Note from JWR:

Congratulations to Dr. H., the high bidder in the monthly SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction that ended last night. Today we are starting a new auction for a mixed lot that includes:

1.) A huge lot of DVDs, CD-ROMs and hard copy nuclear survival/self-sufficiency references (a $300+ value) donated by Richard Fleetwood of www.SurvivalCD.com

2.) A custom-made, fully-stocked EMS Medic Bag from Cajun Safety and Survival (a $212 retail value)

3.) A NukAlert radiation detector donated by at KI4U.com (a $160 retail value)

4.) A case (6 cans, 96 ounces each) of Mountain House freeze dried foods in #10 cans, donated by Ready Made Resources (a $160 value)

5.) An autographed copy of “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse” ($24, retail)

See the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction page for complete details on these items. This auction ends on November 15th. The opening bid is just $50. Please e-mail us your bid.

Letter Re: Hope and Preparedness–A Budget Prepper’s Observations

James,
The sheeple‘s fear is now electric. You can feel it bristle on your skin whenever you are in a public space. It is on the lips and in the hearts of any news-watching human.
What about our retirement fund? How will we afford our regular bills? How will we feed and clothe the kids?
There is a little warm spot inside me. The part of me that feels confident in our preparations. Tucked in every nook of our tiny, modest house, an ATM, a grocery store, pharmacy, garden supply plus clothing, shoe, sporting goods stores and all around trading post.
We can grow, can, spin, knit, sew, cook over fire, fish, hunt, protect ourselves.
However, if by some miracle, the economy magically rights itself, nothing was wasted. My son will still need sturdy boots in every size. We can have a blizzard without facing the “french toast” crowd (milk, eggs, bread buyers.) We can spontaneously go on an extended camping trip or entertain at a moments notice.
The best part of being prepared is falling asleep without any worry bigger than, “Did I turn off the kitchen light?”

Here is one of my favorite quotes: “Hope doesn’t come from calculating whether the good news is winning out over the bad. It’s simply a choice to take action.”- Anna Lappe

Hey, BTW, our preparations were all accomplished while surviving without outside help, living way under the poverty level. You can do it. Start by recording every penny you spend, budget, cut costs, get creative and prepare. Hints: barter, Craig’s List, Freecycle, the smash and dent section of your grocery store, store sale cycles, library book sales, yard sales, church sales, demolition sites (with permission, naturally), Salvation Army stores (especially near affluent neighborhoods), and “unlimited pickup” clean up days (ditto).
Thanks for the site and sharing the insights of others. – The Accidental Survivalist

Letter Re: What Happened, and What Should We Watch For?

Jim,
Thanks for the awesome blog. I consider it essential reading every day, especially now considering the terrible situation we find ourselves in. You keep speaking of mass inflation yet we see oil and other commodities falling in price along with, sadly, our home values. In a recent post you also mentioned being able to buy classic cars at rock bottom prices, closely followed by hyperinflation. Can you explain for all of us how this can come to pass and some of the warning signs? Thanks, – DZ in Louisiana.

JWR Replies: To clarify, I mentioned buying older, fuel-inefficient vehicles at the depth of the upcoming recession in then-current dollars. The bottom of the market for vehicles may come before or just after mass inflation begins. Once inflation is in full swing there will surely be a mad rush to convert cash into anything tangible that will be a store of value–regardless of what happens to the currency.

The economic problems that America faces are structural and systemic. They built up because of fractional reserve banking and the consequent growth of mountains of debt, both public and private. Read my background piece: Are Simultaneous Inflation and Deflation Possible?, and this piece on Derivatives. And if you have the time, skim through through my archived economics articles, starting in 2006.

As for the “warning signs” to watch for, you might have missed my reply to a letter in SurvivalBlog post on September 25th: Letter Re: What Are the Economic Collapse Indicators to Watch For?

Letter Re: An Apology About Recommending Silver?

JWR::
Your repeated bullish calls on silver have been dead wrong. Do you plan on apologizing to your readers? – Jim G.

Jim:
An apology for what? For making people money? You aren’t looking at the big picture if you are only looking at the past few months. If you had invested in silver back in February of 2001 when I went on record and accurately called the bottom of the silver market, then you would have more than doubled your money, even with the recent sag in the market. I made that call within 36 cents of the absolute bottom of the market. I was a few months early, but consider that this was at the tail end of a 20 year-long dreadful bear market in silver. And even if you had bought silver when I first started SurvivalBlog in early September of 2005 (when spot silver was roughly $7 per ounce), then you’d still be substantially ahead. Spot silver is currently just over $10 per ounce, and in recent weeks has been over $13 per ounce. (Since it is a “thin” market, it is always volatile.)

