Auto Pistol Slide Lube

[Danko]

Guys, I'm sure this topic has come up in the past, but let's look at it again. Gun oil vs gun grease to lube the slide and its rails? I just cleaned my guns and applied Lucas gun grease to their slides and rails. I own three auto pistols and have only been shooting for two years. Each time I cleaned and lubed my guns it seemed to me a light dose of thin gun oil is not adequate to use on slides and rails. Each of my gun's slides and rails reveal friction spots of shiny metal. There is never any oil in the friction areas. We know slides and rails are hard working parts under a lot of pressure. I said to hell with what the major gun makers say, gun slides need to be greased. I went on a net search for gun grease. I found the Lucas stuff I bought and also found a grease made by Brian Enos, but can't recall its name. someone can provide its name. Both products have good reviews.

I haven't fired any of my guns since I applied the grease, but I expect it to remain in place based on how the grease felt and how it went on. The Lucas was very easy to apply right out of its rubbery tube. I gently squeezed the tube and repeatedly tapped its tip onto the slide and rails, leaving very small dabs of grease along the way. I fully expect to eliminate or vastly diminish the wear on my guns.

Okay! How many of you grease rather than oil your slides?

Danko--

[paherne]

I've been shooting 2011s for the past 3 years and grease definitely works better, IME. I've switched to Slip2000 EWG because I've had good luck with their products in the past and it's non-toxic. I've used Lucas products before and been happy with them. I'm now experimenting with grease on my carry glocks and will see how that goes.

[vcdgrips]

I have used Lithium bearing grease out of a 3.99 tub from Walmart since the early 2000’s. Same tub until I threw the remainder away when I moved a few weeks ago.

IMHO-location and amt of lube is far more important than the lube itself on the pistols have trained with, taken classes with and carried ( Glocks and 1911s).

My go to lubes forever have been lithium bearing grease, Mobil 1 syn motor oil or some red lucas stuff one of my first shooting mentors gave me way back in the day.

I like grease because it stays put.

YMMV.

[DDTSGM]

I found the Lucas stuff I bought and also found a grease made by Brian Enos, but can't recall its name. someone can provide its name. Both products have good reviews.

I haven't fired any of my guns since I applied the grease, but I expect it to remain in place based on how the grease felt and how it went on. The Lucas was very easy to apply right out of its rubbery tube. I gently squeezed the tube and repeatedly tapped its tip onto the slide and rails, leaving very small dabs of grease along the way. I fully expect to eliminate or vastly diminish the wear on my guns.

Okay! How many of you grease rather than oil your slides?

Danko--

The Brian Enos stuff is called Slide Glide and I've been using it for a couple decades. I'm sure he's upgraded formulas since that time. When I started using it the secret sauce reportedly contained automatic transmission fluid.

[Maca]

Lately, I’ve been using hornady oneshot as a lubricant, and it’s been great. It stays in place as well as grease on surface areas like slide rails, while also getting into smaller crevices such as a p365 FCU.

[David S.]

Anything. Just keep it wet and vaguely clean.

Preemptive:
94340

[Danko]

Slide Glide, that's the stuff! I'll bet it's a good product, 'cause Brian stands behind it. I only went with the Lucas so I wouldn't have to give my credit card number to yet another site.

Thank you!

[Danko]

I hear ya! I gave lithium grease consideration as well as Mobil 1, but I decided to go with a product said to be developed specifically for guns. There likely is no difference expect its cost.

Thank you!

[Danko]

I haven't come across that product, but it sounds good if it stays in place like grease. I wouldn't expect Hornady to make gun oil, but hey, they have a big name, may as well expand their product line.

Thank you!

[4RNR]

Waaaay over thinking it but if it makes you happy have at it

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk

[MattyD380]

I honestly prefer oil.

I’ve used grease on my Sigs—mainly because of that infamous article/post that explains how your Sig will disintegrate if you see bare metal on the frame rails. But I feel like the thicker, more viscous medium tends to slow down the slide. In particular, I noticed this with one of my P225s/P6s. Using TB25b grease, I would occasionally have a FTFeed from slide lock. Went back to oil, and the slide seemed a lot snappier going into battery (from slide lock) and never hung up.

Granted, the recoil spring was pretty old in that P6, but I don’t think there’s any question the slide was moving slower with the grease. Now I never had any issues while firing (even using just grease) but… I tend to think slowing the slide down isn’t really a good thing?

