Lubing internals of D/A revolver?

[fulloflead]

When I completely disassemble a double-action revolver and clean it, how do I re-lube the internals/lockwork when I go to reassemble it? Or do I lube the internals at all?

This particular revolver is an old Taurus 66, but I'll probably be doing the same to an old 1965 S&W soon too.

 

[dfariswheel]

You MUST re-lube or the revolver will wear, rust, and have a lousy trigger action.

Everybody has their own favorite lubes and techniques.

Mine is to first coat EVERYTHING, including the inside of the frame with a VERY thin coat of a good rust proofing lube like CLP Breakfree.

I apply this with a clean toothbrush, using the brush to insure every crack and crevice of every part is coated with as thin a coat as possible.
This coat is strictly to prevent rust.

Then using your favorite lube, lubricate all contact and wear surfaces.

Personally, I use Super-Lube "oil" which is a thick oil-thin grease consistency.
I like this because it doesn't run off or dry out.

On the revolver's hammer-trigger engagement surfaces I use a grease, since it stays put on these heavy sliding surfaces, and won't run off or evaporate.

 

[Jim K]

Hi, fulloflead and dfariswheel,

The advice from dfariswheel is good, IF you disassemble a revolver to clean it. I rarely disassemble a working revolver and don't advise others to do so for routine cleaning. I don't always remove the cylinder for routine cleaning; it depends on how much shooting I have done and how dirty the ammo was. My normal lubrication of a revolver is done as follows:

Cock the hammer. Drop 4-5 drops of good gun oil (Hoppes is OK, but any good gun oil will do) down in front of the hammer. Put two drops down in front of the trigger. Press back on the extractor rod and put a drop on the rod, then two drops on the ratchet. Put a drop on the extractor rod ahead of the cylinder, and one drop in the front lock, if there is one. This should last a long time, and I mean months or years.

Jim

 

[Black Snowman]

While I had my various revos apart for spring swaps I lubed all the contact points and plain steel parts with Brownell's Moly Action Lube which is just a grease with moly in it. Stays put, very slick. Very little in my particular revos is carbon steel and all the steel parts were blued so not too worried about rust. Everwhere it could matter got a light coating of the moly grease just to be safe.

I'm not worried about it collecting crud because it did that when it was dry anyway.

 

[P95Carry]

Good points made but I'll add, where lube goes .... less is more. ''Flooding'' lube as I have seen some folks do is not IMO conducive to any benefit, other than actually attracting crud over time.

Oh and ... total disassembly of revo's is not IMO necessary at all .... unless used in very severe and damaging conditions (viz airborn abrasives like sand). Once per year maybe for sideplate and to reach internals.... and remove said sideplate correctly by tapping briskly with hide or rubber mallet.... NO attempts to lever with screwdrivers!

Many like Mobil 1.

 

[fulloflead]

Thanks guys.

It's not really "routine" cleaning. These are two guns that looked like they'd been around the block a few times and passed through many hands. One has some rust pitts on the outside so...

I just figured they could use a good inspection and some T.L.C.
One is getting new springs.

What do you think of this plan? I'll lay out all the clean, dry parts and spray them down with Birchwood casey "Sheath" spray which is a dry protectant. Then I'll reassemble, lubing contacting surfaces with Breakfree CLP or Shooter's Choice grease.

The SIDES of parts where they rub against the inside of the frame would definately be a lube point, yes?

 

[P95Carry]

Ahh well - ''round the block'' would indeed mandate a more thoro strip - for inspection as well as cleaning.

I wouldn't worry about using ''Sheath'' as internals even with modest lube will get capillary creep of said lube over time - which should give all surface protection needed.

Your guideline simply can be - ''what bears on what''? Pivot pins, sliding parts .. etc .. wherever 'a' moves on 'b'! The rebound slide is a good example where all sliding surfaces benefit from and need lube.

Just go easy on quantity .. and all should be good.

 

[Standing Wolf]

When I strip a revolver all the way to the frame, I flood everything with oil after cleaning, then use Q Tips to remove almost all the oil. If I lived in a humid area, I'd use a rust preventive before oiling.

 

[Coltdriver]

I take all of my revolvers apart when I get them so that I can put them in a known condition.

I would recommend that you get a moly lube kit and treat all of the parts with moly lube.

On reassembly I have used clp without the c or a light wipe of synthetic oil (I use mobil 1).

The moly will really slick up the action and no polishing is required. I also use it on the case side where a couple of the parts bear on the frame.

It never hurts to take an old one apart to see what kind of shape it is in. The crud build up can be surprising on a real old or mistreated one.

 

[fulloflead]

Standing Wolf:
When I strip a revolver all the way to the frame, I flood everything with oil after cleaning, then use Q Tips to remove almost all the oil. If I lived in a humid area, I'd use a rust preventive before oiling.

Not a bad idea - swabbing up the excess with a Qtip. I live in Colorado just like you and it's been BONE dry lately! I might use a rust-preventative anyway in case I end up carrying it on a rainy day or something.

I'm going to have to try some of that Mobile 1 everybody keeps talking about. What else is it good for? Is it black out of the bottle?

 

[Standing Wolf]

I live in Colorado just like you and it's been BONE dry lately!

Heck, it's bone-dry in Colorado even when it rains.

 

[fulloflead]

Yes. In fact sometimes the rain evaporates again before it hits the ground. Seriously. I've seen it.