Notes from JWR:

1

May 19th is the birthday of Frank Luke Jr. (born, 1897, died September 29, 1918). He was an Army Air Service fighter pilot of World War I, who was second only to Captain Eddie Rickenbacker in aerial victory scores. (18 versus Rickenbacker’s 26.) Frank Luke was the first aviator to receive the Medal of Honor. Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, is named after him. (Luke AFB is one of the locales in my novel “Survivors”.) My grandfather, Ernest E. Rawles (also born in 1897) was a friend and mountain climbing partner of Frank Luke in Arizona, before he left for France.

An observation: The generation that fought the Second World War is now often called The Greatest Generation. These were mostly men who were born between 1910 and 1924. But I believe that an even greater generation was of those men who were born between 1880 and 1905. They were born in the days of the horse and buggy and the telegraph. But many of them lived long enough to die in the era of jet aircraft, television, sturmgewehr, nuclear power, nuclear weapons, early computers, and moon landings. Some of these men fought in both World Wars–often serving as junior officers in WWI and then as senior officers in WWII. In my estimation it is the capacity to adapt to rapid change that in part defines truly great men. This generation included both visionaries and men of action like Arthur Pink, Ludwig von Mises, Henry Hazlitt, Joseph Schumpeter, Billy Mitchell (an early airpower advocate), Jimmy Doolittle, George Patton, William J. Donovan, Raymond Spruance, Charles Lockwood, Hyman G. Rickover (America’s longest-serving military man,) Harry Day, Jimmy Buckley, and Ernest Hemingway. Sadly, a few of them like Frank Luke died too young too reach their full potential.

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Today we present another entry for Round 46 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The 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), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) 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.

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 FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300 and 10 TAPCO polymer magazines (5 AR and 5 AK) courtesy of Armageddon Armory, E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials and F.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

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.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value. E.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value), and F.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 46 ends on May 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.

The Many Uses of Vacuum-Sealed Bags, by L.E.

The Many Uses of Vacuum-Sealed Bags

Late spring and early summer are the times to buy the Seal A Meal or Foodsaver machines. They are both made by the same parent company and can be found at any major grocery or department store in the kitchenware section-the Seal A Meal is the less expensive version that can be found for under $30 on sale, and the bags to go with it will cost you about the same again. You can make this a game or a family activity like an assembly line, just have all your items stacked in little piles, and start sealing–it’s actually fun to use it-I feel like a squirrel storing up nuts for the winter. See below for the myriad uses I have made of my unit. These also make wonderful gifts to your church for emergencies if they are given food items that may go stale.

1-Batteries-as we all know, moisture and air are the enemies of batteries, buy in bulk when they are on sale and seal them up airtight and watertight and keep them in your fridge.

2-Ammo–seal up your ammo/bullets in their boxes in individual sealing bags labeled with the date of purchase, that way if you have to ford any bodies of water (rivers, swamps, canals etc) or are caught in deluges, your extra ammo will stay nice and dry and untarnished.

3-Precious Metals–your silver coins and bars and gold coins and bars can be portioned out and individually sealed in similarly valued amounts. I haven’t tried burying them to see how long it would take the heavy plastic to degrade but it should be good for a few months at least, unless rodents get into it or its in very wet or alkaline earth–you could try burying them inside a jar or can. One good side effect is that vacuum sealed items do not clink and clank as they are packed solidly together so they make no noise when carried.

Medicines-I sealed up individual pouches containing baby aspirin, Pepto Bismol chewable tablets, chloraseptic cough lozenges (the heavy duty ones that really numb your throat), over the counter allergy pills like generic claritin, sinus pain and pressure pills, Lanacane or Neosporin cream for insect bites and scrapes, insect repellant wipes, tooth and gum numbing gel for toothaches, moisturizing eyewash to help with dust, soot and gunpowder grit, small jars of Vicks and Noxema and aloe sunburn gel, and advil or tylenol. I also throw in a small bottle of Thompson Labs Fish Mox Forte which is the same as human grade 500 mg amoxicillin (antibiotics) that you can buy online without a prescription (it’s a shame we cannot locate a family preparedness-friendly doctor who would be willing to give out prescriptions for tranquilizers or anti-anxiety meds for those individuals who will undoubtedly freak out big time after a week of no gas and no grocery deliveries). If you put together several of these as your finances allow, they make great trading items. You can also add condoms, or bag them up separately, as after the existing supply of condoms and birth control pills goes away, expect a flood of pregnancies as nature tries to naturally replenish the ranks. You can also bag up your medicinal marijuana separately if you anticipate needing it later.

