Taurus G2C and G2S, by Pat Cascio

A quick test: Who is the largest maker of handguns in the free world? Nope, you’re wrong if you guessed anyone except Taurus Firearms. Most people would have probably guessed Ruger, Smith & Wesson, SIG-Sauer, or take your pick. However, Taurus produces more handguns than any other gun company in the world. Then we have the gun buyers who complain that Taurus doesn’t produce good or reliable firearms – and they would be wrong, once again. Look, every gun maker, no matter how good of a company they are, has some “lemons” sneak out the door – it just happens from time-to-time. Truth be told, Taurus has about a 1-to-1.5% return rate on their guns for some reason – and that is pretty low. Many other gun makers have a return rate a bit higher than that. However, when you are manufacturing so many firearms, it would “appear” that you…




The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

…This unit must be thought of as the seed planted for the growing all-gender working-class revolutionary army to carry out the highest point we can aspire to: a revolutionary soldier in the coming Protracted People’s War. The time for activism is over. Now is the time of war.” This type of rhetoric has mostly been reserved to third world countries and now we are seeing it in the U.S. The veneer between civility and savagery is very, very thin anymore. o o o Please send your news tips to HJL. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) These are often especially relevant, because they come from folks who watch news that is important to them. Due to their diligence and focus, we benefit from fresh “on target” news. We often “get the scoop” on news that is most likely ignored (or reported late) by mainstream American news outlets. Thanks!…




Cold Weather Considerations – Part 6, by JM

…isn’t on the button) Tunnel Rabbit Thanks! Finger cots would better than colorful balloons and comes in arctic colors. https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=sspa_dk_detail_6?ie=UTF8&adId=A0596785L37CGAAFG7J1&qualifier=1579472394&id=2631571071378264&widgetName=sp_detail&url=%2Fdp%2FB07XF4HF6Q%2Fref%3Dsspa_dk_detail_6%3Fpsc%3D1%26pd_rd_i%3DB07XF4HF6Q%26pd_rd_w%3DvuEep%26pf_rd_p%3D45a72588-80f7-4414-9851-786f6c16d42b%26pd_rd_wg%3DgPqNY%26pf_rd_r%3DNW7PPQA3SR5ZE8YMVY0H%26pd_rd_r%3D16f66b98-1921-4c54-854d-cd072015adc8 Tunnel Rabbit Even when wiped dry, and then allowed to dry, CLP leaves a thin coating of Teflon and is recommended down to -35 in M16 rifles. Below that temperature, they recommend https://www.armyproperty.com/nsn/9150-00-292-9689. I do not know if this actually works in AR rifles. The manual also instructs to cycle the bolt every 30 minutes to check it’s operation. I would not strip the lubricant out of the rifle with solvents or hot water, without applying some kind of very light lubricant, and wiping it dry with cotton cloth. I’m currently attempting to get up to speed on the AR for cold weather conditions. Here is a good on line manual on the AR: https://www.bevfitchett.us/army-m16a2-rifle/thorough-cleaning.html After removing corrosive salts deposited by some older surplus ComBloc ammunition by pouring hot water…




Generators for Family Readiness – Part 1, by Greg X.

…week or longer, and you come home to a tank down 150 gallons. If you have a critical need for constant power, need power 24/7, need power for farm operations, go for it. Buy a large propane tank though, especially if you have frequent power outages, want to run the set after the SHTF, live in a hot area where A/C is essential, etc. I’m just going to throw away the content of my freezers if the power goes out while I’m on vacation, or maybe my son will come over and fire up a small generator to run the freezers for a couple hours each day. Your $7500 bill buys many freezers full of food. It really depends on your situation, needs, knowledge of electricity, etc. what works best for me may not work for you. The Consultant When it comes to generators, the smaller and simpler the better….




