Gun & Prepping News #100

Some links that may be of interest: 

• "Mexico’s Government Funds Gun Grabbing Group"--Battleswarm Blog. Noting that "[t]he organization, Global Action on Gun Violence, has documented connections to Democratic lawmakers. It featured Rep. Dan Goldman in a gun-trafficking discussion⁠ promoted in its May and June 2025 newsletters and endorsed legislation backed by prominent Senate Democrats."
• "Evaluation of Defense Shooting Skills"--The Tactical Wire.  Rich Grassi explains:

    If your only assessment is the state qual course and you do that 1-to-4 times a year, does that really make you qualified? It does check a box, but it’s a minimum standard. The scoring area is vastly larger than it should be, the time you’re allowed is too long and, on the whole, judgement and discretion are never evaluated. 

    So how would a different shooting course help? 

    It’s an attempt to measure basic needed skills with a time constraint as well as allowing the instructor to evaluate gun handling – a critical aspect of the job. 

    The 5x5 classifier can be downloaded as a pdf here. It doesn’t have to be the IDPA 5x5 classifier, that’s just an example. 

• "Practice on the Indoor Range"--The Shooting Wire. The author goes over what he did when he wasn't able to use his regular outdoor range:

    The first trip saw use of the Ruger Mark IV Target; 5.5” bull barrel, metallic sights, the rear adjustable for elevation and windage. The gun has Hogue, Inc. “G-Mascus Green” G10 stocks in place of the factory stocks. Otherwise, there are no modifications.

    The ammunition I selected, based on concerns about indoor ranges and lead ammunition, was CCI CLEAN-22.  While it’s geared more to prevent barrel fouling and making a suppressor easier to clean, I reasoned that it could be a bit more healthy than uncoated lead projectiles. 

    I’m still careful to make use of hand cleaning wipes that are made to remove contamination of this sort. 

    Using a B-8 repair center for each segment, I’d shoot a pair of stages right-handed, replace the target and shoot a pair left-handed. 

    When trying to learn a physical skill like shooting, it’s good to work “mirror image” to get back to being a complete duffer and to iron out bad habits. 

• "The 'Lost' Art of Revolver Reloading"--Guns Magazine. Brent Wheat not only gives detailed instructions on how to do speed reloads for revolvers, but also explains why to use the left hand to hold the revolver when doing so. The article also covers the different between speed reloads (i.e., when speed matters like in combat or competition and using speed loaders), tactical reloads (i.e., removing spent cartridges and replacing them from speed strips or loose rounds), and an administrative reload (when time is not a concern). Explaining why to use the left hand to hold the revolver:

    A revolver cylinder is a floppy thing when it isn’t locked into the frame. On a square range, with your feet planted and your hands working exactly as you command, it’s not much of a problem. But a defensive reload may happen while you’re moving, running, fighting or ‘merely’ trying to keep your balance on a loose, slippery or uneven surface. I can also guarantee you’ll be dealing with an adrenaline dump that might leave your hands shaking like a toy poodle on meth. Now you’ve got to line up a half-dozen fresh cartridges with a cylinder that is moving around at the end of your arm.

     You might be able to get a finger into the cylinder opening to stabilize it — or you might not, because keeping a semblance of a firing grip makes it awkward. Worse, the cylinder could even relatch itself while you’re trying to get everything lined up.

    This is also why the support-side reload was traditionally taught to police officers back in those days when we rode dinosaurs on patrol. It wasn’t because somebody decided it was the fashionable way to reload a revolver; instead, hard-won trial and error proved the technique provided a more stable platform for manipulating the gun under less-than-ideal circumstances.

• "Minimizing Defensive Shotgun Recoil"--Shoot-On.  The tips include (i) using reduced recoil rounds (although the author specifically recommends against using mini-shells); (ii) using a stock that properly fits you and has a recoil pad; (iii) use a gas-operated shotgun; and (iv) adding a recoil reduction system to your stock.
• Going from something with heavy recoil with something quite a bit less: "The Defensive .32 ACP – The Ammo"--The Truth About Guns. A couple tips. First, the author advises avoiding hollow-point ammunition for a couple reasons: (i) if the bullet expands, it will slow it down enough that you lose too much penetration; and (ii) the shorter overall length makes it more likely you will experience "rim lock". Second, he recommends sticking to European ammunition, explaining:

    The American SAAMI standard for .32 ACP specifies a maximum average pressure of 20,500 PSI. The European CIP standard is higher, at roughly 23,200 PSI. That doesn’t mean every European load is automatically hotter, but it does give European manufacturers more room to load the cartridge toward that higher pressure limit.

    If you’re using a European pistol designed for European .32 ACP, it might malfunction with the weaker American stuff. With that said, my various European-designed surplus .32s haven’t had any problems with American-spec .32 ACP from Remington or Aguila.  

    There is another reason I like the European-loaded .32 ACP. It has a much more aggressive bevel near the rim and a deep groove for the extractor. The aggressive bevel acts more like a ramp, helping prevent rimlock and improving extraction. 

• "The Shaw .350 Legend: A Custom AR With a Hometown Touch"--The Truth About Guns. An interesting build for an AR intended for deer hunting, including some product recommendations and using a wood butt stock and pistol grip.  
• "5.11 Tactical Double Pistol Case Review: Protecting Your Investment"--Gat Daily.  The author relates:

    ... It’s designed to carry two handguns along with spare magazines and accessories. The case is 8.75 inches high, 11 inches long, and 3.5 inches deep, which makes it big enough for full sized service pistols. It’s still relatively compact though and would fit inside a patrol bag, ruck or larger range bag. The case is made from 1050D nylon and is fully padded to help protect your firearms during transport.

    Each pistol has its own zippered compartment, and there are three elastic magazine loops on the outside of each compartment. 5.11 uses lockable YKK zippers that open on three sides so the case lays flat on the shooting bench, making it easy to get to your gear. Reinforced grab handles are provided for carry There’s also a name tape panel on the outside, although its a smooth strip so I don’t really know how that works. Maybe write on it with a paint pen? The double pistol case is available in gray or black and has an MSRP of only $40. It’s on sale for $30 on 5.11’s site at the time I’m writing this. 

• "How to Disappear | Modern Escape & Evasion"--Bone Tactical.  He has fifteen (15) rules or tips for disappearing. The first two of these:

    First, assess your situation. Who are you getting away from—and why? Is it an abusive ex, online harassment, a business rebrand, or you just need a hard reset? Rank the threat: capability, reach, motivation, resources, and timeline. If it’s criminal danger, consider involving an attorney and—where appropriate—law enforcement or a victims’ advocate group. If it’s reputational heat, you’re playing a different game. Hopefully you won’t have multiple governments and organized crime after you like I did but stay tuned for the full playbook either way. Step one is to identify the problem before you try to solve it.

    Second, assess your resources and skills. Disappearing means transition, and transitions incur costs. Cash buys time. Skills buy options. Can you work with your hands? Build? Fix? Cook? Drive? Speak another language? The more value you can offer quietly and locally, the less you need to advertise yourself to survive. If money is tight, lean on skills. If skills are thin, learn fast.

He also has some warnings of how people mess this up, including:

Let’s talk about mistakes that get people burned. Breaking routine to chase fun in high-signal places. Oversharing because loneliness bites. Letting anger write checks your freedom can’t cash. Reconnecting with the same crowd that caused the problem. Slipping back into old usernames, old numbers, old patterns. The little compromises add up. Don’t feed the trail. 

• "How Long Can You Store Water? The Ultimate Safety Guide"--SHTF Preparedness. According to the author, "[c]ommercially bottled water, when sealed and kept in a cool, dark place, can remain safe almost indefinitely, while stored tap water is typically recommended to be rotated every 6 to 12 months." But the type of material for the storage container, the environment that the water is stored in, and handling (or mishandling) can effect how long it can be stored. For instance, if a water container is opened, there is always the risk of introducing contaminants which might encourage bacterial or algae growth. 
• "How to Stay Warm Indoors When the Power’s Out (& It’s Freezing Outside)"--More Than Just Surviving. Obviously, if you have alternate methods of heating, you will have an easier time than someone with more limited options. For instance, I have both a large kerosene heater and a carousel fireplace in a relatively small house, so I know from experience that I can keep my home comfortable even in the coldest of weather if, for some reason, the central heating fails. But what if you don't have these advantages? The primary point from the article is forget about trying to heat your entire residence, but instead focus on keeping a small area warm:

    If everybody’s in one room with the door closed and that room has got as many blankets, jackets, coats, pets, and whatever else you have at home to keep y’all as warm as possible, you’re going to have a lot easier of a time trying to stay warm by comparison to trying to heat multiple rooms.

