.

Friday, December 28, 2018

EDC Review Roundup for 2018-2019


Thursday, December 27, 2018

Upcoming draconian EU gun ban?



Hello Fernando,

first I must say I really appreciate your blog and all informations you share with your readers.
I noticed you posted your opinion on US ban on bump stocks. As you and other readers are surely aware, there is EU directive (ban on semiauto rifles converted from full auto, ban on magazines over 10 rounds, short-barreled rifles, collapsing stocks maximum license validity for 5 years, etc. etc.) which must be adopted by all EU member states.

Government of my country takes it even further and proposing by far worse restrictions. For example, one proposal bans not only semiauto, but also repeating rifles (lever action, bolt action, etc.) with capacity greater than 10 rounds. No grandfathering for previously owned weapons. Also they want to restrict black powder muzzle loaders for owners of gun license only (current laws allow anyone over 18 buy muzzle loader after showing ID, nothing more) and forced registration of "gas guns", airguns and "flobert guns." But wait, there´s more!

Newest proposal also bans certain, if not all types of camo, and all training activities, which I can translate as "training for homeland defense without government authorisation". So basically, bye-bye to all self defense classes with handgun or semiauto rifle. Yes, it´s that idiotically written proposal (and I believe purposelly).

Local gun owners organisation is already negotiating with Ministry of Interior, and we all just hope such totalitalian load of crap will not pass. Government official statement states it´s required for reducing crime rate. I call BS.

In my opinion, it´s by far, far worse than bump stock ban in US.
So, what´s your opinion on this mess? What we should do? Is it worth getting some rifle and risk it can be confiscated later?
At least I will attend some pistol classes as soon as possible.
Thank you for your thoughts and advices!
Take care,
J.

Hello J.

It would help a lot to know what country you are in and what current laws you have.
The good news is, the European Firearms Directive didn’t do nearly as much damage as we feared in spite of what some may say. If you read it you see that its basically given context and regulation to what already exists in most cases and you can still have pretty much any kind of gun you want with the right permit.

If your country is banning anything, its not because of the EU direction, which isnt banning any specific gun at all. Category A – “Prohibited firearms” are treated as “special cases” which require more scrutiny but still legal. Most countries already do this anyway with medical tests, club member, sport shooting activities and such. My advice is to just to it, do what they ask of you but at the end of the day own the guns you want.

My advice is don’t worry about it and get what you can in your country. Get at least a Glock and a semi auto rifle. Learn how to shoot them, learn how to service and repair them and always keep ammo at hand. And by all means, get your classes and training. That is invaluable.
lets hope common sense prevails and those propositions are dropped in your country.
Enjoy, hope you had a great Christmas and have a great New Year as well!

FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Thursday, December 20, 2018

ReadyMan Interview and some thoughts on defense when SHTF


Monday, December 17, 2018

Victorinox Classic: #1 Selling Pocket & Folding Knife in Amazon


Why is it?
It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that the Victorinox Classic is as popular as it is, #1 Best Selling folding knife in Amazon. After all, we’ve all see it numerous times, everyone seems to have one in their keys, their desk, purse or somewhere around the house.
When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. The tiny blade in the Classic is more often than not all you need to open boxes, cut some tape, envelopes, cord and so on. For daily, mundane tasks, 9 out of 10 that tiny knife is all you need. Then there’s the scissors which many love. They can be used for trimming nails, cutting paper articles, string, labels and the list goes on. The file/small flat screwdriver combo is also great for general poking, scrapping and prying tasks. There’s of course the toothpick and tweezers as well. 

Pen and LED light options

Another tool I find terribly useful in my keychain is to have a pen, and the Victorinox Signature does just that, adding a pen to the Classic.

The Signature Lite also adds an LED light which makes for an ideal, all in one keychain mini tool.


A better mini keychain tool?

The Minichamp is the biggest model of the Victorinox small format family. While still compact, it is the heaviest of the bunch and not as minimalistic as the beloved Classic. I guess that for some people, the Minichamp, even though small, is still a bittoo big.


That’s where in my opinion the Rambler and Manager models come into play. These are just a bit of a step up from the Classic, but including the Phillips screw driver and bottle opener. This is maybe the most useful too in the Minichamp, right after the actual blade. The Manager model includes a pen and tweezer while the Rambler has the classic tweezer and toothpick combo.

Whatever it is you like best, there’s a mini Victorinox out there that will fit your needs perfectly.

FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Friday, December 14, 2018

The versatile, mighty 357 Magnum



I was reading recently about a man taking down a 679-pound bear at 5 yards with a 357 magnum handgun.

Soon after that I read about a woman and her baby daughter being killed by a Grizzly bear at a remote cabin in Canada’s Yukon territory. That woman could have used a good 357 magnum revolver no doubt.

How effective is a 357 magnum revolver against a bear, you ask? While some argue that a 44 magnum is the minimum they would carry, and sure enough many in Alaska carry a shotgun loaded with slugs for defense against bears, handguns in general are more effective than most people given them credit for. This article points towards a 97% success rate for handguns against bear, listing 37 actual cases, the caliber used and the outcome.

Caliber debate aside, if you do your part and shoot accurately and remember to keep up with follow up shots, not many creatures in this world with will keep coming at you with a chest or head full of 158 JSP magnum rounds.

This made me think of my own 357 magnums and why I like them so much. My 4” revolver in particular which my wife used recently at the range loaded first with 38s and then 357 magnum. What a versatile gun! You have enough flexibility with commercial ammo and for reloaders the options are even greater, from hot magnum rounds to light 38s for plinking, target practice of for taking small game with minimal meat damage.

The versatility in a good 357/38 revolver is undeniable. I know I talk about Glock almost as if I’m their sales representative. I’m not, I just see them for the great combat handguns that they are. But a good 357 magnum revolver has its merits too, both against two and four legged predators. Do your part and it’s a hunting gun too, as well as a fun time in the range. And of course it all gets so much better if you can throw a nice lever action 357 magnum carbine to the mix.

