Commercial Ammo: The Untold History of Springfield Armory

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The following article first appeared at Ammo.com. It is re-posted with permission

To understand how American citizens today can get their hands on ammo, which rolls off the same factory lines as those that supply the world’s largest militaries, it’s important to first understand how munitions technology developed. Starting in medieval Europe, on a battlefield where a mounted knight in armor could defeat almost any number of peasants, the development of more advanced and accurate ways to destroy enemy personnel and equipment by launching a projectile is one which combines trial and error, scientific ingenuity, and private enterprise. It’s a story of power and technology dating back to the 13th century, at the height of “the divine right of kings,” and tracks the subsequent diffusion of that power held by a chosen few as the individual became capable of breaking the state’s monopoly on violence.

The first recorded use of gunpowder appeared in Europe in 1247, although China had used gunpowder for centuries before that, mostly for fireworks. The cannon appeared nearly 100 years later in 1327, with a hand-sized version making its debut in 1364. The first ordnances were made of stone, and while it might have been theoretically possible for anyone to own one, this would have been outside the financial reach of anyone but the nobility.

Stone was quickly discarded as a source of materiel for one simple reason: It wasn’t effective against stone fortifications. Thus did the first ever arms race begin, as medieval armies sought ways to fire heavier and heavier projectiles. The first recorded example of a metal ball being fired from a hand cannon came in 1425, with the invention of the hand culverin and matchlock arquebus, which led to lead balls becoming the gold standard for projectiles. This is where we get the term “bullet” – boulette is French for “little ball.”

Continue reading“Commercial Ammo: The Untold History of Springfield Armory”

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 SB 978: Oregon’s Monster Anti-Gun Bill.

Midwest Flooding Aftermath

Billions in flood damage, delayed or lost planting opportunity, and killed cattle: Midwest Apocalypse: Satellite Data Show “At Least 1 Million Acres Of US Farmland” Devastated By Floods

California Man Get 20 Years for Fatal ‘Swatting’

Reader J.C. sent us this: 20 years for man behind hoax call that led to fatal shooting.  Here is how the piece begins:

“A California man was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison for making bogus emergency calls to authorities across the U.S., including one that led police to fatally shoot a Kansas man following a dispute between two online players over a $1.50 bet in the Call of Duty: WWII video game.

U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren sentenced Tyler R. Barriss, 26, under a deal in which he pleaded guilty in November to a total of 51 federal charges related to fake calls and threats. The plea agreement called for a sentence of at least 20 years — well over the 10 years recommended under sentencing guidelines. Prosecutors believe it is the longest prison sentence ever imposed for the practice of “swatting,” a form of retaliation in which someone reports a false emergency to get authorities, particularly a SWAT team, to descend on an address.”

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

Magazine Ban Victory for Californians — Stock Up!

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UPDATE — April 4th: Comrade Becarra got a stay issued, that goes into effect at 5 PM Pacific Time on April 5th.  See my April 5th blog post about this.

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There was some great news late last week, when we heard that California’s onerous 11+ round magazine ban was overturned by a Federal judge. The California law had been in effect since January 1, 2000. Finally, a magazine ban victory!

The 86-page Duncan v. Becerra court ruling itself is worth reading, since it includes a lot of historical and legislative background.

Note: I am not a licensed attorney, so the following is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered legal advice.

Null & Void

Thankfully, California’s magazine laws have been effectively rendered null and void. The Duncan v. Becerra  ruling puts the state government in an awkward position: If they challenge it with an appeal to the Ninth Circuit court, then they might lose. And even if the liberal Ninth circuit sides with them, then it would surely be appealed to the  U.S. Supreme Court. And that of course would have wide-reaching effects. Negative rulings are now much more likely, since the California governor signed an outright ban — that would have banned the magazines that had originally been grandfathered in 2000. That ban had been scheduled to go into effect in 2017. But its was delayed by a court order, and now the Duncan v. Becerra has effectively invalidated both the 2000 and 2017 magazine ban laws.

Given the new court precedent, the California legislature would have to craft some sort of weasel-worded ban that would work its way around the strictures of Duncan v. Becerra. Anything more than that would probably be struck down by the Federal courts. What I predict is that the California legislature will attempt to enact some sort of behavioral ban vis-a-vis magazines, rather than a outright possession ban. I’d rather not go into detail about this, for fear of giving those tyrants any ideas.

