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Three Letter Re: Cartridge Reloading Dollars and Cents

From SurvivalBlog.com

James,
Having just read the letters regarding reloading economics, I noticed the following caveats and had two important points about them:
 
1.  “do not shoot lead bullets in a Glock” because of the polygonal rifling.  Polygonal rifling essentially creates rifling engagement angles that are less than 90 degrees, therefore whatever bullet material you use seals the bore better (because it’s easier to deform lead/copper into a rifling groove that has a more obtuse (open) angle) than a sharp 90 degree angle.    A standard cartridge fired out of a conventionally rifled barrel will travel faster out of a polygonal rifled barrel because of the superior seal that the polygonal rifling creates and that is why Glock uses those kinds of barrels, bullets perform better out of their barrels. Better seal = higher pressures,  higher pressures = higher velocities.   It needs to be noted that the HK USP series of pistols also has polygonal rifling as well as the Baby Eagle line and problem some others that I haven’t listed here.  Lead is perfectly safe to shoot out of Glocks or HKs, as long as you decrease your powder charge.  Polygonally rifled barrels do lead up any more readily than conventionally rifled barrels, in fact, because polygonal rifling seals the bore better the number one cause of leading  is reduced, “gas cutting” the increased pressure does not melt lead bases to any appreciable extent – gas cutting does.  This was all figured out decades ago…

Cartridge Reloading Dollars and Cents, by R.S.O. in Arizona

From SurvivalBlog.com

While we are all preparing for something most of us are not financially secure there for we must stretch our Dollars as long as we have them as a form of currency. 

Here in falls the concept of reloading your own ammunition.  Because face it we need to practice and we need to store for when the supply runs out.  Let’s start by doing a little math, Ammo 9mm Luger Winchester USA 115 Grain FMJ 1190 fps 100 Round Box $ 21.11 x 10 = $ 211.10 bought online.  Now let’s order the individual component parts online and see how much we save Winchester Bulk Bullets 9mm 115 grain FMJRN = $ 105.10, Winchester Small Pistol Primers 1,000 = $ 29.95, Powder 1 pound about $ 20.00, Winchester Bulk Brass 9mm = $ 176.30.  Ok total to load your own 1000 rounds of 115 Grain FMJ = $ 331.35 now you’re saying to yourself that’s $ 120.25 more than if I just bought it already loaded there’s no savings to heck with this idea right?  Wrong!  Take a look around next time you go to the range or your favorite outdoor shooting spot how much 9mm brass is just laying around.  LOTS and LOTS all you have to do is pick it up, and as for the powder on average you can load 1200 to 1400 rounds of ammo with just 1 pound.  Hmmm, so let’s take just the price of brass $ 176.30 out of…

Using A Bow and Arrows in a Post TEOTWAWKI World

From SHTF blog

In my last post I said I’d write a little about using a bow after TSHTF.

Let’s assume for a few minutes that TEOTWAWKI has arrived and it’s a year after the fact.  Let’s make it a good one… we’ll say that a huge solar storm caused enough disruption that it caused the global economy to collapse.  (Humor me.)

You don't want to get hit with one of these.

Being the social creatures that we are I’m sure that there would be plenty of civilization left to be a part of if we chose to.  Crime is through the roof, but for the most part things have stabilized.  Fire arms have been useful, but now ammo is hard to come by and most people are hoarding what they have for an emergency.

What can you use for hunting, or defense, or just plain old surviving in the woods?

Why, the humble bow and arrow of course.

I asked for input about why bows would be a good item to have on hand and some of you came back and gave really good reasons.  Thanks to those of you who pitched in!

Here’s a few things you guys came back with:

• Quiet in the woods
• Can use it to fish
• You can pick up your arrows after you use them
• Steel field tips will defeat body armor
• A

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Steiner acquisition

From Notes from the bunker…

One of those days where I didn’t plan on doing some wheeling and dealing….it just sorta happened.

Lemme ask you something, when you go hunting and you’re looking for game do you use your riflescope to glass the hillside? Lots of folks do, but, as you can imagine, that’s a violation of gun safety because wherever you’re pointing that scope is also where you’re pointing that rifle. Think about it…if you’re glassing the hillside and you see another hunter a couple hundred yards away, then you have your rifle pointed right at him. Bad juju,man.

Now, having said that, I will admit to having done this quite frequently when hunting in my early years. It’s only in the last few years that I’ve made the very conscious decision to not randomly glass the woods with my riflescope and to use my binoculars instead. Here’s the issue, though – if your binoculars are not the same magnification as your scope then switching between the two can be a bit confusing…you see an elk a couple hundred yards away through your 10x binoculars and then switch to your 4x scope…well, it can be a bit difficult to reacquire that target quickly.

A local gun shop had a pair of Steiner military armored 10×50 binoculars (used) for sale. Since the scope on my.308 is a 10×56, these seemed to be a good match. Lanyarded lens caps, armored, subdued color and…most importantly…about 1/2 the price of a…

How to Get the Most from Your Appleseed Experience by Louie in Ohio

From SurvivalBlog.com

Introductory Note: I am not an employee of RWVA, Appleseed Project or any company I might mention in this article. I am however a volunteer Instructor in Training for Appleseed. I receive no remuneration for my service.

My introduction to the Appleseed Project was different, than for most SurvivalBlog .com readers.

