Refer a friend and you’ll both get $35 in ammo credit. That’s a $10 bump, now through December 31.Join through my referral link (also at the top right of this blog's desktop webpage), spend at least $20, and you and I both get an additional $35 in ammo! It's a good deal; they actually follow through, and I've gotten free ammo from past deals. It adds up. Give it a try.
If you don't allow people to say what the solution is, you are actively hiding the solution, and fewer people will understand; the situation will get worse. Every single time. You're the bad guy causing the problem to escalate.
Yes, the solution is sometimes violence- but never aggression.
This is the reality that needs to be spoken. Expressing it needs to be normalized, not punished.
If you punish people for saying so- for telling the truth- you're empowering the bad guys. You're picking the wrong side to defend.
I understand that the thought of being violent upsets many decent people. They want to see themselves as "peaceful" for some odd reason. They think suggesting violence, even when that's not really what was done, needs to be stopped. They confuse violence with aggression.
The thought of their intended victims being violent to stop a crime scares the bad guys and upsets political criminals and those trained to think like they do. There's a lot of overlap in that Venn diagram; it's basically a circle unless you go microscopic.
Find ways to speak the truth, even as the bad guys try to stop you. It's necessary. Normalize self-defense so completely that bad guys- freelance, governmental, and corporate- can't silence us all. Stop letting them hide the solution.
I had wanted to make a knife sheath out of rawhide for a while, but had never done it.
Rawhide is tough to work with.
But I needed a distraction this past week, so I dug out some rawhide, made a pattern for a sheath for a Russell’s Green River Hunter knife, and got to work.
It took a few days for the rawhide to dry and give me the final results, but I think it worked well. I like how it turned out.
Maybe. Probably.
The smart way to approach it is to make it an adventure. You don't want "boring", do you?
Well, the political criminals and other archators running things are working to make sure you live in "interesting times". They're working as hard as they can to impose a police state of surveillance and control, while at the same time letting their freelance soulmates run amok and violate you from the other side. It's a team effort, and you're designated to be the pawn.
You might as well find ways to enjoy it while it lasts.
It's not as though you have the option to avoid it.
If you click on my link https://ammo2.me/dullhawk to join, and spend at least $20 in the first 30 days, we both get $35 added to our ammo accounts. The regular referral deal is $25, so this is better.
I've done this before and gotten extra ammo, so I think it's a good deal. If you're interested in collecting ammo this way, you could even share your referral link after you join and get even more! Who doesn't like more ammo? (Besides Those People, I mean...)
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Or for insisting they be forced to always be armed, when some people "don't want to live like that".
Except, I didn't do this.
What I said was that everyone is responsible for their own safety, whether they like it or not, and that staying alert and being armed are ways to help themselves stay safe. Not only yourself, but others. I didn't say anyone should be required to do anything.
But this is how sick statist monsters interpret everything. Everything is a mandate. They want Daddy State to be responsible for their safety because they can't be bothered. If only we had more government, to lock away evil losers (after they've harmed someone already), everything would be fixed. At best, this is half a solution. At worst, it's more powerful government.
I've encountered this before from this kind of weak, cowardly person, and I know this won't be the last time.
You have the right to not pay attention to your surroundings; to be oblivious. You also have the responsibility to stay alert.
You have the right to be defenseless if that's what you prefer. You also have the right and the responsibility to be armed at all times. Regardless of the rules. Everyone can do this; some don't want to. Their choice.
No one is demanding or requiring them to do anything. They are free to lull themselves to sleep. Or to death.
These people would undoubtedly get angry at me for pointing out that people have to eat food or they'll starve to death. How inconsiderate of me to say that! Some people can't be bothered to eat. Government should spoon-feed them.
Or maybe they can't afford much food, so I must be saying they deserve to die. Right?
Me: The cops who are enforcing this anti-gun "law" are criminals.
Him: While I agree, it doesn't stop corrupt [sic] government from arresting and prosecuting people for exercising their rights despite unconstitutional laws.
Me: Criminals do criminal things. That’s what makes them criminals. Criminals will always exist- they’re a fact of life.