I have never recommended buying precious metals at interim high points. You should buy at interim lows (so-called “dip” weeks.) I’m also an advocate of dollar cost averaging (buying in increments), on successive dip weeks. If you bought all of your silver at an interim high point (such as in March of 2008) then shame on you, not me!

In my estimation, the current dip in the silver market is a pause in what is otherwise still a secular bull market. If you sell your silver now (at a loss), then you’ll probably be crying about it in a couple of years, when inflation kicks in, in earnest. In my opinion the current dip is a good buying opportunity.

OBTW, my current recommendation is that after buying barter silver for your family ($1,000 face value per family member in pre-1965 dimes, quarters, or half dollars), that you then invest anything more in gold rather than silver. In the coming depression gold is likely to outperform silver, since gold is perceived as a monetary safe haven, whereas silver is seen as more of an industrial metal. Both will do well versus nearly any dollar-denominated investments, but of the two, gold will likely gain more than silver.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Paul C. spotted this article: Birmingham on the brink (of bankruptcy). Do you remember my warnings starting in January of 2008 about municipal bonds?

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John and Abigail Adams sent us the URL for a site on North American Indian Recipes.

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Does this word from the mainstream analysts sound familiar? This is from MarketWatch e-Newsletter (on October 14th): “Gold prices could hit $1,500 as global plans to rescue the financial industry are set to increase inflation pressures, according to analysts led by Francisco Blanch at Merrill Lynch. “The unintended consequence of the ongoing financial bailout will be a return of inflationary pressures to the commodity markets,” wrote the analysts in a note released Monday. The analysts didn’t say when gold would hit the price target. They also predicted oil prices will rise to $150 a barrel.” (A tip of the hat to Charley for the link.)

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Several readers mentioned the commentary by Zeus Yiamouyiannis that was posted yesterday over at Charles Hugh Smith’s Of Two Minds blog: Imaginary Worth, Empire of Debt: How Modern Finance Created Its Own Downfall. Several other readers mentioned Glenn Beck’s recent interview of Peter Schiff, now available as a YouTube video clip. Schiff warns of mass inflation fueled by the gargantuan Federal bailouts.

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Cheryl sent us this heapin’ helpin’ of gloom-n-doom cuisine: Coming Soon: The $600 Trillion Derivatives Emergency Meeting — Dow Plunges 733 Points On New Disheartening Economic News — Smaller Banks Resist Federal Cash Infusions — Financial Crisis = Birth Pains Of New Currency — US Bailout Fails To Do For Bush What It’s Done For Brown — Wall Street Humiliated By Nationalization Of Banks — US Treasury Bond Market Crash — Asian Markets Return To Reality — Now Here Comes The Recession — Iceland Forced Into Russia’s Arms: Market Down 77% — Chicago Mayor To Shut Down Government For Six Days

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The economic statistics put out by the U.S. government are propaganda, pure and simple. Issued by the government and the financial community, and reported by the mass media, the information we get has been manipulated to mold a public understanding favorable to the agenda of the powers that be." – Peter Schiff, "Crash Proof"

Note from JWR:

Today is the last day of bidding in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $770. The auction for a large mixed lot that includes: A Special Mixed Vegetable Case-Six #10 Dehydrated Food Cans (Retail Price $105.95) This special Mixed Vegetable Case contains six #10 (96-ounce) cans–one can of each of the following: Mixed Vegetable Blend, Green Beans, Sweet Garden Peas, Mixed Peppers, Potato Dices, and Sweet Potatoes and a EZ-Towels 10 Pack Combos (10 bags of 50 towels. Retail value: $99.95). These items were donated by Jan at Healthy Harvest Foods. An assortment of world class loose leaf teas, and a box of Bellagio hot chocolate (25 individual packs), with a combined value of approximately $100. These items were courtesy of Charlie at CMEBrew.com. A NukAlert radiation detector (a $160 value), donated by at KI4U.com. And, a Katadyn VARIO water filter, donated by Ready Made Resources. (An $89 retail value.) Please e-mail us your bid before midnight.

