Gun grease or just oil on the slide?
 

Before I run 500 rounds through my new M&P 9, I'm a bit confused why so many use grease on the slide instead of gun oil which is recommended in the owners manual. Is this just personal preference, or is there a real advantage to using grease? I would think Smith and Wesson would have mentioned greasing the slide as an option if that reduces wear and increases functionality.

Read the manual. I believe the callout is for a bit of oil in only a few locations: nothing about oil or grease directly on the slide.

If it rotates, it get oil. If it slides, it gets grease.

I don't use grease on any of my guns, Shield included. Oil as per the manual.

This will be heresy to some....For the average shooter, for the most typical of conditions, I don't think it makes a bit of difference if you use oil or grease.

Grease may stick around longer than oil, but a freshly greased gun will run just as good as a freshly oiled one.

CLP all the way, nothing else need to clean lube or protect

Of course if you are going to shoot 200-300 rapid fire rounds in hot conditions, without benefit of cleaning in competition. You might want something more substantial than a few drops of oil. It would be interesting to find out if Team S&W follows the manual on lubing the competition pistols.

I don't know if the M&P is like the Glock. Glocks are one of the few pistols that except for one or two small locations can run dry with no ill affects.

White Lithium Grease on the slide for me.

Come shoot a 200 round match with us in 105 degree heat and all your questions will be answered. The Brownells action lube I put on the frame points (where the slide rides) stays put. Your oil will be all over, especially if you oil the entire slide groove.

I use Tetra grease on all my firearms. Working at a gun store, I get FREE samples of the latest, & greatest gun lubes of the week. No matter what oil I apply to what gun, it's dry after a week. So I'd re lube the gun again before the range trip. However, when I apply Tetra to the gun, it looks exactly the same in a year. Some might say Tetra is too thick for a handgun, but here in Florida it rarely gets below 60 degrees. I have never had a failure using Tetra. But I've also never had a failure using anything. But I like the fact that after a year, the Tetra is still there. GARY

If you put a drop of oil where S&W tells you too and not all the way down the rails, all will be fine.

My 2 cents worth is as read here if shooting competitively you may want grease, but to me if you are just going to the range to shoot 100 or so rounds to get or stay competent in your ability to shoot the weapon then to me oil is what I want because I know I am going to clean it after each trip & oil is easer to clean off.
Old off new on, good to go.

I've never had oil fail on an auto, revolver, or long gun....that said, I do use grease on my Sigs as that is what is recommended......

I go with oil on the barrel of my shield, Tetra grease on frame/slide. Gun stays in truck quite a bit with temps over 100 degrees. Works best for me here in AZ.

I use grease on carry guns that I don't fire very often and I use oil on the guns I take to the range.

I shoot IDPA. PRO 7 is what I use. Never had a problem, over 2500 + rounds. Lost track. Everyone has their methods, they are neither right or wrong. It's all personal preference.

It depends on how the gun is used and how it is maintained. Of I were using the top ofa sand dune for a bench rest I would avoid grease. Firing a 200 round match in hot weather I would use grease. S&W's recommendation is for reliability but not necessarily for longevity.

I use Tetra grease on the slide rails and on the barrel. I put a drop of oil on the sear as per the instructions. This is what works for me. The family just got done taking a class where we went through 2000 rounds between 4 guns in one day. It was a warm humid day out. The guns preformed flawlessly as expected. I cleaned them from class yesterday as we have a match tonight and while they were dirty, I probably could have gotten away with shooting a few hundred more rounds through them. The very small amounts of grease I put on, were still on the rails and the rails did not feel gritty and still ran smoothly.
So for me, if it is going to get a pounding,, grease. For something that does not get a pounding, oil. As an exception to that, I did put a light coat of oil (then wiped off most of it) on the bolt of my M&P AR 15-22.

I have shot matches in 95+ temps outside. Never had a problem with oil. My pistol was extremely hot after COF. Ran like a champ.

I have used the "If it rotates, it gets oil. If it slides, it gets grease." for over fifty years now. I have bought, shot, and sold hundreds of guns including twenty-two years in the military. I can count on my fingers the number of failures contributed to a gun or maintenance in over fifty years. I field strip, check, clean, lube, and oil any new gun before going to the gun club. If it sets in the safe for a long time, it gets cleaned and lubed before going to the gun club. If it gets shot, it gets cleaned and lubed before being stored.