    When it comes to sleeping, you don’t need to share a bed if you don’t want to, but if it’s not something you mind, why not? If you’re not into sharing a bed, drag extra mattresses or sofa cushions into your room of choice and have everyone sleep separately, but by being in the same room, you’re making sure none of your individual bodies’ heat production is going to waste – it’s helping to keep the room warm.

And if you don't have alternative heating methods, the author recommends that you go further and set up a tent in your "warm room" to further make it easier to keep an area warm. He also recommends staying in sub-zero rated sleeping bags and lining your tent with Mylar emergency blankets. He has some other tips, so be sure to read the whole thing. 

• Civilizational collapse: "You Don’t Realize How Far L.A. Has Fallen Until You Come Back"--PJ Media. An excerpt:

    I wrote in January about how, after moving out of L.A., where I lived for the first 30 years of my life, I've been able to see the city's decline more clearly whenever I go back for family visits or appointments every few months. I noted that "just as friends who haven’t seen your kids for a while recognize how much they’ve grown — much more than you, who are with them every day — whenever I drive into Los Angeles once every couple of months, the deterioration of the city is more evident. Many parts truly feel third-world."

    In that article, I focused on L.A.'s homelessness crisis, which can be seen under freeway underpasses, in city parks, and even in reports of homeless people getting into strangers' cars to sleep. This is not only visually disturbing but also anxiety-inducing. You never know how dangerous a homeless person might be, whether high on meth or suffering from severe mental illness. 

[snip]

    Comedian Bridget Phetasy, who recently returned to Los Angeles after years away, described a similar sensation to the one I feel upon returning: "It's like when you see someone and they've, you know, lost a lot of weight and they don't see it because they see themself every day and you see them and you're like, whoa. Right. That's how it feels."

    Phetasy used the word "unsettling" to describe "how much commercial real estate is empty." And she chose as an example a place where I spent many a happy day in both my childhood and young adulthood: Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade. The three pedestrian-only blocks were a favorite destination for so many in the '90s who wanted to catch a movie, grab dinner, shop, or watch street performers. 

    A California Post report earlier this year noted that the Promenade’s vacancy rate is now 25% and that the popularity of the destination began to decline because of the homelessness crisis, then fell further during COVID and the looting inspired by the “Summer of Love” following George Floyd’s death. 

Gun & Prepping News #92

 Some links that may be of interest: 

• "Hero armed citizen opened fire on Idaho In-N-Out gunman, tried to stop shooting that left 2 dead, 7 wounded: harrowing video"--The New York Post.  
• "The Case Against FliteControl" by Travis Pike, The Truth About Guns. The author, who admits to using the 8-pellet Winchester buckshot with the FliteControl wad in his self-defense shotgun, writes:

For me, the biggest argument against FliteControl is the same argument for FliteControl: the pattern is tight. When dealing with typical home defense ranges, every shotgun load is firing a fairly tight pattern due to the limited range. A standard shotgun pattern is tight enough that the likelihood of an errant pellet is quite low.

When we reduce the pattern to a hole slightly larger than a 12-gauge slug, we are losing out on a big benefit to throwing multiple pellets per trigger pull. The little bit of spread we are getting at home defense ranges can help us put pellets where it matters.   

What I believe he is getting at is that you just don't need it for self defense inside the home because the distances are so short.  

• "August 2026 Rangemaster Drill of the Month: 3 Seconds Standard, Vers. 2.0"--The Tactical Wire. Revisiting a point made in the Weekend Reading column:

“The DEA in 2007 had 44 incidents in which shots were fired against criminals. The average engagement distance was 14.6 feet. The typical American sedan is 16 feet long, so we could just say, about a car length. 

“In the case of our students who had to shoot in self-defense, the distances involved were: 

Contact distance 4% 

3-7 yards 91% 

Beyond 7 yards 4%

“The 3 shootings beyond 7 yards were at 15,17 and 22 yards, so some work at that sort of distance is needed, but not a lot. 

“So, we put the vast majority of our effort in class on fast, reliable vital zone hits at the 3,5, and 7 yard lines, with a heavy emphasis on 3-5 yards. Three yards could be classified as conversational distance” and is the zone in which we normally talk to strangers. Five yards is essentially one car length. 7 yards is across a large room. If you think in those terms, the reason 91% of our shootings took place at from 3 to 7 yards makes a lot of sense. Keep this in mind when structuring your practice sessions.” 

• Conversely: "The Long Line – Practice for Precision"--Tactical Wire.  

If you want to be able to shoot at all well at 25 yards, you train at fifty yards. That’s the take from a bullseye shooter – at least one and likely many more. It’s also the take of Pat McNamara, a name familiar to those interested in the tactical/personal protection aspect of firearms. 

• "Civilian Marksmanship Program Announces Sale of M14s"--Bearing Arms. No details on prices or availability. In its announcement, "the CMP revealed that the rifles will be modified to be 'permanently and irreversibly semi-automatic rifles,' and will be 'fully compliant with CMP enabling legislation authorizing the transfer and sale of military surplus .30 caliber rifles.'" My guess--and it is only a guess--is that this means that they will be shipping them with new receivers.
• This looks interesting: Sightmark has released a red dot they are calling the G-Shot. What makes it unique is that the red dot is incorporated into a chassis or frame that is designed to fit over the rear of a standard Gen 3, 4, or 5 Glock slide with no modifications to the slide or need to remove the rear sights. 
• "Deep Concealment: Shedding Light on Pocket Carry"--Athlon Outdoors.  

    While deep concealment is the most common, pocket carry shines in a backup-gun role. Many armed citizens and law enforcement officers have long relied on small revolvers or compact pistols carried in a pocket as a secondary firearm. This provides access to a weapon if the primary gun becomes unavailable or if one hand is occupied. Carrying a backup gun in the support-side pocket can create additional options during a defensive encounter. While not everyone needs a second firearm, pocket carry remains one of the most practical methods for those who choose to carry one.

    For others, pocket carry may simply be the only realistic option. Physical limitations, work attire, body type, or daily activities may make traditional waistband carry difficult. The best carry method is often the one that a person can realistically maintain every day. The key is being honest about your situation. Carrying a smaller firearm in your pocket is far better than leaving a larger firearm at home. However, that decision should be made thoughtfully and not solely for convenience. 

• "Review: .45 Long Colt — History and Ammo Recommendations"--The Mag Life. This is one of only a small number of cartridges that successfully made the transition from black powder to modern smokeless powder. 
• "Marines Just Added AI That Turns M240 Machine Guns Into Drone Killers"--Military.com. A system that automates the tracking and targeting of the drones. 

    According to specs provided to Military.com, the system relies on passive sensing rather than radar, which helps keep the host platform’s signature low. Pointing accuracy is listed at less than one minute of angle.

    In the M240 configuration, the cyclic rate is 850 rounds per minute, and the company has repeatedly highlighted a cost per kill measured in the low tens of dollars, driven largely by the price of the ammunition itself. 

• "Sawyer Mini Not Flowing After Storage? How to Restore It"--Modern Survival Blog. The author explains:

    If your Sawyer Mini barely flows after months or years in storage, do not assume it is worn out. The hollow fibers may need to be fully re-wetted. Sediment or mineral deposits may also be blocking the small passageways.

    The best first step is to run clean water through the filter in the normal direction. Then backflush it forcefully with the included syringe. A stubborn filter may need a warm-water soak or a separate white-vinegar soak.

    This matters for anyone who keeps a water filter in an emergency kit. A filter that worked when stored may seem almost useless when you suddenly need it.

    That is especially true when the kit has never been opened or tested since the day it was purchased.

The remainder of the article provides more detailed directions and explanations.

• "Boot Care: How to properly care for your boots."--Joint Force Tactical.  Instructions on cleaning, drying, water proofing, and conditioning of the boot material. 
• "Best Hand Saw for Cutting Logs and Firewood"--Modern Survival Blog. The "best" is somewhat a misnomer because what is best depends on what is the size of the wood and whether you have someone to help you or are working alone. But he goes over different saws what where they excel. 
• The inevitable result of a natural disaster: "Looting breaks out in Bordeaux's empty suburbs as wildfire inferno so big it makes its own lightning storms moves to just seven miles from city"--Daily Mail.  
• "Parasite outbreak explodes to more than 10,000 cases in one state as hundreds are hospitalized nationwide"--Daily Mail. The state is Michigan, and the parasites discussed in the article are not Somalis but cyclosporiasis, "a sickness that causes diarrhea and stomach pain." 

