Note from JWR:

The high bid is now at $150 in the current SurvivalBlog benefit auction for a brand new Schecter “Warthog” Electric Guitar. This is an awesome guitar decorated in a military aviation theme, from Schecter’s Tempest series. It has a $729 retail value. Please tell any of your friends that are guitarists about this auction. The auction ends March 15th. Just e-mail me your bid. Thanks!

Letter Re: Propane Shortage and Rationing in the Frigid U.S. Northeast

Mr. Rawles,
I have enjoyed your site for years. I was compelled to write when I saw a situation in Maine this week that ties the two current threads on your site together (Just in time delivery and propane as a fuel source). In the State of Maine we have had a stark reminder of the inelasticity of the energy (propane) supply chain. As a result of a Canadian railroad union strike and weather that impacted the the normal shipping schedule, we have had a mini propane crisis requiring the governor to get involved, have the US Coast Guard to expedite the flow of tankers into Portsmouth New Hampshire and dealers to ration deliveries. This is significant because these adverse effects began occurring six days after the strike by railroad workers in Canada began. It is not hard to imagine several non-SHTF different scenarios where the propane would simply run out.

It isn’t a direct problem in our household, but as we have seen in other places, a problem for some people can quickly become a problem for all the people (at least the unprepared ones).

Here is a link to the article in The Bangor Daily News: Rationing eases lack of propane Please keep up the good work. I visit your site every day. – LL in the Northeast

Letter Re: A SurvivalBlog Reader’s Four Days at Front Sight, by S.F. in Hawaii

Mr. Rawles,
I took the two day defensive handgun course [at Front Sight] 2-1/2 years ago, and I agree on the value of the experience. Prior to that class, my pistol range time was just punching paper. Now its presentation, safety rules review, malfunction clearing, etc. I had never considered malfunction clearing! In all my reading of the gun magazines, I had never come across the topic. Maybe it’s not sexy enough to sell magazines.

I also appreciate your review of [the television series] “Jericho.” I had the same impression, though your experienced eye caught more. I guess if they showed the reality of it, it wouldn’t have made it past five episodes. – Brian

Letter Re: An Opinion on .223 Remington/5.56mm NATO

Dear Mr. Rawles:
I know you’re busy and I don’t expect you have time to chat about old ground but I did have some observations on guns that you might consider.
While the AR-15 in .223 cal. is not a bear killer nor a long-range sniper weapon, it seems to have been completely dismissed in “Patriots” (which I greatly enjoyed and profited from) and in the writings on the Blog. However, there are two cartridges that make this little gun lethal: the [55 grain] M193 Round/Q3131 Round and the 68 gr. Black Hills Match Hollow Point. The M193/Q3131 round has a bullet that upsets and fragments drastically on fibrous targets and delivers all of its hydrostatic shock to that target. All that is required is a velocity that is easily sustained by my Bushmaster 16″ barreled rifle out to 140 yards. After that, it is more of the conventional ice pick. The Black Hills HP round is on the FBI’s lethality list of the top 5 or 6 killer .223 rounds. The range requirements for its expansion and lethality may be greater than that of the M193 since it relies on expansion rather than fragmentation.
While I have and love my .308s, the .223 Bushmaster 16″ barreled rifle has some real advantages in weight, maneuverability and firepower and I feel should not be discounted unless one lives on the prairie. In wooded or urban areas, the little rifles offer excellent mid-range accuracy, lethality (with the proper bullet) and can be tricked up with a scope and 100 round [Beta] C-MAG to make it decidedly unhealthy downrange.
The M193 [ammunition] is not currently in issue in Iraq, I believe, but was an early round for the M16. The later, current .223 cartridges do not give the same lethality and were adopted for reasons other than maximization of lethality. Even later, longer, heavier bullets in .223 are used for sniping, etc., but none in issue currently can compare in lethality to the M193 and the hollow points offered on the market today.
As you have time, you can review the data on AR15.com which supports my comments.
One other cartridge that I feel has been overlooked is the 7.62 x 54 Russian rimmed round. Dirt cheap and sold by the sealed can, this round is the equal to the .30/06 military and is perfectly paired with the Finnish M39 bolt action rifle that sells, like new, for about $300. The Finns converted the Mosin Nagant and made an excellent little military rifle complete with top quality barrels.
Thanks for your good work, Best Regards, – Stephen D.

