Preparedness Notes for Saturday – August 25, 2018

August 25th is a birthday shared by novelist Frederick Forsyth (born 1938) and late American humorist Patrick F. McManus (born 1933, died April 11, 2018.)  Forsyth was the author of The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil’s Alternative, and many others. McManus was born and raised in Sandpoint, Idaho, so his books could be classified as American Redoubt humor. His passing was sad news. He is greatly missed. – JWR

Tips On Buying Used Handguns, by Pat Cascio

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I am no longer teaching NRA firearms classes, though I did that for more than 25 years, mostly giving classes for folks wanting to get their concealed handgun permit. During all those years teaching handgun classes, I had quite a few students ask me about buying used handguns.

What To Look For When Buying Used Handguns

They wanted to know what to look for. More often than not, I’d accompany them to the local gun shop and help them in selecting a used handgun and talk with them about what to look for in a good used handgun.

I’m a sucker for a good deal on a used handgun. I don’t have the funds to buy new firearms all the time, so when I see a used handgun that catches my eye I give it a very close inspection, most of the time.

Overall Condition, Rust or Patina, Pitted Metal

One of the first things I look at is the overall condition of the gun. If it has pitted metal, I know it hasn’t been properly cared for. I can live with a little surface rust or patina, but deep pits in the metal, well, that’s a “no-go” for me.

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Editors’ Prepping Progress

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. Steadily, we work on meeting our prepping goals. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities. They also often share their planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, property improvements, 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 in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

JWR

Dear SurvivalBlog Readers:

Harvest, harvest, harvest!  We’ve just passed the peak of gardening season. For the past week, we’ve been very busy harvesting most of our “above ground” garden crops. (The root crops will wait until the first frost.) Most notably, we picked, blanched and froze broccoli and green beans. We also fought the wasps for the last of the red raspberries. The extra zucchini squash has now been chopped and frozen.

This week I constructed an additional 220-foot long pasture cross fence, and gate. This cross fence is designed to help optimize our rotational grazing.

The firewood splitting and stacking is now complete. But I still need to tarp the “overflow” wood piles that don’t fit in the woodsheds. And of course for safety the slash burning will have to wait until after the fall rains begin.  But all in all, we feel nearly ready for winter.

May you all have a very blessed and productive week.

Many Blessings to All, – Jim Rawles and Avalanche Lily, Rawles

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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 “HJL”. There is a new threat from a parasitic disease that is spreading across America.

Matt Bracken

Matt Bracken has posted a video that details the government civil war that is going on right now in the United States. It’s pretty certain that if Trump had not won the election, there would be no Mueller investigation, Manafort conviction or any of this other political nonsense. These men may have committed crimes, but without the impetus of the deep state and the governmental gangsters doubling down, their efforts to take president Trump down would not exist. Matt also gives some ideas on how to fight social media censorship. Matt clearly outlines the need for the GOP to retain control of congress this fall to keep the deep state in check. This is a must watch for all patriots.

Clever AR Product

I recently received a sample of a new product from Ellis Guard LLC, in Colorado. They make a clever but simple molded rubber cover for detached AR-15/M4 uppers. These are ideal for anyone who owns more than one upper for their AR. They are also great if you own just one, but plan to carry an AR disassembled. With these covers, the bolt carrier is retained, everything is held together, dust and grime is kept out, and lubricants are held in. Thus, you can easily and cleanly carry a disassembled AR or an extra upper in your backpack, in a bugout bag, or a vehicle kit. – JWR

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Preparedness Notes for Friday – August 24, 2018

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On August 24th, 410, Rome was overrun by the Visigoths in an event that symbolized the fall of the Western Roman Empire. This is a moment in history that we would do well to remember. An empire that ruled the known world was corrupted from the inside to the point that they could not defend themselves from a much weaker enemy. This could conceivably be the beginning of the dark middle ages.

Guest Post: Wasp Control that Works, by Patrice Lewis

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A few days ago I put up a post about the horrifically bad wasp year we’re having. Outdoor activities had to be suspended except before dawn or after dark because of how many stinging insects were swarming the area.

We’re not alone — everyone we know is experiencing similar issues. Recently Don was in a hardware store, and he noticed they had shelves and shelves of wasp traps for people desperate to control them.

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Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest 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 JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on future collector cars–that is, current production models that are likely to become collectible. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

 

Precious Metals:

Video: Gold Speculators Are Least Bullish In Years

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Over at Kitco: First Digital Gold, Now Silver To Be Added To Blockchain Platform

 

Stocks:

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) just set a record for the longest bull market in its history.  Just short of 10 years with no reversals of more than 20%.  The MSNBC Cheering Section will tell you “it is a great time to buy”, but pleas e be objective, folks. There are now a lot of stocks that are overbought. P/E ratios haven’t been this out of whack since just before the 2008 debacle. And similar P/E ratios were seen just before the 2000 crash. So this is probably a good time to do some profit taking and diversify your holdings.

