Pat’s Product Review: CMMG Mk4LE AR-Style Rifle

Today, we’re taking a close look at the CMMG Mk4LE M4-style carbine rifle. It is made in the U.S.A. Over the past 30 years or longer, I’ve had the opportunity to test a lot of AR-15-style rifles; some were excellent, some good, and some were just so-so, not eliciting any real surprises. I know a lot of folks love the Colt line of ARs, and I don’t have a problem with that at all, but I work hard for my money, and I look to get the most for my money. I’ve only owned a few Colt ARs over the years because they are so expensive. I’m not saying they aren’t worth it. I’m just saying I want the most I can get for my money.

There are companies who claim to be “manufacturers” of AR-style rifles, when they are nothing more than an assembly line. They buy the parts from other makers and have their name stamped on the lower receiver and barrel, and just throw the parts together. Some are decent guns, and some are real bargain basement guns, looking like something they really aren’t. Corners are cut, and you aren’t really getting what you think you’re getting in many respects. CMMG is NOT one of those companies.

The good folks at CMMG are producing some outstanding firearms these days. Some time back, I reviewed their new Mk9 T, 9mm AR. SurvivalBlog readers got a first look at it, long before any other gun writers, magazines, or blogs had a sample; I had the first one. I was very impressed with the 9mm from CMMG. However, I’ve owned several different variations of the standard “M4” over the years, and that is the gun we’re looking at today.

A quick run down is in order, the Mk4LE is chambered in 5.56mm and will also shoot .223 Remington, and they are not the same round. The 4150 CrMo barrel is 16-inches long and has a Nitride coating on the inside. CMMG used to call this a WASP coating but no longer use the term, for whatever reason in their literature or on their website. However, the barrel is stamped “WASP” on it, and it has a 1:9 barrel twist. There is the standard A2 flash suppressor on the end of the barrel. The hand guards are M4 type with an aluminum heat shield. The pistol grip is the standard A2 configuration as well. The upper and lower receiver is forged 7075-T6 aluminum– the industry standard. The trigger pull is mil-spec; it is not the greatest but not the worst I’ve run across. There is a mil-spec 6-position telescoping butt stock. The front sight is the “F” height and forged, and the rear is a flip-up/fold down MagPul back-up polymer sight. The gun weighs in at a little over six pounds without the magazine, and you get a 30-round aluminum magazine with each gun, plus a lifetime warranty. No sling was included, and I wish AR makers would at least include a plain old GI Nylon or web sling with their guns. The upper receiver is a flat top version. I took off the MagPul poly rear sight and installed a detachable carry handle on my gun. This is a personally owned gun rather than a sample from CMMG.

There is an on-going debate over AR barrels. Many insist that they need a chrome-lined chamber and barrel. I’m not one of them. I can take or leave chromed barrels. The military mandates that all their M4s have chrome-lined barrels for longer life and easier care. However, many experts say that chrome-lined barrels are not as accurate as barrel that are not chromed. In my experience, and I’ve owned both chromed and non-chromed barrels, the difference in accuracy isn’t all that different. I own ARs with chromed barrels and chambers, some with the Nitride coating, and some with no coating, and I honestly don’t see any difference in combat accuracy between the barrels.

There is a bayonet lug under the front sight for all you deer hunters, who insist on a bayonet on their ARs. The only time I used a bayonet on an AR was in my Infantry School for stabbing stuffed dummies. However, I know a lot of folks insist on having a bayonet lug; to each his own. I don’t have a dog in this fight.

I like the heat shields in the two-piece hand guards on the CMMG AR. Many, many makers or assemblers of ARs elect to use much cheaper hand guards with no heat shields. I prefer mine with the heat shields. During rapid-fire, the hand guards can get hot. The hand guards are the M4 style– oval and not the smaller “carbine” hand guards.

I’ve been cutting back on how many rounds I put down range during my firearms testing. To be sure, I lose money on firearms articles. I receive some gun samples from the gun companies, but by the time I’ve done the paperwork, calculated my gas going to get the guns and doing the testing, and added the cost of the ammo I expend (I get some ammo free but not all), I actually lose money on each and every gun article I write. So, I’ve cut back to about 200 rounds of ammo for my testing. However, sometimes a gun is a just a lot of fun to shoot, and I get carried away. During my testing for the Mk4LE, I fired more than 400 rounds over several shooting sessions. No one ever accused me of being a good businessman!

