Category: Self-Defense

Two Letters Re: Recommendations on M1 Garand Rifles

Mr. Rawles,   Your reply to S.H. in Georgia letter was spot on about the loads for the M1 Garand. I’ve been shooting an M1 for nearly 40 years, It’s my favorite–truly my weapon of choice. I went through basic training with one and as soon as I could after discharge I bought one. May I suggest:     1. Never shoot any bullet over 168 grain weight. I shoot 155 grain.  2. En Bloc clips can be loaded incorrectly, and if they are the gun will jam. Looking down at the clip, the top-most round should be on the right side. …


Letter Re: Recommendations on M1 Garand Rifles

Dear Mr. Rawles,   I enjoyed R.W.L.’s recent post, “Prioritizing My Prepping”, and noted the choice of the venerable M1 Garand as the MBR of choice. Though the M1 is a terrific choice for this role (“the finest battle implement ever devised” per Gen. Patton), those new to the rifle should keep a couple of critical things in mind when deciding to acquire their very useful piece of history.   Standardization of ammo throughout one’s battery can be a beneficial goal, but be aware that all .30-06 is not equal when it comes to the Garand. The M1’s gas system is …


Prioritizing My Prepping, by R.W.L.

First of all, a note of praise to JWR: thanks for all you do.  You’ve got an amazing reference blog site going here and are providing an immeasurable amount of help to your readers.  I stumbled across SurvivalBlog via a link in the comments section of another blog called The Deliberate Agrarian, last October. The link included the warning: “Just see if you can escape from the archives in less than four hours.”  Two weeks later, I emerged from the archives with blood shot eyes and was both enlightened and scared at the same time.  I had a lot of …


Pat’s Product Reviews: Ruger SR1911 .45 ACP Pistol

There had been quiet rumors for a while. I even asked my contacts at Ruger if they were going to make a M1911 pistol – I was met with silence, it said a lot. With 2011 being the 100th anniversary of the M1911 pistol, I was happy to see Ruger jump on the bandwagon with their own version of this grand old pistol. Many gun companies are producing limited edition 1911 pistols this year, some are only producing their standard line-up of 1911s. You can say what you want about the 1911, but it has endured – I can’t think …


Letter Re: Another Instructables Reader

Hi Mr. Rawles, Instructables.com is one of five web sites I visit on a daily basis (second to yours, of course), and I love seeing links to it from your blog.  I don’t know if you’ve seen the following entries, but they’re certainly handy in a pinch: Emergency Duct Tape field stretcher Paracord Rifle Sling Paracord Bandoleer Of course purpose-built stretchers, slings, and bandoleers would serve one best; but once the Schumer hits the fan, the next best thing might just be made from stockpiled duct tape and parachute cord! Best Regards, – Skip H.


An Urban Camouflage Get Home Bag, by K.S.

As I live and work in a small city, and do not have a survival retreat to bail out to, over the years I have been giving much thought into how I would get home should an EMP or CME strand me away from home. I have looked at others suggestions such as small backpacks or laptop cases. I have read the debates as to what to wear to blend in while making your way home. I have had a few get home bags (GHBs) that held the things I needed, but I felt that they would look out of …


Product Review: Rock River Arms PDS Piston Driven Carbine

The PDS is Rock River Arms’ entry into the piston AR market.  I’ve never been enthusiastic about this concept, but Rock River Arms (RRA) put some serious design thought into this weapon, and the results are impressive. Here are some pictures. Starting at the rear, it has a side-folding stock, because the recoil system isn’t in a receiver extension inside it.  This is a significant advantage for transport and carry.  The folder mechanism does take a bit of getting used to.  It requires lifting the stock out of a deep detent.  It locks solidly in place open or closed, and …


