Notes for Tuesday – February 02, 2016

February 2nd is the birthday of Ayn Rand (born Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum in 1905, died March 6, 1982). She is of course remembered for her novel Atlas Shrugged, which is considered a Libertarian classic. While I sharply disagree with her views on religion (since she was an atheist), I admire both her skill as a writer and her ability to articulate some core precepts of human liberty.

o o o

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 and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304, 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 FloJak EarthStraw Code Red 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  4. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  9. 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.

Making a “Last Run” When the SHTF- Part 2, by GMJ

In this section, we are continuing to explain how to begin developing a comprehensive strategy for a last run shopping trip. Steps 1 and 2 have been described in how to make a list of what might happen and arrange it according to each event’s likihood to happen. Now, let’s move on.

Steps 3 & 4: Determine What’s Necessary to Eliminate/Reduce Problems

Step three requires you to determine what you need to do to eliminate, or at least reduce, the problems that each probable event will cause, and then the next step is to make a list of all the things (supplies, equipment, knowledge) that you need to have on hand to do so.

This is a good point to solicit advice from experts and friends who have actually lived through such experiences. I regularly read biographies of people who have survived extraordinary circumstances, such as our Founding Fathers, civilians during wartime conditions, prisoners of war, and people who have survived shipwrecks, plane crashes, or severe weather conditions. Their ingenuity and mental toughness (including religious faith) inspires me and helps me “think outside the box”.

Step 5: What Will Have to Go

Step Five is the kicker. Here, you identify those things that you will have to do without because you can’t afford them or can’t get them. Much as I would like to have a fully fortified bunker in the Deep Woods, I will never be able to afford it. Accept your situation, get over it, and move on to the next step.

Step 6: Finalize Your List

In this step, finalize the list of what you still need to get, or what you have but could use more of. This final shopping list is the basis of your last run.

Don’t expect your last run to be a walk in the park. At its most basic, it’s a desperate measure that has considerable risks. If you can obtain all your supplies in advance of your crisis, that is certainly your best option. Things that have long lead times, such as ordering products online for UPS delivery, don’t work in a last run. The items for the last run list must be immediately available in your local shopping area. People who live in areas far from shopping can do a modified version of the last run periodically to keep their supplies topped off, but for those who must put off their buying until amost the last minute, there are ways to make their last run safer and more effective.

First of all, situational awareness is key to your success on the last run. Pay attention to what is going on around you, not just in your neighborhood or community but nationally and internationally as well. I read foreign newspapers on the Internet almost every day. They tend to cover American stories with more detail and truthfulness than our own main stream media. I recommend the Telegraph and Guardian in the UK as excellent sources, and there are others from other countries that do a fine job. Focus on politics, pending legislation, finance, business, medicine, and other topics that have international ramifications. Learn as much as you can about the potential impact of changes on the national and world front. This may help you predict how your own life will be affected so you can plan accordingly.

Second, follow the weather. A storm brewing west of you will generally mean a change of weather in your location in the next day or few. Hurricanes develop in the ocean around Africa, south or east of the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast. Cyclones develop in the Pacific. Many snow storms in the Northeast U.S. are caused by “lake effect” snow coming off the Great Lakes. Rain in the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys often result in flooding downstream, and too much rain in California results in mudslides while too little causes drought and forest fires. Learn the predictive signs for your own locale. Don’t wait to hear the local meteorologists warn of a coming storm. Too often they are wrong, and underestimating nature can be even more dangerous than any over-hyping.

Third, know the natural history of your area. Is your county prone to flooding, earthquakes, or tornadoes? Plan accordingly, including possible evacuation.

Fourth, be familiar with the human demographics of your region. Do you have a high population of low-income people dependent upon government assistance? Dissatisfied and vocal racial groups? Gangs, druggies, or other serious criminal element? Nearby prisons or penitentiaries? Large airports or tourist attractions? Do you have sufficient police protection in your town or city, if mobs and rioting break out? Where I live, the county sheriff and town police officers are few and far between. In a crisis, they will be stretched very thin.

In Part 2 of this series, we focused on situational awareness and identifying the key characteristics of your community and geographic location. In Part 3, we’ll focus on observing what actually happens in your own community when SHTF.

Pre- Last Run Reconnaissance – Success Is In The Details

The four causes listed above should cover most of the highly probable events that will initiate a last run. Bearing this in mind, it’s especially important to know and understand how your community and the stores in your area generally react to a potentially devastating situation. Impending weather threats are, by far, the most common disaster scenarios and can serve as a template for the other situations.

