Month: July 2006

Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog reader “Keiser” mentioned that SustainableLiving.org has some interesting commentary on the economic implications of a long term oil shortage.    o o o David in Israel Recommends: In the event of a power grid outage a hand crank cellular phone charger (available on eBay) can keep you talking. At least as long as the fuel lasts for the generators at the cell towers. (And not all of them have backup power.)    o o o It is good to see that the spot price of silver has bounced back to the vicinity of $11.35 per ounce. I expect that …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Weapons compound man’s power to achieve; they amplify the capabilities of both the good man and the bad, and to exactly the same degree, having no will of their own. Thus we must regard them as servants, not masters – and good servants to good men. Without them, man is diminished, and his opportunities to fulfill his destiny are lessened. An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it.” – Col. Jeff Cooper


Note from JWR:

As promised, the following is a report from SurvivalBlog reader who "Imbedded" for the duration of the United Nations Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW). This gentlemen, who prefers to remain nameless, is working inside the UN headquarters building for an NGO with full access to the conference–not just a protestor out of the front steps. We appreciate his perspective.


SurvivalBlog Insider Report from the UN Small Arms and Light Weapons Conference

My experience at the UN’s Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) was very informative. To begin, it is important to note that the idea behind this conference is a follow-up on the 2001 conference’s Program of Action (POA). This being the case, the 2001 conference, like this one, is about Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons – not about Legal Small Arms (not about civilian possession or ownership). Basically put, the 2006 Conference was to Implement the 2001 POA – not add to it or subtract from it – as agreed in 2001 by all signatories (the U.S. …


Letter Re: Pre-1899 Finnish M39 Mosin Nagant 7.62x54R Rifles and Ammo

Jim, Concerning the Polish 7.62x54r ammo question: I have shot several thousand rounds of it through my PKM machine gun without a single misfire. The accuracy has pleasantly surprised me as well. As yet, I have shot little of it through my MN [Mosin Nagant] bolt rifles but have not had any problems there so far. Czech, Russian, Polish, Chinese have all been fine. The only 54r ammo that has been a consistent problem is the Albanian. Crimp is not done properly making it nearly impossible to load into Russian belts and feed into my PKM and SG-43 Goryunov. It …



Note From JWR:

We just received two cases of the book The Encyclopedia of Country Living, by Carla Emery. This is the Memsahib’s #1 recommended book! This book is our best selling non-fiction title. It is a “must” for every well-prepared family! (I recommend that you buy at least two copies, because odds are that you will lend yours out, never to return!) We have sold so many of these that we now buy them by the case, directly from the publisher. Brand new condition. Latest (9th) edition, from 2003–still current.) Soft cover. 881 pages. We currently have 18 copies available. $26 each, …


David in Israel Re: Recommendations on Hardening a Garage Door?

Jim: While I worked in the fire service we had entry techniques which make even cinder block easy to penetrate using just hardware store tools. I suggest that the gentleman with a remote shop not even try to secure the front door but rather build within he garage a poured cement or at least cement filled and re-bar reinforced closet/room with a steel or barred door with a high security store lock for all of his tools. A garage door is so easily defeated that only a roll-up security steel door presents any challenge at all. Reinforcing and armoring the …


Letter Re: James Kunstler at Midwest Renewable Energy Fair

Dear Jim: I was also at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association’s (MREA) Energy Fair, just about in the exact center of Wisconsin near Steven’s Point, a week ago. For me, the home tour was the most interesting part. For about $20 they load you on a school bus and take you to 4 local homes that had alternative energy incorporated into them. This included things like solar panels for electricity with a battery bank, heat pumps with in floor hydronic heating systems, soap stone fireplaces (like the Russian design) that burn 2 hours and radiate heat all day (some with …


Letter Re: Another Six Meter Band Propagation “Opening”

Jim: I worked a few stations this evening; one into Montana with my 10 watt transceiver. The 6 meter band has been red hot the last few days. I’ve even heard brief openings allowing hams on the West Coast of the U.S. to chat with folks in Europe. Sometimes the openings start very early in the morning. These are very unusual propagation conditions. OBTW, You have to read this: http://k7xc.tripod.com/ This guy is very funny. His writing style is great. He should start his own blog! Talk about working on a shoe string. Best Regards, – Fred the Valmet-meister


Odds ‘n Sods:

The high bid in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction (for the RWVA Super Shooter’s package is now at $150. Our special thanks to the RWVA and Fred’s M14 Stocks for sponsoring this fund raiser! (The prize is worth $250+.). Please submit your bids via e-mail. This auction ends on the last day of July. OBTW, speaking of the RWVA, they have a Rifle Instructor’s Camp coming up at the end of August in Ramseur, North Carolina. It is a great opportunity for you to learn how to teach others how to shoot like a pro–including your own family members.    o …



Letter Re: Pre-1899 Finnish M39 Mosin Nagant 7.62x54R Rifles and Ammo

Jim, Concerning the Polish 7.62x54r ammo question: I have shot several thousand rounds of it through my PKM machine gun without a single misfire. The accuracy has pleasantly surprised me as well. As yet, I have shot little of it through my MN [Mosin Nagant] bolt rifles but have not had any problems there so far. Czech, Russian, Polish, Chinese have all been fine. The only 54r ammo that has been a consistent problem is the Albanian. Crimp is not done properly making it nearly impossible to load into Russian belts and feed into my PKM and SG-43 Goryunov. It …


Note from JWR:

The high bid in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction (for the RWVA Super Shooter’s package is at $20. Our special thanks to the RWVA and Fred’s M14 Stocks for sponsoring this fund raiser! (The prize is worth $250+.). Please submit your bids via e-mail. This auction ends on the last day of July.


Letter Re: More on Asteroid Impacts

Dear Jim: For those who still think an asteroid impact is nothing to worry about, this was just posted on the Australian survival site forum, http://www.aussurvivalist.com: a 10 inch asteroid just hit the moon with the power of four tons of TNT, making a crater just over 42 feet wide. The event was captured on video. Although it is acknowledged that this would have been unlikely to make it through Earth’s atmosphere, the point is this goes on all the time, and Earth being hit by one that makes it through is just a matter of time. It is also …