To lubricate or not?

[Metal Head]

Like I said in another thread, I bought my first semi-auto handgun yesterday. I was talking to a cop friend who also loads his own shells. He said "you don't lubricate a semi-auto, it's ment to use dry". Is this true. being a diesel mechanic I just can't understand moving parts with no lube. :confused:

[gudel]

just because he's a cop, doesn't mean he knows everything about guns.

read the manual that comes with your P90. it tells you to lube it. I know it does on my P95 manual.

wouldn't want to buy a gun used by that guy.

[JohnKSa]

I know of no firearms that are intended to be operated without any lubrication at all.

Follow the directions in your manual.

[Metal Head]

The manual say to lube it. :rolleyes:

[Hawken1911]

He is completely wrong. I've owned many semi-autos, and the manual of every single one said to lube it after cleaning. In fact, most manuals showed specific points on the gun where a drop of oil should be applied. Some guns have a reputation for needing to be well lubed to function reliably. I personally use G96, which is an aerosol cleaner and lubricant combination, on all my guns. Keep them lubed!

[Alaskanmonte]

LUBE YOUR GUN ! Do not listen to him, cop or not, you need to lube your guns.

[mete]

You're instincts are correct - ALWAYS lube moving parts ! I wonder how many FTF s that cop has .

[Majic]

Some LEOs do absolutely no maintenance on their firearms. They just hand it over to the armourer and let them do it. Even the polymer models need lube. If he doesn't lube his pistol I would also stand clear as he shoots his reloads.

[perception]

Yeah, i believe my sig has been described as a "wet" gun actually, a well lubed gun is a happy gun as far as i'm concerned.

[Topthis]

I can honestly say that this is the absolute first time I have heard ANYONE say that a semi-auto does not need lube!! Crazy!!

[N.H. Yankee]

Lube yes, but not over lube. I have seen more guns over lubed then not, all you need is a very thin gleen on the gun, no dripping or heavy grease which will attract dirt and gum things up. Also use a high quality gun lube like FP10 or Tetra which is at Walmart. tetra is heavier than FP10 and all you need is enough to see a light sheen. There are many good gun lubes and I am now trying Miltec, used FP10 for years and never had a problem and have used Tetra for a year and all is well. Try to see if your instruction manual has specific lube points as the whole inside does not require lube. usually the slide rails, barrel where it meets the bushing, any barrel links or contact parts which move. A dry gun will wear and if the gun is tight enough it may sieze when hot. I hate to say it since most of my family has been either LEO or military but most street cops are not gun maintenance oriented, my Dad was a range intructor and Armorer as well as street cop in his career and some of the stories he told were just plain frightening.

[Number 6]

my guess is that the cretin cop who thinks autoloaders should not be lubed was issued a Glock..... :rolleyes:

[Zekewolf]

Even Glocks should be lightly lubed. :) When somebody tells you something that flies in the face of common sense, regardless of that person's position, use your brain and seek a second opinion. If a heart surgeon told me that I needed to have an eyeball transplant, I'd seek a second opinion.

[seb5]

I've been a cop for 15 years and a firearms instructor for several. I am not going to say that cops can't shoot as I am aware of several that are world class. With that out of the way I'll say that the average cop is way below the average regular shooter and/or enthusiast. To many the firearm is just another tool. Nothing to get excited about. Like a radio, flashlight, or cuffs. Just part of the job. I don't think there is an excuse for it but how many of you are true experts at every facet of your job? Anyway, that cop does'nt know much about his tools. For my Glock I like 2-3 drops, total.

[BillCA]

My guess is that cop was providing misinformation. Whether because he's ignorant or trying to induce failures to save his own posterior is irrelevant.

Moving parts require some lubrication. Whether that lubrication comes from plain old oil, or you use some high-tech poly-fluro-carbo-lubricae-slipperius stuff.

The basics seem to be the same with almost all lubricants -
Apply the lube, cycle the action & work the parts to spread it around, then wipe off the excess and leave behind a thin film to prevent attracting dust, dirt and debris.

[Bullrock]

Lube it!

[mightymo]

My guess is that cop was providing misinformation. Whether because he's ignorant or trying to induce failures to save his own posterior is irrelevant.

Be careful what you say about cops Bill.... Not that I care but....

[Majic]

Be careful what you say about cops Bill.... Not that I care but...
He did say THAT cop and not make a general statement about all cops.

[paul45]

AND to top it off...I hang out at my shooting range where hundreds of agencies in our area re-qual their officers and duputies, and can tell you 80% of the LEO's I see qualify are about pitiful in their handgun skills...ie, cant hit the doggone target half the time. Run your semi-auto dry and you can join the other internet commando's who complain how their semi-auto is a POS....JMNHO!... :barf:

[Dave Sample]

This is America ,and at least today, everyone is entitled to express any opinion they choose to. In the first place, the opinion is second hand. In the second place, the man who said that is a person, and the fact that he is a cop has nothing to do with the expressed opinion.

