Odds ‘n Sods:

It appears that one of President BHO’s new executive orders (due to be signed on Wednesday) will expand the definition of “engaged in the business” selling guns, and this will hurt gun collectors and our gun shows. It appears that they are going to try to corral more INTRAState transactions of used merchandise into Federal jurisdiction, via the Commerce Clause, which is all about INTERstate commerce of newly-manufactured merchandise. They can “hope and change” this all they want, but it is unconstitutional. And we all know what Marbury v. Madison says about unconstitutional laws: We can ignore them. (“Lex malla, lex nulla.“) – JWR

o o o

SurvivalBlog reader D.H. wrote in: “Some of us cannot relocate to the Redoubt no matter what we may wish… so we do what we can where we are! The State of Jefferson Committee is submitting the 21 counties declaration for separation due to lack of representation in forming a 51st state in Northern California. It is the beginning of what we here in Northern California will bring the needed changes to our currently out of control bankrupted state. It’s a long shot, but we are doing all we can to contain the crazy that is the socialist government control of California. There will be many enemies of this change, but it is the right thing to do to prevent continued deterioration of a wonderful geography that is California as a place to live and call home. Blessings to you all, and keep the State of Jefferson Movement in your prayers so we can limit the insanity that has become the politics of this magnificent place.”

o o o

China continues to press its advance in the South China Sea: China Lands Plane on S. China Sea Island, Upping Tensions – RBS

o o o

This is concerning news: North Korea Says It Has Conducted ‘Successful’ Hydrogen Bomb Test If this is true, having a fusion weapon puts North Korea in a whole new class of scary with their psychotic leader in control.
–also–
North Korea Confirms It Conducted “Successful Hydrogen Bomb Test” As “Act Of Self-Defense” Against US – GJM

o o o

PBS has an interesting documentary on Benjamin Netanyahu’s political rise and his relationship with the U.S. – MtH

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“The Union was formed by the voluntary agreement of the States; and these, in uniting together, have not forfeited their Nationality, nor have they been reduced to the condition of one and the same people. If one of the States chose to withdraw its name from the contract, it would be difficult to disprove its right of doing so.” – Alexis de Tocqueville

Notes for Tuesday – January 05, 2016

January 5th is the birthday of the late John Pugsley(born 1934, died April 8, 2011), libertarian and economics author. Pugsley was well known in preparedness circles as the author of The Alpha Strategy. (The book is out of print, but a PDF is available for free download.) It is also the birthday of General Courtney Hodges (born 1887 – January 16, 1966). Kicked out of West Point for low math scores, he enlisted as a private but soon became a maverick officer and went on to a distinguished career.

o o o

Now that a month has elapsed, many SurvivalBlog readers have read my novel Land of Promise. Your brief reviews at Amazon.com would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, – JWR

December in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran of Gainesville Coins

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover the price action of gold and examine the “what” and “why” behind those numbers.

What Did Gold Do in December?

Every December is a time of thin volumes in all assets. One good-sized sale or purchase can move prices. All this was exaggerated by the Fed’s December 16 interest rate hike. Gold jumped $20 an ounce multiple times this month, only to see the gains slowly eaten away each time.

December 4th was a strange day, as a very good non-farm payrolls report lifted the dollar and the stock market. What was unexpected was the price of gold jumping at the same time as the dollar.

“Sell the rumor, buy the fact” was in full swing just hours ahead of the Fed’s December 16 interest rate announcement, as gold jumped $14 an ounce and held onto those gains through the closing bell. The fortunes of the yellow metal reversed the next day, brought down by a rampaging dollar. This was only a temporary setback, as gold then went on a two-day to test the $1080 mark. Gold slowly lost steam for the rest of the month, weighed down by a collapse in crude oil prices.

Factors Affecting Gold This Month

Job Numbers

U.S. non-farm payrolls came in at 211,000 new jobs added for the month, better than the 200,000 expected. Unemployment remained at 5%. This data basically gave the Fed the green light to raise interest rates for the first time since 2006.

Strong Dollar

The dollar was expected to gain throughout the month on strong jobs news and a Fed rate hike, but the European Central Bank’s announcement of further stimulus measures did not go as far as many expected. This caused a big squeeze in the crowded short euro/long dollar speculation, which saw the euro jump to close to $1.10. This was another case of speculators betting on a “sure thing,” only to get burned.

Fed Rate Hike

The December 16th interest rate hike by the Fed roiled markets that were already volatile on a lack of trading volume. Contrary to expectations, gold did not fare badly at all in the following days, though it lost ground after this last rally of the year.