Letter Re: Some Observations on Registered Class 3 Guns and Suppressors

Mr. Rawles:
To suppress or not to suppress: there is no question. (A hat tip to The Bard.) Many in the preparedness community are apprehensive about the acquisition of [“Class 3”] National Firearms Act (NFA) items. [These include machineguns, short-barreled rifles (SBRs), short-barreled shotguns (SBSs), and sound suppressors. There is a background check, fingerprinting, paperwork required, and a $200 tax per transfer.]

There are reams of writings about “remaining under the radar”. I do not share those misgivings. Neither do tens of thousands of other legitimate gun owners. A caveat: under no circumstances should anyone build/construct/ any NFA style weapon or device. The penalties, legal and hazard to shooters are not worth the effort. If you want the right to inventory said items and you live in a state which prohibits the same, then move. Follow the legal steps required to obtain them. Sleep better. Enjoy!

First a few facts.
There are the following weapons, devices, the predominant number in civilian hands. The information is derived from Small Arms Review magazine, May 2008. Some of the numbers are civilian police, manufacturers and private security agencies. Again, the overwhelming number is in civilian hands. A grand display of this fact is the Knob Creek shoot and the hundreds (thousands?) of auto weapons matches all over the nation.

National statistics. (from the BATFE) 158,671 suppressors. 36,536 short barreled rifles. 97,903 short barreled shotguns. 49,052 AOW (Any other weapons). 400,739 automatic weapons. Remarkable. Again, most of these are in private collections.

There has been only one prosecution of a licensed owned or a Class 3 for misuse since the 1934 act that established the NFA regimen. A police officer used a department registered sub-gun to kill his wife. There exists no other case law according to a close friend who defends many gun related cases. There are no statistics on destructive devices (DDs) .

My home state. 2,427 suppressors. 485 short barreled rifles. 1,038 short barreled shotguns. 691 AOWs, and 5,489 automatic weapons.

My first acquisition of NFA interest was in the late 1970s. It has continued ever since.
Another fact. Any small arm up to the .50 BMG can be suppressed, including shotguns. Except revolvers. I refer to Small Arms Review again. In my opinion the best monthly reference on small arms within most budgets.

There are number of auto weapons in my inventory. My passion is suppression. This post will concern suppressors otherwise known as “cans”.
My first acquisition was an Ingram gun in .45 ACP. Cost? $150 [, in the late 1970s.]. They are now listing near $3,500. (Investment is a great excuse for acquisition) A MAC-10 without a can is a contradiction. I acquired a RPB can with plastic wipes. Replaced the wipes (they add noise and add inaccuracy) with a convex muzzle wipe. There are 10,000 rounds through that combo, without a malfunction. Ken Hacakthorn, in the 1980s said that this combo is “good for a gunfight in a phone booth”. I find it good to 25 yards or less. Hmmmmm….Would you prefer a slab side [M1911] with 8-to-10 rounds or the MAC combo with 30 rounds?

Next came the SSG in .308. I sent off to Ciener for a can. Mine was the first suppressed [Steyr] SSG 69 in the nation. Reduces report to a dull thud when heard downrange. Adds accuracy as almost all muzzle cans do. If you acquire such, match projectile to twist. Use full power loads, ball or whatever. Most subsonic ammo uses 200 grain projectiles. In the usual 1/10 twist .30 caliber weapons this could result in a baffle strike (internal) and ruin the can or the weapon. Same goes for light projectiles. Match projo with twist. Enjoy.

Then a Ciener can for the .223 788 Remington. Death to varmints. In the ensuing years there has been added; a Ciener Ruger MKI with integral suppression. Also a Johns Guns 10/22, again integral.

A note on integral suppression. All integrally suppressed cans are meant to be shot with high velocity ammunition. These manufacturers port (drill holes) in the barrel close to the chamber. Usually the barrels are shortened in handguns. It is critical to use the right ammunition. Do not use the Mexican Aguila .22 60 grain ammo. Remember, match twist with projectiles! Baffle strikes [very bad things] are most common in .22 rimfires. The suppression quality is astonishing in .22s. Some makers build their products to be easy to self maintain/clean. Ciener did not. Johns guns and others do. Inquire before purchase.

For quiet elimination of pests I have a Ruger 77/22 with a can from Gary’s Guns Inc. of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Cheap and effective. There is also a Marlin .17HMR with a Gemtech can. I spoke with Dr. Phil Dater about this one. He enjoyed prairie dogging so much with his .17 he had to invent a can for idid.

