Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on Champion stocks. (The Champion brand synthetic rifle and shotgun stocks. See the Gear section, near the end of this column.)
Books:
The latest addition to Avalanche Lily’s bedside book stack: The Market Gardener: A Successful Grower’s Handbook for Small-Scale Organic Farming
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Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans: The Battle That Shaped America’s Destiny
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Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World
Movies and Television:
Arrival. The captivating sci-fi tale of a brilliant linguist who makes first contact with an alien race. (Available on DVD and Blu-Ray. Also available for free download for Amazon Prime members.)
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Zero Dark Thirty. This is an only slightly fictionalized account of how Osama Bin Laden was tracked down and killed.
Instructional Videos:
Chainsaw “bog” — what to look for and how to fix it
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Reader W.W. suggested this: How To Deep Clean Your AR-15
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How To Lubricate A PTR91/G3 (He recommends Slip 2000 gun lube.)
Gear (Champion Stocks):
Champion Traps and Targets Remington 700 ADL Short Action Stock. Yes, these stocks are generic and inexpensive. But they are surprisingly stable and and durable. (Much more so than the wood stocks typically supplied as original equipment.) Most of their models are only available in black. Just be advised that black is not a color that is found often in nature. So I recommend: Add full coverage of blotches of flat green and flat brown spray paint. Then add a couple of coats of flat lacquer over the top. That will minimize chipping. Then you’ll have a very practical and tactical stock. The Champion brand stocks are available for a lot of other models including: Remington 870, Mauser, Mini-14, Winchesters, M1894, Marlin 336, Remington 600/660, Remington 7400/740/742, Mossberg 500, Winchester 1400, Browning Auto-5, M1 Garand, Winchester M70, and the Enfield Mark 4.
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I recently added one of these to my firewood splitting arsenal, and it works splendidly: Fasmov Diamond Wood Splitting Wedge Heavy-Duty Steel, 4.5 lb. Now I suppose that I should order a spare. After all, “Two is one, and one is none.” But one note of concern: These are made in China. Sadly, it is getting difficult to find wedges that are American made.
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These clones of the classic Pelican case have become ubiquitous: Plano All Weather Tactical Gun Case, 42-Inch
Make a Suggestion
Want to suggest Recommendations of your own? Then please send them to JWR. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) Thanks!
Your mention of the movie Arrival is well timed for me, I just watched it a few days ago, I was utterly spellbound. The star Amy Adams OWNS her role. This is one I will watch again, it is that good.
A good place to find wood splitting wedges, even like the diamond one mentioned is farm auctions. I probably have several dozen of varying sizes laying around the place. All American made even though they were made many decades ago in some cases. Unfortunately my shoulders are shot and I can no longer swing a sledge. I do all my splitting now with a hydraulic splitter mounted on the three point hitch of a tractor run off of the tractor’s hydraulics. I keep 3 to 4 years of split wood on hand.
I wonder how these stocks will hold up to using them in “buttstrokes”.
Thank you so much for your mention of the movie, Arrival. A simply wonderful movie, thought provoking, and powerfully acted. An affirmation of life.