Lube or Leave Action Dry?

Ahh, another lubrication thread - lol.

The biggest issue with lubrication is understanding how much or how little to use. IMHO any metal that rubs on another piece of metal while operating should have some sort of lubrication - yes there are a few exceptions of course. Using too much lube is actually worse than using too little. All you want is a thin film between two metal surfaces. By putting more on than necessary all you are doing is oiling the oil - lol. That's when it oozes out all over, attracts dirt, lint and unburned powder residue and can cause problems.

A thin coat of synthetic oil applied to a clean surface is all you want - use it sparingly and you are good to go. Avoid leaving wet oil on areas that touch ammunition such as chambers and magazines. While most modern ammo is sealed to protect primers and powder, I still avoid tempting fate.

Last but not least, we all have our favorite lubricants but most of the ones that have been around for a long time and time tested should be good. You really don't need the latest, greatest lubricant designed for NASA! Most of the common Gun Oils are just fine such as Breakfree CLP, G96, Hoppes, Outers, etc.
 
There are two important things to deal with here. First is to lubricate moving parts and pivot points to prevent wear. Second is rust prevention. If the only lubrication under the sideplate is to eliminate wear from moving parts. You could end up with a rusty gun on the inside. My opinion is that the least one should do is lightly spray down all moving parts, the frame, and the sideplate. No one has ever said a gun failed with too much oil applied.

One case in point was, perhaps the best semi-auto shotgun ever made, the Remington 1100. I have owned 2 in my life, a 1973 Ducks Unlimited 1100 and a K-Mart 1100 from around 1980. For whatever reason, the skuttle-butt was to never lubricate the inside of that gun. Some comments were that, since it operated on exhaust gas in the barrel, oil would attract too much burned powder and debris. The end result was supposed to be plugging the action up. That was stretched to mean the insides did not ever need cleaning either. This was even written up in gun publications of the day so must have been true!!

The 1100 quickly got a bad rap and many owners said their guns quit working, so they dumped them for a different brand. My learning about firearms was being taught by my father that a shotgun works best after all the excess oil stops dripping out of the action. I did not go quite that far, but used a liberal amount of lubrication. My approach was so successful that I do not remember one time that either of them jammed or quit functioning. I still have my Duck Unlimited gun and cannot even guess how many rounds went through the gun shooting sporting clays and was, without a doubt, the best shotgun I have or will ever own.

There is no such thing as too much lubrication!!!
 
I’ve removed the sideplate on every used S&W revolver I have owned. I’ve seen some dry as a bone and others with goop that looked like ear wax. I’ll continue to open used revolvers to get a fresh start in owning them.

But yeah, I very lightly lube a revolver innards. Only when I get them and then maybe every three or four years.
 
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The thing that came to mind while reading this is, Where is the most friction produced on the firing action of a S&W revolver? It appears to me that would be where the most metal to metal contact exist, that being the trigger rebound slide. Of course there are many other metal to metal contact points but no other with the total surface area of the slide. Jerry K. talks about smoothing that area for a "action job" for good reason. I thing the bottom line of this discussion is minimizing friction, which is done by cleaning metal to metal surfaces and properly lubricating them. That's assuming S&W did their part in prepping the surfaces at the factory.
 
kbm6893 said:
I’ve removed the sideplate on every used S&W revolver I have owned. I’ve seen some dry as a bone and others with goop that looked like ear wax. I’ll continue to open used revolvers to get a fresh start in owning them.

But yeah, I very lightly lube a revolver innards. Only when I get them and then maybe every three or four years.
Click to expand...

Good on you! I'd continue with your routine on new guns as well - who knows what they put or don't put "under the hood".
 
Marksman said:
WD-40 changed formulation long ago it no longer forms gum like the original formula.
Click to expand...

Are you sure? I never use it as a lubricant.

Google (not always correct) says:

Formulation. WD-40's formula is a trade secret and has not changed over the years. The original copy of the formula was moved to a secure bank vault in San Diego in 2018. To avoid disclosing its composition, the product was not patented in 1953, and the window of opportunity for patenting it has long since closed.
 
Inusuit said:
Are you sure? I never use it as a lubricant.

Google (not always correct) says:

Formulation. WD-40's formula is a trade secret and has not changed over the years. The original copy of the formula was moved to a secure bank vault in San Diego in 2018. To avoid disclosing its composition, the product was not patented in 1953, and the window of opportunity for patenting it has long since closed.
Click to expand...

Didn’t realize it was such a secret! I think I’d rather know the Colonel’s Secret Formula for his chicken. I use WD on sticky locks. That’s it. I don’t trust it on guns at all.
 
glowe said:
There are two important things to deal with here. First is to lubricate moving parts and pivot points to prevent wear. Second is rust prevention. If the only lubrication under the sideplate is to eliminate wear from moving parts. You could end up with a rusty gun on the inside. My opinion is that the least one should do is lightly spray down all moving parts, the frame, and the sideplate. No one has ever said a gun failed with too much oil applied.

One case in point was, perhaps the best semi-auto shotgun ever made, the Remington 1100. I have owned 2 in my life, a 1973 Ducks Unlimited 1100 and a K-Mart 1100 from around 1980. For whatever reason, the skuttle-butt was to never lubricate the inside of that gun. Some comments were that, since it operated on exhaust gas in the barrel, oil would attract too much burned powder and debris. The end result was supposed to be plugging the action up. That was stretched to mean the insides did not ever need cleaning either. This was even written up in gun publications of the day so must have been true!!

The 1100 quickly got a bad rap and many owners said their guns quit working, so they dumped them for a different brand. My learning about firearms was being taught by my father that a shotgun works best after all the excess oil stops dripping out of the action. I did not go quite that far, but used a liberal amount of lubrication. My approach was so successful that I do not remember one time that either of them jammed or quit functioning. I still have my Duck Unlimited gun and cannot even guess how many rounds went through the gun shooting sporting clays and was, without a doubt, the best shotgun I have or will ever own.

There is no such thing as too much lubrication!!!
Click to expand...


Over lube can cause problems and a shotgun is not the same as a revolver. Much like the debate of grease vs oil or the AR guys who "run them wet"
 
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When I get a new revolver, and thats a rare and joyous occasion, I open it and inspect it before accepting it, along with all of the other points of the used revolver inspection checklist and love seeing them dry and clean inside. However I do agree that all firearms do need lubrication. The problem is many nowadays think that they need WAY more lube than they really do.
Once home with my new bundle of joy I disassemble and further inspect, then, lubricate and reassemble. When I say lubricate I am talking single drops, and I use a combination of oil and grease.
I will put a very light film of ALG 0000grease on the sears so it stays put and a single drop of oil here and there, a drop on the ejector rod and thats about it.
I just dont think that revolvers benefit from alot of carbon collecting oil sloshing around inside. But I do agree that they do need some lubricants.
 
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BTW, Moly (70%) does work very well in slicking things up, however it has some major drawbacks. First off it is a mess and stains anything it comes into contact with. Secondly, it does attract debris and lastly, it's pricy.
 
I put a drop of oil on the hammer after cleaning. Then I put a drop of oil on the bolt so it ends up coming out of the trigger. Then I wipe the gun off. Every time I clean the same process is repeated. The spray cleaner removes the oil and crud.
 
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