Thoughts on a General Purpose AR-15 Rifle – Part 1, by Steve A.

You are a safe and responsible firearms owner. After much research on the web and discussion with friends and family, you have made the decision to purchase or build up a general service AR15 style 5.56/.223 caliber rifle and accept the responsibility of doing so. You have a reasonable budget in mind. Now what? You can certainly go buy a complete factory rifle and do very well with it. However, particularly if you plan to use the rifle for a lot of different uses you may well wish to order it bult to your specifications or build it yourself.
By way of introduction, I have many years of experience with shooting competitively in Service Rifle matches, teaching and coaching marksmanship, hunting, plinking, assembling, repairing, maintaining, and reloading for this model of rifle. I have two different rifle instructor certifications.

I freely admit that my recommendations for a personal rifle like mine are subjective and incorporate my perception of the concept based on my experience and observations. To some extent my rifle was a thought exercise but it has worked very well for my needs. I try to be observant and learn constantly. I will make changes as I see better ideas. Your mileage may vary.

The rifle is used primarily at the ranch for predator control and general rock busting at various unknown ranges. The rifle is carried a lot more than it is shot but is very effective when it is shot. I do take it to Colorado when camping and fishing deep in the wilderness. If you travel with your rifle please note that some states such as Colorado have magazine capacity restrictions. I simply use 10-round magazines when in Colorado.

[JWR Adds This Clarification:  Residents can possess and use 16+ round magazines in Colorado, per CRS 18-12-302. But with this state law that went into effect on July 1, 2013, they cannot be bought or sold. The law’s grandfather clause allows high-capacity magazines an individual possessed on or before the date the law went into effect and which someone has continually maintained possession.]

This rifle model has very good practical accuracy. The great ergonomics, low recoil, decent trigger, and optics make it easier to shoot and hit the intended target. Ultimately marksmanship is far more important than the cartridge used.Continue reading“Thoughts on a General Purpose AR-15 Rifle – Part 1, by Steve A.”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, another tale of woe from the disarmed English populace.

A British Prepper Arrested for Gun Possession

Here is some typically breathless reporting from the UK: Dover doomsday ‘prepper’ hoarded 17 guns and thousands of bullets. A quote:

“While a person can legally hold up to 2,000 .22 bullets, police counted 2,300.”

JWR’s Comments:  Unless this gent was a handloader, they must have meant cartridges, not bullets. Did the reporter realize that .22 ammo typically comes packed in cartons (or “bricks”) of 500, and that 2,300 rounds will fit in a shoebox? Just as a point of reference, I had more than 3,000 .22 cartridges stored before I reached my 16th birthday.  My parents would buy it for me in increments of four or five bricks at a time, when it went on sale. That is what I always asked for, for birthday and Christmas presents. Standard .22 LR cartridges were then just 1.5 cents per round. Nowadays, they are closer to 10 cents per round.

Fentanyl and Meth Now Driving American Homeless Crisis

Reader Tim J. mentioned this FoxNews segment: Fentanyl and a stronger form of meth now driving American homeless crisis.

Arrests in Ring Doorbell ‘Swatting’ and Livestream Scheme

Reader C.B. sent this from FoxNews: Ring doorbell ‘swatting’ and livestream scheme leads to charges for pair from Wisconsin, North Carolina.
Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Truly, whoever is able to make you absurd is able to make you unjust.” (This quote is often contemporarily paraphrased in this amplified form: “Anyone who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”) – Voltaire

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — December 21, 2022

On December 21, 1620, William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims landed on what is now known as Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

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Today marks the Winter Solstice.  We can be encouraged to know that starting tomorrow, the days will be getting longer, here in the northern hemisphere. Officially, this is the first day of winter, but the weather has been “wintery” here in our valley for more than six weeks. We now have a foot and a half of compacted snow on the ground. Yesterday we woke up to some bitter cold.  Tomorrow’s expected high temperature is -1 degree Fahrenheit! So now it really feels like deep winter!

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

IT Careers and Rural Living, by M.J.

