Odds ‘n Sods:

Long-time content contributor B.B. sent us this important link: The Six Things Obama Doesn’t Want You to Know About the Islamic State.  The next day,  B.B. also sent a link to this article:  ISIS Jihadists Caught This Week in California and Indiana. These articles serve to  confirm many of my conclusions about geopolitical trends. Reading them also made me feel justified in dedicating myself to writing at least five books in my new  Counter-Caliphate Chronicles novel series.  These are “survival manual dressed as fiction” stories that need to be told, to encourage freedom-loving Christians and Jews to prepare for the tumultuous times that lay ahead. – JWR    

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Reader R.J. recommended the home-made Alvin Vacuum Sealer, for Mason-type jars. It is a simple hand pump that operates without electricity and uses standard FoodSaver Jar Sealer attachments and a commonly-available brake bleeder with gauge. Though more time consuming than using an AC-powered FoodSaver, it makes a great backup system for times without grid power.

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McX sent this: Travel Tips: Where rich people learn how to survive the apocalypse. McX’s comment: “When prepping becomes a ‘vacation plan’ on FOXnews.com’s Travel forum, then you know that you’re behind the times!”

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SurvivalBlog Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson suggested this useful article: How to Spot Ingenico Self-Checkout Skimmers

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Reader B.B. sent us the link to this NPR news story: Inside A Secret Government Warehouse Prepped For Health Catastrophes

Notes for Tuesday – June 28, 2016

June 28th, 1703 was the birthday of theologian John Wesley. 

Today is also the birthday of writer, director, and actor Mel Brooks, as well as that of actor John Cusack.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 65 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 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. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

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 65 ends on July 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.

Sew and Grow, Save and Recycle Your Way Into Preparedness – Part 1, by S.T.

As a society, we all rely upon a vast amount of manufactured products every day from canning jars and lids to dishes to pots and pans to toothpaste and dental floss. This list goes on and on. However, we can not forget that gasoline and diesel fuel and electricity are the most important manufactured items. Without these there will no longer be any other mass produced manufactured items made or delivered to a store near you.

Every disposable item that you can now replace with reusable items will put you well ahead of the sheeple, save you money, and make you more prepared. Do you want to save from $25,000 to $100,000 per year and become better prepared?

On average each and every woman will spend over $7,500 from puberty to menopause on disposable feminine hygiene products. Now add to that cost of toilet paper, kleenex, paper towels, paper napkins, paper plates, and other disposable products that people purchase every week and month that are thrown in the trash or down the toilet. Just check out the other shopping carts next time you are in line at the grocery store. If you have two daughters that is over $22,000 for the three females in the house to purchase just the disposable feminine hygiene products over their lifetime. Then add to this the cost of toilet paper.

Ten dollars per month may not sound like a lot of money. However, if you spend just $10 per month per person on toilet paper, then the $10 x 12 months = $120 per year x 50 years = $6,000 per person x a 4-female family = $24,000.

The most important simple disposable manufactured products that we reply upon everyday is feminine hygiene products and toilet paper. How many rolls of toilet paper does your family go through each month? I know I used a whole roll of 1,000 sheet Scott toilet paper in just six hours when I had a bladder infection.

I know I do not have the storage space to store five or 10+ years of these products, and I do not want to waste money to purchase this amount of products. Although I do have a good supply, and these are now being used only for visitors and future barter. So, I have decided to not only produce the reusable versions of these important items but to incorporate them into our everyday life. I have never used paper towels or paper napkins in our house, as I made washable ones so the transition was an easy one for us.

Just as important as the money savings is the health benefits of producing needed items yourself. We all remember reading about the Chinese toxic toothpaste and we hear about contaminated food recalls nearly every day. There are so many other items we can produce on our own from food to medicines.

Sewing

With just some simple planning and just a few hundred dollars and some of my time, I produced not only enough for my family for 20 plus years but enough for future trade or sale of washable toilet paper and feminine hygiene products.

