Odds ‘n Sods:

Here come the CMEs: Sun Unleashes ‘Spectacular’ & Powerful Eruption. Oh, and speaking of CMEs: NASA’s Solar Shield to Protect Power Grids From Sun Storms

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F.J. mentioned this over at Instructables: Paracord Strap Wrap. (That is just one example of the dozens of preparedness-oriented how-to project articles you’ll find there.)

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California, the state built on gold prospecting, is set to outlaw … gold prospecting. (Thanks to G.P. for the link.)

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SurvivalBlog’s Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio wrote to give an update on the OC-1 knife that he designed, in collaboration with custom knife maker Brian Wagner. Pat reports: “We were in talks with CRKT to produce a factory version with them. However, the collaboration didn’t work out on this design but we are making a new fixed blade fighting knife that CRKT will probably produce, called the OC-2. I don’t have a sample in-hand, yet – but hope to in about a month.   In the meantime, the OC-1 can be had in a custom, hand made version from Brian Wagner of Okuden Knives for $350 if any SurvivalBlog readers are interested. Brian doesn’t have any in-stock at the moment, but will have some on-hand very soon. So, if any SurvivalBlog readers are interested in owning a custom version of the OC-1 they should contact Brian Wagner at: (253) 906-5306. He will also have photos of the OC-1 available if anyone wants to see what they look like.”

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M.M. suggested this interesting albeit biased piece: A Warming Planet Struggles to Feed Itself. (In case you might be wondering: Yes, I’m one of those global warming deniers, and some think I should be tattooed for it.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We have states, with 10th Amendments rights, which can be converted into “safe havens”; financially, politically, and socially protected areas of the U.S. where independent citizens can congregate that provide shelter and mutual defense from the chaos that collapse imposes.” – Brandon Smith, Editor of Alt-Market

Notes from JWR:

Today (June 7, 2011) is Book Bomb Day for the new book The Simplicity Primer, by Patrice Lewis. We highly recommended her book. It should be fun to watch the Amazon rankings, as the day progresses. (For comparison, it was ranked around #16,000 on Monday.)

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The first article today is a product review written by SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large, Michael Z. Williamson. “Mad Mike” is a renaissance man: He’s a science fiction writer, firearms expert, a graphic designer, bladesmith, sport parachutist, martial artist, world traveler, and a historical re-enactor. Mike was Born in Birkenhead, England, but is a naturalized U.S. Citizen and now living in Indiana. He has served many years in the U.S. Air Force, most recently in the Air Force Reserve. This included a deployment to the Middle East. Mike’s many interests have kept him very busy, and he now has more than a dozen books and anthologized short stories in print, from four publishers. Most recently, Mike introduced his very popular WWF parody T-Shirt design. You can order yours, directly from Mike. I plan to wear one to public events, just to enjoy watching the Birkenstock Crowd do double takes. (For anyone that might be unfamiliar: Depending on context, “WWF” is an acronym for both World Wildlife Fund and the World Wrestling Federation–later changed to the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)

Product Review: Rock River Arms PDS Piston Driven Carbine

The PDS is Rock River Arms’ entry into the piston AR market.  I’ve never been enthusiastic about this concept, but Rock River Arms (RRA) put some serious design thought into this weapon, and the results are impressive. Here are some pictures.

Starting at the rear, it has a side-folding stock, because the recoil system isn’t in a receiver extension inside it.  This is a significant advantage for transport and carry.  The folder mechanism does take a bit of getting used to.  It requires lifting the stock out of a deep detent.  It locks solidly in place open or closed, and has a 6 position stock.  As the stock tube is not needed for a recoil mechanism, it contains a storage section with a threaded cap, bit enough to take a rod, cleaning tools, and small maintenance tools and spare parts.  This is a big plus for a gun that sees real use.

The two stage proprietary trigger is crisp and reliable.  The test gun broke cleanly at about 6 lbs.  It was very consistent and comfortable.  The major difference on the controls is that the charging handle is a forward type, like the German H&K G3.  It is ambidextrous, non-reciprocating, and folds flat on closing.  It is reliable, but does take a bit of strength to work.  Smaller shooters and females had trouble, but could manage with effort.  The grip is a Hogue model, with good texture.

