Recipe of the Week: Golden West Duckling, by G.T.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (4 to 5 lb) ready-to-cook duckling
  • 1 (29oz) can sliced cling peaches
  • 1 Tbsp grated orange peel
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp seasoned salt
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 Tbsp cold water

Directions:

  1. Cut or have the butcher cut duckling into halves, lengthwise (if your slow-cooking pot is 3½ quarts or less, cut duckling into quarters so it will fit.)
  2. Prick skin with fork at about 2-inch intervals.
  3. Place on trivet in slow-cooking pot, cut side down.
  4. Drain peaches, saving syrup. Combine 1 cup peach syrup with orange peel, wine, honey, soy sauces and seasoned salt.
  5. Brush some of the sauce over duckling.
  6. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours or until tender. (If possible, drain excess fat and brush with sauce once or twice while cooking.)
  7. Dissolve cornstarch in water and stir into remaining sauce.
  8. Cook sauce in a small saucepan until slightly thickened. Add drained peaches to sauce, heat and serve with duckling.

Serve duckling with bananas and cooked rice. Makes about 4 servings.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Letter: Long Question About Eotech Lawsuit

James and Hugh,
A while back I was reading The Reluctant Partisan from John Mosby. One of the suggestions was getting an optic on your AR or battle rifle. (The whole book is really good info from someone who was special forces, so I respect what the guy was saying!)

Long story short, I went out and picked up a Eotech for my AR and another one with magnifier for the PS90 carbine, well because the FN sight on the PS90 is a joke. so yeah I have about $2000 tied up in optics on my two weapon systems.

Just after getting the second one sighted in, I started reading reports online about Eotech getting in trouble over selling out of spec sights with problems. They are offering refunds for them. I’ve been sitting on my hands since I found this online the end of 2015, so now I’m wondering if I should hurry up and get an RMA and dump them, or keep them and hope for the best? I’m kind of thinking that at some point the company is going to stop refunding money and close up shop.

I’ve never had issues with them; they seem to work fine, but it seems to me I don’t know if I can trust a company that knowingly, according to the lawsuits from the FBI, sold scopes they know wouldn’t hold a zero at temperature changes. Granted, since my stuff– both optics– were sold in 2015, they “might” be fine. (The company never came out and said what models were a problem from what I’ve seen online, so there is a lot of panic, and accusations on the Internet.) But what I’m worried about is say this company goes under, and later I have an issue. What then?

There isn’t a whole lot I can do aside from dump them on an RMA back to the company and wait a few months for my money back or sell them at a loss since most people won’t want them. Should I keep them and hope for the best, while having BUIS? I’ve yet to be let down by them as I’ve said before (and I had believed they were quality sights), so I’m not sure I want to be out a few grand, and/or waiting for a refund or be let down because the product isn’t what it claimed to be. I haven’t seen anything about this (and I might have missed it on your blog), but I figure it’s worth asking about if Eotech owners (fellow preppers) don’t know about it yet. Have you guys discussed this yet? What’s your take? – Fitzy in PA

JWR Replies: Here is the short answer to a long question: As long as they are offering a refund, then take it. It is noteworthy that EoTech is just one division of a much larger defense contractor (L3 Technologies), so they can afford to make good on their warranty promises. I really doubt that the company will go under leaving any warranty claims unpaid.

You might throw a used $60 Bushnell red dot scope on each of your guns, in the interim. (Then save those, to keep as spares after you’ve bought proper replacements with the warranty reimbursement funds.)

FWIW, I’m still a fan of an ACOG for use without a NVD, or the Aimpoint Micro T-2 for use with an in-line NVD without a reticle, such as the AN/PVS-14. The Aimpoint Micro T-2 will run continuously for five years (at low brightness, for use with an NVD) on just one battery.

Economics and Investing:

Food Stamp Beneficiaries Exceed 45M for 56 Straight Months – Sent in by B.B.

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Hold off on buying forever stamps until after April 10th – The value will drop to $.47 Sent in by C. Maxwell (You might want to check his website out at www.foreverstampvalue.com/ .)

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

Senators Accuse State Department of Defying Congress with $500M UN Climate Payment (Fox News) Excerpt: “Lawyers cannot replace the constitutional requirement that only Congress can appropriate money….”

Puerto Rico’s Game is Rigged (Washington Examiner) Excerpt: “But as happened 70 years ago, Wall Street financiers and their paid representatives have a vested interest in making the situation worse on the island before it gets better.”

Blue Cross Parent Lost $1.5B on Individual Health Plans Last Year (Chicago Tribune)

Maine Nonprofit Health Insurer Lost $31M in 2015 (Portland Press Herald)

International News

Oil Rally is Too Little, Too Late for Cash-Strapped Producers (Market Watch) Excerpt: “The fiscal break-even point for members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is $98.83 a barrel, said the RBC strategist.”

