Category: Weapons

Letter Re: Rust on a Stainless Steel Colt XSE Government Model

Good afternoon, I am reading the post regarding corrosion on Colt stainless handguns. I believe your response needs to be understood by all. Stainless steel was not developed as a permanent solution to corrosion, rather as a base metal that is able to withstand harsher environmental conditions longer. Another problem is that there are numerous types of stainless formulations which comprise the “pool” of available metals from which to choose. Unless you have a decent connection at Colt, you may never know what type of stainless was used to produce your pistol. If you knew what type of stainless was …


Letter: Rust on a Stainless Steel Colt XSE Government Model

Mr. Rawles: I am an avid reader of your books and site. I purchased a stainless Colt XSE government model, per your recommendation and your use of the Gold Cups. After 3 1/2 months, I began having rusting issues under both grip panels. The unit is on the way back to Colt for repair. The pistol has been stored properly and cleaned after each range session. I think the manufacturing process was flawed, as there have been no issues with my blued model. Have you ever encountered this? If so, what precautions do you take to prevent the issue? Do …


Letter Re: Several Articles

Sir, First, thank you for all you do. I find this blog to be a wealth of information and inspiration. Second, regarding the piece about the Mosin/Nagent, thanks for a well-written article about Mosins. I recently purchased two of them for around $120 a piece. One was a piece of art manufactured just before WW2. The stock was a rich red and the brass pieces were screwed in. I cleaned it and gave it to my Dad as a “just because” present. The second Mosin was manufactured during WW2 and was much more rough. I ended up replacing the trigger …


Scot’s Product Review: The M1 Garand

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You can’t write an article on the M1 Garand without quoting Lt. General George S. Patton, who called the rifle “the greatest battle implement ever devised”. That was incredibly high praise coming from one of the greatest leaders of combined arms in WWII and considering the number of superb weapons that were developed in the conflict. The Garand is the semi-automatic rifle adopted by the U.S. Army in 1936. It was the first standard issue semi-auto adopted by any army. The Russians tried next with their SVT 38 and 40 rifles in 7.62mmx54R, but the combination of technical difficulties and …


Three Letters Re: Mosin Nagent Review

Jim, I agree with most of the author’s conclusions regarding the 91/30. It is rugged, dependable, and more than accurate enough for hunting or social purposes. Most will benefit from a thorough cleaning and judicious use of lapping compound on the bearing and camming surfaces of the bolt assembly. (Be careful to completely remove all of the compound and clean and lubricate appropriately following the lapping procedure.) Inspect the barrel crown and recrown if damage is found. The trigger design is simple and straightforward and can be cleaned up in most examples. Pay particular attention that the trigger components do …


Letter Re: Sharp-Shoot-R Products

I was truly amazed by the work Scott put into cleaning his firearms! I shoot a fair amount of hard cast lead bullets for plinking and target shooting but keep velocities under 1600 fps, and above that I use jacketed bullets, which seems to simplify my cleaning. One patch lightly gun oiled up and down the barrel three times, then I follow that with a dry patch up and down the barrel three times. Take a lightly oiled scrap of cloth and wipe down the outside of the firearm, then the bolt face and moving parts. If the firearm is …


Scot’s Product Review: Mosin-Nagant M91/30

A reader suggested that I take a look at lower cost firearms, particularly military surplus ones, and I thought it was a great idea. The one he told me that would make a good start is the Russian Mosin-Nagant, which is currently the easiest to find and cheapest surplus rifle on the market. It is chambered in a .30 caliber round, 7.62x54R, and there are a lot of them available at the moment coming from old war reserves in Russia and Ukraine. They were refurbished and put in storage when replaced by more modern arms. Russia and Ukraine are both …