Takedown starts as with any AR, and once the receiver halves are open, the recoil mechanism is pulled down and out.  This removes the operating rod, bolt carrier and bolt in one unit.  It’s elegantly simple.

The receiver top is elevated slightly over standard ARs, because it contains the recoil mechanism.  This puts it at a very comfortable height for most sighting systems—a riser is not needed.  It is a monolithic rail for mounting sequenced optics.

The handguard is a bit odd looking and feeling, but very solidly mounted and useful. There is also an optional railed handguard.

The gas system has two settings, and the operator is cautioned not to use a suppressor with this weapon.  A different gas block is in production for that purpose.  Recoil is somewhat brisker than a gas impingement system due to the greater operating mass, but is not uncomfortable.  The bottom of the gas block includes a 1″ rail for accessory mounting.  The gas block is very solidly mounted.  I did not attempt to dismount it to examine it.  Generally, pins are preferred to screws, but as it does not protrude far, and does not mount a bayonet, the heavy construction and machine screws are plenty.

We tested using several brands of ammunition, with an Aimpoint sight mounted, shooting over a sandbag.  All the major commercial brands remained under 2.5″ at 100 yards, in 10 shot groups.  Best group was 1.55″.  Weather was 50 degrees F, 75% humidity, still air, at approximately 300 feet elevation.  Keep in mind, this was with combat optics and sandbag, not a mounted weapon and scope.

The only stoppage was a double feed, attributed to a bad magazine, as the same problem occurred with another gun with that magazine.  After 500 rounds, the mechanism was clean, and the bore only needed a pull through with a Boresnake for cleaning.  That’s certainly a big plus.  The receiver remained cool, and there was very little oil evaporation.

The PDS comes with a magazine, a simple to read instruction manual, and a hard case. MSRP is $1,685 as tested, which makes it only slightly pricier than a high-end standard AR. – Michael Z. Williamson, SurvivalBlog Editor at Large.

JWR Adds: It is likely that there will be a shakeout among the many new competing gas piston AR-15 upper designs. Beware that these are proprietary designs, and hence their parts do not interchange. It may take a few years before just two or three technologically superior and market-dominant designs emerge. Other designs–most likely from small makers–will just be a “flash in the pan” that will go out of production. Sadly, I’ve heard that Walt Langendorfer‘s excellent Rhino design (patented in 1981 and unquestionably “first to market”) is now out of production. As with the famous Betamax versus VHS war (where unfortunately the superior and more compact design lost out) this will leave some owners without any available repair parts. So beware. I anticipate that it will be designs from a few major makers (such as POF-USA, Ruger, and RRA) that will predominate. The HK 416 is a great design, but I suspect that few will of them ever make their way to civilian hands–at least at a reasonable price. The bottom line: If you buy a piston upper, don’t sell off your original gas-impingement AR upper. Someday you might need it. And, as Mike mentioned in a recent e-mail “One point to remember is that a gas impingement gun with a damaged gas system becomes a straight pull bolt action rifle.  A piston gun with damage to tube or piston locks up and becomes a very expensive club.  The type of gun you choose is very much a reflection of the environment you may operate in, and your intended purposes.”

Two Letters Re: Extreme Coupon Prepping

Sir:
I just wanted to add a few comments to Y.M.’s extreme couponing prepping article.

Shoppers fall into three categories: 1 ) the busy, unplanned shopper, 2 )  the rookie shopper and 3 ) the Olympian. The busy shopper just runs in the store and buys whatever is there. The rookie saves 10-20% and the Olympian saves about 80-90 %.

I am definitely in the rookie category. I can save 20-40 % by just shopping the front and back page of the store’s weekly circular. Also if  you cook and do not eat out of boxes, you have additional savings. My family always saved by buying sale items in quantity to last us until well past the next time that item goes on sale again. Also eating what is on sale and in season and having a freezer will decrease your food bill.  Good management of your refrigerator and leftovers can save any family 25 %, because that is how much food the average family tosses out from waste. You know those unidentified containers in the back of the refrigerator that turn into another life form from neglect ?

