TFB Review: ATN ThOR 6 Mini 384 3.5-28x Thermal Scope

I love a thermal that can pull double duty as a riflescope or a handheld, and the  ATN ThOR 6 Mini 384 3.5-28x  is built small enough to do both. ATN packs a 384x288 sensor and a 35 mm lens into a scope that measures 7.48 inches and weighs 1.19 pounds. Its minimum advertised price (MAP)...

By TFB Staff •

What Is a High Threat Environment?

“How do I know if I’m walking into a high-threat environment?” It’s a fair question, but we aren’t issued crystal balls capable of predicting violence before it happens. What we can do, however, is recognize conditions that have preceded violence enough to justify paying...

By Steve Tarani •

Three Mule Deer Hunts That Taught Me the Hard Way

Every hunter remembers the bucks they tagged. But the hunts that teach the most are usually the ones that fall apart. Michael “Micky” Luby puts it plainly: the hunts he botched outright shaped him far more than the successful ones ever did. Steven Rinella made a similar point when he ...

By James Chen •

Modular Box Blind Field Test: Does Orion’s 68VT Deliver?

A modular hunting blind costs far more than a pop-up, so the real question is whether the comfort, durability, and silence justify the jump. After Amanda Oliver ran the Orion 68VT through actual use, the verdict came down to how you hunt and how long you plan to leave a blind in the woods. If [&#...

By James Chen •

Miracle at Truk: Operation Hailstone

The Japanese seized the Caroline Islands in Micronesia in 1914, and established a naval base on the island of Truk within it in 1939. As the primary anchorage for the Imperial Japanese Navy’s 4th Fleet, Truk was soon transformed into a fortress. Truk seemed the perfect spot. Offering a natural ...

By Will Dabbs, MD •

Front Line Friday #37: EMS Gear on Patrol - What to Carry and Why

Welcome back to Front Line Friday. This week is a gear week, and the topic is medical gear an individual patrol officer can carry on the body to extend capability in the minutes before EMS arrives. Front Line Friday is brought to you by Dead Air Silencers , whose support keeps this column going e...

By Tom R •

Modernizing the Soviet RPD Machine Gun

The Soviet RPD (Ruchnoy Pulemyot Degtyaryova) was a pioneering light machine gun that played a short but vital role in early Soviet weapon development and in adopting new intermediate-caliber weapon systems; it was adopted in 1949 alongside the AK and SKS, which significantly influenced the Cold ...

By Lynndon Schooler •

FFL License Lookup: How to Verify Any FFL Dealer

Every transfer, sale and shipment between licensees rests on one question: is that FFL real and current? Here is how the ATF lookup actually works, what it returns, what it cannot tell you, and how customers use it to judge your shop.

By Fred Thompson •

Beating Bugs and Bucks in the Early Southern Season

Early-season deer hunting in the South means fighting two battles at once: staying still enough to kill a mature buck, and keeping the mosquitoes off you while you do it. The heat and humidity alone make sitting a treestand a chore, and mosquitoes stay prevalent throughout much of the South well ...

By James Chen •
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