Well, it's snowing again in the State of Ohio. So far, I've shoveled the driveway twice, tomorrow morning is going to be a pain. I've yet to get new tires on the truck and it really needs them. Ah, procrastination. But all's good, or reaching good.
Recently, my partner and I taught a class for rifle/pistol--nothing fancy, a basic six hour introduction to the art of defensive shooting. I was amazed at how many people we had show up (over 20) and was equally amazed at how many people showed up with high dollar gear and no clue how to use it. Just as many didn't even have their rifles zeroed. To top all of it off, people were showing up in class with Uncle Mikes IWB and carrying magazines on slings, in pockets, and in dump pouches. It was a struggle to get people to stop thinking target shooting and start thinking tactically. We didn't even hit using cover in this class... just too many other issues. Many, many, tried to catch magazines, find ammo in the tall grass and generally reverted to "Cold Range" mentality.
For the first time, I had to refuse to let someone on the range.
The man showed up with a M1 Garand. I have nothing against the M1 mind you, and this was a fine example of the breed, but he knew nothing about the weapon. Nothing. He came with one enbloc clip and a pocket (literally) of assorted .30-06 loads. For those of you unfamiliar with the M1 was designed to fire a specific load, a 147 grain bullet and designated powder charge (which I do not remember right now), because of the operating rod, which is prone to failure at higher bullet weights and powder charges. This guy showed up with everything from the Remington Accelerator rounds to 220 grain soft point hunting loads. Every single load had some kind of blemish on the case or bullet. Needless to say, I refused to let him shoot after explaining the reasons why.
So with that little tidbit in mind, if you take a firearms class, show up with a zeroed rifle, at least five magazines for the rifle, a pistol with a good holster and at least four mags for the pistol. In addition to those items, have good magazine carriers and ammo that works for your firearm. Classes like these are dynamic, stressing course and for good reason; we want you to be able to operate under duress when you have to, not stand and dither as the bullets fly.
Check us out at www.milcopptactical.com
Be safe.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
SCHOOLS OUT FOR WINTER
Well, the quarter is over anyway and since my part-time job quest has come to naught, I've been getting some writing done. I've been working on a story I've called, The Mountain; A Prep Story. That's just a working title right now. It's moving along pretty well right now and I hope to get at least a section up a day for the course of the break. It's over on SHTF website; http://www.whenshtf.com/showthread.php?t=18054 as much as I've got so far anyway. If you're bored, jump on over and take a look at it.
That's all I got for now. I had a couple of big posts planned, but you see where I am with those.
That's all I got for now. I had a couple of big posts planned, but you see where I am with those.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Just a short one...
I was digging in the basement and found a few things that I forgot I had and wish that I had found earlier. First off I found my old Cannon AE1 and all the lenses that go with it, two telephoto ones and a third extender for the telephotos. I really don't know what I'm going to do with it. I doubt I'll use it, seriously, my digital point and shoot takes all the pictures I'm going to need. I bought all of it back when I thought that I wanted to get into photographing the races back when I used to go every year. I'm thinking about selling it, but what is the market?
Secondly I found a bunch of jackets that I've bought over the years, nice leather ones, motorcycle jackets and just plain old leather jackets. A couple of them I've never worn. I'm thinking about eBaying the jackets, but I don't want to fuck with them, really. Anyone want a Triumph Motorcycle varsity jacket? It's BRG with cream leather sleeves.
Lastly, I found my families history-book. I was amazed to see that the Groves were in this country before it was a country! In 1664 when Captain John Groves bought property along the Chippoakes creek off the James River. More cool was to see the westward movement of the family, Allen Groves, specifically so far, into Tennessee (my home) about 1745 or so and into what is now Franklin County and Sumner County. Apparently we're the founding family of Portland, Tennessee, where I spent some of my youth. From there we moved onto Texas, Kansas, Missouri, where we laid down some roots and finally in or about the 1840's to San Francisco, actually predating the Gold Rush. We built on Russian Hill, which is now one of the premier neighborhoods of that City. I've always felt a connection to San Fran, and now I know why.
So taking a break from the hated life of today, I've been delving into my families history and I'm generating an idea that I've actually had for some time--writing a collection of stories following a family westward, a la The Sacketts. Only this would follow MY families actual movement. I was going to base the family in the North/New York to start, but now I think that since my heart is in the South, I should just go with what I know....
Secondly I found a bunch of jackets that I've bought over the years, nice leather ones, motorcycle jackets and just plain old leather jackets. A couple of them I've never worn. I'm thinking about eBaying the jackets, but I don't want to fuck with them, really. Anyone want a Triumph Motorcycle varsity jacket? It's BRG with cream leather sleeves.
Lastly, I found my families history-book. I was amazed to see that the Groves were in this country before it was a country! In 1664 when Captain John Groves bought property along the Chippoakes creek off the James River. More cool was to see the westward movement of the family, Allen Groves, specifically so far, into Tennessee (my home) about 1745 or so and into what is now Franklin County and Sumner County. Apparently we're the founding family of Portland, Tennessee, where I spent some of my youth. From there we moved onto Texas, Kansas, Missouri, where we laid down some roots and finally in or about the 1840's to San Francisco, actually predating the Gold Rush. We built on Russian Hill, which is now one of the premier neighborhoods of that City. I've always felt a connection to San Fran, and now I know why.
So taking a break from the hated life of today, I've been delving into my families history and I'm generating an idea that I've actually had for some time--writing a collection of stories following a family westward, a la The Sacketts. Only this would follow MY families actual movement. I was going to base the family in the North/New York to start, but now I think that since my heart is in the South, I should just go with what I know....
Friday, November 13, 2009
Shorty's BOB and the new Ride
So this summer Shorty's old car was giving up the ghost with too many miles and starting to show signs of age and wear, rusting through in spots and some transmission trouble. Rather than fixing her old car we bought a used little "mid-life crisis" car—a Mazda Miata. Now this is a fun car. Practical, perhaps not, but it does get 30+ miles to the gallon when she is driving it and we’ve taken it as far as Atlanta, Georgia with little discomfort in a single trip. We couldn’t pack much stuff, but I like to try and pack light anyway. The size of the car has led to some difficulties in the BOB department.
