Letter Re: Simple Prepping for the Suburban Home

Dear Editor:
Keep-it-Simple Suburbanite made a common error in thinking that home canning butter is a good idea. Canning butter at home is not a good idea. Botulism toxin cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted and it can be present in canned butter. I’m guessing that Keep-it-Simple heated the butter and either water-bathed it or simply sealed the hot jars without processing. Heat shocks botulism spores (which are normally harmless) into producing the toxin. To prevent that, botulism needs the much higher temperature of pressure canning to be killed. Even then, fat molecules in foods such as butter and cheese can encapsulate botulism and protect it from the heat of canning, allowing the toxin to form.

Botulism poisoning is rare and I’d like to keep it that way. Most low-acid foods that are canned incorrectly can be made safe to eat by bringing the food to a boil and continuing to boil for 10 minutes at sea level, longer for higher elevations. Obviously, that won’t work for canned butter. For those who persist in unsafe canning practices, they should warn anyone who is about to eat it, or stir it well (stirring is necessary because botulism toxin can exist in pockets in thick food) and eat a bite of the food before serving it to others. That way they will be the first and only victim of poisoning if the food is contaminated. If the home canner doesn’t become ill, then the food is safe to serve to others. Botulism toxin is classified as a biological weapon by the government. It disrupts nerve function, causing paralysis. It is usually very fast acting. When botulism poisoning occurs now, there is a good chance of living if medical intervention is fast. However, the victim often has permanent nerve damage and will very likely have a shortened life. In a short-term SHTF event, or long-term TEOTWAWKI, the victim will die. For myself and my family, I’d rather go without [stored] butter. – Bonnie in Washington

Letter Re: Maximizing and Extending Your Tomato Harvest

Good Morning Mr. Rawles,
This is not necessarily directed toward the propagation and extending of tomato harvests, but geared more toward making your tomatoes better. I have found that amending the soil (pouring a quarter to a half a cup in the hole before planting) of powdered milk has a profound effect on the growth of tomatoes.

The tomatoes will grow a little shorter, significantly more stout, and have a darker green color. They even produced about the same number of flowers and tomatoes. I am sad to say that I could not do a taste test between the fruit of the two groups (non milk and milk) because a hailstorm came by and flattened the thinner non-milk tomatoes.

Better to have a hardy crop than broken stems! – Jim S.

Economics and Investing:

Chris D. suggested this: Fed’s $16 Trillion Dollar Secret Slush Fund Props Up Our Way Of Life. The enormity of this secret bailout is staggering. The math on this is pretty simple: If you double the money supply, what can you expect to happen to the purchasing power of the currency? Hmmmm? Get ready for inflation and higher gold prices.The National Inflation Association (NIA) reports:” Currently, the U.S. ‘officially’ has 261 Million ounces of gold. If U.S. money-$13.5 Trillion in M3- were backed by “U.S. gold”, there would be over $51,724 Dollars for every one ounce of gold.” (So, after the $16 trillion in new “from thin air” money….)

Jim Rogers: “Get Ready for the Next Financial Crisis”

The Never-ending Depression

Jeff B. sent this video from Tacoma, Washington: An Elaborate Welfare Housing Project.

Memphis Board Delay’s School Year Start Indefinitely in Demand for City Funds

SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson suggested this: Coal-fired power plants may have to close or cut operations

Yishai mentioned this over at Lew Rockwell’s blog: Gasoline at 20 Cents a Gallon. (If you pay in silver coins.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Preparing For The Worst As Debt-Limit Talks Drag On

Impasse Over US Debt Limit Sends Stocks Lower

Fiat Currency Is The Bubble, Not Gold

Gold Price Forecast Rise as Jitters Intensify

Odds ‘n Sods:

Sale ends tonight! Ready Made Resources is running a two-day special 25% off sale on Mountain House canned long term storage foods on July 25th and 26th. They are offering free shipping on case lots, any multiples of six cans of the same variety per case. And, if your order at least one full case of the same Mountain House item in #10 cans, you can add a Katadyn pocket water filter for just $279 ($40 off.) Don’t miss out!

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Report: China building electromagnetic pulse weapons for use against U.S. carriers

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Reader R.J.R. suggested this article: Gambiologia, The Brazilian Art and Science of Kludging

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In an attempt to grow their emergency preparedness business, Providence Supplies (in Canada) is now be issuing a coupon can be redeemed at SilverGoldBull.com for some substantial savings. Please contact them at providencesupplies@gmail.com for more details.

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Blistering heat wave stressing nation’s power grid

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Some commentary by our friend Tamara: Speaking of bloody shirt waving… Oh, and just as I posited on Sunday: Breivik isn’t a Christian. (Thanks to K.A.F. for the latter link.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Some people are contriving ways and means of making us collapse.” – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, as quoted in 2008, at near the height of the country’s currency hyperinflation.

