JA3: The Complete Guide to Scrapping

This JA3 article thoroughly explains the scrapping mechanic and how it generates parts.

1. Introduction

This article was written under Jagged Alliance 3 Game Version: Larry (1.5.1)

Please note that much of the information in this article is based on anecdotal evidence and a lot of trial and error. I have not had the opportunity to delve into the actual source code, but I am happy to make any corrections if more accurate information is discovered. If you have any comments, you can either post here or post on my HIVE blog version of this guide.


In my previous Jagged Alliance 3 article, "JA3: The Dual Economy System of Jagged Alliance 3", I explained how parts can be seen as a secondary currency that is mainly used to buy weapon upgrades.

I also mentioned how scrapping is the most common way to get parts. In this strategy guide, I will thoroughly explain how the scrapping system works.

2. The Scrapping Mechanism

Items in your inventory or sector stash can be permanently destroyed by converting them into parts. There are various reasons why you might want to scrap things:

• You might not need excess equipment. This includes duplicate equipment, equipment weaker than what you already possess, or categories of equipment you don't plan to use (i.e. melee weapons, shotguns, explosives, flare guns, etc.).
  
  
• Not enough space. Each merc has a limited number of inventory slots. You can only carry so much and if your inventory is full and you don't anticipate coming back to the sector, you may want to scrap the stuff you were planning to leave in the sector anyway.
  
  
• Inventory management isn't very elegant in the current version of the game - it's easy for the inventory screen to get cluttered. So those who are OCD or like the aesthetics of a cleaner inventory screen may want to scrap extra items so that the remaining inventory is more manageable.
  
  
• You need more parts. Installing weapon mods is very parts intensive (especially if you fail your Mechanics skill checks). Sometimes you might need more parts (e.g. if you just got a new high quality gun) and scrapping is a quick way to generate the parts that you need.

A. WHAT CAN BE SCRAPPED?

• Precious and semi-precious items can be cashed in for dollars. Please see my guide "JA3: The Dual Economy System of Jagged Alliance 3" for the full list of items that can be cashed in along with their cash in values.
  
  
• Medical items with a % condition can be salvaged for meds. Please see the complete list at the end of this article.
  
  
• Armor, weapons, tools, and some detonator components can be scrapped for parts. The easy rule of thumb is that most items with a % condition can be scrapped, along with knives, remotes, and detonators (which don't have a % condition).

B. HOW MANY PARTS DO YOU GET FROM SCRAPPING?

The number of parts you get from scrapping is NOT random and is NOT affected by Mechanical skill or the Mr. Fixit trait. Every scrappable item has a base scrap value (ranging from 1 to 16), which is listed for each item in the following sections. As long as the item has a 50% - 100% condition, you get the full scrap value (i.e. you get the same number of parts whether it is at 50% or 100%). However, if the condition is between 0% - 49%, you only get half the scrap value. Every item with a % condition has a base scrap value that is even, so you don't have to deal with fractions. The only items with an odd base scrap value are knives and detonators, which don't have a % condition.

Please note that as of Version 1.5.1, there is a bug when scrapping knives and detonators. When you right click a stack of knives or detonators, there is a "scrap" option and a "scrap all" option. You would think that "scrap" would only scrap one item but right now it scraps all of them just like "scrap all" would. If you only want to scrap one knife or detonator, then you should first split the stack up.

3. Scrapping Armor

The scrap value of armor is not affected by Ceramic Plates, Weave Padding, or Kompositum 58. Scrapping such combined items will not recover those special components. Generally, I would not recommend scrapping armor with Weave Padding or Kompositum 58 since those are permanent modifications.

A. UNIQUE ARMOR

The Deathsquad Helmet, Deathsquad Armor, and Deathsquad Leggings are unique in the game and also unique in scrap value. Unlike other pieces of armor which have standardized scrap values, the Deathsquad pieces each have a scrap value of 6 parts.

The Shiny and Chrome Helmet only has a scrap value of 2 parts, which is typical of most helmets.

B. HELMETS

All non-unique helmets have a scrap value of 2 parts. This includes:

Heavy: Heavy Armor Helmet
Medium: Gasmaskenhelm, Kevlar Helmet
Light: Night Vision Goggles, Light Helmet, Gas Mask

C. BODY ARMOR

All non-unique body armor have a scrap value of 4 parts. This includes:

Heavy: Heavy Armor, Heavy Vest
Medium: Medium Camo Armor, Kevlar Armor, Kevlar Vest
Light: Light Camo Armor, Flak Armor, Flak Vest

D. LEGGINGS

All non-unique leggings have a scrap value of 4 parts. This includes:

Heavy: Heavy Armor Leggings
Medium: Kevlar Leggings
Light: Flak Leggings

4. Scrapping Weapons

The scrap value of weapons is not affected by any mods that it may have. However, some mods may have components (steel pipes, lenses, chips) that have a random chance of being recoverable.