I’m writing this as an expansion of JWR’s article posted on December 8, 2022. As he noted, many office jobs can now be done from home.

This article is about how I got started in my career in Infomation Technology (IT). While bumpy at times, IT has really paid off for me financially. I hope that my article will inspire some readers to follow a similar path, which may allow them to escape the dysfunctional cities. For those who are already living in rural America, read on to find out about another way to earn income.

I got started in IT four years ago when I was working in a non-sworn capacity for a large municipal law enforcement agency in California. After I decided that I didn’t have the desire or the right personality to become sworn, I started looking for another path.

One of my cousins, who is now the president of a managed-services provider on the East Coast, suggested that I obtain the CompTIA A+ certificate. The Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) A+ is the gateway certificate to many other IT career paths, such as networking and security. The certificate I just passed is CompTIA Data+. If you want to start at the very beginning — if you know absolutely nothing about computers, or you’re not sure if a career in IT is right for you – then get the CompTIA IT Fundamentals certificate.

I took a leave of absence from the agency to study for the exam. I passed on the first try. It took a few months to get my first IT job. My first IT job, which paid about the same as my job with that law enforcement agency, consisted mainly of imaging computers. Imaging is when a suite of programs is put together on an operating system (usually Windows 10 or 11) in a custom manner for a company and then installed on computers to be used by that company. The image was put on the warehouse server and we imaged about 30-50 computers at a time. We also put asset tags on the computers – these are stickers which say “Property of…” and a serial number.Continue reading“IT Careers and Rural Living, by M.J.”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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Tim J. suggested this great video essay from Reid Henrichs (pictured): There is a Reason This Government Wants Us Disarmed, And It’s Not for Safety.

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Some troubling news: Latest Twitter Files Bombshell: The Deep State Is Really a Tangled Collaboration of State Agencies, Private Contractors, and NGOs. JWR’s Comment: Any government agency dictating the censorship of an individual or group is a gross violation of the First Amendment!

o  o  o

A thought-provoking conversation on prepping: So you want to KICK IT OFF you say?

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Reader JMD mentioned:

“If you include any drone weighing over 250g (.55lbs) as part of your kit (as discussed in numerous articles on SurvivalBlog), the US government now requires that your drone now broadcast an ID, location, altitude, control station location and elevation, and other information. Note that this is in addition to all of the information the drone manufacturers probably already collect. This is a good argument for sticking with lighter drones or, if you’re technically inclined, learn how to build your own drones.”

o  o  o

C.C. found this at AgWeb: If You ‘Doctor’ Livestock, a New Rule will Determine How or If You can Buy Antibiotics. JWR’s Comment:  Stock up!

o  o  o

SaraSue sent this snippet:

“The last month has been a whirlwind of adversity, which has only strengthened my Faith in the Almighty.  My youngest daughter had an emergency C-section due to pre-eclampsia.  Both mother and beautiful (over 9 lbs!) baby are doing well.  Praise God.  I am taking care of the 3 Littles until their mother and father are able.  My “good well” seemingly failed in the middle of all this, and I’m having to have water hauled in until I can get a new well drilled, or the Lord heals the well, whichever comes first.  The new siding on the house was finally completed and it’s beautiful.  The milk cow is still not bred after 3 attempts at A.I.  I made the executive decision to bring another cow/calf pair to the farm, which will help with the diminishing milk production and heat detection for the first milk cow, and provide beef from the new bull calf who will be “steered” and grown out for a year.  The seller has graciously offered to hold the pair for me.  The first calf, a heifer and future milk cow, is 7 months old, doing very well, and is promised to a family member.  But, first, the water situation must be resolved.  One great thing about this much difficulty all at once, is that I’m totally tuned out of the world news which is seemingly dire, and tuned in to the Lord’s will for my farm and family.  I covet your prayers as we wade through each day in victory, not despair.  I’ve shed a few quiet tears.

Isaiah 40:31: “But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.””

