The Hippie Survivalist - The Future Has Arrived (for Combat Shotguns)

*There are now numerous hyper-deadly combat shotguns so heinous that they would make even Steven Seagall poop his drawers if he were to rest his lofty gaze upon one.  They tend to be bullpups, some with dual tube mags, though the AA-12 defies such categorization.

The Neostead Shotgun is a product of South Africa and has that god-awful South African bad-sci fi military design look to it.  However, DR gives it two hot boners, which it means it's worthy of Kick Ass status.  (Personally, I have an aversion to weapons produced in South Africa. The legacy of government oppression of blacks in South Africa is so evil that buying a riot/combat weapon produced there would, for me, be akin to purchasing a genuine Third Reich pistol that was used to murder Jews/Gypsies/civilians.  BAD, bad juju.  What do you expect?  I'm a fucking hippie!)

The UTAS UTS-15 is a Turkish-designed, modified Neostead, and clearly ups the ante with vivid, modular ball-busting capabilities not found on the original.  It one-ups the Neostead with an alternating feed capability and generally looks far more devastating.  I watched some heavy-breather fire one on YOUTUBE and it made me weep tears...of blood.  Notice how it resembles a SAW/Minimi more than a shotgun.  MADE BY TURKS.  WANT.

The two shotguns listed above are 12 gauge pumps with over-barrel dual magazine tubes, for 14+1 capacity.

Below is a Kel-Tec KSG, with UNDER-barrel dual mag tubes.  With a forward grip attached it looks nothing short of masturbatory.  I suppose this is the North American version of the afore-mentioned shotguns.  Gotta say it has high sex appeal to me, but then I'm bias towards blondes, big tits...and dual tubes (even I'm not sure what I mean by that).

Now, if the previous three ball-busters had you hot and hard, this next one is sure to cost you a pair of tighty-whiteys: The AA-12 is nothing short of horkening.  You already know all about it - all survivalists do - but for the civilians out there, the deal with the AA-12 is that it is a unique ground-up design, all stainless steel, box/rotary mag-fed with incredible shock-absorption capabilities that allow for TOTAL FULL-AUTO CONTROL.  I am having fun with wild, humorous and vulgar vocabulary this blog, but I assure you that the AA-12 really does allow for full control when fired in full-auto - I have watched YOUTUBE vids of one man simultaneously firing an AA-12 in each hand on full auto, without any visible recoil or loss of target acquisition.  You've got to understand that for a survivalist, that is akin to watching one man having two simultaneous, multiple orgasms, one in each hand.  Hork.  Wait a sec - that's disgusting.  Who would want to see that?  Oh, whatevs.  I've also seen a vid of a guy dipping an AA-12 into a vat of water, lifting it out and firing it full auto, with water and steam pouring out of both breach and muzzle, to no ill effect.  My only question is, why are US soldiers not already using this weapon in the field?  No comprendo, Jorge.

Another future-is-now combat shotgun worthy of mention: the RAAC Akdal MKA 1919 (say that 5 times fast, Ranger!), which is an AR-type, box-fed 12-gauger.  Who comes up with these names?  Seriously.  Pure Vulcan porn.  I find the RAAC Akdal hideously ugly, but I'm told all dragonslayers are.  And the arctic-urban camo IS kind of fun.  Good Lord is it a big bugger, tho.  One can only imagine the fun-stopping capabilities of this ball-buster.  Eek.

One last behemoth, which I also don't like: the Kushnapup Series V, which is a US$200 SAIGA bullpup conversion kit.  If you ask me, it looks like an IMI TAVOR clone in 12 gauge.  Except that I like the TAVOR.  Go figure.

 

OK, now for the money shot: the FRAG-12 HE grenade.  That's right - 12 gauge high-explosive grenades.  They make 'em and they work in the AA-12.  One word: Boobies.  That's all I got to say, my pecker hands are about to fall off from all this pecking, and I still need to milk some more mileage out of them before the sun sets.  Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck!  Have fun with this info.  Go wild with it.  Dream, and dream BIG.  Maybe one day someone, somewhere, will be able to print/CNC one of these bad boys in their own kitchen...LEGALLY.  Yeah, right.  Get some sleep and kall me when you wake up.  Heh-heh.

The Hippie Survivalist - The Horkening

*This new Wrist Rocket Pro slingshot looks really cool.  It folds up and locks shut with the aid of a padlock, and it uses flat power bands.  It gets high reviews for durability and design.  You can find the basic unit for about US$45 with free shipping if you spend the time to google it out.

I gotta say, I have a thing for slingshots, particularly the old-school one-piece wrist rockets.  When I was a kid they were the height of cool.  I still have an aluminum one that I bought off my brother somewhere around 1980.  Every few years I go buy some power bands and have fun for a few days, til I break the bands by pulling too hard, then I pack it away in storage once again.

*Awesome images of a custom, movie-prop crossbow below.  Folding stock, folding prod, wooden frame, metal hand guard, pistol grip.  If only...

 *Thank God Winter Solstice has come and gone - now the days are getting longer!  It's cold as hell though, and I'm not enjoying that one bit.  No house heater!

*Finished watching the BBC 6-episode PA TV show called The Last Train.  It's on YouTube in 9-minute chunks.  It ROCKS!  Seriously!  It's got awesome ruins and it's bleak and unique.  It's a grim little fairy tale.  Go BBC!

*A Zombie Killer, made from lengths of bike & machine chain wrapped around a stout hammer handle.  A "restored" relic from the Dark Years - that time after all the ammo was gone and most of the adults were dead, when humanity was saved by the child soldiers who used crude, neo-medieval weapons to literally hammer down the zombie uprising.  Them was the heroes who measured thems' daily victories in tons of undead flesh.

The Hippie Survivalist

*My favorite survival firearm of all time is still the 7.62 mm Chinese SKS carbine.  They haven't been available for years, but they retailed for US$99 - US$199 back in the late 80s.  Why I wike 'em so much?  Lemme tell yer.  I rike 'em cuz they butt-ass cheap, they MACHINED (not stamped or die cast), they gots an integral 10-round mag, they haz an integral bayonet (actually the carbine did not, cuz it had a shorter barrel), they gotted a cleaning kit stashed in the stock, and they built to last a rong, rong time.  They fire a robust, cheap round.  They promote conservation of ammo because of the integral mag.  The loaded stripper clips are lighter and much less bulky than box mags.  Truth is, the SKS is a poor man's AK-47.  AND there are still lots of after-market accessories available, like detachable, hi-capacity box and drum mags (only legal in some states, of course), synthetic/folding stocks (same shit again), optics, etc.

In my fantasies I outfit a militia with 'em, and they serve my men well.  While other survivors burn thru their ammo with high-capacity mags, and find their ARs to be high-maintenance sticklers, my men trudge on with their SKSs and Spetsnaz fighting shovels and out-endure them all.

