S&W M41 - Strategic oiling

I field stripped and cleaned my S&W M41 for the first time.
I have no mechanical skills so am reluctant to go as far as to disassemble the slide or frame. I thoroughly sprayed their insides with gun scrubber though, removing a lot of dirt.

As it is now ready for reassembly, I wonder where I should apply oil?
There are several areas where the blueing was removed through friction and bare steel shows. Should I drop oil on those areas?
Should I spray the firing mechanism with Kroil or leave it alone?

Thanks for your advice.

I think the gunscrubber removed most of the oil from the gun and I would be a little worried about rust.  I would wipe everything down with oil, not wet with oil, just enough to protect it. a small amount of oil on the areas that rub would be good as well. I don't think the model 41's need to be dripping in oil so don't over do it

Hello Jambat,

If you have a compressor (with water trap) .... liberally spray the interior of your M41 with CLP and then blow off/out the excess.  Oil the slide rails and recoil spring guide rod well.  The interior of the barrel should be clean and oil/lubricant/preservative free.

If you don't have a compressor .... not quite so heavy on the CLP and wipe off as much as you can.  Lubricate as per the foregoing.

I love Kroil but it should not be used as a lubricant.

Jim

Thank you for your very quick answers, I was able to move on taking your advises into account.
I generously sprayed the insides of the frame, the guide rod and the sliding areas of the barrel with RemOil.
I let it soak and drip while enjoying a cool drink, then I blew a can of industrial duster everywhere around without any restraint.
Then I ran a snake bore through the barrel a couple times.

Thanks again!

No one told you to use Rem Oil.  It's about the worst thing you can use, other than perhaps WD40.  You were advised to use CLP.  Don't blame the helpers when things gum up.

If it were mine I'd use an entire can of Gun Scrubber on it, then blow it out with compressed air, then add some CLP to all pivot points then blow it out again and cross my fingers.  Well not exactly.  If it were mine I'd tear it down completely and then proceed to clean and lube.  Good luck!  bob

I thought CLP was generic for any "Clean, Lubricate and Protect" product, such as is advertised on the RemOil can.

I just looked it up online, there are several brands selling "CLP" gun maintenance products: Break Free, Lucas, Original Gun Oil, Sage & Braker, Hoppes...
Which one is the real McCoy?

Hello Jambat,

Unfortunately, bob finger is correct.  Rem Oil is probably not the best choice for your purpose.  It does tend to thicken quite quickly.  Additionally, "canned air" tends to have a lot of moisture in it due to the rapidly expanding gasses.  I have seen cases where rust spots have formed when used.

Good luck.

Jim

Jambat:  A fair question.  In my humble opinion there are only 2.  Break Free and Ballistol.  I hate the smell of Ballistol but use it probably 98% of the time.  This thread will get very long with other opinions on just what a good CLP is.  I won't argue with any of them as I have zero experience with any but the 2 I mentioned.

By the way if you want just a good oil one of the better out there is Marvel Mystery Oil.  It is NOT a CLP product but I find it superb for fire arm general lubrication.  I've used it for many years on the rails of my 41 and 1911's.  Compared to "gun oils" it is darn inexpensive as well.  Again, good luck.  bob

I flushed my pistol with the rest of my Gun Scrubber can.

Thank you for letting me know about RemOil quick thickening properties, I moved it from my workshop to the kitchen.

Is "Hoppe's 9 lubricating oil" considered a CLP ?

Gunfighter oil, you'll never look back.

I am a real fan of LSA, which is a semi fluid grease, for use in 1911's and my M41's. I think what you want is surface tenacity and something that does not oxidise or evaporate quickly. Light oils will evaporate, we have all seen it. When I pull my well oiled pistols out of their cases, and they have been in the case for 6 months, I see that gravity has drained the oil to the bottom of the case and the pistols need to be re oiled. It is a bother.

  The lubrication requirements of pistols is not that severe. You know, some of the best lubricating oils for the price are automotive. I have used gallons of Mobil 1 10W-30.

For the M41, I make sure to put a drop of oil on the trigger sear surfaces. A drop of oil under the slide where the hammer rides. A drop of oil on the hammer. Also, the underneath of the slide, where the spring channel is, that runs on the frame underneath, I make sure those surfaces have an oil surface. It just takes a wipe with an oily patch. And I wipe every surface that shows bluing wear, because that is where the friction is taking place! Often I use a finger to spread the oil, as too much oil is slung out. The actual amount of oil that is needed is tiny.

One thing I do every time now, is blowing out the firing pin channel with compressed air. I push the firing pin forward, stick the nozzle around it, and blow compressed air. I have found that oil gets into the firing pin channel and slows the firing pin. This has increased the rate of misfires with CCI SV and other brands. Keeping the firing pin channel as dry as possible is a good thing for firing pin strike energy.

This might be of interest:



some of you might has seen the first edition of this:



Notice the LSA in a tube?



I