Feds Threaten To Intervene In Colorado River Water Rationing

From CBS News: "Colorado River reservoirs hit record lows as Trump administration threatens major cuts." From the article:

    A deepening water crisis in the Western United States has reached an impasse as disagreement among affected states is grinding progress to a halt, and the well of potential solutions is close to running dry.

    The nation's two largest reservoirs — Lake Mead and Lake Powell on the Colorado River — have fallen to their lowest levels on record. It's a moment of reckoning in the drought-stricken West as seven states can't agree on how to share the rapidly shrinking water supply.

    The Colorado River is a lifeline for the region, and it's the line dividing the upper basin states, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico, and the lower basin states, California, Arizona and Nevada.

[snip] 

    After years of failed negotiations between the states, the Trump administration is now poised to impose sweeping cuts.

    California, Arizona and Nevada have offered to cut their use by about 1.6 million acre-feet, or roughly 500 billion gallons, a year for the next two years. 

    However, federal officials who control the water flow are considering cuts nearly twice that amount. The major cuts would likely mean higher costs for cities trying to secure water, tighter restrictions on outdoor water and significant changes for farmers who use the majority of the river's supply. 

VIDEO: Water Kit For A Team Or Family

Prepared Airman shows that he uses in the field to supply water for a team. It should also work for a family that enjoys backpacking, camping in unimproved campgrounds without potable water, or even for a group that is bugging out. You will notice that despite the filters used for providing the group with water, he also uses a Grayl Geopress for personal use. The thing about the Geopress, though, is that it can quickly process water--much faster than other personal systems--so if you had to you could use it to supply water to a group over a short period of time. The limitation is the filter life, which is why you might want to go with some other filters for a large group or for an extended period of time. (See this video testing various water filters).

 VIDEO: "The Water Kit That Keeps a Team Alive: My Water Kit for the Field"
PreparedAirman (13 min.)

Gun & Prepping News #82

Some links that may be of interest:

• "Silencer Saturday #433: Scout Rifle Silencers"--The Firearm Blog. The primary attribute of the Scout Rifle is that it is to be light and handy--i.e., light weight and a barrel length of 19" or less. Thus, this article looks at silencers that are light weight and compact. 
• "The Long Game: Gear That Actually Held Up"--Guns Magazine. The author mentions:

     The items below didn’t just review well — they stuck. They’re the things I kept using long after the article ran, the stuff that didn’t end up in the closet only to emerge a year or two later: “Oh heck, I forgot I had that!” This gear proved itself over time instead of just making a good first impression.

    Not new or trendy stuff, just durable, reliable and worth giving a second look.  

The products included are: Buck 791 Range Elite Knife,  5.11 Founder’s Jacket, Vortex Razor UHD 10x32 Binoculars, Viktos Range Trainer XD Shoe, 5.11 Aerial Short Sleeve Shirt, Fisher Space Pen, and Clinger Holster Cushion. 

• "HK VP9CC Review: Micro-Compact German Heat"--Guns America.  It looks like a great pistol, but at $1,400 it is out of my price range. Short take:

• Pros: Pure HK feel in a micro-compact package, 800 trouble-free rounds, excellent barrel accuracy, intuitive paddle magazine release, optic-ready slide cut that sits up to 40% lower, clear Vortex Defender CCW optic, ambidextrous controls, safe disassembly design, and 10-round and 12-round magazine options.
• Cons: Small trigger guard, short trigger shoe, potential trigger guard hot spot during longer range sessions, smooth grip side panels, and a base MSRP of $1,049 that will not appeal to everyone.

• "Fudd Friday: Why You Want An SKS For Hunting (And Why You Don't)"--The Firearm Blog. The author goes over the plusses and minuses including its reliable but not particularly accurate; and doesn't use a particularly powerful cartridge. Although, on that point:

The 7.62x39mm round the SKS fires has often been roughly equated to the hitting power of the .30-30. On paper, they’re relatively close out to the 150-yard limit where they both start to lose some steam; the 7.62x39mm actually fares better at longer ranges, thanks to its pointed bullets. We won’t get into the decades-old, tired arguments over bullet construction and everything else that clutters this conversation; we’ll just point out that on paper, the SKS looks like it will work, and that has been proven countless times in the real world, in North America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia. Big deer, little deer, big bears, little bears, big hogs, little hogs and a lot of other wild game has fallen to the SKS. And the gun is a lot easier to shoot than other full-power hunting rifles, thanks to low recoil. 

• "Fudd Friday: Marlin Model 60 - Classic Classy Rimfire"--The Firearm Blog. An excerpt:

    The Model 60 was developed by Marlin’s engineer Ewald Nichol. He had previously developed a rimfire rifle that was an exterior lookalike to the M1 Carbine; this was called the Model 99, and was released in 1959. The Model 60 came along in 1960, with a full-length tube magazine under the 22-inch barrel that held 18 rounds of .22 LR (barrel length and magazine capacity came in different numbers later on). The Model 60 was an adaptation of the Model 99 platform, and while the Model 99 ended production in the 1960s, the Model 60 or other variations of the platform were built until around 2020, with 11 million rifles sold.

     That’s a lot of guns, with production far exceeding centerfire hunting rifles like Marlin’s own 336 lever-action, or the Winchester Model 94. The Model 60 was not going to be immortalized on the cover of a deer-hunting book, but it—and rifles just like it—were the start of many kids’ hunting careers.

    Marlin wasn’t coy about it; the Model 60 was a hunting rifle, with a squirrel factory-carved right into the grip of many of the rifles sold. While millions of Model 60s probably shot an exponentially larger number of rounds at cans and targets in plinking mode, they were intended as a hunting rifle, and they did it well. You could snipe small game with this gun right off the shelf, with Marlin’s microgroove rifling providing excellent accuracy with .22LR ammo.

• It should have been a defensive gun use: "Woman, 50, 'dragged to her death' by neighbor's two bloodthirsty pit bulls as husband fought to save her"--Daily Mail.  Always carry. And it wasn't her husband, but a romantic partner. 
• "Frankford Arsenal’s Turret Press: Cast-Iron Reliability"--The Truth About Guns. 

Eight is the magic number for this turret press. I had graduated from the Lee’s four-holer to the RCBS six-station, and now had eight die stations. That allows some customization… You can add a “powder cop” and separate taper crimp dies if desired, not to mention adding a case-driven powder measure for pistol or practice rifle loads. The tool head is hand-advanced and has positive ball detents at each station, so it locks into place easily and doesn’t wobble. We got an extra tool head with the press, so another caliber can be set up and ready to go.

• Given the tick issues this year, this article may prove useful: "Permethrin: The “Chemical Weapon”
  Every Shooter Should Consider"--Guns Magazine. An excerpt:

    Most shooters obsess over optics, ballistic computers and gear selection while largely ignoring one of the simplest upgrades available for summer shooting comfort: treating clothing and equipment with permethrin.

    If the name sounds vaguely familiar, there’s a reason. Permethrin has been around for years and has long been used by military personnel, backpackers, hunters and serious outdoors enthusiasts. Yet many casual shooters either haven’t heard of it or misunderstand what it actually does.

    Unlike DEET or picaridin, which are applied to exposed skin, permethrin is designed exclusively for clothing and gear. Once applied and dried, the treatment bonds to fabric and helps repel or kill ticks, mosquitoes and other insects on contact.

    In practical terms, it means your pants, socks, boots and shooting mat become far less hospitable to things with too many legs. This matters more than you might realize. 

• "Tecsun PL-330 Review: Compact Shortwave Radio With SSB"--Modern Survival Blog. This is a receiver, Short take:

    ... This compact shortwave radio stands out because it gives you real enthusiast features, including SSB, synchronous detection, ETM+, and broad band coverage, in a very portable package. For preppers, travelers, and everyday shortwave listeners, the PL-330 hits a strong balance of size, capability, and price.

    What makes the Tecsun PL-330 appealing is not that it is the most advanced radio on the market. It is that it offers many of the features people actually want for real-world listening without moving into a much more expensive class. It is small enough for a travel bag or emergency kit, but capable enough for casual DXing, ham monitoring, and international broadcasts.

    That said, the PL-330 is not perfect. Speaker size is limited, the battery type is BL-5C rather than AA or 18650, and charging-port details can vary by version. But if you want a feature-rich portable shortwave radio with SSB and synchronous detection at a reasonable price, the PL-330 is one of the best-value choices available today.

