SurvivalBlog Writing Contest – Round 35 Winners Selected

We’ve completed the judging! The winner of First Prize in Round 35 of the SurvivalBlog writing contest is R.B. for The Will to Act: Your Ultimate Bug-out Kit which was posted on July 30th. As his prizes, he will receive: 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 goes to “Stone of Scone” for Aquaponic Food Production for Long Term Survival, which was posted on July 19th. He will receive: 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 goes to A.L.T. for The Prepping Imperative, which was posted on July 27th. She will receive: 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.

Runner Up Prizes ($30 Amazon Gift Certificates) go to these 17 writers:

A New Prize! Starting with Round 36, there will be a prize added to the Third Prize package: Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security. We thank them for their generous support of the blog.

Round 36 begins today, 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.

Medical Conditions That Do Not Need Antibiotics, by Dr. Bob

The subject of what not to treat comes up so often in medicine that books have literally been written about the subject both for medical and non-medical folks. I decided to break it down head to toe and try to approach it with a common sense approach.

Headaches do not need antibiotics. If an infection is due to bacteria, if it causes headache alone…that would be really unusual and probably cause the person’s death. Some bacterial meningitis infections will benefit from antibiotics, but figuring this out in time and having the right antibiotics is just not realistic. Now, headaches can be caused by viruses and can accompany other symptoms that do need antibiotics, but headaches alone do not need antibiotics for treatment. 

Eyes: pinkeye needs cleaning and time. Almost none of the pinkeye treatment that goes on daily in medicine is necessary. Almost all pinkeye is viral and antibiotics are not needed. Get a clean washcloth warm and wipe the eye gently from the nose out to the ear about 4-to-6 times a day to clear out the gunk. Babies are an exception and will be ignored for this article, so don’t freak out pediatrics nurses.  

Nose: Sniffles are a cold, end of story. Do not treat colds and coughs with antibiotics unnecessarily or you will run out in short order. Colds are over-treated nearly all the time with antibiotics because doctors don’t want to make mommies mad and are trying to keep people happy. Try telling a mom no when their kid has the nasty nose and fever for five days. Trust me, sometimes it is easier to give them the unnecessary antibiotics to avoid problems. Some doctors just get so used to doing it to avoid angry moms, they just do it for everybody. That is bad medicine, but unfortunately most lay people have gotten used to “getting something” for their illness. This will stop when the SHTF. 

Sinus: similar to colds, sinuses are probably the most unnecessarily treated condition besides cold and cough. Sinuses need washing and heat. Everyone should have a Neti Pot on their shelves for irrigation of sinuses for both infection, allergy, and exposure. Who knows what dust will be floating around WTSHTF that I don’t want in my nasal passages, so I am going to make sure I can wash ’em good. 

Throat: sore throats need salt water gargles, and monitoring. Most sore throats are viral, then second is the sore throat from post-nasal drip. Use the point scale guide for sore throat treatment that is in the antibiotics packets. 4/4 is fever, painful glands, white/gray spots on big tonsils, and no cough. Otherwise…wait for at least 24-to-48 hours even if there is a fever without the other signs. 

Chest: see the cold discussion above. Pneumonia is very rare compared to colds and bronchitis. Coughs need the same monitoring as throats basically. Regular coughs do not need antibiotics. There will be a future post about trying to decide on cough treatment with antibiotics, but for now, cough itself does not need antibiotics. 

Stomach: good luck figuring out if any stomach infection is bacterial WTSHTF. We can’t figure it out in medicine most of the time and we have labs and CT scanners and all sorts of fancy stuff. Most stomach problems like vomiting, diarrhea, and cramping are not bacterial and do not need antibiotics. Treat nausea and vomiting with fluids, fluids, and more fluids. There are some bacterial sources of gastrointestinal (GI) problems, but again it will not be feasible to really try to figure that out at TEOTWAWKI. Those with appendicitis are likely to die, similar to pioneer days. Those with diverticulitis will hopefully know the signs and symptoms of their disease and will have antibiotics on hand for that eventuality. 

Groin: I am not going to really comment on this area of infection. Protect yourself before you mess yourself to quote the kids. Prostatitis is similar to diverticulitis, those that are prone to infection should know their signs and symptoms and know what to do. 

Bladder: as previously mentioned in other posts, women know that fluids alone can treat lots of early urinary tract infections (UTIs) and should follow simple hygiene rules to help with prevention. It is estimated that at least half of all UTIs are resolved with fluids alone. 

Feet/hands: ingrown toenails and fingernails need to be drained and watched similar to other skin infections. MRSA resolves with drainage in all recent studies if early and aggressive. Drain all skin wounds before they get bigger than half-dollar sized. That’s pretty big, so pay attention when they are smaller than that please. Okay, now to go deeper. 

