Beretta 92FS Stainless, by Pat Cascio

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In 1985, the US military adopted a new handgun for our warriors, and right from the beginning, and even through today, the Beretta Model 92FS (M9/M9A1) continues to get criticism from all sides, for any number or real or imagined reasons. I won’t go into all the details, on this, you can find article after article about the Beretta 92FS on the Internet – some people simply have nothing better to do with their lives, other than to complain about things – anything – based on their wild imagination. The number one complaint was, and still is, we switched from the 1911 .45 ACP handgun, to the Beretta Model 92 FS that “only” fires the “puny” 9mm round. There is a little bit of truth to the fact that, the .45 ACP with FMJ ammo is a better stopper, compared to the 9mm FMJ round. However, it still comes down to proper shot placement. For years, I swore by the .45 ACP in a 1911 as the do all round for self-defense. However, with better bullet designs now available, the FBI says the .45 ACP, .40 S&W and 9mm rounds are all just about identical when it comes to stopping power. Many police departments in the USA were sold on the .40 S&W, however many are now switching back to the 9mm.

Most militaries in the free-world issue handguns chambered in 9mm, so the US military isn’t going to switch back to the .45 ACP anytime soon. Plus, as a member of NATO, we are required to use the 9mm round – simple as that – cry all you like about it, but we’re not changing to a different handgun caliber anytime soon.

There was some controversy about the slide cracking and coming apart on the Beretta M9 early on. Yes, it’s true, but most people weren’t interested in hearing the facts. The matter is, those guns were firing some very hot ammo, and sooner or later, any 9mm handgun is going to break. The ammo being used in those guns were SMG rounds – they were hotter than +P rounds by quite a bit, and the early M9 handguns couldn’t handle the high pressures being generated. This was through no fault of Beretta, it was the ammo. However, to settle the matter, Beretta added a huge “button safety” in the frame of the gun, that wouldn’t allow the slide to fly into the face of the user, if the slide broke. Beretta stayed on top of this and still do.Continue reading“Beretta 92FS Stainless, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Potato Pancakes

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The following Potato Pancakes recipe is from The New Butterick Cook Book, by Flora Rose, co-head of the School of Home Economics at Cornell University. It was published in 1924. A professional scan of that 724-page out-of-copyright book will be one of the bonus items in the next edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick. This 15th Anniversary Edition USB stick should be available for sale in the third week of January, 2021.

Ingredients
  • 2 cups grated potato
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • Milk
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Onion Juice
Directions

Scrub and pare the potatoes and grate them into cold water to keep them from discoloring. Drain well and to every two cups of potato allow one beaten egg, two tablespoons of flour and sufficient milk to make a stiff batter. Season with salt, pepper and onion-juice [to taste]. Cook in a frying-pan with hot fat to the depth of about one-half inch. A large spoonful of batter makes a good-sized cake. Cook until well brown and crisp.

SERVING

Serve as a vegetable with meat and gravy. Especially good with a stew.

—

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

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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 tightening consumer credit. (See the Economy & Finance section.)

Precious Metals:

Trend reversal in silver is coming: TD Securities bets long on silver

o  o  o

Gold Price Forecast – The Strong Bearish Signs From Palladium And Platinum

o  o  o

US Bank’s Haworth: rising Fed balance sheet should support gold prices

Economy & Finance:

The New York Times reports:

Unemployment in U.S. Unexpectedly Fell in May: Live Updates. An excerpt:

“The job market unexpectedly reversed its free fall in May as employers brought back millions of workers after pandemic-induced layoffs and the unemployment rate declined.

Tens of millions remain out of work, and the unemployment rate, which fell to 13.3 percent from 14.7 percent in April, remains higher than in any previous postwar recession.”

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: Trump Says He Will Ask Congress To Pass More Stimulus As He Praises V-Shaped Recovery

o  o  o

Issuers may reduce credit limits for some cardholders amid coronavirus pandemic. JWR’s Comments: If the Powers That Be want to kill the economy, then there is no better way than to contract the availability of consumer credit. Home mortgages, HELOCs, and credit card limits have all been tightened in recent weeks. The fix may be in, to assure that a Democrat takes the White House, in November.