Continue reading“Magazine Ban Victory for Californians — Stock Up!”

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 American-made gardening tools. (See the Gear & Grub section.)

Books:

Several readers have recommended this new book by Ben Shapiro: The Right Side of History: How Reason and Moral Purpose Made the West Great.

o  o  o

A friend suggested this new release by conservative talk radio host Mark Levin: Unfreedom of the Press.

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And speaking of recent releases, there is also this from noted political analyst and commentator David Horowitz: DARK AGENDA: The War to Destroy Christian America.

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WW2 history buffs, take note: Here is something to throw in your backpack for summer reading: Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner, His Enemy, and a Collision of Lives in World War II

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

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 the economic storm clouds on the horizon.

Precious Metals:

Gold Prices Struggle To Hold $1,300 As U.S. ISM Manufacturing Rises In March

o  o  o

And for those in the chartist camp: Gold Cycles Down Into Late-Spring, Up Into Summer

Economy & Finance:

Erik Conley, at Seeking Alpha: Why An Inverted Yield Curve Is Important

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Martin W. Armstrong: The Financial Panic of 2019?  Armstrong notes:

“There is a major liquidity crisis brewing that could pop in May 2019. European Banks have loaded their portfolios with real estate loans thanks to quantitative easing and negative interest rates, and emerging market debt. Spanish banks are especially invested in Turkish debt where they hoped to get the highest yields expecting that the IMF would never let Turkey default. On top of this, banks have been lending to each other to also avoid parking money at the European Central Bank where they would be charged with a negative interest rate.

Currencies from South Africa’s rand to Brazil’s real are witnessing a spike in their expected volatility, signaling concern they may weaken the most along with the Turkish lira going into May. The price swings have evoked sudden deep-rooted fears that there may be an emerging market crash before the end of the year.”

o  o  o

James Glassman not seeing economic storm clouds

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — April 2, 2019

This is the birthday of Émile François Zola, a novelist and essayist. He is most often remembered as the author of “J’accuse” (I Accuse!), his lengthy open letter to president Félix Faure, which accused the French government of antisemitism.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present the first entry for Round 82 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 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.

Control Your Type 2 Diabetes or Die in TEOTWAWKI, by Scott M.

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I am a family physician and I have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is where you initially have enough insulin produced by your body but are resistant to the insulin, i.e.:  you don’t have enough receptors for the insulin to plug into to act on the sugar/carbohydrates you ingest. As time goes on if you don’t manage your diabetes your body will stop producing insulin and you will need to be on insulin shots for the rest of your life. Type 1 diabetes is where you don’t produce any or very limited insulin and have to be on insulin for your lifetime. Type 1  is found almost exclusively in children.

Type 2 is primarily in adults, but it can be found in all ages. Some symptoms of concern that should raise the suspicion of diabetes include constant hunger, extreme thirst, unexplained weight loss, sores or scratches on the skin that either fail to heal or take a prolonged healing time, excessive urination, dry mouth, itchy skin, blurred vision and repeated or difficult to treat yeast infections (either in men or women), difficulty with coordination or train of thought. Having any or a number of these symptoms does not absolutely mean you have diabetes, but it is concerning enough that you should seek testing with your physician to determine whether you have it or not.

Remember: The earlier diabetes is found the easier it can be to treat and the risk for damage to your body is decreased. You can expect your physician to perform some common tests, such as a random blood sugar, fasting blood sugar, a HgbA1c, a urine analysis and possibly a glucose tolerance test. If the testing reveals that you have diabetes your physician will likely start you on oral medications and possibly insulin and refer you to a diabetic educator. Your physician will also arrange for close follow up and repeated lab work to ensure that the treatment course is working and that no additional measures are necessary to control your diabetes.

Continue reading“Control Your Type 2 Diabetes or Die in TEOTWAWKI, by Scott M.”

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, I’d like to mention camper conversion and rental companies in the American Redoubt. Conversions of Sprinter vans are very popular. And some folks are even converting cargo trailers into either overt or covert “stealth” campers. Both have had explosions of popularity in recent years. Some folks even live in them full time, as mobile tiny houses. The featured van photo is courtesy of (P)artCraft LLC.  (Used with permission.)

