Advice on cleaning and maintenance

G

greyson97

New member
#1 your opinions on a fully synthetic motor oil for lubing your guns: good idea or bad idea.

#2 my guns show wear and they are only a few months old. I dont shoot them that much i think. Less than 1k rounds. which leads me to my question: is that indicitave that I am underlubing my guns?

#3 i am not that greatest at determining the amount of oil on my gun. should i err on the side of dry, or wet?
 
No matter what you are going to see indication of wear --- the wear ring on a revolver cylinder, marks on the frame / slide rails and barrel where metal rubs on metal. This is simply unavoidable and does not indicate you have done anything wrong. Often this is just the finish wearing off and it tends to happen to some degree and then not progress much from there.

In general unless I am going to be somewhere very cold, I use a gun grease --- tetra or TW25B, or pure teflon grease on all sliding parts such as the slide rails and barrel and oil on the action parts --- hammer, sear ETC. I use mobile 1 oil for my guns.

I prefer copious lube however opinions on this vary --- and can be quite passonate --- in general most guns can and will tolerate a wide range here however the better lubed the less wear and lube serves the secondary mission of taking dirt, grime and wear particles and keeping them suspended where they can do less harm and come off easier.

Down side is lube can get on things if you carry the gun and can attract lint like a magnet. On a daily carry gun I will not go more than 14 days without a strip / clean session.

Oh and no oil on ammo --- penetrating oil can and will kill ammo if exposed in a significant amount.

Hope that helps
 
If you are shooting a S&W, you need to know that they are designed to work properly with almost no lube! One or two drops, dropped in front of the cocked hammer is all ittakes to keep them happy. That is all I ever do to mine, and I have quite a few. I've never had one bit of trouble either. This is not my opinion, it is what the factory recommends. The one or two drops is a once in a great while thing too. Not every time you shoot, or clean them.
 
thanks rsqvet

oneounceload
I read all the manuals and they dont mention anything about motor oil.
instruction manuals arent as throrough to the cleaning regimen as breaking down and putting together. yeah, i just read the manual again, and all they say is "lightly oil the "so and so part" which is ambiguous on my part.

the military field manual which i use for my benelli m4 is very specific as to the degrees of lubrication, when and where, etc
 
It depends on the gun. I oil my M&P lightly after every time i shoot it, mostly because ive seen a pattern of that making it shoot and feel better. But it also has a well enclosed slide and a tight fitting magazine which keep oil in and other stuff out.

My duty pistol on the other hand (old M9 that it is) is dry as a bone because i see no point in putting oil on a pistol that a) is built to fire despite horrifying conditions and b) is gauranteed to get sand in it because the slide is practically a window to the internals (instead of disassemble-scrub-scrub-wipe-scrub-rinse-dry-re-oil-reassemble, its disassemble-shake-brush-reassemble).
 
I started a thread regarding motor oil and guns a a while back. You will find a thorough examination (w/ some strong opinions from both sides) of the subject in that thread.

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=362910

FWIW, I have been using Mobil1 for a while now and really like it.

Just make sure you clean your guns after every use and you will soon get to know just how much lube, just where it goes, and how often.
 
I read all the manuals and they dont mention anything about motor oil.
instruction manuals arent as throrough to the cleaning regimen as breaking down and putting together. yeah, i just read the manual again, and all they say is "lightly oil the "so and so part" which is ambiguous on my part.
Click to expand...

If they say lightly oil so and so part, then that is what you should be going by. Some guns run very well "wet" and some do not.
 
#3 i am not that greatest at determining the amount of oil on my gun. should i err on the side of dry, or wet?
Click to expand...
I kind of lean on the wet side myself....I believe if you weigh the pros & cons for each; I believe there are more negative factors with under-lubing...:)
As far as products; I prefer Teflon based products.....
 
motor oil has minerals in it that might not be the best for your gun. synthetic or not.
No, you aren't underlubing them unless you find it rough to rack your slide. If you think you feel friction, take off the slide and take a look at the slide rails on the base and the slide itself. See if you can find any imperfections, if you want polish them off. I did it, and it helped like night and day. The slide is crisper and smoother. I also polished the outside of the chamber part of my barrel, because it is touching the hood of the slide itself when you shoot, so anything that you do to reduce friction will help you out.
I prefer light film. because if you do too much, when you shoot the gun all the excess oil will just splatter on your shirt. Regardless, the oil will eventually find its way out of the gun if there is too much. So, light film is plenty. I use ballistol, and spray a minute amount, and spread it around with my finger tips. It is really nice, and I don't need too much or its just a waste.
If you are really worried try grease instead. Try to find one with a drop point of 500 degrees or higher. I know Lucas Red N Tacky is like 800? Its crazy.
 
