Camouflaging Techniques, by Concealed Prepper – Part 1

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When times get bad, and you feel unprotected and exposed, you will want to have camouflage to keep you and your family safe. For some people that may mean just a simple set of BDUs or even just the first camo clothing you see at Walmart. However, that may not be enough. There is a lot more to camouflage and concealment than just these.

Get proper camouflage: you will want some proper mil spec BDUs. These are sturdy and will come in handy for making ghillie suits, holding extra supplies, and recognizing your fellow group members. It is not necessary to get matching camo patterns for your family, but it helps. Be careful of going “Camo Crazy” where you only get camo clothes–even underwear.

Make Your Ghillie Suits

If you get good at concealment, a ghillie suit helps a lot. They take a notoriously long time to make. You may buy ghillie suits, but they will either be very expensive (several hundred USDs) or of low quality. I recommend making your own. You will need a sewing machine or some very strong glue and BDUs (or flat earth tone garments) in a size slightly bigger than you. Including a boonie hat. Even better is to start with a set of oversize military surplus olive drab overalls. They hold on to you very well and in my opinion, are more comfortable. You will also need some tough fish netting or similar material. Try to get the netting holes more than 1 cm in diameter. Find a source for a lot of jute thread or burlap that is in the same tone of your local environment. You may end up using many rolls or just a few depending on how thick you want your jute. Sew or glue on the netting to the BDUs; this will take a long time, but don’t worry if the netting is messy or not straight. Then tie on the jute thread, you should have a large brownish, greenish lump now. Then for a final touch, if you want, drag it around in the dirt a bit. (Be careful not to damage it too much). It will be hot, heavy, and smelly. But it may save your life.
Continue reading“Camouflaging Techniques, by Concealed Prepper – Part 1”

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. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at gun auction realized prices. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Citi: Gold to Hit $1,400 on China, Central Bank Buying

o  o  o

Russia Dumps U.S. Dollars And Buys Gold As “Safety Metal”. A pericope:

“Vladimir Putin’s quest to break Russia’s reliance on the U.S. dollar has set off a literal gold rush. Within the span of a decade, the country quadrupled its bullion reserves, and 2018 marked the most ambitious year yet.

And the pace is keeping up so far this year. Data from the central bank show that holdings rose by 1 million ounces in February, the most since November.

The data shows that Russia is making rapid progress in its effort to diversify away from American assets. Analysts, who have coined the term de-dollarization, speculate about the global economic impacts if more countries adopt a similar philosophy and what it could mean for the dollar’s desirability compared with other assets, such as gold or the Chinese yuan.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with CNN in November that European corporations and entities are too dependent on the U.S. currency, calling it “an issue of sovereignty.” Last year, Poland and Hungary surprised analysts by making the first substantial gold purchases by a European Union nation in more than a decade.”

 

Economy & Finance:

At Wolf Street: Market is Delusional: This is Not a Rate-Cut Economy

o  o  o

In San Francisco, making a living from your billionaire neighbor’s trash

o  o  o

From Wolf Richter: A Simon Property Group Mall Generates Largest Loss Ever for Retail CMBS

 
Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

4

“Is rapid population [growth] by as great importations of foreigners as possible founded in good policy? They will bring with them the principles of the governments they leave, imbibed in their early youth; or, if able to throw them off, it will be in exchange for an unbounded licentiousness, passing, as is usual, from one extreme to another. It would be a miracle were they to stop precisely at the point of temperate liberty. These principles, with their language, they will transmit to their children. In proportion to their number, they will share with us the legislation. They will infuse into it their spirit, warp and bias its direction, and render it a heterogeneous, incoherent, distracted mass. If they come of themselves, they are entitled to all the rights of citizenship: but I doubt the expediency of inviting them by extraordinary encouragements.” – Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — April 11, 2019

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I just heard that Richard Cole passed away on April 8, 2019, at age 103. Cole was the last living Doolittle Raider. He was the co-pilot of General Doolittle. (Pictured.) My condolences to Cole’s family. Cole’s passing marks the end of an era.  The great generation that fought World War 2 just about gone. Rest in Peace, Dick Cole!

