kosher to lube 1911 w/o field stripping?

longeyes

New member
Anyone do this?--as quick maintenance only.

Mag out, slide back, drops of oil down exposed rail grooves, in front of retracted hammer, on exposed barrel?
 

crghss

Moderator
Lube can never hurt.

Every once in a while if I haven't used my weapons in a while I'll pull them out and wipe them down. Drop lube in them, work the action. Put em away.
 

tplumeri

Moderator
I do a light lube with weapon shield before shooting all of my semis. just like OP describes.
i strip and clean them when i'm done shooting.
I go thru alot of ammo each month (when i'm home) and have never had a problem with any of my pistols.
of course, that statement may not hold true for the Jimenez 22lr i just picked up for 90 bucks!:D
 

tplumeri

Moderator
from the cylinder and slide website:

If you are going to use only an oil to lubricate your pistol, you must re-oil it just before you step up onto the line to start shooting if you have had it stored for several days or more. You also should re-oil the pistol after each 50 rounds to keep things moving properly. Now I don't mean that you should soak the pistol with oil every 50 rounds, but just a few drops in the right places.

thanks for the link!
 

kamerer

New member
It would be better to take off the slide, wipe it clean, and apply a light touch of fresh GREASE, not oil. Grease is what you want to use on load bearing, sliding parts. It also won't migrate away spontaneously under load quickly like oil will.

This looks like yet another good time to direct people to Grant Cunningham's succinct essay on this subject:

http://www.grantcunningham.com/lubricants101.html

Dropping some oil in the slide rails and calling it "good" is a fine idea when you are in the desert, tired from combat, and need some shut eye. Else you should probably have enough time to pop out the slide stop and do it properly.
 

Slopemeno

New member
That's almost how I'd do it if I was pressed for time: Clear and show clear, a drop of Breakfree on the feedramp, drop on the disconnector, drop on the barrel exterior near the muzzle, drops on the slide rails, then lower the slide- drops on the hood and hammer. Cycle it a few times and youre good to go.

This might be used at an all-day match, or between rounds. I found lubed seemed to mean more than clean, and I'd frequently take a gun to a match after test firing.
 

dmazur

New member
ONE advantage of FLGR's

Well, there's at least one reason to have a FLGR -- it makes removing the slide as a unit possible. Then you can wipe down the rails and apply a light film of grease, wipe the powder residue off the feed ramp, etc.

(By "removing the slide as a unit", I mean just move the slide back to the removal position, then press out the slide lock. Slide can now be moved forward as a unit and the FLGR keeps the recoil spring captive.)

This isn't a complete cleaning, of course.
 

RickB

New member
I field-strip my guns about every 1000 rounds, and lube them while assembled, every 100-200 rounds. There's nothing inside that needs to be lubed very often, so no need to strip it for a little oil.
 

darkgael

New member
lube

"I've never put grease on any of my guns, and they run like tops."
+1 on that. (Use some grease on my O/U shotguns)

I FS my 1911s after every match. Lube with TSI 301. The guns have never not worked (any FTFs, not many, have always been traceable to ammo) and one has at least 30K rounds through it. I might just give the grease idea a try, though. Would there be any advantage over using oil?
Other guns are stripped less and oiled while assembled. They work, always. (I try to stay away from words like "always" but I cannot remember any firearm that I own having any issues related to cleaning and lubing)
The recommended articles were worth looking at if only to reinforce what I am doing when I clean and lube my guns. One paragraph from Cylinder and Slide describes my own process exactly:
"Just what are the right places? With the pistol unloaded and closed, put three or four drops on the barrel hood that is exposed in the ejection port. Then lock the slide open. Put a ring of oil 1/4 inch back of the muzzle of the barrel. This will keep the barrel/bushing area lubricated. If possible, put a couple of drops of oil in the open ejection port where the slide and frame touch on both sides. Turn the pistol upside down. The rear of the slide is now sticking back of the frame. Place two or three drops of oil in each slide rail groove and one or two drops on the center rail that cocks the hammer. Now close the slide and hand cycle the pistol half a dozen times with the muzzle pointed down. This will spread the oil. Wipe off any excess that might run out at the rear of the slide/frame area and commence firing."
So, according to C&S, the answer to the original question is "yes".

Pete
 
Last edited:
Top