Economics and Investing:

B.B. pointed me to this, over at Zero Hedge: Retirement Fund Plunder Update: $206 Billion So Far, $62 Billion Left

30 Reasons To Get Out Of Real Estate and Into REAL Assets. (Thanks to Chris D. for the link.)

Reader Jay H. kindly sent this link: Gold is best debt-crises defense — just not yet

Naughty, Tim! He didn’t stick to the “Continuing Recovery” party line: Geithner says hard times to continue for many

Sue C. forwarded this: Dollar likely lower without debt limit progress

John R. sent us several great links:

Several Inconvenient Truths About the Debt Ceiling and “Deficit Reduction”

Feds Force State & Local Government Insolvency

Will the United States Default?

If Central Banks Believe in Paper Money Why are They Loading Up On Gold?

The Fed is Approaching The End Game… Are You Ready?

Bob Chapman: Watching a Flatlining Economy

The Dollar Collapse Will be the Single Largest Event in Human History. (The Synopsis Video is also quite good. I particularly liked Mac’s choice of the final still photo. )

Items from The Economatrix:

Flat Jobs Data Signal Weakest Recovery in Decades

Consumers Borrowed More for Eighth Month in May

Shock US Job Figures Threaten Recovery Hopes

Greek Tragedy Goes Global

UK:  Chain Retailers Closing 20 Stores a Day

Odds ‘n Sods:

A reminder that production will end on August 1st for the SurvivalBlog 5-Year Archive CD-ROM, so order soon. The good news is that it has been reduced to just $14.95.

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Reader Rod M. mentioned a web site devoted to helping doctors in rural areas who need to treat patients with wound care.  They are making their PDF books available free of charge: Basic Wound Care and Practical Plastic Surgery.

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G.S. in the State of Jefferson suggested the perfect vehicle for combating MZBs: The South African Marauder Mine Protective Vehicle. Ten tons for fun! (Note: The video gets increasingly hilarious, so be sure to watch all of it.)

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Sergio mentioned this: Three Unexpected Marketing Lessons From Amish Farmers

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Reader “Bull Durham” spotted this: Fayetteville fighting wild dog problem.

The New Century: An Era of Upright Spikes

We are entering an era of upright spikes. Clearly, the debt-driven global economy is spinning out of control. The aggregate value of the derivatives market is exploding and meanwhile food prices are spiking. Both of these are threatening huge economic dislocation and subsequent social turmoil that–just as I predicted five years ago–will topple governments. I stand by that prediction. (And, for the record, I’m not just talking about failed votes of confidence. I’m talking about revolutions.)

Note: Because SurvivalBlog’s diverse readership expects access on mobile devices, I intentionally minimize the use of graphics in my blog. But this particular topic demands some graphics, so I’ve linked to charts on a variety of web sites. (My thanks to all of them. I recommend that you truncate the URLs on the graph links to take a look at the other content those sites. A lot of them are fascinating.)

Back in 2007, I addressed the Upright Spike in Technology Dependence. But there are some other monumental shifts in progress, each with their own upright spikes. Consider these recent graphs:

Meanwhile, there are many more gradual changes are taking place, For example, see:

Conclusion

If the National Debt is not brought under control, we will someday see mass currency inflation–perhaps to Zimbabwean proportions. Now that would be the upright spike that we all dread. If and when there is mass inflation, your only safe havens will be precious metals and practical, barterable tangibles. (There will be no “safe haven” paper currencies.) My advice is to get out of Dollars and into tangibles, soon!

Pat’s Product Review: CRKT Hissatsu CQB Knives

Columbia River Knife & Tool (CRKT) is always on the lookout for new knife designs. Rod Bremer, the owner often asks me to keep an eye out for a hot knife design, and I’ve directed him towards a few over the years. Several of these were from custom knife maker, Brian Tighe. I wish I could take credit for directing Bremer towards James Williams, and his Hissatsu fighting knife, but I can’t.

James Williams is a former army officer, and a martial arts practitioner and instructor, with over 45-years experience. Williams knows cutlery as President of Bugei Trading Company, producer of fine Samurai swords. Williams is also an instructor of law enforcement and military personnel. The Hissatsu was designed for law enforcement and military personnel as a back-up weapon to the handgun. I must emphasize that it was designed as a back-up to your main weapon. Remember, don’t take a knife to a gun fight, if you can avoid it.