I have stated elsewhere on some forum, perhaps this one, that if I were going to carry a side arm in Iraq, that I would use a GI 1911 45 ACP BONE DRY. Oil is a dirt magnet. That fine desert dust caused failures every moment as we speak. That gun designed and put into use in 1911 was an army gun designed to run in the mud, the blood, and the beer. The soldiers that wore them did not care about taking care of them because they were a badge of authority for the most part, worn by officers. When needed, they worked just fine.
Having said that, I always tell my clients how to oil a 1911 and where to put it. They are not in a desert situation and oil does help make them run better. I carry a LW Colt Commander and I have never done anything except spray it down with RemOil once a year and wipe it off. Guns do not rust here in Arizona and we do not have to use a quart of motor oil to keep the in good condition. I just tore down a 1911 yesterday and it is soaking in the solvent tank because it was full of junky oil and grease. This is a 38 Super I built years ago as a comp gun and another smith ruined it and I am restoring it to it's former splendor. The new spring kit came in yesterday and I will replace the parts that have been screwed up and will send it back home with three drops of oli in the right places. It is a neat 5" carry gun now and it will run another 50,000 rounds. It has an electroless nickle lower end that I applied 18 years ago that still looks good and a blue top end, which is what I used to like to do. The Nickle is very smooth and will run dry forever and the blue steel slide retains the fit nicely. I built them to go 100,000 rounds and this one looks like it will make another 40,000 just fine.

[Metal Head]

Ok, I only mentioned that he was a cop because I thought he had some experiance with handguns and the fact that he reloads his own ammo. He has guns everywhere. but I guess if your wrong, your wrong. I thought it sounded funny, that's why I wanted a second opinion.

[Dave Sample]

I was a "Cop" and have re loaded at least a half a million rounds of my own ammo. That and $1.50 will get me a cup of coffee at my favorite hang out. I have also carried 1911's for over 50 years and have built Custom 1911's for about 20 years. That does not carry much weight on gun forums. Manners are VERY important, though. Oil your auto in the right places! That is the majority opinion and they are who we must believe.

[JohnKSa]

Some of the worst and most flawed advice I've heard comes from people who have a lot of experience and SHOULD know what they're talking about.

BTW, being a reloader isn't an indicator of knowledge or experience. One of the newest shooters I know--he just bought his first gun at the end of last year--is already a reloader.

FWIW, I've found police officers to be no better sources of firearms knowledge than the general population is. Some know a lot, some know virtually nothing, some know a lot but it's all wrong... Just like the average guy on the street. Seems like I recall reading that around 70% of entrants to police academies have no previous firearms experience.

[Dave Sample]

I agree with John 100%. Nicely said!

[Greg Bell]

That was terrible advice, but not that unusual. Some of the worst gun myths seem to come from young cops and soldiers (and gun shops). I agree with the above post that said the cop probably was issued a Glock. There has been a stupid urban myth about Glocks not needing lube going around for over 10 years. If any of these guys ever read their manual they would find that Glock, like everyone else, recommends lubrication. In fact, they give some very specific advice about lubrication and warnings about not doing it.

Of course, lubrication can be overdone. A lot of thick lubricants like Breakfree and Hoppes can collect a lot of dust and dirt if you don't shoot often. I have always liked good old, cheap Rem-Oil. It is thin enough to use to blast out debris, and thick enough to do its job. I usually just spray away and wipe off the excess.

[Para Bellum]

I just can't understand moving parts with no lube.
neither do I. Keep it clean and lubricated.

[Jkwas]

cleans off the dirt, then when do I need to use the copper solvent?

[Dave Sample]

I like Rem-Oil in the spray cans for my SA work, too. I do not use it as a cleaner. I use Hoppes' Number 9 for the bore and various other areas that get dirty. When I am done with an 1873 tune up I spray it down good, wrap it in some blue paper shop towels, and send it home. It seem to protect them from any moisture that they might get in the air at 40,000 feet.

Lube a 1911? A drop of CLP on the disconnector, a drop on the barrel hood, a drop inside of each slide rail, and it's good to go! I guess I use 4 drops when I am in a good mood!

[stephen426]

I say lube all guns, especially if they are not stainless. I just got rid of my Sig P245. I didn't shoot it much and left it in the case it came with. It developed some pits from rusting!!! While this is cosmetic, think about what can happen if you develop rust on critical components and risking failure to fire when you most need it to.

I understand the concern that wet lubes may allow dust to stick to the guns but other types of lubes are available. For cleaning, I use Hoppes 9 followed by Gun Scrubber to blast off all the dirt and Hoppes 9. I then spray Rem Oil over all the metal surfaces and let it soak in for a few minutes. I then blast the action with Birchwood Casey Gun Sheath since it claims to dispel water and prevent rust. That is a BIG issue down here with the South Florida humidity. I give the slide a good couple of shakes to get the excess Gun Sheath out of the action and wipe everything down with an oiled gun cloth. I then spray Remington's Dri Lube on the slide rails to PREVENT dust from accumulating. I also spray the breech face with some Dri Lube to dry out any liquid type lube that may be in there.

For those of you who don't know about Remington's Dri Lube, it is a self drying teflon based lubricant that coats the metal surface with a layer of Teflon while drying any other type of wet lubricant. Actually the force of the spray displaces the wet lube. I haven't had any problems with any of my guns (I've been using it for about 10 years) so it must work pretty well.

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. I know my cleaning regimen is pretty nit picky.