JWR Replies: I don’t consider the 100 round Beta C-MAGs very practical. In my experience they are heavy, cumbersome, and quite noisy. (When loaded, they rattle when you walk, as the cartridges slide forward and back. That is a tactical no-no.) They might have some utility for fixed-site defense, but if you are manning a fixed site retreat, then you probably should be using a rifle chambered in something more powerful than a .223. I consider an AR-15 equipped with a Beta magazine as the ultimate defense weapon for a retreat under attack by a human wave of palsied, midget, and/or wheelchair-bound looters.

I must politely disagree with you regarding .223/5.56. Granted, the 55 grain .223 can have some spectacular “tumbling” wound effects, but not consistently so. As often than not, especially when a bullet does not strike bone, it can have the “ice pick” effect. In essence, .223 puts Bad Guys in hospitals, but .308 puts Bad Guys in graves. If I ever hear shooting nearby and have my choice of grabbing either an AR-15 or FAL, then I’ll grab the FAL. Yes, a .223 platform does have some advantages, particularly as a weapon for a shooter that weighs under 100 pounds. It is also ideal to carry for LRRPs or long distance E&E. (In a survivalist context: walking several hundred miles to a retreat, as a few of the characters did in my novel “Patriots” .)

I greatly appreciate your mention of the 7.62 x 54R Russian cartridge. It is one of the most overlooked and bargain basement options available in the current market. Both the ammo itself and the Mosin-Nagant rifles that shoot it are quite reasonably priced. Ballistically, this cartridge is roughly comparable to .30-06. It is noteworthy that this is the same cartridge that is used in the Russian Dragunov sniper rifles, so it is obviously capable of great long range accuracy. The other nice plus is that it is fairly easy to find a Federally exempt pre-1899 production Mosin Nagant. Like you, my favorite rifles in this category are the M39s. In particular, I prefer the antique Russian Mosin receivers that were re-arsenalized into Model 1939s for the Finnish army. (Mosinnagant.net has a great web page with some details on this model.) These are very sturdy, reliable shooters that can be bought across state lines with no stinkin’ FFL paperwork! (BTW, I describe how to distinguish the year of manufacture of these receivers in my FAQ on pre-1899 guns.) To do so, you need to disassemble the rifle and examine its receiver tang markings.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Two different readers mentioned this short essay by Peter Schiff on U.S. indebtedness and the encroaching foreign ownership of U.S. corporations: Selling Our Cows To Buy Milk

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“J Eagle” mentioned that MSN Money has a current article listing property tax rates by state. This is an important data point to consider when choosing a state for a retreat or for retirement.

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Our correspondent in Brazil recommends the survival novel “Wolf and Iron” by Gordon Dickson. Used copies are often available dirt cheap on Amazon.com.

Note from JWR:

One of our family’s favorite activities when we take trips into town is counting eagles. It isn’t unusual for us to see as many as six Bald Eagles on each drive to town–usually for church and home school meetings. And right here at the Rawles Ranch, we regularly see two or three Bald Eagles a day, cruising down The Unnamed River. When I’m out doing chores and I see one flying over, I take off my hat and reflect for a moment. I guess I’m just overly patriotic. I do thank God for all our blessings. And living in a place like this is one of them.

Letter Re: Save Your Wine-in-a-Box Mylar Inserts

Dear Jim,

For the ‘Survival Minded/Preparedness Bent’ all the things we use daily should be reconsidered for alternative uses. For my part, I drink wine, the good stuff mind you. It comes in a box! Interesting thing about it is that each box that is consumed leaves behind another useful tool for any ‘rainy day’ event.

The bladder in the box that holds the wine is about 15″x15″. It is quite durable and contains a very efficient valve. The valve is self sealing and easily removed from the bladder itself. When the wine is gone, I remove the [box insert mylar] bladder from the box and the valve from the bladder. The bladder and valves are rinsed out with hot water and then an adequate amount of Clorox is poured into the bladder which is then topped off with water and the valve replaced. After an appropriate amount of time has passed, the valve is removed and the bladder rinsed. Ultimately, the bladder is allowed to dry in the sun (it takes a while).

The uses for the bladder are numerous:

1) The dried out bladder will collapse to fist size with the valve attached, i.e. easily transportable in a day pack.

2) The bladder will hold a considerable quantity of liquid that is easily dispensed and stored.

3) The bladder will easily double as a camping pillow.

4) Or as a flotation device to ‘swim’ a heavy pack across a deep stream; or as a flotation bag for person or property.

5) If one thought about it ahead of time, the bladder could be filled with a predetermined amount of Clorox (bleach) and then filled with pond/stream water as needed, allowed to sit, and there you go, potable water.