When I first bought this rifle for my personal use, I fired it with the MagPul poly rear sight, and the gun’s zero was dead-on for a 300-yard zero. I’ve only run across this, having the sights zeroes when I took the gun out of the box, a very few times over the years. When I replaced the MagPul rear sight with a carry handle rear sight, I had to adjust the windage a bit to get my zero back.

I used Winchester’s www.winchester.com 55-grain FMJ USA-brand white box for function testing. From Buffalo Bore Ammunition www.buffalobore.com I had their 69-grain JHP Sniper load, and from Black Hills Ammunition www.black-hills.com I had their 55-grain FMJ reloads, 52-grain HP reloads, and their 68-grain Heavy Match HP fodder. I also fired the Winchester 55-grain FMJ for accuracy; I was getting 3.5-inch groups, if I did my part. The Black Hills 68-grain Heavy Match HP load gave me a 2 3/4-inch group, and the Buffalo Bore 69-grain JHP Sniper load tied the Black Hills 68-grain Heavy Match HP load. I mean it was a dead-heat time between those two roads. All this firing was done using open sights, too, over a rest. However, I thought the Mk4LE was capable of better accuracy. So, I mounted a cheap 3-9X40 scope on the gun and didn’t zero it. I just wanted to see what the gun was capable of. The Black Hills 68-grain Heavy Match HP load gave me several groups right at 1 1/2 inches and the Buffalo Bore 69-grain JHP Sniper gave me groups just a hair bigger, and I mean it was just ever so slightly bigger. On another day, the accuracy test could have gone the opposite with the Buffalo Bore load beating the Black Hills load. Needless to say, my groups weren’t centered on the target since I didn’t zero the scope, but it was still on paper.

There were zero malfunctions during my testing, and I fired not only 400 rounds during my testing, I’ve also fired this gun numerous times since I purchased it, and I’ve yet to encounter anything resembling a malfunction of any kind. I’ve gotten the gun hot, very hot, firing four 30-round magazines through the gun, as fast as I could pull the trigger. What a waste of precious ammo, but I like to know what a gun is capable of, and it just perked along.

I like to save the best for last. The Mk4LE has a full-retail price of $849.95. However, you can usually find them discounted quite a bit at your local gun shop. I purchased mine for $799.00, and I’m extremely pleased with it. You can find lesser-priced ARs on the market, and you can find more expensive ARs as well. With the CMMG Mk4LE, you are getting a solidly-built gun with all the features you want in an M4-style rifle. You can check out the CMMG website and find quite a few different variations of M4-style rifles. I’m willing to bet you’ll find exactly what you’re needs require. For survival, law enforcement, small game hunting, personal/home protection, and just plinking fun, I love my CMMG Mk4LE and have all the confidence in the world that it won’t let me down under the harshest conditions– survival or combat.

I don’t like to compare one gun against another. However, if your local dealer has other AR-style guns in-stock, compare them to the CMMG. If they happen to have a Colt AR, compare that side-by-side to the CMMG. Then make your decision on which you want to spend your hard-earned money on. I’m betting most would pick the CMMG over the Colt. Also, please, all you Colt fans, save the hate e-mails. I’m NOT putting the Colt AR down. I’m just alerting SurvivalBlog readers to some other options when it comes to an AR for self-defense, survival, or whatever your intended purpose is in wanting an AR. The Mk4LE is a lot of AR-style gun for the money. I have to carefully watch how I spend my money these days, just like everyone else. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio Pat Cascio

Pat’s Product Review – Cold Steel’s Espada

I like big knives, especially for camping and survival purposes. They can handle most chores with ease, whereas, smaller knives usually require more work. The Cold Steel Espada line-up for folding knives are awesome, to say the least. While they are made in Taiwan, you get as good as you want from that country. We live in a global economy, and we’d all better get used to products from other countries.