You are probably familiar with what happens locally when bad weather is on the way. The TV and radio stations broadcast warnings well in advance of the coming storm. Stores in my area, at least, prepare for a run on the “three whites”– bread, milk, and toilet paper. Safeway, where I often shop, brings in extra trucks several days in advance and overstocks on the Whites, canned goods, bottled water, snacks, and other popular items. Frozen items, like pizza and ice cream, are allowed to decline in case the bad weather causes electricity failures. The aisles get crowded, and their storage areas and employee rest areas are all packed to the gills with items people will need. I don’t know if all stores do this in all areas, but it’s easy to chat up a manager where you normally shop and ask how his/her chain typically handles storm preparations.

If, like me, you shop at a Big Box store (Walmart or Costco, for example) think again. The ones in my area rigidly adhere to a specified delivery schedule that does not vary according to short-term modifications in customer demand.

In many communities where a large percentage of the population is low-income and dependent upon SNAP and other welfare programs, the recipients generally shop at the lowest priced stores. These are the Big Box stores. Keep in mind that most of these customers likely will not have put a large amount of supplies away for emergencies, so, if they have recognized that the S has HTF, they will also be out en masse to shop at their last opportunity. Shelves will be emptied very quickly. You’ve seen the pictures on the news. It’s not pretty.

Also, Walmart recently implemented a program whereby customers can order items online and have them delivered to their local stores. Theoretically, a system is in place to alert customers that they can come pick up their items. So far, there are major glitches in the system. Items do not arrive as scheduled; customers are notified that the items did arrive when they did not; items can’t be located when customers come to pick them up, even after being notified that they are in the store; and sales records are a shambles.

I think it unlikely that, in the face of such a badly handled roll-out of a major, well-advertised marketing tool, Walmart would be a dependable place to find emergency supplies without having to deal with hordes of last minute, increasingly desperate shoppers.

That brings you to the alternatives. If you live in a very small community that only has a Mom-and-Pop store, your choices are limited to what they carry in stock. If you haven’t done so, befriend the proprietors and possibly suggest that there are some items you would like to see them add to their regular inventory, as well as ask how they deal with weather issues. Chains like 7-Eleven generally stay open as long as they can staff the stores, but they run out of the Three Whites pretty quickly. True Mom-and-Pop general stores may close down early to allow employees, often family members, to get home safely. Between these two extremes lie a variety of small stores, each of which will respond to weather emergencies differently. If you know you will need to shop at any of them, find out what you’re dealing with in advance and plan accordingly.

Don’t write off specialty shops. If you are looking for common emergency items, like batteries, candles, radios, et cetera, you can often find them in surprising places. I bought my hand-crank radio at Bed, Bath and Beyond, and long-burning candles at the Hallmark shop. Many drug stores and pharmacies now carry a wide variety of everyday items, from toilet paper, soap, canned food, diapers, and other baby supplies, to milk, bread, and snacks. Stores like Dollar General carry a wide range of products, though may be limited in choice of sizes, brands, and quantity. Sporting goods stores carry ammunition, firearms, camping gear, and fishing supplies, as well as a wide variety of outdoor and all-weather clothing. AA and AAA batteries can be found almost anywhere, so consider standardizing on equipment that requires those sizes instead of the larger ones. If you are having trouble getting prescription or over-the-counter medication in quantity, your local veterinary (or farm) supply store or pet store might stock what you need. If you simply need food items and availability is dropping or the crowds are too big, don’t forget that fast food joints and other restaurants sell food! Use the drive through, if the line isn’t too long and you can get through safely or call ahead for carryout.

Be imaginative and keep your eyes open for the unexpected. Even though Walmart carries so many kinds of items and you may be familiar with shopping there, you don’t have to shop there when SHTF.

In Part 3 of this series, we’ll discuss how to safely execute your last run using a trial run to gather information.

Letter Re: China In Perspective

HJL,

I heard the investment officer of a life insurance company speak this weekend. He characterized China as having accomplished what they set out to accomplish, creating infrastructure on a scale that took us 75 years, in only fifteen. We are placing our value system on their decisions and wonder how they are going to get things to pay off or out in three years. They don’t care.

We of the west assumed there was a trend that was more of a trajectory. Their activity level will now travel back to the mean as will all the commodity prices of material that everyone ramped up to produce. Commodities will offset inflation in other items. Producers are cutting production that will blunt deflation. Bankruptcy will cut production.

All this becomes apparent when you use a long enough term on your graph.

