Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

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“When people can vote on issues involving the transfer of wealth to themselves from others, the ballot box becomes a weapon with which the majority plunders the minority. That is the point of no return, the point where the doomsday mechanism begins to accelerate until the system self-destructs. The plundered grow weary of carrying the load and eventually join the plunderers. The productive base of the economy diminishes further until only the state remains.” – G. Edward Griffin

Lessons From the First TEOTWAWKI- Part 2, by Sarah Latimer

Reviewing Where We Left Off

In this series of articles, we’re looking at the lessons to be learned from the Genesis creation story, particularly from the actions of Eve. The choices she made are similar to the ones that are drastically affecting our world today. They are even affecting the survival community and you also, whether you. It doesn’t matter whether you are male or female or whether you recognize it or not at this point.

Eve Knew the Instruction & Vision God Gave Adam

God’s plan for Adam was to care for all that which was within this paradise garden. Eve was to be his helper/completer/partner. Both Adam and Eve were of equal value, coming from the same flesh and both formed with God’s hands. However, The accountability of Adam was  higher. We don’t have a record of God’s or Adam’s specific talk with Eve about the instruction not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We do know that she knew that she was not to eat from this tree.

God walked and talked with Adam regularly. I make some assumptions that Adam shared his knowledge with Eve. He probably shared his ideas and visions for their future with her as well. She told the serpent about the limitation on eating from the tree, so she new of Adam’s conversations. However, the fact remains that whether God told her or Adam did, she knew. Yet, “the serpent” easily manipulated her.

Genesis 3:1-7

Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Some of Eve’s Mistakes

The Scripture says, “…when she saw that the tree of knowedge of good and evil was good for food…” Oh, she made the mistake of listening to deceptive messages that convinced her to trade God’s vision for one that would cause her to lose her home and family as well as security and comfort, which are core pursuits of women, in general.

Eve made a variety of clear mistakes within this Scripture.

Embellishing

She embellished the facts by adding to God’s instruction when she said that she could not even touch it or she would die; God merely said that she and Adam could not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Yes, God created things that are not good for our consumption. They still have purpose. We must trust in Him to fulfill their purpose, even though we don’t like them or are instructed not to eat them, i.e. cockroaches of the land and sea.) In the case of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it fed the soul (with good) and the flesh (with evil). However, the flesh then began to die, and the disobedience caused separation from God.

Non-belief

She didn’t believe in God’s promises more than she wanted this forbidden food. She believed what the serpent was telling her this fruit offered, so the serpent’s word rose above God’s. The Scripture tells us that she saw that the food of the tree was good for food and pleasant to the eyes. We know that she was looking at it in close proximity rather than staying away. She judged with her eyes instead of listening to God or Adam. (“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” – Romans 10: 17)

Clouded reasoning

She let what was in front of her cloud her reasoning. As mentioned in #2, She knew what God said, but the serpent was in front of her contradicting or twisting God’s word by questioning her. Her insecurity made her waver.

Discontent

She judged it would make her wise and took the fruit because she has become unsatisfied. She was manipulated because she was not content in her heart. When she ate of the fruit, she gave it also to her husband and then they both were ashamed. Her actions of discontent led to a much greater discontent and shame that spilled over onto her family!

Lack of acceptance of her position

Eve didn’t accept her position of significance and sought something more that cost her and her family their lives, eventually. Not only did it bring great hardship, but it brought death to the animal that God slayed to clothe them. Her decision brought death to all living things thereafter, until Jesus returns to judge, cleanse, and restore His Kingdom again. There has been no greater consequence. There will never be a greater TEOTWAWKI as this, as every living organism– man, woman, animal, plant, bacteria, and virus was drastically affected with the physial removal of God’s presence and the separation from the tree of life. Whether you believe this is allegorical or literal, this is a dramatic lesson that relates to survival!

The Core Lessons For Survival

Fundamentally I cannot stress enough how important it is that we grasp hold of two things. This is important for our survival.

Have faith in the promises of God and build a personal relationship with Him, through His Son, Jesus.

God loves you and made you purposefully. You are unique and no accident! Before time began, he had a plan. Yet this magnificent God desires a relationship with you. He desires for you to become all that He sees you can become.  God loves you, very personally. He wants you to belong to Him so that He can work in your life spectacularly. His blessings are for those who are obedient to Him on this Earth. His eternal salvation and eternal rewards are for those who trust in His Son, Jesus. They follow Him, professing Him, and pursuing a lifestyle that honors Him and testifies of Him.

Jesus was strong and confident speaking before thousands at times. Then at other times, he chose to remain silent or avoid cities or areas altogether. He was discerning, thoughtful, and powerful to cure the seriously ill and disabled and to raise the dead! Yet, he washed the feet of his disciples and showed kindness to lepers.

Put away your past

It is up to you whether you will set aside your old ways, put your sinful lifestyle of discontent, unfaithfulness, greed, back-stabbing betrayal, whining, self-indulgence, worship of materialistic gods, gossip, and other ungodly behavior behind you and submit to a holy God. Walk away from and discontinue your past mistakes by asking Jesus to forgive you, getting into His Word, praying, and making changes in your life to adjust to how Jesus would have you live. Also, learn from Eve’s disaster and don’t listen to people who draw you away from God or what He is doing in your life. Influence others but guard against those who negatively influence you.

