Letter Re: Defensive Use of My IRA

Jim,
I agree that nothing beats physical bullion and ammunition for real wealth, but there may be something to be said for keeping a store of digital wealth in tact for as long as possible also.

My bank has an emergency plan. They mailed me a copy. So I figured I needed to incorporate a plan to keep them out of my life during an economic meltdown.

The plan is very simple. I fully intend to eliminate my mortgage with what is left of my IRA on the day before doomsday (or thereabouts). My money will ride out the storm on metal based investments, hopefully holding value while my fixed rate mortgage devalues. The new metal and oil ETFs are going to provide a place of relative refuge for institutional investors in the near term future. I think GLD, OILB and probably the new SIL will attract a lot of capital in an inflationary emergency.

I am prepared for a quick change. My checking, savings, IRA and brokerage accounts are all linked online and available 24/7. My IRA is currently about 1/5th of my Mortgage and neither is very big IMO. I’m set up to liquidate my positions and pay off my mortgage very quickly, and I will the moment I can.

On most days I am chasing returns with on the TSX, but I am really only 30 seconds away from being in metals, Euros… whatever. I foresee a period of hyperinflation coming that will render the tax consequences of exercising such a plan to be insignificant.

Because I believe preparedness is a civic virtue, I plan is to settle all my financial entanglements digitally, just in case my bank survives doomsday. I am not wealthy and I think many middle class people who could arrange their lives in the same way. We may someday find ourselves in a Patriots-like ‘Shumeresque‘ situation, but we will almost certainly find ourselves in a hyperinflationary recession as globalism grinds to a halt and energy shortages choke our economy.

Also, IMO, this little closed end fund is a great investment for those who can trade stocks in their IRA. It trades as CEF on the American Stock exchange. See: http://www.centralfund.com The fund holds Gold and Silver Bullion and is subject to Canadian, not United States law! Check it out. Love your blog. Keep up the good work. – David A.

Letter Re: Choosing Between a Shotgun and a Rifle for Retreat Defense

After reading Declan’s question and then your answer, I felt compelled to write in. Many of the survival minded people that post on various boards swear by their main battle rifle (MBR), whether an AK, AR, M1A, FN-FAL, the list goes on. All which are tools that have certain uses just like a hammer. IMHO, I don’t believe that we will go to a full scale war zone overnight. With the concealable of a pistol, it is not as threatening as a MBR in public, mostly because of “out of sight, out of mind.” with a CCW, a person can began to carry and also have it accessible if the balloon goes up and their MBR is no where close. For someone with a limited budget, a quality handgun would be the best first gun in a survival battery. I also believe that if the person is not experienced with weapons, the simpler the better. I have shot 1911A1s for the last 30 years, also carried in the Army. I was fortunate enough that I had an office beside the armory, and the armorer let me put together a tighter weapon from parts. Officers never could figure out why my pistol held a tighter group. But, I digress. The 1911A1 is an easy weapon to work on, but I believe it is still too complicated for the novice. The locked and cocked issue to be ready is my concern.
Since 1989, I have fell in love with Glocks. Yes, I pack plastic. To me the grip is very similar to the 1911. The simplicity of the design also won over the engineer in me. Currently they can be found in the .40 and .45 caliber for around $350 dealer cost. These are trade-ins. I have purchased three this year that were trade-ins. The weapons were in great shape. Also, there are many used “law enforcement” only hi-cap mags  [made during the 1994-2004 U.S. Federal magazine ban] out there for $10. Sure beats the $100 each they were just a few short years ago. For around $500 a person should be able to arm themselves with a Glock, six magazines, and 500 rounds of ammunition. The next step is practice, practice, practice. Proficiency is not acquired on the Internet, it is available only at the range. That’s enough for now. Love your site. I’m a proud “10 Cent Challenge” donor. – The Sarge

JWR Replies:  Yes, handguns have their role in survival planning.  They are handy for concealed carry, and as a means to have a weapon close at hand when you are doing heavy work and you can’t carry a rifle. (It is hard to dig post holes when you have a rifle slung across your back.) But handguns are not a proper substitute for a rifle or riotgun when faced with deep drama. Another writer said it best when he opined [my paraphrasing]: “A handgun is just a tool that buys you time to fight your way back to your rifle.”

Letter Re: Suggestions on Spare Parts for Guns?

