Note from JWR:

We are pleased to announce the launch of a SurvivalBlog spin-off web site, www.SurvivalRealty.com. Be sure to check it out. You will find that it is a truly unique web site. All of the properties there are suitable for survival retreats. You will see no urban or suburban properties, no time shares, no condos, and no McMansions on postage stamp-size lots. This is a pleasant change from searching typical Internet real estate sites, where finding a survival retreat is like finding a needle in a haystack. The properties featured at SurvivalRealty.com will come from both licensed agents and “For Sale by Owners” (FSBOs.) I personally review and approve each property for its survival retreat potential before it is posted. Most of the legwork for the new site is being handled by Todd Savage, a real estate agent that I know and trust. His office is in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. And not coincidentally, Idaho is my top choice for relocation and survival retreats. To get the new site off to a fast start, advertising during the first three months is available free of charge, but only for the next six individuals or agents that submit listings.

Letter Re: Recent Floods in the UK and the Impact on Our Preparations

Further to my recent post about the recent flooding In the UK, things in the immediate area are pretty well back to normal now, aside from some continuing disruption to the road network due to land-slips, undermining and in some cases, bridges across water courses being washed away.
Here, we got off very lightly, compared to some. No loss of life, no injuries, very little property damage. There are many families, however, who will be counting the cost of this incident for a long time, both in terms of loss of loved ones and of property and livelihood. One’s heart goes out to them.As to how our preparations ameliorated the effects of the flooding, I must first of all say we were very lucky to have escaped. The waters found their way into areas never before affected, with properties and farmland many feet above the normal floodplain levels being covered. In one case, a farm tractor in just such a place was up to its cab-roof in floodwater.
However, we moved to this area for work purposes in 1999. Prior to the move we rented a property in the area to give us a base from which to explore and familiarise ourselves with it.
The next task was to obtain 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey maps of the entire region and work out the pros and cons of each likely area for settlement.
To the east of this region lies the flat, productive lands of the Vale of Evesham which, as beautiful and fertile as they may be, are crisscrossed with so many waterways that the map of the area appears to have varicose veins. To the west the topography changes as it moves into the mountains of Wales, an area of stunning countryside, so well beloved of tourists in the summers, but one so bleak in winter that it is used by Special Forces as a training ground. [JWR Adds: This is the “Brecon Beacons” area that many SurvivalBlog have read about in books about the SAS.]
In-between the two the land becomes one of foothills, with small peaks up to a thousand feet or so.
The area has several cities, many towns and villages, with all the concomitant amenities and services along with a good transport infrastructure. It ticked many of the boxes we had earmarked as necessities.
It also has one of the most unstable rivers in Europe running through it; the River Severn. With its source in the hills of mid-Wales, the Severn is one of many local rivers that feed from the mountains of Wales and find their way to the sea further south in England after joining with the Severn.
Coming in from the east is the River Avon, of Shakespeare and Stratford-upon-Avon fame. Another picturesque watercourse when in good humour, but truly frightening when in flood. This too joins the Severn as it moves west towards the sea.
Given all this water, the thought of joining the many flood-plain dwellers (does this name not give them a clue?) along these rivers did not have much appeal. Also not wanting to live in an urban environment, we ruled out the cities and larger towns. This led us to ‘head for the hills’ but given the additional need to be reasonably close to transport links due to work commitments, a compromise had to be reached.
We finally settled on (in?) the outskirts of a village in the foothills which had the requisite communication links and was high enough to avoid all but truly Armageddon-like flooding from the river system.