God must be God, ruling over all aspects of your life! When you are walking close to God, you will hear His voice guide you, alert you to harm, help you properly prepare, and give you strength for the challenging days. He doesn’t promise that His people won’t endure hardship. However, He promises to be nearby and to care for them in the midst.

Be confident

Regardless of what happens to us physically here on Earth, even in a TEOTWAWKI event, we have a confident hope of what happens when this physical body is gone; we know that our souls go to be with the LORD and that someday we will be given new bodies to live again in Zion. We also know that we are not alone and that an all-knowing God is ever-present with us to guide us if we are seeking Him and walking in His ways. Make sure that you first are a sincere servant of Jesus, as this one act is the most important to survival, above everything else!

We have some ideas pretty twisted that being a servant, as referenced in the Bible, is a bad thing. It’s much like our employment contracts today. I’ve had bad bosses and I’ve had good ones. I choose to give above and beyond to those who are good people, kind, and honest. To be a servant of Jesus is to be provided for and protected by the King of kings. It is not a lowly position to be a servant of an honorable, kind man. How much greater to be the servant of God and to live in His House!

See also: Lessons From the First TEOTWAWKI- Part 1, by Sarah Latimer

Letter Re: Should I Convert My Nickels to Silver?

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Hello Hugh and Jim,

Per Jim’s good advice, my wife and I have been taking nickels out of our pocket change each day and setting them aside. It has been an easy and painless way to simultaneously set aside some cash, hedge against inflation, and invest in industrial metals. Over the last couple of years, we have accumulated over $150 in nickels. I’m wondering now, at this point in time, whether it would be wiser to take the cash value from those nickels and use it to purchase pre-1965 “junk” silver coins, or retain the nickels as a store of copper and nickel as a hedge against inflation. Very interested in your opinions on this matter. Thanks, SB in CA.

HJL’s Comment:

Both silver and gold seem to be holding relatively steady right now. While not as low as it has been, the price is reasonable. Depending on the seller, you should be able to get nearly eight ounces of silver for your $150 right now. Seems like a good move to me, as junk silver is fairly well recognized.

Economics and Investing:

Economic News for Preppers

10 Retirement Stats That Will Blow You Away. Think you’re ready to retire? These statistics might change your mind. – H.L.

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NY Times (‘Laughable Stunt By Plutocrats To Enrich Themselves’), WSJ (‘Ambitious Course Correction To Restore Broad-Based Prosperity’) Debate Trump’s Tax Plan

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Wonder Woman was on to something “Counterfeiting money like that [Printing as much as they want] on a large scale like that would be a very potent economic weapon!” – DMC

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Ford’s Profit Falls 35% on Recall Costs, Weaker U.S. Sales

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

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All Eyes on N. Korea “Major Major Conflict Possible” – D.B.

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How very sad: President of Austria: ‘The day will come that we must ask all women to wear a headscarf’ – Turning the concept of “assimilation” on its head – H.L.

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Violence mars Brazil’s anti-austerity general strike

Brazil protesters, police clash in first general strike in decades

Are we looking at our future, as we keep spending and increasing government and personal debt? – H.L.

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2% Of Counties Have More Than 1/2 Nation’s Homicides “The report released this week said the United States can be divided into three types of places regarding homicide: ‘Places where there are no murders, places where there are a few murders, and places where murders are very common.’ “

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Memories of the ’50s: Feds prep for nuclear attack in NJ – W.W.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, 23 and besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. 24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.” Mark 5:22-24 (KJV)

Notes for Saturday – April 29, 2017

This is the birthday of actor Daniel Day-Lewis (born 1957), often remembered for his starring roles in Last of the Mohicians and in Lincoln.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 70 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 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 that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 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 with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel 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, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. An infrared sensor/imaging camouflage shelter from Snakebite Tactical in Eureka, Montana (A $350+ value),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

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 Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  9. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A custom made Sage Grouse model utility/field knife from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. 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,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a $125 Montie gear Gift certificate.,
  8. 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), and

Round 70 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.

A Primer on Violence, by P.N.

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“All violence consists in some people forcing others, under threat of suffering or death, to do what they do not want to do.” -Leo Tolstoy

Violence is a word that conjures up a number of emotions. Some people think of violence and immediately visualize a major city in their head. Others think of violence as gangs, adolescents, and most often, criminals. For some, the thought of violence brings a visceral reaction that causes panic. For others, violence is simply something that happens on the news, in TV shows, in the movies and is far away from their life. Finally, for others, violence is something to prepare for, something to train for.

When discussing violence, we need not only think about our own emotions and reactions but those of other people. When walking down the street, is the violent criminal concerned that you don’t like violence? Are they concerned that you only believe violence belongs on TV? No, the violent criminal will do whatever they can to achieve their goal. What might their goal be? Sheer violence, robbery, theft, injury, or murder? The point is, we don’t know what level of violence other people are willing to achieve. So how can we prepare?

