Spare Parts for SHTF

[Desert Ranger Tycho]

What spare parts are y'all stocked up on for your boom sticks?

Personally I have bought a few extra firing pins, pistons, triggers, and Lower parts kits for all my rifles. Oh, and a shit ton of magazines

 

[Gustav7]

I think I have 2 LPK's
An extra bolt kit with extra gas rings

One extra recoil spring and guide rod for my Glocks

I have a couple hardened bolts that I will fit as spare action screws but that wasn't on purpose.

Idk...I think thats it.

 

[SilencedShooter11B]

I started accumulating spare LPKs, BCGs etc then just started building spare rifles instead. I can either scalp them for parts or if one goes down, pick up a different one and use the original for parts

If you shoot suppressed, extra gas tubes are a good idea

 

[Gustav7]

I started accumulating spare LPKs, BCGs etc then just started building spare rifles instead. I can either scalp them for parts or if one goes down, pick up a different one and use the original for parts

If you shoot suppressed, extra gas tubes are a good idea

have you had gas tubes break? Or get clogged up?

 

[Docsherm]

My list:
BCG, gas tubes, trigger springs, buffer spring, and heavier Buffer.

 

[SilencedShooter11B]

have you had gas tubes break? Or get clogged up?

I’ve had one blow out. Could’ve been from faulty manufacturing or whatever. Unsure

i also have two WAR uppers (Innovative Arms) that require proprietary tubes so I keep a spare for each.

Its a part that’s cheap now and can be easily replaced...figure it’s easy insurance to have one on hand

 

[Jigstick]

I plan on scavenging off the dead communists I dome

 

[sea2summit]

I plan on scavenging off the dead communists I dome

They will only have cheap crap 71% of the time, that’s science.

LPKs, gas rings, springs, buffers, bolts are all failure points. Firing pins and firing pin retainer pins are commonly lost. Another thing to consider is making sure you know what high speed stuff you have that won’t be in spec with off the shelf replacement parts, smallframes not such a big deal but AR10’s you can get some serious frustrations.

 

[FishinGuns]

I plan on scavenging off the dead communists I dome

‘Murica!

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I wonder if we're making assumptions about SHTF that are reasonable.

My first question is about lifespans, mine and yours. Honestly, I do not expect to survive so long that parts wear and breakage will become a serious issue. Attrition in time of war is usually kept to acceptable levels (whatever that's supposed to mean) by rotating troops in and out of direct enemy contact. I don't see the kind of organization and management coming that would support that.

One becomes a casualty because of the factors least considered. Military organizations are supposed to enjoy the sorts of supporting troops and other resources that do that considering. I doubt that any SHTF scenarios will include much of that. Rambo is fiction, and nobody I know could get away with his shenanigans; such luck simply does not exist.

I've inhabited this site for going on decades, and the topic of SHTF comes up on a pretty regular basis. Folks chat about buying more ammo. Buy it cheap and stack it deep. That sort of stuff.

I'm telling you that all that ammo is an anchor, not a boon. You find yourself under a determined assault, you'll probably never get to shoot more than a few percent of it. It's very presence practically guarantees that you will, too, because it's an outright invitation to be a big fat target. Folks want that stuff, and will do ANYTHING to get hold of it. It's bait, pure and simple.

You'll very likely need to depart your fortress of solitude, and you'll be leaving that stuff behind. Or dying. Those are the options.

And while we're on the subject of all that ammo; Just what the heck are you folks actually planning on using it for? Defending? What do you mean by defending? Making a loud noise and scaring folks off?

No, to mount an active defense, you'll have to be killing people; lots of them. Most of us here have never done that. Many of those will abhor the idea having been through it already. They thought they were done, and here we are talking about doing it some more. The whole equation is full of flaws.

So far we've all been talking around such outcomes. Time to talks about them straight on, or STFU!

Your turn.

Greg

 

[Desert Ranger Tycho]

I wonder if we're making assumptions about SHTF that are reasonable.

My first question is about lifespans, mine and yours. Honestly, I do not expect to survive so long that parts wear and breakage will become a serious issue. Attrition in time of war is usually kept to acceptable levels (whatever that's supposed to mean) by rotating troops in and out of direct enemy contact. I don't see the kind of organization and management coming that would support that.