At the end of the day, oil is just more slippery than grease (at least the grease I’ve used). And I think most guns were probably designed to run with oil. Plus, I kinda think the whole aluminum alloy frame wear thing is a bit overplayed. After handling some raw machined aluminum parts… it seemed pretty damn tough to me.

[flux]

Tried many different oils for the slide rails, these days I just use wheel bearing grease. Lasts just fine, one tub will last a very long time. Tried the branded greases, EWG etc, can’t say it worked better for the slide rails than the Bearing grease.

[Kriek]

Moly grease. Stays on better than oils, especially when FA gets submerged. As soon as possible after submerging, dry and re-apply grease.

But if you have a long stint that you can not clean or open up to get all the water out, the grease stays.

Sent from my BV9900E using Tapatalk

[CraigS]

I have been using Wilson's grease for a couple years now. It has a tackiness (?) that seems to hold it in place better than oils. They call it grease but it is more of a thick oil. Reminds me of chain saw chain oil.
https://shopwilsoncombat.com/GREASE-ULTIMA-LUBE-II-4-OZ-BOTTLE/productinfo/579-4/

[JonInWA]

Definitely a lubricant with thicker viscosity then oil. For most pistols, I prefer Lucas Red "N" Tacky #2 grease, for compact pistols with faster slide reciprocation and 1911s I prefer Mil-Comm's TW25B cream type grease, which is a thinner viscosity than the Lucas, but definitely thicker than oil.

Both products have superb longevity (especially the Lucas) and don't migrate or evaporate.

Best, Jon

[BN]

94360

In 1986, Steve Nastoff told me to use this in my .45 Comp gun. I've been using it on everything since then. I've tried other stuff but nothing has worked better. I used the original heavy Slide Glide on a 1911 in 9mm and it shut down in cold weather.

The price sticker on the Lubriplate says $2.45.

[vcdgrips]

14 oz tub of grease is 6 ish

https://www.walmart.com/ip/ST-GREASE-TUB-MULTI/960876572?fulfillmentIntent=In-store


32 oz bottle of oil at 7 ish
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-High-Mileage-Full-Synthetic-Motor-Oil-5W-20-1-qt/23636901?fulfillmentIntent=In-store

Mixed Syringe variety pack w needles/caps etc so you can easily cap and put lubes precisely where you want it 8 ish

https://www.amazon.com/BSTEAN-Syringe-Blunt-Tip-Needle/dp/B01HFTYINS/ref=sr_1_16?crid=37DVJIK3739RQ&keywords=Syringe+variety+pack&qid=1663246473&s=industrial&sprefix=syringe+variety+pack%2Cindustrial%2C87&sr=1-16


Having said all of the above- I have seen a pistol and AR run well on a water based hygiene product (Vagisil tm) when liberally and frequently applied at a 3 day 1000+ round class after the shooter was specifically told that a dirty, well lubed gun will run better than his spotless underlubed gun.

Bottom line for 20ish dollars you gun lube needs ( at least) are solved for the foreseeable future freeing you mind to solve other issues.

[JohnO]

Many folks have a preferred brand and type of lube. In actuallity using lube if far more important than what type or brand.

Much of the Snake Oil huckstering of yesteryear has migrated to the gun lube marketing business.

Examples: Roller Coaster grease = Frog Lube, just color it green & pay a former NSW guy to endorse.

Your kitchen's Canola Oil = Fire Clean. The greatest lubricant known to man. Guys like Vickers took the bait and bucks to endorse.
Why? Current Fire Clean price $15.99/2 oz.. I think FC was close to $30 for that same quantity when the hype was new. You can order a Gallon of Canola Oil from Amazon for under $14. You do the math!

[LittleLebowski]

Any decent lube will work. I’ve been using the ALG Geissele very thin grease, I like it.


https://www.amazon.com/Geissele-Automatics-Go-Juice-0000-Grease/dp/B01MRVUNMO/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=alg+grease&qid=1663249252&sr=8-3

[TCinVA]

Grease is simply oil suspended in some sort of binder.

The oil part does what oil usually does.

The binder remains behind.

[Totem Polar]

With the caveat that I primarily shoot Glocks, I just run tetragun lithium grease or something similar like lucas oil grease. But I’ve also grabbed some synth oil off the dipstick of the mini cooper S I owned at the time, too, so whatever. I say that as a guy who’s read many of the past threads here looking for a consensus—which never really manifested, beyond a general leaning towards “whatever.”

OMMV.

