Author: Jack Bogart

Plymouth, MI (July 2026) – EOTECH, a division of American Holoptics and leader in advanced electro-optic sighting systems, today announced the recent sale of its OGL® (On-Gun Laser) systems, HWS® (Holographic Weapon Sights), and compatible magnifiers to the U.S. Army, totaling 14,000 units. The procurement was executed through multiple Transformation in Contact (TiC) buys to directly support the PAE Maneuver Ground portfolio’s surrogate optics project for M7, XM8 Carbine, and M250 Automatic Rifle. This delivery provides critical day/night aiming, illumination, and engagement capabilities to Soldiers participating in the surrogate optics evaluation. The EOTECH systems include the rugged, combat-proven OGL for…

Ask most cops what makes a good loadout and they will start naming gear. A better belt. A lighter pouch. Whatever sling everybody is running this year.Good equipment matters, but a collection of good equipment does not automatically create a good loadout. If the pieces were selected individually and never tested together, the setup can still fight the officer every time something needs to be reached, moved, or controlled. Load carriage has to work as a system.A working loadout is not only lighter. It carries the weight deliberately, keeps critical equipment in a predictable location, controls anything that can move…

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army announced July 29 it is ready to scale Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) across the force during a media roundtable at the end of Project Convergence-Capstone 6 at Fort Irwin, California. NGC2 replaces legacy, fragmented Army C2 systems – which focused on single functions like fires, logistics, or airspace management – with unified data across all functions to vastly increase the speed of commanders’ decision-making and operational maneuver. It enables every echelon from Soldier to Corps to run modern warfighting apps and artificial intelligence to support their mission, while providing resilient communications across vast…

One-handed shooting seems to be a lost art.It is common to train with handguns using two hands. Two-handed shooting offers stability, increased precision and comfort. Shooters achieve their greatest accuracy with shooting while using both of their hands.However, there are several scenarios where one-handed shooting is required. One may find themselves protecting a loved one with one hand and defending themselves with the other. Imagine walking down a staircase while standing on an uneven surface. Using an off-hand to grab a rail for stability and defending oneself with the other hand is a real possibility.Art or science? The author discusses…

Still Available, SOFFE Silkies I’ll show my age here and call them Silkies even though I know folks love to call them Ranger panties these days. Also, I don’t want to get caught with a “unsafe for work” tag if I title this entry with the p word. At any rate, no matter what you call them, the iconic SOFFE nylon shorts are still available and offered in a variety of colors. Silkies were unit issued PT gear in Army and Air Force units I was assigned to. Back in my day we wore them as underwear under our BDUs…

It was just before midnight as Private Ryan Doyle quietly prepared his gear for the final test to become a fully fledged rifleman. Clouds smothered what little light the stars could provide, so he watched his breath fog in the air through night optics as he waited. “I was more excited than anything, to be honest. We didn’t quite know what was in store, they didn’t really give us a brief, so I was in anticipation of what was coming,” Private Doyle said. The signal finally came from the platoon commander and the section stepped off, carrying stores and heavy…

Ultra-Compact Rimfire Revolver Shelton, CT.  (July 10th, 2026) Charter Arms®, manufacturers of affordable, 100% American-made revolvers for more than 60 years, is proud to announce the introduction of the new WalkerSeries of revolvers. The Walker is an ultra-compact, rimfire revolver designed for concealed carry. It is available with either a .22 LR or .22 WMR chambering; both have eight-round capacities. “We couldn’t be happier to offer this .22 caliber revolver series,” said Nick Ecker, Owner, President and CEO of Charter Arms. “Customers have praised its concealability, accuracy, and design. This new series offers the ultimate in dependable performance.” The new…

I used to love working at the VA hospital. Just like everything Uncle Sam does, the Veterans Administration is bloated, inefficient, and frustrating. However, back when I worked there as a physician we still had a proper crop of World War II veterans who needed inpatient care. That was Candyland for a history nerd like me.On the rare evening when we weren’t neck deep in chaos, all it took was an open door with the light on. I’d just knock, introduce myself, pull up a chair, and ask for a story. I met some of the most fascinating guys that…

The Civilian Marksmanship Program has just announced that it will be selling true military surplus M14 rifles to the public.In a surprising but exciting twist, the Civilian Marksmanship Program has just announced that the organization has received special authorization to begin selling surplus military M14 rifles. Why is it surprising? Because the ATF has long held the position that any receiver that was once a machine gun is always a machine gun. Because original military M14s were built as select-fire rifles, most people never expected that they’d be able to be legally sold on the civilian market. Seemingly, at least…

Last month we wrote about the We Knife Co. Hull, a military-themed folder that was part of a family of limited edition models. Now that the full suite has arrived we’re looking at the Muster, a large, tank-like (both literally and figuratively) folder. Like the Hull – and like this whole special series – the Muster is a big knife. Its blade length is 3.83 inches, and its profile a wicked-looking clip point with, perhaps, a little more width than the average example of the shape. The .16″ stock gives the edge some beef without imparing its slicing/piercing capabilities, and…