Note from JWR:

The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $400. The auction for a mixed lot that includes: Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried foods in #10 cans, (donated by Ready Made Resources–a $320 value), a NukAlert radiation detector, (donated by KI4U–a $160 value), a Wilson Tactical COP tool, (donated by Choate Machine and Tool Company, a $140 value), a DVD of 480 E-books on Alternative Energy (donated by WK Books–a $25 value). The auction ends on September 15, 2008. Please e-mail us your bid.

Letter Re: Controlling Your Inner Gun Nut–Balanced Preparations are a Must

Hello Jim,

Like many readers I have always been somewhat of a gun nut. Back when I was young and single I spent a lot of money on guns and ammo including items I didn’t really need that have since accumulated over time. I was single and had money to spend. Fast forward to the present with wife and kids and money is tight. There is not much left for prepping. So I decided to take stock of what I really need for my core battery of weapons/ammo and sell the rest and use the proceeds for prepping. Here are some lessons learned:

It’s important to have balance in your preparations between weapons and everything else. An M1A battle rifle is no more important than a Troy-Bilt tiller or a good pair of Danner boots. Ammunition has appreciated greatly in value and been an excellent investment (although [that was] not my original intent). My stocks of 7.62x54r, 7.62×39 and .303 British have at least doubled or tripled in value. A friend recently stated that Portuguese 7.62 NATO [ammunition in sealed battle packs] would have been a much better investment than gold. It would be nice to hold onto this ammunition longer and allow it to appreciate some more but there are other critical supplies that take precedence. You are correct when you state “tangibles, tangibles, tangibles” as a store of value. Hope this provokes some thought. – Jeff in Ohio

JWR Replies: Your observations are spot on. Prioritizing and logistical balance are crucial.

I can personally attest that Portuguese 7.62 NATO battle packs were indeed a great investment. Because of the Memsahib’s recent large hospitalization expenses, I’ve been forced to liquidate many of my tangibles. For example, I recently sold two cases of “Port”. (Each wooden case has 1,000 rounds, packed in 200 round battle packs. Each case weighs about 65 pounds.) These cases cost me $180 each in 2001. I just sold them for $475 each, and I’ve seen them recently sell for as much as $500 each. It is notable that there are very few bonds, stocks, or other investments that have appreciated so well in four years. My only regret is that I couldn’t afford to buy 30 or 40 cases at $180 each! As some of the characters in my novel often lament: “Oh well. Hindsight is 20/20.”

Letter Re: Pistol Holster Recommendations for Women

Dear James,
The recently given today about pistol holsters is fine….fine for men! And this is in no way criticizing the author – I just wanted to make a few continuation points on this subject that I think need to be addressed, in order for your readers to develop more well rounded preparations.

What often gets neglected in the firearms world is the plight of women. Women, in general, are not taken in to consideration when it comes to weapon and equipment design, and are usually talked down to by many in the industry, especially counter persons in gun shops.

Granted, some steps are being taken to correct this – I think the S&W M&P [semi-auto] pistol is a step in the right direction, with its various sizes of replaceable grips, and its torque absorbing design (in regard to shooting the .40S&W round.) But this is just start, and is by far not the norm in the industry.

In my opinion, nowhere are women more ignored than with proper pistol holsters. What works for men rarely works with any comfort or ease for the majority of women, and there are a few factors that need to be taken into consideration when the women readers of SurvivalBlog choose their gear (or a well meaning significant other does it for them.)

First – Women’s waists are approximately 2″-to-4″ higher than men’s. You can take a man and woman of the same height, stand them next to each other, and note where the belt line is. You’ll see it immediately once you know to look. This creates your first problem with any kind of 3-o’clock carry position. What ends up happening is that when the lady attempts to draw the pistol, she ends up drawing it into her armpit. It’s slow and uncomfortable for her. Look close at the next female police officer you see who’s department requires her to carry a standard issue holster in the 3 or 6-o’clock position. You’ll note how much higher the stocks of the weapon are in regard to her armpit, and how cumbersome that would be if you had to carry that way.