• "The 5 Best Water Filters for Survival: Bug Out, Bug In, and Grid Down Scenarios"--Survival Life.  Short take:

At a Glance: Top Survival Water Filters for 2026

•     Best water filter for Bugging In (Home Use): Waterdrop Gravity Water Filter System
•     Best water filter for Bugging Out (Fast & Light): Sawyer Squeeze
•     Best water filter for Urban Disasters (Chemicals/Viruses): Survivor Filter Pro
•     Best water filter for Hiking & Camping: Katadyn Hiker Pro
•     Best water filter Budget Alternative: LifeStraw Personal Water Filter

• "My 10-Step Guide to Preparing for an EMP"--Modern Survival Online.  An excerpt:

     One of the very best and, somewhat humorously, most commonly overlooked defenses against the ravaging effects of an EMP is simply going analog.

    Basically, any gadget, function, tool, or anything else that can rely on muscle power or something else in order to operate is worth considering, especially if it’s something you need or use all the time.

    In the case of power tools, you could instead go with manually operated equivalents. You might replace a car with a bicycle, or even a horse. Trucks can be replaced with draft animals pulling wagons, etc.

    Get creative, and you might be surprised to learn how little electricity you actually need with the right approach.

• It is always interesting to see how the main stream media treats preppers: "I'm a doomsday prepper. These are the cheap and easy steps you should take to prepare for hantavirus or WORSE"--Daily Mail. Not just a "doomsday prepper" but apparently a well off one:

    The 31-year-old, who lives in Utah, has enough food stored in her house to sustain her family-of-five for at least five years.

    She also has a solar generator, seedling garden, body armor, water filtration system and freezers full of meat.  

And her recommendations?

    Krystal explained that she is already taking extra precaution by stocking up on more gloves, protective masks and medication amidst the surge in hantavirus cases, and she is even avoiding airports. 

But what drugs? The article doesn't say. Also, as the article notes, "There have now been 11 cases (eight confirmed, one inconclusive and two probable cases) and three deaths." So not exactly an epidemic. 

VIDEO: Prepared Airman Discusses Hydration Options

 The Prepared Airman discusses the water containers that have worked best for him over the years for outdoors, working outside, and when deployed. Like a lot of other military YouTubers, he indicates that he has gone over to using the Qore Performance ice flasks when kitted up in a plate carrier; but before those were available, he used the Life Water bottles (presumably he would refill them). He also mentions that his current set up for outdoor is a Grayl Geo Press bottle (he uses the titanium version) and a small 1.5 liter hydration pack. 

I saw a comment to the video questioning why use the Grayl when it doesn't carry that much water. This misses the point. The Grayl is fast at filtering and has a large opening. If you come across a water source, you can filter the water, pour it into another container, and repeat as necessary, and then leave the Grayl full for that extra it carriers.  

 VIDEO: "The Water Containers I Trust for EDC, Bug Out & Military Use"
PreparedAirman (11 min.)

Gun & Prepping News #75

 Just some gun and prepping related links that I thought interesting or useful:

• "Why Good Guys With Guns Don’t Aways Come to the Rescue"--The Truth About Guns. In response to the question of why "good guys with guns" don't intervene more to stop crimes, the author of this November 2023 article gives this example:

    A few days ago in New York City, a homeless man mugged a woman at a subway station. Hearing his threats and her screaming, a bystander came to her rescue. He pulled a handgun out, fired several warning shots (note: TTAG’s writers generally do NOT recommend firing warning shots), and frightened the homeless attacker away from his victim.

    What happened next was entirely predictable. The homeless man was charged with a crime, but so was the hero of the story. The charges agains [sic] the Good Samaritan? Criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a firearm, and menacing. 

And it wasn't just the prosecutor who was opposed to the general public carrying firearms. The woman that was rescued stated: "Yes, I do think he is a hero, but I don’t know, I would likely think him a bigger hero if he tried to help me without the gun. In my eyes, the gun is a little extreme." The author continues:

    Even in a pro-gun state, a person who’s carrying lawfully and uses force against a reasonable threat of death or serious bodily harm can still have their lives destroyed. All it take is one short-sighted (or politically ambitious) blue city prosecutor to put a good person through an arrest and criminal trial. That can mean losing their job, their home, and even if prison is avoided, facing years of ruinous civil lawsuits.

    With all of that in mind, you wonder why any good guys with guns decide to defend strangers. The stranger, even if they’re an ungrateful, anti-gun Karen, suffers no consequences in the aftermath, but the gun owner risks their freedom, their livelihood, and everything they own. That’s a pretty big ask. 

• Related post:  "The Dangers of White Knighting." Something to read if you think it would have been better for the rescuer, in the story above, to try to resolve the situation without a firearm. 

• I don't know where the Iran war will take us, but this article is probably worth revisiting: "Preparation for Future 'Days of Jihad'"--Active Response Training.  The article was in response to Hamas calling for a day of Jihad a few years ago, but the advice is still good should Iranian backed terrorists in the U.S. decide to take some action. Greg's belief at that time was that if anything happened, it would probably be more in the nature of lone-wolf attacks, probably with knives or firearms or vehicles. He recommended:

1. Commit to being more aware in public locations and carrying your firearm wherever you are legally able to do so. 
2. Understand what terrorist knife attacks look like and how to best counter them. 
3. Understand how to identify and respond to terrorist vehicle run-down attacks.  
4. Have a plan to defeat restraint and abduction attempts.
5. Decide in advance how you will act if you are targeted by such a terrorist attack or you happen to observe an attack on others. 

He has links to multiple articles for each of the above points to educate you on the attacks and options for responding, so read the whole thing.  

• "Marlin Model 60 - Classic Classy Rimfire"--The Firearm Blog. The Model 60 began production in 1960 and ended in 2020 with approximately 11 million sold. The author writes about it:

The Marlin generally had a better reputation for accuracy than the Ruger 10/22, historically speaking, and if you just wanted a gun to hunt with and not a gun to tinker with, the Marlin was the ticket. Read Sam’s write-ups on the rifle here and here to get an idea of what made them popular, and how they were used, and how to keep them operating well today, years after they were made. Luke also had some thoughts on the Marlin Model 60, calling it one of the three most underrated rimfires you could buy.

And, discussing why it worked so well:

 For starters, the Model 60 was a good-looking rifle, with well-balanced visual lines and handling that matched. While detachable mags rule the market today, the Model 60’s tube magazine couldn’t be lost or forgotten, and it still held a lot of rounds. The sights were pretty good. The gun didn’t have a reputation for jamming, and you could get it cheap. ...    

I doubt that Ruger--which now owns the Marlin name--will bring back the Model 60, though, because it would undercut the sale of the 10/22.  

• "Is There Such a Thing as Stopping Power?" by Craig Boddington, Rifle Shooter Magazine. The author discusses kinetic energy, momentum, and John Taylor's "Knockout Values", and the quest to find some numeric way of expressing the effectiveness of a particular cartridge. He discusses bullet shape, weight, shot placement, and all the other factors brought into play by hunters. But as to the question raised in the title:

 “100 grains in the right place are as good as ten million,” wrote WDM “Karamoja” Bell, in Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter (1923). Bell was an outspoken smallbore guy. He is credited with 1,011 elephants, almost all bulls. He didn’t kill them all with his .275 Rigby—also known as the 7x57—although that was his favorite. Prior to World War I he also used the 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer, .303 British and .318 Westley Richards.

He remained a smallbore advocate, but in 1913 he ordered a pair of .416 Rigby rifles. He took one of them when he returned to Africa after World War I, along with a .400 Jeffery double. His bullet weights ranged from 160 grains in the 6.5x54 to 410 grains in the .416, and respective energies ranged from about 1,740 ft.-lbs. to 5,100.

In the same paragraph from his book I just referenced, he also wrote, “It seems to me that you cannot hope to kill an elephant weighing six tons by ‘shock’ unless you hit him with a field gun”—as in artillery.

But after his discussion of what drops an animal and various rules of thumb on energy and so forth, Boddington adds the following anecdote:

 One time, professional hunter Mike Payne, hunter Chad Allen and I crossed a dry sand river in the Zambezi Valley—with them and the tracker in front. Across the river there were three tall palm trees. As we approached, a lone buffalo bull rose from the shade, shook his head once, and launched into a full-out charge from 25 yards.

Our unarmed tracker dove out of the way, opening up a shot. Coolly and calmly, Payne said, “Chad, take him. Take him now,” as the buffalo closed on the pair. They were carrying .470 double rifles. Chad shot, Mike shot, then they both shot again, pairs of shots almost simultaneous. The first two turned the bull; the next two stopped him and dropped him.

