Slide Glide

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I think it works very well, it's not cheap but I have been using the same tub for four years and it's not even half gone.
 
I have heard good things about slide glide, but I have no personal experience with it. Some experts say oil is enough, and never use a grease. Others say you must use grease!

which is it?
 
which is it?
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Which is better, 9mm or .40 S&W? Which is better, a Rem 870 or a Mossberg 500? Which is better, controlled-round-feed (Model 70) or push-feed (Model 700)? Which is better, and AK or an AR? Which is better, a Python or a Model 27? Which is better a Glock, M&P, or an xD? And so on...

Conventional wisdom says to use oil on the rails and wear points of an auto pistol. Brian has developed a grease that he says works. Some have tried it and liked it. Some have tried it and DIDN'T like it. Some folks want to know what is the absolute best, but the chances that it will matter at all are vanishingly slim. Most folks clean their guns (thus removing and replacing the lubricant) long before their lubricant fails.

I use a bit of automatic transmission fluid (not even full-synthetic!) on my guns because I have a lot of it around, and it's red. I like red.

I shoot my guns quite a bit. I've never had one fail due to any lubrication issue.

(Though I did once go without cleaning my 1911 for months of weekly shooting and it eventually gummed up enough to stop going into battery consistently. Could be called a lubrication issue -- though the recoil spring was also old and kinked. Either way, I borrowed a bottle of CLP, doused it well, and it ran without a hitch for the rest of the day.)

There are a few items in the firearm world that are supposed to be greased. The M14/M1A bolt roller is one. At the moment, I can't think of any others.

Use whatever you've got and go shoot. Worrying about which lube is THE ULTIMATE is a distraction from concentrating on your skills.

-Sam

[UNLESS: You are going into Iraq and need your guns to work in that powder sand. There are some specific lubricants that work better than others in that environment. NOT GREASE. "Lubricating oil, semifluid, automatic weapons" (LSA) has been reported to work well for that, but I don't know what's in it.]
 
fourwedge said:
I have heard good things about slide glide, but I have no personal experience with it.
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I'm curious about Slide-Glide, too, having read so much about it, but even the thinnest viscosity seems too thick to use on self-defense weapons. I'll probably want to try some myself once I have a few non-critical weapons in my arsenal.

fourwedge said:
Some experts say oil is enough, and never use a grease. Others say you must use grease!

which is it?
Click to expand...

It depends on the weapon, what you use it for, the environment you use it in, and which expert is talking. :) Some semiautomatics can function reliably with no lubrication at all, although this will inevitably cause excessive wear. A light coating of lubricating oil that does not evaporate quickly and stays put (or even adheres to metal parts) should be all that any gun needs to prevent excessive wear and/or improve reliability, although in tighter guns operating in sandy environments, for example, a dry-film lubricant may be preferable if the weapon will function with it, because it will collect less crud that can eventually lead to jams. Finally, grease is preferred by some (many?) because it can make some guns operate more smoothly, in some cases it positively affects the feel of using the gun, and it stays right where it's needed better than virtually any oil could.

Personally, I use a somewhat thin grease (NLGI 1) because it gives me some peace of mind that my M&P40 will always be properly lubricated even if it hasn't been fired in a while (Heaven forbid! :eek: ), although I've found that it will function without any lubrication in a pinch (just making extra sure). The key, I think, is to use an absolutely minimal amount of lubrication--you want the weapon to work better, not impede its moving parts with gunk, no matter slippery it might be (at first). I don't claim to be an expert, but then again even the experts don't all agree, so read with a critical eye, experiment a bit, shoot all you can, and go with whatever products and regimen you're most comfortable with.
 
Manco Great reply. The only thing I would add is that if you are in extreme cold (-20F and below) you might want to go with a silicone based lube as anything else tends to turn to jelly and may cause any of a number of failures.
 
I use MiliTec-1 grease on my 1911 rails. It works fine in my hands. Never tried Slide Glide, but most guys I shoot with use Militec or Mobile 1 synthetic oil for their slides and rails.
 
I'm curious about Slide-Glide, too, having read so much about it, but even the thinnest viscosity seems too thick to use on self-defense weapons. I'll probably want to try some myself once I have a few non-critical weapons in my arsenal.
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I use only the heaviest viscosity and have not experienced any malfunctions down to 30 degrees using IDPA power factor loads and 18# recoil spring. Can't help below that. May not work in very cold climates.

I agree with Sam that any good lube will work. I use Slide Glide 'cause it doesn't drip.

I also use it for non-firearm applications; trimmer shafts, for instance.
 
I have some Slide Glide and it is very good stuff, but I prefer the Berryhill lube I got a few months ago, as far as grease type lubes go.

but even the thinnest viscosity seems too thick to use on self-defense weapons.
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They make a Slide Glide Lite, which I have not tried. It is thinner and is designed to work in colder temps than the regular stuff.
 
I have used several types of grease and oil over the years. I got some of the Slide Glide Lite when I ordered Brian's book. I was surprised at how good the action of my guns felt after a good cleaning and lube. I have only been using it a couple of months but I am very happy with it.
 
I find the thick slide glide (formerly #3), to be too gloppy for most anything.

Regular slide glide gets gummy in the cold, so shooting a match outdoors all day, it starts to feel like #3.

Slide glide lite i have used at competitions where I'm out in the cold for 6+ hours down to the mid 20s, and my gun ran fine. However, I have gotten guns back from a smith that use slide glide, and being in the fedex truck all day at about 28 degrees outside, and depending on the fit and finish of the gun you would be SOL. The ion bonded gun probably would have worked. The cerakoted gun was a brick until I cleaned the stuff off.

But as far as keeping the gun running in normal temps through thousands of rounds of use, slide glide does that very well.
 
My Nighthawk was in the truck all night (mid-20s). The slide glide (heavy) has about 500 rounds on it. Whet to the range at 1000 (about 40 degrees). Functioned properly for the couple hundred rounds I fired. The action does feel stiffer so any colder it may have been a problem. I've never tried the lite version. I think you're right about a rougher finish .
 
Back To Slide Glide...

Thanks to those of you with the Slide Glide input - and cheers to all (it wasn't my intent to start another Oil/Grease/Goo-sling, just lookin' for personal experience with S.G.). I think I'll get the lite & regular (and put Berryhill's on my list next) and try it on a few autoloaders plus some other applications (thanks EddieNFL for the suggestion; Sam1911, LSA is MIL-46000, AKA MIL-46000B; used it in Vietnam up to date, good stuff). I''ll post my impressions on S.G. after I use it a bit - likely early-mid spring. I think I've used just about every other one out there (I'm kind of partial to Tetra products & Mobil synthetic grease); might as well keep on slidin' down that slippery slope... :cool:
 
i use STP Oil Treatment.. it's just thick enough to stick where it's supposed to be, and doesn't gum up..
 
TW 25B. they rate it for more temp range than i'll ever need. and i spent a summer in kuwait, along with 14 years in alaska....

below from:

http://www.mil-comm.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=46&Itemid=


"Works reliably in temperatures ranging from -90°F (-67°C) to +450°F (+232°C)"

it does have an NSN {9150-01-439-1873}, so you know uncle sam likes it. they DO NOT have any shelf life expiration times as-issued from the DLA.

spendy stuff, but you only need enough for a very thin film. in fact, that is the best way to take advantage of it's qualities.

gunnie
 
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