What does everyone use to clean & lube their poly pistols ?

[adamc]

I have never owned a plastic firearm before, FHN fnx45. All black.
So I know things like acetone are a huge no-no

Openfor suggestions and comments

In the past I have used and liked Hoppes#9 .Kroil. and synthetic motor oils.

[drail]

Just place a drop of oil (CLP works fine) on each rail of the slide and spread it out and nothing on the polymer frame rail inserts. They'll get plenty of oil off of the slide rails. No Kroil or synthetic oils or wonder lubes or high tech greases are needed for this. Just a light machine oil. You only need a tiny amount of oil on the rails.

[carguychris]

No... synthetic oils... are needed for this.

FWIW I find that 15W-50 synthetic motor oil works great though.

[TheGoldenState]

Hoppes #9
RemOil

[igolfat8]

Non-chlorinated brake parts cleaner works to get the powder residue out of nooks and cranny's. I use Eezox Gun Care lube. It goes on wet then dries leaving a dry film of lubrication behind. All oils and wet lubes will attract and hold burnt powder residue where as dry lubes won't.

[JustinBiscuit]

I use BreakFree CLP on all my guns with the exception of my Beretta 92 which seem to like slide glide. My 92 will stove pipe about twice a mag with oil.

[leadchucker]

I've used acetone before with no harm done, but it's probably not a good idea. I don't do that anymore.

Now I use plain old mineral spirits paint thinner. Maybe some Hoppe's for the bore if needed. Followed up by USGI LSA. I've still got a ton of that stuff around, and it works well.

[481]

I use Shooter's Choice Polymer Safe Degreaser or Birchwood-Casey Polymer Safe Gunscrubber to clean and Mobil1 5w30 to lubricate.

[plouffedaddy]

CLP. Every 1k rounds or so I'll use some bore cleaner with copper solvent to clean the rifling.

[ClydeFrog]

I'd get some Synthetic Birchwood Casey Gun Cleaner or maybe some Ballistol.
You can find many top cleaning supplies here; www.brownells.com www.midwayusa.com www.natchezss.com .
Ballistol is CFC free, non toxic & has a light pine scent.
I've used it a lot since 1997 or so.

Clyde

[Theohazard]

I use Froglube on all of my guns. The paste stuff is best, but the liquid is good for hard-to-reach spots. It's a great lube and it stays on the gun instead of burning off. It's also a good cleaner; just wipe off the dirty Froglube to clean your gun, and then put more on to lube it.

[Cheapshooter]

I'm old school even on new school guns. Hoppes #9 and any good gun oil like Hoppes, or Remoil.
Nothing from the auto parts store, or secret home brew concoctions.
Been working fine on metal or Tupperware alike.

[Denezin]

Rem oil bore cleaner for bore and either Clp for rails and other friction spots ot shooters choice syringe lube. Works just fine.

[Pond, James Pond]

I clean the barrel and residue from the slide using Hoppes #9, then dry it all off. Then a drop of Forrest synthetic gun lubricant on the barrel, and spread it about, then another drop on each of the 4 frame rails.

The rest, as dry as a bone...

[bacardisteve]

Hoppes #9 and breakfree clp is all I use unless corrosive ammo is used.

[NWPilgrim]

Ed's Red bore cleaner for the bore and everywhere else. I lube with a thick Lubriplate lubricant. Just a few tiny drops.

Just mixed up a 2 gal batch of Ed's today. Used up 3/4 of my original quart from a couple if years ago. I use it for everything not just guns. General tool and machinery parts cleaner, light oil, rusty bolt penetrator, rust inhibitor. Use like a combo instead of WD40, Breakfree and Hoppe's except heavy use lubrication is Lubriplate oil or grease.

[mumbo719]

Ed's Red for Cleaning and a synthetic 10w30 for lube.

Been playing with Ballistol as a CLP and it has some things I like but I haven't made up my mind on it other than to say it literally stinks. If you like an overpowering smell of Ouzo without the medicinal benefits you will probably like Ballistol.

[AndyWest]

#9 and Hoppe's Elite. Though I'm soon gunna try converting to all Ballistol

[GrailKnight]

Hoppes or CLP depending on the amount of fouling.
Lubricant Elite for springs and internal parts and a coating of Barricade
on the exterior.

[carguychris]

I'd like to add a few comments.

Non-chlorinated brake parts cleaner works to get the powder residue out...

Although this post suggests the correct product, I'd like to emphasize that it's imperative to use non-chlorinated brake cleaner rather than the chlorinated kind. The latter will reportedly do really nasty things to many plastics, and most post-WWII firearms have plastic in them somewhere, even so-called "all-metal" guns. (If you buy the commonplace Brākleen brand, you want the green can, NOT the red can.)

Second, the advantage of brake cleaner and Gunscrubber-type aerosol products is that they strip every last trace or oil and grease from metal; however, this is also their greatest weakness. If they are used on natural metal, blued, or phosphate-finished or parkerized parts, they will be left with no corrosion protection, and MUST be carefully re-oiled afterwards. Modern polymer-frame pistols generally include relatively few such parts, but IMHO the warning is still good to remember.

Although I really like synthetic motor oil as a lubricant, it's not all that great at preventing rust, as it's intended to be used inside an engine that gets very hot on a regular basis and has an internal ventilation system to purge moisture. Most experienced auto mechanics can tell you sad stories about how badly an engine can rust internally if it's not operated for a number of years. Gun oils should be used where corrosion protection is important.

Hoppes #9 and breakfree clp is all I use unless corrosive ammo is used.

Before this statement causes too much confusion, FWIW today's average gun owner is highly unlikely to inadvertently encounter corrosive ammo in a common Western caliber such as .45ACP. All new-production commercial ammo sold in the USA today is non-corrosive, including ammo from Eastern countries such as Russia, and this has been true for many decades.

Corrosive primers are used in Russian military ammo and were also used in vintage commercial and military ammo from Western countries. Some American shooters can tell you stories of shooting cheap corrosive WWII-era military surplus 9mm and .45ACP from big green metal cans, but the supply of this ammo ran dry decades ago, and you're unlikely to encounter it today unless it's in the hands of a collector.

[dayman]

Breakfree and/or Hoppes on a patch, or sometimes a nylon brush- same stuff I use for everything else.
Unless you're constantly cleaning a massive gun collection you can get probably a years worth of safe gun cleaning product for like $10. Why risk fouling something up by using a product not intended to clean/lubricate guns specifically?

[bamiller]

Tried pretty much everyhting and keep going back to Breakfree CLP.

[Silent Bob]

M-Pro 7 or Hoppe's Elite cleaner and oil (they are basically the same product with different labels)

[Kreyzhorse]

Hoppes #9 and regular gun oil. Not much else needed beyond those two items.

[SWIll]

Breakfree CLP, Remoil for the slide rails.