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 …


Letter Re: Livestock at Your Retreat

Mr. Rawles: Just a few tips on the livestock side of things, in response to Samantha’s piece on Livestock at Your Retreat: – Your Mile May Vary (YMMV) on pasture needs. On the coastal plain, two acres per head of cattle will do quite nicely in most area. But in more “brittle” areas, such as the high plains, the East slopes of the Rockies, West Texas, etc, you will find yourself needing considerably more land than two acres per cow. (Check with your Agriculture college or county extension agent.) Hereabouts, one acre of good land will provide both grazing and …


Letter Re: Lead From Car Batteries–Can it Be Recycled Into Cast Bullets?

Dear Mr. Editor: Can lead from car batteries be recycled for bullet making? I’m just wondering, since there will be lots of dead batteries to be found in a post-SHTF world! Just a thought. Sincerely, – K&S JWR Replies: Yes, lead from car batteries could be used, but only with stringent safety precautions! “Cracking” old sulfated car batteries will expose you to highly corrosive acid and acid fumes. I’ve also read that battery lead has high toxicity from contaminants like strontium. A much safer and more convenient source of bullet casting lead is clipped-on wheel balancing weights. In a worst-case …


Odds ‘n Sods:

RCP’s sharp eye caught this news story: Great Lakes fish virus may threaten U.S. aquaculture. Gee, these plagues are starting to take on Biblical proportions. First it was the honeybees…    o o o KT flagged this one: Congressman Kucinich Seeks To Ban Handguns In The United States. Meanwhile, Rep. McCarthy (D-NY) is pushing other “gun control” legislation. My advice: stock up, particularly on full capacity magazines. I fear that a new Federal ban on 11+ round magazines is likely to be enacted before the end of the current session of congress, as part of some typical Washington DC “reasonable …




Poll Results: An Exercise in Humility–a Poll on Embarrassing Mistakes

Mr. Rawles: When I think of our early mistakes, so many things come to mind! 1. Buying ten #10 cans of T.V.P. for Y2K. Ick! We could not give the stuff away. We learned never to buy large quantities of anything we don’t normally eat until we try it first 2. Buying cheap BOB backpacks. We thought that since we would most likely never need them, we could buy the cheap backpacks from Walmart. A few years later, when we decided to take a test run, we found that the packs were incredibly uncomfortable and the bottom fell out of …