I really like the Hissatsu, I own several versions of the fixed blade design, as well as their folding version. The Hissatsu can be had with a black blade, shiny silver blade, or one with desert tan blade and handle (as well as a matching sheath). I have a background in the martial arts – more than 35-years actively involved in teaching and as a student. I’m proud to lay claim to Black Belt rank in several different styles of martial arts, and I used to operate several martial arts schools. So, I appreciate a knife designed by someone like Williams, who comes at us with a martial arts background, and not designed by an armchair commando, or a mall ninja.

The fixed blade Hissatsu has a 7.125″ long blade made out of 440A stainless steel. The blade steel can handle a lot of abuse and neglect, too. However, keep in mind that stainless steel can still rust, however, it will stain less than carbon steels! I’ve also found that 440A stainless is easier to re-sharpen compared to 440C stainless steel blades are. The overall length of the Hissatsu is 12.25″ and blade thickness is 0.2″ with a Rockwell hardness of 55-to-57. The blade grind is dual, and if you go to the CRKT.com web site, you’ll see what I’m talking about instead of my trying to put it into words. Rest assured though, that this type of grind is more deadly when using a slashing motion than most knives are.

The handle material on the Hissatsu is double injection Zytel/Kraton, and it is fused to the knife, no chance of it working loose, and I’ve tried my best to separate the handle from the blade in testing – all to no avail. There is also a Zytel sheath for carrying the knife, and you can attach it to web gear or MOLLE gear, or to the belt on your trousers.

CRKT states on their web site, on the Hissatsu link, that the knife is “…intended for us only by trained law enforcement and military tactical team professionals.” Okay, sounds good, but I personally believe there’s a bit of hype there. It’s okay, all knife and gun companies hype their products, and when claims are made that a product is designed for military and law enforcement use only – civilians want it. And, there are no restrictions from CRKT as to who can purchase the Hissatsu.

Make no mistake though, the Hissatsu is not designed as a wilderness survival knife. Nope! This knife is designed for one thing and one thing only – plain and simple, it’s a knife to be used against another human being in close quarters battle (CQB)! Now, I’m not hyping the knife, but I’ve been around knives all my life, and I design knives, and I know what this knife was designed for. The dual-grind on the blade is outstanding as a slashing knife. The Tanto-style blade is also an excellent stabber, and I can easily see the point of this blade penetrating regular body armor, too. I did some penetration tests using the Hissatsu against a large pot roast – it easily penetrated up to the handle of the knife without much effort – just imagine what it would do to a human body?

The fixed blade Hissatsu is one deadly knife, make no mistake about it. I don’t see ordinary law enforcement personnel using this knife, however, specialized SWAT teams and the like might carry this as a back-up blade. As for military personnel, I think the same goes – your regular solider probably wouldn’t have much use for the Hissatsu on a daily basis. However, Infantryman and Special Operations personnel would find this knife very appealing if they got into a hand-to-hand combat situation. I know I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of this knife – no way, no how!

If you want to train with this knife, CRKT also offers a rubber training version, and I highly recommend this, instead of using the real thing. You’ll save yourself some grief down the road.

For any of the three different Hissatsu fixed blades, the full retail price is only $109.99 – and that is a great deal, on a knife like this. I would imagine, that if James Williams offered a custom, hand made version, it would easily cost $350+ for one. I’m totally impressed with this blade, and wouldn’t hesitate carrying one into combat on any battle field on earth.

There is also a folding Hissatsu knife from CRKT as well. Of course, it’s not quite as large as the fixed blade version, however, with a blade that is 3.75″ long, it’ll sure get most self-defense jobs done in short order. The folding Hissatsu can be had with an assisted-opening blade, or a manually opening blade. The steel is AUS8, which is one of my favorite blade steels, too. Price on either the assisted or manually opening blade is the same: $99 each. [JWR Adds: Consult your State and local laws before ordering an “assisted opening” or other automatic knife. Unlike here in TUWS, some localities in the slave states deem these useful tools a felony to possess!]