Him: You're welcome to carry an AR-15 into DC openly and see where that gets you. Bet it won't end well, though.
Me: Because the local criminal gang (Blue Line Mafia) will molest or kill me. I’m not arguing that they won’t. If you believe I am, you’re hallucinating.
They are enforcing a counterfeit "law".
Him: Whether or not it is counterfeit doesn't matter at this point. The law in DC is "no concealed carry without a permit and no open carry". Do either and get caught, you will be prosecuted. If you want to do something about it, then get off the internet and get into city hall, where you can actually voice your concerns and be heard.
Me: I’m not going to act as though their counterfeit “laws” are real laws (they are crimes), nor do I ever have any reason to set foot in DC.
But v*te harder or beg the criminals to change their ways if you think that’s helping.
Him: Take it up with the lawmakers. I don't get why you think arguing with random people on the internet is gonna change anything.
Me: I agree. Arguing with random people online won’t change anything. To change things, stop asking permission from political criminals and their henchmen to exercise your liberty. Once you act as though your rights are subject to their opinions, they’ve beaten you. Legislators and courts don’t matter at that point. You’ve handed them everything they crave.
Him: Whether you like it or not, you will be jailed if you try to exercise those rights in certain jurisdictions. Lucky for me, I live in a Constitutional carry [sic] state, so I don't have to worry about what laws DC chooses to enforce. But by all means, go ahead and test the fences.
Me: Again, I don’t disagree. Criminals do criminal things. I wouldn’t expect the Blue Line Mafia to act in an ethical way because they are criminals. Criminals kidnap, rob, and murder because it’s their nature, whatever excuse they use.
Then there's the other conservative path...
Me: You shouldn't support criminals (the cops enforcing the anti-weapons "laws").
Him2: I don't (right after arguing that it's right to arrest people for carrying without a permit).
Me: If you’re supporting those enforcers targeting/arresting people for carrying firearms, you do.
Him2: I support law enforcement. Permits are required to carry in DC.
Me: Those permit requirements are illegal. Imposed and enforced by criminals who ignore the law. If you support them, you’re supporting criminals. Period.
Him2: Challenge them in court, then.
Me: You would have supported slavery until the “laws” changed, then. Good to know.
Him2: Injecting race is a Democrat talking point. ("Don't inject even one marijuana or race!")
Me: Seeing that as racial is hilarious.
And these exchanges demonstrate, yet again, why I can't be conservative. I don't like the taste of boot polish enough. Nor can I get my mind to twist that hard.
If she weren't someone I feel somewhat responsible for, in a convoluted way, I wouldn't care that she lives in a complete fantasy world, hiding from anything real. As it is, I feel bad that there's no way to get through to her. Any attempt is instantly shut down with "I don't care about that".
Which might explain why she believes it's "too easy" to buy and carry a gun because there are "no laws" regulating it, why she's confident she can defeat any attackers with only her keys (while walking in Condition White, listening to headphones blasting angry music), and why she has fallen for all manner of things the w0ke want everyone to believe. Really harmful, ridiculous stuff. Because she doesn't like the real world.
Reality wasn't kind to her. She grew up in an abusive, neglectful home. Spent all her time playing video games and being angry and resentful. She hasn't really grown past that, even though she's nearing 40.
In the past I've tried to get her interested in real world stuff that she might find interesting. She won't even give any of it a try. She'd rather submerge herself in Marvel characters and obsessively collect their Disney merchandise. And watch gruesome, brutal horror movies-- she likes cinematic cruelty. She also dives into her job, which is good, except that she overestimated her competence (and dominance)-- and this is now coming back to bite her. She has run full-speed into painful reality.
I won't write her off, but I also know I've tried and been rebuffed. People are ultimately responsible for themselves, even if they've had a rough past. Often, caring isn't enough.
I can understand why someone might not like reality. But it's there to affect you whether you pay attention to it or not. And, by not paying attention to it, you're going to get hit harder than if you see it coming and prepare. Or at least duck. But, if you refuse to acknowledge reality, how can you realize this?
