Day: January 29, 2013

Notes from JWR:

I’m pleased to report that the expanded SurvivalBlog 2005-2012 archive has been selling at a fast pace, both via digital download and on DVD. This new archive collection has expanded bonus material (a digital copy of my book Rawles on Retreats and Relocation–normally $28 in hard copy–12 Firearms Manuals, and 14 U.S. Military Manuals), an improved user interface (with the same look and feel of the SurvivalBlog web site), and of course one more year of the blog content. The digital download and DVD both include the archives in HTML (10,131 pages) and PDF (7,923 pages). The blog archive is …


Sugar and Spice Will Always Be Nice, by Vic in Iowa

Many of the things we love today, and take for granted, will probably be very hard to come by, if things fall apart. This long list certainly includes condiments. You may be ready to grow your own food, and purify your own water. I hope you are. And you hopefully have tons of wheat and rye and rice and beans packed away, to fall back on while you learn to produce all the food you need. (I figure it may take me 3 years to get self-sufficient, and have stocked up accordingly.) But even if your pantry is stocked deep, …


Unarmed Defense in the Apocalypse, by Tony C.

Many people today are preparing for TEOTWAWKI in various ways. Much discussion and planning for a host of apocalyptic scenarios is underway and justifiably so as many factors converge to seemingly plunge the world into a looming sense of impending doom. We all hope for the best but must prepare for the worst in hopes of survival for ourselves and our families. Self defense is a cornerstone of prepping for the seemingly inevitable collapse of our modern societies. The procurement and use of firearms is the obvious and most effective means of protecting ourselves and our emergency supplies which we …


Letter Re: Canadian Pennies No Longer Issued After February 4th

Mr. Rawles, The window is closing to pick up Canadian pennies is quickly closing. The Royal Canadian Mint will no longer ship pennies to banks on February 4, 2013 and at the same time, banks will no longer “sell” pennies to their customers.  I did a run on about a dozen banks today, and some already out right refused to sell them to me. It’s worth noting that unlike the American government who debased their pennies in 1982,  the Canadian government fully debased the Canadian from 95% copper to copper washed zinc in 1996, so a circulated box of Canadian …


Letter Re: Another Recommendation for Todd Savage

Greetings from the American Redoubt!   Thank you for the time and expertise that you put into your blog site.  Like many, we consider your web site, books, and archived blogs on DVD to be a critical component to our preparedness planning.   We appreciate the articles that you and others write; they are very educational and  help us focus our time and other resources in the right directions.  Because of this education, we made the decision that it was time to move to the American Redoubt, relocating from a very congested Southeastern city.  The ads on the right side of your …


News From The American Redoubt:

Yakima County sheriff says he opposes assault weapon ban    o o o A Washington State Republican in effect says: “If it is good for the Goose…” Rep. Joel Kretz introduces wolf relocation legislation. (Thanks to T.C. for the link.)    o o o I’ve been told that Bitterroot Valley Ammunition & Components (in Stevensville, Montana) has expanded again, and is still doing a tremendous volume of manufacturing, making cartridges all the way up to .50 Browning.    o o o Idaho lawmaker wants to mandate cursive handwriting    o o o The NRA has warned: “Last week, a group …


Economics and Investing:

You read about this first in SurvivalBlog: Shale gas boom now visible from space The Real Story Of How ‘Untouchable’ Wall Street Execs Avoided Prosecution. (Thanks to Jim W. for the link.) Scam complete: the US government takes a page from Diocletian’s book… Items from The Economatrix: Gold Bank Run Accelerating In Europe Royal Canadian Mint Rationing Silver Coins Britain’s Economy Flirts With Triple-Digit Recession


Odds ‘n Sods:

Here at the Rawles Ranch we’ve kept busy the last couple of days assembling Kushnapup bullpup stocks for two of our Saiga 12 shotguns. The manufacturer had a two year delay from the original pre-sales announcement, but they appear to have been worth the wait. For “host” guns, we had already slightly modified two Saigas with Galil-style charging handles. The Gun Control Act of 1968 dictates a minimum barrel length of 18 inches for shotguns and 16 inches for rifles .There is also a minimum overall length requirement of 26 inches, for either. We opted to leave our barrels at …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"What is the meaning of a gold standard and a redeemable currency?  It represents integrity.  It insures the people’s control over the government’s use of the public purse.  It is the best guarantee against the socialization of a nation.  It enables a people to keep the government and banks in check.  It prevents currency expansion from getting ever farther out of bounds until it becomes worthless.  It tends to force standards of honesty on government and bank officials.  It is the symbol of a free society and an honorable government.  It is a necessary prerequisite to economic health.  It is …