Firewood on the Homestead, by Grouse Mountain

As energy prices soar and the dollar loses value, people are purchasing firewood for the future. Heating oil is a grade of diesel, propane is an oil by- product and with the rise of over twenty cents a gallon in just a few weeks, people are planning ahead where there may not be any fuel to warm their homes. Those with electricity are starting to look at any solar power possibilities, meanwhile, the big oil corporations have bought up many of the solar-panel producing companies!

Firewood providers in our area are getting orders to bring customers as much firewood as possible- the customers will take all the wood they can provide. (And, of course, the providers like to be paid in cash…) The customers are saying that next year -and beyond-, heating oil will be too expensive to heat their homes with.  Add to that the uncertainty of any oil being available for our rural area. Firewood will also cost more due to fuel for delivery trucks as well as the chainsaw maintenance, which includes bar oil and gasoline.

Natural gas is not available in our area, and many rural folks use propane. Rising in cost, our recent fill up cost us over $700, and that was with a price break of filling over 200 gallons! ($2.15 a gallon.) Typical fill up rule is to fill to 80% to leave room for expansion and for safety reasons. We have propane ‘on-demand’ water heating and are looking to improve on that system with firewood .  We live on a mountain; in winter there is no delivery. We can fill our own small portable tanks, a bit hard to use with a major home hookup. Firewood it is!

We heat and cook with  wood, using our ‘Pioneer Maid’ air-tight stove. It works great.  It is Amish made, available from Lehman’s or from Obadiah’s in Troy, Montana. We had it delivered to a local hardware store.  They used a forklift to set it into our truck; when we got home we used our tractor to lift it out onto a dolly with wheels.  That dolly was pre-tiled to compensate for any further moving of the stove, it went right into place. Wheels, what a concept!

Consider purchasing extra stove pipe to replace or repair yours in the future, along with spark arrester-tops, chimney brushes and creosote blocks or powder. If  you can afford it,  buy stainless steel chimney pipe which costs quite a bit more but will last a long, long  time.

Have a safe way to get up to your chimneys to clean them out with chimney brushes.  Roof ladders come to mind, if you don’t know anyone with a “cherry-picker” extension on their truck!

We located our woodshed(s) uphill from our dwelling location, that way everything can be downhill when bringing wood into our home.  We purchased a large wheeled wood-hauling cart that is wonderful to use from Harbor Freight as well as a black plastic tub that slides well in snow.  It takes at least eight months to dry or “season” firewood, with it being stored under cover with open sides all around. We do hang tarps during winter months to block the weather from wetting the wood. The best strategy is to have at least two years of wood stored, we rotate by having two woodsheds. If you can, purchase your firewood, saving ‘your’ wood until other wood is not available. If times get challenging, you will be glad of this strategy!

We save the scrap from our woodpiles in old construction buckets under cover. It is great fire starter along with pine cones and needles! The caution here is the creosote potential.  We use “Safe Lite”natural fire starters made by Rutland.  (Pine needles in fall, are also good for bedding your raspberry bushes!) We save newspapers when thrown out at the post office. (Black & White papers are better, since color pages have cadmium, etc.,) You’ll have to use your creosote powder remover more often as well as clean your chimney pipes more frequently. One thing; we tended to burn our stove pretty hot, and ended up needing a few more bricks to have on hand to replace the ‘liners’ in the stove firebox that cracked.

Here at our center, we are planting trees for the future.  Tamarack and others are sold through our county conservation district and we found hardwood species through Lawyer Nursery. We are fortunate that we have enough downed trees (and diseased) trees that we do not need to cut live trees. Our thought is the small nursery trees have a better chance of surviving the days that are here.

In our experience burning Ponderosa Pine and Western White pine is like trying to burn wet cardboard! Here is our order of preference for the N.E. Washington Rocky Mountain Foothills:
1) Western Larch (Tamarack,)
2) White Birch,  
3) Douglas Fir  
4) Aspen
5) White Fir.

A combination helps to cook with Birch and Tamarack, but of course, for heating, you will use what works! In our area a cord of Red Fir a.k.a. Douglas Fir is $125 per cord. Western Larch (also known as Tamarack) and Birch sell for $145- $150.