 Deciding to extreme coupon, I searched “matchups”  for the date the Sunday coupons come out. You will find multiple web sites with listings of the various stores  with their sales and the coupons that match from the Sunday inserts and the date of those inserts. It does take time to match these up, and then not get tripped up in the stores ‘s rules. Some stores do not take online printed coupons, others do. Some will not take multiple coupons on an item. Some allow you to load up coupon savings on your store card, but will not allow you to add a manufacturer coupon with it. There maybe a limit on the number of items with coupons that you can ring up on a single transaction.  Rules, rules, rules.

There are savings to be had, but you have to do your homework. The sales and coupons cycle and repeat at varying intervals. It would seem that some items like detergent, diapers and body wash have many opportunities for saving and others are more seasonal.

I found out how much of a rookie I was, when I walked my grocery aisle for soaps and shampoos and ran into a real Olympian. She was so gracious and helpful. Trying to stay undercover, I try to not buy great piles of things and usually only use a few coupons. These people have notebooks with them and buy everything in quantities of 10 or 20. They even go above the matchup information on the web. For instance, they will cruise the aisles and find items with a Close Out sticker. Then marry that with a coupon that they remember that they had six weeks ago. They found bar soap and deodorant on close out and with the coupons the items ended up costing a few cents. Amazing.

Sources for coupons are bidding online and grocery stores sell papers in double packets. There is even a web site that will tell you which Sunday papers have coupons in them . Just search Redplum and smart source insert schedule.

It would be a great way to stock up you church’s food pantry and some of your own. This is a wonderful skill if  you  don’t let it get the best of you. Be sure to have clear goals formulated.  Some of the people on the extreme couponing program seem to accumulate items that they could not possibly use before it expired. The psychology of coupons is complex. Companies distribute coupons to introduce a new product, increase sales, encourage purchase of other items on the shopping trip and find new markets. Be careful that the gratification of using coupons is not causing you to purchase something that you really do not need or never would have purchased in the first place. Coupons can make you feel like you have “saved money”.
Also count the cost of the amount of time it takes to find, collect, clip, sort, and file coupons, also to evaluate the deal and carry out the purchase.

The take home lesson is : Couponing is good for saving money on short term items, so you can invest in the foods with 20-30 year shelf life. Continue prepping and keep the faith. – C.S.

 

JWR:
This is feedback for the article on “Extreme Coupon Prepping” by Y.M.

I have been hearing a lot lately about people saving hundreds or thousands of dollars by clipping coupons.  After reading the article I took some time and perused the sites mentioned: Krazy Coupon Lady, Redplum, Smartsource and coupons.com.  All of these sites are fine for people who 1. Buy whatever is being marketed (including lots of pre-packaged food) and 2. Require lots of maintenance items (various shampoos of the month, specialty vitamins, dog treats, air fresheners, contact lens solution, etc.). A possible third category would be people who just enjoy trying new things because a coupon implies they are saving money. 

As the head shopper for a healthy family of five, I spend an average of $700/month on groceries.  I cook every meal mostly from scratch and tend to buy the same inexpensive household items all the time (e.g. generic laundry detergent, store-brand dishwasher soap, inexpensive Dial soap and inexpensive V05 shampoo/conditioner).  After looking through the sites and seeing the thousands of items they are trying to ply us with coupons for, I came to the conclusion that I would not and could not take advantage of 99.9% of the coupons out there. 

I would feel a lot like our government trying to “spend myself to savings” using most of these coupons.  There are almost never any coupons for staple items (meat, vegetables, fruits, grains) except in over-salted over-processed “convenient” packages.  Saving $1.50 on scented candles or $5.00 off a Justin Bieber DVD does absolutely nothing for my bottom line.  Frankly, I would rather see articles about how to save money on staple items, for those of us who refuse to be “junk food junkies”.

Thanks and keep up the great work.  SurvivalBlog is a great and informative site! – Peter W.

Letter Re: Mag-Lite D Cell LED Flashlights

Good Morning, Jim,
I just wanted to pass on this information.  We bought a black Mag-Lite 2D Cell LED Flashlight from Wal-Mart for $33.88 a couple of weeks ago.[JWR Adds: I’ve seen the same 2-D Cell LED Mag-Lite advertised for a low as $20.88 at Amazon.com.]