If you haven’t got one yet I suggest you keep an eye out for a good deal, maybe a nice old Smith & Wesson 27, 28 or 686, or maybe a Ruger GP100. 4” to 6” barrel length will do nicely.
Take care folks,

FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Three things to buy before they Get Banned

For some, the recent Bump Stock Ban was a big wake up call. Like a cold shower, it made folks realize that gun rights are always at risk and the minute you blink you lose yet another bit. The argument was made by some apologists that it’s not a ban on guns, but a ban on a certain gun “part”. Think of it like not banning cars, but banning car tyres instead… Oh! You can still own cars, you just have to keep them on four cinder blocks.

What many don’t realize is that there are a few critical items that are not protected by the second Amendment at all and they can easily be banned any minute. Yes, I will include Amazon links to some and I do appreciate when you guys use them. But that’s not the point. Either get them here, ask Santa for them or just keep an eye out for them on your next garage sale (yes, body armor does pop up on them on occasions). The point is, these are not protected by the Bill of Rights. Read on and if you believe they are important for your preparedness find a way to procure them before its too late.

Body Armor

Body armor is one of those items people in the firearms community don’t appreciate as much as they should yet they save lives every day. A gunfight is not a one way range and getting hit is a very real possibility. Whenever possible, putting on body armor before potentially facing danger is highly advisable. Of the three items listed here, bang per buck in terms of true life insurance, it the one I feel strongly everyone should have.

Notice that Amazon is no longer selling "body armor". It used to do so some time ago but not anymore. What they do sell is body armor kevlar panels, similar to the ones used in vests but intended for backpacks, mostly marketed for active shooter emergencies. You can still buy the kevlar soft panels  (about 100 bucks each, front and back) and fit them to a plate carrier vest. These are real NIJ Rated IIIA Kevlar panels, will stop 9mm FMJ, 357 magnum and so on up to 44 magnum. Having one for a backpack isnt a bad idea either if you frequent one of those "gun free zones".


Safety Shield Insert level NIJ IIIA

Sounds Suppressors

Just like bump stocks, these can be banned any minute. While I don’t put them on the same category of importance as body armor, they do have their use, from silent (or at least, less noisy) hunting to self-defense, sound suppressors are indeed a valuable addition. They are very much appreciated by those that got to use them in their line of work, well worth the extra money and waiting period.

Night Vision Goggles

Someone once told me that using NVG in combat against those that didn’t have it almost felt like cheating. Almost... .Combined with PEQ IR laser and light on your rifle makes shooting targets at night like fishing in barrel.

Night vision is expensive (over two grand for NVG-16 Gen 2+ to nearly four for PVS-14 Generation 3) but for combat it is a force multiplier like few others. It is also one of the most controlled warfare tech items and its amazing that you can still get them online.

 
When it comes to NVG, you pay for what you get and many people spend some time saving up to eventually invest in it. , It’s safe to say that most of them feel it’s well worth the investment once they get to try it out.

FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Learning from gunfights (Graphic)


 Five criminals dressed as employees break into a chicken meat packing factory in San Martin, Buenos Aires. They go straight to the accountant’s office. After taking a large quantity of money, they make their exit. At this moment the accountant picks a gun and chases after them shooting.

Then this happens.



The accountant bled to death, shot in the groin area, you can see him bleeding out right after getting shot, probably hit in the femoral artery.

Several important lessons here people:

1)Don’t chase after criminals once they left. It really isn’t worth it. Its not worth the risk and it may be downright illegal in your area to shoot someone in the back, on the street when you no longer fear for your life. Know your laws and follow them, even when seeing red after being robbed.

2)Its not about the gun, its about the training as well. He shouldn’t have chased after them, and if he did, he should have taken cover while doing so.

3)Criminals often point shoot in a very instinctive manner. At times, point shooting can be surprisingly accurate.

4)Celox could have saved this mans live. I keep Celox gauze in my range bag and in my first aid kit both in my home and vehicle. I carried it religiously in my EDC bag in Argentina as well. Celox RAPID Z-Folded Gauze
Celox RAPID Z-Folded Gauze $38.72

5) Also, know how to use a tourniquet. You can see him trying to use his belt as a tourniquet. He takes a least 20 seconds before getting shot and trying to use his belt. By then he’s losing consciousness and clearly the workers didn’t manage to stop the bleeding in time. For this, its better to have a real tourniquet to put a LOT of pressure to make sure the bleeding stops.

6)Gunfights don’t always go as we hope. There’s a very real chance of getting killed in spite of your best efforts. Avoid them as much as possible and don’t let your emotions take over you in the heat of the fight.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Monday, December 3, 2018

Bump Stock Ban, Gun Fudds and Fanatics


Thursday, November 29, 2018

One of the Best gun deals for Survivalists: Glock 22 Police Trade-ins in 40 S&W

22 40SW POLICE TRADES WITH 2 MAGS (GEN3)

Trade in Glock 22s over at sportsmansoutdoorsuperstore

My all-time favourite gun for self defense is the Glock 31 in 357 SIG. Very much the same gun shape as the Glock 17, the Glock 31 holds 15 +1 rounds of 357SIG which when loaded with the right ammunition replicates the ballistics of the venerable 125gr JHP 357 magnum from a 4 inch barrel.
Having said that there’s nothing wrong with a Glock 17 9mm, which I must admit will also get the job done, ammo is much cheaper and readily available and holds 17+1 rounds.

If you have only one gun, make that a Glock 17 or Glock 19, simple as that. But what if we could cheat a little? Here’s where the Glock 22 comes in. Police across America are moving back to 9mm and the market is flooded with trade-in Glock 40s. Other than the barrel, the Glock 22 in 40 S&W is the exact same gun as the Glock 31 in 357 SIG. 357SIG being for all practical purposes a necked down 40S&W to 9mm, the only difference is the barrel.

You can change a Glock 22 into 357SIG just by buying a spare barrel and a Glock 31 can shoot 40 S&W if you get a spare barrel just as well. Making things even more interesting, both the 22 and 31 can fire 9mm if you buy a 9mm conversion barrel. This barrel has the exterior dimensions of a 40S&W/357SIG barrel, but a 9mm bore and chamber. You want to get Glock 17 9mm magazines as well even if the 40/357 ones can be used with mostly good results.