—

A Special Note From JWR: We’re Running Out of Articles!

A most of our readers know, SurvivalBlog has been posted with daily new content, since 2005. One thing that we point to with pride is the number and quality of our feature articles. SurvivalBlog simply has the most and the best–in fact nearly as many feature-length articles and columns as all of our six major competitors, combined. Perhaps it is because we’ve been around for so long that most of our readers have already shared their knowledge and hard-earned wisdom on most of what they know about preparedness and self-sufficiency. But I doubt that. You folks have a tremendous wealth of knowledge. And we appreciate you sharing your knowledge.

A year ago, we had a hefty backlog of articles. But the number of articles being sent in has dwindled in recent months. Does the Trump Slump really have people feeling safe, secure, and invulnerable?  I hope not!  Presently we are in great need of articles for our non-fiction writing contest. I now have only three articles waiting in the queue. Please, please write an article. You’ll get the chance to have your article judged, and share in more than $12,000 in prizes, once every two months. With one recent noteworthy addition, the combined value of the prizes is now greater than ever before.

In order to keep the pipeline of articles coming in at a steady rate, I’d like you to consider all of the following:

1.) If you won one of the top three prizes more than one year ago, then you are eligible to win one again!

2.) Because the number of entries in the past few months has been small, your chance of winning one of the top three prizes is now better than ever.

3.) If you’ve written and posted a nonfiction article in your own blog or at your own website and it hasn’t been re-posted at any Third Party sites, then it is still eligible as an entry in our writing contest.

4.) If you wrote an article a few years back for SurvivalBlog, but it only won an Honorable Mention prize, then that topic is a prime candidate for a re-write, expansion, and adding more links and a few photos. (Keep in mind the we only run HORIZONTAL format photos or illustrations, and that they must be at least 600 pixels wide.  (2,000 pixels wide, and 1.2 MB file size is ideal.)  A thoroughly re-vamped, expanded article will be eligible to win any of the top three prizes.

5.) Just because you’ve “said your piece” on one topic in SurvivalBlog does not mean that you are “finished.”   You certainly have other knowledge and experience to share.

6.) Folks who have their survival, preparedness, firearms, and self-sufficiency videoblogs (“vlogs”) have a lot of knowledge that they can share in written form. A side benefit is that publishing an article here at SurvivalBlog will help generate visits to your own site.

7.) You can’t be judged a Top Three prize winner if you don’t try. If you know a subject well, then write about it!

8.) Even though SurvivalBlog has been around for 14 years, there are still lots of topics that have not yet been covered in detail. For example, we haven’t yet received articles on mushroom farming, how to build up a communications rack, how to lift stumps with explosives, life in the arctic or sub-arctic, how to run a fish farm, gardening in the tropics, or a good explanatory article on the various types of welding, with the best uses for each. And those are just a few examples.

9.) A lot of the material in the first few years of the SurvivalBlog archives is now a bit dated. There are new technologies and new techniques out there. So if you see a topic from our early archives where you have expertise, then please write us a big “update” article!

10.) Your article doesn’t need to be perfect. By all means, have a friend of relative proofread it. But keep in mind that we do take the time to format articles to match our style sheet. We can handle that. So please, just write what you know, and send it in!

12.) If you haven’t seen our writing contest guidelines in a while, then please read them before you start writing. Pay particular attentions to the 1,500-word minimum article length, and our warnings about plagiarism. Then get busy writing!

Many, Many, Thanks! – JWR

 

Round 82 of the Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 82  of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  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 Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. 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.
  3. 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,
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. 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).
  6. 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. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 82 ends on May 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.

Home Repair of Pre-1899 Guns – Part 3, by SwampFox

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(Continued from Part 2. This part concludes the series.)

