News From The American Redoubt:

Wyoming legislator seeks to have his state “step aside” from any federal semi-auto and magazine bans. (Wyoming citizens should contact their state representatives and ask them to co-sponsor HB 104.)

   o o o

In Montana, Dark Money Helped Democrats Hold a Key Senate Seat: Jon Tester and Denny Rehberg in their June debate, when the two were locked in a tight race for a Montana senate seat.

   o o o

Another one of those “Only in Idaho” news stories: Ski patrol rescues lost sheep

   o o o

From the same folks in Spokane who make the Bed Bunker: The Truck Bunker

   o o o

An interesting thread in progress over at TMM: Technology Companies (Jobs) in Bozeman, Montana



Economics and Investing:

H.L. sent a video from Belarus that was apparently shot just after a currency revaluation. It illustrates what life can be like during a mass inflation: The Most Tolerant Cashier

John Rubino: We Created The Conditions For Catastrophic Failure

It Begins: Bundesbank To Commence Repatriating Gold From New York Fed

California’s “Prevailing Wage” – Floor Vacuuming At $45.93/Hour

Items from The Economatrix:

If The Fed Stops Printing, The Collapse Would Be So Incredible That People Would Eat Each Other In The Street

Box Demand As Economic Gauge Shows US Output Gains

Stimulus From Jobless Aid Fades As US Hiring Grows



Odds ‘n Sods:

Here it comes… Biden: White House readies 19 executive actions on guns. Obviously the series of meetings that Biden recently held were nothing but a charade. These Executive Orders must have been written months ago and waiting on the shelf for an opportune moment. If the Executive Branch moves are indeed drastic, I predict that we can expect to see: 1.) some robust assertion of State sovereignty in many western and southern states (akin to the recent legislative news from Wyoming and Texas), 2.) calls for impeachment, and 3.) calls for immediate intervention by the Supreme Court. (The 2000 Presidential election showed how quickly the Supreme Court can act.) And if there are overt moves toward secession, the court would have to move quickly to nullify any unconstitutional Executive Orders and thus prevent a national schism.)

   o o o

US Government Report Recommends Block Popular websites During Pandemic Flu Outbreak. The article begins: “The US government has issued a new report that recommends blocking access to popular websites during a pandemic outbreak in order to preserve internet bandwidth for investors, day traders and securities clearing house operations. The concern is that a pandemic would cause too many people to stay at home and download YouTube videos and porn, hogging all the internet bandwidth and blocking throughput for investment activities, thereby causing a stock…”

   o o o

Ruger Corp. has created a new Advocacy web page designed to put Citizens in contact with their elected representatives. Use it!

   o o o

I recommend that blog readers in Florida attend the Life Changes Be Ready Preparedness Expo and Gun Expo on Saturday January 19, 2013. I will be a guest speaker, via teleseminar. The event will be held at the Volusia County Fair and Expo Center in DeLand, Florida.

   o o o

Mac Slavo mentioned this: Stealth Wear: New Counter-Surveillance Clothing Makes You Invisible to Drones





Notes from JWR:

I just heard from Micah Wood of C.R.O.S.S. Ministries that he is flying to South Sudan on January 29th. During his first week there, he will have a host in Aweil who is with the South Sudanese national government who will be introducing him to key decision makers. Please pray that his vital ministry succeeds. Micah is a former Front Sight firearms instructor. His ministry in South Sudan will be both sharing the gospel and training the citizenry in marksmanship, to defend their villages. It is one thing to just protest Sudan’s ongoing genocide against the South Sudanese, but it takes real guts to do something to stop it. His ministry deserves your support!

Saturday January 19th will be National Gun Appreciation Day–a great day to attend a gun show, go to the range, or buy the very last box ammo still on the shelf at your local gun store–but not Wal-Mart, where they are rumored to be discontinuing some or all of their ammo sales.

To those have written to ask: There won’t be any SurvivalBlog editors attending SHOT Show, 2013, this week. But several folks have offered to pick up literature for us there. Thanks.



Update: SurvivalBlog Archive 2005-2012

The expanded SurvivalBlog 2005-2012 archive has been selling at a fast pace, via digital download. The DVD version of the archive should be available in another 6 or 7 days, after we’ve had time to test some prototypes. The DVD will be priced $2 higher than the digital download. Thanks for your patience.

