Letter Re: Solar Panel Shortage — Caused By Oil Price Shock

Hi Jim.
Just a quick one on [photovoltaic] solar panels. My brother and I had to put an order in for three 80 Watt Sharp brand panels that are usually just sitting on the shelf here at a major distributor. A container full arrives in two weeks but it’s already sold out! We have to wait a month. I did a little investigation with Google and found that the shortage is worldwide, is due to people, mostly Europeans, gearing up due to energy/oil cost. Silicon [photovoltaic panel] demand is beginning to outstrip supply and the foundries are running at maximum potential anyway. This appears to be a situation that could get a lot worse if demand continues to rise and it might be a good time for anyone thinking of buying to get in before the herd gets wind of it. Do a Google search on the phrase: “solar panel shortage.” Take care mate, – Frank



Letter Re: Six Versus Eight Plies for SUV and Light Truck Tires

Hello, I’ve been enjoying reading your blog for several weeks now and wanted to add a bit on truck tire ratings from the perspective of somebody who used to own a small tire shop in truck country (rural Alaska). The whole thing with rating a tire by the number of plies dates back to the days of bias ply tires when the tires actually were load rated according to the number of plies. That system has been obsolete for years with the advent of radial tires, which are not constructed the same way to achieve the same strength. The letter load ranges are usually equated with the old ply ratings by tire salesmen (i.e. “C” equals a “6” ply rating, etc.) in order to explain the load ratings in terms that their customers will be familiar with.
Nearly all radial tires have 4 plies in the tread area, and 2 plies in the sidewall, no matter what their load rating. The heavier duty tires will have thicker and stronger plies in the higher load ratings, although the number of plies will generally remain the same. A few tires specifically designed for off road use will have a 3rd sidewall ply for extra reinforcement against rock cuts; the two that I am aware of are the BF Goodrich Mud Terrain, and the Goodyear Wrangler MT-R. My brother and I run MT-Rs on our Jeeps and have no complaints about them.- Del R.



Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog reader R.H. recommended this site with product reviews on flashlights–both traditional and LED type.

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It is nice to see that gold have silver are bouncing back from their summer doldrums, with gold at over $650 per ounce and silver at around $12.10. I believe that this coming fall and winter may show some impressive gains in precious metals prices.

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Front Sight is currently running its own writing contest. The prize is a Front Sight lifetime membership! For any of you that who would like to put your thoughts about Front Sight, the Second Amendment and the Comfort of Skill at Arms into words, here is your chance to get yourself published and in the process you may win a lifetime membership at Front Sight.
The topic of your essay can be any of the following:
* What Front Sight Firearms Training Institute means to me…
* What the Comfort of Skill at Arms means to me…
* What the Second Amendment means to me…
* What a handgun means to me…
You can even combine these topics as you wish. Simply write your essay in e-mail format or in a Microsoft word file and attach it to an e-mail to: info@frontsight.com with the subject line: Dr. Piazza, here is my essay.
Naish Piazza will personally read every essay submitted. The best essays will be posted on Front Sight’s Blog and Naish will select the winner to receive a Lifetime Legacy Membership! If you are already a member you can upgrade your membership to the Legacy or receive the Legacy Membership to be assigned to the person of your choice.
The deadline to receive your essay is midnight, August 10, 2006. The winner will be announced on August 20.

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I just got the latest issue of Disaster Recovery Journal in the mail–their special Avian Flu issue. It seems that the Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity community has caught on to some of the bigger issues related to a pandemic–at least things like absenteeism, telecommuting, and crisis communication. For their spin on a possible flu pandemic as well as some useful links to the CDC and other sites, see: http://www.drj.com/special/avian





Note From JWR:

We just returned from a trip to Yosemite Valley to attend a family wedding and dinner at the Ahwahnee Hotel. I can’t think of a more beautiful place than Yosemite for a wedding. What a magnificent slice of God’s creation!

I’ve just received another 14 books from the same estate that I previously mentioned. All are survival, preparedness, and practical skills titles. I will also be selling an Original Swedish Contract Oberndorf Mauser Model 1894 carbine, made in 1895, chambered in 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser. (Antique, No FFL required!) See my catalog web page for details.



Three Letters Re: Six Versus Eight Plies for SUV and Light Truck Tires

Jim,
For the reader wanting 8 Ply tires, get a floatation light truck tire with D, (8 ply) E (10ply) or F (12 ply) load rating. Get a BF Goodrich All Terrain KO (that’s what I have on my 4WD Xterra) for all around 4WD use. For more rocks and mountains he may go to a BFG Mud Terrain. Mickey Thompsons for bigger budgets. But the BF Goodrich tires are great tires. Go to an off-road shop instead of Wal-Mart for the tires and talk to somebody knowledgeable. – Tim

Mr. Rawles:
The issue of course is better side walls, but it also addresses the load rating. MOST of the SERIOUS tires for trucks hauling loads, are 8 ply or 10 ply, but they are not common.