So with a 300 buck trade in Glock 22, and a couple hundred bucks more on spare barrels in 357 SIG and 9mm (Lone Wolf or any other good manufacturer) you have the best combat handgun currently available, firing the two most common pistol calibers and 357SIG for that extra bit of power and flat trajectory, long range shooting.

Throw in a 22LR conversion kit and you're covering 99% of your realistic handgun needs.

FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Moving to Latin America


Wednesday, November 21, 2018

7 tips for Securing a Cash Stash at Home

Hey Ferfal,
In your first book you made it clear 'Cash is King.'
But I would like your ideas on where to hide/stash that cash (i.e.; hidden money belt, certain areas of the home, etc)?
Also how many different stashes should I have? I just had a neighbour steal my jar of cash from my very rural back yard. I'm still sick about it.
-R
.
Hello R,
Thanks for your email.
A jar full of money just sitting there would not be my first suggestion. :-) As you just experienced, crime happens everywhere, including otherwise safe, rural communities. And sometimes it’s the people around us that commit these crimes, people we may even know.
The typical burglar lives within a 2 mile radius of his target This is average. The distance may be greater in rural areas of course, but the point still is, its people around your area, probably people you know. But back to your question.

A few tips:

1) You know your own house better than anyone, after looking around and giving it some thought you can probably think of a little corner or hidden space somewhere where anyone not familiar with your house would have a hard time figuring out. That’s where you want to hide it.

2) Make sure you REMEMBER where you hid it. Better yet, tell your wife/kids. My parents hid some of the nicer jewellery my mom had before a trip. When they came back they though it was so well hidden they might just leave it there for safe keeping…  a few years later they FORGOT where they hid it and no matter how much they looked they never recovered it. This kind of thing happening in extremely common.

3) Hide it in a sealed bag so as to protect it against humidity and bugs. I wouldn’t hide it where rats can get to it but if you do you want a metal container besides the bag.

4) Find a place that is somewhat easy to access while being well hidden. Putting money inside an interior hollow wall may be very well hidden, but impossible to check on it or access the money in a convenient manner. For example, a hollow door on the other hand could have a piece of wood that is removed on the hinge side when opened to access the money. Pretty well hidden yet convenient to access.

5) I would have at least two stashes. Start with a big gun safe, heavy and bolted. You need one anyway for your firearms (if you don’t have one, you should). Getting your guns stolen is no joke and happens all the time. Keep in mind that in average, burglars spend less than 10 minutes in a house, so a safe is a good idea. A good safe can about the same as a handgun or as much as a good rifle (fire, EMP proof). Whatever your budget is you should have one (or 3, like I do) Makes no sense to have thousands in guns and not put a few hundred into securing them.

New and Improved E.M.P Proof Steelwater Extreme Duty 22 Long Gun Fire Protection for 120 Minutes 

6) Combine the safe with a home alarm system and security camera. The security camera works with a cellphone app and the motion detector lets you know if someone broke in. These Cameras are cheap, cost 25 bucks and are the best value you'll ever get in security.


7)You could keep a second cash stash in a small, well-hidden safe. If you live in a dangerous area where you are likely to be held at gunpoint during a break in, It wouldn’t hurt to have one of these store bought cheap safes as a decoy. You could keep some fake precious metals, fantasy jewellery. Hope that helps!

FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Monday, November 19, 2018

Practice, Practice, Practice. And when you Suck Practice some more



My day was going great this morning at the local IPSC competition.

I hadn’t been practicing nearly as much as I should yet I had finished Stage I nicely and internally had a smug smile of confidence. My time hadn’t been great (its usually not) but everything that needed to get shot got shot, plenty of alphas and none of the no-shoot targets had a hole in it. I had started the stage with a fast pling! pling! pling! As the first three metals went down and  finished with a double alpha so close you had to look closely to see the two circles almost perfectly overlaid.

And then there was Stage II

I cant put into words how much I sucked. I nailed the first metal, missed the second. Tried to quickly nail it with a follow up shot and missed that one two. Now I’m thinking I’ll have to reload before moving to the next series of targets an how much time that will take which pissed me even more. It took 4 rounds to put that one down and from then on it was downright embarrassing.

The angrier I got with myself the more I missed. Complete disaster. Great Stage I. Terrible Stage II.

That’s just the rule of the game. You don’t practice enough, you shoot slower, you make more mistakes, the more of those you make the less you focus and the worse it gets. But driving back home I reminded myself why I do this. It’s just practice. I don’t care one bit about points. Even if I had done poorly in both Stages, it would have still counted as practice, as trigger time under pressure and working on being accurate and that is ALWAYS better than not competing at all, always better than not shooting.

Competition Electronics Pocket Pro II Timer Blue CEI-4700
 
So yet again I recommend everyone to look up your local IPSC or IDPA chapter and sign up.

 Its usually a nice group of people and if there is a little bit of drama, which is something people have mentioned to me in the past, don’t mind it, just do your thing. But compete, shoot with the timer chasing you, with others watching. Shoot when uncomfortable and even a bit stressed. It is not tactical defensive shooting but even if you have to follow the rules it still counts as trigger time in which you develop speed, accuracy and problem solving instincts.

FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Parts of California look like a nuclear disaster area.

The Camp Fire has destroyed more than 8,817 structures, including 7,600 homes, in less than a week since it first ignited 

 The suit accuses PG&E of being responsible for the destructive blaze, claiming it failed to properly maintain its equipment and infrastructure. Pictured is Paradise on Tuesday 

Fallout 4? No, its California.

The intense heat has not only leveled buildings, it has gone wrath of God, scorched earth.
48 people have already lost their lives and the images are just terrible. Not only are trees destroyed, houses burned to the ground, cars are burned down to bare metal, in some cases with a skeleton still inside. You need to be aware of the risks in areas where there’s a fire hazard, organize and be ready evacuate in time.

FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Monday, November 12, 2018

DQ video: Learning from Unintentional discharges



I came across this interesting compilation video of sport shooting DQ. Now you may think it is not relevant to anything other than sport shooting but it does go to show a) how often people that are very much into firearms still end up pulling the trigger when they don’t mean to b) at what time that is most likely to happen and who the gun is pointing at. If you pay attention you see one happening when the shooter is drawing the gun or a very short while after that.

Now imagine for a second how that one would have gone down if that person had been drawing from an appendix carry position. I know, I know, some of you love AIWB. Just check the video anyway and keep it in mind. No one thinks accidents happen but they do…  a lot. Even to well-trained people.

FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Friday, November 9, 2018

Interview I did with Lynette Zang for ITM Trading.

Interview I did with Lynette Zang for ITM Trading.



About the mortgage question I didnt get to answer correctly (happens sometimes during interviews, you just mess up) First keep in mind that Argentina isnt USA and banks just dont go arounf giving money.

Very few people had mortgages to being with. Those that did though, for most people the mortgage either stayed in US dollars or was converted to the new currency rate, so a lot of people could not pay it. Having gold or silver would have been ideal because these kept their value, parity with dollar and basically the rest of the world as the Argentine peso collapses and you can sell your PM for whatever currency equivalent you have that day and pay your debt.

So yes, even if banks closed, which they did, but eventually reopened even if accounts stayed frozen, your could sell your PM in any dealer, (have cash in hand, which you quickly want to spend due to inflation) adn pay any debt or buy anything else you needed.

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Reply: The US military would be better off with an AK variant

          АК-47.jpg
The AK is a better weapon than any version of the AR/M16/M4/AR10. AR's are a range Barbbie/snob gun.

If they are surgically cleaned and carefully lubed several times a day, they will work about 50% of the time. Provided you feed them only the most expensive hand crafted ammo, they might even work about 75% of the time. BUT: Make no mistake. EVERY version of the Stoner will fail you when your life is on the line. The AK on the other hand was designed to fight, and survive, the battle of Stalingrad. It will fire ANY proper Cal. ammo. It is every bit as accurate as the standard M4 service carbine. All you need is, To Quote Kalashnicov (spell?) himself. "I designed AK47 so that any common Russian could lift it from the mud.

Clean it with Diesel Fuel. Lubricate it with crank case oil, and defend the Mother Land" The AR is the worst choice you can make in your life. Period. It WILL fail you when you need it the most. The AK will keep running with holes rusted in the receiver, and can be manufactured with hand tools. It is the best military carbine class weapon ever devised by man. 200 years from now somebody will find one in a dry cave in some middle east shit hole. Kick the action open,and it will fire.

—Ray
...


I wont beat around the bush with this one.
I don’t care who you are, what you do or how good you may run your AR, and I know that both for sport and tactical applications some guys run them great. Still, simply from a technical point of view, even from a simple logical perspective a gun that shoots back hot gas and carbon into itself rather than use a piston to transfer the energy alone is simply a terrible idea.  I know, I know, yours works great, and yes, the AR vs AK mud video. It means nothing.

This guy nicely describes the issues with the AR, and does so with a good sense of humor about it.
One gun fouls and cooks a layer of carbon inside itself with every shot, the other does not. Proof of this being the case are the various piston AR mods and of course, the development of the HK416. No other rifle uses DGI (Direct Gas Impingement) so that says a lot regarding how good an idea it is from the design perspective. At the same time we must admit how popular ARs are, that they can run well in the hands of someone that knows how to maintain it, and especially at current prices in America, I would pick one even if I don’t particularly like the gun. For three gun competition ARs are all over the place. Having said that,

I would pick a good AK first. Simple, easy to maintain and once you verify it works properly you can count on it in the future. I don’t need the latest high speed tactical gun. I’d rather have a gun that is just a bit less high speed, yet is above all reliable and I can fix with a Leatherman tool  and a piece of coat hanger.  Later on sure, get your AR, and if your start shooting competition you’ll use it a lot and put a ton of money into it. Don’t forget getting a real battle rifle too eventually.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Halloween, Read Dead 2, and the little things in Life

 

Halloween was a total bust. At around 3 PM it started raining, hard. Windy too.

We only got one group of brave trick or treaters and we didn’t get to go out ourselves. We kept waiting for the storm to calm a bit but all it did was get worse throughout the evening and into the night. We got to watch a couple scary movies, we had fun with the decorations and spooky looking food. My 10 year old had enjoyed the day in school with everyone wearing their costumes and doing Halloween stuff.

It hit me yet again how life has changed for us since we left Argentina. Over there walking around trick or treating and opening your door to strangers just isn’t going to happen. Maybe in some well-secured gated community or similar setting with lots of private security, but not for the average people. Most people take these sort of things for granted. We don’t. I have noticed that we are getting used to it and eventually I bet my wife and I, and my oldest son as well, will forget what life was like back in Argentina. You still miss your country no matter how bad the situation there may be, but all you have to do is watch the local news there where they discuss current events and you quickly remember why you left:

Even worse crime than before. 50% inflation this year. A president that is trying to do the right thing but fighting against the peronist/socialist/corrupt machine that has been looting the country for nearly a century. You just can’t live that way. You did what we did, you survive day by day, incapable of planning for anything more, let alone live and enjoy your life. So we still take pleasure in these little things that most people take for granted. For us, to be able to safely walk around town, in any direction, pretty much across the entire continent if we chose to do so, that’s priceless.

Meanwhile back home people have to rush to stock up, fill their gas tanks because prices may go up 10% or 20% in a matter of days. I also got to play some Red Dead Redemption 2. If you haven’t bought it already, do yourself a favour and get it. (yea, that’s my Amazon affiliated link, I do appreciate the support). The game is fantastic. I loved the first Red Dead but now you get to actually walk into an 1890 general store, pick stuff up and look at it like you would in real life. The shootings, the wild west gunstores, robbing trains and stagecoaches and the hunting! Just fantastic. I would even buy the PS4 + game combo just to play it if you don’t have a console.

