Interesting conversation last night
- Thread starter George Hill
- Start date
I've been using Brownells Action Lube Plus on the slide rails and barrel for a while. A little bit of this stuff goes a long way and seems to stay put when the pistol is idle and last a long time when the pistol is running. According to Brownells you could use it to lube the entire pistol but I just feel the need to put a drop of oil here and there every week. 
George or Larry, I would like to send yall a small tub of this stuff if you are willing to evaluate it out there in Utah. The temps here in Mississippi are only getting into the low 90's so far and the only test I have run was something over 200 rounds in a new tight but who knows if right Colt with zero malfunctions using IMI ball.
Do not use more than is called for on the intructions and don't get any on your clothes while working with it because your wife will be calling my wife to find out how to get it out of your clothes!
George or Larry, I would like to send yall a small tub of this stuff if you are willing to evaluate it out there in Utah. The temps here in Mississippi are only getting into the low 90's so far and the only test I have run was something over 200 rounds in a new tight but who knows if right Colt with zero malfunctions using IMI ball.
Do not use more than is called for on the intructions and don't get any on your clothes while working with it because your wife will be calling my wife to find out how to get it out of your clothes!
George Hill
Staff Alumnus
No problem... I'd be happy to test anything save my patience. 
Hey George, if you're interested I'll send a little Militec-1 oil and grease if you want to test just for kicks. I couldn't get ahold of their Arizona distributor so they doubled my order and kicked in the grease. I have no connection with them and am interested in how it would stand up, but don't have the time for such tests.
If interested, e-mail me.
If interested, e-mail me.
Compared to a lot of others, what I know about a 1911 you could put on a table and a fly could poop on it and cover it.
That being said.
I did buy a $79.00 lawnmower once, took it home gassed it up and ran it 3 years. Forgot all about adding oil to it. Son of a gun quit for some unknown reason.
I did manage to get it running again by filling the crankcase with oil, and a couple of shot glasses full of Xylol in the gas tank. I swear the thing went airborn for a few milliseconds before the Briggs and Stratton part came unglued.
Ever since then I shy away from running metal stuff without some kind of lubricant.
My 2 Kimbers and my Colt Commander, as well as my 2 Hi Powers get a real light coat of DSX grease on the rails followed by a drop of RIG oil.
Re: Tight fit.
Both my Kimbers are very tight. No rattle or anything. Both are very accurate like most Kimbers. My Colt OTOH, sounds and feels like a bucket of loose bolts. The Colt will shoot rings around either Kimber. I had the pleasure once of shooting a real tricked out Colt (about $2500.00 worth of work done to it) that had the same loose slide. I think, based on that, and some of what I've read, that a tight slide is mostly hype. I suspect the fit of the barrel bushing and how well the barrel locks into the slide and a proper spring are what makes a 1911 super accurate.
That being said.
I did buy a $79.00 lawnmower once, took it home gassed it up and ran it 3 years. Forgot all about adding oil to it. Son of a gun quit for some unknown reason.
I did manage to get it running again by filling the crankcase with oil, and a couple of shot glasses full of Xylol in the gas tank. I swear the thing went airborn for a few milliseconds before the Briggs and Stratton part came unglued. Ever since then I shy away from running metal stuff without some kind of lubricant.
My 2 Kimbers and my Colt Commander, as well as my 2 Hi Powers get a real light coat of DSX grease on the rails followed by a drop of RIG oil.
Re: Tight fit.
Both my Kimbers are very tight. No rattle or anything. Both are very accurate like most Kimbers. My Colt OTOH, sounds and feels like a bucket of loose bolts. The Colt will shoot rings around either Kimber. I had the pleasure once of shooting a real tricked out Colt (about $2500.00 worth of work done to it) that had the same loose slide. I think, based on that, and some of what I've read, that a tight slide is mostly hype. I suspect the fit of the barrel bushing and how well the barrel locks into the slide and a proper spring are what makes a 1911 super accurate.
George Hill
Staff Alumnus
krept: No thanks, Bro... I've already used it before. I like it. It's pretty good. Thicker oil that stays where it's put. The conditioning feature is nice. It makes cleaning off shooting gunk out of the gun easier after the gun has been treated a couple times. As for the "slickness" quality, it's slick, but not the slickest. Also, it doesn't offer the same level of corrosion protection that CLP does.
Tetra Gun Grease. I've applied this to a freshly wiped down CZ-97 and cycled the action a few times. Is it any slicker or smoother? Not really. However it isn't "bleeding" like oil does. I guess that is an advantage. We shall see how it does later today. If it doesn't lube better than Breakfree CLP why would you use it? Unlike CLP, this grease doesn't offer the same level of protection and it doesn't clean. So unless it really performs... CLP remains the choice. One product - three jobs. Hard to beat.
Damn, I sound like a commercial.
