Preparedness Notes for Saturday — March 6, 2021

Today is the birthday of Georg Johann Luger (March 6, 1849 – December 22, 1923). He was the Austrian designer of the famous Luger pistol and the 9×19mm Parabellum pistol cartridge.

March 6th was the birthday of Leroy Gordon “Gordo” Cooper Jr., born in 1927 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. This U.S. Air Force pilot and astronaut was aboard Mercury 9 and Gemini 5. Cooper had his exploits well documented in Tom Wolfe’s book The Right Stuff, and in the well-done film of the same name. Cooper died at age 77 from heart failure at his home in Ventura, California, October 4, 2004.

Coincidentally, this is also the birthday of Valentina Tereshkova (born 1937), a Soviet cosmonaut and the first woman in space (aboard Vostok 6). She was born in Maslennikovo, USSR.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 93 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. 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  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. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 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!

Round 93 ends on March 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.

The Long Range Game – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1.)

Mauser Models, and Excessive Head Space

Small Ring (M1893-96) Mausers made in Germany can usually be safely loaded to a maximum pressure of 46,000 CUP. This rule applies to rifles also made in Sweden that used arguably higher grade Swedish steel available at that time. Mauser rifles were at first made only in Germany. Mauser sold essentially the same model with minor modifications, chambered for different cartridges. It is basically the same high-quality rifle that was made to shoot many different cartridges and had minor design differences that the customer requested. It was some like ordering a Chevy model vehicle, that was sold with different accessory packages and nameplates. Some Chevys had a 6-cylinder, and some customers wanted the largest V-8. Correspondingly, the 8x57mm Mauser cartridge versus the economical and low-recoiling 6.5×55 cartridge.

Many Mausers were later made in-country, such as in Sweden, and Spain. Avoid the Spanish Mausers made in Spain, as some of these have inferior metallurgy and tempering. The early-production ones made by teh Ludwig Loewe company of Berlin are much better made. Many examples of La Coruna Spanish arsenal Mausers are found with excess headspace, a serious safety concern. If a cartridge case ruptures, hot gases could escape directly rearward toward the shooter eyes. and face as M93, M95, and M96 Mauser actions do not have a port to allow these gases to escape safely, and away from the face. I personally would only choose Mausers made in Germany and Sweden, as these rifles well-known to be safe.

Reloading Data and Safe Cartridge Pressures for Antique Mausers

When reloading cartridges for these small ring Mausers, particularly the antiques, we should only use load data with pressures measured in Copper Units of Pressure (CUP) used to gauge the rifle action’s strength. This has been used for Mausers made since teh early 1890s. It is a time-tested method. Do not use any load data that does not indicate pressure in other than in CUP. Many newer powders should not be used, because the pressures these powders produce are not measured and recorded in terms of CUP. Many IMR (Improved Military Rifle) powders, and other powders used during the last century were often tested in these cartridges using the original and early techniques. It is a mechanical type of pressure measurement, pressure units in CUP., that has been validated empirically, as safe in these now antique and later-designed cartridges. The modern method that uses PSI (the Pounds per Square Inch pressure unit), is a very different technique, and there is no exact conversion from PSI to CUP, and vice versa. Just stick with tried and true CUP pressure data, and be safe.Continue reading“The Long Range Game – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom via e-mail. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I had a quiet week while traveling out of state. I did my usual blog writing and editing. And I took the time to do some stretching, calisthenics, and an average of 10 miles per day of bike riding. I also added a big batch of percussion revolvers to the Elk Creek Company online store. (Note that I’ll have ordering deactivated until March 31st.  If any of the guns listed interest you, then mark your calendar for the 31st. Note that I expect a big rush of orders for pre-1899 guns, if congress passes their planned private party modern gun transfer ban. (So-called “Universal Background Checks.”)  Now, over to Lily…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.

And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:

And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.

