Running a Gun Show Business – Part 2

(Continued from Part 1.) Not Just Guns There is a lot more for sale at gun shows than just serialized modern guns. Magazines are always good sellers. In fact, your average guy walking in to a show cannot afford to buy another gun, at any given show. But he  usually wants and can afford to buy a few magazines. It is magazines that have always been my “bread and butter” sellers, at gun shows. There is also a lot of money to be made with ammunition, but that as a primary inventory should only be considered by men under age …




Running a Gun Show Business – Part 1

At the urging of my readers and consulting clients, in this piece I’m going to go over the basics of running a gun show business. Renting gun show tables and then selling and/or trading items for tangible gain can be quite fun and rewarding. I rent show tables to make trades, primarily to improve my personal collection. For example, this weekend (Friday and Saturday only–Oct 25 and 26, 2019), I’ll have three tables at the Butte, Montana gun show. I won’t be there on Sunday. To begin, I must start with some caveats on why renting tables is not for …




My Continued Handgun Search – Part 2, by The Novice

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Anti-Flinch Measures A search of the internet revealed a number of suggestions for combating flinch. There were three that I decided to try first. The first of these measures was more frequent and extensive dry firing. Over the course of the following days, I set out to rack and dry fire the PPQ at least 200 times. I hoped that this might help to dampen my flinch somewhat. It should also serve to gently break in the moving parts and further smooth out the trigger. The second involved wearing both ear plugs …




My Continued Handgun Search – Part 1, by The Novice

I have been on a quest. It is the search for my ideal handgun. The ideal handgun for me may not be the same as the ideal handgun for you. If you have not yet found your ideal handgun, then perhaps the story of my search will give you some ideas and inspiration for your own search. If you have already found your ideal handgun, you may at least find this story to be entertaining. Most modern handguns have an intrinsic accuracy that is more than sufficient to meet my needs. The problem is that I am not a human …




Zero Tolerance ZT 0452CF, by Pat Cascio

“Proudly Overbuilt In The USA!” That’s what is written on every Zero Tolerance product box that leaves their factory. A longtime friend, and fellow gun writer, once told me that, you have to catch the reader’s attention in your first couple of sentences or first paragraph of an article, or the readers won’t read any further. I certainly hope I caught your attention. I know a lot of our readers are like me, they love Zero Tolerance (ZT) knives, for several reasons, one is that they are built in the USA, right here in my home state of Oregon. Secondly, …




Kel-Tec RDB-17, by Pat Cascio

I’ve never been a huge fan of Bullpup rifle designs – I’ve shot a few over the years, but they just didn’t ring my chimes for some reason. That has all changed, since I bought a Kel-Tec RDB-17 – my local gun shop is always getting in something that catches my attention, and the RDB-17 really opened-up my eyes for some reason. I’ve played around with the civilian version of the IWI Tavor that is being used in Israel with great success, but it didn’t do anything for me – especially the price tag – it didn’t offer anything to …




Black Powder for Self-Reliance – Part 4, by M.B.

(Continued from Part 3. This concludes a four-part series.) Introductory Disclaimer (Repeated): Making black powder, while safe in the author’s experimental experience, can be dangerous. The author and SurvivalBlog.com do not endorse making black powder, and you do so at your own risk. Making black powder could also be in violation of the laws in your jurisdiction. You are responsible for compliance with all laws in your area. Neither the author, nor SurvivalBlog.com, are responsible for your use of the information in this article. The processes described herein are therefore for informational purposes only. Safety Note (Repeated): Black powder can …




Springfield Armory XD-S Mod.2, by Pat Cascio

Compact and sub-compact handguns are all the rage the past couple of years, and we have them in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP these days. In a sub-compact, I believe it is best to stick with one in 9mm, because you get one or two more rounds in some of the magazines, and it is controllable – more so than the .40 S&W and the .45 ACP. If you can’t control your firearm for follow-up shots, what good is it? I received my Springfield Armory XD-S Mod.2 several months, before they were released to the public, and have enjoyed …




When is ‘Good Enough’ Good Enough?, by Survivormann99

In the various areas of human endeavor one often runs across an individual who only wants “the best” in the pursuit of his or her chosen activity. Deciding what is the best involves choices about such things as golf clubs, running shoes, automobiles, firearms, wristwatches, and small kitchen appliances, to name only a few. Some individuals’ opinions about what is the best can be absurdly wrong, but it’s their choice to make–and to live with. They revel in the fact that others–even if they are complete strangers–see them driving a certain SUV model, carrying a certain designer handbag, or pedaling …




210 Days of Freedom: The Coming Private Firearms Sales Frenzy

The U.S. Senate returned from its summer recess on September 9, 2019. It has been widely reported that the Senate’s Republican leadership has caved in to media pressure. They have promised to create a Senate version of H.R. 8 — the “Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019”. (It already passed in the House, back in February.) The phrases “Universal Background Checks” and “Comprehensive Background Checks” sound all warm and fuzzy to the leftists. But here is what they really mean: “We’ll make you a felon if you sell a gun to your next door neighbor”. Please don’t allow this blatantly …




Glock 19X, by Pat Cascio

I can just hear it now from our readers:  “Another Glock! Don’t they make enough different models?” Well, quiet honestly, this Glock – that they are calling the 19X is quite a bit different in many ways, so hang in there, and read this article to the end. This isn’t your everyday Glock 19. Several years back, the US military decided it was time for a new handgun for our troops, as the Beretta M9 is reaching the end of its service life. The Beretta M9, and its civilian version, the M92, are very good guns – Yes, I know, …




Lifelite TCP Pepper Ball Launcher, by Pat Cascio

Lethal force, less-lethal force, less-than-lethal force, non-lethal force…it can all be very confusing, and when it comes down to it, a jury will be the ones deciding your fate, in a court room, whenever you use any type of “force” to defend yourself or your loved ones. And, no matter what you might think of the amount of force you use, you could still be wrong. Not too many years ago, a Texas judge ruled that a man who was involved in a fight, used lethal force to kill another man. The “lethal” force used – it was his cowboy …




Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we traverse from our normal “E&I” column items to look at tangibly investing in “Pre-Remington” Marlin firearms. Tangibles Focus: Pre-Remington Marlins My friend Commander Zero, the editor of the Notes From The Bunker preparedness blog has several times mentioned the significance of “Pre-Remington” Marlin firearms. This term …




Mossberg MC1sc Pistol, by Pat Cascio

I can honestly say that I’ve only been to a few dances in my lifetime, but I don’t ever recall coming to any of those dances late.  As a matter of fact, I hate coming to anything late – very rare for me to arrive past the starting time of anything – just something in me, that doesn’t allow it to happen. More often than not, I arrive early to anything. So, why do I keep hearing that the Mossberg MC1sc pistol has arrived “late to the dance” with their subcompact 9mm pistol? I don’t know, better late than never …




Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at investing in collectible Colt firearms. (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: Commerzbank: ETF Holdings Of Silver Up Sharply Since Start Of June o  o  o Texas Takes Another Step to Facilitate the Use of Its Gold Bullion Depository o  o  o What is …