This new archive collection has expanded bonus material (a digital copy of my book Rawles on Retreats and Relocation–normally $28 in hard copy–12 Firearms Manuals, and 14 U.S. Military Manuals), an improved user interface (with the same look and feel of the SurvivalBlog web site), and of course one more year of the blog content. The digital download and DVD both include the archives in HTML (10,131 pages) and PDF (7,923 pages). The blog archive is fully keyword searchable. It runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. The archive provides you with all of the SurvivalBlog context since 2005, even when you are out in the hinterboonies without an Internet connection, or if all of the Internet–or parts of the Internet– become, ahem, inaccessible.



Americans are Voting with Their Feet

It should come as no surprise that at the same time that Statists agitators are vociferously calling for more People Control that freedom lovers are heading for the exit doors in greater numbers, to wit: The American Redoubt movement, Glenn Beck’s announced Independence Park community (in Texas), calls for state secession (which has been going on longer than most people realize), the ongoing but sadly polarized Free State Movement (in which Free State Wyoming has the best chance of success, demographically), the quiet expatriation of thousands, primarily to various Central and South American countries, and the more splashy celebrity exits. There are also lots of other “out there” projects that may have difficulty getting past the concept phase, like Paulville, Texas, and Seasteading. But regardless, these are all indicative that people are willing to vote with their feet.

I predict that these trends will continue and that the polarization of world views will become more pronounced and sharply delineated in coming years. You can look for many other exit strategies being publicize. There will also be a lot more “Nien Danke!” legislation like the bill recently introduced in the Wyoming legislature (and about to be introduced in Texas) announced and inevitably enacted. The harder that the Statists push, the harder libertarians will push back. Some say this will lead to Civil War II. I dread that. God willing, we’ll see our Constitutional Republic restored peacefully. – J.W.R.



The III Citadel Controversy

The name “III Citadel” came into the limelight last weekend, when The Drudge Report posted a prominent link to a CNS article by Gregory Gwyn-Williams, Jr.. In a nutshell, a man identifying himself as “Sam III” who is somehow loosely associated with III Arms (a legitimate company, in West Virginia) started a patriot community building project, somewhere east of St. Maries, Idaho. When I first heard about it in November, I made just one short and noncommittal “this sounds interesting” mention in my blog. (A post which I just removed.)

Two days ago I was quite troubled to learn that the main promoter of Citadel III is a convicted felon. (That, according to the SipseyStreetIrregulars blog.)

In the III Citadel web page and blog, Mr. Hyman /Sam Kerodin / Christian Kerodin / Sam Kerillion / Sam Hellesponte / Sam III / Nom Du Jour seems to imply that I’ve somehow endorsed his venture or that what they are doing fits in with my American Redoubt concept.  I haven’t endorsed it, and he is not my buddy.  To the best of my knowledge I’ve never met, spoken or corresponded with the man. 

For some background, see:

“Citadel.” Convicted extortionist’s latest con gets huge play on Drudge.

and,

Three-letter frog in Kerodin’s pocket? Anecdotes of the Kerodin career. A convicted extortionist. Turns out his real name is Christian Hyman.

Again, I have nothing to do with Mr. Hyman.  My only nexus to him is that he chose a piece of land that is in one of the states that I recommend for relocation. He has apparently tried to capitalize on my name. According to the SipseyStreetIrregulars blog, Mr. Hyman “persuades folks to invest” in the project. My advice: Beware of III Citadel!

In closing, I should point out that III Arms is a separate entity and to the best of my knowledge they are a legitimate and reputable company. – J.W.R.



Pat’s Product Review: SIG Sauer Adaptive Carbine Platform (ACP)

SIG Sauer is always coming up with new and innovative firearms, they are on the cutting edge, and their products are always in great demand, too. To wit: many times I have to wait weeks and months, to get products to test from SIG – they are back-ordered quite often, and that attests to the popularity of their firearms. However, for this article, I didn’t test a firearm, instead, I tested the ACP – Adaptive Carbine Platform, this is not a firearm, it is an “accessory” if you will, that you can adapt to many full-sized handguns.
 
Some explanation is in order. What the ACP is, is a device (for lack of a better term) that can be attached to many firearms that have an accessory rail under the dust cover (they won’t work with a 1911, though). When you add your handgun to the ACP set-up, you basically convert your handgun into something of a Personal Defense Weapon (PDW), or something a bit like a “carbine.” This ACP comes in several different versions, and one can be used as a short-barreled rifle, if you can to jump through all the red tape that the FedGov requires – I won’t and don’t! Check with SIG, to make sure your intended handgun will work with the ACP before ordering one.
 