And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.” – Nehemiah 8:1-12 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — March 5, 2021

This is the birthday of Howard Pyle (1853-1911) an influential American book illustrator, painter, and author. He was the mentor of many great American artists including Thornton Oakley, Frank E. Schoonover, Allen Tupper True, and of course his most famous student: N.C. Wyeth.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 93 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. 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  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. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 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!

Round 93 ends on March 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.

The Long Range Game – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

Clearly, the proposed Federal “Universal Background Checks” legislation is going to make it a hassle, if not eventually ‘heck’ to privately acquire post-1898 guns. If they cannot outright remove the Second Amendment, they will create a maze of hurtles to harass us, making it difficult to legally own. In the event that it would be smarter to keep the ‘safe queens’ safe, safe from ‘color of law’ or opportunistic of styled confiscation, pre-1899 antique rifles and handguns might be a part of the arsenal. These are not considered “firearms” by the BATF, and require no paperwork, and can even shipped through the mail — at least to most of thje 50 states.

If I were to be caught hunting, or ‘plinking’ at 400 yards with this rifle while ignoring all their regulations, they might take me to jail, but they would likely have to release me once the rifle is discovered not to be a firearm, but instead an antique. It is the date of manufacture of the receiver that makes it an antique. With some Mauser rifles –such as Swedish, Mexican, and Spanish — the date of manufacture is stamped on the receiver. Less abusive and more knowledgeable officers may accept your argument, and may leave you alone, or perhaps they would only take the rifle, and not you. At least we could buy, or sell these without paperwork. Get a good example and it can be as practical as a modern rifle. And I can own an appreciating asset, and an example of old world craftsmanship that is not just a wall hanger.

There is a fine Ludwig Loewe 1895 Chilean contract rifle that is now in my possession. All I will say is that Santa delivered it one day. That is my story, and I am sticking to it! It is an early-production 1895 model Mauser, made around 1896 in Germany. Although it is not a safe queen, and ordinary in appearance, it is just the way that I like them. This military rifle was ‘sportorized’ by a competent craftsman by altering the military wood, and making key refinements to the mechanism. While thoroughly cleaning and examining the rifle, I discovered that this is a ‘low mileage’ Mauser, that appears to me to have been ‘rearsenaled’, that is, rebuilt and accurized. It is certainly safe to say, that is certainly not worn out, and may have been rebuilt using good parts. It could be that the barrel is a replacement, and/or is only slightly used. To my old eyes, it is nice and shiny bore with sharp rifling, and zero to little discernible throat erosion. And it is cut to an ideal 23.5 inches in length.

The stock was shortened, making the length of pull 13 inches. This happens to be ideal for my short and fat arms. A shorter stock is also better when heavy winter clothing is worn. It improves my ability operate the bolt, improves cheek weld, sight picture, and in general, an improved ability to take better aim. I can quickly and easily operate the bolt to chamber another round without breaking check weld while standing, and shooting ‘off hand’ without a rest. The action is butter smooth and fast. The single-stage Timmey trigger is light and crisp, allowing the shooter to ‘think the shot’. It replaced the original two stage Mauser trigger. A trigger like this, can by itself, greatly improve the accuracy of any rifle.Continue reading“The Long Range Game – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit”

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 Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the looming threat of a Federal Universal Background Checks law. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

The bond worm has turned: Sharp price declines in gold, silver amid firmer USDX, rising bond yields

o  o  o

Sprott: Historic Washout in Bond Market Clearly Impacts Precious Metals

Economy & Finance:

At Zero Hedge: Rickards: The Great Reset Is Here

o  o  o

Reader G.G. flagged this, over at the AIER website: Yes, This Time We’ll Have Inflation, and Here’s Why.

