The Gunfighter’s Guide: Lessons Learned the Hard Way- Part 1, by The Grumpy Gunfighter

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For me shooting has been away of life. I can vividly remember the first time my father handed me a .22 rifle and the awe it inspired in me. Its wood stock had been worn smooth by generations of men in my family who had owned it before me. Its presence had felt like a warm handshake in my grip that welcomed me into a skill that has served me well over the years. That old .22 must have made quite an impression on me because after two police departments, some time in the military, and several shooting competitions later, …


Utilizing a Self-Directed IRA: A Case Study in Investing Outside of Wall Street- Part 2, by J.J.

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In a conversation with a successful and well off friend, I discovered that it was possible to invest outside of Wall Street. I had experienced the extreme fluctuations of economic bubbles and wanted something more secure as I planned for retirement. After learning more about his approach, I took baby steps to reevaluate my own investment approach to move toward a self-directed IRA. In part 1, I shared the first step toward a self-directed IRA for investing outside of Wall Street to achieve greater safety and diversification and now let’s move forward. Following the Wisdom of a King In the …


Utilizing a Self-Directed IRA: A Case Study in Investing Outside of Wall Street- Part 1, by J.J.

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Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth. Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 ASV Author’s Note Please note that this is only an example of my utilization of a Self Directed IRA, albeit in a minimal manner, to diversify investments into hard assets. This is not meant to give investment advice to anyone, and your decision to pursue this option should be done with careful scrutiny of the IRS rules governing this type of IRA. Very careful consideration …



Gunsmith Training: Pistolsmithing – Week One, by R2

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Design, Function, and Repair This week I started on the core of the course. One of the things emphasized heavily in this course, according to the introductory material that I reviewed last week, was the essential of design, function, and repair (DFR). Design, Function, and Repair (DFR) To be anything more than a rudimentary parts swapper, you have to have a complete understanding of how the firearm was designed to work, how it functions, and what your courses of action are to make any sort of repairs or changes to it. Without understanding the design, it’s just a black box …


Adaptation is Key to Survival, by B. L.

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Over the years what it means to be a prepper and how to prepare has changed quite a bit for me. I have learned that adaptation is key to survival. Grew Up With Mentality and Heart of a Prepper I haven’t been a “prepper” my whole life, but I have had the mentality and heart of one due to the way I was raised. I grew up in a blue-collar family where if you wanted something you worked for it. If something was broke, you tried to fix it first before spending money on it, and where everything had a …


A Review of OnPoint Tactical’s Off-Grid Medicine Course, by JR

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OnPoint Tactical’s off-grid medicine course is not your typical first aid class. It’s not EMT school. I mean no disrespect towards them at all, but those first responder classes are like baby aspirin. What Dr. Steve provides is more like dilaudid or fentanyl. (No, he does not sell these or tell us how to get them. It’s just for comparison between the types of courses. However, there does seem to be the possibility of developing an addiction of sorts. Three of the people from the February class repeated the August class and brought family members with them.) The Man Behind …


Letter: South Africa – It Begins

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Hugh, Here it is– the test project to seize land without the amendment. From what I have researched, the reasoning behind this is they are testing the words “Fair and Equitable” which is contained in the seven principles behind the four requirements concerning land seizure in the SA constitution. Their argument is to dispute the words “Fair and equitable” contained within their constitution. Their reasoning is to seize the land without compensation because it is “Fair and Equitable to the SA Government” because, the White farmers stole the land in the first place. Bullocks. I will send an accompanying link …


The New Urban Fortress- Part 2, by M.H.

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Pulling from the fortress concept and the family of Anne Frank, who hid in an attic for two years, I am considering an idea of an urban fortress in the event of SHTF. My idea is based upon the construction of a multi-story commercial building, where the top floor is unmarked on the elevator and unknown and inaccessible to those who do not have a passcode. The idea is creating a large area that is totally overlooked because the construction is such that people cannot identify from the outside how many floors are within the building since there will only …


The New Urban Fortress- Part 1, by M.H.

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Stealth vs. Tactical I am a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, retired Navy O-5, a mechanical engineer (academically), and an IT business consultant. I am considered by my colleagues to be an “idea machine”. I have made a good living based largely on my outside-the-box thinking. While I have too many ideas to viably act on all of them, there are enough good ones that all are usually worth at least consideration. An Idea To Have Readers Find Flaws in My Thinking I have been prepping for a couple of years now and have come upon an idea that …



Gunsmith Training: Starting the Class, by R2

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This week, I officially started the program. The first disc in the course is the student orientation disk. I realize that this is kind of an obligatory meeting, but I’ve always wondered why colleges and universities do this sort of thing. New Student Orientation When I went to college, the university had a “New Student Orientation” for every incoming student, and it always seemed like a waste to me. The new student is so overwhelmed that they will remember virtually nothing from the meeting. The paperwork handed out is what will be referred to. Even if you look at it …


How To Be A Financial Prepper- Part 3, by Brandon

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No matter the crisis scenario for which a prepper prepares, the financial side of preparedness is unavoidable. Items are necessary and they are costly. Most of us have very limited resources, but I know that we can still prepare. I’m sharing the lessons my wife and I have learned. In the first two parts, I talked about budgeting, assessing your financial situation, saving, and now we have begun to talk about the step of living below your means. Saving and living below your means needs to happen concurrently. Reason For Living Below Your Means Living below your means serves several …


Letter: Comments on “How to be a Financial Prepper”

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Hugh, I try to read just about everything I can find concerning personal and family finances, not because I am a prepper but because I have responsibilities as a husband, father, and grandfather. As it happens, I am also a prepper and have been one before there was a specific term for the practice. Finances remains one of the single most difficult aspects of our existence for preppers and for those who are not. One of the largest problems is that many of us, as a society, have a dysfunctional relationship with money. Modern society has been constructed largely on …


How To Be A Financial Prepper- Part 2, by Brandon

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While skills and abilities are invaluable and arguably the most important part of preparing yourself for any disaster, it would be naive for a prepper to decide that it is unnecessary to have “stuff”. No matter the scenario for which you prepare, the financial side of preparedness is unavoidable. In part 1, I talked about the benefits of living debt free and importance of developing a budget and sticking with it to better use resources for preparedness efforts. Now, let’s move forward. Evaluate What’s next? Now that you have your budget, what is the next step (whether you choose to …