Practical maintenance of the 1911

[MarkIV70]

To modify words of Jeff Cooper and Townsend Whelen: "Only reliable and accurate 1911's are interesting".

You CAN have an accurate and reliable fighting pistol. As a combat Vietnam veteran and retired Federal agent-I have regularly carried the 1911 .45ACP or one of its variants. I recently read a
cleaning/use review in a SIGHTs/ 1911 site that was on target. It even went on with solid recommendations about lubrication, cleaning- and ammunition. If you owned a Porsche car or Rolex watch-would you make sure that it had the right oil? Yep-you would. Same applies to auto pistols like the 1911. Get used to disassembly-the Browning designed 1911 likes a little bit of oil in the right
places, A drop on the recoil spring/guide area, same on the barrel, and a bit on the disconnector
along with slide/frame contacts. Don't overdo the lube amount. Just enough is sufficient.

Along with this recommendation, there are a few more for the defensive 1911 carried in harms way: when re-assembling your pistol, look for loose parts like grip screws, safety, or firing pin stop.
A loose part or a cheap magazine can put you out of action.
Always buy the best magazines like Wilson or similar premium grade items. Eight round magazines have a one-round advantage-but get the best.

Ammunition:
Each 1911 has its own favorites, but remember the original 1911 was designed to function best with ball FMJ bullets. Hollow point ammunition functions best when closer to the original shape of RN bullets. I would rather have a pistol that functions and shoots then a malfunctioning one with the best hollow points made still stuck in the magazine. Find out what YOUR pistol likes. Range time should reflect magazine and ammo brand serious testing. It also brings out flaws in sight choice or necessary or changes in the stock gun that were mistakes..
Stress time in a shootout is NOT the time to find out about poor choices in hollow point bullets, cheap magazines, or low visibilty sights. Amazing what you find out about your pistol and stress after running up and down a flight of stairs near the range-then check your magazines on the ground along with your target groups or alibis. A look at the 6 o'clock news will tell you the reasons for carrying a well-oiled, clean, reliable and tested firearm.

 

[Steve in Allentown]

To modify words of Jeff Cooper and Townsend Whelen: "Only reliable and accurate 1911's are interesting".

All good recommendations.

I echo your suggestions on lubrication and advise new 1911 owners who were brought up on plastic striker fired pistols to understand that the 1911 was designed in an earlier era when oil was not necessarily applied sparingly. The guys in the video below take lubrication seriously

 

[Slamfire]

There are so many lubes. I have seen a number of shooters at the range whose 1911's were bone dry and were malfunctioning. I have taken a bottle of 10W-30 motor oil, dipped in with a screwdriver, and dribbled oil over the slide rails, under the slide, the muzzle where the barrel bushing rubs, and gotten the guys back to rocking and rolling.

It is my opinion that a wet 1911 is a happy 1911.

I have been trying semi fluid lubes, and they work great. One of the best is this one



something to consider

 

[Lo-Profile]

Check out the Wilson Combat video on YouTube where Bill explains his maintenance ( or lack of ).
I've personally gone over 1000 rounds between cleanings. But I try to every 500 or twice a year for my range guns.

 

[N555]

1911s seem to like oil to be thick, and the thicker the better, even greaee on the slide.

 

[JTQ]

1911s seem to like oil to be thick, and the thicker the better, even greaee on the slide.

Some counter points...





Wilson combat sells a wide range of lubes from light and thin to a grease. Their grease is a pourable product, and they don't recommend it for handguns, only for rifles and carbines.

https://shopwilsoncombat.com/GREASE-ULTIMA-LUBE-II-4-OZ-BOTTLE/productinfo/579-4/

Recommended for Full and Semi-Auto Rifles and Carbines, Optimal in AR Style Rifles at Temperatures Above 50° F

@tark can probably tell us what type of lube Les Baer recommends for his 1911's. I'm pretty sure I know what it is, and I don't think it is grease, but I'll let him tell us.

 

[Steve in Allentown]

I have seen a number of shooters at the range whose 1911's were bone dry and were malfunctioning.

