Springfield Armory 1911 With Laser, by Pat Cascio

My number one choice, if I could only own one handgun, is still the grand old 1911 in some configuration. Yeah, lots of new gun designs come along, and I’ve tested many different handguns over the past 25 years working as a gun writer, and most are outstanding in their own regard. However, when pressed, I’m going to still pick a 1911 in .45 ACP, of course.

Here are some of my thoughts on my choice in a 1911. First of all, there is the proven fight-stopping .45 ACP round. Yes, I’ve read the report put out by the FBI stating that there isn’t all that much difference between the stopping power of a 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP, when loaded with a good JHP bullet. Still, in my mind, I believe that, the .45 ACP will put a bad guy down a little bit faster than the 9mm and .40 S&W rounds will. I don’t know of any way to measure this sort of thing, and I don’t think anyone else does, either, unless they were on the spot and timed just how fast a certain caliber puts a stop to a deadly threat.

Many years ago, my long-time friend Master John McSweeney, who is now departed, and I collaborated on a book called SWAT Battle Tactics, which is still available as an online book. There were some changes made to the book after we read the galley copy, changes we didn’t approve of, so some of the material is not only dated but not relevant. Still, the book is a basic primer for any law enforcement agency or security agency wishing to start a SWAT team. Back in the day, a SWAT team was called out to assist the street cop. Today, SWAT is called out for all manner of things, and, not to put down anyone on a SWAT team, I do get a kick out of watching them suit-up with all their military-style gear and uniforms before deploying to whatever situation they were called out for.

Though I have no desire to be a cop once again, if I were and I was called out to an active shooter situation at say Walmart, I’d want to go in with an AR-15 as my main firearm and whatever handgun I had on my side. Walmart and other similar big box stores are huge, and there is a lot of room to maneuver with a long gun. However, in smaller businesses and small schools, there isn’t a lot of room to work with a long gun. So, my choice would be a 1911 of some sort in .45 ACP in-hand with half a dozen spare magazines. I have all the faith in the world in the platform and the caliber.

Not all 1911 handguns are created equal. You can have a halfway “decent” 1911 made to mil-spec imported from the Philippines or Turkey, and they are really nice guns for under $500. However, they would not be my first choice in a life or death situation. Yep, they’re lots of fun to shoot on the weekend but not guns I’d bet my life or anyone else’s life on. I demand a high quality 1911, when lives are on the line, period!

I’ve remained a huge fan of Springfield Armory 1911s ever since I owned my very first one back in the early/mid 1980s. They are value driven if you ask me. From their basic mil-spec to their top-of-the-line TRP models, they have something for everyone. I received their “loaded” 1911, with a Crimson Trace laser grip on it, for testing for this article. I’m a big fan of lasers on handguns these days. This wasn’t always the case, especially when lasers first came out; they were big and bulky, really big and bulky. Crimson Trace is one of the leaders, if not “the” leader in lasers that are instinctive. That means that most of them turn-on without you having to do anything, other than take a proper grip on a handgun, which is nice, very nice!

The Springfield Armory Loaded 1911 I received came with their parkerized gray frame and slide, both forged for toughness. This is a full-sized, “Government Model” 1911 with a 5-inch barrel that is match-grade and stainless steel and precisely fitted to the slide, too. The gun also comes with the Novak rear sight with two white dots and the front sight has one white dot. It’s very fast to pick up even under stress. We also have a two piece full length recoil guide rod that makes field stripping the gun a little bit more time consuming, but I’ve never had to take a gun apart outside of cleaning and lubing it. I’ve never had to take a gun apart in a gunfight.

This particular model weighs in at 40 ounces unloaded, and it also comes with two 7-rd magazines, as well as a holster, double magazine pouch, and a few other goodies in the well-made carrying/storage case. This alone is at least a $50 value, if not more. There is also an extended combat safety on the left side of the gun, though no ambi safety on the opposite side, and I have no problem with that. With the Crimson Trace laser installed, it is impossible to install a thumb safety on the right side of the gun, unless it was an abbreviated safety; read very small safety. We also have an extended beaver tail grip safety and a flat main spring housing on the gun. The finish was evenly applied, too.

The Crimson Trace laser grip replaces the standard stocks (grips) on this gun, and they are made out of hard rubber. It is activated by a button on the front strap of the gun. If you grip the gun properly, the laser is activated. There’s nothing to think about. BTW, on my sample, the laser was zeroed for 25 yards, which is perfect!

