model 645 lube
- Thread starter scouse
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
TSQUARED
Member
I use Miltec on the rails and Remoil on the innards.
The "inside" isn't lubricated, per se.
While an armorer level inspection & cleaning can involve wiping down the internal parts & assemblies with a lightly oiled/dampened cloth patch, using some premium grade lubricant, and then wiped clean, the lubrication spots are typically: (As it may vary according to environmental conditions and anticipated operation)
*1 drop to the front of the barrel hood (where it meets the front of the ejection port, and drops under the front of the slide's ejection port during cycling)
*1 drop around the barrel muzzle (although I'll also lightly rub/spread the oil or grease a bit further back along the barrel tube)
*1 drop to each side of the hammer, where it rubs inside the frame (not a lot, or really big drops, as you don't want it running and dripping off the hammer to migrate elsewhere)
*Both frame Rails
On the frame rails I tend to use a bit more lube on the .45 frames, which have long & continuous frame rails (like 1911's), unlike the shortened/separated rails on the 9/.40 guns. I use enough oil/grease on the rail surfaces to be able to confirm its presence by sight & touch, but not so much that it runs and drips off under gravity. Some migration of a light oil is expected, so I don't over-do things with an excessive amount. (A benefit of a good synthetic grease is that it better stays where you put it.
)
Also, I'll either apply the oil/grease left over on my finger tip (from lubing the barrel) to lightly oil the guide rod, or else apply & spread a small drop along the guide rod.
If the particular gun has a metal plunger in the guide rod assembly (instead of nylon), I'll sometimes apply a very small drop to the small machined cut in the middle of the slide stop assembly's body pin (which is inserted into the frame). Not mentioned as a specific lube point, but if I see rough machining marks & wear on the pin's cut, I'll use a bit of oil. Not very much.
I've seen excessively applied amounts of solvents & lubes migrate and accumulate where they ought not to be, eventually resulting in a gooey mess which can potentially interfere with normal operation (or contaminate ammunition). As an armorer I've had to correct more "gun problems" that were the result of excessively applied liquid solvents/lubes, over time, than actual problems with the guns themselves.
This can really be annoying when it involves the slide, and excessively applied liquids end up running inside the extractor & firing pin spaces. Feeding & extraction problems can result from nasty, grungy deposits in the extractor recess (depending which end of the extractor is gummed up), and light-strikes can result when the mess gathers inside the firing pin channel and interferes with firing pin freedom of movement and FP spring compression. Liquids can more easily run into such places, than out of them, so it's preferable to not contaminate them in the first place.
I've pulled apart 3rd gen guns that had been in-service for many years and only found a very light "dusting" of powder fouling under the extractor and/or inside the firing pin channel ... and then I've disassembled newer production TSW's that have only been in-service for less than 5 years and found gooey messes of accumulated grunge that was interfering with the gun's operation during live-fire. Just depends on who was doing the normal field-stripping, cleaning & lubing, and how experienced, knowledgeable & careful they were in maintaining their weapon.
A tip to help keep solvents & CLP's from entering the FP channel is to point the breech face downward during scrubbing, so gravity helps keep the liquids from running into the hole in the breech face. (Yes, it makes it hard to see the breech face while you're scrubbing, but don't hold it above your head where stuff can fall into your eyes. )
A couple drops on a patch, wrapped around the narrow end of the typical "M16" nylon brush, can easily be slipped down inside the channels to either side of the slide's pickup rail, wiping away fouling, followed by a dry patch to remove residue. Good cleaning without needing to mop up puddles of solvent/CLP. After all, it's not normally necessary to "wash" the slide with a "bucket & mop", like you would your car or truck wheels (or stripped AR BCG, for some of you guys
). Obviously, if a slide has been contaminated - dropped & submerged into water, sand, silt, etc - some detailed attention by an armorer or gunsmith is prudent.
Also don't apply heavy amounts of liquids to the rear of the FP, underneath the manual safety body or up around either plunger in the bottom of the slide. These spots can allow migration into the FP channel.
The extractor recess in the 9/.40 slides is also open on the bottom - that machined cut on the bottom of the slide, on the right side of the pickup rail. I'll sometimes blow DRY air (compressor or canned) up into that narrow cut ... and often watch some cop's slide OOZE black liquid out the sides of the slide, all around the extractor, because that cop had applied far too much solvent/CLP to that area of the slide during "cleaning".
The .45 slides lack this narrow machined cut on the bottom, so they're harder to both contaminate & clean out. I use a LIGHTLY dampened patch, wrapped around the narrow end of the tapered M16 nylon brush, to scrub out behind the extractor hook, immediately followed by clean & DRY patches to make sure the recess behind the hood is clean & DRY.