[WobblyPossum]

I’ve been using some oil I bought online that came with some lubriplate grease I ordered. After a few years, that bottle is almost empty so I have some Slip 2000 in a similar sized little bottle. I’m guessing that will last me another five years. Once that’s done, I’ll probably buy a quart of some thicker motor oil like 20w-50. That will probably last me for the rest of my life unless the bottle starts leaking. I don’t generally use grease on my guns.

[Amp]

I like TW-25B, it's a thin grease that doesn't migrate and doesn't make the action feel sluggish like thicker greases do.

https://mil-comm.com/tw25b/

[Clay]

Brand of lube is way down the list of things to care about, but having said that...

If you're using it on a carry gun that doesn't get shot/cleaned/lubed every few weeks, then I prefer TW25B. I've used it since 1995.

For range guns or stuff that gets cleaned/lubed often, I prefer a skin safe no or low odor type of product. Breakthrough Clean, Slip 2000, etc...

If availability is key, you can't beat Break-Free CLP, Rem-Oil, and WD-40. Your gun won't die, I promise.

For an all purpose spray lube I really love Rem-Oil. It basically the old TFL-50 that Bell Helicopter was using 40+ yrs ago.

Tough guys like Clint Smith and Patrick McNamara still use WD-40, so there.

[CWM11B]

Pat Rogers turned me on to Slip products, and I've been using them over a decade with no complaints. The jar of grease I bought probably ten years ago is still half full, and I suspect it will last until I'm past hanging up my guns. I converted my PD to it and it worked very well for us. Prior to Slip, I used TW25B grease with complete satisfaction. For certain applications (my Seecamp and fire control units on then issued SigPro 2340/2022) I used, and still do, EEZOX (mostly on shotgun trigger assemblies). That said, I've taken a couple of weekend courses at a pretty well known gunsmithing school in my state and their shops have buckets of lubriplate in them. Grant Cunningham is a big endorser of it.

As stated by others, proper application and use of lubrication is more important than type/brand.

[LockedBreech]

Slip 2000 EWL on most guns, Thin layer of TW-25B on metal-on-metal guns.

I've also used Hoppes and Breakfree. I've never had issues with any.

[titsonritz]

Anything works better than bone dry.

[ObiWan]

I also use Hornady One Shot on my carry gun. Very slick and doesn't run (its dry). On the rest of my guns I use Weapon Shield. I have enough to last years. It's great for treating the bores. Subsequent cleanings are very easy. I keep samples of a couple others in my range bag - just in case. Never had to use them. I suppose they work well, but never needed to find out.

[EMC]

I've grown to like Superlube synthetic grease. It's not gun specific so it has many uses and is inexpensive.

[blues]

I use Slip 2000 EWL more than anything else, but I've had good results with Super Lube synthetics, G96, BreakFree etc.

EEZOX gets the award for smelling worse than Ballistol. ;)

[P.E. Kelley]

Unless you need rust protection (EDCs do) Mobil One 5-20 is used across my battery.

[Super77]

I’m consistently surprised how well Slip2000 stays put, especially the heavyweight EWL version. Added bonus is it’s cheap, nontoxic, and not stinky.

[LockedBreech]

I’m consistently surprised how well Slip2000 stays put, especially the heavyweight EWL version. Added bonus is it’s cheap, nontoxic, and not stinky.

Forgot to mention, when I ordered a 2-pack of Slip 2000 EWL (I only started using it a few months ago) the smaller bottle came with this super fine little "needle" applicator, and man, I highly recommend that, it is fantastic. Lets you put a few dots exactly where they ought to be with minimal run or mess.

[Spartan1980]

I use grease on slide rails. Usually Red Line Racing assembly lube which is a light viscosity grease with a heavy dose of zinc and EP additives and antioxidants for rust. I'll also use Amsoil multi-purpose synthetic grease in it's place because I don't shoot in subzero temps and that's the goto for M1A and Garand bolt rollers and lugs.

Oils are:
Amsoil synthetic motor oil of about any viscosity. I have a quart of ZRod 20W50 that'll last my lifetime.
Lucas Extreme gun oil
Even Ballistol depending one the gun, what part of the gun, how I use it, etc. and what's handy at the time.

Hell, I even keep Froglube paste on hand for the J frame, it cleans it up nice enough. Lube points get an oil though, very judiciously applied.

[CWM11B]

I use Slip 2000 EWL more than anything else, but I've had good results with Super Lube synthetics, G96, BreakFree etc.

EEZOX gets the award for smelling worse than Ballistol. ;)


Funny how different the nose can be. To me:
EEZOX= inoffensive
Ballistol= Swamp ass

[Stone]

Slip EWL on everything firearm related. I also use the slip EWG in the syringe and do a dab on the metal to metal areas like the slide runners on my Glocks. The combo of the two feels like my slides are on ball bearings...

