Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

It was a good week at the NCO household.

MizNCO received her DPMS A-15 on Wednesday and I just happened to have a bunch of LC '07 M855 stashed away. Today I had the time and the weather was perfect to head out to the range to sight in the rifle.

When it arrived the rifle looked, for all intents and purposes, brand new. Very clean with no nicks, scratches, or other battlescars. Even though this was a present for MizNCO, I shot the first few rounds because... Well, if something catastrophic were to happen, I didn't want her to catch the face full of receiver.

I'm already ugly, so a few scars wouldn't matter much...

So anyway, I fired the first five rounds at a 25m zero target and it seems as though the former owner and myself nearly share the same zero. My group, which was about nickel-size, was approx. 5 moa right of center with no elevation adjustments needed. A quick few clicks of the windage knob, and the next three strings of five shot the center out of the 25m zero target.

Then MizNCO took over and all I could do is stand back and watch her consistently hit center at 50 and 100 yards. Ok, so maybe I helped expend a little ammo, too...

No malfunctions or stoppages of any kind, but the bolt would not lock to the rear after any of the last rounds. We went through eight different mags.

With an empty mag inserted the bolt will hold to the rear when the charging handle is pulled, but not when the last round is fired.

She's pleased, I'm pleased, and kidNCO had a ball trying to eat the spent shotgun shells at the range.

How did y'all do this week?

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

2 550 bulk packs of 22lr. to start off the week.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

Made 10 lbs of beef jerky bits. Didn't bother making chili with it yet after the kids ate 1 1/4 lbs worth of it. Figured if they'd eat it that fast there was not going to be a problem using it up. Picked up 15 lbs more roasts to make more. Added another 12 jars of pasta sauce at 99 cents each. Up to 72 jars now. Ordered a hand mill for making cracked wheat. Always liked cracked wheat bread when I was a kid, but never see cracked wheat in the stores. Will order some wheat to go with it, and be able to combine it with all the flour I have to bake cracked wheat rolls and bread.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

I packed 20- 5 gallon pails worth of dry food ala mylar bags this weekend. I seem to have another 4 pails worth looking at me. Gotta buy more bags and oxy absorbers first. I wish I knew how long it would last...

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

bought some mylar bags and O2 absorbers to go with my buckets. Bought a 30 pack of N95 face masks, took delivery of spare parts for my M70AB2 Yugo underfolder. Almost ready to put my new 6 Rhode Island Red laying hens in the back yard.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

(2) 550 packs of .22LR ammo
(3) 100 packs of 9mm ammo
IWB holster
(2) Pearce grip extensions
(1) Pearce slug plug

(2) 7 gallon stackable water jugs from Wally World

I also bought a few packets of Mountain House food for an upcoming camping trip and tried 1 for lunch on Saturday as I'd never had them before. That food was actually tasty, especially the ice cream sandwhich!!! I may have to put an order in as preps! :D

- Carried for the 1st time this weekend

I also bought a new dining room table and chairs...it's not necessairly a prep...but I can always burn if for firewood if necessary :haha:

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

My thoughts - ask your friend to take you to the range and try it out.

For those not very used to handguns, I like revolvers better than semi autos, but people differ on that. A semi auto you either have to jack a bullet into the chamber to fire, or else have one there all the time and remember quickly how to take off whatever safety is involved. A revolver has 5 or 6 rounds ready to go with nothing to remember but to aim and pull the trigger.

If ladies not used to handguns ask my advice I tend to recommend a 5 shot small frame 38.

OTOH - a revolver is not so hot in a house with kids for the same reasons it is good for ladies not used to handguns. Unless you are an ace at keeping it on you a child can easily fire it, and if you lock it up safely enough from curious kids, you might not be able to get to it in time for personal defense.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

6 55gal.food grade barrels, 5 bucks each at the big city fizzy sugar water plant. At that price you could cut them down into 3rds for quickie grow beds.. water storage... will hold about 350lb of grain for quickie /easy grain storage... . even emergency short term fuel storage, or brewing for home distillation etc etc.
The list of uses is long for these very durable cheap containers.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

I'd like to add these food grade barrels are tough.. I've had a few rain barrels for 7 years in all kinds of Ohio weather..still in very good condition.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

50 lbs jasmine rice
50 lbs pinto beans
1 large package sams TP
1 case canned corn (16 cans)
1 case canned green beans
1 case stewed tomatoes
1 case rotel
2 quarts soy sauce
25 lbs table salt
4 cans boneless skinless salmon
5 cans canned chicken
12 boxes mac and cheese
1 case canned mushrooms (yuck)

Plan to pick up 2 45lb propane canisters from tractor supply as well.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

If you did it right, most likely longer than you will wish to be looking at them. For beans, rice and dry goods, most likely 10-15 years+

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

Brewer, Did you just contact the company for the barrels? I'm planning a rain barrel system and have been thinking about contacting a few winerys to check on old wine barrels. I figure they will look better than big blue or green barrels.

