Essential Range Tools

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Putting together a bare bones kit of the tools that you wished you had that one time to fix a problem, and didn't?

Spare set of car keys and a staple gun for targets are on the too big side, but are very useful- let me tell you. Looking more for smaller stuff- 2032 batteries, which tool bits. Something besides a quarter to mangle a scope cap.

[officerX]

Front sight post tool. Yes, there are other ways to do it but as you said, "Something besides a quarter to mangle a scope cap."

[Bullz]

My Range bag has the following tools:

Full set of allen wrenches
Inch/LB torque wrench
Two multi tools - mostly for the sake of pliers
Some basic screwdrivers
Crescent wrench
Gorilla Tape
Blue thread locker
Measuring tape (there's also a ruler on the multi tool)
Micro fiber cloths
Basic brass cleaning rod
Flashlight
About 20' of paracord
Two small bubble levels
empty chamber indicators

Also has the following:
Log book
Extra ear and eye pro
rain gear
shooting bag
extra mags
extra ammo
powerbar/snacks
med kit
water
10x binoculars

It sounds like a lot written out but it packs down without much fuss into a basic backpack.

[hdrolling]

To me "essential" is everything I can fit in the back of my truck. I normally have all my Armor tools in a bag, spotter scope and tripod, all my mags are pre-loaded and go in my rifle bags (normally three bags that hold two rifles each), AR shooting bags and extra targets. I make multiple trips loading the truck to go to the range and multiple trips back and forth from my truck to my bench, but I have everything to spend the day at the range.

[Tigereye]

Along with some of the items above, I also carry a squib rod and mag brush for pistols.

[ABNAK]

Sight adjustment tool, screwdriver, rod to knock out a stuck case if necessary (maybe a chamber brush too to make sure it doesn't happen again), and a small hammer for the aforementioned stuck case.

The rod I use, for carbines anyway, is an AK cleaning rod; robust and has a larger end that you can smack with the hammer.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Interesting ones. The rod is a good one. I've had a stuck round, not fun.

I always have duct tape paracord, a trashbag and gloves in cubby in the back of my SUV. Just hope a cop never gets the wrong idea.

[MSW]

Cleaning rod, CLP & lube, screwdriver set (Chapman maybe), AR sight tool, multitool, small adjustable wrench, spare ear plugs & muffs, leather gloves, metric & imperial Allen wrenches, duct tape, bore light, cleaning kit, bag of spare Glock parts, bag of spare AR parts, and a trauma first aid kit with aspirin, in case some old fart like me had an MI. Glock sight pusher, if needed, small hammer with nylon & brass head, broken case extractor.

I used to keep a small air horn to get people’s attention, but mostly i’m stuck at indoor ranges, so I don’t use it.

[MegademiC]

Stapler
Measuring tape
Imperial Allen wrench set
Leatherman

I bring more more than this, but these are the “tools” besides myself and items i EDC.

My rule is when i need it, ill add it. Im a minimalist.

[Diamondback]

I used to keep a small air horn to get people’s attention, but mostly i’m stuck at indoor ranges, so I don’t use it.

Hell, as a pedestrian I keep one of those in my coat pocket for the retarded monkeys that try to run me over on the road every day! Stupid fumb ducks whose parents had no business breeding...

[gunnerblue]

Range bag:

Sharpies
Allen wrenches
jewelers screwdrivers
spare batteries for everything (especially AA’s for the chronograph
Extra staples
Range rod
Foam ear plugs
10-round magazine for zeroing, load development, etc.

I always have a multi tool and folding knife on me.

I’m toying with the idea of a large Pelican case to keep in the truck bed for large items such as tripods, bipods, front rest, rear bag, spotting scope, etc.- bigger items that I forgotten in the past and ruined a trip.

[voiceofreason]

i keep a set of cheapie CLEAR eye protection and dead/non electronic earmuffs with plugs in the trunk of every car. Takes up little room, but can be useful at times. a single glock/AR mag would be helpful too

[Grip]

In my range bag I carry the following tools which can be used to strip my AR, Glock's, or 1911 out in the desert.

compact AR cleaning kit (chamber brush, rods)
front sight tool
multi tool w bolt scraper
2mm allen driver for gas block
oil
rag
latex gloves
GI toothbrush
H buffer, H2 buffer
car recoil spring
gas rings
extractor spring/o-ring

I will eventually buy a complete AR bolt to throw in my pack, and one of those tacticool CR123 battery holders that attach to Molle for my surefire lights. still need a waterproof way to carry a few AA batteries.

also carry a BCM hat I got for free with an upper years ago just incase I need a hat, few sets of foam ear plugs, a G17 mag with 115gr ball, a USGI 30rnd mag with xm193, and a 2 liter hydration bladder.

