NINE YEARS OF NOTHING
This morning I’m at work at my usual hour plus early, slurping coffee and cursing all of the gods as the clock-in hour approaches, and whining like a little bitch as the Internet connection is down again (Hughes seems to be as crappy as the local jagoffs Frontier ) and I can’t get my fix. I usually have my Kindle with me for just such occasions, but felt I should be trying to get a little writing done. So I’m scratching my head in befuddlement ( all my notes on possible articles are at the house with my other computer-yes, I spend too much on computers, my writing more important than survival gear. I just dropped $300 on an electronic toy that could have gone to a new single shot rifle. I don’t know if that makes me generous or idiotic ) about a subject matter and in desperation I started to skim through the book on Peak Oil I wrote nine years ago. Surprisingly, besides a few words on the fracking industry I could add now, it is pretty topical. Not much has changed. History seems to be in a decade repeat loop. Well, besides the fracking I could add in the tar sands and ethanol fiascos, but those are just mere details. The book isn’t really dated at all. Overall the big picture still stands ( the book was in the "Chicken Little Magazine #1" still available as a free file from Lulu.com ).
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Which worries me a bit. I’m not worried about being seen as overly paranoid. Actually, the book was written in the same style as my first one, The Frugal Survivalist- no ranting, calm and rational ( so, alas, boring ). No, I’m concerned that some damn fool will read it, look at today’s state of the world, compare the two, then conclude that since the can was kicked down the road for a decade, there is no reason it won’t happen again and they should start buying retreats with thirty year mortgages and start a saving plan for purchasing semi-auto firearms. I can scream until I’m blue in the face that survivalists should look to their grandfathers who feared a nuclear war at any second and got prepared before one could happen ( "better two years too early than two minutes too late" ) as inspiration, but most will look at the last ten years as an excuse to keep humping around and do nothing of consequence preparation wise. They will still live in large metro areas, still only have three months of food stocked and still spend 90% of their prep budget on AR accessories. Frankly, your prep plans should already be completed, with all your energy devoted to maintaining what you have already. NOT still acquiring. Every time you use the phrase "I’ve got time to do X, and I’ll get around to Y", you are tempting the Fates who might just take away that time to spite you. Not that the SHTF overnight, but that you lose your job and start that phase early. Unemployment is just as destructive to prepping for the collapse as an overnight EMP attack.
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Re: Making your own percussion caps for black powder shooting
ReplyDelete“I think Kurt only covered it in his video, not his books”
It's there James, in Vol 1. There are also formulas for black powder and gun-cotton, and if requested, I'll post those this weekend. My OCD software was not very accurate, so a lot hand editing was required. In other words, I can't say how often I will do this sort of thing, so copy and paste this valuable information and archive it. And in case it isn't obvious, these procedures are dangerous. I recommend stockpiling as many percussion caps, primers, and powder as you can, and using the below recipes only as a last resort.
Dick's encyclopedia of formulas and processes 1872
The poor man's James Bond vol 1, P.165
2134, Fulminating' Mercury.
Disolve by a gentle heat 100 parts, by weight, of mercury in 100 parts nitric acid of specific gravity 1.4; and when the solution has aquired a temperature of 130° Fahr., slowly pour it through a glass funnel tube into 830 parts alcohol of specific gravity .830. As soon as the effervescence is over and white cease to rise, filter it through double paper, wash with cold water, and dry by steam (not hotter than 212°) or hot water. This is the formula of Dr. Ure, and said to be the cheapest and safest. If parts by measure be adopted, the above porportions will be, for 100 parts, by measure, of mercury, 740 parts, nitric acid, and 830 parts alcohol.
9138. Priming for Percussion Caps.
To make this compound 100 grains of fulminating mercury are triturated with a wooden muller on marble, with 30 grains of water and 60 grains of gunpowder. This is sufficient for 400 caps. Dr. Ure recommends a solution of gum mastich in turpentine as a medium for attaching the fulminate to the cap.
2139. Percussion Pellets.
Mix equal parts of chlorate of potassa and sulphuret of antimony with liquid gum, so as to form a Paste. When dry it may be formed into pellets, and used as percussion powder for guns. This composition, placed on the ends of splints dipped in sulphur, produces friction matches. This mixture may also be employed for percussion caps, only without the gum; the two substances, mixed together dry, are forced into the caps, and a drop of varnish deposited on the inside surface of each. A mixture of the fulminate of mercury, chlorate of potassa, and sulphur, however, is more commonly used for lining percussxon caps.
