Letter Re Advice on Valmet .308 Rifles and Magazines

Dear Jim: I need your advice. Years ago, when it appeared likely that some type of an ‘assault weapon’ ban would be enacted, I began to look for a semi-automatic rifle which would be suitable for hunting, but which would also possess the absolute reliability and durability of a military weapon. I wanted something which wouldn’t look too ‘threatening’ to people who were not comfortable around military-style firearms, and something a bit more powerful, with greater penetrating ability and longer range than typical .223 based weapons. I settled on a little-known rifle, the .308 Hunter made by Valmet Company of …


Odds ‘n Sods:

From The Baltimore Sun: Higher food prices start to pinch consumers    o o o LHW suggested this British newspaper article on Plunge Protection.    o o o I just heard about a great site featuring do-it yourself field and survival gear–and much more: Funditor.com    o o o Hawaiian K. recommended this chart showing the long term “adjusted for inflation” price of gold.



Note from JWR:

The high bid in the current SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $340. The auction is for a scarce original 1980s-vintage Heckler und Koch 19mm Emergency Flare Launcher (EFL) aka “Notsignalgerät“ from my personal collection. It comes with three magazines and 28 scarce original German 19mm flares–10 red, 10 white, and 8 green. Together, this package is worth approximately $400. It is not classified as a “firearm” under Federal law. (Consult your state and local laws before bidding.) Sorry, no overseas bids will be accepted for this auction. This auction ends on January 15th. Please e-mail us your bids, in …


Understanding Labor, Wealth, and Real Money

Our generation in the First World is presently living in a time of unprecedented wealth, luxury, and leisure. Technology has allowed huge advances in transportation, health care, and commerce. But much of the “wealth” that has been created is transitory. Real Wealth In essence, the only real wealth in the world is extractive. Extractive wealth come from mining, oil drilling, timber cutting, farming, ranching, or fishing. Manufacturing, while important, is essentially re-arranging what was originally extracted. And all other “wealth creation” in the so-called service economy is even more abstract–it is merely shuffling around bits of paper or electronic digits …


Letter Re: Prepared Individuals and the OODA Loop

Jim- You are probably familiar with Bill Whittle’s web site. Whittle’s writings are always arresting. His latest essay has relevance for all of us SurvivalBlog readers who are going through OODA loops [“Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act”] unwittingly and therefore inefficiently. His essay observes that although OOD is far more important than Action, success after all depends on Action–done with speed. So this subject is timely for those of us watching events unfolding. Many are pretty good at Observing and Orienting. Fewer are Deciding (which is a concrete term–not ephemeral “planning”). Your site is very good at presenting the issues …


Letter Re: Preparedness Implications of the Global Food Shortages

Jim, I thought you might find this interesting as I recall a posting about this some time back. Here is a link to an interesting article about a foreseen food shortage that is described as not if but when it happens. I would like to point out the implication of this towards those who are interested in survival in that it would directly impact those trying to establish long term food storage using raw ingredients such as wheat and corn as they are highlighted in this article. The United States has more than enough ability to feed our nation and …


Letter Re: North Dakota as a Retreat Locale

Jim, I couldn’t help but enjoy and giggle at the article that painted North Dakota so empty, old, and bleak. I am proud to be a North Dakotan, and find living here a blessing. “Brutal climate”, well it is the debt we North Dakotans pay to live in a beautiful land, with solid people, and raise our children in a nurturing environment. Young, strong, very well educated youth are our best export . Of course grain, oil, and livestock are good too. And, I regularly see youth returning back to good ole North Dakota for the quality of life once …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Due to the recent huge storm in Northern California the Freeze Dry Guy‘s phone lines are down. (But they can still handle orders via e-mail.) Yesterday, Professor Jim McCanney likened the recent storm to a hurricane.    o o o RBS kindly sent us this (and the two subsequent): Russia raises grain export duties to 40%. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the US make a similar move, to stem the flood of grain out of the US, primarily to Asia.    o o o News from Australia: Mozzies in plague proportions    o o o China could be winner …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another article for Round 14 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $2,000!) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. Round 14 ends on January 31st, so e-mail us your entry soon! Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.


Elements of Quality Pistol Holster Design, by Steven

Does a good holster really make a difference? The answer is that sometimes it doesn’t. That may sound odd coming from a custom holster maker, but lets consider the average handgun owner. They keep their firearm on the top shelf in a shoe box in the closet, or in a nightstand drawer. On the way to the range, it might ride in a plastic case in the car trunk and back to the closet again. Should they need a container for their pistol that affords some protection and allows belt carry for short-periods of non-critical use, then factory produced budget …


The Four Laws of Firearms Safety

For the benefit of those that are new to SurvivalBlog, it is important to again mention The Four Laws of Firearms Safety, developed by the late Col. Jeff Cooper 1) All firearms are loaded. – There are no exceptions. Don’t pretend that this is true. Know that it is and handle all firearms accordingly. Do not believe it when someone says: “It isn’t loaded.” 2) Never let the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you are not willing to destroy. – If you would not want to see a bullet hole in it do not allow a firearm’s muzzle …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I finally got the chance to go see the movie “I Am Legend“. A friend who is not preparedness- minded went with me and he commented that he found the film terrifying only because it seemed plausible. He said that unlike “Resident Evil” which seemed like an unrealistic video game to him, “I Am Legend” was genuinely frightening. This leads me to believe that the film might encourage some erstwhile sheeple to get prepared. My friend did mention that if he was in Dr. Neville’s position he would have dynamited and bulldozed all of the buildings in a three block …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Every morning in Africa a gazelle awakens knowing it must today run faster than the fastest lion or it will be eaten. Every morning a lion awakens knowing it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It matters not whether you are a gazelle or a lion, when the sun rises you had better be running.” – African Proverb