Attached is a composite list from several sources on common firewood ranked by heat produced, (BTUs= British Thermal Units) per cord of wood. A Cord is wood stacked four feet wide, four feet high and eight feet long.  Please note we do not have some of the exact BTU ratings for some species, (“u/a”) but they are categorized just the same.  Google Search “Firewood Characteristics”, U. S Forest products Laboratory, also see:  Hearth.com,  and the Firewood rating chart.

“*” denotes  Overall  rating of combination Split-ability, Ease to start, low sparking, and how hot fire burns: 

Common Firewood Species

Very High Heat  =  25 – 27   Million  BTUs

Million  BTUs  per cord

Apple …..  Fair*

26.5

Black (sweet) Birch………Excellent*

26.8

Blue Beech……..Excellent

26.8

Hickory……..Excellent

27.7

Hombeam (Ironwood)…….Excellent

27.3

Locust, Black…….Excellent

26.8

Mesquite……..Good*

u/a

Oak, White…….Excellent

25.7

High Heat = 23 – 24   Million   BTUs

 

Ash, White…….Excellent

23.6

Beech…….Excellent

24.0

Birch, Yellow…….Excellent

23.6

Dogwood…….Excellent

24.3

Madrona…….Excellent

30.0

Maple, Sugar……..Excellent

24.0

Oak, Red…….Excellent

24.0

Pecan…..Excellent

u/a

High to Medium Heat =  20.8 – 23.5 Million BTUs

 

Maple, Red

u/a

Hackberry

20.8

Pine, Yellow…..Good

18.0

Tamarack….Fair

20.8

Walnut……..Good

20.3

Western Larch (Tamarack)……Fair

20.8

Medium Heat = 19.5-20.3

 

Birch, Paper…..Excellent

20.3

Birch, White……..Excellent

20.3

Birch, Grey…….Excellent

20.3

Black Cherry

19.9

Cherry…..Good

20.0

Elm……Fair

19.5

Fir, Douglas……Good

21.4

Juniper…….Good

u/a

Maple, Silver…..Good

u/a

Mulberry

u/a

Redwood……Fair

u/a

Sweet Gum……Fair

u/a

Sycamore…..Fair

u/a

Medium to Low Heat = 15 – 17.9 Million BTUs

 

Alder…..Fair

u/a

Cedar, Red…..Good

17.5

Hemlock

15.9

Ponderosa Pine…..Fair

15.2

Box cedar

17.9

Low Heat = 12 – 14 Million  BTUs

 

Aspen…….Fair

14.7

Basswood…..Fair

13.5

Butternut

14.5

Chestnut…..Poor*

u/a

Cottonwood…..Fair

13.5

Englemen Spruce…..Poor

u/a

Fir, Grand…..Fair

19.5

Pine, White, Western…..Fair

14.3

Pine, Norway

u/a

Pine, Lodgepole

u/a

Poplar…..Poor

u/a

Willow…..Fair

14.5

           
Supplies for Firewood Users

If possible, have two chainsaws, with extra bars and chain, a way to sharpen those chains, and a supply of bar oil, fuel mixing oil, and gasoline.  We also have a couple of splitting mauls, ($28 at Wal-Mart, Big R farm and ranch stores have them too.)  Add steel wedges, and repair manuals for your brand of saws!  We use a sledge hammer (our ‘finishing tool’) and bow saws with extra blades. (Avoid blades that are not made in Europe!)  Get extra wood handles for replacements.  For a good Axe: www.snowandnealley.com  They’re in Maine and they offer a lifetime guarantee.

As mentioned above have at least two quality chain saws. Husqvarna (made in Sweden) and Stihl (made in Germany) are the most popular in our area. We personally have a “Husky”(for Husqvarna) and old McCullough, which the local small engine repair shop calls a “museum piece”. Most saws come with 16 to 24 inch bars. Our advice is to buy the  longest bar that will work on your model. That way you don’t have to bend over as far to cut the firewood up, reducing back strain.  Have extra bar oil, fuel lines, spark plugs, carb re-build kits, and learn which files work to do your own sharpening/ Be sure to get Kevlar safety chaps, eye and ear protectors.

Try to find non-alcohol added gasoline. This saves on the fuel lines and carb gaskets.

