Gun lubes, oils, and/or ???

D

Daryl

New member
Ok fellas (and gals, if applicable), I have several firearms that get carried quite a bit. Some more than others, but they get carried.

I generally keep them clean, and I try to keep them oiled and running smooth.

That said, I have one carry gun that's given me a bit of "trouble" over the years. Not serious trouble, but...

My S&W 637-2 is a great little revolver. It shoots great, is very reliable, and for a short barreled handgun, it's fairly accurate. The problem is that I carry it under a variety of conditions, so it tends to get exposed to dust, lint, and such. Sometimes it only takes a week or so for the cylinder "release" to get sticky. The lever moved forward ok, but the cylinder sticks in the frame a bit. I can get it open without any trouble, but I like for my guns to run smoooooooth. Opening the cylinder on this revolver is seldom as smooth as I'd like, unless I've cleaned it in the last few days.

The rest of it is always as smooth as one would expect on a S&W handgun.

So recently, just for fun, I put a small puff of powdered graphite in a few key places. And guess what? The cylinder opens very easily, and continues to do so.

I'm a firm believer in using quality oil on my guns, so I'm just wondering if powdered graphite is abrasive enough to cause wear where it shouldn't be happening? I've used the stuff in locksets and other such things for years, but this is the first time I ever put any on a firearm.

Any thoughts?

Daryl
 
Where do you find Eezox? Is it something that can be bought locally? Or does it have to be ordered?

I'm not familiar with it, but if it works, I'll sure try it!

Daryl
 
I use CLP but I've been looking at the dry lubes like Miltech, frog... People in the industry really like them. I know that lube is very crucial to my Sig, but not as big of a deal to some of the poly guns like a glock, (one drop for the glock, Sigs are wet guns.) Some of the dry lubes you have to heat up with a blow dryer or something. Never, ever, ever use WD40.
 
My guess is your gun needs to be completely dissembled and cleaned. I had an S&W 24 that I carried for decades when I was working in a gun store. This was my every day gun and about 10 years ago I had a gun smith go through the action and check for wear and springs.
I was amazed at the amount of CRAP that had gotten into the action of the gun. Built up oil and dirt and dust.
Brian48 +1 on the CLP. The only thing different that I use is if its metal sliding against metal I use a good quality gun grease all other moving parts get CLP.
 
Well, the dealer list didn't help. The only Az dealer is in Scottsdale, and that's 3 hours from here...one way.

Might order from midwayusa.

Thanks!

Daryl
 
I've had great luck with dry molybdenum spray. Moly is a metal, it's a better lubricant than graphite and completely non-abrasive. It's one of the most common industrial lubricants for high precision equipment and is highly tolerant of extreme temperatures and the lubricant properties continue to function even in very dirty environments.
 
mes227,

I'm familiar with moly lube. The bullets I load into .17 Rem cases are coated with it. Good stuff, but I've never seen the spray. Might check up on it, since it seems to stay attaches to stuff.

publius,

Thanks for the answer. You're actually the only one that's simply answered my question, and I appreciate it.

All the lube infor is good to know, and I'll look into them a bit. I'm away from home for the next few months, so don't have access to my regular gun cleaning stuff. Might as well look into what else is available. Right now, the graphite is working great, and since the gun is aluminum alloy/stainless, there's no danger of rust. The two other handguns I have with me will require oil, no doubt.

Daryl
 
Quality CLPs, Eezox, Ballistol...

I'm not quite sure how a powder could smooth or improve a DA revolver's parts or lockworks but if it helps, so be it. :)

For most firearms, I'd use a well made CLP or product like Ballistol, Eezox; www.Eezox.com Weaponshield www.Weaponshield.com or Mpro7's new LPX.

The LPX should clear up any minor problems & protect most any weapon part. See www.Mpro7.com or www.Brownells.com .
Ballistol is a German made CFC free multi-use product. It's safe for polymers, plastic, nylon, rubber, wood, etc.
It's handy for quick sprays or field cleaning ;).

CF
 
Armsmaster270,

I have a can of Breakfree CLP. It's decent stuff, but seems to dry up after a while. Maybe it's the southern Az dust?

For a "quick clean" when I haven't shot the gun at all, I usually spray it out with Gunscrubber, then lube it with appropriate gun oil (Breakfree right now, since it's what I have with me).

But oils attract dust, especially in the Feb-May windy/dust blowing season we get here, and dust is bad. Seems like I'm cleaning my carry gun every few days, and while I don't so much mind it, I don't always have time.

The area that gets sticky first is the cylinder release, and that's the area most exposed to dirt and such. By lubing key spots with graphite rather than oil, I've managed to get by for a couple of weeks so far without issue.

I'm anxious to try a moly spray and see how it works, since it'll likely stick to the parts better than graphite.

Daryl
 
I’ve started to use slip2000 almost exclusively. You might consider cleaning your gun more frequently. You don’t want lint and dust building up inside your cylinder or anywhere else for that matter. If it didn’t come with the firearm than it shouldn’t be there, cleaning it once a week should suffice.
 
mes227,
I'm familiar with moly lube. The bullets I load into .17 Rem cases are coated with it. Good stuff, but I've never seen the spray. Might check up on it, since it seems to stay attaches to stuff.
Click to expand...

Mine spray is made by Hoppes. It's molybdenum disulfide spray. Goes on wet (that's the carrier) but quickly dries.
 
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