A Compulsion to Disarm: The History of Grabby Governments Since 1026 BC

In the wake of the 2018 mid-term elections, so-called “gun control” is back in the news. Even though the murder rate in the United States is declining and at a 33-year low, the mass media’s much-heralded “threat of gun violence” has politicians in a frenzy much like those seen in 1968 and 1994. Gun control laws and decrees should be called out for what they really are: Systematic Civilian Disarmament. In Western nations, most such legislation usually starts small, progressing from registration to wholesale confiscation. First one category of weapons is banned, and then another. Gradually, these draconian laws can …




CZ P10-C, by Pat Cascio

One of the most in-demand 9mm pistols these days is the CZ P10-C. We have taken a close look at it and are pleased to give our test results here. Everything I Hoped It Would Be and Then Some It’s not often but this sometimes happens that when a pistol is so popular and in-demand they actually sell for more than retail. With this being the case, you know this one is a winner. The CZ-P10-C is under review, and it is everything I hoped it would be and then some. CZ CZ is world famous for their firearms, and …




Lex Mala, Lex Nulla and Some Drama

The new crop of congresscritters of the 116th Congress will be seated on January 3, 2019. The Democrat Party has regained its majority, and now we can only look on with dread anticipation at their follies. Be forewarned: The whole concept of their being our elected representatives and actually harkening to the will of the electorate is something that seems quite foreign and antique to them. They no longer make even the pretense of genuine representation. They are headed to DC with an agenda. Their stated plan to topple Nancy Pelosi from her Speaker of the House position is indicative …




Ruger EC9s, by Pat Cascio

For as long as I can remember, I’ve carried a second (or backup) handgun to my main handgun, and these days we have quite a selection of small, compact handguns to pick from. We’re looking at the new Ruger EC9s 9mm handgun today. It is one super, little, concealed carry piece. Ruger- Affordable Handguns I’ve stated this before, but I will say it again; for the most part, Ruger www.ruger.com is producing guns that are for us blue collar workers. Now that’s not to say that they aren’t producing some outstanding upper-end firearms, because they are. However, many of the …




Preparing to Survive Riots, Terrorist Attacks, or a Civil War

Of all of the “worst case” possibilities that we prepare for, near the top of my “most dreaded” list is a second civil war.  This falls in the category of a “highly unlikely, but profoundly inimical if it were to occur.”  In this essay, I will discuss a full spectrum of threats, including contingency preparations for surviving riots, terrorist attacks, or a civil war. I believe that the United States has entered a period of great instability, born of political divisiveness. The sharp differences between liberals and conservatives are now profoundly felt.  Virtually every topic and issue has become heavily …




Cold Steel Bush Ranger, by Pat Cascio

In a most fitting tribute to Jim Bowie, Cold Steel recently came out with the Bush Ranger. This is a folder that sure does remind one of the Bowie fixed-blade knife, with its deep clip-point blade. Cold Steel Always In Demand Anyone who has been around the cutlery field for any length of time surely knows the name “Cold Steel” and their outstanding line of knives. To be sure, the Cold Steel line-up is always in demand, and quite often they will be out-of-stock on many of their knives. It is difficult for them to keep up with supply and …




The Well-Balanced Gun Collection

A topic that comes up in more than half of my consulting calls, is firearms. Most survivalists gravitate toward guns for obvious reasons. If anything, SurvivalBlog could surely be labelled a “guns and groceries” oriented blog, and most of our readers are like-minded. We tend to have large gun collections. We aren’t entirely gun-centric, but our concept of preparedness includes owning guns and having full proficiency in their use. The greatest difficulty vis-a-vis guns for those in our community is not hand-wringing about whether or not we should own them. We’ll leave that pseudo-question up to the leftists. Rather, our …