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: Fed Tapered QE Helicopter Money for Wall Street Further: MBS Fell. Treasuries Barely Rose. Liquidity Swaps & Repos Stalled.

o  o  o

Ads another from Wolf: Treasury Market Smells a Rat: Steepest Yield Curve Since 2017 Despite QE. JWR’s Comment: A steepening yield curve can be a sign of inflation ahead!

o  o  o

And over at CNBC: Mortgage demand from homebuyers jumps 18%, as interest rates set another record low

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — June 7, 2020

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Important Note:

SurvivalBlog’s host site will be physically moving to a new server in the next day or so. During the move, we will be assigned a different IP address. You do not need to change anything in your browser, but the site will be down while the move is in progress. We will endeavor to keep the downtime as short as possible. – HJL

—

June 7th, 1967 was the day of Jerusalem’s redemption from foreign governments in the Six Day War, placing it back under Israeli sovereign control after having been occupied for over 2,500 years. This was in accord with the UN General Assembly’s vote in 1948.

And on June 7th, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed to the Continental Congress a resolution calling for a Declaration of Independence.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 89 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any 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 (an $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, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. 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).
  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. 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.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. 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 89 ends on July 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.

Relocation In Catastrophes – Part 2, by J. of T.

19

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

PREPPING WITH A DOZEN OR MORE PLANS (PLAN A, B, C….. C1, C2, Z1)

Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. This precept works in business, in missions, and in prepping. I have at least a dozen plans! I also have at least that many meeting points, encase of emergency events (tornadoes, earthquakes or civil unrest). I have numerous family defense features and I’m adding new ones every month. For example, if your electronic intrusion detection and firearms fail you (and sometimes they can, in extreme weather), you’ll want a loyal dog. Or several dogs. Bear spray is great, and so is Mace. I’m trying to connect to the pragmatic wisdom of God for the times. I don’t care if other Christians (often too theoretical and idealistic) condemn me for trying to “build my ark.” Just about every major leader in the Bible was totally mocked. David’s own brother insulted David, just before he brought down Goliath! (1 Samuel 16-18) You’ll get a number of nasty insults for merely obeying God’s Word for your family. Get used to it.

This year, we are planning record camping trips. First for two-day (overnight) trips. Then 3-5 days. And then a week. Getting out there, target practicing, fishing and starting camp fires. Shooting the .22 and sighting in our deer rifles. Dealing with food prep, human waste and water purification. These simple skills are critical, in the times ahead.

IT’S NOT FEAR TO PREPARE FOR HARDSHIP = IT’S FAITH

Wise families see troubling times, and prepare themselves accordingly. It takes great faith to be like Noah and hear God’s Word…. and act upon it! Imagine the mockery, scorn and contempt from people watching Noah! The Bible records this, and for brevity i’m bypassing it.

I don’t want you to simply take the Scriptures in this essay and take “my word for it.” I want you to seek God and find Him in the ways we’ve found Him. People are finding Christ live in Africa. In the Middle East. In Alaska and North America. I became tired of other people’s “interpretations.” I wanted to know God for myself.

Honestly, much of the Western church has been rendered useless by wandering into idealism. They major on doctrinal theoretics and not practical skills or service. Very similar to socialism where they “talk a lot about good things and social change” but they do… nothing. You’ll notice this in the lives of socialists — many of them have good intentions (even Bernie Sanders supporters). But on average, they tend to be the stingiest and/or laziest persons in the culture. They have a selfish “what’s in it for me?” type mentality. I’m painting a generalization about extreme left wingers, with a broad stroke. There are many exceptional conservative Christians. They usually are the most generous, statistically speaking.

President John F. Kenndey said: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask yourself ‘what can I do for my country?’”

Every single hero of Biblical faith faced scorn from friends, family and culture. There is not one who gained the approval of the society. Not one, including Jesus Christ. The fickle culture around you will applaud you when you do what they expect. They love when they hear what they want! The same people will cry “crucify” when you upset their status quo and social norms. Get used to it, and don’t take it personally! If they did this to Jesus Christ, than must accept it when it touches our lives.Continue reading“Relocation In Catastrophes – Part 2, by J. of T.”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

41

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 China’s Orwellian facial recognition camera network.

Pandemic Will Cause Businesses to Flee Large Cities

The editors of Wolf Street recently posted this: The “Post-Plague” Office: There Could be Quite a Run on the Suburbs. Related news: How People and Companies Feel About Working Remotely. Here is a snippet:

“Every thinking company in America is drawing up war plans to double the office square footage allocated to its employees. They know they must not only make their employees safe but also feel safe. Plans include more private offices, less density in open areas and making hallways, exits and other pinch points unidirectional. The long dining table approach with headphoned workers cheek by jowl is now a relic.

