Tag Archives: gear

Birthday gear

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My birthday came and went… a few of the highlights, in terms of gear and equipment:
A Coleman 530 from one of the LMI. Have to replace the fuel cap (uses the same fuel cap as modern manufactured lanterns so thats no biggie) and I may or may not have to do some other work to it…not sure yet. Heres the original 1950’s user manual.
The very cool Leatherman Wave multitool from the girlfriend. In using it, Ive discovered several very nice features. First of all, you can use either knife blade without having to open the tool, the blades are designed for one-handed ‘Spyderco’-type use, and the serrated blade has small serrations on the thumbpiece so you can tell without looking which blade youre about to open…a very subtle but very nice touch. Me likes this tool very much.

My brother sent me a nice Blackhawk tactical vest, which I’ll probably rig up set up as a spare or secondary vest for use at off-site locations. Which model? This one in this color. Also a copy of The Poor Mans James Bond…sort of a slightly updated ‘Anarchists Cookbook’.

All in all a pleasant birthday.

FAL probs an solutions, JFPO DIY KT AR, CZ wants, bicycle stuff

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I’d been having on-and-off problems with my FAL and I think Ive ironed them out. The problem was that sometimes I’d have the bolt ride over the next round in the mag, stopping the bolt halfway in its closeward travel and putting a nice gouge in the case that was unlucky enough to be under the bolt. I thought perhaps it was an issue of gas system adjustment…perhaps more gas was needed to cause the bolt to travel more enthusiastically …it sorta helped but not completely. I then decided it might be an ammo problem…maybe the overall cartridge length of my reloads was not long enough to assure smooth feeding – so I loaded everything out to 2.800” and still had a few probs. Magazine? Maybe…but it happened with other mags too. Then I figured it out (I think). The mags I use are the used $5 mags from DSA. DSA started sending extra mag springs with them when you order them. Could the mags have weak springs and thus the cartridges are not being fed up through the magazine with sufficient force to put them in the ready position for the homeward-bound bolt? Certainly, it would mean the problem is more likely to be encountered when theres only a couple rounds in the mag rather than when the mag is full. But, theres an easier tell…it’s the same one you use to tell when its time to change the recoil spring in your handgun – compare an old spring to a new one. If your old one is significantly shorther than the new, swap it out. So I pulled the mag springs and compared them against the extras sent by DSA. Sure enough, they are at least a coil shorter. Swapped springs, took the mag out and loaded it with 20 rounds…boom, boom, boom..no problems. Tried a few in a mag that I hadn’t swapped the spring out..boom, boom, nada… aha!

Im pretty sure that’s the problem…especially since DSA is sending extra springs with the $5 mags. Tells me theyre aware of the problem. So, I now need to pull apart 40 magazines and compare the springs in all of them. However, I’ll be glad if that’s what the problem is. The FAL’s have a reputation for reliability and I was getting worried my Springfield Armory FAL was a lemon.

Before anyone asks, I have no idea what the gas regulator is set to..no numbers on mine. But I did do the usual ‘turn gas off and open one step at a time until the bolt locks back on empty, then go two more notches.”
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While we’re on the topic of guns, the recent Shotgun News has a fabulous article on the JFPO selling DIY AR-15 lowers. The ‘lowers’ are four pieces that are unfinished enough to not be considered firearms. You drill some holes in the conveniently placed starter indentations, thread ‘em, and bolt them together and you have an AR receiver…with absolutely no history or paper trail. Perfectly legal since the feds do allow you to make firearms for your own personal use.

At least, you did until the ATF raided the guy who was making these things for JFPO – KT Ordnance here in Montana. Apparently, ATF knew a good thing when they saw it and couldn’t have us peons with paperless AR’s.

I admire JFPO for its ‘in your face’ end-run around the feds. Anyone can say they’ll fight gun registration but how many actually go far enough to start selling DIY AR kits that don’t require paperwork? Another reason I like these guys better than the NRA.