*Spent some time in the shed today cobbling together a zombie club out of a hammer handle and two lengths of bicycle chain.  It's a real ugly PA beaut', yes Sir.

*The kitteh is giving me hot bites, not sure why.

*Dammit, I got a fucking cold.  I HATE getting sick.  Sore throats suck.  Coughs suck.  Pain sucks.

The Hippie Survivalist - Amazing Facts!

*ONE out of a BILLION people reads this blog.  Who says one simple fellah can't fuck up the entire world?

*The toy shield shown below is a genuine "restored" artifact from The Zombie Wars.  Reinforced in a back room weapons workshop in 2026, it was wielded in battle by Darth Colbert Edison, the legendary 9-year-old commander of the Children's First Regiment of Zombie Hunter/Killers.  The C1RZHK is credited with keeping human civilization intact in San Francisco during the Dark Years.  This shield was found in the basement of local resident Ms. Tomei Ryder upon her death in 2067, and now resides in Special Collections at the Stronghold ArchMuseum on Alcatraz Island.  Darth's fate is unknown.

*If you have internet access and some spare time and like PA flicks, check out the BBC miniseries The Last Train.  Very realistic ruins (for a change).

*OK, if you want a really cool PA read, start with Ship Breaker, then follow it with The Drowned Cities.  Written by Paolo Bacigalupi and sequentially aligned in the same deeply effed future world, both are excellent and unique young adult reads.

*Sometimes the word groove just isn't here, I don't know what to say, the syllables don't flow, this blog comes out stilted, fer fuck's sake I just write what I can and try to make it palatable if not funny...I understand if you are not overly impressed by the content, but then again it's free and you don't have to read it, so STFU about it already. ;-)

*The damnedest thing happened the other day.  A colleague brought me to a restaurant that did not exist!  It was in an old Metro bus in a secret location and for a small fee we ate soup to our hearts' content.  No permit, no license, no menu, no address, we brought our own wine...my kind of place.  Nearby was a store that did not exist.  It sold crafty things.  Thank God the Underground World is still out there...it may be the last bastion of creativity, character and sanity.

*Good day, Lords'n'Lasses!  May the Force be with you as you navigate the post-Christmas sales and approach New Years.  Don't drink too much, fer God's sake stay off the roads, and don't bother with Resolutions (they are forced and phony and never work out no-hoo!).

The Hippie Survivalist - Xmas Day Updates

*Merry Christmas, to all you Christians and consumers.  Don't know about you, but Christmas was never a religious holiday for my family - more a time to visit kin and exchange presents.  I find the tradition lacking, but hope to resuscitate it with Christmas Eve presents, a Christmas Day Picnic and the Legend of Santa Zombie when I have my own brood.

*Four awesome car gimmicks of yesteryear - press HERE.  The 45 rpm record player is my all-time fav.  Can you imagine?  It's nothing short of genius.  The 8-track tape was a close second, in terms of pure unwieldy-ness.

*An intriguing new all-electric vehicle that gets good mileage but is (as usual) no steal at 16-20K.  Press HERE.

*299 Days: The Community - a kindle survivalist ebook (US$9.95) that may be of interest to Hippie Survivalists.  I couldn't tell you for sure, since I haven't read it.

*The Snare-Vival-Trap looks like a good gizmo for a bugout bag, no?  It doesn't look like a deal at US$14.95 IMHO, but that's our economy for you.

*With a name like MAGS: Building A Mutual Assistance Group for Survival, this US$3.95 ebook was almost certainly written by an old-school, gun-loving survivalist.  It probably contains useful info - plz let me know if it does!  A year ago I would have purchased this without a second thought, but times change and I am reducing expenditures now, so I will forgo the purchase unless someone convinces me otherwise.

*This blog entry contains a useful basic intro to building a weapon from an 80% blank and a parts kit.

*More info on the planned survivalist community called The Citadel.  It's a fascinating idea and it's sure to be a useful experiment.  It doesn't quite suit my predilections, though - too utopian, too gun-oriented, too Patriot-oriented.  When I start my own community I intend to keep it solution-oriented and forward-oriented above all else.  This will allow the community members to be unencumbered by old notions and history as they let go of the past and embrace the changing present to create a more functional future.

*Jeez, just pumped this entry out in order to maintain my own space in the face of overwhelming family members.  Enjoy!

The Hippie Survivalist - How I Found My Intuition (A Dude's Confession)

* Years ago I read in a spiritual book (title long-forgotten) that one way to get in touch with one's Inner Voice (aka intuition) was to go on walks with no set course, and to consult one's Inner Voice for directions.  Well, walking is one of my favorite activities, and so at some point I began following these instructions.

What I found was that I would pose questions to my chest, and I would receive answers.  In fact, my Inner Voice (apparently based in my body) would talk to me in much the same way my conscious mind does, and I would end up having conversations with myself - Me versus my Inner Voice.  The directions my Inner Voice gave me were often at odds with where I consciously wanted to go.  In time my Inner Voice began kicking in when I was driving, and then later when I was at work.  It is loudest when I am under duress.  During periods when I am upset emotionally, it speaks very loudly and insistently to me, sometimes to the point where I argue with it (myself) because I don't want to do what it urges me to do.

The truth is that my Inner Voice, while not logical or even part of my conscious mind, is almost always right.  And as much as I sometimes resist the advice it gives me, I am aware that it is right.  I have ignored it at my peril on more than one occasion, and almost always lived to regret the decision.  At other times I have argued with it until I have arrived at a middle ground.  But by-and-large I have learned to simply abide by what it tells me to do, and let my own desires fall by the wayside.  That is the easiest path and I don't recall it ever steering me wrong.

This is a very brief and incomplete explanation of my relationship to my intuition, but my point is this: Intuition is a powerful survival tool.  It is so powerful that it could easily keep a person with no survival skills alive, if that person had the ability to tune into it clearly enough.  It could tell a person to leave an area immediately, to go right instead of left, to head towards that far hill, to drink from this puddle but not that puddle, to not fight back in one situation and yet to yell loudly in another - the list is endless.

Intuition, being illogical and non-quantifiable, is a spiritual attribute IMHO.  Accessible by anyone of any caliber or faith, it provides us with knowledge that we can't (otherwise) consciously access.

The cat just puked.

*Watched Breaker Morant last night, for the first time.  Well now, there's a movie with a perplexing moral message.  On one hand we like Morant for his sophistication and his ability in the battlefield, and on the other hand he is a killer of unarmed men.  We hate the fraudulent manner in which his farcical trial progresses, yet he is indeed guilty of the crimes he is charged with.  Can anyone truly say that a man who kills such as he did doesn't have a bullet or ten coming to him?  Live by the sword, die by the sword.  And yet, he is clearly a scapegoat, a pawn in a larger political game, and a victim of fate, egotism, cowardice and inhuman government bureaucracy.  I suppose that in the end the movie is simply a commentary on the utter pointlessness and unfairness of war.