Weighing maybe 1,500 pounds, that buffalo received 20,000 ft.-lbs. of energy in two seconds. All shots were chest/shoulder. Forward progress was arrested, and the buffalo was down eight yards in front of us. That’s “stopping power,” but it was the equivalent of Walter Bell’s field gun. That much energy cannot be harnessed in a single shot from a shoulder-fired rifle.

• "Skills Check: Rifle Standard Gold"--American Rifleman. 

The Rifle Standard Gold or Mini-Navy Qual is a short, but demanding test of rifle control, reload discipline and marksmanship fundamentals under time constraints. It’s a modification to the highly popular Modified Navy Qual shot at 50 yards. This version pushes shooters to balance accuracy with pace, rewarding smooth mechanics over rushed reactions at closer ranges. Every action—from mounting the rifle to breaking the final shot—matters. 

• "Hybrid IWB Holsters Explained: Where Comfort Meets Retention"--The Firearm Blog.  The author relates how initially when starting to conceal, one of his favorite holsters was a hybrid holster. But:

Like most concealed carriers, I moved away from strong-side carry and embraced appendix carry as that came into vogue. But after several years of carrying appendix, I found myself spending my days almost entirely at a desk. The life of an office-dweller is short on hazards, but discomfort from a gun worn on the front of the waistband while sitting down is one of them. This took me back to strong-side carry.

And that has brought him full circle back to an IWB hybrid holster. He reviews a particular model offered by Falco, but has some pointers on what to look for in a quality hybrid holster. I haven't actually ever used a hybrid--I guess I saw too many articles discussing out the backing can fail--but I have ordered one and hope to put it to the test soon.

• Speaking of holsters: "Is the Obscura Sling Bag the Best CCW Pack of 2026?"--The Truth About Guns.  The author, Kenzie Fitzpatrick, seems to think so. I found the three security modes to be interesting: apparently there is a clip that can be attached in such a way to allow easy access to a firearm but which is disabled when the clip is detached; and a third option making it even more onerous to access the firearm. It also is supposed to be fully ambidextrous. There is no MSRP mentioned in the article, but it appears that Scheels has it for about $90. 
• And in a similar vein: "A Few of our Favorite Soft Rifle Cases for the Range and Field"--Guns & Ammo. 
• "The 'Dreaded Dry-Fire' Training Talk"--American Rifleman. 

    The uncomfortable truth is impossible to ignore. Talk to the best shooters in the world—Grand Masters, national champions, professional instructors—and you will hear the same story: the majority of their skill development did not happen on the range with ammunition. It happened in living rooms, garages, basements and hotel rooms. 

 [snip]

    The reason elite shooters rely so heavily on dry fire has nothing to do with how good it feels. It has everything to do with developing efficiency and control. Dry fire builds skill. Live fire tests that skill.

• "Spur Of The Moment" by Dave Workman, Guns Magazine. Workman discusses the hammer spur on revolvers, including some reasons you want them: for learning to shoot revolvers; and better accuracy for longer range targets. In fact, he notes, Elmer Keith recommended cocking the hammer and shooting single-action even in law enforcement situations when engaging more distant targets. 
• "Best 5.56 Suppressor: What to Buy and Why"--The Firearm Blog. Some recommendations on suppressors for 5.56 rifles for different features and barrel lengths.  I will note that except for the budget option, the ones listed probably cost as much or more than your rifle. 
• "Things That Don’t Suck: Otis Pro+ AR-15 Lock Block Upper Receiver Vise Block"--The Truth About Guns. It fits into the barrel extension instead of over the aluminum upper receiver--supposed to be more secure and prevent marring of the receiver's finish. 
• "5 Ways to Level a Riflescope"--Rifle Shooter Magazine.  Tips and a brief review/explanation of some tools to use. 
• "Casting Hollow-Point Slugs with MP Molds"--Guns Magazine. Someday I'm going to try casting my own bullets. 
• "Troubled Times" (Part 1) (Part 2) by Sheriff Jim Wilson, Shooting Illustrated. These articles are from a few years back, but have some good advice for dealing with trouble. Part 1 has some random tips for organizing and staying out of trouble. For instance, this bit of advice from Part 1:

Finally, I would not go out with a thought to helping law enforcement unless law enforcement specifically asked me to. It is simply too easy to become part of the problem instead of the solution. Often times, the best help that we can give law enforcement is to just be a good witness or simply stay out of their way. It is far easier to tell the good guys from the bad guys when the good guys just aren’t there.     

Part II has some thoughts for preps beyond just guns and ammo.  

• "Run Your Generator Several Times a Year – How Long – Tips"--Modern Survival Blog.  The author explains:

Generator maintenance at a minimum, involves simply running your generator from time to time. Why?

•     To keep its internal parts lubricated with oil
•     Charge the battery (if it has a battery)
•     To be sure the carburetor isn’t gummed up
•     Put it under load to verify output
•     To make sure that the generator actually works (before you ever need it for an emergency)

He recommends running your generator for about 20 minutes every three months, but at a minimum at least twice per year. He has other tips so be sure to reach the whole thing.

• "How Much Pool Shock to Make Household Bleach Strength?"--Modern Survival Blog. The author points out that "[h]ousehold bleach is usually 5% to 9% sodium hypochlorite, while pool shock is calcium hypochlorite. But as a practical preparedness method, this gives you a bleach-strength chlorine solution that can serve as a practical bleach-strength substitute for preparedness use when needed." The mixture to use with ~ 68% to 70% calcium hypochlorite is:

•  Small batch: 3 level teaspoons in 1-1/2 cups of water
• 1 gallon batch: 11 tablespoons per gallon of water

The author has a lot more about pool shock, including storage, how he calculated the recipes, the particular type of pool shock to use, and so on, so be sure to check out the full article if this is something that interests you.

• "Emergency Rations Test #1: The Survival Tabs"--Blue Collar Prepping. The author notes that The Survival Tabs (TST) were originally developed for NASA; contain 100% of the recommended daily allowance of 15 vitamins and minerals, with an emphasis on the B vitamins; and have a shelf-life of 25 years. Amazon sells them in various quantities. Looking at the quantities and the number of days they are supposed to provide, it appears that you would need to eat 12 tabs per day. The article mentions that "[t]he instructions were to 'eat' one tab every hour for 12 hours to get what you need for a day." It looks like they are available in a few different flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, but the article also mentions a butterscotch flavor. Here is the important part:

As you can see, a day's worth of TST (12 tabs) only provides 240 calories. That's great if you're trying to lose weight, but nowhere near enough to sustain an active adult. They claim a person could live for a month or more on nothing but their tabs... which isn't saying a whole lot, since you can survive about three weeks without any food at all. This was the first indication that these were a poor choice. 

The author also notes that these are "milk solids" that generally overwhelm the flavor (he said the strawberry was the only flavor he could taste) and stick to dental work and leave a residue in the mouth that must be at least followed by water to wash down. The author concludes that "for the everyday prepper they're almost worthless," and recommends a good quality multivitamin if you are worried about vitamins. I would see them as something to throw in a "get home" bag or a bug-out bag where you would be relying them for a few days. They would probably be useful for a fall out shelter for the two-weeks you have to stay inside as you wouldn't need to be moving around much and would want to minimize dealing with solid wastes--exactly the same reasons NASA sought them for use with the space program. 

VIDEO: Test Of Popular Hiking/Camping Water Filters

So this is a test of 8 water filters as well as one type of water purification tablets (they might actually be strips, but same difference). All but the Grayl filter and the water purification strips are only good for bacteria and protozoa, while the Grayl and the purification strips will also filter out or kill viruses. If you are only camping or hiking in the U.S. or Canada, you probably don't need to worry about viruses, but you do need it for foreign countries. After a SHTF event? Who knows.

    For preppers, though, you might want to look at the Sawyer Squeeze. According to the video, the manufacturer is claiming it can filter 378,000 liters/100,000 gallons of water as long as you take care of it--clean it, back flush it, don't let it freeze. If this is correct, then the host is not wrong in saying that it could potentially last you a lifetime. One of these per person in your household (or one plus a backup) would probably give you all the drinking water you would need for grid down situations.  

VIDEO: "I Tried 8 Hiking Water Filters From REI.. Here's My Honest Review and Comparison"
Taylor the Nahamsha Hiker (28 min.)