Second – Women have hips, and women have rear ends that curve outwards. And isn’t that why most men like them? We can’t deny that we know this, it’s what us men are always getting backhanded for staring at, so no excuses! Where this effects holsters is: a) 3-o’clock carry, because of the hips, ends up flaring the barrel of the pistol out, and causing the stocks to dig into her side – and it just gets worse when she sits down. b) Attempting to move the holster to some sort of kidney carry or small of the back is right out to to the curves on her rear end. c) Trying to carry IWB holsters just exaggerates the problem, regardless of clock position.

Third – Most holsters set up for strong side carry have what’s called an ‘FBI Cant.’ All this does is create even more problems on the draw stroke. What you usually end up seeing women do is roll their shoulder forward as they draw in order to compensate for the odd angle. Another discomfort factor. And lest not forget that some women have breasts (no really, it’s true), and that cant and carry method can be very uncomfortable.

So, the question now is: what do we do about all of this?

Here’s a base point: The only flat spot on most women’s waists (note that I said most – some women have flat rear ends and flat hips, but it’s far from the norm) is the inguinal channel. That’s the spot right where the leg meets the torso, and is commonly referred to in the gun world as the appendix carry position.

Many women find this the most comfortable place to wear a holster, both standing and sitting, should they choose to carry on their belt. One issue when choosing a holster is the proper cant angle, as the FBI cant will not work with this method of carry. One hint is to look for a cross draw holster set up for left-side carry (for the right-handed shooter), and [then instead] wear it on the right side of the body [, just to the right of the belt buckle].

There are a few companies I know of that will make such holsters in polymer, at the customer’s request:
Comp-Tac
Hoffners

And there are a couple of leather holster makers that will custom make them, as well:
Milt Sparks
C. Rusty Sherrick

Expect to pay, and expect to special order. And in the case of leather makers, expect to wait a long time. As I said in the beginning of this, the industry is not catering to the needs of women.

Next option, shoulder holsters. I’m not a fan of them for a number of reasons, but for some women it really is their best option.

Now, why is all of this such a big deal? For starters, all of us should care about the women in our lives, and women should care about their own lives. Seems pretty much like common sense, but my observation over the years when it comes to women allowing their men to buy their guns and holsters for them is this: It’s much like allowing your man to buy your underwear for you. He’ll buy what he thinks you look good in, not what functions for you in a practical manner. Many women will also go with what their father, brother, husband, boyfriend, or stranger at the gun shop recommends, because most women simply aren’t as experienced with such things, and will trust who they think knows more about it.

But the problem comes in when they try to train with ill-fitting gear, or to use it on a day-to-day basis. They end up fighting it the whole way, and many eventually give up on it. This doesn’t serve any of us well! If things ever get as bad as well think they might, we will need very set of hands available, to do as many jobs as they can. Your wife, grandmother, girlfriend, sister, daughter, etc., may be the only other adult on the spot that you trust. She may be who you rely on to defend you, or defend your children, or defend herself. And it probably won’t be during open warfare! It will probably be during the next extreme batch of weather or economic conditions, or when some evildoer decides to target you. She will probably have to carry a pistol concealed, everyday, all day. And she will need to do so as comfortably as possible, and with as much practice as possible beforehand. It will need to be on her person, and ready to go at all times. And if she can’t do so practically, she may just opt out of it all together in order to function, and that opens you, your family and her up to all kinds of potential risk.

Get the right gear for the right application! Yes, sometimes we all need to make due, and obviously lack of a proper holster should not be used as an excuse to loose a fight. But we should be getting proper gear now, while we can, and while we need to fire a few thousands rounds in training. And knowing what “proper” is….well, that’s half the battle! – Bill from Ohio

JWR Replies: Thanks for those comments. Just one proviso: Positioning a holster or magazine pouches forward of the hips makes crawling when prone very difficult. Plan accordingly. For post-TEOTWAWKI tactical carry, consider wearing a Y-harness or a load bearing vest. Not only will it distribute the weight of the belt more evenly, but you can also un-buckle your pistol belt when you need to low crawl, and not lose it.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Dave S. flagged this: Greek youths rob supermarket, hand out food

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More economic cheer, gleaned by SurvivalBlog’s Economic Editor, Cheryl N.: Fed Imposes Financial Sector Imperialism Over US, HSBC Super-Rich Clients Moving Into Cash, No Credit For Central Bankers by The Mogambo Guru, Ponzi Dynamics Still At Play, Gustav Hits US Economy, More Impact Due to Weaker Economy, and Intaxicating Rebate Checks–The Mogambo Guru.