My oldest son liked the game and was glad to see a lever action gun, similar to his Winchester XTR 22LR although he noticed that my 357 magnum Trapper would be a better fit. My 10 year old is enjoying the game as well. He mentioned some old guy whittling wood in the game and I told him he could do that for real with the Swiss Army knife he got for his birthday (Victorinox Hiker). Funny how a video game triggered something to do in the real world. So we went outside and I taught him how to safely use the tools in his new knife. The knife, the saw and reamer.

SURVIVING IN ARGENTINA: Back to Basics with the Victorinox ...

Believe it or not, even 1 billion USD profit Red Dead Redemption 2 can’t beat a good pocket knife and a piece of wood. He forgot about the video game and spent all afternoon outside carving a small wooden sword, as happy as only a boy with his pocket knife can be. As I was saying, it’s the little things.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” andBugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Friday, November 2, 2018

The US military would be better off with an AK variant as a standard service rifle

At least that’s what Larry Vickers believes.

In the video below (minute 4:30) he discusses his AK47 book and commented that he believed the AK would suit the “Joe Average” military personnel better while AR variant rifles would be better suited for special forces and other specific tactical units.


As you can imagine, he got a lot of hate from a lot of people for this comment.
I must say though. I do agree with the man.

Hold your horses! I didn’t insult your mother just had a different opinion there, that’s all. The thing is, the AR is a great rifle… but its not as great as many would want it to be. Accurate and with great ergonomics yes, but it requires a minimum maintenance, knowledge and dedication that is higher than the one required by AK type rifles.

Most gun people simply don’t understand how little the average non-gun person cares about firearms.
And believe it or not many of them serve in the military. The AK is a gun that can take that kind of neglect. Just getting some oil prayed somewhere in the vicinity of the gun and little else is enough to keep it running.

The AR though, it needs a knowledgeable user, someone that at least has some interest in having a working rifle. It may be super simple and easy for you, but for the person that doesn’t car at all about guns, trust me, it is not. And Vickers is not talking about your typical pile of crap imported AK. He talks about a Valmet rifle with a few tweaks and upgrades.

I completely agree that something like that would be ideal as well. Especially for survivalists, the AK holds that category of beaten and abused gun that somehow keeps on working. The AR is a more refined gun that while reliable requires more attention. The AK with its piston gas operation, larger components with looser tolerances tends to be more forgiving.

Different opinion? Some other thoughts? Leave your comment below.

FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Monday, October 29, 2018

Bad Self Defense and False sense of Security


I’ve talked about this before but these guys do a great job explaining why certain feel-good, yoga studio self-defense just doesn’t work. Let me say this. I have nothing against the yoga pant lady in the video. She looks very fit, in great shape.

I’m not being sarcastic. Being fit is far more likely to improve her health and long term quality of life, so there’s that to be said.



The key is this: If you can’t get it to work against a partner that is the least bit non-cooperative, then it wont work in the streets. In the street you won’t have a partner, you’ll have an enemy, and he will be VERY non-cooperative. He will be downright combative.
Stay safe.

FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Trump sends troops to the border to stop illegal caravans. Liberals outraged.

Members of the migrant caravan carrying flags of Honduras and Nicaragua while walking after crossing the Guatemalan border into Mexico.

President Trump has said he’s “"bringing out the military" to secure the border with Mexico. He called the situation “a national Emergency” and is sending at least 800 troops.

Trump said on Twitter:
"Sadly, it looks like Mexico's Police and Military are unable to stop the Caravan heading to the Southern Border of the United States. Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in. I have alerted Border Patrol and Military that this is a National Emergy. Must change laws!" Trump said in a Twitter post.

It would seem that some in the liberal media are surprised/upset even outraged that this is happening, but truth be told using the military to protect a country’s border is the most common thing in the world and most countries do it.

Some in the media have said most of these "asylum seekers" were children an families, but pictures show the great majority to be young men.

FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Monday, October 22, 2018

Bushcraft level, Inca: A bridge made of grass

Annual Celebration in Qeswachaka Bridge

This is “Godlike” level bushcrafting right here.

It takes place in Peru, in the Apurímac river region. The knowledge and technique used has been passed along from parents to children for hundreds, maybe thousands of years from their Inca ancestors.

The plant used it called “q’oya”, which is particularly strong. The long, strong blades are worked into rope. Each of the four communities bring rope to build the bridge.

Tours to the Qeswachaka - Peru

The video is in Spanish and some other native language but well worth the time and the images speak for themselves really.



It’s a community effort, involving a thousand villagers from all over the region that come together to make the bridge. Even the children help.

Once a year during the second week of July they get together to cut down the old one and rebuild the bridge again. They also have a party to celebrate the occasion.

FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Hurricane AAR: Best Phone and Diesel advantages


Our area just came through a major hurricane. It turned out, the model of phone you have is not that important. Service provider is extremely important. In the US, we still have both GSM and CDMA networks.

For whatever reason, post-storm the GSM providers are mostly working, and the CDMA providers are crap. I understand the network is different in Europe, so that probably doesn’t apply to you. Just putting it out there.

Also, I’d like to confirm your earlier observation/conjecture that in a crisis, diesel vehicles are better. 24 hours before the storm, all area gas stations were out of regular gas. But some of them still had diesel.

-Cord



Hello Cord, thanks for your reply.
Great point, thanks for bringing it up. There’s no point in having the best phone if your provider isn’t reliable. It is crucial to check and hire with the most reputable, most reliable service provider. It’s a good idea to ask around in your local area, wherever it is that you are, so as to get advice regarding this.

Good point on diesel too. Indeed, when there’s no gas, usually you can still find diesel. Depending on the diesel vehicle you can even get a bit creative as of what you feed it, especially older diesel vehicles. Diesel also stores far better, it is less dangerous and more stable for long term storage. Also, diesel gives you more torque, sometimes significantly more than their gas counterparts. I was caught going uphill during some hard rain on the side of a hill some time ago. Water was flowing down, the street turning into a downhill river. The diesel Honda CRV truck along. Water would splash over the hood and for a minute I thought I was in serious trouble but the CR-V got me home.