My own fabric supply was limited to cotton ticking, cotton duck, soft solid color pale cottons However, after my step-mother died, my father asked me to clear out her sewing room and gave me all of the fabric. This equaled five moving boxes full of fabric. This was all 100% cotton print that she used in her quilt making. This has been put to good use by me in making washable toilet paper and feminine hygiene kits, not only for my family’s use today and in the future but also for future barter or sale.

Items need to produce reusable products:

  • Patterned fabric for each female in the house
  • Cotton batting for each female in the house
  • Patterned fabric for each male in the house
  • Plain non-patterned colored cotton fabric
  • 6” quilting square
  • Pens
  • Empty cereal boxes (for patterns)
  • Empty Kleenex boxes (for bathroom storage)
  • Thread
  • Sewing needles
  • Peri bottles for each family member (available from Amazon or at Precious Arrows)
  • Empty cat litter buckets (to place next to the toilet to hold soiled items)
  • Sewing machine (optional)

Note: Fabric of a different pattern for each family member should be used, to avoid confusion and to maximize hygiene.

Instructions; For washable toilet paper

Mark and cut each fabric selection into 6” squares, I used a 6″ quilting square, take 2 of the non-patterned fabric pieces sandwiched between 2 of the 6” patterned squares of fabric. Pin and sew a zigzag stitch 2 times around the fabric. Fabric is tactile and will move under your pen and quilting square, so after sewing if you may want to trim all 4 sides with pinking shears if you desire. I do this for ones I intend to sell but not ones I use at home.

If a sewing machine is not available a simple blanket stitch around all 4 sides works well. If you do not have a sewing machine trim with the pinking sheers before sewing.

Instructions for washable feminine hygiene products:

  1. Take one of the disposable items and trace onto an empty cereal box to make a pattern. Then trace and cut your fabric and also your batting. I purchase this type of batting. (On eBay)
  2. Place a piece of the batting between two pieces of fabric. This can be sewed with a zigzag stitch on the sewing machine or with a blanket stitch by hand. I love hand sewing (over a sewing machine), so I sew these by hand in the evening while watching the news. I can sew one in less than an hour by hand while watching the news. I make two sizes. The daytime size is 8” long and the nighttime is 12” long.

    If need be, you can increase the batting to two or three pieces. Now, if batting is no longer available, increase the fabric pieces to six or eight layers thick to replace the batting.

    I do not make ones with wings, because not only do you need a fancy machine to attach the plastic snaps but the plastic snaps are manufactured in Asia and will not be available in the future. If you feel like you need it, you can secure the pads in place with good old safety pins.

Instructions for washable dish towels:

  1. I use cotton ticking fabric and cut the fabric 17” X 12” in
    size.
  2. Just hem the fabric on all four sides.

Instructions for washable cloth napkins:

  1. I use cotton duck fabric in black and cut fabric 15” X 15”
  2. Just hem the fabric on all four sides.

Post-SHTF Business Ideas

Learning to make things yourself will not only help you become more prepared but these supplies and skills can become a future post-SHTF business, if you desire. Other items that a family can to add if considering making products as a post-SHTF business venture or just want to become more prepared include:

  • Clutch to hold clean menstrual pads. (Use just two pieces of fabric, see the picture below of the template I made and the picture of the completed clutch.)
  • Clutch to hold used menstrual pads. (Use just one piece of fabric and one piece of plastic. For the plastic, I purchased from IKEA cheap plastic bags that are used to cover suits in the closet. However, as a warning, note that ones with plastic can not be put in a clothes dryer.)
  • Aprons.
  • Kitchen hot pads.
  • Cloth diapers. (There are a lot of different patterns available in .pdf on the Internet. Most of the patterns show using the fancy machine and the plastic snaps from Asia. However the old fashioned safety pins still work well. For ease and cost savings, get a one-size-fits-all pattern. I like this free downloadable .pdf pattern.)
  • Washable face masks. (Shoe strings from the dollar store are used for the ties.)
  • Wonder ovens. (These can not be put in a dryer, so add a loop to hang on the clothes line.)
  • Clothes pin bags. (I use a toddler size three or four button down shirt with the bottom sewed shut.)
  • Needle books.
  • Draft dodgers.
  • Window quilts.
  • Templates. (The 6” quilting square is used for the washable toilet paper; the white card stock template is for a clutch to hold washable pads.)
  • Yards of fabric and batting pressed and marked with the templates, waiting to be cut.
  • Stacks of fabric, cut and waiting to be assembled and sewed.
  • Stacks of completed pads, waiting for their their new home.
  • A completed needle book filled and ready for use. (The pattern that I used was just an 8 1/2” X 11” piece of card stock and three pieces of fabric for the book. Then, I used three pieces of smaller white fabric for the interior pages. This makes a perfect sewing kit for use while traveling or in a bug out bag. This is my needle book and I use it every day to hold sewing needles and sewing pins.
  • Completed clutches, waiting for their new home.

