Letter Re: Long Term Underground Storage of Guns

What do you consider “long-term? If it’s anything over a year and you expect to store the guns in a damp climate, you will have to protect them from more than just ordinary conditions. Way back in 1999, when everybody was worrying about Y2K I conducted an experiment in gun storage. First, I bought a four-foot long piece of 6” dia. ABS pipe. I know, most people think PVC is best, but I’ve seen too many pieces of PVC that have cracked when hit or bent over a piece of rock. ABS is much more flexible and resistant to such …




Letter Re: Uses for CONEXes at a Retreat

Jim, Here are a couple more thoughts on CONEX containers . . . or shipping containers in general. If you are using them for storage, be aware that uninsulated containers (more abundant) tend to sweat and cause moisture damage to the items being stored. My solution was to buy only insulated refer trailers, which can sometimes be purchased for even less money than 40 ft. shipping containers. In either case, it’s very important to waterproof the roof as much as possible. Sometimes a secondary roof is advisable. Another method to secure as much as storage space for the dollar is …




Letter Re: Uses for CONEXes at a Retreat

Jim, You mention using CONEX overseas shipping containers as an improvised house. I have been planning on putting two 40′ containers parallel to each other, cut some openings between containers (to “open” up some room) and cutting holes for windows/doors-using the cut outs as shutters over the windows/doors. I bought “one way” containers as they are near perfect, not 7-to-9 year olds being sold cheaper-with holes, dents, rust and doors that won’t open. Forest fire and theft were my reasons for using all metal outside. Do you or any of your readers have any suggestions before I light the cutting …




Letter Re: Preparedness Lessons Learned from The K.T. Ordnance BATFE Raid

Jim, I thought I would give you an up-date on my raid. First, I’m not in jail, nor have I been charged with any crime. Everything that can be written has been written at this time.[JWR Adds: For example, see the discussions at the AR15.com Forums, at LibertyPost.org, 1911Forum.com, et cetera. ] In retrospect, there are some things I should have done, but that I didn’t. (I pooh-poohed some of your preparedness ideas, shame on me. Learn from my mistakes.) 1) Did not stash my extra arms and ammo, and now I don’t have them. 2) Should not have been …




Letter Re: Advice on Firearms Caching

Mr. R.: We started playing around with this eventuality in the 1990s.  A few observations: We buried old guns and cartridges in 155mm howitzer tubes (M82) in our garden, where they were regularly watered over. End-result ? With dessicant tins inside, they were A-OK after 6 months. Others buried out in the boonies, without regular water-challenge, were A-OK after 12 and 18 months. No rust. Cartridges went bang. Guns functioned flawlessly. We’d prepped them with ProLix, a non-petroleum based cleaner/lube/protectant. ( ProChemCo, ph. 800-248-LUBE ) I’ve tried most products and this is superior. I’ve cleaned scrupulously (can you say “OCD”? …




Two Letters Re: Advice on Firearms Caching

James: You mentioned using sonobuoy shipping containers for caching. I used to work as an engineer at a company that built sonobuoys. We would routinely reject fairly large numbers of these tubes for either mold defects or physical damage that would result in a leak. At one point, I and another guy in my group went to the plant (after getting the necessary paperwork) and carried off a large truck load of them. All had to be repaired, but they were usable. Just be sure to check them carefully and be prepared to do some patching if needed. As an …




Two Letters Re: Advice on Firearms Caching

Good Evening JWR: I want to safely hide guns and ammo at strategic locations on my wooded property without placing them in buildings, in the chance situation I could not get into my home. Do you have any suggestions on safe storage? Thank you, – Rus Jim, I have been thinking, perhaps someone with expertise in this area may want to post on your blog about long term firearms storage. I have stocked up firearms in the spirit of your book “Patriots”, to give to a friend who has none, or to group standardize for a group that doesn’t exist …