Notes from JWR:

I heard that Ready Made Resources is running a two-day special 25% off sale on Mountain House canned long term storage foods on July 25th and 26th. They are offering free shipping on case lots, any multiples of six cans of the same variety per case. And, if your order at least one full case of the same Mountain House item in #10 cans, you can add aKatadyn pocket water filter for just $279 ($40 off.) Don’t miss out!

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Today we present another entry for Round 35 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) 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 B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) 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, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) 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.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 35 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

SHTF Electricity Basics, by M.N.

Most of us are accustomed to having safe, easy, instant access to electricity. After a disaster electrical power is low on the hierarchy of needs.  On the other hand, avoiding electricity may become a priority.  Damp clothes and wet, lacerated skin make us much more vulnerable to electrocution.  By definition, improvised or post disaster grid power won’t be as safe as we’re used to today.   After a disaster, electricity becomes an elemental threat that can kill you dead if you miscalculate.

If you’re lucky enough to be able to prepare a bastion with solar and generator power, do a good job now and you won’t have to worry later. Many of us don’t have the means to make this choice, and will instead make do with a combination of bugging out or bugging in.  What follows are my suggestions gained from experience doing off grid solar work in the Third World, disaster relief and maintaining remote scientific equipment.  I am not a licensed electrician.

If you find yourself needing AC power in a location you haven’t prepared, or your existing environment has suddenly changed for the wetter and worse and you want to improvise a solution, stop!  Turn off AC breakers and avoid AC power until you have the time and mental space to make sure things are done right. In the mean time, if you’ve prepared, an affordable toolbox-sized 12 volt DC power system can keep you in charged AA batteries, light and radio communications. It is possible to hurt yourself with a low voltage system, but the starting risks are much lower than with 120 VAC. You’ll also have the benefit of traveling with a system you prepared and know you can rely on. Home Power magazine’s web site and the Internet have plenty of advice for building portable DC photovoltaic (PV) power systems, so I’ll cover aspects unique to this audience. The product links are examples rather than specific product recommendations.

Must-Have Tools

Multimeters help make safe improvisation possible.  You can buy a simple meter for AC/DC Volt-Ohm meter for around $5 on eBay and not much more at a local Radio Shack. Used ones will work fine. Buy a stack of them, so that you can afford mistakes and to allow for wear and tear on their test leads. Older analog panel [pivoting needle] volt meters that don’t need a battery are more repairable, but less protected against humidity and drops.

Splicing Wires 
Plan A is to buy a butane powered soldering iron and learn to solder. Learn how from YouTube or at Sparkfun.com. First practice getting two wires to stay connected and how to solder a wire to a copper pad. That will cover most of the repairs or modifications you may need to do.  12 volt and A-battery powered soldering irons exist, but a butane soldering iron has consistently worked best for me outdoors.  

Plan B is to stock up on [solderless] splicing hardware.  For temporary work, I prefer Euro style terminal connector blocks. These are fully insulated devices that let you securely join two wires using a flat blade screwdriver. They’re hard to use incorrectly. Wire nuts work too, but be sure stock up on tape to use with them.   A cheap and sturdy screw driver spice for larger wire can be found in your hardware store as a “well pipe waterproof splice kit”.  If you need waterproofing and strain relief, then wrap the wire in self-fusing silicone tape. This tape stores well for several years in Ziploc bags or in a heat sealed plastic.

Strongly Recommended Tools
At some point you’ll need a tool that requires a 17.1 volt proprietary battery.  DC-DC switching converters are the solution for using a standard battery with this tool.   Most readers have used an adapter to drop a 12 volt battery down to something safe for a cell phone or radio. Older models got very hot to the touch, as they converted excess voltage (and half of the precious watts) into heat. Newer models use a “Buck Converter” which can be more than 90% efficient.  If you need to get from a pair of AA batteries to 5 volts, you need a “Boost Converter” to increase the voltage.  Some circuit designs combine the two. A “Buck/Boost” allows 9-16 volt input to produce a constant 12 volts output.  The catch is that Buck and Boost converters require the output to be 1-3 volts different from the Input. So you may not be able to get from 12 volts to 11. Buck/Boost circuits tend to allow a smaller input range, and usually handle fewer watts than comparable dedicated Buck or Boost circuits. 

Commercial DC/DC products exist, but tend to require small proprietary parts too easily lost in an emergency. I recommend buying parts used for industrial prototyping. These tend to be made in China using the exact reference specifications of the DC-DC chip maker.  Look for models that allow a screwdriver to change the output voltage, and if possible, allow you to set the output current (this reduces the number of fuses required). Well-built models include heat sinks, potting/ plastic to protect the circuit, and ideally screw terminals for the inputs and outputs. I’ve had good luck with models from xscyz.com. Keywords to look for on eBay or other sites are LM2577 (boost) and  LM2596 (buck). With a current limiting Boost converter and a multimeter, you could permanently power that 17.1 volt device directly from a 12 volt solar panel or a handful of double AA batteries.