Bottom line, if half the employees stay home, but the footage is doubled for everyone else, you’ve achieved an equilibrium. Your tenants’ space needs stay roughly constant.”

39 Injured in Chinese Kindergarten Knife Attack

Tim J. sent us this: At least 39 injured in knife attack at China kindergarten

No Guns For You: The West Palm Beach “Emergency”

Several readers mentioned this news: West Palm Beach declares State of Local Emergency. Here is an excerpt:

“The city of West Palm Beach declared a State of Local Emergency on Sunday just as local protests took a destructive turn.

‘There is reason to believe that there exists a clear and present danger of a riot or other general public disorder,’ wrote Mayor Keith James in his proclamation.

During a State of Local Emergency, the sale of firearms and alcohol is prohibited. Stores also cannot intentionally display ammunition or guns. It’s also against the law to possess a firearm in a public place.”

JWR’s Comment: Since when is the right to keep and bear arms conditional? I have an emphatic message for Mayor Keith James: “Lex Mala, Lex Nulla.” I’m also making a promise:  I will continue to ship antique cartridge guns from my online store to any SurvivalBlog readers who live in West Palm Beach. I’ll even give you folks a 15% discount. And I’ll do the same for the residents of any other city where similar edicts are made, that abrogate state and Federal constitutional rights. Just contact me via e-mail, and I’ll make arrangements to send you what you need, post haste.Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men

But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” – Titus 3: 1-11(KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — June 6, 2020

3

The 6th of June is remembered for both D-Day and for the birth of Dieudonné Joseph Saive (born 1899.) He was the designer of many well-known firearms including the Browning Hi-Power, the FN49 and co-designer (along with Ernest Vervier) of the very popular FN-FAL, which was issued to the militaries of more than 90 countries.

Also on this day in 1949, George Orwell’s novel of a dystopian future, Nineteen Eighty-Four was published. The novel’s all-seeing leader, known as “Big Brother,” became a universal symbol for intrusive government and oppressive bureaucracy.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 89 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any 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 (an $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, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. 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).
  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. 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.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. 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 89 ends on July 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.

Relocation In Catastrophes – Part 1, by J. of T.

24

Editor’s Introductory Note:  The author has a Christian worldview, and many years of experience as a missionary. He applies these to his family preparedness. Whether you are a Christian or not, you will probably find this article useful.

—

Lot was Abraham’s brother. He is mentioned in Genesis 14-19. He also receives honorable mentions in the New Testament. The Holy Scriptures don’t even hide his failures or his sin. I love God’s Word because its is brutally honest. It’s like having a best friend tell you the good and the bad about our life.

Lot’s life is an example of how God can keep and save families bearing His name. Albeit, Lot’s strategic relocation is “cutting it close.” That’s an understatement. No one should ever put off or procrastinate critical decisions involving family security and safety.

Lot’s family was saved by God. Our Lord has mercy upon all who call out to Him. He is our solid rock. All other ground is sinking sand.

History of ANCIENT CITIES Has MODERN APPLICATION

It’s important to note that cities like Ninevah, Sodom and Tyre had prosperity. They also had vice and moral extremes. To see an important Biblical insight on the city states of Sodom read Ezekiel 16:49 (posted below). The Biblical prophets deeply probed the roots of moral and spiritual decay. No other words are higher or trustworthy than Scriptures apostles and prophets. They have no equal. No one can overturn or outdo their true calling. Their words and their lives speak forever. (See Hebrews 11).

Lot knew the dangers of living in a populated area with moral extremes. The cities are like magnets that allure and attract. Youth and college kids love metropolitan areas. This presents a formidable challenge to us in modern times. The lessons from Genesis 19 display the unparalleled wisdom and God’s mercy. In the VERY same story! The New covenant also declares Lot’s history and sudden relocation.

Many people live like Lot, 2020. Lot knew the spiritual and physical dangers in the cities he frequented. He chose to ignore God’s prior warnings. Even though he knew the rampant lawlessness governing the regions. Lot’s family was suddenly extricated by angels. Truly, none of us want to experience such sudden loss or forced relocation!  (See Genesis 19:12 and 2 Peter 2:7)

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO HEAD FOR THE HILLS!