Seeing what people online believe makes me think this may be a lot more common than I wish it were. Gird your loins. It's going to get worse before it gets better-- if it ever does.
I’m glad for that.
If I had thought about “legality” I might have hesitated. I might have acted guilty.
As it was, I understood that “concealed” meant "don’t talk about it" as much as it meant don’t flash it to people. So I didn’t. It just became a part of getting dressed and starting my day.
Now the rules have changed, but the ethics of it haven’t. I’ll be forever grateful to the people who encouraged me to begin carrying but didn’t take political criminals’ opinions into account.
It’s how I always try to approach liberty. As I say, “Assume liberty”, don’t assume you’re government property.
I try to always be prepared. I try to be more prepared today than I was last week. This isn't always the case, due to finances or whatnot, but it's what I aim for.
If there are attacks to shut down the grid to disrupt elections, are you ready?
If there are riots if the the v*te doesn't go the way the riot-primed think it should?
If unrest becomes kinetic in the weeks after the election, as the count drags on, will you be prepared for it?
Are you prepared if nothing happens, but store shelves are cleaned out anyway because people are scared something might happen?
Is your gas tank full?
Your backup batteries charged?
Your pantry filled and water set aside?
Will you run out of prescriptions at a bad time?
Do you have cash on hand in case digital payments are impossible?
These are all things to think about taking care of sooner rather than later.
I would choose my flintlock pistol.
It wouldn't be my first choice, but if things got bad enough that I could only keep one, it is the most sustainable long-term. If I were a nomad without a home base, I might choose differently.
Ammunition is the main reason for my choice.
Black powder can be made at home, so there's less risk from the supply chain or the murderous BATFE's rules. Of course, in such a situation, the murderous BATFE wouldn't exist, so their empty opinions could be ignored.
Powder manufacturing is also why I would choose a different gun if I were nomadic with no place to set up to make black powder.
Lead can be found as trash. I find lead wheel weights on the street all the time, although the zinc ones are becoming more common. You can get a bullet mold the size you need and use it practically forever. In a pinch, you could probably find a way to make do even without a bullet mold.
Patches for sealing the bullet in the barrel can be made from old shirts or handkerchiefs, or can be skipped altogether if you don't mind a loss in accuracy.
Flint or chert can be found just about anywhere, and would be easy to pick up and carry to use later. No, I don't have any locally, but I pick it up whenever I do find it in my travels.
The gun is also simple to disassemble and work on. I think I could keep it running to be passed on to the next generation. If all else failed, someone could probably turn it into a matchlock without too much trouble.
Yes, for defense I would rather have a revolver or a modern semi-auto with a magazine. But unless you can get brass and primers, those won't keep being useful under post-apocalyptic conditions. And, I doubt anyone has enough ammo.
Feel free to explain why I'm wrong and what you'd keep.
Also, until the apocalypse happens, if you want to sign up for the ammo subscription service, AmmoSquared, you can use my link https://ammo2.me/dullhawk and help us both. I've also added the link to the sidebar.
If you sign up from my link, using the "join today" button, once you've spent $20 we each get an additional $25 in our ammo accounts. I put in very little every month, but it's adding up. I hope you'll try it. We both win!
Why is this?
It's the Dunning-Kruger Effect, where the less competent someone is in a specific domain, the more they overestimate their abilities in that domain.
With some topics, it's just embarrassing (or should be), but in the domain of self-defense, it could be deadly. But there's no way to suggest this to the people I'm talking about-- they WILL NOT listen. Their self-assurance knows no limits.
I understand that having the proper tools is no guarantee.
That intentionally not having proper tools because you feel overconfident is handicapping yourself.
Some people do this because they don't like guns and don't want to admit they might need one.
Others, because they imagine themselves to be ninjas with superhuman abilities who would never need something as crude as a gun to defend themselves from mere human thugs. Too many Marvel movies, perhaps.
It frustrates and worries me.
Even defense with a gun requires training.
To defend yourself with a less effective tool requires much more training. Intensive training.
The most confident people I’ve met “don’t need a gun”, and yet have no idea how to defend themselves with any tool. They think they know what to do from movies and television, or the fantasies created in their own minds. Bad guys will obviously back down in the face of their determination.
