Category: Weapons

Range Brass to Finished Cartridge, Tips For The Ubiquitous .223 Cartridge, by R.W. – Part 1

One of the ways I have saved money in the past, to make room in my budget for other prep items, is by learning to load my own ammunition. I love capitalism, as I believe competition breeds innovation and competitive pricing and usually provides the consumer with a variety of options from which to choose. As a good consumer in a capitalist economy, I try to spread my loyalty (brand loyalty) around as I find products that meet my needs and budget. I believe that trade-offs of quality versus price will need to be balanced with value-added engineering and budgets. …


Scot’s Product Review: Scoping the Garand

Recently, you were treated to my diatribe on the wonders of the U.S. Semiautomatic Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, better known as the Garand after its designer, John C. Garand https://survivalblog.com/scots-product-review-the-m1-garand/. The brief synopsis is that I really like the thing. It fires the hard hitting .30-06 cartridge, which is fully capable of handling any game on the American continents (though I might like something bigger for the large bears), and it can deliver match grade long-range accuracy when tuned. In service grade with a fresh barrel, Garands often shoot just as well as a modern sporting bolt action rifle. The …


Letter Re: Milsurp Ammo

Sir: There has been some back and forth about the utility of milsurp rifles lately. Without regard to the rifles themselves, one of the advantages often given is that ammunition for some calibers can be relatively inexpensive when bought in bulk. Folks should be warned that some of this ammunition is military surplus and may not have been manufactured to Western standards, and it may have been subjected to improper storage conditions as well. It’s surplus for a reason, you know. Case in point: Some years back, I bought a spam can of 7.62x54R, opened the can, and transferred the …


An Argument for Milsurp Rifles

I’ve been reviewing old military rifles off and on, with the idea that they have uses for preppers. I’ve even had letters suggesting that I do these reviews. We recently published a very thoughtful letter from M.M. to the contrary. I wanted to address a few of the points he made and thank him for taking the time to write. The first point is that I wasn’t very good at saying that we are looking for bargains in these rifles. My main goal was to help people realize that if they see a good deal on one, they ought to …


Springfield Armory XD Mod.2, by Pat Cascio

Much has been written about this redefined little 9mm handgun from Springfield Armory– the XD Mod.2 since the first day it came on the scene. The gun is also available in .40 S&W, and by the time this article appears in print, it will also be available in .45ACP. I’ll be the first to admit that when the first XD subcompact 9mm came out, I wasn’t all that thrilled with it. It was too chunky to my way of thinking, and it just didn’t feel right in my hand. I shot one but never bought one! Just a quick run …


Letter: An Argument Against Milsurp Rifles

Dear Jim, Good article on Mauser rifles, but I have a few comments to consider. The cost of a milsurp, plus the cost of a free float barrel stock, plus the cost of gun smithing scope mounts on the receiver, plus the cost of the mount and rings cut to fit the receiver profile, plus the cost of a bent bolt that then needs to be fitted to your receiver is more than a bolt action 270 or 308 or 30-06 sporting rifle, which are already setup for off-the-shelf mount, rings, and a standard hunting scope with modern optics. Old …


Scot’s Product Review: Mauser 98 Rifle

As part of my continuing investigation of old military rifles for prepping, I have come to the products of the Mauser boys– Paul and Wilhelm– who are best known for their bolt action rifles. While they didn’t invent bolt actions or the box magazines that came to be one of their signature features of the bolt gun, their rifles, particularly the Model 98 (that’s for 1898) pattern, are still considered to be in the top tier of the type. Versions are made to this day. As best as I can research, the first bolt action rifle was the Dryese needle …


Scot’s Product Review: Federal Ammunition

I have always had good results with Federal ammunition, in handguns, rifles, and shotguns. It is what I carry in my primary self-defense pistol, and it’s what resides in my home defense shotgun. I’m torn between one of their loads and a competitor’s for the AR platform. Federal offers a pretty complete line; while it doesn’t satisfy every niche of my needs, it gets most of them and does so with reliable, high quality, and consistent products. They have some lines that I think should be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers, for self-defense, hunting, and training. Federal American Eagle Fresh …