Veins: Most vein infections are caused by needles, so keep them out of your veins WTSHTF and you should do just fine.

Joints: Joint infections are sometimes spontaneous, but again are often caused by needles or open skin. And joint infections often take massive amounts and durations of antibiotics if bacterial to eliminate, which again will not be feasible in bad future.

There are surely things that I missed to review from head to toe, if so, comment and I can always edit this post to update any areas of failure. Most antibiotics are used unnecessarily in medicine today, so having a limited supply should not worry most people if they stop their bad overuse habits now while there is still happy future pending. – Dr. Bob

[JWR Notes: Dr. Bob is is one of the few consulting physicians in the U.S. who dispenses antibiotics for disaster preparedness as part of his normal scope of practice. His web site is: SurvivingHealthy.com.)

Letter Re: The Will to Act: Your Ultimate Bug-Out Kit

James Wesley:
In follow-up to the mention of lights and headlamps in The Will to Act: Your Ultimate Bug-out Kit by R.B., I just thought I’d add that Fenix makes an excellent head mounting system for 1″ lights. It is a quality item, very good indeed.  What plastic headlamp is going to keep up with a 200 lumen light (or two), such as their equally excellent and very stout 2xAA-powered LD20?

I have a handful of high-end Petzl headlamps, and while they’re very nice items, they fall rather short in output, durability, water resistance, and ultimately versatility to this setup.  If I could have only one system, this would be my choice.

Sincerely, – Stan S.

Economics and Investing:

Last week, just before everyone’s attention was diverted to a Mall Ninja toting a tarted-up Mini-14 in Norway, news came of $16 Trillion Dollars that was loaned by the Federal Reserve to prop up the banksters–mostly in Europe. This is an aggregate figure on loans over the course of two years, and most of it was paid back, but it is still staggering. Its a good thing that we have experts like Tim Geithner and Ben Bernanke in charge. Otherwise there might be inflation or somethun’… Oh, and meanwhile, the Congresscritters are quibbling about how they can “trim” $1 trillion from the Federal budget over the course of the next 10 years. Dear readers, I hope you have got your things together. There’s a bad moon on the rise.

Over at Market Ticker, Karl Denninger notes: “The Federal Government borrows about 43 cents of every dollar it spends. This is, approximately, what you would be doing if you made $100,000 a year but spent about $175,000, each and every year for the last three years. Would you be able to get away with that?”

Eric S. spotted this: Tax dollars buying less and less.

Signs of the times: Banks “donating” foreclosed slum properties for demolition

Items from The Economatrix:

Debt Deal Or Not, Weak Economy Likely to Suffer

Stocks Sink as Debt Limit Stalemate Continues

Applications for Unemployment Aid Drop Below 400,000

Here’s What Happens if Agencies Downgrade US Debt:  It’s Bad

20 Things That Could Happen if No Debt Deal

Odds ‘n Sods:

Dilbert is a Prepper–in a cartoon that is a reminder to think OPSEC! Here is a recent Dilbert comic strip about preparedness for financial collapse that is funny, yet alarming. (Iggy was the first of several readers to send me the link.)

   o o o

Since when is swearing adherence to the Constitution a sign of “Rage”, “Anti-Government”, and being “Conspiracy [minded]”? Only in the eyes of the leftist ADL: Rage Grows in America: Anti-Government Conspiracies.

   o o o

W. in West Virginia mentioned a television news segment about underground shelter builder Radius Engineering.

   o o o

M.W. spotted this: Pixels of Sunshine: Maps Help You Plan Your Future Solar Panel System

   o o o

I just noticed that Cheaper Than Dirt (one of our advertisers) is selling HK G3 (HK91 and clone compatible) alloy 20 round magazines for just 97 cents each. That truly is Cheaper Than Dirt! Stock up, even if an HK91 clone or one of the new AR-10s that accept HK magazines is presently just a “maybe” on your list. A few decades from now, you’ll be regaling your grandkids: “Back in 2011, before the purchasing power of the Dollar collapsed, I bought all these for just 97 cents each.” They of course won’t believe you…

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We are now in the final stages of what economist Ludwig von Mises termed the “crack-up boom,” with the Fed (and other central banks abroad) printing money frantically to try to stave off the inevitable collapse and hyperinflation. We have been warning about this outcome for several years now, and it is indicative of how dire circumstances have become that the likes of Forbes magazine — not a purveyor of Austrian economics by a long shot — is now frankly acknowledging it.” – Charles Scaliger, The New American, July 26, 2011.

Note from JWR:

Today we present the final entry for Round 35 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. This is a corrected version of an article that was initially posted last week. It was removed so that a couple of facts could be rectified, and so that the article could be expanded.

