A Crucial DIY Skill: Ammunition Handloading, by Aaron L.

Would you like to learn a skill during these relatively quiet times that will assist you to obtain, or at least keep,  gasoline, diesel, food and every other commodity the a day after this society falls?   The SurvivalBlog posts regarding TEOTWAWKI may provide you with information regarding  what is the bare minimum you need to strive for in you preparation of the day after disaster strikes.  What if you want to be more prepared?  Do you want to possess a skill that everyone will have a need for the day after the disasters strike? Some people believe that a person’s skills will be more important than the commodities that they bring to an after disaster living situation so if you are not going back to medical school soon, you may want develop a bag full of desired skills. Every day that is like yesterday, the more likely tomorrow will be like today.  Every day that slides by, however, pushes us towards the edge of a cliff, and when we fall off that cliff as a society, our days will be forever changed, and you will then have to deal with a new normal.  There is no need to go through all the different possibilities of how and why this will happen, but many have suggested that we will be in a new Dark Age. How will this Dark Age be different than the last one?  More people will die during the upcoming series of disasters.  Many people died at the point of a sword in the last Dark Ages, but during the upcoming Dark Ages, many people will die from a bullet wound. 

All of these articles and blogs at times focus on different reasons how and why people die during these times of disaster and the authors attempt to jump start you along these roads of how and why to prepare yourself and your family.  Your needs will include fuel, fire, food, shelter, and water, but what happens when someone comes to take these precious commodities away from you, or worse yet, what happens when someone attempts to harm you or your family? Okay, so you have a gun, when was the last time you fired it?  If you and your family whole existence will ultimately going to depend on your ability to use your firearm, why aren’t you going through at least a box of practice ammo every month?  Is your family worthy that amount of time and money? What was your answer to the question … what good is your car if there is no fuel in the tank?  Similarly, what good is your firearm with no ammunition?  Hopefully, you are not in the group of people that mistakenly believe that the sight of a firearm or the sound of slide of a shotgun is enough to scare the bad guys away.

You have an ability to make something if you prepare now that could be more important than food, gasoline, and all the other commodities that you are stockpiling.  You can make your own ammunition because with a loaded firearm, many other things are possible.  Without a loaded firearm, you could lose everything including your life.  Back during the Clinton Administration, key players in the Executive branch realized that going directly against gun owners, the NRA, and the 2nd Amendment was probably not the smartest political move so they attempted to eliminate the precursor reloading supplies, and Clinton attempted to tax already loaded ammunition into oblivion.  The far left thinking is based upon the sound facts that guns are useless without ammunition, and  2nd Amendment does not mention anything about ammunition so the far left is able to reach their goal of a USA without workable firearms without going directly against the 2nd Amendment eliminating ammunition.  The current Democrat President could institute such a policy with a mere signature on an Executive Order.

So do you have enough ammunition for all possibilities that the future might hold, or would you like to have the ability to make your own ammunition regardless  of the situation?  Since the days of President Clinton when he attempted to place limits on ammunition, many people who handload or reload have been stockpiling the supplies necessary to essentially make their own ammunition.  This skill would be invaluable the day after the fall, but it also has benefits now of costing less per round to produce a useable round. The ability to reload or handload your own ammunition is extremely simple to learn.  Before deciding to purchase the equipment and supplies required to reload, you can purchase a DVD entitled RCBS Precisioneered Handloading.  There are many makers of the items listed below.  These items are listed as options that you may want to consider before purchasing these types of items. Many of these items may be purchased at your local sporting goods stores, but as an additional option, these items are listed by cost and item number at Midway. The DVD shows you the basic process of how to make your own ammunition and the necessary equipment and supplies you will need to purchase.  Making your own ammunition is a simple process. At Midway, the DVD item number is  #99910, and the cost of the DVD is $10.  After watching the DVD, you can decide you want to add this necessary skill to your repertoire of TEOTWAWKI skills.

Different manufacturers have most of the items you will need to make your own ammunition in Press Kits.  For example, RCBS has a Supreme Single Stage Press Master Kit which has over 90% of the equipment you will need to reload your own ammunition.  This RCBS Master Kit is approximately $300, but for the next couple of months, RCBS has a $50.00 rebate on RCBS items that total at least $300 so with this rebate the cost of the RCBS Kit would be approximately $250.  The Midway item number for this RCBS Master Kit is #646599.  Another reloading company Lee has a similar reloading kit.  This kit contains most of what is contained in RCBS’s Master kit and the Lee kit is on sale at Midway for $82.  Midway’s item number for this Lee Single Stage Press Kit is #423-081. So what will you do with these reloading kits?  After you fire a round in your modern firearm, what typically comes out of the weapon is a brass cartridge or casing.  When you look at that brass casing, you will notice that it has a flat bottom.  Usually on that flat bottom, there will be some words like the caliber of the weapon that casing is for, and name of the manufacturer of that casing.  In the center of the brass casing, you will see a primer.  If the round has been fired, the primer will have a  dent in it, and this primer is typically termed a spent primer once it has been fired.

What happens when you pull the trigger on a weapon is that the pulling of the trigger causes the firing pin to strike the primer in brass casing … that primer shoots a small, but powerful flash through a hole in the casing into that part of the casing where the powder is being housed … that flash ignites the powder in a semi-controlled explosion (the blast), and the mass of that powder is transformed into a gas… the energy … the gas then pushes the bullet out the barrel of the gun. What you are doing when you reload these brass casings is you first resize the brass casing to its original size… you pop out the spent primer … you place a new primer in the bottom of the casing … refill the brass casing with powder… and finally seat a new bullet in the mouth of the brass casing.  Once you watch the DVD, you will realize how easy this process is.  These tasks are primarily performed by merely moving the handle of the reloading press up and down, and it usually requires very little physical force to complete these tasks.  You will need a small area of counter space to set up the press or small reloading benches can be purchased from Cabela’s and other suppliers to house your reloading supplies and equipment all in one place. The items that will not be contained in your press kits are the supplies of primers, powder, brass, bullets, and dies.

