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Letter Re: Recommended Spare Parts for Firearms

Sir:
I am interested in acquiring a good stock of spare parts for my firearms but am not sure where to start. For my AR-15 I got a spare parts kit which covers all the likely culprits for failure (I know it well enough to be sure of that). Eventually I will get an extra bolt carrier group for it. However I do not know enough about the parts that tend to fail for other firearms in my collection. The other firearms I am concerned with are: Springfield Mil Spec .45 [Colt M1911 clone] , Mossberg 500 12 gauge, Ruger 10/.22, Winchester [Model 18]94 30-30. Any advice be it specific or general would be greatly appreciated as having a 10 dollar part break and render a precious weapon useless would really ruin my day. - Ryan

JWR Replies: The most robust gun on your list by far is the Winchester Model 1894. They hardly ever break. I have seen a few that were badly abused in the field. A surprising number of these lever guns end up with broken stocks, when horse take a roll. (Which often bends the tang.) Rear sights occasionally get broken and, less frequently, magazine tubes get dented.

The basic high breakage parts for nearly all semi-auto guns to consider "musts" for spares are: firing pin, extractor, and ejector.

Some firearms designs have parts that are notoriously prone to breakage. (For example, the forend bars on Ithaca Model 37 shotguns and the rear sights on Ruger 10/.22s. Be sure to do some research at the various Internet forums for gunsmithing discussions on each gun make/model that you own. One of the most comprehensive gun forum sites is GunBoards.com.

Surprisingly, from what I've heard in conversations with several gunsmiths, they replace more lost parts than they do broken parts. Any small part that is removed during cleaning and that is under spring tension is likely to go flying off into the weeds. (Or just across your garage workshop, never to be seen again. "Been there, done that.")

I don't feel personally qualified to make recommendations on spares for Mossberg 500 series shotguns, but since I've owned all of the others, here are my comments on them:

For AR-15s, I recommend:

Firing pin and 2 firing pin retaining pins

2 Extractors, 3 extractor pins, 2 extractor springs, and 3 extractor spring nylon inserts

Buffer retainer pin and spring

Ejector with spring, and pin

Ejection port cover assembly complete, plus 3 spare C-clips. (The C-clips are almost microscopic.)

Buttstock

1 pair of handguards

20+ magazines

For Ruger 10/.22 rifles, I recommend:

Firing pin

2 Extractors

2 Trigger group retaining pins

Ejector (The little plate that flops around in the top of the trigger group when it is removed)

2 rear sight assemblies, complete

5+ magazines. (I particularly like the Tactical Innovations milled aluminum magazines. They are fully adjustable, feed flawlessly, and are practically bombproof.)

For M1911s and Clones, I recommend:

Firing pin, spring, and retaining plate

Slide release

2 Extractors

Barrel bushing

Mainspring and plug

Ejector and 4 pins

Triple leaf spring

12+ magazines. (I prefer original Colt, Metalform, and Shooting Star brands. Most of the aftermarket magazines are not worth buying. See my M1911 Magazine FAQ for details.)

For Winchester Model 1894 rifles, I recommend:

Firing pin

Magazine tube

Rear sight assembly, complete

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