AR15 emergency repair kit

[Scottmilk9]

I have made and sold these kits to Dillon Precision and a few other places, but would like your input to see if there is a common thing that either breaks or gets lost when a home DIY person installs a new stock/trigger/etc.....

These are the items i have in this kit and that i have either lost/broke or just plain wear out over time.

1. 3ea gas rings( should be replaced every so often, i do it twice a year or every 1000 rounds)
2. Extra power extractor spring, the factor ones seem to wear out over time as well.
3. take down detent and spring. If you ever changed a stock out, sometimes the spring goes missing or its easily crimped.
4. firing pin retaining pin. We all have had these bend over time.
5. buffer retaining pin and spring. these go flying since they are under tension, also shear off occasionally.
6. Lastly, the hammer/trigger pin. Most cases they are fine, but noticed a lot of pistol caliber carbines break the hammer pin.

Any thoughts?

 

[MarkCO]

Why don't you just put in the Colt (gold) extractor spring with black insert? Get and upgrade when you replace/rebuild.

I probably have a dozen dust cover rod C-clips on the floor of the shop, might be worth tossing one of those in too.

 

[lte82]

I should probably buy a few spare parts kits. You never know.

 

[Scottmilk9]

Mark, the extractor spring that i put in there is an aftermarket one, not the one you mentioned but i had 5000 of them made. C-clips are a good suggestion, thank you.

 

[MSTN]

This is a very well thought out kit, better than anything Brownell's offers. All of theirs have too much I know I DON'T need.

How would you feel about adding a safety selector spring and detent?

I'd double up on the take down pin spring and detent. Those two have the highest fatality rate for me. I still haven't gotten that last detent out of my nose, I don't think. The lowers like the KAC SR-15 and the Vltor that orient the rear take down spring and detent vertically and are trapped by the pistol grip - as found in Eugene Stoner's original design - seem to get screwed up far more frequently than the ones oriented horizontally and held in place by the receiver end plate. At least by me.

Coat your gas rings with Rockwell 90+ Ionbond Diamondblack and you won't need to replace them nearly so often.

I see carbine recoil springs fail fast, too. What about an option to include your desired rifle or carbine recoil spring?

How about the black rubber baby bumper that lives inside the extractor spring? Or Crane O-rings? You may not need the O-ring, as your extractor spring looks rather stout all by itself.

 

[Armed Ferret]

I actually just tap the rear takedown detent hole for a set screw. Stock changes are no big thang now.

A good kit. I tend to just keep a ziploc with one or two each of the springs, a spare bolt/firing pin/retaining pin, etc. in the bug-out bag. Range bag has basically three of........pretty much everything. For the AR's and the AK's. Just in case.

 

[Scottmilk9]

This is a very well thought out kit, better than anything Brownell's offers. All of theirs have too much I know I DON'T need.

How would you feel about adding a safety selector spring and detent?

I'd double up on the take down pin spring and detent. Those two have the highest fatality rate for me. I still haven't gotten that last detent out of my nose, I don't think. The lowers like the KAC SR-15 and the Vltor that orient the rear take down spring and detent vertically and are trapped by the pistol grip - as found in Eugene Stoner's original design - seem to get screwed up far more frequently than the ones oriented horizontally and held in place by the receiver end plate. At least by me.

Coat your gas rings with Rockwell 90+ Ionbond Diamondblack and you won't need to replace them nearly so often.

I see carbine recoil springs fail fast, too. What about an option to include your desired rifle or carbine recoil spring?

How about the black rubber baby bumper that lives inside the extractor spring? Or Crane O-rings? You may not need the O-ring, as your extractor spring looks rather stout all by itself.

Very good suggestions, I was actually going to add at least the selector spring to this kit.
The carbine recoil spring is a great idea to replace often, but for packaging it would be a nightmare(for retail stores).

 

[MSTN]

Carbine recoil spring fatigue rate is just one more reason I have to prefer the Vltor A5 recoil system.

I can give you the proper Crane O-Ring specs.

Size
Material
Durometer hardness

Even if you order in the minimum quantity, 1000X, they're less than $.07 each.

 

[MSTN]

I actually just tap the rear takedown detent hole for a set screw.

Excellent plan. What tap and set screw sizing works for you?

 

[MarkCO]

I actually just tap the rear takedown detent hole for a set screw. Stock changes are no big thang now.

I just toss the take-down detent and spring in a little bin, stopped using them a few years ago. Safety spring and detent would be welcome as would the black extractor spring insert.

 

[rdinak]

While things are cheap and quiet....throw in a complete bolt carrier group or 2 and at least two lower parts kits.