Author: Jack Bogart

Ed. Note — In today’s article, the author examines the use of handguns for bear defense. As with any defensive article, examine all of the relevant data and laws before deciding on the best handgun for bear country — if any at all.Cynthia saw the bear as it rose, 10 feet away. She yelled and waved her arms. It didn’t move off but crept toward her. The rush was sudden. Struck “a staggering blow,” Cynthia pitched forward, landing face-down. She willed herself to stay still. The bear bit into her right shoulder and shook her. When she tried to reach…

Fort Irwin, Calif. – A key highlight of Joint experimentation during Project Convergence Capstone 6 is the Army, Navy and Space Force coming together on the west coast to experiment with the effects of a technology called Hammer of the Gods. Although Hammer of the Gods is a relatively new technological capability, it has already begun to play an important role in military experimentation. Hammer of the Gods is an emitter that provides an expanded suite of command-and-control (C2) and operational capabilities in a highly deployable, low-electromagnetic-signature, electronic warfare platform, delivering multi-domain effects at the forward edge of operations. Land-based…

Maximizing Battlefield Flexibility with Innovative Guns and AmmunitionOn today’s battlefield, the hum of a drone overhead has become all too familiar. Affordable and easy to fly, these unmanned systems are one of the most commonly used tactics by adversaries of the U.S. and allies to gather intelligence, evade traditional defenses and quickly launch precise attacks. With drone threats advancing faster than ever, Northrop Grumman’s flexible, cutting-edge technology marries speed with innovation to defeat drones like never before. Through close collaboration with our warfighters and partners, we drive continuous innovation — anticipating emerging challenges and providing the precise capabilities needed, exactly…

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — Before any Soldier steps up to a sniper hide or takes a precision shot, they must first know their weapon inside and out. From day one of basic training, Soldiers are taught to field-strip their rifles, understand the mechanics of the bolt carrier group, and know exactly what to do when the weapon malfunctions. It isn’t magic; it is simply a tool of the trade. The U.S. Army Command and General Staff College’s newest AI Basics elective course is applying that same philosophy to Artificial Intelligence. Day one of the new course started with a question:…

I was hemming and hawing on the chairlift at Kirkwood this spring. Knowing I wasn’t the biggest BOA fan, and sporting quite narrow feet, I stared down at the shiny new Dalbello Veloce Space 120 Dual BOAs that enveloped my toes with a bit of dismay.  Ski boot testing is tough work. You parse the ischemic pain, slop, and shin bang caused by an improper fit from a boot that is downright bad. Next, figure out who the brand made the boot for and whom it will serve. And yet, after I spent what felt like three eternities cranking both BOA dials all…

DoW Updates Naughty List of 130 Foreign Academic and Research Institutions Engaged in Problematic Activities ? The Department of War published its Fiscal Year 2025 update listing 130 foreign academic and research institutions in China, Russia and Iran engaging in problematic activities. The NDAA Section 1286 List serves to counter unauthorized technology transfers and protect taxpayer-funded research. Effective FY 2026, the Department is prohibited from using any funds for fundamental research that involves collaboration with any entity on the most recent Section 1286 List. The Department advises researchers, academic institutions and industry partners to exercise strict caution regarding collaboration or…

Steven Spielberg’s 1998 film Saving Private Ryan is pure Hollywood fiction, but it was inspired by the true — and all too tragic — story of the five Sullivan brothers. The siblings enlisted/re-enlisted in the U.S. Navy following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and insisted they serve together on the same warship. All were killed less than a year later when the Altanta-class light cruiser USS Juneau (CL-52) was sunk at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942.In total, 687 officers and sailors lost their lives as a result of the ship’s sinking, with…

It’s Pogue…Not POTG Every once in a while I have to remind the youngsters that it’s spelled “Pogue” and it doesnt stand for anything. The backronym “POG” was created by infantrymen who were Pogues, but didn’t want to be called Pogues anymore. You know it’s true, there are loads of Infantrymen who are Pogues. This photo was taken during the Vietnam war and it clearly uses the term “Pogue” which dates back to World War I and possibly as far back as the Civil War. It likely stems from the Irish word Pogue which means “kiss” and was used as…

Smith & Wesson has just expanded its M&P15 line with the .300 BLK AXE pistol and SBR.Suppressed, short-barrel AR-15s and .300 Blackout are a match made in heaven, and that’s exactly what Smith & Wesson is offering with its new M&P15 AXE models. They’re available as either a factory SBR or as a braced pistol, but both versions feature 8-inch barrels and are optimized for use with suppressors.That suppressor optimization is thanks to the built-in Gemtech GVAC technology. It adds an expansion chamber that allows excess gas to vent forward out of the muzzle, significantly reducing the gas blowback your…

Dishes, chores, rain, and exercise — while I’m not a SCUBA diver, I appreciate dive watches because they’re generally up to my daily abuse. And given its longstanding ties to Navy SEALs, Luminox stands as one of the most recognizable names in the hard-use wristwatch game. But even by Luminox standards, its MIL-SPEC line stands as perhaps the most rugged it offers. As the name implies, these watches are built to Department of Defense Military Specifications for a range of attributes: magnetic resistance, water and altitude resistance, readability and luminescence, temperature tolerance, and most notably, shock resistance. In the case of…