Another recipe for the fulminate of mercury:
The techno-chemical receipt book 1896
P.181 The poor man's James Bond vol 1
Fulminate of mercury is used for filling percussion caps. It is prepared on a large scale by disolving 1 part of mercury in 12 of pure nitric acid of 1:36 specific gravity, and adding 12 of spirit of wine, when a violent reaction takes place, which is kept in check by adding gradually more alcohol. First the liquid becomes black by the separation of of metallic mercury, which, however, soon disappears. When the liquid becomes cool the fulminate of mercury separates as a crystaline powder. It is nearly insoluble in cold water: from a boiling solution, it is obtained in white prismatic crystals. When kindled in the open air it burns away like gunpowder, but by percussion it is decomposed with a violent detonation. The explosion of the fulminate is so violent and rapid that it is necessary to moderate it for percussion caps. For this purpose it is mixed with potassium nitrate or chlorate. For gun caps potassium chlorate is generally mixed with the fulminate , and powdered glass is sometimes added to increase the sensibility of the mixture to explosion by percussion. After a little of the composition has been introduced into the cap, it is made to adhere by a drop of solution of shellac in a spirit of wine, which renders it also water-proof.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMs3HeAo9EI
Thank you! I appreciate the extra trouble, and have saved it.
DeleteYou're welcome James. I figured that you had a copy, being a fan of Mr Saxon, but that many here did not. I don't think that the sections on blackpowder and gun-cotton are that long, so I will probably post them later this week when I get back to my house.
DeleteI used to have a copy of everything, but back in the 80's. If I'm recalling correctly when his VHS tapes came out. Can't believe I let them go- probably fleeing a wife.
DeleteIt was great stuff in the day James. I'd be afraid to purchase such publications today. I could spend hours browsing the Loompanics catalog. Looks like Delta Press and Paladin Press have taken over most of their publications, but there were many more available at Loompanics. I was thinking that I might just pick up a copy of Granddads Wonderful Book of Chemistry by Saxon, since something tells me that such a book should be in one's possession over the upcoming years. But when I went to amazon, I received quite a shock, so maybe I'll see if I can find a PDF?
Deletehttp://www.amazon.com/Granddads-Wonderful-Book-Chemistry-Saxon/dp/1881801055
I don't recall being all that impressed with it- but it has been a long time. If you go to Kurt's site, survival plus dotcom, the stuff ain't too much cheaper. I really think of it as a scamming relative squeezing out a huge profit.
DeleteCan't seem to find the PDF James, which is surprising?
ReplyDeleteAmazon wants $159.00 for a used copy. And when clicking on the link at survival plus, it just takes you to the Amazon link. You can apparently get it in some sort of DVD format at Kurts site. It's a $149.00 though, but you do get two publications for that price.
Would have loved to have a copy, and wish that I had gotten one way back in the 80's when I first started following Saxon. But alas, that ship has sailed and $159.00 is too rich for my poor blood.
Kurts site is much different. Used to be pricey but affordable books. Now, mostly advertisements NOT for Kurts stuff, and his books priced way too high. I think he is dead/comatose and the publishing corpse is being milked by relatives.
DeleteI recall investigating this before James, and if I recall correctly, I think that it's his son that's running it now? Not much in the way of updates best I can tell, so he's not a very good web master.
DeleteYeah, Kurt's 83 now, and he gave up his shortwave radio show (Which unfortunately I missed, since I didn't know about it) some time back due to failing health. Honestly, at age 51, and feeling the way that I feel at my age, I don't see how anyone lives to be 83? And it should be noted that I'm not overweight either.
Well, on a positive note, while I haven't given up completely on getting Granddad's wonderful book of chemistry, I did manage to get a copy of Dick's encyclopedia of formulas and processes 1872, at a reasonable price, which is where most of that above info came from. There's bound to be some other gems hidden in there.
I love Kurt, he is definitely my hero. He is the only famous survivalist to push po boy preps. He is the original trailer trash irregular. Having said that, outside frugalism, he had few original ideas and it IS cheaper to replicate his works from much cheaper sources.
Delete