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I generally agree with Bill Gross, but his recent suggestion smacks of socialism to me: U.S. Must Buy Assets to Prevent `Tsunami,’ Gross Says. (A hat tip to Krys in Idaho for the link.)

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The recent mention of newspaper fire log rolling machines prompted Eric to mention this one from Taylor Gifts, and this one from Lehman’s. OBTW, if you ever order anything from Lehman’s since they are one of our Affiliate Advertisers, we a get a teensy piece of the action, but only if you order using this Lehmans.com link. Thanks!

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A reminder that the WRSA has another “Grid-Down Medical Course” scheduled in Everett, Washington, September 12th to 14th. Their training is inexpensive, and highly recommended.

Note from JWR:

The high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is now at $370. The auction for a mixed lot that includes: Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried foods in #10 cans, (donated by Ready Made Resources–a $320 value), a NukAlert radiation detector, (donated by KI4U–a $160 value), a Wilson Tactical COP tool, (donated by Choate Machine and Tool Company, a $140 value), a DVD of 480 E-books on Alternative Energy (donated by WK Books–a $25 value). The auction ends on September 15, 2008. Please e-mail us your bid.

Letter Re: Holster, Sling, and Web Gear Recommendations

Howdy Mr. Rawles!
Before I begin, I’d like to offer my congratulations on your fine novel being republished. I’ve read it once myself, then again to my family (I hate television, reading is good family entertainment) which should be considered high accolades in itself. Currently my copy is in the Pacific Northwest, bound for the midwest next, as it continues to travel the country within my circle of friends.

I read the posted letter by R.P. on 26 August, and associated recommendations on holsters, slings, and web gear, and thought I’d offer some discussion on the matter:

The main reason pistols are currently worn on thigh rigs has less to do with ‘CDI’ [“Chicks Dig It”] factor and more to do with accessibility. When one wears a vest festooned with pouches, the bulk of these tend to hinder proper presentation of the pistol when the holster is worn conventionally on the pants belt. That is, if the pants belt can even be seen, as most wear their vests low enough to preclude such. The addition of body armor only exacerbates the situation. The pistol, therefore, is typically moved elsewhere – mostly onto a thigh rig or integrated into the vest itself. This is far from a new style though – the old leather 1911 holsters hung down from the frog clip to accomplish the same purpose.

As you noted, thigh holsters typically aren’t comfortable while ‘on the move’ . They are good for one thing though, and that’s an assault. Thus the reason that laden troops are often seen with them – those troops are equipped for an assault. Additionally, a conventionally mounted holster will typically interfere with a ruck waist belt. If not precluding ruck use entirely, at a minimum compromising comfort.

I’ve been working through these issues for years, and have come to some conclusions:

No one rig will ‘do it all’. Compromises abound and are mandatory. For the vast majority of time (as it applies to me) a light vest, at the
most, is all that is called for.

I am not personally a fan of the heritage [LC-1/LC-2 series] deuce gear. Not that the concept is wrong, bad, or anything else – but the ALICE clips (or as my associates and I came to call them, “meat hooks”) really did need to be jettisoned. They rub body parts raw, blistered, and cause other similar problems when used for any significant length of time. As well, the magazine pouches were designed more for extreme magazine retention and protection (security) than allowing a speedy reload, and the closure hardware on them never was very robust. When I had evolved my deuce gear as far as it would go, my pouches were all lashed to the pistol belt with gutted paracord. Using the grommets of the belt and the freshly-emptied ALICE clip slots on the pouches, paracord can be worked tight enough to prevent pouch movement laterally and vertically. Another consideration is that by using paracord, there is less metal to clink against other items. This technique worked well in my opinion, and happened to be identical to the way – in both layout and attaching – one of my closest friends independently evolved his LBE in Ranger school. If one is really attached to that generation of equipment, then I recommend this method of pouch attachment, as it is a quantum step up in comfort! Just make sure that the knots are oriented away from your body and melted somewhat, to prevent them from coming loose and the paracord sheathing from unraveling.