Currently her BOB is hanging from the ceiling in the basement. Her former BOB was a large one in size, more for convenience sake than because of the junk, and it would just not fit in the trunk of her new car and still be room for extras that she might need to place there. So what I’ve been doing is trying to decide just how far down to par her BOB. I’ve about gotten it down to some basics that I think will work. Let me start off by saying that our BOB’s are not the “I’m going to live comfortably and be able to stay out for weeks”. Our BOB’s are Get Home Bags. They are designed to keep us going so that we can hoof it home as long as we are within 100 or so miles of the Coppound. To that end, the food might be a little skinny for some, the amenities might be light on comfort, but we can survive, which is what they are designed for. Shorty’s is even different from that in that hers is set up so that she can hunker down for an extended period, which would not require as many calories. She’s not a big walker/hiker and to that end, her GHB/BOB reflects this.
First Aid—Shorty’s aid kit is in a box. I got a clear plastic box rather than a soft bi-fold because since it will ride most of the time in the trunk of the car, space at that time was not an issue. It also made it easier to find something when needed and we’ve used her kit several times for minor dings while out and about. Now with the smaller car, I’ll have to dig up something to put the aid-supplies in that will not take up as much space. As an aside, our first aid kits will control bleeding to an extent in case of a GSW.
Clothing—we’ve always gone light on this. Spare socks, a fleece shirt, and a couple of other light items are all I put in the BOB. Frankly, I’ve camped for extended weeks on about this much in various places on Earth and found that clean clothing while nice, isn’t really necessary when roughing it—dry clothing on the other hand is, so everything is in heavy freezer bags. We have a vacuum sealer, but once the stuff is out of the bag, it’s big again, so we just pack it as is.
Fire kit—a couple years ago, Shorty, PJ and I took a “survival class”. We got to start fires using various alternative methods and since that time, we’ve kept up the skill. Our kits are small and use the bare minimum of devices. Thankfully the ground is littered with things that will burn, and even in rain or snow, if you go enough layers down, you should be able to find tinder.
Shelter—I’m one of those people who don’t think that you need to have a lot with you in this department. We live in Ohio. You can’t really go to far without running into some kind of structure, be it an old barn, shed or even abandoned building. If need be, we can camp out in one of these until morning. If not, we have emergency tube-tents. We’ve used them and my biggest complaint is that they collect the moisture easily because they are basically plastic tubes. I have however had the same problem in my several hundred dollar Walrus tent and my North Face, so it’s not an issue unless you are waiting out a three day storm. A traditional tent vents easier, but a tube will get you through the night. In addition to the tube, we have over-sized trash bags, and worse comes to worse you can sit inside the trash bag to trap body heat.
Sleeping covers—I say cover, because while I have small 50 degree bags we also have the traditional space blanket and each of us has a fleece or woolen blanket in our vehicle. Layering these will get us through the night. Our last camp out I used my 50 degree bag to good effect rather than tote my larger and bulkier North Face. Again, layering is important and as long as you have dry clothing, and keep the layers you can make it through the night. With the space blanket as a wind break, the other two will suffice. Honestly, I’ve slept outside in my 20 degree bag and woken with layers of snow on top of me.
Food—we’ve been packing MREs because of the easy preparation. With a MRE heater you can have the food warming while you attend to other things. I think now that I will mix the food preps up some with dried/dehydrated and keep an MRE or two as well. Hot foods are important not only to the peace of mind but to the body and warmth as well. I’ve been playing with dried soup mixes and instant rice for filler. These one servings will go into the BOBs. The main problem is a container to boil the water. It adds bulk and I’m still procrastinating on getting the Nalgene cup so we can have the pot and bottle together. The biggest problem is having the calories to keep going, but as I said, it only has to be for a short period of time, and as we have seen on Survivorman, you can keep going for a week on much less. In addition to the food already mentioned we have various power bars and Cliff Shots for quick energy.
Water—in my truck I have a case of water almost all the time. In her car, a bottle or two is it. I’m not really big on storing water, after all, it is Ohio and we have numerous places to get water. The biggest problem is cleaning it enough to drink. Here again is where the pot and Nalgene bottle comes in. Nalgene is wonderful because you can put hot stuff in it and cold stuff. Boiling enough water to keep a body going is the problem. I have hand pumps for camping, a Sweet Water and MSR, but in our BOB’s not so much. The cost of a small pump is not in the budget at the moment and other than purifying tablets, we’re stuck with boiling. Finding one small enough for Shorty’s kit, well, we’re researching still.
There’s other miscellaneous items like the Big Ass Knife, hygiene kit, spare flashlight and a couple of batteries (not a gross like some people I could name, PJ) and such, but the main problem is going to be par all of it down into a Miata-sized pack. So If there are suggestions for this, let me know. I’m studying the situation and hopefully we’ll find an answer that will keep us prepared and still have room for the groceries or luggage on weekend jaunts.
Currently her BOB is hanging from the ceiling in the basement. Her former BOB was a large one in size, more for convenience sake than because of the junk, and it would just not fit in the trunk of her new car and still be room for extras that she might need to place there. So what I’ve been doing is trying to decide just how far down to par her BOB. I’ve about gotten it down to some basics that I think will work. Let me start off by saying that our BOB’s are not the “I’m going to live comfortably and be able to stay out for weeks”. Our BOB’s are Get Home Bags. They are designed to keep us going so that we can hoof it home as long as we are within 100 or so miles of the Coppound. To that end, the food might be a little skinny for some, the amenities might be light on comfort, but we can survive, which is what they are designed for. Shorty’s is even different from that in that hers is set up so that she can hunker down for an extended period, which would not require as many calories. She’s not a big walker/hiker and to that end, her GHB/BOB reflects this.
First Aid—Shorty’s aid kit is in a box. I got a clear plastic box rather than a soft bi-fold because since it will ride most of the time in the trunk of the car, space at that time was not an issue. It also made it easier to find something when needed and we’ve used her kit several times for minor dings while out and about. Now with the smaller car, I’ll have to dig up something to put the aid-supplies in that will not take up as much space. As an aside, our first aid kits will control bleeding to an extent in case of a GSW.