Happy Sunday!

The Hippie Survivalist - Sunday Stuff

*I need to once again hype John Robb at Resilient Communities.  He offers a free weekly newsletter and also a paid monthly newsletter (both of which I receive and rate very highly).  In a world awash with low-end survivalist porn (this site included), John offers simple and unadulterated advice that promotes resilience without getting hung up on weapons and gear.

*I also need to once again hype John L Peterson's The Arlington Institute, which offers a free monthly newsletter called The Future Edition.  The Future Edition is one of my favorite monthly reads.  Over the years John's interpretation of current world events has taken a decidedly spiritual turn, and I am OK with that...although I question the validity of some things he discusses (such as UFO sightings and crop circles).   Still, he promotes the belief that humanity stands at a crossroads and that the way to embrace the future (and present) is to let go of the past and find new ways of being...and I can't argue that!

*Lastly, let's not forget to donate money to legit and responsible nonprofit entities that promote self-sufficiency and resilience in disadvantaged communities.  My own favorite nonprofits include Solar Cookers International, The Prison University Project at San Quentin State Prison, the Santa Cruz Homeless Garden Project and the Walker/Hupp Fund which pays for kids to attend Headwaters Outdoor School in Shasta.

 American Christmas in full glory, circa 2012 CE.

A scathing YELP review so inadvertently perfect that the proprietor of the

(local) business taped it to the front window for all to see.  My favorite bookstore.

Wasteland Weekend IV Hood Ornament

The Hippie Survivalist - Saturday Blog

*A mass shooting yesterday that left over 20 KINDERGARTENERS dead.  Endless drive-by shootings in Oakland.  Our society grows sicker day-by-day.

*My own week was difficult also, for lesser reasons - work stress, reduced income, a cold house with no heater, conflicting feelings that on one hand life is not fair, and on the other hand life owes us nothing at all and I am lucky to have anything more than a shirt on my back and enough food to survive.  And also, in some strange way I am glad to feel so down-and-out...it reminds me of the bottom line, it reminds me that I am a hard worker, it reminds me that I am a survivor.

I feel as if I am a spiritual person who is living a materialistic life in a society that corrupts the soul incessantly and invisibly.  I remind myself that it is more important to care and to give than to indulge and to take.  I remind myself that when I die I will die naked, penniless and alone - all I will bring with me into the energy world is the sum total of all I've been.  And the sum total of who I've been is the result of the choices I have made, the intentions I have chosen, and the efforts I have put forth.

*A thought or two on pornography: There is a lot of buzz on the internet that a recent study showed that porn stars have higher self-esteem and are happier than civilians.  Yeah, right.  I don't believe it for a second.  That kind of sensationalist BS is exactly what our sick society would have us believe, so that greedy people can make more money on our blind indulgences.  Most porn is grotesque, demeaning and blatantly indecent and immoral.  It doesn't take a theologian to figure that out, all it takes is a moment of inner reflection.

I am not down on all porn, but there are many degrees of indulgence and debasement that occur within the realm of pornography, and it appears to me that the bottom line is pretty fucking low.  On the one hand pornography can enhance sexual freedom, excitement and pleasure, and on the other hand it can result in vulgarity, abuse and dangerous levels of debasement.  Sometimes I wonder what demons porn stars are cavorting with, or if some of them are demons themselves, born to spread the evil of total self-indulgence in the modern world.

I get sick of reading lies that portend to be truths.

*Scored this old-school kit crossbow at the Flea for ten bucks this morning.  Been looking for one for years!  It's got a wooden frame, a machined aluminum bow and a functioning aluminum action/trigger.  All I need to do is string it.  And I'll probably sand it and oil it with boiled Linseed oil.

*2.5 weeks ago I stopped eating gluten and refined sugar.  The first thing I noticed is that I was no longer hungry all the time.  Then I lost about 5 pounds, quite quickly.  I'm assuming those pounds were water, the result of incomplete metabolism of sugar.  I'm hoping to lose more weight, but it hasn't happened yet.

*Ticket sales to Wasteland Weekend IV got off to a rip-roaring start on December 6th at noon.  They limited total sales to 1,500 tickets, to keep the event small and awesome.  Apparently there are still tickets left in the $85 bracket...but if you want to go, BUY YOUR TICKETS SOON!  Next year's 4-day event will take place 9.26.2013 - 9.29.2013.  All I can say is, 4 days of awesomeness for less than $60 (in my case)...WOW.  Just, WOW.  It was a lot of fun last year and my WW buds and I are really looking forward to even more fun next year.

*So I finally did it - bought about 15 wooden cigar boxes of all manner of sizes and shapes, tore off their tiny hinges and catches if they had any, and added gate-sized zinc hinges, hasps and handles, turning them into "Crafty Mini-Boxes".  They are a bit crude, but cute as hell and usable for storing ammo, stash, lunch, snacks, matches, smokes, etc.  I want to mount one on the front fender rack of my bike, like a mini-trunk.  I'm giving them out as Christmas presents this year.

*The massacre at the kindergarten yesterday has brought up the issue of Gun Control, and given the heinousness of the crime it is difficult for me not to give the issue some thought.  I find that I can play Devil's Advocate for both sides.  The issue is convoluted and complex, and a great deal of it has to do with mental health, which is hard to quantify.  At the far end of the pro-gun spectrum is James Rawles, saying that teachers should carry guns, as they do in Israel and South Africa.  I don't know what to say to that...although my first thought is that Rawles is simply addicted to guns.  They seem to solve every problem in his world.  If we make concealed carry permits super easy to obtain, and everyone winds up armed, will this lead to a civil society or to a society that blows itself apart in an unending series of ever-larger gunfights?  We are a self-destructive, sick society, one that is waning and has seen better days.  And guns don't address any of that, nor do they solve, ameliorate or heal any of the underlying causes of crime - they merely have the capacity to physically stop crime from occurring.  The Wild West was a very different time and place than modern America.  Maybe morality and respect are alive and well in the American Redoubt...but I don't think they are in Los Angeles, with its teeming millions. 

Every time I contemplate the ills of our modern Western society, and the plight of the world as a whole, I am left believing that the trick to survival is to find and start lifeboat communities of like-minded individuals who are spiritual but realistic, talented and committed, and to make these communities as self-sufficient and resilient as possible.  Should they be armed?  Fuck yes.  My Inner Hippie is not stoned.

Designing A Resilient Community

If I had a billion dollars to spend, I might well spend it building a resilient community from scratch.

