[kev]

Now that the pipelines are opening up a little bit, and stores are keeping magazines in stock, what is your strategy for stockpiling magazines and spare parts?

When the sandy hook incident happened, democrats opened their mouths on gun control and the panic buying kicked in, I took inventory and realized I had overlooked a lot of stuff.

Pmags - even though I have a few pmags, I want some more. I am thinking about ordering 5 pmags at the end of the month.

At the end of May I ordered 3 windowed gen 2 pmags.

At the end of June I am thinking about ordering 5 non-windowed pmags.

If I bought 5 pmags a month for the rest of the year that would give me well over 50 pmags at the end of the year. Plus all of my aluminum magazines.

Spare parts - If I spend money on pmags every month where are my spare parts supposed to come from?

I thought about ordering a complete lower kit from palmetto state armory. The kit I have in mind comes with everything to build a lower - trigger assembly, buffer, springs, pistol grip, buffer tube, and butt stock.

Then there are the spare bolt carriers, extractors,,, and other parts.

Lowers - I thought about buying some blemished lowers to put in stock for later builds.

But if I have the lower, and the lower parts kit, why not go ahead and build another rifle.

D&H mags - Stores all over the net are keeping D&H mags in stock. Some of the prices I am seeing are pre-sandy hook prices, as in $9 a magazine.

I have seriously considered buying a 10 pack of D&H rather than 5 pmags.

 

[merlinfire]

Stategy: when I don't think I need them and there's no risk they're going to be hard to get, get them

 

[Eugene]

Start with the armorers manual for each gun you have, it will ave a maintenance schedule. Then track the rounds,doesn't have to be perfect but you can estimate how often you reach the maintenance intervals then buy the replacement parts accordingly. Most any mil spec gun will have an available guide.

 

[rover]

That's quite a conundrum, buy spare parts till you have another build, hum...

 

[Inazone]

I have a fairly healthy supply of mags to share among three rifles, and my strategy, such as it is, is to have 4-5 quality mags per gun in addition to a few that I keep loaded and several more (plastic Thermolds) that I use as beaters at the range. Roughly half of my mags are still NIB, so while they still meet my aforementioned needs, I will probably add a few more as I buy more ammo, and start rotating mags each range visit.

As far as parts are concerned, that's an area where I need to focus a bit more, as I'm currently limited to just a DPMS spare parts kit that I bought a few months ago. At some point, I'll probably pick up another lower and BCG, but I've been shooting so rarely that it's tough justifying the expense of spare parts for guns with such low round counts.

 

[the grey man]

First, get enough mags to feed 2 rifles. Then save enough scratch to get another rifle in your brand, so you have a ready-made parts kit at worst, a separate functioning rifle at best. Then worry about parts kits. Remember the old saying: 2 is 1, 1 is none. Then pray that the current sanity lasts long enough for you to fulfill your chosen plan.

 

[billt460]

D&H mags - Stores all over the net are keeping D&H mags in stock. Some of the prices I am seeing are pre-sandy hook prices, as in $9 a magazine.

I have seriously considered buying a 10 pack of D&H rather than 5 pmags.

Stick with the P-Mags. I posted on this forum that Brownell's now has 10 packs of P-Mags for just $125.00. That's $12.50 a magazine. I have a few D&H 30 round magazines. While there is nothing "wrong" with them, you are much better off investing the couple of extra bucks for P-Mags.

 

[KSGunner]

That's quite a conundrum, buy spare parts till you have another build, hum...

I concur! I understand why people buy spare parts sorta, but I would rather just get another rifle or pistol duplicating what I already have. So therefore I would rather have 5 AR's (hypothetically) than have 2 AR's will 3 spare parts kits. That's just me though!:thumb:

 

[AngryBob]

That's quite a conundrum, buy spare parts till you have another build, hum...

This is how I ended up with so many AR-15s. It started with building a 20" Rifle, and a 16" Carbine. Then the collection expanded as I started stocking spare parts.

It was a vicious cycle that was only ended by my wife, and only after she got her own rifle. At that point I was not aloud to build anymore.

 

[usmc0341]

This is the way that I see it. If you are on a budget and can't afford extra rifles or some other reason, here is what I personally stock for my 2 AR's
"lost parts kit" x2... This has all the small detents, springs, and pins that you are likely to lose and ruin your range day.

Hammer/sear springs x4 per rifle

Firing pins x 2 per rifle

Trigger x1

BCG complete x1

Bolt complete x1 per rifle

buffer spring x2

firing pin retaining pin x4

This is a pretty comprehensive parts list that should keep my weapons functioning under normal/heavy usage for many many years.

Buying quality weapons to begin with (Colt, BCM, LMT, Noveske, to name a few) will go a long ways as well.

All the above parts fit into a little $3 clear tackle box from Walmart that can slide in a cargo pocket, range bag, BOB, ect.

