Maintenance - Preparedness

Having all that stuff, the parts, chemicals, tools and ancillaries is part of the whole deal.
I've also accumulated a fair library of various and sundry manuals.
I'm old, I like actual books.

 

I think that reasoning has hit home to a good many people here in the last few weeks over this little virus fiasco. With the nationwide run on crapping paper ,, and empty shelves in the grocery stores. I think this has opened the eyes of a few of just how quick things can change in their life ,,, overnight. But I suspect, there will be plenty more that won't even consider this as even a possibility of happening again

 

Enough ammo is enough to last 2 zombie apocalypses and should probably round that up to 3 just to be safe.

 

I have most of a gallon can of GI surplus LSA, plus cans of various other gun oils and bore cleaners. Plenty of old rags to cut into cleaning swabs, when my bags of store bought are gone. A few cleaning kits bought over the years. I was always trying new things.

 

Ballistol is cheaper by the gallon. There are plenty of non-gun lubes and cleaners that will do quite nicely. I use a lot of Mobil 1 oil and heavy axle grease. You can also mix your own version of Ed's Red.

Ed's Red recipe.

 

I was a Civil War re-enactor for years (about 25 or so) and I cleaned my Enfield rifle many a night with nothing but a canteen of water and a few patches to dry and oil the barrel, and we shot Black Powder. Sometimes I would disassemble the weapons and sometimes I wouldn't. The next morning I would clean the nipple and vent again, and pop-a-cap. Of course, when I got home on Sunday I usually had a mess on my hands, that required a lot of hot soapy water and elbow grease.
Modern weapons are much more forgiving, and even if you shot corrosive ammo it's OK to wait about the cleaning as long as you are shooting ComBloc ammo in ComBloc weapons. JUST DON'T WAIT TOO LONG!!

 

I keep plenty of cleaning supplies and oil/lubes for all my firearms needs!

I have a rule, been this way since I was a Airman Basic:
I keep a full spare parts set for each and every one of my weapons that I rely on or carry, or fall back on!
This takes the form of a ABS pipe with a glued end, and a screw cap, it's stuffed with a few shop rags, the parts, a small tube of lube and solvent, and a small supply of ammo, basically these are drop kits for each firearm, and they take their place in my rigs, and or bug/bob bags! You wouldn't believe how many times I have had to use one of these kits to replace a part or make a repair, or just to do maintenance when out and about! I even keep a SKS, a 1903 Springfield, and a .50 cal Muzzleloader packed away in larger tubes, complete with spares, tools, cleaning and lube/solvent and ammo, the 1903 has 60 rounds of 180 gr hunting, and the Sks has 140 rounds, the Front Stuffer has 1/2 pound of powder in a sealed brass flask, 40 hard cast 465 grain bullets, and 100 CCI magnum #11 caps, and all the needed tools and such, all packed in grease and waxed paper, wrapped in aluminum foil and sealed in the tubes! Having hidden spares/emergency rifles ready to go with ammo, will likely be a god send,even if it's not for me, they could save some one else's life!

 

Years ago my Father told me that at one time anyone that had more than two rifles, two pistols, and two shotguns was considered strange! That no one kept more than a box or two of ammo for any gun in the house. Hell, the police dept. and the National Guard Armory didn't have all that much ammo, back in the day. Small country stores sold ammo by the round, and sometimes by the box. My how times have changed!

 

@Yard Dart
That question to me is a feeler of how much can I get from you later , and to deflect it was good , but understand why it was asked, 'I don;t ask I hear lip service .
S

 

Keep a big plastic toolbox filled with GI bore cleaner patches rags and oil. Have real books on how to detail strip all of my weapons. Tools like punches hammer screwdrivers ect. Got enough ammo to make the Parish fire marshal very nervous!

 

Gots me a quarantine project right there!

 

Yep, Cleaning a few and checking function

 

It's not just the supplies and tools, but the knowledge and experience required to maintain it. That's why I built my first two AR's - to ensure that I had the tools and knew how every part was accessed and installed. Also learned nuances between springs that look similar but aren't interchangeable and what happens when you put the triger spsing in upside down. It's also why I standardized, so parts and tools were common.

Time to inventory and make those drop kits. Also a good time to clean and lube guns that haven't been used in a while.

 

Just scored an UNBELIEVABLE deal on a 1949 produced FACTORY 1903 Springfield Sporter that is stunning for the unbelievable price of $140, and so, I ordered another batch of stripper clips for this one and a few spare parts, mainly a main spring, and spare extractor claw with lock collar! Need to take it out and shoot it and see who it runs and find what loads it likes, then add it to the stash for later use! LOVE these Springers, they are so damn simple and easy to operate, maintain, and they are incredibly accurate!