American Survival Blog

I happen to be a huge crayfish fan and I am also a proponent of crayfish trapping for padding out your larder in the lean times. The “river lobsters” are found almost everywhere, breed quickly and are pretty nutritious. They are most active at night and can be baited with gizzards, dead worms, corn and quite a few other types of refuse. You’ll need a trap though, which can be purchased from Amazon or if you’re handy one can be built fairly cheaply, as this Pathfinder video demonstrates:

Crayfish cannot support you as a primary food source. I have never seen anyone pull more than an appetizer worth from a single trap (but then again I’m from the North East) but as a protein and vitamin rich addition to your pasta or Ramen crayfish can help stretch out the larder you have. And they are delicious with Tabasco. But more importantly they are easily trapped, and a trap line is my preferred method of making meat in an emergency because it requires the least amount of time and energy, freeing me up to do all the other things that will need doing after TEOTWAWKI.

Trapper Arne’s Crayfish Page is a good start on learning about harvesting these little morsels.

I went out to Luthi’s Sport and Pawn in Greenville today to do my own ammo hoarding, looking for cartridges for my Charter Arms Patriot chambered in .327 Federal Magnum. I bought the gun because it’s a versatile “kit gun” which will fire several commonly available calibers beside the new .327 including .32 H&R Magnum and .32 S&W Long. That last round, anemic by today’s standards, has enjoyed quite a comeback thanks to the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting which spurred an interest in working antique revolvers, many of which were chambered in various permutations of .32. Modern ammo shouldn’t be fired from an antique though, so don’t blame me if you try this and hurt yourself.

But although these calibers are available they aren’t, or I should say weren’t, particularly popular. When it looked like Obama was going to win I saw the writing on the wall and wanted to stock up. I chose what are called “oddball” calibers knowing the rush on 9mm, .223 Remington and anything 12Ga would drive prices through the roof and make getting these rounds a competition of who can get to the gun store the fastest and charge the most. Unfortunately I underestimated demand for the unique calibers because Luthi’s is completly out of .327 Federal Magnum and .32 H&R Mag even though two or three weeks ago they had plenty that wasn’t moving.

I guess some big mouthed blogger tipped someone off as my wife said to me as we left. I ended up buying a hundred rounds of .32 S&W Lead Round Nose, which will go well with the couple of hundred rounds of .32 wadcutters I have. But I’m still looking for more .327 and .32 mag for my hoard which is a little thin in the stopping power department. How thin? Less than I want of .327, but hopefully more than I’ll ever need. But I only have one measly box or .32 H&R mag which is a nice intermediate between the .327 and .32 for situations where you need more firepower than the .32 but aren’t quite ready for a mankiller (raccoons and foxes, which we’re lousy with here come to mind) so any readers who want to help a brother out and let me know where I can get some will have my gratitude.

The guy at the counter said basically they weren’t sure when they’d get more in, and that their last shipment of 9mm has increased in price by $8. Their ammo counter was looking sparse and they were doing brisk gun and ammo business at 2:30 in the afternoon, so if you need a piece don’t wait.

I noticed that Cheaper than Dirt, where I’ve also had great success with the “oddball” calibers I like are basically out of the stuff considered unpopular a year ago. This includes most of the 20 GA Buckshot and slugs and .410 buckshot rounds (I told you I like the odd stuff) and if their website is any indicator they have been unable to restock .45 LC for the last couple of months. All the popular calibers (9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP) are down to the bottom of the barrel discount Russian stuff or $3 a round specialty stuff few people can afford. Luckily my shotgun shell stash is deep enough that I’m not worried about getting more pistol ammo, but if you’re relying on a handgun as your primary firearm it’s time to worry.

Cabela’s is basically the same, and were already running light on revolver loads thanks to CAS shooters. There are still some deals there but you need to move quickly to get them. Most calibers I’m interested in are on back order.

The counter person at Luthi’s said to just keep checking back in and in these times it pays to have the number of the gun shop so you can check in and have them hold a box for you as soon as they know they’re getting a shipment. But the ammo shortage is is spreading out to rounds that are usually collecting dust on the shelves so if you don’t have what you need there’s no time to waste.

Cross posted at Red Alerts.

I was reading the current issue of  The Backwoodsman magazine when I came across an article by David Langerman called The Ultimate Bug Out Gun and How to Feed It in which he makes the not unconvincing argument that his preference for a survival weapon (the flintlock rifle)  has several advantages over modern firearms in a true TEOTWAWKI situation. He has a point in that should we really slide into even Second World status the ability to buy ammunition or even reload modern ammunition using smokeless powder and modern components will be severely curtailed. With that in mind the flintlock mechanism is a low-tech solution that provides anyone who can tinker around with naturally occurring substances (sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate) a viable shooting platform they can feed themselves without overly specialized knowledge.

Black powder can be (for the most part) safely made following a recipe easily available on the Internet and lead balls can be fabricated using equipment purchased through many sporting goods catalogs now. The Flintlock rifle certainly has saved the lives of many men and put food on millions of tables over the years, of that I have no doubt. But while David Langerman may be ready for anything with his flintlock does that mean “primitive” weapons are a good idea for the modern survivalist?