Antisocial Violence

As stated in many articles and books, we need to look at violence in two facets– antisocial and asocial violence. To define antisocial violence, we need not look any further then the cliché bar fight. A man bumps another man at the bar. The typical reaction includes posturing (to show dominance), possibly a push or shove to intimidate, possibly even a call to friends to “back him up”. In a scenario like this, violence is at the surface, spurred on by alcohol and egotistical behavior.

As humans, we have many skills that can help us avoid antisocial situations. We can use our words to deescalate the situation, we can feign fear and allow the other person to feel their dominance, and ultimately, we can walk away, even if we may be deemed the “coward”. Antisocial violence is something that can be avoided all together, from a situational perspective, and easily defused if it begins by using the skills that we have learned since early childhood (e.g., walking away, talking it out, using “I” messages).

Asocial Violence

On the other end of the spectrum exists asocial violence– violence that has no rhyme or reason, violence that isn’t related to egotism, social status, or even rational thought. When we think of asocial violence, we can think of a ruthless hit man, serial killers, sociopaths, et cetera. What separates these individuals is their utter lack of empathy, compassion and overall acceptance of human life. When discussing crime, we always here about the dreaded “gun violence,” murder statistics, rapes, robberies, thefts, et cetera. What can we glean from this information? We can take from this data that crime has no flow or discernible pattern when we look at it through the lens of antisocial and asocial behavior.

The difference between antisocial and asocial violence is the overall intent of the person performing the action. A carpenter can take a hammer and build a house; a criminal can take a hammer and bash someone’s skull in. What separates the two individuals? It’s only intent. What I am discussing here are not the individuals that take that hammer and use it for self-defense if being attacked by a criminal. I’m talking about the individual that maliciously, without concern for another individual’s well-being, picks up that tool and commits a heinous crime.

Any tool, when placed in the hands of a person with a vicious intent, can become a tool of destruction. At our base, primal level as human beings, we all have the ability to commit a crime. We only have to look back to the story of Cain and Abel to realize that even family members can kill when they have a specific intent. Again, it isn’t the tool that matters; it is the intent of the individual.

Preparing for Asocial Violence

In any case, we must look at what needs to be done to prepare for the unknown level of asocial violence that may meet us one day. For those of us that prepare for a multitude of situations (e.g., financial collapse, nuclear war, natural disasters, et cetera), we must prepare ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally for this level of crime.

As we have seen during natural disasters, riots, protests, et cetera, antisocial violence is quite common in any type of situation outside the normal realm of day-to-day life. Some examples include people breaking down store windows and looting during “protests,” and assaulting police officers and those individuals that have a different viewpoint then their own. All of these things sit to one side of the violent crime spectrum that isn’t close to the discussion of asocial crime. We can arm ourselves, avoid negative situations, and overall be prepared for situations that are predictable.

Predictability (or lack of)

Asocial violence is not predictable. It is not so easy to prepared for. In a true collapse of society, we can assume that a great deal of asocial violence will be occurring for people (mainly criminals) to stay alive. It is just as important to be prepared for asocial violence in our day-to-day lives as much as it is in a true collapse situation.

How is it possible to prepare for something as unpredictable as a violent, criminal, asocial attack? A few simple methods to achieve this include:

  • always maintaining your awareness to a level of Condition Yellow,
  • physically preparing yourself to fight outside the realm of organized, “fair” fighting, and
  • doing mental preparation to “game plan” for any situation.

Colonel Jeff Cooper’s Color Code

White– You are relaxed and unaware.

Yellow– You remain relaxed but are aware of who and what is around you.

Orange– You have identified something of interest that may or may not prove to be a threat.

Red– If the focus of your attention in condition orange does something you find threatening, you will shift to condition red. Condition red simply changes the focus of your attention from a potential threat to a potential target.

On a day-to-day basis, you must live your life in condition yellow always prepared to shift quickly and decisively to condition orange, and if absolutely necessary then to condition red. When dealing with asocial violence, if you are in condition yellow, you are at least a step ahead of those in white and will typically be less of a target for a person looking to commit a crime.

Typically, criminals stay in condition yellow, orange, and/or red and are always prepared to commit a crime whether you, the victim, are ready or not. Look no further than gang members who walk out of their homes expecting to be shot. They live day-to-day in condition orange and red. If you were to find yourself in an area where individuals think this way, you must also be prepared to match their level of preparedness.

What is fair?

The next step to dealing with asocial violence is removing yourself from the realm of “fair fights”. When discussing fighting, regular people with compassion and empathy don’t want to hear about kicking/punching someone in the groin, gouging someone’s eyes out, or intentionally trying to dislocate joints. In a true asocial attack, is the criminal/sociopath going to abide by fair, clean rules? Absolutely not! You will not see “clean” blows if you were to go online and look up prison yard fights. What you would see are intentional stabbings to vital organs or decisive hits/kicks/punches to critical areas. You will see the general use of violence that is not conducive to a “civil” form of fighting. Remember, in the world of MMA, the fighter’s ultimate goal is to knock the person out or perform a submission that will cause the person to “tap out”.

Their goal is not to kill their opponent. Their goal is to cause the person to quit through a submission or lose consciousness.  The referee then steps in and stops them from continuing to pummel the person while they are on the ground. Does a person committing an asocial crime have a referee ready to stop them? I can safely answer “No!” to that question. We have criminals in prisons that are reading Gray’s Anatomy to better understand the human body and how to harm it; you must also complete your own studies to match the asocial criminal intent.