Pre-1899 Shotguns

Shotguns from the late 1800s cartridge era are typically of a break-open design. There were pump action and lever action shotguns available such as those produced by Winchester, but they often command a high price. Old farm guns are easy to obtain and simple to work on. Often available online for under $300 or even as little as $100, they can be shipped to your door. Almost every hardware store in rural areas would have carried shotguns, and some even had their own locally produced models. This can make finding original parts a real chore.

One unique type of shotgun action is the trapdoor. Unlike the Trapdoor Springfield rifles that were an original design, the trapdoor shotgun is usually a conversion of an older muzzleloader such as an Enfield. They were often sold to native tribes in the United States and in Africa. I recently saw one of these at a local gun shop for an affordable price, was quite tempted to pick it up. I have also seen them on Gunbroker.com, often labeled as a “Zulu gun” or as a “Native shotgun” or “trade shotgun.” To repair these, you will need to be more familiar with muzzleloader parts than shotgun parts, as the only new part of the gun is the trapdoor and firing pin that were placed into the breech of the old muzzleloader. Springs will be of the type found in an Enfield muzzleloader, or whatever donor gun was used. While somewhat slower to load than other shotguns, a trapdoor conversion shotgun will do quite well for hunting, and is an interesting window into history.

Continue reading“Home Repair of Pre-1899 Guns – Part 3, by SwampFox”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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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”.  Today, we focus on Model Legislation.

From Self-Reliance to Community Resilience

Reader Jim L. recommended this: From Self-Reliance to Community Resilience: Jacqui Riordan & Robb Worthington at TEDxHickory. Jim’s L.’s Comments: “I am impressed.  Note especially the comments after minute mark 13:00. They seem to be our kind of folks.”

Copy, Paste, Legislate (Model Legislation)

From Reader H.L.: COPY, PASTE, LEGISLATE. You elected them to write new laws. They’re letting corporations do it instead.  I’m posting this quote:

“Each year, state lawmakers across the U.S. introduce thousands of bills dreamed up and written by corporations, industry groups and think tanks.

Disguised as the work of lawmakers, these so-called “model” bills get copied in one state Capitol after another, quietly advancing the agenda of the people who write them.

A two-year investigation by USA TODAY, The Arizona Republic  and the Center for Public Integrity reveals for the first time the extent to which special interests have infiltrated state legislatures using model legislation.

USA TODAY and the Republic found at least 10,000 bills almost entirely copied from model legislation were introduced nationwide in the past eight years, and more than 2,100 of those bills were signed into law.

The investigation examined nearly 1 million bills in all 50 states and Congress using a computer algorithm developed to detect similarities in language. That search – powered by the equivalent of 150 computers that ran nonstop for months – compared known model legislation with bills introduced by lawmakers.

The phenomenon of copycat legislation is far larger. In a separate analysis, the Center for Public Integrity identified tens of thousands of bills with identical phrases, then traced the origins of that language in dozens of those bills across the country.”

Court of Appeals Ruling on Sleeping on Public Property

Peter forwarded a PDF link: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has issued a ruling on sleeping on public property. A snippet:

“Judge M. Smith stated that the panel’s reasoning will soon prevent local governments from enforcing a host of other public health and safety laws, such as those prohibiting public defecation and urination, and that the panel’s opinion shackles the hands of public officials trying to redress the serious societal concern of homelessness.”

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“This geopolitical recession is something really simple — it’s the end of the US-led global order. And we don’t know what is replacing it yet.” – Ian Bremmer, President and founder of the political risk consultancy firm Eurasia Group

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — April 10, 2019

April 10th, 1796 The birthday of James “Jim” Bowie. He died March 6th, 1836 at the Battle of the Alamo.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 82  of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  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 Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. 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.
  3. 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,
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. 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).
  6. 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. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 82 ends on May 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.

