Greetings Me Droogs N Droogettes!
Sorry for a few days absence but I needed a few ‘down days’… been a bit overwhelmed with work at Glorious People’s Tractor Factory. Had a salary review last week, and was told NO, but am allowed to do as much overtime as I want, so they’re going to come to regret that shit muy pronto let me tell you… I’m at 40 this week already and tomorrow is a ‘gravy day’ b/c we run Wednesday to Tuesday as the work week. I did a lil weekend work which allowed me to clock out at 40 by Monday.
Add on the news itself has been nothing but one big distraction… who gives a fuck if the poor pwecious college stoodints are being beaten on by the Uniformed Gestapo… let ’em have at it and TBH I want to see MOAR cracked skulls… gimme blood flowing. It’s like the remaining Boomer-Journalists are reliving their Anti-Vietnam bullshit…
Fuck ’em
So, took a few days off. Also been tired. Like ZERO energy lately. Might be I’m not getting out in the sun enough… might have to start taking my breaks during the day out in the pool?
So… I was on Reddit on the r/prepping page, and found a guy asking for “Which replacement rifle parts to add to prep?”
LOTS of info, most of which revolved around “Get a spare rifle, one in none…” or the most popular “Get a spare BCG…” which to a point, I do agree. I ended up chiming in, as well, this’s like an area I have a lot of experience in. Paraphrasing, and adding photos, this is what I feel and my rationale for what you should have in your ‘fiddly-bits-box’
This’s mine:

LOTS of spares for the spares so to speak, for both the AR-15 as well as the AR-10 variants.
Now, Having a spare BCG is ok. The head spacing on a drop in new BCG should be OK, but it’d be smart to get it professionally checked to insure it’s a Go. This’s one of my 2? maybe even 3 floating around here:

And the best time to buy them is when Palmetto goes full retard and sells them for $70+/- fiatbux.
so, IRL the most common issues I found in the various arms rooms that I serviced (All US Army Reserve and NG Units in the State) the most common missing part was Bolt Gas Rings. Usually one or two can go Missing (usually when scrubbing the carbon off the bolt itself). Missing one is OK as long as you get it replaced sooner, rather than later… two missing is a definite no-go. I keep a substantial amount on hand as buying bulk is better… leastways buying a set of 3 is about $4, while you can get a pack of 30 is about $17 plus shipping.

Needless to say, I’m not running out of these anytime soon…
Then, the Firing Pin/Bolt Retaining pin.

That pin? THOSE were the most commonly ‘lost’ item that Joe had trouble keeping track of. It’s easy to lose that during a bolt tear down, especially in the field. In the Infantry we had it beaten into us to put ALL our fiddly-bits into our K-Pot or softcap so as to not to lose this in particular. And I seem to be light on those… might want to look into getting a few more when the VA monies drop on Wednesday. (I do love me a mid-week VA Payday).
There were some other folks saying have ‘spare triggers’ and other lower parts to which I seriously advise:
Unless you’ve been trained, messing around in the Lower Parts = Bad Idea. The retaining pin holes are susceptible to wear over time, making to waaaay too easy for a critical part to fall out at the worst possible moment, hence why Level 10 and 20 Maintenance forbids anyone from disassembling the lower in any way shape or form. Too many times I’ve found weapons that I just -knew- that someone had been fucking around with the lower pins. DO NOT FUCK WITH THEM unless you know what you’re doing.
Another commonly worn out part were the gas tubes… either worn out-of-spec OR mushroomed due to a slight misalignment of the bolt carrier key. The gas tube? I actually should get me one or two… that is something that tonight when I went for the pictures I realized I used the last spare I had on a build for a fren… Now, the bolt carrier key:

Which is #3 on the most commonly lost/worn out part on the AR-15/M-4 series of rifles. The front of it, where the gas tube meets up, is subject to throat erosion, and there’s a gauge you can get for measuring if it’s a Go, or a No-Go.
As far as firing pins? I’ve only seen only one broken FP in the 3 years I did the job, but have a spare if it makes you happy. Mind you I was testing/repairing/gauging DotMil rifles that had actually been down range and used in combat. As in these weren’t some Flannel=Man’s recommended $2000 AR platform that he likes because on the YewToobs he gets paid a kickback… nope… all of the weapons I serviced were literally the lowest bidder produced DotMil rifles. In fact, a Palmetto State “Poors” as some ignorant assholes call them, whelp…
They cost more than the service rifles the DotMil has, and have lasted a fuckload longer than most people understand… I mean I serviced General Motors Made Hydramatic Lower-M-4s FFS that’re still shooting. Anyways, rant off…
As it were, These were the most common things I found during my time servicing real used in combat rifles. So my list? (and mind you this is what I ALWAYS had on hand for spares on missions to the Unit for repairs):
M-4 Series Gauging Tools (Head space Go/No Go, Carrier Key Go/No Go, Barrel Go/No Go Gauges)
Gas Rings
Firing Pin/Bolt Retaining Pin
Gas Tube with NEW retaining pin (you can’t reuse the old one if you replace the Tube)
Bolt Carrier Key w/bolts and Staking tool
So, other than that, I got a request to go over the roastie-toastie Abrams that the Russians are dragging back to Moscow for the May Day Exhibition:

I’m still gathering info/intel as to the Where/When of it… I don’t use Telegram as it seems to insist on using my phone, and I try to keep as few apps on the Pocket-Spy-Leash as much as possible… no TikTok, no Fecesbook… you get it… so that’ll be tomorrow’s talkabout. Hope this one tonight helps you have a bit of an idea on the ‘what you might want to have on hand.
So More Later
Big Country