I would like to highly recommend this light as an inexpensive item to have in your kit.  It provides 114 lumens with an adjustable focus and effective lighting up to 298 meters. I can light up my driveway all the way to the bottom, approx. 125 feet. It is available in several colors including black, gray and camouflage. We like it so well that we bought another one for our primary vehicle. – A.K.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Bill H. sent: 10 states most at risk of disaster. Bill noted: “None of the Redoubt States are included [in the top ten list]. This is another reason why my family and I are making plans to relocate there.”

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Lynn G. sent this troubling news headline from England: Food chain at risk of being poisoned by terrorist groups

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As documented in the Sipsey Street Irregulars blog, more details have emerged in the ATF’s Gunwalker scandal.

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More environmentalist hand-wringing: Could the Net be killing the planet one web search at a time? This must be some kind of joke. Common sense dictates that staying at home reduces one’s carbon footprint, whereas going out a doing things like driving your car to a restaurant or to a ball game you are then perceived as a overusing carbon. (Whenever some one slaughters trees, unearths coal, slays cattle, and pumps more of a black gooey substance out the ground,or indirectly causes anyone to do so. The shame, the guilt, the horror! ) Oh, and parenthetically, if they want to hug trees, they should do so only in their own back yards, or virtually hug a California Redwood tree, via the Internet. Traveling by car to a park burns fossil fuels.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“If every person has the right to defend–even by force–his person, his liberty, and his property, then it follows that a group of men have the right to organize and support a common force to protect these rights constantly.” – Frederick Bastiat, The Law

Pat’s Product Review: LaserLyte Products

I still remember when some of the first lasers for handguns came on the commercial market. At the time I was working for the late Col. Rex Applegate, and he received several handgun lasers to test. As was usually the case, the job of testing was passed along to me, and I reported my findings back to Applegate. At the time, I thought that lasers on firearms were more of a gimmick or for that matter, just plain ol’ toys. No one made holsters for handguns with laser – simply because the lasers were so big – it wasn’t practical to carry a handgun with a laser mounted on it.

Well, times change, and product improvement and technology have produced some very small lasers for firearms. I no longer think of lasers as mere toys to play with. I sincerely believe that, lasers can aid a shooter under the right circumstances, especially low-light shooting. I’ve been testing some LaserLyte products for about a year and a half now, and I’m amazed at just how small, and effective their products are.

One of the first products I tested wasn’t a laser. Instead, it’s a very small flashlight that they dub “FlashLyte”: that mount on the Picatinny-style rail on a handgun’s rail (semi-autos). Now, the FlashLyte isn’t designed for law enforcement or military use. Instead, this product is designed (and priced) for the home owner to use on their “bedroom gun.” You know what I’m talking about – the gun you keep handy in your bedroom, should you hear a bump-in-the-night.

The FlashLyte is a triple-cluster of LED lens engineer to pump our 25-lumens of bright light at your target. This is more than enough light to light-up the living room in most homes. Additionally, the FlashLyte will also temporarily blind a suspect if you point it in their eyes. I’m not aware of a smaller flashlight that can be mounted on a handgun, than the FlashLyte. It takes but a minute to mount the FlashLyte on your handgun that is equipped with a Picatinny-style rail, and your good to go. If you have a bedroom gun, then you really need some sort of illumination source to go with it – and what better place to have a light, than mounted on your handgun?

When I heard from my friend Laura Burgess who does the PR/Marketing for LaserLyte, that they had a laser mounted in the rear sight for handguns, I thought perhaps she had had one too many drinks. In short order, a sample of the Rear Sight Laser from LaserLyte arrived at my front door – it was for a Glock 19 and other similar Glocks. I couldn’t believe how darn small the RSL was. It only took me a couple of minutes to remove the factory Glock rear sight, with a brass punch and plastic hammer, and install the new RSL in its place.

The RSL is now available for several popular handguns, with more to come. What I like about the RSL is that, it’s easy to mount, easy to zero and easy to use. As you draw your handgun from your holster, you simply place your thumb on the activation switch on the rear of the RSL and it turns the laser on. Additionally, there is a constant as well as pulse mode. The pulse mode is activate by pressing the activation switch twice. And, studies have shown, that a pulsing red laser seems to be more intimidating than a steady laser for some reason. I tend to agree. the RSL has a 1-hour constant on, and a 2-hour pulse battery supply. What’s not to like here?

