Free Republic

President Obama’s second-term effort to get Americans to hate guns has backfired. Not only did firearm sales in 2013 blow out all records, interest in learning more about Second Amendment issues has risen dramatically. This is evidenced by the news that circulation for the magazine “American Rifleman” has broken into the top 25 magazines in the country, according to the Alliance for Audited Media. The magazine, which is published by the National Rifle Association (NRA), surged 29 percent to 2.2 million readers in the second half of 2013 over the same period the previous year. At the same time, circulation...

40th U.S. President Ronald Reagan aims a rifle from a window onboard Air Force One; circa 1983

The Rifleman - The Anvil Chorus (1962) Gun-banning Deputy Nils Swenson takes control of Northfork when the Marshall is out of town. Hijinks ensues. After Swenson stops a man from shooting off his revolver in celebration, he gets an idea. A very bad idea. Deputy Swenson: "People carryin' around guns, causin' trouble. Take away the guns, no trouble." Lucas: "Have you had any trouble since [Marshall] Micah left? Swenson: "Well, no..." Lucas: "Nils, this territory has a lot of growin' up to do. And until that's done, we can't take away a man's right to protect himself." I would argue...

I use the word “Rifleman” in the following text as a general term that could also be interpreted as “warrior”, “knight”, “patriot, “samurai”, “protector” or any number of other terms. At any rate, mere skill at rifle marksmanship is not what I’m talking about, and any number of other skill sets may fit the following description. If you’re reading this for pleasure, you’re very likely a rifleman or an aspiring rifleman (I include women in the word “rifleman” because I remember what proper English is, even though I seldom speak it). If you’re a rifleman, you might have thought about...

GURKHA rifleman Lachhiman Gurung won the Victoria Cross, our highest award for gallantry in battle, for his bravery on behalf of Allied troops against the Japanese in Burma in 1945 http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/obituaries/Obituary-Lachhiman-Gurung-VC-Gurkha.6661976.jp

“When the resolution of enslaving America was formed in Great Britain, the British Parliament was advised by an artful man, who was governor of Pennsylvania, to disarm the people; that it was the best and most effectual way to enslave them; but that they should not do it openly, but weaken them, and let them sink gradually.” — George Mason of Virginia, 1788 Our Founding Fathers were absolutely adamant about the right of the people to keep and bear arms. They were students of history and understood that from classical antiquity forward, an armed citizenry was essential to the preservation...

Phoenix, Arizona --(AmmoLand.com)- Thanksgiving is a time for reflection on our blessings, including the blessings of liberty and on the sacrifices our forebears made for us. With that in mind, son Brandon and I wrapped up our Thanksgiving observations slung into battle rifles on the firing line at the beautiful, newly remodeled and re-christened Joe Foss Shooting Complex near Buckeye, Arizona. As I concentrated on sight picture, breathing and trigger control, I was truly thankful. Over the past four years, as regular readers of this space will be aware, a group that goes by the delightfully seditious name of “Revolutionary...

In the early days of America's history, before independence, wily frontiersmen formed community militias to provide protection from the native Indians and French-Canadian settlers. By the 1760s, peace resulted in militia training reaching a low point. For example, during militia training, a common salute to an officer consisted of a militiaman's firing a blank shot at an officer’s feet. A general sense of humor and neglect existed among the colonists toward formal military discipline. However, marksmanship and weapon handling remained important as a part of daily life and thus was regularly practiced. Many of the other practices of the...

Insurgencies are not put down in a fortnight. But considering the successes in the recent counter-insurgency sweep in Iraq's Al Anbar Province, one fact becomes obvious to anyone with so much as a sliver of an understanding of ground combat operations: Eliminating the insurgency in Iraq is best left to those who best know how to do it.

Project Appleseed: Planting the Spirit of the American Rifleman The Revolutionary War Veterans Association is launching a nationwide effort to re-establish what once stood as the primary protection of our unalienable liberties. Through Project Appleseed, their goal is to "plant the Spirit of the Rifleman" across America, working together to find or create facilities and resources to allow every able and willing citizen to learn to shoot a rifle safely and well, and to do so close to home.

Like the exploits of 21st-century special operators – including U.S. Navy SEALs, Army Delta soldiers, Force Recon Marines, Air Force commandos, and CIA paramilitary operatives – stories of men like Ortiz are rarely gleaned from books, newspapers, and magazines. Their incredibly dangerous work often goes unseen and is thankless.