Oil parkerized finishes to keep them fresh?

[hartzpad]

I have read that you should oil any parkerized finishes because they need the oil to keep from drying out? True?

My HK G3 is soaking with some Mil-Tec oil as we speak, we'll see if it looks any better after the oil bath.

 

[Amish_Bill]

The parkerizing is good protective layer, but it does nothing to protect the underlaying metal from moisture. What it does do is provide a matrix that oil can get trapped in. Without the oil, the park will do nothing to prevent rust.

If it's perfectly clean and dry, it also makes an excellent substrate (binding layer) for spray-on/bake-on finishes.

 

[hartzpad]

I just finished wiping off the excess oil and it did make the finish look much darker with a deeper look to it. It just looks healthier than it did before.

 

[Preacherman]

You can try waxing the parkerized finish, using a non-abrasive wax. This also improves the looks, and adds to the protective finish.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

FYI, Militec is a very good lubricant but it's not such a great anti-corrosion agent. The are better products for that purpose. I like FP-10 myself.

 

[shep854]

After reading this thread, I pulled out my parked AO 1911 and rubbed it down with FP10. It looks much better. Thanks for the hint.

 

[rayra]

Been rubbing the park finish on my 1911 with oil for nearly 20yrs, just because I didn't like the way it looked from the oil seepage from the action.
Worked out fine, but probably contributed to the early wearing of the finish.
(shrug) then again, could just be the 20yrs of heavy use.

 

[Sunray]

The whole purpose of using Parkerizing is because it retains oil.

 

[Werewolf]

While we're on the subject of oiling and at risk of hijacking the thread I discovered the same thing about the finish on my Glock 22.

If I oiled it, let it sit and then wiped off the excess oil the color was much richer and way better looking. In addition even though the outside surface of the slide was dry as a bone it definitely felt slicker. I never got it looking as good as the finish on my SIG (I really like the SIG finish) but I did get close.

NOTE: this works on the Glock finish only if one uses oil - not CLP. I used Hoppes Gun Oil. When I tried it with CLP the finish went right back to the way it was before, dull and lackluster.

 

[Cool Hand Luke 22:36]

Will scrubbing a Parkerized surface with a phosphor bronze cleaning brush damage the Parkerizing coat?

If so, how do you manage to clean a firearm with this finish? Are you limited to using just solvents like Hoppes and the rest?

 

[Amish_Bill]

You're either going to scrape off some of the finish or leave microscopic bits of brass stuck in the phosphate matrix. (or both)

Cleaners, rags, and sometimes a plastic brush. I will not use anything harsher on the finished surfaces of a gun. In fact, the only time I really use a metal brush (exept for the brass brush in the bore) is a brass brush to help clean the burn marks off the front of a stainless steel revolver cylinder.

 

[MrAcheson]

Parkerized finishes are very porous and not especially protective by themselves. If you leave it dry and something nasty gets spilled on the gun, it will soak the parkerizing and be held against the metal. So you should use a protective oil on it, so that the parkerizing will hold the oil to the metal and better protect it. Anything bad will have to get through the oil to the metal and the parkerizing will prevent the oil from simply being wiped off.

 

[rayra]

Cool Hand Luke 22:36

Will scrubbing a Parkerized surface with a phosphor bronze cleaning brush damage the Parkerizing coat?

If so, how do you manage to clean a firearm with this finish? Are you limited to using just solvents like Hoppes and the rest?

Absolutely will damage it.
Nylon brushes, particularly old toothbrushes..