Letter Re: A Company Layoff Underscores the Need to Be Well Prepared

Jim, What a surprise my wife and I received at work yesterday. My wife and I work for the same manufacturing company and after two banner years and a huge Christmas bonus the company is reducing everyone to 20 hours a week. The company we work for is a total “team oriented” place to work and if one person gets a bonus we all get a bonus and the same is true when it comes to layoffs. While our company sets and exceeds the world standard for what we do many of the companies we are dealing with are unable …


Letter Re: Speeding Coyote Hunters Arrested in Illinois

Jim, I enjoy reading your blog and have improved my preps exponentially since I began following you. I don’t know how many dozens of [telephone] consultations you do annually, but you and I spoke for an hour earlier this year. I live on Long Island, if that rings a bell. I feel that it was money well-spent. The post on vehicle stops was informative. You mentioned Boston T. Party’s “Boston’s Gun Bible” as a reference source. I have read all his books, fiction and non-fiction alike, and found him to be both entertaining and informative. If I may, I suggest …


Letter Re: Comparing the Big Three Battle Rifle Chamberings in the United States

Jim, It looks like I kicked a hornet’s nest a little with my article, so here is a little clarification on my part. To reply to Jim H. In Colorado: “The recent article [by Kyrottimus] that stated that at 50 yards a typical 45 ACP and 9mm [Parabellum] will have the same energy is wrong. .45 ACP 230 gr ~390 ft/lbs (528 joules) @ 875 fps (JHP) 9x19mm Luger/Parabellum 115 gr ~385 ft/lbs (521 joules) @ 1,225 fps (JHP)” “Wrong” is a harsh term for so many variable loads for any type of ammo. I basically used the NATO loading …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Thanks to KAF for spotting this: A Giant Breach in Earth’s Magnetic Field. This natural event–roughly analogous to the nuclear EMP effect in that it can fry microcircuits–is all the more reason to store your spare radios in ammo cans or other Faraday cage type enclosures.    o o o Reader Bob R. notes that there was a recent “Death Map” study done with data from 1970 to 2004 that categorizes US mortality rates from natural disasters. Bob’s comment: “One would think that hurricanes would top the list, but it turns out heat is a bigger killer. I think this …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The right of a citizen to bear arms, in lawful defense of himself or the State, is absolute. He does not derive it from the State government. It is one of the high powers” delegated directly to the citizen, and `is excepted out of the general powers of government.’ A law cannot be passed to infringe upon or impair it, because it is above the law, and independent of the lawmaking power.” – Cockrum v. State, 24 Tex. 394, at 401-402 (1859)


Notes from JWR:

The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction that started yesterday is already at $800. The auction is for a large mixed lot that includes: 1.) A large “be ready to barter” box of full-capacity gun magazines, from the JASBORR. This box includes: 12 – Used original Bundeswehr contract HK91 (G3) steel 20 round magazines, 6 – Used original FN of Belgium-made FN-FAL alloy 20 round magazines, 6 – Used AR-15/M16 USGI (a mix of Simmonds & Colt made) alloy 20 round magazines, and 2 – New and very scarce original FN (Belgian-made) US M1/M2 Carbine blued steel 30 round …


Letter from Jeff Trasel Re: Competence Versus Caliber

James: In continuing our discussion on the warrior-way as lifestyle, I have several observations relative to several recent posts on SurvivalBlog that need comment. First off, I am heartened by the level of awareness, camaraderie, and spirit of practical know-how, innovativeness, and just good common sense that pervades the posts of late. However, several have given me pause for thought, not so much for controversy, more so as how the subject matter should be approached by those new to our practice. For instance, there have been some marvelous discussions on battle rifle calibers and their respective effectiveness. In fact, the …