The ACP is manufactured out of aircraft grade aluminum, and is anodized black, a very attractive look to it, as well as a “mean” look when you get it all set-up on your handgun. The ACP also has accessory rails at 3, 6 and 9 o-clock (as well as the top rail), for attaching lasers, red dot scopes or whatever else you may desire on a PDW. I elected to test the Enhanced version of the ACP, this came with a SIG Sauer red dot sight, mounted on the 12 o’clock rail position (but SIG forgot the battery for this red dot sight). The enhanced version also comes with a bungee corded sling, that you can wear in several positions, and when you adjust it to your liking, you can extend the ACP out from your body, until there is tension, and you have a very stable platform for those longer shots.
 
I’m a firm believer in that, simpler is better, so I don’t add a lot of things to any of my firearms. However, I did think that the ACP would be a good candidate for a laser mounted on one of the accessory rails. I contacted my friend, Iain Harrison, at Crimson Trace and requested one of their CMR-201 Rail Master, universal lasers. If Iain Harrison’s name sounds familiar to you, then you’ll know he won the very first “Top Shot” firearm competition, on the popular television show. The guy can shoot, and he knows guns – period. The CMR-210 was a perfect match for the SIG Sauer ACP – I mounted the CMR-201 at the 9 o’clock position on the accessory rail, and it was right on for the zero. In my humble opinion, a laser should be mounted on the ACP – gives it that much more versatility.
 
Okay, now while the ACP was designed by SIG, you can use many different types and brands of handguns in this set-up. I elected to mount my Glock 19 in the ACP, and with a 33-rd magazine, it was the perfect set-up, we’re talking a serious PDW weapon here, that can not just reach out there and “touch someone” but it just looks super-mean. (Diane Feinstein is going to hate it.) It took some adjusting to get the Glock 19 to properly fit perfectly inside the ACP…but it really is easier than you think. SIG provides a video on their web site, and also provides a DVD with the ACP, demonstrating how easy it is to insert a handgun into the ACP. Like I said, the first time took a little longer – I wanted everything adjusted perfectly and securely. Once I had the adjustments made, I could easily insert and remove the Glock 19 inside of a couple minutes into the ACP without any problems. A bit of practice is all it takes, and SIG also provides inserts so you can adjust your handgun to fit perfectly inside the ACP. I tried a couple other handguns, but for my money, the Glock 17 or 19 is my preference for this set-up.
 
The lower portion of the ACP, right at the front, has a “catcher” for your forward hand, so your hand can not slip in front of the muzzle of the gun. This is legal to have in the United States, since it is not a forward grip – which would be illegal unless you registered this as a short-barreled rifle. You really need to check-out the ACP demo video on-line at the SIG web site to totally appreciate what I’m saying. The whole set-up really works as advertised, and I was a little skeptical when I first saw the ACP on-line at the SIG web site – I didn’t think it would work as well as it did – as well as advertised. It worked better than I thought it would!
 
Now, when you have your handgun all installed in the ACP, and properly adjusted, the first thing that will cross you mind is, “how do I chamber a round, the slide is covered by the frame of the ACP?” Not a problem, the way your handgun sits inside of the ACP, there is a lever on the left side of the ACP, simply pull back on this lever, and it retracts the slide, chambering a round – couldn’t be easier, and it is very instinctive to do. The muzzle of the ACP – it is huge when you look at it from the dangerous end – it looks like you have a grenade launcher you’re aiming at someone. Out of necessity, SIG designed the ACP front end, so that the entire slide of the handgun is enclosed in it – making the front end opening menacing, to say the least. Personally, I wouldn’t want to be looking down the front end of the ACP if I were a bad guy! The front end opening is so large, that you can use most sound suppressors on your handgun, if you are paid the $200 transfer tax to have one – the opening looks huge at the front end of the ACP.
 
The length of the ACP is 14-inches, and that’s not really too bad, when you look at the whole set-up. It weights in a 17+ ounces, and that isn’t adding a lot of weight to a Glock 19. The ACP is 2-3/4 inches wide, at the widest point. And the height is 7 inches tall, without a long magazine, such as the 33-round Glock 9mm magazine. You can also have the ACP without the sling and red dot, but I strongly suggest going the Enhanced Version route – I shot the ACP without the sling attached to my body, and it wasn’t very stable in my humble opinion. And, the red dot – that just adds to the whole set-up, you can get on-target very fast with the red do. You can also add after-market pop-up front and rear sights to the ACP if you want – just attach them to the 12 o’clock position accessory rail, and it’s not a bad idea to have these pop-up front and rear sights as a back-up to the red dot sight – never know when a battery might die or the red dot break. You can NOT use the sights on your handgun once it is inserted into the ACP – they are completely covered.
 