Community gardens would be spread throughout.  A maze of alleyways would provide thru-traffic for bicycles and pedestrians.  A loop street car system would provide public transportation.  There would be an industrial zone, but zoning would also allow permitted restaurants, retail shops, and maintenance shops to operate out of private residences.  There would be one central park that would be designed after the old French park in New Orleans that takes up a square block and is fenced and has a mandala pattern of plants and paths inside, and is locked after hours.  I love that park.  There would be a downtown commercial zone modeled after an old school Main Street, and there would be several smaller commercial zones spread throughout the community.  The phone system would probably be wireless.  The community would have its own power plant and a closed grid that would be fed extensively by residential solar and wind systems.

Residential lots would face South to maximize sunlight.  Rainwater catchment would be mandatory for all buildings.  A simplified building code would be enforced.  Alternative building methods and materials would be promoted.  Small scale solar electric and solar heating systems would be ubiquitous.  Series hybrid vehicles would be encouraged, as would home charging stations.

A central database would exist that would promote DIY self-sufficiency among the residents via a website.  A program would be set up which would encourage residents to give to the community and create their own community projects.  There would be no paid public officials - all positions would be voluntary.  

A raised berm would surround the community.  It would be fronted by a ditch and topped with a defensive concrete wall.  There would be a set number of access points to the community, each of which could be shut with ease.

While I would want to cultivate a small-town ambiance, there would be one central "super road" thru town which would be specifically designed to allow motorized traffic to get across town as quickly as possible.  Stop signs would be discouraged, and be replaced with traffic circles.  Bicycles would have their own, more lenient set of traffic rules.

The town would be built on, and governed by, several basic tenets, including "Git 'er done", "Do it right the first time" and "Simple don't break".  A general Common Sense ethic would pervade the community, too.  In addition, discretion, courtesy and mutual respect would be embraced as community tenets.

I would want the community to look and be interesting, and I would recreate parts of my favorite places in the town.

The town would also have a public lake or river...with a beach, of course.  :-)

Saturday Night Blog

* Woke up this morning, ate oatmeal, walked to get coffee, then bought organic produce at the local farmers market and ammo at the local sporting goods store.  It was an urban Hippie Survivalist kind of AM.

* Been raining heavily off and on for the last few days.  Nice set of storms, though - they are warm, from Hawaii.  It is cozy weather, kitty cat weather.  As soon as it clears I'll install one last rain gutter on my laundry room roof and attach it to the 3 recycled 50-gallon rain barrels I recently purchased.  They will be daisy chained together.

 

* Really awesome video HERE showing how to easily and inexpensively set your wrist rocket up to shoot arrows.  I am very happy to have found this video.  I think this guy's setup is ingenius, and I'd rather have a single folding slingshot than a bow.

* Lest you forget how to make a grid-down refrigerator, go HERE to polish up your skills.  This is must-have, must-know information for our energy descent future.

* I thought these Survival Tube Kits were cool, and it will be fun as hell to make my own out of PVC and my own gear.

* Recently watched Blood of Heroes for the first time.  Can't believe I never knew about it!  It's part of the PA canon.  Going to have to buy it and study it.  Found out it was filmed in Coober Pedy, Australia, too.  I was there a couple of years ago, spent the night in an underground hotel.  Here is a cool LINK to a neat Jugger story concerning the movie - be sure to follow the link at the end to see the awesome costume photos.

* In case you are in need of awesome PA flicks to watch, I want to recommend a few (in addition to Blood of Heroes).  The Horde is hands-down one of the best zombie flicks ever made.  You MUST watch it.  Stakeland is ostensibly a "vombie" flick, but really an atmospheric PA flick of epic proportions.  It never ceases to amaze me - I can watch virtually any/every scene repeatedly, it's like poetry.  Bellflower is not truly PA, but it contains enough homage to Mad Max to make it a must-see.  It is an experimental, low-budget film with epic cinematography.  Another zombie flick worth watching is Rambock: Berlin Undead.  It's only an hour long but that's alright.

* Passed this old Dodge Power Wagon outside the Farmers Market today.  What a truck!  Note the tool/battery boxes built into the fenders, the heavy duty front grill, the winch and the epic front bumper.  There was a homemade hippie camper on the back, with a loft tacked onto the top.  What I like about this old truck is it crosses the line between tractor and truck, and it is more of a motorized platform than a regular vehicle.  If I win the lottery I will refurbish one of these puppies and put a custom aluminum flatbed on back.

* HERE is a a cool little gizmo made by Revelate Designs which attaches to your bicycle's handle bars and allows you to carry a stuff sack.  I just got it and I'm going to test it out.

Gear Porn and The End of the US Dollar

*Speak of the Devil: A few posts back I mentioned AWD motorcycles...and now a Japanese company called Tretta has marketed an AWD bicycle!  I really, really like the idea, and I find the design intriguing, but here's the rub: I like my mountain bike and don't want to replace it with an inferior bicycle that happens to have AWD.  I think someone should go with this design technology and develop and market a portable, front-wheel-drive add-on for regular bicycles.  That would allow people to customize their existing rides.  Maybe we will see more innovation in the future.

*Leatherman has released the new RAPTOR, a tool for medics that is built around a pair of EMT shears.  Being a fan of EMT shears, I am hugely excited by this new tool and plan to purchase one.

 

 

The shears themselves are composed of 420HC stainless steel and can have their tension adjusted to suit a user's needs. Additionally, the Raptor contains a strap cutter, oxygen tank wrench, 5 cm ruler, ring cutter, and carbide-tip glass breaker – almost anything a emergency responder might need to free someone so they can be taken to safety. The handles are made of a glass-filled nylon, which can stand up to hot and cold conditions and provide a firm grip when wet with water or blood.

The Raptor can fold almost in half into a more compact position with all the tools other than the medical shears themselves still easily accessible. It also comes with a molded sheath that holds the multi-tool whether it's open or folded and can be rotated and locked in place at a user's side, depending on their needs. The shears also have an optional pocket clip and lanyard for those who prefer to not use the sheath.

Leatherman plans to begin shipping the Raptor worldwide in spring of 2013 with a suggested retail price of US$70.00.

*Ooh, this is a neat one: A startup is selling a line of titanium stash tubes called Ti2 Sentinels.  Pricing varies from $25 to $200. Available in small, medium, and large versions with differing interior diameters, these titanium tubes are completely waterproof and corrosion resistant, can easily be hooked to rings, clips, or lanyards, and offer a three-piece design to ensure you can get everything out of them when the time comes. Great for caching survival tools, cash, valuables and medicine, or for EDC.

I foresee that a person could bury one if needed.  I hope we see these widely advertised in the future.