Clothing—we’ve always gone light on this. Spare socks, a fleece shirt, and a couple of other light items are all I put in the BOB. Frankly, I’ve camped for extended weeks on about this much in various places on Earth and found that clean clothing while nice, isn’t really necessary when roughing it—dry clothing on the other hand is, so everything is in heavy freezer bags. We have a vacuum sealer, but once the stuff is out of the bag, it’s big again, so we just pack it as is.
Fire kit—a couple years ago, Shorty, PJ and I took a “survival class”. We got to start fires using various alternative methods and since that time, we’ve kept up the skill. Our kits are small and use the bare minimum of devices. Thankfully the ground is littered with things that will burn, and even in rain or snow, if you go enough layers down, you should be able to find tinder.
Shelter—I’m one of those people who don’t think that you need to have a lot with you in this department. We live in Ohio. You can’t really go to far without running into some kind of structure, be it an old barn, shed or even abandoned building. If need be, we can camp out in one of these until morning. If not, we have emergency tube-tents. We’ve used them and my biggest complaint is that they collect the moisture easily because they are basically plastic tubes. I have however had the same problem in my several hundred dollar Walrus tent and my North Face, so it’s not an issue unless you are waiting out a three day storm. A traditional tent vents easier, but a tube will get you through the night. In addition to the tube, we have over-sized trash bags, and worse comes to worse you can sit inside the trash bag to trap body heat.
Sleeping covers—I say cover, because while I have small 50 degree bags we also have the traditional space blanket and each of us has a fleece or woolen blanket in our vehicle. Layering these will get us through the night. Our last camp out I used my 50 degree bag to good effect rather than tote my larger and bulkier North Face. Again, layering is important and as long as you have dry clothing, and keep the layers you can make it through the night. With the space blanket as a wind break, the other two will suffice. Honestly, I’ve slept outside in my 20 degree bag and woken with layers of snow on top of me.
Food—we’ve been packing MREs because of the easy preparation. With a MRE heater you can have the food warming while you attend to other things. I think now that I will mix the food preps up some with dried/dehydrated and keep an MRE or two as well. Hot foods are important not only to the peace of mind but to the body and warmth as well. I’ve been playing with dried soup mixes and instant rice for filler. These one servings will go into the BOBs. The main problem is a container to boil the water. It adds bulk and I’m still procrastinating on getting the Nalgene cup so we can have the pot and bottle together. The biggest problem is having the calories to keep going, but as I said, it only has to be for a short period of time, and as we have seen on Survivorman, you can keep going for a week on much less. In addition to the food already mentioned we have various power bars and Cliff Shots for quick energy.
Water—in my truck I have a case of water almost all the time. In her car, a bottle or two is it. I’m not really big on storing water, after all, it is Ohio and we have numerous places to get water. The biggest problem is cleaning it enough to drink. Here again is where the pot and Nalgene bottle comes in. Nalgene is wonderful because you can put hot stuff in it and cold stuff. Boiling enough water to keep a body going is the problem. I have hand pumps for camping, a Sweet Water and MSR, but in our BOB’s not so much. The cost of a small pump is not in the budget at the moment and other than purifying tablets, we’re stuck with boiling. Finding one small enough for Shorty’s kit, well, we’re researching still.
There’s other miscellaneous items like the Big Ass Knife, hygiene kit, spare flashlight and a couple of batteries (not a gross like some people I could name, PJ) and such, but the main problem is going to be par all of it down into a Miata-sized pack. So If there are suggestions for this, let me know. I’m studying the situation and hopefully we’ll find an answer that will keep us prepared and still have room for the groceries or luggage on weekend jaunts.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
I was going to write up a lovely little blog about the three bean stew I just made for Shorty and I, but it is not to be. I am instead going to rail against Jerry Ahern.
For those of you not familiar with Jerry Ahern, he is a gun-rag writer. He published some years ago a series called The Survivalist—The Survivalist was one of those mid-80s action adventure man-book about the aftermath of a nuclear war from the point of view of the intrepid hero John Thomas Rourke. Remember what Mel Gibson’s character said about three names in the movie Conspiracy Theory? “All serial killers have three names-John Wyane Gacy for example”. Well, JTR in Ahern’s books is the ultimate fighting man, nothing can stop him no matter the odds. It was the fan-boy series of the time.
It seems that Jerry Ahern has written a survival book and he is pimping it in the Blue Press. I know this because I received my copy today. Let me say that Ahern has been in the fantasy business for some time, he’s been touting Detonics pistols and various other firearms since they came out and as we all know, the Detonics pistols are almost vaporware—I only know one person who has actually owned a Detonics and he bought it by chance. This article Ahern wrote for the Blue Press is more fantasy, only this time its fantasy from the 1980s, thus outdated fantasy.
He is outlining his choice for survival firearms, or as he puts it TEOTWAWKI. Now I like to dream of TEOTWAWKI, I have frequent fantasies while driving in traffic of a day when I am the only person on the road but for a select few other survivors, most of them are being blown away with random blasts from my sawed-off shotgun a la Mad Max, but that’s another fantasy for another time. No, Ahern’s problem is not that he’s giving out information on survival, although I’d take his advice with two grains of salt and a match to his book, it’s that he’s giving this advice like he knows what he’s talking about. Because of this, people will accept it as fact due to the fact he managed to get published. Kinda like Rawles, another stupid fucker.
Again, I digress.
First off, Ahern touts the standard “battery” of firearms for survival. Like many stupid people, Ahern thinks that he can buy a range of firearms that will do double duty for him at the EOTW. Not true. There are defensive firearms and hunting firearms. While the ammo might overlap, the weapons themselves are as different from each other as say, bows and flint locks. Now Ahern suggests several calibers for the EOTW and I can’t say that I disagree with the calibers, but the rifles that he lists as suggestions are far from the finest in the category. Let’s look at the calibers. The .308 the 7.62x39 and the 5.56. All are respectable calibers. His reasoning however is not so much. He starts out okay, saying the sporting firearms are not meant for the volume of fire but then lapses into the “go cheap” argument and begins to name his firearms.