Letter: Rebalancing Your Gun Collection

Daer Editor:
I had a thought about JWR’s suggestions on re-balancing your gun collection.  While I own a few pre-1899 guns, they are now pricey, even for well-worn guns in shooting condition.  I believe an acceptable alternative would be to purchase new reproduction black powder revolvers (the Model 1858 Remington is probably one of the best) and obtain a .45 Colt conversion cylinder.  The BATFE does not consider these to be firearms, so they can be purchased with no paperwork locally or through mail order.  With the conversion cylinder installed they can fire modern cartridges, albeit at low pressures that replicate historical loadings.

Prices for replica Model 1858 Remington revolvers range from around $150 (used at gun shows) to $275 (new, via mail order.)  The conversion cylinders generally run between $200 and $350 depending on manufacturer and features.  Most of these are five-shot conversions.  While the guns are single action, if handgun ownership becomes restricted for some reason, they are far better than using a rock or a stick for self defense.  By shopping around, you can buy these at one at half to a third of the cost of a comparable pre-1899 revolver.  At a higher price point, you can also acquire a Ruger Old Army black powder revolver which is available in stainless steel and can also use conversion cylinders.

I have a Remington 1858 Target Model with modern adjustable sights and an eight inch barrel.  While it is not very concealable, it is remarkably accurate with .45 Colt ammunition. 
Thanks, – The Bruce

JWR Replies: I agree that many types of pre-1899 revolvers are no longer affordable. In particular, the prices of both Colt and Merwin & Hulbert revolvers are quite high, due to strong collector demand.   However, S&W, Forehand & Wadsworth, Hopkins & Allen, and Iver Johnson brand revolvers are generally still quite affordable. Many of these are double action top-break designs, making them very fast to reload. (Certainly much faster than reloading a Colt Single action, or any of the blackpowder cartridge conversions.) 

It may take some research and patient shopping, but it is possible to find pre-1899 production double action .44-40 S&W or .44 S&W Russian revolvers for less than $700. And pre-1899 .38 S&W revolvers can often be found for as little at $250 at gun shows.  See my FAQ on Pre-1899 guns for more details, including serial number thresholds on various models, to ensure that you are buying a gun with a frame that was actually made in or before 1898.

The main problem with cartridge conversions of blackpowder replicas is that they are slow to reload, since the cylinder must be completely removed from the the gun, and then also a separate firing pin conversion backplate. Another potential problem with cartridge conversions of blackpowder replicas is that State and local laws vary widely.  In many states, the use of a conversion cylinder changes the legal category of the gun.  And in states with mandatory pistol registration, making such a conversion without prior registration could constitute a felony.

It also bears mention that while the price of pre-1899 Winchester rifles and Trapdoor Springfield rifles have been driven to dizzying heights, many other pre-1899 cartridge rifles remain quite affordable.  The 1898 and earlier production Mauser and Mosin Nagant rifles can still be found at bargain prices, especially if you are willing to buy one that has already been sporterized.  (“Sporterizing” ruins their collector’s value, but does not degrade their practical effectiveness.)

Letter Re: Sanitation: Can You Burn It?

Dear Editors,
Regarding the question: “Has anyone tried taking the poo and simply tossing it into a hot outdoor fire?”

