Jim’s Quote of the Day

“By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled;
Here once the embattled farmers stood;
And fired the shot heard round the world.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Notes from JWR:

The mass media is abuzz about the massacre at Virginia Tech, where Cho Seung-Hui, a foreign student used a pair of handguns (9mm and .22 rimfire) to kill 32 unarmed people. The mainstream media pundits are pointing fingers at the college administration that failed to raise an alarm after Cho killed his first two victims, and fled. Two hours later, he killed 30 more students, and then himself. But the issue that the media is failing to ask is: Why were all of his victims unarmed? The answer: Because it was against school policy to have guns on campus, and to be caught with a gun was grounds for expulsion. Blogger Lester Hunt notes: “…in 2005 there was a bill in Virginia that would have allowed students with concealed-carry permits to bring their guns on campus, but it died in committee. (Hat-tip to David Beito here.) The victims of this atrocity had been deliberately disarmed by their own government. Adding horribly to the irony of this is the fact that one Larry Hinker, a Virginia Tech spokesperson, praised the death of this bill: ‘I’m sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly’s actions,’ Hinker said on Jan. 31, 2006, ‘because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus.'”

We have seen these massacres played out over and over (and revisited umpteen times on CNN.) One underlying theme is apparent: Mass murderers prefer to do their work in places where they know that they will be facing unarmed victims. Will schools change their “gun free zone” policies because of this incident? I doubt it. All that we will likely see is liberal politicians dancing in the blood, screaming for more “gun control.” SurvivalBlog reader JB in Nashville notes: “[this incident is] …re-igniting the debate on the reinstitution of the assault weapons ban (H.R. 1022.) The impulse to “do something” is powerful. Get your normal-capacity magazines now!”

Be sure to read the commentary by Oleg Volk, as well as the commentary from our correspondent Israel, below.

And I may sound like one of those MK-ULTRA conspiracy theorists, but I have three questions:

1.) Why do so many of these mass murderers conveniently shoot themselves in the head at the end of their killing sprees?

2.) Why are so many of these mass murderers on Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) antidepressants like Zoloft, Paxil, Wellbutrin, Lexapro, Celexa, or Prozac?

3.) Why do so many of these mass murder incidents take place when there is a major piece of gun control legislation already up for consideration by congress?

Today we present another article for Round 10 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 might 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 for Round 10, which ends May 30th. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.