You generally have to ask for them, they will need to be ordered and ALL of this “information is hidden” in the load rating on the tire. The higher the load rating, the more plies.

My granddad taught me this years ago on the farm with 1 ton trucks… MOST passenger tires are not load rated as farm tires, as they want them to ride good, and they are not subjected to as much abuse as farm or off road tires.

Discount tires is a nationwide chain I buy all mine through, and they can get you 8 or 10 ply tires. But be warned they are stiff and ride bad. – Mel

 

 

Greetings Jim & Family,
I don’t know what all the hubbub is about 8-ply tires…my ’93 F-250 Long bed diesel runs 10-ply tires and was OEM. My tire dealer carries a fairly good number of these as well. Are they such an oddity? Thanks for all you do! – SP



Letter Re: Advice on M1 Garand 7th Round Jams?

Sir:
I’ve been experiencing a few “7th round jams” where after the 6th round is fired and the bolt is starting to go forward to pick up the 7th round out of the clip, the entire clip just jumps up part way (like it does after the 8th round) and the bolt stops against it. The only solution is to pull the bolt back, and push the clip and 2 remaining rounds back down and continue firing.

JWR Replies: The same thing happened to me with my DCM Garand. The offending part turned out to be the “follower arm” (the small piece connected to the mainspring) that pushes up the follower, which in turn pushes up the rounds in the clip. It was slightly bent or warped. My attempts to straighten it out were unsuccessful. Eventually, I got a replacement part from Gun Parts Corp for about $6.00 plus postage. The only other hang-ups that I’ve had with M1s were been due to inadequate lubrication. Always remember to grease the shallow half moon groove on the top of the hammer, the bottom of the bolt, the bolt roller, and the top hump at the rear of the bolt. Also, lightly lubricate every other moving part (preferably with Break Free.) See the U.S. Army M1 Garand field manual for details.



Two Letters Re: Preparedness Course Errata: Vitamin B Versus Vitamin D

Jim:
Just wanted to give you a little clarification on vitamins and livers. It’s not Vitamin D that has the problem with overdosing by eating livers. It’s Vitamin A, which builds up primarily in polar animal livers (not just Polar Bears- there was even a case of people overdosing from eating their sled dogs) because animals in polar regions tend to eat a lot of high fat fish.
Most bear livers won’t be a problem. I imagine that if you get a black/brown bear liver at the end of the Salmon run, and eat a lot of the liver that you might have a problem with it, but generally bear liver is safe. It’s actually not easy to overdose on Vitamin D from eating. I hope that clears things up. – Marty

 

Jim,
I read your blog today, especially the correction about polar bear livers. First of all, congrats for making the correction. The fat soluble vitamins are ‘KADE’.
And I was a bit confused at first. I recalled in US Air Force survival training that polar bear livers contained too much Vitamin A.
So, I did a little research. A general web search (Google) shows references to both A and D being the culprits. In researching the medical literature I found (but did not read) a very old article referencing Vitamin A: Toxicon. 1967 Jul;5(1):61-2. Vitamin A content of polar bear liver. Russell FE. PMID: 6036254 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
And this: As a carnivore feeding largely upon fish-eating carnivores, the Polar Bear ingests large amounts of Vitamin A, which is stored in its liver; in the past, humans have been poisoned by eating polar bear liver.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_bear Not exactly a very reliable source…
And finally, Air Force Regulation 65-5 (Survival, Training Edition) dated 15 July 1985, para 18-8 (a) (page 247) states:
” All animals in the arctic regions are edible, but the livers of seals and polar bears must not be eaten because of the high levels of vitamin A. Death could result from ingesting the liver.”
So, I’ll go with Vitamin A as the guilty culprit. Of course, I don’t understand why people eat any kind of liver….so it’s purely an intellectual question to me.
Keep up the good work, and the great blog. – Flighter



Odds ‘n Sods:

Richard Celata (of KT Ordnance and Promised Land Products) recommends: The recent commentary by Franklin Sanders (audio, 45 minutes) titled “Real Versus Fake Money,”

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SurvivalBlog reader S.H. recommends a site with a neat set of photos of Swiss mountain bunkers. He notes: “Many are very clever in their design elements. roofed and painted to look like log homes or even stands of trees. Some great ideas here for the serious retreat.