I can answer that question in the form of a personal reminiscence: When I was serving in Vietnam if someone screwed up our Platoon Sergeant would take the offending person in the morning to old papa-san. Papa-san’s job was to take the cut down 55 gallon drums out of the latrine pour some diesel fuel into them and then burn the contents. Papa-san’s face would light up with a huge grin as the offending troop was delivered to him for this smelly work detail, along with a pack of cigarettes. He would squat down and watch you burn poo while he smoked cigarettes that he rolled. (He would trade his pack of American cigarettes on the black market.) This punitive work detail was a good motivator to not screw up. (Not that I ever had to do it.)  – Oldalaskan.

News From The American Redoubt:

Republican Party Sea Change:  No More Business as Usual in the State of Idaho. (The political influence of the American Redoubt movement is starting to be felt!)

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The leftist hand-wringers at The Washington Post complain: ‘I’m looking at Drudge: “Syrian Refugees Rape Little Girl at Knifepoint in Idaho” – all false’   JWR’s Comment: Oh, I see, we shouldn’t be concerned because it wasn’t a “rape”. It was a mere  “sexual assault” of the five-year old. And the perpetrators were from Iraq and Sudan, rather than from Syria, as first reported.  So am I now supposed to feel “all better” about this, and forget about it? A few days ago came a chilling update to the news story:  The leftist U.S. attorney for Idaho (appointed by Obama) has stepped in to threaten prosecution, in an apparent attempt to muzzle both the media and protesters. “Nothing to see here folks, move along…”

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What Reality Shows Do They Watch in The American Redoubt?

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A recent poll by the Huckleberries Online blog spinoff of the statist/collectivist-leaning Spokesman-Review newspaper in Spokane, Washington showed that 58% of their responding blog readers are “concerned” about the American Redoubt movement.  (But of course the readers of that blog are hardly a representative sample of Redoubt region residents!)

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Fairchild Air Force Base makes short list for KC-46A Tanker fleet
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Mill closures a ‘punch in the gut’ of Northwest Montana

Economics and Investing:

Deb B. wrote to mention this useful data from Kiplinger’s for anyone considering relocating: State-by-State Guide to Taxes on Retirees

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G.G. flagged this piece by Michael Pento:  The next recession is already here—and there isn’t much the Fed can do

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From The Drudge Report: Shares in Barclays, RBS and building firms suspended as Brexit sends prices plunging

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Hoarding Cash in Vaults Seen More Attractive After Brexit Vote

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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:

Reader “Reese” recommended an uncharacteristically well-balanced article about the Ghost Gunner milling machine published by Bloomberg Business Week: A Crypto-Anarchist Will Help You Build a DIY AR-15.  Parenthetically, after a long wait I now own a Ghost Gunner an a box of 80% lower receiver blanks. With the seasoned technical assistance of Hugh Latimer, I plan to post a full review of it in SurvivalBlog. – JWR

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Peter S. mentioned this: Homemade submachineguns used in Tel Aviv shooting. Peter’s comment: “This shows that ‘gun control’ legislation is a myth.”

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Several readers sent this: [City of] Plantation cop, Fort Lauderdale firefighter arrested in Tennessee after target practice goes awry.   Now remember the Statist media mantra:  “Only trained law enforcement professionals should be trusted with guns.” 

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Hundreds of law enforcement firearms are lost, stolen, or unaccounted for in California.  Now remember the Statist media mantra:  “Only trained law enforcement professionals should be trusted with guns.” 

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Radio “shock jock” Howard Stern asks: Imagine if the Jews [of 1930s Europe] had AR-15s?

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Brexit could spark rush on Channel tunnel as migrants fear ‘Berlin-style Wall’. [JWR Adds: Evoking the Berlin Wall is hardly fair, since it was designed to keep people in, rather than out!]