Other cans are Gemtech on an M16. There are significant reports of serious hearing damage to troops in Iraq due to shooting inside buildings or vehicles. Cans prevent this. The downside, cans superheat in full auto fire and are best employed in semi-auto. Cans also blowback lots of fouling due to their gas entrapment. Malfunctions increase with the use of cans on auto weapons. Its a tradeoff most preppers could accept. I do.
The M92 Beretta, the Walther.22, the Marlin Camp Carbines in .45 ACP and 9mm, and other do nicely with cans.
Ciener made a nice can for one of the bolt guns.from Old State Arms Company (They make .50 caliber rifles)
There is also a Gemtech can which I can transfer between either of my two Bushmaster .308s.

There are a total of 17 cans in my inventory. I have also fired cans on the HK MP5 (integral), The MK2 STEN (integral) Both ran well. (I am a certified instructor with HK).
Needless to say further acquisitions are planned.

Preferences. Many states, mine own included, have no law or administrative code on using cans for hunting. Be sure to check your state laws and fish & game regulations!
I prefer muzzle cans with the Gemtech Bi-lock mounting systems. Threaded muzzle cans should come with a thread protector when the can is dismounted. My MK1 Ruger from Ciener had to be disassembled after 5,000 rounds or so. I had to take it to a gunsmith to dismount due to sealants which Superglued the assembly shut.The lesson here: If you require repairs/maintenance that you cannot do yourself, Make sure that your repair point is in possession of the proper Federal License. Ordinary gunsmithies cannot take in such work. you hand over a NFA weapon or device for repair, and you are not present [in the shop from beginning to end] for said work, then that is an illegal transfer. Illegal. ‘Nuff said?
There is a plethora of can makers in the market. I have cans from Ciener (no longer manufacturing cans) Gemtech is among the best. RPG is defunct. AWC makes good stuff, as does Special Ops Shop and others.

Cans are cheap. Most running $200-to-$900 depending on integral (you pay for the gun too)…Bi-locks and muzzle boosters add to costs.

Wet versus dry cans. I have hundreds of rounds through “wet” cans. Some require filling with water. Others require grease packing. Water (wet) cans require refilling to maintain efficacy. A pain in the gunfight. I have one grease pack can. Effective on the Marlin Camp Carbine. Leaves a smoke signature after rapid fire, which is not good. Without a booster, it causes malfunctions on the Glock 21.
Lesson, stick to dry cans.

Cost to register [each item in the U.S.]? $200. – Mr. X

Letter Re: Advice on Storage Food–Quantities, Shelf Lives, and Sources

Mr. Rawles;

I’m chagrined to say that I found your blog rather late in the game–just two weeks ago, when a friend at church mentioned it. (We had been talking about the banking panic.) Your blog was a real eye-opener. So now I’m just plain overwhelmed and definitely feeling “behind the power curve.” I have a lot of catching up to do. How can I get smart on preparedness in a great hurry, especially about [storing] food? Will food from the grocery supermarket do? Do I need special containers? One of those vacuum sealing things? What about mice? I’m a member of Sam’s Club, and I can go to a COSTCO with my sister (who is a member). Are those good places to stock up? How do I figure how much I need to store? What are the [shelf] lives of the different types of foods? Thanks! – Mrs. A.G.

JWR Replies: All of your questions are answered in the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course . The course centers around the concept of stocking up for a family’s food storage at “big box” membership stores like COSTCO and Sam’s Club. Knowing the shelf lives of foods is indeed important. Armed with this knowledge, you won’t purchasere a quantity that is greater than you can consume while the food is still nutritious and palatable. One of the appendices in the back of the course binder is a lengthy and detailed table showing the shelf lives of different foods. By the way, your timing will be good, since the preparedness course is currently on sale for 33% off.

Letter Re: A SurvivalBlog Reader’s Relocation to the Interior of Alaska

Dear Jim –
Thank you for the note and I think its the least we can do to support such a worthy web information source. I’ve learned a great deal reading your archives and I’m doing my best to try and promote a self-sufficient lifestyle for our family.