Each caliber of weapon will require different primers, powder, brass, bullets, and dies so you will have to make the determinations regarding these items once you have determined what weapon you will be using. For example, you decide that you also want to have .30-06 Springfield in your arsenal of weapons, and you want to be able to reload your own rounds for that .30-06 weapon.  You have chosen to possess a .30-06 because it is a well balanced cartridge, and there should at least be empty brass somewhere that you can obtain.  Initially, you will look in the reloading book that comes in your kit.  If you purchased the RCBS Master Kit, the reloading book contained in that kit will be the Speer Bullet Reloading book.  Turn to the pages in the Reloading book that discusses handloading for the .30-06.  In the current 14th Edition, that discussion takes place on pages  473 through 488 .  The book or manual will also discuss what you will need to purchase for primers, powder, and bullets for a given caliber of firearm.  All of these items will be discussed in greater detail in the reloading manuals, but it is important to follow the instructions in the manual very closely. 

If you still do not know if you want to add this to your bag of skills after watching the DVD, these reloading manuals discuss what to do and how to do it in much more detail so by purchasing one of these manuals, it will provide you will more information before purchasing a kit, or watch the process on YouTube.  These manuals typically cost around $20, but many times these manuals are contained in the kits if you purchase a kit.  The Midway cost on Hornady’s Handbook of Cartridge Reloading 6th Edition is $24 and the item number is #438424.  The Hornady’s Handbook is mentioned because it promotes different bullets than Speer’s bullets, but more importantly on page 38 it has a listing of all the manufactured powder currently for sale.  Hornady’s Reloading manual also lists in a separate book the drop for each bullet at a specific velocity so you can determine how your bullet will perform in the air before it reaches its target. You will have to match, with the assistance and direction of the manual,  the burning rate of your powder to your weapon or cartridge.  The list of powder on these pages is listed from fastest burning powder to slowest burning powder.  Generally, the fastest burning powders are used in shotguns or pistols, and the slowest burning powders are to be used in rifles.  This list is important if you cannot find a specific powder, but you can purchase or trade for another powder, how will this new unknown powder’s burning rate compares to what you need. The current cost for a pound of powder averages between $25-30 per can.  The day after disaster strikes the cost of powder will go off the charts and will you will probably not be able to purchase the items listed in this article anywhere at any price.  Powder has more than doubled in cost over the last several years, and there were times that you could not purchase the more popular powders. 

The more popular powders are those that can be used in several different weapons.  Some of these powders include 4895, 7828, 4831 (rifle powders) and 2400 pistol powder.  A person can usually obtain about 100 rifle rounds out of one can of rifle powder, and many hundreds of rounds from one can of pistol powder for a pistol.  You can purchase powder from your local sporting goods store or from Midway. There was a period of time when President Clinton was in power and he was attempting to shut off the flow of ammunition, or the items necessary to make your own loaded ammunition/ It was then that primers first became scarce and in some instances could not be purchased and any price.  Without proper primers, your weapon and its ammunition will not work.  Eventually, you could purchase primers, but at first, primers cost 3-5 times their normal cost when you could find someone to sell you some.  Currently, the best rifle primers made are Federal’s 215 Match large rifle primers, but there have not been any of these specific primers for sale for several years.  It is extremely important to use the proper primer listed in the reloading manuals so before you purchase any of these items, review your reloading manuals and following their instructions.  Primers can be purchased from your local sporting goods store or from Midway.

With these reloading systems, it makes your one weapon more versatile.  For example, with your  30-06 outlined above, you can have a specific bullet loaded for shooting primarily coyotes or other varmints with the Speer 125 grain “TNT” style bullet. Midway item number for this bullet is 712369 and costs $26 for a box of 100.   This bullet is light, fast, and will expand greatly on impact on small game.  Alternatively, you could handload Speer’s new Deep Curl 180 grain bonded core bullet.  A bonded core bullet is a bullet where the heavy lead core is bonded to the stiff copper jacket so it maintains approximately 90% of its original weight when striking an animal.   This retained weight will ensure deep penetration and a lethal wound channel, and those are the primary reasons most people fire a firearm. This Deep Curl bullet fired from a 30-06 is capable of bringing down any animal in North America. Midway’s item number for this 180 grain Deep Curl Bullet is #973637 and the cost is $31  box of 100.  Finally, you can load this 30-06 cartridge so it is a semi-armour piercing round that could stop a vehicle by loading it with a 165 grain solid brass bullet made by Barnes Bullets.  The Midway item number for this Barnes brass bullet is #384406 and the cost is $30 for a box of 50.  So you can use the same weapon, same brass casing, same primer, same powder and with different bullets have total different impact on your varied targets.  You can purchase inexpensive bulk bullets or more custom bullets that have a specific function for specific targets.

Everyone that dabbles in this sort of ballistic analysis is asked… “What is the best bullet?”  In order to answer that question, you need to know what you are going to shoot, but the question has been mostly answered by   Gary Shciuchetti in an article in volume #193 of Handloader magazine.  Mr. Shciuchetti purchased all the 180 grain bullets made by all the manufacturers and custom bullet makers.  He shot them in speeds from 3,200 feet per second down to 1,700 feet per second.  He then measured the diameter and length of the wound cavity.   Mr. Shciuchetti weighed each bullet after it was fired to determine an average retained weight of the bullets. All the other variables being equal, and after hundreds of test shots, one bullet out performed all other bullets… almost by a factor of two, meaning that this bullet typically cut a wound channel twice as far as the next closest bullet… and that bullet was the Winchester Fail Safe.   The only problem is that they do not make that bullet any more, but Barnes MRX Bullet is made in the same manner and is as good, the problem is that this MRX bullet is comparatively expensive.  Winchester’s XP3 loaded ammunition is close, as is Barnes X bullet, in performance to the Fail Safe bullet.

The final item you will have to purchase separate from your kit is a set of dies in order to reload you own bullets.  There are many manufacturers of die sets.  Usually, there are 2 or 3 dies in each set of dies that screw into your press.  The dies are what actually make the changes in the brass casing when you work the handle of the press up or down.  With different dies you will be able to load different rifle or pistol calibers or shotgun shells by using the same press and often times the same primers and powders. For example, for your .30-06 rifle a good choice would be  a RCBS  .30-06 full length sizing die set.  Midway item number for this die set is #264330 and the cost is $29. So what would happen after to pick up your fired brass is you screw in your sizing die into your press.  Your brass is held in place by a shell holder in the top of the ram of your press.  You follow the instructions in your DVD reloading manual but the first die, sizes your brass, and pops out the spent primer.  You re-set a new primer in the casing.  Fill the case with new powder, and re-set a new bullet, using a different die.  The round is ready to be re-fired.