Being doomers by inclination and country folk by nature, we set about making the place as self-contained as possible given the constraints of time, money and the desire not to look out of place.
Water was a primary objective. Having invested so much time and effort trying to avoid it, we now installed a series of linked barrels to collect around 500 gallons of rainfall run-off from the various roofs. (The long term plan was to install underground storage but an impending move has forestalled this). This to be used in the summer for assisting with garden irrigation and for hygiene use should the need arise.
There is a mains supply of potable water, supplemented by bought bottled and spring water from the adjacent hills captured and stored in ex-military containers. (Again an underground cistern was planned).
When the recent floods hit, we found unprecedented amounts of rain had fallen (up to 131mm locally) in just over 24 hours and the subsequent run-off completely overwhelmed the drainage systems. It is not uncommon in these parts for the hill roads to turn into rivers after a storm, but the amount coming off the peaks was phenomenal. Due to our location on a hillside, we were in little danger of standing –floods, but fortunately had sandbagged the ventilation bricks and doorways to deal with the expected run off. Even so, the bags were in danger of being overtopped by the sheer volume of water. This caught us somewhat by surprise, never before had we needed to cover these points.
The mains water supply is electrically pumped throughout the area, so it is not unknown for it to fail when the power goes down. We had sufficient water available to deal with what was thankfully a short-term event. However, the provision of more capacity could only be a good thing especially in the event of a long term incident.Our electricity supply is mains provided, but due to local conditions is fairly unreliable, going off on average once a month. We have back-up for heating, cooking and lighting, with a variety of methods for providing for each. As well as propane heaters and cooking rings, we have wood stored and several camping style cooking sets using differing fuels. Lighting from candles, hurricane and Coleman lamps as well as the ubiquitous MagLites complete the list. Wind up radios are used to keep connected to news services.
This system works well for us in a bug-in situation, with some of the kit doubling for the bug-out bags, in which it is normally kept. It again worked this time and we are currently replenishing supplies ready for the autumn and winter weather.
We thought that given the predicted rainfall, bugging-in would be the best solution and this proved to be so. We also planned to be on site during the event as the lower surrounding area a re prone to flooding and we have been cut-off in the past. Had we been caught out of position, one or more of us would have been stranded. Cars were washed away by previously unheard of levels of rainfall and all exit routes were simply inundated. We have multiple exit routes planned and driven, but all were closed in a very short time.
Several staff members at one of our employers, who also live nearby, had to remain in the building for several days, unable to get out . Even if they could have escaped the building, they would have been unable to return to their homes due to the floodwaters.
Being aware of the potential for the area to become cut off by bad weather, we keep an above average level of consumables in. This includes foodstuffs, medications, hygiene materials etc. We keep little in freezers, having lost the contents once too often when power remained off too long. Most foods are either canned or dried and when the power does fail, we emulate the NCIS agents Jethro Gibbs and Kate Todd and eat the ice-cream before it melts!
When we could get from the property into the nearby town, we found the shelves of the shops were depleted of nearly everything. Some panic buying had apparently occurred, but this was also down to the inability to re-supply them as the entire area was cut off from road and rail links. The disturbing part about this was that this took no more than a couple of days for the shelves to empty. It seems that the ‘just-in-time’ approach also now applies to your local food store and those behind-the-shop front warehouses are no longer filled with more than a day or two’s goods.
What this would mean in a long term situation became all too obvious further down the Severn’s route as large scale efforts had to be mobilised to bring in bottled water and emergency food supplies to stranded people.

