Odds ‘n Sods:

I just finished reading the science fiction novel “Freehold” by Michael Z. Williamson.  It is a fast-paced Libertarian think piece. “Freehold” is a tale of interplanetary colonization, set some 500 years in the future. The descriptions of the bureaucratic totalitarian central Earth government are contrasted with the “Freehold” colony planet, Grainne. The main character is an Earth army logistics soldier that is unjustly accused of embezzlement. Realizing that she can never get a fair trial on Earth, she flees to Grainne. There, she finds a new world with a minimalist government and the sort of freedom that is only dreamed of. …



Note from JWR:

You may have noticed that #1 Son added a nifty new web mapping tool down at the bottom of our scrolling ad bar. This plots the source of SurvivalBlog web hits on a global map. Tres cool, huh?  (Sufficient data to plot “clusters” should be available by Monday. Be sure to click your browser’s “reload” button to see the results.) We didn’t do this just for the wow factor. Our goal is to find some more international correspondents for SurvivalBlog, who will serve in the same capacity as David in Israel. (They’ll have to be be in just for the glory, …


“Unfit To Eat”, by Buckshot

There a lot of self-proclaimed “experts” on wild game out there. Years ago, I shot a deer with a bow just before dark and he ran off. At 8:00 P.M. that night we found the arrow covered in blood. The blood trail started two feet wide and my friend said: “This deer is dead. We’ll find him in an hour.” At midnight we lost the blood trail. To make it easier to get back to the truck at night, every 20 feet or so we had places a few pieces of toilet paper. This really paid off because we were …


Letter Re: Are Model 1893 Turkish Mausers Capable of High Pressure Rechambering?

Sir: I recently bought a “no FFL” antique German (Oberndorf) Mauser Model 1893 (Turkish contract) from The Pre-1899 Specialist that had been rebarreled to .308 Winchester and turned into a nice sporter that looks just like a modern hunting rifle.  I read on another web site that they don’t recommend re-barreling Model 1893 or Model 1895 Mausers for modern high pressure cartridges like.308.  What do you think?  JWR Replies: The re-arsenalized Turkish contract Mausers were far and away the strongest of the 1893-to-1896 series small ring Mauser bolt actions. Because of their re-heat treating (quite deep), they are stronger than …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Have you ever wondreed how to decipher the date codes stamped on canned foods? See: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Food_Product_Dating/index.asp    o o o A Portland Oregon TV station warns of the Tsunami risk on west coast of the United States: http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=82990    o o o More on the planned non-nuclear “Global Strike” Trident missiles: http://www.flightinternational.com/Articles/2006/02/07/Navigation/194/204486/Global+strike+concept+raises+hopes+and+fears.html    o o o Another record trade deficit: http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/02/10/D8FMANN00.html


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock." – Orson Welles as Harry Lime in The Third Man (Screenplay by Graham Greene)


Letter From “Falsemuzzle” Re: Black Powder Guns in Survival Planning

Jim: An appropriate addition to your selection of firearms should be a black powder (BP) revolver and longarm. Many very fine guns of these types are sold all over the U.S. and so detailing the good and bad of each is probably beyond the scope of this commentary. Many prefer their own experience in the area when choosing a good BP firearm, and so I will not try to express my own biases here. What counts is having them. In terms of mobility, pre-cast bullets would be the best bet. In terms of a permanent site, storage of raw lead …


Letter Re: Defensive Shotguns on a Budget

Dear Jim: Mr. Bravo is right on the money regarding Mossberg shotguns. They are inexpensive and reliable. At IDPA shoots (www.idpa.com) I see problems EVERY match with auto shotguns, but far fewer problems with pump guns. The pump gun is a little slower to run, but the major problem of short stroking the pump is quickly corrected on the fly, while the autos can jam and are completely out of action. The only mechanical thing I have had go wrong with my Mossberg 500 or 590 is the safety’s spring loosening up after 10 years, with the safety coming on …


Two Letters Re: Alternate Fluids for Bore Cleaning and Gun Lubrication

Jim – Use “Ed’s Red” for a great home made weapon cleaning solution. See: http://www.building-tux.com/dsmjd/tech/eds_red.htm. I made a couple of gallons a long time ago and I’m still working on them… Regards, – G.T. Hi James, Possibly the best information source on the web for “homemade cleaners” is here: http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm Regards, – “Moriarty”


Letter Re: Road Blocks

Jim, As with any obstacle, roadblocks will only be effective if covered by fire. Also obstacles must be tied into the terrain and the overall fighting plan. Digging an anti-tank ditch across a road [in level country] won’t stop anyone if they can just drive around it. The French Maginot Line was a great obstacle, but the Germans just went around it. So any roadblock has to tie into other natural or artificial barriers. A roadblock that denies the only bridge that crosses an otherwise impassible river is a good example of one that ties into the terrain. However, if …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Disarming gun owners wasn’t enough for the hoplophobic Scots. Now they want to ban knives, too. See:   http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/55905.html and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4691634.stm Laddies, its time to call Mel Gibson. You could use another William Wallace “Sons of Scotland!” speech about now…   o o o Only six year too late, President Mugabe is asking Zimbabwe’s displaced farmers to return: The http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/09/wzim09.xml. Good luck Comrade. They’ll come back, but not until after you and your henchmen have been sent packing.   o o o Some of the Cell Phone Tracking web sites that we mentioned last week are being shut down: http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/2/8/212731.shtml?s=ic …



Note from JWR:

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Alternate Fluids for Bore Cleaning and Gun Lubrication

SurvivalBlog reader L.M. alerted me to an informative article at Armalite’s web site about how automatic transmission fluid can be used as a firearm bore cleaner, and how motor oil can be used as a gun lubricant. Even if you are committed to Break-Free and Hoppes #9 (like me), this is good to know WTSHTF and cleaning supplies get scarce. See: http://www.armalite.com/library/techNotes/tnote64.htm.