A. UNIQUE WEAPONS

Item	Scrap Value
Gold Fever	16
MG58	12
Ma Baxter's Argument Invalidator	10
The Lion's Roar	10
Confidante	8
Composite Machete	2
The Thing	2

Some unique weapons (MG58, Ma Baxter's Argument Invalidator, Confidante, Composite Machete, The Thing) have the same scrap value as their base weapon type while other unique weapons (Gold Fever, The Lion's Roar) have higher scrap value then their base weapon type.

Nonetheless, I would not recommend scrapping unique weapons since they are, well, unique. Even if you don't plan to use them, they serve as nice trophies!

A. HANDGUNS

Item	Scrap Value
Hi Power	6
Peacemaker	6
Beretta 92F	6
Glock 18	6
Anaconda	8
Desert Eagle	10

B. SMG'S

Item	Scrap Value
MP40	6
Uzi	6
MP5K	8
MP5	8
AK-SU	10
Commando	10

C. ASSAULT RIFLES

Item	Scrap Value
AK-47	10
M-14	10
FAMAS	10
FN-FAL	10
Galil	10
AR-15	10
M16A2	10
AK-74	10
G36	10
AUG	10

D. RIFLES

Item	Scrap Value
Gewehr 98	8
Winchester	8
Dragunov	14
M24	14
PSG1	14
M82	16

E. SHOTGUNS

Item	Scrap Value
Double-Barrel	8
Auto-5	10
M1014	10
AA12	12

F. MACHINE GUNS

Item	Scrap Value
MG42	12
RPK	16
Minime	16
HK21	16

G. HEAVY WEAPONS

Item	Scrap Value
RPG-7	16
Mortar	16
MGL	16

H. MELEE WEAPONS

Item	Scrap Value
Combat Knife	1
Sharpened Knife	1
Balanced Knife	1
Machete	2
Sharpened Machete	2
Balanced Machete	2

You can not recover Blade Sharpeners or Balancing Weights by scrapping Sharpened or Balanced knives or machetes.

I. UTILITY WEAPONS

Item	Scrap Value
Flare Gun	2

5. Components

You can not recover Ceramic Plates, Weave Padding, Kompositum 58, Blade Sharpeners, or Balancing Weights from scrapping items.

Based on my anecdotal experience, I suspect that the Mechanical skill and the Mr. Fixit trait do influence the % chance of recovering steel pipes, lenses, or chips. In one game with Vicki, I recovered a lot of steel pipes but in my solo game with Shadow, I'm recovering far fewer steel pipes when scrapping.

A. STEEL PIPES

Many guns (even without mods) have a chance of giving you a Steel Pipe when you scrap it. This is an incomplete list obtained through trial and error but I have gotten Steel Pipes from:

Handguns: Hi Power, Peacemaker, Beretta 92F, Anaconda, Desert Eagle
SMG's: Uzi, MP5K, MP5, AK-SU
Assault Rifles: M-14, FN-FAL, Galil, AR-15, M16A2
Rifles: Winchester
Shotguns: Double-Barrel, Auto-5, M1014, AA12
Machine Guns: RPK, Minime, HK21

(Not sure about: AUG and M82)

And despite many tries (and reloads for testing purposes), I have never gotten a Steel Pipe from:

Handguns: Glock 18
SMG's: MP40, Commando
Assault Rifles: AK-47, FAMAS, AK-74, G36
Rifle: Gewehr 98, Dragunov, M24, PSG1
Machine Guns: MG42
Heavy Weapons: RPG-7, Mortar, MGL

So either it's a statistical anomaly or these guns do not normally generate Steel Pipes.

I have gotten 2 Steel Pipes when scrapping Galils. However, it's unclear whether the presence of weapon mods that used Steel Pipes (i.e. Extended Barrels, Short Barrels, Gain-Twist Barrels, Heavy Barrels, Suppressor, Grenade Launcher) provide the chance for additional Steel Pipes when scrapping.

I have never gotten 2 different components from scrapping a single gun (i.e. Steel Pipe + Lenses, Steel Pipe + Chip, or Lenses + Chip) but at this time I don't have sufficient evidence to rule out the possibility.

B. LENSES

If you scrap a weapon that has a mod that requires a Lenses (i.e. Sniper Scope x5, Sniper Scope x10, Prism Scope, Quick Prism Scope) there is a chance that you can recover the Lenses.

Also some weapons seem to have Lenses mods by default. For example, M24's and Dragunovs often start with a Sniper Scope x5 and G36 starts with a Prism Scope, so you can recover Lenses when scrapping them. A lot of FAMAS' also seem to yield Lenses.


Lenses are not especially rare but there could be scenarios when you need more and are willing to spend dollars for a chance to get one through scrapping. At the Port Cacao Docks, Granny Cohani sells a modified FN-FAL with Quick Prism Scope and Heavy Stock for $3,000.