Fuses exist to reduce the risk to you and to equipment you won’t be able to replace in an emergency.  This includes things like wires we now take for granted.  For DC systems, put fuses at the battery, between strings of batteries, and on the cord of every item you can’t replace. Put fuses between the solar panel and the power plug used to connect it to the charge controller. ATC automotive blade type fuses have many advantages:  They’re easy to use, water resistant holders are cheap, and you can get them in a wide variety of amperages down to 1 amp.  ATC form- factor circuit breakers are available.  Standardize and stock up, particularly on the small sizes that make debugging short circuits safer for your equipment.

Obtain several microprocessor-controlled DC-powered chargers for AA batteries. You’ll want the ability to charge just one AA or handfuls at the same time.  

Nice to haves:
For circuits below 1 amp, manufacturers use cylindrical glass fuses in too many different sizes. Whenever possible I avoid them by switching to a self-resetting fuse called a Polymeric Positive Temperate Coefficient (PPTC) thermistor. These devices get hot and trip like a circuit breaker when there’s a problem. After power is removed, the PPTC will cool down and reset.  You can buy radial  PPTCs from Digikey.com or Mouser.com for about 40 cents each. If you’re very lucky, there’s a local electronics supply or television repair shop selling them near you.  PPTCs can be used in parallel, but may not be appropriate in very hot or cold conditions.

Many SurvivalBlog readers have already discovered Anderson Power Pole connectors. By combining colors and polarization you can make a DC power system that’s hard to assemble incorrectly. I use yellow and black connectors for the solar panel to the charge control, then red and black for the charge control to battery. I use color beside black to mean 12 volts. With 5 volts I use violet and place the color above black. This looks different and is impossible to plug into 12 volts.  This is not the Anderson standard, but I try to use polarization for things that would be disastrous to plug together, and colors for reminders that are protected by a fuse and can wait until I have a light.  

Buy an older copy of the book Illustrated Guide to the National Electrical Code (NEC). You may never need it, but a used copy is less than $10, and you’ll have the answers.  Mirrors of MikeHolt.com and the John Wiles Code Corner would also be useful.

Thanks to car culture, there is a wide choice of waterproof 12 volt LED light strips.  I find that most of these crack and fail within a few years. I’ve found the UV-stabilized strip lighting for ponds seems to wear better.

A non contact voltage tester like a Fluke AC Non-Contact Voltage Testeris handy today, and could be a lifesaver when testing if pipes or other unexpected items are electrified.  A ubiquitous receptacle tester is a more simple way to do the most useful AC checks around a house.

The last and most optional part is a DC watt meter like the “Watt’s Up”. These devices measure voltage and current, but also keep track of watt hours used. Track the power put into your battery by day to know your power ration at night.

Saving your life with a multi-meter
Fallen and flooded power lines are obvious threats, but there are two subtle AC power problems likely to increase after an emergency: poorly installed systems and grounding issues.  The good news is that checking for these problems is fast and simple.  You may not have the luxury of fixing things, but you can quickly leave or reduce your risks.  

The normal NEMA (“surprised face” style) North American wall outlet has three wires: The tall slot is the neutral wire, the short slot is the hot wire and the round one is a ground.  If you look at a light bulb socket, the outside rim is the neutral, and the inner dot the hot wire.  Modern appliances will have the outside metal shell connected to ground.

If everything is built to code, back at your circuit panel, the neutral wire is connected to the ground line and a big copper spike in the earth.  This makes sure that when you stand on a wet floor and touch the outside of a light bulb socket, the neutral line will have a better connection to the earth than your body and you won’t get shocked (as badly).

In practice, people frequently wire things backwards so that the outside of the light is hot and your body is the best path to ground. This is particularly common on cheap generators that require some assembly.  Dangerous inside a dry room, but suicidal outside after a hurricane.

Having multiple connections to ground can be dangerous. A common example is a site between two widely spaced generators or long extension cords between houses. Under the wrong circumstances, simply touching both grounding wires can give you a shock, and touching the ground from one and neutral from the other is likely to be fatal.  The fast fix is to remove all connections to one power source from your area. All other solutions are more complicated, requiring study and spare equipment you might not have.

To find out if you have a wiring problem, first pause and reflect if you can test a socket without increasing your risk and if you are certain you can test without your body becoming part of an electrical circuit. If so, use a receptacle tester or follow your multimeter’s instructions to measure AC voltage. There should be roughly 120 volts between neutral and hot.  If it’s down around 90 and you’re using a lot of power, someone probably disabled a circuit breaker and your risk is higher. If there’s .05 or zero volts you probably don’t have a real ground spike connection.  This is common with inverters.  If there are 90+ volts between neutral and ground, measure hot to ground. The circuit is probably installed backwards.

If there are more than 2-3 volts between neutral and ground in an average house, there had better be a good reason. Sadly, there are both legitimate reasons and dangerous reasons, which is why we have electricians and the NEC. The danger increases with the voltage. Above 5 volts, you almost certainly aren’t getting the protection you and your equipment want.