I carried an early brand new Colt M-16 in Viet Nam for a year as an advisor with zero issues because I cleaned and lubed it frequently. Contrary to internet myth, the only issue with the original M-16s was they were designed and tested with very clean burning ammo and supplied with low-bid dirty ammo.

I've never had a problem just wiping everything with an oiled rag. You start getting so much oil that it runs and you are going to wear an oil slpat on your clothing and glasses. And grease is nice but I've found it quickly turns into lapping compound with catching all the crud. I'm not sold so much on some of the dry lubes out there but I find if you use anything from a regular CLP to Frog Lube if wiped on and allowed to dry then everything runs just fine. The AR is the one lone gun that seems to usually require running wet or it will jam up.

I only use grease on the slide of my steel semiautos (ie Sigs). Otherwise, its oil for polymer type frames.

I use grease on the rails and oil everywhere else. Have never had a failure due to lack of lube.

I've been in the same boat. Lube after cleaning - dry when ready to shoot again. Tried a lot of oils and grease and now quite fond of SLP 2000. It doesn't seem to "go away" after its applied and you can actually put too much on. Until I find something better, it's what I use on my handguns and rifles with no problems experienced thus far. Good luck!

I have 800-1000 rds through my Shield 40 and have never had a misfire, FTF, or FTE, she went bang every time I pulled the trigger. Discovered early on that she just loves her Frog Lube, and she cleans up so easily after a long day at the range. :D

Has anyone tried Brian Enos's Slide-Glide?

It's what I use on my Sigs. I've experimented with it on my wife's Glock and my AR bolt, as well. Works well for its purpose, although I stopped using it on my AR, as it just seemed to collect extra carbon. Performed admirably, though.

Today, I only use it on my Sigs.

GUN BUTTER gun oil....best lube I have ever used...kind of pricey, but worth it.

To the OP: why not ask S&W what they recommend then come back here and give us a report??

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/756...-2-3-oz-liquid

Warm weather, 60's era US Grease-Rifle, cold weather, CLP Breakfree.

They just specify "a single drop of high-quality firearms lubricant." I think the important thing is to keep the gun clean and lubed. Grease works fine but I find a grease to pick up more grit. Still, it works great. Find what you like and use it.

Use something decent and clean it once in awhile and you will be fine.

Personally, I prefer a light grease on the rails of steel and alloy framed pistols during most of the year. Frigid weather months is all synthetic oil/CLP's.

I like cocoa butter.........................it reminds me of the islands mon. :rolleyes:

OP,
Have any of these guys said that their method of lube fails?

I guess that answers your question.

I can't talk about grease and S&W semi auto pistols but on Sig P series semi auto pistols grease has been tested on the slide and bearing surfaces rails that the slide moves on and has significantly reduced wear. They are not talking axel grease but regular gun grease and Gray Guns who ran the tests recommends Brain Enos's "Slide Guide" and it comes in different weights based on temperature.

I've used it on all of my Sig's and I have seen almost zero rail wear since using it and I highly recommend it.

I had numerous problems with FrogLube, especially in cold weather. It also got in the striker channel of my Solo and it wouldn't even detonate a primer. When cold it is more like hard butter than a lubricant.

I grease slide rails for the simple reason I don't like to pick up a gun and have oil dripping out the back. Of course, if you carry the opposite is the problem, it drips out near the muzzle. I personally don't think a drop of oil on each rail is as effective as grease but it's anecdotal.

My 3rd gen
 

My 3rd gen says the same thing. I can't figure out why people talk about what kind of grease is best.:confused:

When I first got my M&P22, I had an awful time breaking it in. The slide wouldn't come back far enough to pick up a new round. Everyone else said their's ate anything, mine, not so much. Then I tried synthetic auto oil, 30 weight. Ran like a different gun, ate all I threw at it. Now that it's is well broken in, regular gun oil works. But it has to be lubed liberally.

OP, consider using a light viscosity grease on most surfaces. And here is the important part.... apply it sparingly.

For some background info on the topic, listen to this podcast:
Podcast ? Ballistic Radio Episode 29 ? September 22, 2013 | Ballistic Radio

I use lithium grease on the frame rails that the slide rides on.

I used to work oil and that works fine too, but when racking the slide by hand it's just smoother with grease vs oil.