Livestock at Your Retreat, by Samantha

Livestock, while not strictly essential to post-TEOTWAWKI survival, are certainly on the to-have list of the majority of all survival-minded individuals. However, it is also a subject rarely broached within those same circles, and concise, laymen’s term pointers are a hard find. For the most part where the U.S. is concerned, what was once knowledge crucial to the survival of men the world round has now dwindled, in effect, to the level of a hobby.
In brief, I’ll cover the three most basic issues which apply to all manner of livestock, and then broach species-specific information. I encourage everyone with even a mild interest in keeping livestock unfamiliar to them to get involved with the animal as soon as possible: most community colleges, for instance, have cost-effective, basic courses concerning animal science of all types.
Space is a governing factor, where livestock are concerned – and will often dictate what sort of livestock you have. A good rule of thumb for larger animals (horses, cattle, llamas, etc.), is that two acres of pasture should be available for every individual. With any less, the pasture can easily become overgrazed, and subsequently barren and/or muddy, which can lead to such diseases as foundering, and may also, via rain runoff, damage any nearby crops. A good ten feet or so of fallow ground should be placed between crops and pastures, to greatly reduce damaging runoff and also to give grasses a ‘handhold’ from which they can always re-establish themselves into the pasture. (A brief, comprehensive guide to pasture management can be found here.)
Feed is critically important, and most animals eat a surprising amount. Some animals, like goats, can forage for themselves quite effectively in almost any season, if left to their own devices in a large enough enclosure. Others, notably cattle and horses, have been raised so that they expect food – grain and hay – to be brought to them periodically during all seasons, most importantly winter, and have generally lost the ability to winter themselves. Will you have enough acreage to grow enough hay to last your animals through the winter? Or the tools to harvest and bale it? An interesting solution to this is to mix corn stalks with hay. When done in a fairly small ratio, this roughage has no adverse effects on the animal, and can greatly extend the life of your hay supply. Another alternative would be to purchase animals raised to winter on their own: but these animals are often under-socialized to human contact, and can be a bit of a handful to manage.
Futurity. You’re not keeping these animals to have eaten them all within a season – you’re wanting to create a sustainable ecosystem. Look at your retreat location critically, and find animals suited and accustomed to the terrain and climates. Then look even more critically at the animals you want to stock it. For most big-time livestock operations, a certain amount of line breeding in stock is acceptable: you want to avoid this when choosing the few individual animals that are going to be your potential lifeline, especially with smaller animals that have frequent breeding cycles. Letting rabbits or chickens inbreed out of neglect is one of the fastest ways to reduce their utility (especially as feed animals), so keeping males and females separate, and creating breeding records, can be a sure lifesaver. With bigger stock (cattle, horses, etcetera…) inbreeding is less of a problem, but should still be a concern: few people have the land, finances, and know-how to manage herds of livestock, which reduces your potential gene pool immensely. With luck, a neighbor might allow you breeding rights to a bull or stallion for a modest barter fee – and on the other hand, keeping an in-tact male on hand might offer similarly rewarding opportunities for trade. As a special note, extremely few fish breeders care about inbreeding in their stock: typically, only fish with very obvious malformations are destroyed. It’s a good idea, if you’re going to stock a pond, to buy your fish from at least two different vendors.
Horses:
My top-choice breed of horse for post-apocalyptic living would be a BLM-captured Mustang [feral horse]. These animals aren’t much to look at, but they’re small and hardy. When other horses are thin in winter, waiting at the gates for hay, these animals will be fat and glossy, digging up grass roots to eat. They prosper naturally in almost every type of terrain and climate, and are priced at a steal. At BLM auctions, a single horse will usually sell for between 100 and 300 dollars. This, of course, means you’re stuck with a wild horse, but the BLM also sells trained-to-ride Mustangs at a gently higher price. Most of these horses weren’t sold at their first or second auctions, and then trained through prison good-behavior programs. Runner up would be a Percheron. These are draft horses, so they’re more than capable of carrying or pulling an extraordinary weight – and they’re often trained to ride, drive, and occasionally even plow. Typically, most drafts have a slow and easygoing temperament, which is an especially key trait if you have children. Since drafts are rather ‘out of fashion’, you can usually get a well-bred, well-trained horse for between 1 and 3 thousand. Often these horses are sold in driving pairs at deep discounts. There are hundreds of breeds of horses, and it’s a good idea to stick to ‘working’ breeds. The ‘eventing’ breeds tend to be more high strung, and their popularity often results in bad breeding practices.
Cattle:
If you’re wanting to maximize the utility of your cattle, you want a breed that gives a high meat return but is also good for milking. For this (and especially if you’re new to cattle), I would recommend Brown Swiss. These animals are slow and gentle to the point of extreme lethargy, making them easy handling even for young children. Calving is easily one of the hardest parts of owning cattle – the list of possible complications is extraordinary – and these cattle are rather renowned for their easy time of it. They’re hardy and don’t need much looking after, and are very suitable for colder climates. If you’re looking to maximize the lifelong utility of your cattle, the South Devon is a safe bet. Again, calving is a big part of owning cattle, which is what warrants this breed as second choice – they’ve been aptly nicknamed ‘the maternal beef’. These cattle, unlike most, produce milk and calves well into their teens.
As a special note, miniature cattle are starting to gain popularity, and as I don’t have any experience with them, I won’t be so brash as to make the recommendation: however, I have heard a lot of positive things from small family beef farms about their utility, especially for small acreage, and I encourage others to look it up.
Small Ruminants:
For the most part, I recommend sheep more than goats; they’re less predisposed to sickness, and are generally much less ornery. If you’re prepared to acquire a herding dog, sheep are much easier to herd and shift than goats, and there is the added benefit of their fleece (but if you don’t want to go through the trouble of de-fleecing, there are some breeds of sheep without wool). However, with sheep, there is a notable safety concern: do not, under any circumstances let pregnant women near lambing ewes, because the same chemical that triggers aborting in ewes can trigger aborting in women. If you’re not terribly concerned with wool yield or quality, I recommend Suffolk sheep.
Goats revert to their feral state faster than any other domestic animal with the exception of the house cat. In my experience, they are notorious escapees, a bit on the sickly side, and take a considerable amount of physical wrangling to manage. However, if they suit your fancy, I would recommend the Kinder breed, hands down. They’re medium sized dual-purpose goats (milk and meat), and does average out in maturity as about 115 pounds. They have between 3 to 6 kids a year, which will each weigh around 80 pounds in 14 months… They are extremely efficient meat converters.
Fowl:
Geese and ducks can be just as useful as chickens, generally because they’ll tend to feed themselves more often. One thing few consider about raising chickens is the fact that a good deal of corporate-bought chicks won’t sit their eggs – which can definitely present a problem, if you’re hoping to have more than one generation of chickens. A good way to work around this is to either just buy mature brooding hens from a small farmer, or one hen and her brood. Just as with cattle and small ruminants, there are dual-purpose breeds: breeds which are both good egg layers and have a high meat yield: Dominiques, Orpingtons, and Plymouth Rocks are all good for the job. If you want to slowly get used to the idea of owning chickens before going so far as to own a flock, country feed stores and the like will often sell color-dyed chicks for Easter (they can make an educational present for children). I recommend chickens very highly, because they’re small and hardy enough that you can keep them anywhere – even in the city, so long as you have a modest backyard – and not only will you have the benefit of fresh eggs every day, and the best chicken you’ve ever tasted – but you will be that much more prepared when the grid goes down, and the supermarkets are empty. A really great site about getting involved with raising chickens while living in the city can be found here.

