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Posted: 1/9/2010 9:13:48 AM EDT
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How much longer do you say we have until all the retro parts start drying up?
We see places sell out of parts kits, then they get them back in stock...is there always going to be a steady stream of retro parts kits, and spare pieces as countries sell off their old ARs we gave them back in the day? Im just trying to see if I should continue to collect retro upper assemblies etc, or if I should move on to other platforms such as the AK family. |
| I'm just now getting in to retros so I'm no expert.I can say the military probably still has parts lying around somewhere.I say this because being a small arms repairman I still run into old stuff all the time.I wouldn't doubt it if the Army still doesn't have warehouses full of old A1's and A1 parts.Especially the national guard.I found a whole tub of A1 hanguards at the local surplus store the other day but I don't know enough about them to know if they are worth buying.The lady wanted 5 bucks a set. |
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Quoted:
I'm just now getting in to retros so I'm no expert.I can say the military probably still has parts lying around somewhere.I say this because being a small arms repairman I still run into old stuff all the time.I wouldn't doubt it if the Army still doesn't have warehouses full of old A1's and A1 parts.Especially the national guard.I found a whole tub of A1 hanguards at the local surplus store the other day but I don't know enough about them to know if they are worth buying.The lady wanted 5 bucks a set. id say furniture is probably the easiest to find? and as far as stockpiles go it would be great if they would sell it off already because it would drop prices so we could buy more shit 
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I'm just now getting in to retros so I'm no expert.I can say the military probably still has parts lying around somewhere.I say this because being a small arms repairman I still run into old stuff all the time.I wouldn't doubt it if the Army still doesn't have warehouses full of old A1's and A1 parts.Especially the national guard.I found a whole tub of A1 hanguards at the local surplus store the other day but I don't know enough about them to know if they are worth buying.The lady wanted 5 bucks a set. id say furniture is probably the easiest to find? and as far as stockpiles go it would be great if they would sell it off already because it would drop prices so we could buy more shit I know.I'm always keeping an eye out for one of those old warehouses that someone has forgot about. You would be amazed at the stuff that turns up sometimes. |
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I've bought 2 rifles lately that had 601 parts in them.
One, actually a carbine, had unmodified 601 lower parts. 
When I opened it I almost had another heart attack! That's where my 16" barrel with the cast FSB, C7 upper, and preban Eagle Arms lower came from. It also had an early parked BCG with a parked firing pin retaining pin. I'm keeping the 601 parts and selling the A2 lower and other bits. I should make my money back and have some nice parts to keep/sale/trade. There's sources around, but you have to look in unexpected places. The carbine came from a local Houston gun shop that specializes in antique and collectible firearms. They didn't know what they had, but once I spotted the 601 selector I knew I'd found something interesting. The rifle I found on GunBroker, but it didn't have "Retro" in the title so I doubt anyone else from here saw it before I nabbed it with Buy It Now. It also has a nice early barrel that's going on my 602 build. All the 601 parts are going on the 602 too. The furniture, and lower will go on GunBroker to recoup some of what I spent. |
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After doing this for almost 30 years I can say that stuff always comes and goes with dry spells lasting as long as a decade. The best advice is to buy now, anything you may like or think you may like in the furure.
For me it's just not about retro AR parts, but I have to consider buying parts for AK's, M1 Carbines, HK, 1911's, M1A, etc. Not content with modern MIM junk, I have to seek out real USGI parts, which are drying up, slowly but surely. Look at what USGI M14 parts cost. 
Then there are the laws to consider. That's another fine mess. Remember the imported assault rifle parts kit ban? I firmly believe, get it now? Which fuels supply and demand, which spurs on higher prices, which makes me bitch even more.
If cool stuff would stop showing up.........I could be done with collecting. 
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I see where you guys are coming from, to go along with the whole parts drying up situation, I happen to be fortunate to live in california  with the new ammo law going through soon we have retards driving up the cost of ammo because theyre buying it ALL.
I guess they didnt really take econ classes and realize theyre only hurting themselves. USGI part wise there was a guy at the Crossroads of the west gun show I think his vendor/store was called SOG arms or something, he had all USGI etc but his prices were through the roof, he wanted $100 for a "USGI" parts kit and there was an "unissued in box" Colt 4x20 scope he wanted $500 for...I mean all in all USGI stuff may be worth more but I will always remember one quote from the Call of Duty series they always showed you a quote everytime you died and it said "Remember, your weapon was built by the lowest bidder" So in reality are USGI parts really worth the extra $$? ill admit it is awesome to not have commercial grade stuff in your gun, I have everything USGI and Colt so far on my Retro build just waiting to get the funds for my lower. so in conclusion I guess usgi parts are mainly for having the real deal. |
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I see where you guys are coming from, to go along with the whole parts drying up situation, I happen to be fortunate to live in california with the new ammo law going through soon we have retards driving up the cost of ammo because theyre buying it ALL.