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 36 begins tomorrow, 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.

Buying Registered Sound Suppressors in the U.S., by R.B.

This article is an after action report (AAR) of sorts on my experiences with buying registered NFA items with a $200 transfer tax, and to piggyback on the few entries in SurvivalBlog dealing with suppressors.  There are a few reasons to not buy a silencer.  Mainly that you lose a bit of your privacy by giving info to the ATF, but you do that whenever you fill out a Form 4473.  After much internal debate, I decided to go off of the deep end after reading an article here on Survivalblog.com.  It dealt with problems in Argentina when the SHTF down there.  The author stated how having a suppressor would have been “handy” in some situations.  Coupled with my philosophy of “Buy it now, before its illegal”, I bought four suppressors.  Now my HK USP .45 sounds like this.  That being said, you really only need three suppressors.  I’ll explain that shortly.

When you set out to buy your suppressors, there are many things to keep in mind: caliber; subsonic ammo; metal composition; and most importantly, the threading.  And don’t forget the obvious: “Do I live in a Nanny State that tells me what I can and cannot own ?” (Some states have their own laws on suppressors and full auto guns.)

Caliber.  You want to stick to common calibers. Always!  You only want three calibers, and in this order: .22LR (pistol/rifle); .45 ACP (pistol); and .308 (rifle only). Why only three calibers of suppressors?  The reason is simple—a thread adapter opens up more calibers to you.  The .22 LR suppressor is good for all similar diameter bullets and smaller (like .17 HMR).  The .45 ACP is good for all .45 ACP to include all smaller pistol calibers.  And the .308 suppressor will be good for the smaller calibers such as .223, .270, and similar calibers such as 7.62, .30-06, and .300 Winchester Magnum.  Please check to see what your suppressor is rated for first, as well as check the threading (more on that later).  Lastly, bear in mind that there may be some loss in decibel reduction when firing a smaller bullet through a suppressor not normally used for that caliber: i.e. a 9mm through a .45 ACP suppressor might be louder than a suppressor specifically designed for a 9mm (not to mention that that round is [normally] supersonic).
Metal composition.  Most suppressors are made of aluminum, steel, or titanium.  Bear in mind that over time, your suppressor will lose some of its efficiency.  I think it’s negligible. 

Aluminum: By far the least expensive.  Suppressors made of aluminum are typically for your .22LRs and other pistol calibers.  These are lightweight and dissipate heat well.  The internal baffles are usually aluminum as well.  Being made of aluminum, rust is not a problem.  However, being made of aluminum, they damage more easily (i.e.: the threads might strip more easily, or it might get crushed by something heavy).  Moreover, being made of a cheaper metal, they will not last as long as those made with more durable materials.  I do not mean that to mean your suppressor will go bad on you after 10,000 rounds.  It’s just a less durable material.

Steel: Cost more than aluminum suppressors, but cheaper than titanium.  Very durable.  Typically for your rifle calibers from .223 on up.  These get hot!  As with all suppressors, exercise some caution in removing them by wearing a glove.  My steel suppressor was so hot after firing about 50 rounds of .223 I had to wait until it cooled off sufficiently enough because it was hot enough to melt plastic even after 15 minutes.  This meant I could not return it to my backpack.  One more thing, steel suppressors are heavy!  Put one of these on the end of your gun and it feels like an anchor is on it.  And don’t forget that steel rusts.

Titanium:  The most expensive.  Super light compared to the steel suppressors.  I do not own one but the one I held gave me the impression that it would hold less heat than its steel counterpart. Most durable material there is.  Will last the longest of the three materials.

*One note: make sure you screw the suppressor on tightly.  They have a tendency to come unscrewed as you shoot them.  If you have a suppressor that unscrews from either end, be careful.  The threaded end screwed onto the barrel may get stuck on due to heat expansion, making removing the item difficult since the screw on piece is still on the barrel after you have removed the rest of the suppressor.  My solution was to put blue Loctite on that end.  I’ve had no problem ever since.    

Cycling (ammo and the need for a piston):
–Pistol suppressors:  Some suppressors for pistols require a “piston” in order for the pistol to cycle.  The Gemtech Blackslide features such a device.  Otherwise, you may have to charge your pistol after every shot.  Make sure you look into the suppressor’s literature before you buy.  You’ll usually only have this problem with subsonic ammo, and not the high-powered stuff.

–Rifle suppressors: No need to worry about a piston, however, cycling with subsonic ammo will be a problem with semi-autos.  When I was experimenting with loads, some led to semi ejected rounds (in my AR-15) until the charge got low enough to where the bolt stayed close.  At this point, I had to manually eject each round.