He also mentioned that there is hiring out there, and he based his points on U-6– an unemployment measure, not youth soccer. There are measures that show employers want workers. There is a measure out there that shows they are not actually hiring. He attributed this to a mismatch in skills. Our people are trained for yesterday, but companies are hiring for tomorrow. He says learn to weld. You can make more than a banker.

A look at the back drop of Star Wars reveals that people are either slaves and destitute or they own the tools of production and know how to use them. I am learning to weld, and I am attempting to understand electronics.

The world is full of boogers, so keep prepping. My daughter insists that the closet door be completely closed every night. She is rarely wrong. If some rascal hacks the EBT system, your worst fears will be realized. The iterations go on. Fear is your enemy in this stock market. Don’t be one of the pigs and get slaughtered. – RV

News From The American Redoubt:

Will Montana Soon Fall Victim to Refugee Islamafication?

o o o

Earrings, trophies and packaged meals: How Casper oilmen are surviving the bust

o o o

Hunter rescued after falling in Columbia River

o o o

Montana and Wyoming News: Plan to infuse small towns with Muslim migrants meets resistance

o o o

My #1 son, who operates our SurvivalRealty.com spinoff web site, recently put up two new For Sale By Owner listings in eastern Washington that were particularly interesting. One of them is a custom-built home in the hamlet of Stehekin, at the far end of Lake Chelan. What is unusual is that the only access to Stehekin (population 75) is by ferry, floatplane, or by hiking 15 miles overland. The other listing is a carefully tailored turnkey 30 acre survivalist retreat about 20 miles north of Colville. – JWR

Economics and Investing:

Video: 2016 Market Crash Explained In One Chart – Mike Maloney

o o o

Retail Apocalypse: 2016 Brings Empty Shelves And Store Closings All Across America

o o o

Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

So It Begins: Bloomberg Op-Ed Calls for an End of Cash (Zero Hedge) Excerpt: “For those who were amused by our warning that a cashless world may be coming, here is precisely why the warning was issued, in Bloomberg’s digital ink…” Read on. Warning: Article commentary may contain bad language or inappropriate avatar images.

Barclays, Credit Suisse to Strike Record Deals with SEC, NY Over Dark Pools(Reuters) Press conference scheduled for Monday. Excerpt: “Dark pools are trading venues that differ from public exchanges because orders are not visible to other traders until they are executed. The lack of pre-trade price information is designed to help institutional investors trade large blocks of shares without the market moving against them.” The Wall Street Journal is also following this developing story: Credit Suisse, Barclays to Pay $154.3M to Settle “Dark Pool” Investigations Note: The Wall Street Journal requires sign-in and/or subscription for access to some content.

Fitch: Fallout from Oil Prices Emerging for US Banks(Reuters) Excerpt: “Following the precipitous drop in oil prices last year that has accelerated into the new year, many of the banks reported further loan loss reserve builds. Exposure to oilfield services companies and exploration and production companies were cited as higher risk segments for the banks.”

International News

Venezuela’s Oil Minister to Visit Russia to Push for Coordinated Action (Market Watch) Excerpt: “Venezuela’s oil minister plans to visit Russia, Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia beginning Monday, in a bid to stabilize oil prices.”

Oil Price Crash: Saudis Told to Embrace Austerity as Debt Defaults Loom (The Telegraph) Excerpt: “Commodity slumps are a prolific cause of sovereign distress…. “Things could work out very badly this time round if commodity weakness persists.”

BP to Announce 70% Collapse in Profits (The Guardian) Excerpt: “…the full impact of the oil price fall could be much heavier as BP takes one-off writedowns on the value of its reserves.”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

Cyber Thieves Have a New Target: Children (Wall Street Journal) Excerpt: “Cyberthieves target children because their identities offer a clean slate with which to apply for bank accounts, credit cards or loans, government benefits and tax breaks. Criminals will often combine a child’s Social Security number with a fake date of birth and address to avoid suspicion, experts say.” Note: The Wall Street Journal requires sign-in and/or subscription for access to some content.

o o o

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

Odds ‘n Sods:

I am now researching and writing the second and third installments of my Counter-Caliphate Chronicles novel series. If any SurvivalBlog readers have friendships with a head of state or a high level diplomats from any of the following nations, then I would greatly appreciate getting an introduction:

  • South Sudan
  • Kenya
  • Vanuatu
  • Niue
  • Tonga
  • Cook Islands
  • Nauru
  • The Philippines
  • Mozambique
  • Comoros
  • Mauritius
  • Maldives
  • Nicaragua
  • Honduras
  • Belize
  • Panama
  • St. Kitts & Nevis
  • Dominica
  • Grenada
  • Cape Verde
  • Mozambique
  • Madagascar
  • Namibia
  • Bermuda
  • Cayman Islands
  • Monaco
  • Isle of Man
  • Andorra
  • Finland
  • Switzerland