The gist is this: common household post-consumer waste is or can be a treasure trove if we as individuals ‘think out of the box’ and apply our minds to the potential future needs and uses ahead! – MQB, Somewhere South of Kentucky & North of Alabama

Letter Re: The Jericho Television Series Returns With New Episodes

Dear Jim:
Clearly the CBS TV show Jericho is limited by confines of being an early prime time network show (nothing graphic like on HBO), a for-profit venture (thus requiring advertisers who willing to buy time and be associated with the show), budgetary constraints of a filming a new show, and of course the politically correct pressures of Hollywood. This is very much the antithesis of the 1983 “The Day After” which was conceptualized, financed and produced by ABC, specifically by the Motion Picture Department President http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_After who was impressed with the anti-nuclear power movie “The China Syndrome”, and obviously sent out to make this an issue oriented movie (or agenda oriented) without concern as to profit, IMHO. I seem to recall that during the original airing of “The Day After” there were no commercials (I was in high school at the time). It should be noted that “The Day After” did have a profound impact. As for myself, it steeled my resolve to learn more about survivalism (probably the opposite of the intent of the producer). It should be also noted (citing the Wikipedia link above again) that when President Reagan signed the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the director [of The Day After] got a telegram from the Reagan administration that said, ‘Don’t think your movie didn’t have any part of this, because it did.” That is pretty powerful. Some also refer the movie “Red Dawn” this way, as having had an actual impact on the cold war, by serving to convince Russia that an invasion of the US simply would never hold against resistance (I should note that movie made Mexico an invading enemy of the US, remember?).

Taking into account how a program can create images and impressions, to allies and enemies both, this is the basis of my real issues with Jericho. Although the “mythology” of the plot, as the producers refer to it, is still largely unknown (probably also best laid out in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jericho_tv) it clearly involves a coordinated nuclear strike to about a dozen US cities (the show is deliberately unclear – adding to the sense of drama of Jericho being cut off) which appears to be terrorist in nature, with the inference that in NY people were apprehended in a truck with a bomb before it went off, but this remains uncertain. These strikes are not military, they are at population centers. I therefore note, with the apparent exception of Washington DC, US military bases and installations, as well as non-DC Federal facilities, State, County, and local governments remain intact – just faced with the [power] grid down, transportation down, and fallout problems. I am not saying that isn’t massive, but to some extent, I think some American resilience is not being credited here, especially with the rest of the World apparently intact.

Although I think this show has been great in waking people up to the new reality that there could very well be a very limited nuclear exchange (such as being terrorist based), I was disappointed and alarmed as to where the show left off most recently “8 weeks” after the bombs went off. I think that many of the accusations about the show painting too rosy a picture are true. Jericho is shown to have at least one water tower, and be a city (has a mayor) of some 5,000 people. It is important to note, that once the power went out, even with rationing, that water tower is probably going to run dry within a week. This leaves serious problems as to water, sanitation, and hygiene for so many people. Would it really take until a Chinese generator was air dropped before they got any sort of power going again? The constraints of time and show only allow little blips of the factual realities, and in between all the interpersonal drama which holds most of the audience I’m sure. Still, the lasting impression is one that a small rural town would be helpless, when in fact, I think, such as place would be the least helpless. The pathetic defensive force that Jericho mustered is a good example of this. I find this to be the product of writers who have never spent any time in a Midwestern rural town, nor hunted, nor ever owned a gun. Having lived in a Wisconsin town of less than 1,500, I can assure you that long before 8 weeks past the bombs, a militia group, run through the volunteer fire dept and Village Hall most likely, would have had the town secured defensively. I can think of a single deer hunting group that was 17 guys, and they were highly organized, with radios for their hunting drives, and would have easily convinced the Ravenwood Group in Jericho that the fight was not worth it. Also, in the pilot episode, we saw a gun store in town. At the beginning of episode 2, people were openly carrying shotguns in front of City Hall. Did the writers get flack about that and back off?

Another issue that remains open is the ICBM launch in the evening which preceded the EMP attack. We don’t know yet who those missiles were targeted against, and I am somewhat worried about where they are going with this. This was a moment of great excitement for me, because I thought it was payback, that this show was going to show that a nuclear attack on the US would have a nuclear response. The post-911 world makes this more difficult, because such an attack may be not officially carried out by a government you can just target in retaliation. It is too early to really comment intelligently on this in the saga, but to be honest it very much worries me. Because the image Hollywood creates does matter, this is dangerous place alternate reality PC logic stuff. Freedom of speech, yeah I know, but you can’t yell “Fire” in a cinema, right? How about CNN covering the riots in LA after the police trials with Rodney King, reporting there were no cops on the scene. How about them showing part of the video over and over, the beating, without framing the context that he was high on drugs and had attacked the police. Is that merely reporting the news, or is that creating news by spin doctoring and fanning the fires, which bring up the issue of intent. That would have made an interesting lawsuit, if someone had the guts to bring it, rights vs. responsibility.

