lube for the slide rails
 

I've read some stories bout Stainless 1911's being "Sensitive" to galling.
problems when they are oiled up slightly less then they should be . especially when shooting loads , and getting the gun really hot..
I read advice to re-oil em in between x number of magazines...

Can anybody comment if this is just for break-in period, or is it something to always keep an eye on?

Regardless, this got me thinking. I've assembled some Porsche engines, and in those circles there is this product from dow corning , to protect the bearings.
It's called Molykote dry lube.. It's a spray that puts down a microscopic coating.
Durable , resists high temperatures (450C), extreme load/ pressure..

Has anybody ever tried something like that on a stainless 1911?
If it works for High revving 911 bearings, i think it can work for slide rails..

Basically tape/cover up the visible parts, and the internals... leave only the frame upper rails visible... bit of coating... leave it to cure... Bob's yer uncle.

From that point minimal oil will suffice in that area, so you don't have the gun sweating oil all the time.

I use FP-10 and generally put a drop or two in each rail chase of the slide every 100 rounds and a drop on the top of the disconnector. I lock the slide back oil it near the back then hold it vertical so gravity takes the oil down and coats the length of the chase way. Never had a galling problem with any of the DW's I own.

What Alex said..except I use Wilsons Ultima Lube Universal..cross between oil and grease, and does'nt get all over my clothes when I carry, but does'nt attract dirt like grease does.

Can you see added value in the dry lubrication coating?
Considering it did wonders for high revving bearings?

Note, there's still normal lube involved, i don't advocate running it completely dry. It's just as an extra level of protection. Just like we did on the engines during breakin...

Hey if it works, which it sounds like it deffinitley should..

I also run Wilson Combat Ultima Lube Universal but with a small mix of Wilson combat Oil on certain parts. I have never had any problems with any of my stainless 1911s getting galled up with the cleaning and lubes and oil I use.

The coating your talking about definitely sounds cool. If you try it please let us know how it turns out.

I'll give it a go this weekend, watch this space...:cool:

Don't use oil, don't use coatings.Oil disperses and evaporates too quickly, coatings will wear off rather quickly unless you have a means of pulling down a vacuum of a few atmospheres and opening the structure of the steel so the coating can penetrate.

I have been using grease on the rails of my 1911s for over 20 years. I've yet to have a problem with dust or dirt collecting in the grease and my guns have operated in some dusty, nasty places.

Basically, you guys are way overthinking this what with all these Space-Age lubes that allegedly work on the surface of the sun and spending way too much money.

I use Plastilube. Yes, it was developed during WWII. Yes, it isn't mucho-Tech sexy...it just works. I will direct you gents to the fact that Plastilube was/is the only lubricant specifically-developed for use in Semi-Auto and full-Auto weapons in a harsh environment. AAMOF, much harsher than any of us will ever see. A very small dab on each frame-rail, front, middle and rear, is all you need. I've fired up to 500 rounds of full-power 45ACP through 1911s lubed like this and at the end, the lube was still there and working.
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/i...3/IMG_0165.jpg

Just a thought, jjjuuusssttt a thought.

Fair enough, it's not about spending money for me.. I have the moly kote laying around my garage anyway.. The stuff is very durable.. tore down an 911 RS spec engine that was used for rallying... The darn thing had been driven hard for break in.. Normally bearings would be showing wear after 5000 km's.. not so.. the molykote was still on there.

I'm not worried bout dust or grease, i clean the thing to often (it's still new :) )

It's more that i don't like seeing it sweat it's lubricant on the rail...looks messy.
so if the molykote can reduce the requirements for lube in that area.. i'm all for it. Not eliminate, jus reduced..

Plastilube doesn't sweat out friend, just apply like the photo and work the slide about four times. Then, take a patch and wipe off the rear of the gun at the slide on both sides of the Hammer.

BTW, you mention German cars, BMW uses Plastilube exclusively in all it's high-friction areas.

i think i probably have some Plastilube laying around here somewhere, for use on the back of brake pads so the piston doesn't cause brake squeel as it rotates on the pad.

Dave,
Where do you get your plastilube? It looks like it comes in different grades or thicknesses. Are you using the thinnest "0" grade stuff?

Oh just spit on it

I use Mobil 1 thicker seems to work better. I also soak them in Kroil when new. Have used Mobil 1 sense my first SS lock up with Rem oil, to lite. I put Mobile one in needle oil bottles works great and cheap compared to this other stuff. But then again I use Hoppies #9.:D

I usually use whatever I have on the table from cleaning my rifle, which lately has been Slip 2000 EWL.

Slip, FP-10, CLP, Weaponshield, Rem Oil, oil of the dipstick when I'm in the field, I have never found a benefit for brand X over Y as long as they are good brands.

Dave,
Thanks for the tip and thanks for the picture. I've always only used quality gun oil so never really slick up the sides, usually just the top and let a little run into the sides. Your picture is worth a thousand words - Thanks.
Dennis

Alex, you see it all the time at Gunshows and probably don't realize it. Almost all the tables that sell American Milsurp parts have a box containing little clear tubs with yellow caps full of brown grease. Usually two for a dollar, that's Plastilube! Three dollars worth will last a year or so!

I am going to give it a try. I have never heard of it. Thanks Dave

You can also try Brian Enos's Slide-Glide, great stuff if I do say so myself!!!:D:D

I forgot to mention that MILITEC-1 is an excellent choice also, man how did I forget that one!!!!!:D:D

How is the plastilube in cold weather?

I had Wilson Slide Grease on my DW Panther and in a IDPA match on a cold winter morning, the slide slowed down so much you could watch it cycle. I had to wipe all the grease off between stages to get the thing running again.

Now I put a thin coat of grease, and then top it off with a couple of drops of RemOil in the grooves. I'm still not 100% happy with it but it hasn't jammed in months.

Doc, I use it in both my Garands and my 1911s,even in the Winter I've never had any problems with it and I live in Ohio.

i owed you guys some pics and results on the coating.


http://www.cotep.org/forum/attachmen...1&d=1318449830

Well, it looked nice when freshly applied, but as some of you predicted, it didn't last.

+100 rounds, and after a quick clean (still wet with ballistoil)

http://www.cotep.org/forum/attachmen...1&d=1318450139


On the side rails the coating is completely gone, i think the oil dissolved the coating...
Oh well, nothing lost, just some time...

That's the problem with coatings, the oil didn't dissolve it, it wore off. Unless you do something like the Teflon treatments they used to do where they induce a vacuum and the coating enters the pores of the steel and embeds, it will wear off.

pretty sure it dissolved, because if it wore off, it would not be uniform gone ..
there would be "some" coating left in there would be traces left.. More so, because most of it went even before i went to the range... When i was dry firing i could see the black stuff come out with the oil at the back of the rails... near the hammer.

I've never used the Molykote spray but have used their high temp silicon bearing grease on my Springfield 1911 one day when I was doing a LOT of shooting (my usual drink is Militec-1 oil). The Molykote stayed in, didn't melt down and everything worked. The Militec-1 is a great oil, and they also have a grease I have not tried, but my thought was a grease for all-day shooting might be better.

Why the Molykote silicon bearing grease? The very unscientific answer is simple: I had some on the shelf!