I wish there were a cure other than harsh reality.
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Link to Voluntaryist- the comic series, from whence comes the illustration at the top of the post.
What I suspect might be a better question is, could you make do with whatever you find yourself left with?
Using firearms as the convenient example, if you didn’t have a choice, but found yourself in a bad situation with only one of those you already own, could you make it work? Even if it weren’t the one you’d have chosen for the present situation.
If not, maybe you need to work on that.
That might mean trading off some that wouldn't work and getting some that would. Or it might involve honing your skills with everything you have available-- who knows which will be at your disposal in an emergency?
When TSHTF we often don’t get to choose what’s in our hand, pocket, or otherwise with us. I’ve been there and you probably have too. Can you use what you’ve got or will your world come tumbling down while you pine for what you wish you had instead?
I'm glad I've made it a habit to never go to The Big City* without buying at least one box of 5.56-- more if I can afford it. And that I made a point to replace anything I used ASAP (even though I hadn't finished recovering from that last range day yet. Oops!)
I wish I had more, but I'm glad I've got what I've got. (I don't have enough because there's no such thing as "enough".)
The same goes for my stockpile of 9mm. And everything else. I'd much rather have it and not need it.
There were times I was tempted to skip grabbing what I could "just this one time". But, other than a couple of times when I had absolutely no money to spare, I didn't skip picking something up. Sometimes it hurt to part with the money, but I sure don't regret it now.
I can leave what's on the shelf for you without it hurting me. You're welcome.
*I would buy ammo locally if I were able to pay 2 or 3 times the price. I can't.
Stay situationally aware, especially if you will be in any populated area that might look like an inviting target to evil losers of any variety. Which means, as is always wise, avoid liberty-free zones.
And if they were misquoted or mistranslated, no harm done, since you should be practicing anyway.
Don't start trouble, there won't be trouble. Right?
It's a 100-round double drum magazine for my AR-15. He also got himself a similar magazine for his AK-74. He wanted us to test them out.
My only hesitation was that he insisted I run a whole magazine of ammo through it to make sure it functioned well from first shot to last. It did, but OUCH. I took advantage, though, by taking my time and shooting 5 rounds at a time, checking my hits with my spyglass, then making any adjustments if needed. None were needed after the first 10 or 15 shots. The gun is dead-on and shoots way better than my eyes can see (or my skill level, probably).
I completely took out the center of the target at 25 yards, then did the same at 50, only opening up the pattern a little. Still, everything was within a "center-of-chest" circle. There was nothing left in the center to place Shoot-N-C patches on.
Yes, I need to practice at 100 yards, at least. Next time. I don't have a scope (just a red dot) and I doubt my eyes will see the target at that range, but I'll find out. I don't see myself claiming "defense" at that range, anyway, but it's good to know your (and your tool's) capabilities.
I also took some other guns, including my daily carry guns, to get some live-fire practice. That was also ammo-expensive, but that's the point of having the ammo. Right? I used up some .22 LR ammo that was older than I am. Probably by a fair amount.
We were shooting the pistolas at their 25-yard range. Usually, we shoot at the 15-yard range (and normally at 10 yards even then) for self-defense distances. But this time he wanted to see how we did farther out. The facility doesn't have any handgun range with a greater distance than 25 yards. Thank goodness!
I shot two 9mm pistols, a .38sp revolver, and a .22 revolver.
Again, most of the guns shot very well. I had no malfunctions other than two misfires from the antique .22 LR ammo, and those popped just fine after I rotated them. The .22 revolver with fixed sights seems to hit low, but it's not for defense anyway. I adjusted my sight picture and went from there.
We had to wait a fairly long time before they called a cold range and let us set up our targets. It's bad to compare myself to others, but I secretly felt really good about my shooting after watching all those others guys shoot while we waited. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to be present if any of them tried to defend someone with their guns. I hope they were practicing to get better, and I hope they do. I stopped paying much attention to them after my target was set up.