There are fuel preservatives for both gasoline and diesel fuels.  For your stored gasoline, PRI-G is an excellent product. They also have a diesel life extender product called PRI-D   We were told by our small engine repair business, preservatives keep the fuel for up to two years, although the product label doesn’t say that. The author of the book No Such Thing As Doomsday says that it will store even longer! Add it to fuel you are storing longer than four months. The experts recommend storing this fuel with preservative in the equipment over winter, rather than running them dry for storage.

Have a ‘two-crew’ cross cut saw of good quality. See Traditionalwoodworker.com, or Crosscutsaw.com. (The last manufacturer in USA).  There is a $4 manual that is a handy reference. For someone who reconditions and sharpens crosscut saws: Jimscrosscutsaws.com.  Definitely non-electric!

Have some wire rope to drag trees out of the forest so you don’t have to haul out the cut up logs. If you don’t have a tractor a four wheel pickup can sometimes work if not muddy. A Peavey tool with the attachment to lift the log off the ground is great to have as well, they are referred too as ‘log-lifters’. Or “Back-savers!” 

We hope that this is a very useful bit of information to help you in the challenges we may face in the coming years.  Please pass it along for others!

We are living ‘ Inspired’, hope that You are too!

David in Israel Re: Family Protective Measures — New Instability in Lebanon

James:
The following is mostly for the benefit of SurvivalBlog readers who live in Israel, but other readers might find it of interest.

Here we go again! Hizb’allah has apparently taken down the somewhat western-aligned government in Lebanon. I want to put not only Israeli readers on warning to have some extra supplies on hand but also collect bedding and blankets to be ready to accept people into your home seeking refuge from the north along the Lebanon and Syria borders. This time around it is important even for people living in the merkaz and possibly even south of Jerusalem to be on alert since the Hizb’allah has been re-equipped since the last rocket war with a far larger arsenal especially of longer-ranged weapons. Stocks now include mobile launcher SCUD ballistic missiles. I don’t think much anymore of the Iraqi WMD migration to Syria but keep NBC precautions in mind anyway.

If not equipped ask if there are still stocks of subsidized gas masks for the whole family at the post office — now designated by the Interior Command as the new mask distributor. Atropine injectors for nerve gas are no longer issued in the package. Hotels keep stock of masks for all visitors. Find out now who is in charge of your community bomb shelter if you do not have one in your home. Volunteer to help clean out cluttered or overloaded shelters especially in your own home. Most community shelters are either a hardened basement in a public building or purpose built shelter which is used by community groups. If their is a drainage or maintenance issue with your community meklat (bomb refuge) addressing your city or area council is probably the fastest way to get repairs done. You should have grab-n-go bags if you do not have a shelter in your home with a minimum of toilet paper, your gas mask, a trash bag, 2-4 liters of water, ready to eat food, and a AM/FM radio to listen for bulletins on army radio and other stations. Home shelters and some public shelters can be pre-stocked if you know the keeper but anything in a public shelter will end up being shared.

Lastly, I ask readers worldwide to address our creator and keeper and pray for peace. Shalom, – David in Israel     

Letter Re: Those Itinerant Gold-Buyers

Greetings Mr. Rawles,

While I believe Survivalblog readers are by-and-large sharp gold-buyers as opposed to naive gold-sellers, I thought I would pass along the experience my local bullion dealer had with one of those “We Buy Your Unwanted Gold!” outfits that came to town last weekend. They specifically solicited numismatic coins and of course promised to pay top dollar.

Following the normal modus operandi, this company ran full-page ads in the local paper on Saturday and Sunday and rented space to set up shop in a local motel. Add to this the travel, lodging, and salary expenses of their employees and I’m certain it cost them several thousand dollars to run this weekend’s operation, so you know they’re making a killing. But how bad a killing?

Well, their ad said they would pay up to eight times face value for 90% silver coins. It’s been over two years since I’ve heard an offer like that and I certainly wouldn’t take twice that much on my silver now. As I recall, about a month ago you wrote you were quoted about 22x face to buy, and APMEX is selling bags at over 21x face today.