Scot’s Product Review: DRD Tactical CDR-15-556

AR-15s are pretty common these days. I like them a lot, though they aren’t perfect by any means. We can quibble about the caliber and gas systems all day, but they have good ergonomics and are widespread and popular. Good ones are reliable. I hadn’t really planned on reviewing factory-made AR-15’s, as they such a generic, well-known commodity, but when DRD Tactical offered one, they put a word in the subject header that made me interested. The word was “takedown”. Takedowns are something that I have always found fascinating, and DRD builds a takedown version of the AR. The idea …


Letter Re: Arming Your Neighborhood in a World Gone Feral

While we all agree with parts of this writer’s defensive philosophy and parts of all articles written for publication here, we, as a prepping community, have to apply our own skill assessment tools to what we believe is the best method for ourselves. My own life experience parallels JWR and others, and I make my own assessments having lived all over this county in my 65 years of God-endowed life. My credo has been formed and reformed by those life experiences. I enjoy reading all of the published, submitted articles to SurvivalBlog and that several of my own. As we …


Letter Re: Arming Your Neighborhood in a World Gone Feral

Hello, While I agree with a lot of what was written, I strongly object to the writer’s defensive philosophy. He’s taking a modern strategic approach and applying it to SHTF firefight scenarios. In my opinion they are not similar. In small unit combat, the attacker has the advantage. The attacker can choose the time, the place, and if the defenders are dug-in and cannot pursue (counterattack), the attacker can choose when and under what circumstances to withdraw. If it’s going poorly they can withdraw and regroup for the next try. In short, the only scenario in which the defender wins …


Arming Your Neighborhood in a World Gone Feral, by E.M.

I occasionally prowl prepper forums to read the opinions being expressed on various survival-related matters. Some people offer opinions that provide excellent insight into a particular problem or concern. Other people offer opinions that reveal profoundly weird or nonsensical views about issues. Of course, that situation certainly isn’t limited to the field of preparedness. I recently saw a posting on a forum by someone who asked whether, in making his preparations for a possible societal collapse, he should acquire “pass out” guns to hand out to his neighbors who, though mildly interested in survival matters when he discussed it with …


Making a Bow– An Effective Expedient Weapon, by E.M.

The Story Imagine yourself in a bug out situation. You have had to abandon your vehicle because a bridge is out, and you can’t go back because your vehicle is hopelessly blocked in by others. You leave your vehicle, taking your vest, your rifle, and your BOB. You head across country toward your retreat, which is about 100 miles away, where you plan to meet your family and friends. You think it will take maybe a week or so to get there. You have three or four days of food and 120 rounds for the rifle. You follow the river …


Getting Started With Reloading, by M.H.

Here’s a little about where I am coming from. My Dad first started me reloading ammo, casting and swagging bullets over 50 years ago. In that time I have reloaded and fired ammo from the .380ACP to the .50 cal BMG and, to a lesser degree, shot shells in skeet gauges. I operated an “at home” business, where I have cast millions of pistol caliber bullets, which paid for my shooting “addiction”, and sponsored a IPSC Grand Master and a CAS state champ. In addition I carried the big, brand names in bullets, powder, primers, brass, and reloading tools to …


Letter Re: Challenging the Ammo Shortage

Hi. As a long-time reader, I’ve always felt that you do a good job of seeing the truth through whatever smoke is being put out, but I’m surprised to see you swallowing the “it’s the hoarders” excuse for our continued shortage of ammo. Simple supply and demand explains that when demand is higher than the supply, the price goes up. If demand and price remain high, then the supply will surely increase. Eventually, supply is increased to meet demand and the price settles to its “natural” level. The story we are repeatedly told is that ammo manufacturers have maxed-out their …


Letter: .22 Training Ammo Availability

Hello Hugh, Just wanted to offer this information about the availability of .22LR ammo for training purposes for youth under 18. As many readers of the blog are aware, the Appleseed Project is a leader in rifle marksmanship education and telling the story of the history, choices, and sacrifices made by the men and women of the founding generation on April 19th, 1775 (first battle of the Revolutionary War). The value of the knowledge gained, both in practical skill gain using a rifle and in increased knowledge of our shared heritage, cannot be overstated, with the price for a weekend …