Home Repair of Pre-1899 Guns – Part 2, by SwampFox

1

(Continued from Part 1)

When other parts on revolvers break, fixing them can be a hassle. If a bolt or a hand breaks, you will need to be an expert at welding, brazing, filing, and fitting if you cannot find a replacement. Even if you do find a replacement, be prepared to hand fit the part, as quality control today is greater than it was back then. Fitting a hand precisely is essential! The length of the hand determines how far a cylinder rotates, and how the chambers align with the barrel. Misalignment can cause poor accuracy, or can become a safety hazard if a bullet enters the forcing cone improperly.   If a cylinder cracks, there is little that you can do but purchase another.

Hammers and triggers, however, can be repaired by brazing. You can also purchase blank hammers and triggers on eBay, and then file them to the proper dimensions. The key to doing this is patience – it is much easier to file metal away than it is to add it back on! I recently did this on a National Arms .38 break-top revolver. I picked up a blank hammer on eBay, and notched it to install a new mainspring that I made from a Pietta 1863 mainspring. It is somewhat stiff, but it fires. I also had to create a new firing pin, as the old one was bent and worn. I used a section of an AR-15 firing pin carefully filed to the proper shape, and polished with very fine emery cloth and a buffing wheel. Firing pin length is important. Too short, and you will fail to strike the primer with enough force. Too long, and you can pierce the primer and release metal particles and hot gases back toward you.

Ammunition for centerfire revolvers is usually easy to find. For rimfires, it is much more difficult. Several calibers are commonly used for centerfire revolvers – .32 S&W short, .32 S&W long, .38 S&W, .38 Long Colt, .41 Colt, .44-40, and 45 Colt. Most of these are available at many gun stores or online. The .41 Colt is an exception, although at the time of this writing it is available from AmmunitionToGo. One common pocket revolver caliber is .32 rimfire. Ammunition is almost impossible to find, although Dixie Gun Works makes a reusable conversion cartridge that uses a .22 blank and black powder inside a lathe-turned brass .32 case. They are costly, but it is one way you can get a rimfire revolver working.

Continue reading“Home Repair of Pre-1899 Guns – Part 2, by SwampFox”

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

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Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on Fencing Tools. (See the Gear & Grub section.)

 

Movies:

The Passion of The Christ. Long available on DVD and BluRay, this great movie is also now available for streaming to those with Amazon Prime.

o  o  o

The Conversation. This is a classic film starring Gene Hackman. It makes an interesting companion piece to his much later film on a similar theme, Enemy of the State. My, how surveillance technology has advanced! The Conversation is now available for streaming to those with Amazon Prime.

 

Online Videos:

Klein Tools Serrated Duct Knife – A Cool Knife With Possibilities! JWR’s Comment:  These knives are well-made, and surprisingly inexpensive (around $15.) This knife might skirt the restrictions on carry of double-edged knives, in some states. (Consult an attorney licensed in your state!) If you want one, then please order it through our Amazon link, so that we get out little piece of the action.  Thanks.

o  o  o

The Patriot Nurse: Why I Don’t Trust Ammo Hoarders

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:”

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. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we further examine the Western World Real Estate Decline.

.

Precious Metals:

We’ll start off with this at Zero Hedge: “It Belongs To The People, Not The Bankers” – Italy Moves To Seize Gold From Central Bank

o  o  o

Gold Cycle And Stock Market Update

Western World Real Estate Decline:

In response to rising interest rates, the housing boom in the U.S. may be ending. Here is an early indicator: Seller’s Market in Housing Industry Shifts to Buyer’s Market. A pertinent passage:

“The National Association of Realtors says existing home sales in January dropped to their lowest level in three years, continuing months of weakness in the housing market.

Existing home sales were down 1.2% to an adjusted annual rate of 4.94 million units last month. That’s below analyst expectations and an 8.5% drop from a year ago. Only the Northeast saw a rise in sales activity.

Home prices are still showing increases, but they’re nowhere close to what they were in recent years. The median price of an existing house climbed 2.8% in January to $247,500. That’s the smallest increase since February 2012.

Prices have increased for 83 consecutive months, but some experts warn that trend could be about to end.

