Note From JWR:

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David in Israel on Glock Handguns

James: I must agree with the previous poster, after becoming expert at diagnosing and smithing the Model 1911, I finally went the polymer gun way. A Glock will massively outlast a steel firearm–take abuse like an AK but still shoots accurately,. [Limited to a] “one handgun arsenal”, the Glock 17 won. Shooting +P 9mm which vastly outperforms standard 9mm loads safe for antique firearms also allows me compatibility with military ammo stockpiles [Israeli Uzi SMG ammo] if imports here are stopped. BTW, I suggest that everyone at a minimum (and in addition to your regular bench reloader) have a “Lee …




Letter from Fred the Valmet-Meister Re: Finding Quiet Amateur Radio Bands

Jim: I was listening to a bunch of hams chatting last night; some from Arizona and some from California talking about radios and bands etc. One of the things they talked about was that outside of the big cities, even on the popular 2 Meter band, it is pretty dead; even in [populous] California. Still, the most popular and most reliable means of two-way communications on the road is the CB radio. It is also much “cleaner” outside of the cities as well. Anyway, it was interesting to hear since some of these guys that travel a lot. The hams …




Letter from Mr. Coffee on: Longer Term Survival, Photovoltaics, Dog Breeds for Retreats, and Ballistic Protection for Windows and Doors

Jim, I have really enjoyed reading your blog the past five months of 2005 and look forward to reading it in 2006. Who knows what 2006 will bring? Something is coming and we all should continue to prepare as best we can.  The information you and your other contributors share is invaluable. Thanks for going to all the trouble of maintaining the blog every day of the year for the benefit of all of us. I found the letters from Norman and Mr. Whiskey in your Dec. 21st and 22nd editions about the idea that things may not return to …




Odds ‘n Sods:

There is some interesting data on how to run a self-sufficient farmstead on a tight budget at: http://www.eartheasy.com Yeah, they’re tree huggers, but that does not detract from their useful knowledge. Anyone that can make a living like that deserves some attention.(The editors live on next to nothing in British Columbia.) They publish a free e-newsletter.    o o o The gent who operates Freeze Dry Guy recently updated his website (http://www.freezedryguy.com).  And BTW, we just updated the link from his ad on SurvivalBlog.  (The link formerly  was to e-mail him.  It now goes directly to his web site.) Check …