keep it clean!

Millie

Millie

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Recently saw a video of a guy cleaning his gun. He sprayed the heck out of it and got it all clean. OK, so later it occurred to me: how much of the cleaning/lubrication stuff are you supposed to leave behind? Will oil hurt your ammo? This question goes for revolvers or semi autos...
 
You shoud lubricate your firearm according to the manufacturers specifications as per the owner's manual. Some firearms require more lubrication in some areas than others do. In the absence of a manual, there is always Youtube ;) As a general rule most metal surfaces that contact other metal surfaces should at least have a thin coating of oil or grease, but there are some exceptions for example usually firing pins are not lubricated or if so most of it is wiped off so they don't attract dirt and get sticky. All metal surfaces even the exterior need to be at least oiled and wiped down occasionally for corrosion resistance.

Oil and cleaning agents need to kept away from ammo. The penetrating properties can seep into the ammo and contaminate the gunpowder. You don't want that.
 
Jeppo said:
I soak my ammo in Ballistol for at least a month before shooting it. I've found it to be the simplest way to keep my guns very well lubricated.
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If I ever get in a gunfight I hope it's against you! ;)

Me: Bang Bang Bang!
You: click, click, click
 
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Thanks
Flashpoint said:
You shoud lubricate your firearm according to the manufacturers specifications as per the owner's manual. Some firearms require more lubrication in some areas than others do. In the absence of a manual, there is always Youtube ;) As a general rule most metal surfaces that contact other metal surfaces should at least have a thin coating of oil or grease, but there are some exceptions for example usually firing pins are not lubricated or if so most of it is wiped off so they don't attract dirt and get sticky. All metal surfaces even the exterior need to be at least oiled and wiped down occasionally for corrosion resistance.

Oil and cleaning agents need to kept away from ammo. The penetrating properties can seep into the ammo and contaminate the gunpowder. You don't want that.
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Thanks for responding to my endless questions!
 
I shoot 7000 rounds plus a year. I only add oil in small amounts before the next match.

Clean once a year or if a problems arises
 
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Mike Overlay said:
I shoot 7000 rounds plus a year. I only add oil in small amounts before the next match.

Clean once a year or if a problems arises
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Mike brings up a good point. You may have heard from your father as I did that guns need to be cleaned after each use, and it was that way for generations. The main reason that was true was that the ammo had corrosive properties, once fired the powder or primers would leave salts in the action and bore that would attract moisture and cause the metal to rust. Modern ammo does not do this (some military surplus is still corrosive though), so literally you can shoot/store/repeat the gun until it gets so dirty it doesn't work anymore then clean it good and it's not really harmed. The only thing I would say to that is if you shoot it dry you will increase the rate of wear, so it will eventually wear out faster.
 
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For me it depends on which handgun it is. My Glocks, they get a quick wipe down with a cloth and a little CLP I don’t think they mind not being cleaned that often. On the other end my 1911s get loved and pampered after a day at the range and they are kept lubed correctly for function. Most guns, hand or long, get a light wipe CLP rag down to remove oils from handling and leave a light CLP film behind to protect them from surface rust. It depends on the gun and the usage for me. For a range session I do make sure the gun does have good lubrication since it will see a fair amount of rounds. My carry gun is handled a little different ... light grease on the rails, light oil on some surface parts and a very light wipe down on the outer surface with enough to protect it from my sweat but not so much to make it hard to hold. Each gun has a slightly different need.

As to ammo and CLP... most ammo is sealed enough to keep the powder and primers protected but you don’t want a lot of oil in the chamber or barrel and just enough in the internals for lubrication ... tooooo much and it can cause particulates, unturned powder, dirt, lint, etc to build up and affect the action. Personally I don’t like ammo to be overly lubed especially in my carry and HD guns I wipe the ammo with a silicone rag before I load the mags to keep dirt and dust bunnies from sticking to it in the mags.
 
Mike Overlay said:
I shoot 7000 rounds plus a year. I only add oil in small amounts before the next match.

Clean once a year or if a problems arises
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I clean when they start making my hands dirty, which is usually prior to malfunctions.
I lube when they malfunction or if I think they look/feel dry, one drop of oil or smear of grease on each wear point.

If it's something that gets shot and then stowed indefinitely I'll wet/dry patch the bore so there's no fouling to attract/hold moisture, and wipe the exterior metal with a oily rag for protection against corrosion. Carry guns also get wiped with an oily rag every few weeks, I make stuff rust.
 
Also, don't store guns in soft gun cases, especially if the last time you were at the range it was wet or high humidity. The soft cases retain moisture and WILL cause rust to form on barrels, etc. Don't ask me how I know. :rolleyes:
 
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Flashpoint said:
Mike brings up a good point. You may have heard from your father as I did that guns need to be cleaned after each use, and it was that way for generations. The main reason that was true was that the ammo had corrosive properties, once fired the powder or primers would leave salts in the action and bore that would attract moisture and cause the metal to rust. Modern ammo does not do this (some military surplus is still corrosive though), so literally you can shoot/store/repeat the gun until it gets so dirty it doesn't work anymore then clean it good and it's not really harmed. The only thing I would say to that is if you shoot it dry you will increase the rate of wear, so it will eventually wear out faster.
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Good to know! I did put some stuff in the revolver that made the cylinder turn better. I've run patches thru all the various "holes" till not much is coming out on them.
 
Flashpoint said:
Also, don't store guns in soft gun cases, especially if the last time you were at the range it was wet or high humidity. The soft cases retain moisture and WILL cause rust to form on barrels, etc. Don't ask me how I know. :rolleyes:
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I won't be leaving mine for long but I do have a metal box with spongelike material to cradle it. Guess this will suck up moisture...so I should find something else to put the gun on if it ends up in the box?
 
NCFubar said:
For me it depends on which handgun it is. My Glocks, they get a quick wipe down with a cloth and a little CLP I don’t think they mind not being cleaned that often. On the other end my 1911s get loved and pampered after a day at the range and they are kept lubed correctly for function. Most guns, hand or long, get a light wipe CLP rag down to remove oils from handling and leave a light CLP film behind to protect them from surface rust. It depends on the gun and the usage for me. For a range session I do make sure the gun does have good lubrication since it will see a fair amount of rounds. My carry gun is handled a little different ... light grease on the rails, light oil on some surface parts and a very light wipe down on the outer surface with enough to protect it from my sweat but not so much to make it hard to hold. Each gun has a slightly different need.

As to ammo and CLP... most ammo is sealed enough to keep the powder and primers protected but you don’t want a lot of oil in the chamber or barrel and just enough in the internals for lubrication ... tooooo much and it can cause particulates, unturned powder, dirt, lint, etc to build up and affect the action. Personally I don’t like ammo to be overly lubed especially in my carry and HD guns I wipe the ammo with a silicone rag before I load the mags to keep dirt and dust bunnies from sticking to it in the mags.
Click to expand...
Never heard of a silicone rag.
 
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