The number of homes on the market is starting to rise, too, meaning buyers have a wider selection to choose from. In January, there were 1.59 million previously owned homes on the market, compared to 1.53 million in December. The average home stayed on the market 49 days, a week longer than January 2018.”

Similar trends seem to be developing throughout the English-speaking world, to wit:

o  o  o

Spring housing market could be ‘coolest in recent years,’ Realtor.com says

o  o  o

Update on the Spreading Housing Bust in Australia, and Why it’s Happening

o  o  o

Update on the Deepening Housing Bust in Vancouver, Canada

o  o  o

And in England: House prices fall 1.6pc – but is the figure reliable?

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — April 9, 2019

On April 9, 1768, John Hancock refused to allow two British customs agents to go below deck of his ship. This was considered by some to be the first act of physical resistance to British authority in the American colonies.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 82  of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  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 Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. 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.
  3. 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,
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. 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).
  6. 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. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 82 ends on May 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.

Home Repair of Pre-1899 Guns – Part 1, by SwampFox

8
Introduction

As regulations increase in the United States, it is possible that the only firearms that will be legal to transfer in the future without a background check will be those manufactured before 1899. These firearms are Federally exempt from the NICS background check process, and are likely to increase in value in the event that “universal background check” legislation is passed. For those who already own pre-1899 guns, or would like to acquire them, there is an unpleasant reality to their ownership: Some parts are fragile and are difficult to obtain! A broken, worn, or out-of-spec part can cause your valuable firearm to become a decorative wall-hanger.

I realize that many people are collectors, and that many antiques are too valuable to shoot. This article is instead about serviceable, “shooter grade” antiques rather than high Dollar value collectibles or investments. The focus  of this article is on cartridge firearms commonly available in the United States at auction or online, with specific examples of firearms that I have repaired, and some common issues. It is not a complete how-to manual, but simply some food for thought. Everything I describe here is something that I have done personally, often multiple times.

Safety First

First, some disclaimers and safety information. I am not a professionally trained gunsmith, although I have more than a decade of experience repairing antique firearms for fun (and occasionally for profit.) If you have doubts about the safety of what you are doing, please seek professional assistance. You only have the hands and eyes that God gave you, and they cannot be replaced. There are many things about working on firearms that are hazardous. As a personal example, I carry a shard of metal permanently embedded in the palm of my left hand – the consequence of a firing pin on an old revolver that pierced a primer and blew backwards. Working with tools also has its own hazards. I’ve had some burns and cuts over the years that might have been prevented by being more careful. Use common sense and do not take risks.

Continue reading“Home Repair of Pre-1899 Guns – Part 1, by SwampFox”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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Here is SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt. This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. We also mention companies of interest to preppers that are located in the region. Today, we focus on water transfer printing–commonly called hydrodipping. I should mention that for guns and field gear, I recommend that you specify a flat finish. Yes, high gloss looks snazzy, but it really reflects and therefore can be spotted from a distance.  The featured photo is a of shotgun stock set dipped by Liquid Transformations of Spokane.

Beyond The Redoubt

If you try your own hand at hydro-dipping, then consider this company that makes a low-cost DIY kit: DecoDip.com

Idaho

I’ve bought several guns that were camouflage dipped by Dawson Ridge, in Moyie Springs, Idaho. Their  quality is high, and their prices are reasonable. They even offer quantity discounts. One Proviso: Just don’t plan to bring them any camo dipping work in October or November, because they are usually very busy then with their other side of their business: “Boneworx”. This is where they put skeletonizing beetles to work on big game skulls.

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Adaptive Graphics is located in Nampa, Idaho.  Not only do tg]hey dip guns, but also larger items like car dashboards.

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First Lite is a company located in Ketchum, Idaho. In addition to standard commercial patterns, they have also designed some proprietary patterns of their own. I should mention that they are known for both their camouflage hunting clothing and their camo dipping.

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Here is an interesting start-up company in Sagle, Idaho: Rhino Hide. They make bullet-resistant wall panels.

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