How lubed for 1911?

I've run them dry, oiled and Wilson grease along with several recommendations of Mobil 1 and other lubes.

Problem is, I seldom go over 100 rounds before I strip and clean them so I don't get to see the long term effects of any of these procedures.

I did try one time lubing every contact point with a #2 graphite pencil, that worked fine also.

Guess I haven't been a lot of help.

I pretty much use only Militec-1 oil on all my pistols, including a pair of stainless Colt 1911's. Militec does not evaporate quickly (it wall last weeks under most conditions), and you only need a thin veneer of it. I just smear a couple of drops on the rails and other contact points, not much but it seems to be enough to do the trick.

My alloy framed SIG P226 has over 2000 rounds with nothing but Militec-1 on the rails, and there is almost no visible evidence it's ever even been shot at this point.

I use moly grease, rem oil and CLP. Just not all at once.

but it seems to slow down the action on the gun.

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Grease? I don't think so unless it's Wilson's Ultilube. When it got cool last fall, I needed a "putty-knife" to remove the hard-stuff. A POS...

Weapons Shield, after shooting over 200 rounds through the TRP no need to re-apply WS.

A while back I was given a big ol' tub of TW25b grease, and have been using it ever since.

I apply it to high friction areas, and it has performed well for what I have needed to do with my 1911's. Max rounds for any one day of shooting is around 500ish, and I have never needed to re-lube throughout the session. I've had no problems during local matches with round counts vic 150-200.

I use oil for more of a rust inhibitor, and for hard to reach areas like the disco, hammer, mag release etc...

High friction areas are easily identified on the barrel, frame and slide by the polished metal surfaces that are a result of friction during operation. If it shines, it gets a medium coat of grease. Everything else metal gets a light coat of grease or oil as a rust inhibitor.

My 1911's are mainly for range use and run pretty wet with CLP.

Here's a professional's opinion on gun lubes, and in just enough detail to be informative but not overly technical. I highly recommend reading it:


http://grantcunningham.com/lubricants101.html

Personally, after decades of shooting the platform, I use tetra gun grease on the rails, sliding internal parts after detail stripping, and bushing. Other parts get a treatment of Mil Pro 7 in between.

JoeSlomo's comment above is a really good rule of thumb:

High friction areas are easily identified on the barrel, frame and slide by the polished metal surfaces that are a result of friction during operation. If it shines, it gets a medium coat of grease. Everything else metal gets a light coat of grease or oil as a rust inhibitor.

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That's a good rule to follow with any gun, not just a 1911-style gun. The exact grease and oil you want to use is up to you and open to different applications. No one has developed a head-and-shoulders superior product in either category.

Slide Lubes which will not get too stiff in the Winter are a good idea.


Lube too stiff, and there might be cycle problems, which could be an embarassment in a SD situation if the Pistol is 'cold'.

Let's hear this argument for the 1000th time!

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WHY???

Slide Lubes which will not get too stiff in the Winter are a good idea.

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A problem solved by IWB carry.

Just put on a whole bunch of lube on the slide - drench it. What isn't needed will end up on your glasses and you won't do that again.

Seriously, I use light grease and oil, or the Wilson stuff, or oil, or TW25B. It all works.

John

I use INOX products on my guns now. I use a light, wiped on coat on the metal and other parts and use the grease on the slide rails. The grease doesn't freeze or melt. Great stuff.

Oro: said:

Here's a professional's opinion on gun lubes, and in just enough detail to be informative but not overly technical. I highly recommend reading it:

http://grantcunningham.com/lubricants101.html

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Looks like Grant Cunningham's dis-(mis-)informational website content regarding firearms lubrication continues to perpetuate the myth of "ATF over motor oil" to "internet proportions".

Mr. Cunningham might be a fine gunsmith, but he is a lousy lubricant engineer and chemist and his "knowledge" (lack thereof) of ATF and motor oil formulation reveals that quite clearly.

Mr. Cunningham's "information" fails from his ignorance of the differences between ATF and motor oil in that ATF has much less in the way of an additive package than motor oil, which he eschews in favor of the much less fortified ATF.