We live in exciting times. More dramatic transformation has occurred in the last 10 years, than the previous 500 years. After two full decades in foreign missions (North America, Alaska, Canada, Africa and the Middle East), my attitude has changed. I’d also state that the point of foreign missions is to transform the missionaries, not just “save souls.”

I’d say that overseas missions work is similar to strategic relocation or homesteading. The only difference is how much you talk (or declare) the Gospel. Some people are not called to be talkers, but doers of God’s wisdom. These can be more persuasive than many pulpit ministers. We are all invited to live lifestyles that embrace God’s Word, in humility. God doesn’t coerce or enforce like Marxism and global collectivism. He invites, He woos and He gently forewarns. He guides and He protects. But when God’s gentle proddings are ignored, He later sends visible judgements or cataclysms. This was seen in Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19). Sometimes those judgements are overt, but other times its just “sowing what was reaped.” Indirect consequences of decades of disobedience, all reaped suddenly.Continue reading“Relocation In Catastrophes – Part 1, by J. of T.”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

80

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. Note that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

This week, while out of state to gather inventory and to assist an elderly relative, I’ve been keeping busy. Starting on Wednesday, I have been stripping, sanding, priming, and painting the very heavy duty deer guard bumper on our SUV. The bumper was made by the skillful folks at Reunel, down in California. This bumper has served us well for more than eight years. It has surely saved us from thousands of dollars in collision repairs. (Deer collisions are very common, in our region.)  But it was starting to show its age. So it was time for this rust removal and repainting project.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

3

“And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.” – 1 Chronicles 12:32 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — June 5, 2020

2

On June 5, 1851, Harriet Beecher Stowe published the first installment of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in The National Era. She was the sister of firebrand abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher.

—

A reminder:  The SurvivalRealty Berkey Water Filter Giveaway will end with a drawing on Sunday, June 7th. So get your entries in, soon.  Note that there are ways to qualify for multiple chances to win this great stainless steel water filter.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 89 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any 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 (an $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, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. 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).
  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. 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.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. 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 89 ends on July 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.

Introduction to Beekeeping – Part 3, by K. in Tennessee

6

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.)

V – The Bees

Apis milifera is the Latin name we’ve given the bug we call the “Honeybee”. Not to be confused with the bumble bees, wood bees, sweat bees, and other pollinators we share this planet with. It is a specific breed and different than the other small bees you come across in your environment. It took me several years before I could visually discern the difference, and there are even differences within the types of honeybees. Much like dog breeding, it is becoming a whole additional avenue in the hobby.

All bees produce honey. It is their food store for winter (and what they feed their kids!) Apis milifera has been domesticated because of its willingness to, docile nature, abundant honey production, and ease of management. These bees have been bred and maintained around the world for centuries. As with most domestic animal supply there are concerns about in-breeding. Lately there have been some new varieties introduced, and several other ‘strains’ being monitored and developed. It really is an exciting time to be in the hobby as there is a lot of new research and information coming out. Far beyond the scope of this article, it is one of the things that I find entertaining: there is a lot of new information coming out constantly.

The most affordable way to acquire bees (capturing swarms aside) is to purchase a package. Bees are usually offered as packages or Nucs (short for ‘Nucleus Hive’), with a queen marked or un-marked. The local clubs here do a group-buy of package bees every spring, or you can order them shipped to your door. A package of bees typically includes ~ 3 lbs. of mixed bees (all ages) and a queen in a separate container called a “queen cage”. The ‘package’ is a cage about the size of a shoebox, wood framed with wire mesh or plastic, and buzzing like all get out! If you have them shipped to you, call your local shipper’s office ahead of time to let them know. They will be very appreciative of you picking them up ASAP (and you’ll want to get them quickly too, rather than bouncing around in the back of your local delivery vehicle all afternoon).

Nucleus hives are small little hives (typically 4 frame mediums) where the bees and queen are already mixed and established. With the current precautions due to the Chinese Kung-Flu I would not ship at this time – people are receiving dead packages because the carrier applied disinfectant to the entire container. I’ve only ever purchased packages that were picked up and never once had a problem. I recommend purchasing a package through your local club or find a distributor reasonably close and make a day of going to pick them up! I recently took a 3.5 hr. ride over the mountains to pick mine up, it was a fantastic day trip, gorgeous countryside! The dog and I had a blast!Continue reading“Introduction to Beekeeping – Part 3, by K. in Tennessee”