Parts & Tools

Steve1968

Steve1968

Newbie
When considering your response, keep in mind the info is directed at regular guys that shoot on a regular basis ...... A admin suggested I post here on the forum.

What parts/tools would you suggest a person have for ARs & Glocks in a tool bag or pouch that will get a person back up and running while out in the woods/range or whatever scenario might arrise.

I thank you in advance for your help
 
KMo1205

KMo1205

Member
Cool guy tool, i.e. Leatherman MUT or Multitasker. Both are AR specific. I can't tell you how many times I've used mine at the range.
 
D

Dave J

Newbie
For Glocks, it's often easiest just to bring a spare Glock. :) Otherwise, I'd probably want a full set of springs (minus the mag catch spring, they don't fail), an extractor, ejector, a trigger bar, and a connector. An assembled striker, or at least a spare set of striker spring cups (since they're easy to lose) is a plus, as is a spare set of pins. For tools, a Glock armorer's punch, and perhaps a front sight tool. IMHO, the three parts most likely to break on a Glock are the TRS, slide lock spring, and slide stop spring.

For ARs, at minimum I want an extractor, extractor spring, extractor pin, firing pin, and FP retaining pin. After that, I'd consider a spare bolt (or even a complete BCG), buffer detent, buffer detent spring, and maybe a hammer spring. For tools, I mainly expect to retighten or reposition optics and accessories, so whatever wrenches fit your stuff. A screwdriver for the pistol grip, castle nut wrench, and a wrench for the muzzle device might be necessary on occasion, although IMHO this is not common with properly assembled guns. I also like having a sight adjustment tool, and of course a small punch - a Glock tool will do fine. I've seen shooters carry more parts (fire control sets, BHO, takedown pins, detents/detent springs, action springs, etc.), and of course it doesn't hurt to have those available, but I personally don't worry about those on quality guns -- it might be a different story for a department armorer trying to keep a fleet of Bushampsters running.
 
ScottPM09

ScottPM09

Member
The first shot out of my M4 in Afghanistan I had a failure to extract with the rim of the casing destroyed. Fortunately, this happened on the range when we were confirming zeroes. Since then, I have always carried a cleaning rod section somewhere on my kit to drop down the barrel and remove the casing. It's small enough that you will forget about it being on you until you need it and pretty inexpensive especially if you have old M16 cleaning kits laying around like I do. Ever since I started carrying it (about 6 years now), I have cleared about 4 or 5 rifles belonging to other people in a matter of seconds.
 
Bourneshooter

Bourneshooter

Blue Line Sheepdog
I learned a lot about clearing malfunctions in a class at the LMS Defense Customer Appreciation weekend a few years back from Kevin Williams. Because of that I learned how to clear and diagnose malfunctions that can be cleared with my hands and at most a MUT or similar. The only thing I can't clear is obviously something requiring a cleaning rod. As a LE guy in either switching to my pistol or I can back out of the situation and let someone else take over while I go back to a vehicle.

As a result of that, I now carry a Leatherman MUT on my plate carrier or clipped to a pocket when doing rifle toting crap at work. I regularly lube my AR and when I do that check spring tension on the extractor.

For my range bag I keep a bottle of Slip 2000 EWL, Boresnake and a Toothbrush. If at a class I try to bring a spare BCG and Rifle just in case.

Glock wise a spare recoil spring is all I occasionally pack. .40 Glocks need a new recoil spring at 2K or at most 3K. 9mm and 45 are due for replacement at 5K.

Everything else is going to be an Armorer level fix/check for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
jryock

jryock

Amateur
Multitool, nylon brush, cleaning rod section, lube, chopstick, and some cleaning pads are a good start.
 
jryock

jryock

Amateur
A chopstick is a great tool for pushing out the lower pins and pushing around cleaning pads with solvent/lube in tight areas and crevices. The soft wood of disposable chopsticks won't harm the finish. Think of it as a long-stemmed Q-tip without the fuzz.
 
