Gun grease or just oil on the slide?

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

I guess that answers your question.

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

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.

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

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 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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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.
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.
 
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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.
_______________________
I don't have Alzheimer's- My wife had me tested.
 
I use Ballistol for all my guns. A light coat on the slide rails and the "turning parts"seems to work great for me. Started using it in the late '60's for black powder rifles. It never failed or froze. I have had a skin reaction to some oils but not this stuff. The only jams I ever had more ammo related than lube problems.
 
Has anyone tried Brian Enos's Slide-Glide?
I use Slide-Glide lite in Denver on all my Sig's and M&P's. Have no problems. I grease the barrel and lock points too. If it pivots it gets oil otherwise it gets grease. Works for me. Also used on my sons Glocks with no problem.

As long as you do something, oil or grease, and do it correctly you should have no problem.
 
I use Tetra Gun Grease on the rails and where the slide contacts the hammer to reset it and oil the internals of the gun. The one exception is my M&P22, which also gets a very light layer of grease on the barrel, because the slide is aluminum and might wear quickly, if not kept lubed. I wore out a slide on a Walther P-22, because I didn't keep the rails and barrel greased. If you run clean ammo, like CCI Mini-Mags and wipe of the old grease and put new grease on after each shoot of a few hundred rounds, it will never get abrasive.
 

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