Jim:
I heard a radio host talk about the value of having certain parts for guns on hand. Can you recommend a dealer or source for good quality parts for firearms? I am not a gunsmith. Does anyone make parts kits for the most commonly broken parts like springs,etc. It would be nice if you could buy them for say a 1911, AR, etc. I guess the AR is full of small things that get lost and cannot be replaced or made. Maybe you could elaborate with a posting on a list of what to buy etc, thanks. – Boosters

JWR Replies: The selection of spare parts will vary widely, depending on maker and model. Some models have a propensity for excessive wear, loss, or breakage on certain parts. For example, AR-15, M16s, CAR-15s, and M4s are notorious for broken ejection port dust covers, and buffer retainers, as well as galled gas tubes, gas tube keys, and cam pins. Parts for most autopistols are “drop in” replacements about 80% of the time. In contrast, revolver parts, especially hammers and triggers, usually require fitting. So unless you have experience at stoning and honing, there is no point to buying most spare revolver action parts. (BTW, this is one reason that I tend toward autopistols.)

Here are my basic spare parts vendor recommendations:

M1 Garands, M1/M2 Carbines, M1As and M14s: GunThings.com and Fulton Armory

AR-10s: Since some parts and magazines differ dimensionally between makers, buy spares directly from your rifle’s manufacturer (Such as American Spirit, Armalite, DPMS, Knight, Rock River, etc.)

AR-15s, CAR-15s, M16s, and M4s: Bushmaster, DPMS, DSArms, Vector, and Kaiserworks.
M17S Bullpups (The poor man’s AUG): BushmasterGunThings.com,

L1A1s and FALs: Gun Parts Guy, GunThings.com, Akron Armory, Kaiserworks, and DSArms

HK91s (and clones): HK4ever, Vector, HK-USA, and perhaps POF-USA.  (The latter’s parts are made in Pakistan.)

AKs: Akron Armory, GunThings.com, DSArms, Vector, and KVAR

RPDs: Vector

Steyr AUGs and SSGs: Guns South.

Galils: Vector or CDNN Sports

Uzis: Vector

Mauser Bolt Action Rifles : Tennessee Gun Parts or Hoosier Gun Works

M1919s: GunThings.com

Berettas, Brownings, Remingtons, and Winchesters: Midwest Gun Works

Rugers: Omega Man Enterprises or direct from Ruger.

M1911s: Wilson Combat, Chip McCormick, Clark Custom, or Ed Brown

Glocks: Glockmeister or Top Glock

Makarovs: Akron Armory

For more obscure or hard-to-find parts, there is always Gun Parts Corp. (They are the world’s biggest gun parts seller, although their prices tend to be high for some models.) For gunsmithing tools and supplies (such as bluing salts, fiberglass bedding kits, etc.) as well as a wide assortment of magazines and customizing parts, I also highly recommend Brownell’s. BTW, the only parts dealer that I avoid like the plague is Sarco of Stirling, New Jersey.  (“Be afraid, be very afraid!”)

If any SurvivalBlog readers with real world experience on spare parts histories would care to chime in, I will be happy to post their recommendations about which spares to keep on hand for individual makes and models.

OBTW, if you patronize any of these firms, please tells them that you saw them mentioned on SurvivalBlog. (Some of these firms are SurvivalBlog advertisers–and the rest should be!)

Odds ‘n Sods:

Survival Blog reader S.H. recommends a site with free PDF field manuals, including TC9-56 SKS Rifle, M16A2, et cetera: http://www.chqsoftware.net/catalog/freestuff.php This Canadian company also has a interesting looking CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training series…something folks should consider if they are in an urban environment.

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Missouri Teenager Survives a 1,300 Foot Tornado Ride:
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/breaking_news/14158868.htm

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The H5N1 virus responsible for the current virulent strain of bird flu has mutated into two genetically distinct strains, US scientists have confirmed. They fear this could increase the risk to humans – and complicate the search for  an effective vaccine. See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4828078.stm

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Greenhouse Theory Smashed by Biggest Stone: http://www.physorg.com/news11710.html

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An interesting blog: “Urban Ecology, Renewing the World One Backyard at a Time”: http://www.futureofecology.blogspot.com/

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Rourke (moderator of http://groups.yahoo.com/group/survivalretreat)  recommends this site on the Asian Avian flu: http://www.birdflumap.com (Be sure to see the three week spread of the 1918 Pandemic.) See:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/influenza/maps.

