9x18_Walther
New member
I don't know if you are sarcastic or not, but this is where most of my problems start.
The manual for a new Colt 1911 has you lubing far less than most videos indicate on the Internet. Most would indicate underlubed...
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Questions about Cleaning Semi-Auto
- Thread starter 9x18_Walther
- Start date
I don't know if you are sarcastic or not, but this is where most of my problems start.
The manual for a new Colt 1911 has you lubing far less than most videos indicate on the Internet. Most would indicate underlubed...
Maybe this horse has been beaten to death, but my general observation:
Most people lubricate too much. There's nothing really wrong with that as long as you are aware that lubrication attracts dust. Also, as has been said, avoid getting lubrication in the striker channel of a striker fired weapon.
As has been suggested, if you follow the directions in the manual for a gun that gets used often, you will not have trouble with function or corrosion. An exception would be a carry weapon that is exposed to sweat or other outdoor elements.
For guns that are not used often, a light coat of lubricant with excess wiped off should adequately protect from corrosion as long as the gun is stored in a reasonably climate controlled environment.
Most people lubricate too much. There's nothing really wrong with that as long as you are aware that lubrication attracts dust. Also, as has been said, avoid getting lubrication in the striker channel of a striker fired weapon.
As has been suggested, if you follow the directions in the manual for a gun that gets used often, you will not have trouble with function or corrosion. An exception would be a carry weapon that is exposed to sweat or other outdoor elements.
For guns that are not used often, a light coat of lubricant with excess wiped off should adequately protect from corrosion as long as the gun is stored in a reasonably climate controlled environment.
I don't know if you are sarcastic or not, but this is where most of my problems start.
The manual for a new Colt 1911 has you lubing far less than most videos indicate on the Internet. Most would indicate underlubed...
As a child I began to learn about rust, most of us did. If we left a toy or tool out in the dew and damp for several days rust might begin. We would show it to our folks and ask about it. "That's rust. It started to grow there because you left it out in the dew and damp knucklehead. Take better care of your stuff or I'll crack your head like an eggshell." So in love and tenderness we learnt our basics.
Follow your manual. Read it and follow it.
Every person here has told you this.
Begin with the manual.
Follow it for 6 months and observe what happens. If needed at that point change the routine some. But if all is well stick with it.
Now a few questions:
Do you keep your gun in a burlap sack tied to a tree limb instead of a safe in all weather conditions?
Is your safe an old 50 pound oil drum buried in the back yard with a big rock on top of it?
Is your safe the freezer of your refrigerator?
Do you keep your guns hanging on pegs in a leaky garage next to rusting tools and an owls nest?
Are all your kitchen utensils rusty?
Do things begin to rust immediately after you touch them?
Do you live on a leaky house boat in Baton Rouge?
I mean all these questions, no jokes.
If any of the above is true then you oughta be extra careful to keep your guns clean.
If not begin by following the manual.
Follow the manual anyway and just be observant.
9x18_Walther
New member
Thanks all for catering to my obsession on cleaning stuff clean.
I think I'm going to leave a little sample of carbon steel outside to see how long it takes to rust.
I think I'm going to leave a little sample of carbon steel outside to see how long it takes to rust.
If that's what it takes, OK.
Get 4 pieces of the same material. Mark them 1,2,3,4. Wipe each one down with a silicon cloth like the manual suggests. Leave one outside on your porch. Leave one on your desk next to your machine. Carry a piece in your back pocket. Keep the last in the trunk of your car however you might keep a gun there (please don't ask about how to keep a gun in your trunk).
Compare and contrast.
Let us know the results of your scientific endeavors.
But really, all you need to do is follow the manual and be observant. A piece of steel ain't a gun.
tipoc
Get 4 pieces of the same material. Mark them 1,2,3,4. Wipe each one down with a silicon cloth like the manual suggests. Leave one outside on your porch. Leave one on your desk next to your machine. Carry a piece in your back pocket. Keep the last in the trunk of your car however you might keep a gun there (please don't ask about how to keep a gun in your trunk).
Compare and contrast.
Let us know the results of your scientific endeavors.
But really, all you need to do is follow the manual and be observant. A piece of steel ain't a gun.
tipoc
Last edited:
Depends on where you live, how your guns are stored/used, what kind of metal/finish is on the gun, what kind of gun it is, if you house is new/old, what kind of air you have, etc.
I have seen guns sit for a few weeks in a somewhat humid house and have rust starting to form. These were blued. It was an older house that just did a bad job of keeping out the humidity and didnt have central air. I had to keep buying those moisture absorbing packs and oiling like 1x a week to keep them from rusting again. I have also seen blue guns sit unused in a house for years just fine without ever being cleaned because it has little inside humidity with central air. So it depends on a lot and blue finish is the easiest to rust.
I take mine apart and give a little wipe before a range session and then fully clean them after. I put a light coating of oil on all metal pieces when I am putting them away and store them in oil coated socks. That has worked well for years and kept my blue guns from rusting. I dont worry as much about my stainless guns but still take the same precaution. Nothing is worse than seeing rust on your gun.
I ran this test with screws using about 10 different types of gun cleaners maybe 8 years ago. All did pretty well outside in the moisture for a few weeks because they were protected by the oil. The ones not protected showed some signs of rust in about a 20-30 day period.
I have seen guns sit for a few weeks in a somewhat humid house and have rust starting to form. These were blued. It was an older house that just did a bad job of keeping out the humidity and didnt have central air. I had to keep buying those moisture absorbing packs and oiling like 1x a week to keep them from rusting again. I have also seen blue guns sit unused in a house for years just fine without ever being cleaned because it has little inside humidity with central air. So it depends on a lot and blue finish is the easiest to rust.
I take mine apart and give a little wipe before a range session and then fully clean them after. I put a light coating of oil on all metal pieces when I am putting them away and store them in oil coated socks. That has worked well for years and kept my blue guns from rusting. I dont worry as much about my stainless guns but still take the same precaution. Nothing is worse than seeing rust on your gun.
Get 4 pieces of the same material. Mark them 1,2,3,4. Wipe each one down with a silicon cloth like the manual suggests. Leave one outside on your porch. Leave one on your desk next to your machine. Carry a piece in your back pocket. Keep the last in the trunk of your car however you might keep a gun there (please don't ask about how to keep a gun in your trunk).
Compare and contrast.
Let us know the results of your scientific endeavors.
But really, all you need to do is follow the manual and be observant. A piece of steel ain't a gun.
I ran this test with screws using about 10 different types of gun cleaners maybe 8 years ago. All did pretty well outside in the moisture for a few weeks because they were protected by the oil. The ones not protected showed some signs of rust in about a 20-30 day period.