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1. Part 6 addresses some serious operational problems that would have otherwise surprised most of us. Keeping the semi-auto rifle functioning in sub zero weather should be a primary concern.

   The AK-47 was made with Russian winters in mind, and should do fine with most light machine oils. I would oil it with just about any very light oil, even WD-40, and then wipe off the rails and bolt, and bolt carrier. There would remain a very thin film of oil that could not become gummy, or sticky. AKs are not perfect. Buying lower quality rifles of any kind presents a risk. On this AK, a custom firing pin was made to fix a light striking firing pin, and the feed ramp improved for soft point ammunition. All friction surfaces were polished, making the trigger and action butter smooth. The recoil spring slams the bolt close harder and faster as a result. The rifle was tested using hundreds of rounds.

   All magazines were dissembled, and cleaned, springs re-stretched a bit, if found to be slightly weak. One magazine still had cosmoline in it which may have caused it to malfunction in extreme cold weather, even though it functioned just fine during 3 different tests in about 20 degree F. The insides are cleaned, lightly oiled and then wiped dry as possible. The heavy and thick, yet softer steal surplus Combloc magazines are as indestructible as it gets, and not likely to crack in extreme cold temperatures. I have broke an aluminum distributor during removable in sub zero weather. Aluminum alloys can be brittle. I also do not trust plastics, or polymer magazines in sub zero temperatures.

   Unfortunately I have little experience with ARs, but have installed a high quality buffer spring with an extra 1 pound of force (Tubb’s flat spring), honed the chamber, and made lots of other refinements that has apparently fixed the problem on a new rifle. So far it tests good after being outside all night at 20 degrees, but I’m hoping to test at -20F before trusting it entirely. Until, only the AK will see sub zero temps. The AR had trouble going into battery at 40 degrees using brass cased ammunition. The chamber was very rough and so was honed, and the new spring performs beautifully, and is noticeably stronger, providing additional assurance. The spring makes no ringing sound after the bolt closes. It is now a different rifle than when purchased. The A2 flash hider was replaced by the much better Vortex flash hider as NV will be used on this rifle. Many small parts are probably made in China, and used on rifles made (assembled) in the U.S. Because the original firing pin still had machining marks on it, there was clearly failure in the quality control department here in the U.S.

   Even with all this work performed to ensure that these rifles will be reliable, should I forget and bring the rifle inside during a ‘warm up’, and then go back out, condensation will likely collect on the inside of the action, and freeze once back outside. This means the rifles could have ice on the surfaces where the bolt rides, and the rifle could fail to operate. With the AK, I could simply bust the ice loose by post holing the rifle, or use the foot on the bolt to clear it. The AR might simply be out of business. I would have discover what drill I could use with the AR in this event. I am wide open for suggestions…. I may in fact induce this condition, and learn by doing, rather than learning hard way. Those that need stupid simple like myself, should buy high quality AKs. The AR requires a much higher level of training make sure it remains reliable.

2. It’s been interesting reading this series as someone who never saw snow for the first 35 years of his life. While Australia does get snow (roughly an area the size of Connecticut) it only occurs in what passes for the high country and far removed from major population centers.

   I may not have much opportunity to put any of this into action, but knowledge is power.

   Thank you for sharing your hard won knowledge.

   1. A number of times, the author mentioned the usefulness of garbage bags. I have heard that it’s one of the few items taught to have in a kit at West Point. A contractors size garbage can be used to melt ice, collect water, a ground cloth, a wind break / shelter, keeping firewood dry overnight, a rain coat, and a duffel bag. Worth its weight.

      1. SK – I absolutely agree that garbage bags are one of the most useful items you can have in your kit. The ones I carry in my various prep kits are the 6.0mil ones made by PlasticPlace; they’re expensive but I don’t use them for general trash duties. You can find them on Amazon, or if you only need one or two you can actually order samples from their web site pretty cheaply.

   2. Tony says, “I may not have much opportunity to put any of this into action, but knowledge is power.”

      I know a woman who wears a button that says, “Knowledge is power; Power corrupts; Study hard and do evil.”

      Carry on (that isn’t on the button)

3. The FBI is using eminent domain to take over the distribution of night vision. What is the next false flag they are planning to do to us????

   1. Rumor is FLIR is no longer selling to the public. It’ll take awhile to get confirmation on all this. The info on the PVS-14, was 40 units were commandeered from Ready Made Resources. Prices elsewhere on NV have reportedly gone up. If what happens in Virginia is big enough, the government could step in a do a number of the things. I made sure everything was squared away ahead of this event. Ammunition sales have been climbing. Top off today if you can. The price/availability is likely to change.

4. Very fine 6 part series on winter living up in northern Maine on the Canadian border I can relate to a lot of things in these articles and I’ve learned things also which I was not aware of thank you for posting this series.

5. Thanks everyone for all of the posts that have been made on this series. As usual I’ve learned a lot from them.

6. I chuckled at the condom part.
   I use small balloons I get from the dollar store. They also double up as a quick, reactive target.

7. I did biathlon competitions. The coldest shooting we did was -20 F at West Yellowstone, Montana and in Vermont at Camp Ethan Allen in the -teens F.

   We used Anschutz bolt action .22s. We were keenly aware of the variance in various brands of ammo and their performance. You can test them yourself by freezing them, in a magazine, then speedily do a precision test firing while cold, carefully noting the accuracy.

   We used REM oil for competitions, exclusively, but now there are more modern oils available.

   We also used flip-down muzzle covers, which I suggest you install instead of trying to unwrap a condom with mitts on at -25F. In forested areas we would also beware of needles falling off trees into our barrels. Just one fir needle will cause a catastrophic firing event in a large bore discharge.