Finally, measure voltage between the plug ground and water pipes or other metal things that are likely to connect to the ground. If you might have two sources of power, measure the voltage between ground plug holes.  Anything above 2-3 volts between grounds is cause for concern.

You now know if the outlet is good, gray area, or obviously bad.  Your safety is up to you. Reflect if near this outlet is likely to get more dangerous (wetter).  Avoid combinations of temporary electricity and any existing plumbing or electrical infrastructure.  Set up the generator powered radio out of reach of the sink and tape over the nearby wall plug.  Put one hand behind your back before flipping circuit breakers, touching new appliances or testing circuits.  This is all common sense, but many of us have to unlearn decades of being lucky breaking the rules. The AC checks show if your environment is really as normal as it seems.  

Photovoltaic Power for the Bug Out Bag
There are four problems to overcome: Getting enough watts from the sun, building something that travels well, keeping it affordable, and having it work when you need it.  

There are some great looking solar chargers that would fit in a normal bug-out bag. Most of them tend to be fragile, non repairable, and have about 5 watts of solar power. When combined with bad weather and poor solar tracking (lashed to a backpack), this frequently isn’t enough to keep up with the demands of flashlights. 

I favor 20 watts in a more luggable 25 pound system using standard parts. I can’t carry it at a dead run, but it travels well by car or bike and I can take it to a new house if need be. Most important, one sunny day can get me several days of power.

Smaller panels cost more than larger ones and need more mounting hardware to be useful.   Unbreakable panels cost 2-4 times more, so I’ve chosen to buy more  breakable panels as spares and trade goods.  Right now the best value /portability compromise is a 20 watt glass panel with a surface measuring about 2 feet by 1 foot. Sandwiching between pegboard and foam insulation protects them. Look for UL-listed panels, since that filters out the most dodgy imports. Using 10 watt panels does allow a wider choice of luggage, so decide if you want cheap containers or cheap panels.

Flexible solar panels are designed to curve around boat decks, not be stuffed into a backpack. I haven’t tried the $400 military models, but the affordable thin film folding designs tend to quickly wear out at the folds and are impossible to repair if pinched. Thin film requires much more surface area per watt.  Since I have to protect the panels anyway, I’ll stick with crystalline ones.

Rigid panels have a second advantage: they’re easier to point at the sun. Tack a nail straight into a flat scrap of wood. Point the nail head at the sun. When the shadow disappears, match the solar panel’s angle to the wood’s. Paying attention and tracking the sun increases your power by 20-50%. A small tracked panel can exceed the output of a larger floppy panel on the ground.

Panels have to be visible to the sky, above grass and not shadowed by bushes. This makes OPSEC difficult, particularly in northern latitudes where the panels must be near vertical.  Camouflage netting works well to cover the sides and back of panels.  Black solar cells flash less than blue ones.  Try to place your panels behind a bush to avoid flashes down hill, and look out for where you can be seen from above.

Batteries
While there are great solar charging lithium battery systems for sale, the price per watt hour is too high for most people.   The best compromise is still a sealed Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) battery. A 15-20 Amp hour AGM mower battery weighs less than 20 pounds and can survive a few accidentally deep discharges.  When you buy a battery, write the manufacturer’s preferred charging voltage and current on the side of the battery. Print out the data sheet and store it with the battery.

Unfortunately, different brands and models of AGM batteries have different charge voltage limits, and chargers ignoring those limits will damage them.  Everything will work for the short term, but a bad charger can burn out your battery in weeks.  If you aren’t going to be able to produce a spare, spend more on a charge controller that allows you to specify charge voltages or has an AGM setting matching your battery. The Xantrex (formerly Trace) C12 is the only low watt commercial controller I know of that doesn’t require a computer and will work with any battery.

MPPT charge controllers are  advertised as increasing daily watts by 10-20%. I find the true advantage is being able to get from zero watts to barely useful (AA charging) watts with shadowed panels. I’ve bought no-name MPPT controllers that worked, but they wouldn’t be my choice for an emergency. A solid state PWM charger is a better bet.

Charging cordless electric hand tools requires compromises.  Manufacturers of lithium-ion power tools love to create bulky and expensive cradles for 12 volt tool chargers. Using an AC charger with a 150-300 watt pure sine inverter has more general utility for same price and bulk, but is 30% less efficient in charging the tool [than a DC-to-DC vehicle charger.] Cheap modified sine inverters have been known to kill DeWalt and other brands of AC-to-DC microprocessor-controlled battery chargers.  I’ve tried using small lithium ion chargers intended for remote control hobbyists, but fear I’d use them incorrectly under pressure. A DC to DC converter will charge NiMH tools, but manufacturer’s own chargers seem to be the only good choice for lithium battery packs.

There are two phases for keeping your solar suitcase useful when you need it:

1.) Put a small solar panel out today. Even positioned flat in a bad site, it will recharge your AA batteries. This will familiarize you with the system and keep it topped up.