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Speaking of P/E ratios, let’s discuss a company that doesn’t have one. It has never turned a profit. When I last checked, Tesla Motors (TSLA)–which trades on the NASDAQ–was down again, to $321.23 per share.  It is hard to believe that Wallet Investor’s long range forecast presently shows the stock at $589.53 in five years.  I’m not much on stock predictions, but my gut is telling me that it will be priced under $50 a share, by then. I can foresee that much more lean small companies will steal most of their market share. And a lot of Tesla’s high valuation and hype was built on government subsidies.  Time will tell…

 

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The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“All the people constitute the militia – according to the Founding Fathers. Therefore every able-bodied man has a duty under the Constitution to become part of the ‘well-regulated’ militia, specifically to understand and perform well with the individual weapon currently issued to the regular establishment …. Thus one who has not qualified himself with the M16 may not be considered to be a responsible citizen.” – Col. Jeff Cooper

Preparedness Notes for Thursday – August 23, 2018

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August 23rd is the anniversary of the declaration of the independent state of “Franklin” in Eastern Tennessee by the settlers there in 1784. Unfortunately, the Continental Congress rejected it, so the state of Franklin never became a reality.

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There are still plenty of openings in round 78 of theSurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.. If you like to see your article published and have an opportunity to win these fantastic prizes, get your article written and sent in to us.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been another entry for Round 78 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 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 gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

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, and
  6. 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).

Round 78 ends on September 30th, 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.

Ten Years After, by JPK

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It seems like yesterday, but it’s been ten years since we started on this wild journey of at first just prepping and then and now homesteading! (While it’s sad, I think I still have some canned food dated 2008. Yikes!)

Actually if I really think about it, we did actually start in baby steps while we had concerns about Y2K. But the real path was not there, for us.

The Light Bulb Went On After Patriots

We believe the light bulb went on after reading James Wesley, Rawles’ Patriots Surviving the Coming Collapse (the expanded edition). We stopped and re-evaluated our life and our goals and also our plans. We immersed ourselves in the list of lists and all that we could research. Our first copy of Patriots is highlighted, annotated, post-it note filled, and has a whole notebook that we keep with it with our notes and own lists.

Our Biggest Challenge- Water

Wow! How quickly we figured out what was our #1 priority! We realized water was our biggest challenge.

Solar Panels and Cistern

Since we get our water from a well, the solar panels for the pump were vital. Of course, this also meant we needed the cistern for the solar pump to pump to. It was an amazing amount of work and money. However, after a few trials and tribulations, we are relatively comfortable with the set up. (But, boy, do we have a story to tell about one heavy snow and freezing winter temperatures! I guess that is for another time.)

Since our solar panels can generate more power then we need for the small amount to pump water daily, our next project is to work on harnessing that power for use elsewhere on the farm. This means more research, more reaching out for guidance, and saving for the added components needed.

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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 “HJL”. Oops, it seems Russia has a lost nuclear powered missile?

The IRS and Taxpayer Information

Reader DSV sent in this detailing how the IRS still lacks protections for sensitive taxpayer information. In this day and age of hardened data and government as well as private hackers, you would think that an institution that mandates every citizen have a profile would at least offer modern protection for that data. You would be wrong. Even with over 100 reforms explicitly pointed out to them, the GAO (Government Accountability Office) claims that the IRS has implemented virtually none of them in their latest audit. The IRS has a significant deficiency in internal control over financial reporting systems according to the audit. While the IRS isn’t the only government office to suffer from this lack of data hardening, they are one of the worst.

Russian AK-308

For those who love their AK-47, but miss the performance of the 7.62×51 NATO battle round, your dreams have now come true. Kalashnikov has now released the .308 version of their venerable AK-47 rifle. According to the company, the new rifle is based on the AK103 submachine gun with elements and components of the AK-12 automatic. It weighs in at a hefty 9 1/2 pounds with an empty 20-round magazine. It’s unclear at this point on whether the Russian military’s intent is to field the battle rifle or not, but it seems like a possibility. Thanks to G.P. for the link.

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Preparedness Notes for Wednesday – August 22, 2018

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August 22nd, 1992 was the second day of the Incident at Ruby Ridge. FBI sharpshooter Lon Horiuchi wounded Randy Weaver, wounded Kevin Harris, and murdered Weaver’s wife, Vicki. It should be noted that in 1994, after being acquitted by a federal court, Weaver filed a federal civil rights case against the FBI and U.S. Marshals stemming from the siege. In 1995 the government settled Weaver’s case for $3.1 million. It is commonly thought that had the Weaver family stayed with the trial, the award would have been the full $200 million. In true FBI style, Lon Horiuchi was not prosecuted by the Federal government. When Idaho brought manslaughter charges against him, the trial was moved to federal court and dismissed. Horiuchi has also been accused of firing unauthorized shots at the Waco siege.

Guest Post: Why Gold Should Be Accumulated At These Levels

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Here are a few reasons why gold should be accumulated at these levels:

1. Rising Interest Rates

Although gold rose significantly from 2001 to 2011, it was not really the ideal conditions. There were many reasons for conditions not being ideal, such as: rising stock markets and major commodities like oil (more markets rising means more competition for investment).

However, now I would like to focus on only interest rates. The direction of interest rates is normally indicative of a type of economic condition that exist. During the period from 2001 to 2011 interest rates were falling, and this was indicative of economic conditions that are less than ideal for gold prices.

In fact, these falling interest rates were in some way facilitating significant rises in the stock market and oil for example, which are investment classes competing with gold.

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