This would probably just involve a brief interview by phone or Skype. But I would be willing to travel to meet with them. Many thanks! – JWR

o o o

Perhaps they can learn a thing or two: Scotland Police Teach US Cops How To Avoid Gun Use – T.P.

o o o

DNA Got a Kid Kicked Out of School—And It’ll Happen Again – Surprisingly, this kind of discrimination may not actually be against the law. There are medical reasons for it. – D.S.

o o o

Frugal Living & DIY Ideas – Links submitted by T.A.

Save money with these DIY recipes for household cleaning products!

  1. Homemade Laundry Detergent
  2. Homemade Dishwasher Soap and Rinsing Agent
  3. Easy to Make Liquid Handsoap

o o o

Dutch Police Training Eagles to Take Down Drones – W.C.

Notes for Monday – February 01, 2016

February 1st is the anniversary of the secession of Texas from the United States in 1861. A State Convention considering secession opened in Austin on January 28th, 1861 and on February 1st, by a vote of 166-8, adopted an Ordinance of Secession from the United States. It’s important to note that not all Texans favored this act and the state Governor, Sam Houston, while being loyal to the union, refused offers from President Lincoln to keep him in office and was subsequently deposed as governer.

We also remember February 1st, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana as it reentered Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven crew members.

Round 62 Non-Fiction Writing Contest Winners Announced!

This was a tough contest to judge as there were so many good entries. Ultimately, the top prize winners were multi-part articles, but SurvivalBlog would like to point out that there was no filler in these entries. They were long articles, but they were thorough and complete. All of the articles in this contest were good articles. All entries that were submitted, not rejected, but not yet published are automatically rolled over as entries into Round 63 of the Non-Fiction Writing Contest.

First Prize goes to J.R. for “What’s For Dinner – Part 1”, “Part 2”, “Part 3”, “Part 4”, “Part 5”, and “Part 6”, which was posted on January 8th, 9th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th. She will receive the following prizes:

  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 and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize goes to JSP for “Water Works – Part 1”, “Part 2”, “Part 3”, and “Part 4”, which was posted on December 18th, 19th, 20th, and 22nd. He will receive the following prizes:

  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 FloJak EarthStraw Code Red 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  4. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  9. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 LifeStraws (a $200 value)

Third Prize goes to Cracker Makk for “Attaining Food in Urban Locations (From Land and Sea) – Part 1”, “Part 2”, “Part 3”, “Part 4”, and “Part 5”, which was posted on December 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. He will receive the following prizes:

  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).

Honorable Mention prizes ($30 Amazon.com gift certificates via e-mail) have been awarded to the writers of these fine articles:

Pat Cascio’s Product Review: ARMSCOR/Rock Island Armory 10mm

There was a lot of ink back in the late 1980s, when the 10mm round became readily available to the public. Colt was the first mainline gun maker to come out with a somewhat affordable 1911 Government-style handgun in 10mm. It was called the Delta Elite. I jumped on getting one, and loved the gun. However, there were only limited types of 10mm ammo available at the time; one was the 200-gr FMJ round, and one was a 155-gr Silvertip round from Winchester. Still, I was extremely impressed with the 10mm. The power level was close to the .41 Magnum round, in a semiauto handgun. Yes!

I used my Colt Delta Elite for deer hunting one year. I fired at a deer at less than 25-yards away with the 155-gr Silvertip round, and it should have easily been a kill shot. However, the deer took the hit and ran off. I searched for hours; the blood trail was every place. The next morning, some friends helped me continue the search. There was lots of blood, but the deer was never found. We surmised it jumped into a blackberry bush, and we couldn’t see it.

The problem as I now see it is that the 155-gr Silvertip round wasn’t heavy enough, and the bullet expanded too rapidly without penetrating deeply enough to get the job done. I stopped carrying this round shortly after that.

For the better part of a year, I carried a S&W Model 1006, 10mm handgun, and I had to send it back to S&W three times. The adjustable rear sight kept shaking loose, and the gun simply wasn’t accurate. After the third trip back to S&W and its return to me, I sold it. The problem with the 10mm round was that it was a pretty violent offender in the recoil department, and many guns just weren’t able to handle that sort of mechanical recoil. My Colt Delta Elite also shook itself “loose as a goose” as they say! In short order, even though the FBI had been using the S&W Model 1076 in 10mm, it fell out of favor. When the FBI dumps a gun or a particular caliber, then everyone follows.

