Monthly Archives: August 2023

Paratus approaches

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Hey guys… a reminder that Paratus, the holiday of, by, and for, survivalists is September 15th. You have two weeks to get your Paratus shopping done.

Paratus cards are in hand and will be sent out a few days before the actual holiday.

I’ve said this almost every year, and yet people still get some crazy idea that ll the have to do to get on the Paratus card list is make a comment or email with their mailing address and a request to get on the list. Guys, it doesn’t work like that. From the FAQ:

How do I get on the Paratus card list?

It’s pretty simple and blatantly selfish. If you’ve signed up at Patreon, sent me a gift of any kind, are someone I know ‘in real life’, are an ‘internet friend’ with whom I’ve exchanged many emails, had sex with me, or otherwise have interacted with me on more than a casual basis…and you’ve provided an address…you’ll get on the list.

 

Simply emailing or commenting with your address and “Please send me a Paratus card” will not work.

Remember: Paratus is your holiday. Call your vendors and gun shops and ask if they have a Paratus Day sale. Make it as big a holiday as you want it to be. Include your like-minded friends.

Article – Eagle bar to give away AR-15 rifle on ‘conspiracy theory trivia’ night? Welcome to Idaho

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Way to fight the stereotype, guys.

If you fall asleep each night hugging your gun safe and listening to “The Alex Jones Show,” a downtown Eagle bar has a perfect evening planned for you.

Old State Saloon, 50 E. State St., is hosting “Conspiracy Theory Trivia” on Wednesday night.

The prize? An AR-15! You know, the semi-automatic firearm in the news all the time! The military-style one that makes many Americans mistakenly think the “A” and “R” stand for Assault Rifle!

What a blast, right? Will Dorothy Moon be there?

Go get your QAnon on, Boise.

I really feel like I should go this just to see who shows up. Between spaace aliens, Trilaterals, Blue Helmets, Planet X, Denver airport, chemtrails, MK Ultra, shadow government, and Wayfair human trafficking, it should be a very entertaining evening. Bonus points to the first person who stands up and yells “Theyre in the parking lot videoing all our license plates!”

Do you know where I can find….

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I have a carbine that has a pic rail at the back of the receiver, much like a Sig MPX. There are adapters out there that will let you put a side folder mechanism that takes AR carbine buffer tubes. This allows you to have a side folder that uses common MagPul (or other) M4 carbine stocks.

What I’m looking for is a similar mechanism but will let me use a regular A2 rifles stock. The Law folder would work except in isnt mounted by pic rail but rather screws into the receiver of the AR where the buffer tube would normally thread.

What I’m trying to do is get a Magpul MOE full-length stock that will fold to the side on a receiver that has a section of pic rail for stock attachment. Very similar to this offering from Midwest Industries. But I want it to take the Magpul MOE stock.

Anyone?

ETA: Most folks are recommending various folders that incorporate a removable buffer tube and suggesting I replace the carbine tube with a rifle tube and then add my A2 stock. Technically, that works but the A2 stock has a unique shape where it meets the receiver of the gun. The carbine stocks simply have a round hole that is filled by the buffer tube…easy. The A2 stock has a shape that requires the round hole and a another smaller hole below if of the indexing stud. Stormwerkz might have what im looking for but I need to look around a bit more. Keep looking, kids!

Can AI make a post for a survivalist blog?

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So with the rather suspiciously sudden appearance of consumer-grade AI theres been some talk about how it can be used to fab up term papers, reports, etc. Can it make a couple posts for a survivalist blog? Les find out. I found a ‘Blog Post Generator’ and throwing in the keyword ‘preparedness’ gave me this:

Title: The Key to Survival: The Power of Preparedness

Introduction (30 seconds):
In today’s unpredictable world, being prepared for unexpected situations has become essential. Whether it’s a natural disaster, a medical emergency, or even a sudden job loss, readiness empowers individuals to navigate through challenging circumstances with confidence and efficiency. In this blog post, we will delve into the significance of preparedness and discover how adopting a proactive approach can make a significant difference in our lives.

Body (2 minutes):
1. Understanding the Importance of Preparedness (30 seconds):
Life is full of uncertainties, hence being caught off guard at some point is inevitable. Preparedness involves arming ourselves with the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources to minimize the impact of unforeseen events. It enables us to respond effectively, reducing the potential risks and damages associated with emergencies.