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Do not wait for a national audience. Speak on any scale open to you, large or small—to your friends, your associates, your professional organizations, or any legitimate public forum. You can never tell when your words will reach the right mind at the right time. You will see no immediate results—but it is of such activities that public opinion is made.” – Ayn Rand

Notes for Monday – June 27, 2016

June 27th is the birthday of economist Dr. Ravi Batra. (Born 1943.)

This is also the birthday of movie director J.J. Abrams (of Star Trek fame.)

On this day in 1957,  Hurricane Audrey made landfall, killing more than  400 people.

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Safecastle’s big Mountain House long term storage foods sale ends on June 30th, so get your order in soon!

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Today, we present another product review by Pat Cascio, our Senior Field Gear Editor:

Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Springfield Armory XDs 9mm

We covered the Springfield Armory XDs 45 pistol when it first came out, and I believe SurvivalBlog was the first in the media to cover this outstanding little pistol. We have many contacts in the firearms and cutlery fields and quite often get a first look at new products. The little XDs 45ACP was, and is, an outstanding concealed carry handgun. However, there were some teething problems with the first batch, and Springfield Armory was quick to take care of this minor problem. Several of our readers who lived neaby were also having a different sort of problem with their guns, and so I had them come for a visit. It was a simple “fix”. It wasn’t the gun; it was a limp-wristing problem, which is common with polymer-framed pistols. You have to hold them tight!

However, aside from the minor problem that resulted in the recall of the .45ACP version, I discovered another problem of sorts– the XDs .45ACP wouldn’t always eject a loaded FMJ round. It was an easy fix, which I passed along to Springfield. The top of the barrel’s chamber wasn’t contoured, and the FMJ rounds were hitting it and falling back in the gun. There was no such problem with JHP loaded ammo. One thing you can count on, at Springfield Armory, is that if there is a problem with any of their guns they jump right on it and correct it without hiding the problem or denying it, like some other gun makers do.

Springfield Armory saw the demand and had numerous requests for the XDs in 9mm, and they are producing guns in the guns in this caliber. To my way of thinking, maybe they should have come out with the XDs in 9mm first. Everyone was jumping on the itty-bitty .380 ACP guns for concealed carry. The market is still awash with them. However, savvy gun carriers wanted more power in a sub-compact gun, and the entire gun industry is now making very small, easily concealable handguns in 9mm.

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A quick look at the XDs in 9mm is in order, and it isn’t much different than the .45ACP version. We have a dual recoil spring system with a full-length guide rod. There’s a red fiber optic front sight that is very fast to pick-up and a steel rear sight with two white dots. The gun has a polymer frame and can be had with an all-steel (blackened) slide or one in stainless steel. Weighing in at a mere 23 ounces, the gun is a light weight. Each gun comes with two magazines– one that holds seven rounds and an extended 8-round mag with the Mid-Mag X-Tension. There is also a grip safety on the XD line-up, a la the 1911; you can’t fire the gun or chamber a round if you don’t have a firm grip on the gun! Then we have all the other goodies– a holster, dual mag pouch, cleaning rod, and a very sturdy carrying case. You can check out full specs on the Springfield website.

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I mentioned to the powers-that-be at Springfield Armory that they should include the pinky catcher mag floor plate that is made by Pearce Grip with each gun. This allows the user to choose which floor plate they want to install on their guns. The flat one that comes with the gun just doesn’t do it for me. It leaves my pinky finger dangling. However, with the Pearce Grip extended mag floor plate, the pinky finger has a place to go and it gives the gun an entirely different and more secure purchase when holding and firing it. EVERYONE who shot my XDs 9mm (and 45 ACP) samples picked the pinky catcher extension over the factory-supply mag floor plate. For ten bucks, it is well worth it to install the Pearce Grip extended floor plate on the gun, in my humble opinion. As you’ll see in the pics accompanying this article, I have two XDs samples– one with the all-steel slide, and one with the stainless steel slide. After my wife shot my sample, she “confiscated” it. This happens more often than you might believe. So, I had to order another XDs sample for myself and went with the stainless steel slide. She wanted it, but that was a no-go. She already made her choice when she confiscated the one with the all-steel black slide!

