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. 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 Federally antique Finn M39 Mosin Nagant rifles. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

It is noteworthy that the ratio of silver to gold spot prices peaked at around 92.5-to-1 in mid-July, 2019, and is now down to around 82.5-to-1.  But I believe that this slide will continue, even if there is a deep global recession. The bottom may be as low as 15-to-1–although that may not come until the second half of the 21st Century. I suggest that you should still ratio trade out of gold and into silver, unless secure storage space is very limited in your home. I’ve often written that silver makes great “ballast” for a home gun vault.

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The End Of Fiat In One Chart?

Economy & Finance:

Fed at a crossroads: Rate cut likely this week, but is this the last hurrah?

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Caterpillar just flashed the latest warning sign for the global economy. (Thanks to H.L. for the link.)

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National Pravda Radio (NPR) reports: As Growth Slows To 1.9%, The Economy Is Falling Short Of Trump’s Target

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The Demographic Depression Will Overwhelm Central Bankers Over The Upcoming Decade

Commodities:

Is The ‘Kyle Bass’ Trade Coming Back? Cost Of A ‘Nickel’ Is Surging

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OilPrice News reports: The U.S. Smashes Another Oil Export Record

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U.S. Shale Braces For Brutal Earnings Season

QE and Bank Repos:

KWN: $100 Billion Of Liquidity Injections Each Day

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Michael Pento’s Depression Warning: ‘We are all screwed!’ The U.S. is like a banana republic and a depression could be on the way, warns money manager

Forex & Cryptos:

British Pound Today: EU Agree Brexit Extension, PIMCO go Overweight Sterling

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GBP/USD Forecast Pound Dollar October 30, 2019. JWR’s Comment:  Perhaps they’ll find their way out of Burger King, after all–deal or no deal.

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Bitcoin Myths

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Crypto Trader: Bitcoin Price May Not Break All-Time High Until 2024

Tangibles Investing:

Tula Mosin Nagant Tang MarkingOne antique gun model that I concentrate on investing in is the Finn M39 Mosin Nagant 7.62x54r rifle. Particularly, I look for those that were built on antique Russian receivers. The M39 Finns are quite robust and surprisingly accurate rifles with quite good sights. Whilst looking for pre-1899 gun bargains on Armslist.com and  on GunBroker.com, I’ve noticed that there are still quite sizable numbers of M39 Finnish Mosin Nagant arsenal reworks available that were built on hexagonal Russian receivers. But only about 5% of Finn M39s are considered legally antique. (That is, with a receiver that was provably made before 1899.) According to the Infogalactic wiki: “Production of the Model 1891 began in 1892 at the ordnance factories of Tula Arsenal, Izhevsk Arsenal and at Sestroryetsk Arsenal. An order for 500,000 rifles was placed with the French arms factory, Manufacture Nationale d’Armes de Châtellerault.”  Those are marked with a circled C. The tangs of the Tula arsenal rifles  have a stylized “T” stamped in the shape of a hammer.

Mosin Nagant TangThe only drawback is that the date of manufacture of a Mosin Nagant rifle can only be ascertained by taking the barreled action out of the stock, to check the tang markings. (They are hidden, inside the rifle.) To be classified as antique in the U.S., the tang must be stamped between “92” and “98” (or, less commonly, between “1892” and “1898”.)  So make sure that the seller provides you a close-up photo of the tang, before you buy, or examine it yourself. And then of course take that opportunity to get a nice crisp close-up photo, for your records. One hint: If you fill the tang markings with a white crayon or with white paint, then they will be much more plainly visible. Prices currently range from $475 for a rough condition post-1898 M39, to $1,600 for a minty example that is a rework on a pre-1899 receiver.  I hope that you have a productive Finnish M39 Mosin Nagant hunting season!

Provisos:

SurvivalBlog and its Editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for our detailed disclaimers.

News Tips:

Please send your economics and investing news tips to JWR. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) These are often especially relevant, because they come from folks who closely watch specific markets. If you spot any news that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers, then please send it in. News from local news outlets that is missed by the news wire services is especially appreciated. And it need not be only about commodities and precious metals. Thanks!




5 Comments

  1. JWR…enjoyed your article on your voyage out of CA. Having moved to the Bay Area in 2011 and out in 2016, I saw the increase in gun restrictions in those short 5 years and of course 13.5% state and local taxes, $300+ to register a vehicle, and $3K a month rent (even with a 6 figure salary I could not afford to buy anything). I have since moved back to the east coast but do miss the weather. It is sad because it is a beautiful place to live but the liberals have ruined a good thing. Yet, you go 30 miles out of the East Bay and it is full of conservatives that struggle and are torn as to where to move. My summation is that as people like myself leave they will continue to raise taxes on the rest to make up for the shortfall and continue to oppress those that can and encourage those that won’t.

  2. One investment to consider is additional living space on your homestead. For those of us who have children it is easy to see and a bleak future that they will be coming back to the nest. Where are they going to sleep? Where are the grandchildren going to sleep? Much like in the Great Depression of the United States people returned to the farm and if there were no additional beds, they slept in the hay loft. Plan ahead and add some additional living space before you find yourself with no room at the inn.

    1. Reminds one of Isaiah 54:2, 3: Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;
      54:3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

  3. Jim ,,,to accept needing a mosin means we have lost the country , and the fight is over ,thank you but I’ll keep my MSRs ,I can’t help but think and wonder what my forefather had to be thinking on that spring day at Lexington road. Yep that Lexington,,one of the family treasues is a brown Bess ,story goes he picked it up there ,yes we have documents to prove it ,did he know some of those in his sights ? Maybe ,he served with rogers rangers ,
    To need a hidden mosin is to fail ,what price are you willing to pay ? His home was burned , he did the long march to ticonderoga and back ,in the winter no less ,his health was never the same after that ,,,what price are you /we wiling to pay ,,,for his stand at breeds hill with Knox his family was cast out by the Tories ,would you /we be willing to have your family go hungry?
    Tis a heavy weight to have a history ,,

    For the cost of a mosin that you describe you can have 2 MSRs. or more
    The time for the line in the sand is fast approaching ,the last thing I want is a war at home.

    nothing easy will come of what looms over us ,

    To quote shakespeare ,,from Julius Caesar ,cry havoc ,and let fly ,and losse the dogs of war ,

    Sweet tea and chocolate

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