Model 39-2 new to me - lube question

[cmansguns]

Just posted a few days ago about a new-to-me Model 39-2. It is quite the gun...I really like it so far (still haven't been able to get to the range). I'm working with another Forum Member on a spare original magazine as mine only came with 1 original, but in the meantime I field stripped to get familiar with it's workings, parts and cleanliness. I found disassembly to be hard at first go in that my normal grip with right hand thumb circling the grip (gun pointing left), other fingers grasping slide over the rear sight, right hand "pulls" back the slide so that left hand can push to slide stop pin out (left to right)....all normal per the Manual, however that little "nubbin" to push out is a bear until I assume, the slide and frame holes are PERFECTLY aligned. A couple more times and it's easier.

My question for those of you that are shooters of this Model, does the gun like to run "wet" or "dry"? I know the Manual said lubricate sparingly, however I found this one absolutely dry as a bone.....nothing wiped off a clean dry 100% cotton T-shirt remnant, and I was surprised, no carbon at all, no grease telltales, but no evidence there has ever been oil either. My usual with a "like-to-run dry" semi is at least a couple drops Rem-Oil on the frame rails and the slide grooves.

What do you guys use and where and how sparingly? I'll be getting a spare mag soon, so want to hit the range but I don't intend on grinding metal parts together so just asking.

Thanks in advance for any advice and/or experiences either way.

 

[Warren Sear]

All that is needed is a thin film of lube. No gun should have so much oil applied to it that it looks wet. Do not use grease on the slide rails, although that has become trendy as of late. Grease and too much oil attract dirt and fouling. A surface wet with oil has no better lubrication than one with a very thin film.

I lubricate my guns with Break free CLP, but there are lots of good options. Don't use motor oil, though.

 

[gmborkovic]

Hello Charlie, darn nice looking late 39. I use a little gun oil on the rails.
And a drop on working surface areas. I would not step back and spray the entire gun until it drips and is sloppy. When you get that extra mag, go shoot the poop out of it. Pls. no hot stuff! Just some nice medium factory or reloaded ammo.

 

[cmansguns]

thanks Warren;

I asked some LEO's getting in a little practice at my local range about how they lube their issue Glocks and they told me: wipe down w/ dry clean cloth for any carbon residue, 1 drop Rem-Oil fore and aft on the frame rails, work the action all back to all ahead about six times......good to go.

These guys are shooting anywhere from 6 to 10 mags full each session (they get 1 hr. free) so they probably have a good idea of what they are doing, and the method seems to agree right down the pike with your recommendation of a light oil film.

Thanks again.........can't wait to hit the range, maybe tomorrow with just the one magazine for now.

 

[Gunhacker]

I disagree with never use grease, as there are many different kinds to choose from.

I've been using Mil-Comm TW25B synthetic weapons grease for years.

It's not at all a typical thick "gun grease" and has not been any worse for fouling than regular "gun oil".

It's viscosity is thin, I put a drop towards the front and back of the frame rail and spread it out along the length of the rail with my finger, and end up with just a thin film of lube that stays put.

I've never liked the idea of a steel slide running on an aluminum alloy frame rail with just a thin oil.

 

[mike from st pete]

And I disagree with never using motor oil, synthetic oil like Mobil1 works just fine.

 

[Jeppo]

Beautiful 39. I share your taste in guns (one of mine is a few thousand serial numbers younger than yours).

Personally, I'm a "grease on anything that slides" guy. I clean frequently enough to avoid gunk buildup.

The only time I've ever had an issue was with a Ruger SR22 that wouldn't run some cheap ammo. Changing from grease to oil (reducing the resistance), resolved it.

 

[gmborkovic]

This is why Baskins-Robbins has 31 flavors. Never got aholt of the watermelon raison.

 

[JSticks]

"If it slides grease it, if it rolls oil it"! Oops! Maybe I'm getting mixed up with Garand maintenance. I lightly grease the rails. Really just rub on a bit and wipe off all excess so there is just a film of grease, Mobil 1.

These are a difficult handgun to reassemble, in my opinion. One trick when reassembling is mentioned in the manual. Push back on the barrel a bit after you have replaced the slide and are getting ready to put the pin in, to help align everything. Your barrel looks like new. When they get older/worn that tiny notch that you fit the guide rod into can become less defined and cause difficulty because it won't hold the guide rod. I never oil or grease the guide rod or notch that it fits on the barrel. In fact I de-grease those.

Nevertheless, there is something special about the Model 39's. In my opinion the most attractive pistol ever made, and they shoot good too!

 

[mbliss57]

I use Slip 2000 gun lube on the slide rails. CLP for oiling internals. Very sparingly with the CLP. A drop or 2 at the most. The Slip 2000 on the rails is the same. 1 drop on each rail. Left & right and GTG. Lots of other things work, there is no right answer except to run it dry or to run it over lubed.
I have heard people use everything from motor oil to grease to WD40. (I think WD40 is too thin but some use it)
Enjoy that gun. You will love it I believe. I usually take a few semi autos and a few revolvers to the range for fun.