In my opinion the new generation of MOLLE load bearing vest (LBV) is superior to the old deuce gear – of course allowing that everyone is different. Not only are the MOLLE vests superior in comfort, but the modularity offers the capability of repositioning your pouches to find the placement where they feel best for that individual. I personally prefer the slightly older models that use two buckles in the front, as opposed to a zipper. Conveniently, these vests are low enough in cost that purchasing one per rifle, carbine, or shotgun isn’t cost prohibitive.

Like R.P. and yourself, I have attended Front Sight. I’ve also attended other top-notch institutions – I typically attend at least one course per year. As such, it should come as no surprise that after significant attempts at finding “a better way”, I also advocate using a conventionally mounted belt holster. It seems we prefer the same manufacturers as well – Blade-Tech and Milt Sparks specifically. The Milt Sparks folks talked me into trying the Summer Special II and I’ve been happily using that for the last three years or so and actually prefer it to the original Summer Special. I would also add Lou Alessi to the recommended holster-maker list, as I’ve been using his leather belt holsters for the last decade or so and am quite taken by his execution of the old Bruce Nelson design, which Lou calls the DOJ holster. Specifically, I prefer the slightly modified version he made for Dick Heinie. Those can still be ordered as such directly from Lou, as Dick quit carrying them. I’ve used several gun belts over the years, but eventually stuck with the Riggers Belt offered by The Wilderness. I prefer mine with the optional 5-stitch reinforcement, to make the belt less flexible under load.

I have found that the key to proper pistol presentation when wearing a vest is to have the vest ride high enough that it doesn’t interfere with the holstered pistol; not quite as high as a chest rig, but almost. As well, when laying out the pouches for attachment, I leave a open area on my front and both sides; approximately 10:45 to 1:15, 2:00 to 4:30, and 7:30 to 10:00 are all open space. This allows unimpeded access to a properly holstered pistol, as well as the spare pistol magazines and such on the opposite hip. The open area directly to my front is so that I can assume a solid prone position without lying on full magazine pouches; I space the pouches such that they act as wheel chocks when I’m in the prone. With the vest riding at this height, other items can be carried on the belt with decent access – a knife, pistol magazines, flashlight, multi-tool, and compass for example. With all that open area though, the vest really doesn’t carry much. As I’m not employed to assault enemy positions, I don’t need an assault vest. What I do need – and what the vest provides – is water, more ammo for the pistol and carbine, navigation, communications, and a blow-out kit. If called for, a PVS-14 or PVS-7D in rigid case can be quickly and securely attached to the water carrier on the back. As the unofficial motto of my favorite school says, “shoot, move, and communicate”, this vest is geared to meet those needs. What it is not geared to meet is self-sustainability. This vest shouldn’t be confused with a rig meant for patrolling, what one would choose to wear when knowingly venturing into unfriendly areas, or anything to sustain oneself longer than a few hours. Essentially this is a vest to be worn when contact isn’t expected, just something to work ones way back to a nearby resupply.

For the applications where the light vest isn’t sufficient, a ruck is called for, as well as a vest that works well with a ruck but also has the volume capabilities for sustainability. Of course, this is a trade-off, and there are many trade-offs involved in choosing kit. As always, determined by METT-T [Mission,+Enemy,+Terrain,+Troops+Time Available]. At this time, for a patrolling / heavy vest, I’m evaluating the K171 Arktis model. It’s heavier, bulkier, doesn’t allow unimpeded pistol usage (the pistol is stowed in a cross draw integral holster and meant to provide security over speed), and favors security over speed in reloading – but it does carry a patrolling load well.

