Note from JWR:

Today is the birthday of Philip K. Dick (born 1928, died March 2, 1982.) He penned a remarkable number of sci-fi novels and novellas that have been adapted into movies including Blade Runner, Total Recall, Screamers, Impostor, Minority Report, Paycheck, A Scanner Darkly, Next, and The Adjustment Bureau. Though he had a troubled personal life (with drug use and several failed marriages), his captivating books certainly had a knack for envisioning potential futures.

Precious Metals — 2013 Year in Review, by Steven Cochran

This year saw a battle for the direction of precious metals waged between speculators and short-term “paper gold” traders in the West, against record-breaking physical demand in the East. That physical demand from Asia reached new highs in 2013, underpinning a market that saw the outflows from precious metals ETFs eagerly snapped up by the Chinese and Indians.
Gold and silver ended the year about where they ended 2010, while platinum was down only slightly from 2012. Palladium was the big performer, doing even better in 2013 than last year, but not as well as the all-time high reached in 2011.

Central bank money printing didn’t ignite hyperinflation in 2013, as many feared. This was mostly because the banks that were receiving these funds kept them to themselves, instead of lending them out. Sine the money didn’t circulate as intended, inflation was kept in check. The central banks had hoped that the Big Banks would lend money to businesses, and restart the economy. But the banks found someplace they could make more money than by making loans in a time of abnormally low interest rates: the stock market. The Fed kept interest rates artificially low for the fifth year, and companies used low interest loans to buy back shares and boost their stock price.This also had traders dump shares of precious metals ETFs and jump with both feet into stocks.
Outside of blatant manipulation, precious metals showed a tendency to stick to tight trading ranges, faced with good news and bad. Inflation in Asia, combined with low gold prices, kept the gold flowing from west to east. Let’s take a month-by-month look at the year in precious metals for 2013.

JANUARY
The “fiscal cliff” was averted on December 31, but it was just a “kick the can” solution, pushing the sequester to March. The Bank of Japan imitates the Fed by starting its own open-ended Quantitative Easing, and India raises the import tariff on gold from 4% to 6% in an attempt to stop record-breaking demand. In the US, the new 2013 American Silver is introduced in the middle of the month, and completely sells out in under two weeks. The U.S. Mint stops sales of the coins for two weeks, because it has no silver blanks. The Royal Canadian Mint rations Silver Maple Leafs, due to excessive demand.
The German government announces that it is going to repatriate its foreign-held gold, but the Fed refuses to give it to them. It even refuses to let the Bundesbank representatives even see the gold (they wanted to check serial numbers on the bars.) A deal is finally reached to let the Germans have their gold bit by bit, over seven years. Unrest in South Africa rises as platinum miners announce plans to close unprofitable mines.

FEBRUARY
On the heels of the German repatriation story, news leaks out that the Mexican central bank has never actually seen the gold it supposedly owns in London. The Mexican high court orders an audit. The Shanghai Gold Exchange hits the first import record of many this year. In the U.S., the stock market panics when records show that the Fed considered scaling back its “money printing” of buying $85 billion a month in Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities. Gold drops when it is revealed the George Soros sold 55% of his gold ETF holdings at the end of 2012.
Europe, already in disarray over the Greek bailout, is now faced with a deadlock election in Italy, and  the possibility that Italy will default and leave the EU.

MARCH
A divided Congress is unable to make a deal, and the sequester across-the-board spending cuts hit an economy still in trouble. The banking industry in Cyprus blows up, unable to survive its large exposure to Greek debt. All banks are closed, and credit cards frozen. Cypriots have to resort to bartering to survive. The “Bail-In” is invented, where the government seizes a portion of depositors’ money to help pay for the bail out of the banks. Germany and the rest of the EU refuse to finance a normal bailout, as Cyprus was a tax haven where people hid money.

APRIL
The Great Manipulation hits the gold market. In the early hours of April 12, gold contracts totaling 400 TONS are sold into the market when everyone was asleep, crashing the price down $200/oz. Whoever did this lost millions of dollars, so it is assumed it was a large player who stood to gain by crashing the market. Things didn’t work out exactly as planned, as a global frenzy for physical gold erupted. The Hong Kong Gold Exchange totally ran out of physical gold, and silver bullion in the U.S. disappears as buyers purchase everything in sight. Production bottlenecks mean that a temporary silver shortage results.

MAY
Gold continues to fall, losing $60/oz on the month, but this is mainly from “paper gold” trading in the West. A physical gold shortage in Asia persists, even as gold in the West is resmelted into .9999 fine 1 kilo bars and sent east to eager buyers. In Switzerland, a populist right-wing party gains enough votes on their petition to call a national referendum on repatriating Switzerland’s foreign gold reserves.