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It should also be noted that the XDs is now available in .40 S&W, too. However, I just find the .40 S&W round in sub-compact pistols a bit too violent for my tastes. I keep my XDs 9mm loaded with +P+ 9mm ammo, and it will surely get the job done if I had to use it for self defense. I’m content with the 9mm version and the .45 ACP version.

As I have stated numerous times, as a gun writer, I don’t recommend the .380 ACP as a first line of defense. However, I do realize that there are times when something in .380 ACP might be all one can carry. I carry a little .380 ACP every single day in an ankle holster. However, it is my backup to whatever my main gun is. Yes, I know that the .380 ACP can get the job done but not as fast as a larger caliber can when it comes to stopping an attack. So, the XDs 9mm is one great choice if you want a subcompact gun for everyday carry. Springfield has wisely stayed out of the itty-bitty .380 ACP handgun market . It is already covered!

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I had an outstanding selection of 9mm ammo to run through the XDs 9mm for this article. The nice folks at Black Hills Ammunition and Buffalo Bore Ammunition keep me supplied in their outstanding ammo for my articles. Even during the long 2+ year ammo drought, they did their best to meet me requests, and they are great companies to do business with, too.

From Black Hills, I had the following 9mm ammo: 115 Gr JHP +P, 124-gr JHP +P, 115-gr FMJ, 115-gr EXP HP, 124-gr JHP and 115-gr Barnes all-copper hollow point TAC XP +P load. From Buffalo Bore: I had their 147-gr Hard Cast Outdoorsman +P load, 115-gr Barnes all-copper hollow point TAC XP +P+ and the same load in a lighter 95-gr load, 124-gr FMJ-FN Penetrator +P+ and their 124-gr JHP +P+ load.

Now, as I’ve mentioned before, no gun maker recommends that you fire +P+ rounds through their handguns; it will void the warranty, and it also increase wear and tear on the guns, so be advised. To be sure, there is nothing wrong in the least with non +P loads in 9mm. They get the job done each and every day. However, when I’m carrying a 9mm handgun for self defense, I prefer +P or +P+ JHP loads. There are many handguns, especially sub-compact 9mms, that won’t function with +P or +P+ loads, so you MUST test your gun to make sure these hotter loads will function properly!

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I had zero malfunctions with any of the above loads, standard pressure, FMJ, JHP, Barnes, +P and +P+. Quite honestly, I didn’t know if the little XDs was going to work with the hotter +P+ loads. However, with the dual-recoil spring set-up, the gun is strong and handled all those loads with aplomb. I’ve had full-sized, duty 9mm handguns that refused to function with hot +P+ loads, so this is a testament to the design of the XDs and to the man behind it– Dave Williams, who operates the Custom Shop at Springfield Armory. I know that Dave is always going to Croatia, where the XD line-up of handguns is made, making minor changes/improvements, so he has his hand on the pulse of the XD line-up all of the time. It was Williams who said I could fire all the +P .45ACP through my XDs sample that I cared to fire through it when I got it. A couple boxes were more than enough per shooting session, to be sure. How many other gun makers will tell you to shoot all the +P ammo you want through their guns?

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My shooting for accuracy was done over the hood of my pickup truck, and the target was only 15 yards away. That is more than fair for the little 3.3-inch barrel gun to handle. Remember, this is a sub-compact gun. However, I did some shooting out to 25 yards, too. At 15-yards, I could easily keep most of my groups under two inches, which is outstanding. Out to 25 yards, I did not test all the ammo at that distance, but I was getting sub 4-inch groups if I did my part. Was there a winner in the accuracy department? You betcha! The Black Hills 124-gr JHP took home the honors. However, all the rest of the ammo tested was hot on the heels of this load.

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I was more than a little impressed with the Buffalo Bore 95-gr Barnes all-copper hollow point, TAC-XP +P+ load. The recoil was very manageable for a +P+ load, and it will sure get the job done for you. You might really want to think hard about this light-recoiling load in this sub-compact 9mm for self defense. Plus, Buffalo Bore loads most of their self-defense ammo with a flash retardant powder, so if you are forced to shoot in low-light conditions, you won’t be blinded by the flash when you touch off a round! Nice!