But it gets worse: My dealer gave his wife two gold coins, a certified MS63 1924 $20 Double-Eagle and a certified MS64 1932 $10 Indian, and sent her down to get an offer. These two coins have a combined wholesale value of $3,200. How much did they offer her? $2,200 – about 10% over spot and a thousand dollars under wholesale. When she thanked them and said she would have to talk to her husband first, they gave her a special “go right to the front of the line when you come back” card, so you know they just couldn’t wait to get their hands on her merchandise.

The people who run these operations are no more than con-men. Only they know how many of my trusting neighbors they took to the cleaners and how many tens of thousands of dollars they robbed from our local economy last weekend. Hopefully this report will help send the message to keep away from these operations and only do business with honorable local people whom you know and trust. – Kevin W.

Letter Re: Emergency Alert System Radio Stations

Sir,
Regarding your question, WBT is one of the 30 or so stations being added to the Emergency Alert System (EAS) Primary Entry Point (PEP) network by the end of this year. Under the EAS’s older sibling, the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS), 33 stations served as PEP stations. These stations could receive an emergency message from the president and relay it to the other stations in its area. The PEP stations were generally the old 50,000 watt AM powerhouses because of their wide reach. The requirements for a PEP station are as follows;

– Diesel backup generator with fuel sufficient for 30 days of continuous broadcasting without commercial power – Land line, satellite, and HF radio connectivity to FEMA Operation Centers – Special EAS Encoder/Decoders (ENDECs) with unique EAS codes – Generally located just outside of major city area for survivability – Fallout shelter, on-site food, and special lightning protection (the new PEP’s don’t have to have a fallout shelter.) – The station must be kept on-air at all times – even through changes in ownership or bankruptcy

WWL is a great example of this setup in action. It alone remained on air during and after hurricane Katrina, and its signal was simulcast over other frequencies in the area until the other stations could get back up and running.

I have a list of the original 33 stations, but a list of the new ones evades me (heaven forbid an informed populace, although I suppose you could start with WBT.) At night most of these stations can be heard over several states. In addition, many of these stations employ a directional signal at night that could be overridden if needed to really get a message out. One station, WLW, has the ability to broadcast with 500,000 watts (!) and used some of that power to send messages to the troops in Europe during WWII, and to Cuba during the cold war.

In the interest of information, here are the original PEP stations, their frequency, city of license, and broadcasting power. All except a couple of these are AM.

  • KALL 700 Herriman UT (50,000 W day/1000 W night)
  • KBOI 670 Kuna ID (50,000 W)
  • KCBS 740 Novato CA (50,000 W)
  • KERR 750 Polson MT (50,000 day/1000 night) KFLT 830 Tucson AZ (50,000 day/1000 night)
  • KFQD 750 Anchorage AK (50,000 W)
  • KFWB 980 Los Angeles CA (5000 W)
  • KFYR 550 Meneken ND (5000 W)
  • KIRO 710 Vashon WA (50,000 W)
  • KKOB 770 Albuquerque NM (50,000 W)
  • KKOH 780 Reno NV (50,000 W)
  • KOA 850 Parker CO (50,000 W)
  • KTRH 740 Dayton TX (50,000 W)
  • KTWO 1030 Casper WY (50,000 W)
  • WABC 770 New York NY (50,000 W)
  • WBAP 820 Mansfield TX (50,000 W)
  • WBAL 1090 Baltimore MD (50,000 W)
  • WBZ 1030 Boston MA (50,000 W)
  • WCCO 830 Minneapolis/St Paul MN (50,000 W)
  • WCOS FM 97.5 Columbia SC (100,000 W)
  • WHAM 1180 Rochester NY (50,000 W)
  • WHB 810 Kansas City KS (50,000 day/5000 night)
  • WKAQ 580 Catano PR (10,000 W)
  • WLS 890 Chicago IL (50,000 W)
  • WLW 700 Cincinnati OH (50,000 W)
  • WMAC 940 Macon GA (50,000 day/10,000 night)
  • WQDR FM 94.7 Raleigh NC (100,000 W)
  • WRXL FM 102.1 Richmond VA (20,000 W)
  • WSM 650 Nashville TN (50,000 W)
  • WSTA 1340 St Thomas VI (1000 W)
  • WTAM 1100 Cleveland OH (50,000 W)
  • WWL 870 New Orleans LA (50,000 W)
  • WYGM 740 Clermont FL (50,000 W)

Regards, – Dan. L

Economics and Investing:

Reader Joe K. pointed me to piece by Lee Rogers that echoes something that I’ve been recommending for the past three years: Investment Of The Century: U.S. Minted Nickels.