JUNE
Currency exchange rigging among the Big Banks is revealed, yet central banks claim there is no gold or silver market rigging. India increases gold import taxes again, to 8%, after Indians set a record for gold imports after the April price drop.
June 19: Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke tells reporters that the Fed will start “tapering” it’s $85 billion a month in bond purchases this fall, with a complete end by next summer. Stock markets plunge, the dollar skyrockets (killing foreign currencies) and gold falls under $1300/oz. Banks in China, who are the main sellers of gold there, run out of physical gold. The Indian rupee collapses, putting gold (which is denominated in dollars) out of the reach of many.

JULY
Gold recovers back over $1300 as physical demand in Asia hits unprecedented levels. Gold import restrictions in India means the market price for gold there is $20 over global spot. Smuggling is exploding, as gold supply dries up. The Shanghai Gold Exchange announced that it has now shipped more gold into China in the first seven months than it did for all of 2012. Iran is hit with more economic sanctions over its nuclear program, and Turkey is found to be paying Iran in gold for for cross-border oil imports. A new 200-ton silver vault in Singapore is pre-booked to 30% capacity before it even opens its doors. A revolution breaks out in Egypt, while a civil war continues in Syria. This lends some safe-haven support to gold.

AUGUST
Precious metals recover more from the June drop, with gold hitting a two-month high and ending at $1394. Silver enters a bull market, rising 20% over the June lows. The U.S. threatens military intervention in Syria after news that the Assad government used chemical weapons against rebels. Violence escalates in Egypt. India raises its gold import tax to 10%. Pakistan bans gold imports for one month, after it becomes apparent that people are using a tax break loophole to import gold and smuggle it into India. The Chinese economy starts improving, raising gold demand. Rumors start that the Fed will start “tapering” next month.

SEPTEMBER
The Fed shocks everyone and decides not to start reducing quantitative easing. The U.S. government is locked into a budget showdown over defunding Obamacare, which threatens to have the government default on its debt. Europe is still unsettled, with Greece wanting to renegotiate its bailout.

OCTOBER
The U.S. government goes into partial shutdown for the first time in 17 years, over the budget showdown. The government comes within hours of defaulting on its debt, which shakes global confidence in America so much that the Chinese call for a “de-Americanized world” where nations won’t be so exposed to the dollar. Gold in India hits $120/oz over global spot price due to shortages. Small jewelry companies are rumored to be setting up their own smuggling rings to survive. China and the EU start cracking down on bad bank loans. The Fed doesn’t even talk about the shutdown, and thinks things are great, panicking the markets into thinking, surely, they will taper in December. Gold recovers back above $1,300 again.

NOVEMBER
The Fed scares markets by talking about a December taper, which knocks gold back under $1300. The U.S. Mint announces that the 2014 Silver Eagle bullion coins will be released a week later in January, to give them time to make enough, but they will still be rationed from day 1. American Silver Eagle sales hit an all-time record on November 12. November 20 sees massive gold manipulation TWICE in the same day. Each time, 150,000 oz (4.66 tons) of gold was sold at once, causing circuit breakers to trip and halting trading for 20 seconds both times. This was paper contracts of course, no physical gold changed hands.
The economy in the U.S., China, U.K., and Germany improve markedly, as the Chinese announce market reforms to make the yuan easier to use in international trade. A surprise deal with Iran and the major powers boosts stocks, but the same day, China puts an air defense zone over Japanese-held islands that are claimed by China. This rallies gold enough to make up some of the losses due to taper fears.

DECEMBER
Rapidly improving economies in the U.S., U.K., and China pressure gold to five-month lows, but gold pops back over $50 as the market becomes over-sold.

About the Author: Steven Cochran is with Gainesville Coins

Pat’s Product Review: CMMG Mk9 T 9mm M4 Carbine

Every once in a while, I’m fortunate, in that, I get a gun sample, that no one else has, and when that happens, I jump on testing it, and follow-up with an article. Such is the case with the new CMMG Mk9 T – and you won’t find this one on their web site yet, it’s not due to be released until the SHOT Show at the end of January 2014.

I’ve owned a couple of the CMMG M4gery carbines over the years, and I still have one, and found them to be great shooters, and priced below what other similar set-ups would cost. I’ve also owned a couple 9mm M4gery carbines over the years, and some were good, some were ok, and some were just bad! I always thought, owning a 9mm handgun, and a rifle or carbine chambered in 9mm made good sense. Back in the old west, many gun owners owned a 44-40 revolver and a 44-40 lever-action rifle or carbine – just made good sense to have guns chambered in the same caliber back then, and it still makes sense today.

A quick run down on the specs of the Mk9 T is in order. First of all, it appears to be very similar to most other AR-type M4 carbines, at first glance. However, as already mentioned, it is chambered in 9mm, it comes with a 16″ medium weight barrel, and has an A2 flash suppressor on the end of the barrel – not that it’s needed, but it completes “the” look. The upper and lower receivers are forged 7075 T-6 aluminum, and the trigger is mil-spec single stage. The gun weighs in a 6.3-lbs and is 32-inches long, with the 6-position telescoping stock collapsed. The barrel twist is 1:10 to help stabilize the 9mm rounds.