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SurvivalBlog’s global readership is growing. See: http://clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?url=https://survivalblog.com  You can now click on the map to zoom in for detailed maps showing hits in various regions.

#1 Son’s Quote of the Day:

“As it now stands, they all seemed to agree, USDA’s proposed program could be compared to a finely crafted blueprint for a concrete blimp. It may look great on paper, but out in the real world, no amount of hot air will ever get it off the ground. – Livestock Weekly on NAIS

David in Israel on Blasting Supplies

In a time where large machinery is unavailable because of fuel shortages, blasting becomes even more important. It is a viable means of clearing stumps, excavating, and clearing rock slides. Tannerite is available in the mail from Skylight Explosives. Tannerite a binary blasting mix which if prepared on site immediately before blasting, and requires no permit. Speak to Danny Tanner, a G-d fearing man, and friend to the small Jewish community in Eugene, Oregon. A  few years ago I took some 19 and 20 year old guests to shoot with Danny. You should have seen the look in the eyes of the six New York yeshiva boys as we set out to fire battle rifles at 100 meter distant dynamite sticks. That was priceless! These guys had never even held a firearm before what a day. Unfortunately Danny didn’t have time to grab his Class 3 guns before that shooting trip. Skylight gives blasting safety classes and this is a very worthy investment. See: http://www.tannerite.com/

 

Two Letters Re: Advice on Long Term Moth-Proof Clothing Storage?

Jim:
I love your site. As to moth balls, I’m pretty sure they are a moth repellant and have no effect on moth larva. So, once you pack your clothes in a moth-proof container, they will do absolutely no good against moths and they’ll make your clothes stink. If a moth has already laid eggs, the little darlings will still hatch and chew up your clothes. After all, flying moths don’t eat clothing, only the larvae do.
That said, I have heard that moth balls act as a rodent repellant also. So, if you’re worried about mice, rats, squirrels, etc making a nest out of your plastic wrapped clothing, then moth balls might keep them away. Thanks for the information that you provide. – Marty

 

Jim:

I’ve had good luck storing wool clothing items and blankets for years by using Space Bags and aromatic cedar wood – a piece of wood in each bag. So far, so good. Semper Fi – Sarge

Letter Re: Shelf Life of Batteries?

Mr. Rawles,
You had an inquiry on your site about long term storable charged batteries. Such a topic came up recently on the amateur radio reflector called hfpack. There is one such battery that is well suited for storage. It is called a silver chloride battery, and they are activated by adding salt water. One use is in torpedos – see http://www.naval-technology.com/contractors/electrical/hbl/.
 Another source of information is at:
energy.sourceguides.com. These have a high energy density, but are primary cells and not rechargeable. Still, if you plan for an urgent one time need arbitrarily in the future, silver chloride batteries may be the best bet. – “Sun Dog”

Letter Re: PTR-91 Clones of HK91 Rifles

James:

One of your readers asked about the PTR-91 clone of the HK91. I think it is a very good battle rifle. For @ $700 you get an accurate, .308 cal, magazine fed rifle designed for combat. I prefer the 308 over the .223/5.56 round for the extra power and penetration. If you do the math with bullet weight and velocity, it calculates out to around 2.5 times more energy. If you disagree with this you can delete point as I don’t wish to stir the pot. I am not an expert but I am experienced with weapons from my military and law enforcement careers and have reloaded since my teens. I am just getting back into reloading at close to 40 years of age. I have a PTR-91 and love it. Open sites at 100 yards with just a block for a rest, I was able to keep a 2″ group. I am no sharpshooter either. I can do very well with a scope, but suffice it to say that this rifle will definitely out shoot most shooters. The rifle weighs a little over 9 lbs. Magazines are very affordable [still under $3 each] and have not had a jam or failure to feed (FTF) yet. I have found only two drawbacks to the rifle and one is because I am left handed. The charging handle is definitely designed for a right handed person but a lefty can get used to it. I also wish that the bolt locked back after the magazine is empty so you know instantly that the rifle is “dry”. I had the chance to check out the rifle side by side with an HK91 and was still impressed. If you can find a better battle rifle in .308 for less, I want one. You have a great Blog.- “Nightshift” From the Gulf Coast.

