Need advice on cleaning/oiling/preserving inherited guns

[Edward Tinker]

Less is better - use just normal gun oil, try to keep it off the grips, and off the leather.
Don't use any leather 'conditioner' like neats foot, it is made to break down leather. I use Connolys hide food, be advised, anything to condition will darken the leather, which is ok if its been banged and you want to slightly darken it.

[spangy]

Originally Posted by Edward Tinker

Less is better - use just normal gun oil, try to keep it off the grips, and off the leather.
Don't use any leather 'conditioner' like neats foot, it is made to break down leather. I use Connolys hide food, be advised, anything to condition will darken the leather, which is ok if its been banged and you want to slightly darken it.

Thank You Ed ... "Less IS better"
I recently sold a 1938 Luger to a friend of a friend.
Nothing but trouble, I was assured by my friend that his friend knew all about firearms so the gun was going to a good home. He brought it back 2 weeks later complaining that it wouldn't load, wouldn't fire and that both the gun and ME were POS.

I knew right away that the guy had dissembled the gun and didn't assemble it correctly ... he left the coupling link dangling free from the mainspring saddle DUHHH. But even worse he had enough gun oil all over the entire inside and outside of the gun ... I was 'flabbergasted' - I have never seen anything like it !!! I told him it's NOT a car engine - nothing is spinning @ 5k rpm. I asked to buy the gun back because it was definitely in the WRONG hands. no go
So ya Less is more ... myself I use a light coating of jewelers porpoise jaw oil on my guns KEY points and a general purpose gun oil for the main body and bore.

Porpoise jaw oil is used by jewelers on gear posts etc - anywhere a movement is. It is used because unlike normal oil it stays put and doesn't readily spread out .... wonderful stuff but pricey.