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U.S. heat wave continues

 

  



Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“You can go out and eat ’em, that’s for sure
But there’s nothin’ a home grown tomato won’t cure
You can put ’em in a salad, put ’em in a stew
You can make your own, very own tomato juice
You can eat ’em with eggs, you can eat ’em with gravy
You can eat ’em with beans, pinto or navy
Put em on the side, put em on the middle
Home grown tomatoes on a hot cake griddle.

Home grown tomatoes, home grown tomatoes
What’d life be without home grown tomatoes
There’s only two things that money can’t buy
That’s true love and home grown tomatoes.”

– Excerpt from the lyrics to the song Home Grown Tomatoes, by Guy Clark



Note From JWR:

The high bidder in the latest SurvivalBlog benefit auction was David T. in Texas. He has won a RWVA Super Shooter’s package, including range time, shooting classes, and two shooting jackets. Our special thanks to the RWVA and Fred’s M14 Stocks for sponsoring this fund raiser! OBTW, speaking of the RWVA, they have a Rifle Instructor’s Camp coming up at the end of August in Ramseur, North Carolina–a great opportunity for you to learn how to teach others how to shoot like a pro, including your own family members.

A new benefit auction begins today. This one is for a copy of “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, kindly donated by Arbogast Publishing. The course has a retail price of $149. Please submit your bids via e-mail. This auction ends on September 15th

 

And the winner is…

The first place winner for Round 5 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest is Peter Hardt, for his article “How to Build an Inertial Well Slow Pump for Grid Down Emergencies”, which was posted yesterday. (Yes, I was saving the best for last!) P.H. will receive a transferable “gray” (first timer’s) Four Day Course Certificate. (Worth up to $1,600.)

The second place winner is Norman Church, for his Peak Oil article titled “Thinking The Unthinkable.” This article was posted on Friday, July 21st. Mr. Church wins a free copy of the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course.

Round 6 of the SurvivalBlog writing contest begins today and runs through the end of September.



Two Letters Re: M1911 Pistol Modifications

Mr. Rawles,
I read your post about the rattler and the changes you made to the Colt .45. I’m glad things worked out well and you obviously have a nice touch with your work. I worked for a gunsmith for 5 years and would recommend to your readers that they make one modification at a time, then check for function and reliability. It just saves time if something – this way just one thing – doesn’t function properly. It takes more test ammo, but there is no substitute for reliability.- C.G. in North Carolina

Dear Jim,
First let me say that I really enjoy reading your blog and I have given my copy of “Patriots” to everyone I know and it has really opened a lot of eyes. I am eagerly awaiting the expanded edition. I have also purchased your survival course for my parents and the rest of my family.

My main reason for emailing you was that on July 27, 2006, on your blog you stated that you were upgrading your 1911s. There were some things that I took issue with, particularly the extended slide release. I have personally found and I think you may already know, that the extended slide release can lock the slide back prematurely for several reasons but mainly due to the shooters grip under recoil. I like the idea of being able to manipulate all the controls on my 1911 with one hand, but for me and several other members of my family it just isn’t a reliable modification. I also had some questions about your target triggers. I have had instances of triggers with adjustable over travel stops working loose and becoming a problem, that may be something you want to keep in mind. Hilton Yam just cam out with a tactical trigger that has a fixed over travel stop that I have on my pistol. Again you probably already have quite a bit of experience in this area but I thought I would add my $.02.

Right know I am building up my own 1911. Here is how my gun specs out.

Springfield Armory Slide and Frame (1980s vintage)
BarSto Barrel
National Match bushing loose enough to field strip easily and be reliable
Standard recoil guide
Wolfe springs
Front slide serrations
Dawson Lightspeed Rail
Hilton Yam 10-8 trigger w/ fixed over travel stop
Cylinder and Slide 24/7/365 tactical trigger (some of the best trigger parts on the market)
Kings ambidextrous safety
Ed Brown Beaver tail with pad
Novak night sights with front sight vial installed after zeroing pistol at 25 yards
Flat mainspring housing with lanyard loop.
Beveled mag well, no feed chute
Pachmayr Grips but I am thinking of changing them
Pistol is completely dehorned and tuned for maximum reliability with ball ammo
Wilson 7 round mags (I have not had good luck with the 8 rounders)

I highly recommend the Dawson Rail. It can be added to any existing 1911 and the Marines have it installed on their ICQB pistols. It does not alter the balance of the pistol if no light is attached and it doesn’t affect the ability of he pistol to fit in most standard 1911 holsters. Safariland make a 6004 specifically for 1911’s equipped with the Dawson rail and several surefire lights. The Marines use the Military light with system kill switch and the dev group tape switch. I personally use a Nitrolon light with system kill and dev group tape switch. Just in case you are not familiar with ordering a Surefire Pistol light the “on/off switch can be ordered as a constant on (mostly used by cops) or system kill (mostly military to prevent accidental “white light discharges”). For daily carry I do not have the light attached as I have a regular Surefire that I carry, so I use a regular holster with no problems. I do however have the Safariland with my web gear and armor near the bed. I attach the light every night before I go to bed so I can just gear up and be ready to respond.