Year-end Selling

Most senior traders take most of December off, leaving the junior traders to hold down the fort. Most serious investors also take their holidays then, meaning there are much fewer trades happening. The most common trades for December are tax-loss trades and rebalancing of fund portfolios.

If an investor or fund has realized large stock gains but losses in gold, they will sell that gold the last week of the year to count the losses against the profits in stocks. Diversified funds that hold gold will have to buy more gold at the end of the year if gold posts a loss.

This happens when many traders and investors are gone for the holidays, which means that trading activity is very low. This allows large trades to move prices.

Paper Gold Speculators

Paper gold speculators hit a record short position early in the month, as speculators piled into “a slam dunk” trade. Net short positions on COMEX gold were 17,949. The traders taking the long side of that short play were the bullion banks, which set a record net long position. Speculators, noting that futures contracts were for 325x the amount of actual physical gold in COMEX warehouses, decided to jump over to the bullion banks’ side of the equation. The December 29 Commitment of Traders report showed that the all-time record net short position at the first of the month had turned into a massive net long position. The number of traders going long over the number of shorts rose by 12,771 contracts to 26,427.

This is good news for those holding physical gold, as it means that more of the biggest players expect gold to rise in the near future.

Oil Collapse

Crude oil had a rollercoaster month, but it was mostly downhill. Starting the month at $40 a barrel, U.S. crude fell to multi-year lows by mid-month. Crashing crude prices pulled most commodities, including precious metals, down with it. U.S. crude ended the month at $37 a barrel.

Junk Bond Meltdown

Believing the lullaby that the Fed would not let anything bad happen, some investors piled into junk bond mutual funds without understanding exactly what they were getting into. They found out that the old saying “high yield equals high risk” when three large junk bond mutual funds collapsed in three business days. This contagion led to a risk-off sentiment in stocks as well as bonds, as billions of dollars worth of investments were yanked from the market.

On the Retail Front

Us Mint

The American Silver Eagle set a new all-time sales record for 2015, selling the complete production run of 47 million coins by December 16. The record had actually been broken November 30th, when sales exceeded 44 million ounces.

To put this in perspective, 47 million troy ounces equals 1,461.8 metric tons. The total amount of silver mined in the U.S. for the year was only 1,169 metric tons.

Silver Eagles weren’t the only hot commodity at the US Mint. Gold Eagle sales were up almost 53% from last year, and all 45,000 of the America the Beautiful 5 oz Saratoga National Historical Park silver coin sold in two days!

Central Banks

The Red Twins of Russia and China show no signs of slowing down their acquisition of gold reserves. Russia bought another 22 metric tons of gold in November, marking the ninth straight month of net gold purchases. (Part of this is supporting domestic gold mines by buying their output.) Through November, Moscow has added almost 187 metric tons to its gold reserves.

China added almost 21 metric tons to its gold reserves, making five months in a row that Beijing has bought gold. Kazakhstan has them all beat on buying sprees, as November marked the 38th month in a row that the little nation has scraped up as much gold as it can.

Even with all these gold purchases, both China and Russia are far behind the Western nations when it comes to the percentage of gold they hold in their reserves.

Market Buzz

First Step In Gold Confiscation

On December 1st, the Greek government (remember those “stick it to the banks” socialists that won the election?) declared that citizens MUST declare on a new tax form any cash over €15,000, jewelry, and physical precious metals they own, either at home or in safety deposit boxes, in Greece or in foreign nations. While the government says this only applies to members of Parliament, government employees, media owners, and “other categories of persons,” it’s obviously aimed at suppressing dissent with threats of confiscation or charges of corruption. You don’t have to be Pythagoras to see the angle the government in Athens is taking with this. It won’t be long until ALL categories of persons will be forced to declare their assets held outside the banking system, on pain of confiscation

Original article at the Enikonomia newspaper

Same article, translated to English

Steve St. Angelo – SRSRoccoReport looks at US silver import and export data, and discovers that a substantial amount of silver is missing from normal trade. The only explanation is “large entities” are acquiring physical silver and abandoning paper silver on a gigantic scale.

After “junk bond dominoes” started falling, David Stockman warned of “carnage in the casino” that the Federal Reserve has built. He urged people to “sell the bonds, sell the stocks, sell the house, dread the Fed.

“Bond King” Bill Gross also goes with the gambling theme, calling central banks “casinos” that are printing money

Peter Schiff is among those warning that the economy is far weaker than the Fed wants you to believe. He predicts that this month’s rate hike will soon be reversed, with quantitative easing resuming shortly afterward.