Be Vicious

Train yourself to viciously target those areas on the body that will cause the most harm in the quickest fashion. You must keep in mind that I am not talking about a bar room fight. Nor am I focusing on someone bumping into you aggressively on the street. In antisocial situations, using severe tactics can get you in extreme trouble. I can make a fairly educated guess that those individuals reading this website are preparing for when antisocial behavior is not existent. We are preparing  for when we are in the asocial realm completely. Ensure that your training involves unstructured, brutal attacks that are more likely to occur on the street. These types don’t usually exist in the studio or dojo where you may currently train.

The method that I find extremely useful and highly effective is mental imaging or visualization practice. Not only is this method simple, but it is free and easy to complete anywhere, anytime. At some point throughout the day, close your eyes and picture yourself walking down the street. Imagine an individual walking toward you that looks suspicious. Immediately, your internal radar pings and you sense that something just does not seem “right” with this individual. What’s your plan? Do you have a weapon handy? Can/should you cross the street to avoid this person? At what distance will you make your judgment to act if a threat seems imminent? Simply closing your eyes and imagining possible scenarios is crucial to helping you develop a response if/when those situations arise.

Game plan

Any number of scenarios can be “game planned” prior to any real-life incident occurring. Through our viewing of television shows and movies, and our access to the Internet and its multitude of videos, we don’t even have to fabricate situations. We can simply play that clip over and over in our mind. We insert ourselves into the situation and judge what our reaction would be. Compare yourself to the person in the situation that you viewed. Once again, watching videos will show you that the asocial criminal can and will strike at any moment. It does not always wait for any form of provocation. Overall, visualization techniques allow us to prepare in a way that otherwise is impractical from a financial standpoint (meaning going to a site to train) and in some ways from a physical standpoint.

In the end, individuals who prepare for the worst-case scenario (regardless of the chosen scenario) have to deal with the reality of antisocial and asocial violence. You may not have to deal with asocial violence at any point throughout your life. Though usually everyone experiences antisocial violence at some point in time. At the minimum, you need to be preparing for asocial violence if your chosen disaster does happen. You never know if tomorrow may be the day that something terrible may occur. So you must begin preparing now for any situation that may arise.

Letter Re: Strangling Wranglerstar

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Dear Mr. Rawles and Mr. Latimer,

You’ve mentioned that Wranglerstar is your favorite YouTube channel. As you may know, YouTube has changed the rules. Wranglerstar has a “not family-friendly” rating and is not eligible for advertising revenue. Meanwhile, Wranglerstar has never featured a tiny shred of the porn, violence, or other foolishness that abounds elsewhere on/in YouTube. They have also done this with other channels conveying useful information. Gun-safety, ethical hunting, or most everything else depicted therein of a traditionalist Americana cast is hit. Enclosed below is the relevant video by Wranglerstar.

But I also wanted to ask if you, who would seem to know a great deal more about the practical aspects of the legal world than do I, might be able to think of a way to bring some kind of Trump Administration DOJ/Commerce antitrust pressure on YouTube, which, as I understand it, is a tentacle on the privacy-peeling Google Octopus, and which keeps buying up all emerging video-transfer-competitors, making itself a de fact cartel in the video-knowledge-transfer business.

If multiple and competing video-distribution networks existed, traditional Americans could vote with their virtual feet. A Just and open market would be able to determine what we—those Americans still normal enough to actually have and raise families—thought worthy of our patronage. Any ideas?

Here’s the relevant Wranglerstar video. The portion concerning the strangulation of any content not in accord with Google’s Worldview begins at about 11:38 – GJM

HJL’s Comment:

There has been quite a bit of discussion among bloggers on finding alternatives to the 800lb gorillas of Google (YouTube) and Amazon and no real consensus has been reached. Part of the reason they are so ubiquitous is the fact that everyone knows that they can get product/services from these giants. In addition, the very fact that they are 800lb gorillas gives them the ability to deliver. Sadly, it also gives them power to strangle. There is considerable debate even about their reasoning for the restrictions that both giants have placed on their services, but there is no question that there are many incidental casualties as well as intentional casualties. Some firearms-oriented vloggers like Hickock45 are migrating towards Full 30 while others are talking about Patreon. We would love to hear from our readers about other viable options.

Economics and Investing:

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Podcast: Despite the new ‘plan’, this is -still- a no-brainer tax strategy “The reason I’m skeptical, though, is that each and every line item in the tax code has a certain group of beneficiaries that’s willing to fight tooth and nail to keep it.”

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A roundup of articles on the Trump Tax Policyfrom the TaxProf Blog

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Gold Hostage To Stocks

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The Healing Power of Gold and Silver – H.L.

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

A fool and his money are soon parted [or Lord of the Flies Redoux]: ‘Rich kids of Instagram meets Hunger Games’: Guests at luxury Fyre Festival where tickets cost $12,000 ‘mugged, stranded and hungry’ – C.S.

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Brushbeater has posted a PDF of Fiedler’s NVIS Handbook. “An absolute must-have for your tech collection, this Handbook is generally regarded as one of the best of its kind.”