We’re taking a close look at the G10 Espada, large size folder. They also have a medium and an extra-large, as well as the polished G10 series. However, I’m only covering the G10 “economy” model, which is not quite the right term for this massive folder. Where the G10 polished series is a little bit higher in price, the handles are polished, and the bolsters are also polished, the G10 Espadas have a simple, checkered G10 handle scales with no bolsters and partial stainless steel liner, but still 90% of the strength of the polished G10 model.

The large G10 Espada has a 5 1/2-inch blade, made out of AUS 8 stainless steel– one of my all-time favorite steels because it holds an edge a good long time, and it’s fairly easy to touch-up the edge. Plus, we have the added advantage of the steel being a stainless steel. Keep in mind, no steel is really “stainless”. It just means that it stains less; you still have to care for it or it can rust. The 5 1/2-inch blade is 4mm thick. With the blade open, it is 12 1/4 inches long. Oh yeah! This is a handful of a folding knife. However, the knife only weighs in at 8.2 ounces. I’ve had smaller folders to test that weighed more.

The large G10 Espada has a large bowie-style clip blade, and it is meant for serious cutting, too. With the belly of the blade, you can cut, slice, dice, and slash through just about anything. As I’ve mentioned before, many knife fights involved slashing moves. However, with the long 5 1/2-inch blade, you can stab and stab deeply. The Espada gets its name and design origins from Spain. Cold Steel’s owner, Lynn Thompson, is a very serious student of history and cutlery. For my two cents worth, he got the Espada right. It just looks like something from Spanish cutlery.

The Espada has the Tri-Ad Lock, and this is one of the strongest, if not the strongest lock I’ve encountered on any folding knife. To prove how strong the Tri-Ad Lock is, be sure to check out the video on the Cold Steel website. You’ll be amazed at the demonstrated strength of the lock. Thompson puts his products through some serious testing, to be sure. While the Tri-Ad Lock “appears” to be nothing more than a simply lock-back lock, it is NOT!

The checkered and nicely configured handle scales have been designed to put your fingers on the handle, where they belong in a fencing grip. I also like the gracefully curved butt end of the handle scales. You get two pocket clips– one for right pocket carry and one for left pocket carry. They are on the butt end for a tip-up blade carry. The curved handle sticks out of the pocket, so it is easy to grasp in order to draw the knife, which is easy. There is a “disc” on the top rear of the blade. As you draw the knife from your pocket, if you apply a little pressure to the side of your pocket as you pull the knife out of your pocket, the disc will catch on the top of your pocket, and as the knife comes out, the blade will “automatically” open and be fully opened when it comes completely out of your pocket. It’s faster than any “automatic” folder. It only takes a few minutes of practice to learn how to deploy the knife, with the blade open, as it comes out of your pocket.

One of the methods I use for testing a knife blade is chopping down blackberry vines. They are extremely tough, and many knife blades simply don’t have what it takes. The large Espada sample I had didn’t take much effort at all to slice a blackberry vine in two. A light swing of the blade and the vine was easily sliced in half.

For survival purposes, the large or extra large Espada can replace a fixed blade knife. You can chop with the large Espada, and it chops quite well. No, you can’t chop down a tree with one, but it can chop all out of proportion to what any folding knife should be able to do in the chopping department. I also used the knife around the kitchen. I do a lot of the cooking in our house, simply because I’m a very good cook and find it relaxing. Meat, frozen or thawed, was no patch for the large Espada. Veggies and fruits were no challenge at all; the knife just zipped through it all.

Now, I honestly thought that the large Espada was gong to be too big for my pockets. However, I wear one brand of cargo pants and one brand only, and they have extremely DEEP pockets. Once the Espada was put in the pocket, I didn’t notice the knife in my pocket at all, not even when seated. My friend, Lynn Thompson, at Cold Steel, carries two of the polished extra-large Espada, one in each pocket.

The Espada reminds me of the original Crocodile Dundee movies, where a mugger is attempting to rob Dundee and pulls out an automatic folder. Dundee reaches behind his back, pulls out a huge fixed-blade Bowie knife, and tells that mugger, “That’s not a knife (referring to the mugger’s knife), now, this is a knife”. I’m sure the mugger peed his pants. Well, the Espada reminds me of just such a knife. You’d better believe that if someone pulled out the large or extra large Espada and threatened me with it, I’d sure remember an appointment I had across town and get there, in a hurry. The Espada is not for the faint of heart. It’s an awe inspiring folder, and when you pull it out of your pocket, anyone standing nearby, will wonder where you had that big folder hidden.