Pat’s Product Review: LaserLyte Products

I still remember when some of the first lasers for handguns came on the commercial market. At the time I was working for the late Col. Rex Applegate, and he received several handgun lasers to test. As was usually the case, the job of testing was passed along to me, and I reported my findings back to Applegate. At the time, I thought that lasers on firearms were more of a gimmick or for that matter, just plain ol’ toys. No one made holsters for handguns with laser – simply because the lasers were so big – it wasn’t practical …


Initial Experience With a Slide Fire AR Stock

Courtesy of one of my consulting clients, I recently had the opportunity to shoot more than 120 rounds through an AR-15 equipped with an SSAR-15 SlideFire Solutions stock. These are legal “bump fire” stocks that slide 1/2-inch, allowing you to very rapidly re-press the trigger, under recoil. The effect sounds just like full auto. It takes a few minutes to get accustomed to controlling the length of bursts. The trick is using a slight forward pressure on the foregrip. As with full auto, don’t expect much accuracy after the second shot in a burst. (I was able to keep two …


Understanding Metric and Inch Bore Dimensions

I often have blog readers and consulting clients send me questions about firearms calibers. They are often confused, but this not always their fault. It is a confusing, complex, and often arcane topic. A lot of the facts that you will find are mere trivia, but since safety is an issue–(we mustn’t fire the incorrect ammo in our guns!)–it is important to study. To begin: Metric caliber designations are usually written with an “x” in the middle to distinguish the bore diameter and case length. For example, the 6.5×55 designation tells us that the cartridge uses a 6.5 mm bullet, …


Suggestions From a 2 for 1 Prepper, by M.M.

I especially liked the February, 2001 SurvivalBlog article about Forever Preps. I now have enough salt to last me forever in Mylar lined buckets. That includes regular salt for salt curing. I need saltpeter. I have dry bleach, hand tools, skills, and Jesus. I’m working on the rest. As a matter of fact, within my extended family we have four medical people, a fireman, a teacher, a banker, an accountant, HVAC technician, mechanic, farmer, baker, trucker, engineers—we don’t exactly have a butcher or candlestick maker, but my son tends to his own deer and fish and I have made plenty …


Letter Re: The Endless “One Gun” Internet Debates

Jim, I understand and agree with your position regarding the “One Gun” debate. I have no desire to challenge or question yesterday’s article on the topic. I do have a question on your thoughts about the new Ruger Gunsite Scout rifle. What is your opinion regarding the concept behind this type of gun? I know they are marketing this as the “the gun to have if you can only have one” and I am not asking about that aspect of it. I see this gun as being versatile and an asset to anyone who has small arsenal. Do you think …


Letter Re: The Endless “One Gun” Internet Debates

JWR, First, a big thanks for all you do to educate and enlighten us! My day is not complete until I have had my SurvivalBlog fix (one of my good habits!).   I whole-heartedly support your gun is a tool analogy, and that having just one gun is like having just one tool in the box. Where we would differ is in how to build a suitable battery of firearms to fill most needs – much like a plumber’s tool box will look different from a auto mechanic’s. Under the cover of YMMV, those of you who have escaped to …


The Endless “One Gun” Internet Debates

I often read suggestions in survivalist and shooting forums that run something like this: “If you had to choose just one gun to handle all your tasks, then what would it be?” A lively debate then ensues, usually marked by extreme opinions, running the gamut from pipsqueak calibers, to elephant guns. These debates go on, endlessly. The result is a confusing muddle that does little to educate folks that are new to shooting as to what is truly practical. What prompted this post is that recently received a “one gun solution” article entry for SurvivalBlog’s writing contest, which I politely …


Letter Re: Assuring M1911-Series Autopistol Safety

Jim, First, thank you so much for such a worthwhile resource for prepping and other useful information.   Regarding the recent article on M1911 series pistols, I could not help but cringe when I repeatedly read to release the slide and let it slam on an empty chamber.  It is my understanding that there is no better way to mess up a trigger job than repeated slamming the slide forward on an empty chamber.  The action of releasing the slide without a round being stripped off of a magazine to buffer the force will cause damage to the surfaces of …