The XDs in .45 ACP carries 5+1 rounds, while the same gun in 9mm carries 7+1 or 8+1. That’s enough difference in capacity to give the 9mm version a close look if you ask me, and many people can’t handle the recoil of the much bigger .45 ACP round but have no problems with a small gun in 9mm.

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My wife is very particular about how a gun feels in her hand. If it doesn’t feel “just right”, she’s not interested in it, no matter how well she can shoot it. I’ve seen it happen time and time again. She will shoot a particular gun extremely well, but she doesn’t like the way it feels in her hand. I think many of us are like this, even if we don’t know it. Everyone who shot my XDs 9mm samples loved the way they felt in their hand, with the Pearce extended floor plate pinky catcher on it, as opposed to the flat floor plate that comes on the 7-rd mag. I also found that my accuracy was a bit better with the pinky catcher on the mag!

Prices for the XDs line-up, at least in my neck of the woods, is well under $500, and that’s quite a bargain for so much when it comes to such a sub-compact handgun that gives outstanding accuracy and is ready to go out of the box, with a holster, spare mag, and mag pouch. But buy a couple more spare mags, too.

– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio

Recipe of the Week: K.M.’s Hot Milk Sponge Cake

Reader K.M. sent a quick and simple recipe recommendation that is great for families with both laying hens and a home dairy cow.  She notes: “We are folks who often ask ourselves: ‘What are we going to do with all these eggs and this extra warm milk?’  Here is one answer.”

Hot Milk Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

1 Cup All-purpose flour
1 Teaspoon baking powder
2 Eggs
1 Cup of sugar
1/2 Cup milk
2 Tablespoons of butter (or margarine)

Directions:

Combine flour and baking powder. Then, in a bowl mix the two eggs with a hand or electric mixer set to high speed for about 4 minutes or until it is thick. Gradually add sugar; beat at medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes or until it is light and fluffy. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until combined.  In a saucepan, heat and stir the milk and butter until the butter melts; add to the batter–beating just until combined.

Pour batter into a greased 9x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake in a 350F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a test toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or cool.  Makes 9 servings. A powdered sugar frosting drizzle makes a great topping. (Serve with a big glass of milk, of course!) 

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Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Easy Tasty Milk Pudding

Egg and Dairy Recipes at Food.com

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

Letter: Pre-1965 90% Silver Coins are the Best Defense Against Counterfeits

Dear Editor:
Those buying  silver and gold coins and bars need to be aware. I work in the industry at a well known coin shop in the mid-west. Time after time…week after week customers try to sell us fake items that they purchased from eBay, pawn shops, Craigslist, and elsewhere. It has become a bigger issue over the the last year and especially so in the last few months.

When purchasing coins and bullion from customers we use our scales to make sure items are of proper weight, we use our calipers to check diameters, and we have the benefit of having an “x ray” machine to scan metal composition. The fakes are becoming more common place. I could spend hours describing the types of fakes that have come into our shop just over the last month. I could spend hours explaining how we have worked with local authorities and even the the FBI on counterfeit stings on fake Morgan dollars and Seated Liberty dollars. 

The Schumer has hit the fan on fakes. JWR has long recommended 90% silver (junk) coins and he is dead right. Those coins are now the only ones that I recommend to my new customers who are looking to buy!

Junk silver isn’t made anymore…the last year minted was 1964 and that pertains to U.S. dimes, quarters and most halves. These coins can not be properly counterfeited. The fakes I have seen are horrible, made out of lead, they don’t feel or look correct, and more importantly they don’t pass the “sound” test.

The “sound” test is simple…drop a silver coin on a glass surface or hard floor and it makes a nice “ting” sound, but the fakes go  “clunk” or “thud”.

In recent months we have seen fake 1-oz gold bars, 1-oz gold coins, 1-oz silver, 10-oz silver bars, and so forth. Two small shops in our region have been fooled and are now out $20,000 and $5,000 on fakes that they bought without doing their due diligence.  