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In an ominous move South Africa Cancels 2,100 Amateur Radio Licenses – T.P.

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Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales tackles news with WikiTribune – Excerpt: “Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales is opening a unicorn reserve where he will breed baby unicorns with rainbow colored fur to spread peace and love around the world. Oh no, wait. My bad. He’s launching a new website called Wikitribune whose main purpose is to combat “fake news”. So, just like unicorn farming, then, only a bit more fantastical, naive, and ludicrous.” – D.B.

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Venezuela video teaches the value of the Second Amendment in 71 seconds – T.P.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” – 2 Kings 5:14 (KJV)

Notes for Friday – April 28, 2017

April 28th is the birthday of Aimo Johannes Lahti. (Born in 1896.) This clever Finn designed (or co-designed) an amazing array of weapons including the L-35 Lahti pistol, Suomi M-31 SMG, the Lahti-Saloranta M/26 LMG, the the famous Lahti L-39 20mm anti-tank rifle, and even the 20 ItK 40 (a 20 mm dual anti-aircraft cannon.)

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Today, we present another entry for Round 70 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 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 that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 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 with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel 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, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. An infrared sensor/imaging camouflage shelter from Snakebite Tactical in Eureka, Montana (A $350+ value),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

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 Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  9. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A custom made Sage Grouse model utility/field knife from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. 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,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a $125 Montie gear Gift certificate.,
  8. 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), and

Round 70 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.

Start With A .22 Rifle- Part 4, by behind-the-counter

14

Steps 3 and 4

This is the final article in a four-part series and finishes the do-it-yourself guide with installation of three additional upgrades for your Ruger 10/22, including an enhanced extractor, a much improved firing pin, and a larger bolt handle with a polished guide rod and spring. We wrap up this article with a complete list of all the videos and .pdf files referenced in all of the articles plus an annotated tool list and links to additional resources.

If you have followed us this far, you have learned that we think a .22 rifle is an excellent first gun for a prepper family and an important addition to any prepper battery. You learned that we especially recommend a stainless Ruger 10/22 Takedown for a number of reasons. You also read about the Appleseed Project and Rimfire Challenge, which we think are great experiences for beginners as well as experienced marksmen. In the third article, we made a case for doing all the gunsmithing yourself and provided detailed instructions for installing an automatic bolt release and an extended magazine release– two of the four must-have upgrades. This is the last piece.

STEP ZERO

Lock the bolt back on your newly installed automatic bolt release. Use your new extended mag release to drop out any magazine. Visually check the receiver to confirm there is nothing in the chamber. Remove all magazines and ammo from your work area.

STEP ONE

Completely field strip your 10/22 and set aside the forearm, butt stock, and the trigger guard housing you worked on in the third article.

STEP TWO

You really should complete Step Two before jumping into Step Three.

STEP THREE- Bolt Assembly

Pick up the bolt and examine it carefully. As you will see, it is an example of simple and elegant design. There are only two moving parts plus two springs, a plunger and a single pin. Wipe it down with your shop rag and assemble the components and your tools. The tools include your gunsmith hammer, a bench block, a 5/32” pin punch or better yet a 5/32” roll pin punch, an awl, and your choice of a 4” needle nose plier, a 4” needle nose vise grip, or the Joe Beary tool shown in Video #6.

Extractor

We recommend the TandemKross Extractor and Extractor Spring ($9.99) to replace the stamped factory extractor with a machined and hardened tool steel part that has a more aggressive profile to provide a much tighter grip on the spent case. In a recreational setting, a “stove pipe” or a failure to eject (FTE) happens when the empty case is caught in the ejection port by the bolt moving forward before the case is fully ejected. In a competition setting, while hunting, or in a survival situation, that FTE is a potential disaster that can be easily avoided, and the fix will last for the lifetime of the rifle. The total time for the next two upgrades is less than 10 minutes plus the time to watch Video #6 (the second part of Video #2) or read through the TandemKross installation sheet at PDF #2.

Look at the front edge of the bolt and push on the small portion of the extractor that slides over the rim on the .22LR case when the bolt slams home. Push the little claw with your finger to get a sense of the range of movement and to understand how the extractor pivots in its slot so that it can slide over the rim of the case and into a small groove cut in the barrel just to the right of the chamber.

Use a small screwdriver or better yet an awl to reach into the extractor slot machined into the right side of the bolt to push the plunger on the end of the extractor spring back beyond the round opening in the extractor slot thereby releasing spring tension on the factory extractor. While holding the plunger/spring assembly under tension, the original extractor can sometimes be dropped out or easily pulled out with 4” needle nose pliers. Because some of the extractors are not smooth or are a little larger than spec, they can be quite difficult to remove. For just those cases, I keep a 4” needle nose Vise-Grip on my bench. This is almost like having that third hand. Note: Tolerances on the factory extractor vary a lot. If the extractor wants to stay in place, I clamp the very tip of the needle nose vise grip onto the claw so that I can use an awl in my left hand to push the plunger back into the slot while lifting up on the extractor/vise grip with my right hand. Some extractors are very tight; just be persistent. It may take several tries to get all of the spring pressure relieved while providing the correct up and out movement on the extractor.