If you’re in the market for a no-nonsense fighting knife, take a close look at the fixed blade or folding Hissatsu…just keep in mind, these knives are not designed for opening packages, or ammo crates or other chores around the base camp. These knives were designed with one thing and one thing only – saving your butt when the chips are down. They are a worthwhile addition to your survival battery. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: Strong and Sticky Stuff for Sticky Situations

Sir:

Do you or any of your readers have any experience with J-B Weld? Is it recommended for use as a survival item — i.e., pros and cons versus traditional methods of joining [materials]?

Thank you! Best, – J.C.

JWR Replies: Yes, it works quite well, and I do recommend it.  But don’t let the “liquid steel” marketing hype fool you.  It is just a two-part epoxy.

To be properly equipped for emergency repairs on vehicles, tractors, and assorted gear at your retreat, I recommend watching for sale prices and stocking up on a variety of sticky and strong stuff. I recommend keeping not just J-B Weld epoxy on hand, but also some Rec Repair patch material, a couple of cans of expanding insulating foam, a roll of self-fusing silicone tape, some Krazy Glue, a can of Slime tire sealant, a tube of blue Permatex Form-a-Gasket, a tube of clear RTV silicone, a tube of Shoe Goo (useful for much more than shoe repairs!), several rolls of galvanized steel wire (for versatility, get several different gauges from 8 gauge to 22 gauge), and of course some paracord and duct tape. (Both in olive drab, naturlich). Some people also suggest carrying Bar’s Stop Leak (or similar) for emergency radiator repairs. But my old friend Ken X., (a senior mechanic) advises against using them. He tells me that these miracle radiator goops can do as much damage as they do good, since they can constrict the flow of water through a radiator. Use it only as a last resort!

Letter Re: Antenna Launching Alternatives

Good day,
I was just reading about Antenna Launchers in SurvivalBlog and it occurred to me than rather than constructing a complex pneumatic launcher, you could alternately use either an arborist throw weight for shorter distances or or a throw weight with an elastic launcher for heights well over 100 feet. Throw weights are inexpensive and designed to tow a line over tree branches.

Letter Re: Chiappa Rhino Revolvers

James,

You regularly publish Pat’s Product Reviews and very rarely do I find any reason to complain. But today’s column did little more than make me roll my eyes. Revolvers today have two advantages over autoloaders: Higher calibers (like the .460 and .500) and utter reliability. There are significantly fewer moving parts in a revolver than an autoloader and therefore fewer things that can break. Unfortunately, the Rhino fits neither of those two. The .357 Magnum is no longer that impressive and the Rhino has by far the most moving parts of any revolver out there. I too was originally very excited about the Rhino because it has less felt recoil on a .357 load than most other revolvers have on .38 Special +P. But I am now on my third repair, after firing less than 3,000 rounds through the gun.

If you want to buy something different, then go for it. If you, however, are looking for a reliable self-defense gun, go for a traditional, proven design. – Peter

Letter Re: Berkey Light Water Filters

Dear SurvivalBlog Readers:
I purchased a Berkey Light water filter system last year in the spring with my tax refund.  The Berkey Light system is the all-plastic Berkey.  I also bought the plastic base offered in connection for the unit, for the convenience of it. 

Just short of one year later. I noticed a leak at the bottom of the water spigot.  After dumping out the water, cleaning all the parts, I tried re-seating the spigot again, but the leak persisted.  Finally, I noticed a small tear in the plastic at the bottom of the hole for the spigot. 

I contacted the retailer who sold me the unit and they graciously sent me a replacement bottom reservoir (this part has the hole where the spigot is located).  However, upon putting all the parts back together, this time the base unit cracked in several places.  The cracks are such that it’s not completely un-usable, but it bothers me that I spent $209 plus extra for the base for a product that really didn’t last longer than about a year.  It could be faulty design.  There doesn’t seem to be much reinforcement , on or near the areas that get the most use – especially at the bottom of the spigot hole.  Additionally, the plastic base unit  now is “brittle” and easily cracks. 