John Williams Eyes Gold as Insurance Against Hyper Inflation Armageddon

Why Interest Rates Keep Rising, Despite QE2

Steve H. sent this: Smaller corn, soybean crops send prices surging

Bailouts Postponed, But Can’t Prevent the “Greatest Depression,” Gerald Celente Says. (Thanks to J.D.D. for the link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

UK:  Petrol Prices To Hit Six Pounds A Gallon  

“Our Savings Have Vanished – We’ve Lost Everything” 

EMU Debt Crisis Edges Ever Closer To The Core  

America Has Reached The Point Of No Return, Reagan Budget Director Warns  

A Global Album Of Sovereign Insolvency

Inflation Watch:

Inflation Flies Up, Up, And Away  

Downsized! More and More Products Lose Weight

News from India: Onion prices make Mumbai investors teary-eyed. “Vegetable prices jumped 16% in the week to Dec. 25 from the preceding week and were up about 60% from the comparable week last year. Onion prices, meanwhile, soared 23% week-on-week and were up a staggering 82% from a year earlier.”  

Super Big Gulp fan says 7-Eleven duping the public out of 4 ounces

JPMorgan: Surging Food Prices Fueling Global Inflation

Odds ‘n Sods:

Atlanta Stores out of food?

   o o o

Update from Steve Quayle: Mountain House Food Alert, None Available, 92% Dealers Cut. Please patronize SurvivalBlog advertisers first!

   o o o

Reader T.H. invested some time and created a map of “Potential U.S. retreat locations by distance from cities”. Then #1 Son got busy and created a corresponding map of America’s Interstate highway system. I just posted both maps to my Recommended Retreat Areas web page. T.H. included a proviso: “Note that the areas 300 miles out are shaded green. I did not include any Canadian city data, so the northern tier states may not be accurate. For example, the proximity of Calgary, Alberta would affect Montana.”

   o o o

A reader in California recommended this blog post: Flying with a Firearm

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 32 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will 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 Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) 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 $400, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) 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 32 ends on January 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.

Choosing Survival Group Partners, by C.G.

What kind of person are you and how does that relate to surviving the end of the world as we know it?

I am far from completely prepared for TSHTF scenario but I am working hard on it.  I do a lot of reading and research on the subject and one of my toughest areas has been in finding other like minded individuals of which I would be able to trust in a post-TEOTWAWKI situation!  I never really realized how difficult this could be.  In my close circle of friends there is but one that is even close to being like minded on what is in store and the benefits of preparing or it!  As we began discussing plans for a bug out many things have come out that caused me great discomfort and lots of thought.

People are introduced into groups or you find people of like mind hoping the gather together the right mixture of people with different skills and experiences to give your group the highest probability for survival in a worst case scenario.  When introduced to several different options I keep coming back to the same annoying little voice in my head that tells me the people you plan to survive with had better be people with the same values and priorities as you have or you’ll pay an ultimate price!

If your children are the most important thing to you in the world I urge you to scrutinize your choice of survival comrades with the most scrutiny you can possibly muster!  When times are so bad that people are killing others for their food and resources people are in their gravest state of desperation.  It is at these times that the true nature and core of a person will escape the inner reaches of themselves and come out with great force.  So how can you be sure who the people are and determine their values and convictions are acceptable for your survival scenario?

“You don’t develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday.  You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.” – Barbara De Angelis

So what better way to really get to know the personal convictions of a person than by their life relationships!  If someone is a completely selfish person, who would sacrifice others for themselves instead of working as a team, there should be major warnings in their life circumstances that can make you aware of their mentality.  So what behavior patterns should you watch for and avoid?  To everyone the list will be different but I have some set ones that I watch for in people and try my best not to involve them in my children’s lives…let alone place them as a trusted partner in survival!  Here is my list:

Lack of Integrity:  failure to hold steadfast to adherence of moral and ethical issues

You probably already know many of these people.  They don’t often show immediately but through their actions you can see their lack of integrity.  They are typically unfaithful in their marriages or maintain relations with people who are married.  They often bend the rules to suit themselves.  In relationships it may be rationalizing that since they are unhappy or their girlfriend/boyfriend is unhappy they are somehow excused from the commitments of marriage.  In work they may cut corners and deceive to line their pockets rationalizing that someone is going to do it and it might as well be them.

