Spare Parts?

[UNC151]

With the craziness in the marketplace has anyone looked into keeping a few spare parts on hand? Extractors, ejectors, springs, firing/striker pins, screws, pins, etc? I looked at a few places that have spare parts (rifles and pistols) and there were quite a few items which were out of stock--typically the wear/break items were not available.

 

[tyman]

Back before the Covid autism, my buddy and I would buy an extra parts kit or two every so often and my buddy also bought one of the large spare parts kits from Brownells. We've never just bought separate pieces to have extra of.

 

[Astro14]

I keep spare parts.

Started stockpiling spares for my M1 Garands...things like op rods, gas cylinders, bolts, only exist as surplus USGI. The supply is limited right now, and the future won’t get better.

 

[LazyDog]

I normally keep a good supply of parts for my Volvo's and for others I might consider buying what the car needs very soon.

Normally a parts junkie!

 

[ABN_CBT_ENGR]

A lot of it depends on the weapon specifically and then the part in the weapon as to the probability of availability and cost ( present and future)

Several places can get current production parts ( to a large degree), Brownells, Midway GPC and some others can get various "stuff".

Then it may have to be made or reconditioned

 

[UNC151]

I keep spare parts.

Started stockpiling spares for my M1 Garands...things like op rods, gas cylinders, bolts, only exist as surplus USGI. The supply is limited right now, and the future won’t get better.

^^^ this ^^^ is my thinking as well (much like everything else firearm related). I have had spare parts for 90% of my firearms for years, but recently had to add to that inventory for a new family of pistols. Not a fearmonger here, but without spare parts, when something breaks, the firearm becomes a bat.

 

[SZR48207]

Until ammo stock levels stabilize, I'm probably not shooting enough to be worried about parts breaking. The days of punching paper for the heck of it are gone.

I'm sitting on plenty of ammo and reloading components, but not willing to expend any of it except for dire need.

 

[AZjeff]

The time to buy is usually not when the market is crazy. Nothing wrong with critical spare parts but most modern quality firearms will go many thousands of rounds with no breakages.

If one breaks pick up another one and keep shooting. The odds of 2 breaking are slim unless your stuff is used up.

 

[ABN_CBT_ENGR]

Another reason my business model for retirement includes making parts.

I see the potential for a real parts shortage. ( they don't make millions of spare parts to begin with like with other things)

 

[wpod]

Been doing that starting way back into the early1970s just for what I call my favorite shooters. Some time if you have a favorite gun buy another one or two.

 

[wpod]

Another reason my business model for retirement includes making parts.

I see the potential for a real parts shortage. ( they don't make millions of spare parts to begin with like with other things)

Milling machine? Small one could do the small stuff.

 

[ABN_CBT_ENGR]

Milling machine? Small one could do the small stuff.

Depending on the part, mostly a mill ( Minimum 3 axis and would need an indexer and rotary table with all the tooling)) but some would have to have a lathe.

Would have to have heat treat either way as well and some precision metrology capability and a surface plate

Making one from a copy is easy- making one from a picture is a different matter completely

 

[AutoMechanic]

No not really. I have no idea how to fix a gun if it breaks so they wouldn’t do me any good anyway lol. I just shoot it I’ve actually never had a gun break on me.

 

[ABN_CBT_ENGR]

I have no idea how to fix a gun if it breaks so they wouldn’t do me any good anyway lol.

I think you are selling yourself short.

A gun is one of the most simple of mechanical devices and its all lever and cam ( lifter, cam and valve)

Take a hand file and make a piece of metal look like the broken part ( that's how they all started)

Everything beyond that basic premise is just you honing the skill ( maybe add heat treat since that's not a routine part of a mechanics required skill set but we will call that professional development)

 

[AutoMechanic]

I think you are selling yourself short.

A gun is one of the most simple of mechanical devices and its all lever and cam ( lifter, cam and valve)

Take a hand file and make a piece of metal look like the broken part ( that's how they all started)

Everything beyond that basic premise is just you honing the skill ( maybe add heat treat since that's not a routine part of a mechanics required skill set but we will call that professional development)

Thanks. I didn’t know any of that.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Long time ago, traded a car tape player for a .22 Colt Huntsman which would not fire 50% of the time. Guy who had the Colt got mad and gave up and wanted to get rid of it - he didn't know anything about guns except they went band when the trigger was pulled. I tore it apart and found the firing pin was homemade (looked like from a large nail) and was soft, so the business end was worn and wouldn't hit the .22 primer well. Bought a genuine firing pin (and a spare) at a gunsmith for a few bucks and put it in ... gun functioned like new. Still have the gun which is worth quite a bit now.

 

[wpod]

Depending on the part, mostly a mill ( Minimum 3 axis and would need an indexer and rotary table with all the tooling)) but some would have to have a lathe.

Would have to have heat treat either way as well and some precision metrology capability and a surface plate

Making one from a copy is easy- making one from a picture is a different matter completely

Yes indeed.

I keep spare parts.

Started stockpiling spares for my M1 Garands...things like op rods, gas cylinders, bolts, only exist as surplus USGI. The supply is limited right now, and the future won’t get better.

Yikes I have had 3 M1As with all GI parts and 3 Garands which 2 were sold and they were the only rifles I have sold that I regret selling . I haven't shot the Garand for 17 years long time eh? Anyway I looked up the prices for parts and they are very costly . Good thing I don't shoot rifles any more.

 

[wpod]

^^^ this ^^^ is my thinking as well (much like everything else firearm related). I have had spare parts for 90% of my firearms for years, but recently had to add to that inventory for a new family of pistols. Not a fearmonger here, but without spare parts, when something breaks, the firearm becomes a bat.

Having the paerts on hand makes the repairs quick and effortless unless a bit of fitting is needed. It is nice to have some parts.

 

[ABN_CBT_ENGR]

Having the paerts on hand makes the repairs quick and effortless unless a bit of fitting is needed. It is nice to have some parts.

Let me expound on this a bit since I am currently doing it for gun parts specifically for a future business to sell them.

With the exceptions of USGI, "Modern manufactured firearms" and some "production line models"- a large majority of gun parts will always require final fitting.

It seems in the days before TQM et al, "quality" was by eyeball, machining was to a wider tolerance (and sometimes different metallurgy than today) and having final assembly by a "gunsmith/fitter" was common. ( they fine tuned)

I have many examples ( thanks to people donating guns for a "free technical cleaning"[ where we strip, photograph and mic]) where there is no uniform standard.

The replacement will geometrically fit but requires fitting to work ( extractors, sears, some hammers and lifts on revolvers, triggers on others)

Then theres wear ( mainly on pumps and autos but can be on pins like doubles)- the part needs to be oversized to be fitted to compensate for the lost dimension.

I have concluded that there will always be a degree of fitting and judgment required for a large portion of overall gun parts

 

[UNC151]

I have concluded that there will always be a degree of fitting and judgment required for a large portion of overall gun parts

I have not had to do anything other than drop in parts for Glock, S&W, HK, Walther, and AR clones. With that said, nearly all of my pistols were made in the 21st century, though a few are not. I would state this would be the case for the majority of "modern" firearms. The only firearms that I had to tweak is a Postal Meter and a Rockola M1 Carbine and a Winchester Model 12 shotgun. Those had to be repaired by a gunsmith, but as all of them were built in the 1940's I would write that off to improved manufacturing as you have noted.