The lower receiver is a dedicated 9mm type, in that, it isn’t modified to take a Colt-style 32-rd 9mm magazine…it will ONLY take the 9mm magazine – there is NO adapter inside the magazine well, like so many other 9mm M4 carbines have. The upper has been modified a bit, in that, the ejection port door has been trimmed and shortened, and there is an added brass deflector, in front of the standard one you’ll find on 5.56mm models. 

When you break-open the Mk9 T and pull the bolt out for cleaning and lube, you will readily notice that the bolt carrier is quite a bit different than you find on the standard M4 – the bolt carrier doesn’t have a separate bolt – instead, the bolt has a recessed face, with an extractor in it, and the firing pin…and the back of the bolt carrier (which really isn’t a bolt “carrier” on this gun) has added weights installed in the back of it – this gun is a straight blow-back operation, not gas recoil operated like many M4s are. The barrel doesn’t have locking recesses in it, either…the rounds feed right into the gun’s chamber.

Okay, so far, we have a pretty basic 9mm M4 on our hands, right? Well, not so fast! The Mk9 T has the KeyMod hand guard, in place of a standard two-piece poly hand guard that is found on most M4s.The Key Mod, is a one-piece affair, that attaches via two hex screws, and the barrel is free-floated, for the most accuracy you can wring out of the gun. The top of the KeyMod has the standard Picatinny-style rail for mounting optics or sighs – the Mk9 T doesn’t comes with any sights at all – a minor complaint in my book. The 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions on the Key Mod have specially designed holes, for mounting other Picatinny-type rails, that can be had from CMMG – should you choose to add something on the KeyMod. The only thing I plan on adding is an adapter so I can put a forward sling swivel on the Mk9 T. I have the accessories coming, however, in the meantime, I modified an old 6-inch Picatinny-style rail, and bolted it to the KeyMod hand guard at the 6 o’clock position – it works!

When I first received the Mk9 T sample, I loaded-up two 32-rd magazines – the gun comes with one magazine, however, I requested a couple spare mags. I had a mix of Tulammo 9mm in FMJ and Black Hills 9mm, some of their 100-grain frangible TN ammo. To be sure, the magazines are a bear to load the first few times, the spring is stout – fully load your magazines and let them sit for a few days, to take a set, and after that, they are much easier to load by hand. Most of the time, during this quick function test, the Black Hills 9mm ammo functioned – but every once in a while, I had a stove pipe malfunction, with a round coming out of the magazine about halfway and sticking straight up – causing a stoppage. With the Tulammo, I had untold malfunctions, with the rounds coming halfway out of the magazine, and once again, sticking straight up.

CMMG, like many AR makers specifically states to not use steel cased ammo in any of their guns. If you do, you will void the warranty. Now, a word on Russian-made, steel cased 9mm ammo. I have found that, when loading this steel cased ammo in many double-stack 9mm magazines, that there are similar malfunctions. What is happening is, the rounds don’t rotate inside the magazine, as the rounds move upwards…they tend to “stick” a little bit, and it doesn’t matter if the cases are poly coated or lacquer coated, the just don’t feed smoothing up the magazine tube. So, I attribute the problems with the stove pipe malfunctions to the steel cased ammo. The Black Hills 100-grain frangible truncated ammo – most of the time it fed just fine. However, the few malfunctions I had, I believe are due to the rough bullet surface, they are compressed powdered copper – not nice and smooth bullets, and some guns won’t function all the time with this bullet shape or bullets made out of compressed powdered copper.

Before I could do any accuracy testing, I had to wait on some folding sights for the Mk9 T. I ordered a set of polymer sights from CDNN Sports  and even though they are only $29.99 – I’ve used them before, I’ve found them to be pretty rugged for the price. I attempted to mount a brand-new BSA red dot sight on the upper receiver of the Mk9 T, however, right out of the package, the scope was broken – not good. So, I was forced to wait several days for the USPS to deliver the sights from CDNN Sports, and the package was several days late in coming.

In the meantime, I took the Mk9 T out several more times, with different ammo, and had absolutely no malfunctions at all. While some might think the Mk9 T is picky about the ammo it will shoot, it is not! I’ve had problems with Russian-made steel cased ammo in a lot of double stack magazines. And, the Black Hills 100-grain frangible truncated ammo – again, I’ve had problems with this bullet design and material – for the most part, this Black Hills ammo has run in all my other 9mm handguns, it just wasn’t quite 100% reliable in the Mk9 T – it was probably 95% reliable.

