James Rawles: Patriots

M2 Bradley:The U.S. Army’s current tracked APC.

M4:U.S. Army-issue 5.56-mm NATO selective fire carbine. (A shorter version of the M16, with a 14.5" barrel and collapsing stock.) Earlier issue M16 carbine variants had designations such as XM177E2 and CAR-15. Civilian semiauto only variants often have the same designations, or are called “M4geries.”

M9:The U.S. Army-issue version of the Beretta M92 semiauto 9-mm pistol.

M14:The U.S. Army-issue 7.62-mm NATO selective-fire battle rifle. These are still issued in small numbers, primarily to designated marksmen.

M16:The U.S. Army-issue 5.56-mm NATO selective-fire battle rifle. The current standard variant is the M16A2 that has improved sight and three-shot burst control.

M60:The semi-obsolete U.S. Army-issue 7.62-mm NATO belt fed light machinegun that utilized some design elements of the German MG-42.

M240:The current U.S. Army-issue 7.62-mm NATO belt fed light machinegun.

MAC:Military Armament Corporation

MELIOS:Mini Eye-Safe Laser Infrared Observation Set (AN/PVS-6)

Mini-14:A 5.56-mm NATO semiauto carbine made by Ruger.

MOPP:Mission Oriented Protective Posture

MRE:Meal, Ready to Eat (U.S. Army field rations)

NATO:North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NCO:Non-Commissioned Officer

NFA:The National Firearms Act of 1934. The law that first imposed a transfer tax on machineguns, suppressors (commonly called “silencers”), and short-barreled rifles and shotguns.

Ni-Cad:Nickel Cadmium (rechargeable battery).

Ni-MH:Nickel Metal Hydride (rechargeable battery) improvement of Ni-Cad. Does not develop a “memory,” shortening battery life due to recharging unexhausted batteries.

NRVC:Non-Resident Violator Compact, an agreement signed by more than thirty states, to share records of motor vehicle registrations and driving privilege suspensions in a computer database.

NWO:New World Order

PDW:Personal Defense Weapon

PETN:Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate; a stable, flexible high-order explosive. The filler used in primacord (detonating cord).

Pre-1899:Guns made before 1899—not classified as “firearms” under Federal law.

Pre-1965:1964 or earlier mint date circulated U.S. silver coins with little or no numismatic value. These coins have a silver content of 90 percent.

PV:Photovoltaic (solar power conversion array). Used to convert solar power to DC electricity, typically for battery charging.

PVC:Poly-Vinyl Chloride (white plastic water pipe)

ROTC:Reserve Officer Training Corps

RPG:Rocket Propelled Grenade

RTV:Room Temperature Vulcanizing

SAW:Squad Automatic Weapon

SINCGARS:Single-Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System. The U.S. military’s current issue frequency-hopping VHF radio transceiver.

SIGINT:Signals Intelligence

SLAP:Saboted Light Armor Projectile

SOP:Standard Operating Procedure(s)

SSB: Single Sideband (an operating mode for CB and amateur radio gear).

Steyr AUG:The Austrian army’s 5.56-mm “bullpup” infantry carbine. Also issued by the Australian Army, as their replacement for the L1A1.

S&W:Smith and Wesson

SWAT:Special Weapons and Tactics. (SWAT originally stood for Special Weapons Assault Team until that was deemed politically incorrect.)

TA-1 & TA-312:U.S. military hard wire field telephones.

Thermite:A mixture of aluminum powder and iron rust, that when ignited, causes a vigorous exothermic reaction. Used primarily for welding. Also used by military units as an incendiary for destroying equipment.

T.K.:Tom Kennedy

TRC-500:A 500-milliwatt VHF FM transceiver formerly marketed by Radio Shack.

USC:University of Southern Colorado

VDC:Volts, Direct Current

VHF:Very High Frequency

VOX:Voice Activated

VW:Volkswagen

WD-1:U.S. military-issue two conductor insulated field telephone wire.

WWCR:World Wide Christian Radio, an international shortwave broadcast radio station.

Y2K:Year 2000 (Coined by David Eddy). The scare associated with the millennial (“Year 2000”) date change that took place at 0001/01/01/2000.

Note: In general, this index covers neither the events nor the characters of this book—for that story, get reading! Instead, here you’ll find major references to tactics, techniques, and technologies.

Abrams tanks, 324–28

Blackout preparations, 56

ACUs (Army Combat Uniforms) camouflage, 44

The Blaster’s Handbook , 50

Blasting supplies and equipment, 50–51, 158–62; storage, 51. See also Grenades Alliance-making, 169, 170–75

Alarms, 153

Blood pressure, 27

Ambushes, preparation, 41, 97–98

Blood transfusions, 27–29, 31

America in Peril (video), 343

Blood types, 27, 28–29

Ammunition, 45, 46, 59, 100, 225, 319–20

Body armor, 49–50

Book codes, 365–66

Antipersonnel mines, 338–39

Bounding technique, 239

Antivehicular trenches, 162

Bradley IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles), 293, 294

A.O.s (Areas of Operations), 173–74

APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers), 293–94, 309, 311

Buckaroo Banzai (movie), 170

Bug out kits, 157

Army field manuals, 160, 162, 324

Bulk purchases, 65

Auto-sears for guns, 63–65

Bullet resistant vests, 49

“Butter knife” guns, 337

Baling wire, 162

Ball-peen hammer as weapon, 347

Cable cutters, 224

Barbed wire, 162

Caches, 125, 131, 133, 253–54, 302, 304

Barter Faire, 209–17

Caltrop devices, 206

Bartering, 60, 65, 171, 183, 184

Camcorders, 301

Bathing, 152

Camouflage: clothing, 42, 44; of firearms, 32; ghillie suits/capes, 93–94, 376; net, 62; in snow, 345; of spider holes, 112; of vehicles, 62

Batteries, 54, 65, 110, 174, 207–208, 361

BDUs (Battle Dress Uniforms) camouflage, 44

Bible, packing in gear, 133

Canning food, 183

Bicycle generators, 144

Case lot purchases, 65

Bicycles, 139–40, 302; motorized, 140

Casualty statistics, 353

Birds in garden, 182–83

Cauterization of wounds, 185, 186

Birth, 176–79

CB (Citizens’ Band) radios, 17, 48, 174–75, 295, 363–64

Birth control, 145

CEP (circular error probability), 367

Diesel vehicles, 122–23

Cervical caps, 145

Doghouses, 105

Charity, 102, 137, 164, 171, 173, 275

Dogs, 59, 61, 104–105; breeds, 104

Childbirth, 176–79

Doors and doorframes, armoring upgrades, 105–107

Cigarette smoking, 138

Ciphers and codes, 365–66

“Doubling up” concept, 14

Cisterns, 109

DPM (Disruptive Pattern, Marine), 44

Clackers (firing devices), 161

Dry-ice packing method, 254

Claymore mines, 191–92, 197, 205; firing devices, 161

Duty schedules, 61–62

Dynamite, 51, 158–60

Clothing, 21. See also Camouflage