China gold expert Koos Jansen interviews economist Willem Middelkoop about the coming “Big Reset” in the global economy, aimed at ending the US dollar hegemony.

In the category of “So obvious, even a liberal can see it,” Bernie Sanders says that the Wall St. banks are running the Fed, and it’s time to stop them.

While on the subject of the Fed, former Chairman Ben Bernanke, who first started up the money presses to bail out the elites, said recently he never expected zero interest rates for so long.

Marc Faber talks about all the mistakes the Fed has made, and what it means to different assets. He says if someone forced him to choose to put $1 million on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, or gold, he’d pick gold.

Finally, Ron Paul gets a little coverage on his charges that the gold price is being manipulated.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, expect the “January effect” in stocks and also gold. The first week in January is when diversified funds rebalance and will need more gold. Also, those investors and fund managers who sold gold for the tax writeoff in December will be looking to replace the bullion they sold.

We end this month with the story that the Daesh (aka ISIS) are using blank passports they seized from government offices in Syria and Iraq to make fake passports for terrorists to get to Europe and the U.S.

Inflation Alert and Book Review from TM in Arkansas

First, a price increase is coming to your favorite bookseller. One of the premier book printing and distributing companies in the world has announced a 10% price increase in their print-on-demand and handling fees effective February 8, 2016. Additionally, products shipping from the UK will see freight charges increase by 3-4%. The freight charges will be determined based on service level at the time of order.

This printing increase is on top of the 5% rate increase announced by UPS effective December 28, 2015 and a similar price increase by FedEx effective in January 2016. The USPS has a full menu of services on the website Stamps.com showing their varied price increase. The price of mailing a letter is unchanged. Package rates are going up.

I urge you to review your reading wish list and order what you need as quickly as possible from your favorite bookseller. The publishers I have spoken to are going to pass the extra costs on to the buyer/reader effective January 29, 2016, due to billing cycles.

Book Review:

The Historical Dictionary of the Russian Civil Wars, 1916-1926
© Jonathan D. Smele 2015
Published by the Rowman & Littlefield Publ. Group, Inc., Lanham, Maryland 20706
ISBN: 978-1-4422-5280-6 (Hardback) $250.00 US Kindle $237.50

Wait! Do not scroll on down the page of this blog wondering why this book is being reviewed for preppers. The war in question began a century ago. The participants are dead. The governments are dead. So who cares? Read on and I will tell you why the story has many lessons for preppers.

First, the book itself is a two-volume work with 1470 pages, including comprehensive introduction, almost two thousand alphabetical entries, extensive bibliography, chronology, three appendixes, glossary, and list of acronyms and abbreviations.

This publisher also has a sizable offering of Historical Dictionaries of War, Revolution, and Civil Unrest books on their website at www.rowman.com covering most continents and historical periods. Check it out for your particular field of interest.

The only negative I can see is the price, which will keep it out of most personal libraries. I suggest you petition your local library to add a copy to its research section as soon as possible. Serious scholars needing a personal copy should put this on their gift list or wish list for their birthday or anniversary. It is that good.

The 4-page Reader’s Note is an excellent primer on the difficulties of writing and researching this subject due to the usage of a different calendar and the various translation styles.

The 38-page bibliography is a treasure trove for anyone wanting more in-depth information.

Each of the almost two thousand alphabetical listings is more than just a name and a short definition. The entries are so complete this work could easily be called an encyclopedia instead of a dictionary. Inside each entry are boldface cross references to terms with their own listing in the books. Think of them as hyperlinks on paper, and they are quite useful. When you begin connecting these dots, you will need a lot of notepaper.

I have checked numerous entries for accuracies and have found no discrepancies.

The 62-page introduction with 19-pages of footnotes is an excellent introduction to the subject for beginners. This is, I hope, a taste of what is in store for us in the author’s forthcoming book The ‘Russian’ Civil Wars 1916-1926: Ten Years That Shook the World to be published in February 2016. The author is quick to tell us the Russian Civil War did not end in 1920, as per most popular publications. It dragged on for an entire decade. Two and a half million military combatants died in the fighting. Another six million civilians died of hunger, disease, and another two million from terroristic actions. They’re terrible numbers, but civil wars are always bloody and civilians usually bear the brunt. It was a struggle to the death marked with horrific acts of violence on all sides. In total, it was the bloodiest civil war on record.

There were essentially four ‘Russian’ adversaries divided into Red communists/Bolsheviks, White reactionaries/monarchists, Green peasants, and Black anarchists. Several nations, including the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Great Britain, Turkey, Poland, and Romania invaded the former Russian Empire during this time for a variety of reasons and added to the confusion and mayhem. Interesting reading in and of itself.