You can make your own ammunition, and with this skill so you can make rounds for others as long as you have the proper dies, brass, primers, and powders.   It is certainly worth the $10 DVD to better understand this reloading process, or go on YouTube and watch someone reload a centerfire brass cartridge.  Once you see all those folks reloading, you will see how easy it is to learn this vital new skill.

Preparedness for Families with Infants, by Carla S.

If you have children in your family, preparing for potential SHTF scenarios requires extra consideration. All children will need additional comfort and entertainment to adjust to a survival situation. Fortunately, if your kids are old enough to walk, talk and perform a few basic chores, your special preps for the young ones in your family do not need to be elaborate. Older children are capable of eating the same food as adults, they’re usually potty-trained, and they can help themselves in many situations (e.g. getting dressed, feeding themselves, etc.).

However, if a very small infant will be in your responsibility and care during a survival scenario, there are some additional things you will need to consider. You won’t be able to explain even the rudimentary aspects of your situation to your baby, who will only understand that life isn’t as comfortable as it used to be. Infants require extra soothing, extra comfort and special dietary needs. They are unable to feed themselves and they will need to have diapers changed. Babies—particularly newborns—have difficulty regulating their own body temperatures, so proper clothing is a must, especially when the weather is cold. In addition, an adult will need to carry an infant most places, since babies aren’t independently ambulatory until they grow older.

So if you’re the parent of a small baby, or if you’re planning to add more children to your family in the future, here are a few extra things to consider that an help make life more comfortable for everyone—especially your infant—during a survival situation:

Wear Your Baby In A Pack: Baby wearing is popular in many countries, although it tends to be practiced more in eastern civilizations than in western culture. Babies are “worn” in a variety of ways, depending on the culture and the preference of the parent. In some cases, the infant is wrapped in a long blanket-like piece of cloth and tied to the parent’s body. In other cases, the infant is strapped into a carrier that resembles a backpack.

In modern America, the Baby Bjorn is a commonly known infant carrier. It can be used with very young babies, and typically parents use it to carry a baby on the front of their bodies so the baby is snuggled against the parent’s chest. The infant is simply placed inside the carrier—and the parent wears the carrier on their body with shoulder straps similar to those of a backpack—and safely buckled in with straps and plastic buckles. For wearing a baby on the back (just like a backpack), the Ergo is a well-known manufacturer.

The benefits to baby wearing in a SHTF scenario are numerous. Wearing your baby close to your body provides your child with additional comfort. Many babies find this closeness to be soothing, and the comfort this gives your infant will be invaluable during a time of uncertainty and fear.

Baby wearing also allows you to hold your infant but still use both hands. In a survival situation, you may need to simultaneously comfort a baby while preparing a meal, purifying water, etc. Baby wearing lets you do both at the same time, so you’ll be able to perform chores will still keeping your child close and safe.

If any type of hiking or walking on uneven ground becomes necessary, baby wearing will allow you to easily traverse the territory. Unlike a stroller, which has limited capabilities for travel, you can wear your baby on any terrain. Simply strap your infant to your chest or your back (depending on the age of the baby and the type of carrier you have), and you can walk on any path. In addition, many baby carriers can be used for kids up to two or three years old! So even parents with older children who have to walk on rocky terrain may find baby wearing useful.

I wore my child in a baby carrier from the age of three months until she was about two years old. She loved the closeness, and would often nap while I wore her. While she was in the carrier, I’d prepare meals, clean the house, do laundry or shop in stores. It is an extremely valuable tool for holding your baby while keeping your hands free.

Feed Your Baby Breast Milk: If at all possible, mothers should try to commit to breastfeeding their infants. This is not always easy. Indeed, it can be very daunting to new moms who are already dealing with sleep deprivation and the challenge of caring for a newborn. My first few months of breastfeeding my child were painful and difficult, but I managed to make it through with support from family and friends. Breastfeeding is ideal in a survival situation for many reasons.

One of the best advantages of breast milk is that it requires no storage of formula or milk. Because the mother is the supplier of the infant’s meal, you won’t have to worry about stockpiling formula for your child. You only have to ensure that you have enough food to supply the mother with an additional 300 calories per day.

In addition, breastfeeding is portable and requires no equipment. You won’t have to carry (and clean) bottles, nipples and other assorted feeding equipment. This can save you precious space in your BOBs as well as precious water/disinfectant.

Moreover, breastfeeding has been proven to boost an infant’s immune system. The mother passes along healthy antibodies to the baby through the breast milk, thus giving the child a little extra advantage when it comes to fighting off illnesses. If the SHTF, that extra advantage could mean the difference between a healthy or a sick baby.

One thing to note: Even if your baby is breast fed, it always makes sense to have a small stockpile of formula. It’s possible the mother may be unavailable or unable to breastfeed in a survival situation, in which case the formula will be a necessity for your infant’s health. If you plan to have electricity when the SHTF, you can stockpile frozen breast milk. I used a battery powered pump to pump and store breast milk in freezer bags, which lasts in a deep freeze for at least six months. When thawed, frozen breast milk maintains the same nutritional value as fresh breast milk.

Diaper Your Baby With Cloth Diapers: Before the days of disposable diapers, parents used cloth diapers on their babies. Most modern parents think of cloth diapers as dirty, smelly and hard work. But they’re surprisingly simple to use and require very little extra effort when compared to disposables. I was an advocate of cloth diapers when my child was firstborn. My husband, however, was initially opposed to the idea. Then, after three weeks of using cloth diapers, he said, “Why doesn’t everyone use cloth diapers? They’re so easy!”

There are numerous styles of cloth diapers. Some are simply rectangles of absorbent cloth that can be folded into various diaper shapes and pinned to fit the baby. Others are shaped pieces of absorbent cloth and may include snaps or hook-and-loop closures, making them as easy to put on the infant as a disposable diaper. Cleaning cloth diapers—particularly for breast fed babies who produce very organic waste—is just a matter of tossing them into a washing machine with hot water and some detergent. Hanging them in the sunlight to dry helps sterilize them and sun-bleach stains.