Letter Re: Armor Plate for a Bus

Hello, I’m looking at putting plate steel inside the walls of a bus that I am converting, and I was wondering how thick of steel I should put in there for effective armor from rifle fire up to something like .30-06. Can you provide any guidance in this area? Thank you – T.K. Hugh Responds: If you are talking mild steel plates, there isn’t any thickness that I would recommend. Mild steel (the most common plate steel) is so soft that thicknesses of greater than 1” may be required. Many today use abrasion resistance steel (steel intended for large earth …


Letter Re: Response to “A .308 Pistol?”

JWR, Most of the comments below the linked article ridiculed the idea of rifle-caliber pistols in general by stating that they pose the risk of over penetration indoors and cannot be carried concealed, and thus they serve no purpose other than as range toys for preppers and militia-types. To the contrary, these are essentially SBR’s without stocks or any of the paperwork and tax stamps associated with them. Rifle-caliber pistols are not meant to be fired as enormous handguns with both hands on the pistol grip, as some have alleged. They are simply intended to circumvent SBR legalities, or to …


Letter Re: Prepper Armor

Hugh, One point concerning body armor I have always wondered is if the NIJ testing is done at shorter ranges. In theory shouldn’t armor offer higher levels of protection at longer ranges than the NIJ certification due to velocity loss (and with it, reduced energy)? I know it’s not as simple as looking at energy, but a 240 Grain, JHP .44 Magnum round has about 700 ft-lbs at 25 yards, while a M193 round has the same energy at about 250 yards (according to my iSnipe app). While a .44 Magnum projectile is a lot heavier, slower, with more surface …


Becoming a Top-Tier Survivalist and Representing the Prepper Community, by M.M. – Part 4

Today, we’re continuing the list of EDC gear detailed under the fourth point– “Carry and Use Quality Gear”– of the six points that will be presented and detailed that, if implemented in your own life, will greatly increase your chances of success, both in surviving TEOTWAWKI and in breaking the stereotype of the “kooky prepper”. Lighter I have carried a lighter since I was very young, because of it’s usefulness. It can be used for a variety of tasks, including lighting fires, candles, and fuses; fusing the ends of synthetic cords and ropes; securing heat-shrink tubing; firing up gas stoves; …


Letter: Vacuum Sealing Ammo

Hugh, I have been thinking of vaccum sealing my storage ammo and just use wood crates to store in bulk. You know, I’d do it with a common food sealer system. Has anyone tried this or made suggestions in this area? Any feedback (good or not) would be greatly appreciated! – C.P. Hugh replies: You can seal your ammo, but you need to be careful about what type of ammo. The powder contains its own fuel and oxidizer (as does the primer), so a storage in a vacuum should not harm the active components. You may still have some tarnishing …


Scot’s Product Review: Streamlight Weapons Lights

Bad things can happen in the dark, and one of the great comforts we have is being able to make light. Light allows us to perceive our surroundings and make our way without stumbling. One thing I am seldom without is a good compact flashlight in my pocket. Over the last few years, weapon-mounted lights have become popular, especially in law enforcement circles. They are probably even more popular in Hollywood entertainment, and if you can stand the stuff, you will probably see at least one scene in almost any action TV show or movie with the hero searching about …


How To Obtain Protein From Alternative Sources Without A Firearm, by Rockvault

We, Americans, like our protein, and in a prolonged hunker-in-place situation one of the many inconveniences we will be faced with will be the difficulty in enjoying our nightly beef, pork, chicken, or fish, let alone finding enough protein to maintain the health of ourselves and families. Sure, vegetarian-based diets can keep you alive, but even in a TEOTWAWKI situation why go without meat when it might not be all that hard to source and may be local to your home, camp, or hide-out, too. First, let’s go over some assumptions. Let’s recognize here that we’re at least six months …