So, why should we as preppers care about such things? The military history aspect is interesting to those so inclined, but what about ordinary folks trying to avoid a calamity in the near future? Simply put, the people involved experienced their personal man-made TEOTWAWKI. Reading their stories gives us firsthand information on how to survive such a catastrophe when it is our turn. There were no FEMA camps, Red Cross shelters, or National Guard trucks loaded with emergency supplies. The then young technology of telephones was essentially nonexistent in most of Russia. The soldiers were forced to live off the land, so they took whatever food and supplies they found from the civilians at the point of a gun. The civilians were left to starve. How did they survive? What did they do for potable water? How did they survive Russia’s well-known winters? The answers to these questions are pertinent today.

The civil war created thousands of refugees looking for sanctuary in any nation willing to take them in. Not all of those refugees were valid. Some were communist agents using the diaspora as a cover for sabotage, spy missions, and to establish sleeper cells by taking advantage of the charity of others. We now have the same situation with the civil war in Syria. What is being done today to face the threat of refugees with bad intentions?

My grandparents endured the Great Depression in the USA and the rationing of World War II. Talking to them and reading books on the subject taught me the value of a well-stocked pantry. Reading about the civil wars in Russia, Germany, Hungary, and other Eastern European nations during the past century has taught me the value of beans, bullets, Band-Aids, and the fourth B– books. We can learn from other people’s experiences to better prepare ourselves for the emergencies/catastrophes of our lives, and these books are a great place to start.

Letter Re: Some Harsh Lessons of Beekeeping, by Keith K.

To the Editor;

Keith K. was absolutely correct in that if one is considering keeping bees as a TEOTWAWKI pollinating vector and food supply (honey), there should be an innate interest present before devoting time and effort to the project. I fully realize that there should be more initial motivation than just consideration of a cost/benefit analysis before entering into the hobby of beekeeping. Specifically, the overall homestead health and sustainability must be considered to see whether beekeeping would be a good fit for daily life and upkeep. We will all respond in relation to our own skills and gifts in a post-SHTF homesteading situation, and if beekeeping is not an interest of yours, then work towards optimizing your own surroundings in your own way. As a backyard beekeeping enthusiast myself, I think often about how to continue my own hives post-collapse as a method of food production and garden/crop pollination. Along with my standard preps, I find it not an additional burden to stockpile sufficient supplies to keep my hives running smoothly whether society is functioning or not. Further, I am learning how to build my own hive systems (using hand tools) and raising my own queen bees which will allow me to barter with other budding beekeepers post-collapse. Due to my home’s placement adjacent to a number of undisturbed meadows, I have found my honey production to be very acceptable (160 lbs from one hive last season). Once a post-collapse economy is initiated, honey as a food source will make a beekeeper a valuable resource (see the book Enforcing Home by A. American). Overall, in order to make beekeeping an integral component of my post-SHTF homesteading plans, I rely on my strong interest and love for these amazing creatures, and my wonder at the bounty they provide. – SF in VT

News From The American Redoubt:

Here is just one more reason why it is inevitable that Eastern Washington will ask for partition from the Left Coast.

o o o

Once again, the American Redoubt States rank well.

o o o

The falfiles.com has a post with a decent background on what’s going on in Oregon right now.

o o o

More background on the conflict in Oregon:

Where there’s smoke – B.B.
Militia takes over Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters – B.B.
TalkNetwork.com’s Pete Santilli streaming LIVE from the Hammond family constitutional crisis event in Oregon – RBS

And, of course, the liberal/progressive point of view: #OregonUnderAttack: People slam lack of govt action after Bundy’s militia takeover in Oregon

o o o

SurvivalBlog has many concerns over this fiasco that is formulating right now. We agree with the core issues at stake: The Federal government land grabs and abuses of power, minimizing the states rights, and the underhanded practice of intimidating citizens to effect their desired response are among them. The grievances are stacking up. However, we also have grave concerns over the actions of the Bundys and the militias. The Hammonds clearly don’t want this battle and, in fact, have already turned themselves into the California Prison. The Bundys have forcefully occupied a federal compound, baiting an armed response. Mike Vanderboegh’s blog (which we linked to yesterday) sums up our concerns rather well. The Bundys are bound and determined to bring the fight to the Federal government, and they are attempting to drag every patriot into the battle with them whether you agree with them or not. Unfortunately, their tactics are not morally sound. I fear that in attempting to recreate the circumstances of the American Revolution, they are instead recreating the French Revolution. We encourage fellow patriots not to flock to Oregon, where you would be considered outsiders and not entirely welcome by the local population, but instead, prepare in your local area where your strengths are. The fight may be coming to you. Continue to pray that the Federal government does not end this in a Waco-style assault.