Subsonic ammo.  Contrary to Hollywood movies, regular (supersonic) ammo in a rifle makes a lot of noise.  The thing sounded about as suppressed as a banshee.  Subsonic ammo is what you want for your suppressor.  Subsonic .22 LR ammo is readily available.  For .22LR, if not marked sub-sonic, then ammo that states its fps is around 1,070fps will do fine, even though it’s a bit louder than subsonic.  [JWR Adds: Most “Target” grade .22 LR ammo is subsonic.]

Most .45 ACP is subsonic.  This is one reason you want your large caliber pistol suppressor to be in .45 ACP.  You ge t knockdown power in a pistol that transitions from “boom!” to just “thump”.  Unless you plan on firing any of those hot .45 ACP rounds, odds are that your .45 round will be subsonic. [JWR Adds: In contrast, most 9mm Parabellum and .40 S&W ammo can be supersonic, depending on the elevation. You have to pay more for special subsonic 9mm ammo.]

Adapters. Adapters allow you to keep the number of suppressors you need low.  For $60 you can buy an adapter that will allow you to place a 5/8” x 24 TPI .308 suppressor on your ½” x 28 TPI AR-15.  The same goes for your .45 ACP pistol.  Buy large, and adapt down.  And remember, you cannot fire a .308 through a .223 suppressor!

Threads.  This is very important.  Pistols and rifles have different threads.  The most common threads are ½” x 28 TPI, ½” x 36 TPI, and 5/8” x 24 TPI.  Keep this info in mind if you wish to thread one of your bolt actions to get a flash hider put on it, and to use a suppressor on that same rifle.  Most .22LRs have the ½” x 28” TPI, to include .22LR pistols.  Large caliber rifles tend to have the 5/8” x 24 TPI.  A word of caution, be careful when buying a suppressor for a pistol/foreign pistol, or a foreign rifle (metric measurements)!  The threads get whacky for many of the barrels, and it’s here that you may be only able to get one suppressor for one type of pistol (i.e.: you want a suppressor for your FN FiveSeven).  The reason is that not all pistol barrels are the same diameter, whereas most rifles are threaded to the same specs regardless of the barrel diameter. 

Threaded suppressor or quick detach?  Threaded suppressors of course require a threaded barrel.  Quick detach (QD) suppressors require a flash hider tailored to the suppressors quick detachment cut-out, or the flash hider’s thread.  Make sure that you do not buy a QD suppressor for a threaded barrel because the pitches/grooves are nowhere near the same for the flash hider as they are for the barrel, and you may have to go through hell and high water to get your barrel threaded to accept the QD flash hider, just to mount a suppressor.

Threading.  As Mr. Rawles has said, if you get this job done, be discreet.  Make sure you are clear in describing what you want, and make sure the person is reputable.  The thread must be true or else the suppressor will go on crooked and that can lead to what is called a baffle strike.  I was told by one gent that most suppressor manufacturers will not service your suppressor (under its warranty) if they do not know the person, or business, who performed your threading because it could be a defect in the threading that caused the strike and not a manufacturer’s defect.  Check with them to see if they have an “approved list”.

Firing wet.  You can fire your can “wet”, but this does not mean your can is designed to be fired “wet”.   This reduces the sound because it reduces the temperature of the hot gases which are responsible for most of the noise (minus the sonic crack, of course).  Make sure you check the directions before you do so.  I added a little water to my Blackside and the difference was huge.  Some folks use WD-40 (I would not do this!), and lithium grease.  My Blackside came packed with lithium grease.  When I fired it, the sound was very low, but there was so much smoke as to think that a semi had just changed gears going up a hill!   And remember that steel rusts.

Buying a sheath.  I recommend this.  I thought the sheaths were for camouflage, until I tried to take mine off using my naked hand (dumb).  When I was a child, I accidentally grabbed a glowing orange/red jumbo sparkler.  It felt exactly the same.  Buy a sheath.  It’ll also provide a little more protection to your suppressor since they are slightly padded Nomex.   And just because you have a sheath on your suppressor I still recommend using a glove when trying to remove it.

Firing with a suppressor.  A few observations I’ve noticed about firing a suppressor.  Your ammo cases get really dirty!  I say this as a heads up to reloaders.  The other thing is hard to explain.  When firing my AR-15 suppressed, it was as if the gases were coming back at me.  It was like they just went in my eyes and nose and tried to come out of my mouth.  Could have been the back pressure.   So if you are trying to kill zombies trying to steal your food and gold, keep this in mind: the gases may make your eyes water.