You can also manipulate all the controls on your handgun, once it is inside of the ACP – slide release, mag release, etc.  It did take me a little while to decide how I wanted to wear the bungee corded sling. I elected to have the whole set-up run across my chest – then I simply had to just pull the gun up away from my body, and extend it forward and fire, couldn’t be easier. And, I found I could easily engage targets of opportunity out to 75-yards without too much effort, and I’m betting, you can hit a man-sized target out to 150-yards. Now, the 9mm isn’t the most powerful handgun round, but I wouldn’t want to be hit with it – even at that distance – it can still kill!
 
I kept waiting for something to quit or break on the ACP, or for my Glock 19 to malfunction, so I could do a malfunction drill, but the gun just kept perking along without any problems. Now, the questions arises, is there a need for the ACP? Well, I believe there is, if you are into Executive Protection, and you want a little more versatility out of your handgun, and you might encounter targets at more than regular handgun distances, the ACP can be a great aid in this respect. As to a use in a survival situation – you bet! Look, we all can’t afford the latest whiz-bang ARs or AKs – and the ACP can really boost the versatility of your handgun – you basically have a short-barreled pistol caliber carbine with your handgun inserted into the ACP – without all the red tape involved in owning a SBR. Yes, it’s not quite as stable with the bungee corded sling, as it would be with a side-folding stock, but you’ll be amazed at just how tight you can get the ACP extended with the bungee corded sling, and how steady the whole set-up is. By adding the ACP to your handgun, you have increased your chances of engaging long-distance targets and hitting them, than if you only had a handgun in your hand.
 
Now, while the ACP isn’t currently on Diane Feinstein’s hit list of so-called “assault weapons” – you can be sure that at some point, she will probably add it to her list, if for no other reason than it is one bad-looking set-up, therefore it must be some kind of assault weapon, right? Well, that’s her weird thinking anyway. And, right now, you can’t find any 33-round Glock 9mm magazines, but when they become available again, grab as many as you can. And if you get an ACP, then you’d better get all you can afford to buy. If for no other reason, get the ACP set-up, just for the menacing look it has – it’ll sure grab the attention of everyone at the gun range when you shoot it, and they’ll all wonder what it is.
 
So, my answer is “yes” the ACP does have a place in the scheme of things, for use as a PDW or an addition to your handgun, turning it into a better survival weapon, for taking those longer shots. Full-retail is $499 for the enhanced version I tested. Get one while you still can, ’cause I predict they will ban it – even though it’s not a firearm. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Legal Proviso: To reiterate: In the United States it is illegal to install either a vertical foregrip or a buttstock on a pistol without first paying a $200 Federal Transfer Tax to turn it into a “Short Barreled Rifle” (SBR.) Do not risk a Felony conviction, a lengthy prison sentence, and forfeiture of your gun ownership and voting rights over just a one time $200 tax!
 
Disclaimer (per FTC File No. P034520): I accept cash-paid advertising. To the best of my knowledge, as of the date of this posting, none of my advertisers that sell the products mentioned in this article have solicited me or paid me to write any reviews or endorsements, nor have they provided me any free or reduced-price gear in exchange for any reviews or endorsements. I am not a stock holder in any company. SurvivalBlog does, however, benefit from sales through the SurvivalBlog Amazon Store. If you click on one of our Amazon links and then “click through” to order ANY product from Amazon.com (not just the ones listed in our catalog), then we will earn a modest sales commission.



Letter Re: One Approach at a EDC Get Home Bag

Hi James,
I have gone through many variants of a BoB or EDC Bag over the years, and feel that I’ve found a really good setup for a “covert” EDC bag that can function as a get home bag (GHB) more so than a BoB.  It doesn’t draw unwanted attention to carrier, but provides what I think is essential to EDC.  

As a summary, I am using a 5.11 Covrt Backpack as my bag.  It provides all the needs I want in a “tactical” bag but doesn’t scream “HEY LOOK!! I have a MOLLE bag with a bunch of stuff on it!  Shoot me first bad guy (or LEO, take notice of me).”