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: Fed’s QE: Assets Hit $7.6 Trillion. Long-Term Treasury Yields Spike Nevertheless, Wall Street Crybabies Squeal for More QE
Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“After having thus successively taken each member of the community in its powerful grasp and fashioned him at will, the supreme power then extends its arm over the whole community. It covers the surface of society with a network of small, complicated rules, minute and uniform, through which the most original minds and the most energetic characters cannot penetrate, to rise above the crowd. The will of man is not shattered, but softened, bent, and guided; men seldom forced by it to act, but they are constantly restrained from acting. Such a power does not destroy, but it prevents existence; it does not tyrannize, but it compresses, enervates, extinguishes, and stupefies a people, till each nation is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid and industrious animals, of which the government is the shepherd.” – Alexis de Tocqueville

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — March 4, 2021

On March 4, 1628, King Charles I of England granted a royal charter to Massachusetts Bay Colony.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 93 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. 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  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. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 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!

Round 93 ends on March 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.

Gear Review: A Recoil Pad and Some Earplugs, by The Novice

In the past, I have written a little about my father’s .30-06. It is a well used Remington 742, manufactured before 1967. It has been my primary deer rifle for many years.

If I remember right, Patrick F. McManus once wrote about previously-hiked-trails becoming gradually longer and steeper, packs becoming heavier, the ground becoming harder to sleep on, and autumn evenings becoming colder. I believe that he attributed these changes to the earth shifting on its axis. Or perhaps they are due to global warming, or even COVID-19. As Mr. McManus mentioned in his story, there is at least one other theory about the cause of this phenomena, but it is too ridiculous to even mention here. In any case, the change seems to have influenced my father’s rifle as well. Over the course of time, it has begun to kick harder and harder.

Eventually, my shoulder got so sore that I decided to seek an alternative. I tested a Browning BAR Mk3 in .243 Winchester as a possible replacement. (See SurvivalBlog, October 27 and 28, 2020). The BAR is a beautiful, durable, and accurate firearm. It has just two drawbacks. One is that it is a bit pricey, with a manufacturer suggested retail price of $1,299. The second drawback is that it lacks a certain sentimental value for me. How can it compete with a rifle that once belonged to my father? In view of these drawbacks, I decided to try another alternative. I decided to try a recoil pad on the old 742.

The Recoil Pad

Since this was an experiment, I decided to go with a slip-on pad, rather than a permanent installation. After reading some customer reviews on Amazon, I decided to go with the Pachmayr Decelerator Slip-On Recoil Pad. It cost $19.89 (a price, by the way, which is quite a bit less than the cost of a BAR Mk3.)

The Decelerator Slip-On Recoil Pad comes in three sizes: small (for stocks 1 ½” to 1 5/8″ wide by 4 3/4″ to 4 7/8″ long), medium (for stocks 1 ½” to 1 3/4″ wide by 5″ to 5 3/16″ long), and large (for stocks 1 3/4″ to 1 7/8″ wide by 5 3/16″ to 5 7/16″ long). Since the stock on the 742 is 1-½” wide by 5 1/4″ long, I ordered size medium. I placed the order on a Friday, and the recoil pad arrived just three days later.

Opening the Package

The Decelerator Slip-On Recoil Pad comes in a simple, clear plastic clam package with a printed cardstock insert containing product and sizing information. It was quick work to open the package and slip the recoil pad out. It was equally quick work to slip the recoil pad onto the stock of the 742. In the past, firing a box of ammo through the 742 was an ordeal that would leave my shoulder battered and bruised. As I prepared to try the new recoil pad, the key question was, “Will this thing tame the recoil of the 742?”

The Range Session

I took the 742 with the recoil pad installed to the range behind my barn to run a box of ammo through the rifle. I fired from a bench rest, since firing from rest tends to be a little more punishing than firing offhand.

It was a beautiful, snowy day in December. The temperature was 29 degrees, with a light snow falling, and little wind. The weather was cooler than it had been at my last range session with the 742, so I was wearing thicker layers of clothing than I had at that previous session. This would tend to help absorb some recoil. I tried to take that into account as I evaluated the effectiveness of the recoil pad.