I started a thread regarding motor oil and guns a a while back. You will find a thorough examination (w/ some strong opinions from both sides) of the subject in that thread.

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=362910

FWIW, I have been using Mobil1 for a while now and really like it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there's six straight pages of "It's the best lube ever" and "It's the lube of the devil!". You may also find the search function useful, just don't post in ancient threads.

I've noticed that every tool in my garage that has gotten motor oil on it really grabs dirt, dust, and grit. This isn't good for guns, but it might not make such a mess if you go light on it.

Personally, I'd stick to gun oils and greases. Even though they aren't as cheap as motor oil, they still aren't that expensive.

The wear and tear you see could just be your guns breaking in.
 
I read the forum thread, thanks BH, and i posted there, but wanted to post here too:

1 quart(32 fluid ounces) of ATF = ~$4.00 to $10.00
Google Shopping for Automatic Transmission Fluid

4 ounces of Hoppes Elite Gun Oil = $9.99
http://www.cabelas.com/p-0028834226978a.shtml

scaling up..... comes out to $80 of Hoppes for the same amount of ATF

or you can go with the Hoppes "Firearms, Fishing Reels, and all mechanisms" Oil
http://www.gundogsonline.com/shootin...z-aerosol.html
which is 5.99 for 4 ounces, bringing it it up to $48 for the same amount of ATF

of course it says on the can, Firearm, fishing reel, and all mechanisms
That doesnt seem too specifically tailor made to a firearm if i can also use it on a fishing reel.......

So what is it? a "specialized" gun oul that sells for $80 a quart when ATF is $6 a quart, or $48 a quart for a product that isn't tailored to firearms anymore than it is tailored to fishing reels.

Also, as for those of you who are saying the additives and such in motor oil and ATF are harmful if inhaled, I doubt inhaling all the burnt gunpowder residue from all the rounds we shoot every week is exactly healthy for us.
 
I've always considered Break-free & a light coat of oil to be optimal. Recently I have using some grease on the rails of the Kel-Tec, but it seems unusual to have to do that.
I just bought some EEZOX synthetic solvent/lubricant/rust preventive based on the gun store guy's recommendation, but have not tried it yet.
My big concern is that I've heard that using brass brushes too much can be bad for the barrel; is ther an alternative such as nylon? & How well do they work?
 
Every time someone starts getting really wound up on lubes I find myself thinking about all of these 50-100 year (or older) guns around. Obviously whatever was used on them worked or they wouldn't still be around. So pick what you think works. I like Weapon Shield but that's just personal preference.
 
I just looked at the manuals again for my Glock and my Ruger.

The Glock does not even mention "lube" or anything similar. I use a bit of CLP and a touch of "Hot Sauce" reel grease, and I mean a tiny bit on the end of a toothpick, on the slide rails. Seems to work well for me.

The Ruger P90 says "Only a light application of oil is needed to provide adequate lubrication of moving parts and to prevent rust. Excess accumulations of oil tend to attract particles of dust and dirt and may congeal in cold weather, which can interfere with the safe and reliable function of the pistol." I use CLP and Hot Sauce Reel Grease on the slide rails.

Both guns function 100% and with around 1000 rounds through each I don't see any evidence of wear except possibly a bit of finish off the rails.

JMNSHO &, of course, YMMV
 
I simply take whatever "Spray" lube I have available; (Other than WD-40 because I've noticed that it tends to attract dust/dirt and cake up); and after I clean my gun, I spray the crap out of them with the spray lubricant. Every possible place except in the barrel. Then, I work the action on it a bunch of times. Then I wipe the gun down with my tee-shirts that I have collected for them. I breech it open, and I wipe down near the extractor/ejector/firing pin area. Then, once it's wiped down, I throw the magazine back in it and holster it. Total time, 2-3 minutes. I've done it this way on every gun I have; including revolvers, shotguns, rifles, bolt, semi, etc.... I've never seen such thing as "Over-Lubing" the gun. And I sure have never even though of putting "DROPS" of oil anyplace. Once every year or so, I'll even take off the grips after my once or twice a year cleaning, and spray the crap out of it with oil on the mechanics. Never a problem in 30+ years.

