Letter Re: Ammunition Prices in the Future?

Jim: [Regarding your reply to the recent letter about military surplus ammunition prices,] cheap ammunition is indeed a thing of the past. The reasons for this are several; 1) Under new UN small arms treaties, many states are now committed to destroy small arms ammunition rather than allow it to fall into the hands of “Unapproved Users” (which does not include psycho dictators, just civilians). 2) US small arms ammunition is now going “Green” with lead replaced with Tungsten-Tin, Tungsten-Polymer and other non-toxic materials, which means they cannot be sold to civilians as they fall under “Armor piercing handgun ammunition” …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Don’t miss out on the special $99.95 sale for my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. This is the first time that it has ever been sold for 1/3 off the regular price. The sale ends on August 8th, so place your order soon!   o o o Ben L. sent us this: Water Tables Falling and Rivers Running Dry    o o o I just heard that the prices of most of the SurvivalBlog t-shirts will be increasing soon. (The maker had previously been charging the same for shirts printed only on the front and those printed both front …



Note from JWR:

The high bid is now at $330 in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a brand new Big Berkey water filter, kindly donated by Ready Made Resources. They are one of our most loyal advertisers. The auction ends on August 15th. Just e-mail us your bid.


Letter Re: Geo Metro 3-Cylinder Gas/Propane Engines for Retreat Generators?

James: I am working on two generator set-ups and would like some feedback. I am working on a Mercedes OM636 and a 3 cylinder, 1 liter [displacement] Chevy Sprint/Geo Metro/Suzuki motor. In this letter I’ll describe the 3 cylinder and why I think it will work at a retreat [to power a generator]. The 3 cylinder goes back to 1982 with GM’s Project Saturn in 1982. It achieved better than 100 miles per gallon (mpg). On a trip from Warren, Michigan to New York it averaged 105 mpg on the highway and 75 mpg in the city. It was dropped …


Letter Re: Observations on the Flooding in Central England

Jim: Wow, good thing our cousins across the pond had firearms to defend themselves from the looters… I was in Jersey City [, New Jersey, USA] about two weeks ago when a 46 inch[-diameter] water main broke and there was no water pressure for 48 hours. My friend that I was staying with had no water at all except half a case of 1/2 liter drinking water bottles. We were able to get to the supermarket where they were rationing the stock to four gallons per person. So we bought the maximum and [did the same] again the next morning. …


Letter Re: U.S. Comptroller General Warns of Impending Economic Disaster

Dear JWR: I have read your novel “Patriots” twice now, and have begun preparations to build a retreat. I am in agreement with the initial premise of “Patriots”, that financial collapse is likely going to trigger massive problems in this country. I have enclosed a link to an 11 minute speech [a video in Windows Media Viewer (.wmv) format] by David Walker, the US Comptroller General – the top accountant of the Federal government. He warns of the kind of national bankruptcy you did in “Patriots”. Though he cannot directly point the finger at his Congressional masters, he makes it …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The following video clip link was recommend by Richard at KT Ordnance. That manic CNBC TV market analyst Jim Cramer says “Just Walk Away” from upside down home loan situations. He also accurately describes the incipient “2 and 28” ARM home loan rate reset disaster. I have said before in SurvivalBlog: If people get sufficiently upside down in their mortgages in the midst of a recession, they will indeed pack up and abandon their houses, leaving their bankers to clean up the mess. Feel free to quote me on this prediction.   o o o Don’t miss out on the …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“No one can read our Constitution without concluding that the people who wrote it wanted their government severely limited; the words ‘no’ and ‘not’ employed in restraint of government power occur 24 times in the first seven articles of the Constitution and 22 more times in the Bill of Rights.” – Rev. Edmund A. Opitz (1914-2006)


Note from JWR:

Sorry that today’s blog posts are going up later than usual. Our family berry-picking trip took longer than expected. Yum! There are still a few free advertising spots available for our new Survival Realty web site. (A spin-off from SurvivalBlog.) The new site will be launched on or about August 15th. We are accepting both agent ads and “for sale by owner” ads. Don’t miss out on the special $99.95 sale for my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. This is the first time that it has ever been sold for 1/3 off the regular price. The sale ends on …


The Coming Hard Times–Wake Up Call!, by Dr. T.

I am writing this essay with a bit of trepidation. I do not want to make you think I am an expert on anything, but I do think a lot and have spent a lot of time studying the economy. Mr. Rawles can verify that my education and training are as follows — I am in the medical profession and also an attorney. I am also in the Air National Guard, after spending many years in the Army Reserve. I was deployed in 2003-04, primarily to Kuwait, but also made trips to Iraq, Qatar, and Djibouti. I also spent most …


Letter Re: Ammunition Prices in the Future?

Jim, I followed the link today about ammo production declines. Do you have any idea how this may effect pricing to the public? I hear from some folks that they expect ammo prices to drop as more of the stockpile hits the market after the (hopeful) end of hostilities in Iraq, et cetera. I wondered if you had an opinion of how things may evolve. Thanks, – Jason in Idaho JWR Replies: I expect ammo prices to remain high, and in fact continue to climb as long as global commodities prices–especially copper and lead–remain high. The world’s credit markets are …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Matt B. sent us this bit of news that didn’t come as much of a surprise: Bear Stearns Declares Bankruptcy   o o o GDS flagged this: Climate Change Linked to Doubling of Atlantic Hurricanes   o o o Alfie Omega forwarded us this: $10 Million Fire at Spokane Fuel Depot a likely act of Muslim terrorists in U.S.


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Can the real Constitution be restored? Probably not. Too many Americans depend on government money under programs the Constitution doesn’t authorize, and money talks with an eloquence Shakespeare could only envy. Ignorant people don’t understand The Federalist Papers, but they understand government checks with their names on them.” – Joseph Sobran


Note from JWR:

Don’t miss out on the special $99.95 sale for my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. This is the first time that it has ever been sold for 1/3 off the regular price. The sale ends on August 8th, so place your order soon!