how to clean and oil a gun

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ulfrik

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like a ak47 or glock. how to clean the moving parts. where to put drops of oil/lubicant?

explain the field striping and cleaning proses.
 
The manual that comes with the gun does an excellent job of explaining this.....


but heres a quick and dirty version:

1.) remove magazine
2.) clear chamber
3.) remove slide / Bolt
5.) inspect for damage
6.) scrub and swab barrel
7.) remove any large debris/ deposits with brush
8.) apply oil to metal to metal friction surface....or anything that moves...
9.) reassemble.
10.) done...
 
You picked two guns that are at about the opposite ends of cleaning and lubing... one Milsurp and one polymer framed. Most polymer framed pistols function best on very little lube, usually only the four slide points, maybe a light touch on the barrel where it goes through the slide opening. The AK on the other hand is just metal and wood. Clean gunpowder residue with an appropriate cleaner, then a light wiping with your choice of lube on the steel parts. The finish on the wood will determine what you clean and preserve it with.
 
I cheat.

I shoot other folks firearms and leave the cleaning, oiling, and maintenance to them.

I "learnt' this from Mentors & Elders, whom did this, or had me clean their darn guns.
Age has it perks, as does becoming as one's Mentors & Elders.

*grin*
 
RTFM usually is the best advice. If you don't have one for either gun, they can be downloaded easily enough. I would trust the company's owner's manual over ANYTHING I saw on youtube, especially after watching some reloading videos and similar claptrap
 
As said the manual or YouTube are excellent places to find tear down instructions. As far as lubrication goes I have a simple system.

If it's metal and it moves against metal it gets greased. (Slides, etc.) If it turns, springs or moves on it's own it gets oil. Then a light coat of oil on anything metal for protection.

I use Inox products for lube and protection.
 
For an AK, I like the bolt body, bolt lugs, bolt carrier rails, and the recoil spring somewhat wet, but not dripping, with a moderately thick oil (I use Mobil 1 5W30 or 10W30---it's an excellent lubricant and it's cheap---but you can use whatever you want) applied using an oil-wet cleaning patch or Q-tip, as appropriate. Other metal surfaces, interior and exterior, get a very light coat of a thin oil (Rem Oil, for me) to protect against corrosion. The gun will function with less lubricant, but having it well lubricated makes cleaning a cinch; after five or six range sessions, wipe all the parts clean with a paper towel or two and re-oil. The gas piston just gets a thin coat of Rem Oil for corrosion protection while it's sitting, because oil doesn't stick around in the gas tube.

It's not the only way to do it, but it's what I do. Just don't use so much oil that it is spattering when you shoot the gun or leaking out; using a patch to apply it, instead of dripping it on directly, helps you get the amount right.
 
benEzra said:
For an AK, I like the bolt body, bolt lugs, bolt carrier rails, and the recoil spring somewhat wet, but not dripping, with a moderately thick oil (I use Mobil 1 5W30 or 10W30---it's an excellent lubricant and it's cheap---but you can use whatever you want) applied using an oil-wet cleaning patch or Q-tip, as appropriate. Other metal surfaces, interior and exterior, get a very light coat of a thin oil (Rem Oil, for me) to protect against corrosion. The gun will function with less lubricant, but having it well lubricated makes cleaning a cinch; after five or six range sessions, wipe all the parts clean with a paper towel or two and re-oil. The gas piston just gets a thin coat of Rem Oil for corrosion protection while it's sitting, because oil doesn't stick around in the gas tube.

It's not the only way to do it, but it's what I do. Just don't use so much oil that it is spattering when you shoot the gun or leaking out; using a patch to apply it, instead of dripping it on directly, helps you get the amount right.
Click to expand...
Good stuff. Question: What do you think about cleaner/lubes such as Break Free CLS or EEZOX on metal surfaces instead of light oil coating? They seem to offer better protection from reports I've read... but of course reports are reports.
 
youtube.com is your friend when it comes to field stripping/cleaning etc of guns. But look at several videos for your model of gun and follow the most knowledgeable one.
 
Good stuff. Question: What do you think about cleaner/lubes such as Break Free CLS or EEZOX on metal surfaces instead of light oil coating? They seem to offer better protection from reports I've read... but of course reports are reports.
Click to expand...
I've heard very good things about Eezox; I seem to recall that one possible downside may be higher toxicity than some other lubricants (use gloves and ventilation when applying, if that's the case), but for sheer corrosion resistance it probably can't be beat. I'd probably use something like that if I were taking a blued gun into an environment in which rust were likely (camping for a week in a humid area, exposure to salt water, etc.); I use Rem Oil mostly for convenience and because the bottle form has almost no solvent smell.

I occasionally do use a corrosion protectant called Boeshield T-9 when a gun isn't going to be oiled for a while, but Boeshield is really too messy for everyday use on guns; I believe Eezox (and Corrosion-X) may be less messy, but I can't speak from experience on that.



Added on edit: Yes, Eezox is more toxic than most lubricants, because it contains trichlorethylene as a solvent (which may also mean it smells strongly).

http://www.eezox.info/msds.html

Definitely apply that in a well ventilated area and keep it off your skin. The trichloroethylene would evaporate quickly, though, so the finish will be safe to handle (and probably low odor) once the solvent has evaporated. That's just my surmise from the MSDS, though, not personal experience.
 
Cleaning is easy...clean it until the dirt is gone.

Lubricating it is another story....some parts need thick lube, other parts need thin lube.

For some parts I actually prefer silicone oil instead (like triggers, which will rarely if ever see the heat and dirt the rest of the gun sees).

Some parts do great with Hoppe's oil....some need an outright grease to do their best.

AKs will go more towards grease or no lube at all....they're made with very loose tolerances, which may trap dirt in the lube, and if clean, splash lube everywhere.

ARs can do with lighter and thinner oils due to the tight tolerances. Use just enough oil to coat the part in a thin even layer....if it can splash off, it's too thick a application.
 
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