One becomes a casualty because of the factors least considered. Military organizations are supposed to enjoy the sorts of supporting troops and other resources that do that considering. I doubt that any SHTF scenarios will include much of that. Rambo is fiction, and nobody I know could get away with his shenanigans; such luck simply does not exist.

I've inhabited this site for going on decades, and the topic of SHTF comes up on a pretty regular basis. Folks chat about buying more ammo. Buy it cheap and stack it deep. That sort of stuff.

I'm telling you that all that ammo is an anchor, not a boon. You find yourself under a determined assault, you'll probably never get to shoot more than a few percent of it. It's very presence practically guarantees that you will, too, because it's an outright invitation to be a big fat target. Folks want that stuff, and will do ANYTHING to get hold of it. It's bait, pure and simple.

You'll very likely need to depart your fortress of solitude, and you'll be leaving that stuff behind. Or dying. Those are the options.

And while we're on the subject of all that ammo; Just what the heck are you folks actually planning on using it for? Defending? What do you mean by defending? Making a loud noise and scaring folks off?

No, to mount an active defense, you'll have to be killing people; lots of them. Most of us here have never done that. Many of those will abhor the idea having been through it already. They thought they were done, and here we are talking about doing it some more. The whole equation is full of flaws.

So far we've all been talking around such outcomes. Time to talks about them straight on, or STFU!

Your turn.

Greg

Who invited Captain Buzz Kill to the forum?

 

[Desert Ranger Tycho]

I started accumulating spare LPKs, BCGs etc then just started building spare rifles instead. I can either scalp them for parts or if one goes down, pick up a different one and use the original for parts

If you shoot suppressed, extra gas tubes are a good idea

gas tubes- that is one thing I didn't think of. Of course if you are stocking gas tubes you will also need the tools to install it. It may be easier for some just to have a spare upper.

 

[Gustav7]

I wonder if we're making assumptions about SHTF that are reasonable.

My first question is about lifespans, mine and yours. Honestly, I do not expect to survive so long that parts wear and breakage will become a serious issue. Attrition in time of war is usually kept to acceptable levels (whatever that's supposed to mean) by rotating troops in and out of direct enemy contact. I don't see the kind of organization and management coming that would support that.

One becomes a casualty because of the factors least considered. Military organizations are supposed to enjoy the sorts of supporting troops and other resources that do that considering. I doubt that any SHTF scenarios will include much of that. Rambo is fiction, and nobody I know could get away with his shenanigans; such luck simply does not exist.

I've inhabited this site for going on decades, and the topic of SHTF comes up on a pretty regular basis. Folks chat about buying more ammo. Buy it cheap and stack it deep. That sort of stuff.

I'm telling you that all that ammo is an anchor, not a boon. You find yourself under a determined assault, you'll probably never get to shoot more than a few percent of it. It's very presence practically guarantees that you will, too, because it's an outright invitation to be a big fat target. Folks want that stuff, and will do ANYTHING to get hold of it. It's bait, pure and simple.

You'll very likely need to depart your fortress of solitude, and you'll be leaving that stuff behind. Or dying. Those are the options.

And while we're on the subject of all that ammo; Just what the heck are you folks actually planning on using it for? Defending? What do you mean by defending? Making a loud noise and scaring folks off?

No, to mount an active defense, you'll have to be killing people; lots of them. Most of us here have never done that. Many of those will abhor the idea having been through it already. They thought they were done, and here we are talking about doing it some more. The whole equation is full of flaws.

So far we've all been talking around such outcomes. Time to talks about them straight on, or STFU!

Your turn.

Greg

Philosophers, deviants, artists, dreamers, ponderers, workers, pragmatists, realists, philanthropists, sociopaths, , caregivers, emotionally volatile, apathetic, old men, young men, determined men, and tired men....

Just some of the personalities that exist on this site.... bound to have some who love to talk about the unknown and improbable like its a bowl of cereal in front of them.

I myself prefer to talk and discuss things that are for more unlikely, and more "out of this world".... like a zombie apocalypse. I think it fuels my inner creativity in some twisted way....

 

[Desert Ranger Tycho]

I wonder if we're making assumptions about SHTF that are reasonable.

