Category: Note

June 28th, 1703 was the birthday of John Wesley, who died March 2, 1791. — Today’s feature article, written by one of our long-time readers, is too short to be considered in the judging for Round 101 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. But it is quite useful and greatly appreciated, nonetheless. — More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running our writing contest. Round 101 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival …

Today is the birthday Leroy James Sullivan, born June 27, 1933. (Pictured.) He is an American firearms inventor. Going by Jim Sullivan, he has designed several “scaled-down” versions of larger firearms. He also designed the Beta C-MAG double snail drum magazines. And today is the birthday of Paul Mauser, (June 27, 1838 – May 29, 1914). He was a German weapon designer and manufacturer. His strong and reliable bolt action design was used by many nations. The U.S. Springfield Model 1903 is based on the Mauser Model 1898, and in fact the U.S. government famously lost in a patent infringement …

June 26th is the birthday of Marine Corps Lt. General Chesty Puller (born 1898, died October 11, 1971). Perhaps America’s finest-ever maverick officer, Puller was part of what I call the Even Greater Generation. — Because I have some travel scheduled, I’ve put Elk Creek Company on hiatus for a week. I will resume taking orders, via our shopping cart, on July 1st.  Thanks for your patience. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 101 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest …

On June 25th, 1876, Native American forces led by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull defeated the U.S. Army troops of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer in a bloody battle near southern Montana’s Little Bighorn River. The Battle of Little Bighorn–also called Custer’s Last Stand –marked the most decisive Native American victory and the worst U.S. Army defeat in the long Plains Indian War. While complicated, the generally accepted reason for the battle is that the discovery of gold in South Dakota’s Black Hills in 1875 led to the U.S. government disregarding previous treaty agreements. The gruesome fate of Custer …

June 24th the birthday of rifle-toting abolitionist pastor Henry Ward Beecher. (Born 1813, died March 8, 1887.) He and his adherents from his church smuggled so many Sharps rifles to Bleeding Kansas that the Sharps rifles picked up the nickname Beecher’s Bibles. Wikipedia states: “Several of his brothers and sisters became well-known educators and activists, most notably Harriet Beecher Stowe, who achieved worldwide fame with her abolitionist novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” — Some Good News: Supreme Court Strikes Down New York Concealed-Carry Restriction.  This will force at least six liberal states to adopt “shall issue” instead of “may issue” CCW …

On June 23, 1868, American inventor Christopher Latham Sholes received a patent for a typewriter. Sholes invented the QWERTY keyboard. Along with Samuel W. Soule, Carlos Glidden, and John Pratt, Sholes has been contended as one of the inventors of the first typewriter in the United States. — Today’s feature article is not an entry for Round 101 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. It was written by a SurvivalBlog advertiser, and hence it is ineligible for the writing contest judging. — More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 101 ends …

On June 22, 1633, Galileo Galilei was coerced by Pope Gregory XV to recant his belief in heliocentrism–that the Earth orbits the Sun. The Vatican did not concede that it was wrong until October 31, 1992. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 101 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used …

June 21st is the birthday of Rex Applegate (June 21, 1914 – July 14, 1998), author of Kill or Be Killed. He was the friend and mentor of SurvivalBlog’s Field Gear Editor Emeritus, Pat Cascio. — A Special Request from JWR:  I’m in the process of re-organizing my workshop, so I’m looking to buy several sets of used, reasonably-priced heavy-duty storage shelves with metal frames, from here in the American Redoubt. I’m willing to travel as far away as Spokane, Washington, Kalispell, Montana, Lewiston, Idaho, or Colfax, Washington, to pick them up. They can be up to 12 feet tall, …

June 20th is the birthday of Audie L. Murphy, America’s most-decorated veteran. He was born in 1925. He died in a plane crash on May 28, 1971. — The Last Day! We are ending our summer sale, at Elk Creek Company at midnight, Pacific Time, tonight. We’ve reduced the prices on all of our percussion replica guns, and nearly all of our pre-1899 cartridge guns. With the recent dip in the spot price of silver, this is a great time to buy. Note that we have our prices listed in both pre-1965 silver coinage  and in current rapidly-inflating Federal Reserve …

June 19, 1834 was the birthday of Charles Haddon (C.H.) Spurgeon, who died 31 January 1892. He was a British Particular Baptist preacher. — Today’s feature article is by our Field Gear Editor, Thomas Christianson. — We are in need of entries for  Round 101 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 101 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage …

June 18th is the birthday of Pastor Douglas Wilson. Born in 1953, he is the pastor at Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho. He is a prodigious author of books and articles on Reformed theology. — Just two days left! We are nearing the end of our pre-summer sale, at Elk Creek Company. We’ve reduced the prices on all of our percussion replica guns, and nearly all of our pre-1899 cartridge guns. With the recent dip in the spot price of silver, this is a great time to buy. Note that we have our prices listed in both pre-1965 silver coinage  …

Today we remember the birthday of the late Dean Ing (June 17, 1931 – July 21, 2020.) He was a master of writing science fiction novels and techno-thrillers. His novel The Ransom of Black Stealth One (1989) was a New York Times bestseller. His nuclear war survival novel Pulling Through is considered a survivalist classic. Ing was a member of the Citizens’ Advisory Council on National Space Policy. He wrote more than 30 novels, and co-authored several novels with his friends Jerry Pournelle, S. M. Stirling, and Leik Myrabo.  He also authored articles on preparedness topics, for Mel Tappan’s P.S. …

Today is the birthday of pioneering economist Adam Smith, in 1723. He was born in Kirkaldy, County Fife, Scotland. He died July 17, 1790. — Just four days left! We are continuing our pre-summer sale, at Elk Creek Company. We’ve reduced the prices on all of our percussion replica guns, and nearly all of our pre-1899 cartridge guns. With the recent dip in the spot price of silver, this is a great time to buy. Note that we have our prices listed in both pre-1965 silver coinage  and in current rapidly-inflating Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs.) The last day of the …

Following a revolt by the English nobility against his rule, King John put his royal seal on the Magna Carta, or “Great Charter” on this day in 1215AD. This document, essentially a peace treaty between John and his barons, guaranteed that the king would respect feudal rights and privileges, uphold the freedom of the church, and maintain the nation’s laws. Although it was more a reactionary than a progressive document, the Magna Carta was seen as a cornerstone in the development of democratic England by later generations. — We are continuing our summer sale, at Elk Creek Company. We’ve reduced …

On June 14, 1982 Argentina surrendered to Great Britain, ending the 74-day Falklands Islands conflict. On June 14, 1834, sandpaper was patented by Isaac Fischer Jr., of Springfield, Vermont. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 101 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or …