The 10mm fell out of favor with the shooting public in the early 1990s. It wasn’t until just recently that folks are rediscovering this outstanding round, both for self defense and for hunting purposes. I’ve always longed for another 1911 style handgun in 10mm, since getting rid of my Colt Delta Elite. The local gun shop I haunt got in a used Delta; however, as I feared, the gun was loose, very loose. Obviously a lot of rounds went downrange and the owner decided to sell or trade it off. After looking at the gun, I passed on buying it myself.

100_6482

Enter ARMSCOR and their line of 1911 style handguns, which are made in the Philippines. To be sure, they have a very extensive line-up of 1911 handguns in 9mm, .40 S&W, .45ACP, and 10mm. My local gun shop has been selling ARMSCOR/ Rock Island Armory for several years now, usually the bare bones, basic Mil-Spec type of guns in .45 ACP. They told me that no one has ever returned one of the guns for any problems. Finally, one day, my local gun shop got in an Rock Island Armory 1911 Government-style in 10mm– the Rock Island Armory model Rock Ultra FA-10mm. After looking the gun over and thinking on it for a couple of days, I decided I had to have this gun. It was super-tightly put together and seemed like everything I had been longing for in a 1911 in 10mm. A trip to the gun shop the next day revealed that they had left for Portland, OR for a gun show and took “my” gun with them. A quick text to the guys, and they set the gun aside for me to buy on Monday morning. It was a long, long weekend, waiting for Monday to roll around.

100_6452

The Rock Island Armory Rock Ultra FA–10mm has a 5” button rifled, bull barrel, with no barrel bushing, that is fully supported. The 10mm round really needs this added support. There is also a full-length guide rod, which I can do without. It just makes disassembly all that much more complicated. The rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation, and the front sight is a red fiber optic one that is easy to see. It really stands out. An ambidextrous safety is there, as well as a beaver tail grip safety. The ambi safety, snicked on and off with authority, is very well fitted. The greenish, though they look gray in my pics for some reason, G10 grips are very aggressively checkered. This is something I really liked for a sure hold on the gun. RIA says the trigger pull is 4-6 lbs, though my sample was much, much lighter. I did a little work on it, and it broke cleanly at 4.50 lbs, which is just about perfect for a self-defense carried handgun. The magazine release is slightly extended, too. I like that, a lot!

100_6483

The front grip of the frame has serrations, but it wasn’t to my liking. So, I stuck on some skate board friction tape over it and now it’s nice! There is a plastic detachable mag well extension on the gun, which I removed too. It just was too cheap-looking to my mind. The gun is finished in a dark gray/black parkerized finish. However, it wasn’t evenly applied, but I could live with that. The full retail price on this gun is only $745. I paid $699 for mine.

The RIA only came with one 8-rd magazine. That wasn’t going to do, so I ordered up some more spare mags to have on hand. The gun fits in any holsters designed to hold a 1911 handgun, too. Unloaded weight of the gun is 2.49 lbs. Unfortunately, the only 10mm ammo my local gun shop had in stock was some from ARMSCOR, and it was the medium velocity 200-gr FMJ ammo. It is good enough for target practice and killing rocks and pieces of wood, but it’s not what you want for self defense or hunting purposes. Still, I bought all of that ammo they had and ran out to test my new “toy”. For whatever reason, during the first mag of ammo through the gun, the trigger stuck back and didn’t fully return forward. I had to manually force the trigger back to the reset position. However, the gun never had that problem again.

100_6484

I called long-time friend and fellow gun writer, John Taffin, and asked him about sending me some 10mm ammo. He had none on hand. Yikes! He turned me on to Double Tap Ammunition for a great selection of 10mm ammo, and they actually got their start in the ammo-making business by producing 10mm. The owner of the company, Mike McNett, couldn’t find any good source of 10mm himself, so he started loading for himself and his friends, and one thing led to another. He got into the ammo-making business, big time. I also contacted long-time friend, Tim Sundles, at Buffalo Bore Ammunition for some of his outstanding 10mm ammo.

From Buffalo Bore Ammunition, I received their 180-gr JHP Heavy load, 220-gr Hard Cast Flat Nose loading, 200 FMJ, 155-gr Barnes TAC-XP all-copper hollow point round, and their new 180-gr Low Recoil Low Flash JHP load. From Double Tap Ammo, I received their 135-gr Controlled Expansion JHP load, 165-gr Bonded Self-Defense JHP load, 180-gr Controlled Expansion load JHP round, 200-gr Controlled Expansion JHP load, 200-gr Hard Cast loading, and their 190-gr Equalizer load. And, from Sig Sauer, I received their new 180- JHP load. Sig is now producing an ever-expanding line of ammo.

