Preparedness Notes for Saturday — December 13, 2025

On December 13, 1774, Paul Revere and Wentworth Cheswell made their famous ride to warn Portsmouth of the approach of British warships.

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December 13th was the birthday of Sergeant Alvin York.

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After spending nine months on the run, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was captured on December 13, 2003.

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Today we present another

 

We need more entries Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Opportunity Knocks: Building and Registering Tax-Free Suppressors – Part 1

Introductory Legal Proviso:  What I’m presenting in this article is solely for informational purposes. Consult local, state, and Federal law before buying or constructing a suppressor.  Stay legal!  Take note that the following applies only to folks who live in free states. There are many states like California and Illinois that have bans on suppressors. – JWR

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As of January 1, 2026, the National Firearms Act (NFA) Tax on suppressors (called “silencers” in the legal world), short-barreled rifles (SBRs), and short-barreled shotguns (SBSes) will drop from $200 per transfer to ZERO. So now, although the NFA transfer application no longer requires a $200 tax, the rest of the Federal registration process has not changed. I predict that the change in the law will cause a huge rush of Form 1 and Form 4 registrations that will very likely create a lengthy backlog of form processing and repeated server crashes or manual shut-downs of the ATF’s eForm website. The big surge of registration form submissions will almost certainly also slow down SBR and SBS registrations. This backlog situation could drag on for months or even years.

“Free” May Not Last Long

I’m afraid that the zeroed suppressor tax may turn out to be just a two-year window of opportunity. Why?  If the Democrats regain control of Congress and the White House, they could quite easily and quickly reimpose a tax on suppressors.  And the reinstated tax might not be $200. Adjusted for inflation, $200 in 1934 dollars is the equivalent of $4,848 in 2025 dollars.  Let’s say, for example, that you want to register 12 suppressors (sometimes called “cans”):  The transfer tax would tack on $2,400 to the combined purchase price in 2025.  But there would be ZERO Dollars in tax for new registrations or transfers, starting in 2026. But in 2029… …who knows?   Would we be back to $2,400 in tax? Or a potential tax bill as high as $58,176?  Ouch!

It is fairly easy to set up a personal account at the ATF’s eForm website. Instead of traditional hard copy forms, the eForm system allows online form creation and filing. The website design even provides a way for individauls to create draft registrations that can be filed up to 60 days later. I know several folks who have done just that, with the intent to execute several forms in rapid succession in the wee hours of January 1st, 2026.

But as I already mentioned, the ATF eForm filing system might get overloaded, particularly in January.  So, as a backup, I recommend ordering hard copy blank forms and fingerprint cards.Continue reading“Opportunity Knocks: Building and Registering Tax-Free Suppressors – Part 1”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I came down with a head cold on Saturday, so I didn’t accomplish a lot until Tuesday, other than a bit of organizing and some bore cleaning for my Elk Creek Company side business guns, and for my personal gun collection. I also cleaned up a slightly moldy replica Bridgeport Rig pistol belt, using some diluted lemon juice and then a good slathering of Leather Honey. It now looks nice.

In the midst of my puttering around, one of the guns that I cleaned was a single-shot Thompson/Center (T/C) Encore pistol, in .44 Magnum.  Whilst cleaning it, I began to ponder all of the different rifle, pistol, and shotgun chamberings available for that frame. And then, coincidentally, I heard from a friend that he had a 209 primer .50 caliber blackpowder muzzleloading Encore barrel available. Together, this triggered a relapse of my incurable Encore barrel-collecting disease. I call it EAS, which stands for Encore Acquisition Syndrome. It is an incurable disease, but one that your grandchildren will thank you for. I now have four stainless steel Encore frames, but of course, not quite enough barrels. In the throes of EAS, I’m now looking for any of the following barrels, in trade:

  • A 20″ to 26″ stainless steel T/C Encore .308 Winchester barrel with a 5/8×24 threaded muzzle.
  • A stainless steel T/C Encore .22 LR pistol barrel (6″ to 14″) with a 1/2×28 threaded muzzle.
  • A 10″ to 16″ stainless steel T/C Encore .223 Wylde or 5.56mm NATO barrel with a 1/2×28 threaded muzzle.
  • An 8″ to 14″ stainless steel T/C Encore .357 Magnum or .357 Maximum barrel with a .578×28 or 5/8×24 threaded muzzle.
  • An 8″ to 16″ stainless steel T/C Encore .45 ACP barrel with a .578×28 threaded muzzle.
  • An 8″ to 14″ stainless steel T/C Encore .44-40 barrel with a .578×28 threaded muzzle.
  • A 12″ to 18″ stainless steel T/C Encore .45 Colt/.410 barrel with a removable choke tube.
  • An 18″ to 26″ stainless steel T/C Encore 12 gauge or 20 gauge shotgun barrel. Bonus points for one with internal threads for removable choke tubes.