We have chosen to live in interior Alaska for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is a steady job, but not without serious consideration. We are very well aware that we’re at the end of the food chain up here and things are a bit more expensive (and can become much more if the chain breaks), but those are trade-offs. While things are still manageable we live in a place that has no property taxes, no sales taxes, very little government to speak of, no building codes except those we chose to apply, and folks that still value personal liberty with minimal social intervention by “do-gooders.” Those attributes of locale were very attractive to us and led to our ultimate decision. We previously lived in the “nanny state” of Western Washington. There is no comparison. Free men and women who still value their freedom should vote with their feet and immediately exit the Socialist workers’ paradises where they are currently incarcerated. The change in their lifestyles and outlooks will be profound and remarkable. We have lived and moved all over the world. For those who are hesitant for whatever reason – just jump in and figure it out from day to day. The Lord will help those who help themselves and you won’t fail if you follow your heart. Truer words have never been spoken.

As a retired military officer who specialized in counter-terrorism and security work for the past 28 years, I’m acutely aware of and a student of geopolitics and macroeconomics. I have to be honest – I took your advice seriously and literally back at the beginning of this year and completely divested all our assets from the stock market. Obviously now I’m very, very glad we did so. My broker thought I was insane – but he now calls and emails me for advice. True story. I just pointed him to your blog site and told him about the Von Mises Institute, for his education. I am a true convert to the Austrian School.

There are truly dark clouds on the horizon and we all must prepare. I’m not an alarmist, but a pragmatist, and I have a fairly good perspective (and information) on which to base my beliefs. Again, thank you very much for what you and what you and your family have provided us. You have been instrumental in positive life changes for many people. The Lord has guided your hand – it is very obvious to us and has made a big difference in how we live. My Best Regards, – J. in Alaska

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader FFF found this for us: Great Depression holds lessons for surviving tough economy

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Several new retreat properties have recently been added to our spin-off site: SurvivalRealty.com.

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Susan Z. recommended this piece of commentary by Adrian Douglas: Bond market collapse is imminent. My own opinion is a bit different: I think that bonds will hold up for several more months, since so much money is presently being yanked out of the equities market by both individual and institutional investors. They need to re-invest that money somewhere. In the long run, however, bonds are doomed along with stocks and everything else that is denominated in US Dollars. When the currency unit itself is wiped out, everybody caught holding The Old Maid loses.

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Susan Z. also sent us the link to a great audio clip of Reverend Dr, S.M. Lockridge expounding on the sovereignty of God. Rousing stuff! I wish that more preachers spoke so forthrightly.

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Some more tidings clamant from Cheryl, our Economic Editor: Bailout Becomes Buy-In As Fed Moves Into Banking Business — Stocks End Relatively Calm Day With Moderate Decline — Iceland Shares Plunge 76% As Trade Resumes — The Day The Markets Breathed Again [JWR’s Comment: Even a dead cat will bounce, if flung off of a sufficiently tall building] — GM To Hasten Factory Closings — Asian Stocks Close Higher — Don’t Be So Sure That This Will Work — As The Economy Sinks, Officials Fear Violent Solutions — Fear And Loathing In La Jolla

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The current rescue plans, which will force governments to issue more debt, print money and flood the markets with liquidity, will flare up inflation after the crisis is over and will create worse problems. We’re setting the stage for when we come out of this of a massive inflation holocaust.” – Investing Sage Jim Rogers

Note from JWR:

Just one day of bidding left! The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $770. The auction for a large mixed lot that includes: A Special Mixed Vegetable Case-Six #10 Dehydrated Food Cans (Retail Price $105.95) This special Mixed Vegetable Case contains six #10 (96-ounce) cans–one can of each of the following: Mixed Vegetable Blend, Green Beans, Sweet Garden Peas, Mixed Peppers, Potato Dices, and Sweet Potatoes and a EZ-Towels 10 Pack Combos (10 bags of 50 towels. Retail value: $99.95). These items were donated by Jan at Healthy Harvest Foods. An assortment of world class loose leaf teas, and a box of Bellagio hot chocolate (25 individual packs), with a combined value of approximately $100. These items were courtesy of Charlie at CMEBrew.com. A NukAlert radiation detector (a $160 value), donated by at KI4U.com. And, a Katadyn VARIO water filter, donated by Ready Made Resources. (An $89 retail value.) The auction ends at midnight (EST) tomorrow (October 15, 2008.) Please e-mail us your bid.

Letter Re: Getting Adult Family Members Home in Times of Crisis

Greetings, Mr. Rawles,

I need advice and I trust you implicitly in survival matters. Here’s my issue:

I live in the country north of Tampa, Florida. Good dirt, well water (and well bucket), dogs, garden, silver coins stashed away. We are ready for whatever happens.