Needless to say, as soon as I am able to afford it, I intend to replace this unreliable but necessary system, with an all-metal one.  Please alert your readers before they make the mistake of buying a plastic Berkey Light.  Save the extra money necessary and buy a stainless steel Berkey. 

Sincerely, – P.J. in Oregon

Letter Re: Prepping With Limited Funds

Mr. Rawles,
I feel for L. Burton, as I know what she is going through. I’m not a beginning prepper, but I am one who doesn’t have a lot of dollars to throw around. I’ve been out of a full-time job since late 2007 (thanks, Socialists) and have spent the intervening years in combinations of contract work, part-time second jobs and freelance work — just to get by. There are no luxuries in my household, save for the occasional slice of pizza on a Friday night. I can speak to one area of her concern, and that’s food prepping. I’ve bought what I could, when I could, utilizing sales and coupons purchased on eBay. It hasn’t worked too badly; considering that I’ve had very little to spend, I’ve accumulated a year’s supply of eating over the last few years. Not as much variety as I’d like, but I’ve got a little bit of everything (and a lot of some items) — certainly not bad.

I have concentrated a substantial portion of my almost-no-budget food spending into two specific basic foods: Barilla Plus, a high-protein, high-fiber, ALA-rich pasta; and dry lentils. Barilla Plus pasta costs more than regular pasta, but it packs a lot more nutritional “bang for the buck” (See the nutritional profile.) My local warehouse store — which accepts manufacturer coupons — now stocks a four-pack-box of Barilla Plus angel hair and spaghetti for a little more than $6 — about $2 cheaper than at the supermarket. I prefer these pastas, rather than the shaped ones (elbows, etc.), simply because they’re flat and straight — the same weight of pasta stores in less space. Dry lentils, in my opinion, should be the foundation of any long-term food storage — even over the much more popular wheat berries and beans. The advantages are many:

1. Indefinite shelf life if stored properly. Even stored improperly, they last a long time. I had a half-full bag of lentils — simply with the open end folded over — that lay, forgotten, on the back of a pantry shelf for five years. When I found and re-used them, they cooked up just fine — and I could sprout them, too.

2. Cost. Lentils are very cheap, and you don’t have to buy them through mail order or at a health food store. The type of lentils that I like (Goya brand, Pardina variety) costs $1.29 for a one pound bag at the supermarket.

3. Nutritional powerhouse. Very high in protein (20 of the 22 essential amino acids), fiber, some vitamins and some minerals (iron, molybdenum). Combine with a grain or pasta, and you’ve got a complete protein. Some nutritionists include lentils on their lists of “superfoods.”

4. Easy to eat. Easily digestible, even for people who may have problems with other legumes. They don’t require the soaking preparation of dry beans. And they taste good, too.

5. Lentils are really two foods. You can cook lentils in the normal fashion, eating them plain or combining into a multitude of dishes. But lentils are also very easily sprouted — providing a completely different nutritional profile as vegetable sprouts. Lentil sprouts, unlike their dry stage, are a complete protein (all 22 essential amino acids) and have the enzymes and phytonutrients of fresh vegetables. All of this can be obtained for the investment of a clean glass jar, a piece of cheesecloth, and 3 or 4 days of time on a countertop or stove.

I hope that Mrs. Burton can take away some good ideas from my similar experience of prepping with little money. best, – J.C.

Economics and Investing:

Vrenellis, anyone? Swiss Parliament to Discuss a New Gold Franc.

US Taxpayers Just Paid $780 Million to Fund the Latest Greece Bailout Tranche. [JWR Adds: For some perspective, do you remember the uproar the $1.5 billion 1979 Chrysler bailout caused? And that was a loan, not a gift.]

‘The Greeks Would Be Well Advised to Exit the Euro Zone’. (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.)

Yishai flagged this, over at the Jammie Wearing Fool blog: Great News: Friday’s Anemic Jobs Number Are Likely Bogus

Items from The Economatrix:

Oil & Gasoline Prices on the Rise Again

Graph:  What Recovery?

US Treasury Weighs Options to Avoid Default

Brzezenski:  Middle Class Unrest to Hit U.S.

16 Reasons to Feel Really Depressed About the Direction the Economy is Headed

Grim Jobs Report Casts Shadow Over Debt Talks

Odds ‘n Sods:

Alan W. recommended the 2008 Emergency Guide for First Responders.  

