Which spares would you keep in stock?

P

Pond James Pond

New member
This can be taken generally, but I am most interested in talking about my CZ SP-01 and my Sig M400 AR15.

Without going overboard with spare slides and BCG etc, what would be the common sense components that could conceivably break that are worth keeping a spare of?
 
For the CZ - firing pin, recoil spring, extractor, extractor spring, magazine spring, maybe a sear, maybe a hammer.

For the AR15, firing pin, bolt rebuild kit, gas tube; perhaps hammer, sear, trigger and spring.
 
Murphy's Law sez that whatever spare parts you have will not be the one needed.
So, if you want to be assured that any particular part will never cause a problem, have a spare for it.
 
The CZ 75 has a plastic guide rod, which never made much sense to me. I would keep a spare or two. Thinking about making a stainless steel replacement for mine in my Machine Tool class.

I would agree with the others as far as extra springs, extractor, firing pin etc. I would focus on things that you have the ability to replace yourself or that you are fairly certain you can find a gunsmith to replace for you.

For the AR, I'd recommend an entire lower parts kit if you can find one in your country, as well as spare springs. I don't think a BCG is overkill at all, it makes a lot of sense if you're worried about spare parts. I would recommend a spare upper receiver if money permits, but I think you'e said they're considered firearms in your country, so I'm assuming that's not really an option
 
Sometimes a plastic guide rod is used for the flexibility where a more solid version might cause friction, due to slight changes in alignment as the slide runs back and forth.
If a plastic one is replaced with a steel one, it might be prudent to check for binding before shooting it.
On the other hand, has anyone seen a plastic guide rod failure?
 
There seems to be a debate about the benefit of switching to metal guide rods which I will look into more. I will say, something I didn't consider, don't get a steel guide rod if your gun is aluminum or alloy. If the part is harder than the frame, it may chew it up
 
g.willikers said:
Sometimes a plastic guide rod is used for the flexibility where a more solid version might cause friction, due to slight changes in alignment as the slide runs back and forth.
If a plastic one is replaced with a steel one, it might be prudent to check for binding before shooting it.
On the other hand, has anyone seen a plastic guide rod failure?
Click to expand...

I can't speak from experience, and I haven't replaced any guide rods in any of my guns, but I know Cajun Gunworks sells stainless steel guide rods for the CZ75, which leads me to believe they would be fine in most CZ weapons, like the OP's. But that's just a guess.

Pond said:
This can be taken generally, but I am most interested in talking about my CZ SP-01 and my Sig M400 AR15.

Without going overboard with spare slides and BCG etc, what would be the common sense components that could conceivably break that are worth keeping a spare of?
Click to expand...

Magazines!

For any gun I plan on carrying a lot, I like to have one extra magazine, new in the package, that sits in my safe until I need it, in addition to mags I keep loaded for carry purpose.
 
I might recommend stocking up on springs as it's good practice to change them out regularly. All of the other parts should last quite a long time and might not ever have to be replaced in your lifetime. I also recommend having extra "systems" ready to go should your rifle or pistol go down. I understand that it may not be an option for you given your geography.

It may be prudent, if getting parts is a hassle and time consuming for you, to keep a spare gas system (block, roll pin and tube) as erosion could become an issue if you shoot... well... A LOT. I would recommend buying an armorer's wrench if you don't already own one as you won't be able to do much with the upper without it. I would ensure your castle nut is staked to your buffer tube to ensure you never have to worry about that. I can't think of much else you'd need, until, of course, something unexpectedly breaks.

I can't think of anything you'd need for the CZ other than springs from time to time. Those are pretty solid and should last a lifetime+.
 
I also recommend having extra "systems" ready to go should your rifle or pistol go down. I understand that it may not be an option for you given your geography.
Click to expand...

I like the diplomatic use of "may"!! ;) As you surmised, buying a whole second gun is just not even remotely realistic.

It may be prudent, if getting parts is a hassle and time consuming for you, to keep a spare gas system (block, roll pin and tube) as erosion could become an issue if you shoot... well... A LOT. I would recommend buying an armorer's wrench if you don't already own one as you won't be able to do much with the upper without it. I would ensure your castle nut is staked to your buffer tube to ensure you never have to worry about that. I can't think of much else you'd need, until, of course, something unexpectedly breaks.
Click to expand...

I don't know what A LOT is but probably not something I'd qualify for. Right now my AR is about 9mths old and has had 1100rds through it. That is lot for me and I think that this rate of 1000-1500 rds per annum is about the most I will shoot even if I start reloading seriously for it. THis probably means that my AR is safe from erosion issues for a few years... I recognise the prudence of having stuff on hand, but one problem is price. Spares are typically very steep. Looking online at the parts you mentioned, one set would set me back about €120. Not too bad, but nothing to be dismissed either. Hence why I am looking for short well-chosen lists of parts.

I can't think of anything you'd need for the CZ other than springs from time to time. Those are pretty solid and should last a lifetime+.
Click to expand...

Now I am sold on CZ but one thing I keep hearing from competition shooters here is that CZs get loose and sloppy once they've been shot a lot. By a lot I mean 20K rds. Now that is a lot of shooting for me, but not a lot for the gun. Yet that is what they say. I do plan to buy a service kit for the CZ: that is about €70 but has all sorts in it, including a firing pin, so I should be OK there.

All in if I can cover most bases for €200 that would be great, but I'd be less inclined to spend more than that.
 
For both guns:

All the springs + firing pins.

For the AR specifically:

Add a crush washer for the muzzle device, firing pin retainer cotter pin (2) and a seal kit for the bolt.

In my opinion any other parts needing replacement would mean you had a pretty major failure of the weapon systems.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top