Having spent more than few years behind an M-16 courtesy of Uncle Sugar I learned the value of keeping it well oiled. One day at the range a fellow was having considerable problems with his new AR. He asked what I thought the cause might be. I popped it open, pulled the bolt carrier assembly out, and discovered it was bone dry. Showed him and told him in no uncertain terms that oil was this rifle's best friend. Applied a generous helping of Slip 2000 EWL in all the right places and he was up and running most ricky-tik.

On the other hand, M-14/M1A rifles are a different animal that definitely require grease on the operating rod, bolt roller, and receiver raceways.

I'm getting low on Slip and have been curious to try Rob's recommendation of Red Line Racing oil. Thanks @JTQ for posting that video.

 

[Slamfire]

Having spent more than few years behind an M-16 courtesy of Uncle Sugar I learned the value of keeping it well oiled. One day at the range a fellow was having considerable problems with his new AR. He asked what I thought the cause might be. I popped it open, pulled the bolt carrier assembly out, and discovered it was bone dry. Showed him and told him in no uncertain terms that oil was this rifle's best friend. Applied a generous helping of Slip 2000 EWL in all the right places and he was up and running most ricky-tik.

On the other hand, M-14/M1A rifles are a different animal that definitely require grease on the operating rod, bolt roller, and receiver raceways.

I'm getting low on Slip and have been curious to try Rob's recommendation of Red Line Racing oil. Thanks @JTQ for posting that video.

During Spring and Summer I used rifle grease, plasti lube, or Lubriplate AA130 on my Garands and M1a's. Winter time I used LSA, or Mobil 1 10W-30.

My AR15's were run as wet as possible.

I have a number of Vietnam Veterans friends and they were told that the M16 was self cleaning and to run their weapons dry! That is perhaps the main reason the video you posted was created. The good guys there wanted owners to know that over lubrication will not blow up your weapon. And that comes from the Army cover up of the low number M1903's over one hundred years ago. The Army built over 1,000,000 M1903's in Arsenals with outdated process controls, machinery, and when heat was applied to metal, no temperature gages. So many parts were burnt by overheating that M1903's were blowing up all over the place. At the time shooters were greasing their cupro nickle bullets to prevent the horrid cupro nickle fouling that resulted. So, whenever an Army rifle blew up, the Army claimed the rifles were perfect, the issue ammunition was perfect, and the problem was with with oiled or lubricated ammunition creating over pressure conditions.

And that coverup is still current, still repeated today. The video is great evidence that over oiling is not a problem.

 

[MikeInOr]

I was at the range when a guy next to me couldn't get 2 subsequent cartridges through his brand new FN-FAL clone. Yep, bone dry. I didn't have my lube on my either so I pulled the dipstick out of my pickup and put a couple of drops of oil on the bolt. It ran perfectly after that. If you don't have what you need it is time to adapt and overcome.

 

[N555]

Some counter points...





Wilson combat sells a wide range of lubes from light and thin to a grease. Their grease is a pourable product, and they don't recommend it for handguns, only for rifles and carbines.

https://shopwilsoncombat.com/GREASE-ULTIMA-LUBE-II-4-OZ-BOTTLE/productinfo/579-4/


@tark can probably tell us what type of lube Les Baer recommends for his 1911's. I'm pretty sure I know what it is, and I don't think it is grease, but I'll let him tell us.

Safe queen 1911s need thick oil or grease that way maybe it's still there after its sat in the safe for 2 to 9 years.

 

[bangswitch]

Surely there is a gun oil that isn't temperature sensitive to the point you need several types to satisfy the weather conditions when you take your pistol out? I use a teflon based oil which seems to flow just as well in cold as it does in the heat, and I use it on every firearm I own. And I use grease only on the slide rails on my semiautos. I don't run them wet, nor dry. Dry is no oil at all, just as if you power sprayed it with Hoppes #9 and then dried it off. No bueno. Wet is when you put a few drops here and there and then assemble the gun. When I grease the rails, I put a small dab at one end and spread it down the rail with a cotton swab. When I oil the parts, I put a drop here and there, then wipe it off. There is plenty remaining to do what it needs to do. I do this every time I clean a gun, which is to say, no more than two trips to the range, which is usually no more than 100 rounds or so per gun. Nothing builds up, because it all gets cleaned off, then replaced.