100_6485

So, as you can see, I had quite a selection of 10mm to run through this RIA 10mm pistol for this article; I had a lot of different loads. The good news is these are all full-powered 10mm loads, not the watered-down loadings that helped the demise of the 10mm in the first place.

One load in particular caught my attention, and that was the 190-gr Equalizer load. This is actually two projectiles– a 135-gr JHP with a 55-gr round ball load behind it. You get two hits with one pull of the trigger. Mike McNett says that at 10 yards the two projectiles will only hit about one inch from each other, and at 25 yards they will only be about 2.5 inches apart. I did my testing at 10 yards, and sure enough the two projectiles were only an inch from one another. This is a load you want in your gun, for use in your home. He also produces this round in several other calibers. Check out his website. However, McNett says not to use this round beyond 25 yards, as I’m sure the two projectiles will really start to spread out away from each other.

I will say that shooting all the above ammo– from Sig Sauer, Buffalo Bore, and Double Tap– was a real joy. They’re all full-powered loadings, even the Low Recoil/Low Flash loads from Buffalo Bore were full-powered loads. If you want to do a lot of shooting, I’d get some of the medium velocity loads that you can find at most gun shops and big box stores. Use that for punching paper and killing rocks, and reserve the full-powered loads for hunting and self defense use.

100_6487

Picking one load, from all of the above ammo, for self defense or hunting purposes would be difficult for me to do. Before, we didn’t have many different loadings for different purposes. Now we have a big selection that will take care of any of your 10mm shooting needs. For out on the trail, where you might run into dangerous game, one of the Hard Cast loads from Buffalo Bore or Double Tap would be my choice. For self defense, I’d pick one of the JHP loads, and for home protection, I’d go with that Double Tap Equalizer load. However, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the JHP loads above for self-defense purposes. I did like the Sig Sauer 180-gr JHP load; it was very accurate and full-powered, too.

During my testing, I did take some shots at large rocks that were out at 100 yards, and most of the time I was hitting them, if I did my part. The 10mm is a pretty flat-shooting handgun round, compared to many other handgun rounds. And, the 10mm is hitting with authority, too, at longer distances.

At 25 yards, using a sleeping bag as a rest over the hood of my pickup truck, I was getting groups under three inches most of the time, if I did my part. Picking a winner in the accuracy department was impossible. The Buffalo Bore, Double Tape, and Sig Sauer 180-gr JHP rounds were in a virtual dead-heat as winners, all shooting under three inches. Some groups, with different ammo, was giving me groups over three inches and some groups larger. I’m sure it was my fault. Over several days of shooting, I was getting tired. I put more than 700-rds downrange during my testing.

To be sure, I thought I’d mention that Double Tap has even a bigger selection of 10mm ammo than what was sent to me. I think there are more than a dozen different 10mm loads they offer. If you can’t find what you need in 10mm from them, then you don’t need it.

100_6489

Sig Sauer is also offering a 180-gr FMJ 10mm load, too, for target practice. It’s a bit less expensive than the JHP loads. Of course, Buffalo Bore (I do love their 220-gr Hard Cast FN load) would probably be my first choice for out in the boonies or hunting medium to large game. Yes, I wouldn’t hesitate to hunt Oregon black bear with this load. It would give me all the penetration needed to anchor one in our black bears. The same goes for wild pigs, any place in the country!

During all my testing, other than that one time when the trigger didn’t reset for me in the first mag of ammo, the RIA 10mm never gave me a hint of a problem. It just perked along with any and all of the different ammo I ran through it, everything! The gun was as tight after all my shooting as it was on the first day. The only change I made was to replace the red fiber optic front sight with a green one; that’s just my druthers!

100_6490

The 10mm is making a come back. That is obvious, by the big selection of 10mm ammo that is on the market these days. If you are a handloader, you can down load the 10mm, if that’s what you like, or load it up to full-power, too. There wasn’t anything I didn’t like about my RIA 10mm 1911, nothing! The price was right, the gun was very well assembled, and it was plenty accurate, too. If you’re in the market for another 1911, because you always “need” another 1911 (at least that’s what I keep telling my wife) and you want something a little different, take a close look at the 10mm from ARMSCOR/Rock Island Armory. They even have one in a Commander length– a little bit shorter slide/barrel.