Although it makes sense to have some disposable diapers on hand when the SHTF (because you may need the convenience), cloth diapers will serve you better in the long run, especially once you’re in your BOL.

Since cloth diapers are reusable, you won’t have to worry about stockpiling a ton of disposable diapers. You’ll always have diapers on hand for your infant when you use cloth.

Studies have also found that cloth diapered babies tend to potty train sooner, possibly because they can feel the uncomfortable wetness against their skin (whereas disposable diapers wick the moisture away from the baby’s bottom).

By using cloth diapers, you’ll never have to worry about running out of diapers if the supermarkets get cleaned out or you’re unable to get to a store. And after your baby is finished with the diapers, they can be reused as rags, towels, bedding for animals and other purposes.

Other Items That Are Useful for Babies When the SHTF: There are numerous other items that you may want to have on hand if you have an infant in a survival situation. Consider:

  • Babylegs: These garments are are essentially stretchy tubes of fabric—like leg warmers for babies, or thigh-high socks with the feet cut off. They’re a flexible item of clothing because they can fit newborns up to young children. Babylegs or baby leg warmers are great for light cover on cool days, or as an extra layer of clothing beneath pants.
  • Hand-operated Baby Food Mill: Commercially jarred baby food probably won’t be available in a survival situation. A hand-operated baby food mill can help you smash your survival rations (whether garden produce, freeze-dried meals or MREs) into manageable mush for an infant’s meal.
  • Pacifier/Lovey: Every infant may need extra comfort in a stressful situation. Having a pacifier and/or a lovey on hand can help make your baby feel less distress in an unfamiliar setting or difficult scenario.
  • Over-the-Counter Medications: Because babies have not yet been exposed to a variety of germs, they have a tendency to get sick often during the early years of their life. It makes sense to have a stockpile of over-the-counter infant medications that can be used to relieve your baby’s symptoms and reduce a fever.
  • Cloth wipes:  Like cloth diapers, cloth wipes are reusable and require no stockpiling to ensure you’ll have enough if the stores are closed. You can make your own from pieces of flannel or terry cloth by cutting them into squares and hemming the raw edges. Simply moisten with water (a spray bottle works great) when you need to clean the baby’s bottom.

If you’re the parent of a small baby, or if you plan to add a baby to your family, remember that infants have special needs beyond that of toddlers and children. In a SHTF scenario, a few extra preparations can help make your infant feel more secure and comfortable, as well as reduce your stress and any fears of running out of stockpiled supplies.

JWR Adds: I discuss the importance of storing powdered infant formula in the Rawles Gets Your Ready Course. The course also mentions some bulk-packed formula suppliers where you can inexpensively stock up. Like most other vacuum-packed dry milk products, it has a roughly three year shelf life.   At the end of three years, it is best to donate any unopened containers to your local food bank or faith-based pregnancy crisis center.

Letter Re: As Simple as Changing a Tire

Hi  JWR:          
Just a quick addition to the comments about changing a tire from an earlier blog article. In a real disaster, natural or military/terrorist, the roads will likely be covered with debris, much of which may cause your Bug Out Vehicle (BOV) tires (that’s plural) to get punctured. I would certainly recommend several cans of some kind of Fix-A-Flat [or aerosol Slime] and a tire repair kit. But, even more important for us preppers who want to be ready for everything possible, we know that our vehicle’s trunk will be filled with all kinds of  emergency supplies.  

Recognizing that a flat will probably occur at the worst possible time and in the worst possible place we cannot afford to be emptying half our gear out on the ground  just to reach the darn jack. Can you imagine how tempting that would be in a bad neighborhood? So let’s consider making our spare, jack and lug wrench as easily accessible as possible. Store some of your supplies in the then empty spare tire well where you can access them at your later convenience.   

And, Mr. JWR, many times you have made the excellent suggestion to having some basic tools (axe, shovel & pick) with your BOV supplies. This suggestion has also mentioned including a set of bolt cutters. Could I also suggest carrying a length of chain and a couple big padlocks. In the event we choose to go went off-road to get away from the crowd that might be in the area, blocking that woods or fire road by chaining it off might keep a lot of folks behind you following up that same path. I even have carry a rake in my BOV to obscure any tire tracks I might leave.  

JWR Replies: As previously discussed in the blog, There are important legal and safety issues associated with either cutting gate lock chains or setting up locked chains. In many instances, cutting a landowner’s gate lock chain and driving onto their property WTSHTF is good way to get yourself ventilated. But of course stringing a locked chain across your own property’s entrance road is perfectly legal and justifiable.

Economics and Investing:

Doug Kass: Jaw Dropping Prediction For 2011

John R. mentioned this commentary by Jim Willie: QE2 & The Great Misdiagnosis

Ireland Unveils Four Year Budget Details, Riots Imminent

The Guardian reports: Belgium joins financial markets’ hit list. (Thanks to Bram for the link.)

B.B. sent this “desperation measures” news from Ireland: Pension reserve funds to be spent on banks

Items from The Economatrix:

China, Russia Quit Dollar On Bilateral Trade  

Gold Is George Soros’ Biggest Holding  

Silver Shortage, A Sign of Manipulation?  

Nutting Professor (The Mogambo Guru) 

Odds ‘n Sods:

Community Outraged Over Man’s 3-6 Year Sentencing in Self-Defense Case. I share their sense of outrage! From what I’ve seen, there was no crime committed. The loonie plaintiff’s history of over 60 convictions in three states was apparently kept from the jury. At this point, the New Hampshire Governor should be petitioned for a full pardon.

   o o o

Another Random Act of Culture: Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus

   o o o

Chris G. mentioned this article in Outdoor Life: Shoot the Breeze. “The simplest way to handle a crosswind is to relocate. Reposition directly upwind or downwind of your target, and you’ll neutralize the wind’s effect on your bullet. However, there are times, especially while hunting, when this can be impractical or impossible.”

   o o o

Simon Black over at the Sovereign Man blog nails it, when he calls the TSA’s new “We can irradiate you (and see you naked) or we can grope you” policy for what it is: a systematic desensitization to government intrusion. His post is titled: Tip of the Spear.

   o o o

Rio de Janeiro shaken by fresh gang violence. There were 15 deaths in one day. Notice that one of the photographs shows a policeman carrying a scoped FN-FAL. Things must be serious. Please pray for the city’s residents.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive." – Jeremiah 29:11-14

Notes from JWR:

Notes from JWR:

The Rawles Gets Your Ready Family Preparedness Course is only rarely offered at a discounted price. Until December 13th, the publisher is running a special sale. Don’t miss out on the chance to get a copy for yourself, or to give one as a Christmas gift.