Additive packages in motor oil are much higher in EP/AW (Extreme Pressure/AntiWear) and anti-corrosion additives as well as detergents/dispersants (which keep dirt in suspension making clean-up easier) than ATF and both fluids are composed of the same (or very similar) basestock oils.

The only other difference between the two fluids is their color. Motor oil typically uses a yellow or gold dye; ATF uses red. Perhaps it is the red color of ATF that has Mr. Cunningham convinced that it is a superior choice to motor oil.

Mr. Cunningham's assertions lack validity, well-intentioned though they might be and sadly, very little of Mr. Cunningham's article is correct.

Rig or Tetra...

I fire an average of 250-300 rds/week through my 1911 and I use Mobil 1 5w30 every 100 rds or so on the frame rails and a light coat on the rest of the moving parts during a detail strip every 3,000 rds or so. Personally, I prefer oil to grease.

For function, just a little bit of oil on the slide rails and the barrel link.

For easy cleaning, before a range trip, I'll swab all over the inside with an oily Q-tip. But that doctrine applies to all guns. Much easier to get the carbon off when it's stuck in a thin coat of oil than when it's baked onto the metal.

481 said:

Mr. Cunningham's assertions lack validity, well-intentioned though they might be and sadly, very little of Mr. Cunningham's article is correct.

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Actually, much of his article is very good. You are throwing the baby out with the bathwater, I think. You are entirely correct the downplay of motor oil as an effective lube is overblown and he had some bad advice or was quoting from a bad source. But as a basic primer on lubrication, it does a lot to dispel some myth-making, and someone following his advice would not do anything wrong.

If Mr. Cunningham says it works on a handgun, well, I'll believe him.

There is theory, and then there is practical experience based on years of use on guns.

In my experience just about anything oily or greasy will work. Some last longer and smell better, but if the gun functions all is good.

Oro: said:

Actually, much of his article is very good. You are throwing the baby out with the bathwater, I think. You are entirely correct the downplay of motor oil as an effective lube is overblown and he had some bad advice or was quoting from a bad source. But as a basic primer on lubrication, it does a lot to dispel some myth-making, and someone following his advice would not do anything wrong.

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Expelling the infant with the soiled cleaning media? Perhaps.

Still, his article promotes as many myths as it purports to dispel. Exchanging one "evil" for another I s'pose.



Of course, he does state at the end of his article-

Grant Cunningham: said:

I don't pretend to be an expert, just a well-un-informed amateur hoping to disseminate some arcane knowledge. Use at your own risk!

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Well, I suppose that we've been warned.

I fixed his little disclaimer for him.

I went to the range the other day got to BS-ing with a fellow he had purchased a new Citadel and was proud of his new purchase as we all are when we get one we like and offered for me to shoot it. So I did I though I could feel something hit me in the face but then though maybe I was imagining things, I was not he had so much oil on this pistol it was splattering when fired . When I got out to the hand wash station and looked in mirror my face speckled with oil, where in the world did this guy get the idea to soak his pistol in oil is beyond me but I don't think he is alone .More is not better and any pistol manufacture manual I have read just states a few drops of quality oil on moving parts and thin film for corrosion on rest, most go has far as to say do not apply grease.

1911 oiling

Here's a link to an oiling series I did for Gun Talk online a while back.

I've used Ed's Red oil on all my 22's and 1911's for over 10 years and 100,000+ rounds.

works for me.
Stork

http://www.guntalk-online.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2040

I have not arrived at a conclusive answer for myself. At least not one that was indicated by operation of the firearm.

Over the three years or so I have used rem-oil, Ballistol, CLP, Mobil 1, Shooters choice grease, hi temp bearing grease,and Hoppes oil. My 1911, and all my other pistols have functioned fine with this variety of lubricants. I average about 250 rounds per shooting session.

That said, I have arrived at some preferences, but they were based on ease of use, not serviceability of the product.

For now I am using primarily Ballistol or CLP, with a bit of grease on the slides. This is primarily convenience of having a multi use cleaner / lubricant.

Small do-dads such a a pin, turret head for press, or something still get a drop of rem-oil (easy to use container).

Just my thoughts.