Gun & Prepping News #94

Some links that may be of interest: 

• "Gun-toting granny chases off shoplifting suspect: ‘I want to shake her hand’"--New York Post. This is more of a cautionary tale. The "granny" apparently saw a shoplifter leave a Ross store in Tucson and decided to confront him with a drawn gun. The shoplifter wasn't impressed and left with his goods. But here is the thing to remember: whether you agree or not, in almost all jurisdictions, you cannot threaten to use or use deadly force to protect property. Thus, as the article mentions:

    Tucson criminal defense attorney Louis Fidel said there are circumstances under which a person can display or use a firearm to prevent certain crimes, but shoplifting isn’t one of them.

    “It really depends on the details, but there is a statute that authorizes people to display or use a firearm to prevent certain crimes,” Fidel told KOLD News 13. “Shoplifting is not one of those crimes.”

    Fidel warned that pointing a firearm during the confrontation could potentially result in an aggravated-assault charge involving a deadly weapon.

The article mentions that no arrests have been made and the Tucson police are still investigating the incident. The police aren't going to care about the shoplifter but they will care about an aggravated assault with a firearm, so undoubtedly the one they are going to try and nab is the elderly woman.

• "CMP to Sell 100K Military M14 Rifles: What We Know"--Rifle Shooter Magazine. So now we know that there will be a not-insignificant number of these rifles, the price will be "under $2,000" and they will be sold as they are checked and converted to semi-auto only. 
• "Is the Beretta 92 Still Relevant?"--Shooting Times. Most of the article is about the history and features of this iconic firearm. But the article eventually answers the question posed in the title about why it is still relevant:

The fixed barrel on the 92 offers inherent accuracy and makes it a smooth cycling, soft shooter. The magazine design is one of the best ever conceived. It takes to a suppressor well. The 92’s reputation was earned serving law enforcement and the military. The pistol is customizable and in a constant state of evolution, adapting to the new shooter needs. The Beretta 92 is and always will be relevant as long as there is a need for a proven, reliable, performance driven pistol.  

Even though they are larger and heavier than what you might want for everyday carry, they make excellent handguns for home defense--the "night stand gun" or something similar.  

• On the subject of home defense pistols: "Home Defense Basics: A Beginner's Guide"--Handguns Magazine. Richard Nance covers firearm selection, ammo, lights, safes (for storage of the firearm) and making a plan. He also provides detailed advice on clearing a house. On the latter point, Nance begins:

If you can’t account for everyone, your job will become far more difficult. Clearing a structure, even one you know as well as you know your own home, is extremely dangerous. But if a loved one is unaccounted for, you won’t have any choice but to make your way to them as quickly and safely as possible. Unfortunately, quickly and safely don’t always go hand in hand.

• "The Mummy's Revolvers: The Story of the French M1873"--Firearms News. A look at the revolver used by the character Rick O'Connell in the 1999 blockbuster The Mummy. The article notes:

Adopted by the French Army in 1873, the Chamelot-Delvigne revolver was France's first standard-issue double-action military revolver. It represented a significant step forward from earlier percussion and pinfire handguns and reflected France's position as one of the world's leading firearms innovators during the 19th century.

• "Tips on Shooting Uphill/Downhill Angles"--Rifle Shooter Magazine. 

    Over the last 40 years I have no idea how many words I’ve written on figuring the correct hold when shooting uphill or downhill. The concept is simple, and I’m sure we all know it: Uphill or down, the effect is the same, and as distance and angle increase, the strike will be higher in relation to your level-ground zero.

[snip]

     There is something else you need to consider as well, and it may be more important. Finding a steady position for uphill/downhill shots is much harder than on level ground.    

The author notes that he normally shoots off a pack, but at steeper angles a bipod helps. He discusses this in more detail.  

• "Carry Confidently: 5 Essential CCW Tips for Women"--Handguns Magazine. Although the article's author obviously intends to focus on women carriers--and there are some tips specific to women--most of the tips and suggestions are useful for men starting out concealed carry or still trying to figure out how it works. The author begins:

    Choosing to carry is not just buying a gun. It is building a system. That is where a lot of women get stuck.

    For years, women were treated like an afterthought: shrink the gun, paint it pink, and call it "for women." That advice is lazy.

    After working with new students, I hear the same question all the time: "I bought a gun... now what?" My answer is usually: now we figure out the setup.

    What works for your body, clothing, and lifestyle? What can you carry consistently? The best setup is not the one that looks good on paper. It is the one you can actually use.

She covers holster selection, how body shape and lifestyle impact your carry setup, making your wardrobe part of your carry system, carry position, and training. 

• "A Precision .22 LR Can Help You Shoot Better. Here’s How You Can Build One on a Budget"--Outdoor Life. 

    Using a 22 as a practice or training rifle provides two big benefits. First, the mild little cartridge that’s propelled by just a pinch of flakey gunpowder has minimal recoil. When we discuss recoil in the context of improving your shooting, we don’t mean it as a measure of how hard it kicks — because it doesn’t. We are talking about sight picture disruption and, while the .22 LR does produce some, it’s very little. The lack of that distraction can help you focus on improving fundamental skills like trigger control, but also gives you valuable practice staying in the scope and spotting impacts — something that will benefit you both in competition and hunting.

    The second big benefit is that the round’s affordability allows lots of real shooting practice, and actual shooting gives you downrange feedback that dry firing can’t. Quality, and I mean quality, .22 LR ammo is pretty expensive, but still cheaper than most centerfire stuff. My rifle shoots affordable ammo, like CCI Standard Velocity, well enough for practice. 

• "Carbine Drill: Fight to Your Feet"--Green Ops. A drill that starts with you laying on your back, then to sitting, then to kneeling, and, finally, to standing. 
• "Guest Post: UHDPE Ballistic Plates"--Blue Collar Prepping. When combined with a layer of ceramic, it can make relatively inexpensive Level IV plates, while being much lighter than steel along. The author adds:

If you can carry the extra weight, I’d also recommend a "training" or "fitness" metal plate (it doesn’t necessarily need to have a ballistic rating) to save your chest the pain of blunt trauma after being shot, and to keep you in the fight since backface deformation (how deformed the side of armor closest to your skin becomes after being struck by a bullet) allows for potentially lethal injuries. ...