 

[Xanthro]

The D&H mags are good, but the PMags are better.

Here's the issue, to tear down a D&H mag for parts, you have to take off the bottom plate. This isn't HARD, but you can bend the plate, then you have to bend it back. Plus, the spring is just against the plate.

I recently go 20 D&H mags from PSA, and they tear them down into rebuild kits before shipping to California. 15 of the 20 bottoms were significantly bent. As in, you couldn't possible use them bent. Each had to be carefully reshapped.

Tearing down a PMag is pressing a catch on the bottom. Very simple. Plus, the spring is held in space on the bottom. In my opinion not only does this mean more reliable feeding, but it's quieter.

A PMag weighs about 1/2 more and is slightly longer, but is better sealed against dust and water.

The $3 cost for additional cost is worth it.

 

[Nutty Old Geezer]

Easy peasy. Buy mags and parts and store on one side of house. When house sinks down and is no longer level, buy mags and parts and store on opposite side until house is level. Your done. Your welcome!

 

[coondawg47]

My rule is 7 mags per primary rifle+3 spares+2 range mags
Handguns are 5 mags per primary sidearm.
Spare parts=I won't have a rifle or handgun that I have to worry about parts breaking. I have been shooting some of my guns for 40 years and have only had one part break, a firing pin on a used single shot shotgun.

 

[BlueHarvest76]

I've always liked the C Products magazines, and when places like AIM offer 10 mags for $89.95 I order them. I try to purchase 10 magazines per year, no matter how many I have on hand. Magazines are a consumable, as soon as they don't work, chuck them in the trash.

 

[merlinfire]

I'm going to let you in on a secret for stockpiling these parts.

Search out individuals selling firearms like yours. They often will be selling the whole package....extra mags...spare parts...all. Often they won't value those spare parts properly. You offer them a price for which you can easily sell the gun and 1 mag only. Flip the gun and 1 mag for your money back, keep the spare parts, extra mags.

 

[Prepping]

My spare part plan is to have entire extra rifles.

For example, let's say I just had my Rock River Arms mid length M4 type rifle. At the time, and now, it's just $199 for a complete SAA lower, if for some odd reason the current lower didn't work, I'd just swap it out. A new bolt carrier group ran $139, so I had that. The I realized, 'well, gee', I could get a madness M4 upper from $269.99 from Palmetto State Armory, so I did. Now I had two rifles, bought bit by bit. Then for one of my sons, to back up his Colt, although the lower and upper don't swap out, his back up rifle was just a $99 SAA stripped lower and a $469 full parts kit (everything but a stripped lower) from Midway.

Even now, the lower receivers at SAA were just $99 for stripped ones, and $199 for complete ones.

 

[Preacherboy]

My strategy used to be when you purchase the pistol have 6 mags for it: 3 for carry, 3 for training. For a rifle 10: 7 for defensive use and 3 for training.

After taking a handgun class I've decided to bump up my pistol mag requirements: 10 for each pistol. 3 for carry and 7 for training; but in reality I have 15 mags, that means 3 for carry and 12 for training. If you shot in a league you end up needing 10 if you don't want to reload during an entire course of fire.

For a rifle, I won't be able to take a class until next year, but I imagine my pmags will be for carry and my aluminum for training. I have roughly 20...

 

[MikeK]

This is how I ended up with so many AR-15s. It started with building a 20" Rifle, and a 16" Carbine. Then the collection expanded as I started stocking spare parts.

It was a vicious cycle that was only ended by my wife, and only after she got her own rifle. At that point I was not aloud to build anymore.

Same here. I'd buy another upper, then realize that all I had to do was throw a cheap lower under it and have another complete gun. I like being able to swap uppers, but I hate having uppers around when they could be a complete gun for not much more money.

The funny part is that I don't particularly like AR-15s, but ended up with 6 of them anyway.

 

[Robot]

All mags are now locked in the gun safe. I cant afford to have them stolen when the Govt might get a wild hair and make them illegal overnight.

 

[HB of CJ]

Lots Of Mags; A Few Spare Parts

To specifically answer your valid firearms questions regarding mags and spares, a smart thing to do is get all the spare good mags you can, (that work OK) and like already said better before me; get some manuals or get on the internet and find out what kind of specific spare parts, (the few you will need) required or desired for your particular weapons platforms.

A more specific example. We choose just one proven military light rifle or everybody in our "tribe" and there is a 70 year data base on what exact spare parts will be needed after so many rounds have been fired. Amazingly. the amount of spares required are quite small; like tens of thousands of rounds fired in anger for only TEN, (10) needed small parts. HB of CJ (old coot) (trying to be kinder)

magazines are considered throw-a-ways. Do not risk EVERYTHING for possibility recovering a $35.00, (today) military 30 rd. M1 Carbine mag. Recovery is situational.