On the topic of slings, I realize this is personal preference, but I prefer different slings for different applications. On a battle rifle or a precision rifle, I prefer the Quick-Cuff from Tactical Intervention Specialists. I’d been using these slings for years before our military adopted them as part of issue sniper kit – they really are top-drawer quality. I’ve used them on long-range courses and competitions and never regretted it. It doesn’t do anything that a good loop sling doesn’t do – it just does it faster and easier. For shotguns and carbines, it’s difficult to find better than the Giles or Vickers slings, in my opinion. When set-up such that the buttplate is approximately one fist height below the chin, these work very well.

At this point though, I’d like to reiterate your admonition that training must be sought. If a trip into the Arizona or Nevada deserts, the Oregon mountains, the Oklahoma hills, isn’t a viable option at the moment, then I also advocate the Appleseed Program [rifle matches and clinics]. These fine, hospitable folks will get you spooled up on the basics of marksmanship quickly and efficiently – I should know, I’ve been volunteering as an instructor for almost a year now. All the best, and God Bless! – Bravo

Two Letters Re: Survival Medicine and Ditch Medicine

James
Josh’s article [on Survival Medicine and Ditch Medicine] was very good. I wanted to address the fact that a medical oxygen bottle is illegal to possess without a prescription and/or doctor’s care.

Actually, I don’t think the bottle itself is illegal. Just illegal for someone to fill it with medical oxygen without a prescription. But that’s beside the point because there is a simple, legal alternative: Aviation oxygen.

Aviation oxygen tanks and gas are easily obtained and not inordinately expensive ($150-to-$250 depending on size). Aviation, medical and welder’s oxygen are all pure, dry and inexpensive. With the “ABO” (Aviator’s Breathing Oxygen) label the tank can only be filled with aviation oxygen. Remove the ABO label and it can be refilled at an industrial gas supplier that sells welding oxygen. No prescription required in either case.

The same people who sell the tanks also supply disposable nasal cannulas and masks. Best, – Matt S.

 

JWR,
I was glad to see Josh in Montana submit his article on basic medical intervention. I just came off my duty shift as an EMT-I crew chief. I wanted to make you aware of a great online resource:

The AAOS EMT Basic 9th Edition is the current curriculum for all Army Combat Medics. My son went through Fort Sam last year and this site proved a good study aid for him and his fellow students. It provides a handy chapter selection tool if you are also using the textbook so you can stay coordinated with class study. But would also be a good overview for anyone.

Some features are:
Interactive Scenarios
Interactive Anatomy
Vocabulary
Chapter pre-tests

– Steve P. , EMT in Wisconsin

Odds ‘n Sods:

I’ll begin with some positive news from an Australian newspaper, by way of reader Kevin A.: Fifty Reasons To Thank NASA

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FerFAL (SurvivalBlog’s correspondent in Argentina) recently posted some quotes and commentary on Gabe Suarez’s description of his training trip to Argentina.

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Pamela mentioned a commercially-made fireplace log rolling machine that speeds the newspaper rolling process that was described in a SurvivalBlog article posted earlier this year.

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SurvivalBlog’s Economic Editor Cheryl N. sent us another batch of economic news and commentary: Credit Crunch Cancer Metastasizing, US National Debt Clock, World Heads for Deflationary Collapse, Scramble for Cash as Central Banks Dry Up, Lehman Bros. Faces Korean Takeover Bid, and Credit Crisis Financial Armageddon.

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Reader B.P. mentioned that he watched a recent television show about children in Africa being saved from starvation by a new a new product called Plumpy’nut, which requires no refrigeration and that has two year shelf life. B.P. notes: “I was thinking that this product would also be a good [supplementary] food source for infant children in a SHTF scenario.” JWR’s comments: Since it is a paste, it might also be useful for anyone in rehabilitation from jaw or dental trauma, or for elderly patients that are sans dentures. It is also a captivating possibility for a lightweight, compact food source for G.O.O.D. kits. (Although, to provide nearly complete nutrition it should probably be supplemented with blue-green algae tablets, jerky, honey, some selected vitamins, and a source of dietary fiber.) The only big downside I can see is that it can’t be eaten by anyone with a peanut allergy. I predict that if a food packager in the US were to sell it, it would be an ideal candidate for a BOGO arrangement, to support an international charity.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“…anyone who has been dragging his feet and has still got the bulk of his savings in the banking system, particularly the U.S. banking system, it’s getting almost too late to act. You need to move very quickly to get the bulk of your savings out of the weaker banks…ideally…you should own U.S. Treasuries directly in a money market fund…don’t sit around until it’s too late…finding yourself at the back of the line in front of your bank.” – Robert Prechter, quoted in Once in 100 Year Crisis?