Arrogance: overbearing pride typically evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors

You can typically spot this character soon after meeting them if not before.  They believe they are God’s gift to the universe and strongly believe they may not always be right but they are never wrong.  These people can be more harmful in dire circumstances as they may rationalize how trading another’s safety for their own makes perfect sense as they are superior and should be saved at all costs.  They often have troubled relationships as they push their opinions and ways on other people as their way of thinking and their way of doing things is the only right way in their mind.

Explosive personality: easily agitated toward the point of explosiveness

These individuals are a little harder to recognize as they wouldn’t want people to know their mannerisms.  In time of knowing someone you may be faced with stressful situations and it is how they handle these situations that may portray this character flaw.  Post TSHTF we will be inundated with high stressful situations and the last thing you want for yourselves or your children is someone present that becomes explosive instead of assertive and calm during these situations.

Lack of accountability:  takes no responsibility in their own choices or actions and is not willing to suffer the consequences of those choices and actions.

Everything just “happens” to this type of person.  When things don’t go right they are just unlucky.  When they get fired from their jobs it is because someone has it out for them…..not because they were late eight times in the last month!  They don’t spend time contemplating their decisions as they have no intention of being held accountable for them.  The repeat the same mistakes because they don’t feel their actions caused them.  This person can be easily spotted as the person usually is a woe is me and complaining individual that would rather complain about everything happening to them then take control and do something to improve their situations.

Lack of commitment:  inability to commit to a path, idea or person.

A long list of life partners, girlfriends, boyfriends, jobs, addresses and much more make this person easy to spot as well.  They are people who get into jobs for a quick buck with no intention of staying.  Or the man/woman that starts a relationship with someone who they have no intention of being with.  They simply hop from job to job, bed to bed and so on with no conviction or care of the havoc they leave behind.  You cannot trust this person with your life or that of your child as they may well change their mind and leave you stranded.

“The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.”

Now here is where it gets a little tricky!  Some people do have the capacity to change their behaviors and develop and stick to new ones.  However, someone that repeatedly makes the same mistakes is likely to continue to repeat them. 

Remember that the people you plan to survive with are people you will have to put the trust of your own safety and the safety of your children in.  As parents it is hard to trust anyone with our children but if we are very selective it is possible to find others that value children and have great personal convictions that they would be prime candidates you could trust with the life of your child should yours be lost in post-TSHTF chaos.  Always make sure the people you plan with have the highest integrity and responsibility for their actions.  It is these people who you can trust.  They do not willfully lie, cheat or steal and if ever they do they will immediately confess their errors and accept the responsibility and consequences for their actions.

It is definitely not an easy task to find the right people!  Good luck to all of you!

Letter Re: Advice on Privacy in Firearms Purchases

Hi Jim,  
If I buy a handgun on AuctionArms.com and have it shipped to a FFL will the authorities know it is registered under my name?  

Thank you,   – John G.

JWR Replies: The following applies only to SurvivalBlog readers in the United States: Well, considering that by law, final delivery of a gun bought out of state means that you must fill out a Form 4473 that will be kept on file permanently with your dealer. Also, an Instant Background Check will be required. So, yes, you will leave a paper trail. (Although it isn’t “registration”, per se.)

However, if your state law allows it, then I recommend that you buy your guns from private parties who lives in your state, and pick them up in person, paying cash, or sending a US Postal Service Money Order in advance.  That will minimize the paper trail.  You should find private sellers through AuctionArms.com, GunBroker.com, GunsAmerica.com, or at local gun shows in your own state.

And, needless to say, stock up on original factory made full capacity magazines immediately after you determine what model pistol you will be buying. There are already rumors of another ban. If one is enacted, you can expect the prices of 11+ round magazines to triple or quadruple!

