Best Lube/Oil for a Parkerized M1911

[CmdrSlander]

What is the best lube/oil for a parkerized M1911? Currently I use the Hoppe's #9 brand oil (not the solvent, don't panic) to lubricate the gun and as rust prevention (liberally coating the other surfaces on the gun so it will be soaked up by the parkerized finish). I'm out of the Hoppes, should I buy more or switch to something else?

 

[smalls]

I find that oil just doesn't stay put on my rails. I use Hoppes on the barrel, and other parts, but I use oil for the rails. I can't think of the brand right now, but there are hundreds.

 

[Jaymo]

I use Ballistol to soak the Parkerizing, Tetra Gun oil on all moving parts, except for the rails, and Gunsilk grease (bought it in 95 at a gun show) on the rails. Shooter's Choice grease is pretty good, too.

Break Free LP and Break Free CLP both work well, too.

 

[RickMD]

I lube mine with Mobile 1 and use automatic transmission fluid on the parkerizing. The ATF soaks beautifully into the parkerized finish and gives it nice sheen.

 

[Water-Man]

I use a TUF CLOTH on the parkerizing.

 

[Dr.Rob]

CLP and a teeny bit of grease on the rails.

 

[XD 45acp]

Breakfree LP....basically CLP without the Cleaner.

 

[h0use]

Froglube

 

[JTQ]

I really like CLP's. They all clean well enough for my needs and all lube and protect well.

BreakFree CLP is a nice product. Make sure you shake it up, a lot, before you use it to get everything back into suspension. I used to give it a little shake, until I transferred it to a clear bottle for use. I was surprised at how much "stuff" had settled to the bottom of the bottle and how much shaking it took to get the "stuff" back into solution.

Ballistol is also a nice product, but it has an "interesting" smell.

I'm currently using SLIP 2000. Very little smell and you don't have to shake it up like you need to with BreakFree.

I haven't used them, but I'm sure I'll give WeaponShield and Frog Lube a try at some time and I'm sure they will be good.

 

[M7]

When it comes to lubing the rails of any of my guns, especially my 1911s, I just use the highest viscosity full synthetic motor oil (like Mobil1 20w50) that I can find. It gives me the best of both worlds. I get "oil-like" migration and easy clean-up with "grease-like" adherence.

YMMV. (pun intented)

 

[2wheels]

Nothing wrong with Hoppes, I have a bottle or two lying around. I prefer Breakfree CLP for my lubing/cleaning needs.

 

[emtpacker]

have any of you guys with park'd guns coated them with grease or Vaseline and baked them to get it all soaked in? no personal experience here, but I have heard that an application like this helps to "complete" the parkerizing finish.

 

[JTQ]

emtpacker wrote,
have any of you guys with park'd guns coated them with grease or Vaseline and baked them to get it all soaked in? no personal experience here, but I have heard that an application like this helps to "complete" the parkerizing finish.

From Xavier's Thoughts blog. He did it and thought it worked pretty well. I'd use some other lube than Vaseline, unless you like Vaseline as a gun lube.

http://xavierthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/02/parkerizing-truth-vs-tales.html

I think the big thing I do with a parkerized pistol is to avoid brake cleaner or any of those other "strip all the oil off" products so many guys use on their pistols. This stuff will take off all the lube and actually change the color of your parkerized pistol, until you can get the lube back on. You spend some time and money putting lube on your pistol, why strip it all off.

Think of a parkerized finish on a pistol like a cast iron skillet. You may use soap and water on your skillet when you first get it, but after that you keep the detergent off it so you can "season" the pan. It is the build up of the grease and oil over time that makes the skillet non-stick. It is the accumulation of lube on the parkerized finish that lubes and protects the pistol.

 

[0to60]

have any of you guys with park'd guns coated them with grease or Vaseline and baked them to get it all soaked in? no personal experience here, but I have heard that an application like this helps to "complete" the parkerizing finish.

I do this. I clean and lube it with CLP and then once its all assembled (except for the grips), I turn on the stove and wave the gun over it a few times to heat up the metal. Then I get out a jar of vaseline and start smearing it on. I let it sit like that for a day or two and then I wipe the excess vaseline off. It definitely keeps the parkerization filled in and a LOT more durable.

I wish I had known about this from the start. For the first few months, my poor dried out parkerization accumulated some scratches.

 

[Jaymo]

You can buy Tri-Flow, which is basically Break Free CLP, in a big pump-spray bottle for about 28 dollars.
CLP works well. LP works better/lasts longer as a lube, because it's a lube/protectant only, no cleaner.
For steel on steel, Tetra Gun oil beats Break Free by a country mile.
Both are excellent gun lubes.
I use both. I don't clean much with CLP. Shooter's Choice, Hoppes #9 and Benchrest solvents, and carburetor cleaner do most of my gun cleaning, along with Kroil and Ed's Red.


Does the Dexron make the Parked gun stink? Dexron smells funny. I sometimes use it as a chain lube and rust penetrant at work.

To be honest, you could strip the parked gun and let it soak in a bucket of Dexron. Let it soak an hour to overnight, and wipe down/swab out.
I'm thinking about getting a couple of ultrasonic cleaners. One for water based solvents and one for dexron.

 

[MYREDTAIL]

You will get a Million answers on this one so let me make it a Million & two. EEZOX for the dry Lub & Cleaner & Rust Preventer it's the all in one. And Brian Eno's Slide- guide for Greasing the Rails etc.

 

[CZguy]

VVL-800 worked well for me for thirty years. Or any good 10 wt. machine oil.

 

[grendelbane]

I use my mad scientist home brew. Canola oil from the grocery store mixed with Dexron ATF from the dollar store.

It works very well. I have tested it down to -10 degrees F. If it gets colder than that, I am not going shooting. It doesn't seem to gum up any worse than other premium lubricants or snake oil on the market.

It is a little thin for some people's taste, if you want to add a little heavier weight motor oil to it, go right ahead. All rights are reversed.

Most any oil will do, though. It is hard to find a bad oil, though it is easy to overpay for a good oil.

Back in the day, sperm oil was the lubricant of choice. It is still good, but unfortunately not available these days. There are lots of excellent alternatives, however.

 

[Knockdownpower]

Slip 2000