Notes from JWR:

Today we are pleased to welcome our newest advertiser, Hardened Shelters. Be sure to visit their web site and check out their amazing engineering, architectural, and construction management expertise. They design and oversee the construction of blast shelters, fallout shelters, safe rooms, panic rooms, vaults, storm shelters, photovoltaic power systems, shelter ventilation systems, and more.

The Memsahib will be at the hospital again starting this week for further treatment. Please pray for a miracle for her. (She’d appreciate your prayers upon Psalm 20:1-5)

Letter Re: Hurricane Gustav–Learning From Mistakes

Jim,
A friend first introduced me to your blog, and I have begun to seriously consider many of the suggestions made by you and others for preparedness. One of the biggest indicators of a person’s level of preparedness is an actual or potential disaster event

My wife and I have lived in Northwestern Louisiana for a little over two years. On the eve of Hurricane Gustav, we realized how unprepared we were for lack of power, water, let alone social breakdown. I certainly didn’t expect a major disaster, and we didn’t have one, but it is better to be prepared and not need it than get caught wanting.

My wife and I were traveling from a camping trip outside of Houston back to our home, and had the chance to learn by watching others. Halfway home, we stopped at a WalMart to gather some needed supplies (batteries, food, water, etc.) which we thought would be exhausted at home. To our surprise, most people had filled their baskets with chips, sodas, and frozen foods. It was Labor Day, but this particular town seemed to be at a heightened sense of alert for the Hurricane, so I didn’t think all these people were prepping for a barbeque. Quite a few were stocking up on beer, coleman fuel, and flashlights.

The rice, beans and canned food shelves were full, as were the ammo shelves. Fruits and Vegetables were stocked to the brim, and the entire produce section was deserted.

While in the checkout lane, my wife and I decided that we need to spend a night a week planning and preparing and keeping inventory of our food supplies. My brother and his wife are beginning to understand the ramifications of being unprepared, and also have decided to take stock of their preparedness situation. I have thought long and hard about becoming prepared, but have taken very little action.

This mild scare has motivated me to get it in gear.

Thank you for your dedication to teaching and sharing your knowledge and experience with others. Without your blog, I would have never begun to think about being prepared in bad times. Thanks, – Matt S.

Letter Re: How Much Ammo to Carry?

Hello Mr. Rawles,
You are a great man for what you do! You have shaped my life in many ways and most certainly opened my eyes to many things, and for that thank you. I have recently started my own small TEOTWAWKI preparedness group of like-minded Christians.

We have standardized our gear but I have no idea how much ammo we should carry on our web gear, and if we should have a combo of rifle and pistol ammo. We have a lot of ammo stockpiled but we are wondering about patrols and other times when we would need to be away from our retreat location.
Thank you for any help you can offer. – California Guy

JWR Replies: My general guidance for a retreat security “basic load” for truly inimical times is:

.308 semi-auto rifle: Four spare 20 round magazines.

AK-47, AK-74 or .223 semi-auto rifle: Six spare 30 round magazines

Pistol caliber SMG: Eight spare 30 or 32 round magazines .

M1 Garand:10 spare loaded 8-round clips.

.30 caliber bolt action rifle: 80 rounds. (Hopefully, you’ll have a rifle with either a detachable magazine or a stripper clip guide, for faster loading.)

SKS: 120 rounds on 10 round stripper clips. (12 full stripper clips.)

Riotgun: 50 buckshot shells, and 7 to 10 rifled slug shells (depending pouch configurations)

Handgun (supplementing a rifle or riotgun): four spare magazines for single stack magazine pistols, or three spare magazines for double stack guns.

Revolver (supplementing a rifle or riotgun): six spare speed loaders or full moon clips.