2.) After the SHTF, constantly disable unneeded power draws. Most small inverters draw 5 watts when idling.

Hopefully the Morningstar SureSine inverter will spur competitors.  I’ve accidentally killed batteries by leaving just the wattmeter and charge controller status lights plugged in for a few weeks. I now disconnect the battery when I know I won’t be using panels for a few days.

Be careful and be prepared!

Pat’s Product Review: SIG Sauer 1911 TACOPS

It’s no secret that my all-time favorite handgun is the M1911 in .45 ACP. I can often be found carrying some type of 1911 on my hip, when I’m not carrying a Glock of some sort – or another handgun that I’m doing a Test and Evaluation. However, given my druthers, when the chips are down, I’ll reach for a good ol’ 1911 stoked with some .45 ACP ammo.

The gun under review here is the SIG-Sauer 1911 TACOPS in .45 ACP. A couple of years ago, I wrote a review about a similar gun from SIG, and it was their 1911 in .45 ACP that they called the “Blackwater” special edition – named after Blackwater Security – the private security contractor firm. However, shortly after SIG came out with the Blackwater 1911 (and a P226 Blackwater Special Edition) there was a lot of negative press about Blackwater. At that time I asked the nice folks at SIG if they were going to continue their collaboration with Blackwater on these two handguns, and I was assured they would. They didn’t! I don’t know all the details about what Blackwater Security did, or didn’t do, and it’s none of my business. Personally, I think they got a bad rap by the press- just my two-cents worth on the entire thing. Blackwater did change their name to “Xe” which is spoken “Zee” (like “Xenia”) , and the ownership of the company changed hands as well.

In any event, what we have with the SIG 1911 TACOPS, is basically the same gun that SIG was producing under the Blackwater Security name, with a few slight changes – that being no Blackwater logo or markings and the ambidextrous safety is different. We have a full-sized, updated Government Model 1911, with a 5″ barrel, night sights, Picatinny rail, checkered front strap, ambi-safety (more about that shortly), extended beavertail grip safety, extended magazine well, Ergo grips, match trigger (not trigger pull), external extractor and some other goodies. All the things that most serious Model 1911 lovers want on their guns.

A quick look at the TACOPS on the SIG web site will reveal some subtle differences between the SIG 1911 and most other 1911s. Noticeably is the slide shape – it is very “SIG-ish” in style and design, and I like the way it looks. The slide also houses the external extractor and we can go ’round and ’round about which is better, the traditional internal extractor or the external extractor. I don’t have a dog in this fight. I’ve never had any problems with external extractor on 1911s that have ’em – they seem well-made and strong, and the sample on my TACOPS is brutally strong in design. The night sights on the TACOPS are very nicely done, with the rear sight being of the Wayne Novak design – one of the best rear sights I’ve ever used on any handgun!

The ambi-safety – it’s “nubbed” – in that, the safety lever on both sides of the gun are “abbreviated” – however, they are still readily applied or flicked off “safe” without any problems. I think we’re gonna see this design copied by many. In the past, I’ve seen the off-side ambi-safety nubbed, but never on the left side of a 1911. If you carry concealed, you’ll appreciate this type of safety – not much chance of the safety accidentally being knocked off “safe.” It can happen, but this type of safety will make it more difficult.

Regarding the Picatinny rail on the frame: I’m still not sold on them for the most part, however it’s there if you need it. I like the 25-LPI checkering on the front strap of the TACOPS, makes for a secure hold on the gun. The mainspring housing is also checkered. The beavertail grip safety is scalloped, meaning that it’s not as wide as many others – I like it – very comfortable. The beavertail grip safety also has the little “hump” on the bottom of it, making for a sure grip on it, for releasing the trigger. The hammer is a skeletonized one for a fast lock-time. The magazine release is slightly extended for faster magazine changes. The grips are from Ergo, and I like them, They make for a secure purchase on the gun and they are ever so slightly thinner than standard wood 1911 grips. The trigger is a match-grade style, without holes in it – it’s solid. The slide grasping grooves are wide and slightly angled forward for a good purchase when working the slide to chamber a round.

The TACOPS is all stainless steel, that is coated in what SIG Sauer calls their “Nitron” finish. This looks like it is Parkerized, but it’s not. It is a very businesslike in appearance. I like the extended magazine well, too – and if you don’t want to use it, you can easily remove it. The TACOPS comes in a smallish black plastic carrying case, with a grand total of four 8 round magazines (made by Checkmate) and they are some of the best 1911 mags around in my opinion. The mags also have a nice polymer floor plate on ’em, and this floor plate is easily removed when you want to clean your mags. Lastly, there is a standard recoil spring and rod, not the extended type. I like that!