—

Today we present another two entries for Round 31 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 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Parabellum (Luger ) with 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP projectiles, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $249 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 copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing, and B.) a Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.)

Round 31 ends on November 30th, 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.

Tactical Movement in a Post-TEOTWAWKI World

One of the most inevitable situations that you will find yourself in a WTSHTF situation is moving across a landscape of some kind. In the Army we always move with a “battle buddy” and of course a weapon. As I suggest both, this is not always the case. Having someone to help you and watch your back is great, especially if they are military trained. In a WTSHTF scenario, a weapon (with ammo) is priceless. What else is priceless is the knowledge of how to keep yourself alive. We will explore each avenue and its risks.

The first part of no-foot movement is being prepared for movement beforehand. Things such as food, water, weapons, ammo and rest. Rest may seem not so important but when going the distance it’s best to be well rested. They give us a rest day the day before a physical training (PT) test in the Army, this is no different. Your life may depend on having a “full tank”. My sergeants may deprive me of sleep from time to time but allow us to be fully rested before a long movement. You should not even attempt a movement without the things listed above, especially water. Never scrimp on water. Dehydration is your worst enemy. When dehydrated you become lethargic and not at peak readiness. Remember that if you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated.

Food with a high calorie count and a good amount of protein is also a must. When in long distance movement you burn plenty of calories, especially if carrying a load on your back. In basic training they were easily marching us six miles a day in full battle rattle with IBA and a 40 pound loaded rucksack. Even eating calorie-packed MREs with thousands of calories I was losing weight rapidly. When on long movements you are asking a lot of your body, you must give it what it needs. Which are food, water and rest. Each adult per day will need a minimum of two quarts on a long haul. This is water you must take with you, not get from a stream you might find along the way. Also remember that parasites live in water sources. So filter it or boil it first before drinking. When planning for your movement remember to pack light. Unless you plan on a permanent move from place to place you’ll want to take just what you’ll need.

When preparing for movement you must also be prepared for Mother Nature. If the weather turns nasty you better have some wet weather gear for the downpour. Depending on your location weather can change rapidly. What was mild weather can turn freezing cold in a matter of a few hours. Items such as polypros or even long underwear can mean the difference between life and death by pneumonia. Trust me pneumonia is not fun even with good medical treatment. Imagine life after WTSHTF where antibiotics are not so easy to find. Save yourself some trouble and pack for preparedness sake. Along with your polypros you will need overnight shelter on multi-day trips. Do not assume you will just “rough it” under the stars. Unless you have a watertight Gore-Tex sleeping bag I suggest a pup tent, preferably something that doesn’t stick out like pink or orange. Olive drab green tents are readily available and priceless in a situation where keeping your head down is best. When having your little camp out make sure that an armed member of your group is always on watch. The best time to attack is when your prey is asleep. It is up to you whether you want to make alarms such as tin cans hung in a group attached to a tripwire made of 550 cord. But always have a guard on watch. If you group is quite large I would suggest two. Yes, battle buddies again. Keep your camp quiet and fire free. You can see a fire miles away. Keep flashlight usage to an absolute minimum.

So you need to move across some terrain alone? Don’t move alone. I need to affirm that into you. Battle buddies are best. Well according to this scenario, you have no choice but to go all Lone Ranger, no Tonto here. Moving alone is the easiest and quite dangerous. The bright side is you only have to worry about your actions and sounds produced by those actions. The bad side is it’s just you. If it goes bad it could go really bad. So while moving alone you need form an objective, then stick to it. Do not deviate from your objective. Doing so may end your journey badly. While moving watch your feet and their placement closely, but you must keep situational awareness high. Keep your weapon at the “near ready” position. Near ready position means keep it slung in front of you with the buttstock lightly pressed to the area between your shoulder and pectoral muscle. You then keep your weapon slightly elevated making it easier to put someone in your sights quickly. Keep your footsteps light and refrain from running or moving quickly. Taking your time will allow you to scan your environment for problems. Don’t forget there will be people in the WTSHTF time that are scum and won’t think twice about killing you all by yourself out there and then taking what they want. Be very careful.

Like I said moving with a battle buddy is preferable, but a small group can be a good thing. You may make more noise and be more easily seen but you may look like too big or dangerous to attack.  In moving from one location to another it is usually best to take the shortest route. Taking the shortest route can result in a very bad situation. If you have to make your journey longer, even over rougher terrain, it will be worth it. In the Army we never take the path of least resistance because the bad guys prey on the weak and easy targets. Try to go around questionable areas if able. When in movement your group will need a person at “point” to be the first to see any danger. The point man should have a reliable weapon with a scope or at least a pair of binoculars.  You will also need a person in the rear to watch for people stalking your group. Everyone after the point man should be staggered with 3 to 5 meter intervals. If it’s just you and a battle buddy keep 10 to 15 feet between you. Why, you may ask? Some people will shoot first and rob your dead body later. It is better to space yourselves out to reduce the risk of more causalities.

If you have an unusually large group, try to stagger yourselves in two lines with the same spacing, a column formation. Keeping your intervals is very important. I’m not sure how many times I’ve been corrected by my sergeants to “maintain proper intervals”. Keeping your intervals will space out your enemies’ targets and allows the unengaged rear part of your formation to swing around, move forward in a line and engage the enemy. Now I’m sure not everyone in your group will be as armed as a US soldier on a patrol in a hostile area. That means you need to space out the people with weapons into the group. Now I know you’d want to put all of the firepower in the front but please resist this urge. The spacing should be 40/20/40. Which means 40% of your firepower in front, 40% in the rear and 20% in the middle. Don’t have that much weaponry? Just make it 50/50 then.  Make sure that you have a good marksman in the front with a weapon that carries some distance, with accuracy.