The Virginia Shootings, Israel, and the Shoah, by David in Israel

Today we see again a senseless shooting in an American city on the same day we observe the remembrance of the Shoah. Sadly an innocent Jew who survived all of these years after being delivered from the Nazi death machine gave his life trying to disarm the attacker. Rumanian-born Prof. Liviu Librescu, 75 was an Israeli citizen and taught engineering at Virginia Tech where the shooting occurred. May his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. Had Prof. Librescu been in Israel his home perhaps the end of the story would have been different. Israelis
carry their weapons. Since the ’73 war every soldier on leave must carry their rifle most of the time and anyone else with a permit (settlers and others with a reason to carry) are actively encouraged by the police to carry their weapon when in public. Had this happened here the likelihood that this killer being neutralized quickly is high, unfortunately schools and colleges in the US have become “gun free”
a very safe place for a killer to do their work without being interrupted.
We are very careful that Innocent life including one’s own must be protected as we learn in Talmud Sanhedrin, discussing the burglar, mentioned in the Torah, who tunnels in knowing he may have to confront and kill the homeowner. We learn that if a person is coming up to kill you you must go up and kill him first.
That said I must admit that both times in university I carried, which was against the university rules. Fortunately there were no deadly metal detectors on campus at the time so my classmates had some protection from murderers. Unfortunately nobody saw fit to ignore the student rule book on Monday and they lost a chance to save many innocent lives.

Odds ‘n Sods:

The high bid in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction is now at $300. This auction is for a scarce pre-1899 Mauser that was arsenal converted to 7.62mm NATO. It has a retail value of $375. The auction ends on May 15th. Just e-mail me your bid. Thanks!

  o o o

RBS pointed us to this commentary by Dr. Irwin Kellner: End of housing bubble should have been obvious to everyone

  o o o

$40 Million Worth of MREs Spoiled as FEMA Ran Out of Space

   o o o

“Hiker” noted this warning issued by John Rubino, about the “SLV” Silver exchange traded fund (ETF). In essence, there is no sure substitute for holding precious metals carefully hidden at home in your personal possession

Three Letters Re: Post-TEOTWAWKI Refrigeration Alternatives

Hi Jim,
On the subject of refrigerators: I have used a basic model 12 volt DC Adler Barbour Cold Machine marine fridge for 15 years. This is already a 12 volt [DC] machine, so it does away with the need for an [AC] inverter; it is run straight from solar panels via a deep cycle battery bank. When I was building my boat (a.k.a. The Escape Pod) I contracted out the two part polyurethane spray foam insulation job for its steel hull. On that day, I already had my fridge box prepared, and the foam guys sprayed the exterior of my ice box to my specs, which amounted to a foot of poly foam all around the box. This is just about an R value of infinity.

Additionally, like most boat refrigerators, it is top-opening, so very little cold pours out each time the box is opened. (The top-opening lid has about 4″ of sheet foam glued in place.) This fridge makes ice, and has a frozen side and a refrigerated side. Adler Barbour only provides the compressor and the evaporator, the part that surrounds the ice trays which actually gets freezing cold. (Jim, correct me if my terminology is off.) With the basic model I purchased, the owner has to build or provide the actual ice chest to install this inside. Since I had to build it, I built it with the foot of foam insulation surrounding it as described.

This system has worked beautifully for 15 years, but it takes two 120 watt solar panels plus a small wind generator to run the entire show (fridge, interior lights, navigation lights, fans, electronics, fresh water pump, radios, stereo, etc). If there is a lack of wind and/or sun, I just turn off the fridge, and the icebox can “coast” on its stored cold for several days with no harm to milk etc. The fridge is still the biggest single power draw, so turning it off allows all of the other systems to operate as usual on the lower power input from wind and sun. This setup would work just as well at a remote cabin as on the water.