Since I have no confidence in the 2008 election producing a pro-gun (or gun neutral) president, and am pretty certain it’ll put in a Democrat (usually a defacto anti-gunny) my personal strategy is to start socking away AR lowers at an alarming rate. AR parts will, I think, generally always be abundant and the AR is probably a lot easier to gunplumb on your own than, say, an AK. FALs might be nice but stripped FAL receivers don’t seem terribly common and the rest of the parts necessary are usually only available from one or two sources…and only really one domestically.

Needless to add, if I think it’s a wise idea to stock up on receivers before the election in 2008 you can bloody well believe I think its an even better idea to stock up on mags.
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Speaking of boomsticks, since I have reached the point that I am confident and happy with my CZ550, its time to shift from load development to ammo production and to getting all the necessary support gear for it…and one of the first things that I want is a Pelican case to protect my little tackdrvier. And spare mags. I currently have just two. I need about five more. And a nice dedicated bag to carry all the gear in…something with attachment points to be carried with other gear but with straps/sling points to be carried by itself. Something that can hold ammo, cleaning kits, maybe a spotting scope, and all the other gear-driven goodness that you need when putting the sneak on something 600 yards away. I likes my .308, I do.
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Got the new rack and bag for the mountain bike today. Also picked up a foot-powered pump. Additionally, I need to pick up a more compact pump to carry with the bike and I also want a 12v pump for use at the house. (Which can be used for several other things…like inflating those funky little inflatable guest beds, filling vehicle tires and pressurizing homebuilt flamethrowers.) Still need a fair amount of support gear for my bicycle but it’s a fairly low priority at the moment. The basic gear will be fine for now…I’ll get a spare wheel, spokes, chain, etc. at a later date. With gas around $3 a gallon it just doesn’t make sense to jump in the truck to go pick up the mail or a 12-pack of Coke. Plus, as local cops have opined, guys on bicycles are harder to catch than guys in vehicles…and me, Im all about the options. Still wouldn’t mind getting the frame powdercoated though……….

Delayed posts, bicycle gear, salvage wood, stoarge food

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Life continues apace. I usually write entries at work and then bring them home on a USB drive….but when you see a week go by without posting you know Ive been forgetful and haven’t gotten the saved posts and the USB drive in the same place at the same time. On the other hand, it means that when I do get my ducks in a row the backlog of posts gets dumped as one long post. You lucky people.
Cuttage

Korean missles, Glock breakage, bicycles, storage

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A little hiatus from posting. Mostly because my civilian life has been pretty full and when I have time to write I’d rather use it for sleep. Still and all, I figured I’d better post …..
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The news has been on-n-off over North Korea’s on-n-off missle launch. For those who came in late, the North Koreans are supposedly going to test a missle capable of reaching the continental US. Let me take a few minutes to say I told you so. I told you so. Several times. This is a surprise to who exactly? However, lets be practical. North Korea is a communist third world basket case that makes Cuba look like Canada. The people are starving, theyre isolated from the world economic community and they have absolutely nothing to bargain with. Then they see the US and the rest of the world making a deal with Iran to give up their nuclear ambitions in exchange for all sortsa goodies. The North Koreans, not being complete idiots despite being Communists, figure they may as well try and get the US to pony up some goodies in exchange for the DPRK dropping its nuclear plans (which they probably couldn’t get to work anyway). Problem is, it appears no one is taking the bait and the North Koreans now have to put up or shut up and get that missle in the air.

Threat to me and my well-being? Minimal. Interesting from a socio-politcal standpoint. Bigger threat to the locals in the region then they are to me. Let ‘em starve.
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Girlfriend had a minor hiccup with her Glock the other day. Trigger return spring broke. This is an old second-generation Glock so theres no telling how many rounds have been put through it. The functionability of the gun remains..still shoot, fire, shoot, repeat….just means that ‘staging’ the trigger becomes an issue. For combat shooting, it’ll get the job done. The part is a $2.50 part and I have four of them on order so swapping it out shouldn’t be a problem. In fact the girlfriend already had a spare spring laying around so she simply replaced it herself and is back up and running. Nonetheless, the moral of the story here is: spare parts.

