Cleaning tip

stumprat · #1 10-02-2011, 10:15 PM

This is more directed at new gun owners, and shooters.
When oiling and lubing your pistol after cleaning. LESS IS MORE!!!!!

I picked up an XDM9 today from a young shooter. Upon tearing it down to check out the internals before purchase. I saw right away that it had been grossly over oiled. I asked him who showed him how to lube his guns. His response was that no one had. And that he just assumed that guns needed to be oilly.

Upon getting it home. I went through it completely. Wiping off as much as I could. Then hit our range and put 200 rounds through it. At the end of the range session. I had never seen a dirtier pistol in my life. Oil was literally dripping down the trigger and crud everywhere. After a thorough 2 1/2 hour scouring and COMPLETE tear down. The pistol is good as new.

The point of posting. Is that some new shooters have a tendancy to overlube. Which could lead to quite a few problems (especially with small guns like Kahrs) EDC guns collect alot of crud over time. And an overlubed pistol can really create a mess.

O.K. I'm done venting and whining

OldLincoln · #2 10-02-2011, 10:26 PM

I agree with you to a degree. Some guns like Kahrs need extra grease in high friction spots during break-in. Note I say grease, not oil although it needs oil in other spots. I'm talking about more than a smear but less than a lather, and that rubbed in not just wiped on.

We have had many reports over time of failure to feed on new Kahrs during break-in and it has almost universally been corrected by correct application of grease. The slide rubs on the inside top of the slide by design which initially is a very high friction point and slows down the slide action causing failures.

Once broken in Kahrs do fine with normal oil and grease.

stumprat · #3 10-02-2011, 10:31 PM

I agree with you 100%

I guess that I hadn't realized before today. That some new shooters and gun owners. Figure that oiling a gun means seeing alot of oil.

O'Dell · #4 10-02-2011, 11:10 PM

I always run my Kahrs and Sigs a bit wet with grease on the rails and barrel and oil elsewhere. HK's and Glocks [so I've heard] don't need much lube, and S&W's are somewhere in the middle. I've never had a failure with any of these using that method, but I clean and relube after every shooting session.

Scoundrel · #5 10-02-2011, 11:46 PM

Hmm.

Nobody has shown me how. I use CLP exclusively, and my CM9 and M&P 15/22 have at least 2000 rounds through each one with only a very small number of issues, almost all of which have been accounted for by other causes. So I must be doing OK.

I tend to use teeny short bursts of the aerosol CLP and spread it around with a cloth or brush. A little of that stuff goes a long way.

I did learn not to put any in the hammer well in the M&P except just a tad where the moving parts are, because it collected dirty gunpowder there in a big way and spraying it out with electronic parts cleaner (aerosol alcohol, basically) and re-lubing was a PITA.

By the way, I just made a video on how I lube the recoil spring in the M&P 15/22. Doubt it would work with a bigger spring. It's short and fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it1uHCQV-98

ripley16 · #6 10-03-2011, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stumprat

This is more directed at new gun owners, and shooters.
When oiling and lubing your pistol after cleaning. LESS IS MORE!!!!!

I'm not sure a generalization is the correct answer. A proper amount is what's needed and that amount may depend on the particular firearm.

IMHO, SIG has produced some of the most useful videos concerning general pistol maintenance. See them here;
http://www.sigsauer.com/CustomerServ...nceGuides.aspx

Quote:

The point of posting. Is that some new shooters have a tendancy to overlube. Which could lead to quite a few problems (especially with small guns like Kahrs) EDC guns collect alot of crud over time. And an overlubed pistol can really create a mess.

I can't remember ever seeing a wet gun fail, and I've seen some demonstrations where guns were almost "drippy" wet. Whereas nobody would ever carry a gun in such a condition, I'm not convinced it's detrimental to reliable function.

Benaiah · #7 10-13-2011, 08:32 PM

I am endlessly curious about gun lubes. I used a dry waxy Dupont Teflon Chain Saver lube in my CM9 last weekend and it ran fine. Before that was some 5W-30 G-Oil and before that was some Mobil 1 10W-40. Right now, I've got some Krytox grease in it.

I'm beginning to think almost any kind of lubricant in any form will allow a polymer framed handgun to function reliably. The only situation I expect some lubes to fail is a grease lubed gun that's very cold. I hope to test that theory out this winter.

Too little or too much lube is not ideal, but I bet most polymer framed guns will run 100 rounds just fine on either end of the lube extreme.

OldLincoln · #8 10-13-2011, 11:16 PM

I think that's swell unless you are betting your life on that gun functioning when in a life and death situation. In that case I want the best lubricant I can get in a gun that's the cleanest and most reliable I can make it. It won't matter much to those you leave behind that you saved $2.79 on some grease.

bitp · #9 10-14-2011, 01:46 PM

I fit into the classification the OP describes - a new shooter with no one to show me the ropes of cleaning and lubing. It would be great help if someone expanded upon the lube guide with good detailed photographs (before and application) for both the extra liberal break-in and post-break-in lubrication. It is easy to say a little, not too much, but a visual of the actual application amount and then what is looks like after it is rubbed in might be very helpful for the newbies. If anyone gets bored!

jocko · #10 10-14-2011, 01:58 PM

naw BITP, ur no different than most of us who started out with guns . We learn from others. The kahr lube chart is good, u will soon figure out what is to much or not enough. When ur pants stain all over, I think then it is to much . Most people don't carry dripping wet guns either, makes no sense, it is not needed. Any good lube will work in a properly functioning gun. Not sure a gun lube can make a defective gun work. it can enhance break in alot faster, Find what please u, stick with it, take all the posts we comment about what we use etc, as just that '"WHAT WE USE". not mandatory. These guns aren't precision watchs or something running at a high rpm. U have read here where some use motor oil and say it is fine,some use a grease in certain areas andsay it is fine. To much of grease or oil and the gun will just move what it doesn't need out of the gun somewhere..