Thanks for letting me provide my input and for providing a great service to the community. – Dustin in Arizona

JWR Replies: Thanks for your comments. In reference to over travel screws: I recommend using Green LocTite on these screws. I’ve never had one come loose that was secured by LocTite, after thousands of rounds fired. But I will definitely look into the Hilton Yam trigger. Thanks for making that recommendation.

Regarding extended slide releases: I consider them essential for anyone that needs to shift their hand in order to press a standard slide release. (About 95% of shooters.) God has blessed you if you a have a thumb long enough to hit a standard slide release without shifting your grip.

Proper training can assure that both of the thumbs are resting side by side (looking like a “Baby’s bottom” when seen from behind) and in the “up-left” position except for when manipulating the safety, magazine release, or slide release. Proper grip and thumb position will prevent any mis-manipulation of any of the controls. Perfect practice make perfect.

FWIW, I consider extended or “speed’ safety levers more of a hazard, since in my experience a wider-than-usual and/or a longer-than-usual safety is more likely to receive inadvertent contact with the side of the thumb during firing than is a longer slide release.

As for magazines, I have never had any problem whatsoever with original Colt factory 8 round magazines. These are actually made for Colt under subcontract, by a company called Metalform, using Shooting Star brand followers. (OBTW, Metalform also sells identical magazines directly, sans the prancing pony, for less money.) The majority of 1911 reliability problems can be traced to magazines. So my advice is to pay a bit more and buy the best. Reserve your after-market magazines for your barter box, or better yet for your range days when you want to practice immediate action drills–since cheapo aftermarket magazines will give you plenty of chances to clear jams! Because magazines are the most fragile part of an autopistol and prone to loss, I consider 6 spare magazines a bare minimum. Getting eight to 12 spares is more like it, especially if you look at life in terms of providing for your kids and grandkids.

 



Letter Re: Push or Pull Carts For All-Terrain Hauling

James:
Regarding Redmist’s suggestion to use closed-cell polyurethane foam tires, those tires add a bit of weight, and often you are trying to keep the weight down on the load, Slime® sealant is cheap light weight insurance inside your tires, just ask any hardcore ATV rider and they will tell you so.

I happen to be in the process of making a hand cart for hauling waterfowl decoys into fields where taking a truck is not allowed, a axle, hubs, wheels and tires from a completely trashed ATV, two pillow block bearings and some serious thought and welding and I’ll be in business for the next season. – Some Call Me Tim



Preparedness Course Errata: Vitamin B Versus Vitamin D

My apologies for not catching an error in the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. On page 14, there were references to Vitamin B being fat soluble. Either I mis-spoke, or the transcriber misheard me. Either way, my apologies! To clarify: Vitamin B and Vitamin C are water soluble, so they cannot be over-dosed. The human body just sheds what is not needed, through urination. In contrast, Vitamins A,D, E, and K are fat soluble. The greatest risk of overdosing is with Vitamin D-3. Vitamin D over-dosing happens most often with over-anxious young mothers that mistakenly assume that if one daily dose of liquid vitamins for their toddler is good, then three or four doses is even better. Another risk is to bear hunters: Bear livers have such concentrated Vitamin D, that eating an entire bear liver can be lethal! Never eat more that a 1/2-inch cube of bear liver per week.

For those of you that already own a copy of the course, please pen in the correction. The error will be corrected in future printings.

 



Odds ‘n Sods:

In a recent e-mail, SurvivalBlog reader SF in Hawaii mentioned an inexpensive and portable intrusion detection system: Get a few Radio Shack ‘Portable Motion Detector Alarm/Chime‘ devices. (Catalog #49-426.) He noted: “You can place them at key entryways to your retreat. They weigh less than a pound each, can fit in your hand,.run off a 9 volt battery, and emit a very loud alarm sound.”

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Michael in England recommends this site regarding nutritional supplements and aging.

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SurvivalBlog reader “Bonehead” recommended this site in Australia for the off-road vehicle construction plans. Bonehead notes: “I saw these guys buggies in some of the most wretched places, merrily buzzing along, whilst large, heavier (read: uses much more fuel) rigs were busy getting themselves completely stuck. BTW, I’m building a Bandit–well, my version of it; that’s the great thing about DIY, you do it your way!”