Thursday, January 17, 2019

battle rifle book 16


BATTLE RIFLE BOOK 16
Ammo & Mags
I used to be content with the standard one year’s worth of wheat for my prepper food.  Sure, I drastically increased that for Y2K, but that was supplementing the year’s worth with higher quality and adding other foods for variety, not necessarily increasing how long I’d eat.  Then, shortly after that, thanks to the Baby Momma ex-wife taking me back to court for more ( her making much, much more never dropped my support back down, of course ) and the all Negress run Food Stamp office telling me to Eat Cake, I had a genuine calorie deficit issue.
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I resolved that quickly, as there are fewer more powerful motivations ( besides sex-at least while young ) than looking at an empty cupboard ( basically, I rented out the bedrooms and slept in the living room ).  I still wish the ex an eternity in the lower bowels of Hell, but I am thankful for the experience as it moved food up the list of prepper priorities ( it had been guns, as per usual ).  Food went from “meh, I got enough” to a much more realistic “Holy Crapping Hump, I can never have enough food, food security or food accessories!!!”
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I bring this up not to highlight my greatness and perfection, although, yes, thank you very much, but because I see this same process in the gun folk.  After the Great Magazine Scare, price or availability scaring their souls forever, now the normal mantra seems to be, All Magazines All The Time.  Where dozens of magazines used to be appropriate, now only hundreds will do.  They can’t seem to get enough.  While there is nothing wrong with this per se, because it is hard to ever get to Too Much, I wonder.
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There doesn’t seem to be a corresponding ammunition mania.  Perhaps because while ammo was scarce and reloading components non-existent, our good little Randian capitalists had every faith in the free market to provide, and the corresponding government prohibition had no such solace.  Well, I hate to take a runny crap on anyone’s parade, but the capitalist system is just as broken.  Right now, all this Cheap Manna From Heaven is from that very system imploding, global demand destruction seeing desperation sales at or below cost-kicking the can down the road until bankruptcy ( but, more on that in the next chapter ).
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The capitalists infrastructure collapsing gave the appearance of swinging back to its normal Supply And Demand, whereas more and more communists are getting into office.  The Mag/Gun Ban Fear is once again ramping up, and once again, in general, it seems ammunition is being second fiddled to more semi-auto’s and their magazines.  Well, Sorry Charlie, but ammo is the weak link.  It always has been.  You need to act like it, though, instead of rushing down the wrong Panic Path.  It isn’t a question of how many mags do you need, but how many you can get AFTER ammo.
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And how much ammunition do you need?  Yes, it is arbitrary.  But I NEVER see my figures being proclaimed as too low.  If anything, I rarely see ( again, a general consensus from wide reading-I KNOW you might well be different ) them close to mine.  To me, a semi-auto needs a good three to five times as much as a bolt gun, and I was never comfortable with my primary bolt-action ( a hearty toast to one of the last great efforts of the British Empire, the Lee-Enfield no4 ) ammunition supply under five thousand rounds. 
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Most folks seem to think their poodle shooting semi doesn’t need more than one to five thousand rounds, with the lower end seemingly more common.  Sure, if you are chasing away Skinnies intent on looting your hurricane damaged house, I suppose a thousand rounds would be enough.  But for a long period of Bosnia-Rwanda followed by a full up apocalypse?  You are all gay blade over guns, have enough magazines to load up every round you own at the same time, but have one case of MRE’s and only a smidge of ammo?  Priorities, dude!
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This isn’t the venue to discuss food, so I’ll end that here by just reminding you Food Is First.  While stocking food, the minimum guns and ammo is enough.  Only after food do you start with a far more serious arsenal.  And THEN, it is minimal guns and mags and maximum ammunition.  You can always barter, steal or battlefield acquire more guns.  That is your least priority.  I don’t care if there is a coming semi ban.  The easiest item to replace or if need be substitute is a gun.  Without ammunition, all your other equipment is worthless.
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Get far more ammunition than you think you need.  If you are poor, but insist on semi’s, fine.  Go about one fifth factory ammo and the rest reloading components if you must.  Lee Loaders are inexpensive enough if you substitute time and labor for money.  If you stick with steel case, just be aware the danger to your gun, if any, and the corrosive AND accuracy hit you’ll take.  I wouldn’t accept anything lower than ten thousand rounds.  Hey, I’m sorry.  You are the one insisting on a semi-auto.  If you want my arguments for manual action guns, see my book “BBBno2”. 
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Otherwise, you insisted on this tool, and without ammo it is as useless as a microwave after grid down.  Some people make the argument you don’t need much ammunition, because you won’t survive that many firefights.  While a good argument, here is my counter.  You don’t prep to survive.  Most preppers will die-it is an overpopulation issue.  You prep IN CASE YOU SURVIVE.  Same with way more ammo than you’ll ever use.  You stock it in case you survive to need it.  Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it, yes?
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After you are comfortable with your ammo situation ( perhaps not done, but at least comfortable with the interim amount ), then it is time for those magazines.  Yes, mags are easily lost and fragile, and absolutely necessary, BUT!  You can in a pinch, not ideally but if necessary, limp along without a ton of mags.  But NOT without that ammunition.  It is about prioritizing your limited budget.  Ammo first, then as many mags as possible.  Is a hundred per weapon crazy?  Na.  It solves a long term supply issue.  Is it necessary?  It might be a smidge overboard.
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But we are talking prepping here.  To me, a ton of wheat, and thousands upon thousands of rounds of ammunition ( before rimfire ) are just normal, not excessive.  So I can’t say a hundred mags per gun is all that unreasonable.  It just might not be feasible.  Here is what I would suggest, if you have only two or three dozen mags.  Is it possible to carry ammunition in your choice of weapon on stripper clips?  I know the M-16 ammo used to be issued in clips and we only carried about four mags.
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That of course sucked as a hold or take ground Army dude, but as a survivalist?  Not only would that decrease your cost and carried weight, but I’d wager it would really focus your mind on retaining the few mags you did have.  Is that optimal?  Of course not.  But just as a low velocity ammunition loader will focus your aim and rate of fire, and influence your tactics, lack of surplus magazines on your person will force you to fight smarter, also.  Meaning it will improve your logistics on the back end.  You could do worse than ignore current military combat execution.
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So there you go.  Have about ten times your carry load in magazines back home.  If you use your semi as a long range marksman and never Close Quarter Combat spray and pray, treat it as a bolt action.  Three to five thousand rounds ( or reloads ).  If you will be using that semi as taught in spray and pray ( “suppressive fire!” “cover me!” ), you need three to five times as much for a semi as for a bolt ( primary long arm, not shotgun, rimfire or pistol ).  Ammo first, then mags, then more guns.
( .Y. )
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29 comments:

  1. re:
    useless as a microwave during griddown

    The Western Star truck dealer in Coburg Oregon has a nice new dump-truck to carry all your ammo and magazines... with some space left over for your chow.

    us$206,000. I didn't ask if that number includes the 12-percent federal excise tax... in the neighborhood of 25,000 federal reserve promissory notes. Give or take.

    I wonder... after the oil wells gasp 'belch' for the final time, will the bankers insist on keeping those payments rolling in?

    A dandy planter. To sit in and go 'Va-room' while making tiny twists to the steering device.

    "You kids won't remember this, but there was a time we just turned a key to travel anyplace we wanted. Radio, man, that was something. And a heater. Yeah, laugh all you want... those were the days."

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    1. A stationary dump truck makes a good bullet proof spot to shoot all that semi-auto ammo from. We all know how rad stationary defense is, right?

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    2. Worked for Burt Gummer in Tremors, didn' it !!! Well okay, it was a dozer bucket but you take the point. :^)

      Cover - concealment - there is a difference and it will be on the Final Exam !!

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  2. Yeah, but I can't stress enough the importance of all that ancilliary items that is needed and really really nice to have post apoc, off grid, wolverines time. A Minion worth his shit should be well rounded with all that other gear as well. No, Priscilla the unicorn riding princess, not saying have a whole catalog of doo dads hunting harrold and ranger rick would own. Just those things that will actually make your survival a possibilty and continued existence plausible. (Guns ammo and it's fan boy kit should not exceed 25% discretionary expenditures, any more is poor planning) I won't list them as it should be as common sense as getting out of the weather like the animals, at this point in time. Don't fear the politics and spaz out in the wrong directions. Think big picture.