Grexit Back on the Agenda Again as Greek Economy Unravels (The Guardian)

Chinese Steelmaker Readies 50,000 Job Cuts as Industry Crisis Deepens<\a> (The Telegraph) Excerpt: “…Chinese steel companies have debts of $520bn, mainly held by Beijing-backed banks, noting: ‘Do Chinese banks and policymakers have the stomach to manage an impending default crisis that will naturally come alongside steel plant closures?'”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

If You Press 1 When You Get This Robocall, It Will Open You Up to Identity Theft (Clark Howard) Don’t fall for this one either! Excerpt: “Here’s how it works: you get a robocall claiming to be from a local branch of the Health Insurance Marketplace, which is the organization that oversees HealthCare.gov. The recorded message says, ‘You need to buy health insurance or face a fine. To learn more, press 1.'” Read on.

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Chaffetz wants to take guns away from ‘Rambo’ BLM, Forest Service agents – Sent in by B.B.

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Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Unflinching Faith in America – Submitted by T.A.

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A remarkable, tasty, healthy treat when TSHTF – Well, perhaps not necessarily healthy but certainly tasty! Waffle Smores Are the Dessert, Breakfast, or Anytime Snack You’ve Been Waiting for – Sent in by A.L.

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By way of Yer Ol’ Woodpile Report, comes a link to an excellent 19-minute TED Talk (video):

Hubertus Knabe: The dark secrets of a surveillance state. JWR’s Comment: This is not just for historical interest. Depending on shifts in the political winds in these United States and continuing corruption and politicization of Federal law enforcement, this strategy may soon be unleashed on our own citizenry, with even greater technological sophistication. (Hint: See SurvivalBlog’s many warnings on the honey trap of social media “services”. In the long run we’ll discover who is being serviced.)

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From Patrice Lewis on WND: There coming to take me away, ha, ha!

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“We cannot have a world where everyone is a victim. ‘I’m this way because my father made me this way. I’m this way because my husband made me this way.’ Yes, we are indeed formed by traumas that happen to us. But you must take charge, you must take over, you are responsible.” – Camille Paglia

Notes for Sunday – March 13, 2016

Today is the birthday of the astronomer Percival Lowell, born in 1855. His flawed “Canals of Mars” theories persisted from 1895 to 1909.

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I just noticed that the new MagPul AK-47 PMAGs are on sale for $13.93 each at KeepShooting.com– one of our loyal advertisers. Stock up, before the pre-election rush on full capacity magazines! – JWR

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Ready Made Resources has acquired a limited supply of PVS-14 3rd gen non gated night vision. They are all American made with American-made parts and are $800 less than the gated unit.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 63 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit with a retail value of $250, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  3. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  4. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  5. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  8. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 LifeStraws (a $200 value)

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 63 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The Survival Battery- Part 3, by B.F.

Mid-Level Battery

The mid-level battery I will recommend is as follows, with four each in most categories of guns for redundancy and so that they don’t have to be shared.

Mid-Level Everyday Battery

There are two choices here for a handgun– one semi auto and one revolver.

  • Four Glock Gen four model 21 in 45acp. The 45acp may not be quite as powerful as a 44 magnum, but the 13+1 rounds it carries should compensate. If you don’t mind stocking a less popular more expensive caliber, then the Glock model 20 in 10mm gives you 15+1 rounds that have close to twice the muzzle energy of the 45 in the same size package. Either one is available for about $520 new.
  • Or, you could go with four S&W Model 29s in 44 magnum with four-inch barrels. These will also shoot 44 specials, which have very low recoil compared to the 44 magnum. Like the Blackhawk above, you can get grips of different sizes for different sized hands. You could go with the S&W 329 in Scandium for ease of carry, since the gun is extremely light weight making it easy to carry; however, the 329 has a recoil that could conservatively be called viscous. That said, the 329 would be my personal choice for everyday carry in a SHTF world, but I have shot it enough that I am somewhat used to its recoil, at least for 12 rounds. Although the 329 is brutal, I would carry it every day when a heavier gun might get left in the car. The main downside to the S&W revolvers is the key lock safety that they incorporate in almost all of their revolvers. Although I have never had one fail, this is a still a mechanical device that could fail at the worst possible time and make the gun impossible to fire. I wish S&W leadership would stand up to their lawyers and tell them “no” or go with a less intrusive lock system, preferable one that can be removed by the owner. The model 29 is $850 each ($950 each for the 329). The Ruger Super Redhawk would be another option, but although the longer barrel (7.5 inch) version is less expensive than the S&W, the shorter barrel versions bring a premium.

I will stick with the Remington 870 or Mossberg 500 shotgun for the recommendation here but will also suggest the Mossberg 930 Semi Auto for those who prefer semi-autos or who would appreciate the reduced recoil. Again, a pump is more reliable, easier to use, and less expensive, but the 930 is a viable option.