Gun & Prepping News #68

Just some gun and prepping related links that I thought interesting or useful:

• "How to Shoot Faster (and Actually Hit)"--Armory Life.  Advice and drills to help you shoot faster while maintaining acceptable accuracy. An excerpt:

    For me, one of my bigger challenges as an instructor has been helping people with a modest level of proficiency reach the next level. They may very well be safe gun handlers and capable of posting a satisfactory score on a course of fire, but are locked into their comfort zone and are not especially confident when it comes to pushing the gas pedal just a little bit harder.

    By reinforcing combat shooting fundamentals such as grip, index on the target, and trigger management and slowly introducing them to a few different drills, I often see great improvement. The ultimate goal is to set each individual’s mental clock so they can strike that ideal balance between speed and accuracy.

    What follows are a few exercises that I have used over the years to teach people how to shoot faster. Perhaps there is something you can use in this mix to improve your skills. 

• "Physical Fitness; The Foundation of all Training"--Combat Shooting & Tactics. As the author points out: "Again, what good is your rifle marksmanship if you’re not strong enough to carry the weapon and spare mags? What good are your hand to hand skills if a 30 second scuffle leaves you bent over, hands on knees, gasping for air."
• "Escalation of Force: How to Choose the Appropriate Response to Potential Violence"--Organic Prepper.  A big issue with self-defense is that the amount or level of force must be reasonable or proportionate to the threat. An excerpt:

    We’ve all heard the saying, “When your only tool is a hammer, you treat everything like it’s a nail.”  The same is true when your only tool is deadly force.

    Obviously, there are life and death situations in which deadly force is the only possible response if you want to live. When someone bursts into your home waving a gun screaming that they’re going to kill you, when someone in a mask is trying to drag you into a van with dark-tinted windows, when someone is clearly intent on beating the crap out of you until you’re dead – all of these things are situations in which your use of a lethal response is entirely justified.

    But… a lot of situations require more finesse unless you want to risk a) spending the rest of your life in prison and praying you don’t drop the soap or b) waiting for bloody vengeance from your adversary’s friends or family or c) criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits forever and ever until you die. 

This is an important topic so please read this. 

• Mossad Ayoob: "Firearms Refresher" (Part 1 - Handguns) (Part 2 - Shotguns) (Part 3 - Rifles). Just a quick review of basics for each type of firearm: checking your weapon and ammunition, checking if it is loaded, weapons handling and safety considerations, tips for drawing the handgun, ammunition selection, straps and slings for the long guns, and more. Just a good review of the basics, but still some tips or ideas for the experienced shooter. If you are teaching someone about shooting, these would probably be good articles to supplement what is your class or teaching session. 
• Some firearms history: "M1 Garand vs. M1941 Johnson Rifle Debate"--Armory Life.  The Johnson rifle was a semi-auto rifle that competed against the M1 Garand. It used a 10-round rotary magazine and saw some very limited use in the war. However, it was too little, too late and so it never replaced the M1 Garand with US forces. 
• And some more firearms history: "The MAT-49: France's Mid-20th Century SMG"--American Rifleman. At the end of WWII, the French were left with a multitude of different weapons and embarked on a program to standardize what they had. The MAT-49 came out of this.

    ... The MAT-49 was simple and rugged featuring a retractable stock made of heavy gauge wire. With its stock retracted the MAT-49 is just 18 inches long—with its stock extended, it is 28 inches (with a 9.1-inch barrel). 

    A unique feature is the folding magazine well, which tucks in neatly beneath the barrel—allowing a safe, compact carry that was particularly appealing for paratroops and vehicle crews. The magazine well could be quickly folded back into the firing position, and the well provides the forward hand grip. The weapon has a bit of heft, weighing nearly 9.5 pounds with a loaded 32-round magazine.

    There is no manual safety on the MAT-49, rather, there's a prominent grip safety. The gun is blowback-operated, firing from an open bolt, with a cyclic rate of 600 rounds per minute. An experienced shooter can easily trigger single rounds. The MAT-49 uses a 32-round, double-stack, single-feed magazine—spring tension is tight, and the magazine loading tool is essential. There was also a 20-round, single-stack magazine, designed to be more resistant to sand and grit, and this was issued to troops in desert environments. 

• While most of us probably think rifle accuracy begins and ends with free floating the barrel, that is not really correct: "Understanding Barrel Bedding"--Rifle Shooter Magazine.  An excerpt:

There are a number of ways a bolt-action rifle can be bedded. Bull barrels and heavy varmint/target barrels oscillate less violently than sporter-weight ones as a bullet accelerates down the bore and generally shoot just as well when free-floated as they do when bedded. Some competitive shooters, however, have been known to glass-bed the barrel and leave the action floating while others permanently bond the barreled action and stock together by not using release agent. Most sporter, carbine and ultralight hunting rifles, however, respond better to other bedding dynamics.

• Related: "How To Adjust Forearm Tip Pressure"--Shooting Times. The author's experience is that most rifles will do best with a free floated barrel. "But in perhaps less than five to 10 percent of the rifles, I run into one that will not shoot well after my initial accurization work. At that point I look at the possibility that this rifle may need some pressure on the barrel. In these cases a pressure point in the stock may help to stabilize or dampen erratic or nonsymmetric barrel movement."
• Related: "Use of Barrel Harmonics For Rifle Accuracy"--Tactical Link.
• Related: "What are barrel harmonics?"--Gun Tweaks. 

• You can't stop the signal: "Airsoft SCAR SMG conversion gang caught"--Impro Guns. The illicit manufacturers here took Airsoft versions of the SCAR, and replaced the guts and barrel with those for a simple submachine gun. Gave the user a nice stock and appearance. There are some photographs showing how things were fit into the Airsoft shell/chassis. 
• "Luth-AR Globe Charging Handle: Why Didn’t I Think Of That?"--The Truth About Guns.  Something that might be useful for those with arthritis. Essentially a ball like that on the bolt handle of a bolt action rifle attached to one side of the cocking handle for an AR. A lot of the comments complain that the ball would hang up things, but since generations have survived using bolt action guns with a ball sticking off the side on a cocking handle, this seems more an imaginary concern than a real one. You know what really hangs up on things with an AR? The pistol grip and long magazines and weapon mounted lights and the tall sights and stocks shaped like giant hooks. 
• "Choosing Your First Hunting Rifle"--Armory Life.  If you are like me, your first hunting rifle was probably a gift or hand-me-down. But if you are looking at getting your first (or just getting another rifle) this article has some tips and pointers starting with cartridge selection, type of action, the importance of keeping the weight down, what game species you are going to be hunting with it (which, frankly, should have been at the top of the list of considerations), and accessorizing it. 
• Related: "Top 5 All-Around North American Big-Game Cartridges"--American Hunter.  
• Related: "The Top 10 Rifle Cartridges for North American Big Game"--Peterson's Hunting.
• "25 Most Popular Survival Books (My Favourite is #5)"--More Than Just Surviving.  This is originally from 2014 and updated in 2015, but is still probably a pretty solid list. I've read 5 of the first 6 books and several of the books in the remainder of the list. I would note, however, that it is mix of wilderness survival and prepping books. I was somewhat disappointed though that the list did not include Cody Lundin's book, When All Hell Breaks Loose, which I consider the best overall prepping book as it goes over mental/emotional preparation and concerns, then goes into topics of shelter, water, food, sanitation and hygiene, and other topics for someone surviving a major disaster, with the emphasis on people surviving in their homes. 
• "Choosing the Best Water Purification Tablets – Everything You Need to Know!"--Alpha Survivalist. The article says that it is reviewing 5 different brands, but only 4 are discussed. There is a brief overview and review of each brand. The author also discusses historical (mostly military) experience with water purification tablets and practical uses. The article also discusses the three general chemical compounds used in such tablets. But this may be the most important tip of all from the article:

    It makes sense to use multiple water purification methods, you can not be careful enough right? Purification tablets work best when they are paired up with quality water filters like the Lifestraw or the Sawyer Mini.

    Specific protozoa species like cryptosporidium usually have a strong resistance to chemical purifiers, however, they are too big to go through many water filters including the two just mentioned above.

    Always keep this in mind when choosing a purification tablet.