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Pierre M. sent this: ‘Car sleepers’ the new US homeless

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Tam over at View From The Porch had this commentary: You’re in the Army now… only maybe not…

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G.G. suggested: 10 Reasons I’m Canceling My Credit Cards

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I heard that Best Prices Storable Foods will be raising the price of their Red Feather canned butter once they’ve received their next shipment. But for now, they are still selling it at the current price of $139.90 per case, including shipping.

Note from JWR:

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.

Prepping With Limited Funds, by L. Burton

I am a beginning Prepper. I am broke.  This combination is presenting a lot of challenges that I am determined to overcome.

When I started on this new stage in life I did what many people do, when starting something new, I began researching as much as I could on the subject.  The first layer of research came up with a wonderful array of web sites that were willing to sell me a years supply of food, pre-packaged and ready to go.  The problem was the price tag.  I could buy food or pay the rest of my bills.
My husband and I own our own small business and the income is sporadic and small.  So here is the challenge: How to be prepared for TEOTWAWKI and still live within our means.

The next step was more research, this time going deeper.  This included finding blogs on the subject and books on prepping that were not ads for products.  One of the surprise sources was actually not on prepping per say, but cookbooks and how to books from bygone years.  Our grandparents lived through the hardest economic times in US history.  We have forgotten so many things about living off the land and preserving food, that were common knowledge in their day.  Old cookbooks often have great sections on food storage and home remedies that still are great today. This is not to say I didn’t pay attention to the other research, just that things build up on each other.  It was also through research that I found the things that I did need to save up for that I would need from specialty sources, examples:  water treatment, long term storage container supplies, specialty foods. (I cannot can bacon).

I started with an assessment of current advantages.  I live in a small town in mid America with four full lots on the edge of town( about an acre).  My husband and I made the decision to prepare to stay here rather than a backup bug out location.  There is plenty of room for a supporting garden (we currently garden in this space and have room to grow).  We have nut and fruit trees on the property and are adding trees as we can afford them.

There is an old well on the property that is not currently in use so we are planning to get it going again, as we can afford to.  Our plan is to put in a hand pump, not an electric one.  That way we would have backup water in case of power failure.  Our home was built in the days before running water and was converted to indoor plumbing.  This will make it easier to convert back.  We have rain barrels for our gutter system.  The house was originally designed to divert the roof water into a cistern but the cistern is long gone.
Where we will spend our money?  A water filtering system and getting the well up and tested.

Protection preparedness is well underway.  Luckily my husband has always collected and shot weapons and was raised hunting.  Military training was part of his upbringing.  I was also raised in a hunting household and am comfortable with firearms.  A large stockade style fence to define our property is on the long term list.  How we will spend our money?  Ammo and ammo storage.  When funds allow, my husband is looking for same gauge weapons to cut back on the variety of ammo needed so we can concentrate on volume and fencing.

Heating and cooking is ready.  We already can heat our home with wood and have for extended periods of winter (when our boiler went out and we had a two month wait for a part).  We recently purchased a wood burning cook stove and are working on setting up our “Vintage Kitchen”.  We found the stove via craigslist and spent only $200.  Word of warning on this, check a used cook stove over very carefully, many of them are not worthy of use anymore.  Be sure the firebox is in good shape and all the iron is solid, with no burn through spots.  We have easy access to a wood lot that abuts our property.
Our lighting and backup electric is still in progress.  We have a collection of oil lamps and have started on the stockpile of oil. How will we spend our money?  I am saving up for a small solar generator system that can be added onto as we get funds.  I have a few solar outdoor lights that have held up well under outdoor conditions for more than three years.  They are a great inexpensive light source.  Place them in a sunny window during daylight hours and they are ready for all night light as the sun goes down.  Some of these lights are actually strong enough to comfortably read by.

Backup currency is started.  We were lucky to inherit a small silver coin collection from a relative as a base for our silver stockpile.  We add to this collection as we can.  We even find coins during business and actually get coins from customers that we add to our collection. No coin ever gets put into the bank without checking the date.  Pure silver jewelry is also added to the fund as we can.  Slow and steady on this one, but getting there.