• "Be Ready, But Be Careful About Scripting Your EDC Gear Too Tightly"--Shooting Wire. An excerpt:

    For instance, I recently watched a video put out by a large gun rights group where the presenter showed off the contents of his “get home bag.” The purpose of this bag, he said, was to help him get back home no matter what might happen.

    In the bag, he had a half-dozen AR-15 magazines, three smoke grenades and a tactical tomahawk. That’s it. No way of procuring water, nothing to create a shelter, just a bunch extra mags for his truck gun, some smoke grenades for concealment and evasion…and a tomahawk.

    Clearly he had scripted out a scenario in his head where the only dangers he’d face on the way back home would be man-made and not something more mundane like inclement weather. 

• "How Much Rice and Beans Per Person Per Day for Survival"--Modern Survival Blog. The author begins:

Quick Answer: For a basic survival calculation using a 2:1 ratio by dry weight, plan on about 0.8 pound of dry white rice and 0.4 pound of dry beans per person per day. Together, they provide roughly 2,000 calories.

The author provides a table showing the amount per day, for a 30 day period, and for a year for a single person when assuming that this is to provide 100% of your 2,000 calories diet. But there is also an interactive calculator where you can calculate the amounts for more people, for different lengths of time, and the percentage of the diet (e.g., perhaps you anticipate only using the beans and rice for half of your caloric intake). 

• "Vehicle Leak Identification"--Blue Collar Prepping. Some tips on identifying types of leaks and where the leaks are coming from. 
•  "How to Tie a Bowline Knot: The Most Useful Knot to Outdoorsmen"--Outdoor Life. Why learn this knot?

    A bowline can be tied in cord, line, or string of any diameter, though it was designed for use with thicker ropes. It’s a loop knot, and the beauty of it is that it can be tied in seconds. It won’t slip under heavy strain when tied correctly. Even after it’s subjected to high tension, it can easily be undone. The bowline also allows you to create a loop of any size, which makes its applications practically innumerable.

    You may need it to quickly secure your boat to a dock piling or stump when cleats aren’t available. You can use it in a pinch to drag an ATV stuck in the mud out with your truck. You may need it to help pull a buddy out of a ravine after a bad fall. Sound extreme? Of course it does, but the point is that the simple ability to create a loop in a length of rope that you can trust to bear a heavy load is something every outdoorsman should know. With fewer than 10 minutes of practice, you’ll be able to tie a bowline with your eyes closed. 

• "How to Tie a Slip Knot: The Incredibly Simple Knot That Every Outdoorsman Should Know"--Outdoor Life.
• "Learn How to Tie a Square Knot, the Fastest Way to Join Two Lengths of Rope"--Outdoor Life. 

Gun & Prepping News #46

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

• "3 Positive Points: Countering Common Self-Defense Myths"--Tactical Anatomy Systems. 

1. Find a good CWW package and stick with it--not just the gun, but the holster and how you carry it.
2. Carry your concealed firearm with a round in the chamber--Israeli carry is just stupid.
3. Take a gunfighting class, then take another. The author is not just talking about a basic class in using a firearm or even a class on defensive shooting, but something on real gunfighting (and probably incorporating force-on-force). 

• "The Longevity of Cartridges"--American Hunter. A look at why some cartridges stick around and other fade away or are just a flash in the pan, so to speak. The author discusses good cartridges that have faded into obscurity and the role of timing and marketing. But he believes a primary factor is versatility:

For a cartridge to stick around, it needs to offer the shooter/hunter some versatility. Take a look at so many of those cartridges which have stuck around for a century or more, and you’ll see a cartridge which either offers a wide enough selection of bullet weights so as to be useful, or a bore diameter/velocity figure which can handle a good number of game species.  

It also seems to help if it started out life as a military cartridge that was later widely adopted by civilians such as the .45-70, .30-06, .308, and 5.56/.223.  

• "The 5.7 as a Light Rifle"--Breach Bang Clear.  By "light rifle" the author, Travis Pike, is thinking of something fulfilling the purpose of the M1 Carbine: Something to arm truck drivers, radio operators, cooks, and other logistic personnel that was easily carried or stowed, but gave better performance than a handgun. He looks at the new version of the Keltec Sub 2000 as possible candidate in this video (19 min.). This makes sense since, when you look at the dimensions of the cartridges, you realize that the 5.7 is essentially a necked down .30 Carbine. 
• "Pocket Pistols: the Case for Pocket Poppers"--Tamara Keel.

    First, even with the best concealment holster systems out there, like the PHLster Enigma, carrying a decent-sized handgun requires a certain commitment to the bit. The need to “dress around the gun” is reduced, but not entirely eliminated, and that can cause some folks to pause and reconsider the size of handgun they’re willing to accommodate in their life.

    The second reason is that for some people, the consequences of being caught toting could be life altering… and we’re not just talking people who decide to flout corporate regulations. 

To me, the case for a pocket pistol boils down to this one maxim: the first rule of a gunfight is have a gun. 

• Because fall hunting seasons are upon us and you may be caught away from your rifle (especially if field dressing an animal): "How to Pick the Right Sidearm for Backup Bear Protection"--Outdoor Life.  Two experts give their opinions with one focusing on big bore revolvers and the other on semi-autos. 
• More: "The Best Bear Defense Handguns of 2025"--Outdoor Life. The author lists 11 handguns he recommends, with calibers ranging from .357 Mag. through 10 mm and up to the big bore magnums. Interestingly, 7 of the 11 are semi-auto handguns. 
• More: "Our Readers Tell Us a 10mm Semi-Auto Is a Horrible Choice for Bear Protection"--Outdoor Life. The author had previously done a test between a revolver and semi-auto for bear defense and concluded the semi-auto was the better choice. (See "Bear Gun Shootout: 10mm vs .44 Mag."). In this piece, he responds to criticisms raised by naysayers.  

