1911 Mainspring Housing Lube?

None

I can advise you that my advice is to always keep a thin coat of oil on any steel part to prevent rust. You can use a wide range of synthetic oil products on the mainspring including grease to keep it well lubed. If the pistol will be operated in sub-freezing temperatures, you'll probably want to remove the grease and just use oil. If in sub-zero temps, you may want to remove all lube from the pistol. Lots of discussion will ensue from these two statements.

Almost any synthetic oil advertised as gun oil will do the trick. Some folks use synthetic motor oil such as Mobil 1 to lube their 1911s.

It's a part that seldom sees maintenance, so mine gets a light coat of Slip 2000 EWL.

Just enough to prevent rust. Not quite enough to taste.

One drop of 3-in-1 oil. Let the spring keep it spread.

As oil tends to collect in corners and crevices, where it can absorb particulates and turn into gunk, I like to use canned air to blow away excess oil after application in a small space. This drives it out of those corners and crevices and spreads it all around the interior, so not much is needed, and the excess can be wiped off the exterior.

In general I never use grease on a 1911 but the mainspring is one place on a 1911 where I WOULD use a thin layer of grease. You'll probably never have to lube it again. A drop of moderately heavy oil works also but may seep out.

I use a light film of white lubriplate grease in my MSHs. It is a light bodied grease that stays in place and does not slow down the spring..

A thin film of 30 to 40 wt. Motor Oil - will do nicely.

Should last indefinably.




GR

Garandimal - I love your avator photo. Ka CHING!!!

A little RIG grease works.

And while you have it apart, try rolling up some 600A wet sanding paper & give the interior of the MSH a nice smooth finish by giving it an in / out round and round with some water or WD40..
Make things nice while you can, just clean it out well before assembling with a tiny amount of light grease.

I guess I'm the odd man out. I lightly oil the housing walls and put a dab of grease in the cup where the hammer strut sits.