  • Four 12 ga pump shotguns– Remington 870s with slug and bird barrels, new for $350 (with aftermarket slug barrel). Be sure to pick up an assortment of choke tubes, too.

The same is true with the rifle. The Remington 700 is still the best choice, but we’ll go with a variation, too. We’ll also go with a rifle for each of the four team members.

  • Three Remington 700 ADL in .308 with iron sights, new for $350. Buy a base level Leupold or Burris 3×9 power scope (both with lifetime warranties, which would be good until TSHTF) for $200. Also, One Remington 700 SPS short threaded barrel in .308 with Leupold Mark IV scope with a suppressor (in the 41 states where legal) fitted by a gunsmith with back up iron sights $2,500 total.
  • Four Ruger 10-22 rifles with iron sights and base level Leupold or Burris scopes. There are a lot of variants available, I would recommend a threaded barrel non-take down version. You can get them with longer barrels, heavy barrels, wood, composite, or collapsible stocks in fixed and take down variations all at different prices. Figure about $500 with scope, add two suppressors for $500 each (including tax stamp).
  • Two Ruger 22-45 .22 semi auto pistol available new for $290 (shared) if you get the threaded barrel variant; then you can use the same suppressor you have for the 10-22.
  • Four Smith and Wesson 642 .38spl without lock for $350 new
  • Two .177 or 22 caliber suppressed pellet rifles with built in suppressors to use on small game for $100 (shared)

The total for the mid-price everyday battery is $9,870 or $2,468 per person.

Mid-level Social Battery

  • If you go with the Glocks in the everyday battery, then they will serve for the Social battery as well. If you instead went with revolvers, then buy four gen-4 Glocks, I would suggest 9mm, but be sure they are all the same caliber. Depending on what feels right to everyone, you can go with two full sized (like the G17 or G22) and two smaller sized (such as the G19 and G23) if that helps. Prices again are around $520. For another couple hundred per pistol, you could get a caliber conversion kit that lets you shoot both 9mm and .40 S&W. For the polymer adverse amongst us, then police trade Sig P229s and P226s are available for $300 to $400 right now; but you will want to replace the springs and maybe also buy caliber conversion kits. The down side is that they don’t have adjustable back straps, although you can get thinner or thicker grips. 1911s are another option, but here I would suggest stepping up to something like a Ruger or S&W American made 1911. The back straps are not adjustable but there are some options around different mainspring housings, including bobbed versions that can give you some degree of hand size choices.
  • I think the Ruger 556 still makes sense for the mid-level battery, although I am going to recommend optics this time. Here I would go with a mid-priced Leupold, Burris, or a comparable scope. In this case, I would buy the Leupold VX-R 1.25 to 4x for about $500, bringing the total cost of the rifle to $1,130. Back up Iron Sights are a must.
  • I would also add a Ruger Long Range rifle in .308 with a Leupold Mark iV scope for around $2,500 just in case you do need to reach out and touch someone. The 6.5mm Creedmoor chambering may offer marginally better long range performance, but caliber commonality with the Remington 700s is more important.

The social battery, excluding the Glock’s because you bought them for the everyday battery, totals $7,020 or $1,755 per person. If you bought the model 29’s then the Glocks would add another $2,080. On to the high end battery.

High End Battery

This is for people with money to burn, as it really does not provide a lot of improvement over the other two batteries. You may want to start out with the budget battery and move up in some categories of weapons over time as your finances and the completeness of your other preps allow.

High End Everyday Battery

  • The pistol I would really like to recommend is the Sig Sauer P220 single action with steel frame in 10mm. The heavier frame really tames the recoil, and it is built like a Swiss watch. The challenge again is that it does not fit everyone’s hand. Instead I’d suggest going with the tried and true Glock 20 in 10mm, or the new longer barrel 10mm Glock model 40. These come now with the option of mounting a small reflex sight, and I would suggest doing so. You would also want a few spares on hand, but bear in mind that sometime in the future these red dot type sights will fail or you will run out of batteries and you will be back to iron sights. Cost around $800 each with reflex sight. Again for the plastic averse, something like a Les Baer or other semi-custom 1911 would be a good choice at $2,500 each for basic models.
  • Rifle choice would be four Remington 700 SPSs with short threaded barrel in .308 with Leupold Mark IV scope and a suppressor (in the 41 states where legal). Also have a gunsmith fit back up iron sights $2,500 total. You can spend more but why?
  • Shotguns would be stock Remington 870s as above with two barrels. We will also recommend social 870s below. Four at $350 each. More money will not get you a better shotgun, just a fancier one.
  • Four Ruger 10-22 rifles with iron sights and mid-level Leupold or Burris scopes. There are a lot of variants available. I would recommend a threaded barrel non take down version customized by Volquartsen. You can get them with longer barrels, heavy barrels, wood, composite, or collapsible stocks in fixed and take down variations all at different prices. These are $1,750 each with mid-priced scope; add suppressors for $500 each (including tax stamp).
  • Four Ruger 22-45 lite weight .22 semi auto pistol available also sent to Volquartsen for customizing. Get threaded barrels and dedicated titanium suppressors (where legal). Total depending on options is $2,000 each.
  • Four Smith and Wesson 642 .38spl without lock $350 new. Leave stock, no need to customize.
  • Four .177 or 22 caliber suppressed pellet rifles with built-in suppressors to use on small game, $100.