When moving in a group and trying to evade detection, I do not recommend either Wedge or V formations as they are tactical formations used to cover a wider area to lay down fire. As survival may hinge on evading detection I suggest Line formation for groups of 3 to 4, and Column formation for 5 or more.

As the US Army does during movement through hostile terrain, Noise, Trash and Light discipline needs to be maintained. Noise discipline is basically staying quiet. No unnecessary talking, radio communication or other noises that rouse interest to your party. Again, watch your foot noise. Have the choice between dry brush and leaves or a rocky area it’s a no brainer which will cause less noise.

Trash discipline is important if you will be in movement for a long period and don’t want anyone to know that you’ve been there. Trash left behind will tell them how many people are in your party and other intel. Such intel can give ages and experience. For example: if the coffee from your MRE is not used this will tell them that the previous owner was probably a younger person, as younger people don’t consume field ration coffee. You can either take your trash with you or bury it well. Burning is not suggested as that would be breaking light and odor discipline.

Light discipline is very important at night. While I do suggest movement at night, light should only be used sparingly and under concealment. While in a hostile environment no fires. It may be tempting to start a fire, especially in a colder location. A fire will blind you from movement as your eyes will not be adjusted to the darkness. They have the perfect opportunity to sneak up on you and take what they want by force. If you want heat I suggest heating packs or heating pouches from an MRE. Be careful with the MRE heater, they can really burn you.

When you have a small group it is plausible to sleep during the day in shifts, in trees if available. During the Vietnam war, Army and Marine recon units, would sometimes sleep in the trees and move at night. These brave men, hopelessly outnumbered, would watch as massive numbers of NVA would walk under them. If you have to walk a long distance this might be optimal while in a wooded location. In an urban location you can bed down for the day taking shelter in a semi-truck trailer, rail cars or anything out of the way from people you’d rather not meet. When moving in a group it is massively important that you not split up. If engaged larger numbers will always help you. Onesies twosies are easier to be picked off. In a WTSHTF world people will do anything, lures and bait are not unheard of. The Taliban in Afghanistan use them all the time to get coalition forces where they want them. People use ingenious methods to attract prey, and never forget that’s what you are to them. A child all alone in a strange place may seem to be a horrible thing, but she could just be a lure to bring you in. As horrible as it seems you may have to ignore such things to keep your group alive. Following these simple steps will make the different between getting to where you are going and winding up murdered, stripped of valuables and left to the wild for predation.

The Boy Scouts and You, by Eagle Scout

What’s a great program that’s been around for 100 years and teaches self-reliance, outdoor skills and citizenship? The Boy Scouts of America of course!

I joined the Cub Scouts in the 2nd grade. In 5th grade I graduated to the Boy Scouts. I was no longer a “cubby”. I had joined the big boys. I then spent the next 7 years in the Scouting program before achieving the rank of Eagle Scout and turning 18 years old.

A little history into the Scouting program…

Founded in England in 1907 by Robert Baden-Powell, Scouting sprang from Baden-Powell’s time in the Boer Wars in Africa. Upon returning to England, Baden-Powell wrote several scouting guides for boys and took a collection of boys on a weeklong trip to Brownsea Island. In 1909 Chicago publisher W. D. Boyce was visiting London when he became lost in the fog. According to legend a local Boy Scout led Boyce to his destination. Upon arriving Boyce tried to pay the young man for his service. The boy answered that he was a Scout and that his service did not require payment for he was doing a good deed. W. D. Boyce returned to America and established the Boy Scouts of America. From these roots scouting has taken off around the world. The United States leads the world 9,500,000 registered scouts.

What are the ranks and how do they work?

Because I am long in the tooth (being 20 years old) I will only cover the Boy Scout ranks (not in depth) and not Cub Scout ranks (needless to say the methodology is similar).

First you start with the ‘Scout’ rank. You must recite, from memory, the Scout Oath, Law, Slogan and Motto along with several other rudimentary Scouting skills.

Next is the ‘Tenderfoot’ rank. Now we began to get into physical fitness, outdoor skills, first aid and citizenship. The Scout may also hold a leadership position possibly within the troop, but more likely within the patrol.

After that is the ‘Second Class’ rank. These requirements are more advanced than Tenderfoot and add to the Scout’s knowledge. They include knots, more first aid and hiking.

‘First Class’ rank. This is the first major milestone in a Scout’s career. The First Class rank requires a Scout to demonstrate leadership in the troop and cooking/nutrition come into play also. My former scoutmaster told me that this rank marks the beginning of turning a boy into a man. More leadership will be required of the Scout in the future and now the said Scout gets to help younger Scouts advance.

The ‘Star Scout’. The Star Scout now must focus his efforts on completing merit badges in order to advance. (NOTE: It has been my experience that this is the hardest rank to achieve as boys are now entering high school and find that Scouting isn’t “cool” anymore).

The ‘Life Scout’ rank. Now the Scout will have leadership duties in the Troop as well as the patrol. He must do community service as well as more merit badges.

Eagle Scout. The Scout has achieved the highest rank of Scouting. Only ~3% of boys who start the Scouting program achieve this rank. The Scout has planned and executed a service project that benefits his community. He has also earned at least 21 merit badges. He has set himself above his peers in dedication, perseverance, and citizenship. 

So what will my kid learn in Scouting?

The list of skills that are taught (and hopefully learned) is numerous.
Outdoor skills: Learn to identify plants and animals. Orienteering skills both at night and over distances. Lashing and structure making, that is making useful camp items out of rope and poles. Cooking skills! He will learn how to buy food on a budget, cook it on a gas stove or campfire, and how to clean up. He will learn hiking and swimming skills plus many more skills that are useful to a prepper! Without going into all the merit badges (there are 128), each one advances a Scout’s knowledge in each area. He can learn to shoot .22’s, archery skills, backpacking, horsemanship and citizenship to name a few! The Scout has quite the plethora of options. He will also develop a love for his community, country and God along the way to Eagle Scout.

Sounds great! How can I find a troop/pack in my area?