   Making sure your sleeve slides down over the top of your knitted-top insulated shooting glove helps with heat conservation and maneuverability.

   Strips of duct tape running only on the back of your hand and then down just the backside of each finger helped prevent frostbite immensely.

   For biathlon, or basically maneuvering in extreme cold we could get wool thermal knitted top and bottom underwear with pre-installed wind shield material on the front of it. Not cheap but oh, so worth it for extreme physical exertion in sub-zero.

   I insulated once with duct tape on the front. It worked, but was heavier and sweatier

   In 25 years in Wyoming and Montana, I was in vehicles, on skiis, horseback, and afoot in plenty of minus wind chill and blowing snows. Wind shell garments are must haves, and to this day I carry shell pants in my BOB.

   They roll up small, zip all the way up on each side so I can put them on and off without removing my footwear, with a front zipper for the crotch.

   A silk weight skull cap on your head as a liner under your primary head warming cap is a huge bonus.

   Look for Touring skiis when you decide to go mobile. They are usually at least your height, are flexible, and as wide as your boot. Our family had 10th Mountain Division war surplus skiis I used as a teenager. For you, Rent first.

   God Bless

8. Great series, thank you for providing such a wealth of information. As someone who relocated from mild western Washington state to Montana your article was very timely.

9. For barrel protectors I use finger cots, better fit and much cheaper. Just search “finger cots” while on Amazon.

   1. Thanks! Finger cots would better than colorful balloons and comes in arctic colors.
      https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=sspa_dk_detail_6?ie=UTF8&adId=A0596785L37CGAAFG7J1&qualifier=1579472394&id=2631571071378264&widgetName=sp_detail&url=%2Fdp%2FB07XF4HF6Q%2Fref%3Dsspa_dk_detail_6%3Fpsc%3D1%26pd_rd_i%3DB07XF4HF6Q%26pd_rd_w%3DvuEep%26pf_rd_p%3D45a72588-80f7-4414-9851-786f6c16d42b%26pd_rd_wg%3DgPqNY%26pf_rd_r%3DNW7PPQA3SR5ZE8YMVY0H%26pd_rd_r%3D16f66b98-1921-4c54-854d-cd072015adc8

10. In extreme cold you need to get all the lube off your firearm. Doesn’t matter if it’s a bolt, lever, or semi. I’ve been out with guys that left a thin film of oil on their rifle. Nice deer walks out of the bush at about 200 yards, and buddy’s bolt is frozen closed. I’ve seen it happen with levers as well. It’s definitely important to sight your rifle in hunting conditions. No only is the air heavier, but some powders are temp sensitive. It’s also a whole different ball game with multiple layers of clothes on

    I know of a lot of younger guys that rely on their phone for everything – DON’T. In cold weather the battery will drain very quickly, and it you are using it as your compass/GPS, it’s now worthless. I see a lot of guys out with their phone as comms, compass/GPS and even flashlight. They laugh at me with my old fashioned Silva and a Fenix light on my belt, until they’ve been out for a few hours and their phone is dead.

    I try to run everything on the KISS principle. And practice in real situations. Don’t just shoot from a bench when it’s warm and sunny. Don’t just pick up the equipment that the author talks about and store it. Get out and use it. Find out if it works for you. Experience is always the best teacher, and it’s always better to take some of life’s tests when your life isn’t on the line.

    1. Even when wiped dry, and then allowed to dry, CLP leaves a thin coating of Teflon and is recommended down to -35 in M16 rifles. Below that temperature, they recommend https://www.armyproperty.com/nsn/9150-00-292-9689. I do not know if this actually works in AR rifles. The manual also instructs to cycle the bolt every 30 minutes to check it’s operation. I would not strip the lubricant out of the rifle with solvents or hot water, without applying some kind of very light lubricant, and wiping it dry with cotton cloth. I’m currently attempting to get up to speed on the AR for cold weather conditions. Here is a good on line manual on the AR: https://www.bevfitchett.us/army-m16a2-rifle/thorough-cleaning.html

       After removing corrosive salts deposited by some older surplus ComBloc ammunition by pouring hot water though the AK barrel and gas system, then remove fouling, and reapply a lubricant, and then wipe it dry for cold weather conditions. The general rule is to use an oil below 40 degree F, and a grease above 40 degrees F. The AK will run even on the lubricating effects of rust as it would on graphite, better than it will on bare metal. It will still run, but it will be slow. The AK could run on any oil and fats, such as lard, or Crisco shortening (grease), or olive or other vegetable oil. It is a firearm for the most austere conditions, and for the least trained personal. I would give the AK to anyone new to firearms, and it will likely not fail them. It would take days of training to get someone up to speed on the AR.

       Part 6 got me to look deeper into how to run an AR in ECW. Thanks! It is a better and lighter platform for weapons mounted NV, that one can easily roll with. Literally.

11. Reading an article on the Canadian Rangers getting their new Sako T3 CTR rifles.

    Was looking for an excuse to buy one and think this article might have done it 🙂

    P,S. Alaskan state troopers picked the Colt AR-15 over the Valmet AK which is strange because the AK is better suited for that environment.

    Be curious to see what they did to make their AR-15s more reliable ?

12. i was under the impression that you keep your firearm outside or in a leanto during cold weather as this keeps your firearm from breaking up if you fire it…am i wrong?

    1. Wally – you’re correct. If you do have to bring it inside for something like cleaning you should wait an hour or so to allow the weapon to reach room temperature, then make sure you wipe it down completely inside and out before taking it back out in the cold.

13. The only thing I have against my AK’s is the metal underfolding stocks. Darn cold against the face when you have to shoot! Have missed a deer with the AR because a snowflake decided to block the peep sight, and blowing it out spooked the deer.

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