When my sights arrived from CDNN Sports, I got out there and zeroed them, using Winchester USA brand white box 115-grain FMJ ammo – at 25-yards. During my accuracy testing, I had miserable weather, high winds, and heavy fog. I used Black Hills 115-grain FMJ, Buffalo Bore 147-grain JHP subsonic ammo, and their 147-grain FMJ FN subsonic ammo, plus their 115-grain Barnes all-copper hollow point, TAC-XP +P+ ammo, 124-grain Penetrator FMJ FN +P+, 115-grain JHP +P and their 124-grain JHP +P+ ammo.

The Mk9 T really ran smoothly with +P and +P+ ammo – you could just feel that the gun operated a little bit smoother for some reason, then again, many 9mm carbines thrive on +P and +P+ ammo. At 25-yards, most of my groups were coming in right at 1.50 and 1.75 inches – really great accuracy, but I knew the gun could do better – but with lousy weather conditions, it was hard to keep the gun on target, and my target box kept falling over after every couple of shots, too. Frustrating! However, there wasn’t a lot of time for testing, as SurvivalBlog wanted to get this article and report, on this new model out to our readers as soon as possible.

Was there a winner in the accuracy department? You bet, but it was a tie! Surprisingly, the Winchester USA white box range load came in at 1.25-inches at 25-yards – I shoot a lot of Winchester white box ammo in my articles, and I usually use it for function testing. As did the Black Hills 115-grain FMJ and the Buffalo Bore 124-grain JHP +P+ load. Honestly, in all my shooting, and all the different types and brands of ammo I shot, they were all accurate. However, I believe, given better weather conditions, the Mk9 T will shoot 1-inch groups with ammo is really loves. Still, how do you argue with groups in the 1.25 – 1.75 inch range, in lousy weather?

My one minor complaint, that I already addressed is that, the gun comes with no sights – and it is an easy fix. I installed the inexpensive polymer sights from CDNN Sports, and they work great, and were easy to adjust for windage and elevation. I’d like to see CMMG include these sights with the gun…not all of want to install optics – and to be sure, I don’t see any need to install a magnifying scope on a 9mm carbine. A red dot sight? Yes! Still, it’s nice to have back-up, fold-down/pop-up sights on the gun, for when (not if) your red dot sight quits on you, and the poly sights from CDNN will serve you well. I like the Troy sights for an ARs, but they are spendy, and maybe one day, I’ll install a set on this Mk9 T – but for the time being, I’m content with the poly sights. They fold down easily and pop-up at the push of a lever.

The Mk9 T has a full-retail price of $1.149.95 – not cheap, to be sure. However, I’ve seen dedicated 9mm uppers costing $700.00 – $900.00 alone…and you are getting a complete AR carbine in 9mm, that is dedicated to the 9mm round – not adapted. And, like most CMMG products, you can usually find them discounted a bit – and now is the time to purchase one, while prices on ARs are down once again. Don’t wait for the next mass shooting, because prices will go up, and the guns will, once again, be in very short supply. I love the Mk9 T – it’s fun to shoot, and no recoil to speak of, and all things considered, 9mm is cheaper to shoot than .223 is…and it would make a great house gun – to keep next to your bed.

I’m impressed with the Mk9 T so much so, that I’m going to keep the sample and pay for it after the testing period. I don’t buy a lot of firearms these days, I have all I “need” – not all I “want” – so it’s rare for me to want to purchase a gun sample after testing. But I fell in love with this little 9mm from CMMG, and I like the KeyMod free-floating hand guard, too. Don’t discount a 9mm AR, until you’ve tried one.  – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: Which Ammo to Stockpile?

Dear Sir,
When stockpiling ammo, should one focus on FMJ and soft nose/hollow points or FMJ only?  FMJ is a better value per bullet, plus it’s supposed to be a lot more accurate and reliable than SP/HP, but of course, it sometimes comes at the cost of stopping power.

I’m packing a semi-auto in 308/7.62×51, and to my knowledge, there haven’t been many complaints about the stopping power of the 7.62×51 ball cartridge in military circles; many complaints come mainly from the kick and weight.  Add to that the fact that after TEOTWAWKI, shooting through cover and mass fire will become the norm and FMJs look pretty appealing.  Not to mention the fact that most bulk sizes of ammo only come in FMJ.

I’ve been stocking both so far, but with money getting a bit tight, I’m looking at switching over to just FMJs, so is this a good idea?  Your input is appreciated.

Oh, one more thing: Do you know of any places that offer tracer rounds and which brands are the good ones?  My rifle bolt doesn’t lock back when the magazine is empty, so I’m wanting to emulate the fictional Doug Carlton from Patriots.

Sincerely,  – D.S.C.

JWR Replies:

As with all of your other preps, balance is the key. There is no point in buying all premium ammo. Logic dictates that you will need some inexpensive ammo for target practice and some “middling” quality ammo, for barter.

For handguns I current recommend this mix: 80% jacketed hollow points (JHPs), 18% FMJ (aka “ball”), and 2% exotics (tracers, frangible, KTW or Arcane AP, etc.)