    The recoil difference between the two and its impact on the speed of follow up shots can be a significant issue, particularly with .44 Magnum. Years ago I was out shooting with a friend who brought out 6 bowling pins and lined them up. He had a .44 Magnum revolver and I had an old S&W Model 10 in .38 S&W (the oddball caliber is because it had been for a British contract). We started at the same time, same distance, to see who could get the most pins down; he starting at one end of the line and me at the other. By the time he had shot his second pin, I already had all 4 of the other pins down and had gotten ready to shoot the fifth (his second). That said, I'm not going to rush out and buy a 10 mm. For one, I don't live in grizzly country. And, secondly, in looking at ballistic tests, I don't see that the 10 mm outperforms the .357 Magnum or .45 ACP +P in any meaningful way, and I already have handguns that can shoot the latter two cartridges.  

•  More: "Podcast: What Happens After You Kill a Grizzly in Self Defense"--Outdoor Life. The legal consequences. 

• "How Often Should You Clean Your Gun?"--Shooter's Log. In the good old days, when people used corrosive primers, you needed to clean your firearm immediately after shooting. Now it is common to read authors or hear YouTube personalities talk of letting a gun go hundreds or even thousands of rounds between cleanings. The author indicates it depends on the gun or use:
• If you are shooting corrosive ammo or your gun gets wet or muddy, the author still recommends cleaning your firearm as soon as possible.
• "If you’ve got a gun that is only used for plinking, target clays, or punching holes in paper, it’s probably OK to let a few months and 3–4 trips to the range lapse before doing an in-depth cleaning."
• "On the other hand, if you’re shooting a match gun or a firearm that is relied upon for personal defense, you should always keep it clean, oiled, and ready to go." 
• "I like to detail strip and clean all my firearms at least once a year, regardless of whether they ever made it out of the gun safe at all," but warns that "[o]n firearms that are just being stored in a safe, ambient moisture in the air and humidity can cause some small rust spots to show up. Desiccants and drying silica gel will help reduce the humidity in your safe and cut down on rust caused by this moisture in the air." 
• "What To Do When Someone Gives You A URX4 Keymod Rail?"--Fleeting Survival.  

    Let’s talk to the younger shooters out there for a sec. KeyMod was actually awesome—yeah, it didn’t have the same pull strength as M-LOK, but when it comes to ease and speed of adding or removing accessories, KeyMod had it beat, and the Noveske KeyMod rail covers are the best ever made.

    So why bring this up? Because KeyMod gets a lot of hate these days, which means you can score some insane deals on rails—or even get them for free, like I did. 

• "A couple of useful resources when planning for emergencies"--Bayou Renaissance Man. He recommends:

1. "Food Storage & Shelf Life Charts From Months To 25+ Years"; and,
2. "Home Prep Guide: What You Need To Last 2 Weeks In An Emergency". 

• "Prepper & Emergency Survival: A Comprehensive Checklist"--Option Gray.  This list doesn't give you quantities to store, but it goes over high level categories to consider (e.g., food, water, transportation & evacuation, etc., along with sub-categories or actual supplies for each). Seems like a good way to make sure you have your bases covered. 
• "How to Jump-Start a Car"--The Drive (via Get Pocket).  Covers using jumper cables, a jump starter, and how to jump start a hybrid.
• "Expert Advice on Evolving Escape and Evasion Tactics"--Skill Set Magazine. Those criminals that specialize in home invasions and kidnapping have been evolving their tactics and techniques. For instance, since there are so many videos out there on how to break out of zip ties being used to secure your hands, criminals have adapted:

... Experienced captors will cut zip tie pieces at an angle and add them to the interior ring of the cuff. Once tightened, these jagged points penetrate the victims’ wrists, making even the slightest movement extremely painful. In some cases opening a gushing wound if one attempts to force them off by breaking them. We have found these modified ties used particularly in cases where crews have been active in the “abduction for ransom” game for a very long time. They call them “vampiros” (vampires) in Mexico. 

•  "Getting Unstuck"--Blue Collar Prepping. Some advice on (i) when to stop trying to get your vehicle unstuck (essentially when you are just digging yourself a deeper hole); (ii) what to do if you are stuck in snow; (iii) what to do if you are stuck in a ditch; (iv) what to do if you are stuck in the mud; and (iv) advice on helping other people get unstuck. 
• I've actually posted quite a bit about using hay boxes or similar insulated heating concepts (see below), but here is a video showing how the 1930s hobos did it. The idea is that you use your cooking fuel to bring your stew or beans or whatever up to cooking temperature (e.g., boiling) and then transfer the cooking pot (or its contents) into an insulated container that traps the heat and keeps it at a high temperature (and continuing to cook) without your having to burn additional fuel to maintain that temperature. 

 VIDEO: "The Hobo Hay Cooker: Lost 1930s Off-Grid Cooking Hack!"
WayPoint Survival (15 min.)

 Related Posts:

• "'Wonderbag' Cooking Bag, Hay Boxes and Other Types of Insulated Cooking (Updated)" 
• "More information on Building and Using Hayboxes"
• "The Wonder-Bag at Amazon"
• "An Example of Using the Haybox" 

VIDEO: Water Bandit + Silcock Key

I've come across references to using silcock keys to access potable water after a disaster, but this video discusses using it for something more mundane: filling a low radiator/water reservoir on your car if you are on a long trip. The silcock key is used to open a faucet. The other device mentioned--the water bandit--allows you to connect a garden hose to the faucet if it doesn't have threading to connect a hose. The author also recommends taking along a coiled garden hose (it being pointless to have the key or the Water Bandit if you can't get the water into your radiator) and Stop Leak to fix small radiator leaks. 

VIDEO: "Water Bandit & Sillcock Key: 2 Must Have Roadside Emergency Tools"
Ballinator (5 min.)