I’m sure the large and extra large Espada won’t be legal for pocket carry in a lot of jurisdictions, so please check your local and state laws before carrying this folder. Like all Cold Steel knives, the Espada is always in demand, and they might be a little hard to find, but they are well worth it. Full retail on the large G10 model is $167.99; it’s worth every red cent of it, too. If you’re in the market for a folder than can act as a fixed blade knife and a new knife for your survival gear or BOB, take a close look at the large or extra large Espada. I think you are going to be quite impressed. The knife is awesome, to say the least. Some folks have just described it as “scary”, and I can’t argue with them on it. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat CascioPat Cascio

Recipe of the Week: Brown Rice and Lentil Casserole

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans chicken broth 14.5 oz (chicken or vegetable)
  • 1 cup lentils (uncooked)
  • 2/3 cup brown rice,or rice medley, and I’ve used white. (Not instant)
  • 1/3 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 chopped celery and carrots (Optional)
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)
  • 1 cup grated cheese (cheddar or a blend is preferable) Use more if you like.

Directions:

  1. 3Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. . Mix all ingredients EXCEPT cheese in a baking dish. (I use an 11 x 7 pan)
  3. .Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
  4. 3Then remove the foil, add the cheese, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

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

Letter: Libertarianism Debate

Hello again,

First of all I must thank you for easing up on the “no tinfoil” restrictions today with allowing comments on the mind-body-connection and Chi Gong!

Secondly, since you started out as editor with stating that you were open to input regarding the discussion on free markets etc. I thought maybe the following (short) article might interest you. – Mrs. Icebear

Hugh Replies: We still have a “no tinfoil hats” policy here. The reason we have to be careful about eastern medicine is that it is difficult to separate the exercise and health aspect from the spiritual aspect. They are often bound too tightly together within the eastern mind. Personally, I practice “Tai Chi” as an exercise due to rheumatoid arthritis in both of my elbows, but I find that I must consciously alter many mental instructions that are given. A person can be easily led astray spiritually, if they are not careful to filter out the erroneous information. There is only one, straight and narrow path to truth:

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 (KJV)

I appreciate the link, which I have intentionally not passed on. The author has some serious foundational errors in her thinking. In addition to having a flawed outlook on God (notice the reference to God as “her”), the author has built a straw man that does not include “The Rule of Law”. Libertarians do indeed believe in the Rule of Law and that is why they are against the confiscation of one man’s wealth to fund another man’s poverty. Free market, without “Rule of Law” devolves into chaos.

Here is an easy way to think about it:

Why was the American Revolution so successful in building a moral nation, yet the French Revolution turned into a godless, mindless, bloodbath of vengeance? They both started from the same ideals, yet one became a most-respected, federally-constituted republic and the other a sniveling democracy with no political backbone, respected only by those whom she conquered.

The “Rule of Law” is the difference. Without that, the strongest may win, but once in a position of power, they decide the law no longer applies to them. (He who has the gun, makes the rules, so to speak). Now, 230 years later, we see that the “Rule of Law” is actively being ignored by those in power here, bringing this great nation to her knees. May God have mercy on us, though we certainly don’t deserve it.

Hugh

Odds ‘n Sods:

Speaking of the “Rule of Law”: Protecting The Constitution From Executive Order

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For those who like to kill time via video games: This War of Mine plays the battlezone as civilians. – G.P. I normally don’t post links to video games, but this one is a little different. Rather than focusing on killing the opponent, the players are focused on survival and protection of “the group”

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Revealed: Justice Dept. Prosecutors Average 33 Reckless or Intentional Legal and Ethical Violations a Year – B.R.

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Here is a warning for you: Hold onto your house keys. This app is part of a service that will make copies of your keys by simply taking pictures of them. It’s time to take OPSEC up another level. – A.J.