My first question is about lifespans, mine and yours. Honestly, I do not expect to survive so long that parts wear and breakage will become a serious issue. Attrition in time of war is usually kept to acceptable levels (whatever that's supposed to mean) by rotating troops in and out of direct enemy contact. I don't see the kind of organization and management coming that would support that.

One becomes a casualty because of the factors least considered. Military organizations are supposed to enjoy the sorts of supporting troops and other resources that do that considering. I doubt that any SHTF scenarios will include much of that. Rambo is fiction, and nobody I know could get away with his shenanigans; such luck simply does not exist.

I've inhabited this site for going on decades, and the topic of SHTF comes up on a pretty regular basis. Folks chat about buying more ammo. Buy it cheap and stack it deep. That sort of stuff.

I'm telling you that all that ammo is an anchor, not a boon. You find yourself under a determined assault, you'll probably never get to shoot more than a few percent of it. It's very presence practically guarantees that you will, too, because it's an outright invitation to be a big fat target. Folks want that stuff, and will do ANYTHING to get hold of it. It's bait, pure and simple.

You'll very likely need to depart your fortress of solitude, and you'll be leaving that stuff behind. Or dying. Those are the options.

And while we're on the subject of all that ammo; Just what the heck are you folks actually planning on using it for? Defending? What do you mean by defending? Making a loud noise and scaring folks off?

No, to mount an active defense, you'll have to be killing people; lots of them. Most of us here have never done that. Many of those will abhor the idea having been through it already. They thought they were done, and here we are talking about doing it some more. The whole equation is full of flaws.

So far we've all been talking around such outcomes. Time to talks about them straight on, or STFU!

Your turn.

Greg

Sarcasm aside, there are many SHTF scenarios where extra parts will be useful. In most discussions, SHTF is just a unifying idea to get people to think about the logistics of maintenance and repair needed by all firearms. I find such discussions useful as a sounding board to look for holes in the logic used to prepare for emergencies.

For instance, you point out that a large stash of weapons and ammo make a great target. You are right. And in the scenario you provide you will most likely have to abandon your position, just as you may have to leave your home if a Category 5 hurricane is bearing down on you. In both scenarios one should have a secondary location and stash of needed supplies either at a rally point or fallback location. The "All-the-Eggs-in-One-Basket" approach is a real flaw in all of our planning. I think this also applies to spending $3K on a KAC rifle with a $2k scope -you can buy a lot of less expensive rifles and reddots for the same money and stockpile them in different locations.

And lastly, if you think your position is going to be assaulted by such an overwhelming OPFOR - why were claymore mines not in your emergency plans?

 

[sea2summit]

I wonder if we're making assumptions about SHTF that are reasonable.

My first question is about lifespans, mine and yours. Honestly, I do not expect to survive so long that parts wear and breakage will become a serious issue. Attrition in time of war is usually kept to acceptable levels (whatever that's supposed to mean) by rotating troops in and out of direct enemy contact. I don't see the kind of organization and management coming that would support that.

One becomes a casualty because of the factors least considered. Military organizations are supposed to enjoy the sorts of supporting troops and other resources that do that considering. I doubt that any SHTF scenarios will include much of that. Rambo is fiction, and nobody I know could get away with his shenanigans; such luck simply does not exist.

I've inhabited this site for going on decades, and the topic of SHTF comes up on a pretty regular basis. Folks chat about buying more ammo. Buy it cheap and stack it deep. That sort of stuff.

I'm telling you that all that ammo is an anchor, not a boon. You find yourself under a determined assault, you'll probably never get to shoot more than a few percent of it. It's very presence practically guarantees that you will, too, because it's an outright invitation to be a big fat target. Folks want that stuff, and will do ANYTHING to get hold of it. It's bait, pure and simple.

You'll very likely need to depart your fortress of solitude, and you'll be leaving that stuff behind. Or dying. Those are the options.

And while we're on the subject of all that ammo; Just what the heck are you folks actually planning on using it for? Defending? What do you mean by defending? Making a loud noise and scaring folks off?

No, to mount an active defense, you'll have to be killing people; lots of them. Most of us here have never done that. Many of those will abhor the idea having been through it already. They thought they were done, and here we are talking about doing it some more. The whole equation is full of flaws.

So far we've all been talking around such outcomes. Time to talks about them straight on, or STFU!

Your turn.

Greg

I’ll take a stab.