For everyday carry, I like the Blackhawk SERPA hip holster. I prefer the belt loop setup over the paddle, but you can install either on these holsters. For “tactical” use, my choice is hands down the Blackhawk Tactical Thigh Holster, again a SERPA model, that keeps the gun on the right thigh with two added magazine pouches (optional) and of course a couple more spare mag pouches on my left hip. The gun stays very secure in the SERPA holsters. They won’t fall out and release at the touch of a button. Some have complained about their guns getting stuck in these holsters. I’ve never had any such problem.

I have a real “problem” when it comes to testing 1911s; I love shooting them, a lot! And, there was no difference with this offering from Springfield Armory. I had an outstanding selection of ammo to run through this gun. From Buffalo Bore Ammunition I had their 160-gr Barnes TAC XP low-recoil, all copper hollow point, 255-gr Outdoorsman Hard Cast load, which is +P rated, 230-gr FMJ FN +P, 200-gr JHP +P, and their 1850-gr Barnes TAC XP all-copper hollow point that is +P rated. From Black Hills Ammunition, I had their 200-gr Match SWC, 230-gr FMJ, 230-gr JHP +P, and their 185-gr Barnes TAC XP +P load. From Double Tap Ammunition, I had their 230-gr Bonded Defense load that is just shy of a +P load and their 200-gr Bonded Defense load, which again is just shy of being a +P rated load.

The Loaded 1911 was inspected and lubed. (I always use my favorite Italian Gun Grease tactical lube.) Then, I set about testing this nice gun. I fired more than 1,000-rds over several testing sessions and over several months, and the gun was not cleaned or lubed during my testing. It never missed a beat. Every thing I fed it worked great, without a hint of a bobble or malfunction, period! Some 1911s require a break-in period; not so with this gun. It just perked along no matter what was fed into it or who was shooting it. Sometimes I enlist a helper every now and then in my shooting tests.

Of course, there are usually one or two loads of ammo that will give a little better accuracy than other ammo, and the Crimson Trace Loaded model was no different. Accuracy testing was done at 25 yards over a rolled up sleeping bag over the rear of my pickup truck. The number one load giving me 2-inch groups, if I did my part, was the Black Hills 200-gr Match SWC, and this came as no surprise to me. This load has always given me great accuracy, and it is used by a lot of competitors because of this. Second up was the Buffalo Bore 200-gr JHP +P load. It was hovering just shy of three inches, if I did my part all the time. None of the other loads exceeded 3.5 inches, once again, if I was on my game. Many groups were close to three inches. The Double Tap 200-gr Bonded Defense load was showing promise, but I only had half a box of this ammo left over from when I used it in another article. I’ll have to get some more of this ammo from Double Tap for future articles.

Without hesitation, I’d grab this Springfield Armory 1911 and head into harm’s way, facing whatever threat that might come my way. The trigger pull on this gun was right at 4.5 lbs and nice and crisp. I couldn’t ask for much better. With the right load, it will sure save your bacon.

Full retail on this particular 1911 is right around $1,100, but if you shop around you might find it for less. Keep in mind that Springfield 1911s are always in demand. This is a 1911 you can take into combat, on a hostage rescue mission, or just for a fun day of shooting.

– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio

Recipe of the Week: Ham and Lentil Stew, by L.H.

We’re expecting an “Arctic blast” soon and this is the soup I’m preparing to help keep us warm. While there is some slicing-and-dicing involved, the lentils cook up quickly enough that you can have it on the table in under an hour and a half. Earthy, healthy, comforting, and a little different, I think you’ll like it. Plain ol’ saltine crackers are a perfect accompaniment, though chunks of warmed crusty bread will definitely kick it up a notch.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 ½ c. cooked diced ham
  • ¾ – 1 c. chopped onions (about 1 small onion)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cans (14.5 oz. ea.) chicken broth
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 1 c. lentils, any kind
  • 1 ½ c. thinly-sliced cabbage
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • ¼ tsp. thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ tsp. black pepper

Directions:

  1. In large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.
  2. Sauté ham and onions, stirring often, for 5-6 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and stir 1 minute more.
  4. Add rest of ingredients.
  5. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 1- 1 ¼ hours, stirring occasionally, until lentils are done.
  6. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

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Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Letter Re: Fire Starters

Mr. Latimer,

I have read many fire starter “recipes” lately on SurvivalBlog. I have tried a few of them and have had a short-lived flame with which to start a fire. Some lit easier than others, and some burned a little better.