Overall I’m all for Jericho. It is a great show to watch and debate. So much drama between all the characters. Great cast of actors, and also of different age groups. Something for everyone! Tune in if you have not, and give it a chance. The Hawkins character is really cool, the closest thing to being a survivalist, even though he’s some sort of secret government agent or something. My only worry is that this show does more damage than good with some sort of backwards to reality politically correct “mythology”. Let’s face it, there are a limited number of people who can and would nuke US cities and kill innocent civilians as portrayed. I hope the writers/producers are willing to be realistic about that or they may do more harm than good, the good being to encourage people to prepare, the harm being to encourage evil enemies of the US that such damage could be done, and with minimum reprisal. – Rourke (Moderator of the Jericho Discussion Group)

Letter Re: The Salt Lake City Trolley Square Mall Shootings and “Gun Free” Zones

James,
I’m a concealed carry handgun instructor for the state of Kansas. I haven’t come across any articles or news reports that made mention of whether or not the shopping mall had posted “no concealed carry” signs. Have you heard anything? I would like to know as I can use this incident in my classes. – Rick

JWR Replies: According to several published new stories, including this one, there were indeed signs at some of the Trolley Square Mall’s entrances emblazoned, “No Guns.” So we can surmise that ostensibly “gun free zones” such as public schools, public buildings and shopping malls with “No Guns” signs are not safe places for the citizenry. Clearly, mass murderers prefer them, because they assume that they will only face unarmed victims.

Odds ‘n Sods:

S.F. in Hawaii found a web page about a very interesting “castle” monolithic dome home. S.F.’s comments: “Nice view from the roof. And the little holes for a rifle?. Good commanding view and a bulletproof/fireproof concrete home, to boot “

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Thanks to Ben L. for sending this news story: More from inflation-ravaged Zimbabwe: Mugabe Throws Lavish Birthday Party as Zimbabwe’s Infrastructure Crumbles. My comment: Clearly, times were much better back when the city now dubbed “Gweru” was called “Gwelo.” Remember Rhodesia!

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Homeland Security analyst Stephen Flynn: U.S. not prepared for the next ‘big one’

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The way to have good and safe government, is not to trust it all to one, but to divide it among the many, distributing to every one exactly the functions he is competent to. Let the national government be entrusted with the defense of the nation, and its foreign and federal relations; the State government with the civil rights, law, police, and administration of what concerns the State generally; the counties with the local concerns of the counties, and each ward direct the interests within itself. It is by dividing and subdividing these republics from the great national one down through all its subordinations, until it ends in the administration of every man’s farm by himself; by placing under every one what his own eye may superintend, that all will be done for the best. What has destroyed liberty and the rights of man in every government which has ever existed under the sun? The generalizing and concentrating all cares and powers into one body. ” – Thomas Jefferson, Works, 6:543; P.P.N.S., p. 125

Note from JWR:

Today we present another article submitted for Round 9 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $1,600.) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. I will again be sending out a few complimentary copies of my novel “Patriots” as “honorable mention” awards. If you want a chance to win the contest, start writing and e-mail us your article. Round 9 will end on March 31st. Remember that the articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.

Advantages of Owning a Small Sawmill for Homestead and Retreat Building, by Tennessee Hillbilly

There are many ways to be prepared for whatever the future may hold and no feasible way to be prepared for every scenario. While “Beans, Bullets and Band-Aids” should be given the top priority, there are many situations where a small band saw mill fits the bill.
In the current situation, it’s a cheap source of lumber for building projects. On a homestead/retreat there is always a need for lumber. Having selected a remote area for security reasons, by default, places an individual a long way from any supplies, but usually an abundance of trees are available. There have been many times when I needed just a few boards to complete a project. It’s simple to place a log on the mill and saw the boards to the dimension needed. It saves a 40 mile round trip to the lumber yard. It’s free and best of all the tax man hasn’t yet figured a way to tax it! The mills are relatively simple and inexpensive to operate. Even my wife enjoys running the saw. Of course, it becomes my job to load and turn the logs and pull and stack the lumber and slabs when she operates the mill. Once people find out you have a mill, it seems like they all have three or four logs just lying around that they are glad to give you if you will just haul them off. Just keeping my eyes open around these 200 acres provides all the logs I need from diseased or storm damaged trees. These are trees that would otherwise decay in the woods. Everywhere I go, I see trees that need to be salvaged that would make good lumber. One day I will run completely off the road while looking at a load of logs on a passing truck. At our house, this is referred to as “Log Envy”

People will often barter with you to saw their logs. Usually this is in the form of you, the mill owner and operator, taking a portion of the lumber from the logs they bring to you. This amount ranges up to 50 percent. Be sure to report the fair value of this lumber on your income taxes. It seems as though most people appreciate getting anything free and will gladly leave some of the lumber with you in exchange for turning their log, that otherwise would most likely have rotted, into something they can use. In the future this ability to barter could really save the day.

