JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. The focus is usually on emergency communications gear, bug out bag gear, tools, books, and movies–often with a tie-in to disaster preparedness, and links to “how-to” self-sufficiency videos. There is also an emphasis on links to sources for storage food and a variety of storage and caching containers. You will also note an emphasis on history books and historical movies. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This week the focus is on the upcoming resumption of order-taking, over at my side business: Elk Creek Company. (See the Featured Antique Gun of the Week section.)

Books:

This week I’m recommending some important reference books for anyone interested in investing in antique guns.

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The latest edition of the key reference book by Supica and Nahas: Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson

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A handy pocket reference book, that is sadly now out of print: Colt’s Dates of Manufacture, 1837 to 1978

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Mauser Military Rifles of the World

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Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms and Their Values

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41st Edition Blue Book of Gun Values

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Parker Gun Identification & Serialization

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Several readers have suggested this recenty-released book: Prairie Fire: Guidebook for Surviving Civil War 2.

Instructional Videos:

Also this week I’m recommending some educational videos for anyone interested in investing in antique guns. And who better to link to than the very knowledgeable “Gun Jesus” himself: Ian McCollum of the popular Forgotten Weapons video series.

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Ian McCollum: Swedish Mauser Carbines – m/94 and m/94-14

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Ian McCollum: The First S&W .38: The “Baby Russian”

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Ian McCollum: Finnish Mosin Nagant Overview (M91/24, M27, M28, M28/30, M39)

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Ian McCollum: Classic Imperial British Revolvers: the Webley WG Army and Target

Music:

A reader wrote mention this 2015 YouTube video from The Zolla Boys: I Heard The Bluebird Sing. Here they are three years later: Clay Pigeons. And here they are in April of 2020: Our House Concert. I believe that they harmonize well together, and have a great music career ahead of them!

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Day the Earth Shook by Black Irish Band (2003)

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Don’t Think Twice – Billy Strings.

Gear:

It is amazing what you can find selling at Amazon.com.  Here are just a few examples of what you can find, if you dig deep with some searches:

TALON Grips for Polymer80 PF45

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And for those who like SIG P320 pistols: TALON Grips for Sig Sauer P320 XCompact

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For environmentally-conscious gun cleaning, there is this solvent trap adapter: MR HELLO Thread Adapter Straight Fitting 1/2 x 28 Anodized Aluminum Black Flare Reducer Hose Union. (By using a standard fuel filter or oil filter, you can capture bore solvent when cleaning your gun from the breech. All NFA Rules apply…)

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Franklin Armory Binary Trigger for AR

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AR Pistol Storage Device

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Lightweight, Aluminum, Triangle Accessories for Outdoor Sports

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And from one of our original advertisers, Alpha Chemicals:

2 Pounds – Aluminum – 5 micron

and

Black Iron Oxide – Fe3O4 – Natural – 5 Pounds

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Reader Tim J. wrote to recommend this great little flashlight that is bargain-priced:  O-Light 90 Lumens i3E EOS PMMA TIR Lens AAA Flashlight Compact Keychain Flashlight EDC Flashlight (They are presently on sale for just $7.96, with free shipping.)

Featured Antique Gun of the Week

Our featured antique gun of the week is a fully-refurbished Colt M1873 Peacemaker (1893 frame) chambered in .38 Special.  Like most other pre-1899 guns, it can be mailed or shipped directly to your doorstep without any paperwork or FFL dealer involvement. (Be sure to check your state and local laws before ordering.) Take a look at the many recently-added guns at the Elk Creek Company store. I’ve been on hiatus, but I will resume taking orders on Saturday, December 26th. With Ol’ Creepy Joe Biden now waiting in the wings, I expect to sell half of my inventory in the next few weeks. Don’t hesitate to get your order in on the morning of the 26th.

Make a Suggestion

Want to suggest Recommendations of your own? Then please send them to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Thanks!




15 Comments

  1. Thank you Mr. Rawles for having the courage to mention the private run for profit Federal Reserve. Readers should question where did they get these colossal sums of money…equivalent to the gross domestic product of the U.S. Did they mine it out of the ground in the form of gold? Or did they just create it out of thin air? Is it coincidence that Iraq, Libya, etc., didn’t have a banking system owned by the people that own the Federal Reserve? More importantly who are they? I think these are the people really running the planet

  2. Use caution when using Flayderman’s Guide. It hasn’t been updated on prices in 15 years.
    Norm Flayderman died and you’re looking at values that are at least 15 years old. Trust me antique gun prices have changed since then.

  3. I am trying to locate one or more Freeze Dried Food suppliers that I can contact by phone and order that way. Are there any within one day driving distance of central North Dakota. Paper catalogues would be nice too but it seems that people only want to do business with folks that have computers. I don’t. This one is a public one at the local library.
    Another item I am looking for is some kind of device that I can bring water up from old domestic wells here in town if/when the grid goes down and city water is no longer available. I would expect depth to be around 60′ but could be deeper.

    1. Marque Paulson: For your well needs try Practical Preppers at 800-915-1855 their product is
      the Water Boy Well Bucket. $124.95.
      Lehman’s Galvanized Well Bucket. $89.99. 800-438-5346.

