Letter Re: Advice on Washing Military Utility Uniforms

Sir: What would you recommend when washing military uniforms at home? I was wondering if soap nuts are a wise choice since they have no optical brighteners. What do you use? Thanks, – Brian X. JWR Replies: I’d recommend using Atsko Sport Wash. Not only does it not have any brighteners, but it is also unscented. Dogs and even people with sensitive noses can smell detergent scents and perfumes, which could reveal your position if you are in a close ambush situation. Laundry scents also overwhelm your own sense of smell, making it less likely for you to smell your …


Letter Re: Why Civilian Disarmament in the U.S. is Just a Statist Fantasy

James, The Internet is replete with potential gun confiscation scenarios. Many people voice the opinion that this confiscation will take the form of armed troops going house to house searching for guns. This would be a potential source of revolution, would demonstrate the true nature of government and would result in the deaths of many of the regimes ostensible supporters. I’ll make the assumption that The Powers That Be are not stupid (evil, probably, but stupid, no). Since they are not stupid, and can foresee the difficulties with house-to-house searches, they will use other methods. Let’s explore some of these …


Economics and Investing:

H.L. sent: Silver Prices in the Event of a Comex Default Jim W. suggested this article about the underground economy: My Name is Cash A Graphic View of How Shale Gas Could Change the Future Obamacare Guarantees Higher Health Insurance Premiums — $3,000+ Higher Items from The Economatrix: It’s Not Too Early To Worry About The End Of Fed Easing Economy Adds 155,000 Jobs In December:  “It’s A Slow And Steady Recovery” Social Security: It’s Worse Than You Think


Odds ‘n Sods:

Kevin S. recommended the very informative (link-heavy) web site of ham radio operator Ron Herring (W7HD.)    o o o Kevin also mentioned this from the Family Research Council: Hunger, Plenty, and Population    o o o Peter Ferrara of Forbes sums it up well: ‘Assault Weapon’ Is Just A PR Stunt Meant To Fool The Gullible. (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.)    o o o F.G. suggested this video: Sight In Your Rifle in Two Shots



Notes from JWR:

January 8th is the birthday of the late Algis Budrys (born 1931, died June 9, 2008.) He was the Lithuanian-American science fiction author who wrote the classic survivalist novel Some Will Not Die. — We are pleased to welcome our newest advertiser: StatGearTools.com. They are the makers of the T3 Tactical Triage & Auto Rescue Tool. Anyone who commutes or drives for a living (truck drivers, bus or taxi drivers, etc.) should carry one of these tools. It may help you save a life! — Today we present another entry for Round 44 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The …


Accurizing a Precision Rifle on a Budget, by Mike L.

“Only accurate rifles are interesting.” – Col. Townsend Whelen We all know when we are shooting a super accurate rifle; when everything just “clicks” and the shooter, cartridge, and rifle come together to make great groups. But what are the variables involved in making a rifle accurate? And more importantly, how can we control some of those variables ourselves? One of the keys to accuracy, perhaps the most important one, is consistency. We know that, as shooters, we need to be very consistent to become good marksmen. We mount the gun the same way every time, control our breathing and …


Letter Re: Advice on Finding Full Capacity Magazines

Dear Mr. Rawles I am quite sad to say that you warned me about stocking up on [full capacity] magazines, but I ignored you. I stupidly concentrated on building a couple of .22 target rifles. Now I’m hurting. Here’s my situation: I have a Bravo Company (BCM) M4 with only three magazines (30 round), and a Mini-14, also with three mags. (One is a factory 5 rounder, and the 2 others are junky “PMI” [aftermarket] 30 rounders that I don’t trust [to feed reliably].) I also have a Beretta Model 92 [9mm pistol], but for that I’m in pretty good …


News From The American Redoubt:

Selway Armory, in Lolo, Montana was recently mentioned in a CBS News item: Assault Rifles, Ammo Flying Off Shelves After Newtown Massacre    o o o A misguided prepper? Man charged after parking SUV in big hole on federal land.    o o o Some other odd news from Idaho: Couple takes wrong car home from grocery store. (And unknowingly keeps if for three days!)    o o o Online academy classes to be tested in Idaho schools. (Students nationwide–especially homeschoolers–are now widely using Khan Academy materials.)    o o o Chuck Baldwin: My Line In The Sand Is Drawn …


Economics and Investing:

Tiny gold bars latest rage for jittery investors G.G. mentioned this at Zero Hedge: Here Comes The Student Loan Bailout Also from G.G.: Spain Drains Fund Backing Pensions WSJ: Who Pays More Tax in 2013? Items from The Economatrix: The Middle Class In America Is Being Wiped Out — Here Are 60 Facts To Prove It Max Keiser & Jim Sinclair & Bill Gross:  USD Will Collapse In 2013 Housing A Sweet Spot For US Economy As Recovery Expands After The Fiscal Cliff, Challenges To Economic Growth Remain


Odds ‘n Sods:

Some fascinating demographics: This Map Shows Where Everyone Is Moving To And From In America. It is surprising to see an outflow from Wyoming. I suspect that some of that is oil and gas industry folks moving up to the Bakken Boom Towns. (Thanks to Bart S. for the link.)    o o o Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) spotted this: Buttstock Bashfest: GearScout finds out just how far tough talk goes    o o o Reality Check: Fast and Furious Operation Was Really About U.S. Supporting the Sinaloa Drug Cartel? (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)    …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“So now that there is a new tragedy the president wants to have a “national conversation on guns”. Here’s the thing. Until this national conversation is willing to entertain allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons, then it isn’t a conversation at all, it is a lecture. Now when I say teachers carrying concealed weapons on Facebook I immediately get a bunch of emotional freak out responses. You can’t mandate teachers be armed! Guns in every classroom! Emotional response! Blood in the streets! No. Hear me out. The single best way to respond to a mass shooter is with an immediate, …


Notes from JWR:

This is the birthday of Bent Faurschou-Hviid (born 1921, died October 18, 1944.) “The Flame” was a red-haired Danish resistance fighter in the Holger Danske Group during World War II. His exploits were dramatized in the movie Flame and Citron. — Do you have a favorite attributed quote that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? If so, please send it, via e-mail. Thanks!


SurvivalBlog 2005-2012 Archive Now Available Via Digital Download

It keeps getting bigger and better! The updated and expanded SurvivalBlog 2005-2012 archive now available via digital download. This new edition has expanded bonus material (a digital copy of my book Rawles on Retreats and Relocation–normally $28 in hard copy, 12 Firearms Manuals, and 14 U.S. Military Manuals), an improved user interface (with the same look and feel of the SurvivalBlog web site), and of course one more year of the blog content. The digital download and DVD both include the archives in HTML (10,131 pages) and PDF (7,923 pages). The blog archive is fully keyword searchable. It runs on …


Why Civilian Disarmament in the U.S. is Just a Statist Fantasy

I often have SurvivalBlog readers forward me alarmist e-mails, warning of “total disarmament” of the civilian populace. While there indeed may be plans or schemes to disarm Americans, I don’t consider these threats credible. Let me explain why: I would conservatively estimate that there are about 316 million firearms in private hands in the United States. Of these, less than 10% are logged in any formal registry. Perhaps another 30% have Form 4473s filed with the FFL dealers where they were first purchased, but that is a fractured mishmash of records with a quite perishable life span. It is notable …