My 27 year old daughter lives in Austin, Texas. We have discussed her bugging out to come home, or to her grandmother’s home in Southwestern Alabama. She is preparing her bugout pack today, and waiting to hear from me to tell her to come home.

My question is this: At what point do I tell her to head home? What will I see or read that will make me pull the trigger to put this girl on the road? How will I know when it’s time, and allow enough time for her to get as far as possible in her car?

I would really rather have her in Florida with me, but her grandmother is much closer, and also in the country. If I want my daughter here, with me, how much time….

I guess that’s my question – how much time do you think we have, it’s now Friday at 2:30, and the market is about to drop below 8,000. How much time before the meltdown? At what state of preparedness should I have my kid??

Please help. Thank you for your fabulous work. – Terri L.

 

JWR Replies: First let me say I expect this to be a slow slide. But also let me say that I am not a prophet. I am all too human. For example, like a lot of people I got a lot more motivated by Y2K than the situation warranted.

It is probably not yet the time to call your daughter home–not unless she would like to move back to Florida, anyway.You might want to discuss this with her at length. A lot of it might revolve around her work situation: Can she take a leave of absence from her work, and then return to Texas if things “blow over”? Does she have vacation on the books that she can “burn”?

Regardless, advise her to henceforth always keep her car’s tank at least 3/4 full whenever returning to her home at the end of the day.
She should probably now store some full five gallon gas cans, since the trip will require a couple of re-fills. Does she have a trailer for her vehicle? Perhaps she can store some gas with your relatives in Alabama, as a halfway re-fill point.

For now, just monitor the news closely. See: Mark 13:32, KJV. Pray fervently. Our nation needs it.

Letter Re: Another SurvivalBlog Reader’s Experience at Front Sight

Jim,
I noticed your recent post about Front Sight’s 2009 schedule. A friend and I just returned from the four-day defensive handgun course and one-day CCW course. We did the “Get a Gun” and train package. I’d like to give you a little summary of the experience, in the hopes that some of your readers might be encouraged to train.

My experience with shooting started at age 10, with my first .22 rifle. By age 19, I was a USMC rifle expert, and in the 17 years since then, have done a fair amount of recreational target shooting. I’ve always kept a handgun in the home for protection. But, the only real training in firearms I received was in the Marine Corps. Whenever I thought about my level of competence, I would tell myself that if I ever needed to use a gun in defense of life, that I would “rise to the occasion” and do what I had to. After reading Boston’s Gun Bible, and many posts on SurvivalBlog about the value of training, I decided that I wasn’t competent enough with handguns to actually defend myself in the stress and chaos of a lethal encounter. When I read about Front Sight’s “Get a Gun and Train” deal, I decided it was too good to pass up.

In the four days at Front Sight, we trained for about 9-to-10 hours per day, with a night shoot on the third day adding an extra three hours. They use a student/coach system that requires you to watch your buddy as he goes through the exercises. You’re expected to correct anything he does wrong, and then the roles reverse so he can watch you. This alternating teach/learn makes the training process really effective and the techniques for handling the firearm sink in quickly. They stress developing muscle memory on the range, and with “dry practice” drills. We learned how to rapidly deal with the three types of weapon malfunctions, shooting while moving, clearing doors, corners, and rooms, rapid presentation to the target, the “three secrets”, and much more. By the end of the fifth day CCW class, I felt a huge amount of confidence with my Glock that I never felt before. It was so comfortable and felt like an extension of my hand.

The instructors were professional and very friendly. In fact, at the end of the last day, after class, my friend and I had a few hundred extra rounds in our range bag. So, one of the instructors voluntarily ran the two of us through some of the high-level confrontation drills like close-quarters (three feet away) shooting, walking head-shots, etc. He spend about two hours just with us, so we could get even better. He probably could have gone home to his family but he stayed there to train us for free. We were extremely satisfied with the whole experience.

What I realized after getting the training, was that no matter what I thought of my abilities, they were not good enough to bet my life on. Only by training, and continuing to train, can I actually depend on my gun to protect lives. Lethal encounters never happen when you plan on them, so you’ll only be “half as good as your best day on the range”. The more training you have, the better that “half as good” will be when your body is flushed with adrenaline, your hands are shaking, you’re trying to overcome shock, and fight for your life.

Quality training, and continued practice, are a must for anyone who owns a gun for defense. And with an uncertain future ahead, I would jump on Front Sight’s deal while the planes are still regularly flying. Regards, – Robert A. (a 10 Cent Challenge Subscriber)