Last year in the spring I bought some Fire Starter logs that were on sale for half price. I took one log out and began cutting small cubes from the end, about the size of sugar cubes. I then wrap each cube in enough dryer lint to cover it completely. Lint adheres pretty well to the cube which is somewhat sticky. The lint allows you to store them together without them sticking to each other.

Purchase small zip baggies measuring 2″ x 3″ from a craft store. They hold 2-4 cubes per bag, and seal shut. These little waterproof baggies are easily carried in a pocket. Adding several matches is also a good idea, although strikers do the job nicely. These little cubes really burn for a long time, which the log starter product is made to do!

One log will make a huge number of these for very little money. I even use these to light logs in the fireplace by placing two or three under the wood about a foot apart.

Sincerely, JLA in Tampa

Odds ‘n Sods:

How to Remove Rust From Your Gun Using A Penny – Easy, Safe & Effective – K.T.

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The left continues to “double down”: Katie Couric to Guest Host ‘Today Show’ Despite Editing Controversy – DSV

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Wranglerstar’s new Snowplow– T.J.

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New California Proposed Bill to Increase Government Seizure of Children from Families? – DSV

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Dr. Sebastian Gorka: ‘The front line is when you leave your house in the morning’ – B.B.

Notes for Sunday – December 25, 2016

To those who are celebrating the Advent of our Lord and Savior, the team at SurvivalBlog wishes you a peaceful and meaningful Christmas. For those who choose to celebrate our Lord through the biblical feasts, stay safe out there during this holiday season. Our prayer is that each and every one of you enjoy the family time and stay safe on the roads.

Giving Ourselves As A Gift During The Holidays, by Sarah Latimer

The Judeo-Christian community is celebrating Christmas and/or Hanukkah this week and getting ready to bring in the new year 2017. Many people are off work and spending the week with family and friends. Some of you may be traveling, and some of you are at home. Many are not alone, but some of you are. No matter where you find yourselves and whether you are alone or not, you have something of value to give during these holidays– yourself, time, and knowledge, and in sharing these you can practice a little prepping for the future, too.

I have a few ideas to get your own ideas flowing on how you might go about this, but each of you has your own talents, your own circumstances, and available resources. You know your family, friends, and community; I don’t. Just let this be a launching pad from which you begin to brainstorm your own ideas, share your abilities, and build on them as a family/group. If you’ve been reading SurvivalBlog for a while now, you have some good basic knowledge of preparedness that is valuable to share with family and friends. If you are alone and thinking about what it might be like to live in TEOTWAWKI and lose access to the outside world, there are probably some folks living not far from you who have experienced that in their own lives– those who are in the nursing home without anyone to visit them. They’ve lost their home and contact with the outside world for the most part. The difference between them and what we hope for is that they are not self sufficient, but they are in a cooperative community that meets their basic needs. Still, there are many who feel isolated and forgotten and really need a friendly smile from someone in the outside world. While practicing some of your homesteading skills, like making homemade lip balm or baking cookies with freshly ground wheat, maybe you could take some of these to the nursing home to some of the folks there who have gone through the holidays without any visitors. While there, ask the staff if there are any clear-minded residents who are story-tellers of the Great Depression or WWII days. You just might learn a thing or two if you spend time listening for awhile. These folks, especially those who are near centenarians, have a wealth of information as they have survived the Great Depression, WWII, and much more. Some of it might apply to you for the future.

Feel free to write in and share what you did. We’d enjoy bringing in the new year with a few short letters of how you shared yourself and your knowledge with others to make this world better and in doing so also improved yourself. We’d enjoy reading about what you learned from an interesting old timer at the nursing/retirement home, too!

Weapons Use and Cleaning Practice

While grown children, their spouses, and children are visiting, it is a good time to help them become more comfortable handling and caring for weapons. Or if you have children in your home, take some time to teach/practice gun safety. Also, teach and practice appropriate shooting skills, and get out the Hoppe’s to teach them how to clean guns. If you use bows and knives, practice with these, too. Maybe set up a course and walk them through some scenarios and strategies. Basically, you want to use this time to help any family members who might be afraid of using weapons to become more comfortable with them and others to become more proficient, whatever that means. Throughout our extended family, the level of comfort with weapons runs the gammit. Most of the men are quite comfortable and proficient with them; some are experts and equipped to train others to shoot, but some of the women and girls are reluctant to actually shoot. So, in our case, we need to practice with the women every opportunity we get. I tell the women that while the men may be the first line of defense, if they get hurt, we had better be ready to pick up arms and defend our families! We also need to know how to use quiet weapons too, so archery and knife skills are useful. I was throwing knives during early elementary school age and shooting Daddy’s bow, too. You must decide what is appropriate for the individuals in your family, depending upon age and maturity and so forth, but youngsters learn respect and can develop skill, too. I’ve known some very young, even pre-teen, boys who helped feed their families during hard times in recent years with elk and deer they shot themselves. It’s not just about self defense, and that leads to the next idea.

