To Oil or Not To Oil

[Ruger Nut]

This might sound trivial to some but I will ask anyway. I just put some new grips on my 5906. In the past, with my Rugers, I would oil the grips as part of the cleaning process. Being this is my first SS S&W (besides my (2) previous SWVE's) I want it to look as good or better then the ones I see here. Does anyone here use oil on their grips as part of the cleaning process? I know this does not pertain to Hogues and I am only talking about a light coat of oil. Pics?

 

[Delos]

Grip oil (or wax)?

I assume you are talking about linseed oil? Actually on finished wood a oil or wax used on finished wood surfaces might be nice?

Obviously this is not my subject. However we all have opinions.

I have done a little skiing and have read about the old wood ski waxes. Like floor wax, which is a "grip" wax - a grip wax is used in the center of cross country skis for traction. A glide wax is used one the rest of the bottom of the ski. (I would use a glide wax on a pistol grip)

Okay, where am I going. A pistol grip is something you often put your hand on. Regular gun oil has solvents in it. I doubt if one can get a non-detergent light oil.

On regular steel guns that are blued I have often come home from the range on a hot day and wiped baby oil on the external steel parts where my salty hands had touched (then there is no hurry to clean it). So if I were to oil grips it would probably be baby oil. It does have a preservative listed. I once read an article warning against putting baby oil in ears?

My newest J frame gun came with rubber grips and they grip a little to good. I normally do a slight readjustment of my hand on the grip before firing, and the rubber feels a bit wrong. A few days ago I rubbed a block of paraffin wax on my rubber grips (yup the paraffin was left over from my past ski hobby). After a couple of days it has begun feeling pretty good. Eventually I will buy wood grips with a little more wood behind the trigger guard.

No doubt an experienced well read gun collector will jump in with info on what the pro's use.
I look forward to reading what they say.

 

[MichiganScott]

If you are talking lubricant, I try to avoid it. It will soften both wood and rubber.

Wax is best, but may make the grips hard to hold and is difficult to get out of checkering.

 

[Rastoff]

Oil your grips? I've never heard of such a thing.

Plastic grips should have nothing put on them. Wood grips don't need anything either, but you could use a vegetable oil I guess.

 

[Lost Lake]

Oil preserves wood, breaks down rubber and makes plastic slippery.

 

[ispcapt]

Not gun oil. Gun oil doesn't do anything to preserve wood. It makes wood soft. Not good. If you feel the need to put anything on wood grips then use something like wax or polish for wood floors or something specifically for wood, just not gun oil. You don't want slick grips tho.

 

[Rastoff]

Tung oil, Linseed oil and Vegetable oil are all good for wood and all do different things. Motor oil, silicone and gun oil are all bad for wood and, as ispcapt said, make the wood soft over time; bad.

I'm curious to hear the OP respond back.

 

[Ruger Nut]

Tung oil, Linseed oil and Vegetable oil are all good for wood and all do different things. Motor oil, silicone and gun oil are all bad for wood and, as ispcapt said, make the wood soft over time; bad.

I'm curious to hear the OP respond back.

Ok,I have been looking at pics of 5906's and that's why I asked the q? They seem to have a "sheen" look on the plastic grips,like as if they were oiled. Mine have a slight gray look,not as "black" as the ones in the pics I have looked at. Does this make sense?

 

[ispcapt]

Looks normal.
Do not do as one of our LTs did when we went to Glock. She put Armorall all over her Glock. Amorall made it shiny as a diamond. Really pretty. Wasn't worth 2 cents for shooting tho. Made it slicker than snot on a door knob. At least then she had an excuse for just barely qualifying. Don't know what excuses she used before but she had excuses by the book full.

 

[PH-2]

RN,

Get some Renaissance Wax, if you want a little bling, there. I'll bet Johnson's Paste Wax, or similar, will work, also.

Be advised, you are polishing a surface that best works if suitably "grippy".

Mike

 

[Ruger Nut]

Looks normal.
Do not do as one of our LTs did when we went to Glock. She put Armorall all over her Glock. Amorall made it shiny as a diamond. Really pretty. Wasn't worth 2 cents for shooting tho. Made it slicker than snot on a door knob. At least then she had an excuse for just barely qualifying. Don't know what excuses she used before but she had excuses by the book full.

Did you carry a 5906 on duty at one time? Wow,LEO are brutal on the grips! The ones I took off looked like the rt. side was dragged behind the cruiser.

