Most fasteners are hard; that is the nature of the materials used to make fasteners. However, military fasteners are harder still, and more durable to boot. When you want to find these hard fasteners, but it is hard to find them, here is how to search harder and where to look in order to find them.

Military Vehicle "Graveyards"

Where do all military tanks, ships, and planes go when they are at the end of their usefulness? They go to a military vehicle "graveyard." Here, collectors and renovators can forage for parts and take what they need for a price. The money garnered by allowing the public to strip these outdated military vehicles helps support the troops and the construction of new vehicles and equipment.

Military Bases

If you have a friend or family member working on a military base, ask him or her about the military fasteners that you are looking for. If his or her daily duties take him/her close to the military's vehicle repair shop on base, then he/she may be able to dredge up some extra fasteners from the personnel working in the shop. He/she may be able to get them for free, or have to pay a small price-per-item. It may also be possible to special-order your fasteners through the base's auto shop via your military family member, but your family member might have to get a commanding officer's okay on that.

Fastener Manufacturers with Military Contracts

If you do enough research and digging, you can find out which fastener manufacturers hold military contracts. It is these companies who make some or all of the fasteners used by the military to assemble and hold together military vehicles and equipment. If you can take a tour of the factory, you may even be able to ask the company about selling you a few military fasteners.

On Battlefields Dedicated to Specific Skirmishes

The British, particularly those in Wales and close to London, are constantly digging up old war junk and debris, including fasteners. Other battlefields dedicated to specific skirmishes will have the same "problem." If you can get permission to dig up such stuff, you can use a hobbyist's metal detector and spade to find all kinds of things that are "buried" in these battlefields. Just be careful about where and how much you dig, since some battlefields are heavily protected places where digging up anything could be construed as disrespectful. 

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