I' also in the process of collecting the materials for a Techguy inspired dry storage extraveganza. That thread is one of the best I've seen and it makes prepping easy and useful. I can rotate a stock and do it cheaply. The buckets with mylar idea has always turned me off. Thanks Techguy.

And for this week I bottled 14 liters of Blackberry Melomel Mead. I'll post a picture tomorrow if I think about it. I have another 5 gallons of white sage medium sweet mead that I have to rack to long term storage as well.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

TG, how much do those propane tanks go for? I'm wondering if I should buy some larger ones than just the 20 pounders. I've got til the end of the month to get all the propane I want for $2.55 gal.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

Codg, maybe you could disguise a plastic barrel with a nicer looking fascade of some sort. I've been thinking the same thing. Found an outfit in Las Vegas that sells the blue barrels pretty cheap. You can get brand new clean ones, or once used ones. They have an Ebay store. I think I only paid 10 bucks each for the barrels last year, 20 bucks each to send them to me via post office.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

Normally I wouldn't care about appearance, but as I live in a city block neighborhood I try to do things that will keep everyone happy. Also, my wife has to like it. The primary purpose of this first phase if for the garden, but if I manage it right, I'll have water for the Berkey in a crisis situation.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

Well I finally got the Glock 19 in my hands. Woot Woot. Decided not to buy an AK-47 because my local gun show had nothing but abused Romanian and Yugo AKs. I think I am gonna save a few hundred more and just by an AR-15. I think I was looking at Bushmaster's and they are sweet.

I picked up another 50 lbs of rice and 2 cases of the Pint Ball Jars. I swear every time I go somewhere and buy these jars the person ringing me up won't mind their own damn business. Just question upon question about the jars or the amounts of rice or food. I also have around 24 cases of bottled water stocked up since my wife likes bottled water so damn much and also get questioned up and down when I buy like 4 or more of them at a time. Grrrr.

What else... Stocking up on medical supplies and getting in a shipment of Mountain House stuff hopefully today or tomorrow.

My situation sucks right now since it is my wife, myself and our 2 dogs living in a 2 bedroom apartment. My wife is done with college this quarter and will hopefully be employed within 10 weeks and we can finally get a house away from things. Right now I have limited space and can store maybe 4 months worth of food + around 8 cases of food in Ball jars. If the SHTF before I get a house to the point I need to bug out my parents live about 2 miles away in a McMansion that can at least be defended way better than what my apartment can. Family who would bug out to this location would include probably 6 adult males armed to the teeth at least. I can bug out with my wife and dogs + a couple duffle bags of PMs, guns & ammo and if time permitted a trunk full of food but nothing else.

From that point if possible we can bug out from Southern Ohio to family in Kentucky and Tennessee if a complete hell on Earth situation happens. We have multiple heavy duty 4 WD trucks to make the trip if back roads are congested or cutoff. One with a heavy snow plow that could help get through some road debris.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

Codger. I contacted the plant before I went..good folks once you get to know them ..this is my 3rd purchase. ..sometimes the plant will have restricted hours for pickup and sales..ect.
Good luck

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

Just back from Sam's

Elbow pasta $5.24/6lb bag last week $4.87

Spaghetti $5.34/6lb bag last week 4.87

Jasmine rice @ $16 sumpthin' for 25 lb

Arkansas rice holding steady @ $25.99 for 50lb bags

At Wally world Pinto beans $5.97/8lb bag. A 15 cent increase

S

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

Purchased another three cases of quart mason jars and two cases of pint jars. Bought a Presto pressure canner and supplies, plus a few used canning recipe books.
Ordered the Back to basics hand mill to grind my wheat, can't wait til it gets here and I work on some breadmaking.
Bought a foodsaver on ebay that I chose because I could use the jar sealer attachment to vacuum seal dry food in mason jars. The seller decided to substitute a different sealer that doesn't accept attachments (without emailing me first) and of course now I have to send it back-on her dime. AArrg.
I purchased another foodsaver and the attachments so I'm back in business. The O2 absorbers I ordered from LDS were backordered so I had to get some through USA Emergency supplies. Scary how many sites were out of stock for both the grain mill and the O2 absorbers.
Stocked up on more canned veggies, sugar, pasta and cereal on sale.

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

Just an FYI, you might want to buy an electric mill in addition to the hand mill. Milling by hand is a heck of a lot of work, waaaaay more then kneading the dough. I learned that real quick and bought a K-Tek mill to use instead of my CLM. The hand mill is good to have if the power goes out, but its just so much work thats 9 times out of 10 I would skip the bread and just make rice and beans. With the electiric mill I make bread almost every day now. Well worth every penny (and it was 1/2 the price of the hand mill too)

Re: Weekly Prep Thread 4 May - 10 May
 

Bought another 4 cases of 1/2 gallon jars today as well as 72 more wide mouth lids.