Cleaning and Oiling question...

[HooliganRob]

Alright guys. Seeing how I'm new to owning a handgun, (the xd specificly).

What areas on the gun do I need to pay special attention to during the cleaning and lubing process. I know to clean everything I can reach, are there any areas I need to be extra careful? also when Lubing, what areas need to be lued specificly.... I've been cleaning my gun after ranger trips... but again being new to owning a handgun (this being my first one), I really dont want to neglect it....
any and all help is greatly appreciated....

[stunksinatl]

cleaning is a personal thing... I clean the barrel, slide and frame assembly (mainly the locking block and rails area).

I wipe the rest with a patch soaked in hoppes, then wipe that off after a few minutes.

Oiling: I "sparingly" (read "oily finger") oil the barrel hood, barrel itself, barrel locking lugs. I put one drop each on each of the rails on the frame. The grooves on the slide get oiled this way when I put it back together.

If things don't feel smooth when I put it back together, I'll put one drop on the barrel hood, smooth it around, and do the same for the barrel. Work the action a few times, and this is all it needs!

-stunks

P.S. no rust on ours yet either (it just gets a wipedown with a silicon cloth)

Edit: I forgot, anywhere I didn't mention that looks to have finish worn off (like on the bottom of the slide where things rub gets the oily finger treatment

[hacker15]

Originally Posted by stunksinatl

cleaning is a personal thing... I clean the barrel, slide and frame assembly (mainly the locking block and rails area).

I wipe the rest with a patch soaked in hoppes, then wipe that off after a few minutes.

Oiling: I "sparingly" (read "oily finger") oil the barrel hood, barrel itself, barrel locking lugs. I put one drop each on each of the rails on the frame. The grooves on the slide get oiled this way when I put it back together.

If things don't feel smooth when I put it back together, I'll put one drop on the barrel hood, smooth it around, and do the same for the barrel. Work the action a few times, and this is all it needs!

-stunks

P.S. no rust on ours yet either (it just gets a wipedown with a silicon cloth)

Edit: I forgot, anywhere I didn't mention that looks to have finish worn off (like on the bottom of the slide where things rub gets the oily finger treatment

Pretty much like above - with the following exceptions:

A. I use military grade gun grease (VERY LITTLE!!!!) on the pressure points of barral to lock block, spring to barral stop, and slide rails

B. Final wipe down (inside and outside - all metal parts) is with a rag using a very small amount of BreakFree Collector (long term storage developed for military applications)

C. Frame gets a wipe with clean cloth and Windex - the ammonia base cleans off any oil and grease on the grip

Hope that helps. Mine is almost 2 years old (XD40 service) carried every shift with no rust anywhere on it.

[DoctorDawg]

+1 for all the above advice, with one added emphasis: a little oil goes a long long way....whereas a lot of oil just collects dirt and accelerates wear and aging. My gunsmith calls oil "the full-employment-for-gunsmiths-fluid" because most folks overdo it, thereby creating more work for him.

And make it an oil or grease meant for guns...none'a this WD40 nonsense.

[hacker15]

Originally Posted by DoctorDawg

+1 for all the above advice, with one added emphasis: a little oil goes a long long way....whereas a lot of oil just collects dirt and accelerates wear and aging. My gunsmith calls oil "the full-employment-for-gunsmiths-fluid" because most folks overdo it, thereby creating more work for him.

And make it an oil or grease meant for guns...none'a this WD40 nonsense.

That's extra good advise, Doc! The can for WD40 says "for firearms", but I can't quite think of any I'd put it on....except maybe a BGs!

[1911Alex]

Clean where it's dirty

Do not overscrub or use anything drastic like sharp objets of stainless steel bristle tools.

Very light oil protects metal. A little more helps lubricate parts moving on each other.

Too much oil is bad.

Go shoot!!!

Alex.

[Hernbrand]

Originally Posted by stunksinatl

P.S. no rust on ours yet either (it just gets a wipedown with a silicon cloth)

Regarding the use of the silicon cloth. Is it for use on the outside metal pieces only? If a light oil is used on these parts do you still us the silicon cloth?

[DoctorDawg]

You don't need oil (for corrosion protection, at least) where you use a silicon cloth...the latter alone will protect against rust very nicely, in my experience at least.

I don't use the cloth on the inside of the slide, I guess because it would be too hard to reach every nook and cranny with it. I very lightly spray a Q-Tip with Rem Oil and wipe down the inner surfaces of the slide body, then use a more heavily-oiled Q-Tip on all the frictional surfaces like slide rails and such. The 'works' (striker, pivot points, etc.) I oil only once in a blue moon (say, every thousand rounds or so) with the tiniest possible spritz of Rem Oil through the straw. Works for me. YMMV

[Nerves]

I use hoppes 9 for the barrel and Break Free CLP for everything else. When I need to get a deep cleaning I use come Ultima glide lube (very light) on the slide contact areas.

I ordered a ultrasonic cleaner months ago and after 6 weeks and no update of the arrival I cancelled my order, but soon enough I will find another place and buy one. I've heard nothing but great things for ultrasonic cleaning and a club member once clean 2 of my guns using his system and in 15 minute the guns was better than new.

[DoctorDawg]

Just FYI, you can buy an ultrasonic cleaner from any jeweller's supply web site, or any laboratory supply web site (try www.coleparmer.com). I think they're a lot like microwave ovens: there's basically one factory on the planet that makes 'em (prolly in China), and everbody just re-brands 'em.