Year: 2009

Letter Re: Question on Commercial Parts and Critical Spare Parts for M1A Rifles

Jim, Love your site. I have a question in looking through blogs regarding M1A rifles I found some folks complaining about failures with recent M1A rifles that didn’t have USGI parts and replacement with genuine USGI parts was not even offered. I wanted to know your opinions and recommendations regarding this rifle without genuine USGI parts especially the extractor. Thanks, – Joe JWR Replies: The biggest problems with M1As seem to be the commercially-made bolts and operating rods. Some of those are fine, but at different times those produced by several makers has suffered from poor quality control. But short …


Letter Re: Responding to a CBRNE Event, by J. Paramedic

James, That was a great article by “J. Paramedic” on CBRNE events. Not that any of your readers have overly rosy predictions of first responders, but I wanted to add a few points. All in our agency are issued PPE gear. One suit, one mask, one cartridge. We are better funded. Some agencies issue individual gas masks, but issue PPE gear “per squad” (as in, kept at station, enough for squad on patrol plus some.) The decision was made that it was better to lightly equip everyone rather than heavily equip a select team, especially due to extremely large patrol …


Mexican Flu Update:

Reader RG in Arizona recommended this article: Scientists dig for lessons from past pandemics Mexico: No New Swine Flu Deaths; Cases Up to 443 UK: Supermarkets Prepare For Panic Buying Why the Flu Can Never Be Eradicated CDC Current Statistics 21 states, 160 cases, 1 death (“officially”) More Schools Shut As Swine Flu Spreads (430 schools) “The government issued new guidance for schools with confirmed cases, saying they should close for at least 14 days because children can be contagious for seven to 10 days from when they get sick. That means parents can expect to have children at home …


Economics and Investing:

Aubie Baltin comments on the $1,200 trillion ($1.2 quadrillion or $1.200,000,000,000,000) derivatives market, bonds, monetization, and hyperinflation. Items from The Economatrix: Desperate Car Dealers Get Useless Loans SBA’s redefinition of “small business” makes financing availabile…with strings attached. Pontiac, Pop Culture Icon, Hits the End of the Road Labor Day Rioting in Berlin Over Economy Gold Isn’t Going to $2,000 Per Ounce UK: Company Failures are “Tip of the Iceberg” Riots Across Europe Fueled By Economic Crisis France: May Day Warning Petraeus: Pakistan Could Be Two Weeks Away From Collapse


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Phil B. wrote to warn us about LBW Eyewear, for failure to deliver orders. They are a discount  mail order eyeglasses company that was mentioned previously in SurvivalBlog. As it turns out the BBB has LBW Eyewear listed with an “F” rating, with “8 resolved/closed and 8 unresolved/no-answer complaints.” Avoid them! OBTW, the Zenni Optical company has a better reputation for reliability and customer service than LBW Eyewear.    o o o KAF sent us a Wall Street Journal link: The Taliban’s Atomic Threat    o o o Greg C. pointed out this article on the “cleaner, greener” rhetoric …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 22 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The contest prizes include: First Prize: Two transferable Front Sight  “Gray” Four Day Training Course Certificates. This is an up to $4,000 value! Second Prize: A three day course certificate from OnPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing Round 22 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for …


Responding to a CBRNE Event, by J. Paramedic

CBRNE is an acronym for Chemical-Biological-Radiological-Nuclear-Explosive events. [It is most commonly spoken “Sea-Burn”] This article gives a general guideline for responding to such incidents, geared toward the individual or small group with basic medical/trauma care abilities and little to no rescue capability. Some details about each type of event are also included. Note that I am a paramedic; my training is geared toward that venue, and this essay reflects that. However, many of the same principles are relevant to anyone forced by circumstances to respond to such incidents, not just public safety personnel. Deliberate Attacks Versus Accidents Most CBRNE events …


Mexican Flu Update:

SurvivalBlog reader Laurence W. wrote to warn that it is premature to post early estimates that the Mexican Flu is mild. “It may or may not be. There are not enough data points yet to speak authoritatively. All one can correctly say is that it is too early to tell.” He cited recent some well-informed discussion threads in the Flu Wiki Forum and the PlanForPandemic.com Forum. Reader Laura C. recommended visiting the US Archives Online Exhibit of 1918 Flu. Photographs and Letters. 141 Cases, 19 States “The World Health Organization is warning of an imminent pandemic because scientists cannot predict …


Economics and Investing:

Three more failed banks taken over by regulators. (Thanks to Laura H. for the link) Items from The Economatrix: US Families Rely on Handouts in World’s Richest Country Flu Heightens Mexico’s Economic Sickness Government Nervous About Stress Test Results S&P Downgrades Seven Dubai Businesses US GDP Poised for Epic Collapse US Empire Built on False Prosperity Collapsing The Impending Mother of All Oil Shocks Credit Crisis Bank Stress Tests: If You Believe the Banks are Recovering… “They allow Goldman Sachs to bury the fact that they left December out of their financial results deep in their footnotes. Shockingly, Goldman lost …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A back-door multinational gun registration scheme, complete with extradition for violators.    o o o Ron in New York recommended this: When the Power Goes Out, Grab a Gun First    o o o Employee Steals $12 Million in Gold From Queens Jeweler. And she high-graded it one piece at a time, over the course of decades. I guess this rules out trying to convince a jury that it was just a brief lapse of judgment.



Letter Re Advice for College Students Living Abroad

Hi, I’m a student from Singapore studying overseas in Australia and I’m also a Christian. I have been following your blog for quite awhile, and there are some things I would like to ask. First, what advice can you give to students studying overseas? As a student, I stay on my own in a rented place, and probably will have to move every six months or so, so stockpiling food and goods are only feasible for about a month or two worth of food, as I will have to shift everything I own on my own to my new place …


Note from JWR:

The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction. is now at $760. This auction is for a large mixed lot, which includes: 1.) A Three-Color Desert Camo Interceptor OTV (Outer Tactical Vest) size XL only, and a spare Woodland camouflage outer shell, kindly donated by BulletProofME.com. These items have a combined retail value of $960! 2.) A vehicle detection system, which includes: one MURS Alert Probe Sensor (MAPS) with 50 foot probe cable and one MURS Alert Hand Held (M538-HT) transceiver. The MAPS unit’s probe can be covertly installed under the surface of a driveway or road to detect vehicular …


Letter Re: The Rush Has Begun for Flu Prep Logistics

Aloha James, To confirm your take on the need to prepare ahead of time, I realized last weekend that this current event (Mexican Flu) would be a good opportunity to actually measure public reaction to an emergency. Thus, once the government announced a health emergency on Saturday, I began watching the shelves at three local drug stores and Amazon. Here’s what happened in Honolulu, Hawaii (a city of 800,000 and an international airport hub). Saturday – all shelves full of flu meds & masks Sunday – masks half gone, some in the back of the store, shelves full of flu …