Go Fishing

It may be ice fishing at this time of year where you live and you may not be able to do it for long, but practice the skill of fishing and teach the younger generations how to do it also. Like everything else, it is a skill that requires practice, and when the SHTF it will be necessary to know these skills then. Of course, when it is TEOTWAWKI, we cannot count on wild life to sustain our families long term, but in the short term we need to know how to fish, hunt, and forage, as we may need to bugout and do so during winter. Just be sure to dress appropriately and use precautions to keep from falling into dangerous, icy waters. Take a thermos of coffee and another of hot chocolate and make it as pleasant of an outing as possible. There is no need to make it a miserable situation. Make it a fun adventure, so take plenty of yummy snacks and warm clothing, hand warmers, and be willing to head home if it becomes unpleasant! Stretch the family members’ abilities, just as you do a muscle, but don’t push so much that it is painful and they won’t want to join on one of your excursions again. That’s like spraining the muscle of preparedness-learning rather than just exercising it, and you don’t want to do that. So, keep it light hearted and fun!

Building Something Creative

Our family has been working on some artwork that will serve as a centerpiece for our holiday table. We’ve had to work together and also independently, in our various areas of expertise, to weld, hammer, cut fabric, paint, staple, and so forth to build this creation made of copper, wood, glass, and fabric. Maybe you’d like to build a bird house, a wall lamp holder, or some other small project during this week at home and do so with a young family member or friend while teaching them some basic carpentry skills and how to use hand tools.

Review Your Medical/First Aid Supplies

The end of the year is a good time to evaluate what needs to be replaced to find out what might be expiring or has already expired and needs replacing. (We know that when many medications are stored in airtight containers in cool, dry environments they often last longer than their expirations, but there is a limit, and some medications are dangerous past their expirations. It is necessary to review and replace any that might be hazardous or ineffective. SurvivalBlog has some excellent articles by medical professionals to assist you with what medications must be replaced upon the expiration date and which ones can go longer under ideal conditions.

It’s also a good idea to review with family members how to use your CAT tourniquets, Israeli bandages, and other pieces of first aid equipment from time to time. This might be an excellent time for this review and practice. When the life-threatening emergency occurs, it isn’t the best time to get out the instructions, look up the instructional article, or search for a youtube tutorial!

Make Some Homemade Lip Balm

The air is dry and our lips chap easily, so why not make your own natural lip balm? Just order empty 5 ml lip balm containers and any of the basic ingredients listed below that you don’t have on hand. If you have an Amazon Prime membership and purchase items that are available through Prime, you’ll likely have the supplies by Thursday and can have several dozen lip balms made before New Year’s Eve.

I’ve learned to make these thanks to Aromahead Institute. To make them, just take a four cup Pyrex measuring cup and put it inside a 2-quart saucepan filled with about one inch of water to create a double boiler. (Don’t let the water rise more than about two inches up the side of the Pyrex cup, as you do not want water to boil inside your Pyrex bowl!) Using a kitchen scale, weigh out one ounce each of beeswax and jojoba oil (or sunflower oil, but jojoba oil is more nourishing) into separate dishes. Then, weigh out 1.5 ounces of cold pressed, extra virgin coconut oil and half an ounce of shea butter, also into separate dishes. Add the beeswax and coconut oil to your pyrex bowl and turn the heat on your pan of water. Stir the beeswax and coconut oil until it is melted. Then, turn the heat off and add the jojoba oil, stirring thoroughly. Remove the pan from the heat surface and add the shea butter, stirring until it has completely melted. Then, add 120 drops (about 5 mLs) of Orange essential oil (Citrus sinensis), as Aromahead Institute instructs. Or, you can make my immune support version with 30 drops of eucalyptus essential oil, 30 drops of peppermint essential oil 20 drops of rosemary essential oil, 20 drops of tea tree essential oil, and 20 drops of oregano essential oil. Be sure to use high quality essential oils. Organic, therapeutic quality is the best, from my experience.