This brings the cost of the high end everyday battery to $33,400 or $8,350 per person.

High End Social Battery

  • Four Glock 19s tuned by a good gunsmith with threaded barrels and suppressors. $1200 each.
  • Four semi-custom AR15s by someone like Les Baer or another high end builder with optics $2,500 each.
  • Four Remington 870 shotguns customized by someone like Vang Comp Systems for consistent accuracy, reliability, and flexibility. A Vang upgrade applied to your 870 runs about $820, bringing the cost to just under $1,200 each.
  • Two Barrett M95 bull pup bolt action .50 BMG with Leupold Mark IV. One would be enough but might as well have a backup for $7,000 each.

That brings the total of the high end Social battery to $33,600 or $8,400 per person.

This is not necessarily all of the guns you want to have. You may want spares of the guns listed above. You may want guns for trading or supplying to folks who join your retreat, and you may want to keep a separate cache somewhere just in case. Additionally, if you start out with what you have today, you may want to keep your existing guns as you move towards a higher cost more consistent battery.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Mel Tappan really knew what he was talking about 40 plus years ago. Some of what I ended up recommending surprised me. For example, I have always thought myself to be a Glock guy, but when faced with some of the requirements around putting together a flexible battery, I had to make some changes to my thinking. Likewise, I’m a big fan of 7.62×51 battle rifles, but unless you are planning for paramilitary operations, I think the 5.56×45 makes a lot more sense. What do you think? What would you do differently?

Letter: William Tell

Dear Editor(s),

I don’t mean to be subversive … but all this Finicum material makes me think of William Tell.

William Tell, if I recall the story correctly, never set out to oppose authority so much as he set out to mind his own business and avoid tyranny. He was placed in a difficult situation by events that were outside of his control. But he rose to the occasion.

The events described led to the Swiss confederacy, perhaps one of the earliest efforts at democracy in Europe and surely an influence upon intellectuals in the centuries after. My own reading of events left me with the impression that Switzerland, and the rest of Northern Europe, required a sort of rugged individuality that, perhaps nowadays, is more familiar to Americans of a certain Western persuasion than to the Swiss.

And so I propose that 18 November be remembered. It’s the date when William Tell shot an apple off his son’s head and began a revolution of equality, a state of being where the sovereign resides within the individual – a revolution that continues, even today.

I hesitate to draw any more parallels for fear of a knock on the door, but the events in Oregon seem to herald a new awakening amongst the peasantry, happening, as it did, right in the heart of the virtually free state of Jefferson; it is not unlike a slap in the face.

It seems likely that 26 January will also become a date to be remembered and reflected upon.

Regards,

Economics and Investing:

SILVER OUTBREAK: Investment Demand Will Totally Overwhelm The Market

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North Milwaukee State Bank is closed, taken over by a North Carolina bank. – Sent in by G.G.

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

The Incredible Story of How Hackers Stole $100M from the New York Fed (Zero Hedge) Excerpt: “…everything from casinos, to money laundering and ultimately a scheme to steal $1 billion from the Bangladeshi central bank.” Warning: Commentary following the article may include bad language and/or inappropriate avatar images.

$1B Plot to Rob Fed Accounts Leads to Manilla Casinos (Bloomberg) Excerpt: “…just some of the intriguing elements in a murky story shaping up to be one of the biggest documented cases of potential money laundering in the Philippines.”

How a Hacker’s Typo Helped Stop a Billion Dollar Bank Heist (Reuters) Spoiler Alert: It was a spelling error! But… Excerpt: “Unknown hackers still managed to get away with about $80 million, one of the largest known bank thefts in history.”

International News

China’s Communist Party is Looking for Answers in Reaganomics (Time) Excerpt: “The quality of assets held by banks is worse than it looks, analysts have said. To avoid stumping up capital and to protect their balance sheets, some banks have under-reported bad loans and under-recognized overdue debt.”

China’s Monumental Ponzi: Here’s How It Unravels (Contra Corner) Excerpt: “An entire nation of 1.3 billion has gone mad building, borrowing, speculating, scheming, cheating, lying and stealing. The source of this demented outbreak is not a flaw in Chinese culture or character—nor even the kind of raw greed and gluttony that afflicts all peoples in the late stages of a financial bubble. Instead, the cause is monetary madness….”

