Last night I was finishing up my savage rebarrel when those darn small parts gremlins stole the detent ball for the extractor. Was hoping to have it done to sight in this weekend. this morning I stopped into the local ace and what do you know they have chrome ball bearings in several sizes. the smallest thy had is close hopefully enough to work. at $.25 worth a try. They have saved me a few times with small screws and springs. the one in our town even has a big selection of gun screws.
gotta love ace hardware
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doubleh
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I have an Ace locally and one about 20 miles away. These items disappeared from both stores sometime ago. I suppose they didn't sell enough for them to mess with. Now it is order it online or do without.
Alex Clayton
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I miss the days when these kind of stores were all around. Sadly they are few and far between now.
doubleh
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Probably the same thing I do do, order it. There a couple of hardware stores that carry these plus music wire, drill rod, brass and aluminum rod, and a lot of other neat stuff that is handy. The trouble is one is a 200 mile round trip and the other is a 250 mile trip. We used to travel to a doctor once in a while in the closer and regularly to one in the farther so I could stop in and stock up. Both doctors have retired which makes it too expensive to shop at either.
BigBlue 94
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I grew up with Ace and Roach's. Roach's was a True Value. Aces are Westlakes. That Roach's was the best hardware store ever. You couldnt take 5 steps in the door without being asked if you need help. And they knew exactly where everything was. Ace sucks by comparison. Roach's closed up shop a few years ago. But then i found Metal By The Foot. Not only can i get all types of metal by the inch, but all sorts of hardware, consumables, measuring tools, etc. Fasteners from 2-56 to at least 1.5" and metric. Its a tinkerer's paradise. My kind of heaven.
A tip on small springs and ball bearings: if you have a paint sprayer repair shop local, they may be able to help you out in a pinch. We have all sorts of stuff like that. Though balls smaller than 3/16 are rarer.
A tip on small springs and ball bearings: if you have a paint sprayer repair shop local, they may be able to help you out in a pinch. We have all sorts of stuff like that. Though balls smaller than 3/16 are rarer.
doubleh
Member
Just out of curiosity I checked metal by the foot's price against 18 inches of aluminum round bar my son picked up at a local machine shop yesterday. MBTF was over twice the price of the machine shop without shipping being included. I would use them in a can't be found anywhere else case but only then.
shooter1niner
Member
There was a hardware store in Schenectady, NY ( Wallace Armer ) that had everything you needed. I walked in one time and asked for a #3-56 screw. The counterperson asked how many I wanted, they were about $.07 each... That store is now gone and I truly miss it.
BigBlue 94
Member
They dont ship... Or they didnt used to.
Machine shops get huge discounts and some will sell you stuff for their cost if its a hobbyist in need. Or they sell their cutoffs they cant use.
That being said, MBTF is indeed not known for being cheap. But its a small business, and they dont get the volume discounts somewhere like Phoenix or Midwest do. HME is the other local supplier, and a machine/fabrication shop. Their prices are a touch better but, they are, for censorship of profanity, big jerks. The guy at MBTF recognizes me and i get wonderful service.
And they always have a ton of cutoffs in the scrap bin, sold by the pound.
If you wanna see expensive, look at MSC! Holy craps!
Blue68f100
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irving
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My local Ace changed to True Value a few years ago. They have a great variety of inventory for a small hardware store. I hope they continue to compete successfully against the big box stores.
Last year when I needed a 7/16" diameter rod to punch the carbide ring out of my Lee factory crimp die, the big Home Depot had nothing in stock. I found the rod I needed (in aluminum) at True Value.
This year I needed a rod to knock a squib out of my 357 magnum. I wanted a pretty close fit to the bore, so I was looking for a 5/32" diameter brass rod. After finding none at the big Home Depot, I was surprised that True Value had exactly what I wanted in stock. Kind of expensive, but I want to keep giving them my business.
Last year when I needed a 7/16" diameter rod to punch the carbide ring out of my Lee factory crimp die, the big Home Depot had nothing in stock. I found the rod I needed (in aluminum) at True Value.
This year I needed a rod to knock a squib out of my 357 magnum. I wanted a pretty close fit to the bore, so I was looking for a 5/32" diameter brass rod. After finding none at the big Home Depot, I was surprised that True Value had exactly what I wanted in stock. Kind of expensive, but I want to keep giving them my business.
deadeye dick
Member
I find the local Tractor Supply has a good supply of GR. 5 & 8 nuts and bolts.
BigBlue 94
Member
Priced reasonably by the pound too... Thats where i get my bulk hardware. They also have a small section of metal stock, but it is pricier. Same basic stuff they sell at the evil big box stores.
Lenny62
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Ace is the Place!
Appalachiannative
Member
My local ACE is 5 minutes away and has a fine selection of gun screws. When it opened it had ammo for not so great of a price then they decided to give up on ammo and marked it all down. It flew off the shelf (especially the handgun rounds) when wal mart stopped selling handgun and 5.56 ammo. They also did away with their fishing equipment but at least the gun screws remain.
Appalachiannative
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heck My grandpa bought a cheap .22 short revolver from a hardware store back in the good ol days
pantherdane
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Change isn't always progress. I loved the old hardware stores and general stores too. A friends father owned a warehouse that he bought full of old hydraulic parts and misc hardware and turned it into the best "get the odd part here" hardware store. Sadly, he and the store are long gone. Now the stores just have DIY kits but little individual nitty gritty parts like you could once shop for. Now it is often wholesale replace instead of repair. Again, change isn't always progress and in this case it makes some simple repairs more complex, expensive and/or time consuming.
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