeting in Houston showed real signs of progress, with strong attendance, leadership continuity, and Board action on governance reforms. But rebuilding member trust will take more than one good weekend.

By Jeff Knox

USS Hornet (CV-12): Carrier that Stung Japan

The USS Hornet (CV-12) stands as one of the most storied aircraft carriers in United States naval history, playing a decisive role in World War II as part of the Essex-class fleet. From its origins as a replacement for the lost USS Hornet (CV-8) to its participa...

By Peter Suciu

POTD: Eject, Survive, Stay Silent - The S&W Model 41

Specialized equipment often reflects very specific mission requirements, and few examples are as niche as the modified Smith & Wesson Model 41 pistols issued for the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird pilot survival kits.

By Eric B
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