First point, if the ballon went up tonight I don’t have a rifle I’d use that’s got less than 3k though it so I think the chances of breaking something for me are medium to high. Heck, I just tore up a set of gas rings. I’ve also seen a bolt break. Likely? Maybe not, but not unlikely and it’s cheap insurance. I don’t think any scenario could go more than two-three years and that would have to be a global level of SHTF.

Second point is right on IMHO. Sickness and non-battle injuries are the worst enemy. If you have $10k in your rifle, pistol, and ammo but don’t have a medical kit that ranges from splinter to tooth ache to lost appendage you are probably not ready for anything.

Ammo, I’d say you need a lot. Average weeks see hundreds of rounds fired at my house. SHTF wouldn’t stop that, still gotta train. Also, lots of folks around me with similar mindset but dissimilar abilities to have stocks so if I have enough to help them that’s a bonus. Priority of ammo comes after food, water, and shelter and it’s only a small part of security.

Ammo as an anchor...I see where you are coming from. Not sure I think that’s a valid reason not to have a bunch. I also agree that many people over estimate their own abilities and underestimate the other side’s on the two way firing line. And what are you eating and drinking while you sit on your big pile of ammo? (See last para)

I will never leave my “fortress” but I also pray I never have solitude. You can not win against a group and very unlikely you’ll win against one person more than a handful of times at best. Stack your friends deep.

Using ammo, see above still training. Probably give most of it to those that need it. And security.

Why do you have to kill lots of people to have an active defense? I’d argue that an active defense should fix most post SHTF problems before they become problems that only shooting will fix. And if it gets to the point you need to shoot to solve the problem the fight should be so unfair to the aggressor that unless they have significant higher numbers they won’t win.

So yeah, nothing wrong with spare parts as a topic. Just remember it’s a subtopic to a subtopic that is only a part of an even larger topic of which there are five according to some dude named Maslow and most “pre

And that’s only at the individual level, there’s whole other topics at the group, neighborhood, state and national level

 

[powdahound76]

I followed @TheGerman’s advice and snagged a Knights.

Who needs spare parts?

small parts break. Moving ones more.

If you cant figure out what those are, how to you expect to be able to fix it?

i have a little Stanley divider case to keep stuff in.
makes me happy. As do whisky and a fine behind.
Guess I am good to go on all fronts!

 

[Greg Langelius *]

OK, thought has been provoked, and that was the goal, so....

Captain Buzz Kill, indeed... Great humor, there.

I fought in a war where enemy KIA were measured in rounds expended to achieve them.

R. Lee Ermy is quoted as saying that number in Vietnam was 200,000 rounds per enemy killed. Accuracy of the statement aside, it's still a lot of shooting at 10% of that estimate. The count for trained snipers was 1.3 rounds per kill. Considering that at least one side of that fight was being conducted by highly trained troops, there's a lot more shooting going on than any of us could reasonably be expected to achieve as individuals. Most of us here are not as well trained as that which I received in Boot and ITR, and snipers are more numerous here than most sites, and are still but a tiny percentage of our number. As individuals, none of us could survive long enough to deliver that much fire, as 53,000 of us found out the hard way.

I'm not trying to discourage anything, just trying to put things into an accurate perspective. I'm not saying anyone of us has either enough, too much, or too little ammo. I think we're laboring under some shallow thinking, and maybe also some shallow resolve.

I don't think we're going to be seeing anything even vaguely resembling the sort of civil war/Armageddon/insurgency/or backyard skirmishing many envision. Honestly, it's just a bad idea. I'm not planning on being Johnny marching off to war. Any combat I'd be facing would have to be coming to me; I'm just flatly uninterested in going out looking for folks to shoot at. I suspect that's a plan I share rather widely here. I also expect it's the most likely threat that most, if any, of us would face. It's really rather simple, I'm never going to leave my family to the tender mercies of (insert militant mob names here). If I go down, I do it right here.

But I don't want to see that here in my Nation. Americans killing Americans is not the dream of my Nation, but of its enemies. I was a Scout and believe in being prepared, but my goodness, not to the degree of buy it cheap, stack it deep. That kind of preparation assumes, and encourages, atrocious fire discipline.

Good fire discipline could:

Reduce ammo need by a large fraction.
Greatly increase the likelihood of being a better infantryman.
Reduce the likelihood of collateral damage to a far less horrific proportion.