Gun & Prepping News #34

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

• Jon Low has posted a new Defensive Pistolcraft newsletter.  Lots of good stuff collected there, but I found that comments from Jeff Gonzales on the importance of preparing and practicing to draw your firearm while seated in your vehicle to be useful. An excerpt:

    Many concealed carriers spend hours each week in their vehicles, yet often overlook the importance of training for deadly force encounters in that environment.  A solid starting point is dry fire practice from a seated position in a chair, focusing on safe draws and weapon handling in confined spaces.  As skills develop, training should move into the vehicle itself, incorporating challenges like seat belts and restricted movement. Pre-staging your cover garment behind the firearm’s grip and practicing seat belt release techniques can significantly improve draw speed and safety during a real-world encounter.   

•  "Suppressors for Home Defense: Good or Bad?"--The Truth About Guns. Brent Spicer discusses the pros and cons of using a suppressor on your home defense weapon. The primary benefit Spicer lists is protecting your hearing and, relatedly, being able to hear well enough to communicate. (I would like to see some tests in an actual house, though, rather than at an indoor shooting range; I suspect that with carpeting and all the furniture typical to an American home, much of the sound is absorbed rather than bounced back). The downside is the additional length and bulk. And, I would add, the cost and hassle of purchasing a suppressor and getting it approved by the government.
• "The RevUp Action Hammer"--Revolver Guy. I came across this 2022 article about a different hammer and spring design for S&W revolvers. The article describes the difference:

    In the traditional Smith & Wesson action, the weight of the trigger pull sharply increases as the trigger is drawn to the rear, until a peak is achieved, then levels off for a while. As the trigger pull continues, the weight of pull increases again for the second stage, then decreases a bit (like hitting a “speed bump” in the road), just before sear release.

    In this system, the trigger nears its peak weight of pull after moving only about 10% of its rearward travel distance, and peaks at around 60% of its rearward travel distance.

I checked and the company that produces the hammer and spring sets--RevUp Action--appears to still be in business. The hammer and spring sets are $265 and come in two models: those fitting the N-frame, and those fitting K and L-frames. All are listed as double-action only. Unfortunately, they are currently listed as out of stock. 

•  "Most Common AR-15 Malfunctions and Quick Fix Guide"--Ammo Land. The article looks at issues of failure to feed, failure to eject, and double feeds, and how to troubleshoot and correct these problems if they are recurrent. 
• "10mm GLOCK Stops Horrible Grizzly Bear Attack In New Mexico"--Concealed Nation. Discussion an incident from 2018.  
• "Savior Equipment Apollo Ear Protection – Review"--The Truth About Guns. The author was impressed with these, stating that they are "well-built and easily on par with the $300 Peltors I’ve been using." He also indicates that "[t]he Apollo ear protection headset has just as good of sound quality as the Peltor 500 and the original Howard Leight Impact Sport ...." Passive Sound Dampening is 24dB NRR. While it doesn't have Blu-Tooth connectivity and uses analog sound, this allows the price to be kept down: $49.99. 
• "New York Pushes to Criminalize Sharing 3D-Printed Gun Files Online"--The Truth About Guns. Per the article, the proposed bill would make it a Class A misdemeanor (punishable by jail of up to 1 year) to intentionally share CAD files for 3D-printed gun parts.
• "Rucking 101" (Part 1) (Part 2)--Mike Provest. Part 1 summarizes studies on how much weight the average foot soldier carries. Part 2 presents a training program to get into shape, and a maintenance program to keep that fitness.
• "Progressive Overload Is the Gym Secret You Need to Finally Hit Your Fitness Goals"--Self. The author explains:

This technique simply means working out in a way that slowly, but consistently, increases the “load” or stress to your body over time. This allows your body to continue to change in response: The work creates tiny tears in the muscle fibers, which, after they mend and recover, grow back stronger. The goal is to continually challenge your muscles in this way, so that they keep breaking down enough to be able to rebuild with even greater strength. The result: more effective workouts that keep your body getting stronger and better at your chosen activities.  

• "The Forgotten Medieval Habit of ‘Two Sleeps’"--BBC Future (via Get Pocket). Basically, before clocks and industrialization/urbanization, adults generally slept for two periods: going to bed between 9 and 11 pm, they would sleep for a few hours, waking between 11 pm and 1 am for a couple of hours depending on when they went to bed--time spent checking on animals, doing small work inside the home, reading, praying, writing letters, socializing, intimacy, etc.--before returning to bed and sleeping until dawn or slightly later. And although the article's title labels it a Medieval habit, there are references to it even back through the Classical period.
• "How to Jump-Start a Car"--The Drive (via Get Pocket). Detailed instructions (including safety precautions to protect you and your car's electronics) as well as an embedded video. 
• "A Good Trick to Get Rid of Garden Slugs"--David The Good.  Lay down an old board--as the board becomes damp, the slugs will congregate on the underside of board and when you flip it over, there will be the slugs which you can then deal with as you see fit. 
• "The Lovely White Mulberry"--David The Good.  He describes the fruit:

    The flavor is different from the standard black mulberry fruits as well. More like honey, or just plain white sugar.

    When dried, they are really delicious, with a honeyed currant flavor. 

Ellifritz: "Surviving Mob Attacks On Your Vehicle"

It's summer, an election year, with two major wings of the Democratic party attacking one another: a perfect time for more riots. Will it be a repeat of the riots and protests following the overdose death of George Floyd? Don't know, but it would only take one incident reframed and spun up to start such riots.

    And with riots would come traffic being shut down by mobs on busy highways or important intersections, with the risk of being surrounded, attacked and robbed by these same "protestors". What to do if that happens?

    Greg Ellifritz has posted an article at his Active Response Training site on this very topic: "Surviving Mob Attacks on Your Vehicle." Greg notes:

John over at ASP has a couple video critiques of folks who were surrounded by protestors during the 2014 and 2020 riot seasons. I’d suggest you take a look at his video “Using Your Car To Escape a Mob“. He brings up some very good points. You can also see the longer, uncut version of the same surveillance video on YouTube.