[Straight Shooter]

In my range bag I carry the following tools which can be used to strip my AR, Glock's, or 1911 out in the desert.

compact AR cleaning kit (chamber brush, rods)
front sight tool
multi tool w bolt scraper
2mm allen driver for gas block
oil
rag
latex gloves
GI toothbrush
H buffer, H2 buffer
car recoil spring
gas rings
extractor spring/o-ring

I will eventually buy a complete AR bolt to throw in my pack, and one of those tacticool CR123 battery holders that attach to Molle for my surefire lights. still need a waterproof way to carry a few AA batteries.

also carry a BCM hat I got for free with an upper years ago just incase I need a hat, few sets of foam ear plugs, a G17 mag with 115gr ball, a USGI 30rnd mag with xm193, and a 2 liter hydration bladder.

THYRM CELLVAULT for your batteries my friend.

[26 Inf]

I have pared down quite a bit. I finally decided I go to the range to shoot, not armorer. If something breaks, I'll shoot something else and fix it at home.

My range bag has - stapler and staples in one outside pocket; a 150 foot tape and smaller tape measure in the other outside pocket. My shot timer, round count/practice log notebooks, pens and TQ in the end pocket, the other end pocket generally has 'good' boxes of, ammo in it (versus practice ammo).

The other side of my range bag is the 'standard' large compartment. I have a small Brownells Magna Tip Screwdriver set, dental picks (removing .22 FTE's), an M16 cleaning rod, slip 2000, several front sight adjustment tools, a ziplock of lens cleaner packets, a couple of red cloths, a can of breakclean, a small crescent, a medium double ended plastic/rubber header mallet, paint pins, cleaning tothbrush. a complete set of ball end allen wrenches (HF) in metric and SAE and a Rogers Squeege gun cleaning kit plus his bore solvent. I cna tighten things up, adjust sights, clear an FTE, etc. Beyond that I'm either shooting something else or going home to fix it.

The interior compartment has a small tupperware container, with batteries for muffs, hearing aides (LOL) and shot timer as well as roll up foamie era plugs, my ear pro, the hardcase for my shooting glasses, my gloves, sunblock and insect spray, and the pistolever's - I carry them is these, I have about a dozen - https://www.lapolicegear.com/moc-diplomat-pistol-case.html.

I generally throw 4 five gallon buckets in the bed of the truck. One bucket has fresh cans of black and white paint as well as the partially used cans I'm working on, a can of spray adhesive, a tupperware container of large binder clips, a tupperware container of black and buff pasters plus big adhesive dots for repairing black and tan action pistol bullseyes, I generally have 4 large plastic gluing clamps in case I need to clamp a target to a 2x4. I go to a local print shop and have them print different zero targets onto heavy paper, these lay against the sides of the bucket.

Two of the buckets contain a couple of harbor freight painter's tarps and a couple of blue roof rat plastic tarps, plus tent stakes for the blue tarps. I use the canvas painters tarps almost exclusively for .223/5.56 because those cases are hot enough they stick to the blue tarps. This makes it a lot easier to police brass when I'm doing barricade work or practicing a specific stage. I shot at a range in the sand hills, I hate to pick up brass out of sugar sand and goats head stickers.

The last bucket is for my 100 round boxes of pistol reloads and a couple of 6 magazine pouches holding my loaded pistol mags for whatever pistol I'm shooting. I have a bunch of these - https://www.midwayusa.com/product/939891251/midwayusa-6-magazine-pouch-double-stack-pistol and my range sweat rags.

The rifles, range bag, shooting belts, and 50 cal ammo can with rifle mags, go on the back seat of the truck. My shooting mat lives under the rear seat where it also kind of protects my truck gun. My cardboard targets and lathe strips, go in the crossover bed box, my wooden target bases get randomly thrown in the bed. If I'm shooting my metal, I hitch up the small cargo trailer and tow it behind the truck.

I'm pretty much a slop dick, but hard knocks taught me that taking a little bit of time to organize saves time in the end.

Once I get rolling, my goal is to spend a couple hours each day, shooting 200 rounds or so a trip. I probably aver 3 to 4 times a week - I do have to ride my motorcycles :p