One of the range officers asked where I got my spyglass. (Junk store in Grand Junction, Colorado.) He said I was "the talk of the range" because of it. I told him that I was using it because it is always on my belt and I never remember to bring my good binoculars with me.
We spent about four hours there. He managed to staple his finger, and I got a blood blister from getting a finger pinched in a gun case hinge.
It was a good day.
A while back I inherited a tiny rolling block .22 rifle that was my grandfather's. It's a J. Stevens Little Scout 14 ½. I had never shot it before. Until yesterday. I had to make a new front sight to replace the one that was missing when I got it, but it was right on-target. The only issue I had was that it doesn't like ejecting cartridges. Its extractor pulls them out but doesn't fling them because they stick. I had to use multitool pliers to get them the rest of the way out. I may do a little chamber polishing and see if that helps.
I also shot my carry guns and my scary black Sport Utility Rifle and a .22 revolver. It was a needed break and a useful way to spend a few hours. I always enjoy seeing other families out there practicing, too. It warms the heart.
I may have missed Paratus (Paratus Day?) due to an unpleasant previous engagement, but better late than never.
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Please support the Tobbles Memorial Cat & Kitten Rescue Project on Patreon
I don't travel far. Not because I don't want to. I might not choose the same trips they take, but I would like to wander the Australian Outback.
It's not just the fact I couldn't afford the trip since I refused to take a government job like most (but not all) of my relatives did. I simply have no interest in going anywhere I can't be adequately armed. That includes the airplane flight to get there. Which, in this current backward era, is a problem.
Airport security is a tyrannical joke. And these days there are even more roadblocks, like mask and shot mandates, and all that goes with sickness psychosis.
No one's assurances of how safe I would be make any difference to me. I don't rely on legislation or policies (or other people) to keep me safe; I see them as an added danger. It feels like bungee jumping with obviously sun-rotted bungees because that's all that's available. You'll probably be safe, but why take the unnecessary risk?
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Please support the Tobbles Memorial Cat & Kitten Rescue Project on Patreon
I bought a full-tang Bowie knife blade blank-- really just a blade-shaped slab of steel-- from Dixie Gun Works. Turned out, it was pre-hardened for some reason, and files had no effect on it. Someone my dad knew offered to soften the steel, grind it into shape, and re-harden it for me. So I let him do so. He ground it "roughly" which turned out to be a little rougher than I would have preferred, but it worked out well in the end. He put a false edge on the top point-half. He also installed a brass guard on it, after asking if I would like him to do so.
When I got the blade back, I took the old broken hickory (I believe) handle of a grubbing hoe that had belonged to my paternal grandfather and made handle slabs from it. The wood was so hard, having seasoned for somewhere around a century, that it burned up a couple of drill bits (and made a ton of smoke) trying to drill it for the rivets. Trying to saw, carve, and sand that rock-hard wood was a nightmare and took far longer than I imagined it would. But it has been sturdy!
Eventually, I got the wood shaped, drilled, and sanded. I used Liquid Nails and some cutler's rivets to attach the handle scales.
More about the knife after the pictures...
The knife is 15 3/8" overall, with a 9 13/16" blade. The blade thickness is 3/16".
It has no maker's marks on it but has plenty of identifiable scars from years of hard use.
I made a leather sheath, tacked together with brass-headed tacks. Then I covered the leather with some brain-tanned deerskin. A red "white-heart" bead hangs from the sheath, near its throat.
It has been unchanged since I completed the project about 6 months later-- other than sharpening as needed. It holds an edge very well. It can shave hair, even after chopping wood without sharpening it between tasks.
I carried it daily for years, and used it to cut down small trees, chop and split firewood for campfires, flesh deer and elk hides, and just general camp chores. I've used the butt as a hammer, too. About the only things I avoided doing with it is digging holes or using it as a throwing knife. It was my most-used tool, by far.
I'll never sell this knife, and probably wouldn't ever give it away while I'm alive.
The knife should outlive me by centuries. I post this story, and the photos, in the belief that the internet may survive us all, and if someday, someone is in possession of this knife and wonders about it, maybe they'll find this post and be able to use the photos for positive identification and to know its origin.