Tetra Gun Grease. I've applied this to a freshly wiped down CZ-97 and cycled the action a few times. Is it any slicker or smoother? Not really. However it isn't "bleeding" like oil does. I guess that is an advantage. We shall see how it does later today. If it doesn't lube better than Breakfree CLP why would you use it? Unlike CLP, this grease doesn't offer the same level of protection and it doesn't clean. So unless it really performs... CLP remains the choice. One product - three jobs. Hard to beat.
Damn, I sound like a commercial.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
If you're gonna use your 1911 in a self-defense situation, how many rounds do you really expect to shoot? If you're needing to shoot so many rounds that the issue of "dry" really rises, it seems to me you've gone beyond just carrying "in case of in case".
Seems to me that for carry purposes, a very light oiling of the rails is all that's needed.
If you can readily envision shooting so much that lubrication is necessary, you are not in a situation where getting your clothes dirty or oily is of any importance whatsoever.
Art
Seems to me that for carry purposes, a very light oiling of the rails is all that's needed.
If you can readily envision shooting so much that lubrication is necessary, you are not in a situation where getting your clothes dirty or oily is of any importance whatsoever.
Art
My 2 cents worth is that you cannot simply state that 1911's do this or 1911's do that. There are so many guns that look similar from the outside but do not function the same. We have the military versions from the various past 100 years that will in fact run without oil. But, it is likely that pistol hot shots all must have the latest ZERO Clearance stud gun with all the bells and whistles. These guns will not run without oil. Many of these guns will not run even WITH oil!!! Can I give you some examples?.... one shop that comes to mind sends out guns so tight you cannot even operate the slide without a pair of vice grips. And then we have the problems that are not related to lubrication such as failure to feed, failure to eject and so on. The design principles are sound. At the moment these principles do not seem too important to the production shops, however.
-WF
-WF
On my 1911's and other autoshuckers...
I've basically sold my soul to TW-25B, that weird-smelling milspec stuff that comes in the little squeeze tube. I got tired of getting my glasses painted after the first few shots, when a sheriff's deputy friend recommended the TW-25B. Stuff sticks to the frame rails pretty good, without getting runny and oozing or dripping out on warm days. I would almost wager there's some white lithium in it, but it's proprietary, and they ain't tellin'.
I've basically sold my soul to TW-25B, that weird-smelling milspec stuff that comes in the little squeeze tube. I got tired of getting my glasses painted after the first few shots, when a sheriff's deputy friend recommended the TW-25B. Stuff sticks to the frame rails pretty good, without getting runny and oozing or dripping out on warm days. I would almost wager there's some white lithium in it, but it's proprietary, and they ain't tellin'.
JackDRipper
New member
Where exactly is the farm?
JR
JR
Hi, 12-34hom and guys,
If you are referring to G96 Gun Treatment, I really like it as a cleaner and penetrant, but it is too light for good lubrication.
I have not fired a 1911 nearly as much as the guys who say they have gone hundreds of thousands of rounds, but I do shoot a fair amount and all I have ever done is put good gun oil on the rails, and a few drops down in the mechanism. When I clean, I lube the recoil spring guide and the link, and put a drop or two in the mainspring housing. I have never had a problem.
Almost any gun needs some lubing, although the polymer guns need much less because they have less metal contact surface. But I don't think any gun needs to be baptized in oil to get religion, and some guns would simply not work.
BTW, that Mobil One idea sounds pretty good. It is good oil and doesn't gunk up.
Jim
If you are referring to G96 Gun Treatment, I really like it as a cleaner and penetrant, but it is too light for good lubrication.
I have not fired a 1911 nearly as much as the guys who say they have gone hundreds of thousands of rounds, but I do shoot a fair amount and all I have ever done is put good gun oil on the rails, and a few drops down in the mechanism. When I clean, I lube the recoil spring guide and the link, and put a drop or two in the mainspring housing. I have never had a problem.
Almost any gun needs some lubing, although the polymer guns need much less because they have less metal contact surface. But I don't think any gun needs to be baptized in oil to get religion, and some guns would simply not work.
BTW, that Mobil One idea sounds pretty good. It is good oil and doesn't gunk up.
Jim
Interesting thread.
and oops!
I meant to say GIBBS oil above, not RIG.
One reason I like DSX over anything else listed is that you can't remove it, like Blackhawk's test unless you grind away the metal.
The particle size of DSZ is 500 times smaller than Tetra or any of the other PTFE based lubricants.
(Doesn't stink at all either for you Miltec users)
ie: Not much there to attract dirt like lithium, sodium, calcium or fat based greases and not water souluable like soap based greases.
and oops!
I meant to say GIBBS oil above, not RIG.
One reason I like DSX over anything else listed is that you can't remove it, like Blackhawk's test unless you grind away the metal.
The particle size of DSZ is 500 times smaller than Tetra or any of the other PTFE based lubricants.
(Doesn't stink at all either for you Miltec users)
ie: Not much there to attract dirt like lithium, sodium, calcium or fat based greases and not water souluable like soap based greases.