Lets talk food.  I have added $75 a month to my food budget.  Part of the budget is cutting back on convenience foods to be able to put more towards prepping.  With this extra budget I shop very carefully to get the best bang for my buck.  We have set up a long term pantry to our house with shelves for long term storage.  When I am doing my regular shopping I check sales on can goods and storables.  Canned spaghetti sauce is on sale for 77 cents so I buy five extra. I have a new habit of going to Big Lots as part of my shopping because I have found they are a great source for canned meat.  I have set goals in each category of food so I can check things off as those goals are met.  When I use up a product from my kitchen I go to the long term pantry then refill there so I am rotating stock.  When we have a little extra cash or I have not used my monthly budget I purchase a large storage item like rice in 25# bags or wheat.  We are using the mylar and plastic bucket method to store grains.

We have been gardeners for our entire lives and I have been learning preserving methods, canning, pressure canning, drying and root cellaring.  Just this year we have begun growing heirloom only, when possible, so seed saving is part of our plan now.  Just today I started my soup starter tin.  Extra produce or produce that I do not have the time to can (I sometimes work 12 hour days and canning takes time) is dried and stored. This has been a wonderful discovery.  I take extra produce and cut in small pieces and use a dehydrator to completely dry.  All of it goes into the same big storage container: beans, okra, zucchini, peas, etc..  It is wonderful in the winter to take meat stock or tomato juice and throw a couple handfuls of the veggies in, simmer all day and you have a wonderful and nutrient rich veggie soup.

Medical preparedness is two fold.  Stocking up on basic medical supplies is the same as food.  A good first aide kit to start with is essential and then adding on.  I have also been an avid herb grower for years.  As part of my garden I grow a number of herbs with health uses.  There are many books on this subject and are worth investing in.  Being able to make a basic tea that can calm your stomach is worth the work of growing the herb.  In this vein, we also buy extra vitamins for general overall health.  A spare pair of eyeglasses for each of us is on the “Saving up for” list.

Communication with limited power can be tricky, we have a small CB Radio that can be hooked to a car battery and a hand crank AM-FM radio for now.  We have a ham radio on our list but would be okay with what we have now.

We may have to bug out.  We live 60 miles from two nuclear power plants (that are currently flooded).  So bugging out may have to be a choice for us.  Fuel is a huge issue that we have not solved yet.  Small storage cans are all we have.  Our “bug out bags” are at hand as well as easy access to our camping and outdoor equipment.  We have a large vehicle that much of our food and water could be stored in.  We have put an enclosed trailer on the list. A secondary location is hugely expensive.  We are part of a large family so one location might work for the family as a whole but finding that safe usable bug out spot is a big problem. The location would have to be far away from our current home to be of any use.  As of yet we have not found a secondary location so this option is still a bit scary.

So how to be a Prepper on a low budget?  Take one step at a time.  Always look for small ways to get ahead.  Check sales on food and medicines, household items.  Save up for the big and set a priority list.  If something happens before my list is done I will still be better off than I was before.

Pat’s Product Review: Chiappa Rhino Revolver

Now, for something a little bit different. I believe, rightfully so, that most of us like eye candy, when it comes to firearms. If they have eye appeal, then that’s half the battle. And, a gun has to feel good in my hand, if it doesn’t, then I don’t have much use for. Additionally, a gun has to be a good shooter – if a gun doesn’t hit where I’m aiming, what good is it to me? A gun also has to be reliable – without a gun that 100% reliable, it won’t be in my stable or be carried.

I received the new Chiappa “Rhino” .357 Magnum revolver for test and evaluation from the nice folks at MKS Supply a few months ago – I was a bit surprised when I got the sample, as I hadn’t requested it, or for that matter, even knew the gun existed. Of course, always getting a new toy to test brings a smile to my face. Um, wait a minute, my face didn’t exactly break into a smile when I opened the box at my local gun shop. If anything, there was more of a “what the heck is this” look on my face.