For most military caliber rifles I currently recommend this mix: 70% FMJ, 10% spire point soft nose, 10% Match (preferably HPBT), 5% AP, and 5% exotics (such as tracer, incendiary and API.)

For most civilian (hunting) caliber rifles I currently recommend this mix: 90% soft nose, 5% Match (preferably HPBT), and 5% AP handloads, if bullet weights, bullet diameters, and bullet point styles are compatible with pulled military AP bullets. Note, for example, you cannot use pointed bullets in tubular magazine lever action rifles, even if the bore diameter and bullet weight is correct.

Some of my favorite ammo sources are:

Dan’s Ammo,
Lucky Gunner,
Sunflower Ammo,
Cheaper Than Dirt,
UNAC
and Keep Shooting.

I also buy some ammo directly from manufacturers, mostly here in the American Redoubt. I recommend:

Black Hills Ammunition,
BVAC Ammunition and Components
HSM (aka The Hunting Shack)
Buffalo Bore Ammunition
 and Patriot Firearms and Munitions

Oh, and by the way, SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson recently mentioned that one of his favorite sources is BulkAmmo.com. (They currently have a good deal on Federal 5.56 ball.)

The Talon brand tracer ammo is decent, but given the uneven burning of the tracing composition, the accuracy of virtually all tracer ammo accuracy will never be quite comparable to military ball. The Lake City arsenal tracer ammo is excellent, but it is hard to find. The last time I checked, Lucky Gunner had some, as did UNAC.

There is a great on-line reference site now available, for comparison pricing: Ammo-Seek.com. Be sure to check it out!

Letter Re: Taking My Taxes Personally

James Wesley,
My wife needed a new car (SUV to be exact), and that got me looking into the fiscal situation in detail to come up with a price range. I first detailed the expense side of the balance sheet down to monthly average activities and dining out costs, but my world was shaken when I looked at the income totals. Like a growing number of men, my wife makes more than me, her career being much more in demand these days. This I knew from the start; we’re not that far off but there is, as the left would put it, an apparent income inequality. Like most spouses, we are free to spend small amounts for fun, gadgets and the like, but the larger expenditures (anything over say $200-$300) need to be run by one another to ensure its within budget or qualifies as an emergency expenditure. In fact, I would be hard pressed to say that either one of us has ever wanted for anything within reason since we were married. This is why I was shocked at the figures that came from calculating our annual household income; shocked however, isn’t really the word, more like appalled, angry, frustrated and down right offended.

I used our pay stubs to calculate our income, and for fun started with gross aggregate income (if you’ve never done it give it a shot, it’s enlightening.) My shock came not when the individual taxes were deducted, but only after the net incomes were combined and compared to the gross. Our household net income turns out to be, near as makes no difference, almost the same as my wife’s gross income. After taxes, my whole year of work translates into only about $3,000 that my family ever gets to see. It was a striking viewpoint. One can argue about tax rates and who pays what bills, but in the grand scheme of things; when it all gets laid out on the table as a family, nearly all of the work I do every day is just going to pay the family’s taxes.

As a husband, those numbers made me sick to my stomach, to know that nearly all of my salary goes to someone other than my family is as disheartening as it gets. It’s one thing to see the taxes taken out of your check every two weeks, it is quite another to put it into net versos gross annual terms. Coming to the realization that nearly all of what I earn goes into someone else’s checkbook has given me the true meaning of words I long tried to exemplify, and if I may paraphrase Ayn Rand, ” An end must be put to the infamy of paying with one life for the errors of another.” – Ed K.

Recipe of the Week:

S.A.’s Chicken Casserole

While there are multitudes of chicken casserole recipes out there, this is my version which is very flavorful and a crowd pleaser. I remain convinced that in the future we may be eating lots of soups and casseroles which can easily be extended so people don’t feel deprived. Some may say that this recipe has lots of preservatives, salt, fats, and such. I maintain when we are living in harder times, those characteristics may not be considered such bad things.

Serves 4-6

1 cup chicken, cooked, de-boned, and cut into small pieces, about 1 breast
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup real Hellman’s (Best Foods) mayonnaise
1 cup celery, finely diced
1/2 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 slice onion, diced

Optional:
Leftover cooked rice (tonight I used a little more than a cup of leftover cheesy rice and broccoli)
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 small jar of pimentos (or what’s leftover in a jar)
A small handful slivered or sliced almonds
1/2 green pepper (I never use as cooked green pepper is aggressive, but some people like it)
Top with a little grated cheddar or a few crushed potato chips the last couple of minutes with foil off

Mix everything and put into Pammed casserole dish. No salt or pepper are needed as the crackers and soups are salty. Cover with foil. Bake at 350* for at least 45 minutes to cook any raw vegetables such as onions. Great flavor, comforting. Also delicious served the next day.