A few days later I found the car of a neighbour that wasn’t as lucky, pic of his car can be seen above.

FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Recommendation for a Prepper Phone ?

Message: Moto G 4 gen fell from my pocket while using moto-taxi, a car drove of over it (on a dirt road). But due to the Poetic heavy duty case and motorola quality I guess, the phone survived, although it is visibly curved and the top of the screen has a dozen breaking lines. Still works perfectly. The kids that picked it up believed the phone was dead, so they returned it to me when we went back to search for it. In case it gives the ghost, what it your current recommendation for prepper phone ? Moto G 5 Gen seems to have a removable battery. Samuel . Hello Samuel, I’m glad the Moto G has performed well for you. The Moto G series is a high value phone that I have recommended in the past several times. Low price yet high quality and very good specs. I basically look at 7 things when shopping for a new phone.
  • Good value. Doesn’t matter if its 200 bucks or 800, I just want to get my money’s worth. This is particularly important with a product that depreciates as fast as a smartphone.
  • Updated Specs. I want a phone that works well and does what you would expect a smartphone to do today. I want a nice, big screen. A fast processor, to take good pictures. I want a micro SD card slot for extra storage. I don’t need the latest most expensive, but reasonable for the current times. One of the things I’ve noticed is that many “rugged” phones cheap out on the specs, and are several years behind, simply because they focus on being rugged than in being up to date tech wise.
  • Most well-known brands are of good enough quality. Apple makes a reliable phone. Samsung hold on nicely. Lenovo makes good laptops and sure makes good phones too. LG has been good to me so far and reviews seem solid enough. But I avoid no-name brands or cheapo phones with no backing from a trusted manufacturer.
  • Water Resistance. For a survivalist, few things are as important as knowing your phone will still work even if rain, floods, falling in a river or God knows what else. In case you’re wondering about IP67 vs IP68, it just means that IP67 can be dropped into a body of water up to a meter deep for half an hour, while IP68 guarantees protection in water up to 1.5m deep for the same period of time. Both are resistant to dust. These are lab tests though, carefully placed in water containers on pretty much ideal conditions. In practical terms it means that the IP67 IPhone can take a bit of water splash when brushing your teeth, maybe survive being dropped in the toilet, but little else. Lets say if you barely survived a flash flood and are calling 911 from a tree top, you want IP68.
(Iphone X IP67 water resistance on a thousand dollar phone is unacceptable, by the way )
  • Popularity and availability. I want a phone that is popular enough in the market to find cases and screen protectors for it. Obscure models suck at this.
  • Big enough battery so as to last a reasonable period of time. Removable battery would be nice, but less and less models are produced with one and they often sacrifice water resistance to achieve that.
  • Built in FM radio. Again, not as popular as it used to be but some models do have it. The cool thing about a real built in FM radio is that in the worst case scenarios you can still pick up air signals to listen to the news, rather than listening to the radio through the internet data service like so many people do.
As for recommendations, I have a few based on how much money you want to spend. For a budget yet high quality smartphone, I still recommend the latest Moto G, currently that being the Moto G6 (water-repellent though, no IP certification). Another phone doing very well at a similar price range is the Huawei Mate SE  ( IP67 Water Resistance)  . Its one of the best sellers over at Amazon and holds a 4.5 star rating with almost a thousand reviews. This would be my top choice as of today for a budget smartphone.

Huawei Mate SE 
A phone I really like is my current one, the LG G6. For a few more bucks you get a high quality, high spec phone.  It’s a last year flagship model but at the current price I believe it’s a great deal. Its 2:1 screen form factor makes it easy to slip in any pocket even with a reasonably durable case (I use the Spigen armor), yet the screen is big enough so that I don’t miss my olf Note.  It is true waterproof IP68, a big battery, perfectly placed fingerprint reader on the center back and two great cameras.
LG G6
If youre wondering about Iphone X, I haven’t bought an Iphone in years. Android is just more compatible with everything and more flexible. Besides, a IP67 water proof rating on a thousand dollar phone is insulting.
 
Samsung Galaxy S9+
If you want one of the best phones around and don’t care about spending even more money, there’s the Samsung Galaxy S9 plus. My wife got one a few months ago and is very happy with it.  The best current specs, also waterproof IP68 and just beautiful all around. Just get a good case and screen protector because those edges are pretty exposed. I’ll stick to my LG G6 though, but if I lose/break it, I’d probably go with a LG V30.

FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Friday, October 12, 2018

Take Note: Great item for your First Aid Kit


So some time ago I was at the vet with my dog. Bull terriers have a high tolerance to pain and can often hurt themselves against sharp objects and barely notice. Mine will easily get cuts and scrap all over its face.

So the vet gives me this pink liquid for cleaning the wounds. I use it for a few days and yes, turns out it works very well mixed with some water into a pale pink solution.

I mention this to the vet and she says “yes, it’s very good. I get cuts and scratches on my hands all the time and this is what I use too. Its cheap, you get a lot of product for the money mixing it with water and it works very well for disinfecting wounds”. Ding! Ding! Ding! The alarm bell in my survivalist brain went off. A good, cheap disinfectant? Sounds like the kind of stuff I would want to stock up on.

So I went and got a bottle for the dog and another for myself. The products is called Chlorhexidine.
You can find it for humans, but also by the gallon for horses and dogs. Sometimes it’s sold as mouthwash for gingivitis at an even lower concentration.

Its available on Amazon, heres the link.
Hibiclens Antimicrobial/Antiseptic Skin Cleanser, 32 Fluid Ounce Bottle, for Antimicrobial Skin Cleansing
Antimicrobial/Antiseptic 32 Ounce Bottle $15.58

You can also buy it per gallon for "dogs and horses" although its the same thing and if you read the comments people use it on themselves. Folks use it on pets, for wounds and with shampoo, use it also on people and to disinfect things around the house.
Chlorhexidine 2% for Horses & Dogs, One Gallon
I was told to mix it with water at about 5%, but as long as there's a visible pink (or blue)  tint it should work and that seemed to work ok with my dog.
I would advise you to read up on Chlorhexidine so as to know when to use it. This stuff is strong, so never use it on eyes, nose, inner lips (unless it’s a mouthwash solution) and genitals because it will destroy mucous membranes.
 