[camel]

Funny how different the nose can be. To me:
EEZOX= inoffensive
Ballistol= Swamp ass

And yet they both make me gag. 😂

[Evil_Ed]

I have a box of plastic syringes I bought from Amazon ages ago, and I fill one up with some green Lucas grease, and for years that's what I used on basically ever handgun I had...now, I only really use it on Sigs. The impetus behind switching was a 9mm 1911; I greased it like I normally would a 1911, and the thing just wouldn't cycle/short stroke all the damn time. I switched to an oil, and it ran like a top and didn't have any lubrication problems. The light kind of clicked on there; 250 rounds through a 9mm 1911 and the rails still had a nice sheen from oil? Maybe I've been overthinking things a bit..

Not to mention, come wintertime here in the tundra...even though I carry the gun on my body and it stays warm, if I need it on a particularly freezing day, all that grease ain't gonna like all that cold. At least the oil will probably stay thin enough to run if things ever get that bad.

Lately I've been using either Lucas Extreme Duty Gun Oil (the 1oz bottle of the blue stuff with steel applicator makes life so much easier), or Liberty Lubricants HLP gun oil (which has an old CLP-like consistency, but doesn't have the cleaning agents in it IIRC). As an added bonus, Liberty Lubricants is owned by the family of Jim Ryan, of JRC Holsters. I'm quite happy to support him and his family by buying the stuff. When I got my last holster from him (sadly he's getting out of the holster business :( ) he sent me a small sampler of another bottle of HLP to go with the big bottle I've already got, and a small bottle of Gun-Solve, which so far seems to work pretty good, though I haven't really had much of a call to use it just yet...it's been a while since I've gotten to the range and got something dirty enough to need it. Though I may break down my 22lr can and see how it deals with the baffles...

Anyway - before my cleaning/lube procedure called for running beats of grease on the top of, on the side of, and in the groove of each side of the gun's rails, lubing the barrel/slide interfaces as usual with oil, sliding the slide on, running it 10-15 times and wiping the excess grease off, running it a couple more times to get anything else, and calling it good. Now, it's just a light bead of oil on a bit of the rails and I use my fingers to distribute it all through the frame's rails on both sides - maybe another drop or two on the end of the slide's rails as I slide it onto the frame; run it a few times, wipe off the excess if any, and call it good. I try not to get so much that I need to hang the gun up and let it drip-dry...it's a lot easier to get it to that point than you'd think :o

I use a lot less oil than I did grease, and so far it seems to be doing as good if not better than the grease; it's certainly a lot easier to clean up and re-apply after a day at the range. No sticking multiple q-tips in various nooks and crannies and dredging out big blobs of dirty grease, etc.

I have about half a tub or so of Slide Glide left that I bought back in the early 2ks - I do like it, and I've used it quite a bit on 1911s...I just never really liked that you needed a brush to put it on. The grease itself seems to work great and it really doesn't take much to do the job.

[Borderland]

Grease will lock a slide up in freezing temps. Happened to me with a 1911 using Tetra Gun Grease. I'm not saying TGG is bad, just know when it works and when it doesn't. I'll bet a lot of LEO's don't know that because they never train in freezing temps. Probably why the military uses CLP gun oil.

I know, that's extreme, but Homie don't use grease anymore no matter what it costs.

[claymore504]

For slide rails I prefer grease as well. I also use grease on my CZ P07 & P09 hanguns in the actions. I live in SE Texas, so we very rarely get below freezing.

[the Schwartz]

For slide rails and everything else, I have been pleased with the Break Free LP or Collector (both of which are CLP without the 'C'). A light film remains in place with no worries about sluggish behavior at lower temps.

In a pinch, any quality synthetic 20w50 automotive oil (Amsoil, Eneos, Redline, etc.) applied lightly works just as well.

[Lost River]

Yep,

Motor oil.

This pic was a response to questions about what to lube rifles with in extreme cold. I had advised 0-W20, which keeps ARs functioning in sub zero temps.

https://i.imgur.com/9T7YCrO.jpg

But the point is that motor oil is a good way to go. A quart of 10-W40 will keep your various semi auto pistols going for a very long time. Buy a quart and then put some in a much smaller container, so you can dip Q-tips or whatever applicator into it as needed and that single quart will last for many years.

If you want grease, a tube of Lubriplate will last many years as well, though it tends to separate.