Its worth pointing out this is the second part she has had break. The recoil spring guide on her G19 broke, another mishap that did not render the gun unshootable but was more of an inconvenience for disassembly. Now this. Aftermarket recoil spring guides are available that appear to be far more sturdy (metal vs. plastic) and perhaps there are some aftermarket springs out there that are also a bit more durable as well. Gotta look.
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Speaking of spare parts, I really need to get a few goodies for my bicycle. Absolutely nothing, short of something with an internal combustion engine, is as good for getting from point A to point B. As Ive mentioned before, you can be sure there are a lot more people in Manhattan these days with mountain bikes just waiting for the next time all vehicular traffic is halted and the only way off the island is by foot…or bicycle.

I need to get a few things…good foot pump, a smaller pump for carrying with, patch kits, extra tubes, chain, chainbreaker, wrenches, spokes, spoke tools, extra wheels, etc, etc. On the bright side, shouldn’t come out to too bad a price and I know someone in the biz so maybe I can save a few bucks there.
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Of course, storing spare parts means having to have a place to store them. Additionally, some things have particular storage requirements. Take ammo, for example, it has to be stored in such a manner as to be dry, protected, accessible and easily man-portable. Fortunately the answer to this problem is, unsurprisingly, the ammo can. Other items are not so fortunate. Almost everything needs to be stored to protect from water. Never know when something is going to be exposed to a broken pipe, flooded basement, rainy night in the back of a truck, or just heaved across a muddy yard. Some stuff is easier to find containers for than others. And good luck with the really heavy stuff like the full water containers (eight pounds per gallon can add up in a hurry) or the bulky stuff like bedding and clothes. Things that cant fit in ammo cans (and there aren’t many considering the huge variations in ammo can sizes) get vacuum sealed and then put into heavy plastic or cardboard containers to protect the sealed bag from puncture. In this manner, the desired level of protection is achieved although not the desired level of durability.

Naturally, theres also a trade-off of accessibility vs. protection. First aid kits are a good example. When you need to use one you usually need it in a hurry, but the contents must be protected from damage and environment at all times for them to be useful. Whats needed is high levels of protection with equally high levels of access…esp. if using only one hand. Kinda makes planning more interesting when you have to start taking that kinda stuff into consideration, don’t it?

AK mag sale, e. German canteens in bulk

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Couple of quick notes on gear/surplus:

CDNN has Soviet 30-rd AK mags on sale @ $7.99

And for a decent deal on surplus canteens (New) theres this at Sportsmans Guide.

The canteens seem like a fun buy. For a buck each they’ll make nice little giveaways for a few of the LMI, spares to keep on hand for third- or fourth-level guests during the apocalypse, ‘disposable’ gear for emergency packs, etc. C’,pm, man, theyre a buck a throw!

Gun Show

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The girlfriend is now into me for twnetyfive bucks to replace the shotgun slugs she took to her competition today. I hit the Hamilton gun show and found some lovely 50-round boxes (5×10) of Federal Tactical slugs (thats #LE127 RS for you folks keeping track…HydraShock-y goodness!)

Also picked up a brand new , never-been-used set of Dillon .308 carbide reloading dies for $50. Just the thing now that I have the Super1050 sitting on the bench. Time to feed the FAL.

And finally picked up a few ‘raindrop camo’ surplkus Russian-type AK mag pouches.

Things I saw that I wanted:
A couple thumbhole stock Arsenal AK’s for $500
South African battlepack .308
A couple nice HiPowers

Im lucky I escaped with spending only $87

AN/TRC-3A

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Happiness.

I picked up a cheap old Radio Shack scanner today for about $30. The reason I needed one was that my AN/TRC-3A seismic intrusion detectors (the wireless ones…I have both kinds – wired and wireless) didnt come with the receiver for the frequency they operate on.