My Solar-Powered Dankoff Slow Pump System – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

…to come by. In my experience with radio, 200 watts during the winter in Montana is my bare minimum. I would like more. Pump Assures a Key Resource This is a time-tested pump, invented in 1983. The wearing parts are said to last 10 years, given a filtered input. It is efficient, and reliable. Time tested. Mine is set up to be portable, and will likely out-last me. If possible, spare parts are recommended, and should be the motor brushes, and a spare pump head. A portable rig can service several small gardens, and would be one of the most important item to go with me should I have to leave. We happen to have surface water everywhere around here in NW Montana. It does, however, require a 10 micron filter. Get a lifetime supply, one for each season, up to 20. Do not use a 5 micron filter, it…




Oviedo M1893 Mauser Short Rifle – Part 2, by The Novice

…excess kerosene. I was happy to note at this point that the bore was now shiny. It had previously been somewhat dark. Then I cleaned the exterior metal surfaces, the bolt, and the bolt face with a kerosene rag. I removed the excess kerosene with a dry patch. Finally, I ran a patch with Breakfree CLP through the bore, and wiped the exterior metal parts and bolt with Breakfree CLP. Conclusions I am very pleased with my M1893 Mauser from Elk Creek Company. It seems to fire 173 grain bullets quite accurately, although it has trouble stabilizing lighter bullets in flight. It is nice to own this interesting, useful, and historic rifle. I am also very pleased with the Caldwell lead sled. It makes sighting in a rifle much easier, and more comfortable. It changes bench rest shooting from being one of the most punishing aspects of shooting a rifle…




Where Do We Go From Here?, by K.M.

…here folks, if I just lost a bunch of you, no matter. Please follow along. Back In The Real World For all of my life, I lived in reality. Not just my reality, not my little version of The Matrix, but the real world, where my view of things bumped into everyone else’s. Newton says for every action, re-action. When my worldview bumped into another, sometimes there was friction and both were impacted. Intellectuals would have conversations about what a good thing it was. ‘Twas a glorious time to be alive…. As I ambled into adulthood, the intramural community sports leagues started with the participation trophies. It was almost universally decried, but ultimately allowed, tolerated, and I shall argue metastasized to it’s current form. Congratulations! We knew it wasn’t a good thing, but we let it happen anyway because fighting against the braying jackasses assuring us it just had to…




Can You Take to the Sky?, by Greg G.

…own plane. Becoming a professional pilot takes a similar but parallel and slightly more difficult route and you need to decide early which one to follow. As salaries have come down significantly, the investment in time and money to become a hirable professional pilot is not really worthwhile nowadays unless you are really passionate about being in the air when you fill your endless paperwork. A good, realistic flight simulator like the defunct Microsoft product or the still very much alive X-Plane 10 will teach you a lot but it is no substitute for the real thing, especially in the early stages. It helps greatly later on, in learning all the procedures. You can get you checklists right and learn how to operate the instruments without having to spend $150 an hour in the plane (or $15,000 an hour if you’re qualifying for a 747) and you can surprise your instructor with your new proficiency, acquired…




Survive or Thrive?, by Sarah M.

…a 40lb+ pack and be effective in the mountains. Experience can make a big difference as to what is carried in the pack. Also, sudden weather changes, difficult terrain and victims with serious injuries can place the rescuer in a rather awkward position. One way the rescuer can keep out of that position is to be prepared to cope with any situation that could come up before it happens. Assistance cannot always be called in or it might take them a long time to getting there so a rescuer should be completely self-sufficient for the duration of the mission. That does not mean that you carry everything but the kitchen sink in your pack…There is no perfect gear. No one backpack can fit everyone’s back. Some gear is especially suited for an individual’s need (or is it wants)…” (Pricket article “The Rescue Pack” www.1srg.org) Organize your gear so that instead…




Get and Use Your Ham Radio License, by Mrs. R.L.B.

