The aerospace hardware market has three categories of supply: new production, new surplus, and used/pulled. They're priced differently. They carry different documentation. And they're appropriate for different situations. This guide explains the real differences — not the marketing version.
Defining the Three Categories
New Production
- Manufactured recently under active production approval
- Ships with full manufacturer documentation and 8130-3 from the PAH
- Full shelf life, no question about storage history
- Highest unit cost
New Surplus (Unused)
- Manufactured under production approval — same spec, same quality as new production
- Never installed in an aircraft
- Left the production pipeline through contract cancellation, overstocking, kit changes, or program closures
- Should ship with 8130-3 or equivalent manufacturer documentation
- Significantly lower unit cost — often 40–70% less than new production pricing
Used / Pulled Hardware
- Removed from an aircraft that was parted out, repaired, or retired
- Condition is variable — could be like-new or work-hardened
- Requires removal documentation, non-incident statement, and traceability to source aircraft
- Not what we sell. We don't do pulled hardware for structural AN/MS fasteners.
When New Surplus Is Appropriate
For standard AN/MS hardware (bolts, nuts, washers), new surplus is appropriate when:
- The part is an expendable — not life-limited. AN bolts, AN nuts, AN washers have no time-in-service limit. They fail by physical damage or corrosion, not fatigue cycles. A new-surplus AN4-7A that has never been installed is functionally identical to one that rolled off the production line last week.
- Storage conditions are verified. Cadmium-plated alloy steel hardware stored properly (cool, dry, sealed) retains its original properties indefinitely.
- Documentation exists. "New surplus with 8130-3" means: manufactured to spec, inspected, released by an authorized issuer, never installed. See FAA 8130-3 Explained for how to read the certificate.
- Visual inspection passes. Plating intact, no corrosion, no thread damage. Spot-check before you install at scale.
When to Choose New Production
New production is the right call when:
- Life-limited parts — any part with a mandatory replacement interval requires documentation of manufacture date from day one
- Critical systems in certificated aircraft where A&P sign-off requires clean, current documentation
- Storage history unverifiable and the application is high-load structural
- Shelf life matters — nylon-insert lock nuts, rubber parts, sealants have defined shelf life that surplus can exceed
The Real Cost Comparison
RV-7 airframe build — estimated fastener bill at prevailing retail prices vs. new surplus with 8130-3:
| Category | Retail (Approx.) | New Surplus w/ 8130-3 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| AN3 bolts (800 units) | ~$960 | ~$304 | ~$656 |
| AN4 bolts (1,200 units) | ~$1,980 | ~$648 | ~$1,332 |
| AN5 bolts (400 units) | ~$850 | ~$288 | ~$562 |
| AN960 washers (3,000 units) | ~$450 | ~$150 | ~$300 |
| AN365 lock nuts (1,500 units) | ~$525 | ~$180 | ~$345 |
| Total (estimated) | ~$4,765 | ~$1,570 | ~$3,195 |
Prices are illustrative based on current market data. Savings from documented surplus, not from skipping traceability.
That's real money on a build. And every part in that order includes FAA 8130-3 traceability. Compare our pricing directly at our Aircraft Spruce comparison page.
How the 8130-3 Protects the Mechanic (and Builder)
The 8130-3 protects you in two ways:
- Provenance proof: The document traces the part to a specific production approval holder accountable to the FAA. If a part fails and litigation follows, you have documentation proving you installed parts from a legitimate, inspected production source.
- Supply chain integrity: A supplier who can't produce an 8130-3 or equivalent manufacturer documentation for new hardware is either selling pulls, sourcing from unaccredited distributors, or isn't tracking inventory properly. None of those are acceptable for aircraft hardware.
For certificated aircraft, the A&P signs off on the work. Clean 8130-3 documentation on every part protects that license. For experimental builders, a DAR inspects the aircraft before airworthiness. Builders with clean part documentation have uneventful inspections.
What We Sell
Our inventory is new-surplus AN/MS hardware from verified, documented sources. Every lot includes FAA 8130-3 documentation from the original production approval holder. We don't sell pulled hardware for structural fasteners. The savings aren't coming from cutting documentation — they're coming from not paying the retail markup on new production stock.