Clothing Repair Kits–needles, thread in 4 basic colors, small scissors from the dollar store, buttons in half inch and three-quarter inch sizes (these are standard waistband and shirt front sizes, if the button holes are too big you can sew the holes partially shut so the buttons will not come unbuttoned.

Surgical Kit-a basic surgical kit containing over the counter items such as tweezers, silk suture thread and suture needles, a couple pairs nitrile gloves, gauze and medical tape, a couple surgical masks if you can obtain them, wound clotting powder or gauze saturated with same (expensive but may save a life), small bottle of silver solution or betadine wound area disinfectant, a small X-Acto knife, and a basic pair of dental pliers for extractions. Salt could also be included for rinsing mouths after extractions.

Children’s books and small toys–bag up a couple of those old beanie babies and some Lego or Playmobile toys and a few standard children’s books, they can be a great comfort and distraction to anxious small ones.

Fire Strikes and Sharpening Stones (and small pocketknives)–these are messy to carry loose in your bag but sealing them up minimizes the marks and grit, worth their weight in gold if unable to obtain later. I also buy the multi packs of bic lighters when they are on sale and keep a few in every location along with several cheap flashlights that I test semi-annually and replace batteries if needed.  

Coffee, Tea bags, Creamer and Sugar packets–I bag up sets that include a small bag of good brand ground coffee, a couple dozen individual sugar packets and some individual creamer packets, and do the same with tea bags. Don’t combine coffee and tea as one will absorb the smell of the other. You can buy the individual packets in bulk from any restaurant supply store or from www.minimus.biz.

Newborn Gift Sets–use a larger size seal a meal bag that you can make yourself from the endless roll you can buy, you can cut it to any size, seal one end, fill it, and seal the other end. About half a dozen good thick cloth diapers, a few diaper pins, a baby bottle with nipple, a few packets of powdered infant formula and a flannelette baby gown will be a welcome gift for all those unprepared mothers with babies.

Sugar, Salt, Seasoning Packets–I buy the cheap seasonings when on sale for .99 cents, I get Lite Salt, Coarse Ground Pepper, Dried Onion Flakes, Cinnamon, and I buy the individual packets of salt and sugar online and throw in a big handful of those. You can add vanilla extract and garlic powder as well if you enjoy those flavors. I also include the strips of 6 quick rising yeast packets for “just in case”. You can also throw in a couple packets of jerky seasonings or rubs if you make your own jerky. I also like to add a packet or two of uncle dan’s dill dip as a seasoning for fish.

Important ID Papers–open your passport so the page with your photo is visible, then right below is, put your drivers license face out so it’s visible, the on the reverse side, put your birth certificate face out so the details can be seen, that way you can show it without having to remove the documents.

Jerked Meats-you can seal up your own venison or salmon jerky, it will last for quite a while.

Local Honey–Honey has been known to last indefinitely if well preserved, I get local organic honey at the farmers market in glass jars, and then wrap the jars in bubble wrap and seal them up. Glass will break if dropped or clinked against something so make sure to bubble wrap the jar well.

Dried Fruits and Nuts-I especially like pecans and cashews so I buy cans of those and portion them out in seal a meal bags–they have the good fats in them. I also like dried cherries and strawberries and papaya, a spear or two of dried papaya every week will make your poop the consistency of mush and you will never be constipated-stands to reason, papaya is a natural tenderizer that breaks down food fibers. You can get a large bag for under $2 in the bulk foods section of any major grocery store

Photo Albums–if you are going to seal up any kind of paper goods they have to have stiff corners as the sealing process will crumple them all up otherwise.

Clothesline rope and clothespins–good to have for when you get to where you are going. Any good man can build the end supports for the clothesline and attach the rope for you–may take a pie or two to persuade him though.

Emergency Toilet Paper–as we all know, TP is a very fragile item if not stored properly and the most desirable in an emergency. The sealing process will flatten the roll but you can bend the internal paper tube back into shape once you open the bag. I bag up one roll per bag and throw a couple in your car trunk. Also to put it delicately, tampons and menstrual pads pack up easily and would be a great comfort to a female who may be embarrassed when her period begins. [JWR Adds: They also make good wound dressings.]

Clothing–a pair of clean socks, a pair of gloves and a clean pair of underpants can make a world of difference when yours are soaking wet and smelly. I keep a bagged set in the trunk-doesn’t take up much room.