But he also decided to address certain points not brought up in the Active Self-Protection video. Specifically, Greg discusses the following topics:

1. Avoidance is key.
2. You can't just run people over because they are on the road--the rules of self-defense and using lethal force still apply.
3. The situation changes, however, once the rioters attack you or your vehicle.
4. Doors locked and seat belt OFF.
5. Tear gas grenades may or may not work.
6. Carry your gun on your person, not in the car.
7. Beware of other forms of road blocks other than masses of protestors--e.g., abandoned cars or caltrops.
8. Long guns aren't the answer--pistols are a better choice. 

If your vehicle is attacked, Greg writes:

Don’t get out and shoot. You will quickly be overwhelmed and your gun will be taken from you. Instead, accelerate steadily and forcefully, driving away from the surrounding rioters. Steady movement is the key. Hitting folks too hard can disable your vehicle. As John suggests, use your vehicle to push people out of the way rather than striking them.

 There is a lot of good information in the article plus additional links, so be sure to check it out and read the whole thing.

See also: "Weekend Knowledge Dump- June 14, 2024"--Active Response Training. More links and tips for the armed self-defender and prepper.

Prepping Your Vehicle For Winter

 Blue Collar Prepping recently ran an article entitled "Vehicle Check: Winter Is Coming," that has some good points on preparing for winter:

• Check your tires for wear and for pressure (including your spare tire);
• Change your wiper blades;
• Check your washer fluid (the author lives in a warm area so he doesn't use any with anti-freeze properties--those of you in cold areas should make sure that you are using the proper washer fluid);
• Check your brakes;
• Check your coolant (anti-freeze) levels. 

    Basically, you want to give your car a thorough looking over to spot potential issues that might lead to a breakdown such as belts, hoses, spark plugs, wires and cables, and make sure that your battery still has enough cold cranking amps (CCA) to handle the cold weather. 

    Although not mentioned by the author, you can pick up winter wiper blades that are supposed to resist the build-up of ice better than regular wiper blades. The downside is that they tend to streak more than regular blades. But I've heard (although I haven't tried them yet) that the beam style wiper blades work better in both summer and winter than either the regular or winter blades, respectively.

    If you live in a cold area of the country to get out and inspect your snow tires and/or chains to spot any issues before hand. It's still too early to mount snow tires (at least in Idaho) but better to spot an issue now than after the snow has started falling. I saw this at Bridgestone's website explaining why winter tires are better than standard all-season tires when temperatures stay at or below freezing for long periods of time:

If you live in a place that experiences extremely cold winter temperatures, it is recommended that you install winter tires when winterizing your car. When the temperature consistently hovers around or below freezing, the rubber compounds in non-winter tires harden, decreasing the tire’s ability to grip the road. Winter tires use special compounds engineered to resist hardening in cold temperatures, providing better traction in ice, snow, slush, and even dry pavement.

    While I always keep a pair or two of work gloves in my car, I also like to keep a pair of winter gloves in the car during colder months. I keep an extra pair of warm socks in the car in case my feet or if a break down requires me to resort to walking, and a couple blankets in case I'm stuck in the car. If you are the type that wears a lighter coat because you are just running between a warm car and warm building, you probably will want to throw some extra winter clothing (including boots) into your car in case you become stranded or have to walk. 

    Check to make sure that you have ice scrapers in your car and that they aren't broken or too dulled. You might want to add a small shovel or spade and some sand or something else gritty that can add traction to help you become unstuck. 

    Since winter months mean long nights, it is probably a good idea to make sure that the flashlight that you keep in the car still has working batteries. 

    For a more comprehensive list of things to check, lube, or otherwise prepare for winter on your car, see "27 Things You Must Do To Prepare Your Car For Winter" at Family Handyman. 

Some Drivers Education Videos

I spend a lot of time focusing on self-defense against violent criminals, but the reality is that out greatest risk on any given day is being involved in an auto accident. I came across these recent videos and watched them with my youngest driver.

VIDEO: "How to correct a slide on an icy road (and how to prevent them) - Winter driving education"

Dan Robinson (13 min.)

VIDEO: ""Six Conditions of Driving" (NEW Driver Education VIDEO)"

Orange St Films (23 min.)

VIDEO: "Defensive Driving Training Video"

SafetyVideos.com (17 min.)

VIDEO: How To Do The J-Turn

 I had a post not too long ago about getting out of ambushes when in a car and one of the videos mentioned backing away from a road block and then executing a J-turn to finish the get away. The producer of this video shows how that is done. He also refers to the J-turn as a "Rockford" because it was a popular stunt in an old television detective show called "The Rockford Files". 

VIDEO: "Advanced Driver Training: How to do a Rockford or J Turn"

Hellcat Pilot (9 min.)

Driving Out Of An Ambush

The following two videos are old--one is from 1976 and the other from 1988--but illustrate valuable concepts on avoiding or escaping from an ambush while in an automobile. I think that the real differences will be that modern cars are probably less likely to be drivable if you have to ram another vehicle if for no other reason than most cars have fuel pump cutoff switches that will shut off the fuel pump after a collision and airbags may deploy. (See here for Ford's instructions on resetting a fuel pump after a collision--I assume it is the same or similar for other makes).

    I would also recommend watching both videos as some details are missing from one or the other. For instance, the 1988 video from the Army mentions that to go over a curb you need to hit the curb at a certain angle, but doesn't mention what is that angle, whereas the 1976 video gives your the range needed. Conversely, the Army video discusses using a bootlegger turn or backing and executing a J-turn, but neither are mentioned in the 1976 film. Also, the Army video was definitely low budget and no cars were harmed in its making, whereas the 1976 film actually rams cars into one another which I think provides some additional useful information. 

    Finally, Matthew Allen at his StraightForward in a Crooked World blog has a series he calls "Dark Arts For The Good Guy" includes a couple articles (illustrated) discussing some of the same techniques shown in the videos:

• "Break on Through to the other side"--basically how to drive through a roadblock made up of stationary vehicles.
• "Drive Like You Mean It"--discussing how to get out of the kill zone when ambushers are trying to block you in with multiple vehicles. 