Letter Re: Archery Equipment for Those Living in Gun-Deprived Locales

Jim,  
I just want to add a few comments on Archery as a means of self defense from someone who is no overwhelming expert on the subject, but has had a hand in Archery since childhood. So I put something together to assist those forced to use a bow in self defense. Bows can be swift, silent, accurate and deadly, and in the right circumstances, may be preferable to a firearm.  

Let me state at the very beginning that shooting wooden arrows out of most modern compound bows should not be done and usually will result in the splitting and shattering of the arrow, hopefully not directly into your arm and hand. It is possible to match a much higher draw weight than you think you are capable of, if the bow has a cam on it. The cam allows for a much greater let off in the muscle/force needed to keep the bow string fully drawn. As the bow is drawn, the draw weight increases to a peak and then “lets off”. The let-off is usually between 65% and 80% of the peak weight.  This results in the equivalent of eliminating 2/3rds to 3/4ths of the force needed to draw a bow at a certain point so that it becomes easier on the muscle/bones of the archer. More technically, the cam system maximizes the energy storage throughout the draw cycle and provides let-off at the end of the cycle and has less holding weight at full draw. A traditional type of bow has a linear draw force curve – meaning that as you draw the bow back, the draw force becomes increasingly heavier with each inch of draw. So it’s easier at the beginning and harder at the end. So you store very little energy in the first half of the draw stroke, and much more energy at the end of the draw stroke where the resistance is heavier. The compound bow may reach its peak weight within the first few inches of the draw stroke, and the weight remains flat and constant until the end of the cycle where the cams “let-off” and allow a reduced holding weight. This manipulation of the peak weight throughout the draw stroke by the elliptical shape of the cams, is why compound bows store more energy and shoot faster. The design of the cams directly controls the acceleration of the arrow. Bows can be had with a variety of cams, in a full spectrum from soft to hard (harder gives more speed).

Overall, a modern cam results in using a larger draw weight, a faster arrow, more accuracy, a flatter trajectory and with more penetration.   High draw weight bows require a heavier, stiffer arrow shaft.  So while they will generate more energy at the target, they may not generate much faster arrow speeds.  Lower draw weight bows can use lighter, more limber arrow shafts. International Bowhunting Organization (IBO) standards allow 5 grains of arrow weight per pound of draw weight. So a 70 lb bow can shoot an arrow as light as 350 grains.  A bow set for 60 lb, must have at least 300 grains and so forth.  Surprisingly, when set for IBO minimum standards, many bows are only marginally faster in the 70 lb version vs. the 60 lb version.  Since a 70 lb bow must shoot the heavier arrow, the savings in arrow weight offsets the loss of energy storage during the draw stroke.  A properly set-up 60 lb version of most bows will perform within 10 fps of the heavier 70 lb version.

The average bow of 15-20 years ago was barely able to reach 230 fps, and even at that speed many bow hunters got clean pass-thru’s on large game like Whitetail Deer. Today the average bow is shooting over 300 fps at 70 lb draw weight. This means that even bows in shorter draw lengths and lower draw weights will still provide plenty of velocity to penetrate the ribcage of a Whitetail Deer and other large game. A modern single cam bow with a 50 lb peak draw weight will still send arrows out at well over 220 fps. If you plan to hunt larger game like Elk or Moose, or if you plan to take shots from longer distances, you will need additional kinetic energy for complete penetration. A 40-50 lb draw weight should provide sufficient energy to harvest deer and a 50-60 lb bow weight will provide sufficient energy to harvest larger elk-size species. Unless you’re planning to hunt huge animals, a 70 lb+ pound bow really isn’t necessary. Penetration is most often expressed as kinetic energy (KE) and should be available with purchase of  the bow or by calculating it.  The measurable  “power” of your bow is its total kinetic energy output. This depends upon just two variables: the mass of the arrow and the speed of the arrow.  Kinetic energy of an arrow can be found by using the formula KE=(mv²)/450,240 where m is the mass of the arrow in grains and v is the velocity of the arrow in fps.  As a provided example, if your bow shoots a 400 grain arrow at a respectable 250 fps, your actual kinetic energy or “power” will roughly be equal to 55 1/2 ft-lbs. More than enough to take out a man.