Laundry detergent–I pre-measure 2 heaping cups of powder type laundry detergent and seal it up. I do not like the liquid as the lids on the jugs are not tight and the liquid will leak out all over your other goods. One bag should be good for a small load of heavily soiled clothing when hand washing in a bucket or washtub if you don’t have access to a motor driven washer. This way the powder is protected from absorbing water and spillage.

Soap and Washcloth–seal up a bar of your favorite soap and a washcloth or small hand towel. I make up several of these and keep one at work, one in the trunk, one in the go-bag at home–you never know where you will be when the smoke, dirt etc, will land on you. Throw in a handful of individual wet wipes if you like.

Make your own Breakfast and Lunch packets–I buy the boxes of high fiber oatmeal packets when on sale, and bag up 8 at a time–if watered down, that is enough for a family of 4 to have a nutritious breakfast for a couple days. I also make up emergency group lunch packets by combining 2 cups of instant rice with an envelope of the cheap brown gravy mix. You can do the same with stuffing mix or instant mashed potatoes, the goal is to get as many carbohydrates into you as possible if you are on the march and these items will not create much of a cooking smell to attract predators.

I will not mention liquor or cigarettes as those are wants, not needs, And if your adrenaline is pumping hard you won’t need any further stimulation.

Another suggestion: Once the SHTF, if you are near other humans and will be cooking anything that has a smell, like baking bread or frying meat or making coffee, wait until full dark, and keep lights from being seen. That way another person may smell what you are cooking but will not be able to see the smoke or follow the scent exactly.

And one closing suggestion: Every time you have an empty mineral water bottle or juice bottle, rinse and fill with water and add a couple drops of food grade hydrogen peroxide, and cap tightly and put up on the top closet shelf or under the sink, there’s always a little room, and the worst that will happen is in a year you may need to empty and refill them. As a test, try going for 8 hours without drinking any liquid and you will appreciate the necessity of having clean drinking water on hand.

Letter Re: A New Online Mapping Tool

JWR,
I thought you might be interested in this new mapping tool. It is much faster than Google Earth.  Is there nowhere to hide?

After opening the link to Showmystreet.com, type in the address you want slowly, letter by letter, space by space, and watch where it takes you, incrementally.

It located our home in the whole world after just seven strokes of the keys. – Rip

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader John C. recommended the wool Boreal Shirts made by Lester River Bushcraft. These are very sturdy, American-made, and in a color that blends in well in many environments.

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Stand by for some revelations about another one of Mikey Bloomberg’s “crime-fighting” mayors: Federal investigation of Pittsburgh police reaches Ravenstahl’s office. How many dirty mayors will it take before Mayors Against Illegal Guns loses any remaining shred of credibility? Meanwhile we read: Gov. Cuomo proposes anti-corruption bill that would ban convicted bribers from state business. Gee, if they can’t stop their many corrupt mayors from taking bribes, then perhaps they can stop companies from offering bribes. Oh, and in other news, thrice-convicted former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is still whining, but that is hardly a news flash.

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Laura D. suggested: Making fuel donuts with shredded paper and water.

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Jeff H. sent: The mass exodus of Christians from the Muslim world

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New Yorker reveals Aaron Swartz-inspired system to protect sources

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” – Luke 4:14-19 (KJV)

Notes from JWR:

Today is the birthday of Daniel B. Wesson (of Smith and Wesson fame) born in 1825.

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Today we present another entry for Round 46 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The 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), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) 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.

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 FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300 and 10 TAPCO polymer magazines (5 AR and 5 AK) courtesy of Armageddon Armory, E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials and F.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

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.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value. E.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value), and F.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 46 ends on May 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.

Checking Your Handguns for Feeding Problems: Round Nose Versus Hollow Points, by Z.T.

To any avid gun collector, this may seem to be old news. For those of you that this isn’t old news, it may save your life. You should take great care in your personal protection firearm and the ammunition you have loaded in it.

If you are like me, shooting your firearms is a hobby that has had to take a back seat because of today’s economy and political climate. For many years, it was nothing to go out and shoot a thousand rounds of ammunition for fun. It wasn’t even that long ago! I remember back in around 2006-2007, I could go to Wal-Mart and buy all the .45 ACP ammo I wanted  for $12 a box of 50 rounds. But today is a different day. You can scarcely find .45 ammo. And if you can, you are limited to 1 box a day and you will pay $26 for it. Period. And that will be for cheap ammo.

But, to the point, I am not even talking about shooting cheap ammunition.