The process.  My goal here is to keep this simple and tell you what I had to do because neither  the local Sheriff, nor the Police Chief, would not sign off on his portion of the paperwork.  My guidance came from the Class 3 FFL dealer.  The traditional way requires that you accomplish:

  • Two passport photos for each ATF Form 4 (money).
  • $200 Money Order/check for the tax stamp.
  • Copy of citizenship form (2).
  • Finger print cards (2).
  • ATF Form 4 for each item (the sheet itself is duplicate).
  • LEO form signed by the Sheriff, Judge, D.A., Police Chief, etc.
  • Pay the transfer fee the store usually charges you.  About $75 (once you get the item).

I do not recommend this method because: it costs more; longer wait; less privacy; and it’s more difficult to leave your NFA items with someone you know.  Finally, you then send all of this in and wait 4-6 months!

Here’s what my Class 3 FFL guy told me to do:

Buy Quicken WillMaker Plus 2011 (or later) and set up your Revocable Living Trust (RLT) ($14).  I already had my suppressors at the store (which meant I had the serial numbers and the physical description) so I added them (some might disagree with this). Get it notarized.  No need for a lawyer who will charge you $150! 

A word of caution here.  This is what I did based upon the advice of my Class 3 FFL who has had numerous NFA transfers approved using this method in this state.  Some recommend that you go through a lawyer, or a professional, that specializes in the creation of RLTs as opposed to using a software program.  Whatever bed you choose, you will have to sleep in it.

I put my immediate family in my trust.  The benefit to the RLT is that if you have to leave your NFA items behind, you can leave them with those on the trust as opposed to transferring the items to them, and thus having to pay the $200 transfer  tax, and then waiting for the turnaround in paperwork.  Furthermore, anytime you wish to add another NFA item, you just write it on your RLT once you take possession of the item (you still have to go through the same NFA process!).  One thing: Make sure those you list on your RLT know what they are getting into when you leave these items with them.  You owe it to them. 

Some benefits to the RLT route:

  • No fingerprints
  • No photos
  • No citizenship form to fill out
  • No LEO signature

All that you need to do if you’ve established a trust:

  • Pay transfer fee to FFL.
  • Fill out ATF Form 4.
  • Pay $200 tax stamp. 

A key point: If you buy multiple NFA items and submit the paperwork at the same time, do a USPS Money Order for each item since one benefit is that it will instantly clear.  The FFL explained to me that if there is a discrepancy in your paperwork for one item, and not all of them, the examiner may hold up all of your items if you, for instance, wrote a $600 check for three items.  But if you send if separate Money Orders, then the unaffected items can still go through the process because the payments for those items is independent of the frustrated item.

Using the RLT method, the turnaround time for me was three months, only because some ATF person had forgotten my paperwork in their in box.  As soon as my FFL called the ATF, the Examiner signed the docs and sent them out the next day. So really it was like 2½ months.  The FFL guy I was working through said he got his back in two months using the same process.  He said that this was the quickest he had ever seen it done.

ATF Form 4s.  Once complete, you must keep the ATF form 4s with the items whenever you move them.  The FFL dealer showed me this really cool idea.  He had his copied and shrunk down to a card that a local place made into something akin to a driver’s license.  What I did was go to a UPS Store and have them shrink it down and then laminate each ATF Form 4.  Each card is very legible and fits in my wallet.  Keep your originals in a safe place.  I’d make digital copies of your forms as well and store that file in a safe place.

Crossing state lines.  Unlike other NFA items, you do not need to complete an ATF Form 5320.20 when taking a suppressor across state lines. (I got this confirmed by an ATF branch agent in West Virginia).  However, you must take your ATF Form 4s with you for each NFA item in your possession whenever transporting them.  Never leave home without them.   [JWR Adds: Of course state laws also apply, so check the laws of the states that you will be transiting, before you travel!]

Inspections.  Speaking to the local ATF rep, I found out that the ATF does not conduct administrative visits for private citizens in possession of NFA items (to include machine guns).  She stated that this is a nationwide policy, and that they only inspect licensed dealers with NFA items.  She added that in New York that there could be [state] inspections. (Which is why you should vote with your feet).   In addition, she said local laws may vary, and in that regard the local authorities may be able to inspect your NFA items.