In summary, our initial site location work and subsequent ‘prepping’ served us well during this event, but if any of us had been caught out of position, or had we decided at the last minute to ‘bug-out’ as flood levels rose, we might well have found ourselves in a different situation.
No matter what precautions one takes, it is surely down to the Grace of God as to what happens and how well you fare. We are currently planning our next adventure, a move out of the UK to a small patch of land somewhere in the Mediterranean. The planning and preparation for this has been ongoing for several years. More on that in a future article. Keep safe. – Michael in England

Letter Re: Advice on Pump Action Shotguns

Dear Mr. Rawles,
Regarding your recent comments on shotguns, I’d like to add the following opinion:
I own a gun shop and I get -many- people looking to buy their first shotgun. The first question I ask them (and probably a good question to ask ones self before making any purchase) is: “What do you intend to use it for?”. Different guns for different purposes. When they tell me they want an all around do everything shotgun (which is how the shy and low-key convey that they want a defensive shotgun), the choice usually come down to the Mossberg 500 and the Remington 870. Both are great shotguns. Both are used by the US military and both are found in law enforcement. Both have a fair bit of aftermarket parts and accessories (not all of them useful) available.
When customers ask me to choose between the Mossberg 500 and the Remington 870, I go with the Remington.
Magazine capacity – A standard Mossberg 500 (the one sitting on my desk right now is a inventory gun, 500BB in 16 ga. with a cut down barrel to 21 inches) holds 5 rounds in the magazine. To put an extended magazine on this particular gun, one must replace the entire magazine tube (and it’s guts), as the existing one is closed on the muzzle end and has a threaded hole in the center that the barrel retaining nut (“magazine cap”) screws into. If I take this commonly encountered gun and put an extended magazine on it I now need to get a different barrel as this one one can not mount properly with an extended mag.
On a Remington 870, I unscrew the barrel retaining nut (“magazine cap”) and replace the magazine spring with the new longer one and screw on the magazine extension. Re-install original barrel. Done. On later 870s it may be necessary to drill out two small ‘dimples’ at the end of the magazine tube that retain a superfluous magazine plug. Big deal. [JWR Adds: Brownell’s sells a special mandrel designed for pressing out these dimples. Every retreat group that has standardized with 870s should acquire one of these tools.]
Parts availability – The two most common shotguns are the Mossberg 500 series and the Remington 870 and all the aftermarket accessories people know this. If you were to make a list of all the Mossberg accessories available and all the 870 accessories available, the lists would be long, but the 870 list would be longer. More options.
Construction – Both guns are used my military and law enforcement, so you know that can take rough use. One common problem I see with Mossbergs is that the safety selector is plastic (on the mil-spec model they are steel); this causes enough problems that one of the more widely purchased aftermarket accessories for the 500 is a replacement safety made of steel.
Both guns (on current models) have plastic triggerguards. The Remington has one that has a built in locking device. Yesterday I had a fellow come in who had bought a used 870 with a locking device but no key. It wasn’t a problem, as he had not planned to ever lock the gun, but it turns out you can lock the gun by just turning the safety with a fingernail or, in his case, a cleaning brush while cleaning the gun. To -unlock- the gun, you need the key. That’s bad. Mossberg has wisely avoided this mistake.
One thing that makes a big difference for me is that the Remington receiver is steel while the Mossberg is alloy. It may not make a practical difference, but I just feel better with the heavier gun. Also, the 500 receiver is anodized and once the finish wears off, your only choices are stove paint, tape or shine.
Commonality – Both guns are extraordinarily common. Together I believe they account for the majority of pump action sales in the US. While both guns are used by military and law enforcement, the 870 is the hands down law enforcement favorite, and thus more likely to be found/recovered from ‘official’ sources.
One great advantage the Mossberg has is price: it’s cheap (or as I like to describe it “entry level priced”). The cheap shotgun you have -right now- is a whole heck of a lot better than the expensive shotgun that you were planning to buy in 3 months! Also, when compared to the Remington 870, spare barrels seem to be a bit cheaper on the used market.
For my “just in case” customers, I tell them:
• Remington synthetic stock 870 Special Purpose [Parkerized] finish 12 ga. with a 3-inch chamber with a 26 or 28 inch bird barrel with a full assortment of screw in chokes.
• Spare smoothbore rifle-sighted slug barrel in 20 inch.
• In reserve, a Wilson combat/Scattergun Technology two shot magazine extension, a six shell ‘side-saddle’, a clamp-on M1913 rail for mounting a small light on the barrel (I like and own the Surefire fore-ends, but the cost is prohibitive and they use very specific parts. A clamp-on M1913 rail allows for mounting a variety of lights, including a spare M3 or M6 pistol light, which one should already have).
• Usual spares, slings and support parts and tools.
Remington and Mossberg both make fine guns that possess the great feature of what I call ‘modularity’; the ability to be easily reconfigured by the end-user to suit multiple purposes with a minimum amount of tools and skill. I often tell my customers that they should think of the 500 and the 870 (and the AR-15) as ‘Lego kit’ guns; you can pretty much snap-on and snap-off parts and accessories as needed.
A very, very distant third choice for shotguns would be the classic Ithaca 37s. All metal, no plastic and bottom ejecting for left handed shooters. Used as a military gun up through Vietnam and the classic LAPD gun for many years.The NYPD has [also] used this gun for over 50 years (in everything from 13 inch to 30 inch) and I can tell you first hand that a lot of those original purchase guns bought when President Eisenhower was in office are still riding around the mean streets. You’ll never find spares and accessories like you will for the Mossbergs and Remingtons though.
Best, – RMV

Odds ‘n Sods:

Daniel C. mentioned that a PDF of the book The Alpha Strategy by John Pugsley is now available for free download. (This is the key book that I mentioned in the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course.) I highly recommend Pugsley’s book, which is considered a classic in preparedness circles. It was one of my main influences when I first formulated my investment strategy, back in my late teens. I owe Pugsley the credit for the many useful tangibles that are stacked on the shelves down in Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR). Many of those items were purchased in the early to mid-1980s when I had military commissary and post exchange privileges. For example, my family is still using aluminum foil that I bought in 1985 for just 79 cents a roll. By my calculations, I won’t have to buy another batch for six more years. We are also still not even close to using up the many 12 ounce bottles of vanilla extract that I bought in 1984 for $1.20 each. Enough logistical war stories. I concur with reader Jamie D., who’s motto is “Buy it cheap and stack it deep.” Now, getting back to the author: Pugsley is now the chairman of The Sovereign Society. You can read read more of his writings at The Daily Reckoning web site.

