Category: Self-Defense

Letter Re: The Importance of Pistol Holster Selection

I ‘lurk’ a lot and by doing so, learn a bunch but a discussion came up in another environment and made me think and I wanted some feedback so here goes… In responding to someone who planned on getting a hand gun as a part of their survival planning and was seeking advice I said this: This topic however hits home as I’ve been in training over 20 years and am still a certified ‘pistol’ instructor. I spent a lot of time doing law enforcement, corrections officer and even civilian hand gun / shotgun training. With that said, getting a …


Letter Re: Springfield Armory XD Pistol Accessories

James- I wanted to thank you for the great web site! It’s fantastic! I was on the Springfield Armory web site yesterday, and noticed that they are having a 20% off sale on all accessories, including XD magazines, through July 31st. I picked up four more, and thought I’d pass the info along. Keep up the great work, and I pray for a healthy recovery for your wife. – Kristopher in Afghanistan JWR Replies: Thanks for your prayers for The Memsahib. We are now hopeful that she will make a complete recovery. I am enthusiastic about the XD pistols. Now …


Letter Re: Rampant Inflation in Steel Products

Hey Jim, I used to make my living as a construction electrician and had several big steel Greenlee brand tool boxes with my tools. There is usually one in the back of my truck all the time. Price of gun safes has continued to rise, so I took one of my boxes and cut out a plywood rack for my guns, then filled in around the rack with polyurethane foam. After it was set and cured, I painted the urethane foam flat black. The fit and finish on my Greenlee tool box/gun safe is good enough to protect my weapons, …


Letter Re: Marginal Cartridges Without Proper Placement Fail to Stop an Aggressor

Sir, If you ever wanted graphic proof of the lethal supremacy of the 7.62mm NATO round over the 5.56mm, a recent thread from M4Carbine.net is the argument stopper! (Be forewarned, these documents have graphic pictures of the wounds to the deceased Bad Guy taken at the Coroner’s.) This FBI study of a police and SWAT shooting incident shows in graphic clarity why training (shot placement under stress) and superior ballistics are so important in a fire fight, especially a fight where your aggressor is determined and motivated for the fight. The subject (a determined street thug) took more than 17 …


Letter Re: Report From an Enthusiastic XD Pistol Shooter

Hi Jim, I recently bought a Glock 21 (.45 ACP). Although the pistol works great, it did not fit my hand well and it tended to point to the right as I brought it up to fire. I have large hands so it was not a “large gun, small hand” problem. I love my Glock 19 and Glock 27 so there is no anti-Glock bias here. For comparison, I bit the bullet and bought a [Springfield Armory] XD Tactical in 45 ACP. Renting a gun is not an option where I live, so if you do not know someone with …


Letter Re: The Mil-Spec AR-15 Parts Chart

Jim, Maybe Chris S. misunderstood the AR reference chart that you referenced. I just wanted to defend the comparison link on ARs you posted. It is accurate on the quality. Remember, this list is only for specific models from a particular manufacturer, but is also overall a good gauge of how that manufacturer makes things. If xyz manufacturer properly stakes the carrier key sometimes (as Chris pointed out, his was better than the Bushmaster listed), and not all the time, they aren’t going to get the “X.” This is because they do not consistently or reliably produce quality. I can …


Two Letters Re: The Mil-Spec AR-15 Makers–Parts Chart

I imagine you are going to get a lot of e-mails stating the chart [posted on an Internet Forum] that you cited is inaccurate. At least in the case of the all-factory Bushmaster, I own I can say there were at least a couple of missing “X”‘s [in the chart]. Likewise, I question who exactly was the metallurgist who placed a “1” in the barrel steel column. Also, Bushmaster has a lifetime warranty. It’s right on their web site and I can assure you they honor it. When I had a parts breakage issue after thousands of rounds put through …


Letter Re: Thoughts on Static Retreat Defense

Mr Rawles, Before I start, I must congratulate you on your remarkable and down to earth approach to informing your audience of both the practical ins-and-outs and theory of preparedness. I’m a mid-20s town planner with a minor in building design, living in Western Australia. I share many of the same concerns regarding the status and direction of society as your audience. I came across your site in the last four months, and have then spent a great deal of time searching your archives. I recently ordered your “Rawles on Retreats and Relocation” book, and await it eagerly. My town …