2. Assessing Potential Risks and Creating a Plan (1 minute):
The first step towards preparedness is to identify potential risks in our environment, both natural and man-made. Researching local hazards such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or floods can help us understand the probability of these events occurring and their potential impact on our lives. Once identified, we can create a comprehensive plan tailored to address each specific risk, including evacuation routes, emergency contacts, and essential supplies.

3. Building a Survival Kit (30 seconds):
A well-stocked survival kit serves as a lifeline during emergencies. It should include essentials such as non-perishable food, water, first aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, and a battery-powered radio. Regularly check and replenish these supplies to ensure they are up to date and readily available in times of crisis.

4. Developing Key Skills (30 seconds):
In addition to supplies, acquiring specific skills can significantly enhance preparedness. Learning basic first aid, CPR, fire safety, or even self-defense techniques can prove invaluable in emergency situations. Taking courses or attending workshops can help us develop these crucial skills and boost our confidence to handle any unforeseen events.

Conclusion (30 seconds):
Being prepared offers a sense of control and peace of mind when faced with uncertain circumstances. By recognizing potential risks, creating a plan, and building a survival kit, we invest in our own well-being and that of our loved ones. Developing vital skills further strengthens our ability to navigate through emergencies successfully. Remember, disaster strikes without warning. So, let’s embrace preparedness as a way of life – one that can make a significant difference when it matters most.

Note: The time mentioned for each section is approximate and may vary depending on the reading speed of the reader.

Thats not awful. Lets swap out ‘preparedness’ for ‘survivalist’ and see what we get.

Title: Venturing into the Survivalist Lifestyle: Embracing Self-Sufficiency and Resilience

Introduction:
In an increasingly uncertain world, there is a growing community of individuals who are proactively preparing for potential disasters, both natural and man-made. These individuals, known as survivalists, adopt a mindset and lifestyle focused on self-sufficiency and resilience. Today, we will explore the motivations behind embracing the survivalist lifestyle and discuss some practical tips for those considering this path.

Part 1: Understanding the Survivalist Mindset
The survivalist mindset is built upon the belief that unexpected emergencies can occur at any time, and being prepared for such situations is crucial. For survivalists, self-sufficiency and resilience are of utmost importance. They place great emphasis on having the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to survive and thrive in the face of adversity.

Part 2: Motivations for Embracing Survivalism
1. Natural Disasters – Survivalists recognize the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters worldwide. They aim to protect themselves and their families by being prepared for these events.
2. Economic Uncertainty – Surges in inflation, financial crashes, and job losses have pushed some towards the survivalist lifestyle. They focus on being self-reliant and minimizing dependency on outside institutions.
3. Political Instability – Geopolitical unrest and social upheavals have also played a role in driving people towards survivalism. The aim is to be prepared for potential civil unrest, societal breakdown, or even government collapse, ensuring they can protect themselves and their loved ones.

Part 3: Practical Tips for Aspiring Survivalists
1. Stocking Essential Supplies – Survivalists prioritize storing food, water, and essential supplies to sustain themselves during emergencies. Building a well-rounded emergency kit is essential.
2. Learning Survival Skills – Skills such as first aid, fire-making, foraging, and self-defense are valued by survivalists. Learning and practicing these skills enables them to adapt and survive in various scenarios.
3. Developing a Network – Survivalists often form connections with like-minded individuals to share knowledge, resources, and support. Community support can be instrumental in overcoming challenges during crisis situations.
4. Sustainable Living Practices – Survivalists tend to embrace sustainable living practices, including gardening, composting, and alternative energy sources. These practices foster self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on external systems.

Conclusion:
While the survivalist lifestyle may be perceived as extreme by some, it offers a sense of security and preparedness in an unpredictable world. The motivations of survivalists stem from a genuine concern for their own well-being and that of their loved ones. By prioritizing self-sufficiency, honing survival skills, and building a strong network, individuals can embrace the survivalist mindset and be better prepared to face any challenges that come their way.

Holy crap,I think I might be out of a job. I’m starting to now wonder how many blogs I read are just AI generated affiliate projects.

Take 5 of these and call me in the morning

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A while back, I had to have a tooth pulled. I hate dental stuff and I hate the weirdness of how the geography of my mouth feels so different to my tongue.Anyway, when it was time to check out I asked what they were going to do for painkillers. I was rather looking forward to fortifying my hoard of oxycodone. Nope..they said to take three Advil (ibuprofen) and two Tylenol (acetaminophen) and it would work just fine.