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I noticed that the spot price of silver recently took a dip below $12 per ounce. This might be a good buying opportunity. I’m still convinced that Helicopter Ben will inflate his way out of the current crisis. So in the long run, the precious metals will appreciate in value. Buy on the dips!.

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Some “must read” commentary over at Jim Sinclair’s MineSet: Commercial Paper Market All But Shuts Down

Note from JWR:

Congrats to Mike in Missouri, the high bidder in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a Big Berkey water filter. Today we begin a new auction. This one is for a SteriPen UV light water sterlizer, complete with a solar charger and pre-filter, donated by the fine folks at Safecastle. Also included as a bonus in this auction are three autographed copies of books that I’ve authored.
Be sure to visit the Safecastle web site and see their broad line of survival and preparedness products, as well as details on their storm/blast/fallout shelter engineering and construction services.

Letter Re: Steam Locomotives in a Post-TEOTWAWKI World?

Jim,
I’m a big fan of western movies and was thinking of how trains seem to dominate so many. These old steam locomotives are still running in many locations around the world so it got me to thinking. I’ve heard you discuss steam power before and I was wondering what you thought of a return to steam power for transportation in between settlements in the case of full societal collapse that may drive us back a century or more in technology. It seems we have a good supply of lumber in our forests as well as a good supply of coal (especially in places such as Utah) to power these trains. Could they be adapted to run on existing tracks? Do enough exist to be viable? Are they high maintenance? Can they still be produced? I had a friend whose father worked for the railroad in Kentucky/Virginia and he stated that the large steam locomotives were in fact more powerful than the diesel/electrics and that more than a few had been ‘rescued’ by old steam driven locomotives when they broke down. I do remember hearing that they needed overhauls more frequently but if we returned to that type of society that would certainly beat wagons for transporting goods, people etc.–Just a thought and wondered if you had given it any serious consideration. – Jason North Idaho

JWR Replies: I’m all for it, but sadly even with existing tracks and rolling stock, it takes a lot more than a supply of firewood or coal to operate and maintain a steam locomotive railroad. The main drawback to using steam engines post-TEOTWAWKI is the high maintenance required for their boilers, and their inevitable replacement. Currently, steam engine boilers are rebuilt or replaced as essentially custom pieces. And if you read any of the hobbyist web sites devoted to steam engine restoration, the boiler work is typically a key topic of discussion and the main focus of the groups’ fundraising efforts. It is one of the most cash intensive part of rolling stock restoration, since everything else is typically done with donated time and effort on the part of club members. Almost all of the old large-scale steam locomotive repair infrastructure in North America is sadly gone. There are very few companies that still do steam locomotive boiler work, and most of those are in China. They are few and far between here in North America.

Up until the 1940s, nearly every railroad company had their own “in-house” boiler shop. Nowadays you only see that in China. Ironically, the locomotive boiler companies still in business in the U.S. are now highly dependent on grid power to run most of their tools. (In the old days, they would have had a stationary steam engine to run everything in the repair/rebuild shop on belt drive. And in those days they also had traditional (non-electric) hoists that could lift 4,000+ pounds, and they did traditional riveting. Nowadays they use gas-fired rivet heaters, welding gasses, arc welders, et cetera.) So unless the old-fashioned shops could be re-created post-TEOTWAWKI, then we will see the old engines drop out of service, one by one, as their boilers wear out. I may sound pessimistic in all the forgoing, but I’m a realist. I have great faith in American ingenuity. But if the old-fashioned infrastructure no longer or exists, or if the little that does remain isolated in inner-city areas that might resemble Beirut after TSHTF, then perhaps my pessimism is justified. With time, ingenuity, raw materials and plenty of”sweat equity”, a working 19th century technology industrial infrastructure could be re-created from the ground up. (Starting, of course, with forges .)

For some background on steam locomotives and boiler rebuilding, see:
Steam-Era.com
Midcontinent Railway Museum
Trainweb

Letter Re: A-Frame Houses for Retreats?