Several months ago, I received the LaserLyte K-15 Kryptonyte Rifle Laser for testing. I mounted it on my MGI Hydra modular rifle, that has a quad-rail forearm. Again, it was quick and easy to mount, just a couple screws and I was in business. Now, if you’ve never used a green laser, you’re in for a a treat – they are much brighter than red lasers on – and you can see them under most daylight conditions. I’m a firm believer is the less-is-better, when it comes to mounting things on my AR-15 style rifles. Any more, I’ve seen people with so much gear mounted on their ARs, that the gear weighs more than the actual rifle does. I’m getting older, and I just don’t want to pack any more weight than I have to on a firearm. So, I’m particular about what gear I add to my ARs.

I like the K-15 Kryptonyte, and I have to chuckle at the name. Everyone knows that Kryptonite can kills Superman…and if you see how bright the green laser is on the K-15, you’ll know that whoever is pointing this laser at you means business – that the bullets are gonna hit where the light is aimed. I zero all my lasers for 25-yards, on rifles or handguns, as I believe that’s a reasonable distance to use lasers at. I know, I know, lots of companies advertise that their lasers can be seen at a mile away. Okay, good for them, but I can’t hit a target at a mile away. I think lasers are best used for close-in CQB distances.

The K-15 has a constant “on” switch on the rear of it. There is also a momentary on feature, that is used with the 10-inch long tape switch, that I mounted on a vertical fore grip. I would like to see LaserLyte include a vertical fore grip with the K-15, as I don’t see many people using the momentary “on” switch just stuck on the fore end of an AR or other similar rifle. I mounted my K-15 on the top rail of the quad-rail on my Hydra. You can mount it on any of the four positions if you desire. The K-15s super-bright green laser gets your attention, even in bright sunlight. And, the battery lasts for up to six hours. I just think that my Hydra looks super-cool with the K-15 mounted on it, and it’s a useful addition if you ask me. BTW, LaserLyte just came out with a coyote brown K-15 – the standard model is black.

One thing to keep in mind with any green lasers is the fact that, they don’t operate in temps below freezing. So, if you live and work in a climate that has temps below freezing, then you might not want a green laser mounted on your firearm. I’m not sure of the science involved in the making of a green laser, but I understand that advances are being made in this regard concerning the temps at which they will operate.

I also tested the V2 laser, and this little gem mounts on the Picatinny-style rail on your handgun. And, it can also be mounted to a quad-rail on a rifle, but it’s real purpose is on a handgun. The V2 is a true subcompact laser, too. I haven’t seen anything smaller. The V2 is activated by a small red button on the rear of it – and it can be turned on in a split second. I really liked the V2, and I’m gonna see if I can’t beg a couple more samples from LaserLyte for some of my other handgun. the V2 is small enough that it will allow holstering in many ballistic Nylon holsters, too. There are several other lasers for handguns from LaserLyte, however, I haven’t tested them, so I’ll refrain from commenting on ’em here, other than to say, I’m sure they are top-notch if they are like any of the other products I tested from LaserLyte.

Whenever I mount a scope on a rifle, I use the Laser Bore Sighting System from LaserLyte. This neat little device allows me to get my scope on paper at 25-yards, and more often than not, I’ve been dead-on with my scope after using the Laser Bore Sighter. this system consist of a laser device that you stick in the end of your barrel, and you turn it on. Aim your rifle at the special target that is included with the system, and place it on the bullseye, then adjust the crosshairs of you scope, to match the laser’s red dot on the target. More often than not, when I head up to my shooting spot to live-fire the rifle, the shots are hitting exactly where the crosshairs are aimed. It’s a very quick and easy system to use. However, you must remember to remove the laser from the end of your bore before firing live ammo, if you don’t you will blow your gun up – simple as that. The Laser Bore Sighting System has saved me a lot of money in ammo, and the darn thing just works simply.