Economics and Investing:

Saudi-Iran Dispute Won’t Cause Lasting Oil Price Rally

o o o

Wall Street Journal: 7% Fall in the Chinese Market Triggered Closure for the Day – T.A.

o o o

Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

Rand Paul: Here’s Why We Should Audit the Fed (Business Insider) Excerpt: “It is no secret that the Federal Reserve’s unchecked printing press causes recessions and increases income inequality. Allowing the Fed to inflate our money supply will artificially keep interests rates low, but at what cost? Their acts can no longer go unchecked…”

The Rise of the Zombie Earmark (Taxpayers for Common Sense) The key to a change in behavior is the CHANGE in BEHAVIOR. It’s not about imposing new rules only to find ways to work around them! It is about making a sincere and determined decision to change course and then following through on that choice. Excerpt: “When Congress banned earmarks in 2011, House Speaker John Boehner said stripping lawmakers’ ability to direct federal dollars to their pet projects was a “critical step to restore public trust.” But nearly five years later, members of Congress have found stealthy ways to load up defense spending bills with scores of provisions propping up programs the military didn’t request and doesn’t want — while also allowing some earmarks from decades past to live on.”

International News

Greece Warns Creditors on “Unreasonable Demands” Over Pensions (Financial Times) Excerpt: “He stressed that the economy would not withstand a repeat of the 2015 stand-off that pushed the country to the brink of a eurozone exit and financial collapse.”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

Recognize the Signs of Discontentment (Stewardship Central) Although this article was written with churches in mind, the message is also a very important one for individual households. Excerpt: “There’s one issue in particular that, if not dealt with, makes the proper handling of money almost impossible. That issue is discontentment. And it’s a great place to start the money conversation.”

How the Medical Code Overhaul Will Affect You (Market Watch) Be aware of the changes coming and anticipate that more time will be dedicated to your insurance and payment of any money due than will be invested in time with your healthcare professional. Excerpt: “Your doctor and medical staff may get crankier. Your health insurance claims may be denied or delayed. You could be pressured to pay health care balances in full, rather than over time. Welcome to the new world of medical coding that took effect Oct. 1, 2015.”

Monthly Spending Worksheet (Frugal Living) A simple tool well worth using to sort out where your money is going and how to manage it more effectively. Even for those among us who are proactively financially disciplined, a review and refresher of the ways in which we spend money is a good idea!

The Jury Duty Scam (Identity Theft Resource Center) Spoiler Alert: Do not make payments over the phone. Here’s How It Works: “Callers posing as sheriff’s deputies reach out to individuals at random to inform them that they have failed to appear for jury duty, and have therefore had a contempt judgment levied against them. The deputies then offer to accept payment over the phone for the fine.”

Odds ‘n Sods:

Doctors can report some mentally ill patients to FBI under new gun control rule – JBG

o o o

Reader P.S sent in this link to a “Graduation-rate Estimator”. For communities that are fairly well in the middle, it does a pretty good job of estimating graduation rates from high school. However, as you move towards the ends of the spectrum, it has trouble. It is possible on the estimator to get better than 100% graduation simply by paying your teachers more than anywhere else. Nonetheless, if you are looking for a tool to help you decide where to relocate, this might help. Of course a far better concept is to find what areas are supportive of homeschooling or private schooling.

o o o

Obama releases details of his planned “executive orders” on gun control: White House Will Require Background Checks at Gun Shows and Online I noticed plenty of “talking points” keywords, such as “gun show loophole”, “common sense”, and “The majority support it.” Of course all of the talking points are distortions of known facts, and the report actually ends with the statement that none of these actions would have actually stopped any of the violence this last year.

o o o

Obama is the #1 gun salesperson ever! – 2015: The Year of the Gun. The FBI reports an all-time record number of background checks processed. – Sent in by RBS

o o o

From the Desk of Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog Editor At Large:
Widener’s still has some M44 Mosin Nagant carbines available. These were re-arsenaled post WWII. The ones I just received were in much better shape than described, clean, operated smoothly, and shot accurately. If you are not familiar with this series of rifles, they are tough, reliable, easy to maintain and accessorize (though there’s no real need to), have sufficient power for most animals on the North American continent, and use ammo that is readily available both commercially and surplus, being still in production for Russian machine guns.

As there will be no imports of Russian weapons for the foreseeable future and because numbers are dwindling, they are also a worthwhile investment with potential for appreciation.