VIDEO: "Vehicle Ambush: Counterattacks (Ca. 1976)"--US Auto Industry (17 min.)

VIDEO: "US Army Evasive Driving Training Video (1988)"--

G.P. R. (20 min.)

Offensive Driving Skills

A couple interesting videos:

"How to PIT a Car"--Tactical Rifleman (2-1/2 min.)

Per Wikipedia, "[t]he PIT maneuver, or Pursuit Intervention Technique, is a pursuit tactic by which a pursuing car can force a fleeing car to abruptly turn sideways, causing the driver to lose control and stop." The author of this video notes that this maneuver is considered to be aggravated assault or something similar in all 50 states.

"How to Ram a Car and Keep Going"--Tactical Rifleman (5-1/2 min.). 

This video is on how to ram a car that has been parked perpendicular to you and across a road in order to stop traffic. 

Video: How To Shoot Through Bullet Proof Glass

"How To Shoot Through Bullet Proof Glass | Marine Force Recon Technique"--Tactical Rifleman (6 min.)

       Some of you may be old enough to remember the Tootsie Pop commercial where the kid asks the wise old owl how many licks it takes to get to the center. This video brought that old commercial to mind.

       This video starts by showing what happens when you shoot through the safety glass on the side window of a vehicle (it shatters, as expected), and through the laminated glass of the windshield. The author is using an AR shooting standard green-tip 5.56. As you know, a standard windshield generally won't stop a bullet, although it may deflect the course of a bullet, or physically damage the bullet (it is not uncommon for a metal jacket, for instance, to be stripped off the core). (See, e.g., this video of an Oklahoma State Trooper shooting through the windshield of his patrol car to stop a fleeing felon).  So, if shooting through the windshield, it would ideal to try and make a hole and keep any follow up shots through the same hole.

        "Bullet proof" glass is typically just thicker laminated glass--that is, more layers of glass laminated together. However, concentrating fire on a specific point can still "drill" through the glass. In this instance, it took 5 or 6 hits to make a hole through the glass. Not too surprising though; I think it is the urban combat manual that has a table that lists the typical number of rounds of ammunition needed to break holes through different types of cover.

        Obviously, if you are the one shooting through the bullet proof windshield, you have to get the rounds concentrated in a small area, which means that you will probably need to stop the vehicle before you start working on shooting through the window, or expend a lot more rounds than shown in this video to weaken and destroy a larger area of the window. If you are inside, you can move away from point of impact so when the bullets finally make a hole, you are not in line with the hole. So, back to the guy shooting through the window, if you can get the vehicle stopped, you might be better to try through the side window because it will be much more difficult for the target to move out of the path of the rounds when they finally penetrate the glass.

        The larger lesson is, once again, a demonstration that a car is not a fortress.

When Your Car Is Surrounded By A Mob

I recently linked to an article entitled "What Should You Do If Protesters Surround Your Car?" from U.S. Concealed Carry. The author of that piece started by giving a brief explanation of using a lethal weapon in self-defense because cars are almost always characterized as a lethal weapon if used to assault someone. The author then goes on to suggest calling 911, getting pictures or video of the event in preparation of your defense, and, as a last resort, attempting to drive away.

To me, the advice is sound only to the extent that you are surrounded by protesters, but lacking somewhat if you are surrounded by a violent mob. Some of you may remember seeing video of the L.A. riots following on the beating of Rodney King, and, in particular, the attack on Reginald Denny, who was pulled from a semi-truck and severely beaten. Older viewers may even remember the 1980 Miami riots, which had several incidents of people being pulled from cars and beaten or killed, including one incident where the driver was pulled from his car, shot, stabbed and beaten, before being run over.

In his book, The Truth About Self Protection, Massad Ayoob addressed this issue, writing:

... when someone threatens your life, your car is two things: It is an escape and a weapon. It can get you away from danger fast and if worse comes to worse, it's a multi-thousand-pound guided bludgeon that strikes with an impact force that makes a Magnum  bullet seem like a hiccup. The .357 slug delivers about 350 foot-pounds of energy. A 4,000-pound car at 30 miles an hour delivers 120,000 foot-pounds of energy, and almost half a million foot-pounds of energy at 60 miles an hour. 

* * * 

It's most unlikely that you'll ever be caught up in a riot, like the race riot that cost a few people their lives in Miami in 1980. If that were to happen though, you want a car that's hard to pick up and turn over, and a car that nobody's going to want to stand in front of when you lay on the horn, put the pedal to the floor, and try to drive clear. ... 

* * * 

It may not be a fortress, but your car is still an escape avenue and a mobile battering ram, a weapon deadlier than any gun. Innocent people have died when they were surrounded by fanatical rioters and panicked--look at the horror of the Miami riots. 

The Miami riots occurred while I was with several hundred cops at the National Law Enforcement Parade in Rhode Island. We watched it on our hotel TVs in the evening, we discussed it, and we agreed that none of us would be pulled out of our cars and stomped to death. 

We would have driven clear, using our cars as mobile, guided bludgeons. Even if they tried to pick our sedan up with ten sets of arms, we would have accelerated when the first hands touched the vehicle, and would have driven through the mass of people who wanted to kill us and our innocent passengers with absolutely no compunctions. 

If you ever have to do that, order your passengers to lie down sideways on their seats and be read to duck down yourself; an automobile will hit a standing man in the legs, and he could be catapulted right through your windshield with enough force that his corpse could kill you by its sheer impact. 

Most of you have never seen what happens to a pedestrian hit by a fast-moving car. You are talking--no exaggeration--about literal dismemberment and decapitation and internal human organs that burst out of the body from the pressure of a 3,000-pound vehicle's wheel rolling over them for a fraction of a second. 

You won't see that, though. If your life and the lives of your children in the backseat are on the line, you'll just drive, feeling the bumps through the steering wheel (it feels a lot harder than you'd think) and you'll keep driving. "Steer for the open sea," and head for the biggest, nearest open roadway where you can put on some speed and get away from the nightmare. 

