CLP on the firing pin?

Tauruspt92AF · August 5, 2014, 05:13 PM

I just bought my first gun about 3 weeks ago and being that it is was first gun (just bought another because you can never have just one(S&W Shield 40) I have cleaned it half a dozen times (shot around 1200 rounds out of it as well… its a Taurus pt92 if you couldn't tell by my user name). After watching a youtube video on how to clean the gun i began using clp and a nylon brush to get the grit out of the rails and such, but i have also been using it on the firing pin area to get it clean. Is this a bad idea? I've read that you should never use lubricating oil on the firing pin area which i don't, I'm just wondering if i should stop using clp and the nylon brush as well. Thanks for the input.

**Aguila Blanca** · August 5, 2014, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaurusPT92AF

Is this a bad idea? I've read that you should never use lubricating oil on the firing pin area which i don't, I'm just wondering if i should stop using clp and the nylon brush as well. Thanks for the input.

You are aware that the "L" in "CLP" is "Lubricant," right? So you ARE using lubricating oil on your firing pin.

IMHO it's okay to use CLP to clean any carbon off the firing pin, but then wipre it off and install it basically dry.

Tauruspt92AF · August 5, 2014, 08:21 PM

Yes I realize what CLP stands for, what I was referring to was that when I clean my taurus I use the CLP to get rid of the grit and whip it clean and then i put Hoppes#9 lubricating oil on the rail and where metal to metal contact happens, but I don't use that on the firing pin. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

KyJim · August 5, 2014, 11:01 PM

You're fine using the CLP. Wouldn't hurt even to use a patch with a drop or two on the CLP on the firing pin -- but then wipe it off. CLP, or any penetrating lubricant, can theoretically run into and penetrate around a shell's primer, causing the round to malfunction. There has to be a fair amount for this to happen and it is EXTREMELY unlikely to happen. Next to impossible if you wipe off the pin.

marine6680 · August 5, 2014, 11:15 PM

If you clean it with CLP and then wipe it off with a rag, and clean the channel the pin rides in and wipe it out with a dry qtip... You will leave just the faintest trace of CLP on the parts. Not enough to hurt, but enough to provide some lubrication to those parts. They don't need much lubrication, so what is left after wiped off is plenty.

Most striker fired pistols have a plastic sleeve around the striker, which makes them not really need lubrication. But you can do the same basic procedure when cleaning and be fine.

The big problem is if you use too much lube on the firing pin. Many just drop a drop or two in the hole, which is way more than needed, and never open it up to clean it. That can lead to gunk accumulating and causing issues. Some oils can dry out as well, some get gummy... Combine that with a little carbon fouling in there and you can have a pin that is sticky. Most of the better oils will not gum up or dry out, so they work better for that use.

The problem isn't so much the fact that they lubed the firing pin, but that they never clean out the channel or only do it rarely. For those people, not lubing the firing pin allows the gun to run much longer without cleaning the pin and channel.

jmay · August 8, 2014, 12:12 PM

Dont put anything on the firing pin your not going to wipe off. Speaking from experience. I once managed to leave some on one of my 1911s firing pin spring it caused a FTF (light primer strike). Not sure how i got that mutch in there but i did, but i learned to be more careful.

James K · August 8, 2014, 12:19 PM

The main reason not to (over) lubricate the firing pin is that in some guns oil will build up in the firing pin hole and cushion the firing pin blow. That is probably what happened in jmay's case. There is rarely any need to remove or lubricate the firing pin and it is just about the last part that will rust or be affected by fouling (unless something is very wrong). But if you do remove the firing pin, wiping it with a oiled patch won't do any harm; just avoid squirting oil into the channel.

Jim

Yung.gunr · August 8, 2014, 01:32 PM

When I was a noob I put lube on the striker of my XD9. Learned not to after a while, but it attracted junk and eventually started light striking. Had to completely strip the slide and clean it all out. Different guns, moral of story, be careful where you put the lube.

Tauruspt92AF · August 13, 2014, 12:14 AM

Thanks everyone for the replies. From now on I'm just going to dry brush the firing pin area and just make sure to keep lubricants of all kinds away from the Firing pin.

Bill DeShivs · August 13, 2014, 12:49 PM

Moving parts NEED lubrication. Just don't slosh it on.

pete2 · August 13, 2014, 07:13 PM

Wipe the pin dry and dry the channel. I've had oil from the firing pin hole kill the primer in the round in the chamber. Another reason to fire the ammo in your mag. every once and a while. That's how I knew what happened. I try not to leave any oil in the firing pin hole in my carry guns.

BigJimP · August 14, 2014, 12:32 PM

CLP is a little too heavy for the firing pin, in my view.....a light spray oil, like Rem Oil or Rig #2 are better options...( I prefer Rig #2 ).

I "spritz" the firing pins...and their springs - and before I reinsert them / I wipe them with my fingers.....just leaving a little of the oil behind.