One that is thicker, and definitely will not separate is this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GAN3I0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Valvoline - VV986 Moly Full Synthetic Grease.

A $15 one pound tub of that should last a lifetime of firearms maintenance.

Compared to the prices of the gun specific products, these are a better way to go in my view.

[LockedBreech]

Grease will lock a slide up in freezing temps. Happened to me with a 1911 using Tetra Gun Grease. I'm not saying TGG is bad, just know when it works and when it doesn't. I'll bet a lot of LEO's don't know that because they never train in freezing temps. Probably why the military uses CLP gun oil.

I know, that's extreme, but Homie don't use grease anymore no matter what it costs.

I know that my TW-25B says it's good down to -90F / -67C. Is that marketing nonsense? At any rate I use a thin enough layer not to be overly concerned but if I'm buying marketing nonsense I wouldn't have an issue just switching over to oil since I already mostly use Slip 2000 EWL.

Where I live has astonishingly harsh winter weather sometimes, so it's a concern worth noting. I've never come close to -90F but -20 to -30F are certainly temps I've seen at least a few days during most winters.

[Borderland]

I know that my TW-25B says it's good down to -90F / -67C. Is that marketing nonsense? At any rate I use a thin enough layer not to be overly concerned but if I'm buying marketing nonsense I wouldn't have an issue just switching over to oil since I already mostly use Slip 2000 EWL.

Where I live has astonishingly harsh winter weather sometimes, so it's a concern worth noting. I've never come close to -90F but -20 to -30F are certainly temps I've seen at least a few days during most winters.

This was awhile ago, maybe 5 years. They might have changed the composition, IDK. The pistol was a Colt and the slide/frame fit was like a custom build.

Best thing to do is just see if it runs in that weather to avoid any surprises.

[LockedBreech]

Best thing to do is just see if it runs in that weather to avoid any surprises.

Probably true. Guess I'll schedule a very unpleasant day at the range this winter.

[JohnO]

Best thing to do is just see if it runs in that weather to avoid any surprises.



Probably true. Guess I'll schedule a very unpleasant day at the range this winter.

Keep in mind that your method of carry could impact results. If you are a typical concealed carrier going about your business with your sidearm under garments next to your body the ambient conditions probably don't matter. If you are a park ranger riding a snow sled with a sidearm exposed to the elements your results certainly could be different.

[Hot Sauce]

I use patchouli oil. I hear it's essential.

[Caballoflaco]

I use patchouli oil. I hear it's essential.


https://youtu.be/udHAqyLb9xE

[Jason M]

Because science and stuff..

https://www.cherrybalmz.com/educate-yourself-the-science

Not a product endorsement. I have their stuff but it works just as well as EWG from Slip 2000 at twice the price

[the Schwartz]

Yep,

Motor oil.

This pic was a response to questions about what to lube rifles with in extreme cold. I had advised 0-W20, which keeps ARs functioning in sub zero temps.

https://i.imgur.com/9T7YCrO.jpg

But the point is that motor oil is a good way to go. A quart of 10-W40 will keep your various semi auto pistols going for a very long time. Buy a quart and then put some in a much smaller container, so you can dip Q-tips or whatever applicator into it as needed and that single quart will last for many years.

If you want grease, a tube of Lubriplate will last many years as well, though it tends to separate.

One that is thicker, and definitely will not separate is this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GAN3I0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Valvoline - VV986 Moly Full Synthetic Grease.

A $15 one pound tub of that should last a lifetime of firearms maintenance.

Compared to the prices of the gun specific products, these are a better way to go in my view.

Yeah, the GTL (gas to liquid) base stock in Pennzoil Platinum is certainly up to the task and probably 'over kill' for firearms lubrication. Just the same, next time I am in the mood to grab a quart for ''back up'' duty, that's what I will get.

[camel]

Keep in mind that your method of carry could impact results. If you are a typical concealed carrier going about your business with your sidearm under garments next to your body the ambient conditions probably don't matter. If you are a park ranger riding a snow sled with a sidearm exposed to the elements your results certainly could be different.

It’s one of the reasons I am careful about lubricants in cold weather. In and out of a snowplow truck in the winter.
Tempature difference matters in the cold.

[Borderland]

I use patchouli oil. I hear it's essential.



https://youtu.be/vYod_IdHzXo

[Borderland]

It’s one of the reasons I am careful about lubricants in cold weather. In and out of a snowplow truck in the winter.
Tempature difference matters in the cold.

The US military agrees with you. In freezing weather things get complicated.