If you ever get caught up in the bloody frenzy of a riot, drive over the rioters. Sound your horn first, the universally understood warning signal, if you have time. If they will stand there ready to die for the chance to kill you, that's their decision, not yours. It's nothing you need to feel guilty about.

The Load Out Room: "To Shoot or Drive?"

A look at what to do if you are involved in a shootout while in your vehicle. Basic advice: drive away if you can.

Tire Balls

Tire Balls

An interesting idea on puncture proofing ATV tires:

Tires containing the TIREBALLS tire protection system use a multiple air cell design which allows puncturing of several cells without total loss of air pressure. As hazards are encountered, cells are individually deflated, while remaining cells expand to fill the void. As a result, off road rescuers safely continue emergency operations without stopping to repair a flat.

From the Archive: Tips on Winter Driving

Various tips on preparing you and your vehicle for winter, as well as actual driving tips, from the Ontario, Canada, Ministry of Transportation.

A few highlights:

Winter Driving Survival Kit

It’s a good idea to keep a winter survival kit in your vehicle. Having essential supplies can provide some comfort and safety for you and your passengers should you become stranded.

Recommended items include:
Ice scraper/snowbrush
Shovel
Sand or other traction aid
Tow rope or chain
Booster cables
Road flares or warning lights
Gas line antifreeze
Flashlight and batteries
First aid kit
Fire extinguisher
Small tool kit
Extra clothing and footwear
Blanket
Non-perishable energy foods – e.g., chocolate or granola bars, juice, soup, bottled water
Candle and a small tin can
Matches

Also:

Winter Driving - Handling Your Vehicle

Braking

Make sure you know how to use your braking system in all weather and road conditions. Consider taking an advanced driving course that teaches emergency driving skills.

How To Regain Control Of Your Vehicle In A Skid

A skid happens when your wheels slide out of control on a slippery surface. Skids can involve the front, rear, or all four wheels. Most skids result from driving too fast for road or traffic conditions. Sudden, hard braking, going too fast on a curve, or accelerating too quickly can cause your vehicle to skid and even roll over.

Once in a skid, steer in the direction of the skid. To do this, look where you want your vehicle to go and steer toward that spot. Be careful not to over steer. If you are on ice and skidding in a straight line, step on the clutch or shift to neutral.

 (Original post)

Airless Tire

Polaris has announced that they will be putting an airless tire (pictured above) on sale for the consumer market in 2014. (Full story here). From the story:

They allow heat to dissipate - something not possible with solid rubber tires which are also hazardous if a bit of the tire is chipped off.

They are also designed to let shrapnel pass through.

As well as helping motorists avoid the misery of the tire change, Polaris claim the tires provide smoother journeys over rough terrain and are quieter than their air-filled rivals.

'There is nowhere for the sound to pool, so there’s no humming or drumming like there is with a standard pneumatic tire,' Polaris business development representative Joaquin Salas said.

The firm claims they've put the invention through 'military grade testing'.
The tires have withstood gunshots and have been driven on for hundreds of hours and over 5,000 miles.
They say they continue working even if up to 30 per cent of the web is damaged, meaning motorists will rarely need to replace them.

DIY Motorcycle

 A couple weeks ago, I posted about a man that had built a motorcycle out of the parts of his car after breaking down in the Sahara. Now for the rest of the story:

When Frenchman Emile Leray became stranded in a Moroccan desert [in 1993] with a badly damaged car, his ordeal was one which would have left most men helpless and desperate.

But after his Citroen car ground to a halt, the enterprising electrician would not be denied in his quest to find his way back to civilisation.

His amazing escape from the barren terrain saw Mr Leray singlehandedly rebuild his Citreon into a makeshift motorbike, in a dramatic escape which has seen him dubbed the most 'extreme' mechanic in the world.

* * *

The 43-year-old had been driving his Citroen 2CV across the desert from the Moroccan city of Tan-Tan.

However, along the way he was stopped at a military outpost and was informed that he couldn't go any further.

Faced with prospect of returning to Tan Tan, Emile decided instead to go off road to navigate around the restricted area.

Unfortunately the rocky and bumpy terrain soon caused problems and he lost control of his car before crashing into a rock.

The impact caused the Citroen's swing arm and wheel axle to snap - leaving the car undriveable.

With the nearest village at least 20 miles away, Emile didn't feel he would be able to make it on foot.

Luckily, he had a small cache of supplies, water for several days and a few tools, including a hacksaw.

After considering his options, Emile decided that his best course of action was to use parts from his car to create a makeshift motorbike.

Mr Leray told the Sunday Times: 'I wanted to do it off road because I had travelled round Africa about 10 times, so I knew the region well and therefore had no concerns.

'I decided to do it in a 2CV because, although it is not a 4x4, it is tough. In Africa they call it the ‘Steel Camel’ because it goes everywhere — provided you drive it gently. One must not be rough.

'I obviously was too rough because I broke it.

'I could not have gone back on foot — it was too far. I put myself in what one calls survival mode. I ate less; I monitored my supplies of water and of food to make them last as long as possible.'

He started by removing the Citroen's body, which he then used as a shelter to sleep under.

To build the bike he shortened the car's chassis before reattaching the axles and two of the wheels, as well as installing the engine and gearbox in the middle.

He had thought that it would take him just a few days to construct the motorcycle, but in the end it took 12.

Eventually, however, it was complete and, with just half a litre of water left, Emile started his ride back to civilisation.

The going was easy and he regularly fell off the seat, which was made from part of the car's rear bumper.

After a day of riding Emile was picked up by the Moroccan police who drove him to the nearest village.

They also handed him a hefty fine because the registration documents for his car no longer corresponded to what he was driving.

Read the whole thing (also, many more photographs).

Special Forces Jeep Wrangler

This looks like it would make a good bug-out vehicle (BOV) ;-).

Defense Tech reports:

The Jeeps feature seats U.S. soldiers should recognize. Jankel’s has installed their blast limiting attenuation seats into vehicles like the Oshkosh Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All Terrain Vehicle the U.S. Army drives in Afghanistan.