Take care,

FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

The Brazilian Trump: Three things you should know about Brazil’s next President… and why you should care.

Image result for bolsonaro jair gun

If you heard anything on the main stream media about the man who will most likely become Brazil’s next president, Jair Bolsonaro, it probably wasn’t very positive to say the least. Far right, homophobic, sexist and gun nut.

But here’s the Top 3 things you should know about the man.

1)Number one, and the main reason Jair Bolsonaro is so popular in Brazil, is because of his clean record. Nearly all other Brazilian politicians and certainly all the left leaning ones are either already in jail for corruption or about to end up there ( many related to the infamous Car Wash scandal). Say what you want about Bolsonaro, but the one thing you cant say about him is that he’s corrupt. That drives the Left crazy, but its one of his biggest selling points for the Brazilian voter fed up with corrupt politicians.

2)He’s got Christian, conservative values. The other important point that explains Bolsonaro’s popularity is his conservative values. Brazilians, like millions of people around the world and especially in South America, are fed up with Leftist’s agenda.  He does not believe homosexuality is “normal”, he believes men and women are different and have a different roles in society. He may be a bit rough around the edges in the way he expresses these cultural views of his, but that doesn’t change the fact that he reflects the view of a lot of people that are simply fed up with the leftist cultural brainwashing.
In fact, he's got liberals so upset, one of them stabbed him recently during the campaign, nearly killing him.
Image result for bolsonaro jair gun
3)He is very much pro gun. He has a military background, went to a military school, artillery parachutists with the rank of Captain. And the man likes his guns. That’s obvious by the way he handles firearms in some of the youtube videos. He has promised to pave the way for concealed carry in Brazil.

So what do I care

If anything, know that people like John Oliver hate the guy, meaning you’re likely to like him. A lot.

Also, you should because like it or not we’re all stuck in this world together and Brazil happens to be in America (as in the continent)  it’s the 5th largest country in the world and an economic leader in the region.

A man that finally cuts the BS with all the Liberal hysteria in many ways ruining countries, Bolsonaro can be a fantastic presidential figure in the region. Mauricio Macri in Argentina was a nice bit of fresh air. Although in global terms considered a moderate centrist, he’s as far right as anything Argentina produced in decades. A very well educated engineer, bilingual, millionaire and pretty much a man that has been very successful at anything he set his mind to from president of Boca Jr. Football club, business man dealing with Donald Trump or Mayor Of Buenos Aires city. But for all his political success so far he’s struggling economically and is far too moderate to lead the region on his own.

With a bit of luck Bolsonaro’s success in reducing crime with a pro gun agenda will help popularize the idea in the region.

Bolsonaro would be a great figure to influence the entire region for more permanent change, the kind that lasts for generations.
FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Sunday, October 7, 2018

A Big Thank you to Sootch00 from SensiblePrepper


Hope everyone had great weekend.

I just wanted to thank Sootch00 from SensiblePrepper for recommending my book “The Modern Survival Manual” in his latest video.



I happen to like his channel a lot and have watched several of his videos over the years.

Stay safe everyone, enjoy the rest of your day!

FerFAL

Friday, October 5, 2018

My EDC for Rome/Vatican City Trip


Went there for a few days, had a great time. Highly recommended for anyone that hasnt visited already.



Anyway, a short video showing the stuff I took with me to the trip.

Also a list of some of the items, available in Amazon.

Phone: LG G6 https://amzn.to/2MRhOKu

Spigen Tough Armor case https://amzn.to/2zVi1Jb

Thrunite T10 https://amzn.to/2BZOgID

Glock Hat https://amzn.to/2KUApEY

Leatherman PS4 https://amzn.to/2mCA7b4

Wiley X Valor (polarized) https://amzn.to/2KVBMmV

20,000mAh Power Bank https://amzn.to/2PfNtXx

Casio Protrek https://amzn.to/2CD2nQH

FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Thursday, October 4, 2018

5 Best guns for Barter/Sell after SHTF


Guns are often brought up when people discuss firearms as barter items post SHTF.
My position is that I simply don’t believe much in having barter items at all. Every time I’ve seen it used, it was always by people is pretty desperate situations, trading at a loss. This is something you saw a lot of in Argentina after 2001, you saw it again in 2014 and its happening again with the latest crisis, a 100% devaluation in the last few weeks.(Nope, never a boring day in Argentina)
My point is, anything you may have heard being mentioned as “worth its weight in gold” or otherwise a great barter item to be had, every single time my conclusion was that such person would have been better off having the actual cash at hand instead. Either cash or its equivalent in precious metal as insurance for said type of devaluation. The toilet paper, the seeds, the tools, its all just junk you end up trading at a loss during desperate times.

There are certain items though that I believe hold enough intrinsic value and are of such wide use that you can feel safe in stockpiling them. Food for example, is both valuable and more important, you consume it yourself. Ammo, somewhat of the same thing. And guns. Guns are not only used for the critical role of defending yourself and your loved ones, they hold value rather well too.

Some people are concerned regarding trading or bartering guns, worried that they may be used against them. I talking about dealing with reputable people you actually trust, or maybe your local gun shop. In my experience guns are not only useful, they hold value very well. Even in very unstable economies like Argentina, Ive managed to convert guns I didn’t have a need for anymore into cash rather fast.

Having said that, not all guns are equal and some are easier to sell/trade and are in higher demand than others.

Combat/Defense handguns

Chief among them, 9mm Glock, models 19 and 17. Guns like Beretta 92, CZ75, XD, HK USP and Sig 22X. Reputable guns for self defense or carry. Popular models are easier to move, but Glock 9mm are without a doubt the most popular ones, almost as good as cash in hand. Its not a bad idea to buy police trade ins as spares, even 40 S&W Glocks trade well and are good guns in their own right.