First up the CETME. According to Ahern this is an inexpensive rifle that will use G3 parts and mags. EXCUSE ME, JERRY, HAVE YOU PRICED THE CETME LATELY? I know that I bought mine very inexpensively, but the prices are now in the six hundred-plus range. For another couple hundred dollars I can get a far better rifle in the AR range, with more options and accessories. HE fails to mention that like all of the rifles based on this design, it is a pain in the ass the tear down. Cleaning a CETME or an HK-based rifle takes a hammer. Well, maybe not, but there are far simpler weapons to clean. As for the mags, he states that the mags can be had for as little as three bucks. Again, I’m not sure where he’s getting his info, but the last time I looked, they were creeping up to the twenty-five dollar mark. He also says that the CETME and G3 mags are interchangeable, not in my rifle they are not. Mine hates the G3 mag. His bitch about the CETME is the sling. THE SLING? For Christ’s Sake, Jerry, the SLING? How about the backwards controls, the less than stellar locking rollers of the bolt which on most models takes more than a man and a small boy to cock.
Other than that, the CETME is an accurate rifle and I like mine. But it is not my choice for a go-to rifle.
His next choice is the WASR AK-variant. THE WASR? Of all the AK models out there, he picks the one with the worst reputation for quality control. The worst. Now I’m not an AK guy, I admit that. I’ve had one, count them, one AK, it was a WASR and it didn’t work. I have a buddy who is an AK guy and he hates the WASR. I hate the WASR. Anyone with a brain hates the WASR. Com’on Jerry, you were the fucking president of Detonics, you didn’t get that quality control is the number ONE seller of a firearm?
His next choice is the, hold on boys and girls, his next choice is the FUCKING MINI-14. That’s right, the most sensitive rifle to magazines and ammo out there. He touts this rifle as a having a problem of “heating up”. Now wasn’t that one of his opening reason for not picking a fucking sporting firearm as a defensive weapon? Let’s look back at the beginning of the article and see…oh yes here it is. “A high volume of fire will likely heat them up beyond what would happen with a military sporter”. WHY IN GODS NAME WOULD YOU SAY THIS AND THEN SUGGEST THAT THEY BUY ONE AS A DEFENSIVE FIREARM YOU DUMB CUNT?
Now I’ve owned the Mini-14. I actually am one who liked mine, but I did many things to it beyond the norm. I had a Butler Creek folder on it, a forward, barrel mounted red dot, and good, dependable high capacity magazine for it from Black Warrior, the only after market brand I would recommend for this rifle. NO other NONE. What does he recommend? Pro Mags. If not the worst, one of the worst magazines for this rifle (or any other rifle or pistol) in existence. They fail at such a high rate that the trash barrel after three guns competitions are littered with them. PRO FUCKING MAGS.
Does he even train with his rifle? I doubt it. I doubt he has more than a mag through his rifle.
Not only does he suggest the Mini 14, but he then goes on to say if you don’t like the 5.56, try out the Mini-30. Okay, this rifle is so bad that not even the FACTORY mags work in it.
Christ.
He defends the Mini-14 argument by saying that it is far less expensive than the AR. Again, what fucking planet are you living on? Last time I looked, the Mini 14 was up in the five to seven hundred dollar range, depending on the edition you were looking at. For a couple hundred dollars more you can own a far more dependable rifle in the AR with better magazines and more accessories than you can shake a stick at.
Jerry, are you insane?
He then talks about shotguns. I am not a proponent of the shotgun as a defensive firearm. I don’t even count it in my defensive battery because the niche the shotgun serves is better filed by—oh, you guessed it, the AR. Regardless, I can’t disagree with his shotgun choice because it is pretty much the same as my own personal set-up for when I have to teach; the Remington 870. He also talks about the .22LR for the battery, but I’m not even going to deem this with a full response. Like I said before in my opening, there are defensive rifles and hunting rifles. Let’s face it; the .22 really doesn’t fit either category. You can agrue until you are blue in the face about this, but it is a plinker or a training caliber. I have a .22LR drop in kit for my AR and training. I’m not going to depend on the .22LR for getting one for the pot, not so much.
Then he speaks of pistols. Now Jerry made his name on the Detonics coattails. He wrote about The Survivalist, but it was all about the firearms. His first two picks or his logic I really have no problem with; the Sig P229 and the Glock 22. Now personally, while I have owned both and still own a G22, my go to is neither. It is a G19. But for his reasoning; he says that local LEOs carry them and so to him they are proven--I have to say that not all the firearms the police carry are proven, some are bought because of the discount. Think about that folks. Now comes his leap of logic. If you have to scavenge off the dead bodies, specifically dead police officers, you want a caliber you are likely to find.
This right here begs a full blog. I will resist.
Jerry, if you don’t have your firearm ammo on hand before TSHTF, forget about it. Dead bodies are not going to help you. Not at all. You are going to come out the other end with the shit you had going in to get you there, hoping to load your Detonics Combat Master from the wreckage of the local Sporty Mart because you forgot to pick up that box of WWB at WalMart just ain’t gonna happen.
His next choices are the piece de resistance. A 1911 and the SW686. Now I own both, I have several 1911’s. I love them. But it is not the firearm I am going to be toting when the End is nigh. The 1911 is let's face it people, heavy, limited in ammo capacity requires more than a passing knowledge and skill to use. The SW686 is pretty much the same argument; plus the fact that a speed loader is rather slow unless you simply practice weekly with reloads. Again, his reasoning, the caliber is something you will readily find is a fallacy, if you're looking for ammo, how many other people will be as well? Are you going to shoot it out with them just to get that ammo that you should have already had? Think about this, Jerry.
Now I read The Survivalist as a young lad, they were probably one of the reasons I got into prepping. But as I got older, took training and had a shit load of life experience pertaining to pointing firearms at people and training others to do so, I realized that the old “Tried and True” were not so much.
To wind up this rant, I’m going to give you MY battery, both Hunting and Defensive firearms that I currently stock for.
Defense firearms. Simple and to the point; we here at the Coppound are going to be toting AR15’s. Shorty and I both have AR’s and we use them well. We have numerous mags for them and keep them loaded and handy. The AR loaded with a 62 grain battle round will take care of any problem that the .308 can and do it better and with less fuss. The ammo is lighter, the mags hold more rounds and I can carry more of them. The rifle is designed for optics for CQB fighting. With the collapsible stocks, it can fit numerous body types and the round is not nearly as punishing to shoot over long periods. I can take 100 meter headshots with my AR as long as I do my part and out to 150 meters the optics are far faster than iron sights. Most engagements are not going to be beyond that range and if you are engaging further than that, I have to ask—why?