If we're gonna do this thing, we need to improve our fire discipline and combat effectiveness to a point that rivals current US Forces, and that's a very tall order for most of us. We need to pare down our load out to a load that does not impede combat mobility. We need to establish command chains and establish their usage in a reliable manner. That's beginning to sound like a militia, and that's my stop, I get off at this stop.

None of us is Rambo. None of us (well most of us) are not LE. Most of this sort of thing is the daydream of someone well past the prime needed to make even part of this work. Even trying to pull some of this off would bring down the mighty wrath of National Guards, doing precisely their jobs, and rightly so.

I advise against such thinking. It's the sort of thinking that kills off Americans in large numbers. That's never been a great idea.

There's a bunch of bad acting going on right now. Dealing with that is the job of some very proficient professionals. There are some shitheads trying to put wrenches in that machinery right now, but that shit will end soon. It has to, and it has to be the right people making that happen.

Those people aren't us.

Greg

 

[Dewey7271]

Second point is right on IMHO. Sickness and non-battle injuries are the worst enemy. If you have $10k in your rifle, pistol, and ammo but don’t have a medical kit that ranges from splinter to tooth ache to lost appendage you are probably not ready for anything.

I’ll say regarding this quote that meds including antibiotics (which need to be refreshed frequently) better be part of your kit.

 

[SilencedShooter11B]

Assuming SHTF, I’m going to live as quietly and off the grid as possible. I will go everywhere armed. I want to be able to rebuild and maintain my weapons, hopefully firing as few rounds as possible. But who knows what will happen? Maybe I drop it while I’ve got the handguard removed and the gas tube hits a rock on the ground? Just planning for Murphy. If I’m in a situation where I’m having to expend all of my stored ammo at one go, I’ve Either failed or it’s just my time to go

 

[Jigstick]

My plan is to blend in with the communists. And garrote as many as I can

 

[sea2summit]

I’ll say regarding this quote that meds including antibiotics (which need to be refreshed frequently) better be part of your kit.

Only if you understand dosages and treatment. Young lady recently lost her life needlessly because her dad treated her when she got the Rona.

 

[FishinGuns]

The kind of planning being talked about is accurate for a SHTF event where Harris inheirits the presidency after Biden is eliminated and both the house and senate are controlled by the communist party. Do I think that will happen, no, but could it, sure.

I absolutely think that is the most probable SHTF event. Could what was mentioned above happen, though? There’s a first or third time for everything... Does it ever hurt to have too many parts or too much ammo if you can afford it?

Buy. It. Up.

 

[Desert Ranger Tycho]

Honestly, I do not know what the SHTF scenario will actually be but it is a good bet that in any SHTF scenario parts (and ammo) will be scarce for months or years to come. My only interest is what parts people are stocking and in what quantities they are storing. Gas rings, gas tubes, firing pins, are all great suggestions. I was thinking about stocking up on the small screws for each platform.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

FWIW, I built most of my AR's myself and have a small number of excess, replaced/upgraded parts onhand, so I'm not really in a pinch where spare parts are concerned.

As for meds, The VA has supplied me with a small stock of meds as a CHF/COPD 'emergency kit'. They include antibiotics, but they are optimized for the kinds of upper respiratory ills I am susceptible to with my current chronic conditions. I do not use them without communicating with my prescribing physician and getting his/her approval to put them to proper usage.

I warn the rest of us that antibiotics are far from interchangeable, and that misuse of the wrong types can create resistant strains that would be worse than any military action.

Likewise, my first uppers built are on standby as alternate uppers. My recent upgrades have left a number of grips, buffer groups/adjustable stocks, and triggers, etc., left over onhand. All I'd really needs is some barrels and receivers/upper and lower, to build entire new AR's. Not that I'd want to; enough is enough. And I don't sell or give away/trade parts, guns or anything so related.

Most parts fail because they are installed wrong, or are poorly chosen. Built it right and that sort of issue becomes a whole lot smaller.