To my thinking, building a cabin electrical system that mainly uses 12 volt DC RV components makes a lot of sense. They can all be operated directly from sun and wind via 12 volt storage batteries. Ocean sailors have been living a “first world” lifestyle this way for decades. My self-built Escape Pod is also wired for 110 AC, for time spent at the dock, but the 110 just goes into the battery bank via a converter. Even dockside, we mostly live a 12 volt life, with the exception of other electrical stuff I can plug into my 110 AC outlets, such as big household box fans, large power tools etc. But when unplugged from the dock we can live a classy “first world” life, 100% off of the sun and wind. – Matt Bracken

 

Jim,
This is pertaining to the 4/14 thread that reads: “Refrigeration is only a big problem for survival when one makes poor choices and is dependent on obtaining fuel for a generator to power a typically inefficient refrigerator. Refrigeration is relatively easy if one has planned ahead and made the right investments in both refrigeration and power generation before a crisis when one can still get the required system components.”

Having lived off grid now for 7 years, using storage food and homegrown food for slightly more than 80% of our total food needs, I would say that we now value refrigeration much more than we used to. And no, we do not use it to keep beer cold, make ice cubes or anything silly like that.

We have a “Conserv” model fridge and with that running constantly, plus the ever present “ghost loads” from DVD/VCR, microwave, answering machine, portable phone, etc. the inverter will show just 1 amp being used. I call that efficient enough.

We are in a hot, humid environment, which also has helped us to appreciate the refrigeration.

Could we do without it? Yes. Are we basing all of our plans on having refrigeration? No. Will we use it as long as possible? Yes.

One thing to think of also is the trade off’s. For example- say your cooking for a dozen people with storage food. Just the prep work involved ties up more than a few people that could be tending animals, raising crops, standing guard, etc. Instead of 3 time consuming and labor intensive (most true food storage meals are somewhat labor intensive), you make two or even just one large meal and use the leftovers for several other meals that day.

In a hot, humid environment food spoils quickly. To me it’s a trade off in using less fuel (cooking once instead of three times) and having more manpower available for other tasks.

Despite the common thought that folks “have” to store board games, fiction books, etc. because there will be so much free time if TSHTF, actual practice runs will show you that there is usually much to do, even in the wintertime. Hope this helps. – Mr. Lima

Dear Editor:
Regarding photovoltaic (PV)-powered refrigerators, wouldn’t it be easier to get a propane fridge and just keep a small fire going to power it? – T.G. in Hawaii

JWR Replies: Converting a propane refrigerator or freezer to use another fuel is possible, but the heat generated must be kept fairly constant. Their designs do lend themselves to conversion by a clever (and cautious) tinkerer to other gasses (such as natural gas), or perhaps fluids (such as kerosene or alcohol) , but conversion to solid fuels such as wood or coal is problematic. Propane itself is a viable option, but it does not have the long term post-collapse survival potential of PV solar. Consider where you live, in Hawaii. Where does your propane come from? Not from Hawaii! It is shipped in, in the form of crude oil which is then fractioned. Propane is one of the refinery fractions that is then distributed. (And, BTW, liquefied natural gas LNG importation is presently being considered, for conversion of Hawaii’s oil-fired utility power plants.) But solar power comes to you direct from Old Sol. I’m not saying that PV power is an absolute panacea. Monocrystaline panels can last a lifetime, although a freak hail storm could shatter them. And granted, battery banks are problematic, since lead acid batteries eventually sulfate, even if they are kept fully charged. (You have to swap out your batteries every eight or nine years–a recurring expense–but this is still cheaper than propane in the long run, and offers far greater self-sufficiency for disaster situations, especially for you in Hawaii, where so many essential commodities have to be imported.

Letter Re: Is There Any Utility in Bump Firing a Semi-Auto Rifle, for Retreat Defense?

Mr. Rawles:
I’ve seen your comments on the pros and cons of registered [Class 3] full autos [in the United States]. But can’t a similar effect be accomplished with a “Tac Trigger” or “Hellfire” [or similar device] for someone like me, who plans to have a marginally-manned retreat? They are banned in California, but here in Arizona, they are legal to own and use. Merci, – G.H.

JWR Replies: I don’t consider trigger reset devices particularly effective, because of the way that a shooter has to loosely hold a rifle to get it to bump fire sequentially.This is not conducive to practical accuracy. Some have suggested that there might be circumstances where a “show of force” might be in order, to convince a band of looters to move on to greener pastures. You could load a couple of magazines with all tracers, and then “bump fire” them over the heads of the Bad Guys, in the hope that it will scare them off. But I mention this only with a strong proviso: I am doubtful that it would be an effective tactic unless you are up against someone with little or no combat experience. It is more likely that this would be correctly perceived as merely a bluff, and the Bad Guys will return with greater stealth and cunning, probably on a different salient. In essence, it is better to aim to hit, and bloody their noses. That is the way to convince them to move on. Precisely aimed semi-automatic fire is much preferable “spray and pray” bump firing. The Muy Malo Hombres will not show respect not for sheer volume of rifle fire, but they will for concerted retreat defense where nearly every shot finds its mark. Looters will not want to take those kinds of casualties. Only suicidal attackers would press their advance in the face of mounting casualties. We are, after all, talking about a post-collapse situation where there will be a dearth professional medical care available. Without proper care, even superficial wounds could lead to sepsis and death.