FWIW; after shooting, I take a can of compressed air and blow out any loose dirt or grit. I spray so gunscrub in the ejector/extractor/firing pin/port area. I spray a little gun scrub in the hammer area. Then I spray the crap out of it with oil. Work the action. Wipe it down. Load the magazine. And holster it. I don't even clean the barrel except about 2 times a year. March; after winter storage in the safe. September; right before hunting and after the 6 months of a lot of shooting. Except for the 2 times a year when i do a total cleaning, a normal cleaning after shooting takes all of 3 minutes.

There are some people that believe in cleaning their gun 100% after each and every time at the range. Whether they fired 1 magazine or 5 boxes. I just don't see it. But whatever makes a person happy is fine by me. I have had more than 100 guns in my life. Most of that time was in the military. And I would never do more than a basic field strip with any gun that I was going to use for self defense. If I do do a complete break down and cleaning; very rare; I make sure I go and shoot it before I start carrying it again. You never know what parts didn't go back exactly the way they should have. Anyway; cleaning a gun and lubing it, doesn't take me any more than 5 minutes. Twice a year I'll clean the barrel. That takes an extra 3 minutes. Once every couple years, I'll strip a gun down further than basic field stripping. (Not every little piece); but I will remove the firing pin, springs, etc... Anyway; good luck. Oh; and as far as "WHICH OIL"; it's whatever I have around. However; I will say that guns I rarely ever use, but I want to ensure are ready; Such as my 12 gauge; I spray with lube that has teflon in it so if it dries over months of sitting in the safe, the mechanical parts still have a film of teflon on them.
 
You may not have thought of putting "drops" of oil any place, and that's OK by me. They're your guns, do what suits you.

But that is what S&W recommends, and anyone who knows much about Smiths knows that is the correct way to lube them. They have a lot of small parts that are generally fitted pretty closely. That is one of the things that makes their actions superior to most other brands when it come to smoothness and feel, trigger pull, etc.

When they get too much lube they tend to collect too much dust and crap that makes them less smooth, and it can gum up the whole works.

I could care less what you or anyone else does to their own gun. I am just offering correct advice on how to take care of a Smith revolver.;)
 
I agree 100%. Whatever a person wants to do with their own guns is fine. And if they want to take their car into jiffy lube every 3000 miles for an oil change, that's their business also. All I'm saying is that there are a lot of times that things are said by "Professionals"; and sometimes it's for the money and sometimes it's for their own liability. There isn't one spot on any of my guns that needs lubrication that isn't getting it. And the longer you own many different guns; and the longer you work on your own cars; and the longer you play with computers; etc... the more you learn what's what.
 
I clean my guns every time I shoot them or once a month, whichever comes first.

This is the system I use for my Glocks (G22 & G20SF) and it works well for me all year round...
Unload
Disassemble
Spray/wash slide with carburetor cleaner
Scrub with nylon brush
Spray/wash frame with carb cleaner
Scrub with nylon brush (q-tips for the small spots)
Hoppes Copper remover on a brass brush through the barrel
Spray/wash exterior of barrel with carb cleaner
Scrub with nylon brush
Run boresnakes through the barrel (Hoppes #9 on bristles, Sheath for the very end)
Spray & wipe down exterior of barrel with Sheath
Spray & wipe down slide with Sheath
Rub some anti-seize on the slide rails with a toothpick
Re assemble and wipe down again with light coating of Sheath

I recently discovered Sheath, it's made by Birchwood Casey I believe. Before I discovered it, I used CLP. I do basically the same thing for all my handguns, rifles, and shotguns, though the methods vary a bit the chemicals I use are the same. Been doing the same thing with my BAR MkII Safari for ten years with great results in all climates from Florida to Alaska... Side Note: I always lube up the slide rails of all my pump action rifles and shotguns very liberally, not dripping, but close to it.

Hope this helps. I am considering trying out some ATF sometime, maybe the next time I do my monthly maintenance...
 
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