 

[Doc1500]

Back when I bought a Honda Goldwing I wanted to make sure that I was putting the best oil in it. I posted the question which is the best oil to use in my particular bike. I got about 50 answers and 40 of them were different. I've read numerous oil reports from all parts of the industry and came to the conclusion that, as long as you put oil in it , and change it often , it doesn't matter.
Some guys never used anything but old fossil dinosaur oil and had 200,000 miles on their bike, other guys used full synthetic supposedly best and most expensive oil on the market and they have 200,000 miles on their bike. A girl came to our house from our insurance company just to draw blood for an insurance policy oh, she travels all over the state doing this. She's driving a Geo Metro that had 425,000 miles on it.
She said it was the original motor, I asked her how she made it last so long, she told me that her dad told her no matter where she is when the odometer turns 3000 miles after an oil change stop and get a changed. That's what she did from that day forward.
some guys clean their gun after they're done at the range,
some guys won't clean it until after they have a thousand rounds through it.
I personally believe clean oil in or on anything will make it last a long time.

 

[lhump1961]

I use a little Lubriplate on the rails of all my autos. I agree this could attract and hold fouling and dirt but I clean my guns after I shoot or at least most of the time. Situations where you aren't cleaning regularly I probably would't use grease but just a bit of oil like others have said. I could be wrong but I use Lubriplate because I'm convinced it can only potentially reduce wear and do no harm so why not? JMHO.

Whatever you choose you will enjoy that 39-2. As I have said before not the best DA but you can't beat the SA and reset of this pistol. Standard factory loads work great and it loves my hand loads as well. No Buffalo Bore or +P. New recoil spring is a good idea as it probably has the original and that one is getting old. New magazine springs while you're at it. The one I have that has been shot the most shoots the best.

One of the best looking and shooting pistols ever made. We look forward to that range report.

edit: a little sight paint on the front is an option if you don't like the all black front and back. My shooter has a red ramp like a revolver and my old eyes like that. I have a couple of nickel 39-2's but I prefer the blue.

 

[bigggbbruce]

Just posted a few days ago about a new-to-me Model 39-2.
I found this one absolutely dry as a bone.....nothing wiped off a clean dry 100% cotton T-shirt remnant, and I was surprised, no carbon at all, no grease telltales, but no evidence there has ever been oil either.

That's 'cause it looks like it's unfired..

 

[Doc1500]

cmansguns, if you don't mind me asking what did you pay for such a beautiful pistola ?
And I agree with above I don't think it's been fired.
If it has been probably not even a MAG full.

 

[stansdds]

You do not want to run an aluminum alloy receiver pistol dry. Doing so will result in the slide, and in the case of S&W pistols, the barrel cams, eating into the aluminum receiver.
I put a thin film of white lithium grease on the receiver rails and on the barrel cam blocks. A thin film of oil where the barrel bushing rides and at the top edge of the barrel locking lugs.

 

[PJO1425]

I was issued a Model 39 (nothing) at the IL state police academy in 1968. I bought it back in 1980 when ISP replaced it with the 439. I've been using (probably too much) Gunslick (hard to find nowadays) on the frame & slide rails since 1968. The only problem I've ever had with this pistol is when the two piece safety/decocker lever came loose recently.

 

[stansdds]

I was issued a Model 39 (nothing) at the IL state police academy in 1968. I bought it back in 1980 when ISP replaced it with the 439. I've been using (probably too much) Gunslick (hard to find nowadays) on the frame & slide rails since 1968. The only problem I've ever had with this pistol is when the two piece safety/decocker lever came loose recently.

The bane of S&W's first attempt at an ambidextrous slide safety. The use of a screw to keep the right side lever attached to the safety was not one of their better ideas. The screw frequently loosened and then the lever would fly to destinations unknown. I'm lucky, my early version Model 439 was blessed with the old single sided safety. Cleaning the screw and safety threads and a tiny drop of fingernail polish or blue Loctite works wonders.

 

[PJO1425]

The bane of S&W's first attempt at an ambidextrous slide safety. The use of a screw to keep the right side lever attached to the safety was not one of their better ideas. The screw frequently loosened and then the lever would fly to destinations unknown. I'm lucky, my early version Model 439 was blessed with the old single sided safety. Cleaning the screw and safety threads and a tiny drop of fingernail polish or blue Loctite works wonders.

Model 39 (nothing) had a safety/decocker on left side of slide only. Safety/decocker is 2 piece, some sort of friction fit (the lever) over the internal part (the part that lowers the hammer).

 

[BruceB]

I was issued a Model 39 (nothing) at the IL state police academy in 1968. I bought it back in 1980 when ISP replaced it with the 439. I've been using (probably too much) Gunslick (hard to find nowadays) on the frame & slide rails since 1968. The only problem I've ever had with this pistol is when the two piece safety/decocker lever came loose recently.

If I ever run out of those little tubes of Gunslick, I may have to sell my guns, but a little goes a LONG way. Been using it on S&W pistols since the 60s on sliding/camming things, and oil on the rotating parts.

 

[Old_Cop]

I didn't know that grease on rails was a thing until I joined Sigforum in 2007. Made sense though, a steel slide would wear an alloy frame. Currently I use Mobil ! grease but have used a bunch of others TW25, Hurleys Gold, etc.
In the dark ages of the 1980s service pistol teams ran their 1911s wet, especially when new. Competition is not carry and I would not carry a gun wet or that tight.

Oil try Slip 2000 or Break Free CLP or any other that you like. I would not use Rem Oil, too thin, or WD40, not oil as far as I am concerned.