I have no financial interest in Widener’s but am a regular customer. I have found them to be professional, courteous, and to deliver excellent product at fair prices.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“We’re developing a new citizenry. One that will be very selective about cereals and automobiles, but won’t be able to think.” – Rod Serling

Annual Reminder: The Ten Cent Challenge

I only post one reminder each year about Ten Cent Challenge subscriptions, and this is it. Unlike the whining leftist hand-wringers at PBS, I don’t do endless pledge drives.

I depend on my readers to help pay the bills to keep SurvivalBlog up and running. Our web hosting on a dedicated server costs $650 per month, and our local ISP bill is $135 per month. We also have a salaried Managing Editor, a paid Product Review Editor, and other expenses including liability insurance, phone bills, computer hardware, software, accounting, subscriptions, writing contest Honorable Mention prizes, and so forth.

My appeal is simple: If you feel that you get more than 10 cents per day in value from reading SurvivalBlog, then please make a voluntary subscription payment, for 10 cents a day. (That’s $36.50 for a year.)

I don’t keep any e-mail lists, which is why this annual post is necessary. (I never e-mail any solicitations for subscriptions or renewals. Subscriptions are purely on the honor system.)

The Silver Dimes Option I also take payment for subscriptions in the form of pre-1965 U.S. silver dimes. The current multiplier for silver is around 20-to-1. (20 times face value–so a silver dime is worth about $2.00.) But since mass inflation looks inevitable, I expect that the value of a silver dime will soon exceed $10. So please just send three silver dimes for each year’s subscription. OBTW, it is best to tape them to a scrap 3?x5? card before placing them in an envelope, so that the coins don’t rattle around. And of course check with your postal clerk for the correct postage.

Our mailing address is:

SurvivalBlog
P.O. Box 303
Moyie Springs, Idaho 83845

Or, via PayPal: james@rawles.to

To those who have already subscribed, my most sincere thanks! You represent the less than 1% of readers that pony up. I greatly appreciate your loyal support!

Notes for Monday – January 04, 2016

January 4th is the birthday of George Hyde, who was born “Heide” in 1888, in Arpfingen, Germany. He was the chief gun designer for the Inland Division of General Motors (GM) in Dayton, Ohio during World War II. Hyde was best-known as the co-designer of the M3 “Grease gun” SMG and the Liberator pistol, but he also designed the Bendix-Hyde Carbine and the M2 Hyde submachinegun. He immigrated to the United States in 1927. A gent at the Nitro Express Forumsmentioned some details on his life before World War II: Before 1935 Hyde was the shop foreman and metal man at Griffin & Howe. He quit there and went into business for himself. Samuel A. “Harry” Leonard teamed up with Hyde, and their rifles are marked “Leonard & Hyde New York” on the barrel. In May of 1935 [school teacher and New York National Guard Major N.H.] Ned Roberts and his father-in-law [well-known carte-de-visite photographer] W.G.C. Kimball went into business together as “Roberts and Kimball” in Woburn, Massachusetts. Their idea was to make high-quality sporting and varmint rifles on Mauser actions in the then-popular cartridge that bears Roberts’ name, the .257 Roberts. Metal work on these Roberts & Kimball guns was done by George Hyde, and the stocking was done by Harry Leonard. Some information suggests that Leonard and Hyde did not relocate to Massachusetts but that the work was sent to them in New York City. Roberts & Kimball company lasted less than a year, and their rifles are not found very often.

Pat Cascio’s Product Review: MagPul D60 AR Magazine

3

I’ve seen it, not a few times and not a hundred times but thousands of times, while in gun shops all over the country. A person will lay down a large sum of money for a high-end firearm of some type and then ask the clerk behind the gun shop counter, “Do you have any cheap magazines for this gun?” Are you kidding me? The same goes when it comes to buying a holster for that new 1911 that cost a guy two grand. He’ll buy a $20 generic nylon holster to go on his ultra-thin dress belt! I just don’t get it. I really don’t!

100_6523

Many people mistakenly believe that any old magazines will work in their guns, so they opt to buy whatever is least expensive, stupidly thinking that all magazines are created equal. I still remember, just prior to the 1994 assault weapon and hi-cap magazine ban taking place, when there were a number of fly-by-night companies turning out magazines that held more than 10-rds as fast as they could. They were so ashamed of their own products that they didn’t even stamp their names on the magazines.