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Martial Law Cannot Be Far Away Now! Massive Car To Car Warrantless Search In DC Region – M.J.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him.” – Robert Heinlein, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

Notes from HJL:

Ares Armor has now been raided by the ATF despite wining a temporary injuction against them. There is no official word yet, buy here is a Youtube video of agents rummaging through the inventory with evidence of the door being pried open. Presumably, they are also confiscating the customer data as well. – B.B.

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Today we present another entry for Round 51 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be 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,
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  5. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  6. A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  9. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  10. 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,
  11. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  12. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

Second Prize:

  1. A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand,
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589.
  3. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100 foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  4. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P .),
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. A full set of all 26 books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  8. EP Lowers, makers of 80% complete fiber composite polymer lowers for the AR-15 rifles, is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  9. Autrey’s Armory – specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts, and accessories is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  10. Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  12. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. 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,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
  7. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208.
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.

Round 51 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.

Perspective from the “Inside”, by J.H.

I’ve been following many survival blogs and prepper sites for some time. I realize that what I am posing in this piece will be received by some as controversial or possibly taboo, but in order to get a balanced view of things, many viewpoints must be examined. That being said, I will inform the readers that I have been in law enforcement for twenty-five years, and I am able to speak from what I’ve experienced on this side of things. There are a number of plausible scenarios that could entail the imposition of martial law, gun confiscation, and suspension of habeas corpus or a range of actions in between that may come to pass. Let’s start with a little background.

First, I will admit that approximately ten years ago or so, the law enforcement community began to embrace a more “militaristic” outlook on their general job tasks. It started slowly, when I noticed at various conferences that vendors were moving to provide “tactical” equipment as a small percentage of sales. Today, these same vendors are primarily involved in ‘tactical” equipment almost solely. This, coupled with the generous offer of de-militarized equipment through the DRMO / LESO Programs to law enforcement of items we would never have been able to afford on the limited budgets, we have. Why wouldn’t police departments look to picking up equipment that could offer some useful function? But herein lies the great dilemma; what actually constitutes “useful” function for a public law enforcement agency? I would be hard-pressed to consider an MRAP in my jurisdiction, let alone the cost to fuel and maintenance of such a vehicle. Sure, it would be one impressive entry in our local festival, but beyond that I can’t justify a use for it. I might be able to use a Humvee, given the rural character of my jurisdiction, and since it’s “free”, why not? An M60, not so much. The point being is that some of these surpluses, from the winding down of Iraq and Afghanistan, can be very tempting indeed. The bigger question, which I can’t really find a good answer to from my peers, is given the crime rates (which have been actually receding downward), what are we gearing up for? I realize that there has been more attention paid to the militarization of the police lately, and quite frankly it is happening. The flip side to this argument is that BDU‘s are very practical for everyday uniform patrol duties. Tactical training does better prepare us for dangerous citizen contact. (There is a huge amount of financial stress in our communities, which can be directed towards the police.) Having as much firepower available as what we could be faced with, especially in a rural community, does even the field, and using the latest technology does help us get the bad guys a little easier, at times.

Since I’ve touched on budgets, I will tell you that public budgets have been strained for some time, and various cost-saving measures have been occurring. One such area has been the regionalization of communications. As we see less money coming into the coffers with reduced property values, dispatching centers are being consolidated to save money. This trend could transfer to actual law enforcement agencies, and in some cases it already has. Although we do not espouse to a so-called “national police agency”, I guess we could call the FBI such an agency. By continuing to consolidate agencies, one could argue that we are well on our way. However, the hard question to ask is, if it saves the tax payers money, why shouldn’t we be looking to consolidate, as long as services are maintained?

