6 Spare AR-15 Parts You Should Always Have on Hand
If you’re a proud owner of an AR-15 rifle, or if you are considering becoming a proud owner of one, then you need to be familiar with the 6 spare AR-15 parts you should always have on hand. Whatever your purpose for having your AR-15 with you, there are a few spare parts you should always have on hand. Build redundancy into any preparedness plan to account for unexpected failures or events.
If you use your weapon enough, the chances are that something will eventually fail. Having spare parts on hand will keep your weapon functioning, and could save your life. It’s impractical in many situations to carry another full weapon system in case of failure, but for minimal cost and weight, you can pack parts that will help to keep your rifle functioning.
These are the 6 spare AR-15 parts you should always have on hand: 1. Bolts, 2. Extractors, 3. Firing Pins, 4. Gas Rings, 5. Cam Pins, 6. Magazines.
AR-15 Bolts
Bolts are an integral part that you must have on hand to be able to operate your rifle. The bolt is the part of the weapon that grabs onto the rim of the cartridge, pushing it into the chamber, and locking the gun making it ready to fire. The upper receiver secures the barrel of the rifle and holds the bolt carrier. The bolt carrier stores the AR-15 bolt.
Bolts are light by themselves and are not difficult to travel with. Bolts can cost between $100 and $130, but it’s important to keep one on hand in case of emergency. While modern bolts are extremely durable, after tens of thousands of rounds, it is possible that they can crack where the cam pin is inserted. This is a common weak spot and some bolts have remedied this problem such as the bolt from Young Manufacturing. To make them stronger, the cam pin slot on this bolt isn’t machined all the way through like standard bolts. If you always have one with you, you won’t be stranded without a working rifle.
Extractors
The extractor in an AR-15 is in the bolt assembly (that which holds the bolt and its working parts). The extractor lives up to its name; it’s the part of the weapon that expels the empty cartridges after firing. If this piece malfunctions, you will be unable to continue firing your weapon.
An alternative to keeping an entire extractor on hand would be to have extra extractor springs. The springs are what most often fail first in an extractor. It is in your best interest to buy an entire kit, as it only costs about $16. With the kit, you will have everything you need, including the extractor pin, extractor spring, extractor spring black neoprene insert, and an O-ring dampener. With all of these on your person, you won’t be weighed down, and you won’t have a faulty extractor lessening the reliability of your AR-15.
Firing Pins
One of the most important spare parts you can have on hand is an extra firing pin. The firing pin is the piece that strikes the primer of a cartridge, causing the compound to detonate and the propellant to ignite. In other words, the firing pin is the only thing that strikes the bullet cartridge, causing the bullet to fire through the weapon to your target. Without a firing pin, you are unable to use your rifle at all. This is why having an extra firing pin on hand is extremely helpful. They only cost about $8 to $12. They don’t cost much and they are very lightweight, but firing pins are required to have a working firearm. Every marksman should have at least one extra on hand!
Gas Rings
Gas rings in an AR-15 can sound like an odd thing to worry about, but they are a simple product needed to ensure reliability of the weapon. The gas rings seal the gap between the cylinder walls of the bolt carrier and the bolt itself. Check the gas rings each time you take the weapon apart to clean it, which should be after each time you go shooting.
While you have the weapon apart, extend the bolt out of the carrier as far as it will go and place it on a table. While it is extended, if the carrier falls over the bolt with its own weight, then it is time to replace the gas rings. These rings do not cost much, so it should be easy to keep multiples of them in your bag. To get 3 gas rings, you will spend about $3.
Cam Pins
A cam pin is the part that locks the bolt after firing the weapon. Without the cam pin, the bolt would never lock or unlock from the barrel extension and would become stuck. The bolt will stick and the used cartridge will not expel. Firing an AR-15 without the cam pin would cause the weapon to come apart while trying to fire it. This is obviously an issue as to the functioning of your weapon. It can be incredibly dangerous to attempt to operate without a proper cam pin. These important pieces of the weapon cost only about $5. This is well worth the investment.
These first 5 items have to do with the Bolt Firing Group of your rifle. This is the group of parts that make your weapon a weapon! Without these items functioning properly, your weapon will be useless. The price range may be an issue, but you may just choose to carry an extra complete Bolt Carrier Group with you since it’s light enough to not add significant weight to your bag. One space-saving and cost-effective solution is to keep a separate bag loaded with only spare parts for your AR-15 just in case of any type of malfunction. You never know what could happen!
Magazines
Finally, one must always have extra magazines on hand. These hold your ammunition and keep you prepared for rapid-fire. If you need to reload quickly, extra magazines are a requirement, and keep them loaded. An AR-15 magazine costs only about $10 to $12 each, or you can buy them in bulk and save yourself a few dollars. Unloaded, the magazines will not add much weight to your bag. If you load them with extra ammunition, you may add some weight, but it would be worth it if you need to quickly change cartridges and begin firing again. Magazines are classified as expendable components and, after long-term use, they can become unreliable, so it is important to always have extras on hand.
Summary
In this article, we have briefly covered the 6 spare AR-15 parts you should always have on hand. The cost of these items is reasonable, and the investment could prove to be one of the best you’ve made. Please feel free to leave us any comments you may have relative to spare AR-15 parts to have on hand.
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