August 5, 2014, 05:13 PM	#1
Tauruspt92AF Junior Member Join Date: August 5, 2014 Posts: 7	CLP on the firing pin? I just bought my first gun about 3 weeks ago and being that it is was first gun (just bought another because you can never have just one(S&W Shield 40) I have cleaned it half a dozen times (shot around 1200 rounds out of it as well… its a Taurus pt92 if you couldn't tell by my user name). After watching a youtube video on how to clean the gun i began using clp and a nylon brush to get the grit out of the rails and such, but i have also been using it on the firing pin area to get it clean. Is this a bad idea? I've read that you should never use lubricating oil on the firing pin area which i don't, I'm just wondering if i should stop using clp and the nylon brush as well. Thanks for the input.

August 5, 2014, 11:15 PM	#5
marine6680 Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2012 Location: Parker, CO Posts: 4,594	If you clean it with CLP and then wipe it off with a rag, and clean the channel the pin rides in and wipe it out with a dry qtip... You will leave just the faintest trace of CLP on the parts. Not enough to hurt, but enough to provide some lubrication to those parts. They don't need much lubrication, so what is left after wiped off is plenty. Most striker fired pistols have a plastic sleeve around the striker, which makes them not really need lubrication. But you can do the same basic procedure when cleaning and be fine. The big problem is if you use too much lube on the firing pin. Many just drop a drop or two in the hole, which is way more than needed, and never open it up to clean it. That can lead to gunk accumulating and causing issues. Some oils can dry out as well, some get gummy... Combine that with a little carbon fouling in there and you can have a pin that is sticky. Most of the better oils will not gum up or dry out, so they work better for that use. The problem isn't so much the fact that they lubed the firing pin, but that they never clean out the channel or only do it rarely. For those people, not lubing the firing pin allows the gun to run much longer without cleaning the pin and channel. Last edited by marine6680; August 5, 2014 at 11:39 PM.

August 8, 2014, 12:12 PM	#6
jmay Member Join Date: July 31, 2013 Location: Dallas Tejas Posts: 53	CLP on the firing pen Dont put anything on the firing pin your not going to wipe off. Speaking from experience. I once managed to leave some on one of my 1911s firing pin spring it caused a FTF (light primer strike). Not sure how i got that mutch in there but i did, but i learned to be more careful.

August 13, 2014, 12:49 PM	#10
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,985	Moving parts NEED lubrication. Just don't slosh it on. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

August 5, 2014, 08:21 PM	#3
Tauruspt92AF Junior Member Join Date: August 5, 2014 Posts: 7	Yes I realize what CLP stands for, what I was referring to was that when I clean my taurus I use the CLP to get rid of the grit and whip it clean and then i put Hoppes#9 lubricating oil on the rail and where metal to metal contact happens, but I don't use that on the firing pin. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

August 5, 2014, 11:01 PM	#4
KyJim Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2005 Location: The Bluegrass Posts: 9,142	You're fine using the CLP. Wouldn't hurt even to use a patch with a drop or two on the CLP on the firing pin -- but then wipe it off. CLP, or any penetrating lubricant, can theoretically run into and penetrate around a shell's primer, causing the round to malfunction. There has to be a fair amount for this to happen and it is EXTREMELY unlikely to happen. Next to impossible if you wipe off the pin.

August 8, 2014, 12:19 PM	#7
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	The main reason not to (over) lubricate the firing pin is that in some guns oil will build up in the firing pin hole and cushion the firing pin blow. That is probably what happened in jmay's case. There is rarely any need to remove or lubricate the firing pin and it is just about the last part that will rust or be affected by fouling (unless something is very wrong). But if you do remove the firing pin, wiping it with a oiled patch won't do any harm; just avoid squirting oil into the channel. Jim

August 8, 2014, 01:32 PM	#8
Yung.gunr Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2010 Location: Phoenix area Posts: 1,442	When I was a noob I put lube on the striker of my XD9. Learned not to after a while, but it attracted junk and eventually started light striking. Had to completely strip the slide and clean it all out. Different guns, moral of story, be careful where you put the lube.

August 13, 2014, 12:14 AM	#9
Tauruspt92AF Junior Member Join Date: August 5, 2014 Posts: 7	Thanks everyone for the replies. From now on I'm just going to dry brush the firing pin area and just make sure to keep lubricants of all kinds away from the Firing pin.

August 13, 2014, 07:13 PM	#11
pete2 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 2,566	Wipe the pin dry and dry the channel. I've had oil from the firing pin hole kill the primer in the round in the chamber. Another reason to fire the ammo in your mag. every once and a while. That's how I knew what happened. I try not to leave any oil in the firing pin hole in my carry guns.

August 14, 2014, 12:32 PM	#12
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	CLP is a little too heavy for the firing pin, in my view.....a light spray oil, like Rem Oil or Rig #2 are better options...( I prefer Rig #2 ). I "spritz" the firing pins...and their springs - and before I reinsert them / I wipe them with my fingers.....just leaving a little of the oil behind.