Springfield Armory’s XD-s Mod 2 .45 ACP, by Pat Cascio

Quite often, when a gun maker comes out with a Mod 2 version of a current firearm, there really aren’t many new things to write about it. However, we’re taking a close look at the new and improved Springfield Armory XD-s Mod 2 version, and it’s a whole new ballgame. Springfield Armor Shook Sub-Compact Gun Industry When the Springfield Armory XD-s line of handguns came out, they really shook the sub-compact gun industry in many ways. This gun was available in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP; how could they do it? It’s a good question, but it’s been a …




The Dragon’s Breath Nonlethal Home Defense for the DIYer, by AJS

Persons in their own home may encounter an intruder who intends to take what they have and do them harm. They might run away, if they could. What if there is no way out? They may have no choice but to stand their ground, and unfortunately many people in a situation like this are reluctant to use deadly force, even if they stand to lose their possessions and possibly sustain personal body harm or even death. So what can these, who desire a nonlethal solution do if they have been forced into a confrontation when the time for talking is …




Sig Sauer P229 “Legion”, by Pat Cascio

It’s almost like belonging to an exclusive club, with the Sig Sauer “Legion” line of handguns. They are custom in many ways, and we’re checking out the P229 Legion model today. Sig Sauer Anyone who knows even a little bit about firearms, knows that the Sig Sauer line of firearms are some of the best-made guns, period! The workmanship is second to none, and they are all super-accurate, too. I’ve never had any Sig that passed through my hands, used or new, that had a problem of any kind. The Sig Sauer Legion line of handguns are as close as …




CRKT M16-04KS Folder, by Pat Cascio

The M-16 line of knives has been in the CRKT lineup longer than most other knife designs, and this is for good reason. They are great knives, with that certain tactical look about them. Today, we look at one of the newest in this stable of folders– the CRKT M16-04KS. CRKT Folders I still remember sitting in the Columbia River Knife & Tool (CRKT) offices during one of my visits to their operation in the USA and spying some new folding knives that weren’t meant for public viewing. I was sitting on the desk of Rod Bremer, the (now) sole …




S&W M&P .22 LR Compact – By Pat Cascio

It’s just hard to go wrong with a really good .22 LR pistol. Specifically, the S&W M&P Compact .22 LR pistol is a winner in every respect. This is a great little gun for trail, plinking small game hunting, or target practice. The One Gun For Survival Many years ago, and we are talking close to 40 years ago, I used to get asked the same question over and over again. People would ask, when it came to buying one gun for survival, and one gun only, based on a limited income, what did I choose. My pat answer used …




CRKT Goken Folder, by Pat Cascio

Designed by an award-winning Black Belt martial artist and someone who walks the walk and talks the talk, the CRKT Goken folder is under review. In my opinion, it is a winner in all respects. James Williams, Knife Designer and Martial Artist Having spent more than 35 years in the martial arts myself and earning Black Belt rank in five different disciplines, I was more than interested in some of the knives designed by James Williams for CRKT. To be sure, CRKT has been producing several of Williams’ designs for some years now, and I believe I’ve tested them all. …




Kershaw’s Faultline Folder, by Pat Cascio

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a lot of knife– one that will serve your every day needs quite well. The Kershaw Faultline is just such a folder. Kershaw Knives I’ve been reviewing Kershaw Knives for about 25 years, and I’ve toured their plant several times, even the new one that they opened a few years ago and already needs to be expanded to meet their needs. I remember on my very first tour of Kershaw, they had a mere 18 employees assembling knives and one lone gal inspected every knife before it was boxed …




Rock Island Armory 1911 CS FDE, by Pat Cascio

Imported from the Philippines, this Rocky Island Armory 1911 CS FDE is one hot-selling, Officers-style 1911 handgun. And, it is a a bargain to be had. More Than a Little Familiar With 1911s Long-time readers will know that I’m a real sucker for a good 1911-style handgun. They also know that if a gun isn’t a bargain, a real bargain, I’ll pass it up. I’ve owned more than a few custom 1911s over the years, and they were fine pieces of work. They were super-accurate, with more accuracy than I could begin to squeeze out of them, and just a …