slide lubed?? new to pistols

C

caleb90

Inactive
Im new to pistols have always had rifles and shot guns, on my semi rifles i run a light coat of hoppes orange bottle oil on the bolts. Never had a problem with wear or malfunctions, after my first cleaning of my sr22 and sr40c. I noticed how little surface area of the slide is riding on the frame and guide, so it got me thinking on lube. Was thinking about some light white lithuim grease for the slide? Just where it rides on the metal guide in the frame? Then just light oil in the places where it dosnt make severe contact? Let me know thanks
 
I use grease on the rails of the slide and frame on autoloaders and lightly grease the barrel exterior. I usually also lightly grease the locking block, locking lugs, or whatever the barrel locking mechanism is on a locked breach pistol.

There are a lot of good gun greases available. If you are looking for a bargain, you can buy a 14 ounce can of Lubriplate 130 which will probably last a lifetime.
 
Grease...oil... In my experience, it doesn't matter. It takes very little of either and too much just attracts dirt.
 
I prefer oil....I use CLP...on rails on frame and on slide. Not too much ...but running guns wet vs dry is better for them often.
 
I prefer Corrosion X HD pretty awesome stuff. If it's good for marine stuff in saltwater it's good for me.
 
I only buy the real deal "tactical" battle lube that costs over $100 / oz!


Just kidding.:D Any light lube works for internals and a grease for summer slide. I like 0w20synthetic for oil and full synthetic disc brake caliper grease. Because I have them and they are very lubricious in demanding environments.

Very little lube is needed and too much is worse than too little. Much worse. Can attract crud that stops operation of the firearm. Just my 0.02.
 
Biggest can of worms you can open is asking about what lube to use.
Personally I use Break-free, Corrosion X, Tetra Gun grease, Rem-lube and my old favorite Bear grease!
In the end I don't think it matters.................... as long as you don't over do it on the lube.:D

*Forgot; I use Tetra on my slides and oil everywhere else!:)
 
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I couldn't decide -so - I just use both.
I dip a q-tip in grease (DSX), then drop a drop of CLP on it and smear it on, then wipe it off.
 
I use TW25 lube on the slide rails only. Heat does not bother this lube and it will not vanish with use. Hoppes oil in the bore.
 
I was using grease on slide rails. Then I had an issue. I probably put too much on.

Switched to Weaponshield and no issue since. Lube on my handguns has potential to be a life and death issue. I don't want my poor lube technique to be a potential cause of harm to my family or I.

I know I could have applied the grease better, but...
 
Your pistols didn't come with manuals? You can download them from Ruger.

You can believe a bunch of internet forum yahoos of whom you have no idea of their qualifications (proven zero in most cases) or you can believe the manufacturer of your pistols, your choice.

Both manuals say the exact same thing about lubrication:

3. Using powder solvent on a clean patch or bristle brush, remove powder
residue from all components of the mechanism. After cleaning, run a dry
patch through the bore, then follow with a patch that is very lightly oiled.
Wipe all surfaces clean with cloth, then wipe all surfaces with a patch or cloth
that has been very lightly oiled.
4. NOTE: 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.
5. Before firing, remove all oil and grease from the bore.
Click to expand...
 
When in doubt....Read the Owner's Manual...usually has the recommended maintenance procedure as defined by the people who made it! Rod
 
I use Outer's Choke Tube and Gun Grease on my slide. Leaves a lasting, slick coat on my frame rails and keeps everything running silky smooth
 
Following the owner's manual suggestions would probably be the best route.
When they say light application, they mean light. If you think you haven't put enough on, you have probably already used too much!
 
Jmhyer is correct. There really isn't that much difference between using grease or oil, either will work and too much of either will attract dirt. However, if you are not using your gun in very adverse conditions and you clean it fairly regularly, I think it is relatively unlikely that it will sustain damage through lubricants attracting dirt.

Grease is simply thickened oil. If I want a lubricant to penetrate, as when putting a drop on a hammer or trigger pin, for example, I use oil. When I want it to more or less stay put, like on slide/frame rails and locking lugs, I use grease as I think it has a bit more staying power.

Auto-loaders regardless of manufacturer are more similar than they are different. Many gun owners use grease on metal contact points that slide against each other and oil on metal contact points that rotate. Many of the lubrication points are going to be very similar from one semi-automatic to the next. Barrel lockup mechanisms differ so the lubrication points for those will vary from pistol to pistol.

Grant Cunningham wrote a pretty good article on handgun lubrication:

http://www.grantcunningham.com/2006/05/lubrication-101/

Here are Bruce Gray's recommendations for lubrication of slide rails on SIG Sauer pistols:

http://grayguns.com/lubrication-of-sig-sauer-pistol-rails/

Although Bruce is talking about SIG pistols the slide lubrication points are going to be very similar for a majority of auto-loading pistols. In those photos, Bruce is using grease rather more liberally than I do.

You can also check out this video by Bill Wilson of lubrication of model 1911 pistols. The video is partly a plug for grease and oil sold by Wilson Combat but the points apply to other lubricants. The portion of the video pertaining to lubrication starts at 10:45:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TREDF-cx-ZY
 
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I use a gun lubricant syringe, filled with a high quality white lithium grease, for use on my semi auto pistol's slide rails and locking points. Rack the slide a few times and wipe off any excess. The grease makes them run really smooth.

You can buy a gun grease syringe on ebay from WeaponShield or Hoppes.
 
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