Easton’s Kinetic Energy Recommendation Chart

<25 ft. lbs. Small Game (rabbit, groundhog, etc.)
25-41 ft. lbs. Medium Game (deer, antelope, etc.)
42-65 ft. lbs. Large Game (elk, black bear, wild boar, etc.)
>65 ft. lbs. Toughest Game (Cape Buffalo, Grizzly Bear, Musk Ox, etc.)

Bleed out is that fact that due to the cutting diameter of the blades on a broad head, more vital organs, arteries, tissue, etc. is often cut on the way through the flesh. This usually results in a faster bleed out of the target than is usual with a bullet. According to the information I have seen, when a bullet goes through the human body, the wound channel often closes back up. With a broad headed arrow the cutting action has left a much larger wound channel that cannot close back up as efficiently, and thus more blood escapes the body at a faster rate. Arrows do not have even remotely the shattering effect on bone that bullets do (making people on drugs physically unable to move a shattered limb) but can, in a certain way, can put a person down as efficiently as a bullet. This appears to be true in my own personal experience with deer but it is tempered with the fact that I have also figuratively knocked deer off their feet with a deer slug, which is not going to happen with an arrow.  

Psychologically, if you shoot an individual with an arrow, you have just got “medieval” on them and the shock of seeing an arrow sticking out of their body will likely put an end to the confrontation. Modern man in North America and Europe is just not psychologically prepared for being impaled like they used to be. Every time that arrow is moved, it creates some severe internal damage and pain and creates confusion and hesitancy in the mind of the target. Many who are shot with a bullet often don’t realize that they have been wounded until later. If a 2-½ foot long piece of aluminum or carbon fiber is sticking out of someone, they will realize it even if it is just a hindrance to their natural body movement.  

Bows are not a close-in weapon (they should have a range of at least 100 yards) due to the fact that your enemy can usually close with you faster than you can load, draw and aim. If they are shooting at you, you will need some solid cover. It is possible to get accurate shots from the kneeling position, but too often the knee interferes with the bow limbs and tracking a target. Chances are you are going to have to stand and present a full standing side silhouette to your opponent. Bows are great a shooting a target from ambush (even within your darkened house) and for keeping your location a relative mystery. After your initial shot(s), as they are closing in on you from 15 yards (or so), throw the bow down and draw your pistol, your going to need it.  

Thus it is possible for a bow to give power out of all proportion to the individual shooting it (just like a firearm) and you can be as sure of taking out the “target” as surely as people have done for the last several thousand years. – A.T.

Economics and Investing:

Debt Default Fears Will Spread To US and Japan, Warns Citigroup  

Deepening Crisis Traps America’s Have-Nots  

Prepare for a Greek Default    

Brett G. suggested this piece: JPMorgan’s Dimon: More Cities Will Go Bankrupt

John R. liked this one: The New Financial World Order Evolves Further

Also from John: Here’s That Big Citigroup Report On Why Absolutely No Sovereign Debt Is Safe

Items from The Economatrix:

How The Government Spins Unemployment (Paul Craig Roberts)

Fed Prints Another $600 Billion to Keep US Recovery on Track  

Oil Surges on Offshore Drilling Report  

Housing Market Slips Into Depression Territory 

Odds ‘n Sods:

G.G. sent this item of interest, from Popular Mechanics: Rise of the Preppers: Survivalists Get a Makeover Can disaster preparedness become a lifestyle without turning into survivalism?

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Magnetic Pole Shift May Close Airports

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Peter King’s silly gun ban idea. Beyond ludicrous… How can you create an exclusion zone that moves?

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Just as predicted: Here They Come For Your Money – Dozens of States Are Raising Taxes in 2011

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Sean B. sent us another testament to the protective value of “mass”: Credit Protection: Bouncer’s cards stop knife blows. JWR’s comment: Body armor provides decent protection from knives as well as bullets, from most angles. Not much help for neck slashes, but it might save you from jabs to the chest and abdomen.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Rome remained free for four hundred years and Sparta eight hundred, although their citizens were armed all that time; but many other states that have been disarmed have lost their liberties in less than forty years.” – Niccolò Machiavelli, The Art of War