Letter Re: Feedback on Training at Front Sight

Dear James, Just wanted to say thank you for letting your readers know about the Front Sight Gun + Gear + Training special offer. My husband and I attended the four-day defensive handgun and the one-day CCW courses last week, and are expecting delivery of the [Springfield Armory] XD40 [pistol]s we used during the courses, in two days. Neither of us had any real experience with guns before the course. To be honest, when I read your book and in reading your blog, I always skimmed through or skipped the “gun sections” altogether. Well, the course was a blast (pun …


Letter Re: Ammo Types and Storage Ratios for a Precision .308 Rifle

James I have a friend wanting my advice. He has a Glock [Model] 22 [.40 S&W] , an AR-15 [5.56mm NATO], a Ruger 10/.22 [rimfire] and a Remington 700 VTR [bolt action .308]. He has 5,000 rounds for the Glock, 10,000 rounds for the AR and 6,000 rounds for the 10/.22. He has no .308 semi-auto rifle and [says that he has] no plans to acquire one. He wants to lay in a supply of around 2,000 rounds for the Remington 700 VTR. It shoots under 1/2 MOA with 168 grain Federal Gold Medal Match, and around 1 to 1-1/2 …


Letter Re: Victory in the DC v. Heller US Supreme Court Decision–With Some Reservations

Hi Jim, I was just reading your very excellent SurvivalBlog [post on the Heller decision] this morning. A great site you have. Regarding Mr. Gura, don’t be too hard on him because he appeared to throw machine guns under the bus at oral argument. I believe that Gura made a tactical decision not to discuss machine guns because he knew that, for now, the machine gun issue was a loser of an argument, and would distract from a more important first step: getting the Second Amendment declared as an individual right. Now that the court has declared (as those of …


Letter Re: Observations on Gun Laws in Europe and Request for Gun Selection Advice

Dear Jim, It is almost a year since I [started to] read SurvivalBlog. It is a great thing. Thank you for it. I am doing my best to be ready for the moment WTSHTF. Here in Europe, as you know, we have a problem with the gun control, so the only way to have guns is for hunting purposes (for self defence is almost impossible), and after few difficult tests, that includes psychiatric and medical tests, some law knowledge about guns regulations, safety and laws, and of course, having a clean background (no prison). Of course, there is regulation even …


The Warrior Way as Survival Strategy: Attune Yourself to a Martial Mindset in Daily Living, by Jeff Trasel

One of the constant knocks by the mainstream media on the preparedness movement is the oft-touted canard that preparedness, indeed the “survivalist” mindset is nothing more than an excuse by far-right loons to engage in Rambo-esque fantasies of firearms, firefights and macho posturing. While there is a scintilla of truth to this in some far dark quarters of doomsday lunacy, it is for the most part fiction. (This matches JWR’s caveat on discussing unregistered suppressors [in the US] or other illegal preparations). So that we bring no discredit on what is nothing more than prudence, perhaps a few short observations …


Victory in the DC v. Heller US Supreme Court Decision–With Some Reservations

I was pleased to hear of the recent DC v. Heller US supreme court decision that affirmed that the “right to keep and bear arms” is indeed an individual right of all citizens. However, I was disappointed to see that the court used circular logic in their assumptions on what constituted firearms “in common use” Just as I warned back in March, (immediately following the oral arguments), the court relied on arguments made by Mr. Gura (the plaintiff’s attorney). In my opinion, Gura’s arguments were a disservice to American gun owners and “the militia at large”. (Which consists of all …


Ten Tips to Save Money on Ammunition, by Mr. Yankee

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As prices increase, many shooters are looking for ways to take the bite out of their shooting budget. Here are ten tips to help: Take the bite out of your shooting budget: If you are like most, you did not buy nearly enough ammo over the past few years. Most of us told ourselves that our budgets just couldn’t be stretched any farther. So our ammunition reserves either dwindled or stayed static despite knowing that prices were rising. Boy are we sorry now! Anyone who was not paying attention had a severe dose of sticker shock when hunting season arrived, …