I have some great no-paperwork goodies available to trade. (See my Elk Creek Company web page.) Or, I could pay in silver .999 rounds or pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver coins. I love to trade!

Later in the week, I was getting over my cold and the weather warmed up to the high 40s. I was feeling well enough to fire up our rototitiller and till almost 3/4s of our main garden and extension garden. I’m feeling productive again.  The unseasonably warm and rainy weather caused some rapid snowmelt flooding that Lily will describe.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.

And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.

Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.

And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.

And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.

Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.

And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord.

So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.

And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.

And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for an hundred pieces of money.

And he erected there an altar, and called it EleloheIsrael.” – Genesis 33:9-20 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — December 12, 2025

On December 12, 1897, Belo Horizonte, the first planned city of Brazil, was founded.

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December 12, 2019: The British General Election was won by Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party in a landslide win with a 80-seat majority. The Scottish National Party also won 48 of 59 seats in Scotland.

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Today’s feature is a guest post from long-time SurvivalBlog contributor Hub Moolman.

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We need more entries for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Update: Tracking The Silver Bull Market — Key Channels and Fractals, by Hubert Moolman

Editor’s Introductory Note: 

Today’s short feature post is from our friend Hub Moolman, in South Africa. Hub’s analysis includes two very useful charts.

While I don’t rely on technical analysis, I do find that it often provides useful confirmation for the study of market fundamentals.

For the big market traders, the current silver market seems to be transitioning from the “disbelief” stage to the “mania” stage. It is always difficult to time a market top, and missing a top can be perilous. I did quite well in calling the silver market bottom, on February 8, 2001 in a Usenet post titled: Rawles Calls Major Bottom in Silver Price, but I won’t dare try to call the top. It is better to gradually unwind an investment during a bull market mania. I described one way to do this in my recent article: Planning Your Silver Bull Market Exit Strategy. (Your mileage may vary. But that is the way that I see it.) – JWR

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Even with the successful breakout of the $50 level, silver is still cheap, as pointed out in the chart below.

 

 

 

(The chart above is click-expandable.)

Silver has recently come out of the bottoming pattern that started around 2014 when silver broke down below the channel. That bottoming pattern is very similar to the early 2000s bottoming pattern that started in October 2000 when silver broke down below the channel.Continue reading“Update: Tracking The Silver Bull Market — Key Channels and Fractals, by Hubert Moolman”

Economics & Investing Media of the Week

In Economics & Investing Media of the Week we feature photos, charts, graphs, maps, video links, and news items of interest to preppers. H.L. suggested a graphic derived from data from the IMF World Economic Outlook produced by Visual Capitalist that depicts aggregate world debt, by country, in 2025. The darker the color, the higher the percentage of a nation’s GDP. We are not far behind Japan!  There are several sovereign debt defaults ahead. Japan will probably just be the first of many. – JWR

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

 

 

(The graphic by Dorothy Neufeld is courtesy of Visual Capitalist.)

Economics & Investing Links of Interest
  • Another bell rang this morning (12 December, 2025), when spot silver touched $64.64 per Troy ounce. The silver-to-gold ratio has plunged to 67.1-to-1. Silver Bull is charging the streets of Pamplona! – JWR
  • Silver prices just smashed a new record. What does this mean for the economy? Here is a quote: “The softening of the greenback — which depreciated about 8.5 percent since the start of the year — is a big part of the story. Most of this drop occurred in the first half of the year, after the Trump administration unleashed steep tariffs on trading allies and competitors alike and reduced U.S. attractiveness as a reliable trade and investment partner. At the same time, rising U.S. debt and lingering concerns about inflation have also diminished the dollar’s value. The weakened dollar, in turn, has been driving what’s known as the “debasement trade”: Investors are looking for other assets — which include gold as well as silver — because the dollar is no longer seen as ultrasafe as it used to be…”
  • SurvivalBlog’s Editor-at-Large Michael Z. Williamson had this suggestion.”I use Midwest Refineries for my scrap silver from fabricating knife guards and jewelry, for estate bits and scrap, and various other silver. They just relocated from Michigan to Florida, with the elders retiring and the next generation taking over. They are scrupulously honest, and even paid me gold price for something that I had misidentified as gold-plated. While it’s hard to sell any metals in the current market–many have huge minimum amounts and are not paying anywhere near spot, I’ve found them to offer the best available prices to individuals and small sellers, and again note: they will take unmarked scrap and pay proper value for it.”