Reloading: Creating your own subsonic rounds.  If you wish to do this, bear in mind that you are giving up a lot of oomph with your .223 or .308.  My AAR observations when trying to create my own subsonic .223 rounds are as follows: 1) most subsonic rifle rounds are heavier than normal; and 2) subsonic rifle round manufacturers  ‘suggest’ that you use a faster than normal rifle twist with their bullets.  For example, I’ve seen commercial .223 subsonic weigh in at 100 grains and ask for a 1:7 inch twist.  I’ve also seen subsonic .22 LR in 60 grains and ask for a 1:9 inch twist.  When you start designing your loads to get the right combination, safety first!  You do not want an undercharged bullet to get stuck in the barrel [or strike a baffle]s.  Using a chronometer (with your rifle barrel four to five feet back), start with heavy charges and work your way down to lesser grain charges as opposed to starting weak and working your way up.  Point the barrel at the ground or at any target which you can easily discern a hit.  I suggest using the ground as dirt will fly up with each hit.  If you see dirt, then you know the bullet left the barrel.  Catalog each bullet as you decrease in grains.  Bear in mind that in a semi-auto you will go from a cycling bolt, to a partially cycling bolt with its jammed expended cartridges, to a bolt that does not cycle at all.  Keep track of the kind of brass you used (not that important), the primer, the powder, the bullet brand and grain, the seating depth, the barrel rifle twist, as well as the barrel length so that you can recreate your load and possibly share with others under what conditions your bullet was subsonic.  And keep an eye on your chronometer.  Make sure you do not get too close or you will be measuring the velocity of the bullet, and sometimes the gases.  I made this mistake and several times got a reading of 4,400fps even as I was decreasing powder charges.

In closing, one person put it, getting an NFA item is a lot like getting a CCW permit.  Lastly, remember to “buy it now before it’s illegal” (and that goes for everything).  They’ve already started banning lemonade stands, home gardens, and walking while texting. Who knows what’s next?

And thank you to those who provided feedback to the earlier posting!

Letter Re: Expanded Gun Controls in Canada?

Mr. Rawles,
The owner of CanadaAmmo.com recently posted on a public forum (Canadiangunnutz.com) that the Royal Canadian Mountain Police (RCMP) Firearms lab “is encouraging importers to hold off on new imports until the fall, when they expect the prohibited list to be ‘updated’ to reflect new models.”  Updating the prohibited list in all probability and precedent would mean sweeping confiscations of some firearms. [JWR Adds: Unlike here in the U.S., Canadian gun laws don’t have a tendency toward “grandfather” exclusion clauses.]

Even though the Conservative party of Canada now holds a majority government in Parliament and the party has claimed for years they would abolish the much hated Federal Long Gun Registry, they also have allowed the RCMP to reclassify and confiscate a variety of firearms in recent years, including the Norinco Type 97 bullpup carbine.

In all probability, high ranking RCMP bureaucrats in association with well funded, well organized gun-control lobbyists are petitioning the government to reclassify a wide range of currently “tacticool,” firearms contained within the long gun registry through an undemocratic order in council provision that exists in the draconian Canada Firearms Act.  These include:

M1A (M14)
Mini-14
Mini-30
AR-180b
[Robinson] M96
[Robinson] XCR
[HK] G36
Swiss Arms [Presumably the SIG 550 or 556 Series?]
CZ858
CZ2003
[IMI Tavor bullpup] TAR-21
[HK] SL-8
[E.M.F.] JR Carbine
KEL-TEC RFB

Before it’s too late, Canadian gun owners need to contact their members of parliament to let them know that government confiscation of property is theft; regardless of the creative excuses police bureaucrats come up with. – Mr. X.

JWR Replies: No doubt, they’ll cite the actions of a crazed bomber/gunman in Norway, as justification…

Letter Re: Alabama County Provides Microcosmic Preview of a Larger Bankruptcy

Dear Mr. Rawles —
Here is a link to a story in this morning’s New York Times about Jefferson County, Alabama. It seems to be a microcosm of what the whole country faces as the threat of Federal default becomes real.

The reporter says, “There are lessons for everyone here, and they are all painful: lessons for those who are not concerned about the prospect of mounting debt, for those who insist that steep cuts can be relatively painless, for those who think the bill for big spending can safely be put off into the future, for those who have blind faith in the market and for those who think the government can always be relied upon to protect the interests of the people.” Best, – Mary F. in New York

Economics and Investing:

In his latest subscribers-only newsletter, veteran market analyst Porter Stansberry describes a U.S. sovereign debt downgrade as “inevitable”. JWR’s comments: Make your plans with the assumption that there will be a rating downgrade by all of the credit ratings agencies. The current AAA rating for U.S. paper is just a convenient fiction. Obviously a debt downgrade will mean higher interest rates. This will in turn ratchet down the U.S. economy in general and the residential and commercial real estate markets in particular. This will delay any recovery for many years. Plan on a riding through a depression that could last for decades!

John R. recommended this commentary by Jim Quinn: This Country Defaulted Long Ago

U.S. Economic Data Disappoints Immensely, QE3 Readies

KAF sent this: Downgrade Day: What It Will Look Like

US Army proposes new retirement plan. (Would “save” $400 Billion, by breaking promises made for generations.)