The paper trail associated with buying trigger reset device via mail order might someday become a liability. Notably, the BATFE issued an “about face” ruling on the $1,000 Akins Accelerator spring-loaded bump firing retrofit stock for 10/.22 rifles. They first approved it, but then later redefining it as a “machinegun”. This illustrates that purpose-built trigger reset spring devices could be outlawed at any time, by some bureaucrat’s decree. Remember that the BATFE is notorious for seizing the sales records of manufacturers and importers and then visiting individual purchasers to collect ex post facto banned items. (In recent years they’ve knocked on doors looking for both machinegun parts kits and “80% complete” receivers.) And BTW, there is no need to buy a Tac Trigger, since fairly reliable bump firing (with augmented trigger reset) can be accomplished with just a rubber band, as shown in this video. And I don’t think that rubber bands will be banned anytime soon.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader H.H. sent us a link to this article with a different view of peak oil at the IBD: Running On Empty? Not Yet

  o o o

One of the folks over at The Claire Files mentioned the My Fallout Shelter web site. It has some very useful maps on fallout pattern prediction (very scary for easterners!), as well as some free downloadable document on fallout shelter construction.

   o o o

Not the slightest bit survival or preparedness related, but you gotta love this piece of jet jockey lore, by way of our friend Kit‘s entertaining blog: “ASPEN 20” – SR-71 – Ground Speed Check

Note from JWR:

Congrats to JMA, the high bidder in the SurvivalBlog benefit auction that ended last night. Thanks for your generous bid! We will be starting another auction within a few days.

Poll Results: An Exercise in Humility–a Poll on Embarrassing Mistakes

The following are the responses that we’ve received thusfar in our current poll on Lessons Learned:

Jim:
I didn’t the follow instructions on the bottle and I only took antibiotics until fever broke, then stopped. Fever came back and had to switch antibiotics.

I didn’t floss my teeth for years thinking brushing my teeth was enough. Ignored continual bleeding from gums and didn’t visit a dentist for 15 years. When I went I found out that I had advanced gum disease and jaw bone loss far beyond my years. Surgery was required. I’ve been flossing every day now. If I hadn’t made this change I’d have started losing teeth within 10 years.

On a day hike I relied on a GPS and ignored my own sense of direction and nearly got stuck out at high altitude at night without any shelter supplies. Could have killed both of my kids.

Bought a bunch of meat, dehydrated it and put it in a vacuum sealed bag. Two months later it was all molded.

I assumed that a brand new rifle I had bought would work. Didn’t shoot it for a year. When I did it had problems that required it be sent back to the factory for repair.

 

Mr. Rawles:
I bought a case of CCI Blazer .357 Magnum ammo, aluminum cased. Blazer is fine for semi-autos. Not so good in revolvers – the case expands and I couldn’t punch them out with more than one round in the gun
Moral: make sure your ammo works in it’s intended platform – always.
Stupid avoided – courtesy of the good folks at Olympic Arms: steel-cased / lacquered 7.62 x 39mm ammo has been gumming up their K-30 AR carbines. Sustained fire heats up the chamber and melts the lacquer. When the gun cools, the chamber is pooched, making feed/extraction reliability iffy. Stupid prevention: use brass, or zinc-plated ammo ( Barnaul Silver ). See moral …

James:
My first big survival mistake was buying a Ruger ultralight all-weather rifle, which weighs around 6 lbs empty, chambered in .30-06. I’d done lots of research and knew it was effective to every conceivable range, was common and available, and would kill just about any animal I cared to imagine…but I’d never fired one. It kicked like a mule and left me black and blue from firing exactly 8 rounds in it. I never fired it again and sold it for slightly more than I paid for it, with the rest of the box of ammo. It wasn’t that the rifle was bad. It was that it was too light for the caliber on a brand new shooter with no training in handling recoil.

The right thing to do would have been to buy that rifle in either .243 Winchester or .270 Winchester, the former being slightly preferable since its enough for California deer and is a surprisingly good target round, better than .270 due to better quality bullets. And in a 6 lb rifle, its also very light recoil. The memory of that recoil shied me away from .30 caliber rifles for several years and it wasn’t until I fired an M44 Mosin Nagant that I learned how to handle serious recoil. That [.30-06] Ruger set back my rifle marksmanship education around three years.