Because pistols are a personal choice, the pistol I will be either my G17/19 or my G22 or G21. A high capacity, proven firearm that is A) simple to operate B) simple to care for C) has very few parts (32 in all, including the frame and slide) D) I have a shit load of magazines and ammo for. She will be toting her SW4516. We will back them up with J-framed .38s.
That’s it folks, the defensive battery. No shotguns, not a .308 Battle Rifle, not the uber XCM1204.
For hunting, while I have numerous rifles and shotguns, for TEOTWAWKI it will be my Winchester Featherweight .308 topped with a Leupold 3x9. With my hand loads, I can take anything in the lower 48. I will be backing it up with a Remington 870 Wingmaster in 12 gauge and my Antonio Zoli O/U in 20 gauge.
Really, this is a conversation for another post. But to wrap this up—if you are going to read Jerry’s survival stuff, remember, he made his bones writing fiction about a man who could never exist in the real world. His version of survival, at least his firearm advice, is pretty much in the same vein. It’s a good story, but not very practical.
For those of you not familiar with Jerry Ahern, he is a gun-rag writer. He published some years ago a series called The Survivalist—The Survivalist was one of those mid-80s action adventure man-book about the aftermath of a nuclear war from the point of view of the intrepid hero John Thomas Rourke. Remember what Mel Gibson’s character said about three names in the movie Conspiracy Theory? “All serial killers have three names-John Wyane Gacy for example”. Well, JTR in Ahern’s books is the ultimate fighting man, nothing can stop him no matter the odds. It was the fan-boy series of the time.
It seems that Jerry Ahern has written a survival book and he is pimping it in the Blue Press. I know this because I received my copy today. Let me say that Ahern has been in the fantasy business for some time, he’s been touting Detonics pistols and various other firearms since they came out and as we all know, the Detonics pistols are almost vaporware—I only know one person who has actually owned a Detonics and he bought it by chance. This article Ahern wrote for the Blue Press is more fantasy, only this time its fantasy from the 1980s, thus outdated fantasy.
He is outlining his choice for survival firearms, or as he puts it TEOTWAWKI. Now I like to dream of TEOTWAWKI, I have frequent fantasies while driving in traffic of a day when I am the only person on the road but for a select few other survivors, most of them are being blown away with random blasts from my sawed-off shotgun a la Mad Max, but that’s another fantasy for another time. No, Ahern’s problem is not that he’s giving out information on survival, although I’d take his advice with two grains of salt and a match to his book, it’s that he’s giving this advice like he knows what he’s talking about. Because of this, people will accept it as fact due to the fact he managed to get published. Kinda like Rawles, another stupid fucker.
Again, I digress.
First off, Ahern touts the standard “battery” of firearms for survival. Like many stupid people, Ahern thinks that he can buy a range of firearms that will do double duty for him at the EOTW. Not true. There are defensive firearms and hunting firearms. While the ammo might overlap, the weapons themselves are as different from each other as say, bows and flint locks. Now Ahern suggests several calibers for the EOTW and I can’t say that I disagree with the calibers, but the rifles that he lists as suggestions are far from the finest in the category. Let’s look at the calibers. The .308 the 7.62x39 and the 5.56. All are respectable calibers. His reasoning however is not so much. He starts out okay, saying the sporting firearms are not meant for the volume of fire but then lapses into the “go cheap” argument and begins to name his firearms.
First up the CETME. According to Ahern this is an inexpensive rifle that will use G3 parts and mags. EXCUSE ME, JERRY, HAVE YOU PRICED THE CETME LATELY? I know that I bought mine very inexpensively, but the prices are now in the six hundred-plus range. For another couple hundred dollars I can get a far better rifle in the AR range, with more options and accessories. HE fails to mention that like all of the rifles based on this design, it is a pain in the ass the tear down. Cleaning a CETME or an HK-based rifle takes a hammer. Well, maybe not, but there are far simpler weapons to clean. As for the mags, he states that the mags can be had for as little as three bucks. Again, I’m not sure where he’s getting his info, but the last time I looked, they were creeping up to the twenty-five dollar mark. He also says that the CETME and G3 mags are interchangeable, not in my rifle they are not. Mine hates the G3 mag. His bitch about the CETME is the sling. THE SLING? For Christ’s Sake, Jerry, the SLING? How about the backwards controls, the less than stellar locking rollers of the bolt which on most models takes more than a man and a small boy to cock.
Other than that, the CETME is an accurate rifle and I like mine. But it is not my choice for a go-to rifle.
His next choice is the WASR AK-variant. THE WASR? Of all the AK models out there, he picks the one with the worst reputation for quality control. The worst. Now I’m not an AK guy, I admit that. I’ve had one, count them, one AK, it was a WASR and it didn’t work. I have a buddy who is an AK guy and he hates the WASR. I hate the WASR. Anyone with a brain hates the WASR. Com’on Jerry, you were the fucking president of Detonics, you didn’t get that quality control is the number ONE seller of a firearm?
His next choice is the, hold on boys and girls, his next choice is the FUCKING MINI-14. That’s right, the most sensitive rifle to magazines and ammo out there. He touts this rifle as a having a problem of “heating up”. Now wasn’t that one of his opening reason for not picking a fucking sporting firearm as a defensive weapon? Let’s look back at the beginning of the article and see…oh yes here it is. “A high volume of fire will likely heat them up beyond what would happen with a military sporter”. WHY IN GODS NAME WOULD YOU SAY THIS AND THEN SUGGEST THAT THEY BUY ONE AS A DEFENSIVE FIREARM YOU DUMB CUNT?
Now I’ve owned the Mini-14. I actually am one who liked mine, but I did many things to it beyond the norm. I had a Butler Creek folder on it, a forward, barrel mounted red dot, and good, dependable high capacity magazine for it from Black Warrior, the only after market brand I would recommend for this rifle. NO other NONE. What does he recommend? Pro Mags. If not the worst, one of the worst magazines for this rifle (or any other rifle or pistol) in existence. They fail at such a high rate that the trash barrel after three guns competitions are littered with them. PRO FUCKING MAGS.