This recipe is flexible and forgiving. Add more chicken, put in a leftover slice of tomato diced up. Substitute with one cream of mushroom soup. Just keep the 2 soups, mayo, and crackers proportions. Anything else is to your taste.

Hint: In practicing your preps, make casseroles for various numbers of people. Sometime 2 people, sometimes 8.

Using Pantry Preps:
Canned chicken or your own home-canned chicken, well drained
Dried onion, celery, green pepper or tomato that you dehydrated in your dryer
Pilot crackers

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Pilot Bread Recipe

For rural Alaskans, Pilot Bread is soul food

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

Odds ‘n Sods:

J.B.B. sent a link to some fascinating maps and data: Rural Character in america’s Metropolitan Areas. (79% of US population is classified as Urban.)

   o o o

Reader D.K.C. mentioned some apparently bad news for both ranchers and preppers: F.D.A. Restricts Antibiotics Use for Livestock

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Colorado police arrested a man for open carry and now they’re going to pay

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Reason to leave #1,383,622: New York City Board of Health approves mandatory flu shots for kids

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The Tally: State Gun Laws Enacted in the Year Since Newtown. (Thanks to Stephen F. for the link.)

Notes from JWR:

December 15th is Bill of Rights Day. I encourage my American readers to gather publicly and read the Bill of Rights aloud.

This is also the birthday of Uziel “Uzi” Gal (born Gotthard Glas) in Weimar, Germany in 1923. According to his Wikipedia biography, when the Nazis came to power in 1933 his family “…moved first to England and later, in 1936, to Kibbutz Yagur in the British Mandate of Palestine where he changed his name to Uziel Gal. In 1943, he was arrested for illegally carrying a gun and sentenced to six years in prison. However, he was pardoned and released in 1946, serving less than half of his sentence.” He is of course remembered as the inventor of the famous Uzi submachinegun. Uzi Gal is not to be confused with Israel Galili, the chief weapons designer for Israeli Military Industries (IMI) who along with Yaacov Lior designed the Galil improvement to the AK-47.

—

Today we present another entry for Round 50 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $9,400+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) 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, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy. G.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. H.) A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com. The current value of this roll is at least $225, I.) Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad. They have a combined value of $195. J.) 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 K.) APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit.

Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) 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. C.) A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100 foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P.), E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials F.) A full set of all 25 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is a $250 value, G.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value). H.) EP Lowers, makers of 80% complete fiber composite polymer lowers for the AR-15 rifles is donating a $250 gift certificate, and I.) Autrey’s Armory — specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts and accessories — is donating a $250 gift certificate.

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) 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, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security., E.) A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises. F.) Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and G.) Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies. This assortment has a retail value of $208.

Round 50 ends on January 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.

Still Living in Defiance, by Tim B.

I frequently read about varying doomsday scenarios.  Everything from a total collapse of the economy, to super-storms, to EMP attacks, and lately even dubious writings about life in a post-antibiotic world.  While the odds are not in favor of one devastating event that ends the world as we know it and plunges us into a repeat of the Dark Ages, there is still the possibility that something like a surprise EMP attack or an unexpected asteroid impact could wipe out most of humanity.  There’s always that “What if…?” 

Before I go any farther, however, let me offer this strong disclaimer: 

I do not advocate stealing.  I don’t advocate criminal activity of any kind.  I believe a man’s sense of honor has no price tag.  That being said, in a “What if…?” scenario where most of mankind is wiped out, it will literally be a survival do-or-die situation for you and your loved ones.  If that is the case, you will not be giving up your sense of honor if there is no chance of ‘recovery’, [massive de-population,] and you actively forage for the things you need to survive [and it there are no lawful heirs for truly abandoned property.]

Still with me?

Then let’s move on.  What I propose is that you begin now to identify resources.  You don’t live in the wilderness where deer and other wild game are abundant?  You don’t live in a place where wild edibles are everywhere, ripe for the picking?  Well, we don’t, either.  We live in a small town in northwest Ohio with a population of about 15,000.  We even live within the city limits, and our backyard is about 70’ wide, and maybe 60’ deep.  That’s where we have our garden and fruit trees.  Not much to survive on…
But – taking a look around our small town, I see many opportunities for foraging. 

FOOD
First, we’re in an agricultural area of the State.  The farmers around here plant the Big-3 – corn, wheat, and soybeans.  Then they store their harvest in silos until the prices are right for selling.  Even then, the harvest moves to local granaries positioned on rail spurs, where it is stored until it is loaded onto trains for shipment elsewhere.  I do believe these local farmers will be willing to barter for their grains.  So we’ll most likely have access to wheat for bread, corn for meal, and even soybeans if, when treated properly, can be used for animal feed or pressed for oil. 
Not only do we have farmers tilling the fields and growing crops, we also have farmers locally who specialize in hogs, beef cattle, poultry, fruit, even bees.  So the chances are good that we’ll be able to supplement our own food stores with fresh food grown locally. 

