Luger Lubrication
 

What is the guidance on lubrication for the Luger? I have been trained to use grease on automatic guns, is this also true of the Luger? The fit of the Luger seems quite a bit tighter than other guns I have used, and I wonder if they were designed for use with oil instead.

My usual grease is Lubriplate 130A, a lithium grease, and I use it on pretty much everything automatic.

H

Luger Lub
 

Hi Again:

Though I'll admit that I am a traditionalist, here is how I clean and lube my Lugers:

Initial cleaning after purchase and after heavy fowling from extended shooting, WD-40 to remove most of the heavy crud.

Hoppies No. 9 for the bore.

Hoppies Gun Oil for the lubrication of the moving parts and a clean barrel.

Lugers were built to very high (tight) tolerances. This is one reason they are so accurate. Thick grease to lubricate the tightly fitting parts is not in the make for me.

Some suggest that you not lube the firing pin and its channel, though it hasn't seemed to make any difference to me one way or the other.

Sieger

as Sieger said, Hoppes 9 reminds me of being a kid. I use it and then breakfree.


ed

Breakfree
 

Ed:

I like the fact that Breakfree is an outstanding lube and preservative, but the smell, for some reason, is slightly irritating to me.

Oh well, who goes around smelling old Lugers anyway, I guess! Ha!!

The Hoppies gun oil isn't as an advanced a formula as the Breakfree, but it still works for me.

By the way, a few years ago, in one of the gun rags, they tried all of the commercially available lube/preservatives and Breakfree (CLP) scored the best in all tests.


Sieger

Breakfree
 

I have been using Breakfree for over 20 years with no rust problems.I used to be much more active with hunting in all kinds of weather and always cleaned and lubed with Breakfree.
Have always lived in Fla,(high humidity) and now live on a salt water canal in SW Fla. I keep my guns in a safe and usually check for rust pretty often but it does not seem to be an issue.Oh the old formulation of Breakfree used to smell better...LOL
I have used Tetra Teflon grease on my autos bearing surfaces with great results also.
Tom Nowling

Does anyone here use Kroil?

Luger Lub
 

Hi:

Kroil is a penetrating oil, not a lubricating oil.

I've tried it on some of my Mauser rifle bores, as the bench resters do, and haven't found it any better than using regular bore cleaner, if that.

Perhaps someone else has a different experience with it.

Sieger

That is where I picked up using it... benchrest shooting.

Most of the guys I shot with used 2 parts Shooters Choice with 1 part Kroil. It really does make an amazing bore cleaner. I found that in my rifles with non-stainless or moly barrels it leaves a nice protective 'sheen' in the bore.

I used 100% Kroil as a lube on my new Luger, it shot a lot better than when I lubed it with Sinclair bolt grease.

That is where I picked up using it... benchrest shooting.

Most of the guys I shot with used 2 parts Shooters Choice with 1 part Kroil. It really does make an amazing bore cleaner. I found that in my rifles with non-stainless or moly barrels it leaves a nice protective 'sheen' in the bore.

I used 100% Kroil as a lube on my new Luger, it shot a lot better than when I lubed it with Sinclair bolt grease.

Re: Breakfree
 

Im glad to hear im not the only one who doesnt like the smell of Breakfree. I dont mind Hoppes, or Remoil or even Gunscrubber for that matter. But for some reason, Breakfree smells really bad to me.

Slide Glide #1 for the top end...Lugers love the stuff

I have used Break Free CLP for rust prevention since I first started with Lugers, and I have never experienced any surface rust . . . even though I don't clean and reoil very frequently.

That's where the good news ends for me. Last week I bought another Winchester 63 rifle, took it out and ran 100 rounds through it. Worked perfectly. Then . . . I brought it home, cleaned it thoroughly with BreakFree Powder Blast, reoiled with CLP both outside and inside. The moving parts have a good coat of CLP and nothing else. Today I took it out and ran another 100 rounds of the same ammo through it and experienced at least 6 or 8 jams, because the gun just didn't cycle properly.

Yeah, I know, maybe some guns just like to be dirty. :rolleyes:

Of course, it could be that I had a bad box of ammo today (CCI LR Solid Point MiniMags), but
I am wondering if CLP is simply a bad choice for the moving parts.
Has anyone else had this kind of experience?

Luke

Break Free as Lube
 

Dear Luke:

Break Free CLP is a bit thick, but remember, this is what the US Army is using in all normal climatic zones. Surely, they would have eliminated it years ago had there been any real problems.

Sieger

Quote:

Break Free CLP is a bit thick, but remember, this is what the US Army is using in all normal climatic zones. Surely, they would have eliminated it years ago had there been any real problems.

But remember there is one heck of a lot of difference between a modern military high power action and an antique .22 auto rifle. Break Free CLP is a great lubricant, but it may not be the ideal solution for the weak recoil action of a .22 rifle. I think a light oil or silicon spray would be much more likely to facilitate reliable operation on the '63 Winchester.

WD-40
 

I use WD-40 for my Lugers, and other weapons.

WD-40 is not one of the best "oils" to use. WD stands for Water Displacement, so it is not a true gun oil, and although it works, it does not have the same properties as a gun oil would....


Ed

I have been using Clenzoil for a couple of years now and seems to work fine, it smelled kinda funny at first but I'm beginning to like it, but not as well as Hoppes #9, that smell brings back so many pleasant memories.

FOLLOW UP
 

Since my last posting on this subject I took note of Ron's comments about antique 22 rifles. Seemed like a reasonable hypothesis.

So, I thoroughly cleaned the rifle with BreakFree "Powder Blast" and immediately upon drying re-lubricated all the internal moving parts with Remoil (with teflon). I then applied a light coat of BreakFree CLP to the EXTERIOR metal only.

Since going to this process I have not experienced a single jam with this 60 year old 22 rifle. This has held true through about 700 rounds of CCI MiniMags and CCI Stingers. Conclusion: I think Ron's theory is correct; BreakFree CLP is a bit too thick or gummy for old 22 blowback-action rifles.

Luke

Just want to add that recently an interesting study was done to the rust proofing properties of some of our favorite (and less favorit) gun oils, by our member Steinar.

One of the trials is still going, I believe.

I think that WD-40 is not only not an oil, but, if allowed to remain on a metal part for a vew months, it will turn into an adhesive paste. When that happens, it is not easy to remove.

I do clock repair as a hobby. The owner sprays the movement of a stopped clock with WD-40. After a few months the clock stops again because what seemed initially like a helpful lubricant has turned into a retarding paste. The clock then comes to me for repair and I have to clean the paste off as well as the other dried oil and dust that was covered by the spray of WD-40. I can then rebuild the movement by putting in bushings and polishing pivots and so forth.

I would avoid WD-40 like the plaque, except possibly for initial an cleaning followed quickly by its compete removal in favor of a lubricant that protects the metal underneath from corrosion.

Will WD-40 prevent rust? Because of the past it turns into, I believe it will. The problem arises when it is used on metal surfaces that are intended to slide over one another. There, it does not act like a lubricant.

David