The scanner, however, picks up that freq. juuuuuuuuuust fine. So, I threw some 9v batteries in my ‘#4’ unit and set it on the floor, turned up the sensitivitiy, walked into the kitchen, turned on the scanner and tapped my foot on the floor a few times.. beepbeepbeepbeep. Ah….four beeps, indicating that something has tripped sensor #4.

Setting it up in the yard and adjusting the sensitivity it would go off whenever a vehicle went by on the road about 20 yards away.

Handy devices.

What do I need them for? Well, for one thing, theyre darn handy if youre going camping or hiking and want to know if anyones mucking with your stuff while youre away. I’m sure you can figure out the other useful applications.

Where do you get such fine defensive technology? Why, eBay, of course!

Reloading, Nalgene bottle, vacuum sealing, Carharts

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Been busy loading 9mm for the girlfriend. She’s burning up about 300~ rounds a week in practice and doing it on a single stage press is out of the question, and even on the Dillon 550 it still takes a bit of time. The solution, as mentioned earlier, was to acquire a Dillon Super 1050…in addition to pistol calibers it’ll do anything .30-06 length or shorter, which means I can set it up to not only crank out .223 but also .308.

Anyway, she managed to purchase:
8# of Universal Clays for $86 ($10.75 per pound)
5m Win SP primers for $75.55 ($15.51 per 1000)
5m 115 gr. FMJ bullets for $191.50 ($38.30 per 1000)
Brass is essentially free since I have gobs of it sitting here.

Before you ask, she got this stuff at the local ammo remanufacturing facility. Strictly a local thing.

Since we’re using 5.0 grains of powder, that’s about 1400 rounds per pound. In short, we’re looking at around $63.03 per 1000 rounds. Of course, 9mm is pretty cheap these days so the savings realized are less than, say, .45 ACP or .44 mag. Nonetheless, the Dillon 1050 is still an excellent purchase because it will be used on some of those higher dollar cartridges. Should be able to put together .45 ACP FMJ for around $5.95 per box of 50. And .357 Mag JHP for around $4.38 per 50. Naturally, that gets stretched if we switch from jacketed to cast bullets. The .38 Special, for example, with a 150 gr. LRN would run around $3.31 per box of 50. (All of these prices, by the way, assume reloading fired brass that you’ve already been saving.)

So, while the 1050 was a hideous up-front expense ($1500~), it should be a smart long-term investment just from the amount of money it saves on ammo. Also, its nice to be able to crank out lotsa ammo in a short amount of time and sock it away in the bunker. My supply of 9mm was getting low but now Im going to be upping the quantities of everything.

One of the LMI has 16,000 pieces of .40 S&W brass he was formerly trying to load on a single-stage press (sort of a lifetime project, I guess). I told him if he’ll pop for the .40 S&W conversion kit and dies he can come by and use this thing.
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Finally got around to picking up a 32 oz. Nalgene bottle to beat up. For trekking around I like the Camelbaks but for short jaunts the bottle is pretty good. Also, for small things that need to be protected from damage and moisture, they make decent little drysafes for all the little incidentals (esp. electronic incidentals) that you want to keep dry and protected.
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Went to CostCo last week and picked up some chicken. The boneless, skinless breasts are individually vacuum sealed and have the date stamped on them, making them soooooo perfect for the deep freeze. That’s how meat should be packaged, my friend. As an aside, if you haven’t gotten a vacuum sealer to use to take advantage of bulk purchases and sales of meat, you really should. Like many things, there is an upfront cost that can be a little intimidating but it literally does ‘pay for itself’. Example – ground beef is usually $2.99 a pound. I’ve mentioned this before, right? When its remaindered, the price drops to $1.69 a pound. This means each pound is saving me $1.30. Without the vacuum sealer, I’d not be able to store the meat for long term and would have to buy it on, generally, an ‘as needed’ basis. With the vacuum sealer I buy ten pounds and I’ve saved $13.00. After around 100# of meat, the thing has paid for itself…assuming I don’t get any even better deals. Point is, you have to be able to look past those initial startup costs and do the math. Yeah, youre gonna have to cough up $100+ upfront, but it really does turn out to be worth it in the not-so-long run.
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I’ve been wearing Carhart work dungarees lately and have been very pleased with them. They are stoutly built, reinforced, comfy, look like they’ll last forever, and come in a nice subdued olive-green color. I recommend them highly if youre looking for a pair of pants that can shrug off the abuse that would normally kill a pair of jeans. Not cheap at around $40~ a pair, but I would bet they’ll outlast a pair of jeans under the same circumstances. Only drawback – theyre a bit heavy, but like most forms of armour that’s the tradeoff.

