Silicone rag on handgun grip

Not at all. If you ever decide to refinish them you might encounter a problem if the silicon has found a crack or hole in the finish and made it into the wood. I just wax mine with Johnson's paste wax.

It's "bad" to use oils and let it soak into the grips. What happens then, is that the wood soaks up the oils and saturates, making it a darker over time.

If I'm not mistaken, you can use acetone or rubbing alcohol to draw the oils out, but I'm sure I'm off there.

Adam28789 said:

I inherited my Dad's S&W Model 57-1 .41 magnum. Just as a precautionary measure, I'll wipe it down with a silicone rag every now and then to keep it looking nice. Today, I wiped down the original wood grips. I just read that it's bad to do that. Do you think I caused damage?

Thanks!

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If the cloth was something like the silicone cloth that Hoppes markets, I doubt you'll have any issues on a finished wood grip. I wipe all my guns down with a silicone impregnated cloth, and although I don't specifically wipe the grips, I don't try to avoid them. I'm usually holding the gun by the grips as I wipe them, but I have found no bad effects on the wood, and I've been doing it a long time.

Nice M57-1, BTW.

Adam28789 said:

I inherited my Dad's S&W Model 57-1 .41 magnum. Just as a precautionary measure, I'll wipe it down with a silicone rag every now and then to keep it looking nice. Today, I wiped down the original wood grips. I just read that it's bad to do that. Do you think I caused damage?

Thanks!

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Prolonged heavy use (sprayed on) can loosen finished stocks and grips when / if the spray finds a crack in the finish shell. From a rag, not so much. Many furniture polish brands are silicone based.

Adam28789 said:

I bought it for him at Shoot Straight in Apopka, FL. Paid a little over $500 in 2006. Apparently it's worth triple that amount!!

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A bit more than double, for a dash-1 through dash-4, if you have the original box, stocks and paperwork/accessories. No dash ramps up the value a little, and an "S" prefix SN can add 25-75% to the no-dash value. Factory nickel plating also adds a premium. Value also depends on condition, both finish and mechanical.

In any case, a M57 is a great revolver to own. In the grand scheme of things, the original production wasn't that long, 1964-1993. My no-dash is an "S" prefix, made in 1968. I did not get the original stocks, box, etc., and mine has an aftermarket vented rib add-on that might affect value (negatively), because it's pretty much a permanently mounted fixture. However, I'll never part with it.

I have wiped wood grips with silicone gun cloths many many times over the years with no ill effects.
I usually wipe them down with a cotton rag afterwards.

My blued , wood stocked long guns stay in silicone impregnated gun socks. Always have. No issue at all.

unlikely, but - does the silicone cloth have any gun oil on it? I don't use those cloths, so - just wondering if that is an alternative to oil, or if you also have to apply oil when using the silicone cloths?

Adam28789 said:

I inherited my Dad's S&W Model 57-1 .41 magnum. Just as a precautionary measure, I'll wipe it down with a silicone rag every now and then to keep it looking nice. Today, I wiped down the original wood grips. I just read that it's bad to do that. Do you think I caused damage?

Thanks!

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I am curious, where did you read this?
The only thing I have ever read about silicone on handgun grips is that it could make the grips slick, but nothing about damage.
I do know one annoyance that comes from silicone rags on gun grips is lint getting caught in the checkering, but a toothbrush fixes that.

Cheapo question here, if the cloth wears out ( runs out of silicone) can you refresh it with a can of silicone spray

I will never allow silicone (or WD 40) anywhere near a gun. An oily rag is all you need.

deadeye dick said:

Cheapo question here, if the cloth wears out ( runs out of silicone) can you refresh it with a can of silicone spray

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I think the silicone evaporates along with the aerosol base it's in. Or, at least, it's never worked for me.

wiscoaster said:

I think the silicone evaporates along with the aerosol base it's in. Or, at least, it's never worked for me.

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I think so too. I use it on my garage door opener linkage and the door rollers because it doesn't collect dirt like oil will. It lasts around three months and it's all to do over and I apply it liberally. Silicon causes problem with refinishing if it is on the surface to be refinished. It is hard to get rid of, especially if it has soaked into wood.

My technique when giving a quick wipe-down with these silicone-impregnated cloths is simply to hold the firearm so that grips can be avoided yet I do not panic myself if a corner of the cloth lightly touches the grip. My concentration is mostly that the silicone can be slippery/slick which could prove inconvenient or dangerous.

The silicone cloths are a convenient, inexpensive, and nice step before putting metal items away.
They help ensure one does not return (to a seldom-used firearm or tool) to observe an ugly blemish.

How I utilize them is basically a very similar to the way I avoid getting Lemon Pledge on my wooden staircase treads. They do a terrific job at a great price and just use reasonable care with application.

I wipe all of my blued guns down with the Kleen Bore silicone rags before stowing them in the safe. I have found that wiping the cylinders of my revolvers seems to help with powder residue buildup, especially toward the front of the chamber on the sides of the cylinder where they get flashed from the opening between the barrel and cylinder.
I do wipe most of the silicone off with a cotton rag when heading out to shoot. The stuff seems to get everywhere if I don’t.

Slippery grips on a handgun is a Very Bad Thing. Once you get silicone on your grips nothing will take it off. It does not evaporate.

I use silicone spray on the metal bits and try to avoid soaking the wood, but a little bit doesn't hurt- unless you have a very matte wood oil finish and it soaks in, leaving shiny spots.....
I usually just wipe it off the wood afterwards. With the gloss finish on those S&W grips, shouldn't cause any issues.

Nice gun!

deadeye dick said:

Cheapo question here, if the cloth wears out ( runs out of silicone) can you refresh it with a can of silicone spray

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Yeah, do this all the time.
One caveat; wiping rags acquire dirt and grit over time, which might be harmful to your gun finish.
Simply replace the rag when it gets grubby.
BTW, store mine in a small, airtight GI container. Keeps the silicone from evaporating.
Moon

Moon, I have a genuine piece of sheepskin, with the wool still on it, for 65 years that I spray some Remoil or other gun oil on to wipe my guns down with after handling.