CLP and Gun Oil

[Brutus]

I've used Breakfree since forever it's great stuff. With the purchase of a Duty finish Dan Wesson I was advised not to use it on that pistol as CLP will discolor the nitride finish. Dan Wesson recommends FP-10.
As a further precaution I'm also using Weapon Shield solvent as a cleaner.
All other guns get Breakfree and Hoppes.
Kind of a pain in the butt but it is what it is.
As a side note I just purchased another Duty finished pistol from DW because it's the toughest finish I'm aware of for a stainless steel gun.
After a year of carry in a Milt Sparks summer special it still looks brand new with no signs of holster wear.

[P5 Guy]

Most of my gun maintenance needs are met with KANO KROIL and Mobil1.

[Fishbed77]

It would be weird to clean a gun and not smell Hoppe's 9.

I used Hoppe's 9 to clean my guns for years until my brother introduced me to MPro 7.

It doesn't have the sickly smell and it works considerably better. I'll never go back.

[GarandTd]

advised...CLP will discolor the nitride finish

I don't know how the finish of my rifle compares to your Dan Wesson, but I use CLP on the nitride treated barrel of my AR and haven't noticed any discoloration.

[Cheapshooter]

It doesn't have the sickly smell

You obviously don't know the scent of fine American perfume. The only thing being better than Hoppe's #9 is frying bacon!

[1MoreFord]

Originally Posted by Fishbed77

I used Hoppe's 9 to clean my guns for years until my brother introduced me to MPro 7.

It doesn't have the sickly smell and it works considerably better. I'll never go back.

Sickly smell and Hoppes? Ya gotta be kiddin' me?

[stagpanther]

I use Hoppes for aftershave and cologne, though rarely get a second date opportunity.

[jmhyer]

"60% of the time, it works every time."

[Jeff22]

I generally use grease on the slides of my auto pistols. Lubriplate, TW-25B, Brian Enos’ Slide Glide, Shooter's Choice Red Grease, MD7, I've used all of them with good success.

I use grease on a gun that will be carried for at least a couple of weeks before being shot & recleaned, which applies to my duty gun for work and and my back up and off duty guns. I haven't noticed a problem with grease in really cold weather, but if it's that cold I'm probably not out on the range for more than 90 minutes max anyway.

On guns that will be shot more frequently than that, I usually use oil. I have most recently been mostly using Slip 2000 EWL (extreme weapons lubricant) and also 10-8 Performance Lube.

For regular lube over the last 40 years I've used Triflow, Triflon, Break Free CLP, GI LSA, Militec, FP-101, Weapon Shield, Prolix, Snake Oil, Rem Oil, Gun Butter, Machine Gunner's Lube, Marvel Mystery Oil, Wilson’s Ultima-Lube, and etc. and hadn't had any problems with those, either. My mechanic uses Mobil One as a lube on his rifles and is very happy with it.

Some shooters recommend the procedure of using a "floater" (thin bead) of oil atop the grease before going to the range for a lengthy practice session. I've experimented with that a little bit but I suspect that getting that complicated may be over thinking the issue a little bit . . .

I was in the National Guard for 20 yrs (1980-2000). For most of that time we used GI rifle bore cleaner (RBC) to clean in the armory or after a range qualification, and Break Free CLP in the field as a cleaner & lube both. As a cleaner I found RBC to be MUCH better than the Break Free -- Break Free was too thick to clean very well. But in the field it was nice to only have to carry one product to accomplish both tasks.

About 30 years ago I shot on the State ARNG pistol team (to be honest, I was 2nd alternate) with a couple of old timers who made their own "Red Oil". If they liked you, they'd put a little bit on the slide rails of your M1911. It was a big honor. "Red Oil" was a mix of STP, Marvel Mystery Oil, Breakfree or Triflow, and something else that I don't remember anymore.

Seemed to lubricate okay. Tended to get all over the lenses of your shooting glasses because it was kind of thin

For a cleaner now, I generally use Shooter's Choice or Hoppe's #9. I have also used Montana Extreme and a commercial version of “Ed’s Red” solvent that I got from Brownell’s. (I have also used Ballistol with good results) Shooter's Choice makes a special formula for lead removal that I've found works really well, and Hoppe's has a couple of different formulas for different applications. Another solvent I've had good luck with is called Rustpruf.

I just got a sample pack of a new product called "Shooter's Lube", the solvent formula of which is reputed to be a good carbon remover but I haven't used any yet.

There are about a bazillion different products out there, and I've used most of them and they pretty much all worked well. Lube for different applications does indeed have a different formula and additive package. Some guys get all worked up because they don't want to spend the money for a weapon specific lubrication product, and others like to experiment and make their own cleaners ("Ed's Red") or lubricants. There have been MANY discussions about lubrication on this forum in the past.

I love the way Hoppe's #9 smells.

[Fishbed77]

Sickly smell and Hoppes? Ya gotta be kiddin' me?

Haha. Shows how everyone's nose is different! It smells like rotten bananas to me, versus MPro7, which has almost no smell (and works better).