ScottPM09

ScottPM09

Member
jryock said:
A chopstick is a great tool for pushing out the lower pins and pushing around cleaning pads with solvent/lube in tight areas and crevices. The soft wood of disposable chopsticks won't harm the finish. Think of it as a long-stemmed Q-tip without the fuzz.
Click to expand...

As if I needed another excuse to hit up the local sushi bar. :) For the tasks you mentioned above, I have always used the plastic tooth brush that comes in most cleaning kits.
 
Lane C

Lane C

Rico and the Man
Staff member
Moderator
I use this nylon pouch for "on the road" travel. It has what i need for the M4, 1911 and G-17. Basically I have all of the allen wrenches that work on any attachment for the M4, fore-end, grips, optic mount, etc. Recoil spring for 1911 and G17. punch. bore snake for 9mm, 45 cap and 5.56mm, usgi 3 piece rod. muzzle caps, lube, loc-tite, larue mount wrench. spare 2032 for optics. Spare bolt. extractor kit. This gets me by for a quick "road" fix. I have the Leatherman skeletool or Wave on each of my belts. They are great for bolt overrides or prying the BCG from the maxwell on an FTE. Much sturdier than a bowie knife and a helluva lot safer.

DSC_5075.JPG DSC_5076.JPG DSC_5077.JPG DSC_5078.JPG DSC_5079.JPG DSC_5080.JPG
 
Turkishroy

Turkishroy

Newbie
A flat blade pocket screw driver is both inexpensive and indispensable for a variety of simple tasks. The thin blade gets in about as many areas as a pick without being as prone to bend. Does a good job manipulating the smaller springs your fingers can't manage or reach. At least one stays in my range bag or rifle bag at all times.
 
Lane C

Lane C

Rico and the Man
Staff member
Moderator
Thanks @Riafdnal for helping with the pictures. Now that i am looking a the pics I can see a few things that I missed mentioning. @Turkishroy is on the money about the "nerd screwdriver" my pappy used to rock one of these in a pocket protector all day when i was a wee pup! I see a Glock spare parts kit (slide stop lever, follower, pins), tuned 1911 extractor, M4 front sight tool and 5.56 chamber brush. I noticed that my Glock tool is missing from the list/photo. We spent the month of April doing handgun quals and I kept it in my pocket most days. Now I gotta figure out where it is and get it back in the pouch.
 
rob_s

rob_s

Member
I'm one of those dorks that keeps a full gun tool kit in my truck, so I never really *got* the Multitasker (and even if I didn't, there are still tools on that... tool, that I don't get, want, or need). And I've used the contents of that bag at the range on other people's guns 100% of the time, and my own 0% of the time.

For classes and the like, a spare gun is the A-answer, every time.

When out somewhere that you can't have spare guns, having quality, well-built, and well-maintained firearms is the best defense. Yeah, shit happens, but it happens a lot more to franken-guns, home builds, and DPMS/Oly/etc. than it does to quality guns. And "quality" does not mean "expensive". My favorite things that have happened at classes have been the blank stares when a gun goes down from a guy that either bought an expensive gun confusing that for "quality" or who assembled their own collection of parts because the internet said it was easy.

For the AR, Dean Caputo has used the acronym "MEAL" to describe the most common failures, for Magazines, Extractors, Ammo, and Lube. Guess how many of those are avoided by having quality, well-maintained, firearms? guess how many are addressed by having a spare BCG (or just the bolt) and a bottle of lube?

I like a Leatherman MUT (works better as a general-use multitool than the Multitasker, but has some gun-specific tools that I like, plus IIRC it has a pocket clip you can attach), a spare bolt and a small bottle of lube, both of which can be made to fit in storage bins of various AR stocks and grips.

For the Glock, spare small parts take up precious little space, so I'd consider bringing along all of them if it was that critical.
 
Pat Tarrant

Pat Tarrant

Custom testicles
Staff member
Moderator
Lane, which pouch is that? I've used a hard case from dewalt but that looks good for carrying in the field.
 
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