Collecting firearms has finally become a reality to me…or it had…and despite the relatively high prices and scarcity of quality firearms, I am still fortunate enough to be able to buy a little here and there. Yet, despite having a little extra money to buy the gun itself, being able to go about and pop off 500 rounds isn’t feasible for me. As a result, I did something that I hear is very common–and dangerous–these days:

I buy the gun, 50 rounds of inexpensive ammo, and 20 rounds of good defense rounds. I go to the range and shoot the 50 rounds to make sure the gun runs, than I stick the premium rounds in it, stick in in the holster, and call it a day.

Believe it or not, this is a life-threatening mistake.

This past weekend, the rain was beating down outside which caused all of my family outdoors activity to be canceled. Desperate for something to do, I decided to clean all of my pistols. In particular, I was cleaning two of my carry pistols, a Taurus PT-145 Millennium Pro .45 ACP  and a Taurus TCP .380.

As I was saying, both of these guns are recent purchases, both within the last year. I had put less than 50 rounds of ammo through each of them. I had put ZERO self defense rounds through them. Both are loaded with Hornady Critical Defense for self protection.

Now, quoting from their web site:

“The patented Flex Tip® technology used in Critical Defense® ammunition eliminates the clogging and inconsistency that often plagues hollow point bullets. ?”

They make a fantastic round, but despite the claims, when I finished up reassembling each gun, I cycled a few rounds through it. Guess what. They jammed. Both guns. Multiple times.

I picked up my Springfield Armory 1911, which has had a good bit of work in massaging the feed ramp and it had zero problems feeding the rounds.

Okay. So, now what? Well, racking the slide to check for feeding problems isn’t exactly exact, so there is only one thing to do to verify whether or not your firearm will feed the self defense rounds: Go fire it. Now, I know that’s easier said than done. A box of 20 rounds for any common caliber is going to cost you $25 dollars. And you really need to shoot several boxes through it. $100 is a lot of money to most people, not to mention the time to go out and do it. But, it’s a necessary thing. Your life depends on it.

I have hinted around at it, and surely you have figured it out by now. If you haven’t, consider the situation (heaven forbid it actually happen, but in today’s world, you better be ready) where you have to defend yourself and others against an assailant. You pull the gun out, take aim, get a shot off. Maybe it hits. Maybe it doesn’t. In either case, you should always shoot until the mag is empty. But, to your surprise, the spent casing ejects and the next round hangs on the feed ramp. It takes about three seconds, best case, to dislodge and reload. What do you think will happen in those three seconds? Anything. And that’s the point.

I am as cheap as the next person, but this reality really hit home for me. Why? Because I have to think of myself and others I protect….and, what about my wife who also carries. What will she do if her gun hangs up? Cheap or not, money is a stupid reason to get yourself or a loved one shot, especially if $100 is what you “saved”.

The question you may have is “why does it jam up?”

First off, I want to shake off a common misconception. A gun hanging up hollow points isn’t a sign of a defective gun. Take the 1911, for example. The 1911 is one, if not the most, sought after handguns. It is one of the most popular handguns on the planet. It helped win two World Wars. It’s still used by many armies. It is a favorite of gun collectors everywhere. But, it was also designed to shoot full metal jacket (“ball”) round-nosed ammunition. You go buy a nice 1911 and try and cycle hollow point ammo through it and more often than not, a 1911 will have issues. Let’s be honest, even 90% feeding success ratio isn’t going to make any one feel good in a live fire situation.

These feed ramps, and the mating surface to them, are all made on different machines by different operators. Because of this, some of the pieces don’t mate up just perfectly. Sometimes there are tool marks from the machining processes. Maybe there are some imperfections due to what-have-you. While many gun companies out there do their due diligence and spend the extra time working on these finer points, the cost is passed on to the consumer. You. So, if you are like me and you are staring at the gun case wondering if you should get a Smith & Wesson or a Taurus, keep in mind that one of the reasons (other than the name) that one cost more than the other is usually the fit and finish. I know that’s an over used phrase, but it’s accurate in this case. Are the surfaces matched perfectly? Are the surfaces cleaned and massaged? Maybe. Maybe not.

So, you go out and you shoot up a bunch of expensive ammo. The gun hangs up. Now what? Well, this is the crux of this post, really.