Discount meat, politics, Bactine wipes, Battle Bag

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Not a bad shopping day yesterday. Hit the bargain meat bin and found 1# bricks, vacuum sealed, of 85/15 (85% lean) Angus ground beef marked down to $1.99. Sealed up nice and tight and in a very convenient brick shape that makes stacking the frozen flesh quite easy. It gets the date written on the package and then its off to the deep freeze. Mmmmm…beefy goodness.

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I do believe I’m ready to give up on the prospect that government will become nicer and less intrusive. The Patriot Act reauthorization is bad enough, but theres a host of other legislation going on that just makes a bad situation worse. Technically, politics isn’t that important to my preparedness except when it conflicts with my ability to get gear… but the more federal police powers that are thrown about the more likely it is that guys like me are going to get under the microscope for ‘suspicious’ behavior. Low profile seems the only recourse.

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Im a bit annoyed with the Bactine antiseptic wipes that I purchased last year. These things are packaged like a little hand-wiping towlette you get with an order of ribs. Little foil pouch (like a condom) and inside is a wet towelette saturated with Bactine. Figured it would be perfect for my first aid kits. Apparently, after time, the packaging degrades to the point that the Bactine starts seeping through the foil paper. Grrrr… so I either have to replace it every year or find something else to use as an antiseptic wipe. Very annoying. Plus, Ive always liked that Bactine smell.

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Blackhawk has a new product out that might solve my quest for a bag for my .308 gear. Its their “Battle Bag”. Lets get this out of the way and call it what it is: it’s a man purse. It’s a shoulderbag with pockets for magazines , radios, etc, etc. Might be just what I need to keep all my .308 gear in one place. No mention of it having webbing but otherwise it seems like an interesting product. Sugg. Ret. Is $100 but who pays retail in this world? Usual colors, but I think I’ll go with the goes-with-everything OD.

The case for cases

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As you and I know, the world can be a pretty tough place. If it weren’t, theres be a lot of EMTs and auto body shops out of work. Additionally, since fate is not without a mean streak, when it rains it pours. Take some of the lessons from Katrina for example…some folks had their guns stored in safes. They werent stolen but they sure weren’t dry. (Actually, some guns that were in safes were stolen..by NOPD for their own use.)I’ve seen photos of guns that sat in the sewage-and-chemical-saturated waters for a week or two and they were pretty sad. This time next year youre going to see a large number of very experienced, very talented amateur gun refinishers and stockmakers down there.

So, what can you do? You want something to protect your electronics, guns, documents and other items that dont respond well to immersion, dust, dirt, impacts and abrasions. The answer, naturally, is some sort of protective case. Lets start with the basic simple ammo can…like a quality prostitute, theyre cheap, available, and take a surprising amount of abuse for the money.