QA Commando
New member
I haven't been shooting long enough to know how this will work out in the long run, but I lube my slide rails with Wheeler's Moly Super Lube that I got from Midway USA. I put a few spots of it down, and since it tends to stay in one place, I also put a drop of oil everwhere I put the grease. When I work the slide, it mixes the two together and spreads it out along the rails. I also put a small amount of this on the barrel where it contacts the front of the slide and on the locking lugs and smear it around with my finger.
I've found that it lubes well but doesn't attract much dirt. I haven't noticed any premature wear yet.
I've found that it lubes well but doesn't attract much dirt. I haven't noticed any premature wear yet.
BrokenArrow
New member
Oh, that farm! I thought ya meant the other "farm". See a lotta Glock 17s out there now...
When I was issued a M1911A1 by Uncle Sam, it did not need a lot of oil to run as well as could be expected for an issue gun that was older than I was (all of them were). In fact, it was discouraged since we were mostly in a hot, dry, dusty desert and too much meant more problems, not less.
As for the Colt, SA, Kimber 1911s I have also had, they did OK w the same amount of lube (usually Break Free CLP or LP, and not a lot) I used on my SIGs, Beretta, BHPs, CZs. OK, but not as good.
I just haven't seen the same level of good reliability (good enough though) from the 1911s I've been issued/bought the last 20 yrs I have from Glock, SIG, Beretta, etc. What can I say? YMMV.
When I was issued a M1911A1 by Uncle Sam, it did not need a lot of oil to run as well as could be expected for an issue gun that was older than I was (all of them were). In fact, it was discouraged since we were mostly in a hot, dry, dusty desert and too much meant more problems, not less.
As for the Colt, SA, Kimber 1911s I have also had, they did OK w the same amount of lube (usually Break Free CLP or LP, and not a lot) I used on my SIGs, Beretta, BHPs, CZs. OK, but not as good.
I just haven't seen the same level of good reliability (good enough though) from the 1911s I've been issued/bought the last 20 yrs I have from Glock, SIG, Beretta, etc. What can I say? YMMV.
Edward429451
Moderator
My stockish Series 80 (no tightening, just ramp throat polish ext. ejector) will run without oil just fine. Carried it for a couple weeks without reoiling before the range trip just to see. It ran fine. Normally, one drop of clp down each rail (and a few other spots) at cleaning time is all thats needed? It may be more psychological than need with my gun though.
You guys with the tight .45's should sell or otherwise segregate them guns from the good (loose) .45's, so they dont actually get mixed in accidently!
You guys with the tight .45's should sell or otherwise segregate them guns from the good (loose) .45's, so they dont actually get mixed in accidently!
Jim Hoag, one of the country's most experienced 1911 smiths is a big fan of really "wet" pistols. Back when I carried variations of the Government Model and had a couple built by Hoag, they always arrived dripping wet with light machine oil. His advice was to keep them well lubed (dripping for a couple hundred rounds of break-in) for best reliability. My Hoag built 45s were tight, accurate, and very reliable.
As to not lubing enough...my department was one of the few back then (1974 till I retired in 1987) that authorized and later issued 1911s. When I was the department's chief firearms instructor I had numerous (so many I won't guess) occasions when a deputy complained about "those damn 45s jaming all the time". In every instance this occured on the range, as a demonstration I would open the hood of the old Dodge pick-up I used to haul stuff to the range and pull out the dip stick. After running my fingers down the dripping dip stick I would wipe them around the barrel (slide retracted) and drip some on the exposed rails at the rear. In each and every case the gun would then function flawlessly.
Based on my experience the exact kind of lube doesn't matter all that much. Enough of it in the correct places does matter a great deal.
As to not lubing enough...my department was one of the few back then (1974 till I retired in 1987) that authorized and later issued 1911s. When I was the department's chief firearms instructor I had numerous (so many I won't guess) occasions when a deputy complained about "those damn 45s jaming all the time". In every instance this occured on the range, as a demonstration I would open the hood of the old Dodge pick-up I used to haul stuff to the range and pull out the dip stick. After running my fingers down the dripping dip stick I would wipe them around the barrel (slide retracted) and drip some on the exposed rails at the rear. In each and every case the gun would then function flawlessly.
Based on my experience the exact kind of lube doesn't matter all that much. Enough of it in the correct places does matter a great deal.
I have three 1911A1 style guns, a Colt series 80 Officer's Model, an Auto Ordnance full size, and a Springfield Armory custom. I use regular Hoppe's #9 for cleaning and Hoppe's gun oil for lube and I don't have any problems with the operation of these guns at all.
I do use more oil than most people but I do that on all my guns.
1911A1's are absolutely my favorite semi auto handguns!
Jim Hall
I do use more oil than most people but I do that on all my guns.
1911A1's are absolutely my favorite semi auto handguns!
Jim Hall