Letter Re: Argentina’s Lessons for the U.S. Debt

  I read the first-hand accounts of Argentina’s decline from wealth and prosperity to near lawlessness that were linked to here a while back and they stuck with me. How could a prosperous nation with generally well-regarded policies sink so far so fast? Far more importantly, what caused it, could it happen in other places (i.e. here), and what indicators were missed? Luck would have it that I stumbled across the answers to two of those entirely serendipitously. The answer is actually rather simple: debt. The Argentinean economy was in good shape in the 1990s, it had good growth, good …


Letter from The Army Aviator Re: A Source for Night Vision Scopes

I’ve been running night vision since I learned to fly with them back in 1978. Not to disparage the writer’s comments about how good the “Mini-14” monocular is, because it is a good unit. However, it’s been my experience that the PRC-14Delta (Government) model is even better. Yes, a papered version costs more than a civilian Mini-14 but it’s worth the money. And, as an additional note, the manual gain adjustment of the PRC-14D is invaluable. It’s there for a reason. You strap it on and adjust the gain until you have maximal effectiveness of both eyes (One aided eye …


Odds ‘n Sods:

I just stumbled across Rogue Turtle, an interesting site with a wide range of survival and preparedness information.    o o o Wiggy’s (one of our first advertisers) is offering a special 15% discount on all of their sleeping bags until the end of April. These are the best sleeping bags I’ve ever used. They are extremely durable. Their two-bag FTRSS is my personal favorite. Every well-prepared family should have a full set of Wiggy’s bags. Even if you plan to “bug in” rather than “bug out”, a warm sleeping bag could be an absolute life safer in the event …



Defending Your Home: An Outline of Security for Troubled Times, by K.A.D.

My mentor in the law, when asked to prove the depravity of man, produces from his pocket a common set of keys. He then asks, if men are not morally depraved, why he must lock his home when he leaves it. His belief in the common depravity of man is such that he (quietly) celebrates the fact that many of the lawyers in the office carry concealed sidearms, believing that the fact that many of us are armed makes all of us safer. Everyone who locks his door has taken the first step toward securing his home, but there are …


Letter Re: Ruptured Case Extractors?

Jim, I always see broken shell extractors for sale on web sites and at gun shows. I have yet to ever see a need for one. Do you have any experience in the need for one? Also, exactly how do they work? Would one for a .30-06 work for a .308, or a 7.62×39, or vice-versa? I have pondered this for a while, and am hoping you or a fellow reader might be able to answer this. Also, what causes the need for one? Would a dirty chamber cause a cartridge case to stick in the chamber, thereby ripping the …


Letter Re: Varmints in the Garden

Hi James, Spring has sprung and it is getting close to time to plan and start gardening prep. I am far from a green thumb and wondered if anyone has a solution for keeping moles and gophers from ruining the garden? Last year, 95% of my sweet corn was destroyed by these pests. Come time to count on the garden after TEOTWAWKI, I don’t want to watch my food supply vanish. I tried trapping these pests with no luck. Any info would be greatly appreciated! -The Wanderer JWR Replies:  Garden pests are typically just a “nuisance” in good times, but …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Licensed to kill gophers by the government of the United Nations. Man, free to kill gophers at will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case my enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit – ever. They’re like the Viet Cong – Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that’s all she wrote.” – Bill Murray as Carl Spackler in Caddyshack.


Note From JWR:

There are just three full days left to submit your entries for Round 3 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best contest entry will win a four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. The deadline for entries for Round 3 is March 31, 2006. The first piece posted today is another fine contest entry:



Letter Re: Defensive Use of My IRA

Jim, I agree that nothing beats physical bullion and ammunition for real wealth, but there may be something to be said for keeping a store of digital wealth in tact for as long as possible also. My bank has an emergency plan. They mailed me a copy. So I figured I needed to incorporate a plan to keep them out of my life during an economic meltdown. The plan is very simple. I fully intend to eliminate my mortgage with what is left of my IRA on the day before doomsday (or thereabouts). My money will ride out the storm …


Letter Re: Choosing Between a Shotgun and a Rifle for Retreat Defense

After reading Declan’s question and then your answer, I felt compelled to write in. Many of the survival minded people that post on various boards swear by their main battle rifle (MBR), whether an AK, AR, M1A, FN-FAL, the list goes on. All which are tools that have certain uses just like a hammer. IMHO, I don’t believe that we will go to a full scale war zone overnight. With the concealable of a pistol, it is not as threatening as a MBR in public, mostly because of “out of sight, out of mind.” with a CCW, a person can …


Letter Re: Suggestions on Spare Parts for Guns?

Jim: I heard a radio host talk about the value of having certain parts for guns on hand. Can you recommend a dealer or source for good quality parts for firearms? I am not a gunsmith. Does anyone make parts kits for the most commonly broken parts like springs,etc. It would be nice if you could buy them for say a 1911, AR, etc. I guess the AR is full of small things that get lost and cannot be replaced or made. Maybe you could elaborate with a posting on a list of what to buy etc, thanks. – Boosters …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Survival Blog reader S.H. recommends a site with free PDF field manuals, including TC9-56 SKS Rifle, M16A2, et cetera: http://www.chqsoftware.net/catalog/freestuff.php This Canadian company also has a interesting looking CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training series…something folks should consider if they are in an urban environment.    o o o Missouri Teenager Survives a 1,300 Foot Tornado Ride: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/breaking_news/14158868.htm    o o o The H5N1 virus responsible for the current virulent strain of bird flu has mutated into two genetically distinct strains, US scientists have confirmed. They fear this could increase the risk to humans – and complicate the search for  …