cleaning and oiling under the grip

O

old fart

New member
i have a blued ruger service six, i love the gun and plan on passing it down to my son. when i bought it, it had tiny pin head size specks of rust here and there but nothing bad. the amazing thing is under the grip was perfect there was no rust just perfect bluing. now my question is this, since i have now finished cleaning it up and its ready to be carried. i've oiled it good with barricade at the grip area and installed the rubber pachmayr grips, how often should i remove the grips to re oil? i will be carrying just about 3-5 days a week, open carrying in public and woods. i'll wipe the frame down each time i'm thru and clean when its shot, but how often to remove the grip and re clean i don't know. thanks
 
I would say that it is somewhat of a "personal thing". Usually, once a year I take the grips off of my revolvers when I do a thorough cleaning, re-oil and put the grips back on. For me and how I use my handguns (mainly plinking/range) that is sufficient. On my Smith Model 36 that I carry, I may do it twice a year depending on the conditions I carry in. It's in a belt holster and covered so it doesn't get any real exposure to the elements.

If you carry it and/or get caught in the rain (as in hiking, hunting, etc.) you might want to check it when you can. From the sounds of things, you will be taking very good care of the revolver so common sense will tell you if you should or shouldn't take the grips off. If you get caught in a rainstorm, snowstorm, etc. - then as soon as you can, you'll be drying, cleaning and oiling - so if you think there's a chance that moisture got in under the grips, I'd pull 'em, dry everything, re-oil and put grips back on.

Sounds like you got a mighty nice wheel gun! Enjoy it and have fun! In the years to come, after you pass it on to your son, it will mean the world to him! :)
 
As a very good alternative to oiling or greasing under the grips, use wax.
You can use Johnson's Paste Wax or the very excellent Renaissance Hard Museum Wax.

Remove the grips and apply a medium thick coat of wax to the area covered by the grips. Don't wipe it off, allow to dry 30 minutes then re-mount the grips.
If the grips are wood you can also apply wax to the inside of them, but don't apply wax to rubber grips.

The wax will seal the metal and repels moisture and sweat.
Unlike oils or even grease the wax won't wash or leak out and won't soak into wood. so it stays put and lasts indefinitely
 
I also like Renaissance Wax, and apply with fingers over the entire handgun, including grips inside and out, leaving the area covered by the grips un-buffed. Reattach grips and buff all exposed areas including grips. I apply Ren Wax to all my custom grips, regardless of material, like fancy burl woods, Ivory, bone, etc. Buff to the level of high gloss you prefer. After reattaching grips and following the above procedure, I never remove the grips when cleaning the gun, unless in some rare occasion the entire gun was accidentally wet or submerged in water. Ren Wax is available at Midway or Brownells.

the Shadow
 
Since you've had some rust on the gun....I'd pay real close attention to it every week.....and I'd always take the grips off if you were out in rain or heavy humidity where you might get some condensation on the gun...and no matter what, I'd remove the grips no less than once a month.

I have no rust on any of my revolvers...and I still remove the grips at least once a month to inspect and wipe them down on all the revolvers I shoot / and semi-autos for that matter too ....if I've had them out of the safe to shoot them or carry them at all. We're not talking about doing something that takes any significant time at all ....so why just do it ...???
 
i've oiled it good with barricade at the grip area and installed the rubber pachmayr grips,
Click to expand...

I remove the grips form all of my revolvers at least every three (3) months, so I can check for rust. I've only found the START of surface rust once, but it was on a M-27 5", so that could have been a disaster.

Remember the Pachmyar and other rubber grips thed to sweat and trap moisture. With a carry gun, warm weather, and rubber grips I would check at least once a month.
 
If you live near the ocean and/or in a humid environment clean and oil often.

If you live in a dry climate far from the ocean clean and oil after you fire it and take the grips off every year or two and oil the frame.
 
As a very good alternative to oiling or greasing under the grips, use wax.
Click to expand...

This is what I've been doing to all of my 1911's now.

I happen to have a bottle of birchwood casey stock wax so that's what I've been using.
 
I agree with a couple of the above posts that recommend Renaissance Wax. Remove your grips once again and apply heavy coat under grip area and don't buff off, as suggested above. After drying sufficiently, re-attach grips. I don't like removing upgraded grips after they've been custom fit unless you live and expose the gun continually to a humid climate or the gun gets wet somehow.

In your case with rubber grips, there's no reason to be overly cautious as in the case of possibly damaging a set of beautiful custom grips by constantly removing and refitting them, other than maybe buggering up the grip screws. Regardless, I'd check the condition under rubber grips every 2-3 years, if your concerned about rust development. If there's no rust under the grips now, the application of Renaissance Wax should inhibit future rusting indefinitely if you continue the process each time you remove and before reattaching the grips.

Renaissance Wax is a proven rust inhibitor and surface cleaner for all firearm finishes.

Slap Shot
 
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