 

[EMC45]

At my agency, a lot of folks are intent on running their patrol carbines (M16/AR15) dry as a bone. Often the excuse was - "when I was in the sandbox blah blah blah blah we never oiled our guns". I tell them - "you're not there now".

Another factor is we shoot exclusively "green ammo" (lead-free) for training/quals and that is very dirty and not as robust as lead-based duty ammo. So I will get long guns in my shop caked with carbon, unburnt powder, and blueish-green verdigris from the bullet composition. I clean and oil them and they work fine.

Once a rifle came to me and the user swore up and down that the Colt Monolithic patrol upper had a problem. I inspected it and it was dirty and bone dry. I cleaned it and oiled it (quite wet) and then I proceeded to shoot a case of 500 of the problematic "green ammo". Not a single failure. None.

I oil and grease (Tetra subgun grease) my 1911. Runs just fine.

 

[drband]

The old grease/oil debate...

Keep it lubed, your choice, and keep it clean after use.
I will say, use grease sparingly on a 1911. I have found the slickest grease/oil use to be light grease on the rails followed by a drop of oil on each rail. Light grease on barrel & lugs. (Lucas Marine grease/Mobil 1 0-20w oil). Keep it clean, keep it lubed, refresh as needed. YMMV

If you are an oil-only guy, I understand. If you use grease, be aware that cold may alter your use.

 

[Alllen Bundy]

What Oil Should You Use on a 1911

This guy mentions using RedLine racing oil. I've been using Redline synthetic lubricants here in MinneSnowta since the early 1980's when the brand was called "All Proof". I use Redline lubricants in my autos, bicycles and it is my go to lubricant. In subzero weather petroleum lubricants can become so thick that it is difficult to shift to shift a manual transmission. I've seen broken shift linkage because of this. But the vehicle is even difficult to push because of the thick petroleum grease in the wheel bearings. It can be difficult to get the engine to turn over fast enough to start. But replace the petroleum gear lube, petroleum engine lube, and petroleum grease with good synthetics and the engine cranks fast and starts quickly. You can practically slam the gears without warmup. The car rolls easily, whereas normally you need to slip the clutch quite a bit to get the car moving.

I've replaced petroleum lube with synthetic in turntable bearings and the turntables continued to rotate much longer after the power is tuned off.

Redline's synthetic grease is so slippery that it's difficult to hold onto a greased screwdriver shaft, whereas easy to hold a screwdriver shaft lubed with petroleum grease.

But do NOT use regular synthetic engine oil as it has detergents inside. Either use synthetic ATM fluid, synthetic gear oil, or a racing engine oil that does NOT have detergents inside.

Redline's assembly lubes are not likely required in a pistol during break-in because most firearms are not dependent upon pressure oiling. We hand apply the lubricants. Most of the galling issues in engines during break-in are the result of a lack of pressure lubrication. However, using one of Redline's break-in lubricants during the pistol break-in period will not likely hurt anything, other than it could affect the extraction and ejection cycle.

But as much as I like and use Redline lubricants, I think that Mil Comm's TW-25B synthetic grease with teflon (it's really a semi-fluid) or MC 2500 oil is a better choice for handguns. It's rated to lubricate at even lower temperatures than Redline lubricants. While I like and use RedLine CV-2 grease for many things, it also literally stinks because of the high pressure additives and I don't want that smell on my pistol. I will not use a CLP unless it is the only lubricant available to me.

 

[Mike J]

The old grease/oil debate...

Keep it lubed, your choice, and keep it clean after use.
I will say, use grease sparingly on a 1911. I have found the slickest grease/oil use to be light grease on the rails followed by a drop of oil on each rail. Light grease on barrel & lugs. (Lucas Marine grease/Mobil 1 0-20w oil). Keep it clean, keep it lubed, refresh as needed. YMMV

If you are an oil-only guy, I understand. If you use grease, be aware that cold may alter your use.

I usually just use synthetic motor oil for all my firearm lubrication needs. You are correct that grease should be used lightly. Off topic a little because it wasn't a 1911 but years ago after reading posts on the forum boards I decided to try using grease on the slide rails of my pistols. This led to the only time an old Ruger P-series pistol malfunctioned. I had a FTE with it. The Shooters Choice grease I had put on the rails had gotten hot & spread through the whole pistol. The extractor was so well lubricated it could not catch the rim of the cartridge case to pull it out.