Odds ‘n Sods:

A SurvivalBlog reader mentioned a source for MRE entrees, MRE crackers, full MRE meals, and T-Packs: See: http://www.longlifefood.com/

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Joining the U.S. Army and Marines, the U.S. Air Force jumps on the digital camouflage uniform bandwagon: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,91425,00.html?ESRC=dod-b.nl

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Survival Blog reader S.H.sent us this news story: “Oregon family found after 17 days in mountains.” Always nice to see some happy news in the media these days. It seems that they were prepared. “The family lived through the ordeal on dehydrated food and other provisions.”
See: LINK

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The folks at The Pre-1899 Specialist  report with chagrin that their incoming e-mail was not getting through for a couple of weeks due to a mail server glitch! If you’ve sent them any e-mails recently and got not reply, please re-transmit it!

Letter Re: A Source for Night Vision Scopes

Hi Mr. Rawles,
I read your novel Patriots for the first time a few months ago and wanted to tell you that it was one of the most educational and eye-opening books that I have read. Plus, the plot made it difficult to put the book down once I started reading! Patriots really opened my eyes to many survival and self-sustainability issues that I hadn’t considered previously and for that I want to thank you. I think it is a true service what you have done to those just learning about these issues and so I have been recommending your book to everyone I know. I also recently came across your blog and have found this to again be a great source of information.
I sent an annual payment for the ten cent challenge a couple of days ago and wanted to help contribute with a bit of information for anyone looking for night vision devices (NVDs):
I was looking for a night vision monocular and after researching several of the sites, I came across an interesting offer on www.opticshq.com. They carried all of the popular models plus a device called the “Mini-14”. This is a Gen-3 device, which in comparison to the PVS-14, is 1) smaller and lighter, 2) waterproof to 66ft, 3) uses only one AA battery (or smaller lithium battery) instead of two, 4) comes with several additional accessories, and, 5) is comparable in price or even slightly cheaper.
The only feature that it lacks in comparison is that it doesn’t allow manual adjustment of the gain, which I’ve read might be an issue in urban environments (the gain does adjust automatically though). Now, the interesting offer on this site was that they had obtained some ‘Select’ versions, which included the [amplification tube manufacturer’s] data cards and were guaranteed to be above certain thresholds in features such as line pairs per millimeter (LP/mm), signal to noise (S/N) ratio and sensitivity. Moreover, they offered a hand-select service which assured receipt of the very best of these units. “Mike” is the one to talk to there. He was very helpful in educating me about the differences between the various models / brands as well as some of the more general NVD information. There is a also a nice forum on their site where users discuss the different units.
I decided to purchase the unit and have to say that it is by far the single most amazing acquisition that I have ever made (truly worth every penny). The clarity and brightness at night is jaw-dropping! And, I would have to believe that this is one of the finer examples of a Gen-3 device. So, I just wanted to pass along this information in case it would helpful to anyone interested in these devices.
Thank you very much again for what you have done in educating everyone and I look forward to many more daily blog updates! – Scot

Letter Re: Pedal-Powered Bug Out Vehicle

Mr. Rawles,
I’ve been a fan of yours for a long time. I read your novel on line years ago and it had a real impact on my thinking and my preparation efforts. I’ve been coming to your site since the second day it was on the net. I’m a former pilot in the Air National Guard and I’m a degreed electronic engineer and I presently work for a large avionics manufacturer. I’ve been giving this transportation issue (transportation availability after the Schumer hits the…) some thought and I found this very interesting web site:
http://www.andygraham.net/railrod/AndyKeithRide.htm
As you can see this guy has invented a side by side recumbent bicycle that can not only go on the road but it can also go on railroad tracks. Both riders can pedal. As I looked at this vehicle I realized that it could be modified in a number of ways. It could be modified to add cargo racks. It could be modified to add a golf cart electric motor with deep cycle batteries for power. A canopy could be added on top to keep the sun off of the riders. Also attached to the canopy could be solar cells that could be used to recharge the deep cycle batteries. Solar cells have become more efficient and cheaper in recent years.
Anyway such a vehicle would be potentially an excellent recreational vehicle now, and then later an excellent bug-out vehicle.
Anyway here is an idea. Perhaps you could contact this guy and make a deal to sell his plans for this vehicle on your web site. Possibly pay him a royalty. Maybe you have an associate that would be interested in building this vehicle. I would be willing to help with the design of the electrical and electronic parts. I thought this, if done right, could potentially increase your revenue. I know I would be willing to buy a set of plans, or subcomponents to build a vehicle like this one.
Anyway its just an idea. Thanks for your time. Best of Luck, – S.W.