90% silver [pre-1965] U.S. coins are the only safe way to go from here on out, folks. They are becoming harder to find and there is a reason for that. Stay safe and prepared,  –
The Silver Bull

Letter Re: Tracking Dogs

Dear Editor:
I have some experience with dogs that were specially-trained to track living humans, and with cadaver dogs. I agree with the previous Tracking Dog posts regarding restrictive points of terrain and/or infrastructure. In any escape route, there are always certain areas of heightened vulnerability, which an experienced team of searchers will not disregard.

The Texas Rangers at one time (reportedly) enjoyed an annual manhunt in the Texas Panhandle. They would seek volunteers from vetted and trusty inmates whose reward at the end of the day, would be the day’s freedom and a good meal. The inmate would be given a head start before Rangers, handlers, and dogs from a local state penitentiary would sally forth in pursuit. The Rangers and dog handlers were usually on horses and I don’t think they ever ‘lost’ a trustee. Before this practice fell in disrepute, the trustee manhunts provided great training with the captured inmate returned to the general population unable to remain at large, certainly sending a message to the inmate population.

I will always remember one real-world dog-assisted manhunt: A deputy sheriff had been murdered during a vehicle stop. Good police practice led to the department knowing whom the deputy was stopping. The assailant departed the crime scene in his personal vehicle. The sheriff of a nearby county almost ran me over on that awful day. I noticed his tight grip on the steering wheel and purposeful intent as he sped toward the county where I also owned a ranch. I called the sheriff of that county and reached a tearful dispatcher. When she could talk, I advised I was en route and asked if the sheriff had deployed airborne assets. “No” she responded, but she said that the dog team has been called from the state penitentiary. “Tell him I’ll get a helicopter in the air”, I advised.

I called a local owner/operator of a helicopter service and quickly arranged for him to meet me at the airport. Upon arrival, the pilot (who also hunted cattle predators from helicopter), was brandishing a shotgun. “What’s that for?”, I asked. “We might find him”, was the response. I urged him to put the shotgun back into his pickup truck. “But what if we find him?”, the pilot insisted, far too eagerly. By then I was removing 7.62×51 main battle rifle with telescopic sight from my vehicle. “We’ll not get close enough for him to shoot at us in the ride”,  I responded.

Once airborne, we followed the search via hand-held police radio. The assailant’s vehicle was discovered abandoned in a dry riverbed and the dogs were searching the adjacent river area. Not wanting the down blast from the blades to interfere with any possible scent, I kept the helicopter well away and above the immediate search area. It was summer and very hot. Before long, I noticed one of the dogs leaving the pack and heading toward a small pond. Too hot I thought, the dogs are played out. A moment after that dog hit the water, it looked like an alligator with a gar. Such splashing and carrying on I had never before seen. The murderer had concealed himself in the water in a bed of reeds and rushes. He and that dog were enjoying a close encounter of the personal kind.

The pilot asked if we should land and pull the dog off. “Why?”,  I asked, since I knew the handlers would arrive momentarily. I could see the Rangers on horses headed that way. “Let’s just watch. He’s not getting away,” I told the excited pilot. The rest of the dogs arrived not long thereafter and these dogs were trackers and biters. How he lived I’ll never know but the man eventually traded a confession to the murder of the deputy sheriff in exchange for his life. (Texas has capital punishment.)

The prison dog team prompted immediate capture of a dangerous individual, and in just hours rather than in days or weeks. I’m convinced that someone has to be extremely fortunate to escape dozens of well trained and motivated scent dogs, especially on foot. The murderer’s vehicle was abandoned because he correctly intuited that its description and license plate number had been forwarded to every lawman in the sparsely settled region. And, with few major highways leaving the area, those would be obvious checkpoints. Having a partner with a vehicle or successfully stealing a vehicle would have offered better chance at escape but less than a half-day had elapsed from the time of the murder to the capture. The assailant was hard pressed from the beginning and had increasingly dwindling options.

Regards, – Panhandle Rancher