*China Launching Gold Backed Global Currency  Read this and weep, fellow Americans.  It may be alarmist hype(I don't know), but the truth is that China has been arranging deals with its trade partners whereby the US dollar is circumvented, and this bodes ill for our economic future.  As goes the status of the almighty US dollar, so goes the US economy.  My advice: Do wise things with your US dollars while they still have purchasing power.

Cyber Monday

*

I went to the indoor range yesterday and blew off 50 birdshot rounds, 10 buckshot rounds and 15 slugs.  Breech-loaded most of them, and realized I need to practice racking rounds more.  I have trained myself to automatically thumb the safety on after every round I fire!  Talk about muscle memory.  Got home and all 3 new accouterments - the stock, the heat shield and the mag extender, were loose.  Damn near shook the gun apart!  Live and learn.  Gonna have to keep an eye on all of them in the future.

 *

Knives.  I have an interest in them.  I'm always looking for the knife that feels right for me, and I'm rarely finding it.  Below are 3 knives that I bought, and my amateur opinions on them (I apologize in advance for the poor quality of the photos).

Scorpion Knives Overt Talon Range knife (Top) and the Scorpion Knives Parry Blade (Bottom).

Here is the description of the Parry Blade (aka The Mel Parry Brute Combat Survival Blade) as lifted from the Scorpion Knives web page:

"The knife is strong and heavy, with a blade 9 inches long made from ¼ inch thick X46Cr13 420 stainless steel. The main cutting edge is bevel-ground for strength, whilst the deep belly shape takes the weight forward, in the manner of a Khukri, giving the knife a powerful chopping stroke. The point looks clipped in shape but is ground to provide a spear point that accentuates its use for prying/levering and digging. Also near the choil is a hollow-ground section which is honed to razor sharpness for fine cutting and whittling, ideal for making fire sticks. The serrated edge on the spine of the blade provides for a sawing action capable of cutting rope, webbing or gristle. The knife is of a full tang construction, with black linen micarta screwed to the tang providing for ease of replacement, resulting from either wear, damage or the choice of an alternative grip to be fitted.

Also in order to extend the survival attributes of the knife it has been found that by wrapping paracord around the handle, this provides some 2m of cord for use in either a survival situation or correspondingly as a means of restraint for when the role is reversed to one of combat."

 
This is an expensive blade, over US$300 if I remember correctly.  I have not used it, I have merely hefted it, examined it and wondered at it.  It is a good-looking knife!  By all accounts, it is supposed to be the be-all and end-all of survival knives.  But I don't believe that, and here's why:

The canvas sheath is inadequate.  While well-constructed for what it is, it is big, shapeless and boxy.  It lacks precision and doesn't do the quality or price of the knife any justice.  And the sharpening rod does not fit adequately in its pocket.  

The knife itself is well made, on the heavy side, and BIG.  It feels like a small machete.  It lends itself to chopping motions.  The handle is VERY thick, so thick that small or medium-size hands will have trouble gripping it.  Forget about wrapping paracord around the handle - that is not remotely feasible.  The hammer-edge at the back of the grip?  It's nice, and allows you to really swing the blade around.  But the metal side pieces appear to be glued on or otherwise attached, and what part of the knife would you hold to hammer with -- the blade???  This knife is clearly a labor of love, but for the life of me I cannot imagine using it for anything other than splitting wood or chopping wood or chopping at zombie arms...and I'd rather use a hatchet for all of those things.

After owning this knife for some time, my conclusion is that knives this large have no real-world application.  PERHAPS an expert woodsman or soldier could survive with a knife of this sort, if it was the only tool he had...but he would have to have very large, strong hands, and I don't see how this knife can adequately whittle or carve wood, chop carrots, gut and skin an animal, or even cut rope for that matter.  Basically, I don't see how it can do any of the precise things that knives are normally used for...ie: any of the things that a $12 Mora knife can do, and do well.

There you have it.  I will attempt to sell this intriguing blade at a discount, online, in the not-too-distant future.

Below we have the Talon, also made by Sheffield-based Scorpion knives.  I really liked the look of this blade on the website, and drooled over it for 2 years before recently taking the plunge and buying it.  Here is a description of the "Overt" school of knives produced by Scorpion:

"The Overt range of knives - Talon, Interceptor, Pathfinder, Aviator and Snipe - has been created with intimate knowledge of what is required in the field of combat.

Scorpion Knives has undertaken the design of this range of knives in partnership with ex US Marine Corp Veteran Bob Beasley. These extremely effective knives are based on a selection of some of the more popular and functional designs currently used in military fields of operation around the world.

All the blades are 5" (12.7 cm) long and are made from 0.2" (5mm) x46Cr13 – 420HC stainless steel hardened to RC 57-58. These knives will hold an edge well but can be easily sharpened in the field – a must for military operations.

The full tang construction of each knife has an overall length of 10.75" (27.5 cm) and exquisite polished Linen Micarta scales form the handle that is contoured with finger grips. Linen Micarta not only looks great but is one of the most ergonomic of materials and ideal for use over extended periods. The lanyard end also incorporates a glass/Perspex breaker."

My amateur analysis of this knife:

It looked slimmer and smaller in the photos, and I fancied it to be a "dirk".  However, upon receiving it I was immediately struck by its size, and particularly the size of its handle.  The handle is very large, ungainly even, and looks and feels too large for the blade.  And yet the blade itself is also too big, even for combat (IMHO).  I also worried about that very sharp, pointed tip getting broken or dulled or smashed.

That said, the knife is well crafted.  It just seems "off" in its design.

Unlike the Parry sheath, this sheath felt like it fit the knife.  It was the right size.  BUT, the knife did not fit into it fluidly.  The last half inch was a wrestling match, every time, and the blade absolutely refused to slide in the last few millimeters, leaving it slightly out of skew.

I admired this knife, but it didn't feel like anything I'd ever use.  It felt very strange in my hand.  So, I returned it.

These two knives are most interesting, and clearly hand made with love and talent, and I'm sure that they are right for the right people.  They are simply too big for my comfort level.

Below we have the Boker M3 Trench knife, which I am very, very happy with.  Here is a description lifted off the internet:

"Designed in 1943, the M3 Trench Knife was intended to be used by any U.S. soldier during World War II who was not equipped with a bayonet - soldiers with pistols, submachine guns, light and heavy machine guns, etc. The first troops to receive the M3's were the Airborne, Mountain Ranger and Glider infantry units. Among the nine manufacturers who produced the M3 during wartime was H. Boker & Co., with a total of 31,300 pieces, which was the smallest quantity. For the 65th anniversary, Boker Plus is reintroducing this classic piece of combat cutlery, along with a reproduction metal U.S. M8A1 scabbard. The black coated blade is made of high carbon SK-5 steel and features the original H. Boker & Co. blade tang. The handle is made of stacked leather pieces. To ensure the quality of the M3, each knife features a laser engraved serial number. Blade length: 6 3/4". Overall length: 11 3/4". Weight: 8.4 oz. Made in China."