The Debt-Ceiling-Debacle: The Surprising Way a Default or Downgrade Could Crush the Global Economy

G.G. sent this: U.S. regulators close three small banks, bringing total bank closures this year to 61

Items from The Economatrix:

US Debt Deadlock Hits World Shares

Citi’s Top Economist Says The Water Market Will Soon Eclipse Oil

Job Listings Say Unemployed Need Not Apply

Gold Breaches $1,625, US Credit Ratings Downgrade Now Almost Certain

Odds ‘n Sods:

Ravenous wolves colonise France, terrorise shepherds. (A hat tip to F.G. for the link.)

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Signs of The Times: Detroit to set services by neighborhood condition. (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.)

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KAF sent this: 2010-2011 drought likely to be among costliest on record for Texas farmers, ranchers

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Reader Shawn in Ohio asks: “If they riot at a movie, how bad will things get if we default?”: Riot Police, Crowd Clash Outside Hollywood Premiere of Film on Electric Daisy Carnival Rave

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Are you planning to “Bug In”, in the Big City, in the event of disaster? Then consider the trash factor.

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.

Acquiring Hand Tools, by Calvinist Cadet in Washington

Primitive tasks require primitive tools.  When endeavoring to prepare for an extended grid-down or without rule of law scenario one would do well to have on hand a ready mix of equipment and supplies which can meet the challenges requisite to providing for basic needs.  Would-be survivalists often point to hypothetical situations when which they would gather water from some nearby source and make fire within there hastily crafted shelter beside their tilled, loamy garden bed, while butchering game, harvested casually in some illusionary, post-apocalyptic, Shangri-la. Without primitive or pioneer type tools, basic human functions can become impossible.  A simple and comfortable pail may some day be a family’s life line.  An axe could be the only tool available with which to harness heat energy or make shelter.  An old and worn kitchen knife the only butchering tool. 

A preparedness mindset requires that we take advantage of the readily available resources of today and the pioneering knowledge and techniques of yesterday to ready ourselves for a return to the austere conditions our luxurious technologies have over come.  Today, we can walk the “Lawn and Garden” aisle of a local hardware store and for a couple hundred fleeting U.S. Dollars acquire enough tools to provide for many of our needs.  Some day soon we may wish we had laid up some of these basic tools.  You have an axe, but do you have a maul and wedge?  Do you have a froe and mallet (used for making shakes and squaring timbers)?  Have you a stone on which to grind your axe or froe or maul.  You have a saw, but what kind?  Is it a large cross-cut for felling trees, can it cut through metal, remove the head of an elk?  A man needs several types of saws for doing these relevant survival tasks. 

People of today have Honda powered garden cultivators to make short work of the backyard garden patch.  Now imagine clearing and amending a vegetable patch larger than your entire yard in order to feed your family some staples.  And if you manage to clear this area of turf and weeds and rocks enough to support seed plants you must now weed and aerate and irrigate and fertilize and harvest this vast stretch of ground with the tools you had in your garage.  So you have a spade, do you have a MacLeod (a cross between rake and pick used for ground clearing, trail building and fire line), a Pulaski, a mattock, a turf spade, a stirrup hoe, a sling blade, a pitch fork, a grain scoop?  These are just a few of the necessary hand tools which were common on every homestead, even seventy years ago.  Go back a few hundred more years and the very same tools were also the only weapons on the farm.  Take inventory now, acquire what you will need , start using these tools and techniques, harden your hands and backs.  Ready yourself mentally, physically and materially for what may lay ahead. 

Do you have a sturdy watering can? You’ll need one that will not clog or crack if left in the cold.  How about your series of rain barrels from which to draw and water your crops.  Now, we just move the hose and sprinkler around, twist the faucet, and believe our electric well pumps or worse, municipal water will flow and flow and flow.  How many barrels do you have in your garage, are you equipped to catch the rain or snowmelt from your roof.  Could you build an elevated (tower) type catchment system which could irrigate a broad expanse, without electricity and with the tools and lumber you have on hand?   Planning on moving timbers for firewood or building structures, make sure you have a peavey (log handling) and a block and tackle to gain mechanical advantage.  With regard to harvesting timber, we currently lean heavily on our two stroke chainsaws.  I know I do, we run a side business selling firewood from our retreat, ensuring that we always have at least ten cords on hand and continue to perfect local, low tech harvesting and processing methods.  Properly viewed a good chainsaw is a pioneer type tool.  The simple two-stroke motor has no circuit boards which will fail in an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) emergency.  I would assert that if you have limited fuel storage capabilities, you store premium, non-ethanol gasoline, mixed with a high grade two-stroke oil.  We have been able to start and run old Stihl two-stroke equipment which sat for years with a 50:1 mixture of Stihl oil and premium non-ethanol, 93 octane gasoline.  This oil has a stabilizing ingredient in it, and non-ethanol gasoline is much better for long term storage than the Al Gore alternative of  “corn gas” which can gum up or go stale in under six months.  If this approach were embraced, a whole other essay could be composed on which two-stroke tools to acquire. 

