Best Cleaner Oil?

[Tactic XD]

Hey everyone. I'm a NooB to the site and have browsed around looking for the answer to my question but haven't found it yet. I'm looking for cleaner/oil that will treat my new XD-40 the best. I've been reading about these guns, and I've seen a couple complaints of these guns rusting due to the wrong kind of oil. What do I use? What do I NOT use? Should I keep it in the foam case that it came in?

Thanks!

[hacker15]

Originally Posted by Tactic XD

Hey everyone. I'm a NooB to the site and have browsed around looking for the answer to my question but haven't found it yet. I'm looking for cleaner/oil that will treat my new XD-40 the best. I've been reading about these guns, and I've seen a couple complaints of these guns rusting due to the wrong kind of oil. What do I use? What do I NOT use? Should I keep it in the foam case that it came in?

Thanks!

Welcome. There's at least a few points of view on this question. Most of us seem to believe that just about any quality gun oil will keep your pistol away from the dreaded "rust fairy". Also, most of the guys seem to believe that the foam case is a no-no as it holds any moisture close to the metal and causes the rust fairy to make an early and repeated visit.

I use a mil-spec oil for all my pistols, rifles, and shotguns. I bought a quart container of the stuff from a surplus dealer and have used less than a pint of it in 4 years. Lots of oil is not a saving grace with a firearm - moderation is the key.

I store my XD40 service (it's my duty sidearm) in a gun safe after shift. My advise is to store your pistol in a non-airtight container, but others will differ. All of my other weapons are stored in much the same way - rifles and shotguns in an open lockable wall rack, pistols in nonfoam containers. Nothing has rust on it and I use them frequently. Another alternative (one I use on just about anything with metal) is BreakFree Collector, a product developed for the military to use in long term weapon storage - a really great product that works super for me.

Mine is 2 years old, has better than 5000 rounds through it and has never experience rust anywhere. If your's is a newer model, you might very well have the better finish on it that seems to resist rust much better than the older version.

Good luck!

[Tactic XD]

Thanks for your reply! It looks like some of the rumors I was hearing weren't true for the newer model XD's. Good to know they don't need any more special attention than other guns like I thought.

[BWH]

Tactic,

Hacker is correct. Just about any 'gun' oil will work fine. I recommend BreakFree CLP as a good general cleaner and lube. It's available at just about every sporting goods store (to include WallyWorld) and it's what the Army uses to keep it's small arms up and running. I also recommend getting a small tube of gun grease (I use Tetra) to lightly lube the slide rails.

If your XD is new production then rust is not the concern that it was with earlier XDs. Springfield now has all the metal bits Melonited. This process is the same as Glock's Tennifer process (a nitride salt bath metal finish) that penetrates the metal surface and makes it virtually rust-free. If your XD is not new production (Springfield should be able to confirm for you if the pistol has received the Melonite process based on the serial number) then normal precautions are in order. Keep the metal surfaces lightly oiled and store the pistol in a humidity contolled environment. This means do not store it in the manufacturer's pistol case if that case uses foam as cushioning. The foam actually absorbs moisture from the atomsphere and will cause rust. The same holds true for the 'gun rugs' found for sale virtually everywhere. If the case is just hard plastic then using it for storage is OK. If you intend to store the pistol inside of a safe or other locked container I recommend using one of the silicone treated gun pouches available from a number of vendors. I use 'Bore Stores' (www.borestores.com). They protect pistols from physical damage and help prevent rust.

[Tactic XD]

Thanks! I just bought the gun a few days ago brand new from Cabela's. So I'm guessing it has the new rust free finish?

Thanks for the link to the case web site. I'm confused as to which case I should order. Do I want the P-2 or P-3 for my 4" XD-40?

[Tactic XD]

Bump

[rimfire,22]

Originally Posted by Tactic XD

Hey everyone. I'm a NooB to the site and have browsed around looking for the answer to my question but haven't found it yet. I'm looking for cleaner/oil that will treat my new XD-40 the best. I've been reading about these guns, and I've seen a couple complaints of these guns rusting due to the wrong kind of oil. What do I use? What do I NOT use? Should I keep it in the foam case that it came in?

Thanks!

Tactic XD,

The best cleaner/oil I've ever used was Breakfree. If your on a budget this is what I'd choose. Don't get all caught-up buying all these oils on the mnarket. You'll wind up with a shelf full of gun products that claim to do the best/better outta all of them. For myself I have enough for years! Stick with a product that has a good history of performance. The real secret is to clean often. Usually twice per year is good but wipe a good heavy film and not a light one will handle most of your needs.

rimfire,22

[LTC-USA]

Hey neighbor. I like Breakfree as well.

[Brickboy240]

Yes, Break Free is very good. It can be found at Army Surplus stores sometimes in huge containers marked "Light Weapons Oil" at a bargain...but its getting harder to find.

Another very good product is the Blue Armadillo line. Both for cleaning and rust prevention. I have used Blue Armadillo on my older XD-40 for 4 years and haven't seen a speck of rust. You'd think in hellishly hot/humid Houston I'd see rust, but not a bit.

Blue Armadillo is one of the forum sponsors. Their stuff is great, not expensive and worth buying online if you cannot find Break Free locally.

- Brickboy240

[Mister .40]

Originally Posted by rimfire,22

Tactic XD,

The best cleaner/oil I've ever used was Breakfree. If your on a budget this is what I'd choose. Don't get all caught-up buying all these oils on the mnarket. You'll wind up with a shelf full of gun products that claim to do the best/better outta all of them. For myself I have enough for years! Stick with a product that has a good history of performance. The real secret is to clean often. Usually twice per year is good but wipe a good heavy film and not a light one will handle most of your needs.

rimfire,22

Is cleaning your gun twice a year good enough? I shoot about 200 rounds every weekend, and clean it after every 400-500 rounds. Is this too much? I use hoppes 9 by the way. $15-$20 shipped for a cleaning kit found on ebay.