Additionally, our area currently has a healthy population of deer, geese, wild turkeys, squirrels, and rabbits.  The local farms actually find the wildlife to be quite a nuisance.  Plus, there are three rivers that come together in our little town, so there is the opportunity for fishing as well.  Now I don’t count on hunting to supply my family with food.  If everyone in our area who owns a gun heads to the woods and starts shooting, our abundant wildlife will soon disappear. 

Notice I haven’t even mentioned the grocery stores.  In our small town, we have no less than three grocery chain stores, as well as a large Wal-Mart, and three ‘dollar’ stores.  All of these stores carry foodstuffs, but in the event of a total collapse, these stores will be emptied out pretty quickly.  Today Black Friday is still a fresh memory – only a few days ago.  In view of the violence and chaos that ruled the Christmas shopping experience then, just imagine what it will be like when it’s the last bit of food left available that’s being fought over!  In my own humble opinion, I think it will be safer to sit this one out – stay home with our pantry and supplies, and plan on bartering with local farmers for fresh food. 
But now to move on to things besides food!
What else will you need?  I venture to say that whatever it is, you can probably find it if you know where to look.  In our town, we still have a little bit of heavy industry.  Having done some research, and talked to people who are employed by these factories, I have found a huge reservoir of vital resources.

WATER
Need clean drinking water, but you haven’t had the means to buy a Berkey system?  Well don’t despair – at least not yet.  In many places of work, companies still utilize the old ‘water cooler’ systems.  Remember those?  Where people hung out and shared the latest rumors, talked sports, and speculated about who was getting promoted?  Many companies still use these today.  Not just factories, but offices, too.  I know that in our local factories these are in use, and in fact, they go through so many bottles of water that they’ve built racks to stock the bottles in, so they can deliver them with fork trucks.  The bottom line is this – if the collapse is sudden and/or catastrophic, there just might be a fairly large stock of clean fresh water readily available!
(To a lesser degree, vending companies also service factories and offices.  And while their snack foods and sodas probably aren’t going to do you much good nutritionally, they are after all, a resource.  Don’t overlook anything at a time like this!)
Another source of clean drinking water in our town (or nearby) would be ponds.  My sister – visiting from out of state – was astonished at the number of ponds that people have on their properties.  And I have to admit, it does seem like every other farm or property has a pond.  She was further surprised to learn that people often use their ponds as their main source of drinking water.  And if that’s the case, these people have filtration systems set up for that purpose.  So just like bartering for food, it will be possible to barter for safe drinking water, too.

FUEL
Many factories use heavy equipment.  The industries here in our town use fork trucks (electric, propane, and gasoline), ‘burden carriers’ (like golf carts – some run on battery power, and some are gasoline powered), JLGs (like the lift baskets you see on the power company trucks – some battery and some gasoline powered), cranes, front end loaders, and dump trucks.  So there are storage tanks for gasoline and diesel fuel.  In addition to all of those things, there are literally hundreds of tanks of oxygen, MAPP gas, and propane.  And to make these gas bottles useable, there also torches, torpedo heaters, and space heaters. 

Plus – and this is probably unique to our area – we have a foundry in our town (you may have a power plant nearby).  This foundry melts down iron and aluminum to pour castings for the automotive industry.  What this means for us is that there is a huge stockpile of coke (refined and purified coal) and ground up coal.  Power plants frequently use coal as well – although the EPA is making that harder and harder to find.  They must still be in use, though.  We have trains loaded with coal passing through our town all the time.  So it’s out there…
And finally, when the gas, diesel, propane, MAPP gas, and coal are all gone, there is wood.  Just about every factory in the world is a user of wooden pallets.  The factories in our town not only use pallets, but they use plywood, too.  Lots and lots of plywood. 

So there are many opportunities for obtaining lumber from construction and fuel for heating, cooking, etc.  You just have to know where to look. [JWR Adds: Beware of pallets made of treated wood, or pallets that have been contaminated by spilled chemicals! Also use great caution when cutting up pallets. Destroying a $20 circular saw blade by hitting a nail while trying to recover the wood in a “free” pallet is false economy.]