I use mostly just generic stuff though. Wal-mart brand lithium grease there and just 3-in-1 or even some synthetic motor oil on the rest of the gun. My M&P has ~10,000 rounds through it and has never needed "gun" specific oil.

I came here to say the exact same thing. I use "Super Lube" grease on all of my pistols. It is smooth as butter, there is almost no wear on the rails or other components, and the grease sticks on there through hundreds of rounds (whereas when I used oil the gun was dry after a few mags.) I got the "sportsmans kit" from super lube on amazon. Its a small kit you can put in your range bag that includes grease, oil, and applicators.

I see various folks say they use grease on slides and I see the reasons. Is there a concensus on the best types. I see Enos Glide Slide but its appears to need to be +60 degrees for use. The Shooters Choice all weather grease says its a wide range much like CLP so to me it would appear to be better for various temps. Tetras says its a heavy duty grease but says its for wide range of temps? If its heavy duty that seems to be a contridiction.As for Walmarts lithium I would think if you had low temps that could be an issue? I use that on my trailers and truck grease points.

I use Montana X-treme Gun grease. I put a very thin line down the slide rails. It says it is good for -50 to +600 degrees F.

Products « Montana X-Treme

I used CLP for all of its purposes until I got tired of having to lube my pistol after 2 weeks of it just sitting in my holster. I used grease on the barrel and rails as those areas see the most friction when the pistol is operating. I use CLP on the rest.

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Exactly why I use Tetra grease. When I lube my guns with any modern gun oil, like magic, it's gone in a week, & the gun is dry. Tetra never dries, & like that famous bunny on TV, it always works. GARY

Ive used Hoppes Elite gun oil on my SD9VE with good results.... Only thing I didnt like about it is that it tends to dry up after a couple of days...

I started using white litihium grease. I havent fired the gun since I greased it, but just racking the slide, it is a bit smoother and more quiet... lol....

For a new gun I clean it well inside and out then lube with oil. All moving parts get a little . A new gun does need to break in wear in if you will so wen it comes to lube more is not better less wear is not better at least till your gun is broken in. Also I use a Good gun oil for lube and rust protection . That said if I was shooting 500 or 1000 rounds all the time I may think about using gun grease for things that slide. I guns from 1944 from my dad with no issues at all of any kind to this day with using gun oil. Some guns I did get used and are almost 100 years old. If it's not broke! George

Thanks for the responses! I decided to follow Smith and Wesson's owners manual and only use oil. The new M&P ran 200 rounds flawlessly at the range yesterday. I cleaned and oiled the M&P a few weeks ago (just one drop at the 7 points), and there was oil lightly oozing out along the rail after the first two clips were fired. I feel oil is more than sufficient at this point in time.

Also no need to let the oil ooz out oil a rag and wipe the gun down after lubing. All metal parts should be oiled and then wiped down. I use the Same oil rag for years. Your on the right track good going! Be safe and have fun! George

In the past I used only gun oil on my (all steel) semis but for several years now I have used a high end automotive grease called Texaco Starplex Moly 2 grease that is lithium based with molybdenum. I use it very sparingly and apply a very thin and even coat of grease on the slide and frame rails of my semi autos after each cleaning. It stays where I put it and it doesn't get gloppy or forced out the back of the guns at the hammer. I can't say it is better or worse than gun specific grease but I sure do love the "feel" when pulling back the slides of my guns. I've used less than one inch of the 9 inch tube so I estimate I have enough for another 50 years or so.

This is a post that I made on a previous thread concerning using motor oil on firearms. I've used the Mobil 1 lube/grease for 11 years on dozens of guns and both work fantastic. I can fire 150+ rounds in my AR with little crud buildup in the bolt carrier, and that almost wipes off. I use a light film of grease on semi auto rails and it stays in place until I wipe it off to re-apply.

Mix 9 ozs. of Mobil1- 75W90 full synthetic rear end lube mixed with 7 ozs. LSA Mil/spec semi fluid lubricant.
It has great flowing properties, film strength, lubricity, and it flows at -5 degrees F (The lowest my freezer will go). There is VERY little separation over long periods of time. Most PTFE products separate out in a very short time.
For grease I use:
8 ozs. Mobil1 full synthetic gear grease (The red stuff) mixed with 7 ozs. of the same LSA PTFE semi fluid. This makes a light grease that can be used on all sliding parts. It has a great drop temp and adhesive properties.
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