I fell victim several times to some of these no-name magazines. I purchased a couple dozen Ruger Mini-14, 30-rd magazines, via mail order. To be sure, they were not made by Ruger or any other company that I could identify. The magazines were crudely assembled, and they were not heat treated. If you dropped one of these magazines on the feed lips, the lips would bend. I also fell prey to another after-market magazine scam. Just prior to the 1994 assault weapon and hi-cap mag ban taking place, I found an outfit that had “genuine” GLOCK 19 15-rd magazines for only $5 each. I should have known better. I was assured by the person on the other end of the phone that these were genuine GLOCK magazines. When they, several dozen of them, arrived, they were simple plastic magazines that resembled GLOCK magazines. There was no metal lining, and to be sure they were junk. Not a one would function. I used them for a lot of years in some of my handgun classes to teach malfunction drills.

100_6524

As a rule, it’s just hard to beat factory– Original Equipment Manufactured (OEM)– magazines. However, there are exceptions to this rule, and that is buying magazines from makers that supply factory mags to gun makers, like MecGar and Metal Form magazines, to name a couple. These two companies produce outstanding “after market” magazines, which I’ve had no problems with. Many of the mags for my 1911s are from MecGar and Metal Form. They make mags for many of the big name 1911 makers.

When it comes to AR-15 magazines, I can’t begin to tell you how many different makers there are of these particular types of magazines. Some AR-15 mags are better than others, as it is with all things. Some are advertised as being “mil-spec”, and that doesn’t exactly tickle my fancy. It just means that those mags are built to the bare military specifications required by the military. There are also aluminum, stainless steel, and polymer AR-15 magazines. I steer clear of some of the polymer AR mags, like ProMag, because I’ve found they aren’t reliable in my testing. To be sure, if a name isn’t found on the magazine, then you should steer clear of it, period!

100_6525

Shortly after the Sandy Hook shooting a few years back, one particular mail-order company was absolutely taking advantage of people who were seeking 30-rd AR-15 magazines. They were advertising “genuine” Colt 30-rd AR-15 magazines for a mere $99.97 each! First of all, there was no way of knowing if these were genuine Colt. Just because the floor plates had the Colt name and logo on them doesn’t mean that the rest of the magazine was Colt. They were not in any original packaging. Floor plates are easy enough to change. Be advised! Also, be aware of factory rebuilt “genuine” mil-spec mags that you’ll find at gun shows, packaged in plastic, with some kind of NSN (National Stock Number) printed on a piece of paper inside the plastic bag with the mag. To my knowledge, the military does NOT rebuild magazines. They discard them when they start giving feeding problems.

When it comes to AR-15 magazines, I prefer, above all others, those polymer mags from MagPul. I’ve found them to be of the highest quality, and I’ve yet to have them fail on me. I like the dual feed design that allows rounds to feed smoothly into M4 feed ramped ARs. I also like that you can store MagPul 30-rd mags, fully loaded, with the storage cap on the mags, so there is no pressure on the feed lips. Plus, over the years, MagPul has made several improvements on their AR-15 mags, making each generation a little bit better than the previous one.

100_6526

The nice folks at US Tactical Supply contacted me just before Christmas and asked me if I wanted to test the new MagPul D60 drum magazine that holds 60-rds of .223/5.56 ammo. Well, needless to say, I beat feet to Albany, OR to pick up a sample for this article. Of course, we had the wettest December on record in Western Oregon, so my range time was limited and I also vowed to take some time off to enjoy the holiday. So, it was a while before I actually got out and did much shooting and testing on this MagPul D60 drum magazine.

100_6527

This new mag from MagPul is made primarily out of polymer, and it appears to be the same tough stuff that their regular polymer mags are made out of. Of course, we have the metal spring and a few other minor parts that are made out of metal. However, the body of the magazine is flat black polymer material. The magazine slides in and out of my ARs without any problems; it’s smooth, real smooth! Also, it locks in place, without having to force it, even when the magazine is completely full. Some AR-15 magazines have to be forcefully driven home when they are fully loaded and on a closed bolt. That’s not so with the D60 magazine.

There is a small, clear viewing window on the back of the magazine to give you an idea of how many rounds are in the mag. There is also a ratcheting loading lever that you have to use in order to load roads into the D60. Without using this lever, you’ll never get the magazine loaded. Even with the lever, the magazine is a bit hard to load. It’s not a magazine you can load in a hurry. This is the mag you load and keep in your AR, ready for action, and 60-rds on-tap should be enough to keep the bad guy’s heads down so you can find cover and then reload with some of your 30-rd mags. Once again, this mag takes some time to load-up, but it is well worth it.