Are You Kidding Me? Chinese Exports Plunge 25.4% Compared to Last Year (The Economic Collapse Blog) Excerpt: “China accounts for more global trade than any other nation (including the United States), and so this is a major red flag.”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

Hackers May Have Access to Your Netflix Account, and Even Worse, Your Bank Account (Clark Howard) Excerpt: “Here’s how it works: by using fake websites and email scams, criminals are tricking users into entering their account information, including their username/email address, password and more.”

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Citizen journalists are about to take over newsrooms

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Sent in by C.S. – An opisometer, and why you need one: Because over the hills and through the woods to Grandma’s house might not be your usual route, and you might need to know how far it is by the paths you need to take… Got maps?

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SurvivalBlog P.S. sent this article on Fukushima profiled in the NY Times. Tidbits:

  • 40+ years to clean it up
  • 720 tons of water gets pumped through every day to avoid a meltdown
  • 1,000 storage tanks already built, more will continue to be built to store the radioactive water used to avoid a meltdown.
  • 2,000 tons of water released into the ocean every week. It’s supposedly processed to remove most radioactive particles. Who knows…
  • Fishing grounds remain closed.

What will they do with thousands of storage tanks? Bury them? The Hanford facility in Southwest Washington State did that with tanks long ago. Now they are leaking, and there is no plan.

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Guinness World Records has certified 112 year-old holocaust survivor as the world’s oldest living man. – Sent in by D.M.

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Batmobile or ultimate B.O.V.?The Russian security services arsenal has debuted their answer to the Humvee. I think I want one!

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: and the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.” – Revelation 15: 5-8 (KJV)

Notes for Saturday – March 12, 2016

Today is the birthday of science fiction author Harry Harrison, who is best known for his Deathworld trilogy. (He was born in 1920 and died in 2012.)

On March 12, 1850 the first U.S. $20 gold piece was issued. The current bullion (melt) value of a $20 gold piece (not even considering any numismatic value) is about $1,185. Lesson learned: Trust gold, not paper.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 63 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit with a retail value of $250, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  3. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  4. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  5. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  8. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 LifeStraws (a $200 value)

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 63 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The Survival Battery- Part 2, by B.F.

On to the firearms batteries. I am a big fan of used guns. Most of the time, a used gun has not been shot much and you can pick it up for a significant savings over a new one. Right now is a great time to pick up trade-in police department handguns. Police trade-ins make an especially good deal for the person who is buying a gun to use rather than to show off. Even though the finish may be worn and the grips in need of replacement, they may only have been shot 100 rounds per year at annual qualification. Even in the more highly trained departments, unless the individual officer is interested in additional training, the handguns are probably shot less than 1000 rounds per year. Please see this letter I wrote to SurvivalBlog with more information about police trade-ins.

Used guns can also represent false savings, if you are not careful. A gun that is no longer manufactured or one that is a cheap import can end up costing you more over the life of your ownership than you save in initial prices, due to having to replace worn out parts (or the whole gun) when the spare parts are not readily available and may be of questionable quantity. Some guns, such as AR15s in the current market, can actually end up selling for more used than new. I can’t explain why, unless it is an example of something I vaguely remember from economics class– the concept of imperfect information.

One thing about used guns, unless you are fairly confident of the gun’s history, is that you should buy a complete spring set from someone like Wolff springs. The sets are usually around $30. If you don’t have the mechanical ability to replace them yourself, a gunsmith should be able to do so for a minimal charge. If you ask nicely, maybe he or she would even let you watch and learn how to do it.

Once you buy a firearm, you need to take it out and shoot it. I put a minimum of 200 rounds through a used semi-auto pistol (150 ball and 50 defense rounds) before I am convinced it is reliable. With a new semi-auto pistol, I up the number to 500 rounds of ball and 100 rounds of defense ammo. In a used revolver, I put 100 rounds through and a new revolver 200 rounds. I also run 500 rounds through a new or used semi-auto rifle before I would trust my life to it, and I usually run at least 100 rounds through a shotgun, new or used. If anything is going to break, I want it to happen early so that I can get it fixed right away before it can cause a situation to go south.

One more thing that I want to acknowledge but not address here is defensive handgun caliber choices. I firmly believe that there is no significant real world difference between the 9mm, the .40 S&W, and the .45 acp. While one may have a slight edge in performance, another might have an edge in shootablity and magazine capacity. Another might be the best of both worlds. I believe there is no way to prove that one caliber is better than the other. Please see this article I wrote for SurvivalBlog, if you care to see more of my opinion. The great caliber debate reminds me of one of my drill sergeants who said that opinions are like noses (he didn’t really say noses, but let’s keep this G-rated); everyone has one, no two are the same, and everyone is convinced that theirs is better than anyone else’s.