• "Seasonal Changeover"--Tactical Wisdom.  The author, Joe Dolio, discusses what he does with his vehicle bags, get home bags, EDC/Patrol bags, and full ruck as the season shifts from winter/early spring to warmer weather, including updating clothing, checking that MREs and other gear is still current and so on. He expects the readers to be familiar with his recommendations for such kit set out in his book, Baseline Training Manual, but the general concepts are valid no matter your set up.
• "15 DIY Instant Soup Mixes"--Urban Survival Site. This is exactly what it sounds like: some recipes of dry ingredients that can be stored in Mason jars or Mylar bags, needing only the addition of hot water to make soup. He warns that some of the ingredients, such as freeze dried chicken, may be hard to source, however.  
• "36 Cool Ideas For Your Paracord Survival Projects"--Survival Life. Belts, keychains, monkeyfist slungshots, chair, sling, etc. 
• "Frightening reality of California’s homeless epidemic laid bare as disease outbreak could threaten LA"--New York Post. 

    The bacterial disease leptospirosis was found in rats at encampments in the hippie college town of Berkeley, leading health officials there to issue an urgent warning to the homeless to clear out.

Per the article, "Flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache and vomiting appear between five and 14 days. If the infection isn’t detected and treated with antibiotics, it leads to organ failure, internal bleeding, meningitis — and death."

     Officials told them to relocate at least a third of a mile from the “red zone” encompassing several square blocks as soon as possible. The warning comes as authorities attempted remove the encampment last year but were blocked by a federal judge. 

I find it interesting that the judiciary had no problems with locking down the population for a largely imaginary threat, but suddenly find it objectionable to address a real public health threat.  

VIDEO: How Special Forces Carried Water During The GWOT

Whether you are hunting, hiking, backpacking, bicycling, or bugging out, the ability to carry water is important. In this video from Modern Tactical Shooting, the host describes what he and fellow Special Operations soldiers did for carrying water during the Global War on Terror--everything from the collapsible canteens to Nalgene water bottles, water bladders, and the disposable water bottles that most of us use--and the pros and cons of each method. Then he finishes by reviewing a relatively new product--the Qore Performance Ice Flask and its carrier--and why he believes it will supplant other methods that Special Forces use to carry water. Be sure to check out the comments for other ideas and experiences from other soldiers. 

My standard hiking kit is a 3 liter water bladder with extra disposable water bottles in the backpack or pockets for myself or my sons to use. For a soldier, the issues with the disposable water bottles was that they were fragile (i.e., easily ruptured) and were noisy (i.e., the crinkly noise they can make after being opened) and seemed to be the main impetus for using the Nalgene bottles. I've not had that be an issue for me when hiking; but the noise might be an issue for hunters or wildlife photographers. I recently picked up a Grayl GeoPress filter and am excited to try it out once the weather gets warmer. 

I would note that some military canteens have caps with adapters for drinking in an NBC environment while wearing a gas mask, if that is something important to you. 

 VIDEO: "How Special Forces carried water in GWOT. Why the ICEFLASK will become the new go to way in kit."
Modern Tactical Shooting (15 min.)

Gun & Prepping News #60

Just some gun and prepping related links that I thought interesting or useful:  

•  ".223 Remington"--Terminal Ballistics Research. Terminal Ballistics Research has many articles that examine the efficacy of different calibers for hunting based on the author's real word experience. The article begins by going over the history of the cartridge, its performance as a hunting cartridge, and comments about factory loads and hand loads. An excerpt:

    As a varmint or target shooting cartridge, the .223 is an outstanding performer, inexpensive and capable of great accuracy. As a medium game cartridge, the .223 is under powered if fast killing is to be expected with ordinary chest shots.

    There are however some exceptions to this general rule, though each has its caveats. Some years ago, I discovered that certain heavy weight match bullets can produce relatively good results on some species of medium game. But not all match bullets are equal and one must be mindful of poor downrange energy, limiting the effective range to about 300 yards. One must also have a suitable twist rate to launch these projectiles. I also discovered, many years ago, that tumbling FMJ ammunition had the potential to change the performance of this cartridge on medium game.
 
    A tumbling 55 grain bullet can produce violent, fast killing wounds on lighter medium game along with large exit wounds  as wide as 3”. When full metal jacket ammunition tumbles, the bullet very gradually falls to pieces due to the unsealed base of the bullet allowing jacket core separation. Because the process is gradual, wounding occurs through vitals and bone, rather than on impact resulting in adequate penetration for all but tail on shots on medium game. 

    As with match loads, FMJ ammunition has its caveats. Such performance tends to be unpredictable. The twist rate also in this case, needs to be so slow that the bullet is near the point of poor accuracy. I cannot therefore recommend such a load as being ethical. 

•  "Germany Selects the CZ P-10 C as Their New Service Pistol - the P13"--The Firearm Blog. "The P13 will replace the P8A1, the Heckler & Koch USP, which entered service in 1994," the article reports. If you are not familiar with the weapon--I wasn't--"[t]he P-10C is a striker-fired, short recoil, tilting barrel actioned service pistol, chambered in 9x19 with a standard magazine capacity of 15 rounds."
•  "Trigger Press Casualty"--Tactical Professor. Commenting on an incident where a shooter accidentally shot himself in the hand when clearing a Glock, the author writes:

    When clearing your pistol at the range, take a sight picture on some particular target and observe what the sights do when you press the trigger. When you have to press the trigger to disassemble the pistol, aim at something that will involve the least amount of “damage to property and/or injury to personnel.” Aim at a door frame or something else solid that is more likely to stop a bullet than an interior wall made of Sheetrock.

[snip]

    Establishing grip and taking a sight picture even when you don’t expect the pistol to fire reinforces good marksmanship principles and mitigates safety risks simultaneously. It’s a total WIN WIN. 

• "Rifles: Building a Rifle from a Kit"--Shooting Illustrated. The author puts a pretty positive spin on building a rifle from a parts kit. I have built several. Building an AR is pretty simple and does not require much in specialized tools. Others take more specialized tools and jigs to do a good job that can cost quit a bit on their own, although sometimes you can rent the equipment rather than having to buy it. If you are building an AK you will want to visit the AK-Builder website for tools and jigs and small parts (although they don't seem to be carrying any rivet jaws for bolt cutters). One thing I would caution you about though is the availability of receivers. Many times if you can find a good deal on a parts kit, it probably means that commercial receivers are not available for sale. Sometimes you can find receiver flats (the equivalent of an 80% receiver for rifles that use stamped steel receivers) but they will take a hydraulic press and jigs to properly fold them, and generally a bit of welding for rails or other bits. He also adds that "If we were to go strictly by the number of options on the market, we could conclude that the age of the kit rifle is at hand." That isn't really true. The age of the kit rifle was about 20 to 25 years ago when you could go to any gun show and pick up a Romanian AK kit for $70 or FAL parts kits for $200. AK kits now typically sell for several hundred dollars and FAL part kits are no where to be found. I'm not saying to not do it, but it has a steep learning curve, can be expensive if you have to buy the tools, and can be very frustrating. 
• "The Rimfire Report: Remington's "Ranch Hand" 40 gr CPRN"--The Firearm Blog.  Short take: "For better or worse, Ranch Hand seems like it is basically just a Remington equivalent of CCI Mini-Mag 40 gr Round Nose, which we have yet to cover here on Rimfire Report." The author thought that the standard deviation in velocity was too large for the ammo to be considered "good". Also:

I was able to get some decent groups out of the ammo, but given its slightly wider standard deviation, this definitely isn’t a contender for a high velocity match ammo. Those outliers that make up the extreme spread are likely responsible for some of those fliers.   

But he thought it good enough for hunting small game. 

I wouldn’t necessarily run it in a bolt action, as I saw roughly equivalent accuracy out of my 11/22 takedown, even while using just a red dot. I think for its job description, it’ll probably find itself best suited to semi-automatic guns, possibly used by ranch hands. 

• "The Lion and the Risk-Takers"--Active Response Training.  This is a guest post from Doug Deaton "a retired Texas police officer who now works as an expert witness in use of force court cases." He describes a dream of a lion being harassed by small mammals where the lion occasionally catches and eats one of the small animals without mercy or concern. 

    The lion in this dream is not evil or vindictive. It is not driven by anger or cruelty. It operates according to its nature. Overwhelming power that does not negotiate or reconsider once it is engaged.

    For private citizens in the self-defense world, the lion represents the criminal justice system after a shooting or serious use of force incident draws its full attention. Jailers taking your book-in photo. Prosecutors building a case. Judges enforcing procedure. Juries forming their own narratives. An impersonal, methodical system that becomes largely indifferent to individual intent once momentum takes hold. 

    The lion does not care how articulate your explanation is, or how sorry you are.

And, the small mammals "represent armed citizens who take unnecessary risks. People who intervene in volatile situations that don’t involve them. People who knowingly enter environments where violence is probable. Those who willingly initiate conflicts with strangers."