Once the extractor is out, slowly release the tension on the plunger/spring combination. Bag the original extractor and spring to keep as a spare in your spare parts plastic baggie. Install the original plunger over the end of the new T-K spring. One end of the spring is usually tighter than the other; this end goes over the narrow end of the plunger. Slide the spring into the extractor slot, and compress the plunger/spring assembly with the awl or the new extractor until the base of the extractor drops into the slightly larger circular opening in the machined retaining slot. Sometimes with an overly strong spring or a slightly under-dimension slot, you will have to use the awl to provide enough extra room for the rear edge of the extractor to drop into place. Even though we have replaced a lot of extractors, a common mistake is to lose control of the spring tension and shoot the plunger off into our work room. A back-up extractor plunger is one of the several items you can buy from shopruger.com. (Item #60012 – $2.00) for your spare parts kit. Once seated and locked in place by the plunger, move the extractor tip back and forth and from side to side in the slot to make sure it is secure.

Firing Pin

Although our shop is finally able to order a variety of brands of .22LR from different manufacturers, availability of certain types of CCI and Eley match grade brands is still spotty. One of the realities we have experienced first-hand is the increasing frequency of “failure to fire” (FTF) in all brands of .22 ammo and with many of the .22 rifles or pistols we work on and test. The case rims show a solid impact from the factory firing pin, but the round fails to go off. It’s no big deal when you are not under stress or time pressure. Count to 30, rack the bolt, eject the dud, and chamber another round. But, if you are hunting, in survival mode, or in a match, that FTF can be a really big deal.

A dud can be the result of either slack quality control in the ammo manufacturing process or a sub-optimal impact from the firing pin or both. We choose to eliminate the firing pin as a point of failure.

Since the bolt is already out of the 10/22 receiver to replace the extractor, we strongly recommend that you replace the factory firing pin with one from Volquartsen, Power, Tactical Innovations, or Kidd Innovative Design. ($23.95) Superior metal, proper hardness, precise EDM wire cutting, and precision grinding make for a much more consistent impact and positive ignition. This is one of the most important upgrades, even for the recreational shooter. According to Power Custom, the extractor and firing pin are the two most common upgrades they sell.

To remove the factory firing pin, place the bolt on a conventional gunsmith’s bench block or some other surface with a hole or edge to allow the roll pin room to move and use a 5/32 pin punch or roll pin punch and a gunsmith hammer with one brass head and one nylon head to push the roll pin holding the firing pin into the bolt body from left to right. Please do not use any punch smaller than 5/32”; you might damage the roll pin and not be able to re-use it. Of all the pins in a 10/22, this is the most difficult to remove, or in this case partially remove. Do not drive it completely out of the bolt. Once started with a punch and sufficient hammer force to get it moving, use a number of smaller taps to drive the roll pin only far enough to release the firing pin; it just needs to move slightly more than 60%. You can check by picking up the bolt and looking or by pulling back on the pin punch to see if the factory firing pin is loose in its slot. When the firing pin is free, pull it out of the bolt body. Turn the bolt body over and shake loose the firing pin rebound spring. This very small compression spring is another candidate for your spare parts kit from shopruger.com. (Item # 60038 – $2.00) Put the old factory rebound spring and firing pin into your spare parts bag.

To install the new firing pin and spring, drop the spring into the firing pin slot making sure that the larger end is toward the bolt face and the smaller, slightly conical end is toward the rear where it touches the firing pin. Move the new firing pin back and forth in the slot with your finger to make sure the spring is retained by the firing pin. While holding the firing pin pushed forward into its channel, turn the bolt on its side and use your gunsmith hammer to drive the roll pin back into place, seating it flush on both sides with the 5/32” pin punch. Check again with your finger to make certain the firing pin moves freely in its channel.

STEP FOUR- Receiver Assembly

Bolt Handle Plus Guide Rod and Spring

The final upgrade to consider before installing the bolt back in the receiver is the charging handle that allows you to move the bolt back and forth in the receiver. In our household, we have four different bolt handles from three different manufacturers, including the ones from Tactical Innovations that come in a variety of bling colors. I have the Kidd Bolt Handle ($20.00) in silver with ring cuts. It sticks out far enough that I no longer skin my knuckles on the receiver body. Even more important, the oversize handle is much easier for my big fingers to grasp in a hurry without getting pinched.

The benefit from upgrading the guide rod and spring comes from smoother and more consistent bolt operation since the new guide rod from Kidd is machined from hardened tool steel to very tight tolerances, polished, and then nitride treated for a very smooth and slick surface. This improves both feeding and ejecting as the bolt moves back and forth in the receiver without jerking. The Kidd Guide Rod and Spring Kit ($9.95) comes with a choice of three springs– standard as well as one with 10% more resistance for a steady diet of hyper velocity (1600 fps) and another with 10% less resistance for subsonic ammo.

We usually install the standard replacement spring for use because we expect most customers will use something like CCI MiniMag (1250 fps) for hunting/survival and either CCI Standard Velocity or Eley Match for competition (1050-1085 fps).