Your survival battery should be reliable both in function and for the long term. A quality firearm should last beyond your lifetime. I competed in several three-gun competitions last year, and for fun I used some of the older guns in my safe in one of them. The age of the rifle, revolver, and shotgun added up to a combined 249 years. (The semi-auto rifle alone was 108 years old.) They all worked flawlessly and although I finished lower than usual, just below the 50% mark, I still finished ahead of about 150 other shooters armed with the latest and greatest. The guns in your multi-person battery should also share a degree of commonality both for training purposes and to minimize the spare parts you need to keep in inventory.

Low Cost Everyday Battery

The low cost everyday battery should consist of a centerfire handgun that you will carry with you every day. It should be powerful enough to bag a deer or deal with something larger and aggressive. It should also have a 12-gauge pump shotgun, a centerfire rifle, and a .22 rifle. Optional guns should include a .22 semi auto pistol and an easily concealed handgun for concealed carry. The battery should be able to serve to defend yourself against two-legged aggressors, although that will not be its primary purpose.

My recommendations for the low cost everyday battery are:

  • Four Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 mag (also shoots 44 special), available used for $350. You can find grip options to fit small to extra-large hands. Carry it in a cross chest holster, as it is large and heavy.
  • Four 12 ga pump shotguns– Remington 870s with slug and bird barrels, new for $350 (with aftermarket slug barrel). Be sure to pick up an assortment of choke tubes, too.
  • Two Remington 700 ADL in .308 or 30-06 with iron sights. These can be had new for $350. Buy a base level Leupold or Burris 3×9 power scope (both with lifetime warranties which would be good until TSHTF) for $200 (shared)
  • Two Remington 597 22 rifles new $135 (shared)

Optional guns include:

  • Two Ruger 22-45 .22 semi auto pistol available new for $290 (shared) Go with new, as used does not save much and a used .22 semi auto may have fired tens of thousands of rounds (back when .22 ammo was more available).
  • Two Smith and Wesson 642 .38spl without lock $350 new. Used only saves you about $25, and you don’t get the warranty. (shared)
  • One or two .177 or 22 caliber suppressed pellet rifles with built-in suppressors to use on small game. They, even the more famous name manufacturers, are almost all made in China. $100 new (shared). The.177 rifle has a faster pellet, the .22 rifle a slightly heavier pellet, so choosing between the two are a toss-up in my mind for headshots on small game.

This puts the total for the four person everyday battery at $4,170 or $1,043 per person for the recommended and $5,650 or $1,413 per person if you include the optional guns. You could make some substitutions depending on your preferences. For example, the Glock 21 in 45acp would be marginal for bear or feral cows; the Glock 20 in 10mm would be a better option. If you went with the large frame Glocks or similar guns, which are available used for about the same price as used Super Blackhawks, then they would also serve for the Social battery, saving money.

Comments: It may take a bit of shopping to find these guns at these prices, but it is not impossible. If you are really into bargain hunting, you can beat all these prices significantly. For example, I bought a Super Blackhawk for $225 at a pawn shop and a Stainless Blackhawk in 45 colt for $250 at an auction.

I am a big Remington 870 fan. However, the Mossberg 500 would be a good choice, too, if you prefer that brand. While you can find older 12ga pumps from second tier manufactures as low as $100 or new Turkish and Chinese import pumps for as low as $150, the Remingtons and Mossbergs are reliable. They are out there in the millions and have tons of accessories available for them. Based on personal experience, I would avoid used Mossberg 500s unless they are really inexpensive (like under $150), because most of the used 500s I have bought or looked at over the years have been shot so much that they have a number of worn out parts that need to be replaced, especially the plastic safety button which Mossberg will not sell you; they want you to ship the gun in to them.

You may ask “What about the 20ga for smaller framed shooters instead of the 12ga?” Lower powered 12ga rounds such as AA shells or reduced recoil buckshot or slugs really don’t recoil any more than a 20ga, and they have a more effective shot column. Just be sure to get a stock of an appropriate length, such as a youth stock or an aftermarket AR-15 style collapsible stock.

The Social Battery

It should be able to equip four people for defense against bad guys. I am not spec’ing out a go-to-war battery, as that gets more into the realm of the paramilitary than prepping, so keep that in mind as you read through the recommendations. Now the best option will be to avoid confrontation, but if that is impossible you need to be prepared to meet aggression with overwhelming force. Each member of the team will need a service sized handgun and a rifle in suitable calibers and of course you will need to be sure to stock spare parts.

The slug barrel equipped shotguns can pull double duty for social purposes. You may want to consider folding or collapsible stocks for moving around in tight quarters and also mounting a flashlight.