[JohnKSa]

I used Hoppe's 9 to clean my guns for years until my brother introduced me to MPro 7.

It doesn't have the sickly smell and it works considerably better. I'll never go back.

I like the smell of BreakFree CLP and Hoppes as well. But the other resident of the house I live in has trouble with that kind of chemical smell.

I finally tried MPro 7 thinking that maybe it would work ok, but at least it wouldn't generate complaints. It turned out to work a lot better than most other cleaners I have tried and because it has very little odor at all--now I get no complaints when cleaning guns.

Of course, it's no good at all as a CLP--it's a cleaner only.

[Cheapshooter]

I use Hoppes for aftershave and cologne, though rarely get a second date opportunity.

But the ones you do get are with the girls you really want to date!

[hemiram]

I've used Break-Free for pretty much everything for the 42 years I've been shooting and never had an issue related to lubrication, etc.

[Spats McGee]

I don't mind the smell of Hoppes. Mrs. McGee does, so less odoriferous products are a good thing. Up until 7 or 8 years ago, all I'd ever used was Hoppes and Remoil. But I decided to experiment a little.

• Tried Slide Glide. Didn't like it.
• Got a free sampler of Frog Lube. The whole application process and prospects that went along with it led me to decide I didn't even want to try it. Gave it away.
• Tried Mobil 1. Meh. It's oily & seems to work. Not convinced it's the best.
• Tried Hornady One-Shot. It seems OK.
• Tried Weapon Shield. I like it and it's what I settled on. The smell isn't too bad, the oil is thicker and feels slicker than Remoil. The only downside is that the bottle that the oil comes in leaks horribly. I have to store the bottle in a ziploc bag and oil gets all over the outside. I use both the oil and the grease, as appropriate.

[Spats McGee]

Going back to the OP, though:

Originally Posted by Roland Thunder

Do you feel that if you clean your gun with a CLP like Breakfree, G96 Gun Treatment, etc. that you should still use a gun oil to lube the gun or do feel there is no need to use a gun oil if you use a CLP.

Hard to say, as I don't use those products. That said, I'd be more comfortable adding a little lube after cleaning. I'm not sure if it's strictly necessary, or if that's because of what I was taught lo these many years ago.

[AgedWarrior]

I have tried Breakfree, and G96, and a few other CLP products over the last ten years or so, but never really was satisfied that I could depend on a CLP to really clean, lube and protect. I was brought up on Hoppes solvent and oil for cleaning and lube of my Rem 550-1 when I was 15. Stuck with Hoppes for a long time, and I still find the solvent works pretty good. For lube I have been using SLIP 2000 EWL (lube) and EWG (grease) for several years. I have tried MPro 7 and some of the SLIP 2000 bore cleaner, but mostly I still use Hoppes #9 for cleaning. Using the EWL has made cleaning after the range must faster, nothing really caked on the guns even after a lot of shooting, and even with semi-auto .22 rim fires. The EWG is great on slides and such parts that slide or rub. They also make a EWL 30 that I find works really good on critical wear points on bcg’s. A wet patch of EWL through the bore before you put the gun up, insures much easier bore cleaning later on, and it only takes a moment to run a dry patch prior to heading to the range if desired.

I have also been quite pleased with Mobil 1 synthetic and lubriplate. Found Rem Oil to be pretty poor and Hoppes gun grease is to be avoided (dries and cakes).

[Rifletom]

dahermit, I've had good luck with removing wad residue using a 50-50 mix of Hoppe's #9/Kroil. Let it soak a while, seems to work well on my shotgun. Hope this helps.

[GarandTd]

I use the CLP to wipe the gun down and also use it as a lubricant in certain places. When I use it as a lubricant, I may spread it around with my finger, but I won't wipe it off. As a protectant, CLP has worked well for me. The only time I've had an issue was on 1 particular handgun magazine. Some rust spots developed, but it was from my neglect of the mag(lack of CLP treatment), not the fault of CLP.

[Doyle]

Maybe this is good, maybe this is not so good - but I still use a trick I learned from watching a friend rebuild transmissions years ago.

Whenever he pulled parts out of the parts washer (mineral spirits), he would use an air hose nozzle to blow them dry. I noticed it left a thin film on the parts that you couldn't really see but you could feel with your fingers. So, when I started cleaning guns I used the same technique. Spray with CLP then use the air nozzle to blow dry. That technique has worded for me for about 4 decades now.

[Bentonville]

I like MPro7 and Weaponshield. Great stuff. Most products are serviceable and will meet the needs to one degree or another.

[JDBerg]

I think that Ballistol works fine for most CLP requirements

[shurshot]

Revolvers / rifles / shotguns; Hoppes 9 to clean with (except nickel guns, as it will strip the finish) and any good 3/1 oil to lubricate. On my semiautomatics I now use grease as it won't evaporate like oil can.

[BillSussman]

Originally Posted by IdaD

It would be weird to clean a gun and not smell Hoppe's 9.

Hoppe's smells great and cleans even better but does a number on my hands! Needless to say I still use it.