Ammo cans come in all sorts of sizes…most people can go their entire lives and never see anything other than the .30 and .50 caliber cans. However, there are bigger (much bigger) cans available. With the exception of the hard plastic cans that are used for certain ammo, most US ammo cans are made of steel, painted OD green, have removable lids, and use a closure that levers the can shut. Waterproofing is achieved with a rubber gasket that goes around the lid of the can. Assuming everything is in good shape these cans will do 90% of what you want them to do…thier only drawbacks are really their  limited sizes and that they will dent if you hit them hard enough. When buying ammo cans always check the gaskets to make sure theyre in good shape and that theyre actually there. You also want to make sure the mouth/lid alignment is good without dents and dings that would prevent a good seal upon closure. Even in good condition, some ammo cans will still leak if submerged. For being out in the rain, bounching around in your truck, being dropped into snowbanks and the like they are great…but for actually sitting in a flooded truck under five feet of water for a week, you might be disappointed. However, since ammo cans work so well for most preparedness needs they shouldnt be dismissed. For truly important stuff, I’ll seal the item in waterproof plastic or another container and then put it in the ammo can. Belt and suspenders. Some of the larger ammo cans are well suited for larger things like guns and probably some of the best ammo cans are the ‘rocket cases’ that turn up from time to time. These are about the size of a small footlocker and usually have a lid that is completely removable and is held in place by six locking ‘dogs’. For storing a single longarm the absolute best Ive found is the cylindrical shell container…its got a lid that is padlockable, cams into place to provide a waterproof seal, is extremely durable and has attachment points to secure it to another object using a cable or chain. Theyre big, heavy and hard to find but its almost as good as a Pelican case in terms of durability.

The next step up from ammo cans are the plastic cases that come in various sizes specifically for guns and electronic gear. Pelican is probably the most well-known brand and their products are good. Heavy-duty plastic ‘briefcase’-style cases with locking latches and pressure vents. Usually lined with foam that can be cut to make a custom fit for your gear, they are outstanding weapons and electronics cases. Big drawback is the exepnse…this kind of quality doesnt come cheap. If youre lucky, you can sometimes find used ones locally or on eBay. Scrounging around photography or electronic stores that are going out of business may turn some up as well. The foam inserts can be replaced if you need. A clever trick that eliminates the need to cut the styrofoam in the case to fit your guns is to simply remove the foam entirely and keep your guns in their normal padded soft case and put that inside the Pelican case. Keep in mind that soft cases usually retain moisture so throw some dessicant in there with your gun. Pelican cases are about as waterproof as you can get, are very durable and come in a variety of sizes…they even make cases small enough to hold a GPS or HT radio.

The ultimate in hard, waterproof storage is probably the military-grade cases that are starting to show up. The war in Iraq and Afghanistan has spurred the development of cases to keep the ever-growing quantity of military electronincs dry, clean and sand-free. Additionally, the fast-reaction nature of the conflicts puts an emphasis on portability and survivability (like kicking stuff out the back of a humvee at 50 mph or out the door of a Blackhawk at 30 ft. above the ground). These military-grade containers are designed to be stackable and ‘pallet-ized’ (fit neatly and securely on a cargo pallet) which makes them a good choice for storage. Drawbacks are pricing (about 50%+ more than Pelican) and availability. Used ones turn up on, surprise, eBay frequently but theyre usually well-used and I’d be cautious about the integrity of their waterproof seals.

Is it worth $250 for a Pelican rifle case? Depends. If your going to just take your AR out of the safe and to the range you probably dont need it. If your going to stuff an AR, 870 and Glock in there and hide it out in the rafters of your garage or in a culvert somewhere, then you most definitely need it. I’d feel perfectly comfortable heaving a Pelican rifle case into the back of a truck, bouncing down a logging road and dragging it up the side of a hill in the rain. If I were concerned of an impending disaster that might put my house underwater I would definitely pack the guns up in Pelican cases if i couldnt get them somewhere safer.

My point is that unless your carrying an object with you on your person, or you’ve already stashed it at its final destination, you need some sort of transport/storage container that can protect your vital gun, radio, computer, etc. from the nasty stuff TEOTWAWKI can throw at it. When youve got 30 minutes to pack your entire life into a truck and leave in a hurry you want to be able to grab stuff and fling it into the back of your rig without worrying about it. Youre not going to have time to wrap it up, baby it, gently place it behind the drivers seat wrapped in a blanket. You gotta go and you gotta go now. Its pouring rain, trouble is coming and if it isnt packed and ready to go five minutes ago it ain’t going. Thats when you’ll be glad you packed your mission critical stuff in some hard, weatherproof, tough-as-nails container.