Does he even train with his rifle? I doubt it. I doubt he has more than a mag through his rifle.
Not only does he suggest the Mini 14, but he then goes on to say if you don’t like the 5.56, try out the Mini-30. Okay, this rifle is so bad that not even the FACTORY mags work in it.
Christ.
He defends the Mini-14 argument by saying that it is far less expensive than the AR. Again, what fucking planet are you living on? Last time I looked, the Mini 14 was up in the five to seven hundred dollar range, depending on the edition you were looking at. For a couple hundred dollars more you can own a far more dependable rifle in the AR with better magazines and more accessories than you can shake a stick at.
Jerry, are you insane?
He then talks about shotguns. I am not a proponent of the shotgun as a defensive firearm. I don’t even count it in my defensive battery because the niche the shotgun serves is better filed by—oh, you guessed it, the AR. Regardless, I can’t disagree with his shotgun choice because it is pretty much the same as my own personal set-up for when I have to teach; the Remington 870. He also talks about the .22LR for the battery, but I’m not even going to deem this with a full response. Like I said before in my opening, there are defensive rifles and hunting rifles. Let’s face it; the .22 really doesn’t fit either category. You can agrue until you are blue in the face about this, but it is a plinker or a training caliber. I have a .22LR drop in kit for my AR and training. I’m not going to depend on the .22LR for getting one for the pot, not so much.
Then he speaks of pistols. Now Jerry made his name on the Detonics coattails. He wrote about The Survivalist, but it was all about the firearms. His first two picks or his logic I really have no problem with; the Sig P229 and the Glock 22. Now personally, while I have owned both and still own a G22, my go to is neither. It is a G19. But for his reasoning; he says that local LEOs carry them and so to him they are proven--I have to say that not all the firearms the police carry are proven, some are bought because of the discount. Think about that folks. Now comes his leap of logic. If you have to scavenge off the dead bodies, specifically dead police officers, you want a caliber you are likely to find.
This right here begs a full blog. I will resist.
Jerry, if you don’t have your firearm ammo on hand before TSHTF, forget about it. Dead bodies are not going to help you. Not at all. You are going to come out the other end with the shit you had going in to get you there, hoping to load your Detonics Combat Master from the wreckage of the local Sporty Mart because you forgot to pick up that box of WWB at WalMart just ain’t gonna happen.
His next choices are the piece de resistance. A 1911 and the SW686. Now I own both, I have several 1911’s. I love them. But it is not the firearm I am going to be toting when the End is nigh. The 1911 is let's face it people, heavy, limited in ammo capacity requires more than a passing knowledge and skill to use. The SW686 is pretty much the same argument; plus the fact that a speed loader is rather slow unless you simply practice weekly with reloads. Again, his reasoning, the caliber is something you will readily find is a fallacy, if you're looking for ammo, how many other people will be as well? Are you going to shoot it out with them just to get that ammo that you should have already had? Think about this, Jerry.
Now I read The Survivalist as a young lad, they were probably one of the reasons I got into prepping. But as I got older, took training and had a shit load of life experience pertaining to pointing firearms at people and training others to do so, I realized that the old “Tried and True” were not so much.
To wind up this rant, I’m going to give you MY battery, both Hunting and Defensive firearms that I currently stock for.
Defense firearms. Simple and to the point; we here at the Coppound are going to be toting AR15’s. Shorty and I both have AR’s and we use them well. We have numerous mags for them and keep them loaded and handy. The AR loaded with a 62 grain battle round will take care of any problem that the .308 can and do it better and with less fuss. The ammo is lighter, the mags hold more rounds and I can carry more of them. The rifle is designed for optics for CQB fighting. With the collapsible stocks, it can fit numerous body types and the round is not nearly as punishing to shoot over long periods. I can take 100 meter headshots with my AR as long as I do my part and out to 150 meters the optics are far faster than iron sights. Most engagements are not going to be beyond that range and if you are engaging further than that, I have to ask—why?
Because pistols are a personal choice, the pistol I will be either my G17/19 or my G22 or G21. A high capacity, proven firearm that is A) simple to operate B) simple to care for C) has very few parts (32 in all, including the frame and slide) D) I have a shit load of magazines and ammo for. She will be toting her SW4516. We will back them up with J-framed .38s.
That’s it folks, the defensive battery. No shotguns, not a .308 Battle Rifle, not the uber XCM1204.
For hunting, while I have numerous rifles and shotguns, for TEOTWAWKI it will be my Winchester Featherweight .308 topped with a Leupold 3x9. With my hand loads, I can take anything in the lower 48. I will be backing it up with a Remington 870 Wingmaster in 12 gauge and my Antonio Zoli O/U in 20 gauge.
Really, this is a conversation for another post. But to wrap this up—if you are going to read Jerry’s survival stuff, remember, he made his bones writing fiction about a man who could never exist in the real world. His version of survival, at least his firearm advice, is pretty much in the same vein. It’s a good story, but not very practical.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Small Houses
Even though the house we currently live in is a three bedroom monstrosity built around the turn of the century (the last one, not this one) I have a yen to live in a more efficient space. I realize that most of us live in homes that are way more than what we need to exist, yea verily, even live in, and with that in mind I'm always looking for smaller, greener homes. I keep looking at the space that we actually use in our own setting and realize that a two bedroom home with a large living area/kitchen would be optimal. A bath and a half is a must though, I really like having a two toilets for emergencies!
Of course if we could down size on furniture or make what we have more livable, the great room would not need to be so great! There are somethings that we have which we would have to keep--Shorty has items that are family heirlooms which we would need to incorporate into our living. Truthfully, if used properly, they would be great additions to a small space living.
So to those ends, I've been on a eternal quest for that "perfect" design. I've looked at Earthships, but after my visit to the Earthship compound in Mew Mexico some years ago, I was less than thrilled with their approach to the concept, or maybe it was the fact that the creator of the Earthship design doesn't even live in one himself! So the quest goes on....