What I like best about LaserLyte products is that they are affordable. And, compared to the cheap imports that sell for less money, the LaserLyte lasers work as advertised and will last a long, long time. I’ve tried some of the cheap Chinese imported lasers that cost $25 and they are junk, don’t waste your money on ’em. Get something from LaserLyte that will suit your needs and work when it’s supposed to work. Lasers aren’t just “toys” any longer. They are a worthwhile addition to your firearms. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio  

Letter Re: Rescue Repair Tape

Mr. Rawles:

You recently posted this:

Jeremy Pavleck over at Cool Tools recently recommended Rescue Repair Tape. It is a fusing silicone repair tape that has umpteen uses. It can even be used as a temporary patch for leaking radiator hoses. I recommend buying a roll for at home, and one for each of your vehicle tool kits.

Jeremy is correct! This stuff is beyond awesome. It is waterproof. It insulates from electricity. It is heat resistant. It is easily removable but doesn’t come off unless you want it to.

I have used it to improve grips on firearms (it is tacky but doesn’t stick to anything). It is perfect for “taping” down a tac-light’s pressure pad switch on a long gun. It can easily be removed leaving no residue behind, but holds up to the hottest barrels.

While I love 100 mph tape, here in Arizona the heat causes it to melt and slide off. But Rescue Repair Tape doesn’t move and I have yet to replace it. I can keep a roll of it in my truck or on my bike and it isn’t ruined by the heat. However, I’ve found a great place to get it less expensively. It can be found at Harbor Freight for generally under $5. And I have purchased it on numerous times when on sale for as little as $3 a roll.

WARNING! This product is more addictive than potato chips! If you try one roll, then you’ll try and fix everything with it from then on! Buy multiple rolls. I usually have one or two “regular use” rolls in different colors and a large supply for “difficult times to come.”  Enjoy! – M.B.B.

Economics and Investing:

B.B. was the first of several readers to send this article: China Has Divested 97 Percent of Its Holdings in U.S. Treasury Bills. here is a key quote: “Most of the U.S. national debt is made up of publicly marketable securities sold by the Treasury Department and I.O.U.s called ‘intragovernmental’ bonds that the Treasury has given to so-called government trust funds—such as the Social Security trust funds—when it has spent the trust funds’ money on other government expenses.” Talk about a Ponzi scheme!

The Sky Is Falling, It Is Time To Panic And The U.S. Economy Has Fallen And It Can’t Get Up

Like something out a novel: Chaos in Yemen Drives Economy to Edge of Ruin. (A hat tip to G.P for the link.)

Greeks Grab Their Money from the Banks – Time is Running Out

L.M.W. liked this editorial: Socialism’s Army of Occupation

Items from The Economatrix:

US Service Sector Grew In May

Bleak Jobs Report Dampens Hopes of Steady Growth

US as Already in a Growth Recession

Spinning the Economy to a Recovery

Odds ‘n Sods:

A reminder: Ready Made Resources is seeking entries for their Preparedness Video Contest. Instructional (nonfiction) videos on any topic related to family preparedness are sought. The prizes are a brand new Rock Rivers Arms (RRA) Elite Comp M4 (AR-15 series compatible ) complete Barreled Upper Receiver and a Trijicon Reflex sight with a combined retail value of more than $1,400. Please keep your privacy in mind when you create your videos. (Don’t mention any surnames or towns). You may post up to three videos to YouTube for consideration in the judging. Videos up to 10 minute long that are your original work that are already posted to YouTube are also eligible for the judging. To enter, e-mail the URL for video(s) to: grisrob@gmail.com. Do not send the videos themselves or links to videos stored at other web sites. Only nonfiction videos that you post to YouTube are eligible. Again, the creator of the best video will win a brand new a brand new complete Rock Rivers Arms (RRA) Elite Comp M4 (AR-15 series compatible ) Barreled Upper Receiver and a Trijicon Reflex sight. The deadline or posting videos is July 26th. The video judged best will be announced on Monday August 1st, 2011.

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News from Nanny State Canada: Flooded-out farmer needs permit to remove fish. (Thanks to Chad S. for the link.)

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I noticed that The Homestead Store has added several new products including Farmhaul carts, a wider selection of stainless steel cookware, and newly-manufactured treadle sewing machines. (A modern machine on a traditional treadle base!)

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Also from Chad S. comes a tale of boondogglage, California style: What if they built a school and nobody got to go?

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The folks at Safecastle have recently re-stocked some of their perennial best sellers, including canned butter from Holland, canned ghee (clarified butter), Yoder’s canned meat variety packs, and the excellent Aurora brand fire starters.