For survival purposes, the 10mm makes a lot of sense. It can be used for self defense against humans and dangerous game. The only drawback is that many gun shops don’t have a big selection of 10mm on their shelves, just yet. So, take advantage of what Buffalo Bore, Double Tap, and Sig have to offer. I’m sure you’ll find some ammo to your liking. Just stock up for the bad times. Things are getting bad these days. Make sure you have a good supply of 10mm on hand. For my purposes, I think 1,000 rds per gun per caliber is a good rule of thumb. If you get a 10mm handgun, then try to keep 1,000 rds of 10mm ammo on hand. The 10mm is a winner, once again, in my humble opinion.

– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio

Book Review from TM in Arkansas – Lights Out

  • © Ted Koppel 2015
  • Published by Crown Publishing Group, New York
  • ISBN: 978-0-553-41996-2 (Hardback) 978-0-553-41997-9 (eBook)
  • There are twenty chapters, 279 pages, index, and notes.

This is not another fictional EMP book. It is facts concerning an intentional attack on the electrical grid of the USA. I have studied that particular threat for many years, so I thought I would read this book, confirm what I already knew, and pass it on to the local public library. After my first read, I have decided to keep the book in my personal library for reference. Sorry folks, you will have to buy your own copy.

The author is a well-known journalist and ably uses his skills to cut through the chatter and get down to the facts. He interviewed dozens of present and former government officials entrusted with protecting the Unites States from a cyberattack and executives from numerous electric power companies. He did the same with several individual “preppers” around the nation, including some members of the Mormon church who have a reputation for being prepared for emergencies to ascertain their plan for surviving this type of calamity. Do they even have a plan?

The premise of the book is who will attack our national power grid, how they will attack, why they will attack, and what will happen in the aftermath. What is the likelihood of such an event? Is it doable? What is the plan or plans for recovering?

We are given details on who is responsible for reacting to a cyberattack and how the USA will retaliate, if it can. After much personal research over the years, I was unpleasantly surprised at the answers and scenarios in this book. I think most of you will share my discomfort. If you truly think your government and industry leaders are on top of this problem after numerous expert warnings of the likelihood, you need to read this book right away.

There are several instances in this story when you will be angered and dismayed. I will not give away too much by saying there is no consensus of government officers on anything concerning a cyberattack. They do not agree it will even occur, much less how to deal with it. There is no plan to deal with it. The emergency response folks (FEMA) are duplicating the military who prepare for the last war. In this case, they are preparing for the last regional or local hurricane, earthquake, flood, et cetera but not the complete loss of electricity across the entire nation.

The same holds true for electric power company officials. They cannot agree on whether or not to coordinate their defensive plans with each other or the government. They cannot agree on the probability of a cyberattack against their particular company. They cannot agree on how to harden their computer systems. They cannot even agree to disagree in a civil manner.

Emergency preparedness supply companies do not want to contemplate a grid failure, especially in the dead of winter. Without electricity, they cannot freeze-dry or dehydrate anything for even their own families. Delivery to you is out of the question.

Current estimates say less than one percent of U.S. citizens are preppers. That is less than three million in a nation of 335 million. What happens to the 332 million with no preps on hand?

Do you and your family have a plan for the complete, long-term absence of electricity from your lives? My family does, and we pray hard we never have to use it.

I will close with one quote from the book by Rudolf Giuliani: “… the more you prepare, the better off you are going to be, even if you haven’t quite anticipated the thing that happens.” Please read the book for the enlightening details and facts to help you be prepared.

Recipe of the Week: Raisin Spice Cake, by R.E.

Depression era cake with no eggs.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup butter (or oleo)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup raisins, chopped

Directions:

  1. Boil sugar, raisins, water, butter and spices for 5 minutes, let cool.
  2. Mix flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and pecans together and add to first mixture.
  3. Pour into paper lined pan 9x5x3.
  4. Bake at 350 deg for 40 to 55 min.
  5. Cool 5 minutes and turn onto cake plate.
  6. Remove paper.

o o o

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

Letter Re: Digital Currency

Hugh,

Here are a few additional comments about Bitcoin that might be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers:

Bitcoin is the best bet for digital currency that’s outside the banking system; it has the largest market cap and network of developers/miners. There is no Know Your Customer or Anti-Money Laundering with Bitcoin, which means you don’t need to show any ID to get it if you buy it in person. In the U.S., the Bank Secrecy Act, Patriot Act, and other bank/money-related U.S. laws keep Bitcoin from being a legally compliant currency. As these laws are written, they also apply to digital currency.