This knife can be had for less than $70, which makes it a bargain (IMHO).  Here is why I like it:

It is a proven combat knife, very similar to the KA-BAR but with a dagger blade.  It is easy to hold and wield, and the stacked leather grip fits well in the palm of my hand.  Despite its almost terrifyingly long bade, it is a surprisingly slim, lightweight knife.  The blackened carbon steel blade is VERY sharp.  It feels dagger-like and is clearly capable of delivering death with a single thrust.  The metal sheath is substantial, and has a drainage hole in the bottom, as well as a leg-tie.  I removed the web-belt wire hook at the top and replaced it with a cord hanger.  Yes, this is a trench knife, but it will also effectively cut cord and rope, and whittle wood.  It will make a good truck box/BOB knife.  And if the shit ever hits the fan, rest assured it will be as important to me as my Mossberg.  Bummer it's made in China!

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Saturday

*Gonna go fire some birdshot tomorrow.  At the indoor range.  Got an itchy trigger finger.

*Scored an antique hand crank tool grinder at the Flea today.  Came home, used it to put a piss-poor edge on a railroad spike, then took it apart, cleaned it up, and determined that it has some...issues.  Irreparable issues.  But it got me thinking.  They still make these handy little machines, for less than a C-note.  I'm gonna buy me one and use it to put sharp edges on dull metal.  I try not to use power machines if I don't have to, just don't like them.

*Sometimes the cat is just TOO warm and TOO fluffy, but I can't turn her down and I can't kick her out from under the covers, so I just have to bear with it.  Things could be worse.

*That's it, just a short entry tonight.  Time to go to sleep.

Ugh

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Well, shoot, I didn't mean to re-format/design this blog, but I hit the wrong button and there was no going back.  I have to fine-tune a couple of things but it seems OK for the time-being.

But Black Friday doesn't care!  Black Friday just roars on.

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A Small Miracle

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This post isn't about me getting laid.  When that small miracle occurs, rest assured I will describe the event in excruciating, stomach-churning detail.  No, what I am about to say is infinitely more interesting.  You might wanna empty your bowels before you read any further, so that the shock of the following paragraph doesn't cause you to fill your pants.  Think I'm joking?  Hey - don't say I didn't warn you.

Back in the early-mid 80s, when I was a budding camper/survivalist, I purchased a high-tech waterproof flashlight at a store in Palo Alto.  I remember that the battery was special - it was lithium, and it was supposed to last 10 years(!).  Let's say I bought that Tekna Splashlight in 1985.  Well, that flashlight never felt quite right to actually use, so in the decades since it has spent years at a time hidden in various bugout containers, and to this day I have never actually used it.  But every few years I pull it out and turn it on...and it still works, as the photo below attests!  The battery is...let's do the arithmetic here...probably 27+ years old, and still functioning.  That is rather astonishing.  Most batteries begin to leak acid after a few short years, and actually destroy the plastic casing of the flashlight in doing so.  That's it.  That's my exciting story.  You may now fill your pants, if you haven't already vacated yourself.

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Tomorrow I may take a file to the false edge of my East German AK-47 bayonet, and attempt to give it a real, double-sided edge.  I run the risk of utterly destroying the blade, but then again the thing is built like a tank and can only spread peanut butter at the present time, so I don't have much to lose.  It's not like I'm going to diminish its razor edge.

The photo below shows the false edge, which can't cut paper.  Yes, this...tool, for want of a better word...would function as a bayonet...but you would have to jam it into your victim, the way you would jam a nail or a pen or a railroad spike or anything else that does not have an actual sharp knife edge.

This next photo shows the other side of the blade, which has precisely no edge whatsoever!  This is the side that I will file down.  The key will be in angling the new edge consistently.

Don't get me wrong - I absolutely adore my AK-47 bayo.  Like the AK-47 it is meant to augment, it is designed to last a hundred years, even if buried in the mud and never maintained.  I don't refer to it as a knife, but rather as a tool, because while it can't presently cut anything, it can spread peanut butter, dig, open letters, punch holes in flesh, pry nails, cut wire...and replace a tent stake.  It appeals to the creative side of me.  You can't bust it, no matter what you use it for.  But if you did bust it, you wouldn't care anyhow, because it's no work of art.  Just think of it this way: THIS BAYONET DOES NOT EVER NEED TO BE SHARPENED.  BECAUSE IT CAN'T BE SHARPENED.  IT HAS NO EDGE.

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After less than a week, my lock picking skills have increased dramatically.  I figured something out.  When using the tension lever, there is no tension, the "tension zone", and full tension.  Full tension locks the pins in place.  What you want to do is hold the lever in the tension zone, and gently move it back and forth, taking care not to bridge the boundary to no tension or full tension.  When you learn to do this correctly, locks that otherwise seemed virtually impossible to open, open in a matter of seconds.  The reason being that the gentle motion in the tension zone allows the pins to slide right into place...and stay.

But also, my sense of touch has increased dramatically.  I am using new parts of my brain.  It causes me to think differently, and to visualize the interior of the lock.  Pretty cool.

Lock picking is a fun hobby.  And the motto for us hobbyists is: "Only pick locks that you own".  For obvious legal reasons...but also because it damages the locks.

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Beautiful weather today.  Absolutely heavenly.  Spent the afternoon in the shed, sorting tools and materials, figuring out some crafty and inexpensive Christmas presents.  The cat stalked and almost caught a bird, but the bird merrily flew away.  I went on two separate bike rides around town.  No traffic.  Ahhhhhh.  Happy Thanksgiving!

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Two-Wheel Drive Motorcycles

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Rokon seems to have been the only maker of two-wheel drive bikes in the US of A - or anywhere - for as long as I can remember.  I've never driven one and rarely seen one, but they hold a certain mystique as being durable and unique All American machines.  As far as I can tell, they aren't like regular motorcycles.  Their engines put out a scant 7 HP, they have low-geared automatic transmissions, they don't have suspensions, they have hollow wheels which can float the bike when empty or be filled with water or fuel, they have very high clearance, and of course they have power to their rear AND front wheels.  They look like real ball-busters.  Perhaps the coolest thing about them is that they actually function more like tractors than motorcycles, and they can be outfitted with a plethora of attachments to turn them into farm/work vehicles.  Accessories include a game rack, a side car, a PTO with pump or generator, saddlebags, farm implements and front suspension.  If I had the money to outfit a Bug Out retreat, I'd furnish it with a few dirt bikes for transportation, and at least one Rokon for work.