You have several options:

  1. The most common fix that I have seen is that people will massage the feed ramp and related pieces of the gun by light sanding and polishing. A quick search on the Internet will unearth a lot of information about how to do it. But, I caution any of you to go sanding and polishing on your firearm unless you really know what you are doing or you have enough money to go buy a new gun. There are a lot of things that you must also consider, like lined barrels. Even if you do a terrific job, you may destroy the coating that came on the barrel. It’s very easy to ruin a gun, period. A little too much sanding…or uneven sanding….and you have misshaped the critical parts of your firearm.  
  2. Take it to a gunsmith. You know the saying “you get what you pay for.” You may have to be without your gun for a long time. It may cost you more money. But, you will get a much more  reliable piece back. If you only have one defense gun, or don’t have much money, this can present a problem. But, in the end, this is really the best solution to fixing it. It is value adding, too.
  3. Shoot 500 to 1,000 rounds of ball round nose ammo through it in order to smooth those imperfections out. Now. I know many of you are laughing. Me to. Yesterday when I was doing some research, I came across this solution. It is absolutely a viable solution that works most of the time. But, I thought…”how in the world could I even find that much ammo, much less afford it”. Then I looked at the date of the article….2006. Again, if you are well off enough to still be able to shoot…this is a great solution! The passage of the round will knock down and smooth out the mating surfaces, as well as coat the imperfection with copper jacketing. [JWR Adds: Successively hand-cycling but not firing 1,000 cartridges through your pistol will also help. But because this will put a lot of wear on the cartridges, it is best to use the same 50 cartridges repeatedly, and then actually shoot them, the 20th time that you cycle them through the gun. And, needless to say, it is absolutely essential that you use a safe backstop when hand-cycling the cartridges, in the event of an accidental trigger press.]
  4. Don’t carry autoloading pistols. Many men will laugh at this. But don’t think of yourself. Think of your wives. If they are like mine, they already don’t want to carry a chambered round in their auto loader. Which means that in a shooter situation, they have to pull it out of their purse, chamber a round, and fire. Why not do what millions have done before and buy her a revolver. I will be honest. This was my solution for my wife.
  5. Only shoot ball nose ammunition through the gun. I know…everyone wants fancy ammo. Does it make a difference? Sure. Absolutely. But ball ammo can do nearly as much damage. If you plan on filling an assailant with half a dozen holes, it really won’t matter whether they came from ball or hollow point. Going back to our 1911 example, this gun and ball ammunition has killed a lot of people. Now, if you only get one round into Mr. Perpetrator, then yes, I would rather have a hollow point. In some cases though, you may be better off with ball anyway. Take the case where an assailant has body armour. A hollow point will expand on contact and won’t penetrate. Ball will hold together better and give you the best chance at penetrating.

So, in summation: Don’t buy a gun and just try it out with ball, then throw fancy hollowpoint ammo in it and assume that it will function. It’s a dangerous proposition that may have a bad ending. Know how your gun will function in all situations and take steps to rectify any potential issues. It could save your life. And saving your life is worth  a lot more than saving a few dollars.

Letter Re: Stocking Up on 12 Gauge Shotshells

James,
To follow up on a recent letter: Yes, stock up on shotgun shells! The availability of shotgun shells here locally (northern Gulf Coast) seems to have improved in some stores-but by no means all retail outlets- in recent weeks. For a while there wasn’t much to be found. Shells that were available generally had a high price or were of a variety that fell outside the range of everyday use (i.e. high-priced shells loaded with tungsten or steel shot.) If a person needs shotshells and you can find a good product that meets your needs, then I suggest you buy them by the case. If you don’t, then your only regret will be not buying them when you had the opportunity. – J.B. and Co.

Economics and Investing:

Reader Ben H. sent: Argentines are now allowed to know the real rate of inflation, thanks to their courts

The facts behind the mountain of student debt: 13 percent of students owe more than $50,000 and nearly 4 percent owe more than $100,000.

Items from The Economatrix:

Marc Faber:  “Something Will Break Very Badly”

The Economic Collapse of Japan Is Now In Progress — All The Elements Are In Place For A Debt Crisis

Fed’s Fisher To Santelli: “This Can’t Go On Forever”

Odds ‘n Sods:

Two evidences of the consequences of shifting to round-the-clock AR-15 production: Brand New AR-15 Bolt Disintegrates, Owner Not Happy and, by way of a link from Tam’s blog, we read: Supply sorta meeting demand…

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R.B.S. sent a link to a fantastic un-narrated documentary video: The Phillips Brothers Mill: a steam powered wooden box factory. His comments: “One of the better videos I’ve seen. I think you will enjoy it. Lots of ways to get hurt, burned, or dismembered here! Not OSHA approved.” BTW, not shown is their rough-cut sawmill, also on the property.

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Frequent content contributor Jim W. recommended: Fifteen “Must-Have” Downloads

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Also from Jim, this from Project Gutenberg: Deadfalls and Snares, skinning, trapping, etc.