Since the only characteristic that I needed from the ammo I was using for this particular test was recoil, I decided to use the oldest and least-expensive ammo that I had on hand. I had four rounds of some old, randomly assorted ammo in a box. I supplemented that ammo with 16 rounds of Golden Bear 145 grain Bimetal FMJ Brass Plated Case. I suspected that at least two rounds of the older ammo had corrosive primers, so I made a mental note to give the rifle an extra thorough cleaning after the range session.

The additional distance that the recoil pad added to the length of pull gave the scope slightly too much eye relief. This did not seem to negatively impact the size of my groups or change the point of impact during testing.

Results

The recoil pad was a success. It made shooting the 742 significantly more comfortable. It made it comfortable enough that I have abandoned my search for a new deer rifle. I plan to stick with the good old 742. Initially, I plan to use the recoil pad for the bulk of my range work, but slip it off for the last few shots at the range, and for field use. This will protect my shoulder at the range, while providing a more comfortable length of pull and more appropriate eye relief in the field. If I find that solution to be unsatisfactory in the long run, I will probably shorten the stock of the 742. Then I can use either the slip on recoil pad or add a permanent recoil pad to give me the same length of pull as the 742 currently has without a recoil pad.

[JWR Adds:  I generally advise folks to avoid altering a rifle, to install a recoil pad. That will greatly detract from a gun’s resale value. I cringe whenever I come across a nice old antique gun that has had its stock cut to fit a recoil pad. Before you break out your saw, ask yourself: “What will my great-great-grandchildren think of my decision?” If in doubt, then just use a slipover recoil pad.]

The Earplugs

The ancient Greek epic poem The Odyssey contains many fascinating episodes that have captured the imagination of readers and listeners for millennia. In one of these episodes, Odysseus and his crew must sail past the Island of the Sirens. The beautiful song of the Sirens would irresistibly draw those who could hear them to cast themselves into the sea and swim for shore, only to be crushed on the jagged rocks along the shore by the heavy surf. In order to protect his crew from this dismal fate, Odysseus plugged their ears with beeswax. He commanded the crew, in turn, to bind him to the mast and to refuse his pleas for release as long as they remained within hearing distance of the Island. In this manner, Odysseus became the only human to hear the song of the Sirens and survive. Thus some potential benefits of hearing protection are presented to us in a story that was already ancient even before the cornerstone of the Parthenon was laid.

My most recent experiences with hearing protection are much more prosaic. When I placed the order for the recoil pad reviewed above, the total cost initially came to less than $25. I don’t have Amazon Prime, so I wanted to add a little something to the order to get the total up over $25 in order to get free shipping. I had some SureFire EP3 Sonic Defender earplugs on my wish list, so I added them to the order. At the time when I placed my order, the earplugs cost $12.49.

Surefire EP3 Sonic Defender earplugs are made of soft plastic and are reusable. They have a small channel in the middle of each plug. This channel is designed to allow safe-level ambient sounds and conversations to pass through while filtering out impulse noise like gunshots. There are caps that can be placed over the channels to filter out a higher level of continuous noise. With the filter caps off, the plugs are rated to reduce continuous noise by 11 decibels, while reducing impulse noise above 132 decibels by more than 23 decibels. With the filter caps on, they are rated to reduce continuous noise by 24 decibels, while reducing impulse noise above 132 decibels by more than 37 decibels.

Opening the Package

The earplugs come in a blister pack along with directions, a small case to hold the plugs when not in use, a lanyard that can be used to connect the plugs together, and a small chain that can be attached to a ring on the outside of the case.

The First Range Test

I had invited some friends over for a range day, and decided to give the plugs a try. I inserted them in my ears with the filter caps off. They were quite comfortable. The included retention rings fit my concha bowls quite well and held the plugs securely in place.

It was easy to hold a normal conversation while wearing the plugs with the filter caps off. But as we began shooting, I noticed that the sound of the shots was uncomfortably loud. The plugs did not seem to give me an adequate level of protection against impulse noise. I soon added a pair of ear muffs over the earplugs. Thus my initial subjective opinion was that the earplugs did not perform adequately for range use with the filter caps off.