Enter Christini Technologies, which is now producing state-of-the-art two-wheel drive dirt bikes.  You've got to see them to believe them.  Unlike the Rokons with their ungainly front wheel chain drive, the Christini's front drive is hidden within the frame and front forks.  They are decidedly hi-tech, 2-stroke bikes.  Check out their website!

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Do you ever miss the good old days, when the Cold War was in full swing and the threat of nuclear war was ever-present and the Russkies were scaring the piss out of us with their bat shit antics in the Sandbox?  Sometimes I do.  It wasn't a fun time to live in, but it has become brighter in retrospect.  I remember honest-to-God REAL survival magazines like Soldier of Fortune and Survive, and t-shirts that said Big Mac Attack and Nuke Em Til They Glow Then Shoot Em In The Dark.  Back then you could buy Uzis and real AR-15s and high-capacity pistols in California, and full-auto parts kits at gun shows.  But the world has changed.  TEOTWAWKI took a sharp turn and become The Slow Slide.  Survivalism, my Friends, has gone mainstream.

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Tuesday Hippie Farm News

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Hi!  Holy fuck, work really knocked the piss out of me this afternoon.  I got hit with a ton of work and sank under it like hot shit in cold water.  Oh man.  Thank God the day ended.  Now I'm at home on the couchola - picking locks, researching chain mail supplies and breech-loading snap caps for fun.  Was gonna watch Paper Moon, but left the effin DVD at work....

So I found a new gear site that is kind of like County Comm but better.  Less merchandise, but a better selection of unique BOB/EDC high-end micro-gear.  It's called VigilantGear.  Also, located zipper pull-concealed handcuff keys HERE.  And, I went online looking for lock pick sets and found a bunch of picking gear that I won't even post links too...some things just shouldn't be legal in the hands of civilians.  Really, the peeps selling this stuff online are fucking the rest of society over.

The kitteh kitteh is looking beautiful these days, glowing and reminding me of a wedge of German chocolate cake with a wet nose every time I look at her.  She likes it when her Poppa sits with her on the couch.  Last night she was a little fireball, kept my legs hot all night long.  When she cleans herself under the covers, her whiskers and fur tickle like mad.  It's ridiculous, it's like sleeping with a hot, heavy, feathered potato.

Season III of The Walking Dead really rocks hard - they finally eased up on the drama and got more story/action in the works.  It is hard core!  Dang.  There really isn't any letup any more, it's just run, fight, kill, on and on.  Me likey.

Me, I'm lucky.  Got a good job to work at, a blessed cottage to live in, the most beautiful kitty cat in the world, the best sister ever, a great bicycle, and my dream M590A1.  I live in California, and you can say what you want about it, but it is in many ways one of the freest places anywhere, ever.  It lies at the far edge of World culture and civilization.  Go any farther West and you get wet.  Can't wait to live up North one day, deep in the mountains.

Of course, everything is not perfect in Egypt - I also have a fucking bladder infection that has required 2 separate fingers up my ass and 3 rounds of antibiotics to date.  Ever had a 35-year old Asian woman stick her finger up your ass?  One word: Mortification.  "What did you feel?"  "A BURNING SENSATION!"

Ordered 3 rain barrels the other day, got a good deal.  Gonna daisy-chain them together under a single spout, probably raise them a foot or so and attach a hose for the lawn.

The current fantasy is an AimPro Tactical 185.  Still waiting to get pricing from the website, they don't list any.

Well, it's another boring post from another boring Hippie Survivalist.  Yeah, this ain't the best blog in the world, I know.  But it gets around!  God, shotguns, gear porn, the lovely kitteh, prophecies.  Once in awhile I even have something worth saying.  Hey, Happy Turkey Day!

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My Baby

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Yes, Sir - that's my baby in the photos below.  I've owned a Mossberg 590A1 Mariner for many years now, and the only regret I have is fucking its finish up.  It is a hell of a weapon - extremely fun, intimidating, heavy-duty and effective.  This shotgun comes stock with 5+1 capacity, a weatherproof Marinecote finish, an 18.5-inch heavy wall barrel, an aluminum trigger assembly, an aluminum safety, a metal magazine cap, a brass bead sight, and lightweight plastic furniture.  It is a heavy weapon, much heavier than a Mossberg 500.  The weight does not bother me, though - I figure it just reduces the recoil and muzzle jump that much more.

In the photo below, the modifications I have made are, from muzzle to stock (L - R): a fiber optic sight, a Vang Comp +1 magazine tube extender, an AimPro Parkerized heat shield, a Hogue foregrip, a bright red magazine tube follower (not visible), a 5-shell ammo sleeve, and a 13" LOP Hogue stock.  I do not have a sling attached at this time, but the swivel studs are in place.

This photo (below) shows the Grateful Dead sticker on the receiver :-), and the open action.

IMHO the fiber optic sight, magazine extender, red magazine follower, and ammo sleeve are must-haves.  The Hogue furniture is VERY nice and grippy, but not essential.  The heat shield is cool as hell but a bit of a gimmick - my shotgun doesn't have a bayonet lug.

All of the modifications shown above are recent additions, with the exception of the fiber optic sight, which I've had - and used - for years.

I have shot skeet with this gun on 3 occasions (before the above-mentioned additions) and it was incredibly fun and satisfying each time.  The gun had considerably less kick than a longer-barreled skeet gun, weighed less, was much easier to shoulder and maneuver, and was very effective at hitting the first clay pigeon...but not so good at hitting the second clay pigeon.  The shot pattern simply opened up too wide too fast to effectively dust the pigeon at range.  A hit on the second pigeon usually consisted of a pellet or two striking it, and it breaking into two pieces.

I recently learned how to breech-load, and it is now one of my favorite hobbies.  I use snap caps at home, but have range experience, too.  Even tried breech-loading at skeet!  Fun as hell.

I know people that excel at the pistol, or are into optics and long-distance shooting, and that's fine.  I'm happy for them.  But it takes all kinds to make the world go around.  Me, I love my short-range 590A1 riot gun.  I have an affinity for it.  It's my CQB End-of-the-World weapon. Now I just gotta see how much survival kit I can pack into the stock...

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Bat Cat - Part the Second

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Alfred tossed me out of the mansion again last night, after he caught me licking the frosting off of Robin’s birthday cake.  The stodgy old crumb.  Never one to let the dramatics of an old buffoon get me down, I hoofed it thru the rain to Gotham’s Gaslight District.  There I threw dice and drank with my furry brothers in the back alleys.

I quit while I was even, then Batphoned Cat Woman.  We met for lattes at Cafe Vampirica, made small talk and smoked a Gitane.  Then she slipped me inside her purse, bought a single ticket to the late show at the Red Brick Theatre across the street, and smuggled me in.  I sat on her lap while we watched The 39 Steps from the balcony.  Her hands were warm and she rubbed my tummy.  In no time at all I was purring like a V12 on the autobahn.