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    1. Ha! ONLY 25% in guns and ammo? Go back to communist Canada. This is 'Murica! :)

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    2. Not 25% in weight, 25% in cost, which is actually limiting to most affluent gun lovers who will be 85% in weight and probably over 90% in spending (incl. GenXII NV and 640 FLIR products for the whole family). I good place to consider a pause in firearm purchases is when you can't carry all of them at once due to weight. No mags, unloaded, just gunz. IMHO, that's a fair bunch for one person, even if one of them is a 28# .50BMG. I'm never going to get an M-2 .50, because I was 30 years late. I'm almost to the consideration point on weapons, but can not move the ammo collection easily, and feel good about that. If you are going to have few magazines, have sturdy magazines like C-Products stainless steel mag's and real Glock/Beretta pistol/carbine mag's. Attach a retention cord to magazine so that it can't get lost while just patrolling. Has anyone noted the new mag release on Ruger 10/22 is prone to losing your mag (even the flush 10-round) from sticks brushing the release that is no longer flush? The high-speed gear guys seem to want to be able to grab and pull 30-round magazines without unsnapping or velcro from chest rigs. I'd rather GTHO if I need 120 shots to be victorious (absent) during my retreat.

      Food First.

      pdxr13

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    3. I never thought of a lanyard for your mag, and you know how I love lanyards. How would you do that, though? Good to know about the 10/22. That would have really hacked me off had I splurged on that system ( I'm sticking with rimfire bolt for the forever gun ) and THEN found out.

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  3. Where you live...
    Water storage first !
    Even here, I store three months worth. Never know when what falls from the sky or flows in a river will become unusable.
    The stuff is real cheap pre apocalypse too. No excuse for not having lots.
    In fact I'm digging a several thousand gallon cistern currently.
    Even tho I've got an artesian well which is drinkable. Still want to have plenty stored in reserve.

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    1. I never neglected water storage, but yeah, I could do better. Even a hundred gallon tank and $50 in materials for a metal catchment would be an improvement. I gotta keep that in mind for the upcoming Spring project. Doubled food ( protein ), doubled ammo, now I need to double water storage.

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    2. Thanks for bringing that up Spud. I agree that water is by far the most overlooked prep item.

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    3. Yeah, way to kill joy the gun porn! :)

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    4. Spud is right boys and girls. As a reference: book of Eli, all consuming focus was water. Clean and potable of course. Hell, even a sad sap Minion with tactical control of a good spring or well could build an empire, providing squared away all around as well. How many previous civilizations or peoples were able to progress with water and development of water. Jim, just start working on an aquaduct now.

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    5. You know how much I enjoyed digging.

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  4. I don't approach it from a "prep" perspective but rather a lifestyle modification. It started when we moved to the woods and the fact that all purchasing is at a distance. While purchasing is not an everyday thing, and usually not even a weekly thing, when purchasing is done is is done fairly large. At least $300 each time. As far as food goes, I spent a year documenting what we eat. There's just the 2 of us. You can't know how much food you need unless you know how much you use and you have to document it to know what you use. Along the way, due to various reasons, changes have been made. For instance, meat. We eat less than before and 90% of it comes from 2 sources, the canned Great Value chicken breast meat, and 80/20 ground beef at $2 a lb from a reliable source. The other 10% is divided between GV spam, Ekrich big sausages, various fishes, and the ocassional pork chops on sale. We keep the freezer and larder slammed with that stuff and anytime we head out for resupply all supplies on hand are noted and restocked with extras. All supplies are dated when return to the compound. It's a system and took a few years to get it right. We eat the oldest stuff and replenish everything from the rear forward.

    Regarding ammo and how much you need. How much do you use? If you have more, now, then you use, now, then you are good I guess. But what if you don't use ammo, you just "have" it, in case? There is no answer to how much you need then.