It is set up with:

  • Concealed full size pistol + 1 extra magazine
  • Individual first aid kit (IFAK)
  • Toiletry kit
  • Hand-crack radio
  • Leatherman MUT
  • Lock pick set,
  • Streamlight Pro-Tac 1l flashlight
  • Fire starter tools
  • Water purification items
  • Paracord wrap
  • Oakley gloves
  • ORAL IV rehydration ampoules
  • Pen/notepad
  • Poncho
  • Plus a slew of other small EDC items

That still leave plenty of room within the pack itself.  This is a bag I carry into work and in my car on a daily basis, and no-one gives me a second look.  Previously, I had a MOLLE bag with most of the same items in it, but it would draw unwanted attention to myself (even though I thought it looked cool). 

Regards, – Nick K.



Recipe of the Week:

Mama June’s Amish Brown Sugar Pie

I have been making this pie for holidays since I was 14 years old. It’s inexpensive. easy and tasty. It’s from an old Amish recipe, brown sugar pie, and sets up rather like a caramel custard.

The bonus here is the pie crust recipe, which is flaky and delicious and eliminates rolling! the Amish cookbook called it a “pat-in-pan” crust. Add a little garlic salt and flax or wheat germ and it’s the perfect crust for quiche! (My preferred way to use up our eggs.)

2 cups flour, white or wheat, more as needed
Pinch salt
1 tsp or so of sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I have used olive oil, too)
1/2 cup milk (reconstituted powdered milk works great here)

Put all dry ingredients in an 8 inch pie plate. Whisk oil and milk together in separate bowl. Slowly pour into pie plate, gently stirring into flour mixture with a fork. Use your fingers to form the crust, pressing the mixture up the sides and fluting the top (to make it pretty!) by pinching all the way around the top of the crust.

Now for the filling.

1 can evaporated milk
1 1/3 cups of brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
Dash cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
2 to 3 tsp butter

Chef’s Notes:

Add flour and brown sugar right into your pie plate with the unbaked crust. Pour in can of evaporated milk. Sprinkle on cinnamon and nutmeg, add pats of butter here and there. Now bake at 350 for an hour or so until crust begins to brown.

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Traditional Pie Crust

Top 20 Pie Recipes

Currently Available as Free Kindle e-Books:

35 Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

Slow Cooker Chicken, Pork, Beef & Beans Soup Recipes

First, the Soup: Healthy Soup, Stew, and Chili Recipes (a Scrumptious Low-Calorie Recipes Cookbook)

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!



Economics and Investing:

Washington state bank closes; first failure of 2013

H.G. flagged this: New data show 1 in 4 children on food stamps in FY 2011

Greeks Raid Forests in Search of Wood to Heat Homes. (Thanks to H.L. for the link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Powerful “Indicators” Suggest A Stock Market Sell-Off And Inflation Could Be Just Around The Corner

Beware The Bond Bubble In 2013

US May Default On Its Debt A Half-Month Earlier Than Expected, New Analysis Shows



Odds ‘n Sods:

An interesting new food grade container: Jolly Tank. Needless to say, it is not DOT-approved for carrying fuel in a vehicle, and of course such containers should be discarded after use to carry anything toxic or biohazardous. But I can see umpteen potential uses.

   o o o

California legislator plans to further tighten the screws on gun owners: New ammunition purchase regulations. See also: California testing limits of gun-control rules in wake of Newtown shooting.

   o o o

Biden Hints at Outlawing Unregulated Gun Sales. Of course there is NO FEDERAL JURISDICTION for private party intrastate sales of any used merchandise. The Interstate Commerce Clause does not apply. No Federal nexus means no Federal jurisdiction!

   o o o

Guns off the street? Fleet of cop cars robbed of weapons in Kansas City

   o o o

SurvivalBlog’s Michael Z. Williamson and Reader K.T. both mentioned this article: Brass vs. Steel Cased Ammo – An Epic Torture Test



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The supposed quietude of a good man allures the ruffian; while on the other hand, arms like laws, discourage and keep the invader and the plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property." – Thomas Paine



Notes from JWR:

Colorado alert: 14 to 20 New Anti-Gun Bills at the State Capitol. (“A ban on an undetermined number of semi-automatic firearms (No grandfather clause) A ban on magazines of over ten rounds (No grandfather clause) A ban on private sales by requiring universal background checks. A waiting period on background checks that will kill gun shows…”)

Today we present another entry for Round 44 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 44 ends on January 31st, 2013, 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 in the judging.