…had a lot to learn even after getting the license, including which equipment to acquire and radio and antennae set up.    Despite fears of losing OPSEC, there are ways to manage location issues and I think the benefits of practice now far outweigh OPSEC risks.   Getting the technician license is not “technically” difficult.  For all levels of ham licenses, the technician, general and extra, ham radio stores like HRO (ham radio outlet) have study guides with the questions and the answers in the back.  When taking the test, it will be the same questions from the same question pool.  You can Google your local ham radio clubs to find a point of contact on the exams.  Usually there is a small fee (about $5) for the exam.  After you pass, the examiner will send your application to the FCC and a few days later your license comes.  The license…




Letter Re: Gun Ownership in Chile

…He gave me some example tests, true-false questions, and I went to register for the test. Not being a native spanish speaker, I was a little worried about the exam. It cost about $24 US to get a study book and pay for the test. The exam covered all the separate hunting laws for the country, broken down by state. I had to know the dove daily limits for a region 1,500 miles from my house! Unbelievable. I managed to luck through the test and pass with a 70%, even though none of the test questions given to me by the dealer were on the test– wouldn’t you know it! Once I had my hunting license I returned to the gun dealer/ sport shop. I paid for the gun, and then they took me to the local Chilean army office to register it. On the way, the dealer casually mentioned…




Letter Re: Inexpensive Spare Eyeglasses

…info, but that doesn’t mean they will. Optometrists make their money selling their ability to check your eyes. They’re selling you the eye exam, not the glasses. But they give you the exam “for free”, because you will buy the glasses for hundreds of dollars. The manufacturing itself costs only a few dollars for common glass Also, your prescription is more than what is written on your contact lenses box. You have to know the power of your near / farsightedness, the axis of any astigmatisms, and your pupillary distance. Doctors don’t often give this information on the first try. In support of buying local and supporting independent retailers you may want to pay your optometrist something for their service. I however cannot justify another pair of over-priced specs. Offering to “buy the exam” may be a more honorable way to go. Hope this info is helpful! Best, – N….




The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The desire to confirm the legitimacy of the facially valid firearms permit that Soukaneh presented did not—with nothing more—provide Andrzejewski with probable cause for the half-hour or longer handcuffed detention that occurred. It is uncontested that Soukaneh presented Andrzejewski with a gun license, the legitimacy of which Andrzejewski himself admits he had no reason to question. Moreover, Andrzejewski concedes that he was informed of the facially valid license before Soukaneh told him that he had a gun and specified its location. Andrzejewski does not allege that the permit appeared abnormal in any fashion or that Soukaneh engaged in any suspicious or threatening behavior. On the facts before us, Andrzejewski does not provide an articulable reason why he, or any other reasonable officer, could conclude that there was probable cause to believe that Soukaneh possessed his firearm unlawfully in violation of Section 29-38(a). To find otherwise would consign those validly carrying…




Universal Background Checks and Your Privacy

…wisdom to see through the Democrat smokescreen of “Universal Background Checks”. They could see that it was really just Universal Shackles, for Americans. Interstate Versus Intrastate Any Federal UBC private transfer ban law would be a gross overreach of the Commerce Clause, which limits Federal jurisdiction to regulation of interstate commerce. Intrastate commerce should of course be entirely outside of Federal control, but the courts have stretched it to include intrastate commerce with a “substantial effect” on interstate commerce. The key cases for that expansion were United States v. Darby, 312 U.S. 100 (1941), Wickard v. Filburn, 317 U.S. 111 (1942), and United States v. South-Eastern Underwriters, 322 U.S. 533 (1944). The Supreme Court had recently been bolstered with liberal FDR appointee William O. Douglas and newly-elevated Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone. In the early 1940s the increasingly statist court apparently suffered severe combined fits of “The New Deal Must…




PGP for Preppers- Part 2, by Groundhog Gravy

…access any given email. Speaking in code over the telephone has the same issues. Hitler discovered, in the early days of widespread telephone use, that the subject matter discussed was unimportant. It was the metadata that was valuable. Who spoke to whom and when. And, yes, as JWR commented, having encrypted payloads in all your email, changes the potential “interest level” in your metadata. Mathew Good article. The biggest problem I see is most communication is not coming from our home computers, but from our cell phones. Thus what we really need is an app that allows this method of communication. If its not easy most people won’t do it, or won’t keep doing it. Marcus Drew Really enjoyed this information. I used PGP on a windows maching for several years and have since started more Mac and Linux machines for my day to day work. GPA certainly has a…