Do you carry a lost parts kit around with you and your rifle? If you do some minor maintenance at the range or a cleaning of you AR and drop that little cotter pin in the bolt group you are SOL for the rest of the day.
Stuff that goes "SPROING!".
More importantly, do you have a lost parts kit in you Bug Out Bag for whatever platform you are likely to grab if you leave the house in a hurry?
Well, Uncle Sam taught me to disassemble my bolt into my hat -- which is why the inside of my range hats have black carbon stains. {grin}
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I don't keep spares around. Although when replacing parts that still have serviceably life on them (generally while upgrading a part), I keep those - just not in my range bag.
You don't have spare bits for your weapons. Like firing pins, springs, screws. I mean really. With modern guns you can get them from the mfr. Older Surplus guns, there's Numrich and Sarco. Even repro parts for shooters and not safe queens. And working at home. big cardboard box with a hunk of old wool blanket on it's side with the top folding bits cut off. springs and screws drop to bottom and stick in the wool. and Springs under tension suddenly releasing don't go so far.
ReplyDelete@Geodkyt - I see your technique practiced all the time with off-roaders.
ReplyDeleteFred has a worn out wrench, buys brand new replacement. Not wishing to surrender whatever value is in the old one, he puts it in his 4 wheeler tool kit.
The brand new one will be used in a lighted (and possibly heated or air conditioned) garage. The old, worn out one will get used at midnight, in the rain, while laying in mud.
I vacuum-seal brand new parts that I've fit tested and carry those in the field. Whenever I buy a replacement part, I get two, three if it's a part I don't already have - one as a replacement, one as an "at home" spare, one as a field spare.
I've spent too much time not finding 308 cases in grass to think I'll ever find a dropped pin or spring.