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Just for fun: Space Oddity

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask [help] of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,
And said, O LORD God of our fathers, [art] not thou God in heaven? and rulest [not] thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand [is there not] power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
[Art] not thou our God, [who] didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,
If, [when] evil cometh upon us, [as] the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name [is] in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.” – 2 Chronicles 20:4-9 (KJV)

Notes from JWR:

We are pleased to welcome two new advertisers to SurvivalBlog: Fisch Instruments of South Africa, and novelist John Heatherly. Both had been on our advertising waiting list for more than two years.

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Today we present another entry for Round 46 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The 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), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) 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.

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 FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300 and 10 TAPCO polymer magazines (5 AR and 5 AK) courtesy of Armageddon Armory, E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials and F.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

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.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value. E.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value), and F.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 46 ends on May 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.

The Newest Mutant, The H7N9 Virus: Could it Be Headed to a Country Near You?, by Doctor’s Wife

H7N9: What should I do?

As of the recent date of writing this article, the CDC does not have any new or special recommendations for the U.S. public at this time regarding H7N9. There is currently no vaccine to prevent H7N9. CDC will keep you updated. If you live outside of the U.S., search the WHO web site often. Stay informed.

Since H7N9 is not spreading easily from person to person at this time, CDC does not recommend that people delay or cancel trips to China. The World Health Organization also is watching this situation closely and does not recommend any travel restrictions.

CDC advises travelers to China to take some common sense precautions, like not touching birds or other animals and washing hands
often. Poultry and poultry products should be fully update its advice for travelers if the situation in guidance is available at Avian Flu (H7N9) in China.
cooked. CDC will China changes. This

The foregoing content is provided and maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Okay, I’m on notice, but What should I be doing now to get prepared?

Here are some Helpful thoughts and actions to consider being taken now, to assist your families in being prepared for this next epidemic in the making.
In our home, we are preparing for this H7N9 virus, and getting a two month jumpstart on our normal farm and home routines schedule. One of those ramped up to today instead of waiting until July, is making my family’s annual batch of Sambucus nigra Elderberry Tincture, now.
But what is that, and why use that? So glad you asked!

We use it routinely as a supplement, because consuming Elderberry Tincture made with Sambucus nigra elderberries, is an effective alternative to Western pharmaco-medicine. This supplement has shown very positive results in preventing virus’s from clinging to the body’s healthy cells and aiding the passage of the virus out of the body, all naturally! The commercially made product, marketed as Sambucol, blunts the haemaglutinin spikes on the outside of viruses and stops them from entering cells where they reproduce, causing the cell to explode and allows the virus to continue invading the body. Also, in vitro study, its results has also shown Sambucol to be effective in increasing the production of four inflammatory cytokines, which are effective in boasting your body’s immunity, suggesting that the intake of this supplement may have an immuno-stimulatory effect and therefore be worth taking all year round to prevent flu and other viral disease.

Besides, with all this research findings to prove its effectiveness, my maternal Yugoslavian Great-Great Grandmother made Elderberry Tincture for her family and passed on these recipes for us to use and bless US Centers for others with good health for future generations. There are many clinical research trials on the product called Sambucus available on the web for you to additionally search and read more for yourself. Here are a couple: Read what the Israeli research says! 99% EFFECTIVE!

“Retroscreen Virology, a leading British medical research institute associated to Queen Mary College, University of London, announced that Sambucol was at least 99% effective against the avian flu virus, H5N1, and in cell cultures significantly neutralized the infectivity of the virus.”

Great! So Can I make my own? and, if so, How do I make my own? Again, glad you asked! YES!

How to make Homemade Sambucus nigra, Elderberry Tincture

Note: Not recommended for administration to Children or alcoholics, due to the high alcohol content.
Materials and Ingredients needed:
6 pint mason jars with lids and ring bands 1 1/2 lbs. of Sambucus nigra, Elderberries 2 fifth bottles of any inexpensive brand, unflavored 80 proof vodka
Order or buy the dried elderberries from a reliable health food store, or from an online source. Herbalcom.com is an inexpensive
source to consider. Amazon.com also has several suppliers available.

Fill a large stainless steel stock pot 1/2 full of potable water, and bring the water to a boil. Carefully submerge all 6 pint sized mason jars, lids, and ring bands, and one stainless steel serving spoon in the boiling water, and set your timer to boil for 15 minutes. Turn off your heat source. Carefully remove the jars with clean tongs, pour off any water in them and lightly shake off
the lids and band rings of water, and allow these to cool to room temperature on a fresh clean towel, with all flat surfaces facing up, to dry.

