Year: 2006

Letter Re: Recommended Spare Parts For AR-15s and A Planned Move to Wyoming

Great site Mr. Rawles! I view it most every day. Have also passed your book (“Patriots”) on to two friends after having my two sons read it. I have a general question for your readers. I just purchased a Bushmaster .223 [AR-15 clone] with Eotech site system. I am wondering during a TSHTF scenario what parts to this weapon should I have in backstock? [JWR’s replies are in-line, in bold.] Ideally, it would be best to a have a complete spare carrier assembly, to provide a quick “in the heat of battle” replacement in case you break a firing pin …


Letter Re: Backup Generator Purchase Recommendations

Jim, Our power here on the North Coast has gone out twice in as many weeks. This time it was out all day Saturday and Sunday, for a total of 40 hours. (Some are still without power, and may be for days.) I intend to be ready for the next one. In a few weeks I plan on purchasing the Northstar 5500 Watt professional. http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=6970&productId=448&R=448  That is unless you raise a red flag. But I thought the topic of emergency power might be a good one at this time, since so many are without power. BTW, I might add that …



Note From JWR:

One of the benefits of reading SurvivalBlog is that you get essentially free consulting. Once I began posting SurvivalBlog in August of 2005, my consulting income (at $50 per hour) dropped off to zero.  The reason was obvious: By merely e-mailing me their questions, folks can get them answered gratis, in the blog. I’m not begging for 10 Cent Challenge donations, but please consider that what your read in SurvivalBlog has some value. The sad fact is that only 32 readers (out of the +/- 9,000 that read SurvivalBlog every week) have ponied up 10 cents per day, or more.  …


The Memsahib on the National Animal Identification System (NAIS)

The USDA and the Agrobiz giants have been crafting a national animal identification scheme that threatens the traditional freedom of self sufficiency, the privacy of Americans, and the livelihood of organic farmers, and family farms. The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is the creation of the Agrobiz giants Monsanto, Cargill Meat, National Pork Producers, and others to monopolize American food production using fear tactics to advance their agenda. The NAIS scheme was not created by any act of congress. Rather, it is merely a presumptuous bureaucratic dictate. The NAIS plan requires two types of mandatory registration for everyone who owns …


Two Letters Re: National Animal Identification System (NAIS)

Memsahib: There was a good article and a great editorial in the December issue of “Acres USA” (Best farm magazine in America:  http://www.acresusa.com/magazines/magazine.htm ) on NAIS. I know one employee of the Idaho Dept. of Agriculture who is very skeptical about NAIS. I found the Acres article, “Tagging Terrorist Chickens” at: http://www.freetennessee.org/NAIS_proposal_overview.html. I still recommend reading the editorial in the magazine. Also, see Mary Zanoni’s writing: http://www.warmwell.com/05sept30regsoppose.html The NAIS has been discussed on Timebomb 2K over the past year but not in much depth. There is now a Stop Animal ID Message Board: http://stopanimalid.org/forum/index.php I hope this helps some. Regards, …


Letter from “F1” on Amateur Radio Gear and Out of Band

A couple of comments on a couple of things: All of my (ham) radios are modified for out of band operations. No, it’s not legal to use them to transmit on those frequencies, except in an emergency. However, I can listen to public service agencies (not using trunked radios), listen (in the city) to the direct feed helicopter traffic reporters and get traffic reports all the time (one helicopter crew will report for a half-dozen or more different stations at different times during the hour), etc. Since most modern radios are very, very easy to modify (clip a diode or …


From the Army Aviator on Military Surplus Transceivers

Jim: Fred the Valmet-meister’s letter got me thinking about radios. I’ve been using the SpecOps AN/PRC-104 HF radio, I have more than one, and I am continuously amazed. This afternoon, from my box canyon in central Colorado, wearing the backpack 20 watt radio, I held conversations with friends in Michigan, Virginia, SoCal, Oregon, Kansas and others of “The Group”. This isn’t what some call skip, this is a knowledgeable amateur operator plying the trade. The conversations were generally telephone quality. Tying this into Mr. Coffee’s posting, I also use the SpecOps OP-177 power and battery charger kit which consists of …


Letter Re: The Future of the U.S. Dollar, Peak Oil, and Iran’s Nuclear Program

James: In researching data this afternoon I came across a article in the MuseLetter (#149, dated August of 2004) at http://www.museletter.com/archive/149.html. It has an interesting history of our U.S. dollar and it’s potential future. It also has reference to an petroleum website http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/ that you may find interesting reading. (Also published 2004.) As an aside, World Net Daily mentioned that a reporter from Der Spiegel printed a story that the U.S. is preparing action against Iran’s Nuclear program, possibly by March [I think that] 2007 and 2008 may be interesting times.


Letter Re: New Year’s Resolutions: Recommended Reading Material

Hi Folks, How about New Year Resolutions? Made any yet? We all will make plenty I’m sure. Why not make one to read the following books (if you already haven’t) Patriots, Unintended Consequences, Enemies Foreign and Domestic, and Molon Labe. Also read the shareware novels Lights Out and The Bug Out. IMHO they are all excellent manuals for when TSHTF and TEOTWAWKI. They have all touched me deeply and profoundly. They have opened my eyes wider than back when we were preparing for the Y2K fire drill. The latest one that I read was The Bug Out [a short story …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The hens at the Rawles Ranch are starting to lay early this new year. One year it was “every elk recipe known to man.” This year, I suspect, it will be: “every recipe containing eggs known to man.” o o o I just heard that KT Ordnance is offering 10% off of all orders (all 80% complete frames, not just 1911s), that come from SurvivalBlog readers from now until the end of January. The sale pricing excludes tools and jigs. This is a great way to get yourself guns with no paper trail, since 80% complete receivers that you finish …



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 …