Of course, I’ve met guys who were tougher than me who foolishly bought .300 Win Mag rifles and winced around 5 minutes after each and every shot. I got a headache-inducing concussion from firing a 7mm Remington Magnum in a Savage hunting rifle. Very sharp recoil. Glad it wasn’t mine. I also met guys who shot the .338 Ultramag with muzzle brakes and made 38 inch groups at 300 yards (that’s big enough to miss a moose, BTW.) It was the .22 LR which taught me proper trigger control and breathing. And the .223 which taught me handloading and further accuracy since the ammo was better than the .22 LR that my rifle liked to be fed (.22’s vary that way quite a bit.)

I suppose I shouldn’t have bought the M44, and the Mauser, and the .308, and the 7mm-08, and the .338-06 after I’d already proved myself a marksman with the .223. I should have just bought a .308 and dealt with the recoil, loading 130 grain bullets until I was used to it with heavier rounds. But the upshot is I have rifles to fire all those different [types of] ammo. But I don’t own a .30-06 or a .270 Winchester, or a .243 Winchester either. The 7mm08 does everything those do.

Knowing what I know now, and knowing that .308 ammo is expensive and the surplus is mostly cr*p, I’d probably go for a 7mm’08 re-barreling of a .308 autoloader for the most flexibility and recoil reduction in a lighter battle rifle yet retain penetration and wounding capability. Something like the FN SCAR-H (Heavy) and keep the .308 barrel in reserve for when I run out of my good ammo. Swapping the barrel takes minutes, after all. Now, if only we civilians could get them…

 

Jim:
I started out my gun owning career with some clunkers – among others a Mossberg 500. (Yes, I know lots of people love them) but mine was a total [Piece of Schumer] (POS). The safety on top would engage from recoil and racking the slide, not conducive to follow up shots, I also had the Para Ord that I told you about a while back, a POS [Ruger] Mini-14, that could never shoot straight and was seriously tempted by a Star, Rossi and some other real turds that I was talked out of prior to purchase.
Also stick with quality glass, Leupold at a minimum and Swarovski / Kahles if you can afford it. I have wasted money on Burris and Simmons and other Chinese cr*p. Maybe go Nikon if that’s all you can afford
If I was recommending a battery to a new shooter I would say, stick with a quality handgun, in 9mm, .40, .357, .44 or .45 made by S&W, SIG, Glock, Kimber, Colt, Browning, Ruger, and stay far away from lower tier B and C guns unless they are free or ‘no papers’. Get a good bolt rifle in .223, and in .308 or 30-06, semi auto in same .223 and in .308 or 30-06 (Winchester, Rem, Springfield Armory, Savage, or sporter Mauser and a .22 handgun and rifle (10/22 or a CZ bolt rifle) and a good 12 and/or 20 gauge shotgun (Browning or Remington or Benelli). Family heirlooms and inheritances in goofy calibers not withstanding.
My problem is that I now want to get a 7mm Mauser, a .22-250, .358 Winchester, and some others just to play around. because I can afford to, not because I need one in that caliber, I have rifles that will hunt anything. I don’t need these other calibers. My main point is stay with tier A quality arms in common calibers.

 

Mr. Rawles,
To add to the what not to do, embarrassing mistakes I have made. I have a few to share that I think are quite illuminating for safety and personal reasons.
Number one and dangerous was as a young reloader, now over 25 years ago in 1981 after about a year of getting into the macho (and stupid) habit of loading close to max. Firing a Colt manufactured first series AR-15 with .223 loaded to the max, only one load that may have had just an extra grain or two over maximum (as I found several out of that batch of 100 that were one to two grains over, once pulled and checked). As luck would have it the damage to the AR was relatively minimal: a burst and split gas tube, bent ejection cover, hand-guard damage, and one frightened and lucky shooter – me… Luck because the damage could have been catastrophic and I was not wearing protective eyewear. Those are both major mistakes I do not make now, eyewear and loading quality control / conservative loading procedures.
Second mistake was a new pistol with out a complete check, the first time I racked the slide a broken firing pin had wedged just far enough forward to fire the round, the damage to the loading table at the range was not as bad as the embarrassment of firing into the range table in front of several friends all of us without hearing protection because we were preparing to fire rather than kill the table.
I have nightmares about that pistol to this day, had it not been for the fact that I was not pointing that pistol at a person that could have been a negligent discharge with a big price. Proper procedure would have had the firearm pointing at the range field or target area rather than over the range table.

 

Jim
While I have made plenty of mistakes on my road to preparedness, I see two that stand out. One is somewhat comical, while the other one is a trap that is all too common.

