3rd Gens: Which are your critical "absolutely must have" spare parts?

[TTSH]

The recent broken sideplate assembly thread got me thinking yet again about 3rd Gen replacement parts. For as many replacement parts as I've accumulated, I have yet to purchase my first spare sideplate assembly and I'm starting to see that it's an easily broken part... not by wear but more commonly by accident... with very limited (and likely shrinking) availability. I intend to rectify that mistake as soon as my tight budget allows.

My view is that some parts, like springs, will always be available from someone. Other parts will probably continue to be available from the mothership or alternative parts suppliers for some time to come. Some can even be made or adapted from parts for other guns. But then there are others that are already discontinued and unavailable from regular sources or hard to find except at a high premium price or with a long wait. Some are "special order" parts but I don't even know what that means in a practical sense.

So ignoring the parts that will always (or almost always) be available from one source or another one way or another... and ignoring the parts that are either very unlikely to break or that are too expensive to replace anyway... what are your critical "must have in stock" replacement parts?

I must admit that most of my less common spares have come from pure opportunity rather than necessity or some systematic approach or analysis of potential failures and accidents. That's not the best approach but that's reality. When I have the money and when certain parts I know I might need someday are available but might not be tomorrow, I buy them. It works to a point, but it would be much better to have an actual planned approach.

[Inusuit]

Not totally in response to your question, but I have a second pistol in case #1 goes down.

[TTSH]

Originally Posted by Inusuit

Not totally in response to your question, but I have a second pistol in case #1 goes down.

I have more than one too. In fact, some pistols I bought just with the excuse that they were to be for spares.

But now those spare pistols are valuable and they need spares?

You can't win.

[4T5GUY]

I am an accumulator of parts, detents and their springs are always helpful. Levers on "new" pistols we get are sometimes bent when we get them. Good to have them around. Plastic "Value Line" parts are a good thing to have. I like having lots of safeties/de-cockers, (with ALL their parts,) in all the different flavors.
Trigger play springs, (new style,) and rivets are a must.
Ironically, I was just going through my S&W parts box, actually a very large tackle like box, and realized I might be a hoarder.

[BMCM]

Sideplates yep... Not necessarily for my current guns but as replacements for the buggered up sideplates I typically find on a new acquisition. I've only once needed to replace a sideplate on one of my guns when I found the part on my Shorty45 had broken loose at the hammer pin

Other than that...
Extractor
Ejector (Newest variant)
Spare sear release lever
Spare drawbar
Trigger play springs & rivets

That's about all I can think of right now.

Cheers
Bill

[Sevens]

I'm definitely from the "if I love it, I look for a second gun" camp much more so than looking for parts.

[TTSH]

Originally Posted by 4T5GUY

I am an accumulator of parts, detents and their springs are always helpful. Levers on "new" pistols we get are sometimes bent when we get them. Good to have them around. Plastic "Value Line" parts are a good thing to have. I like having lots of safeties/de-cockers, (with ALL their parts,) in all the different flavors. Trigger play springs, (new style,) and rivets are a must.

I was going to buy a bunch of trigger play springs and rivets (several of my pistols are really hurting in that regard) given that they are still available for cheap, but I was thinking that maybe I'd just take them out someday and end that misery the permanent way.

I own a lot of Value Line guns so whenever I can, I pick-up more consumable and upgrade parts for them.

Originally Posted by 4T5GUY

Ironically, I was just going through my S&W parts box, actually a very large tackle like box, and realized I might be a hoarder.

We are ALL 3rd Gen spare parts hoarders to one degree or another. No worries on that account.

[TTSH]

Originally Posted by BMCM

Sideplates yep... Not necessarily for my current guns but as replacements for the buggered up sideplates I typically find on a new acquisition. I've only once needed to replace a sideplate on one of my guns when I found the part on my Shorty45 had broken loose at the hammer pin

Other than that...
Extractor
Ejector (Newest variant)
Spare sear release lever
Spare drawbar
Trigger play springs & rivets

That's about all I can think of right now.

Cheers
Bill

Thanks very much Bill. That's not such a bad list at all. Or at least I'll say that until I price them out for each model gun I own.

Some are pretty obvious even to a guy like me... some not so obvious. For example, the spare drawbar. Do those give out (fail) very often or is that one that I'd be more likely to break or damage accidentally?

[adrianolsen]

One thing to keep in mind.extractors,draw bars,sear release levers most of the time need fitting.and a simple rule for the recoil spring. Th 3 fives- 5years,5000 rounds,5 inches minimum in length ( for the 4006)

[TTSH]

Originally Posted by Sevens

I'm definitely from the "if I love it, I look for a second gun" camp much more so than looking for parts.

Oh, I have plenty of spare parts guns. At least that's what I told the wife they were for.

[GaryS]

Just one?

Originally Posted by Inusuit

Not totally in response to your question, but I have a second pistol in case #1 goes down.