I have a number of different synthetic oils & greases, made for firearms, which I use at my own bench or the benches at the range. Some CLP's. I like the idea of some of the newer non-toxic stuff. (Read the labels for safety warnings.)
I don't shill specific brands. I usually like oil-type lubes for guns which don't see a lot of constantly exposed (uniform) outside weather, meaning temperature changes & humidity in the air. Just be sure to periodically check to make sure the oil-type lube hasn't migrated & wicked/run off. Reapply as needed for your circumstances.
If I were planning to carry an exposed handgun in and around bodies of fresh or salt water, I'd probably lean toward using one of the new synthetic greases (or maybe a bit of both, an oil/grease slurry, as I sometimes do with my 1911's when I plan to run them hard and long for multiple range sessions without cleaning).
Okay, I didn't mean to wander along this much about random cleaning & lubrication thoughts.
Since I spent more minutes than I'd intended writing this hodge-podge of stuff, I suppose I might as well go ahead and post this instead of deleting it ...
Just my thoughts and some experiences. NOT detailed instructions. (I'd be more detailed and offer further explanations here & there.) I know other folks have their own thoughts on this subject, and that's fine.
While an armorer level inspection & cleaning can involve wiping down the internal parts & assemblies with a lightly oiled/dampened cloth patch, using some premium grade lubricant, and then wiped clean, the lubrication spots are typically: (As it may vary according to environmental conditions and anticipated operation)
*1 drop to the front of the barrel hood (where it meets the front of the ejection port, and drops under the front of the slide's ejection port during cycling)
*1 drop around the barrel muzzle (although I'll also lightly rub/spread the oil or grease a bit further back along the barrel tube)
*1 drop to each side of the hammer, where it rubs inside the frame (not a lot, or really big drops, as you don't want it running and dripping off the hammer to migrate elsewhere)
*Both frame Rails
On the frame rails I tend to use a bit more lube on the .45 frames, which have long & continuous frame rails (like 1911's), unlike the shortened/separated rails on the 9/.40 guns. I use enough oil/grease on the rail surfaces to be able to confirm its presence by sight & touch, but not so much that it runs and drips off under gravity. Some migration of a light oil is expected, so I don't over-do things with an excessive amount. (A benefit of a good synthetic grease is that it better stays where you put it.
)Also, I'll either apply the oil/grease left over on my finger tip (from lubing the barrel) to lightly oil the guide rod, or else apply & spread a small drop along the guide rod.
If the particular gun has a metal plunger in the guide rod assembly (instead of nylon), I'll sometimes apply a very small drop to the small machined cut in the middle of the slide stop assembly's body pin (which is inserted into the frame). Not mentioned as a specific lube point, but if I see rough machining marks & wear on the pin's cut, I'll use a bit of oil. Not very much.
I've seen excessively applied amounts of solvents & lubes migrate and accumulate where they ought not to be, eventually resulting in a gooey mess which can potentially interfere with normal operation (or contaminate ammunition). As an armorer I've had to correct more "gun problems" that were the result of excessively applied liquid solvents/lubes, over time, than actual problems with the guns themselves.
This can really be annoying when it involves the slide, and excessively applied liquids end up running inside the extractor & firing pin spaces. Feeding & extraction problems can result from nasty, grungy deposits in the extractor recess (depending which end of the extractor is gummed up), and light-strikes can result when the mess gathers inside the firing pin channel and interferes with firing pin freedom of movement and FP spring compression. Liquids can more easily run into such places, than out of them, so it's preferable to not contaminate them in the first place.
I've pulled apart 3rd gen guns that had been in-service for many years and only found a very light "dusting" of powder fouling under the extractor and/or inside the firing pin channel ... and then I've disassembled newer production TSW's that have only been in-service for less than 5 years and found gooey messes of accumulated grunge that was interfering with the gun's operation during live-fire. Just depends on who was doing the normal field-stripping, cleaning & lubing, and how experienced, knowledgeable & careful they were in maintaining their weapon.
A tip to help keep solvents & CLP's from entering the FP channel is to point the breech face downward during scrubbing, so gravity helps keep the liquids from running into the hole in the breech face. (Yes, it makes it hard to see the breech face while you're scrubbing, but don't hold it above your head where stuff can fall into your eyes.
)A couple drops on a patch, wrapped around the narrow end of the typical "M16" nylon brush, can easily be slipped down inside the channels to either side of the slide's pickup rail, wiping away fouling, followed by a dry patch to remove residue. Good cleaning without needing to mop up puddles of solvent/CLP. After all, it's not normally necessary to "wash" the slide with a "bucket & mop", like you would your car or truck wheels (or stripped AR BCG, for some of you guys
). Obviously, if a slide has been contaminated - dropped & submerged into water, sand, silt, etc - some detailed attention by an armorer or gunsmith is prudent.Also don't apply heavy amounts of liquids to the rear of the FP, underneath the manual safety body or up around either plunger in the bottom of the slide. These spots can allow migration into the FP channel.