For the social additions to the budget battery, I would go with the following:

  • Four used police trade Smith and Wesson M&Ps in .40 S&W available for $325 with three magazines. New M&Ps at $399 are also a good choice.
  • Four new Ruger AR 5.56 rifles in 5.56mm. I would not recommend optical sights, as the ones under $200 will probably only last a year with a lot of use, and the ones over $200 take it out of the budget category and also probably will only last a year or so. Instead learn how to use iron sights and practice with them. The Ruger 556 should run you $630.

The total for the Social battery comes to $3,820 or $955 per person. Polymer guns have been around since the 1970s and are still going strong. My HK VP70 manufactured in 1975 still shoots fine (although it is an odd design). One of my Glocks is a 1984 model with over 1000 rounds per year through it. I still compete with it. A well-known gun writer has documented over 100,000 rounds in his Glock. As much as I would like to recommend Glocks as a part of this budget battery, the used ones you are most likely to find are older generation guns that do not have adjustable back straps to accommodate folks with different sizes of hand. That is why I am recommending the M&P. I suggest getting it in .40 because of the large number of police trades in the market right now. The Bosnian manufactured Springfield XD family is another option. I have owned one, and they are good guns. I just have a problem with Springfield raising the price by a couple hundred dollars years ago after they took over importing them and changed the name from the HS2000 to the XD9.

If you absolutely cannot bear the thought of polymer guns, then go with a low cost 1911 from Armscor. They are a Philippine company that has been around for 100 years and makes 1911s under their own name and for a lot of other importers’ brands, such as Rock Island Armory, STI, Cimarron, Charles Daly, and Auto Ordnance. They make huge quantiles of 1911s each year and are ISO 9001 certified, assuring quality. You can find them starting at $390. Personally, I like 1911s, but I think they require more training and practice to use than modern DAO handguns. 1911s do have the advantage of a large selection of aftermarket parts and accessories available.

As to the AR 15 MSR (Modern Sporting Rifle), today everyone makes AR15s and you can find them in the market as low as $499. Prices go up and down. Around Christmas 2014 you could snatch up a Bushmaster Carbon 15 for $350 after rebate with other decent ARs going for $400. Although the less expensive ARs will probably work fine, remember they are built with parts from whoever the lowest bidder is at the moment. I believe that spending a bit more for a quality manufacturer, like Ruger, is worth it for a gun that needs to last you for years.

In years past, I would also have suggested at least one AK47 variant or even an SKS as optional, just because of the availability of ammunition for them. I was surprised to note in Tappan’s book that Jeff Cooper even recommended a rifle in “30 Russian short”, but the days of the $300 AK and $100 SKS are over, as are the days of the $100 case of 7.62×39 or 5.45×39. The Remington 700s will work if you need to reach out and touch someone or shoot through a small tree, but I don’t believe preppers will really need tactical precision rifles. Please see my SurvivalBlog article on sniper rifles for preppers if you are interested in more on preppers and sniping.

The next installment will look at the mid-level and high end batteries.

Avalanche Lily’s Morning Dew: The Lesser of Two Evils

I have felt inspired to write to you of what is on my mind and heart. I’ve decided to publish “Avalanche Lily’s Morning Dew” as a column that will intermittently appear in SurvivalBlog whenever the inspiration strikes. It is my hope that my thoughts enlighten you and exhort you to draw closer to our Lord in these Last Days!

I recently read an interesting essay by Rachael Dawson that was titled: Should You Vote for the Lesser of Two Evils? That piece articulates some of the same thoughts I’ve had during the past twelve years. I’ve often pondered whether I should vote for the man who is the lesser of two evils. The key point is this: Should I abstain, or should I “write-in” my preferred candidate? Frankly, the past three election cycles have left me feeling disenfranchised–especially so, in the current presidential campaign.

My fellow countrymen have not offered a candidate that I would want to have as my President over these Great States. I cannot bring myself to vote for Trump, since he is promoting far right corporatist statist rhetoric, which is nearly as bad as Clinton’s far left quasi-communistic statist rhetoric. Mark my words: Either of them would be dictatorial and would ignore Constitutional constraints and the Rule of Law, using their executive powers to do whatever they wish. Meanwhile, Ted Cruz is a member of the establishment and a Republican Party “tool”. If he were elected I believe that he wouldn’t have enough backbone to stand up to (and will inevitably capitulate to) his presidential (One World Order) handlers, in anything they wish. I cannot in good conscience vote for the lesser of two evils. I cannot face my Lord and Savior knowing that I voted for someone (like both Trump and Clinton) who are openly immoral, promote abortion, and the other aberration of God’s divine order. Neither of them will honor our Constitution, specifically the Bill of Rights. Neither of them support Israel’s right to defend herself as a sovereign nation. Neither of them will truly honor the Lord our God, the Creator of the Universe, and His statutes. Observing the lack of righteous candidates, we know we are under the Judgment of our Lord God. Coincidentally, after seeing Rachael Dawson’s article this morning, our family, during our family devotion read this scripture:

“Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out. There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up. These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?” – Isaiah 51:17-19 (KJV – Emphasis added)

Here, I must mention that I do not believe in the spurious doctrine of Replacement Theology, which asserts that America or the modern church in Western Nations have somehow become the “New Israel”. In scripture, Israel is Israel. Neither America nor the modern Church has replaced the nation of Israel. However, history does repeat or at least rhyme. Scripture can be applied to other nations for our learning and understanding.