I have had an avid interest in firearms from the time my uncle came to live with us during my high school years. Uncle Dick had several rifles, shotguns and pistols (of which I have since inherited). My first after school job was at a hardware store that just happened to have the largest gun display in our little town of 20,000.
I spent as much of my paycheck on firearms and ammunition as my parents would allow, while still saving for college and paying for my own personal expenses.
Early in 2010 I was thinking of how I could take a Ruger .22 rimfire Model 10/22 and make it look like an M1 Carbine. And so I did a web search on the phrase  “Ruger 10/22 M1 Carbine”.  I was surprised to see something pop up. It was E.A. Brown’s web site. They had a stock, sling and sights that would allow me to do exactly what I wanted to do.
But they also had in the description, a reference to the term “Liberty Training Rifle”. I had never…

Armed Environmental Police Shut Down Ice-Cream Stand

From Modern Survival Blog

image source: lowellsun.com

You may have run across this news report already today while scouring the news, but in case you haven’t, hear is a re-hash. In Massachusetts, state environmental police shut down an ice-cream stand run by Mark Duffy for 26 years at a dairy farm in Carlisle, a small town about 20 miles northwest of Boston.

The armed environmental police told Duffy that he had not obtained proper permits for recent improvements he made to the stand, and were forced to shut it down. Not only did they shut it down, but they guarded the popular ice-cream stand and physically turned away all of the would-be patrons at the popular spot during sunny Mothers Day weekend. Apparently a posted notice was not enough… they had to put up an authoritative presence (show).

“I’m here and the purpose of having me here is to improve the facility and operate a commercial dairy farm,” said Duffy, 57, who lives on the farm with his wife. “I make improvements every single day and have for 26 years.”

“There are 13 high-school and college students who work at the stand who are now without jobs,” said Duffy.

Duffy offers guided barn tours at the farm from May to October. The building improvements in question were made to create an area to show an instructional video produced by the Massachusetts dairy industry, said Duffy.

Edward Lambert, commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, said…

Wednesday Randomness

From Total Survivalist Libertarian Rantfest

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Fighting complacency

From Notes from the bunker…

Well, the first sign that it’s promising to be an interesting day was getting to the shop and finding a shopping bag hanging from the handle of the door. Hmmm. Contents? MRE components….poundcake, applesauce, apple butter, crackers, entrees, etc. I figured it could only be from a couple of folks and, dure enough, it was the first one I called. Apparently he’s doing some tidying up around his house and these foud their way to me. Awesome.

The other day I was in the hardware store when I ran into another LMI. He’s a recent (in the last two years) convert who is making up for lost time in a big way. He works in a business that is indirectly related to preparedness so he’s a good person to know. Anyway, we stood there in the paint aisle and got caught up. We both wound up lamenting how hard it is to stay focused and how easy it is to get complacent. He said he looks at all his stored food and stuff in his basement and it reduces his anxiety but reduces it enough to take some of the urgency out of his activities…as a result, he winds up getting a little complacent. I agreed. I noticed this years ago. It’s hard to stay focused and concentrate on being prepared every single day. Now, don’t get me wrong..being prepared every single day is easy; thats just a matter of keeping your gear…

The Revolving Pocket Rocket – .22 Magnum Handgun

From SHTF blog

Remember the firearms instructor that wrote the guest post A Case for the Pipsqueak .22lr AR-15? He’s back with another prime post. Only this time he’s bumping it up to the .22 magnum. Such a fun word – “magnum.” Say it. “Magnum.”

He also seems to have settled on a pen name since last post.

- Ranger Man

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Until sometime during the mid-80s revolvers ruled the handgun roost. Well, times have changed! Plastic pistols are now in vogue, but demand for small wheel-guns still remains steady. They’re concealable, reliable and simple to use. Sure, capacity is reduced, but by how much? The latest genres of little semi-auto pocket rockets don’t hold a whole lot of ammo either. By going with smaller cartridges revolver capacity can increase until parity exists, albeit with possibly less punch. Any gun is better than no gun so when size, noise and recoil are issues some folks turn to little revolvers chambered for rimfire rounds.

My son wanted a pint-sized package for the Maine woods. He’ll carry it mostly while bow-hunting. Others may prefer to pack one with survival gear, or just slip one in a pocket. The new polymer or scandium iterations weigh practically nothing and beg to be carried everywhere. Because light weight and big calibers translate to lots of recoil, these little guns seem especially well-suited for the smallest bores. In this case, the choice was an S&W Model 351 PD chambered for .22 Magnum.

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Preparedness for Dark Times, by John D.

From SurvivalBlog.com

I am a deputy sheriff in Louisiana and patrol primarily on the night shift. A few nights ago my shift was alerted that the main city in our parish was under a complete "black out", meaning a total loss of ALL electricity. The reason for the blackout was unknown but the repercussions were great. The power stayed out for a mere hour and a half, but that was all it took to cause  chaos all throughout the city. In this hour and a half multiple shootings occurred, multiple wrecks occurred on the highways and city streets, and multiple stores and businesses were broken into and looted due to security systems malfunctioning. All within that small hour and a half. It really shows how fragile the order in our cities hangs in the balance. People who would probably have been watching television or engaging in other peaceful activities, were gathering in the streets starting fights. All because the lights and tv turned off. Wow. Only a handful of people had nothing to worry about because they were prepared with a few necessities such as: flashlights, food, water, protection (I.e.  Rifle, handgun, or shotgun). 

I am writing this to remind you of the importance of being prepared for a "lights out" situation like this. This type of thing happens all the time and can happen in your area  anytime. These are some minimum guidelines for what you need on hand in a two to three week blackout scenario.…