Moving to some of the original points mentioned, I assure you that should there be some type of gun confiscation effort, the federal, state, and local agencies would have to make a combined effort to pull this off. Logistically, I’m not sure even the combined efforts of approximately 750,000 law enforcement officers from all levels could do this anyway. I, for one, encourage the citizens to arm themselves for protection, as long as they train regularly, can pull the trigger when necessary, and are prepared to deal with the possible fall out afterwards. I know there are many like-minded officers who would agree with the last statement. One needs to look no further than Detroit to see the new chief advocating citizens protecting themselves through arms. Several would-be robbers and home invaders have ended with citizens killing them. There is also the growing “Constitutional Sheriff’s and Chiefs” movement, which fully supports operating within the confines of our Constitution. I believe this movement will grow, but if martial law is declared, it wouldn’t matter much since deference would be handed over to the military, who abide by a whole different set of rules for engagement. In the climate I’ve witnessed over the years, there has always been an uneasy partnership between the local LE and the federal counterparts. I’m not certain there would be full support in a scenario of an outright confiscation of weapons, as far as your local police are concerned. Your local LEs are adept with dealing with the constitution on a regular, if not daily, basis. We are constantly faced with fourth, fifth, and sixth amendment questions or situations that require split-second decisions. Of course, the law books are filled with case law on our exercise or abuse of these particular amendments, but I believe the vast majority of officers strive to remain within these parameters. We do this because we believe that the system, although dysfunctional at times, works.

Another area that I believe fits nicely into preparation is the discipline of emergency management. I have been involved for many years as a planner and drill developer, instructor, and evaluator on many disaster scenarios. One thing we always take home from these table tops, functional exercises, and full-scale drills is that citizens, by and large, are way too dependent upon government resources. At minimum, I always suggest and write regularly about having some food stores, medicine, pet supplies, and the like stocked up for any type of disaster. This “all-hazards” approach can possibly guarantee survival for the short term, in case the government resources are overwhelmed. Of course long-term, serious, logical, well thought out preparation is infinitely better and relieves some pressures on government, so we can assist those who have planned less or not at all possibly by no fault of their own. They just are not able to. I can’t tell you the number of articles, newsletters, e-mail blasts, reminders, meetings, and presentations whereby I’ve espoused the ideas of preparing. I know a few people have taken this to heart, which gives me impetus to continue and not give up. The bigger problem I see is that many people just don’t want to believe anything will change. Unfortunately, it will take a trigger event to wake up many people, and it could be too late by then.

I would be remiss not to mention the all-too-familiar media treatment that LE receives on a regular basis. I would say that the vast majority of men and women working in law enforcement are by and large dedicated, honest, and wanting to perform their duties legally and compassionately. You do not enter this business without a certain conviction to do things right. I’m not saying that there aren’t bad apples in this profession, which can be said of any line of work. Unfortunately, as one old stringer told me when I started, “Bad news makes good copy” (in the newspapers). LE is constantly second guessed, analyzed, and critiqued by media sources and others who have never been in confrontational situations. So, I tend not to put much faith in objective reporting these days. I usually go outside mainstream U.S. media to see what’s going on in this country. Remember this when watching the nightly news, if you are so inclined.

Finally, I must end with this thought for other LE’s out there. I taught for a number of years at an institution of higher education. I lectured on various courses on Administration, Community Policing, and the like. One idea I always gave to my students was that one day I would be retired and a private citizen once again. I certainly would not want to give up more liberty to empower our police. It may make my job easier at the present, but it would be too dear a price to pay in the name of terrorism, homeland security, or however it is marketed. Moreover, LE’s take an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States, their respective states, and their jurisdictions. I, for one, have always held this oath in high esteem, and I’m certain there are many like-minded LE’s that feel this same way. So, when the proverbial SHTF, we will be torn between several factors of providing for and protecting our families, protecting our communities, and upholding our oaths and keeping some semblance of order. The choices will be difficult at best.

Three Letters Re: Plan B

Hugh,

Regarding the gentleman consigned to receiving IV meds in the hospital: I’m not sure what he might be dealing with, but IV vitamin C has been found to cure just about every viral and bacterial affliction (and cancer) known to man. There are many “alternative” cures out there that traditional doctors either aren’t aware of, or won’t mention for fear of the FDA. – M.T.

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HJL,

please pass this along to LDM, if you find the time. I don’t mind if you post it; maybe it will help others as well as him.

After reading your post, I want to say a few things to you good sir:

1. Your body can do way more then your mind ever dreamed it capable of. I picked that up in the army.

2. Keeping a positive attitude will serve you better and carry you further then any training. I heard this by God’s grace this morning with an interview of a Vietnam Special Forces vet, who was awarded with highest honors, before work today.