All of the above noted quantities might vary, depending on the situation. For example, if you are foraging for game you’d surely want to substitute some soft nose ammo, and birdshot. If you are on a preemptive offensive raid (God forbid), you’d probably want to carry much more ammo. Ditto for stocking an LP/OP or what you’d carry in a vehicle, where weight and space are not paramount concerns. If on a long range “avoid all contact” reconnaissance patrol or if you are inside your perimeter doing chores, you’d probably carry much less ammo.

I generally recommend carrying semi-auto rifle magazines loaded with tracers for the last three rounds in each magazine. (In the stress of defensive shooting situations you almost certainly won’t be counting rounds, so the flash of tracers will cue you to switch magazines.) Your state/local laws and wildfire conditions, of course might preclude this.

Again, varying circumstances might very likely necessitate some increases or decreases to what I’ve suggested. And, of course, your physical stature and fitness or mountainous terrain might also dictate some changes.

One closing note for readers in California and other hoplophobic states that have enacted magazine bans: You will likely have to make do with smaller magazines. Make the best of it until you can move to state with greater freedom. At least California’s “high capacity” magazine ban has a grandfather clause for any 11+ round magazines that you legally possessed on or before December 31, 1999. New York (state) also grandfathers any 11+ round magazines that were made before September of 1994, regardless of when you acquired them. Consult your state and local laws!

Letter Re: Is a Little Ice Age Approaching?

Hi Jim,
Thought you might find this article interesting: Sun Makes History: First Spotless Month in a Century

As a scientist (Oceanography) I have been astounded with scientists who can not see the forest through the trees when it comes to global warming. The ocean temperatures have been dropping over the last 1-to-2 years (as well as the overall temperature on Mars). Correlate the ocean temperature with sun spot activity and you do not need any more “proof” as this will show the direct cause-effect relationship of the sun to the temperature of the oceans.

Note that if we do get a “mini-ice age” in the next 10 years, then there will be a massive shift in demographics as northerners head south! Retreat locale may have to rethought for more northern regions unless you like living in “Siberia”. God Bless, – MRL.

Odds ‘n Sods:

I noticed that the spot price of silver dipped below $12.70 per ounce for the first time in many moons. Given the pitiful intrinsic value of the US Dollar, in my opinion silver priced anywhere south of $13.50 is a bargain. Buy on the dips!

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Reader “MGB” flagged a web site that illustrate which countries to avoid for offshore banking: This US IRS page shows the countries that have “transparency” via tax treaties And MGB recommend the Sovereign Society web site as a resource for comparing banking privacy of various nations.

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Naish Piazza’s blog features a link to a great video produced for the US Marine Corps: In the Fight… Even When Shot. OBTW, speaking of Naish Piazza, Front Sight “Get a Gun” training and gear package offer will be ending soon. This is your chance to get five days of awesome training and an XD pistol and a lot of other gear and useful references for less than the normal cost of the training alone. Don’t miss out on this deal, or you will regret it later!

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Simon in England sent us some evidence that the public fear of guns in the UK Nanny State has gone absolutely ballistic. Simon writes: “A SNP (Scottish National Party) councillor – Jahangir Hanif – almost got the sack for shooting a gun legally (years before he became a councillor) when on holiday in Pakistan. Instead, he got “a two-month suspension”. No, you have not read that wrong. He broke no laws in Pakistan, Scotland, or the UK but there is still a call to sack him.” Here are some links to news stories about this man’s public humiliation for daring to shooting a gun recreationally: Councillor Kalashnikov, Kalashnikov councillor suspended, SNP refuse to kick out ‘Kalashnikov councillor’, Kalashnikov councillor escapes SNP expulsion, What has become of Scotland the Brave? William Wallace must be restless in his grave. OBTW, if any politicians from Scotland would like to engage in some similar “foolish and inappropriate conduct”, they are welcome to come visit the Rawles Ranch. Perhaps we’ll even fire some “evil” tracer ammo or detonate some Tannerite charges with one of my L1A1 (“SLR”) rifles. That should send the UK tabloid press into an absolute paroxysm of hoplophobic frenzy.