Look, I’ve taken ibuprofen for pain before and I know it does a decent job, but this is for the pain of having a part of my skeletal structure forcibly removed. Im gonna need something with a little more horsepower than a fistful of OTC stuff.

Turns out I was wrong. I’ve had some serious pain since then from other events and injuries and, to my utter surprise, I’ve discovered that for all of it the 3/2 of Advil/Tylenol stomps that stuff down darn near just as good as the hydro. (Thats 200 mg Advil, 500 mg. Tylenol.)

Obviously a steady diet of ibuprofen is not a good idea for anyone’s liver, but we aren’t talking about a steady diet of it here. We’re talking about a temporary, short-term use because I broke a finger, cracked a rib, got an infected suture, shingles, or whatever else fires up the ol’ nerve clusters.

I now carry, always, in my Bag O’ Tricks a couple ‘pocket size’ tubes of Advil and Tylenol specifically for emergencies where serious pain relief is called for and I’m not near my in-home pharmacy. As it turns out, there seems to be a synergistic effect when combining the two.

The more professionally medically astute of you may have known this all along but, hey, its news to me.

Your mileage may vary, of course, but next time you really wanna smack down some strong pain give it a shot. Anytime you can get high-level pain relief without resorting to the prescription-only stuff…thats a win.

ETA: Apparently the Advil folks are offering a combo pill with acetaminophen and ibuprofen together. Two great tastes that taste great together. Brand name is ‘Advil Dual Action‘ with 125 mg ibuprofen and 250 mg. acetaminophen, which means you need to guzzle about four of these to get the 3/2 effect I mentioned earlier. Guess I’ll hit Walgreens and get some to keep in my Bag O’ Tricks.

Link – Descend Into Great Britain’s Network of Secret Nuclear Bunkers

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An interesting article about Britain’s collection of now-disused-and-abandoned bunkers from the Cold War. I’m always fascinated by these types of articles because, in true Jerry Ahern fashion, I’ve always not-so-secretly longed for a hidden bunker out in the middle of nowhere.

We’re standing in a room buried 10 feet below the North Yorkshire moors in northeast England, near the village of Castleton. The wind howls over the hatch above our heads as Hanlon—no expert, just an enthusiast—describes how the room would have been used, as an outpost of English civility and resourcefulness in the face of a nuclear attack. This bunker is one of hundreds just like it, scattered across the country. They’re no longer in use, having been decommissioned for decades, but they’re a nationwide network of relics of fear—a fear that seems never to have left.

The closest thing I’ve ever come across in regards to something like this is an old AT&T fortified microwave relay station in Whitehall MT that I looked at about twenty years ago. It had walls a foot thicj, blast shielding around the vents, and a wonderful flat-topped tower to emplace a .50. Didn’t get it, but there are many of them still out there now in private hands.

Someday I’ll probably just put a cargo container on a slab, encase it in concrete, and call it good. But until then, articles like these give me ideas.

Ruger Security-9 Closeout at PSA

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When it comes to a cheap-but-unkillable 9mm handgun that I’d feel comfortable trusting, I lean towards the discontinued Ruger P95 series of guns. I used to be able to pick them up off Gunbroker for around $200 if I was persistent. As of late, theyve gone up a tad but you can still find them in the mid-$200 range.

In another failed attempt by Ruger to get their polyguns into holsters everywhere, they came out with the Security-9…an affordable 9mm with the usual features. Turns out that Palmetto, makers of the JAKL that I’ve become enamored with, are closing them out for $230 which is about $70 cheaper than what they normally dealer out at. This is actually cheaper than the Palmetto Daggers that I’ve been buying lately.

In short, this looks like the cheapest way to get a truck/cabin/hideout/disposable 9mm that you can trust more than a HiPoint and for less than a Turkish 9mm. I’ll probably get a couple just to compare against the old P95’s, but I figured I’d pass it along.

JAKL and AR-180

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So I’ve been kinda experimenting with the AR-180 and Palmetto JAKL. Both are AR-type guns that utilize a different gas system than the usual AR-15. In addition to the different gas system, they also both incorporate a recoil assembly system that allows for a folding stock, unlike the AR-15 which requires a buffer tube in the stock.

