Survivalist “Vacation” and Gaining Medical Knowledge

I just returned from my ‘vacation’. A day spent with top gunmaster Len Baxley and 3 days at the Medical Corps training. Both are highly recommended. Baxley easily doubled my speed and got me to the point where I could make 95 yard shots at a torso sized plate with a Glock 19. This may not seem like much to some of you, but for me it was unthinkable before I saw him. At $50 an hour you’re getting the deal of a lifetime. Then I went for the medical training. At $325 for 3 days it’s another great buy. …


Letter Re: Best Sources for Extra FN-FAL Magazines?

Hi James, I am looking at purchasing some FN-FAL (metric) magazines and would like to know which are the best ones to buy? – John Y. JWR Replies: As I mentioned in my FN-FAL/L1A1 FAQ, nearly all of the government issue 20 round metric FN-FAL magazines on the market were made on Belgian (FN) tooling, and work fine. (Such as Israeli, Brazilian, Argentine, et cetera.) Even used FAL magazines work fine if they have no dents. Since they are the most fragile part of the rifle and a large number of magazines might be needed WTSHTF, I now recommend buying …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Alfie Omega recommended this web site: Other Power    o o o RBS sent us this: Subprime Bondholders May Lose $75 Billion From Slump    o o o Grocery bills eat up more income    o o o B. H. suggested this piece of insightful commentary/analysis by Jeffrey Cooper on the decline of the Once Almighty U.S. Dollar



Note from JWR:

With the goal of increasing the readership of SurvivalBlog, I’d like to encourage every SurvivalBlog reader that has a web site establish a link to SurvivalBlog. This will raise our search engine rankings and put SurvivalBlog at the top of the search results list whenever someone searches on a survival or preparedness topic. Text and graphic links are available at our Link To Us page. Many thanks!


Letter Re: Stockpiling U.S. Pennies and Nickels

Hi, Jim,. I don’t remember this topic being brought up, so I’ll ask about it. According to www.coinflation.com, the current melt value of a pre-1982 [U.S.] penny (95% copper) is $.02, twice its face value. The melt value of a [U.S.] nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel) is $.09, nearly twice its face value. Melt value is, of course, dependent upon the metals markets, which fluctuate daily. While most metal prices have increased dramatically over the last few years, there’s no guarantee they’ll continue to rise (and prices might even fall), but at this point the long-term trend seems upward. With …


Six Letters Re: HK 416 Gas Piston M16/AR-15 Rifles and Upper Receiver Assemblies

Hey James, I got the chance to see a cool AR [gas] piston system this past week at the NRA Convention in St. Louis. It is made by LWRC. They have a great video on their web site that explains in detail the design and benefits. Personally, I’m an AK guy because I want absolute reliability and was willing to give up some accuracy if it meant my rifle went bang every time. Even with my Arsenal milled receiver, accuracy is improved but [still] not like an AR. I may switch back to an AR platform and give this a …


Odds ‘n Sods:

John O. sent us this link: Waiting for the Pandemic    o o o InyoKern spotted this article at an Aviation Week blog: Rebar arrows in East Timor. InyoKern’s comment: ” I never thought of this, but it has a certain post peak grim humor, doesn’t it”   o o o More on honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD): Up to 90% Losses in Canadian Hives    o o o RBS suggested this web page on hobby forge, foundry, and casting. He also recommended this supplier: Centaur Forge.


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana


Note from JWR:

Whenever you contact any company that you see mentioned in SurvivalBlog, please mention where you saw their company name and/or web page link. Many of these companies are ideal candidates for advertising on SurvivalBlog. Please encourage them to get an ad. (Our ad rates are dirt cheap!) And of course please say thanks whenever you contact any company that is already a SurvivalBlog advertiser–even our Affiliate Advertisers. Thank you!


Letter Re: How Do I Prepare Rice and Coffee for Long Term Storage?

Dear Sir, Perhaps there is a food storage site you could direct me to which would answer my questions. I know how to store most things (wheat, salt, etc.) but wonder if there is a way to store brown rice (I’ve heard it could go rancid) and how do you store coffee (my LDS friends who have helped me with putting things in #10 cans don’t drink it, of course.) I’m assuming that storing coffee beans would be superior to storing ground coffee. When you get it at the store, sometimes it’s vacuum sealed. I can do that with my …


Letter Re: How to Prepare Firearms and Ammunition for Long Term Storage

Mr. Rawles: I want to pack a rifle and ammo in a grease/lubricant that would last for years. In hopes, that the gun and ammo would work say 10 to 20 years down the road. Can you tell me what grease is used for this type of packing? Thank You, – Steve A. JWR Replies: Ammunition should NOT be coated with any sort of oil or grease. This is because oil and grease have been long-proven to deaden primers, not to mention the fact that all grease or oil would have to be entirely removed before firing, to avoid chambering …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Hawaiian K. turned up this interesting web page: the use of animals other than horses for draught and riding. K.’s comment: “Riding elk? Wow!”    o o o Reader RBS mentioned that C. Crane Company has a variety of articles on shortwave antennas and other radio topics available for free download. BTW, I consider C. Crane a great potential advertiser for SurvivalBlog, so if you do any business with them, please mention that you heard about C. Crane on SurvivalBlog.   o o o In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, Front Sight feels they have the answer to …



Notes from JWR:

I’ve noticed that the SurvivalBlog readership in Australia and New Zealand is continuing to grow. Thanks for spreading the word! BTW, simply adding a linked SurvivalBlog banner or logo to your e-mail footer and/or to your web page will help increase our visibility. Many thanks! The high bid in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction is now at $475. This auction is for a scarce pre-1899 Mauser that was arsenal converted to 7.62mm NATO. (It was converted by the Chilean national arsenal, using original Mauser tooling.) It has a retail value of at least $375. The auction ends on May 15th. Just …