The first one happened about eight years ago now when I first really caught the preparedness “bug”. I knew that water is second only to oxygen when it comes to immediate needs, so I decided to start stockpiling soda bottles to use for water storage. before too long, I have a basement full of sticky, nasty pop bottles of all shapes and sizes just waiting for me to rinse out and fill with water. About that time I realized that not only were half of them missing their caps, it also dawned on me just how much room all these bottles would take up. needless to say, I stopped stockpiling soda bottles. I did buy a British Berkefeld and two extra sets of filters though, and am getting ready to hook my rain gutters up to a food grade 50 gallon drum.

The other mistake I made is using my preparedness ideals to over-indulge in some over-lapping areas of interest. Like a lot of survivalists, I am a self confessed “gun nut”. I like to shoot, and I truly value my time spent at the range. Just how many battle rifles does one need though? I currently own three different “assault rifles”, each one using a different magazine and caliber. The story with handguns isn’t quite as drastic, but I still have two types of pistol with their own caliber and magazines. While it isn’t a bad idea to have some extra rifles and pistols on hand, the logistics of owning so many types and calibers is expensive to say the least. I did the same thing with communications gear. I love radios, and think that everyone who is seriously into preparedness should have a good quality communications receiver, but just how many does one really need? A table full? A room full? I have since realized what I was doing, and have issued a couple of new rules for myself: No more guns, and no more radios. I have enough of both, thank you, and the resources I could be spending on these hobbies are much better spent elsewhere. the cost of the last rifle and receiver I purchased would have bought an awful lot of food, or even paid for a solar backup to power all those radios when the power goes out.

The bottom line is that being prepared is more than an excuse to buy a lot of guns. They are a very important part of it, but they are not the only part. Before you buy that sexy looking AR, maybe you should ask yourself if you have enough provisions on hand to survive a week off the grid. If you do, then maybe it’s not a bad purchase for your particular situation. If you don’t, then your money could be better spent elsewhere. We live and we learn I suppose. Hopefully others will read my mistakes and learn from them.

 

Jim,
I love SF’s idea to share our “hiccups” as we all make them and we learn invaluable lessons from each. Three things come to mind quickly as things in which I largely disappointed myself more than anything. (On the brighter side, lessons learned pre-SHTF are all good!!)
Here are the topics of disgust:
1). Sawdust-based compost on Garden
2). Vacuum sealing spare garden seeds
3). Not putting my dust masks in a dry vermin resistant package.As for the sawdust compost mixture I tilled into my garden three years running I continually noticed a decline in yield. In further research I found that the sawdust “sterilizes” the soil by absorbing the key nutrients and not releasing them to what is needed. (This can be corrected with adding Nitrogen, but what if Nitrogen is not readily available)? In talking with [The] Seed Savers [Exchange], it sounds as if they recommend not vacuum sealing seeds as they are “living organisms” that will decrease in germination if sealed if not ruin your yield. Sounds like a good ol tight fitting can in a cool dark environment is as good as anything. I guess I have a bunch of sweet corn seed that is now squirrel feed. (Different food family than intended, but will not totally go to waste :-).As far as the dust masks are concerned, I had a few boxes of masks in case of a bird flu type scenario that did not get put into crates. These are now laden with mold from the lack of controlled environment that they were in. Now, it surely would be a health risk to inhale dust/mold spores directly into your system while hoping to filter out other harmful impurities. Can you say “lesson learned“?Someone may as well benefit from the mistakes I made. Humility, yes; Humor, No.

JWR Adds: This poll is still open. By all means, please send us additional “lessons learned”, via e-mail. We will of course post them anonymously.

Letter Re: Advice on Where to Learn Practical, Tactical Skills

1

Dear Jim:
As my confidence in the dollar depreciates and my desire for skills increases, I’m wanting to convert FRNs into hands-on knowledge. What weeknight or weekend workshops would you recommend? Are there any places where you can learn Army Ranger skills without joining the military? Animal husbandry, and so on? – Spencer

JWR Replies: There is a tremendous wealth of free or low-cost classes available–enough to keep you busy every weekend of the year if you are willing to drive a distance. If you have time and just a bit of money, you can get some very well-rounded training in skills that are quite applicable to post-TEOTWAWKI living. In my experience, the most cost-effective training opportunities in the U.S. include:

American Red Cross First Aid and CPR classes

Local Community College, Park District, and Adult Education classes. They offer classes on metal shop, auto shop, wood shop, leather crafting, ceramics, baking, gardening, welding, and so forth.

