Letter Re: On Antique Mausers and Their Ammo

Dear Jim, The early Mausers and related rifles are excellent because of their frequent low price, durability and reliability, not to mention their potential value as antique non-weapons if manufactured before 1899. (As described in JWR’s FAQ on the subject.) The first of these is the [Model 1888] Commission Rifle, or Gewehr 88, which will be marked on the left side of the receiver with “Gew88” in German script. Much confusion and myth surrounds these fine rifles. Simplified: the early ones are only safe with commercially loaded ammo from US MAKERS. The later ones are marked “S” for “Spitzer” and …


Letter Re: Montague Folding Paratrooper Mountain Bikes

Mr. Rawles, In December as a Christmas present I bought two of Montague’s folding Paratrooper bikes, one for myself and one for my wife. I bought them for a few reasons, some of them are: a “G.O.O..D.” bike, to take along when we go camping, and for the anticipated NYC Subway strike that I was a part of. Temporally my wife can’t use hers since she’s pregnant with our first child 🙂 . Lately I just use mine for running errands around town and for dropping off and picking up my car from the mechanic. For that extra compactness I …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Fred the Valmet-meister says: “The skip is in!” on the 6 Meter Band. (Even all the way across the Atlantic.)    o o o Some commentary from Recombinomics on H5N1 mutations and human-to-human transmission    o o o SurvivalBlog reader A.K. recommended this article about the U.S. 1989 invasion of Panama. A.K. commented: “I’m not sure if I agree with her ultimate conclusion, but her account definitely offers something educational. Especially the way the neighborhoods banded together, the run on the groceries, and the lack of preparedness.”



Note from JWR:

As previously mentioned, Cheaper Than Dirt! has decided to cease its Affiliated Sales Program (with all of its affiliate web publishers), effective June 9th. If you’ve been dawdling on placing an order with Cheaper Than Dirt!, you now have just one full day left to get your order in and still have a commission on the sale credited to SurvivalBlog. Speaking of affiliate advertisers, we now have 160+ advertisers that can support SurvivalBlog if you patronize them. (But of course please give your business to our paid advertisers (in the scrolling right hand ad bar) first.) See our Affiliates page …


Are Your Neighbors Prepared? by Doc

I am more comfortable with neighbors who have food stored, means to prepare it, and who know how to grow food, as well as arms to protect themselves, first aid supplies, tools, and the many other things it takes to survive an emergency. Unfortunately, that is a very rare situation. I have a unique and privileged take on the problem, since I have been in more than a thousand homes. This is because, at various points in my life, I have been an apartment repairman, handyman, finish carpenter, electrician, cable TV repairman, as well as a volunteer for a non-profit …


Letter from Rourke Re: The Popping of the U.S. Housing Bubble

Dear Jim: I respectfully disagree that the housing “bubble has popped”. (You had written in Odds ‘n Sods: “Here in the U.S., the unsold house inventory backlog jumped to 565,000 in April. The housing bubble has popped. There are no more bidding wars for houses. Now its price cut after price cut. In the coastal markets, I anticipate a race to the bottom, most likely starting in September of Aught Six.”) Thankfully the air has been coming out very steadily of this overextended price balloon, without the blow-up or popping that could have occurred. As a Wall Street Journal article …



Odds ‘n Sods:

The folks at Box o’ Truth do some tests with shotguns, with very favorable results.    o o o UN convention could mean restrictions on home schooling in the U.S.    o o o When doing a search in The Wikipedia, I stumbled across this great piece that I remembered from my army training: The Standing Orders of Rogers Rangers, along with the more complete (and more historically correct) Plan of Discipline. Some things haven’t changed since the 1700s!




Great Depression II What Will it Be Like?, by Buckshot

Because the huge debts America owes the world, once the dollar collapses the domino effect will be felt worldwide. There are plenty of sites that explain why the US Dollar will fail and what will happen. Once America starts into the hyper inflation stage it will be too late to buy your needed supplies. Trust me, there is not one Congressman or Senator that is going to tell Americans the truth. Therefore the only choice the Federal reserve will have is to print more money. Flooding the market with more printed dollars will lead to hyper inflation. There will be …


Letter Re: P-10 Self-Contained Fallout Shelter on eBay

Mr Rawles: I got a chance to tour the P-10 self-contained fallout shelter that you have mentioned a couple of times here on your blog and wanted you to know that it is as advertised in apparently really good shape. The smart money would be on this one with a complete system checkup while it is being reinstalled. I have dealt with Ready Made Resources in the past always with good results and I think he will help anyone who wants this shelter have a positive experience with its purchase. If it were not poor timing for me this shelter …


Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog reader Tom. H. recommended a thought-provoking letter that was recently posted at The High Road. It refers to an earlier essay: On Sheep, Sheepdogs, and Wolves, by Dave Grossman    o o o   The Nanny-State do-gooders at the Washington Post assert that private firearms training is “under regulated”, implying that it is some sort of threat.    o o o NY Times: Human Flu Transfers May Exceed Reports   o o o SurvivalBlog reader G.G. recommended a web site with some free text files on survival topics, including several from Kurt Saxon.