The Second Range Session

I next tested the earplugs at the range session in which I was testing the Pachmayr recoil pad as reported above. I tried the plugs with the filter caps on this time in order to see if I could get better results. The results were still not satisfactory. My ears began ringing immediately with my very first shot, and I again quickly found it necessary to add ear muffs.

Conclusions

I found the Pachmayr recoil pad sufficient to tame the recoil of my father’s old Remington 742. I am happy that this simple and inexpensive modification will allow me to continue to enjoy hunting with this old friend.

The SureFire earplugs, on the other hand, did not seem adequate for range use. They would have failed to protect Odysseus’ crew, either with the filter caps off or with the filter caps on. They are very comfortable to wear, and may be useful to provide some level of secondary protection under a good pair of ear muffs. But on their own, they do not seem sufficient.

Disclaimer

I did not receive any financial or other inducement to mention any products, vendors, or services in this article.

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, we look at confiscatory expansions to Canada’s black rifle ban.

To Arms! Three Universal Background Check Bills

The good folks at The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) just warned:

“The tyrants just unloaded THREE gun registration bills in the House & Senate. And sources say they could go to a full vote as early as NEXT WEEK.

HR 1446, HR 8, and an as-yet-untitled Senate bill would mandate background checks on ALL firearms transfers, even at gun shows. 

And unfortunately, these bills all have dozens of co-sponsors, including some Republicans who are supporting HR 8!

Worst, Nancy Pelosi is reportedly so determined to pass these sick bills that she’s prepared to bring them to a final vote in a matter of days,”

Please contact your U.S. senators and your congressional representative ASAP both by phone and by e-mail and insist that they oppose this and any other “gun control:” legislation! If your e-mail is being directed to any Senate Republicans, you might include this meme link: https://kapwi.ng/c/9uNWkPHF. (My latest meme.) Please also ask your Senators to oppose the confirmation of Merrick Garland as Attorney General.

Catalytic Converter Thefts Rising

This is probably old news for readers in urban areas, but some suburban or rural  blog readers might not be aware of it: Gone In 60 Seconds: Critical Car Part Swiped At Alarming Rate In US, Fairview PD Nabs Duo

SPLC Wants Biden & Big Tech to Block Funding for ‘Hate’

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: SPLC wants Biden & Big Tech to block online funding for ‘hate groups’. A pericope:

“The Southern Poverty Law Center assists YouTube in policing content on their platform, The Daily Caller had learned in 2018.

The SPLC regularly labels pedestrian conservatives as “hate groups.” SPLC is directly tied to the events of 2012 at the Family Research Center when Floyd Lee Corkins opened fire on members because the SPLC targeted them as a hate group.

To take down groups, the flaggers use digital tools to mass flag content for review. Then the partners guide YouTube in designing algorithms policing the video platform.

Algorithms carry out the overwhelming majority of the content policing on Google and YouTube. The algorithms make for an easy rebuttal against charges of political bias: it’s not us. It’s the algorithm. But actual people with actual biases write, test, and monitor the algorithms.”

Wisconsin Wolf Hunters Exceed State’s Quota

A hat tip to Tim J. for sending this: Wisconsin wolf hunters exceed state’s quota by almost double during abbreviated hunt, DNR confirms.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — March 3, 2021

Today is the birthday of Alexander Graham Bell.

It is also the birthday of actor James Doohan, in 1920. He played Montgomery Scott in the Star Trek television series and films. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He passed away on July 20, 2005.

And this is the birthday of bluegrass musician Doc Watson. (He was born in 1923 and passed away in 2012.) His guitar work was phenomenal.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 93 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. 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  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. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 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!

Round 93 ends on March 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.

Con Te Partiro: Closing Our Comments Section

It is with regret that we’ve decided to close our Comments sections.  It is Con Te Partiro. The existing comments will still be available in the SurvivalBlog archives, but no new comments can be added.