3. Never focus on quitting; focus on your goal and only that goal.

That being said, I want you to consider that cancer, like most disease, is caused by thinking. Right now my blood pressure goes up each time I read infowars.com, or I get angry over government news distraction or propaganda, like this missing plane while Russia and the U.S. are about to pop off. When you hold onto anger, pain, or grief, it creates physical problems in your body. Japanese scientists said you can think yourself sick, so you can also think yourself well.

I’ve lost relatives and friends to cancer. So, let me say this, “What if I could tell you that changing your mind will change your life?” I’m going to say that traditional Chinese medicine as been around for 4000 years. By doing breathing/stretching exercises you have a better chance at healing yourself. Besides if your saying you won’t be around in 5 years, do what I did. Spend $150 on training DVDs, or find someone who is teaching Chi Kung (Qi Gong), and focus on healing yourself so you can take care of your family. http://ymaa.com/publishing/books/qigong

My experiences with it: Doing it is like drinking a few beers, breathing you over-oxygenate the blood, and you will detox, likely 12 hours later.

There are a lot of things to learn about Chi Kung. I’m new to it, even if I’ve been doing it since 1992. I’m still a beginner. It’s not a religion, even if it offers some insight into the unseen world. The person I watched on DVD explained that there is science behind it all. Like microwaves, just because you can cook things in a box, doesn’t mean it’s magic. The guy I saw teaching on DVD, Dr Yang, has a PhD and Masters. H PhD is in physics. He explains concepts scientifically, including that the eight pieces of brocade are exercises invented to keep people healthy. Modern doctors know how to do two things– cut stuff out and medicate symptoms. They treat symptoms and some times cure people, but often times fail. It’s worth looking into, if you don’t feel you have options in the modern western medical area.

Oh, and NY laws generally are terrible, and sadly I’m from across the boarder in PA. All those flatlander city flakes are infiltrating into Pennsylvania, too. It’s “nanny state-idious”. It’s spreading. It won’t be long before we face what you’re facing now. You should never need government permission to possess a pistol or own an AR-15 with standard capacity magazines!! In my travels across the boarder, I often find the laws contemptible; nothing is worse then being disarmed because of bad laws. I’m now facing a felony conviction to visit my girlfriend (soon to be wife), which isn’t acceptable. It forces me to go disarmed to visit her. My girlfriend will soon be moving to Pennsylvania to escape that denial of rights in those unconstitutional laws. Anyhow, I wish you well- F.M.

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Hello, This is the first time I have ever emailed you but I have been reading your blog for about a year now. Could you please share this email with LDM. After reading Plan B by LDM I felt a need to say how courageous you truly are. Your ability to face and accept what the future has handed you is truly inspiring. Your faith in God in spite of the cards you have been dealt is heart warming. I truly wish you all the best and pray that you will have a long and happy life with your family. Thank you so very much for taking the time to share your insights with us during what must be the most challenging time of your life. May God bless you and keep your family safe. I truly hope to read articles from you in the future. God Bless – M.Y.

Three Letters Re: Lessons Learned the Hard Way About Food Prep

The author has certainly learned good lessons from his storage experiences, but there are lots more lessons to be learned, like how to put to new use items that can no longer be used/eaten. Specifically, the big jug of soya oil. In itself, soya oil, is no longer a healthy alternative, but it does make excellent lamp oil, whether rancid or fresh. Label it for oil lamp use only, and you’ve saved the cost of some commercial lamp oil. Another lesson is that any sort of plastic container will never store for any length of time. Air leaks through the plastic, e.g. the fruit cups. Always repack newly purchased contents into glass jars or mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and/or vacuum sealers. – G.L.

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HJL and JWR, I thought I would mention after reading this submission that the author said they threw away several gallons of cooking oil that had expired. That made me cringe a little, as I am as adverse to waste as the author mentions. However, I also understand the need to downsize when moving, but that oil, even though was not safe for consumption, could still be used. I know that various paints are oil-based, and it could have been used to thin it out. Also some generators and motors can be converted to use an oil drip or even just selling it or donating to someone who has a biodiesel vehicle could have used it. I’ve even seen homemade lamps for sale at a local Farmers Market that can use cooking oil for a fuel. They were a bit stinky but in a pinch as a light source, necessity can be the mother of invention. Food for thought: Keep up the good work. – A.W.

