What happens to old parts after you upgrade.

[bushmaster1313]

Many guns have parts that seem made to be upgraded. For example factory triggers or trigger groups that are simply atrocious, and poor quality stocks on otherwise good rifles. After enough upgrading you can end up with a mess of old not very good parts. My pile is building up and I am contemplating sending many to the trash.

What do you do with your mess?

 

[M29since14]

I save all factory triggers and will reinstall them if I should decide to trade or sell the rifle. I'd rather the mechanism of the gun go down the road as it came from the manufacturer than with an expensive aftermarket trigger that I can probably use again, sooner or later.

Small parts can be labeled and stored with minimum inconvenience. I save stocks too, but I don't have many.

In general, I've always tried to buy guns that do not require a lot of modifications to make me happy with them. Nevertheless, after several decades, I too have accumulated more parts than I'd like.

 

[mmaher94087]

I save, reweld and restore as many as I can. No more will be made. Will your prize possession today become a 'parts donor' in ten years?

 

[Model52guy]

Most of them show up on eBay.

 

[Gunhohulk]

I have a box that's full of all sorts of parts. Especially AR trigger parts. I figure they aren't worth much resale so they sit in my garage and maybe one day they will come in handy.

I also have a small assortment of interesting barrels and a cylinder or two for projects I hope to get to when things line up but that's a separate category.

Of course a more sane person might just call it hoarding….

 

[2152hq]

If you like working on guns,,repairing, rebuilding, restoring sad cases,,
Never throw anything away.

Even pieces of wood from a ****** stock can become the perfect grain and color needed for a patch in a project.

Yes it is hoarding in a way. But it's at hand when needed and the price is zero.
Better than going on the long search for a part or something close to modify as needed and then have to pay as much for it as you did for the project gun to begin with.
All depends on how deep you are into the hobby/business I guess.

 

[mgriffin]

I typically place my spare parts in a Ziploc baggie with description written on the baggie with a magic marker. Then I place the baggie in the appropriate gun case. If I sell the gun I either swap out the parts to original or include the parts with the gun.

 

[stansdds]

It depends upon the part that got replaced. If it was a low quality part or damaged and no longer usable, I usually chuck them into the trash. If it is an old part and may have collector value, oiled and bagged. If it is a good part and still usable, oiled and bagged. If there is the possibility I will want to return the firearm to original condition, oiled and bagged.

 

[NYlakesider]

I save all factory triggers and will reinstall them if I should decide to trade or sell the rifle. I'd rather the mechanism of the gun go down the road as it came from the manufacturer than with an expensive aftermarket trigger that I can probably use again, sooner or later.

Small parts can be labeled and stored with minimum inconvenience. I save stocks too, but I don't have many.

In general, I've always tried to buy guns that do not require a lot of modifications to make me happy with them. Nevertheless, after several decades, I too have accumulated more parts than I'd like.

I have a lot of "stuff" squirreled away over the years. I did a lot of revolver shooting in the 70s and early 80s. Mostly PPC and hunting practice with good kicking revolvers. Learned early on from a friend that was the armorer of a 120 man PD.

The first few revolvers I did involved spring modifications/cutting as this was before the spring kits came out. Since those first guns I learned to save changed out hammers, triggers, springs, screws in small envelopes with gun info put in. Get rid of the gun replace it to stock. Also I replace a lot of wood with rubber grips. I still have the originals in the factory boxes which I also have.

Getting older and some lifestyle changes are unfortunately coming so I best organize my Parts Dept. Who better to do it than me.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

When I cleverly bought that 686 with the K Frame Sideplate,
Then couldn't find a L Sideplate-
So Off it goes to Springfield!
Several Guys told me, don't send them that Sideplate!
You might not get it back!
It's in my Gun Toolbox right now.

 

[CH4]

I keep most parts for future needs. If I get rid of it, I'll likely be needing to buy another.

 

[margethatcher]

They don't eat.

 

[Grayfox]

As others have said, I store them away and if I should ever sell that gun, the original parts go back in.

 

[dave1918a2]

Before I moved up here I had a cabinet and 2 shelving units with old parts. I boxed them up and got a table at a gun show. Hardly got started setting up when the vultures showed up. Made them angry as I refused to show anything or allow them to scrounge through the boxes before I was ready. Friday night I took home $1600 in 1's, 5's, and 10's. For the weekend I took home one box that was half full and $3400 in cash. Took the half full box to the Gun Club and set it down with a 'free' sign.

 

[diyj98]

The only parts I throw away are broken parts. Anything that could be used is saved. The only problem is that sometimes I don't label things because of course I know what they are. Ten or twenty years later, I sometimes don't remember what they're for I have assorted screws and springs with no idea what they came out of.

 

[Shotguncoach]

Old parts are like seeds…you save them, nurture them, and one day they grow into new guns. I once left a cylinder stop spring sitting in a drawer for 6 months and it sprouted into a 4" Model 10-7.