Container homes was my next big WOW. I like the idea of using a prefabricated shell and creating my home out of existing materials. I am one of those who thinks that we as a race needs to look at reusing the space which we have already soiled and stop the outward expansion of our urban areas. As I write this I am sitting in the nearly vacant downtown of Akron, Ohio, and am amazed and shocked at the number of acres that are not being used because it is "downtown". I really think that we need to look at reurbanization of our cities. I digress. Using the containers you need to keep your design plan to the 40'x8' (or 30'x8' or 20'x8') restraints of the container. A single container is not really optimal width-wise and I found that designing a home around two containers in a "L" shape still requires me to add a considerable amount of footage for a hallway. Of course that hallway would be glassed looking onto a patio for passive solar, but it's still not exactly what I want. Here's a really nice site about container living with some cool plans http://container-life.com/. The quest goes on for a place that it IT though.
Today I found this one http://liveedge-prefab.com/ and I really like the "one bedroom" design. I think it would be awesome as a weekend getaway or even a place for a couple whose teenagers have finally moved out. It requires that you get rid of extraneous shit. I'm down with that, but being a prepper, I find that much of my extraneous shit takes up a good sized room in the basement, which includes the firearms that I seem to acquire. Other that that crap, I have almost no furniture that I have to keep other than my grandfathers rocking chair. Like I said before though, Shorty would have to have her heirloom stuff, which would need to be incorporated into the living space.
The question I ask sometimes is "How small can I go?" http://www.littlediggs.com/ asks that question and tries to answer it as well. While I've lived as a single guy in less than 500 square feet, for two people I think that's asking a lot. You'd need to have a space to escape too, and frankly, if both are not "outdoors" people, it would get tedious. Another place that explores the small living is http://tinyhouseblog.com/ and http://www.tinyhousedesign.com/category/tiny-house-kits/ both of these are pretty god resources for not only small living but solar and passive solar and alternate energy sources.
I've got a place designed, I know what I want, but getting there is going to be a few years away. My passive solar "L" is pretty much the place I want to be. I have a vision of what it should look like, I have ideas of how I want the house--passive solar, solar panels or hydro-powered energy for the electrical needs, large, open areas, lots of windows that overlook not only my patio but a wooded area, be it a lot of the expanse of some south-western mountain range and a really nice great room to build a fire. My debate is what materials to use? I waffle here. Should it be straw bail? How about earth banked? Container pre-fab that is earth banked--tire construction like an earthship? The questions just keep coming. I really like lofts in homes, do I redesign the roof so that I can have my loft area? I want to keep the place as efficient as I can, so that means the loft is probably out, that's a lot of empty space to heat. Regardless, I quest on.
So there's my blog rambling. have a great day.
Of course if we could down size on furniture or make what we have more livable, the great room would not need to be so great! There are somethings that we have which we would have to keep--Shorty has items that are family heirlooms which we would need to incorporate into our living. Truthfully, if used properly, they would be great additions to a small space living.
So to those ends, I've been on a eternal quest for that "perfect" design. I've looked at Earthships, but after my visit to the Earthship compound in Mew Mexico some years ago, I was less than thrilled with their approach to the concept, or maybe it was the fact that the creator of the Earthship design doesn't even live in one himself! So the quest goes on....
Container homes was my next big WOW. I like the idea of using a prefabricated shell and creating my home out of existing materials. I am one of those who thinks that we as a race needs to look at reusing the space which we have already soiled and stop the outward expansion of our urban areas. As I write this I am sitting in the nearly vacant downtown of Akron, Ohio, and am amazed and shocked at the number of acres that are not being used because it is "downtown". I really think that we need to look at reurbanization of our cities. I digress. Using the containers you need to keep your design plan to the 40'x8' (or 30'x8' or 20'x8') restraints of the container. A single container is not really optimal width-wise and I found that designing a home around two containers in a "L" shape still requires me to add a considerable amount of footage for a hallway. Of course that hallway would be glassed looking onto a patio for passive solar, but it's still not exactly what I want. Here's a really nice site about container living with some cool plans http://container-life.com/. The quest goes on for a place that it IT though.
Today I found this one http://liveedge-prefab.com/ and I really like the "one bedroom" design. I think it would be awesome as a weekend getaway or even a place for a couple whose teenagers have finally moved out. It requires that you get rid of extraneous shit. I'm down with that, but being a prepper, I find that much of my extraneous shit takes up a good sized room in the basement, which includes the firearms that I seem to acquire. Other that that crap, I have almost no furniture that I have to keep other than my grandfathers rocking chair. Like I said before though, Shorty would have to have her heirloom stuff, which would need to be incorporated into the living space.
The question I ask sometimes is "How small can I go?" http://www.littlediggs.com/ asks that question and tries to answer it as well. While I've lived as a single guy in less than 500 square feet, for two people I think that's asking a lot. You'd need to have a space to escape too, and frankly, if both are not "outdoors" people, it would get tedious. Another place that explores the small living is http://tinyhouseblog.com/ and http://www.tinyhousedesign.com/category/tiny-house-kits/ both of these are pretty god resources for not only small living but solar and passive solar and alternate energy sources.
I've got a place designed, I know what I want, but getting there is going to be a few years away. My passive solar "L" is pretty much the place I want to be. I have a vision of what it should look like, I have ideas of how I want the house--passive solar, solar panels or hydro-powered energy for the electrical needs, large, open areas, lots of windows that overlook not only my patio but a wooded area, be it a lot of the expanse of some south-western mountain range and a really nice great room to build a fire. My debate is what materials to use? I waffle here. Should it be straw bail? How about earth banked? Container pre-fab that is earth banked--tire construction like an earthship? The questions just keep coming. I really like lofts in homes, do I redesign the roof so that I can have my loft area? I want to keep the place as efficient as I can, so that means the loft is probably out, that's a lot of empty space to heat. Regardless, I quest on.
So there's my blog rambling. have a great day.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY USMC
234 years ago the USMC was founded at Tun's Tavern in Philadelphia, PA.
That being said, tomorrow is Veterans Day. I was in Kroger today and watched as a lady walked up to a man wearing a Veteran's hat and thanked him for his service. He was probably Korean War era, but regardless, thank a vet for the freedoms we enjoy today. We might be slowly losing them, but we still have many that others around the world do not enjoy.