Dear Mr. Rawles,
Do you have any thoughts on the use of A-frame homes as a retreat? I can see the positive negative points, and would appreciate your thoughts (and those of your readers).
For:
They are economical to build and maintain.
The extensive roofs offer lots of space for PV panels or solar water heaters.
The steep roofs are good for distributing heavy loads (whether from heavy snow falls or volcanic ash).
They look like most people’s stereotype of a vacation home, and not like a survival retreat (good for hiding in plain sight).

Against:
More difficult to harden against attack.
The steep roof angles create “dead spaces” within the building, reducing the usable square footage.

Any input would be appreciated. Sincerely, – James K

JWR Replies: I would add the following to the list of negatives:

In a societal collapse, looters will be looking for what appear to be vacation homes.
They are often less well insulated than comparable size houses with attics.
They are typically built with very poor visibility on two sides, making them vulnerable to attack.
They have roof materials in close proximity to ground shrubbery, so any combustible roofing (e.g. wooden shakes) are definitely a hazard.
The lack of an attic means less storage space.
Odd angles on the inside walls limit storage space and make cabinet installation far more difficult.
The steep roof angle is not ideal for photovoltaics unless you live at an arctic latitude. (A-frame roof pitches are typically too steep for flush-mounted solar panels.) Ideally, solar panels should match your latitude (i.e. if you live on or near the 40th parallel, then flush-mounted solar panels should be mounted at a 40 degree angle.)

Summary, in my estimation: A-frames look quaint, but they aren’t very practical except for areas with very heavy winter snowfall, such as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and upper elevations in the western slope of the Rockies. A-frames were a fad in the 1960s, but are not very popular these days, in part because their drawbacks outweigh their advantages.

Letter Re: Advice on Most Durable AR-15/M16/AR-180 Magazines?

Mr. Rawles:
I’ve read your novel [“Patriots”] three times. It rocks. I hope that you run another six pack sale soon, because I plan to buy a bunch of copies for this year’s Christmas gifts. I’ve also been working my way through the [SurvivalBlog] archives. Packed with amazing stuff–what a treasure trove! And I’m also now a 10 Cent Challenge subscriber. (I’m the one that sent you that roll of silver dimes.)

One thing that you’ve stressed that has really struck a chord with me is the possibility that a global depression might last decades, or even generations. With that thought in mind, I’ve been picking out gear that is both easy to maintain by myself, and very durable. My flashlights all use white LEDs to maximize their usable life. My watches are all Swiss hairspring [self-winding], and I’ve been told by jewelers that can be rebuilt to easily last more than a century. For tools, I’m buying all Craftsman [brand, from Sears.] For pistols, I have one Glock M21 with rail, and plan to buy two more, plus a Mini Glock [M30] for concealed carry. For my primary rifles, I recently bought three Saiga .308s. (BTW, it is neat to know that there are now reliable converted HK steel magazines available for them from one of the SurvivalBlog advertisers.) For my secondary/training carbines, I’m buying two of the [Armalite] AR-180B. But the magazines for those are aluminum [alloy]. In my mind, I can practically hear the beer can scrunchy noise those will make if they get stepped on! So my question is, is there a sturdier M16-type magazine that won’t cost a fortune if I buy two dozen of them? Thanks, – . F.T. in Kansas

JWR Replies: Although they weigh considerably more than alloy magazines, I highly recommend the Imperial Defence SA-80 magazines made in England. These steel magazines were originally made for the British SA-80 bullpups now in service in the Middle East. They are extremely durable and reliable. A fair number of them have been released as surplus. I have heard that they are a sought-after item when informal gear bartering goes on between US and British troops deployed overseas. The SA-80 magazine interchanges with all AR-15 and M16 family weapons. They will also fit the new production AR-180B model, but not the older original AR-180s that used magazines with a narrow magazine catch notch on the left side of the magazine.

Another option in steel AR-15/M16 magazines is the much-touted HK steel M16 magazine, but those presently run $39 to $45 each. (Ouch!) The gray parkerized steel Imperial Defence SA-80 magazines are available in new condition from CDNN Sports, for under $13 each. I heard from a source inside the company that they still have more than 10,000 of these magazines in stock. With a new Federal magazine ban in the works, I recommend that you stock up. The price will only go up. CDNN also has very good prices on Glock magazines (a dollar less than Midway, the last time I checked), and they are currently offering free “+2” baseplates with each magazine purchased. But if you don’t use baseplate extensions, I heard from SurvivalBlog reader Craig W. that the very best price on new factory-made Glock magazines is offered by “Sgt. B.”, over at the Glock Talk Forums. (His price is just $15.98 for most models!) I recommend that you be sure to specify the latest production Glock 21-SF 13 round magazines, since those will fit in both the new SF-series Glock 21s and in the older generation Glock 21s. (But not vice versa: The earlier-production M21 magazines will not fit in the new M21 SF-series pistols.)