 

[Bcwitt]

You absoultely can over lube. An EDC will pickup pocket lint, dust, & anything else you are around. There is definately a sensible limit that has negative consequences. I have experience it.

 

[mljdeckard]

I am fortunate enough to live in a dry climate where I really don't need to worry about rust. I run my handguns with the mare minimum amount of lube, (I use CLP, because I have a lot of it,) and on my ARs, I run the bolt carrier sloppy wet. I put the smallest drops possible in the frame rails, and wipe most of it off. On the other moving parts like the magazine catch, safety, detents, and hammer, I do the same thing. Apply some lube, work the action, wipe off the excess.

Grease might make more sense in some applications, I guess I just like to keep life simple. Seems messier to clean and deal with, and I have gotten this far without it.

 

[Slamfire]

But do NOT use regular synthetic engine oil as it has detergents inside.

Those detergents should be of some use to dissolve powder fouling. I don't know if they will also solvate primer residue. There are heavy metals in priming compounds. There are also heavy metals in internal combustion engine bearings.

Don't sweat the detergent stuff. I am going to claim, that for the money, motor oils are the best firearms lubricants around. No, they are not for rust prevention, motor oils are lubricants.

 

[Hikingman]

CLP, Mobil 1 synthetic oil, Rig Universal grease, yeah!

 

[drband]

CLP, Mobil 1 synthetic oil, Rig Universal grease, yeah!

RIG is great for wiping down blued guns!

 

[FL-NC]

I lube all my 1911's generously with the cheapest motor oil I can find at auto zone. I use either Wilson or McCormack mags, and I don't have reliability issues with any of those pistols. Selecting hollow points with a roundish profile on the end is solid advice, or those critical defense rounds.

 

[12Bravo20]

I started using BreakFree CLP when Uncle introduced me to it at age 17 and I still use it to this day. Yes there are other choices and some are better, but BreakFree CLP has worked for countless GI's for a long time.

And yes in some circumstances you can over lube weapons. Too much oil while in a 2-4 day sand storm is no good. But you also don't want to run your weapons dry either.

And for those that use motor oil yet are worried about added detergents, then I suggest using synthetic motorcycle oils. Motorcycle specific oils do not have detergents in them. Look on the back of the bottle to make sure the oil meets JASO-MA standards - which means it is safe for wet clutches. Automotive oils with detergents and other modifiers are not wet clutch safe and will cause the clutch to slip.

 

[entropy]

Having used Break Free CLP since before I enlisted, (it was called Tri-Flow back then) I too tend to reach for the CLP first. I have tried just about every gun- specific lube made, they were sitting on the benches of the places I worked at. Currently I have been using the Slip 2000 products also, but I have a bottle of CLP on my home bench, and some in my range bag also. My shotgun cases each have a gun cloth soaked in CLP in a Ziploc bag for wipe downs as needed.

 

[JTQ]

Having used Break Free CLP since before I enlisted, (it was called Tri-Flow back then) ...

I was not aware of that.

There still is a Tri-Flow product (part of the Sherwin-Williams Co) https://www.triflowlubricants.com/

and Safariland now owns BreakFree brand https://safariland.com/pages/break-free

While BreakFree CLP and Tri-Flow are products with similar properties (the original BreakFree had Teflon while I believe the current version does not, while Tri-Flow still does have Teflon), I would have guessed they were always separate companies.

 

[md7]

Relative newcomer to the 1911 (started shooting and owning a few years ago)

Y’all know more than me, but here’s what I’ve learned about mine in terms of maintenance and use.

- Verify the mags you have work properly. Use the ones that work
- Verify the ammo you have works in your pistol. Use the ammo that works
- Clean your pistol every 200 to 300 rounds. Nothing crazy. Just a good break down, quick bore snake, and wipe out the carbon.
- I use MPro 7 oil on the rails, barrel, lugs, and a light coat on the parkerized finish.

Since owning a 1911 I’ve also learned about firing pin stop fitment and extractor tension. Never hurts to check here and there.

I’ve had great function over the 3,000 rounds fired thus far. Not a lot, but it’s 3000 more than when I started and it’s been a fun learning process.