• "Review: Shield Sights OMSsc Red-Dot Sight"--Shooting Illustrated. I have their RMSsc which has been pretty solid. 

    At first glance the OMSsc (Open Mini Sight subcompact) stands out for two reasons: First, it has a translucent clear acrylic top, a feature that Shield Sights is quite proud of. Second, the OMSsc is one of the physically smallest open-emitter red-dot sights currently available. ...

 

[snip]  

    The OMSsc’s clear acrylic “roof” is its most eye-catching feature. Shield Sights' impetus behind this design choice is that it wanted to provide its end-users with the clearest sight picture possible, the idea being the acrylic’s clear qualities will not obstruct the view downrange, especially around the edges of the sight’s housing. I’ll admit that the OMSsc is the first time I’ve gone hands-on with any Shield Sights product despite the company’s longtime industry presence. But, the fact that it sells both the clear-top OMSsc alongside the more conventional RMSsc indicates how strongly the company feels about the split 6082-T6 aluminum and acrylic housing design. 

•  "Too big of a toolbox ?"--StraightForward in a Crooked World. This 2009 article relates:

     Over the summer I attended a morning conference on Church Security over in Illinois, after the murder of the Reverend Fred Winters back in March. The panel was made entirely of law enforcement officers which held a variety of opinions. Panel members where mainly small town police chiefs and most agreed that ultimately in a mass shooting that members of the church would be the first responders to the crisis. Given Illinois anti self-defense laws their were questions concerning what weapons could be legally carried and used.

    One local police chief went against the grain of his fellow panel members and said

    "you have to remember that this is a law enforcement matter and it is for the Police to respond to. I know you all want to carry a gun, but let me say this as a Chief of Police I don't even let my wife carry pepper spray nor do my teenage children. Any so called self-defense weapon can be taken from you and used against you and they simply aren't worth the risk."

    It was an arrogant and disgusting statement.

    For someone to say likewise that you can be over burden with to many tools is.....well absurd, because frankly I have yet to find in Sun Tsu's Art of War any quote that reads "stick with the basic levels of training and your campaign will go ok."

    Fundamentals are important, but they are the building blocks to further our mindset. We all (myself very included) should always be striving to learn more, train more, think and out think the bad men of the world.

• "Surveillance Detection"--Tactical Professor. If you have a confrontation with someone don't assume that when the parties separate that the confrontation or issue is over. In this article, Claude Warner writes:

     I had an encounter yesterday with some unpleasant people while grocery shopping. When I got back to my car, they pulled up nearby at a somewhat odd angle in the parking lot. Since I wasn’t sure if they planned to initiate a confrontation, I quickly drove out of the lot.

    After such an encounter, it’s prudent to take a Surveillance Detection Route that does not lead directly home afterward. Doing so isn’t particularly difficult but it does require a little thought at the time. You also need to use your rear view and side mirrors regularly during the process. And have a safe place to go if it turns out you are being followed.

    First of all, turn out of the parking lot in the opposite direction that you would take to go home. As you drive, look for signalized intersections to turn onto non-arterial through streets. If possible, hit the red light. Sitting at the red light for a minute will allow you to scan the cars behind you without being an inattentive driver. Make at least three turns watching your mirrors after you turn. Contrary to popular opinion, they don’t all have to be Right Turns. Sitting in the Left Turn lane at a signal will frequently give you a better scan of the cars behind you by using your driver’s side mirror than you can get through the rear view mirror. You’ll also have a slightly longer view of the traffic behind you as they turn.

    What you are looking for is vehicles that repeatedly make the same turns as you do. It doesn’t have to be the same vehicle that was involved in the initial encounter. Pairs of people often have two cars and the other vehicle might be the one following you.

 If you think someone is following you, he advises that you don't go home, but go somewhere safe. Although most people think "police station," he actually suggests going someplace where you can be sure to find first responders: fire stations or emergency rooms at hospitals. Read the whole thing.

• "Nitecore EDC27 Flashlight Review: EDC Pocket Light?"--Option Grey. A flat light which would probably be easier for everyday carry. It is rechargeable and produces up to 3,000 lumens (but only for 8 seconds--but that would probably be enough to disorient an attacker). 
• "How to Siphon Gas Out of a Car? Mastering Fuel Extraction"--SHTF Preparedness. He covers (i) the traditional siphoning method (assuming no anti-siphon valve), (ii) using a fuel transfer pump, and (iii) siphoning from a car with an anti-siphon valve (including an embedded video). 
• "Aqua Tainer 7 Gallon Water Jug With Spigot"--Modern Survival Blog. These come in 4 and 7 gallon sizes, can be stacked, and have spigots which make them easier to use. As for the spigot, "[i]t uniquely fits inside the cap for storage. This prevents it from becoming lost while also being protected from damage when in storage or transit." There were other features that the author liked.
• "How To Clean Berkey Filters The Right Way"--Modern Survival Blog.  He has other information like how to tell when it is time to clean the filter(s) and how to clean the filter housings. But as for the filters themselves:

     Use cool or cold water.

    “Never use warm or hot water or freeze the Black Berkeys as this will likely damage the integrity of the compressed carbon and proprietary impregnated media.” says Berkey.

    Don’t use soap.

    Simply let the water run over the filter while gently or firmly scrubbing the surface area. You might use a type of nail cleaning brush or a slightly abrasive pad like a Scotch-Brite pad.

He has lengthier instructions for cleaning them in a sink and cleaning them in a bucket.  

• "Dental Care After the End of the World"--Urban Survival Site.  Discussing preventative care, recommendations for stockpiling dental hygiene items (toothpaste, brushes, etc.), some herbs to grow that can be used for dental care, how to make some toothpaste substitutes, and some tools and medicines for home emergency dental care. 
• "Disease Vector Awareness and Action, by K.B., M.D."--Survival Blog.  Disease vectors for typhus, dengue, malaria and leprosy. 
• "Tactical vs. Hiking Backpacks: What are the Differences?"--Modern Survival Blog. My first thought was in SHTF, one makes you look like a relatively harmless refugee and the other will get you shot. But what the author notes is that "the hiking backpack is made of lighter weight material," which makes the hiking backpack overall lighter weight. But the tactical backpack is (or should be) more durable:

    This is because the materials they are made from are thicker, more abrasion resistant, more difficult to puncture and less likely to come undone when they are damaged.

    Conversely, the thinner and more delicate the material that an average hiking backpack is made from can be easily damaged from a slash or scrape, and is highly likely to get worse quickly.

    Of course, manufacturer procedures and quality control makes a big difference here: a top of the line hiking backpack will probably prove to be more durable overall than a “flea market special” tactical pack. 

    The reverse is also true, with very cheap hiking packs proving to be shockingly frail, and top of the line tactical packs being almost impervious to damage. 

Another difference he notes is color differences with tactical backpacks using subdued colors or even camouflage patterns in order to avoid attention, whereas hiking backpacks are generally brighter or lighter colors and might be bright enough to draw attention and potential rescue (although I've noticed that hiking backpacks do seem to be more subdued than they were even 5 or 10 years ago). Other difference he notes are that tactical backpacks have more attachment points (e.g., MOLLE) and internal compartments while hiking backpacks tend to be more water resistant. 

• "The Urban ‘Doom Loop’"--American Renaissance. The author begins:

    American cities are in a “Doom Loop.” Quality of life collapses, residents flee or stay home, and cities fall into economic decline. As the economy falters, even more locals flee, and the cycle repeats. Cities may stabilize into something like Detroit or St. Louis.

    Crime is central to the decline, but newspaper headlines and statistics don’t capture it. Statistics may not even be credible, because crime can be “eliminated” by misclassifying it or not enforcing the law. Less obvious but more consequential in the long run, is fear of crime. ...

This fear, the author continues, can be due to large numbers of minorities, numerous homeless people and vagrants. 

Compounding this dread is the ever-diminishing prospect of help from bystanders or even the police. High-profile incidents such as the arrest of would-be Good Samaritan Daniel Penny when he intervened to stop a likely felony-in-progress in the subway are a powerful deterrent, not to mention hesitant police officers in the post-George Floyd era. You’re on your own. 

He concludes:

 Reversing the Doom Loop is about defending civilization. The United States spends billions on exotic high-tech weapons to defend against foreign enemies but refuses to let police stop bands of “youths” headed to Nordstrom to steal Gucci handbags. We now have a Space Force, but elected leaders won’t let Walmart stop shoplifters. Stopping the Doom Loop is not about therapy for crazies or homes for winos; it is about therapy for those who refuse to defend their own civilization.