100_6529

I tested the MagPul D60 drum mag in four different ARs– one from Ruger (their outstanding AR-556), Bushmaster AR with polymer upper and lower, Windham Weaponry, and one from a local Oregon company called Rogue Defense. Due to the time it took to load-up the D60 mag, I only ran one magazine full– 60-rds– through each of the above ARs. However, I had a great assortment of ammo from Black Hills Ammunition  to mix in the magazine. In .223, I had their 50-gr Hornady V-Max, 52-gr Match Hollow Point, 55-gr FMJ (new and reman ammo), 55-gr Soft Point, 60-gr Soft Point, and 68-gr Heavy Match Hollow Point. I also had their 5.56mm 69-gr OTM and their 77-gr OTM.

I mixed the above ammo in each magazine. I simply dumped the above ammo from their factory boxes into one big box, stirred the ammo up, and proceeded to load the magazine. I did this four times from this mix of various types and weights of ammo from Black Hills Ammunition. I figured this would be an excellent test for the D60 to run through.

I had zero malfunctions, with any of the ARs I was using and all the ammo, no matter what kind it was, fed smoothly. You will readily notice that this MagPul D60 drum really feeds ultra-smoothly in your AR. To be sure, your AR barrel will really heat up when you fire 60-rds through it as fast as you can pull the trigger.

Needless to say, it was tiring to load-up the D60 four different times; however, after a while, I got some kind of rhythm to my loading, and it went a bit faster as time went by. Still, this isn’t a magazine designed to be rapidly reloaded, nor was it meant to be. As I mentioned, this is the magazine you load-up and stick in your AR for an initial combat engagement, and 60-rds should be enough to keep the bad guys’ heads down, so you can seek cover to reload and reengage if need be. This is the magazine I keep in my bedroom AR– the first gun I’ll reach for when things go bad. It’s kinda hard to beat 60-rds of ammo on-tap for your initial engagement, eh?

100_6530

Please check out the US Tactical Supply website and their new 2016 online catalog. They are great people to do business with– a small, family-owned company who provide outstanding customer service, and they go out of their way to carry as many USA-made products as possible, and the MagPul D60 is made in the USA, to be sure. With the current administration seeking to end all private gun ownership, now might be the perfect time to lay claim to one or two of these D60 drum magazines. Get ‘em while you still can!

– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio

Recipe of the Week: Minted Grape Juice with a Tart Lime Accent, by T.A.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large White Grape Juice, usual large plastic container
  • 1 generous handful mint leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 3 medium juicy green Limes, sliced thinly

Directions:

  1. Pour off about 1 cup of the grape juice to make room to add your coarsely chopped mint leaves.
  2. Add thinly sliced limes.
  3. Replace the cap and then rock your grape juice bottle back and forth to circulate the juice in and around the mint leaves and lime slices.
  4. Refrigerate overnight to incorporate the flavors.
  5. Pour into serving cups or pitcher through a screen sieve that’s fine enough to catch the mint leaves and lime slices.

Enjoy!

o o o

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:
Robb’s Homemade Life has posted a Video on DIY Veggie “Beef” Burger made from storage foods (with a “secret” ingredient).

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

Letter Re: Windstorm

Jim/Hugh

After the 17-Nov windstorm, we lost power for five days, having similar damages and drama in the article by ShepherdFarmerGeek! Thank you UTAH Power for driving 40 hours to help Avista out!

  • Now we keep two turkey fryer pots of water on the woodstove for hot water and extra radiant heat between firings. Oh, we leave our tin can of used chicken egg shells on the stove instead of the kitchen window so they dry crispy and are easy to crush.
  • We installed a Lux Bidet on the toilet two years ago, which has cut our TP usage by 95%! No more stockpiling TP, use washable cloths like I did in the middle east!
  • The water pump for the house: I wired it into an Outback UPS, so we can flush and wash for days. When the power goes out, having running water is a MAJOR PLUS for the Missus during those critical “normalcy bias adjustment minutes.” I fire up the generator with less urgency.
  • Those cheap solar lanterns placed in the house are a great place to fully drain your disposable AA batteries. We have mostly switched to Eneloops.
  • Christmas LED strings are left hanging in the living room, since they use five watts and are fun.
  • My VHF antenna blew over because I thought I was living in a wind-free zone after moving here to Idaho three years ago from SC. After this wind storm, my policy has changed to “you better tether”, including metal roofing edges! Hurricane studies show that metal roofing peels off because you leave them un-screwed along the edges. Get your DeWalt out and do the “tighten up!”
  • As soon as we lose power, out comes the blankets and they get draped on the fridges. We have been leaving the chest freezer covered since last year. It runs less.

– K&K