Seriously though, I have spare recoil springs, some detents and springs for the safety levers, magazine baseplates (curved and flat), magazine base plate catches, magazine followers (all for single stack 9mm), 45 magazine springs, a couple of single side safety levers, firing pin, firing pin springs, main spring, and recoil guide assembly.

Plus a 908 slide which has some parts in it.

I'm considering getting a couple of side plates while they're available and when I think of it, I need to call the factory and see if they have any of those odd wedge shaped magazine base plates for the pre rail 3913TSW left.

[TTSH]

Originally Posted by adrianolsen

One thing to keep in mind.extractors,draw bars,sear release levers most of the time need fitting.and a simple rule for the recoil spring. Th 3 fives- 5years,5000 rounds,5 inches minimum in length ( for the 4006)

Oh, I understand the fitted parts issue and would rely on my local trusted gunsmiths for anything so designated. The key is to have the parts that need to be replaced so that they don't have to go looking for them. I never had very good luck asking my former gunsmith (now moved to Florida) to obtain parts for me.

Recoil spring-wise, I do not shoot any one gun nearly enough to have to replace a recoil spring... but I understand about not taking chances with used acquisitions even if they look and feel pretty good.

[TTSH]

Originally Posted by GaryS

Just one?

Well, four 3913's (total) with two of them officially designated as parts guns. But for everything else, yes... just one spare for each.

[GaryS]

That's why I'll likely get another 457 to keep mine company. OTOH, with a 3913, 3913TSW, 3913TSW (pre rail), 3953TSW (pre rail) and 6906, I'm good with back up for my compact 9mm guns.

Originally Posted by TTSH

Well, four 3913's (total) with two of them officially designated as parts guns. But for everything else, yes... just one spare for each.

[BMCM]

Originally Posted by TTSH

Thanks very much Bill. That's not such a bad list at all. Or at least I'll say that until I price them out for each model gun I own.

Some are pretty obvious even to a guy like me... some not so obvious. For example, the spare drawbar. Do those give out (fail) very often or is that one that I'd be more likely to break or damage accidentally?

Haven't personnaly experienced a broken drawbar but I've heard tell of a couple cases where a cracked drawbar was found to be at fault for malfunctions so, I choose to keep spares on hand.
You don't need one for each gun though. Drawbars come in three sizes so I'd say one of each size just in case. small for 9mm single stacks, large for 45xx size guns and fat for the doublestacks. Imagine taking delivery of a new(to you but used) gun and once you get into the guts of her finding the trigger play spring broken off. Well if you have a spare drawbar on hand ready to go you can just swap it out and go for a spin. Fix the broke play spring at your leisure some other time.

Ejectors are common among all the 3rd gens so a couple spares for the entire herd is fine.

Same with sear release levers, common parts across the line only needed if your decock function is out of time. Again a couple spares on hand is plenty.

Extractors are also unique to the caliber. Most likely to be chipped or broken by dropping the slide over a chambered round (bad habit). These extractor are not intended to snap over the case rim, the case rime is meant to slide up the breechface during chambering and under the extractor hook.

If you have a bunch of 9mm guns I'd have a spare extractor or two for the bunch just in case. Like wise if you have a bunch of 45xx, 10xx or 40xx. Have a spare for each flavor.

Cheers
Bill

[TTSH]

Originally Posted by BMCM

Haven't personnaly experienced a broken drawbar but I've heard tell of a couple cases where a cracked drawbar was found to be at fault for malfunctions so, I choose to keep spares on hand.
You don't need one for each gun though. Drawbars come in three sizes so I'd say one of each size just in case. small for 9mm single stacks, large for 45xx size guns and fat for the doublestacks. Imagine taking delivery of a new(to you but used) gun and once you get into the guts of her finding the trigger play spring broken off. Well if you have a spare drawbar on hand ready to go you can just swap it out and go for a spin. Fix the broke play spring at your leisure some other time.

Ejectors are common among all the 3rd gens so a couple spares for the entire herd is fine.

Same with sear release levers, common parts across the line only needed if your decock function is out of time. Again a couple spares on hand is plenty.

Extractors are also unique to the caliber. Most likely to be chipped or broken by dropping the slide over a chambered round (bad habit). These extractor are not intended to snap over the case rim, the case rime is meant to slide up the breechface during chambering and under the extractor hook.

If you have a bunch of 9mm guns I'd have a spare extractor or two for the bunch just in case. Like wise if you have a bunch of 45xx, 10xx or 40xx. Have a spare for each flavor.

Cheers
Bill

Thanks again Bill. Sounds like I am already in pretty good shape and can probably complete my hoard of critical spares per your list without going broke. A few of those parts I hadn't thought about at all but I'll start tonight getting together a list of what to order. Then comes the usual question: whether I am better off first trying to get them from the mothership... or just save the phone time and pay the usual suspects for them. Much easier for me the latter way but I've found there is usually some savings when you can buy direct from S&W CS.