Spare AR parts you should have stocked?

[KMo1205]

What are the critical spare parts that you keep on hand for your AR? What do you take with you if you were going on a weekend training class or in the field for a week? Or what are some parts that have broken on your firearm at a bad time?

So after a weekend of shooting, I came home and started to clean my rifles and pistols before another event on Wednesday. While cleaning my AR bolt, I found one of my gas rings broken. Long story short, there is not a single gun shop in my area that has spare AR parts. I got a lot of, "I'll sell you one for $1,000 and I'll even throw in a free AR with it."

 

[rob_s]

For a class or an out of town match, a spare gun is the way to go. Too much invested to risk anything else.

Alternately, or locally, a spare BCG at minimum.

At home, spare BCG, spare small parts for same, and spare LPK from a reputable maker. And at least one spare of each and every spring in the gun.

 

[Bourneshooter]

I like to keep spare BCM charging handles on hand since they have lasted longer for me than the USGI.

Spare BCM/SOPMOD bolt kit and spring/o-ring kits.

2 M-16 BCG's and 1-2 bolts

Extra buffer springs

Extra firing pins

Buffers.... I have one on hand, probably as a result of swapping from a carbine to a H2 on my SBR.

Anything more and I end up building another AR from the parts.

 

[Bronson]

Rifle: I keep just about every spare part on hand, ideally for each weapon. For smaller parts i pretty much use Brownell's exclusively. For the larger things they are typically the USGI counterpart to the COTS upgrade I gave it.

In the field: For extended durations I typically take a TAC PAC for the purposes of fixing guns and keeping them running. It is loaded with the following:

1) Spare M4 Bolt
2) Spare extractor & extractor spring
3) Spare ejector & ejector spring
4) Gas Rings (x12)
5) Firing Pin Retaining Pin (x4)
6) Cam Pin
7) Magazine Release Button Spring (x2)
8) 2x Batteries (AA / CR123)

M4 Parts Parts Failures:

In OEF I ended up replacing a ridiculous amount of magazine release button springs. On deployment they just reached the end of their life cycle on rifles that should have been overhauled prior to deployment but weren't. Hearing a "dunk" as dude's mag drops in the swamp in Indian Country drives home how serious that part is. Having the mag drop free while firing - even moreso. A single shot assault rifle is not what Stoner had in mind. There was one dude who lost 4 magazines on a single one-day mission! You can field expedient fix that by stretching the spring out but it needs to be replaced.

I've seen a bolt crack, again after being used in excess of its life cycle.

I've seen debris work itself into the firing controls group and seize it up. Light and tweezers work well to get that trigger going again.

I've seen bolt rings break off, but the rifle will still shoot just fine. I took all three of mine out after not staggering them on a wall with my CSM just to prove a point about how they work and it still shot just fine.

Saw a guy try to mortar his rifle to clear a malfunction incorrectly without collapsing the stock first who bent the receiver extension. Great way to turn a $5,000 weapon system into a club.

In conclusion: Folks should budget out an additional $100-200 per M4 and invest in some spare parts (and a quality armorer course).