Short answer: no. While I encourage everyone to learn some primitive skills there has been an unfortunate mythology surrounding primitive skills that lead people to believe that they are both simpler and better than modern equivalent. This somewhat naive mindset can lead to tragedy when people assume that they can, after reading some books and attending a few primitive living classes, live out their Grizzly Adams fantasy in some unheated cabin in the middle of the woods.

If you are like David Langerman and are familiar with flintlocks and can operate one, fix one when it needs to be repaired, and truly understand how complex and delicate the flintlock is then including one in your survival plan is an excellent idea. But if you are just starting out getting prepared or have only a passing familiarity with muzzle loading in general or flintlocks in particular then my advice is to keep things simple. And flintlock rifles are anything but simple.

Primitive does not equal simple, often primitive technology is more complex and harder to use for the average person. Take starting a fire. The primitive way often involves using devices that take many months to truly master, and even when you’ve become expert at the use of hand bows or flint and steel fire making the techniques are prone to failure.  A light drizzle or errant gust of wind could mean several extra hours of tedious and frustrating work to start a fire, if you can get one going at all.

In my bug out bag I have lighters, matches and film canisters stuffed with Vaseline soaked cotton balls. Primitive? No. But I can light a fire when I need one and as of now I can stock up on all the materials I need. What I can’t do is spend all my waking hours honing primitive skills because I work and so do many of you. Primitive skills take a long period of time to master, and if you’re still (hopefully) a 9-5er with a family your preparedness hours are better spent stocking up on modern equipment and preparing to be self-sufficient than learning ancient skills. There will be plenty of hours in the day for you to perfect your primitive skills after TEOTWAWKI and after you’ve provided food and shelter for your family.

The same goes for the flintlock, but while buying a flint and steel set to mess around with is a small investment the several hundred dollars you drop on a good flintlock is better spent on Ramen, powdered eggs and heirloom tomatoes, all of which you could order from Amazon right now at 1/10th the cost of a flintlock rifle and that’s without the powder and accessories needed to operate one.

A good flintlock rifle runs anywhere between $400 for a sale model in a Cabelas catalog to a couple of grand for a hand made one. A single shot shotgun from N.E.F. or Rossi comes in under $200 and in some cases you can get them for under $100. Best yet the single shot shotgun is one of the most versatile, rugged and reliable firearms there is. Yes ammunition will be scarce to say the least after TEOTWAWKI but it isn’t TEOTWAWKI yet. Ammunition can be stockpiled easily through mail order and the Internet.

But more importantly the single shot shotgun can be mastered faster and maintained easier than any primitive weapons system. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve heard say they broke their flintlock the first time they cleaned it (you need a special spring vice apparently) or how many misfires cost them their buck during muzzle loading season. Learning to properly shoot and maintain a flintlock is a long and arduous process requiring hours of trial and error. The survivalist has no time for this. You need to maximize your time at the range by becoming proficient enough with your firearm that the ammo you have stockpiled will last a lifetime, and the gun itself can be passed down for generations.

In other words, you need to think like the people that traded in their flintlocks in the first place. The flintlock still may have limited use to a limited amount of people (re-enactors who have put in years of practice to master the arm) but most people should use the time and money it takes to master primitive arms to ensure they are prepared to survive. If flintlocks appeal to you and you have the money and time then having one is great, but I’ll stick to my shotguns and Bic lighters and anyone new to preparedness should do the same.

Smith & Wesson have generated a good deal of buzz with their Emergency Survival Kit, which is basically a waterproof box with a a selection of camping gear style “survival” supplies (Blast Match, Mylar space blankets and what my generation used to call a rape whistle) topped off with a snub nosed revolver in .460 or .500 S&W. It also comes with a book on bear attacks, which is available on Amazon.com for $12.71.

S&W sells the book along with gun and some basic camping gear for $1469.

The .460 S&W is considered a little less uncomfortable to shoot than the .500, so I expect most people considering the $1469 MSR priced box of goodies will go for that caliber, which has the added bonus of being able to chamber both .454 Casull and the venerable .45 LC rounds. But the .460 is still, in my humble opinion, too much gun for the average survivalist. Unless you spend all your free time at the range, and have an enormous tolerance for recoil, these new mega calibers are not for you. Just how much recoil are we talking about? Watch this vid and see what happens to this guy shooting a .460 around 19 seconds in:

Yeah, that’s alot of recoil. Granted the .460 is bear gun strong but people have been killing bears with guns for a long time now without using calibers that will make the casual handgunner develop a flinch that will affect accuracy and allow the bear in question to get a good mauling in before your next shot.

You’ll also note that the above video is of a much beefier handgun than the snub nose in the kit, which will have more kick to it due to the loss of weight. In a life and death bear attack, accuracy and fast follow up shots are what’s going to save your life, and a snub nosed .460 won’t give either to anyone but the most accomplished big bore handgunner.