I guess they didnt really take econ classes and realize theyre only hurting themselves. USGI part wise there was a guy at the Crossroads of the west gun show I think his vendor/store was called SOG arms or something, he had all USGI etc but his prices were through the roof, he wanted $100 for a "USGI" parts kit and there was an "unissued in box" Colt 4x20 scope he wanted $500 for...I mean all in all USGI stuff may be worth more but I will always remember one quote from the Call of Duty series they always showed you a quote everytime you died and it said "Remember, your weapon was built by the lowest bidder" So in reality are USGI parts really worth the extra $$? ill admit it is awesome to not have commercial grade stuff in your gun, I have everything USGI and Colt so far on my Retro build just waiting to get the funds for my lower. so in conclusion I guess usgi parts are mainly for having the real deal. Unless commercial parts have changed, USGI parts will always be better for the U.S. Martial Arms noted earlier ; M1 garands, M1 Carbine, 1911's, M14's, m16's, etc. Does that mean that my Delton LPK is crap? No. But I have and always will, believe that nothing beats the USGI quality of old. The reason being namely Milspec tolerances, like heat treating, and steel types. The tooling and manufacturing methods of yesteryear are gone, and likely for good. It would cost an arm and a leg to construct USGI parts today the way they did years ago... Better? I think so. There may be some nostalgia involved in it, but a good metalurgist can't deny that they don't make em' like they used to. Stuff is just not made to last like it used to; otherwise you wouldn't buy a replacement. If you were'nt raised before the computer age, then this will be an almost immpossible concept to grasp. Plastic and stampings have been the death nail of the forge. |
| I've been in this AR game for 40 years now and nothing surprises me. Someone somewhere is always discovering a stash in a wharehouse from years and years ago. Look in the Shotgun News and you'll see what I'm talking about, they're still uncovering Nazi and USGI issue stuff from WW2. Who knows when the goods will dry up? More scarse? Yes, perhaps, but if you look hard enough you'll find what you're looking for. |
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I've been in this AR game for 40 years now and nothing surprises me. Someone somewhere is always discovering a stash in a wharehouse from years and years ago. Look in the Shotgun News and you'll see what I'm talking about, they're still uncovering Nazi and USGI issue stuff from WW2. Who knows when the goods will dry up? More scarse? Yes, perhaps, but if you look hard enough you'll find what you're looking for. I LOVE hearing stories about that kind of stuff? do you have any articles similar that i can read? i cant find anything about it on shotgun news? |
| HollowPoint6, I've been reading Shot Gun News since I can remember along with other surplus trade magazines and flyers. I don't save any of that stuff anymore because if I did my house would be stacked to the ceiling with it. If you attend gun shows keep your eyes open for old editions of American Rifleman magazines pre 1968, you will be surprised at some of the ads. I can remember buying complete M16A1 uppers with bolt carrier assy's and charging handles for $60 no BS. New USGI M16 20 round magazines at $1.50 each. I remember when you could buy firearms through the mail order business, no muss no fuss just cut the sellers a check and they would ship you the gun, AHHH, the good ole days. Keep your eyes peeled on the Shotgun News , Numerich Arms Co., Sarco and a few others as there is plenty of stuff to be had. |
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HollowPoint6, I've been reading Shot Gun News since I can remember along with other surplus trade magazines and flyers. I don't save any of that stuff anymore because if I did my house would be stacked to the ceiling with it. If you attend gun shows keep your eyes open for old editions of American Rifleman magazines pre 1968, you will be surprised at some of the ads. I can remember buying complete M16A1 uppers with bolt carrier assy's and charging handles for $60 no BS. New USGI M16 20 round magazines at $1.50 each. I remember when you could buy firearms through the mail order business, no muss no fuss just cut the sellers a check and they would ship you the gun, AHHH, the good ole days. Keep your eyes peeled on the Shotgun News , Numerich Arms Co., Sarco and a few others as there is plenty of stuff to be had. $60? $1.50????
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Quoted:
I'm just now getting in to retros so I'm no expert.I can say the military probably still has parts lying around somewhere.I say this because being a small arms repairman I still run into old stuff all the time.I wouldn't doubt it if the Army still doesn't have warehouses full of old A1's and A1 parts.Especially the national guard.I found a whole tub of A1 hanguards at the local surplus store the other day but I don't know enough about them to know if they are worth buying.The lady wanted 5 bucks a set. I had a buddy in the Reserves whose unit still had A1's and Deuce and a Half's from Vietnam that they used for field maneuvers. The government will never get rid of anything until they no longer see a use for it in their warehouses. Best example is MEU(SOC) .45's were using GI 1911 parts from WW2 until they ran out and had Kimber (and then Springfield) start making them Pistols. |
| As recently s 2007, I bought over 50 barreled uppers for $135 each, and sold them on the EE, mostly for $195, some of the nicer ones for as much as $250. The ones with chromemoly barrels were much harder to unload than the crome bore ones, nobody wanted them. I thought I made out like a bandit, but I sure wish I had those now. |
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