The mill has saved more than enough to pay its own way and continues to be used regularly. The cost delivered, was abut $8,000. I set it up as a stationary mill and built a shed over it. (There is no bought lumber in that shed!) I recently sawed 6,000 board feet of pine on less than 10 gallons of gasoline. Certainly at some time in the future, gasoline could become hard to obtain, but most likely a few gallons would be available, even though the cost may go up significantly. Even if fuel cost $20 a gallon, the fuel cost for an 8 foot 2×4 would only be $0.20. I typically have enough stabilized fuel stored to saw many tens of thousands of board feet of lumber. Logs could be harvested and with a little manpower maneuvered to the mill by hand if it had to be done. A wheeled carriage could be constructed to make this fairly simple. However, a tractor with pallet forks on the front of the loader makes the job much easier and uses a surprisingly small amount of fuel. Certainly a horse or other draft animal would be a worthwhile addition in a fuel shortage. Another advantage now, but especially during a fuel shortage, is the ever abundant supply of slabs that make excellent firewood.

The set up I have has the ability to saw logs up to 24 feet in length and a diameter larger than I care to handle. There are considerably more board feet of lumber in a large diameter log, but small logs are much easier and safer to handle. Many types of log scales are available to measure to small end of a log and provide some prediction of the number of board feet of lumber in the log. They typically look like a complicated yard stick, but anyone can learn to use one in a matter of minutes. A board foot is a measure of lumber that contains 144 cubic inches of wood. That would be 12 inches square and one inch thick. A 1 X 4 three feet long would be one board foot. A typical band mill will often saw 50 to 75% more than scale while sawing small logs due to the thin blade as compared to a commercial mill. I have regularly sawn 500 board feet in a day in addition to the regular chores that are required to be done around the farm.

The bands (blades) do become dull and sometimes break. Currently they can be replaced for about $20 or sharpened for about $7. If I’m careful to clean the dirt off the logs and don’t hit an ingrown object (nail, fence staple, etc.), up to a thousand board feet can be sawed with one blade. I typically keep 30 blades on hand. In a push, they could be sharpened by hand, but I have no intention of doing this when I can get it done right for $7. I’m sure that in a crunch I could find several uses for the blades as they are dulled. Although I haven’t tried it, I see no reason why a slow but workably bow saw could not be made from them. It would only cut when being pushed instead of cutting both directions.

Green (freshly sawn) lumber cannot be used in many projects without proper drying, most often in a kiln. The lumber will shrink and cause many problems in furniture and indoor woodwork. There are ways around this for the woodworkers, but that is beyond the scope of this article. However there are many applications where a little shrinkage, warping or bowing doesn’t cause any real problem. Barns, hay sheds, equipment sheds, an outhouse when the water stops magically filling the white porcelain bowl, deer blinds for the present time which can do double duty as listening/observation post when things become less secure, work shops and many other projects. Many houses were built in rural areas years ago with green lumber. They usually are not particularly level or square, but they are still standing and serviceable long after those who built them are gone.

In a situation where the economy has broken down, there are definite advantages. Lumber yards, if they still exist, would have very limited supplies for very exorbitant prices. In any kind of grid failure or fuel and transportation crunch, the big commercial mills would shut down. Some lumber could be scavenged from abandoned houses and buildings. But I doubt people would take kindly to others helping themselves to their structures even if they were not using them. Most modern construction makes use of a considerable amount of paneled products such as sheet rock, oriented strand board and plywood that is very difficult to disassemble and maintain the integrity of the products. Having a few thousand feet of "stickered" lumber in the dry could be like money in your pocket at a very critical time. The investment required to store this lumber is very small. With a few select people joining us at the retreat in a bad situation, we can accommodate them in our house for a time. If the situation drags on for a long period of time, we have the capacity to construct semi-permanent or permanent dwellings at different strategic locations around the farm at very little to no cost.

A sawmill opens many opportunities in an uncertain future. When it’s all said and done, an opportunity is all we can really expect out of life.