cleaning a luger

[Big Norm]

Cleaning a gun has always been a good topic. It is important to always keep oil on your gun. and not to get oil on the grips or holsters. After that, the question is just how you use the gun. Do you handle it a lot or do you want to keep it in storage for a long while? I recently talked to a classic car owner and he said that sythetic car oil sticks to metal better on his cars that he rarely drives and are kept in storage for long periods. So I would probably use that for guns that I handle a lot. Keep a rag handy that is impregnated with this for a casual whipe after handling.
On a gun that you want to store, RIG is good and store it in a cloth gun case so that air can circulate. Those "Bore Store" silicone gun cases that you find at gun shows are good. Personally, I use Vaseline petroleum jelly instead of RIG. I always thought that oil wicked off onto the cloth gun cases during periods of long storage.
To clean a gun before oiling, I would use "Flitz" and rub lightly. It comes in a toothpaste type of tube and is available at many hardware stores. It is a mild abrasive so don't rub hard or too often on a collector quality gun. Apply with a damp cloth. I use this to remove cold bluing and light freckling rust.
If you totally break down a Luger and want to clean off old oil and dirt, then use rubbing alcohol before oiling.
I will repeat though, do not get oil on wood grips or holsters. Its best to not put anything on them.
Big Norm