Care for new Parerized finish?

[Captain33036]

Hello

I have recently purchased a RIA .45 1911. Wonderful firearm.

It has a parkerized finish. In reading about these finishes, it seems that they can be a superior finish when cared for correctly. The basic care seems to be to coat the finish with some type of oil. The finish supposedly has "pores" that the oil can be absorbed into and this protects the metal and enhances the shine of the finish.

Easing into this slowly, I have tried a very light gun oil (Break free) thus far. It does not seem to last long.

What are the best oils for this? Would a teflon spray lube be of any use?

Any other recommendations?

Thank you in advance.

John

 

[KBintheSLC]

The only parkerized gun I have does very well with just a good wipe with a silicone cloth. Just make sure it is a fresh cloth because it does infact tend to absorb a good bit of lube. Honestly, you could use pretty much any gun lube as long as you keep it light.

 

[Captain33036]

Hello

Thank you for the response. I have read that light gun lubes may be best, but some people are using very heavy greases, even vaseline, because they stay on longer.

Best

J

 

[Drail]

Keep feeding it CLP or your favorite oil. It will absorb more than you would think but it will protect the gun. It will look dry the next time you pick it up but it will hold the oil next to the steel. I use a small brush to apply CLP to a new Parkerized gun until it won't take any more. Never had one rust in over twenty years doing this.

 

[tkopp]

Strip it. Take the grip safety off. Take the thumb safety off. Take the grips off. Oil everything. Sweat while carrying will seep in down through the beaver tail and freeze up the thumb safety, and once rust gets in there you'll never get it out.

 

[cyclopsshooter]

Bore butter- sticks around for quite a while

AND ITS NON TOXIC! YOU COULD PUT IT ON TOAST TOO

 

[kmrcstintn]

I recently got a Springfield Armory Mil Spec 1911 w/ parkerized finish; I have shot it twice and after each session I remove the grips, strip the upper of all slide components, and use an aerosol cleaner/degreaser to spray the majority of the powder, carbon, and lead fouling from the gun (every so often I will detail strip the frame of its components);

after I do the usual cleaning I will take a patch and place a CLP on it (either Kleen Bore Formula 3 or Break Free) and rub down the frame, the outside and underside of the slide, and allow the liquid to penetrate for @ 15 minutes before lightly lubricating and wiping the excess oil off before reassembly; eventually I am going to take the entire gun apart and completely immerse it in a thin motor oil overnight to work any stubborn fouling away and allow a good penetration of the internal surfaces that don't get alot of surface rubbing during routine cleanings

 

[GRIZ22]

Strip it. Take the grip safety off. Take the thumb safety off. Take the grips off. Oil everything. Sweat while carrying will seep in down through the beaver tail and freeze up the thumb safety, and once rust gets in there you'll never get it out

This may be required if you don't clean your gun on a regular basis. I carried a Combat Commander for over 20 years, cleaned and lubed it regularly, and the first time it was totally stripped down was when it was rebuilt. Minimal if any rust inside after 20 years. None that would ever interfere with functioning.

Keep feeding it CLP or your favorite oil. It will absorb more than you would think but it will protect the gun. It will look dry the next time you pick it up but it will hold the oil next to the steel. I use a small brush to apply CLP to a new Parkerized gun until it won't take any more. Never had one rust in over twenty years doing this.

This is the procedure I used with my Combat Commander and it worked for me with a blued steel gun.

 

[gyvel]

Doesn't anyone use 3-in1 oil anymore?

 

[AK103K]

You dont need to swamp the thing, just wipe it down like you do anything else. Parkerizing doesnt have "pores", its just a rougher finish than bluing, and it tends to hold onto whats wiped onto it a little better.

You also dont have to detail strip a 1911 at every outing. Like Grizz, I carried one or another daily, in nasty environments, for 20+ years, and the interior of the guns were fine. The outsides were another story. The only time they got detail stripped, was when they went into the river or were refinished.

If rust is a concern, look into Eezox. Its the latest and greatest, and from all the tests I've seen, the one to beat these days. I've been using it for about 5 years now, and have yet to have a speck of rust on anything I've used it on. Its also considered a lubricant, and works well in that respect too.

 

[bluetopper]

10W-30 works wonders.