We reached this decision after some prayer and serious deliberation. We concluded that because the spamming and trolling were getting out of hand that the Comments had become a “No-Win Scenario.” It had become a huge time sink and the source of a lot of anxiety. It was very difficult to maintain editorial neutrality, particularly on controversial topics. So, in the absence of Comments, we are now reverting the Old School approach, where you e-mail us letters for possible posting, at our discretion. Please try to stick to just preparedness-related topics in your letters–with a minimum of religion or politics.

Comments Statistics

SurvivalBlog has been posted daily since August of 2005. But the Comments feature was relatively new. Just as a “FYI”, here are some statistics on our archived Comments, since we started allowing them in April of 2017:

  • Approved Comments: 78,943
  • Manually flagged by the editors as spam: 4,396
  • Automatically flagged as spam by Akismet software: 912,120
  • Comments deleted by the editors for various reasons: 406  (.051% of comments)
We STill Want To Hear From You

We look forward to receiving your e-mailed letters. Be advised that we won’t have the space to post all of them in the main blog thread. The highest priority will go to letters that are directly related to family preparedness topics. If your letter isn’t chosen for posting, please don’t feel offended.  A hint: If your letter has great spelling and punctuation, that will make it that much easier for us — and again, it will be more likely to be posted.  Please carefully proofread any letters intended for posting.

Additionally, we plan to start a new compendium column for any e-mailed letter that is too short to publish as an article under a heading perhaps called “Snippets” where we’ll selectively post any short e-mails too short to post as letters and any of your brief observations or helpful hints about any article published in the preceding week. We still very much want to hear from many of you!

You can send your e-mails to me at: james@rawles.to

You can send your e-mails to Avalanche Lily at: lily@survivalblog.com

Please be sure to put “FOR POSTING:” in the subject line if you consent to posting. Alternatively, for private communique, put “NOT FOR POSTING:” in the subject line.

Again, the existing comments will still be available in the SurvivalBlog archives (both online and on the USB sticks), but no more can be added.

We appreciate the many of you who had been regular commenters.  Thank you for all your wonderful contributions.

We look forward to receiving your e-mailed letters!

Thanks! – JWR and AVL

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Understanding the Liberal Thought Process, by Edward

Disclaimer: I’m not a psychologist, just a guy with an interest in human motivations. This essay gives my opinions based on observations and amateur research. Your experiences will differ, and you may disagree.

To begin, two terms require definition for purposes of this essay.

• Virtue is defined herein as a liberal’s moral belief held with such certainty that pressuring society toward greater Virtue justifies any means. The term “Virtue” here is very different from what most consider virtuous. Rather, this type of Virtue represents the epitome of the phrase, “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”
• Reason is best defined through an example: If someone observes the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, Reason says that the sun orbits the Earth. This conclusion, though incorrect, creates the illusion of scientific deduction. Again, the term “Reason” here is far removed from most definitions; it might be better thought of as rationalization, or justifying behaviors by applying inappropriate or fallacious reasons.

Virtue and Reason are key to understanding a liberal mind. Liberals believe that imposing Virtue on others is imperative to improving society. They believe their Virtues are scientifically validated by Reason, regardless of conflicting facts or failed results. In other words, flawed Reason validates their Virtue, which allows rejecting contradictory data, and allows rationalizing the failed outcome — often by blaming others for lacking Virtue.

Case in point: Liberal Virtue says that guns are evil, and observation shows that some people commit violence using guns. Therefore, Reason concludes that gun control will reduce violence, which validates their Virtue. Aside from the obvious logical fallacy that giving up your guns in Idaho would reduce murders in Chicago, liberals reject any data proving the failure of gun control, because accepting those facts would invalidate their Reason and Virtue. To liberals, banning gun ownership is a Virtue worth pursuing, even if doing so fails to reduce violence.Continue reading“Understanding the Liberal Thought Process, by Edward”