Here’s what passes for rapid firing a .460: imagine if you will that a bear is charging the shooter who missed the first shot, and wounded the brute on the second (strong language warning):

A gun is a tool, like a hammer or a knife, and like a hammer or knife it is great for self defense, but its main purpose, for the survivalist, is to put meat on the table when you can’t go to a store. In bear country big bores may make sense but for the majority of us in the lower 48, who are looking for a gun to take us through some Katrina-style rough patches, the .460 is a dead end.

A revolver is an excellent platform for a survival gun, because it’s simple, reliable and less likely to break. In an emergency anyone can be taught to operate one quickly, and a misfire won’t stop the gun from working. But in a TEOTWAWKI-style disaster, you’re not just going to be defending yourself against huge omnivores, you’ll be hunting small game like squirrels and rabbits, fending off packs of feral dogs and you’ll need to have stocked up on bulk ammunition which means going for a reasonably priced caliber. The .460 excels at none of these.

The best all round survival gun is probably the shotgun, with 12ga being the top dog, though I admit to owning and being quite happy with an NEF Survivor in .410/.45. In the sprawling megalopolis of the Northeast, the little .410 does everything I need it to do. When I need to “load for bear,” I grab Federal’s 225 grain semi-wadcutter hollow points.

But in terms of a survival handgun I’d choose either a double action .357, .44 or .45. The .357 is best because most of them can also chamber lower powered .38 specials. While not an ideal bullet for small game, you could conceivably kill a rabbit without wasting too much meat, and still have plenty of oomph left in the other cylinders.

.44’s and .45’s aren’t going to leave much behind but a smear on small game, though deer and similar sized animals are routinely harvested with these calibers. But if it’s stopping power you crave these are more manageable than a .460. If you don’t mind damaging the rifling of the barrel over time (and we are talking about emergencies), I’ve seen plenty of .44 shot loads for taking small game, but I’ve never even met someone who has used them so I can’t recommend them. Taurus offers a .45./.410 revolver in various configurations that’s just eccentric enough to pique my interest. They’re actually being made to fill a demand for anti carjacking guns in Latin America, so I’m not sure how suitable they are for survival use, but let’s just say I’m still hoping for a Judge for Christmas.

Remember that you may be a weight-lifting, gunrange owner with a high tolerance to recoil, but your family, who may need to fire your hand cannon in extremis, are not likely to spend countless hours at the range to get proficient with one of these pocket monsters. And the majority of preparedness-minded people aren’t going to either. Add to that the price tag, for which you could buy multiple revolvers and dozens of Blastmatches, and what you have is kitsch in a can.

The deadly bridge collapse in Minneapolis earlier this month has many people wondering whether they have the skills to survive such a situation. Although vehicle submersion emergencies like the one in Minneapolis don’t often make the national news, such incidents are responsible for approximately 600 deaths each year.

When your car or truck leaves the roadway and plunges into a body of water, it can easily sink in 3 minutes (or significantly less, depending on the weight of the car, length of the drop, angle of impact, and integrity of the door seals.) Because of the speed with which submersion occurs, waiting for first responders to rescue you simply isn’t an option. Instead, advance preparation is key if you hope to escape from your vehicle.

How do you prepare for a situation like this?

Always wear your seatbelt.
Sure, a seatbelt may give you one hell of a bruise on impact, but you’re less likely to experience head trauma if you’re safely strapped into your seat. Remaining conscious gives you a fighting chance if your car is filling with water. Plan to keep your seatbelt on as long as possible to avoid disorientation as the water rushes into the vehicle.

Understand the physics of vehicle submersion.
Once a car begins to sink, the doors and windows cannot be opened due to the immense water pressure. If you are unable to open a door or window before the car starts to sink, you will have to allow enough water into the car to equalize the pressure.This video provides an excellent visual illustration of how the pressure changes as a car becomes completely filled with water:

Make sure you have the necessary tools.
Despite what you see on TV, car windows are nearly impossible to break without a specially designed tool. One highly recommended device is the ResQMe – this ingenious little tool combines a spring loaded window breaker with a razor that can cut through stuck seatbelts. It is inexpensive (just under 10 bucks at Amazon), and is sold as a keychain to help you ensure that you actually have it when you need it.

Other popular options include the BodyGard Multifunction Emergency Tool and the LifeHammer Emergency Hammer. Just remember that windshields (and sometimes side and rear windows) are made from laminated glass that is difficult to break. Check your vehicle handbook to ensure that you have a tool designed to break the windows on your particular car.

Make sure you have the necessary skills.
Have you read the instruction manual for your auto glass breaker? Do you know how to swim?

Plan and rehearse.
Know exactly what steps you will take if your vehicle ends up in the water, always have the necessary tools in your car, and make certain you know how to use those tools. Think about how you will help passengers follow your plan. Practicing these measures, even just going over them in your mind, will help you remain calm, avoid panic, and remember your survival skills when you really need them.

image credit: dubaddict