      For your food needs try Rainy Day Foods in Montpelier Idaho.
      208-847-3357/208-847-2683.
      Emergency Essentials in Ogden Utah. 801-312-9271

      There is always the LDS Bishops Storehouse if there is one in the area.
      With this winter weather a days drive would be iffy.
      Good luck and safe travel!

    2. Check out utube channel “basecamp wnc. How to build a hand water pump. Episodes 1 thru 3. He gives instructions and parts list. This guy is a prepper. Met him at prepper camp.

    3. Lehman’s currently has 28 freeze dried products for sale. They also have a paper catalog they will send you. Sorry, I do not know about driving time to them. Here is there # CALL TOLL FREE 800-438-5346.

    4. REI is an outdoor adventure store that sells a large variety of freeze dried food pouches. Here is there Billings address:
      REI
      1
      Billings
      711 Henry Chapple St.
      Billings, MT 59106
      (406) 500-3075

      Also, Walmart sells Mountain House freeze dried food pouches. They may be found in multiple spots in the store but for sure in the camping section. North Dakota has
      5 Walmarts you can search.

    5. “Ready Made Resources,” sells freeze dried food, and will take phone orders.
      1-800-627-3809

      “Sierra Trading Post,” has 5 locations in the Minneapolis, MN area. Their online freeze dried food selections change all the time because they are a discount store. Great deals can be had when items go on clearance.
      Calls within the U.S. 1-800-713-4534

    6. “Sportsman’s Warehouse,” is in North Dakota! yeah. Again, you can find freeze dried food in the store.

      Sportsman’s Warehouse
      925 32nd Ave. West
      Williston, ND 58801

      (701) 572-2500

    7. Marque Paulsen. let me start with the useful information first.

      This is a reprint of information to explain a ‘Well Bucket’ for people trying to retrieve water from a deep well.

      “Letter Re: Well “Torpedo” or “Bullet” Bucket Construction Plans
      JAMES WESLEY RAWLES JUNE 29, 2007

      Jim –
      Do you have a diagram or plans for a well torpedo? In case I have the term wrong, a PVC tube with a flapper valve at the bottom that when sent down the well shaft hits the water, the tube fills/sinks, when you pull on the rope the flapper valve closes sealing in the water for you to pull up the well shaft. I have the well. What I need is the way to install the flapper valve. Thanks, – DAB

      JWR Replies: For any readers that aren’t familiar with them, narrow shaft well buckets–also sometimes called “bullet buckets” or “torpedo buckets” are designed for manually drawing water from modern modern small diameter wells that are more than 20 feet deep. Shallow wells (less than 20 foot depth) are much more efficiently accessed with a hand pump, such as a traditional pitcher-type cistern pump (available from Lehmans.com) or this home-fabricated PVC design by Keith Hendricks, shown at the PermaPak web site. Deeper wells require a sucker-rod actuated pump.

      Have a deep well but you can’t afford a manual pump or you don’t foresee anything but short term emergency need to draw water? A bucket will do. The following method works, but you will first have to pull the pump, wiring and its draw pipe before you can use an emergency bucket. Most modern wells have 4-inch or 6-inch diameter casings. Well buckets can be made from PVC pipe and some fittings available at nearly any hardware store. (The only hard-to-find item is the foot valve.) Use a 4 or 5 ft. length of 3-inch diameter white PVC pipe if your well has a 4″ casing, or 4″ diameter pipe if your well has a 6″ casing.

      Assembling the Bucket:
      For the top cap, drill a hole in the center and insert a threaded eye-bolt with lock washer and nut to hold the lifting/lowering rope. Use PVC cement to attach the pipe cap. Be sure to use sturdy nylon rope. (Recovering a bucket if the rope breaks would be problematic, to say the least.) In the bottom cap, drill a centered hole and install a “foot” valve. This will be open when floating and allow water in to the bucket. The valve will automatically close when the bucket is pulled up. Foot valves (also called “check valves”) are available in PVC construction, as well as brass and cast iron. Depending on the type of valve you buy, you will probably have to screw a threaded pipe adapter (male-to-male short coupling) to into the top of the valve and then glue it into the appropriate size hole that you have drilled into the end cap. Needless to say, you need to be sure that the valve’s “flapper” is oriented in the right direction before you attach it to the bottom cap. You need the bucket valve to hold rather that release water when the bucket is raised!

      OBTW, for anyone that would rather buy a commercially-made well bucket, they are available from Ready Made Resources (search on “Well Bucket”), and from Lehmans.com (search on “Galvanized well bucket”.)
      ******
      ******
      (Me GGHD) … A water well not being used should have been capped. The cap needs to be removed before using a Well Bucket. Newer wells may still have all the ‘machinery’ and piping in it, that usually needs to be removed before manually withdrawing water. [See Rawles Article reprinted]

      The use of ‘solar panels or a windmill’ with a water well, should be done in conjunction with a local well pump company advice. (Partly because of the local weather.)
      +The people living in North Dakota display real Fortitude. … Central North Dakota has Tornados, where the winds can lift houses and cows up, part way to Heaven. … And, the Hail-Stones in North Dakota can become bigger than baseballs! … [A real Double-Dang event.]
      *****
      *****
      There’s a search box at this site. [For Your Information: = I’m old, and went back to school. I took ‘old geezer’ classes about ‘How to Search the Internet and Use a Computer. … My local public school district, offers very low cost computer classes for the Geezers and Geezerettes. Part of the Continuing Education Programs for Adults.]

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