The easiest way is a simple Google search. Search for Boy Scout council (your city). From there click the ‘join’ tab! Boy Scout troops and Cub Scout packs meet in locations such as churches, schools, Moose/Elk Lodges and other places. Troops usually meet once a week and have camping trips once a month (yes, even in the winter). An example would be my former troop. We met once a week, on Mondays, in a Moose Lodge for an hour and a half. We would start by posting the colors and reciting the Scout Oath and Law. From there we would either plan for the coming camp out or work on advancement/merit badges.

So you’ve found a local troop. Okay now go with your son and visit them during a meeting. You can either do it unannounced or arranged, your choice. Have your son join in on the activities if the Scoutmaster allows it. Observe how the boys interact with each other. Are they acting like boys? These behaviors are fine, but observe how they take instructions. Do they stop when they are supposed to? Do they listen and follow directions? Do they respect their leaders? Next, ask about going on a camp out with the troop. This will allow your son to interact better with the troop and allow you to get to know the adults better. If, by the end of the weekend, you and your son feel comfortable about joining then do it!

But wait! The Lord blessed me with daughters!

Not fear, the Girl Scouts of America are here! Founded in 1912 the Girl Scouts have been following the Scouting method for 98 years. I can’t say to much more due to lack of experience with the Girl Scouts but a simple Google search will yield lots of results.

Tips, thoughts, myths and more…

  • Not all troops are created equal. Some are big (80+ boys), some are small (15+). Find which one bests suits you.
  • Some troops are more boy-led whereas others rely more on the adults. Again the preference is yours.
  • Boy Scouting is a religious organization. ‘Reverent’ is the final point in the scout oath. Some troops are more “churchy” than others. I will say that the only way to be denied as an Eagle Scout is to declare, publicly, that you do not believe in a higher power. (But your higher power can be anything from Jehovah God, to Allah, to Mother Nature or Buddha. ) 
  • While Boy Scout regulations don’t specifically deny the wearing of fatigues, my troop has banned them. They promote a “militia” type feel. Boy Scouting is not militarily affiliated. We are not a militia. In the context of Scouting, camouflage clothes are also unsafe in the woods. You do not want camouflaged 13 year olds running around in the woods. Trust me, the last thing you need is kids who decide to be funny and hide from you.
  • At some point your son will decide that Scouting isn’t cool. You will have to decide how hard to push him back to it or decide to sever the ties to the troop. Keep in mind that sports will also promote problems if not managed well.    
  • Myth #1. Boy Scouting is for white middle-rich kids. Wrong. Boy Scouting is for all colors and classes. There should never be a monetary reason to not join! There are scholarship opportunities to pay for many things and troops always have second hand camping supplies.
  • Myth #2. Scouting is dying. Not even close to accurate! The Boy Scouts of America is celebrating its 100 anniversary this year. Also, the LDS Church is pouring vast amounts of resources into it. Scouting will be around for a long time to come!
  • Myth #3. All you do in Scouting is help old ladies across the street. False. Well okay we do help them cross the street but we also retire American Flags, help with civic activities, and do service projects. For me personally, I look forward every year to going to Willamette National Cemetery and planting American Flags on the graves of our fallen soldiers.

Some famous people who are Eagle Scouts or who were apart of Boy Scouting include: Norman Rockwell, painter. Neil Armstrong, astronaut. Clive Cussler, writer. Edgar Cunningham, earliest known African-American Eagle Scout. Gerald Ford, President. Robert McNamara, Sec. of Defense. John “Jack” Murtha, decorated Vietnam War veteran and Congressman. Steven Spielberg, director. Chuck Smith, President and CEO of AT&T. Ken Whisenhunt, Super Bowl winning coach. Jay Zeamer, Jr., Medal of Honor recipient. And there are many more!

The Boy Scouts have given me many useful skills and wonderful memories. I can start fires from scratch, traverse forests with nothing but a compass and map, and have learned to wear a uniform with pride. I have learned how to put on a skit, how to sing camp songs, and how to cook a beautiful meatloaf in a Dutch oven. The memories and friends I have made will be with me throughout my life. The most important thing I have taken from the Boy Scouts is this: Be Prepared. It’s the motto for good reason. And it’s something we need to take to heart in these tumultuous times. Godspeed.

David in Israel: Off The Grid Cooking

David in Israel Re: Off The Grid Cooking

James:
Since storage food for us is just our daily staples bought and stored in bulk we use pressure cookers for most stovetop cooking instead of a regular pot to save time and fuel. There is no reason to waste hours of fuel simmering or stewing and evaporating that heat into steam when you can keep that thermal energy in your pressure cooker and also be done in under an hour by raising the cooking temp to around 250F. I have had the chance to use a Fagor brand pressure cooker and they are nice and built to last for many years but heavy and expensive. I use an inexpensive but strong aluminum 1.5 liter Hawkins for camping, bike tours, and single servings; our Hawkins 5 liter is plenty for making quick food especially Indian curry dishes for the family from our storage supplies. We have several spare gaskets for the pressure cookers, also some spare overpressure fuses specific to the UL safety-rated Hawkins cookers. Only buy cookers that can handle 15 p.s.i. and are UL safety rated. (Most yard sale cookers made before the 1980s are potential steam bombs.)

We discontinued our propane gas service years ago and after we needed more heat for some Chinese wok cooking, I brought out my MSR XGK stove and we ended up running an experiment for nine months using our camping stoves exclusively for stove top type cooking. It worked quite well on white gas and gasoline but was touchy burning stored kerosene. After contacting MSR they replaced the flame plate on my older stove from the early 1990s, this turned the XGK into a hot clean blue flame kerosene burner. My only issue with the mostly bulletproof XGK is the learning curve for getting a good simmer flame, and that the fragile pump found on older XGK stoves should be replaced (MSR has a refurb special for $20) and the flame plate be replaced with the dished model which makes heavy fuels burn much better. I also recommend storing some denatured ethanol from the paint store to use as priming fuel, 1-2 ml is all that is needed for priming to provide a clean startup with heavy fuels. Shalom, – David in Israel

Letter Re: Shelf Reliance Storage Foods at Costco

Dear Editor,
I know that some preppers are not all that excited about this concept but here goes anyway: Costco has a “deal” right now for a four year supply of food for one person – or one year for four people, divide it as you want – for $3,000 delivered. This is only $2.05 per day to feed each adult. The food itself is all sealed inside #10 (gallon sized) cans and has a shelf life of at least 10 years – maybe 20 years. The variety in the food package is good.  Shelf Reliance in Utah is the source.  