Letter From Rourke Re: The Vault Room: Preparedness in Tornado Alley, and

Jim: A vault door may not be necessary unless you really need a blast door or you are very worried about theft. If you are far enough from a likely ground zero and able to at least somewhat hide your door, a steel fire door will probably suffice nicely. For bargains, look for commercial demolitions, or contact people or companies who do this. Tell them you are looking for a swinging conventional doorway sized steel fire door, preferably with the steel frame, dent and scratch is fine. If you must buy new, find a 90 minute rated steel fire door. …




Letter Re: The Vault Room: Preparedness in Tornado Alley, and Beyond

JR- Safes and safe doors are a statement of the times. I have to laugh and gasp when I see those old glass fronted, wood gun cabinets of our grandfathers generation. Today they make good bookshelves or curio cabinets… with that in mind, I would really appreciate it if you could sometime look into finding someone or some firm that makes an affordable "do it yourself" gun safe or a walk in safe door. Lets face it, many of us are on a shoestring budget, long on talent and time but short on money. Short of stumbling upon an absolute …




Letter Re: Hidden Safes

I thought you readers might be interested in this. Here is a news report that details the hidden safes. The third video is the important one about the safes.  See: http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=4159822 Here is the home page for the company that put the safes in the cars:  http://www.hiddensafes.com/index.htm I was impressed. – Cube




CONEXes, Not Rolexes

In person at guns shows and at public speaking engagements, as well as in e-mail, I often have folks mention some of the odd, if not bizarre things that they have purchased for their survival preparations. They run the gamut: Ostentatious: The reader that blew virtually his entire preparation budget on a brand new BMW 4×4 SUV Impractical: The gent who said that he owns just one firearm: An AR-15 with five 100-round Beta C-MAGs, a rail-mounted white flashlight, a rail-mounted IR flashlight, PAQ-4 laser target designator, a Gen 3 PVS-4 starlight scope, bipod, and a pseudo-M203 (37mm) flare launcher. …




Letter Re: Oil and Lubricant Storage in Retreat Planning

James, After reading your blog [post] on oil storage I heartily agree with most of your points. I stock synthetic [motor] oil for this purpose: it lasts longer! If a time comes when I can’t get oil I want what I have to be the best. I recently began using Mobil 1 Extended Performance [synthetic] and I’m not sure I can back it up, but I did notice a slight mileage increase over regular Mobil 1 in my 2000 F-150 4×4 Super Cab. Perhaps just a coincidence, but perhaps it actually lubricates a bit better than regular Mobil 1. I …




Letter Re: A Source for Storage Barrels

Mr. Rawles–just wanted to drop a quick note about storage barrels. We live down the road from a juice factory and they would probably give the barrels away if they had to. Last time I bought a couple, the steel barrels were a buck (with lids and compression rings…the steel barrels were also lined) and the plastic ones were five dollars. Don’t know how many juice factories are out there, but it sure beats paying the high prices the “survival food” companies charge for the same barrels. I’m sure there are other good sources for cheap food grade barrels, too.  …




Letter Re: A Source for Storage Barrels

Everybody’s referring to 55 gallon barrels. I can’t lift something as heavy as a 55 gallon barrel full of fuel. I’ve always bought the steel 17 gallon barrels for fuel. I CAN pick up one of those full of fuel (if I have too) :-[ They have the same size holes on top as the 55 gallon barrels and they will stand up in the back of a Bronco or Blazer. Regards and please keep up the great work! – The Army Aviator




Letter Re: A Source for Storage Barrels

Hey there! Congratulations on the site. There is not a day that goes by that I do not read it. As such, I just thought that I would tell you to check out the following website… http://stores.ebay.com/The-Barrel-Company (The Barrel Company, out of Nevada). After checking it out, if you desire, you may want to put it out on your website. I get all of my 55 gallon steel and water barrels from this site. I provide you with this information not because I have any personal relationship with this company but simply because you can get CHEAP, HIGH QUALITY barrels …