For that dreaded multi-generational TEOTWAWKI scenario, buy plenty of ammo, spare parts, armorer’s tools, and a boat load of spare magazines. Even if you buy the most durable magazines available, they are still likely to get lost in combat. My general recommendation is to acquire 20 spare magazines for each rifle and 12 spares for each pistol. Buy even more, if you can afford them. The extras will make a great barter item. And with another magazine ban likely in the U.S. you can consider them an investment. (Glock magazines tripled in price during the 1994-to-2004 ban.)

Odds ‘n Sods:

Joe P. sent us a link to this news story (by way of The Drudge Report): Prices for key foods are rising sharply. Speaking of food price increases, I heard from the folks that run Best Prices Storable Foods (aka The Internet Grocer) that they will make significant price increases on the 23rd of August. If you have been thinking about ordering, place your order by August 21st to get the current pricing. It is noteworthy that storage food price hikes typically don’t occur until the end of each calendar year. This year, however, the wholesale foodstuffs costs and shipping costs increases accelerated beyond what the canneries could absorb. Their Mountain House freeze dried and Family Grain Mills prices will be going up on September 1st. Their canned butter, cheese, and meat will probably go up sometime in the Fall. OBTW, many of the same products are available from Freeze Dry Guy, JRH Enterprises, Mountain Brook Foods, PrepareTV, Ready Made Resources, Safecastle, and Nitro-Pak. I anticipate that these other SurvivalBlog advertisers will all be forced to make similar price increases, so order soon!

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Larry W. flagged this article: Stock market brushfire; will there be a run on the banks?

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From The Elliot Wave International: One Big Reason Why U.S. Dollar Is Still “King” Methinks this might be our last chance to latch on to any foreign imports at fairly reasonable prices. Inevitably the US Dollar will resume its decline against the Euro and most other currencies. For any readers that own foreign made guns, stock up now on magazines and spare parts.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure than they have it now, they may change their rulers and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty."- John Adams (1735-1826) Founding Father, 2nd US President June 21, 1776 Source: letter to Zabdiel Adams, 21 June 1776, (Reference: Our Sacred Honor, Bennett, p.371)

Note from JWR:

Today is the last day of the SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a brand new Big Berkey water filter, kindly donated by the fine folks at Ready Made Resources–one of our most loyal advertisers. The auction ends tonight at midnight, eastern time. The current high bid is at $330. Your bid includes postage. (It will be mailed to you at no extra charge.) Note that the current retail value of a Big Berkey is $335 plus postage, and prices are expected to rise further, with the ongoing decline of US Dollars versus Pounds Sterling. Just e-mail us your bid.

Letter Re: A New Lock Bumping Threat–Medeco M3s at Risk!

Jim:
If a minimum of one of the pins is cut for full length, then a bump key won’t open the lock. You can tell if your key has that one magic pin because the cut on the key will extend all the way to the bottom of the key. Bump keys work on many locks but definitely not all.
Medeco locks have a good reputation but they aren’t like a military armory padlock. But then again, good locks only keep honest people honest.
For survival, everyone should buy and learn to use a clicker [lock opening] gun (These cost approximately $50) as well as a good German surplus wire cutter. if you have to take shelter in an abandoned building, you can unlock the door, go in and re-lock the door. Keeps you a lot safer and makes it a lot more private. (Read “less noticeable”). [Comments on other topics deleted, for brevity.] Best regards to all. – The Army Aviator

Three Letters Re: Advice on Buying an FN 5-7 Pistol?