I would like to have this message sent to out to allow families to make personal decisions on this concept. Maybe a few of them will want to share in the big order.  I have a few friends already interested in doing just that. It would be great for families in the same geographical area to make an order together. Give yourselves a gift that may soon be worth more than gold…and that is saying something these days!   Regards, Marcus B.

JWR Replies: The per-serving cost of the Shelf Reliance package is definitely competitive. I do recommend it. With some additional shopping at Costco, their package can also easily be expanded and diversified to suit your personal tastes. For example, by adding some bulk rice and beans, you can greatly extend their one year supply, very inexpensively. It is also important to stock up on essential fats and oils. My favorite for this is buying plastic bottles of olive oil, and freezing them. Frozen, they won’t go rancid and can be stored for up to six years with no discernable change in the oil’s taste or color when thawed. I describe stocking up at “Big Box” stores like Costco and Sam’s Club in the Rawles Gets Your Ready Course. (And by the way, the course is presently on sale, at a $50 discount.)

Letter Re: Constructing an Aboveground “Root Cellar” in Florida

Jim:
In regards to running a small “window” air conditioning unit off of a solar powered system, I can convey some of my experiences. I have a total of 3,160 watts of solar panel power on the roof; about 1,700 watts feeds my 24 volt DC “house” system (mostly lights, computer, entertainment system, ½ of the kitchen outlets, and the fridge) while the remaining panels are wired for a totally separate 48 volt DC water heater system. Two 2,500/5,000 (peak) watt inverters are used for each system, each “slaved” to the other of the same voltage to synchronize the alternating current frequencies and amp loads. Importantly, each inverter has “soft start” technology to “soften” the instant high amp draws from motors, compressors, etc.   I have run my small bedroom air conditioning unit (rated at 700 watts) successfully using only the solar powered system, but will only do so when the battery bank has been almost fully charged and the sun is still out. Once the sun starts going down and the air conditioning unit load gets transferred to the battery bank (capacity of about 2,100 amp-hours), I would guess that I’d have maybe 2-3 hours of operation before the inverters shut down from an undervolt condition (considering all of the other system loads; lights, fridge, etc still in use at this time).   If you wanted to run a similar sized air conditioning unit (and nothing else) continuously from only solar power/ battery banks, you’re looking at a whopping system- I’m guessing 3,500 to 4,000 watts worth of panels, and at least 5,000 amp-hours of battery bank capacity. Even at that, you’d better hope for at least 4 hour’s worth of sunlight every day.

I’m basing this “guesstimate” on my lessons learned from my 40-gallon water heater system- it draws about 4,000 watts and drains a fully charged 3,300 amp-hour battery bank (down to the 44 volt undervolt inverter alarm) after about 30 minutes of combined total usage (or about three normal showers’ worth of water heated).   The feel of a bit of freedom from the electric company makes it all worth it, but the most enlightening aspect of this whole “project” of mine towards electrical self-sufficiency has been the quantity of deep-cycle batteries needed for a system that can “get you through the night” (I have a total of 50 now, and need more!). If you are just getting started on planning your own solar project, don’t forget to add in the cost of all those batteries!  – Wayne E.

Economics and Investing:

G.G. sent this: List of Problem Banks Grows Despite Solid Net Income

Is the gold market setting up ETFs for chaos?

China, Russia Quit Dollar

The Fed QE2 Saga Continues

Items from The Economatrix:

Silver Shortages Accelerate as Wholesale Supplies Plunge  

October New Home Sales Drop 8.1%, Prices Fall  

Caterpillar Issues First Note in Chinese Currency  

Corporations Show Largest Profits In History Amidst Jobs Crisis  

Odds ‘n Sods:

What separates humans from lemmings? Not much, evidently: Fear of bridge collapse set off Cambodia stampede. The death toll was more than 350. This, by the way, isn’t an isolated incident. For example, see this article from 2006, and this one from 2004.

   o o o

John B. spotted this: Obama’s Jeffersonian Muslim Revisionist Lie.

   o o o

It is not preparedness related, but watching the Gray Eagles P-51 Mustang video put a lump in my throat. (Thanks to Steve S. for sending the link.) I would have loved to have seen some details on how the wrecked P-51 was restored. (On a related note, the Glacier Girl P-38 recovery and restoration project has fascinated me ever since I first read of it. Just recovering the damaged P-38 from beneath 260 feet of ice was a monumental project, all by itself. Warbird aficionados will enjoy the book: The Lost Squadron: A Fleet of Warplanes Locked in Ice for Fifty Years.)

   o o o

This recent news story sounds like something out of a survivalist novel: Residents not returning to town hit by Mexico drug war. It begins: “Shell casings carpet the road outside a bullet-riddled subdivision on the outskirts of this colonial town on the Rio Grande Valley, abandoned by most of the 6,000 inhabitants following a nine-month battle by warring drug cartels.” Later in the article, we read: “Farther down the road, a restaurant owner pours his own collection on the counter: casings from an M-40 grenade launcher, and .50-caliber bullets. But that probably isn’t what scares the army, which has M-40 launchers and .50-calibers of its own. It’s what lies in the municipal impound lot that is truly frightening. The burned-out remains of five crudely armored pickup trucks and SUVs, with half-inch steel plate welded over most of the windows, leaving only a narrow slit for the drug gunmen’s visibility and firing. It all looks like something out of a “Mad Max” movie. Farther outside of town lies a homemade tank that locals refer to in hushed tones as “The Monster.” “The Monster” was a 10-wheel gravel truck with a 5-yard (meter) freight box, entirely covered in 1-1/4-inch steel plate welded into the box to cover firing positions for about 10 gunmen. In the cab, the thick steel plate covered the engine, the windshield and the doors, punctuated by hinged covers for gun ports, and massive steel rams welded onto the prow of the craft.” (Our thanks to Jennifer H. for the link.) OBTW, to the best of my knowledge there is no such animal as an “M-40 grenade launcher”. I think the journalist must mean a 40mm grenade launcher–perhaps a Mk 19.)