Springfield Armory has just launched the SA-35 4”, a compact version of the company’s Hi-Power clone.We reviewed the original SA-35 back when it was first released a few years ago, and it left us very impressed. Now, Springfield Armory is releasing a very cool new compact version more suitable for concealed carry: the SA-35 4”. Featuring an abbreviated 4-inch barrel instead of the original’s 4.7-inch barrel, it should ride a bit nicer in the waistband while still maintaining the Hi-Power’s renowned ergonomics, full 15-round 9mm capacity and supreme shootability.As far as I know, the first factory-produced compact Hi-Power variant was…
Author: Tommy Grant
Born in Newgulf, near Corpus Christi, Texas, on Nov. 6, 1924, Michael Castaneda Pena chose his calling as a man of action early in life. He didn’t complete the sixth grade, but in 1940, after lying about his age, he persuaded his mother to sign a release allowing him to enlist at the young age of 16. Mike, as his comrades-in-arms universally called him, spent World War II fighting in the Pacific and helping to liberate the Philippines. He was wounded twice over the course of the conflict and after the Japanese surrender, he served in the occupation of Japan.…
At 4:40 a.m. local time on Friday, a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle, call sign Dude 44, was downed over southwestern Iran. Both crew members ejected, landing miles apart behind enemy lines. What followed was what President Donald Trump, speaking at a White House press conference on Monday, called “one of the largest, most complex, most harrowing combat search-and-rescue missions ever attempted by the military.”The following is a chronological account of how events unfolded, based on U.S. Central Command statements, the White House press conference and reporting citing U.S. military and defense officials.April 3: F-15E Strike Eagle shot downThe…
A U.S. soldier’s wife who was detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency last week was released from detention on Tuesday while President Donald Trump’s administration attempts to deport her from the country.The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, of which ICE is a part, said Annie Yaritza Ramos Alvarado was arrested on April 2, with a DHS spokesperson saying “she has no legal status to be in this country.”Ramos, 22, recently married Sgt. Matthew Blank, 23.On April 2, the couple were joined by relatives at Fort Polk, Louisiana, who were there to help register Ramos as a military spouse…
Images by the author (Part of me wants to put “… is failure to communicate!”, but this isn’t a movie review). What we have here is something wearing a S&W logo that’s more rare than hen’s teeth… a five-shot, .44 Special revolver. Now, please understand that S&W is no stranger to either 5-shot revolvers – the J-frame comes to mind – nor to .44 Specials. They’ve made many of both of those over the years. What IS different, however, is that they combined those design characteristics into one gun. I would say to think of the 396 as a J-frame…
The Department of Veterans Affairs would see its budget increase by 7.7% in fiscal 2027 under the White House’s proposed $2.2 trillion budget for the federal government. According to budget documents released this week by the Trump administration, the VA would receive a record $488 billion, including $205.6 billion in discretionary funding for programs and operations and $282.6 billion for mandatory spending — the column that covers disability benefits, pensions, insurance and other requirements. Highlights in the discretionary spending proposal include $500 million to build permanent facilities for homeless veterans at the new National Center for Warrior Independence in West…
The 300 Blackout is one of the most purpose-built cartridges in the AR world, designed from the ground up to perform in short barrels, run suppressed, and cycle reliably with both supersonic and subsonic loads. But that versatility comes with a catch: barrel length matters more with 300 BLK than with almost any other AR caliber. Get it wrong, and you’re either leaving performance on the table or fighting reliability issues. So what’s the optimal barrel length? The data points to 10.5 inches, and here’s why. The Case for 10.5″ 300 Blackout was specifically designed to be run in a…
The U.S. Navy is requesting $3 billion to replenish its stockpile of Tomahawk missiles that have been depleted over the course of the Iran war, according to the Defense Department’s fiscal 2027 budget request.As part of the $1.5 trillion budget request released Friday, the Navy has asked for a 1,200% increase in the number of the long-range land attack missile.In fiscal 2026, Congress granted the service $257 million for the purchase of 58 Tomahawk missiles.The Navy is now asking lawmakers to subsidize the production of 785 Tomahawk missiles for a little over $3 billion, including roughly $1.5 billion for Tomahawk…
The Army last week received its first shipment of XM8 carbines, a shorter, lightweight version of the newly added M7 rifle, according to a release. The design is set to replace the decades-old M4A1 for soldiers in the close combat force.The news comes about a week after the Army revealed it had approved the XM8 carbine. The service said it decided to procure the weapon system — rather than replace the M7 — in December after months of testing.In an announcement, the Army said the variant had “undergone extensive government testing” to ensure it met “the Army’s rigorous standards for…
INCH Stands for “I’m Never Coming Home” and If That’s The Case, You Had Better Think Twice Before You Pack. A common survival concept is the idea of the 72-hour kit or bug out bag. It’s the stuff you would need in case you had to abruptly evacuate your home for three days and were totally dependent on the contents of the bag. But an INCH bag requires a whole different mindset and approach. It’s not about what’s going to get you through 72 hours but what you’ll need to sustain yourself day after day. The basic assumption is that…