Using the sterilized spoon, scoop straight into the mylar bag they are packaged in and fill each of the cooled sterilized jars with elderberries up to the 1/3rd full mark. Set the berry filled jars aside.
Now pour the 80 proof vodka into the jars to fill up the jars remaining 2/3rd space, to near totally full. Leave a sparse 1/8th inch head space at the top of the jar unfilled.
Then seal up the jars, by placing on the clean lids and apply the band rings snugly. Place them gently in a cabinet or, on a shelf that is out of any source of direct light and also away from any heat source. They will stay here for 14 days. You can keep the berries in the jars for longer, but 14 days will be the minimum adequate time for the berries to finish soaking in the vodka. Take the jars in hand and once a day shake up the jars contents very well. During this osmotic process that is taking place over the 14 days, the elderberries will be taking up the alcohol and successively extracting off the berries medicinal anti-viral properties into the liquid, to give you a quality finished product of tincture of the berries.

After 14 or more days, (but never longer than 21 days), use a sieve strainer to separate the berries from the juice caught into a clean bowl. Press down on the berries in the sieve strainer with your spoon, to get all of the juice from them into the bowl of tincture.

Finally, pour your filtered elderberry tincture back into the jars and place the rinsed clean lids back on and tighten the ring bands well. Label the jars with contents and date. There is no need to heat or pressure seal the jars like you would in canning. In fact, a heating process used on this tincture would kill the anti-viral properties of it. Your tincture should keep for storage and use for a few years, as long as it is stored in a cool, dry location. The vodka is also the long term preservative medium in this recipe. You now have your own homemade Elderberry tincture to begin using.
Okay, now while that recipe is being turned into usable tincture, you may want to also create this temporary use syrup, which has a “no wait time”, to consume it for some protection of boasting your immunity with a ready-made homemade supplement. It will get you through an unexpected “viral flu attack” season, or again, through the period of time while waiting for the more anti-viral potent tincture to age for use.

Homemade Elderberry Syrup
Note: can be considered for use of children over 24 months of age. Raw Honey should never be administered to children under the age of 2 years.

2 cups dried Sambucus nigra elderberries 1 quart of boiling water 1/4 cup raw honey 1/4 lemon juice
Put the elderberries in a non-reactive metal or glass saucepan, add the boiling water and cover the pan and leave it out on the stove or counter to soak overnight. The next day, low simmer the berries for 30 minutes, set aside to cool a little, then put the mixture in a food processor or blend them.
Once blended well, add the honey and lemon juice. Cool, then pour into a clean mason jar or dark glass bottle. Store this in the refrigerator and use the syrup daily.
Here, I offer other important considerations to take to help boost and prepare the human body’s immune system in protecting it from viruses, and other physical and logistical preparations to make and consider for your family to do now, don’t dawdle!

1. Adults, and teens, start taking 2000 UI per day (one pill) of Vitamin D3, and extra Vit C. consumption.
Note: The Fat soluble vitamins, which are vitamins A,D,E & K can be toxic to your body organs if you take dosages past the recommended daily allowances.

2. Begin to increase that dosage US, to 4000 UI per day (two pills) of Vitamin D3, only for the duration of the epidemic.

3. Also start taking one tablespoon of Elderberry Tincture, per day and continue to do so, or make the Elderberry syrup and begin using it now, and until the viral epidemic is cleared by the CDC or becomes non-life threatening in the your region.

4. Note: There is a non-alcoholic version of Sambcus available for small children, Nature’s Answer Sambucus nigra Black Elder Berry Extract Kids Formula, just look for Sambucus nigra at your local health store, or order some online now. Don’t wait until the virus is reported in the US, because it will become scarce or totally unavailable when the virus starts spreading to our country’s geographical direction.

5. Prepare to not leave your home once the virus has entered into your geographical region. Consider enforcing a rule in your own homes, of no outside human contact, other than with those staying quarantined inside of your own household or property gate. Consider options for your work outside of the home. Consider having any normal prescheduled farm or home need deliveries of animal feed, fuel, hay, or supplies done now, instead of later.
A self imposed protective quarantine or closing off your property to others is strongly advised if this virus becomes epidemic and deadly. Bookmark and Check your state dept. of health and the CDC web sites daily to see where the virus is being transmitted from and moving to, so you will know to effectuate this protective quarantine of your family.

6. Do not handle mail or packages delivered by the mail carriers or from delivery carriers during this self imposed quarantine.