I don't believe it constant training, or the encouragement of large numbers of rounds being expended. I fought in combat for over a year, and know for a fact that I have the temperament and skills that made my survival possible. At 74, even considering serious physical combat activity is a cruel joke for me, so we won't be going there at all. I also know that my friends' ammo supplies far outstrip my own, so mine won't be going anywhere soon. I really don't expect a long lifespan given my underlying conditions and dependencies on a fairly long list of prescriptions; if they dry up, so do I soon thereafter. So a large personal stock of ammo would be impractical.

Just tryin' to keep it real...

Greg

PS Harris is not only worse than Biden, she's worse than Hillary. She is the most despicable evil of Communism personified.

 

[sea2summit]

FWIW, I built most of my AR's myself and have a small number of excess, replaced/upgraded parts onhand, so I'm not really in a pinch where spare parts are concerned.

As for meds, The VA has supplied me with a small stock of meds as a CHF/COPD 'emergency kit'. They include antibiotics, but they are optimized for the kinds of upper respiratory ills I am susceptible to with my current chronic conditions. I do not use them without communicating with my prescribing physician and getting his/her approval to put them to proper usage.

I warn the rest of us that antibiotics are far from interchangeable, and that misuse of the wrong types can create resistant strains that would be worse than any military action.

Likewise, my first uppers built are on standby as alternate uppers. My recent upgrades have left a number of grips, buffer groups/adjustable stocks, and triggers, etc., left over onhand. All I'd really needs is some barrels and receivers/upper and lower, to build entire new AR's. Not that I'd want to; enough is enough. And I don't sell or give away/trade parts, guns or anything so related.

Most parts fail because they are installed wrong, or are poorly chosen. Built it right and that sort of issue becomes a whole lot smaller.

I don't believe it constant training, or the encouragement of large numbers of rounds being expended. I fought in combat for over a year, and know for a fact that I have the temperament and skills that made my survival possible. At 74, even considering serious physical combat activity is a cruel joke for me, so we won't be going there at all. I also know that my friends' ammo supplies far outstrip my own, so mine won't be going anywhere soon. I really don't expect a long lifespan given my underlying conditions and dependencies on a fairly long list of prescriptions; if they dry up, so do I soon thereafter. So a large personal stock of ammo would be impractical.

Just tryin' to keep it real...

Greg

PS Harris is not only worse than Biden, she's worse than Hillary. She is the most despicable evil of Communism personified.

 

[Desert Ranger Tycho]

View attachment 7414007

This wouldn't happen if you had just discussed what spare parts to stock up on for your firearms... and your Crown Victoria Police Cruiser.

 

[Ape_Factory]

My plan is to blend in with the communists. And garrote as many as I can

Sooo...you live in Russia in 1984?

 

[Merle]

Gas rings, extractor, firing pin, cam pin, firing pin retainer.

 

[Desert Ranger Tycho]

Gas rings, extractor, firing pin, cam pin, firing pin retainer.

 

[Darkside-Six]

Parts kits and springs are cheap. Been acquiring them over the years. Every time I order a new trigger or something I always grab a few springs/pins have a few spare bolts and BCG’s, firing pins, extractors.
I have them all neatly organized in one of these. Have a separate one for HK, and. Separate one for all different types of rail sections I’ve acquired over the years. These little organizers come in handy.

 

[Hobo Hilton]

I started accumulating spare LPKs, BCGs etc then just started building spare rifles instead. I can either scalp them for parts or if one goes down, pick up a different one and use the original for parts

If you shoot suppressed, extra gas tubes are a good idea

I am in agreement.... I enjoy "quality parts", not just for weapons but for all of my equipment (tractor, 4 wheeler, etc). I am finding that I have boxes and boxes of "parts" to the extent of not finding what I need when I need it. So, I too began assembling my parts into "units". I can run the unit or scavenge a brand new part. Some of these "units" will become fair trade items should conditions worsen. Great to have an injector rebuild kit for my John Deere tractor, but for a bit more, I can build an entire spare injector pump. I guess it depends on a man's mechanical ability, shop, tools, etc.

Hobo

 

[Desert Ranger Tycho]

Parts kits and springs are cheap. Been acquiring them over the years. Every time I order a new trigger or something I always grab a few springs/pins have a few spare bolts and BCG’s, foreign pins, extractors.
I have then all neatly organized in one of these. Have a separate one for HK, and. Separate one for all different types of rail sections of squire over the years. These little organizers come in handy.

Mahalo! This is the kind of information I was looking for.