Beretta Cougar 40S&W

The Beretta Cougar/Stoeger Cougar is a superb pistol for any budget shooter or prepper. It has become another exception to my rule of the wheel gun. They are inexpensive if bought second hand from law enforcement agencies or gun shops. the can be bought for less that $300.00. The pistol handles well and 40S&W is enough stopping power for most things that would do you harm. Ammo is made by almost every manufacturer in brass, aluminum and steel cartridges. In 40S&W the pistol weighs a little over 2 lbs and has an 11+1 capacity.

SKS upgrade.

So I have been working on my Norinco SKS and I have added a Tech Sights aperture sight, TAPCO six position stock, and a NcSTAR muzzle brake. I will be doing two of these SKS upgrades, one for me and one for my wife.

I will post some photos ASAP.

Ceramic Candles

Ceramic candles? So of you out there might be wondering what these are, well I will tell you. The ceramic candle is a water filtration device made of ceramic and some look like candles.
 As with most filtration methods, water is carefully introduced to one side of the filter, which acts to block the passage of anything larger than the pore size. Typically bacteria, protozoa, and microbial cysts are removed but the filters are not effective against viruses since they are small enough to pass through to the other "clean" side of the filter. Ceramic water filters may be treated with silver in a form that will not leach away. The silver helps to kill or incapacitate bacteria and prevent the growth of mold and algae in the body of the filter.
Ceramic filtration does not remove chemical contaminants per se. However, some manufacturers (especially ceramic candle filters) incorporate a high-performance activated carbon core inside the ceramic filter cartridge that reduces organic & metallic contaminants. The active carbon absorbs compounds such as chlorine. Filters with active carbon need to be replaced periodically because the carbon becomes clogged with foreign material.
The two most common types of ceramic water filter are pot type and candle type filters. Ceramic filter systems consist of a porous ceramic filter that is attached to, or sits on top of a plastic or ceramic receptacle. Contaminated water is poured into a top container. It passes through the filter(s) into the receptacle below. The lower receptacle usually is fitted with a tap.
Ceramic filters are slow but effective at filtering water for human and animal consumption during a disaster. 

Browning Hi Power and Taurus PT92/Beretta 92

These are the exceptions to my rule on no semi auto pistols. These three pistol are extremely durable and since they were once favored by militaries and law enforcement agencies these three pistol can be found in gun stores for relatively low prices. Old Tauruses accept Beretta clips and most of the parts are interchangeable with and without some gunsmithing. The Browning Hi Power is my personal favorite when it comes to semi auto because of how the pistol feels in my hand and how well made the older ones are.

Now don't get me wrong I am not knocking you if you prefer a .45 or other calibers or if you hate revolvers, these are just my opinions. If you like the old Soviet or Warsaw Pact pistols that is great and my only problem with those is getting ammunition.

My Favorite Rifle

I know everyone out there likes their AK variants or their M16 and its derivatives but I love my workhorse SKS. With so many companies out there that sale upgrade parts it to me is the greatest value. The 7.62x39 round is great and I can reload steel cartridges 2-3 times before I throw them out. In wood or composite the SKS is great. The sights can be upgraded by using Tech Sights aperture sight. The stock can be upgraded by TAPCO, ATI or Choate. You can upgrade the bolt to a spring bolt by purchasing one from Murray's Guns. There are so many companies out there it can be confusing so as I mode my SKS I will show the mode and link the parts website. 

Food Preservation: Vacuum Sealer

FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer

Food preservation should be important in our everyday lives. My family uses a vacuum sealer (along with canning) like the one above for grains, dried foods and seeds for our garden. Our sealer cost around $80 USD and a box of packing rolls was another $20 USD. A vacuum sealer is an important part of any preppers equipment.

Pistols

Pistols are back up weapons for most but if you are faced with people seeking to do you harm a pistol is still better then nothing. I see a lot of people get these semi automatic "pistols of doom" and I don't get it. In a survival situation I am a fan of the revolver. Sure you will have a lower number of rounds but they do not jam and if a revolver has a misfire just squeeze the trigger the next chamber will probably work. As for the cartridge I am a ardent fan of .38/.357 due to its price, weight and availability. You can get a inexpensive .38 for as little as $100 for a RG 38/40 and as much as $1200 for a S&W .357 Magnum. I own Charter, RG and EAA and have never had any issue with any of them and they all cost less than the S&W.

Here are a few .38/.357 manufacturers, if I left some out let me know.
EAA (importer)
Charter
Ruger
Taurus
S&W
RG
Rossi