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I would like to respond to Northern Prep.’s letter . I really enjoy articles about food storage because it’s one of my passion’s as well as part of my faith ( LDS) . Please, please , please don’t freak out over those silly dates on canned goods . As a long time past volunteer at my local food bank we enjoyed our lunch hour as volunteer staff on expired food . The food bank themselves would not give away the expired food but we as volunteers would be free to have at it . It was a daily competition on who could find and eat the most expired food . I know, we were young and it was a game to us . The most expired food we ate was Campbell’s Tomato Bisque soup 16 years past expiration date ! And yes it was a little off so a couple of shots of Tabasco and it was yummy . What is more important is the integrity of the cans the food was in . Any rust or bulging or if it didn’t suck air when opening we would pitch it out . Keep the cans cooler like in a basement and it will double the shelf life. There is a great scene in the movie ‘The Road’ when the father and son find the bunker underground. The place is packed with canned goods . All those canned goods were at least 12 years old . Yet father and son dined quit well on them . Don’t let corporate America convince you to throw away good food. There is a difference from peak of freshness foods and life sustaining foods . We need to change our focus to the latter. Use your nose and good common sense and enjoy good food. – M.H.

HJL Adds: One of my most painful moments was when I helped a friend who had lost a job. We had just begun to prep and I took about half of my stored foods and gave to their family. These were foods that we were regularly eating out of. A few months later, my friend took me aside and discretely told me that he’d had to throw most of it away because it was a couple of months past it’s expiration date and he wanted me to check my pantry. I really felt like crying. Expiration dates (with few exceptions, mostly regarding medicines) are for legal or marketing purposes.

Economics and Investing:

FDIC Sues Banks Over Libor. Regulator Says Alleged Rate Manipulation Harmed Lenders That Ultimately Failed – G.G.

Fire-sale of US Treasuries is a warning of acute stress across the world. – JBG

Items from The Economatrix:

Precious Metals Prices To Rise As The U.S. Economy Disintegrates

Bloomberg Chart of Day: Geopolitical Risk Could See Gold Outperform Global Equities

Gold Market Set For Stunning $550 Surge & 46% Spike In Silver

Odds ‘n Sods:

Want to instill concepts of freedom in your own children and have fun while doing it? The Constitution Quest board game – WND

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Exit Tax. – J.

“You have to fill out a form if you want to renounce your citizenship–which, by the way, you can only get from a foreign embassy or consulate. Those forms used to be free. Now they’re $500 apiece. So think about that. If they can charge you $500 for that form, they could charge $5,000, they could charge $5,000,000. They could basically make it impossible for you to leave.”

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Wyoming welder faces $75,000 a day in EPA fines for building pond on his property

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Dubious Mayors Against Legal Guns: The not so pretty story behind Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns

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End of the American Dream? The Current State of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness – B.B.

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Preping going mainstream: Marie Osmond is now a spokesperson for Wise Company. – A.W.

Notes from HJL:

SurvivalBlog received quite a few replies to the story yesterday regarding EP Armory, and I think we are beginning to get a picture as to what is going on. Simultaneous to that story, another manufacturer, Ares Armor, was able to temporarily stop the ATF from confiscating a customer list of those who purchased 80% lowers. According to one source, it would appear that the ATF is more interested in those that purchased the 80% receivers than anything else, and the raid’s purpose was to capture customer data. There is some question about what constitutes the 80% in a polymer receiver as well, since that seems to be an arbitrary point of reference by the ATF anyway.

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Don’t forget, today is the last day of SafeCastle’s Mountain House Sale. Make sure you check it out. There are some pretty good deals to be had there.

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Today we present another entry for Round 51 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be 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,
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  5. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  6. A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  9. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  10. 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,
  11. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  12. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

Second Prize:

  1. A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand,
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589.
  3. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100 foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  4. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P .),
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. A full set of all 26 books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  8. EP Lowers, makers of 80% complete fiber composite polymer lowers for the AR-15 rifles, is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  9. Autrey’s Armory – specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts, and accessories is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  10. Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  12. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. 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,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
  7. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208.
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.

Round 51 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.