They say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What one person thinks is beautiful, another may think just the opposite – it’s just the nature of human beings, I believe. To say that the Chiappa Rhino revolver is “different” (in many ways) is putting it mildly. What we have with the Rhino is a very strange-looking, six-shot, .357 Magnum revolver. For starters, the entire set-up just looks more than a little funky to my way of thinking – it just doesn’t look like the typical revolver. Oh sure, it has a six-shot cylinder, and a 2″ barrel, and a double-action/single action trigger. It’s got all those familiar things you’d expect on any revolver, but they are “different” on the Rhino.

The first thing many people said at the gun shop, while I was examining my new sample was “what is that?” or “what happened to that gun?” You see, the Rhino has a squared-off “cylinder” – instead of being totally rounded, the cylinder is squared to a certain extent. Also, one readily notices, that the barrel is on the lower portion of the gun – it’s not on top of the barrel shroud, it’s below it. Huh? Yeah, that’s what I said, too! The Rhino shoots from the 6:00 o’clock position, instead of the 12 o’clock position.

Then we have the grip frame – again, it looks more than a little strange. The grips themselves are made out of black rubber. The sights on the Rhino are very good – quick and easy to pick-up. The trigger pull was outstanding in both double action (DA) and single action (SA) modes. The gun never failed to fire when the trigger was pulled. the cylinder release – of course, it wouldn’t be in the usual place – on the left side plate – nope, on the Rhino, it’s on the upper left portion of the grip frame – near the trigger – made for very fast opening of the cylinder. Obviously a lot of thought went into the Rhino.

So, what do we have here in the Chiappa, that would make anyone want to buy one – especially with the suggested retail price of $749? Well, for starters, the gun is very well made, it ran like a Rolex watch – the high quality is there, no doubt about it. The gun felt really good in the hand, and I mean really good! Accurate? You bet! Probably one of the most accurate .357 Magnums I’ve ever shot. Perhaps the only thing that could beat it would be a Colt Python – which now comes from the custom shop at Colt, or some other custom revolver. The gun seemed like it had radar – point it at the target, and the bullets found mark!

Okay, but the gun shoots from the 6 o’clock position – why? Well, on the MKS web site, they claim that by firing from the lower position, the felt recoil is less – much less! Man, were they right! With full-powered .357 Mag loads, the gun felt more like it was shooting +P .38 Special loads – that’s a substantial reduction in recoil. It also allows you to more rapidly get back on target for follow-up shots, too. The black rubber grips – I’m not exactly sure what they are made out of – other than “rubber” – but they did a great job of absorbing what little recoil there was.

I dearly wanted to take the Chiappa Rhino apart, to see what the inner workings were like – but I feared I’d find something that would dumb found me, so I let it be. I know when to leave well enough alone! The Rhino only weighs in at 24 ounces, due to the alloys used in the frame.

To be sure, the Rhino has a lot going for it. It’s accurate – super accurate, if you ask me. It’s light weight and totally reliable, too. The gun can be hand with a 2″ barrel, 4″ barrel or 6″ barrel. There is even a new stainless version out. The Rhino is made in Italy, by the Chiappa Family, who have been making guns for over 50 years.

Another thing I liked was that, MKS Supply went the extra mile and they had holsters made (in Italy, of course) for the Chiappa. As I’ve mentioned before in SurvivalBlog, one thing that bothers me is that when most new handguns come on the market, holster makers have a “wait and see” attitude. They wait and see if the gun is going to be a hot seller, before committing to making holsters. So, more often than not, you have to use some kind of generic ballistic nylon holster – which fits many different sized guns – but none exactly. So, you can get a nice leather holster from MKS Supply for your Chiappa, and you’re ready to go.

I’ve got to admit, that the overall looks of the Rhino still don’t appeal to me – there’s no eye candy or a “wow” effect there. However, when a handgun shoots this well, feels this good and is totally reliable, it’s hard to not like the gun. (Even if most folks find it rather ugly.) Once again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Don’t pass on a Rhino simply because you don’t like the way it looks. Appearances can be deceiving, and in the case of the Rhino, very deceiving! If a new .357 Magnum /.38 Special revolver is in your future, it’s worth taking a close look at the Rhino. When you find a Rhino at you local gun shop – don’t just look at the gun – close your eyes and handle it – you’ll see what I’m talking about. Looks aren’t everything.