Jim:
Regarding the recent inquiry about the 5.7×28 weapons. Here at the Teutoborg forest we have amassed two of the pistols and two of the P90 rifles. There are serious issues about the rifles, pistols and the ammunition.
Ammunition. The Federal government, in their infinite wisdom, restricted the most effective ammunition. The [SS]190 armor piercing ammunition never made it (broadly) to the civilian marker. It is rumored to be able to defeat most military armor and helmets at distance. The stories vary from 300 yards to 600 yards. I find the 300 yard figure credible. There was also a tracer and a sub-sonic round produced, also, alas, restricted. The most potent velocity ammunition which was broadly distributed was the [SS]192 HP ammunition. Clocked on my chronograph at 2,100 [f.p.s.] in the rifle and 1,980 in the handgun. I immediately went out and filled three .50 [caliber size ammunition storage] cans with this stuff. Concomitant with my acquisition of 192 ammunition 195 and a lead free round started filling the shelves of my local gun emporium. This stuff is a polymer tipped ammunition, 35 grains, variously made in Belgium, Italy, and U.S.A. 1,650 or so for velocity. At the same time the 192 dried up. Hmmm. A call to FN USA revealed that the 192 was cancelled for “marketing reasons.” The less effective ammunition remains on the market. 192 penetrates both sides of a 2A vest. 196-96 penetrated 1 side of such vests.
If you get either rifle or pistol then take up reloading. Surf the Internet for 5.7×28 reloading data. There is a lot out there.
The pistol. Robust and mostly polymer, the pistol has many good features. Magazine capacity is 20 rounds, a 10 round extension is available after market. The weapon is lightweight. The safety is engages/disengaged by the index finger. It causes some adaptation by shooters new to the weapon. The fully adjustable sights are very high over the centerline of the bore. Possibly higher than any handgun in my experience. It is a devil to take down for maintenance. Tricky. It does suppress well and here at the forest we have a Gemtech can for one pistol
It is accurate and flat shooting with little recoil There is a rail for lights. We have lights on all our FN products.
The P-90 rifle.
Compact. I recall 27-28 inches. 16-1/2 inch barrel. Lightweight. It uses a 50 round magazine which snaps onto the top of the weapon. When ammunition is pressed into the magazine the previously-loaded round swivels perpendicular to the axis of the bore. The body of the magazine is smoke gray, thus one may ascertain remaining ammunition. There are two types of the P-90: one comes with a non-battery powered holographic sight (similar to a Trijicon) or a flat top requiring an Eotech or other sight to be mounted. Other rails are available after market. We have the factory sight on our P90s and each has a light. The safety is in the lower triggerguard and is ambidextrous. This weapon is a delight to shoot, easy to maintain and accurate. The perfect weapon in urban/close quarters situations. It is sold with a 30 round magazine. A brief experience with an Exacto saw by the intrepid owner makes it a 50 round.
The FN 2000 rifle.
Nearly equally compact as the P90, this weapon is in .223. One virtue is that it takes 30 round AR-15 magazines. Do not put in a 20 [round magazine] because if it locks in, it takes disassembly to free it. The safety is as on the P-90. Barrel length is around 17-1/2 inches. The flash hiders on the 2000 and the P-90 work well in low light/darkness. There is no factory sight that I am aware of. I mounted an Eotech 522 which is night vision compatible. One problem that we encountered is that we adjusted to the end of the sight’s travel at 100 yards and the weapon groups fine but is 4 inches high. Tennessee windage seems to resolve this. Disassembly is easy. All in all a compact weapon as is the P-90.
The greatest downside is price. List for the handgun is nearly $1,100 or more. The P-90 is nearly $1,950. The 2000 lists for $2,200. I considered all of these critical additions to the “collection”
I purchased a green stocked P-90 and later obtained a black stocked one for Mrs. Oscar. The day after I took home the black stocked one I hit a local gun show. Lo and behold there was a black stocked P-90. I like to play the rube at gun shows. It gets the gun show goons really into BS mode.
The yarn was astonishing when I asked about this interesting gun I paraphrase “Well y’know the black stocked ones are restricted/rare/only sold to dealers as a sample”, and so forth. He was merely asking $2,350. Rare, eh? I [had] paid $1,800.
By the by, the U.S. Secret Service carries short barreled P-90s in full auto for their protection units. The Mexican army issues to special units. The Chilean military used suppresses P-90s in their re-taking of an embassy years ago in their country.
Portability, capacity of ammunition, storability (squad cars, military vehicles, Buicks and pick up trucks) all virtues.
However, it is hard to defend the price. – Mr. Oscar

Dear Jim and Family,
Speaking from research I’ve read and memories of the Spec Ops deciding against the 5.7 as ineffective for US needs back in 2000, the 5.7 FN pistol is an interesting toy, but its mostly a toy.

