Grease on a 1911?

[Plumb Bob]

Generally, oil for me. I also use a mix of both similar to what the 'School Of The American Rifle' guy posted on YouTube. I find it very good for AR-15 BCG.
Never had an issue using grease in a gun, but when it comes to 1911, I really respect Bill Wilson's opinion.

 

[Auto tech]

I have many high end 1911s and several big name gunsmiths I have spoken with always told me no grease just oil

 

[Hohn]

Even Bill Wilson’s “grease” is a thick, tacky oil.

Thus I will share with you the best "gun oil" I've used is SpectraSyn base oil at 100cSt. Thicker than many greases, never separates. This is the PERFECT lube for stainless slides like 1911s. It's pours about like honey as is almost as tacky. And it's impossibly slick.

I’ve gone back to oil on 1911s. Good oil, but the fact is - guns aren’t that picky. The act of lubrication is more important than the lubricant itself. I’ve tried G96, Hoppe’s, HPL, AMSOIL, and others - and the guns run correctly. If the gun is properly lubricated, and it isn’t running correctly - that is a gun problem, not a lube problem.

PUT THIS ON A PLAQUE. Of all the applications a lubricant faces, guns are among the easiest of all. Even some of the lowest grade lubes are sufficient for firearm use (witness the Fireclean debacle).

Now I happen to use a current mil-spec CLP that meets the stringent M249 test. But that's not because my particular application needs it.

The gun world is prone to many really dumb arguments, but none are dumber than arguing over gun lubes. Use lube. Wipe the excess. Live life. Literally dozens of lubricants can keep a firearm running quite happily a LONG time.

 

[Hohn]

I have many high end 1911s and several big name gunsmiths I have spoken with always told me no grease just oil

Which makes sense because high end 1911s have very smooth surfaces. Remember, the roughness of the surface is directly related to how viscous a lube it needs. With a beautifully hand-polished Wilson, even sewing machine oil would keep it running nicely.

Greases separate in many instances. And the oil parts of those greases are often quite cheap. I made the mistake of lubing a bolt rifle with Lubriplate 105, which is a good grease for certain things. But it's an awful choice for guns. Made a mess and I had to clean, strip, and relube.

 

[Auto tech]

On a 1911 with a good slide to frame fit the slide will just plow the grease right off the frame the first time you cycle the action. There are 2 places that need grease. The plunger in the main spring housing and a dab on the hammer sear when changing those parts. EVERYTHING ELSE IS OIL ONLY

 

[welderboy]

I have tried and bought lots of the fancy gun oils. I have settled in on Ballistol, which I have used for years and will continue to use, and Royal Purple 10W-40 dispensed from a pinpoint needle oiler. I believe that any commercial gun oil will do just fine on my firearms and that it is up to each individual as to what works best for them. I love this Forum.

 

[Grenjoytj]

I remember a person opined on anther forum grease shouldn't be on a 1911. Is that true?
Maybe grease is good for the summer but not the winter?
I thought about trying a thin coating of grease on the rails and locking lugs of my 1911.
The grease I have is Hoppe's.

I have the Hoppe's grease but I decided it was a little too thick.
I do grease my 1911 rails, barrel bushing, barrel and slide locking lugs but I use G96 RFG (Rapid Fire Grease).
Applied with a disposable glue brush that I've cut the bristles down to about ⅜" to stiffen them so it spreads the grease very thin.
This brush is kept standing in a plastic pill bottle that I punch a hold in the top. The pill bottle keeps the brush clean.
The rest of the pistol is oiled with G96 Gun Treatment CLP which I have in both the aerosol spray and liquid versions.
The aerosol is great for lubing the areas I can't access inside the frame. The liquid version allows me to put an oil drop right where I want it.
Like many of the above posters I've tried many gun oils and have also come to the opinion that any oil will do.
So I consolidated my gun cleaning and lubing products down to 1 oil/grease brand very few (G96, Hoppe's and M-Pro 7) solvents.

 

[ChrisD46]

I have used sunthetic Super Lube with Syncon grease as well as their oil - I’ve even mixed the two together to form a thick oil and then placed in a gun grease syringe . Works great , it’s safe , no smell , fully synthetic , wide temp range , stays where you put it and long lasting .

 

[Freischneider]

Very thin layer of TW25B. It was the only thing that I could get to prevent galling in my P229.