A more expensive alternative is the modified M-14 with Quick Prism Scope, Bipod, and Recoil Booster sold for $5,000 by a local merchant at the Savanna Coast dock (B2).

C. CHIPS

If you scrap a weapon that has a mod that requires a Chip (i.e. Compact Reflex Sight, Reflex Sight, Advanced Reflex Sight, Thermal Scope, Red Dot, UV Dot, Tactical Device) there is a chance that you can recover the Chip.

Chips tend to be the rarest component and for most of the game, you will probably be short on chips. You may get to the point where you have enough dollars that it is worthwhile to spend money on modded weapons that you can scrap for a chance at a chip. Bobby Ray's sometimes offers modded weapons that could provide a chip, but from the Bobby Ray's website it is hard to identify what mods a given weapon has. More importantly though, there are several local merchants in specific sectors that offer modded weapons that can be scrapped for a chance at a chip. And these local merchants restock that weapon every few days:


At the Poacher's Camp, a local merchant regularly offers a modified Dragunov with a Thermal Scope, Heavy Stock, and Compensator for $2,000.


At the Fleatown Flea Market, a local merchant regularly offers a modified Glock 18 with Advanced Reflex Sight and Flashlight for $1,500. The same merchant also offers a modified MP5K with UV Dot, Vertical Grip, and Compensator for $3,000.

6. Scrapping Other Items

Besides armor and weapons, there are a few other items that can be scrapped:

Item	Scrap Value
Plasma Gun Crowbar	4
Crowbar	2
Locksmith's Kit	2
Wire Cutter	2

The Plasma Gun Crowbar is unique and can be repaired, so you probably do not want to scrap it.

Crowbars, Locksmith's Kits, and Wire Cutters do not disappear when they are reduced to 0%. While they are not repairable, you can still scrap them for 1 part when they are at 0%.

Item	Scrap Value
Remote	5
Proximity Detonators	1
Remote Detonators	1
Time Detonator	1

7. Merc Specific Items

Several mercs have unique personal items. While none of them are actually scrappable, several of them do have scrap values, which is interesting to note for pedantic reasons:

Mercenary	Item	Type	Scrap Value
Tex	Custom Six-Shooter	Weapon	8
Omryn	Gut Hook Knife	Weapon	2
Pierre	Legion's Pride	Weapon	2
Blood	Endless Knives	Weapon	No scrap value
Ivan	Ushanka	Helmet	No scrap value
Nails	Leather Vest	Body Armor	No scrap value
Livewire	Livewire's PDA	Inventory	No scrap value
Vicki	Vicki's Locksmith Kit	Inventory	No scrap value
Larry	Ted	Inventory	No scrap value

(Larry's personal financial advisor cannot be scrapped.)

8. Salvaging Medical Items

Medical items work a little different. The % condition goes down as you use it to heal characters. Instead of repairing the medical item, you can always refill it back up to 100% by spending meds.

Instead of being scrapped for parts, medical items can be salvaged to recover meds. If you salvage at 100% you will get the listed salvage value below. If the medical item is at less than 100%, you will get fewer meds when salvaging.

A First Aid Kit at 0% condition cannot be salvaged for meds. Refilling it takes 16 meds and at 100% you can salvage it for 8 meds (i.e. you can salvage it for half the amount it requires to fill it up). As the condition goes down, you can see how many meds are required to fill it up. The salvage value for the First Aid Kit seems to be (16 - refill cost) / 2, rounded down but with a minimum salvage value of 1 (unless it's at 0% where you can't salvage at all).

Item	Salvage Value
First Aid Kit	8
Med Kit	12
Reanimationsset	12

Reanimationssets are very rare so it is not advisable to salvage them.

In the early game, Med Kits are rare but by the end game you will have plenty of them.

First Aid Kits are plentiful throughout the entire game so you should free free to salvage them when needed.

9. Optimizing Scrap

Since you get the full scrap value at 50%+ condition but only half scrap value if the condition is less than 50%, you'll need to make a judgment call on whether or not it is worth it to repair items that you plan to scrap. For items with low scrap value (like machetes with a scrap value of 2) it's probably not worth the time and effort. But for items with high scrap value of 14-16, it could potentially be worth it.


It's also important to note that Vicki's unique ability Elbow Grease is especially good for maximizing the parts you get from scrapping. Vicki passively repairs items she has equipped without needing to perform an operation and without requiring parts. So you can have Vicki passively repair items up to 50% and then scrap them.

[halcyan2]

Updated March 4th, 2024:

#1. In the Components section, added that anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that Mechanical skill influences the chance of recovering steel pipes when scrapping.

#2. Added the M-14 with Quick Prism Scope sold at Savanna Coast dock (B2) as a source for scrapping Lenses. Also included an image.

#3. Added more details about salvaging medical items.