Imagine being able to barter your ability to fall and buck your neighbors timber or run a two stroke cultivator through his lawn to save hours of shovel work turning a lawn into a garden.  The two-stroke concept aside and returning to the basic premise of primitive, non-electric hand tools for pioneering chores.  The notion of bartering your services with these tools and techniques is strong.  In the past, neighbors and churches got together to clear a field or build a barn.  The Amish still cooperate around shared pieces of equipment and tools. [JWR Adds: As I’ve mentioned in my book and blog, I consider small bottles of 2-cycle fuel mixing oil ideal to keep on hand for barter. This has several advantages: compact, lightweight, pre-measured, long storage life, readily recognizable, wide appeal, likely scarcity, et cetera.]

Imagine the mission field of  folks who can’t do for themselves, but you show up with a unique tool or ability and exhibit beautiful Christian charity by lending a hand or tool.  If the idea of now starting to accumulate all of the tools you may need is daunting, incorporate conversations with your group or family or church friends.  Find out how your equipment compliments that of others you will depend on in emergencies or after a collapse.  These are the tangibles that Mr. Rawles has been advocating we as preppers shift our investment portfolios into.  Financial resources put into these pieces of equipment will benefit you tremendously even during peaceful and prosperous times.  The ability to improve your home, retreat or garden.  The spiritual and physical benefits of working with your hands and getting a bit dirty.  Learning processes that can provide for your own needs and passing them on to children and friends, preserving the knowledge of the old way of doing things.  Every task that was previously performed with the assistance of electricity or electronic modules can and should be re-thought.  Mr. Rawles has strongly advocated that every prepper have at least one vehicle manufactured decades ago, which has no crucial circuitry that is microprocessor-based. I currently use my 2005 four wheel drive pick up truck every day.  Were an EMP event to occur or my fuel supplies run out, I would have to revert to man and beast for my hauling and skidding.  How hard is it now to acquire a more primitive vehicle and get it into reliable condition.  The late 1960s vehicles from the novel “Patriots” comes to mind, how I wish I hadn’t sold my old Toyota long bed four wheel drive years ago. 

Those individuals with stock animals capable of load work and the accompanying tack and gear will be so much better off.  A mule, donkey, draft horse or ox will be prized so much higher than the show horses and warm bloods which are the status symbols of today’s equine societies.  If you are a suburban or home based prepper be sure you have one or more sturdy wheel barrows, carts or sleds.  Put away a bicycle pump for airing up the tires when you can’t just run over to the filling station to air up a flat garden cart tire in the spring.  Anything you do not have for survival after TEOTWAWKI will have to be made, grown, harvested, scavenged, bought or bartered.  Hammers, pliers, pullers, bits and augers, it is almost unfathomable what we take for granted or do not use anymore do to the readily available, chinese made, disposable items we use to sustain our every day comforts and needs.  We can go online to “Harbor Freight” for the disposable equivalent of power tools.  Dig a little deeper, we currently have many resources for finding the older, US made tools which continue to ably do the job they were made for.  Pawn shops, Craigslist, garage sales, and even scrap yards can hold tools and equipment that today’s consumers don’t know the value of.  A wash tub and washboard for clothes cleaning.  Hand pumping well head and an inventory of piping or trough.  Simple mechanical farm equipment like plows and threshers.  A drilling brace will enable you to drill holes if your electric drill is useless.  How many pounds of nails, screws, spikes or pegs have you put up?  Centuries ago, whole structures would sometimes be burned to the ground that the nails which held them together could be gathered up and reused. 

Remember all of those old wood working tools that grandfather had and used, in an austere environment? And those primitive files and chisels and planers will be invaluable.  In the fields, rakes and shovels and picks of all manner and styles will be used and broken, then mended or augmented to get the many tasks accomplished.  Leather working and sewing, hide skinning and tanning, water gathering, shelter building and repair, gunsmithing and reloading, farming, silage harvesting, hauling, candle and soap making, all of these necessary tasks require specialty tools to complete and in the absence of readily available grid power become especially daunting.  As we ready our retreats, homes and farms for come-what-may, we must put on an attitude of confident can-do. 

Consider, realistically what it will take to provide true necessities and keep the homestead going.  When focusing on beans, bullets, band-aids and boomsticks, do yourself, your family and community a favor and also prepare for the basic and historical tasks of a more primitive existence.  God Bless the SurvivalBlog community as we hope for the Savior’s return but prepare for the worst.  The tools and concepts I have referenced only scratch the surface of what one day might be required, I look forward to letters and lists from this community to thread together a strong resource for those just beginning or learning about self sufficiency.