Three Letters Re: Speeding Coyote Hunters Arrested in Illinois

Jim I went to college at Western Illinois University [WIU] and now live 30 miles from there. I don’t know much about the guys that got arrested but I can give you some info on Illinois gun laws. No NFA [“Class 3”] items are allowed except for possibly AOWs. I have heard conflicting reports on AOWs, but know for sure that “silencers” (sound suppressor) are illegal under the state law. As for transporting guns, all guns must be unloaded and inside of a closed case. This goes for handguns and long guns. And no a glove box, center console, or …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader T.H. in New Mexico wrote to ask, “How long will this recession last, and how deep will it get? A year ago, I would have said that it might last as little as 18 months, and that it would surely be “sharp.” But no we see many trillions of dollars being thrown at Mother of All Bailouts (MOAB), thus perpetuating the malinvestment, and doubtless delaying economic recovery. So I’d say that we will see a severe recession if not a full blown depression with lots of disruption that will last between four years and 15 years. Be ready for …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The bottom line is that we’ve become a nation of thieves, a value rejected by our founders. James Madison, the father of our Constitution, was horrified when Congress appropriated $15,000 to help French refugees. He said, ‘I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.’ Tragically, today’s Americans would run Madison out of town on a rail.” – Dr. Walter Williams


Notes from JWR:

Congrats to Sheryl, the high bidder in our benefit auction that ended last night. Many thanks for your generous bid. Today we start a new auction, which includes: 1.) A large “be ready to barter” box of full-capacity gun magazines, from the JASBORR. This box includes: 12 – Used original Bundeswehr contract HK91 (G3) steel 20 round magazines, 6 – Used original FN of Belgium-made FN-FAL alloy 20 round magazines, 6 – Used AR-15/M16 USGI (a mix of Simmonds & Colt made) alloy 20 round magazines, and 2 – New and very scarce original FN (Belgian-made) US M1/M2 Carbine blued …


Call Me Delusional, by Edgar J. Steele

The following is an e-mail I sent three weeks ago to a small group of exceptionally-forgiving friends of mine, in which I pre-announced my hunch that things have changed fundamentally in the precious metals (PM) markets: There are lots of possible reasons: options expiry last week, new administration coming, new econ[omic] team (same as the Clinton econ team, which ran the [Plunge Protection Team] PPT into overdrive), China going into recession, Motor City going BK, a need to devalue the dollar in the face of global recession, shorter hem length, planetary alignment… Fact is, though, it is just a hunch. …


Letter Re: A Prescribed Burn in North Carolina to Find a Fugitive’s Weapons and Ammo

Howdy James, I thought that this article was interesting in the fact that the US Forest Service is calling for a prescribed burn [in order] to locate weapons, ammo, and explosives (sounds like reloading powder) that a fugitive may have stashed around his camp site. This got me to thinking, how safe are your caches? You will want to make sure any caches you have are buried well if they come looking for your cache and burn the area. Also consider that those landmarks/trees that were there may be gone after a burn, so locating it again may be difficult …


Two Letters Re: Comparing the Big Three Battle Rifle Chamberings in the United States

Jim: The recent article [by Kyrottimus] that stated that at 50 yards a typical 45 ACP and 9mm [Parabellum] will have the same energy is wrong. .45 ACP 230 gr ~390 ft/lbs (528 joules) @ 875 fps (JHP) 9x19mm Luger/Parabellum 115 gr ~385 ft/lbs (521 joules) @ 1,225 fps (JHP) His additional assumption, that bullets will slow equally in an air mass, is also wrong. I noticed that he listed the fps for a 9mm cartridge at 1,225 fps. This is the energy for a 9mm +p+ range cartridge, while comparing it to the 45 ACP ball cartridge, not a …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Eric sent us this: Amish homeowners: Religion trumps building codes    o o o Michael H. flagged this: Fed Refuses to Disclose Recipients of $2 Trillion    o o o I’m overwhelmed! More than 300 SurvivalBlog readers have bought Foodsaver vacuum packers at the special December sale price.This a is a great way to save money and to support SurvivalBlog! (We get a small commission on each sale, if you follow our link.) You can buy a FoodSaver v2830 for $59.99 (originally $169.99) with free Standard Shipping for orders over $100, directly from FoodSaver.com.Use code L8FAV28 at checkout. This offer …