TOOLS AND SUPPLIES
The businesses in our town do some pretty heavy work.  As a result, they are stocked with some pretty heavy-duty tools and equipment.  Industrial grade hardware (nuts-n-bolts), heavy tools of every kind, steel (structural and sheet), hoists (electric, pneumatic, and chain falls), (electric and gasoline powered), generators, ladders of all sizes, scaffolding, power tools – in fact, if you name it, they’ve probably got it.  So even if looters have emptied out your local big-box home improvement stores, you still might be able to find useful tools, supplies, and equipment.
You might not have such a rich resource in your area, but there are some other things that many factories use that you might find extremely useful.  For example, many factories use thermal detection cameras (FLIR) for predictive maintenance.  Many factories also use vibration sensors, lasers, photoeyes, and proximity switches.  In the right hands, these things could easily be used to build a perimeter alarm system, or night-time surveillance system.  In fact, surveillance cameras are so common now that you can find them everywhere.  (Our town even has them mounted on all of the traffic lights…)  You might do well to do some research into how these systems work and what it would take to turn them into useful tools for your own protection and defense.
And another resource that might be overlooked is medical supplies.  Most large factories have their own medical facility.  Even if your town doesn’t have such a thing, don’t overlook the local drug stores.  In our town alone, there are eight different shops/stores selling prescription drugs and medical supplies.  And that isn’t counting the actual medical facilities like clinics and hospitals.  None of these possible resources should be overlooked!
And finally – name one thing that every public business has on hand.  Give up?
Fire extinguishers!  Don’t overlook these possible lifesaving items!

CONCLUSION
You might be tempted to think that if you live in an urban or even suburban area that you will have a really hard time trying to forage for your survival.  I hope I’ve given you some ideas with this writing.  Take a look around, and learn to recognize the resources that are right under your nose.  Take notes.  Plan ahead.  Every town and every situation is different, but I truly believe that every situation offers opportunity for successful foraging in the event of massive depopulation.  Good luck in your own search!

Letter Re: More Bureaucratic Over-Reach

Sir,
The faceless “bureaucratocracy” strikes yet again, threatening to condemn an off-grid homeowner for allegedly violating an “international property maintenance code” due to lack of running water and electricity – even though neither utility is specified in said international property maintenance code.  How does an international code apply within the confines of an incorporated entity like the City of Cape Coral (which has its own building codes adopted pursuant to its own ordinance procedures)?  And now the city has graciously indicated that, if the homeowner can prove she can “sustain herself” without these utilities, they “might be able to reach a solution”.  So, in the mind of these bureaucrats under the auspices of some inapplicable international code, the burden is on a woman has been living without water and electricity to show that she can continue to live without water and electricity to the satisfaction of the bureaucrat – or she will lose her house. 
 
From a purely public policy perspective, this regulatory taking is disturbing to say the least. 

Sincerely, – Hunkajunk

Letter Re: Marksmanship

Dear JWR,

The article on marksmanship by Josh B. was an excellent one and discussed all of the basic principals of good marksmanship except, in my opinion only, one. I have several years experience with three Law Enforcement agencies in training other Officers  how to shoot and have come to realize that the biggest factor in shooting accurately is mindset.

In a real shooting scenario, you will most likely have no control over your breathing, your  posture, your grip or your trigger squeeze. You may be out of breath, your heart rate may be through the roof, you may be proned out or shooting with your off hand from your off side and your grip may be wet or sweaty. That does not mean that you will be unable to shoot accurately. Yes, having all of those things certainly makes the process much easier but it does not mean that you are doomed to failure.

Proper sight picture and sight alignment is, of course, absolutely necessary. The gun is going to place the bullet on the spot where it is aimed at the time that it is discharged, regardless of how the shooter gets it there. Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not finding fault with Josh’s article, the points that he makes are all valid and are the ones that instructors are taught to watch and correct if a shooter has accuracy problems. The factor that isn’t taught, however, is mindset.

New and inexperienced shooters are often seen to jerk or pull the weapon in different directions, throwing the rounds off target at random. This after lengthy discussion of all of the points mentioned in Josh’s article. Even experienced shooters often throw rounds even after practicing all of the six points Josh mentions. This usually occurs because they have, maybe only briefly, lost mental control.

What I am calling mindset in this letter is difficult to describe, much less teach. To me, it is a combination of confidence, peace of mind and even a little arrogance. The shooter must have confidence that the weapon will perform as it has hundreds of times before, that he (the shooter) is satisfied that he is doing the correct thing when firing his weapon and is in control of the weapon and situation  and KNOWS that he has the ability to accurately place the shot. New shooters need to be taught that they have fired the weapon numerous times before without problems and that the weapon will make a loud noise and that it will move around in the shooter’s hand.  The shooter needs to recognize these things and to remove them completely from their mind as they prepare to fire. Experienced shooters should be reminded that they have fired numerous bullseyes before and that they can certainly do it again and that they are qualified  to place the shot with perfect accuracy.   

Again, great article by Josh and, with practice, all of us will improve our shooting ability. Prepare as if your life depended on it.  – Gary D.                                   

JWR Replies: The way to overcome stress while shooting is to intentionally inject some stress into your training. Go to high power matches. You will probably find yourself quite nervous at your first couple of events. Go hunting–a lot. “Buck fever” is a real phenomenon. Learn to overcome it. If you have access to a truly private range, for advanced training, set of firecrackers just a pace or two behind the shooter’s’ feet while they are shooting prone.