Region-Wide

If you live in the Western U.S. and want to “try before you buy”, to see what its like to travel and camp in a Sprinter van, Promaster van, or other van conversion, then see the folks at MercedesSprinterRVRentals.com.

o  o  o

Another Sprinter campervan rental company in the west is Moterra Campervans.

o  o  o

If you are looking to buy a van that has already been converted, then check out: RVTrader.

o  o  o

And for some general “Pros and Cons” information, see: The Wayward Home.

o  o  o

For those of us who are handy with tools, here is a great “how to” article, over at Instructables: Custom Sprinter Van RV Conversion. That is where I heard about (P)artCraft.

Blue Dog RV has a good selection of Class B RVs. Among others, they have locations in Bend, Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, Kennewick, Pasco, and Post Falls.

Idaho

SYNC Vans in Hailey, Idaho does awesome work.  They are best known for their work on 4×4 Sprinter vans. Here is a video that shows their work: Custom 4×4 Sprinter van conversion – Sync Vans profile at Overland Expo West 2018 – Vanlife. And here is an article about them in Spokane’s biggest newspaper: A Visit to SYNC Vans

o o o

Wander Vans in Boise, Idaho is quite well-known known for the mid-range conversions. They also do van rentals.

o o o

Reader G.C. wrote to mention: Tuesday, April 2nd, 2019 is the grand opening day for a new army surplus store in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. It is located at 6606 South Main Street,  Bonners Ferry.

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

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 the EU’s Controversial Copyright Reform.

Your Car and Phone are Selling Your Data

James C. sent us a link to this 9-minute video: Your Car is Selling Your Data.

And speaking for data, check out this piece at CNBC: Stores are starting to track your every move.

Bottom line: Either drive an older car or disable your car’s satellite and cellular connectivity. And if you must have a cell phone, then make it an older-generation flip phone with a removable battery–not a smartphone.

Thomas Sowell on a Socialist America

A good read, over at The American Thinker: Thomas Sowell Is Right to Predict a Socialist America. The article also has some great quotes from Alexis de Tocqueville.

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 1, 2019

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April 1st, 1886 was the birthday of Arthur W. Pink, who died 15 July 1952 and was an English Christian evangelist and excellent Reformed Biblical scholar. It was his meticulously referenced arguments in his book, The Sovereignty of God, that first convinced me of the truth of the doctrine of Election.

April 1st is also both April Fool’s Day and (unofficially) Molly Ivins Day. The latter refers to this key verse: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” (Psalm 14:1 KJV)

—

Today we are announcing the winners of Round 81 of our writing contest.

And we are also posting another product review from our Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio.

Writing Contest Results and a New Prize

We just completed the judging for Round 81 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest, and have a list of the winners. But first, before we list the winning articles, I have a special announcement:

A New Prize!

Starting today, with the advent of Round 82, et sequentia for just the next 10 rounds of the contest (that is, for the next 20 months) we’ve added a new prize of considerable value. A SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous is donating All-Inclusive Diamond Lifetime Memberships to the Front Sight firearms training school in Nevada. Members at the Diamond level are entitled to enrollment at any class of their choice at Front Sight Nevada with no restrictions on repeating classes, free of charge, for life!  Diamond level members even have guaranteed placement in any course with two weeks’ advance enrollment. They also receive a 40% discount on products at the Front Sight Pro Shop. The Diamond level memberships have been sold out, but the donor of these memberships–who is an Ambassador level Front Sight member–has very generously granted 10 Lifetime Diamond memberships to SurvivalBlog. One membership will be added to the Second Prize package.

There are presently nearly 50 different different classes offered at Front Sight Nevada. They range from concealed carry and edged weapons, to long range rifle shooting, and even submachinegun classes.

Our sincere thanks to that “SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous”!

And The Winners Are…

Getting back to the Round 81 prize winners. We’ve completed the judging. All of the top three prizes went to multi-part articles. The winners are:

First Prize: Nivek, for New Zealand: Thoughts After Seven Years

Note:  Because he presumably still lives in New Zealand, some prizes may have to be substituted or transferred to relatives or friends in the United States, and some shipping costs may not be included. Working that out will be up to the prize donors and Nivek.

Second Prize:  The Jewish Prepper, for How NOT to Build a Retreat

Third Prize:  GritsInMontana, for From the Deep South to Northern Rockies

Honorable Mention Articles (the writers will receive $30 Amazon gift cards)

The prizes for Round 82 will be:

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.

Get your article written and send it in soon. The top three prize winners will share more than $11,000 worth of prizes.