Anyone who signed that Expedition waiver and claimed the shiny new “Patchwork” skin is now facing an uncomfortable truth: rebuilding the Gunsmith bench from zero is absolutely brutal.
If you jumped into the Expedition event reset like I did, you probably stared at your empty stash, whispered a quiet farewell to your maxed-out base, and clicked that reset button with confidence. The freedom lasted maybe five minutes. Then came the crafting screen, the resource requirements, and the crushing reminder that Rusted Gears exist. You vaguely recall struggling to find them before, but your brain conveniently erased the suffering. Now you are sprinting through every factory and warehouse on the map, leaving with nothing but frustration.
Here is what nobody tells you: Rusted Gears are bizarrely scarce in a wasteland overflowing with broken machines. Tracking down elite blueprints like the Volcano is somehow easier than locating a single corroded cog. After hours of trial and error, I have mapped out the farming route that actually delivers results. Stop ransacking random debris piles and follow this guide instead.
The Buried City Route
Ignore the generic industrial locations scattered across the map. Your destination is Buried City, particularly the Northwest quadrant. This area is packed with the mechanical salvage you need.
Focus exclusively on Cars and Generators. These container types are the primary sources for Rusted Gear drops. The catch is that every single one requires breaching. If your breaching skill reset along with everything else, expect slow progress and plenty of noise attracting unwanted attention. Unfortunately, there is no shortcut here.
The “Generator & Car” Loop
There is an optimized path through this zone that consistently yields results. Following this route, I have been pulling two to three gears per extraction, which feels like winning the lottery compared to searching anywhere else.
Begin at the Warehouse positioned in the northwest corner. Skip the standard shelf containers entirely and hunt for industrial equipment instead. Head toward the eastern wall of the building. Two generators sit side by side in that area, and they seem to drop gears at a noticeably higher rate than other spawn points. Breach both immediately.
From there, proceed to Marano Station. Forget about the ticket counters and interior rooms. Your target is the car park located on the northern perimeter. This location is incredibly productive. Breach the hood of every vehicle in sight. Yes, the animation locks you in place and leaves you vulnerable, but car engines offer the most reliable gear drops available.
If your inventory is still light after those two stops, continue to the Parking Garage situated nearby. The strategy remains identical: prioritize generators and cars, breach everything, collect the loot, and keep moving.
The Secret Dam Spot (If You Dare)
When Buried City gets overcrowded or too dangerous, there is an alternative farming location gaining attention among players. Head to the Dam Battlegrounds map and navigate toward the North Exit, specifically the area surrounding the Elevator Exit. A group of abandoned buses sits in that zone.
Strangely, breaching these buses produces Rusted Gears at a significantly higher rate than standard vehicles elsewhere on the map. The downside is obvious: elevator zones attract campers constantly. However, if your spawn point drops you nearby, checking those buses before extracting is absolutely worth the gamble. One player reported snagging three gears from a single sweep through this spot alone.
Why You Are Struggling
The main reason Rusted Gears feel impossible to find is that most players search “industrial” zones without targeting the correct containers. These components rarely spawn on shelves or in standard loot boxes. They hide inside objects that once had moving parts.
Once your pockets are loaded with gears, the extraction point near the metro station offers a quick exit before any hostile squad catches wind of your haul and decides to relieve you of your precious scrap. Good luck grinding out that bench upgrade. You are definitely going to need it.