Make Some Candles or Repurpose Used Taper Candles in Half Gallon Jars You Decorate (For Emergency Lighting)

We enjoy entertaining and usually have people over at least once a week for dinner. At these dinner and sometimes just with family, we use taper candles on our dining table. I enjoy making candles, but eventually they burn down to where they are only a few inches tall. At this point they don’t look very nice, and I feel I need to replace them; however, I hate to throw all of that useful wax away. I’m happy to report that I’ve found a good way to use them, other than melting them down for making more candles. I think I may have mentioned this before, but there are pretty candle holders that will hold those short little tapers in half gallon or quart size Mason jars for emergency lighting in a portable and safe manner when the power fails. In the half gallon jars, they don’t get hot and provide a good deal of light that can be carried without risk of wax dripping onto someone or ruining clothing or carpet. These hangers could be made with wire, too, at home.

Also, the jars you are going to carry the candles in can be decorated. This is a perfect project for the little ones you might have with you. Get some rhinestones or beads to glue on or maybe simply draw with permanent markers to decorate the jars a bit. You’ll create pretty, colored emergency lamps. (Just help hold or secure those glass jars so they don’t get broken and hurt little ones.)

Then, when you have finished teaching and practicing some of what you know, think how you can share some of that with others who are alone. Is there an orphanage or nursing home near you that could benefit? Reach out and touch the lives of others. In giving your time and maybe a little gift, you may find you get a very meaningful gift– love or at least smiles, from a new friend.

Letter Re: Getting First Aid Supplies Tax Free

Hi Hugh and/or JWR-

I’ve been a long-time reader, but this is my first time responding to a post. I just wanted to clarify one point that was made in reply to the “Letter: Getting First Aid Supplies Tax Free” thread.

I am a practicing physician and a fellow patriot/prepper. I have also been self-employed for the past two years after leaving hospital employment, which is when I had to start investigating the best insurance options for me and my family. Keep in mind, I am not an accountant or IRS agent, but most of these facts can be found on the IRS website, as well as speaking with an accountant or tax professional.

If you are self-employed, or else your employer offers you a Health Savings Account (HSA), I strongly recommend looking at whether this option is right for you. HSA’s differ from FSA’s in that YOU (not your employer or the government) own the HSA account. There are also many tax advantages to an HSA. (Accountants call it “triple tax advantaged” because it is never taxed if used for anything “medical, dental, or vision”, and this definition of “medical, dental, or vision” is actually surprisingly broad.) It can be used for expenses like braces, glasses, contacts, non-covered surgeries (i.e.- LASIK) or medications, medical supplies, et cetera.

To be eligible for an HSA, you must be on a qualified High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), but the monthly premiums for these plans are usually low enough that it more than offsets the increased deductible exposure, especially if you are healthy enough that you don’t have claims that spend through your deductible every year. HDHP/HSA’s are probably not as well-suited for folks who suffer from expensive chronic medical conditions, which cause their annual deductible to be met year after year, but it is ideal for healthy and semi-healthy families or individuals.

If an HSA is an option that is something you are interested in looking into, I recommend a few things:

  1. Set money aside in the HSA to at least match the savings in monthly premiums you would otherwise be paying on a traditional PPO/HMO style plan. This self-discipline of saving makes it easier to build up some money in the HSA for the times when big expenses happen and you have to pay that $3000 deductible out of the HSA.
  2. Use the HSA as a “pass through” for any medical/dental-related expenses, as it saves you paying for these in post-tax dollars. Things like glasses, contacts, cold medicine, vitamins, braces, should all be run through the HSA for tax savings, rather than paid for out-of-pocket.
  3. Buy your medical kit supplies through this as well. As long as it is a qualified medical expense, it is fair game to use the HSA money on.
  4. If you are given the option of where you set up your HSA account (it doesn’t have to be with the insurance company that is selling you the HDHP), shop around. Some banks and credit unions offer no-fee accounts and also pay interest. I found a wide variation in plans when I looked into setting up my family’s plan, but I found the best deal at a local credit union. It definitely pays to shop around on this one. I recommend dealing with a local bank or credit union though, as some of the Internet/phone-based companies can be very difficult to work with and have no local branch where you can get customer service.
  5. SAVE ALL OF YOUR RECEIPTS. These are essentially tax deductions you are claiming, so save your receipts in case of IRS audit.

– “Doctor Dan”

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.” – Acts 7:9-10(KJV)

Notes for Saturday – December 24, 2016

December 24, is the 15th Anniversary of when John Joe Gray’s legal troubles began. He and his family were self-sufficiently holed up in their Texas ranch for a few days short 15 years, in defiance of a warrant for his arrest. This was the longest standoff in American history, in which he has faced the administrations of four different county sheriffs before the district attorney dropped the charges.