The extractor recess in the 9/.40 slides is also open on the bottom - that machined cut on the bottom of the slide, on the right side of the pickup rail. I'll sometimes blow DRY air (compressor or canned) up into that narrow cut ... and often watch some cop's slide OOZE black liquid out the sides of the slide, all around the extractor, because that cop had applied far too much solvent/CLP to that area of the slide during "cleaning".
The .45 slides lack this narrow machined cut on the bottom, so they're harder to both contaminate & clean out. I use a LIGHTLY dampened patch, wrapped around the narrow end of the tapered M16 nylon brush, to scrub out behind the extractor hook, immediately followed by clean & DRY patches to make sure the recess behind the hood is clean & DRY.
I have a number of different synthetic oils & greases, made for firearms, which I use at my own bench or the benches at the range. Some CLP's. I like the idea of some of the newer non-toxic stuff. (Read the labels for safety warnings.)
I don't shill specific brands. I usually like oil-type lubes for guns which don't see a lot of constantly exposed (uniform) outside weather, meaning temperature changes & humidity in the air. Just be sure to periodically check to make sure the oil-type lube hasn't migrated & wicked/run off. Reapply as needed for your circumstances.
If I were planning to carry an exposed handgun in and around bodies of fresh or salt water, I'd probably lean toward using one of the new synthetic greases (or maybe a bit of both, an oil/grease slurry, as I sometimes do with my 1911's when I plan to run them hard and long for multiple range sessions without cleaning).
Okay, I didn't mean to wander along this much about random cleaning & lubrication thoughts.
Since I spent more minutes than I'd intended writing this hodge-podge of stuff, I suppose I might as well go ahead and post this instead of deleting it ...
Just my thoughts and some experiences. NOT detailed instructions. (I'd be more detailed and offer further explanations here & there.) I know other folks have their own thoughts on this subject, and that's fine.
Last edited:
Nothing critical that really needs lube in the trigger. Extra lube will only trap and hold fouling, dirt, grit, brass shavings or misc debris. As long as it doesn't interfere with any freedom of movement by turning into "lapping compound", and later on sludge, though ... and you know how to clean it out periodically ... it's your gun.
Something to check and keep in mind, though, is that the end of the trigger pin (visible at each side of the frame) MUST visibly rotate back & forth within the frame hole as the trigger is functioned. If it doesn't, I'd either replace the trigger pin (damaged, etc), or, remove it and check for scratches/damage/burrs which are light enough to be removed by "rolling" the ends of the pin in some folded 600-1200 crocus cloth. (NOT polished. Just enough to reduce any minor friction & dress any minor scratches or burrs, so the trigger pin - which is "captured" within the trigger by a HEAVY spring & plunger - can freely rotate back & forth with the trigger's movement.)
The only "extra" drop of oil I add, when I have a frame totally stripped, is to the small indentation at the front of the drawbar head. This is where the back (head) of the aluminum drawbar plunger fits when the drawbar is installed. Not an "official" lube point, though. Probably not needed (or they'd have told us to do it
), but the spring tension which powers the drawbar tail to lift upward to engage the hammer & sear in DA & SA modes is pretty important ... and it makes me feel better.In aluminum alloy frames I might add a very small dab of a light synthetic grease (or oil) to the underside of both barrel camming cuts in the frame, as this is where some normal peening & gouging can occur as the sharp points of the barrel's camming angles run down & up during cycling. Not all the time. I've never bothered in the steel frames, as the rear edges of the angled barrel cuts (on either side of the feedramp) aren't likely to gouge/peen the steel frame like normally happens in alloy frames. Again, I don't want to put so much there that it acts as a debris & grit magnet.
Congrats on the 645. Excellent "workhorse" .45 pistols. The weight & heft makes recoil management rather nice, huh? You can order both the "standard" recoil spring (duty ammo, +P) and the "wadcutter" recoil spring from S&W, if you want to run bunny loads.
Feel free to use my listed email if you have an occasional question.
BTW, the original 645 mags, with the steel butt plates & followers, are something I'd only use for range enjoyment. They were long before the follower & mag body (lip) revisions and improvements were made. Any 8-rd current 3rd gen .45 mag with the black follower will run fine in it, though.
Enjoy.
Last edited:
A couple years ago I bought a SS 645, with 3 original mags,
no box or other stuff, in good used condition, for
390$ out the door. IMO, a LNIB, with paperwork, and
original gear, would be worth @500$ today. I'd gladly
pay that, considering my 645 is my favorite carry gun.
no box or other stuff, in good used condition, for
390$ out the door. IMO, a LNIB, with paperwork, and
original gear, would be worth @500$ today. I'd gladly
pay that, considering my 645 is my favorite carry gun.