 

[ispcapt]

Did you carry a 5906 on duty at one time? Wow,LEO are brutal on the grips! The ones I took off looked like the rt. side was dragged behind the cruiser.

5904.
There's a reason grips get beat up so bad and you can tell from looking at a gun if the LEO was right or left handed. Guns are worn exposed when in uniform where non-LEOs usually have some type of clothing over their gun. LEO duty holsters tend to carry the gun away from the body a bit where CCW carriers usually wear theirs higher and closer to the body. Most squad cars have bucket seats. Between the seats are mounted the radios and other hardware. For a right handed LEO your gun is constantly riding against these radios and other hard parts. For left handed the butt drags on the door post getting out of the car.

 

[Delos]

Pistol grips

Perhaps this subject is temporarily interesting to me because I have never read anything about it and never had a problem.

I am aware of stock damage to old war rifles from excessive oil on barrel pooling up on wood, under the barrel. Perhaps because military rifles spend time in boxes in horizontal stock down position?

I once read a magazine article that recommended storing a rifle barrel down after cleaning and oiling, instead of stock down, so the oil would not drain down onto the wood.

My pistols/revolvers have only had hand oil on them (oil from my hand). I have occasionally been in prison gun towers where the pistols and other guns were checked/handled at least 3 times a day every day at change of shift. All of them (S&W model 10's) that I have seen had good grips. Apparently nothing in our skin oil is bad for them.

 

[Lost Lake]

Looks normal.
Do not do as one of our LTs did when we went to Glock. She put Armorall all over her Glock. Amorall made it shiny as a diamond. Really pretty. Wasn't worth 2 cents for shooting tho. Made it slicker than snot on a door knob.

That reminds me of the time I Armor All'd my ATV seat. I was sliding all over the place. After a few miles my arms were worn out trying to keep my rear on the thing.

 

[Ruger Nut]

I should have been a bit more thorough explaining myself in my OP. I want my grips to look a bit "more black." I don't want them to be too slick as to where the gun jumps from my hand when I shoot it.
In the past,when cleaning my firearms,I would pass the oiled rag over the grips then wipe them off. It gives it the "more black" look.These are new grips on my 5906 and I wanted to see others that had that "more black" look and how you achieved it.

 

[Rastoff]

Ok,I have been looking at pics of 5906's and that's why I asked the q? They seem to have a "sheen" look on the plastic grips,like as if they were oiled. Mine have a slight gray look,not as "black" as the ones in the pics I have looked at. Does this make sense?

Yes, it makes perfect sense. Wiping a rag that was just used to clean the gun over those grips won't hurt it.

Personally, I like it the way it is. I guess I'm just weird that way.

Perhaps this subject is temporarily interesting to me because I have never read anything about it and never had a problem.

The "softening" issue is much more common in rifles and shotguns. Storing them stock down does allow the oil to run into and pool on the wood. I have seen several wood stock ruined due to too much oil. This is why I use only grease on my long guns. It doesn't run like oil does.

 

[SMSgt]

I could tell you a horror story about Armorall and an A-10 aircraft, but this isn't the forum for that.

 

[Ruger Nut]

I could tell you a horror story about Armorall and an A-10 aircraft, but this isn't the forum for that.

Let's hear it.

 

[rwsmith]

Start a new thread

I could tell you a horror story about Armorall and an A-10 aircraft, but this isn't the forum for that.

Start a new thread, I really want to hear this

 

[Delos]

Fish Scales

I want some pistol and revolver grips with the same fish scale patterns used on modern cross country skis.

Let me explain. The old wood cross country skis originated in Norway and they became the experts on the various waxes involved.
(no photo's)
The Best Waxless Cross Country Skis | LIVESTRONG.COM

In about the 1970's wood was replaced by plastic cross country skis. The grip waxes used in the center upward curve (under the skiers foot) were replaced with what they called fish scales. I would prefer the word shingles like on a roof. Anyway to be able to push forward the backward grip forward slide was accomplished like water running off of shingles.

On a handgun grip with the shingle/scales downward the hand would easily adjust down onto the handle. The upward recoil would be resisted. Particularly the old single action style that tapers upward. The barrel heaviness has the steer-horn shaped handle hang naturally in your hand except under heavy recoil.

Guess I need to get a dremil tool and make one myself. (I assume the dremil tools have wood filing points).