7. Dehydration is caused due to loss of body fluids by high fever and sweating, in loss of respiratory secretions associated with respiratory infections, with nausea, which causes vomiting and with diarrhea, which are all showing to be significant symptoms of this virus, that can quickly become life threatening if you are not prepared to immediately counter their effects of the body and actively treat them. Children and infants have much less body mass, and if they develop any of these symptoms and continue having them excessively for prolonged periods, over 4 hours, you should seek emergent medical help.

For the whole family’s use, have extra potable water stored for use, store Pedialyte, Extra Formula, Gatorade powders, Tylenol,(acetaminophen), Aspirin and otc anti-diarrheals and remember to get on hand extra of any medications you are already prescribed to take if the Virus jumps from Asia to the routinely. Procure and store several boxes of disposable nitrile gloves, kleenex tissues, extra toilet paper, disposable towels, disposable eating utensils and plates and large garbage type plastic bags for trash disposal use.

8. Stay Home and away from crowds of people. If you must absolutely go out into the general public due to emergency needs which cannot be met at home during this epidemic, you will need to wear N95 masks and gloves at all times, with long sleeves and long pants, cover your body up as much as possible, as this flu is transmitted by human contact on any surface contact made by carriers of this virus. Don’t hug, kiss, or shake hands. Disrobe immediately upon returning to your home from the outside world, disrobe in the garage or carport, and then bag up your soiled clothes. Discard the disposable mask and then take off and dispose of the gloves, into a bag lined lidded bucket placed outside of your home. Wash your clothing separately from others in your household, in hot soapy water and wash your face and hands, better yet, go take a hot shower, wash your hair, and add the towels you use to the washing machine with your dirty clothing. Don’t forget to disinfect your car wheel, and mobile phone, and seats and floor board and mats.

Again, make sure you have ample supplies that you will need to use, on hand in your home, your vehicles, at your work place, as well as ample food stocks and water set aside in every number of the locations you may decide you need to move from or go to.

9. Make provisions for bagging up or burning your household trash. Do not handle your curb-side waste containers that have been handled by contracted disposal companies.

10. Take special precautions to wash your hands often during the day with soap and water, before and after going shopping for your food at the grocery, wipe off cans and packaging before you bring them into your home from your vehicle. Wash up after handling any produce or food imported from other outside countries, and after handling any food preparation tools. Especially be cautious after touching any live animals. Do not let your pets have free run outside of your property gates. Use meticulous washing after using public restrooms. Use a paper towel to touch a public restroom door to exit it. Wash surface areas with diluted bleach water mixed at a 10:1 ratio in a spray bottle. Don’t forget to wipe down your phone receiver often and computer mouse and keyboard.

I am a holistic medicine-practicing RN, and wife to a MD. I have No affiliations with any companies mentioned in this article other than purchasing some of their quality products for our home use, nor have I merited by any free products or compensation for the recommendations of their products. Also, you are responsible for what you consume into your own body, thus I am not advocating intake of any substance to which you have not thoroughly researched for yourself. As with any human consumption, allergies to substances need to be heeded and avoided in the ingredients noted in any of these recipes, if you are known to have allergic food reactions. Dosages of alternative products made yourself need to be titrated individually and according to the
products used and to your body weight and age.

I pray that this information will be fruitful to you and will assist you and your family, in being prepared for the next coming epidemic.
GodSpeed to your Health Preparations and May HE Bless you and Shelter your family with Protections from this Deadly Disease!

Letter Re: Stocking Up on 12 Gauge Shotshells

JWR,
 I am struck by the continued availability of a variety of 12 gauge during this severe ammo shortage.  As we all know, the 12 gauge is probably one of the most versatile and powerful firearms we can have in a survival battery, or even just to have around during normal times.  I live in Houston, Texas and can’t vouch for the rest of the country but I see plenty of 12 Gauge ammo everywhere I go.  The Bass Pro Shops flyer I just got even has Federal target loads in it for $6.49 per box of 25, that’s 26 cents per round!  With 9mm, .223, and the like hovering around an average of $1 per round, this seems like a steal, by comparison.  Anyway, all the sporting good stores used to have plenty of sales on a variety of ammo, but now the only thing anyone seems to have enough of to even bother advertising is the 12 Gauge.  Yes, maybe some 20 gauge and .410 as well.  My point is: like-minded individuals should take this opportunity to make sure they are fully stocked with all flavors of shotshells.  Just six months ago it seemed absurd to think that we would now have a hard time finding .22 Long Rifle ammo.  Most would say we have not entered TEOTWAWKI as of yet, but the bare ammo shelves at the store make me wonder.  Even my 12 year old son is taken aback by the continued sight of these bare shelves.  Could the shotgun shells be gone in the next six months?  What a scary sight that would be. – David O.