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — December 20, 2022

On December 20th, 1606, the Virginia Company loaded three ships with settlers and set sail to establish Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Upgrade Your Bug Out Bag’s Batteries, by Kevin Berg

I recently finished reading another set of doom and gloom novels. I like these stories as they give me ideas of what to do or options to consider if the need arises. After I put the book down, I thought about the equipment that was used and if it was relevant to my needs. I pulled out my go bag and dumped out the contents. What a revelation to see some of my mistakes. There were three major areas of potential catastrophe. The first was that I had the wrong clothing for the season at hand. The second issue was the spoiled and leaking food. The third area involved my selection of batteries for things like a light and small radio. Most of them were dead. This needed to be remedied.

There is no point in having a survival bag if you could not survive on the contents. To remedy this problem, I have made reminders on the wall calendar to review the contents of my bags every three months. That will take care of the clothing and food items. I needed to think about my battery selections. I did not provide any recharging ability without access to 120-volt AC power. I started researching what was available and what would be easily rechargeable on the trail.

Switching to Lithium

The best solution for me was to switch over to Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries. At the end of this article, I will include some links to various batteries and chargers that I found on Amazon.com. You may find better sources in your research. I was surprised to find 134a and button batteries available in Li-Ion, and chargers for those were also available. I found the following sizes: 18650, 14500, cr123a, and 2032 button cells, along with C, D, and 9-volt batteries. I did not need the C, D, and 9 volts batteries in my bag, but I have uses for these batteries at home. The C, D, and 9-volt batteries can be connected and charged using a USB cable. They have either a pop-up top or a USB port on the side to allow for the cable to be connected. The charge control circuit was built inside the battery. One note to mention about the 9-volt battery is that it does not charge up to a full 9 volts but a little under. So if your electronic gear is sensitive to reduced voltage, then this may not work for you.Continue reading“Upgrade Your Bug Out Bag’s Batteries, by Kevin Berg”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, news of the extremely low temperatures expected this week in Wyoming. (See the Wyoming section.)

Idaho

New Surveillance Footage Revealed in the Stabbing of University of Idaho Students.

o  o  o

Made in Idaho: Shopping local for the holidays.

o  o  o

Old construction equipment leaks oil into Lake Coeur d’Alene, again.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

Preparedness Notes for Monday — December 19, 2022

December 19th is the birthday of physicist Albert A. Michelson (born 1852, died May 9, 1931), who was the first American to be awarded a Nobel Prize in science, for measuring the speed of light. I’m related to the Michelson family by marriage, so his name often came up when discussing family history.

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On Dec 19, 1776, Thomas Paine published “American Crisis”. Paine wrote:

“These are the times that try men’s souls; the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

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We’ve had several readers write us to ask us about the ordering availability of our waterproof USB archive thumbdrive sticks. Rest assured that we create a new edition every January, with another year of archives and even more bonus content. These USB sticks never omit anything from previous years. They only get larger. Starting with the upcoming 2005-2022 Archive, this will have to be on a 24 GB stick. That will leave you lots of room available to store your important documents and family photos, to have available in your bugout bag. Please mark your calendar to check our ordering page on January 28th, 2023. As usual, supplies will be limited, so be sure to get your order in by February 15th.

The additional bonus books planned for the new edition of the archive USB stick will include:

  • Construction and Repair Work for the Farm, by F. Theodore Struck
  • Great Poems of the English Language (1,500 pages!)
  • How to Make Baskets, by Mary White
  • Orcharding, by Victor Ray Gardner
  • Practical Plant Propagation, by Alfred Hottes
  • The Practical Book of American Antiques
  • Beyond Khyber Pass, by Lowell Thomas
  • The Royal Road to Romance, by Richard Halliburton
  • Amateur Gunsmithing, by Townsend Whelen
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Today’s feature article is a review written by Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

We are in need of articles for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Bear OPS Rancor II Pattern 400, by Thomas Christianson

I carry a knife every day. There are always boxes to open, ropes to cut, carpenter’s pencils to sharpen, and a host of similar tasks.