Bitcoin has a number of other problems. First, it’s not as secure as people believe; key generation for wallets is weak. This encryption has no doubt been broken by security agencies, and there are short cuts that can make guessing an early Bitcoin key a modest computing problem (48 bits). Second, the decentralized network is extremely slow to process transactions, and the network is subject to attacks that can prevent transaction processing. Transaction processing is now about 50% in communist China, where they are using stolen power for the mining (that’s how they confirm transactions). Some mining operations are located inside power plants, where local communist party officials and plant managers are cut in on the action. Denial of service attacks that flood the network with bogus transactions have proven to cause problems. Third, many of the use cases for Bitcoin have attracted criminal elements, which will become a target for law enforcement. I have been told, personally, by two people in a position to know that if Bitcoin becomes successful it will be shut down and forced underground. Finally, the value fluctuates with rumors, which makes it difficult to use as a stable exchange of value and payment medium.

Even with all these problems, it’s probably a good idea to keep a little Bitcoin around on a memory stick as a hedge, as it’s difficult to send silver coins around the world. However, it will only work when the Internet continues to operate and electricity is available. – C.K.

Economics and Investing:

Venezuela is on the brink of a complete economic collapse – G.G.

o o o

Baltic Dry Index Falls to 325, 1,430 Vessels Need to be Laid Up to Restore Balance – B.B.

o o o

Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

70% See American Dream Out of Reach (Washington Examiner) Herein lies a substantial portion of the problem. People do not see solutions coming from within themselves, and so they seek solutions through government. Excerpt: “The current political environment has voters thinking the federal government is an ineffective mess that is causing more harm than good. However, they still want this government to be doing more…”

Lost Decade for the US Economy (Business Insider) Excerpt: “Wait for it … welcome to the new normal. The economy hasn’t managed a single year of even 3% growth since 2005. A lost decade, at least by American standards. (We’re not Japan, after all.)”

The $29T Corporate Debt Hangover That Could Spark a Global Recession (Contra Corner) Excerpt: “Whether this debt overhang proves to be a catalyst for recession or not, one thing is clear in talking to credit-market observers: It’s a problem that won’t go away any time soon.”

Mortgage Rates Fall for Fourth Week in a Row (Washington Post) Excerpt: “Investors remain leery of stocks and instead are seeking safety in bonds, which in turn drives down home loan rates.”

Real Estate Wars: Inside the Class and Culture Fight That’s Tearing San Francisco Apart (Business Insider) Excerpt: “America’s biggest cities are experiencing a land rush, with the wealthiest residents buying up property and squeezing out the middle and lower classes…” Environments like this are ripe for increasing use and abuse of eminent domain. From Reason.com: Theft by Government Continues Through Eminent Domain

International News

Swiss Government Proposes Paying 1,700 a Month Whether They Work or Not in a Big to End Poverty… (Daily Mail) Helicopter money is not the solution. It will never lead to freedom from want. It will only lead to the growing dependence of people on government, to the ever expanding role of government in the lives of those people, and ultimately to tyranny.

Personal Economics and Household Finance

12 Skills for Preppers that Money Just Can’t Buy (Backdoor Survival) Invest in your mindset, your skill sets, and train up! Excerpt: “The biggest stockpile in the county won’t be enough if you don’t learn the important skills that will carry you through when you’re faced with hard times. Likewise, there are certain personality traits that will enhance your ability to survive.” Read on.

o o o

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

Odds ‘n Sods:

“Free French”, a retired cop, has a video commentary out on the LaVoy Finicum shooting video released by the FBI. From the start there were serious issues in how the OHP and FBI set this arrest up. From starting with lethal force options where there was no justification to placing their own officers/agents in a cross fire situation, to using illegal roadblock techniques, to breaking cover to engage Finicum while standing behind an uncleared vehicle, there are serious problems all the way through.

o o o

Israel’s power grid has been partially taken down by a cyberattack. If theirs can be taken down, so can ours. – D.S.

o o o

From the desk of Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large: Amazon security leak of personal info. Human engineering at its finest. This likely applies to many retailers. It’s safest if you don’t keep a mailing address on file, or use a rechargeable card for purchase and not your standard credit cards.

o o o

Carla Emery’s daughter continues her mom’s off-grid tradition. (Carla Emery wrote the bestseller Encyclopedia of Country Living)

o o o

SurvivalBlog reader MtH wrote in: This was disturbing news considering the problems that stem from these “refugees”. Figured those in the Redoubt and elsewhere should be aware of this and the push. Helena and Missoula situational awareness