Lubed and slippery

We all like a little lubrication now and then, getting slippery helps things move better, and brings more enjoyment.

- G-dog -

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I was at the range today, not to shoot but to catch up with a few of the lads I'd not seen in a while and to tell, and listen to, lies with them. The fast decline of society as we know knew it was a prevalent topic. As we spoke a couple lads were shooting, fairly new members to the military-run club I'm a member at and based at the range - They were having issues.

These lads, enlisted army personnel, are new to handguns and were a little clueless. My mates and I broke up our world-problem-solving chat and a couple of us went over to see what the issue was. The issue was a simple one, they were not lubricated.

We broke down their handguns and applied some lubricant explaining the process at the same time and before long they were banging away once more, all lubed and slippery and were finding a lot more enjoyment.

Reducing friction between moving parts is a critical element when it comes to firearms. That's a broad statement though as I almost never lubricate my long-range rifles as it helps collect dust and particles which can impede the action of the bolt action. If I apply any lubricant it's so sparingly applied it's almost non-existent.

With semi-automatic firearms though, it's rather important.

Lubricant helps to lower the friction coefficient that exists when metal components move against each other and that has a couple of benefits with smooth operation being the most important; that's where the lads today were struggling. It also reduces wear which increases the lifespan of components. Imagine how long and well your vehicle engine would run without oil - The answer is not well, and not long. It's the same with firearms.

I came home today and decided to do a little post about lubrication and took these photos in support. Above you can see what I personally use (on my handguns). I prefer to use oil due to it having a much lower viscosity than grease; it runs into where I need it and the excess wipes off easily.

Of course, as I said earlier, it attracts dust, dirt and gunpowder residue so the handgun needs regular cleaning. The images below are of my CZ Shadow 2 9mm semi-auto and, as you can see, it's pretty filthy. I haven't had the time to clean it but will do so before I shoot it again. I generally clean it every 300-400 rounds, so about every second weekend. I lubricate it after cleaning, but will do so again on the day I shoot it again.

You'll note some arrows above pointing to wear-points, some of the friction points and where I'd drop oil - not much mind - just enough to reduce the friction.

This is done on all the points that rub, the moving parts, and are not limited to just those I show. Working with firearms lubricant and my camera isn't a good mix so I was sparing and only did a few drops for demontration purposes.

I did this shot above because I think it's cool. As you can imagine the drops of oil need to be precisely placed which is why the dropper bottle has a needle-point nozzle; it delivers a drop exactly where required and ensures things don't get too slippery. Too much oil can be almost as bad as not enough, and it's bloody messy when the handgun fires - It goes everywhere.

Once lubrication is complete the gun goes back together and the operator works the action several times to spread the oil around. After a wipe up the gun is good to go, and the enjoyment begins.

As always, I've not made this too technical in nature and it's not supposed to be a tutorial on gun lubrication. If you have any questions or comments feel free to do so below.