Recently, I had the opportunity to test the Bear OPS Rancor II Pattern 400 as an everyday carry (EDC) knife. I found it sharp, light, easy to open, with a comfortable and nicely textured grip, and a secure locking mechanism. It is made in America by Bear & Son Cutlery of Jacksonville, Alabama. With a manufacturer suggested retail price of $104.99 and availability from various online vendors for around $70, it is an attractive and reasonably priced option. I like it a lot.

Initial Impressions

The knife arrived from Bear & Sons via FedEx Ground in a USPS First-Class package. Inside the shipping box, wrapped in bubble paper, was a nice Bear OPS product box.

The product box informed me that the knife is “Made in USA”. It also advised me to “Handle with care! Products are sharp!” It is sad to live in a society that is so litigious that a knife manufacturer feels compelled to warn customers that their products are sharp.

Inside the product box, the knife was in a black satin bag with red drawstrings. The overall effect was very nice, but it revealed that I am a grumpy old man. I like product boxes to be sturdy enough to safely contain the product while being inexpensive enough to avoid diverting resources that should be focused on making the product better. To my curmudgeonly eyes, the satin drawstring bag represented a victory of style over substance.

The Rancor II’s black G-10 handle was a very comfortable size and shape. Over the course of the testing period, I found the texturing on the handle to provide excellent grip characteristics under a variety of weather conditions.Continue reading“Bear OPS Rancor II Pattern 400, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Sweet and Sour Lentils Over Rice

The following flexible recipe is from SurvivalBlog reader D.G.

D.G. writes: “This Sweet and Sour Lentils Over Rice recipe is a variation on something that my wife found online, back in the early AOL days of the Internet.  This is one way that we use up some of our storage food stocks. When you combine legumes and rice, you get a complete protein that your body can digest and use just as well as it does meat.

Note: This recipe can be scaled up or down, depending on how many people you are serving.  Plan on 3/4 cup of lentils and 1 cup of rice for each adult.

This recipe takes just 40 minutes to prepare and cook. Your supper is ready once the rice has cooked through to softness.”

Seasoning Ingredients
  • 1 onion, diced and sautéed
  • ¼ cup of pineapple juice, or you may substitute apple juice
  • ¼ c. apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. honey OR ¼ c. sugar
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed

(The seasonings can be doubled if serving a large group.)

Directions

Rinse the rice. Put it in a saucepan or in an electric rice cooker. The ratio to use is 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water.  Add salt, to taste. Begin cooking rice for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the variety.  Set the rice aside, hot, with the lld on.

To cook the lentils: Add 1 cup of lentils to 3 cups of water. Let them simmer for 20 to 22 minutes.

While that is simmering, sauté the onion. Once that is done, combine the onion with the juice, vinegar, honey or sugar), and garlic.

Heat the seasonings mixture together with the lentils until they are bubbling.

SERVING

Serve the seasoned lentils on a bed of rice.

An Asian-style salad or some raw vegetables and a tasty dip will make it a complete meal.

STORAGE

Leftovers can be stored refrigerated for up to three days.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the likely recession in 2023. (See the Economy & Finance section.)

Precious Metals:

Michael Pento: Fiscal and Monetary Policy Shocks.

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Video interview: Gold is ready to ‘explode’, 2023 will be a ‘commodities boom’ – Todd Bubba Horwitz.

Economy & Finance:

China’s retail sales shrink far more than expected, while industrial production disappoints. JWR’s Comment: This looks like the harbinger of a global recession, folks.

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Recession drumbeat gets louder as more U.S. CEOs strike mellow note for 2023.

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At Wolf Street: Retail Sales Hit by Price Drops in Durable Goods, Gasoline. But Sales Rose where Prices Rose: Restaurants, Grocery & General Merchandise Stores.

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MarketWatch: Stock-market investors now fear recession more than inflation. Here’s why.

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Deutsche Bank: World Outlook 2023: Is recession looming?

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The Economist: Why a global recession is inevitable in 2023.

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The Two Largest Foreign Holders Dumped US Treasuries In October, Record Annual Equity Outflows.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”