Clean & Lube Specifics

[dcal]

I'll try to keep this detailed as no one wants to read another how do I clean a... question.

I'm new to firearms care as a first time owner. I've read 3,236 threads about how to clean and lube various firearms, and I think I have it down. There are some vague descriptions in some of these threads, and I'd like to know if I interpreted them correctly. So without further ado, I have a few specific questions about my procedure.

I own two pistols, a SW1911 stainless and a SW M&P 9mm.

Regarding lubing the rails. As I see it there are three possible surfaces to lube on a rail. The top, outer side, and the groove underneath the rail I've been putting a small drop on the top surface of each rail, spreading it around the top surfaces with my finger, assembling the pistol and racking the slide a few times to spread it around some more. The pistol is shooting fine, but I can't help but wonder if there shouldn't be some lube on the side and underside of the rail. I'm sure I'm being anal about it, but I just want to make sure I'm developing proper habits. Thoughts?

Regarding the polymer M&P and rubber grips on the 1911, how careful do I have to be with the solvent? Will it damage the polymer or the rubber grip over time?

CLP, I use it on the M&P. I spray it on all the metal, scrub it out, and wipe it down. Is there enough lube left to properly lubricate even the high friction areas (e.g. rails, muzzle end of barrel, and locking lugs)? Or should I be supplementing the high friction areas with some dedicated lube?

Thanks for reading yet another cleaning and lubing thread.

 

[Jason_G]

For polymer pistols and plastic parts, I prefer isopropyl alcohol (just drugstore rubbing alcohol). Try to get the stuff that is 99% or more alcohol and not the real watered down stuff. This is safer on plastic than alot of the other solvents, which may or may not "melt" plastic. Another benefit is that it stays wet way longer than the "polymer safe" gun solvents, which usually dry too fast to get anything clean. For the metal parts, clean them with your usual solvents.

As for those rails, just lube 'em up real well, and you ought to be good to go. If you feel like they might need more attention, then you might want to switch to a slightly thicker lube. Some folks like white lithium grease, etc.

Jason

 

[1SOW]

Cleaning methods vary WIDELY as you have probably seen. I shoot often in a dirty environment...wind and dirt (called Texas). I minimize oil and exposed grease. Some places (trigger, rails etc.)I use very little oil and wipe it almost dry.
For the "Hot" surfaces like the barrel and the slide surfaces it contacts, I have a good impression of Militec 1. I follow the directions and find my bbl cleans easier than it did without Militec--a lot easier if I wait for two or three trips to the range before I clean it. I run a bore snake through it and it is clean.
Militec doesn't attract dirt. I bought a heatgun and once in a while strip my mags and do a light application of Militec on the metal cases and then lightly heat them. It dry lubes nicely. I do not heat springs or delicate parts.
I am not convinced Militec should be used as a regular oil like Rem-oil, but on hot surfaces it works.

 

[sm]

1. I hand mine to a gunsmith person, then drink their coffee and eat their do-nuts, snag a gun they have or one that needs shooting and use their ammo or customers ammo, while they hit mine with a air hose and use some lube they bought back in aught-nine.

2. One of the bunch I run with asks when I last cleaned my gun, or needs to show another how it looks taken apart.
I snag a gun of someone's , steal cookies , dawg treats and me and the dawg go out back and mess around.

I got a problem, one of them gals tossed some gun oil in my truck, not sure what I am supposed to do with it, ain't used to having gun oil around the house...
It come with a stir stick, I guess, or maybe this is a really tiny straw. She knows I drink my coffee black...drinks my Dr.Pepper without a straw...

Just doing what mentors did...they grinned a lot doing some stuff.

 

[Walkalong]

You earn the right after a number of years.

 

[dcal]

Thanks folks, more suggestions welcome.

 

[SuperNaut]

use some lube they bought back in aught-nine.

Cool! Lube from the future!

 

[Walkalong]

Must of been double aught nine.

 

[CWL]

dcal, you are doing fine. CLP should migrate to the areas which need lubing on the rails.

Sounds like "new owner syndrome". I'm pretty sure that are overdoing everything needed to maintain your firearms. Don't forget that guns are designed for war and can take a lot of punishment & still work.

 

[dcal]

I figured as much, thanks for easing my mind CWL.

 

[Canuc Shooter]

G96 spray is the only stuff I have ever used over the last 20 years. It seems to migrate to those hard to get at places, and doesn't seem to muddy up the workings.

 

[sixgunner455]

Cool! Lube from the future!

See, that's a young'un talking there.

Steve's talking about that OTHER aught nine, and some older folks, and oil that has maybe been in that shop since that gunfeller's dad opened it.

 

[mainmech48]

After I clean any powder fouling and other crud off the rails on my semiautos with solvent and Q-Tips. I use a couple more swabs to wipe the residual solvent off and apply a very light coating of lube on all of the bearing surfaces with another. I use mostly RG +P grease and a LOT of Q-Tips.

 

[SuperNaut]

See, that's a young'un talking there.

Steve's talking about that OTHER aught nine, and some older folks, and oil that has maybe been in that shop since that gunfeller's dad opened it.

Dinosaurs had to die and decompose for oil to exist, so I'll assume you aren't talking about the year 9.

 

[sm]

Dinosaurs had to die and decompose for oil to exist, so I'll assume you aren't talking about the year 9.

Actually...

Sperm Whale Oil was used for guns, as it was for watches, clocks, fine instruments use in engineering and the like.

You just thought your mom freaked when she saw the fish in the bath tub you caught down at the pond...a whale in the bathtub kicks a mom into whole 'nuther mode!