The special forces variant called the Pegasus is the sexiest member of the family. ...

Pegasus was built to load inside a CH-47 Chinook with the ability to unload it in 15 seconds. The Jeep is powered by a direct injection, common rail, turbo charged, intercooled diesel engine. The 24 volt electrical system features one NATO jump socket with two USB sockets.

Pegasus built the frame to fit inside the Chinook. The frame is 201 inches long, 79 inches wide, 72 inches tall with an 11 inch ground clearance. It has a curb weight of 6,610 pounds and a potential payload of 3,310 pounds.

The off road capabilities of the Pegasus have been beefed up to take on the stress of a special operations capability set. It can scale a 60% gradient and a 40% side slope with the driver only.

Pegasus can carry four special operators and maybe a fifth in a pinch. Unit commanders can add an extended range fuel tank as well as underslung airlift solutions.

How to Get Unstuck

I was reading an article today on how to get unstuck, in a psychological way, because I thought it was about how to get a car unstuck. So, I decided to track down a couple articles on the subject.

Here is one from e-How on how to get unstuck from mud. It recommends:

1. Don't panic. Often a person's instinct is to do the same thing harder, if the initial efforts aren't working. It won't help your predicament to push harder on the accelerator, spinning your wheels--it will just get the car even more deeply stuck. So stop, get out of the car, and look at the situation.

2. Gently push on the accelerator to try to ease out of the mud pit. For cars with an automatic transmission, put the car in its lowest gear and give it just a bit of gas to see if the tires will get traction. For cars with a manual transmission, use a higher gear and very gently let out the clutch, moving the tires inch by inch. If this does not work, try the next step. 

3.  Rock the car back and forth. Turn the steering wheel so the wheels are straight, and quickly switch back and forth from reverse to drive about 8 to 10 times--but no more, or you could damage your car. If your car is still stuck, move on to the next step.

4. Let a little air out of the tires. A slightly flat tire will allow more surface area to come in contact with the ground, perhaps providing that extra amount of traction you need to get unstuck. Just remember to refill your tires as soon as you get to safety.

5. Find something to place under the tires to provide traction. You can use tree branches, sand, boards (check for nails), an old coat or blanket, or even your floor mats. Place these items under your front tires, and drive slowly over them. This step will almost always get a car unstuck from the mud, but if it doesn't work, you might need help.

6. Get help. Call a tow truck or a friend that has a wench to come and rescue you.

The tips given above are also useful if you get stuck in snow or sand. Some other tips on getting out of mud, sand, or snow here:

Plan ahead. Keep your tires in good shape, properly inflated and not too worn. If you live in an area where it snows a lot, consider investing in winter tires. Also, carry a cell phone and sign up with a roadside-assistance program, such as AAA or Better World Club. Some car insurance companies also offer programs; check to see if yours is one of them. Another option becoming increasingly available are telematics systems such as GM's OnStar.

If you're stuck, rock out. Keep the wheels straight, and using a very light touch on the gas pedal, rock the car forward and back by switching between drive and reverse. If the tires start to spin, stop and change direction. In deep snow, and especially in soft sand and mud, spinning the tires just digs you in deeper. If your transmission has a winter mode, use that. If you have a manual transmission, use second gear. Once you get going, don't stop until you reach solid ground. But if you get nowhere after eight or 10 attempts, try the next tip.

Dig deep. Create a path several feet long for each wheel. It's a good idea to make a folding shovel part of your winter emergency kit, along with a blanket, safety flares, reflective triangles, and rock salt or other snow melter. If you don't have a shovel, use what you can—a hubcap, a piece of wood, the base of the car jack, or the spare-tire cover.

Add traction. Spread sand in your tracks, especially near the drive wheels. Cat litter might work, too, but some clay-base litters are useless when wet. You can try the car's floor mats (laid nap-side down), a trunk liner, or a commercial traction aid. Traction mats or grids might also help in snow, sand, or mud. If you need to jack up the car to position a traction aid, consult the owner's manual. The jack has to be on firm ground. If it isn't, place something flat and solid beneath it.

Let out some air. If you're stuck in sand, first try digging out paths for your tires and lining them with small stones, twigs, planks, clothing or carpet scraps. Also try letting air out of the tires. Use a tire pressure gauge to reduce pressure to no less than 10 pounds, then reinflate the tires when you get back on solid ground.

Fill in the ruts. Mud can be a special challenge because it's easy to spin the wheels and sink axle-deep in it. If a tow truck isn't available, you might have to jack up the car and fill the depressions made by the tires with planks, plywood, rocks, or gravel.

Here is another article on the subject from 4X4 Now, discussing the use of tow straps, and a high-lift (bumper) jack. And another from Truck Trend.

Land Rover Comes Up With a BOV

Land Rover has come up with its own concept of a bug-out vehicle. Ignoring the sarcasm in the article, it has a few interesting features:

The DC100 is meant to signal the future of the Land Rover Defender. It's pure practicality on four wheels and none of that annoying sleek styling that is showing up in other models. Nope, this car is meant to take on an uncertain future.

With its rooftop equipment rack, you can stow hundreds of cans of Spam and canned peas topside, leaving the cargo area for your stash of glinting yellow gold bullion. As giant chasms split open before you, you can count on the winch to deliver you from a sure, quick demise. Best of all, the DC100 has a snorkel so it can be driven in deep water. Land Rover even came up with something called "Wade Aid" with sonar sensors on the bumper and side mirrors to measure water depth. When it senses that you have sounded the dive alarm and are headed for deep water, it automatically closes vents, raises the ride height and puts the vehicle into low gear. ....

Since any survivalist will be hesitant to get out from behind the wheel to scout the terrain, lest some scavenger make a break for the treasure, the DC100 has a Terrain Response system. It creates a three-dimensional map of the outdoors and can "optimize" for just about anything it encounters.

Of course, it is also probably out of the price range of everyone except those that can afford the multi-million dollar luxury missile-silo bunkers. However, this is probably a product designed more for first-responders than survivalists, but it is nice that they are making it available to the civilian market.