As the United States became embroiled in the war in Europe against the Axis, one of its earliest fronts was in the air. With waves of American heavy bombers making the perilous trek across the skies of continental Europe to strike targets in the heart of Axis territories, they faced a deadly and unrelenting opponent. Waist gunners demonstrate their nearly back-to-back positions aboard a B-17. Note the later style covered/flexible ammunition feed chutes that helped prevent kinks in the ammo belts. Image: NARA In the recent Apple+ TV series “Masters of the Air”, viewers got a look at the harrowi ..read more

In today’s article, Yamil Sued examines the ProMag Archangel stock for the Springfield Armory M1A rifle. In the first video, the author highlights the stock’s features while the second video is a range review of the installed Archangel M1A stock.  The author, Yamil Sued, evaluated the Archangel stock on his M1A rifle — from installation to range testing. As a seasoned shooter and an enthusiast for Springfield Armory M1A rifles, the newest Archangel stock caught my attention. With its robust build and precision-enhancing features, the stock promises to be a precision upgrade for the M1A, a ..read more

In June 2023, the Kremlin wasted no time in proclaiming that its forces had successfully destroyed a German-made Leopard 2 main battle tank (MBT) – one of the first Western tanks supplied to Ukraine. The tank fell victim to Russian artillery outside the town of Novopokrovka, located 35 miles southeast of Zaporizhzhia city in southern Ukraine. The current Leopard 2 main battle tank is the culmination of decades of German armored warfare study and experience. Pictured is a Leopard 2A7V. Image: Image: Michel Baldus/Bundeswehr The loss of one tank in wartime isn’t usually significant, but the Leop ..read more

Not that long ago, the use of reflex/red dot optics on handguns was limited to the realm of competitive and custom guns — and practically none were CCW-ready firearms. These were large handguns and, usually, large optics. So, the fact that red dots on EDC-ready firearms is the norm now is quite remarkable — and in my opinion, due in large part to the launch of the Springfield Armory Hellcat micro 9mm in 2019. The Shield SMSc from the Springfield Armory Webstore, paired with the Hellcat OSP 9mm, makes for an ideal EDC set-up. With its compact size, impressive capacity, and the option of an ..read more

My second of five careers I was an Army aviator. About a tenth of that time was spent flying OH-58 aeroscout helicopters single pilot. Strip the doors off of that bad boy and you are riding a three-dimensional motorcycle. Just thinking about those heady days brings an involuntary grin to my face. However, everything else involved flying as part of a crew. What can military pilots teach us about protecting our families? Coordination in the cockpit is remarkably applicable to the skills needed in home-defense scenarios. Image: Cpl. Kyle Chan/U.S. Marine Corps Sometimes that’s pretty condensed. T ..read more

You’ve made the plunge and added the Springfield Echelon to your gun collection. You enjoy shooting the gun, and it has proved to be both accurate and reliable. But now, you want to make it unique with your own features and enhancements. The Springfield Armory Echelon has a wide range of upgrade options including a wide base of third-party support. Shown is a Patriot CNC Performance Compensator. Image: Patriot CNC So, what kind of modifications should you consider? Let’s take a look at some of the Springfield Armory Echelon upgrades that are available today. [Don’t miss Massad Ayoob’s Spr ..read more

In today’s article, Peter Suciu takes a look at the Battle of Antonov Airport, a key engagement in the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Antonov International Airport (GML) is located northwest of Kyiv (formerly: Kiev) and was intended to support Russian troops moving on the Ukrainian capital. Ultimately, the Russian advance was stopped by the tenacious defense and counter-attacks of the Ukrainian defenders. Ukrainian Border Guards were among those troops fighting Russians in and around Hostomel. They are shown here in a field training exercise with Ukrainian AK-74 rifle ..read more

We might know them as a round, load, bullet, slug, shell, cap, ammo, ammunition or pill. There’s a long list of descriptive words, but they all mean the same thing: cartridge. It can become confusing because some names refer to only a component of the cartridge, like “bullet.” A centerfire cartridge has four basic parts: the bullet, the case, the powder and the primer. Image: Hornady Manufacturing Company Although there are a variety of different centerfire cartridges—9mm, 45 Auto, .223, and 5.56, to name just four very popular ones—technically speaking there are four primary parts to any pist ..read more

It’s spring, and that means backpackers, hikers, and campers will be going out into the backcountry. It’s also fire season, and every year it seems there are more wildland fires destroying hundreds of thousands of acres. Campfire safety is extremely important. While fire is a normal and even necessary part of nature’s cycle, fires aren’t just started by lightning or other natural occurrences. In fact, according to fire ecologist Melissa Forder, 60% of wildland fires in national parks are caused by humans. According to Forest Service numbers, outside of national parks that number goes up to 90 ..read more

There was a time when some Americans sought adventure in foreign lands and often took up arms and fought as foreign volunteers. While essentially soldiers of fortune, many were driven by ideology more than profit. These early P-40B’s sported two cowl-mounted .50-cals. along with four wing-mounted .30-cal. machine guns. Photo: San Diego Air & Space Museum That was true of the aviators who volunteered to serve in the Escadrille Américaine – later renamed the La Fayette Escadrille in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French hero of the American Revolutionary War. The unit’s exploits ..read more