For the typical hunter or recreational shooter, the new bolt handle may not be so important. For Rimfire Challenge competitors where half a second makes a big difference or for guys with XXL hands, it is worth every penny. The total time to remove the bolt, remove the factory guide rod assembly, and install the new super smooth guide rod and spring plus the new bolt handle should be less than 10 minutes plus the time spent watching the videos. After all, the bolt and receiver assembly are ready to go.

The procedure for installing the new charging handle, guide rod, and spring is much more easily described than done, until you have done it 20 or 30 times. So that you can better understand how the pieces fit together and work inside the receiver, take the bolt and place it on your work surface so that the firing pin is up and the narrow tapered end of the firing pin is facing away from you. You will see a 3/8” wide channel milled across the top surface about ¼” back from the front face and a portion of the firing pin sticking up into that milled space. With the spring on the left and handle to the right, place the bolt handle assembly into that channel. The milled slot in the bolt handle allows the firing pin to move freely when the bolt handle is in place.

Holding everything together, turn the two pieces over. This is what you will see when you put the bolt down onto bolt handle inside the upside down receiver. Now take the receiver in your left hand and look for the ledge cast into the left receiver wall above the ejection port. Steady the upside down receiver with your left hand, and holding the bolt in your right hand, place it into the receiver parallel to the receiver and drop it into place. The parts need to be parallel, since you have less than 1/16” of an inch of clearance between the front of the bolt and the back of the ledge. Just for grins, reach in with your right forefinger and take the bolt out. You probably cannot do it until you turn the receiver over. That’s how tightly the parts fit together.

Now, let’s put everything together under spring tension. Put the spring (white tip or standard strength) on the guide rod which goes at an angle through the ejection port until the pointed end fits against the guide rod rest on the far side of the receiver near the bottom. Compress the spring on the rod until about an inch is clear and hold the compressed spring between your right thumb and forefinger. (Watch Video #3 starting at 1:55.) Making sure that the channel for the firing pin is facing up, use your left hand to slide the bolt handle onto the exposed end of the polished guide while continuing to hold the spring between your right thumb and forefinger resting firmly against the guide rod rest. Compress the new spring with your right index finger while pulling back on the bolt handle with your left hand, simultaneously pressing the guide rod into the right wall of the receiver and down against the bottom. The whole guide rod assembly has to be compressed straight back into the receiver to allow enough clearance for the bolt to drop back into place. Once fully compressed, put your left forefinger over the handle and left thumb around the bottom of the receiver and hold the guide rod tight against the right wall and down.

Drop the back of the bolt into the receiver so that the bolt is snug to the rear. Then, drop the front of the bolt over the bolt handle and just behind the ledge. It will not drop past the ledge until you push down on the front of the bolt with your thumb while making sure the guide rod is down and tight against the receiver wall. Release the bolt handle, and the whole assembly should slide forward in the receiver slamming against the front surface.

Practice this a time or two, and you will be much faster, though maybe not as quick as Tony Kidd in Video #3 or Joe Beary in Video #2. You might think a three-handed gunsmith would have a real advantage, but there is no room for that third hand.

Bolt Buffer

The final upgrade for the receiver/bolt assembly is the bolt buffer. As you recall from Video #1 and Video #3, the stock Ruger part is a solid steel pin and serves two purposes. First, it prevents the bolt from hitting the back of the receiver frame casting when the action cycles by absorbing the impact from the bolt body slamming back on the steel pin. Second, the bolt is locked into place by the combination of the round cut in the back of the bolt and square cut ledge on the side of the receiver.

For most of our shop work we recommend the Kidd Bolt Buffer ($5.95) because of its two part construction. The outer sleeve is made of shock absorbing Viton rubber with an inner steel dowel pin. The combination almost completely eliminates bolt battering and dampens the vibrations from the action cycling. TandemKross also makes an excellent composite bolt buffer. (You can save a whole dollar.)

How important is this upgrade? There is a definite reduction in noise and felt vibration, but we have never been able to measure any change in accuracy or reliability. We have never done this replacement without also changing the guide rod and spring and bolt handle so there is no labor charge. We know that cracked receiver frames or cracked bolt bodies can theoretically happen from the bolt hammering the steel buffer pin, but we have yet to see it. The cost is low, there is no extra time, and it looks (and sounds) like a good idea.

Wrapping Up

The total cost so far is $105.87 for all five major upgrades plus your labor and some tools. If you also did the magazine latch and the bolt buffer, your component cost total comes to $118.32. The result is a smoother running rifle with everything done to remove failure points, improve functioning, and increase long-term reliability. As a by-product, you also started a spare parts kit. Whether you keep the gunsmithing tools in a small tool box or in your range bag, you will use all of these tools over and over. Most importantly, you have the satisfaction of knowing you can fix almost anything that goes wrong with your 10/22 and that you have the tools on hand to do the work.

Let me make a quick plug for your local gunsmith should you ever need him. The shop labor rate is only partially related to the estimated time to do a particular task. It also includes an allowance for all of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) paperwork, logging your rifle in and out of his A&D Bound Book (Acquisitions and Dispositions), the rent and overhead for his shop, and the hefty insurance bill just for being a gunsmith and working on customer guns. The labor rate also makes up for lost time or hazardous parts that need to be replaced but are discovered only after starting a project. I have seen posted rates for the upgrades described in this article and in the third article ranging from $90 to $150. That is roughly the amount you can save by doing the work yourself.