[Danko]

I honestly prefer oil.

I’ve used grease on my Sigs—mainly because of that infamous article/post that explains how your Sig will disintegrate if you see bare metal on the frame rails. But I feel like the thicker, more viscous medium tends to slow down the slide. In particular, I noticed this with one of my P225s/P6s. Using TB25b grease, I would occasionally have a FTFeed from slide lock. Went back to oil, and the slide seemed a lot snappier going into battery (from slide lock) and never hung up.

Granted, the recoil spring was pretty old in that P6, but I don’t think there’s any question the slide was moving slower with the grease. Now I never had any issues while firing (even using just grease) but… I tend to think slowing the slide down isn’t really a good thing?

At the end of the day, oil is just more slippery than grease (at least the grease I’ve used). And I think most guns were probably designed to run with oil. Plus, I kinda think the whole aluminum alloy frame wear thing is a bit overplayed. After handling some raw machined aluminum parts… it seemed pretty damn tough to me.

[Danko]

I hope grease won't slow the slide. That wouldn't be a happy outcome.

Thank you!

[Danko]

I considered wheel bearing grease, like a dash or two of MOBil 1. I would guess any good grease would be better than the thin gun oils.

[Danko]

That's an excellent point. Water won't displace grease without pressure, or a really long time.

Thank you for kicking in!

[Danko]

That's great. I've heard of that product, but never used it on anything.

Thank you for kicking in!

[Danko]

Thank you for your input and product links. I suspect using any type of high speed wheel bearing grease will do a better job of lubing than most so called gun lubes on the market. The Lucas gun grease I bought in a tiny tube for 14 bucks is probably simply an ounce of wheel bearing grease.

[Danko]

I agree, any good lube will do the job, but grease seems to be more practical than oils.

Thank you!

[Danko]

Thank you for your input. Your statement is likely correct. I've been using the basic Hoppes oil on my gun slides. Each time I take them down, I see little oil on the slide or rails, and never see any around the areas where I can clearly see friction occurring. I'm going with grease to stop or at least reduce the friction points.

[Danko]

Nah, thinking is good! This is a good survey and discussion. I'm now a grease guy!

[TCinVA]

I considered wheel bearing grease, like a dash or two of MOBil 1. I would guess any good grease would be better than the thin gun oils.

Not really.

I'll say this again:

Grease is oil suspended in a binder.

The oil component of grease does what any other oil does. It migrates. (Otherwise it would be useless) It evaporates. It burns off. It leaves the binder and the binder remains behind.

If you need lubrication in a hard-to-service closed environment like the CV joint in your car, then you definitely want grease there.

Your pistol is not a hard to service, closed environment.

If you are submerging your gun in water or exposing it to use in prolonged heavy rains where water either floats off the oil on the gun or washes it off, a grease will help hold on to some of the oil component a bit and will help keep the gun working. Even then, as soon as you are out of those conditions you want to wipe the gun down and re-apply lubricant because however much of the oil component there was in the grease before you started, there's certainly less of it now. The binder might still be there but that binder doesn't lubricate. Quite the opposite.

Firearms are a relatively simple lubrication problem. The lubrication we use on repeating firearms is there mainly to help them function properly. Most of the wear and tear on guns doesn't come from lubrication. Major parts expand and contract as they contain the pressure of fired shots and absorb heat from the process. Insufficiently serviced springs allow heavier impacts than parts are designed for. Moving parts like pistol slides are literally stretched apart by the bullet and the equal and opposite going backwards away from the moving bullet. That's the stuff that breaks them.

Lubrication helps keep the system operating smoothly as the gun heats up and gets dirty. It helps keep contaminants like dirt, lint, fouling, fats from your skin, sunscreen, and other assorted schmoo from hardening up and gagging the gun when you need it to run. Some lubricants even do a pretty good job of fighting corrosive action while they lubricate.

Since lubrication is primarily about keeping the gun in question running reliably, we should be lubricating the gun or at least checking for adequate lubrication frequently. "Frequently" means whenever we are performing any administrative handling of the gun for other reasons, we check the gun's lubrication status and if it's dry we add some to the important areas. (Barrel hood, locking block, the spot where the end of the barrel mates up to the slide...the points outlined in the manual) The problem with most grease is that you can't tell if the oil component is still there, or if it's just the binder left on a lot of the products out there, at least not until it's become so oil depleted that it noticeably hardens up. (Which does not help promote the reliable function of the pistol) With an oil, if you don't see oil there then you know it's time to add some.