Economics & Investing Media Tips:

Please send your economics and investing links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Thanks!

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“The first rule of a happy life is low expectations. If you have unrealistic expectations, you’re going to be miserable your whole life. You want to have reasonable expectations and take life’s results, good and bad, as they happen with a certain amount of stoicism.” – The Late Berkshire Hathaway Fund Manager Charlie Munger

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — December 11, 2025

On December 11, 1282 Llywelyn ab Gruffydd, the last native and independent Prince of Wales, was killed at the Battle of Orewin Bridge at Cilmeri, near Builth Wells, south Wales by forces of Edward I of England. Llywelyn reigned from 1259 and is known as Llywelyn the Last.

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December 11,1602: A surprise attack by forces of the Duke of Savoy and his brother-in-law, Philip III of Spain was repelled by push of pike and gunfire from the citizens of Geneva, Switzerland. It has been commemorated since as the Fête de l’Escalade.

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And on December 11, 1946, Hank Williams began to record for the Sterling Records label.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  2. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  3. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  4. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  5. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is offering a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, some news on the threat of cosmic ray disruption of digital microcircuits.

A Cosmic Ray Hit May Have Disrupted A320 Flight Controls

Struck by a cosmic ray: Galactic particles may have forced a passenger jet to make an emergency landing,

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And here was the airliner manufacturing consortium’s response, in retrofitting 6,000 planes: Airbus update on A320 Family precautionary fleet action.

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Some more reporting, from the BBC: Bit flips: How cosmic rays grounded a fleet of aircraft.

Stopping The Growing AI Threat To Our Freedom

SurvivalBlog reader D.S.V. sent this: We Must Stop The Growing AI Threat To Our Freedom.

A Rare Solar Spike

At Space.com: Rare solar flare caused radiation in Earth’s atmosphere to spike to highest levels in nearly 20 years, researchers say.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“The consequences of inflation are malinvestment, waste, a wanton redistribution of wealth and income, the growth of speculation and gambling, immorality and corruption, disillusionment, social resentment, discontent, upheaval and riots, bankruptcy, increased government controls, and eventual collapse.” – Henry Hazlitt

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — December 10, 2025

On December 10, 1690, Massachusetts Bay became the first American colonial government to issue paper money — the Massachusetts Codfish Notes. They were engraved and printed by Paul Revere. Shown above is a Codfish 8-Pence Note.

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December 10, 1520: Martin Luther publicly burned the papal edict demanding that he recant or face excommunication.

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And on December 10, 1906, US President Theodore Roosevelt became the first American to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  2. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  3. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  4. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  5. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is offering a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Building a Simple One-Tube Radio Kit – Part 1, by Mike in Alaska

Introductory Disclaimer: I have not been paid for writing this article, and I own the radio being reviewed.

Scenario: The world has gone mad, it is now TEOTWAWKI and it’s just not a pretty picture folks. And if that wasn’t bad enough, what with the power grid being down, looters and such, and some bozo declaring martial law effectively shutting down all radio, internet, and anything capable of receiving any information except what “THEY” want you to hear … hard to imagine? If you can find a holocaust survivor, or anyone who lived during WWII ask them if that sounds impossible.Continue reading“Building a Simple One-Tube Radio Kit – Part 1, by Mike in Alaska”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

Our weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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Reader Richard T. recommended this article about a millionaire survivalist: Trailblazer: Vernon Pick’s Apocalypse Now. For some context,  Richard also sent these two links:

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And, speaking of Canada, there is this report, in the country’s most popular magazine, Maclean’s: Alberta’s New Separatists. A key quote:

“Today, talk of sovereignty is rising again. It would be easy for Canadians to dismiss it as a resurgence of age-old grievances—after all, despite a century of western alienation, Alberta is still here. The difference is that this time there may actually be a referendum on separation, and soon. Albertans can propose “citizen initiatives” to put forth referendum topics. Previously, proponents needed to collect 600,000 supporting signatures in 90 days to do so. This May, Premier Danielle Smith lowered that to 177,000 signatures in 120 days. A group called the Alberta Prosperity Project is already planning to collect enough signatures to force a secession referendum by 2026.”

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Jerome mentioned this news: Trump DOJ Adding ‘Second Amendment Rights Section’ to Civil Rights Division.

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Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”