If you make it all the way through this project, reward yourself with an inexpensive but high quality shop apron listed at the bottom of the tool list. For the eternally optimistic, buy it when you get the other tools and wear it proudly from Day One.

OUR FINAL PIECE OF ADVICE

Get your 10/22 and make the upgrades before SHTF. It could happen any day.

Resources:

www.kiddinnovativedesign.com [firing pin, bolt handle / guide rod plus more]

www.powercustom.com [full line of replacement parts]

www.tacticalinc.com [bolt handle / guide rod with bling and matching base and rings]

www.tacticalsol.com [extended magazine release]

www.tandemkross.com [extractor, automatic bolt release, and other parts]

www.volquartsen.com [full line of replacement parts]

Key Videos/PDF Files:

Video #1: Major Sub-Assemblies – A quick overview of field stripping and putting a Takedown back together.

Video #2: Bolt and Charging Handle – The first two minutes show how to remove and install the bolt and guide rod spring with and without Joe Beary’s 10/22 tool. (The second half of this video is Video #6.)

Video #3: Bolt Removal/Guide Rod Installation – Tony Kidd showing how to remove/install the bolt and the charging handle guide rod without the Joe Beary tool. He also describes the Kidd bolt buffer and its installation.

Video #4: Automatic Bolt Release/Extended Mag Release – These are not the parts we recommend, but the video is short and covers everything you need to see to visualize the entire process.

PDF #1: Includes Tandem Kross Installation Sheet – Scroll down to the 10/22 heading on this page and download the TandemKross Installation Sheet with some excellent photos and a slightly different description which assumes you are replacing only the bolt release.

Video #5: Tactical Solutions Employee Demonstration – Watch a Tactical Solutions employee install an extended mag release in less than two minutes, assuming you are not replacing the bolt release.

Video #6: Extractor (same as Video #2) – The second half of this 4-minute video shows Joe Beary demonstrating his tool to remove and install an extractor. You may never need to use it again, but for $12.95 this tool will save a lot of time. The following link is to Joe’s web site: gunsmithertools.com/gunsmither-1022-bolt-bar/index.html

PDF #2: Another Extrator Installation Approach – Yet another approach to installing the extractor is covered in a downloadable pdf of the Tandem-Kross Installation sheet for their extractor. It is not always this easy.

Video #7: Firing Pin: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw6KbM7CjFM Installation of a Volquartsen firing pin, but the same techniques apply to the Kidd firing pin.

Tool List:

The following list is just a starting point for you to do your own shopping. All of the links shown are to Amazon, but there are three other exceptional sources to consider:

www.graceusatools.com – the best traditional bench tools

www.midwayusa.com – very fast service and a broad selection

www.brownells.com – many gunsmith-only tools and parts

If you bought everything listed from Amazon, the total would be $146.07, assuming you substituted the Joe Beary bolt and extractor tool. Put another way, the tools cost more than the components. On the other hand, you now have all the tools you are likely to need to add a scope base, rings, and a scope as well as to install any upgrades to the trigger, sear, and hammer. And, they will prove useful on every other gunsmithing project you take on.

  • Excellent gunsmith hammer ($23.99); Brownell’s also sells one with their name on it.
  • The Real Avid bench block is what we carry in our range bag because it is much lighter than either the Brownell or Wheeler versions we use in the shop. ($14.99)
  • Wheeler bench block. ($19.99) This or the Brownell’s block are used every day in our shop.
  • Stanley steel punch set with the three sizes you need (3/16, 1/8, 5/32) and three superfluous. ($9.96) These are excellent tools with a variety of uses, but if you are thinking seriously about building an AR-15 or expanding your gunsmithing activities, you should consider a complete set of pin punches, roll pin punches (with a small knob on the tip to fit inside the roll pin), and roll pin holders (which hold the roll pin itself for the initial taps) whether from Grace, Brownell’s, or Wheeler for a cost of $100 or more.
  • Bondhus ball driver 8-piece set of Allen wrenches for hex head screws in the three sizes you need (7/64, 1/8, 5/32) and five superfluous but handy ones. One great feature is that each driver is proportionately sized. You will instantly know which one you need to grab. ($15.77)
  • Bondhus ball driver Allen wrench 3.5mm ($6.44); or you could buy an entire set but make sure the set has a 3.5mm size.
  • Grace 8-piece hollow ground gunsmith screwdriver set with three you need (02, H2, H3) and five that will be useful on many other guns. ($33.99)
  • Ullman 4-piece pick and hook set, all useful. ($9.99)
  • Stanley 6-piece mini plier set including the 4” needle nose plier. ($12.99) You will probably find a use for all of these, just not on this project.
  • Irwin 4” needle nose Vise Grip are more expensive than the Joe Beary tool, but it has many other uses. The only use on a 10/22 is to hold the extractor claw more securely than with your fingers. ($13.98)
  • Shop rags are just a part of handling dirty, oily guns; these cost about $0.40 each. Run through the washer/dryer without anything else before you start to use them. Old t-shirts also work. ($9.99)
  • And last, your very own gunsmith apron. P.S. Do not get the camo version. Wear with pride. You earned it. ($12.75)