That being said, tomorrow is Veterans Day. I was in Kroger today and watched as a lady walked up to a man wearing a Veteran's hat and thanked him for his service. He was probably Korean War era, but regardless, thank a vet for the freedoms we enjoy today. We might be slowly losing them, but we still have many that others around the world do not enjoy.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Road
I hate to be the one to say this, but I hope the movie will be better than the book. I really thought the book was bad, well not bad, but tedious. I hate minimalist writing, I hate Hemingway too.
People seem to think it was awesome and some have suggested that it asked “hard questions”.
What exactly was so awesome about it? What hard questions did it ask? I just got back from a conference on Apocalyptic fiction and this was one of the books that was presented on. Not everyone thought it was great and many seemed to think that it was over-publicized as a work of art. To be honest, it took me twice to get through it because I thought it was really a boring and inconsistent read. Like most of McCarthy's books, he tends to ramble and over stress scenes and they make much better movies than books. No Country for Old Men being an example.
I'm really trying to figure out why people think this is wonderful. I was not that impressed is all. I thought that as a survival-apocalyptic book, One Second After was a better read with better plotting and more readable. Alas
No matter how hard I try to get people to tell me, no one has yet to answer what Hard Questions the book asked.
If you want to look at the book as a story about a father and son and sacrifice, okay. I don't really buy into it though. The truth is that the father didn't really do anything to keep the kid alive. They "happened" upon food at just the right moments, he didn't really give the son any skills to keep alive and if truth be told, the only survival skill he ever presented to his son was how to kill himself to keep from being eaten alive. The fathers fear of outsiders probably got him killed. There is at least one occasion when he could have banded with someone else, but chose not to due to the man stealing their gear. Do I agree with him being pissed? Yes, but in a situation like the one in The Road, I think that there comes a time when you have to start taking a chance.
Someone mentioned to me about civilization. What civilization?
How was civilization continuing? That just didn't happen. Civilization was in a downward spiral and the few trying to exist were so caught up in continuing their own existence, they did not take any steps for the next generation. The father and son simply continued that fall through their fear of everyone that moved.
Maybe because of my mindset and that of my families, we all read the book and our first thought was "these people are stupid".
Were there moments of good story telling? Yes, I think that there were. One that comes to mind was the father trying to explain how to eat the food in the bunker. One of the presenters at the conference looked at the language and the failure of the characters to keep the language alive. He also explored the moments when the father was remembering the things of the past and how they were no longer relevant because the subjects of the word no longer existed. How peaches were no longer peaches because they no longer existed, but peaches had become the cans containing the peaches. How the word "Cow" meant nothing due to there no longer being cows, but because he remembered how cows smelled in the barn, the father still had an association with the word, but it would be lost to his son.
Moments like those were good, But not Nobel Prize worthy.
Now the Hard Question; would we sacrifice all to save our children. The pat answer is yes. However, in the scenario presented by the book, the father would have actually been better off letting his wife kill the boy when she herself committed suicide. There was nothing left. Nothing was growing, nothing was living but people (which I find improbable) and the amount of food avaliable was finite and there was no chance of getting more.
I'm not trying to detract from those who liked the book. But I am asking the question again; what about the book was so wonderful?
Please don't give the "You hated it so you won't understand" answers. Explain what you thought was good about it. The Devil is in the Details.
I had someone tell me that The Road wasn’t Homer (thinking that by referring to Homer I would have to say “Of course not, Homer is classic.”)
Well, you're right, McCarthy's not Homer. But then, Homer isn't really all that either, if you read his work. The Iliad and Oddysy are believed to have had multiple authors and their works are attributed to Homer, who more than likely just compiled the stories under his name. Both those tales are more of an "edited by" rather than "written by" as modern linguistic historians delve into the origins of the tale.
But I digress.
I am trying to decide just what about this book rather than others of the same genre has seemed to capture the fancy of so many people. Is it that Oprah liked it? She also liked The Notebook. There are glaring flaws that if you are a prepper, you would find mildly offensive that the characters even survived the collapse of civilization. There is dumb luck and McCarthy seems to have relied too much (for myself and many) on that principle.
I don't so much believe that we as human rely so much on "nature" any longer. I believe that as animals with higher thought processes, we sift through logical responses as we are able to and make decisions from there. While we still have fight or flight, those two responses can be trained out of a person and you can be made to fight against what some would call "your will". The father was training his son to commit suicide in The Road. Making the decision to kill a child, your child, to prevent them from suffering what you might consider a harmful event, is something which we can do, and as you pointed out, might be taking place even now.
I don't think in a situation as given in The Road, the choice is as difficult as you are making it. The father made the choice already, he even had schooled his son in how to kill himself. My complaint is this: He never taught his son how to live first.
To me, that is the real problem with the story. They don't live, they exist. They have ceased to be functioning humans and a part of humanity. There's not even any real joy in the fathers love. It is simply there because the boy was the fruit of his loin, not because he expressed it with action or words. That was the failing of the book, on a more base level, the inability of the father to teach his son how to live.
For instance, as an example, when smelling the old manure in the barn and thinking about cows, the father doesn't bring him into the barn as say "Son, inhale deeply and tell me what you smell--that's what cows smelled like." There's no passing on of information, only telling as needed. Even in a situation as dismal as presented in The Road, it would behoove me to at least try to make sure that my son was able to exist without me and even carry on knowledge that might seem unimportant. Even in the "Canticle for Lebowitz" there is the need to retain past knowledge as flawed as that retention might be.
But back to the failing of the fathers love. You might argue that the "love" was expressed by keeping the boy alive. I would argue that no matter the relationship, the man would have striven to keep someone alive. We see this action everyday, through the work of firefighters, police and medical personnel. You can argue that they do it because it is their job, but there is a percentage of them (myself in that percentage) who do it because they on some level have to. The father failed in my book not because he was keeping the son alive, but because he was not teaching the son to live beyond the moment. The argument could also be made that the father did not even love the son enough to kill him; why would you keep the child alive just to suffer knowing there was nothing beyond that moment, no future because life was dead?
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
First blog
Not really into blogging, but I thought I'd just put something up here since I have insomnia tonight. Or this morning. There's a really bad movie on that I would have really liked when I was ten. Gotta love adventure movies of the 1950's. I wasn't ten in the 1950's, not even born yet. Not for a while, but you get the drift.
So there you go the first one.
I'll put more up as I ponder.....
So there you go the first one.
I'll put more up as I ponder.....
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