Okay, now for the bad news, my sample TACOPS came with a terrible trigger-pull. Oh, the trigger broke at 5-lbs, and that’s more than acceptable for combat work. However, the trigger was very mushy – it felt like I was squeezing an over-cooked baked potato – I kid you not. Of course, part of this is due to the TACOPS using the Colt-style Series 80 firing pin safety – it adds parts to the trigger pull on a 1911, and it only complicates the entire trigger pull sequence. The Blackwater 1911 I tested had a very crisp trigger pull of slightly over 3-1/2 lbs. However, I find a 4-to-5 pound trigger pull more than acceptable for combat work – and the TACOPS is designed for combat!

I’ve been around 1911s all of my adult life, and I was trained as an armorer as an alternate MOS in the military, so I know a little bit about working on 1911s and doing trigger jobs. On a standard 1911, without the Series-80 firing pin safety, I can usually do a really nice trigger job in 30-minutes to an hour – sometimes even less. On 1911s with the Series-80 firing pin safety, it can take as long as a couple hours to get a nice crisp trigger pull. On the TACOPS, it took me about three hours of work to get a good crisp trigger pull of 4.5 pounds. I didn’t want to replace any of the trigger parts – and a trigger job doesn’t involve just changing the trigger itself (as some believe) – it involves the sear, hammer, etc. Instead, I carefully polished all the trigger parts – which helped the mushy trigger pull some. I looked at the Series-80 levers in the frame – and they were rough – very rough. These two levers in the frame should have been thrown in the scrap heap. I carefully polished both levers to get all the rough edges off them, and I, at long-last had a very good trigger pull that wasn’t mushy. This TACOPS pistol should not have slipped past the QC folks at SIG – but every once in a while, a bad guns slips through the best gun companies’ QC. I could have packed the gun up and sent it back to SIG and had them work on the trigger, but it was easier for me to do the trigger job myself.

My local gun shop is a small one in Lebanon, Oregon, and they don’t stock half a dozen of each gun they have for sale. The SIG TACOPS that I got from them was the only one they had in stock. Larger gun shops might have several samples of the TACOPS you can exam and chose from before making your purchase, so you can check the trigger pull on various guns before settling on one to purchase. However, living in a rural area of Oregon, we have some disadvantages and one is having smaller gun shops – and I don’t have a problem with that in the least. Personally, I like a smaller gun shop – they get to know their customers and their likes and dislikes in guns. I knew I could bring the TACOPS trigger pull to where I wanted it and remove the mushy feeling – it just took me longer than I thought it would.

The TACOPS weighs 41.6 ounces – slightly heavier than many full-sized 1911s, and part of that is because of the Picatinny rail and the extended magazine well, as well as the slightly “chunkier” slide design. Most full-sized 1911s weigh around 38 – 39 ounces. So, you’re really not going to feel the weight difference of a couple ounces in the TACOPS weight at all.

I like that SIG included a total of four magazines with the gun, and they are outstanding mags. Any more, most guns come with one mag – the one in the gun, and a few come with 1 spare mag. But to get a total of four mags? That’s outstanding service and someone put some thought into this gun. I can see this gun being used by police SWAT teams, Spec Ops military personnel and savvy gun owners. There’s really nothing you need to add to this gun, other than a good holster and a ton of .45 ACP ammo to shoot through it. It is ready-to-go when you take it out of the box.

One thing you may have a “problem” with is the Picatinny rail on the frame – it excludes the use of most leather holsters because the rail is wide and it won’t fit into snug leather holsters made for Government sized 1911s. You can order a custom-made leather holster, or check around at some of the major holster companies and see if they have leather holsters that will allow a 1911 with a Picatinny rail to fit ’em. What I did was check my Blackhawk Products Kydex hip holster, and it stated on the package that a 1911 would fit it with or without a Picatinny rail. It fit perfectly. And, there is also an adjustment screw for adjusting the tension on the gun when it’s holstered for a near custom fit. I also like the Serpa design on the Blackhawk holster – it’s a passive device that locks the gun in the holster so no one except the individual wearing it can remove it. (As in, a gun grab.) To release the gun, it’s a very natural movement, you simply draw your gun as you’d normally do, and extend your index finger along the side of the holster, and press in on a small “button” to release the gun. It’s easier than it sounds and very natural to do, with just a small amount of practice. The TACOPS also fit my Blackhawk tactical thigh holster as well – which is highly recommended for military and tactical law enforcement operations. What’s not to like here?

I fired .45 ACP ammo through the TACOPS from Black Hills Ammunition, Buffalo Bore Ammunition and Winchester. I had an outstanding assortment of various types of ammo to test in this gun, including 185 grain JHP, 185 grain JHP+P .230 grain JHP and FMJ. The TACOPS never skipped a beat or hesitated in my testing. It gobbled-up everything I put through it. Accuracy was outstanding, with groups of 2-3 inches at 25-yards over a rest. The Winchester 230 grain FMJ USA white box ammo was used to break the gun in – I fired a couple boxes of this stuff through the gun just to get a good feel for it. This is always a good and affordable round for target practice on the range. The Buffalo Bore ammo I used most was their 185 grain JHP +P load, and this one gets your attention – recoil is there – but nothing you can’t manage. I also fired some of their 230 grain FMJ +P ammo through the gun, and it didn’t seem as stout as their 186 grain JHP +P load was. Black Hills Ammunition sent me 4 cases of .45 ACP to use – I’ve been testing a lot of 1911s lately and my ammo locker was getting very low. My buddy, Jeff Hoffman, who runs Black Hills has kept me in ammo for 20 years.