RWVA Appleseed Shoots. These are held all over the nation. They offer great training for very little money. The West Side Sportsman’s Club, located on the west side of Evansville, Indiana is hosting the national RWVA shoot on June 30 / July 1st. The Red Brush Gun Range, located on the east side of Evansville is having another Appleseed, and they’re also having an Appleseed Boot Camp. The boot camp starts on Monday October 22 thru Friday Oct. 26th. Then the Appleseed Shoot is on Saturday Oct. 27 and Sunday Oct. 28. The deal is if you want to attend both the Boot Camp and the Appleseed match, you do so for $200. Yes, for just $200 you can have seven days of top notch marksmanship training.

U.S. Army ROTC classes, the ROTC Ranger program (administered by individual university ROTC Departments), and ROTC Leader’s Training Course, aka Basic Camp). The first two years of the ROTC program–including Leader’s Training Course–are available to any full-time enrolled undergraduate college student (including “cross-enrolled” junior college students) with no contractual obligation. Participation in the ROTC Ranger program by anyone other than enrolled ROTC cadets is usually up to the discretion of the instructor or the PMS. When I was in a ROTC Ranger program back in the early 1980s, we had two Marine Corps PLC students and an Administration of Justice (police science) major in our Ranger program, as supernumeraries. So even if you don’t sign up for ROTC classes, you might be able to be involved in a Ranger program. Of particular note: If you sign up for the four week ROTC Leader’s Training Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky, you will actually get paid to attend, plus get a couple of free pairs of combat boots. To be eligible to participate in ROTC, you must be under 31 years of age on Dec 31 st of the year that you expect to graduate. (Or possibly 34 years old, with waivers.) The best chance to get a slot at the ROTC Leader’s Training Course is during your sophomore year of college, but when I was there I met a graduate student that had wangled a slot. (He eventually got a direct commission, by virtue of his ROTC “contact hours”)

LDS (Mormon) cannery classes/canning sessions. Many “wards” have their own canneries, which are generally open to non-Mormons. (OBTW, the LDS food storage calculator web page is a very useful planning tool.)

FEMA / CERT Classes (Classroom and Internet courses, some with team commitment)

ARRL amateur radio classes.

Species-Specific or Breed-Specific Livestock and Pet Clubs

NRA and State Rifle and Pistol Association training and shooting events

Fiber Guilds (spinning and weaving) and local knitting clubs

Mountain Man/Rendezvous Clubs (Blackpowder shooting, flint knapping, soap making, rope making, etc.)

University/County Agricultural Extension and Cattleman’s Club classes on livestock, gardening, weed control, canning, et cetera

Medical Corps small group classes. I heard that they have scheduled just one hands-on Combat/Field Medicine Course thusfar for 2007. It will be at the OSU Extension Campus, in Belle Valley Ohio, April 20-21-22. That class is full, but check their web site for additional course dates. They offer great training–including advanced life saving topics that the American Red Cross doesn’t teach–at very reasonable cost.

Volunteer Fire department (VFD) classes (usually with some commitment)

Candle and Soap Making Clubs/Conventions

Boy Scouts and 4H. Informal, un-enrolled (“strap hanger”) training is available for adults–just take your kids to the meetings and don’t leave.

I would also consider these less important (but still worthwhile) training opportunities, as time permits:

Sheriff’s posse and Search and Rescue (SAR) programs

Police department “Ride Along” and Police Reserve programs

Civil Air Patrol (CAP) courses.

Civic/Ethnic Club cooking classes

Odds ‘n Sods:

Michael Z. Williamson flagged this one: Sean Rakhimov’s recent commentary on silver. The demand side of the silver price equation is inexorable. I still strongly believe that spot silver will rise tremendously in the next few years.

  o o o

Thanks to all of the recent Ten Cent Challenge subscribers. I’m glad to see that so many of you find SurvivalBlog informative, useful, and worthy of support. My sincere thanks!

   o o o

Larry LaBorde, was quoted at 321Gold.com, on April 13th: “The United States dollar index has dropped below 82 today. We would do well to remember that the index is just a measure of the USD strength in relation to other currencies. It is sort of like measuring the USD with a rubber yardstick. While all currencies are racing to zero the USD just got a little ahead of the others. Check out www.coinflation.com and scroll down until you get to the current melt value of US coins. Notice a nickel is now worth over 9 cents. It seems that the USD has devalued faster than the US mint can cheapen its coins. A safe investment today is to simply trade federal reserve notes for nickels at your local bank and make an immediate profit of 80%. While some people may remind you that it is illegal to melt US coinage, just remember the pre-1965 silver coinage. They do not have to be melted to be worth more than their face value. It will not be long before this little bargain disappears. Take advantage of this easy money while you can. It is just one more example of how fast the USD is devaluing before our eyes.”

   o o o

SF in Hawaii mentioned this documentary segment on the venerable AK-47 and the later AK-74 variant.