*grin*

 

[SuperNaut]

Haven't tried whale oil, but I've used Crisco to lube a beater gun before, worked just fine. Made me hungry after shooting it a while though.

 

[sm]

Mentors & Elders included those in the Military.
RBC (Rifle bore cleaner), some guns oils like LSA, were used.

Back then, where one lived sorta dictated what folks used.
I grew up with Winchester, Ithaca, Colt for Semis and Smith & Wesson for Revolvers...for starters.
Cops used S&Ws

So did the Military Folks .
Hence the "Military & Police" name used by S&W.

For some reason "store bought" gun cleaning kits were Hoppe's nearest where I came up.

Oh about 25 miles down the road, those city cops used Colt Revolvers and Outers gun cleaning kits.

Kleen-Bore did not even come to be until early 1980's best recall.
I recall attending a shoot, and this Kleen-Bore stuff was part of Shooter's kits.


So here I am kid born in the mid 50's and with Mentors as I did.
Army had these sectioned rods and one pc rods with a loop on the end.
Pretty neat for a kid with his very own .22 revolver, just this stuff would not fit my gun proper.
[Revolver in crib when born and I shot it at age 3]

So grandma and a mentor made me brass cleaning rod to fit my gun.
I had a metal tube it went into, with some cork to protect the ends.
In my "Army Box" what I called a wooden cigar box, was some real GI Patches.
Then one of the Gunnies gave me the neatest cleaning kit, just like the Army used.


Dead Serious.

Inspect and Maintained was mentored to me, using proper method and tools.
Cleaning was a part of this.
It was shared how folks would clean a bore so shiny one could eat off of it, but that had no bearing on the working parts, that was really important!

They cleaned a bore, it was neat seeing the concentric circles in a shotgun bore, but that shotgun would not work! *puzzled*

They did with a 1911, a revolver and rifle too.

They had on purpose gunked up moving parts.
"Well that part (bore) don't make the gun work" - I said.
"Yep" - they replied.

So we went to metal bin, and using gasoline they cleaned all this proper, and used some pipe cleaners and Zippo Lighter Fluid, real GI brushes (double end like a toothbrush) and showed me what the differences in Inspect, Maintain and Clean were.

Little cans of Esso, Gulf, and Texaco Machine oil were used that time.
Another time, Browning Gun Oil which I really liked that tin can.
Winchester Gun oil in a red tin can.

One of the "army oils" was in a tin can just like the ones from the Fillin' Stations and it looked and smelled just them.

"Army paints every damn thing green"

Coke bottles brought 2 cents each when cleaned up and taken in to the mom and pop grocery store.
So I collected coke bottles for money.

It was a mid 50's Field & Stream magazine with the ad for a Hoppe's No 9 .

15 cents sent to them and one got a bottle of Hoppe's No.9 by Penguin Industries.

I really wanted my very own bottle , but 15 cents was a lot of money.
Finally...as it was not like me...I said I wanted to spend my money on that.
I got a dime and a nickel for my pennies.

"You need a post card and a stamp".
*frump*

Mentor explained post card and stamps and what these cost and said he would give a post card and a stamp.

He cut out that little ad, with his Case pen knife and used cellophane tape to hold my dime and nickel.
Then he wrote really neat, both on the little ad he cut out and onto the postcard my name and everything.
I was not big enough to read and write, but was leaning stuff...

We went to town and I was picked up so I could put that into the mail box.
That was a lot of coke bottles for a little kid, and I sorta hesitated thinking about dropping all them coke bottles into that mail box, still I did.

Postman did not bring me my bottle the next day.
Or the one after that.
Nor the next one...

It was not very long, but for a kid it was a long time.
I got my very own bottle of Hoppe's No. 9

It was so special.
I did not want to mess up so with help it was opened, and I was really careful with stuff.

A little pc of cotton was moistened by my Hoppe's No.9 and put into a green glass pill bottle with a cork top.
I would look, sniff, mess with it.

I had gotten a new wooden box, and my good stuff went into it, and my wittle bottle of Hoppe's went into it.

It was a really big deal the first time we used some of my Hoppe's No. 9 on my .22 revolver.
Mentors did not use much, instead theirs, but it was pretty special for a kid.

I had some Sperm Whale oil in a glass bottle, with a glass eye dropper and used a pipe cleaner to lube my .22 revolver - with help.

Browning Gun Oil in that tin can, is what I and we used a lot.

Last time I checked that Browning Gun Oil tin can was worth $65, the Winchester Tin can - $45, and the Hoppe's Lubricating oil was getting $35.

I wish I had my stuff as a kid, not for the money value, instead because of the people, my grandma, Mentors & Elders.


Too many folks grew up as I did, with all the guns and all and the guns ran then, and still do.
Inspect, maintain, use proper method and tools.
Cleaning was part of this.


Thread came on wooden spools back then.
With a pocket knife, my Case Peanut, Mentors whittled me a muzzle protector to fit my .22 revolver, that rod fit through the hole in the spool.

This was just like the Cops!
They had taken wooden spools and got them to fit their .38spls.

I do not know what that Browning Gun Oil was in the tin can, we used it a lot!

I used to have a slew of them little tubes of Plastic Lube, as Army folks gave me stuff.

My guns always run just like Mentors & Elders.
Texaco Gas and Texaco Machine oil.
Esso gas and Esso Machine oil.
Hoppe's, Outers' Kleen-Bore, Army Stuff,

Not what you use, as long as you Inspect, Maintain and do it correctly with the right tools...

I miss them old Mentors...

 

[TG13]

that was a very cool read, sm..

thanks..