The round attempts to get rifle velocities from a pistol, duplicating the results of the British 5.56 BOZ experiment. The main problem is its effectiveness is poor, the barrel is too short to get proper rifle velocities, and the projectile just doesn’t fragment like a proper 5.56 NATO would without getting full 2,500 fps velocity. If you want armor piercing, you’re much better off either using an AP round designed for a standard pistol, or manufacturing a special round yourself, which has its own expenses and dangers. Because high (rifle) velocities just aren’t reasonable in a concealed pistol, experiments with very small calibers have met with limited success. The problem is, punching a small hole in body armor does not necessarily lead to a “quick kill”, which matters a lot at 7 yards range, where most self defense shooting occurs. You must have enough velocity for explosive kinetic fragmentation of the projectile, which in the 5.56 is around 2,500 fps velocity. Once below that critical threshold it has a tendency to “zip through” with little damage, allowing the target to keep firing and suffer consequences later. At 100 meters this may be enough to save you, but at 7 yards, you probably just make him mad. Personally, I’d much rather have a 10mm than a 5.7.

Or you can stick to existing firearms and just choose your bullet carefully. That’s a lot less work. At present, Short Barreled Rifles are illegal in many states and the risks of possessing one without the proper license and paperwork could turn counterproductive. The 5.7 FN is legal, at least. Some states ban “armor piercing pistol ammunition”, some ban pistols that can shoot rifle ammunition, and the 100 year old 7.62 Tokarev CZ 52 pistol is capable of the same feat as the 5.7 FN, though it was discarded due to unreliable stopping power thanks to “blow through”. The same problem we’re having with 5.56’s in Iraq and Afghanistan.

When it comes to close range self defense, use your brain to avoid the confrontation in the first place, and aim for the head if you must defend yourself against an armored opponent. A 10mm or .40 S&W are a good compromise, and the .45 ACP is dandy, if you can take the recoil of 230 grain hardball. It makes me flinch so I stick to 9x19mm. To each their own, and work within your limits. Best,
– InyoKern

 

Mr. Rawles,
Regarding Toby in Oregon and the 5.7x28mm handgun. The SS190 (armor piercing) round is only available to Military and LE agencies. Unless he has a source for the AP ammo he can write off the benefits of this cartridge. The SS195LF (LF=lead free) SS196SR, SS197SR (SR= sporting round) are training and hunting rounds . SS195LF is a 28gr copper jacketed aluminum core, SS196SR is a 40gr V-max and SS197SR is a 40gr V-max at a higher muzzle velocity. SS196SR is now discontinued. SS195LF and SS197SR is around $750.00 per 2000 round case.

SB193 subsonic. Restricted
SS190 ball. Restricted
SS191 tracer. Restricted
SS192 ( formerly legal now restricted due to the Brady Bunch raising cain and FN caving in )
SS195 lead free training round. Not restricted
SS196 V-max Not restricted
SS197 V-max Not restricted
5.7×28 Blank Not restricted

I don’t know if this would apply to Buddy’s Board. The following quote is from BATFE web site:
(b) It shall be unlawful for any licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector to sell or deliver–
(5) any firearm or armor-piercing ammunition to any person unless the licensee notes in his records, required to be kept pursuant to section 923 of this chapter, the name, age, and place of residence of such person if the person is an individual, or the identity and principal and local places of business of such person if the person is a corporation or other business entity.
& sect; 923

All that being said, the ability to feed a pistol and a carbine from the same box is awful nice. The P90 carbine is very handy in a vehicle or around the homestead and with 50 round magazines you have a “Tacticool factor” of around 9.7. – Mark K.

JWR Replies: Regarding the Federal restriction on AP ammo, the key phrase is: “…any licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector …” I’m not an attorney, but my reading, any secondary sale and subsequent possession by private citizens would be unrestricted.

And regarding the Tacticool Scale, which here at the ranch is also known as the Airsoft Mall Ninja Scale. Don’t mistake looks for lethality. If looks could kill, there’d be dead bodies littering the streets.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Felix D. mentioned an interesting piece over at The Discerning Texan blog: The Coming Age of Urban Terror

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Our colleague Bill Bonner, co-editor of The Daily Reckoning notes that “Bank Owned” is the latest real estate brochure newspeak to describe foreclosed houses.

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Frequent contributor Michael Z. Williamson notes that there is a nifty new development that may revolutionize lubricants in the near future: Boric acid nanoparticles.