Please read both Rachael Dawson’s essay and the comments that follow, which are insightful. Diligently ponder and pray about your role in the next election. My heart is heavy about this, and the prospects are sickening.

We need to be ever-repentant. We need to be deep in God’s Word and prepared to meet our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ From Nazareth. Jim and I believe and hope that, although our nation is now under judgment, God will have mercy on the families that belong to Him in the days that are coming. That is our fervent prayer! – Avalanche Lily

Letter: Long-Term Gas Storage

3

Hi Hugh and Jim.

I am trying to figure out what to do regarding safe long-term gas storage.

There are some that recommend treating gasoline with Pri G and sticking it in a HDPE plastic drum filled to the top. Others suggest that if you treat the gas every year with Pri G it will last “forever”, even ethanol gas. There seem to be a few common sense caveats, like cooler is better, temperature swings are bad, and you need to keep the tank full, et cetera to give themselves an out. I find this hard to believe.

I have tried the plastic barrel thing with ethanol gas and am three years into it. I am blending about 50/50 with fresh gas. One of my vehicles has the “check engine” light on, and the owners manual suggests I got a bad batch of fuel.

Ideally, I would bury a tank, but that isn’t possible. I am not going to store the gas in a climate-controlled environment as some suggest.

I have found a source of 91 octane ethanol-free gas. I have found a rust-free 275 gallon fuel oil tank. My thought is to paint the tank with rustoleum a few times and hide it in some shrubs, out of the sun, and treat the gas with Pri G and keep it full. The temp will range from minus 5 to 95 here. I am considering wrapping the tank with foam insulation (or bales of hay covered with a tarp), but I think perhaps condensation will form on the tank and the tank will not dry out and that will expedite oxidation of the steel tank even with the rustoleum paint. Perhaps epoxy paint? Another concern is expansion/contraction. With plastic I think it is less of a problem but with metal if the tank is sealed, could a seam pop or could metal fatigue occur over time? I could add a small vent and put a “balloon” over the vent. Or if the tank is full enough, could I not worry about the moisture/condensation inside as ‘Pri G’ will cure all problems as folk from Pri G suggest?

Do you have someone credible with experience in this for advice? I think the whole community would benefit from an honest discussion on this. There are very many variables to consider.

HJL replies: There is certainly a significant amount of bad/misinformation along with alot of marketing hype that is centered around selling product. Here is the problem with gasoline in a succinct form:

Gasoline is a combination of petroleum distillates. Some are light, some are heavy, and there is everything in between. Over time, the lighter distillates evaporate leaving the heavier ones behind. Stabilizers can slow the process but not stop it. You can rejuvenate gas by bubbling butane or propane through it (a process which I am sure I don’t have to further explain the dangers of; this would fit in the “famous last words” category of the proverbial red-neck: “Here, hold my beer!”).

The reason liquid petroleum gas (LPG) lasts forever is because it is fully contained, typically in a thick sealed metal container, and nothing evaporates. Gasoline is usually stored in plastic containers, which leak. A vented container will breath these lighter distillates with temperature changes, which is why that shed with the gas can inside it always smells like gasoline even when the lid is tightly on the can.

Ethanol complicates the issue because it is hydroscopic and will absorb moisture out of the air. When enough moisture is absorbed, it separates out. The ethanol also evaporates leaving the water behind.

The only way you can reliably store gasoline for long-term storage is to keep the lighter distillates from evaporating, which means you need a container that is completely sealed and strong enough to handle pressure and some abuse. (An LPG tank comes to mind.)

The government, of course, does not like this idea because you end up with a pressurized container that tends to spew liquid over everything when you crack it open. (The original NATO gas cans are a prime example and are pretty good but not legal, especially in Kalifornia for this reason.)

In short, a non-sealed container will not make really-long-term storage feasible no matter how much stabilizer you put in it. The lighter distillates are necessary for the consistency of gasoline. A sealed container makes for a potential explosive device (never mind that the government is okay with LPG tanks; you just apparently can’t have pressurized gasoline tanks).

Personally, if I wanted to store gasoline for an extended period of time, a converted 1000-gallon LPG tank is how I would do it. Don’t expect to get a county permit for that any time soon though, and it is cost prohibitive, even if you go with a used tank. Ideally, you should rotate through your gas storage so you are always using the oldest while storing the freshest.

A much better alternative is to go with at least one diesel vehicle and store that fuel instead. There are far fewer issues involved in storing diesel or kerosene.