The Black Hills loads I had were quite a few different ones. Of course, I had their 230 grain FMJ load, which has always been a great performer and very accurate for me in any 1911s I’ve tested it in. I received several different 185 grain JHP +P loadings from Black Hills,  including their newest, which has an all copper 185 grain JHP bullet from Barnes Bullets – this bullet will penetrate deeper and will not come apart – due to the fact that there is no lead core – the bullet is entirely made-up of copper, with a hollow cavity. I also had some 230 grain JHP +P loads from Black Hills as well. Again, there were no malfunctions of any sort with my TACOPS sample, and I ran about 500-rds down range over several shooting sessions. Was there a winner in the accuracy department? Yeah, and it was the Black Hills 185 grain JHP +P load with the Barnes bullet. It nudged out the Black Hills 230 grain FMJ load and the Buffalo Bore 185 grain JHP +P loads – ever so slightly. Truthfully, in all the various .45 ACP loads I tested, they were all neck-and-neck in the accuracy department. And, on another day, any one of the loads could have been a bit more more accurate than the other. The SIG TACOPS loved ’em all.

I’m a habitual gun trader – always trading for something else on any given day. However, this SIG Sauer TACOPS has found a permanent home in my meager gun collection – it’s not going any place. Now, the bad news, quality never comes cheap, and the TACOPS retails for $1,213 – and honestly, that’s not a bad price for all the features this gun comes with. There’s nothing I plan on changing on this gun – I’m not even going to replace the Ergo grips with my “Code Zero” 1911 grips that I designed for Mil-Tac Knives & Tools. I believe this may well be the very first 1911 I’ve never changed anything on. However, one minor change might be in order, and that is, if I’m going to shoot a steady diet of +P ammo through this gun, I’m going to put in a slightly heavier 18.5 pound recoil spring instead of staying with the factory 16 pound recoil spring. Now, the good news – I’ve checked around on various gun selling web sites, and it looks like the TACOPS is selling for right around $950 – $1,000 – and that’s well below the full retail asking price.

So, if you’re in the market for a new 1911, then take a close look at the SIG-Sauer TACOPS – I think you will have a tough time passing it up, considering all its features.

Letter Re: Testing a Breath of Life Emergency Mask

Hi James,
I recently attended a close quarters battle (CQB) training course with a company here in the United States. After the course, I was very kindly ‘gifted’ a ‘Breath of Life’ emergency mask. I was very grateful for this gesture, and curious as to this product. Luckily, as a volunteer fire fighter, I got the chance to try this mask’ effectiveness during one of our training sessions, which can be seen here.

I must say, I was incredibly impressed with this product, and as a long time reader of your excellent site, feel it maybe of interest to your readers also…

I should mention I am not ‘affiliated’ to this company or product in anyway, merely just aware of it, and lucky to have had the chance to try it out.

I hope these links maybe of some use.

Best wishes, – Toby C.

Letter Re: Maximizing and Extending Your Tomato Harvest

Jim:
I love to see teens experimenting!  It’s a very good thing.  Learning how to propagate plants from suckers/leaves/etc is a very useful skill.

But an easier way to maximize your tomato harvest easily is to grow from seeds – I keep extra seedlings around (still have some!) to pop into any spare space that turns up.

And the best way to extend your harvest is to make sure that some of your plants are indeterminate.

Those of us who can tomatoes plant a lot of tomato varieties that are determinate – the bulk of the tomatoes on the plant ripen within a short span of time.  Thus, you get bushel loads to can at once, not one or two tomatoes a week for a long period of time.

On the other hand, for eating tomatoes as they ripen and having that happen over a long period of time, what you need are indeterminate varieties of tomatoes.    These plants will set plenty of tomatoes, and keep setting lots pretty much until the first frost.  However, only a couple will ripen every week.  A few indeterminate plants will keep a family in ripe tomatoes for salads, sandwiches, and such, but a garden full will frustrate a canner!

When it looks like there will be a frost, I simply cut the plant off just above the ground, and hang them inside.  The plant will wilt, shrivel (and falling leaves WILL need to be swept up), and the tomatoes will continue to slowly ripen for at least another month to six weeks. – FernWise

Two Letters Re: How Does Your Garden Grow? (After TSHTF)

Sir:
We live in a rental property that unfortunately has a lawn that was poisoned by several years of chemicals sprayed on it to kill weeds. So, we have tried to grow a few items in raised beds. One learning experience we had may keep someone else from making the same mistake. We had never heard of black walnut trees causing a toxic effect on tomatoes. They all died because we have three black walnut trees in our yard. Cabbage, eggplant, peppers, and potatoes are sensitive to the toxins plus a few fruit and field crops. We planted the tomatoes this year far away from the walnut trees and they are beautiful plants. This year our zucchini,which was very productive last year, has failed to produce fruit. We suspect no pollination due to no bees around. Next learning experience–learning how to hand pollinate plants that need it. That is something I never thought we would need to know. I hope someone is saved from failed crops do to knowledge from our failures. Thank goodness at this time our lives don’t depend on what we are trying to raise. One day, they might. – B.L.