Premium guns
These would be the guns the collector community always seems to be interested in. A Colt Python is almost a commodity of a certain market value. Same for original Colt 1911 service pistols, S&W model 29 just to name a couple. Sometimes you can cross over categories. The HK P7 for example is a wonderful gun for defense while also being highly desirable among collectors.

Work guns
Popular 22 carbines like the Marlin 10/22 or shotguns like the Mossberg 500 or Remington 870. Even a solid 357 revolver like the Ruger GP100 to an extent.
These are usually easy to trade or sell at the right price. These are practical, versatile "tools" and even if already common and everyone seems to have one already, they continue to be in high demand if the price is right.
Cheap guns
At the other end of the spectrum you have the cheap junk guns. They may work, but their main attraction is simply being cheap. Hi Points, Taurus guns, these are the ones that go for 50-100 bucks, but they still sell because they are affordable.

Service Rifles
Old surplus Mausers, Mosin Nagants, AR15, SKS, FAL, AK, G3. These are guns that have a somewhat fixed market price and you can usually expect to get your money’s worth for them rather fast.
Uncommon guns, guns in unusual calibers, brands that aren’t as well known, these would be the guns that are harder to sell or trade, even if they are great guns in their own right.

FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

“Leave No Trace”: A movie every Prepper should watch

Image result for leave no trace
“Leave No Trace” (yes, its available in Amazon) is a genuinely good movie. You may like it more or less but it is certainly good, enjoying a Rotten Tomato rating of 100% critic and 86% audience at the moment.

It is family friendly, not violent in any way, so feel free to drop it in the list for this weekend.
The movie starts with a father and his teen daughter living in the woods, away from society. That’s as far as I will go, no point in ruining a good movie.
What I will say though is that the main point of the movie is one that many preppers and survivalists can certainly relate to. One I’ve seen somewhat regularly when meeting with other survivalists: The desire to escape society, escape people. It is a recurring topic and it is found to a greater or lesser degree but it is there quite often. Its folks that don’t mind or actually enjoy being alone (most of us in this community are a bit like that) most prefer avoiding crowded, big cities, some avoid even small towns and live a bit away from them, others try to live as far from anyone else as they can possibly get. Some people have real problems having friends, basic neighbourly interactions or even having a family. It is a topic brought up every now and then in the forums, about preppers and survivalists that are alone, and yes, at times feel lonely.

This is one of the main topics of the movie and it is somewhat of a real concern for some folks in our community. Personally, I don’t think that in my case it is that bad. My family helps a lot. I always knew I wanted to get married and have kids, and at least that part comes naturally to me. I honestly don’t have to “work” at making my marriage work like I sometimes read that you’re supposed to. So I guess I’m lucky in that regard. But I also see how with that particularly screw in my head tightened another half a turn or so, I could have easily ended up being that guy alone in a cabin in the woods.
“No man is an island” according to John Donne and I agree. In my opinion a modern survivalist, the way I conceive survivalism, is both capable of going at it alone or working in a group, being part of society, not escaping from it. In fact, I’d say building up relations and a network of people is one of your greatest assets. And why not, having friends is not only a tactical choice but also a way of enjoying life more.

Is it always easy? No, not always. And the lone wolf thing comes much easier to most of us than it does to most people, but I think its something we do have to work in keeping at check, stay reasonable. I know of cases in which survivalism turned into doom worshiping, paranoia and ended up consuming people’s lives.

We have to stay reasonable, balanced, understand what’s good for us and work in those things that may not come to some of us as naturally.
Take care

FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Autistic 6 year old goes missing & found dead: A reminder to us all

Image result for maddox 6 year old

You  probably heard the news of Maddox Ritch, the 6 year old boy with autism that went missing 5 days ago and who’s body was found just a couple hours ago.

We still don’t know what happened for sure. So far his father says they went for a walk in the park, Maddox took off running after a jogger, the father let him get a bit too far, and by the time he ran after him to catch up with him it was too late. He was lost. Today his body was found.
My point with today’s post people, is complacency.

Complacency kills in survival. You never let your guard down. You never allow your kids out of your sight, not for a second. You never let them get beyond your reach. With kids, there’s no place too safe.  Perverts are EVERYWHERE, even in the safest of places.

But complacency also applies to security, keeping your car doors locked. Locking your doors and windows. Never answering and opening your door to people you don’t know.
It applies to keeping track of y
our preps as well. What supplies you have, expiration dates and so on.
Stay safe people.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Hatsan Escort & $16 Amazon Relfex sight: My experience after 1000 rounds


Shotguns have always been kept in high regard in the survival community. Simple, effective, versatile. There’s really not a lot you can’t do with a shotgun.

One of the first guns I bought last time I moved was a Mossberg 500 "combination" set, 18.5” slugger barrel with sights and a second, longer choked barrel for hunting. For just under 300 bucks you get a serious gun that while not perfect, can do just about anything. From a role as a home defense shotgun with the shorter barrel, to hunting both small and large game.

Now the shotgun does have its issues as a defensive use weapon. While pumps are extremely reliable, having to operate the gun with both hands between shots is a tactical disadvantage in a worst case scenario. So how about a semi auto shotgun then? Ah! But theres no free lunch. With an auto loader you sacrifice the legendary reliable of the pump shotgun.

Well, not always. Not with the right gun, combined with the right load.


Hatsan Escort MPA

The Hatsan Escort Autodefend started as a little project of mine. I wanted to see how much bang I could get per buck on the cheapest yet reliable autoloader I could find.
I paired it with the cheapest red dot I found on Amazon, $16 Reflex Sight, and my back yard spray can paint job.
The results? Better than you’d think!

A 1,000 rounds later I can say the gun is perfectly reliable with rounds over 30 grams. With 28 grams I had one failure in 50 rounds. This may even improve with a bit more use when the gun slicks up some. All of the shells above work perfectly, 100% reliable.
I’m surprised how well the little cheap reflex sight worked and held up, even keeping the zero.

Downside? Yes, the feeding ramp lever is super sharp and chews on your fingers when reloading. It could use some sandpaper dehorning to get rid of the sharp edges.
FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”