Why the interest in this sort of thing when the AR-15 is the undisputed king of .223 carbines these days? (And by king, I mean most prolific and ubiquitous, not necessarily ‘best’.)

Well, I’ve always had an interest in guns that were compact. The Ruger A-Team Special, the HK93A3, the Daewoo K series, side- and underfolder AK’s, etc, etc. But when it comes to logistics, there is absolutely no intelligent dissent that the AR series is the most easy-to-feed carbine.

The original AR-180 used proprietary mags, scope mount, and a bunch of other features. From a logistics standpoint it was suboptimal. The JAKL was built from the ground up to have a large amount of commonality with the AR…in fact, other than a minor tweak to the bolt release, the JAKL uses a completely bog-standard AR lower…thus, your supply of AR lower parts is completely useful. The Brownells AR180B also uses, with zero mods, a stock AR lower.

The JAKL uses a forward mounted non-reciprocating charging handle on the left side of the gun. I like this much better than the right-side reciprocating bolt-mounted handle on the AR180B. I find it handy since I’m right handed..I can hold the gun in my right hand, swap a mag and charge wth my left hand.

Both guns, though having different operating systems, have a tendency to heat up the handguards. My experience is that youre going to really want a vertical foregrip. Both guns, since they dont use a buffer tube, have a pic rail at the back of the receiver so you can mount whatever 1913-compatible stock you may want. On the AR-180B I purchased a original-style sidefolder from Midwest Industries, and for the JAKL, I rather really like the JMAC side folder skeleton stocks. The JMAC aren’t cheap, but they appear to be exceptionally well made and solid.

Functionally, both should, in theory, have an advantage over the AR-15 in terms of reliability due to the gas systems of the 180 and JAKL not venting gases into the receiver. Although, to be fair, if you fire enough .223 in one session to gum up your AR you probably have a much bigger problem on your hand. But, on the other hand, a system that can be indifferent to the occasional benign neglect is always nice. You don’t always have time to detail clean your gun at the end of the day.

For my needs, a compact .223 carbine is what I want to tuck away in the truck. A full size M4-style is compact but not as compact as a gun that doesnt have 9″ of buffer tube hanging out the back.

Both guns, by the way , are a good bit more money than your average mid-tier AR. This is what happens when you haven’t achieved sales figures to get you into the economies-of-scale territory.

Depending on how the ‘arm brace’ thing goes, one of the JAKL pistols with an arm brace would be a super sweet and compact package…not to far from the SIG Rattler. A specialty gun, to be sure, but when you have that one-out-ten occasion when its exactly what the doctor ordered…..well, it’ll be handy.

Further updates on both of these platforms as warranted.

AR-180

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I assure you that it wasn’t planned, but it seems that I am, inadvertently, testing all the non-direct-impingement AR clones these days. I picked up a couple JAKLs which are using the long stroke gas system of the AK. And, for no reason that I can think of except for a wild impulse, I seem to have picked up one of the new Brownell AR-180 reintroductions. This particular flavor of AR-wannabe uses the short stroke piston system. What both of these designs have going for it is that they allow for a folding stock, and they are a bit more hygienic in terms of keeping fouling out of the action.

Years ago, I took a defensive carbine course. Unsurprisingly everyone was using some flavor of AR-15. I recall that I could fire about 400 rounds before the gun needed a couple squirts of lube or some quick cleaning to keep it running. In theory, the non-direct-impingement guns should run way past that without needing cleaning. Guess I’ll find out.

For those who are a bit unfamiliar, Brownells took the concept of the AR-180 and ran with it. They updated the design to work on any milspec AR lower, which is a huge win since it allows the gun to use plentiful AR mags rather than the proprietary AR-180 mags. (Although, yeah, you could modify an AR mag to work. Usually.)

The tradeoffs are the usual ones when moving away from the direct impingement system…a hit to accuracy since there are now moving bits along the barrel. In fact, best I can tell, the only semiauto .223 carbines out there that dont have moving parts on the barrel are the direct impingement ARs, the gasless HK93, and the wierd lever delay of the FAMAS.

If someone would bring out an HK93 that takes AR mags and has a bolt hold open I would buy a dozen. (And, interestingly, Hk did exactly that.)

So, as soon as a couple accessories show up for this thing, I’ll take it out and see if it’s got anything going for it. Right now, the most interesting thing about it is that….its NOT an AR.