However, nothing is as it seems with that beguiling seductress, and soon she was pressing me for details of the “Wayne family fortune”.  When I played coy and merely meowed in reply, she grew perturbed, and hissed at me.  I gave her knee a hot bite, and we yowled at each other until the usher booted us out of the theatre.  Outside in the alley, she lifted my tail and gave me a sound spanking.  I stole a quick kiss, pawed her tights once, and skedaddled with a snarl.  Her laughter followed me for blocks.  Outwitted again - that woman knows how to play me like a stringed instrument.

It was half-past-two when I slogged back to the mansion.  The cat door was locked (Alfred - of course).  I slipped into the basement thru the drainage tunnel, fluffed myself up, and curled up on the still-warm hood of the Batmobile.  My Batphone buzzed.  It was a text, from Cat Woman.  “Next week, my Kitteh?  Purr Purr.”  I texted back, “Same Bat Place, same Bat Time.”

That woman: Impossible, impetuous, bewitching, unknowable.  In a word: Purrfect.  She always was the one for me.

I slept.

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Bayonets & Subcaliber Devices

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Unbeknownst to me, the US Marines decided to opt for a new bayonet in 2003.  Luckily, I approve of this :-).  Their new bayonet is called the OKC3S, and it rocks.  It looks very much like a KA-BAR and appears as if it would function like one (unlike many bayonets that have no use as knives).  I liked the M7 bayonet that it replaced, but never was a fan of the Army's M9 bayonet (still in use).  The M9 just doesn't look right - what can I say, it's too short and stocky.  A bayonet should be long and thin, so you can really spear the shit out of your enemy.  So there you have that.

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I'm pleased to announce to the many, many readers of this extraordinary blog that there are now several sources of subcaliber devices and barrel inserts on the internet.  These include:

Short Lane - Offers a range of rifled and un-rifled shotgun inserts in multiple lengths, as well as un-rifled revolver inserts.  They appear to be high-quality, and competitively priced.  Their selection appears to be growing, with new inserts available for pre-order.

GaugeMate - Their Silver Series adapters are made of stainless steel and are competitively priced.  Their Cartridge adapters are un-rifled but come in a range of pistol calibers.

Dina Arms Corporation - Honestly, the machining on the pictured inserts doesn't look too refined to me, and the 1 review I found was not flattering.

MCA Sports - Located in Anchorage, Alaska, this company has offered hand-made barrel inserts and subcaliber adapters for many years.  I have read many good things about them.  My 2 attempts at calling them and 1 attempt at emailing them never resulted in any response from them, BUT, to be fair, I never placed any orders, just asked questions about their products.

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IMHO, the ultimate survival gun might just be a 12 gauge Stoeger over-and-under Double Defender, with a dozen or so subcaliber barrel inserts stashed on the side (running the gamut from 20 gauge to .410 to rifled .22LR, .32, .357, 9mm and 44 Magnum).  Add to that a hollow stock, a bandolier sling and a bayonet lug.  Hey, if we're dreaming, we might as well dream big.

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Bat Cat

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I am Bat Cat. Yes - Bruce Wayne's mansion kitteh. On cold nights I slip thru the cat door into the basement and curl up on the hot, ticking hood of the Batmobile.  Cat Woman and I have a "thing" for each other, as you might well imagine. Robin, however, pinches me and pulls my tail when no one is looking.  And Alfred Pennyworth has chased me with a broom on more than one occasion. I wear a little cape that allows me to sail long distances when I jump off of tall perches. I then land on Bad Guys' heads and shred them silly. Also, my purrs have a narcotic effect on criminals, lulling them into hypnagogic incapacitation until Batman is able to bash their brains in with the Baterang.  I am friends with the mice and all furry brothers, and I wander each night in search of other Bat Things.

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October Notes

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Cool stuff:

A ceramic razor blade, available online for $12.  I do not own one, and because it is so small - about 1-inch long - I probably won't buy one.  However, it's a cool survival item, one that could be sewn into clothing and won't set off metal detectors, should you ever find yourself imprisoned by Bad Guys after the Zombies take over the world.

A screw-on bayonet lug for your AR-15, just $20.  Just what I would want if I had an AR-15 that didn't have a bayonet lug.  Now, I wish someone would design a similar bolt-on gadget that would allow you to attach a bayo to a Mossberg 590A1 with an 18.5-inch barrel....  Really.  I'm not just saying that.

Speaking of accessories for Mossberg 590A1s, check out this after-market heat shield, available by AimPro for $59 with a choice of Parkerized, OD, flat black, gunmetal gray or Flat Dark Earth finishes.  Folks, this is the only heat shield available ANYWHERE for the venerable 590A1...I'm so glad it's now available!

Two companies that offer souped-up, tactical Mossberg 590A1s: AimPro Tactical and Vang Comp Systems.  The AimPros look better to me, but then I have a penchant for heat shields and breacher barrels.  Both companies offer ported barrels!

The Mossberg 930 Special Purpose is looking mighty fine these days, available in many different configurations with several after-market parts (including numerous enhanced charging handles).  The 930 is an autoloader and one of the things I like about it is that the 18.5-inch barrel models have barrel-length magazines, offering +2 capacity over the equivalent 590 pump models.

Ah, speaking of which, there are mag extenders available for the 590A1.  Vang Comp makes a 1-round tube extender.  Choate makes a 2-round extender.  If you scroll down this page you will find descriptions and links to every extender made, complete with pricing and photos.

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I recently took a combat shotgun class and have the shoulder bruises to prove it.  I couldn't imagine more fun.  If I ever doubted that happiness is breech-loading bird shot rounds into a 590A1, I don't now.  I know that shotguns are limited by range and ammo capacity, and that the Mossberg 590A1 is a heavy bugger, but we are all prone to our individual predilections and skill sets, and if you are willing to do the sniping, I will engage the zombies head-on with my heavy-barreled hand canon.  :-)

My 590A1 has a Hogue foregrip and a fiber optic sight.  I had a really nice and effective Knoxx recoil-absorbing pistol grip with folding stock attached to it, but I removed it after quickly realizing - in class - that it obstructed the magazine release.  So much for that awesome gimmick!  So I'm back to the factory (plastic) stock for now.  But I have a Hogue 13" LOP stock on order, along with a +1 mag tube extender, a high-visibility follower and a heat shield.  When I finish kitting my Mossie out, it will be very heavy, but it will be Terminator-worthy, and slugs will not kick so hard.  I used to think I wanted a tactical Double Defense coach gun as backup, but after finishing the class I think I'd prefer a tactical 930 instead.  Something about the feel and sound of the charging handle and the semi-auto action...

Good night, good people!

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