    I use ammo, several hundred rounds, on average, per month. More in summer months. So I need to restock hundreds of rounds each month. But I don't buy stuff each month, remember? Thats why every time we go to restock other supplies we run by the gun place and I buy a thousand or more rounds and maybe some other stuff, CLP, new sling, whatever. Then there are also the online purchases that I delve into now and again. For me ammo is like any other common commodity that gets used a lot and purchased alot. All of my ammo is stored in Plano OD green plastic ammo cans and each is labeled with the caliber inside. Not all cans are full but there are about 40 of them and more are purchased all the time. They come in a 2 pack at Rural King for about $15. 1 ammo can can hold about 1000 rds of loose 223 and it's pretty heavy.

    Prepping? Thats for sissies. Around here it's the way we live every dam day. We don't "stock" stuff, we "have" stuff.

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  5. Count your sheet usage of toilet paper per voiding session. Document that on the supplies usage and inventory clip board located in the bathroom. Transcribe that data to a usage roster, refer to the count and quantity data set for retail package unit, use price and inflation factoring to determine a cost per dumping voiding session. This will allow a Minion to have an accurate grasp of his voiding cost per episode and supplies of clean up, and be able to stock enough. A good spread sheet developed over time will be indicative if he is full of shit and needs to cut back on intake into the mouth hole.

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    1. TP inventory sounds rather anal compulsive.

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    2. And be sure to avoid getting the “John Wayne toilet paper”. You know, because it’s rough and tough, and it don’t take no shit from no one :D

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    3. A roll lasts me a month or more, but a 12 pak lasts my wife less than a month. Most of the time I piss on the big oak tree behind the shop. Just hang it right out there in the breeze and let it fly. Still can't write my whole name in the snow.

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    4. Try "GS" rather than Ghostsniper

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    5. 1206: make sure to avoid putting JWTP downwind of a nuclear test. Not so tough then.

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    6. GS might actually be Ghost Pooper if he's only using one roll a month! :ohmy:

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    7. I get mocked by family and friends when they see my stockpile of TP. About 18 months worth. I explain it that I buy it when it's on special so whilst they get a pack for half price I have a room full.

      The bad thing though is that it's 18 months for my household. When guests (read everyone bails to my fortress because I'm the only family member with guns, ammo, food and TP) man the barricades I think that stockpile will last a few weeks

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    8. And then they will blame you when it runs out. Why didn't he stock more? I had bills to pay, he didn't. Flippin people!

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    9. 7:30-he won't eat wheat, so not a lot of pooping going on.

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  6. Ammo is the important take away that most lose sight of. Ammo and reloading components alone, would at worst, result in a less effective, single shot pipe gun. But that super duper, $1500 AR-15, is a paper weight without it, and lots of it at that. One good thing about the Lee Loader is that the dude that has to go through the painstakingly slow process of using one for reloading, will learn to appreciate the value of ammo, and will be more prudent in its usage.


    The communists are giving a lot of lip service to a semi ban as of late. I’m not suggesting that it will happen anytime soon, but at the risk of being sorry later if you want one, I’d try to get one sooner, rather than later, if at all possible. Because once these folks are back in power, lock, stock, and barrel (No pun intended) it will only take another school shooting or two, and that’s all she wrote. Hell, we lost the Duke’s of Hazzard, and the Confederate flag, over one dude having an image of said flag on his facebook wall, prior to shooting up a black church (Nikki Hailey kicked off that trend. Thanks bitch!)

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    1. Ammo doesn't have to be sexy now-it will be later. Good point on the Lee Loader.

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    2. What if a person adds a high-quality mag-fed bolt action in 5.56NATO to the collection? Won't it pay for itself when the AR's are unrepairable or single-shot? Or, is the mouse-cartridge a waste of time for the survival shooter who needs extension to 800M that a 7.62NATO boltie offers?

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    3. My terrain calls for 800 yard shots. I have the weapon and ammo for it. But I can't shoot anywhere near that far. I'm better off loading down to fat mouse cartridge ( 7.62x39 ). We assume ALL survivalists can shoot good and they all need a long range gun. Save the high power guns for the squad designated marksman. One in a dozen or one in ten. That doesn't mean the majority spray and pray. They must still aim and hold. They can just do it at shorter ranges.

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