Day: January 8, 2013

Notes from JWR:

January 8th is the birthday of the late Algis Budrys (born 1931, died June 9, 2008.) He was the Lithuanian-American science fiction author who wrote the classic survivalist novel Some Will Not Die. — We are pleased to welcome our newest advertiser: StatGearTools.com. They are the makers of the T3 Tactical Triage & Auto Rescue Tool. Anyone who commutes or drives for a living (truck drivers, bus or taxi drivers, etc.) should carry one of these tools. It may help you save a life! — Today we present another entry for Round 44 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The …


Accurizing a Precision Rifle on a Budget, by Mike L.

“Only accurate rifles are interesting.” – Col. Townsend Whelen We all know when we are shooting a super accurate rifle; when everything just “clicks” and the shooter, cartridge, and rifle come together to make great groups. But what are the variables involved in making a rifle accurate? And more importantly, how can we control some of those variables ourselves? One of the keys to accuracy, perhaps the most important one, is consistency. We know that, as shooters, we need to be very consistent to become good marksmen. We mount the gun the same way every time, control our breathing and …


Letter Re: Advice on Finding Full Capacity Magazines

Dear Mr. Rawles I am quite sad to say that you warned me about stocking up on [full capacity] magazines, but I ignored you. I stupidly concentrated on building a couple of .22 target rifles. Now I’m hurting. Here’s my situation: I have a Bravo Company (BCM) M4 with only three magazines (30 round), and a Mini-14, also with three mags. (One is a factory 5 rounder, and the 2 others are junky “PMI” [aftermarket] 30 rounders that I don’t trust [to feed reliably].) I also have a Beretta Model 92 [9mm pistol], but for that I’m in pretty good …


News From The American Redoubt:

Selway Armory, in Lolo, Montana was recently mentioned in a CBS News item: Assault Rifles, Ammo Flying Off Shelves After Newtown Massacre    o o o A misguided prepper? Man charged after parking SUV in big hole on federal land.    o o o Some other odd news from Idaho: Couple takes wrong car home from grocery store. (And unknowingly keeps if for three days!)    o o o Online academy classes to be tested in Idaho schools. (Students nationwide–especially homeschoolers–are now widely using Khan Academy materials.)    o o o Chuck Baldwin: My Line In The Sand Is Drawn …


Economics and Investing:

Tiny gold bars latest rage for jittery investors G.G. mentioned this at Zero Hedge: Here Comes The Student Loan Bailout Also from G.G.: Spain Drains Fund Backing Pensions WSJ: Who Pays More Tax in 2013? Items from The Economatrix: The Middle Class In America Is Being Wiped Out — Here Are 60 Facts To Prove It Max Keiser & Jim Sinclair & Bill Gross:  USD Will Collapse In 2013 Housing A Sweet Spot For US Economy As Recovery Expands After The Fiscal Cliff, Challenges To Economic Growth Remain


Odds ‘n Sods:

Some fascinating demographics: This Map Shows Where Everyone Is Moving To And From In America. It is surprising to see an outflow from Wyoming. I suspect that some of that is oil and gas industry folks moving up to the Bakken Boom Towns. (Thanks to Bart S. for the link.)    o o o Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) spotted this: Buttstock Bashfest: GearScout finds out just how far tough talk goes    o o o Reality Check: Fast and Furious Operation Was Really About U.S. Supporting the Sinaloa Drug Cartel? (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)    …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“So now that there is a new tragedy the president wants to have a “national conversation on guns”. Here’s the thing. Until this national conversation is willing to entertain allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons, then it isn’t a conversation at all, it is a lecture. Now when I say teachers carrying concealed weapons on Facebook I immediately get a bunch of emotional freak out responses. You can’t mandate teachers be armed! Guns in every classroom! Emotional response! Blood in the streets! No. Hear me out. The single best way to respond to a mass shooter is with an immediate, …