Hey JWR,
I was a little disturbed by J.W.C.’s comments, as he described plants drying up while he was watering them. There should be no drought for irrigated crops. I would hate for anyone to get discouraged about gardening, especially those who have all the resources on hand. He makes it sound like plants are unreliable, but it is the conditions in which he puts the plants. Don’t give up, don’t blame the plants, go and learn more. You can set up a stronger garden. The good news is people have already figured out how to grow an irrigated garden through heat waves, and it is easy to learn from them.

Is he allowing the sun to hit bare soil? Try some mulch living or dead. Is he watering lightly and often or deeply and less often? The difference could be shallow roots versus deep roots. He mentioned weeding, but does he know that there are many weeds that can help his garden grow (by penetrating the soil, shading the soil, etc.)? He mentioned amending his soil with steer manure. Try adding something bulkier like rotted wood – it can be a great sponge down in the soil. Whatever problems there are there is probably a surprisingly simple solution for each. Don’t give up, get help from other gardeners! There are people growing things under circumstances that many wouldn’t dream possible (even in the desert). Go and learn from them. For example, please go to Youtube and search for Sepp Holzer and see some of his gardening results. – Juan, South of the border.

Economics and Investing:

The U.S. economy is now spinning out of control. It is now apparent that the 2008 credit crisis was never resolved. Rather, it was simply postponed, by creating $16 trillion out of thin air. With all that cash pumped into the system, a few people are now singing Once In A Lifetime, but most are singing the Hard Times Blues, or even Are They Gonna Make us Outlaws Again?

A recent piece by Tyler Durden: EU Debt Restructuring Leads to Bailout Euphoria / Silver to Double to $100 Say Citigroup. Tyler notes: “…it is very unusual to see such a bullish call from a major bank and suggests that at least some of the major banks see the writing on the wall regarding much higher silver prices. They are likely positioning themselves accordingly.”

Anthony T. mentioned: Largest Municipal Bankruptcy in History Could be filed next week (in Jefferson County, Alabama.)

Sue C. pointed me to some commentary from Rick Moran at The American Thinker: You know you live in a banana republic when…

Some commentary by Yohay Elam at FOREX Crunch: US Debt Ceiling: Three Ways This Can Unfold

John R. kindly sent us a big pile ‘o links:

We Print Bonds – Not Money Martin Armstrong

Deficits and Stimulus Only Delay the Inevitable Collapse Bob Chapman

100 Basis Points to Armageddon Bill Bonner

How Greece Could Trigger Another “2008? Event Graham Summers

500 Million Debt-Serfs: The European Union is a Neo-Feudal Kleptocracy Charles Hugh Smith   

“Down To The Wire”: Oakree’s Howard Marks Takes On The US Debt Ceiling Tyler Durden       

As Europe acts on debt crisis, U.S. dithers Tom Petruno   

Faber: Ben Bernanke doesn’t understand international economics Jim Puplava     

Debt! Debt! Debt! Dave Cohen         

Dinosaurs, Dodo Birds, Wooly Mammoths, and Free Markets Rob Kirby  

David Walker Video: 5 Consequences If America Doesn’t Raise the Debt Ceiling Aaron Task

Items from The Economatrix:

Wall Street Paralyzed By US Debt Talks

The Euro Threatens World With Economic Meltdown

Celente Predicts Gold Standard Will Not Save US Economy

David Morgan on Silver Price Manipulation, Delivery Default, and Supply Shortage Risks

Odds ‘n Sods:

T. sent this charming news: Bill to allow DHS to seize authority over U.S. coastlines (and anywhere within 100 miles of the Canadian and Mexican borders!)

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Martin sent this news story from England: Poacher in the woods: A new breed of poacher is plundering our forests – with wood-burning stoves in mind.

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My #1 Son mentioned that five new retreat property listings were just added to his SurvivalRealty.com web site, including his first one in Africa. SurvivalRealty.com is a successful spin-off of SurvivalBlog that specializes in unusual retreat properties. Most of them rural and remote, and some of them are off-grid. If you have a unique property that would be difficult to sell elsewhere, then consider advertising at SurvivalRealty.com. Custom-designed ads there are just $30 per month, and there are no sales commissions!

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K.A.F. sent us the latest from The Mickey Mouse State: San Francisco Considers Legal Protection for Criminals. Yet another reason to vote with your feet.

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Some poignant commentary: America’s Human Space Flight Program 1961 to 2011: An Epitaph

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 35 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) 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 B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) 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, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) 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.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 35 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.