Year: 2022

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — November 25, 2022

November 25th was the birthday of economist and comedian Ben Stein. His unscripted monologue on economics from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of the most memorable scenes in American cinema. Stein spends part of each year at his second home in Sandpoint, Idaho, so he is an honorary Redoubter. — An important alert video for our Canadian readers: Warning: Stock Up Now. They Are Coming for All Centerfire Sem-Auto Rifles With Detachable Magazines. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 103 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: …


No Ammo, No Primers, No Problem! – Part 4, by M.B.

(Continued from Part 3.) 20 Gauge Shotgun Shells and Black Powder Safety Note: When loading black powder shotgun shells, there must be no empty space inside the shell, and the powder should be compressed slightly (about 1/16 inches, or about 2mm). You may need to use a wadding or other “filler” inside the shell, so that there’s no empty space below the crimp. Six 20 gauge shotshells were primed with recharged shotgun primers. Note: The primers were recharged WITHOUT black powder in the primer bodies, and no tissue paper was used to close the flash holes. I measured out 7/8 …


Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at investing in rural land. (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: Gold & Oil: Another Inflationary Wave? o  o  o Jordan Roy-Byrne: They Don’t Ring a Bell at Bottoms. Economy & Finance: Peter wrote to mention that the St. Louis Fed chart shows that the yield curve is now …



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — November 24, 2022

November 24th marks the day that John Knox died, in 1572.  He was born in 1514 “…near Haddington Scotland. He was influenced by George Wishart, who was burned for heresy in 1546, and the following year Knox became the spokesman for the Reformation in Scotland. After imprisonment and exile in England and the European continent, in 1559 he returned to Scotland, where he supervised the preparation of the constitution and liturgy of the Reformed Church.” — Ready Made Resources is running a pre-Black Friday sale, offering Goal Zero Yeti 6000 Solar Generators for $4,799 each. That is 20% off normal …


No Ammo, No Primers, No Problem! – Part 3, by M.B.

(Continued from Part 2.) FOR SHOTGUN PRIMERS ONLY You will need the following to recharge shotgun shell primers: Large (3/8-inch or larger) hex nut – Depriming stand for shotgun shells and assembly holder for shotgun primers. A 1/4-inch hole is drilled in one of the flats for the primer body. Used with the C-clamp for pressing the primer cup into the body, the open space in the middle of the nut allows gases to vent if the primer “pops” during assembly. 8mm Nylock nut – Supports a fired shotgun primer to aid disassembly. Small nail with point cut off flat …


The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we look at Agricultural imports and exports. A Frightening First: U.S. Will Import More Ag Products Than it Exports Reader H.L. sent this: US farmer worried Biden’s policies put industry in jeopardy. The …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — November 23, 2022

On November 23rd, 1980, a 7.2-magnitude quake struck southern Italy killing more than 3,000 people. The casualty toll was probably so high because the tremor struck during Sunday night mass, as many residents sat in churches that crumbled in the quake. The quake was centered in Eboli, south of Naples. In nearby Balvano, children were preparing to receive their first communion at the 1,000-year-old Conza Della Comapgna church. The church collapsed and killed dozens of people, including 26 children. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 103 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for …


No Ammo, No Primers, No Problem! – Part 2, by M.B.

(Continued from Part 1.) The components for black powder really are not all that hard to obtain. In many cases, you can buy potassium nitrate and sulfur locally with cash, generally at a nursery, garden or home improvement store, “Garden sulfur” is what I have used in powder making. It’s used as a fungicide and insecticide, and you can even make black powder without it. Black powder can be made with just potassium nitrate and charcoal. Sulfur serves to make black powder easier to ignite, so keep this in mind if you decide to make sulfur-free black powder. Potassium nitrate …


SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters. — First up, from WND: Concealed carry permit holders surge past 22 million, report says. o  o  o From the leftist Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB): Pulling from extremist playbook, Oregon sheriffs refuse to enforce gun laws. JWR’s Comments:  Note how OPB calls it “extremist” for sheriffs to defend Constitutional rights. But note the difference in …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — November 22, 2022

Today is the birthday of Adelbert Rinaldo Buffington, a well-known designer of military gun parts and accessories. Buffington rear sights were featured on many later-generation Trapdoor Springfield .45-70 rifles. Today is also remembered as the birthday of the late Eugene M. Stoner. (Born 1922, died April 24, 1997.) He was the designer of the AR-7, AR-10, AR-15, AR-180, the Stoner 63, and several other firearms. (The AR-10 was the basis of the AR-15 which in turn spawned the very widely used M16 and all of its variants including the now ubiquitous M4 Carbine.) It has been estimated that as  many …


No Ammo, No Primers, No Problem! – Part 1, by M.B.

Introductory Disclaimer: Recharging primers and making black powder, while safe in the author’s experimental experience, can be dangerous. The author and SurvivalBlog.com do not endorse recharging primers, nor making black powder, and you do so at your own risk. Making primers and/or black powder could also be in violation of the laws in your jurisdiction. You are responsible for compliance with all laws in your area. Neither the author, nor SurvivalBlog.com, are responsible for your use of the information in this article. The processes described herein are therefore for informational purposes only. Important Safety Note: Black powder can be dangerous …