Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Is That A Good Luck Charm In Your Pocket,


or a disaster waiting to happen?  Is your .380 going to throw lead when you need it to do so, or is it going to choke on pocket lint?  We had company over the weekend, and I asked the husband if he had cleaned and lubed his pocket pistol lately.  Nope!  I said, "Give it to me and I will take care of it for you."  I guessed it would be worthy of photos and I was not disappointed.  Lint on the trigger, lint stuck to the side of the magazine and inside, too.


The barrel was fuzzy.  It definitely needed to be disassembled.


The slide catch and the hammer were both loaded up with lint, and also the mag well.


The underside of the slide was also covered in lint and a bit of powder residue.  So, we know this pistol has been fired and put back in its holster dirty after the last range trip.  I cleaned up all the dirt and lint and then lubed the little LCP II properly, even using my special blend of grease on the rails so the lube doesn't run away. 

Our carry guns are not magical talismans.  They are tools and you should attend to them on a regular basis.  Guns have reciprocating and revolving parts that need to be oiled or greased to run properly, in spite of the torture tests that gunwriters love to do.  Pockets, pocket holsters, and lint all wick away oil.  The gun you lubed two months ago is probably dry by now.  The need to clean and lube is double for little pocket guns like the LCP and LCP II.  They are light, and require a firm grip to operate properly.  If you do not keep them in top operating condition, they are likely to fail you when you need them most.  You also need to practice with these little guys regularly, and make sure your grip is up to snuff so you can empty entire magazines without getting stovepipes.

Just in case you haven't read it, Grant Cunningham's article on lubrication is linked on the left side of this blog in the forum and reference section.  Also Here.  Be serious about your ability to defend yourself.  Criminals think about their work all the time.  We should do the same for our safety.

3 comments:

JC said...

TOOLS! They're fucking TOOLS, man! I'm skilled tradesman in a couple dozen trades, but folks still think that TOOL = HAMMER. Very no. This reminds me that I need to winnow my forest of screwdrivers. I have come to love the square drive for electrical terminations.

B said...

Yeah, I do that for friends who carry but aren't "Gun People".

I usually start with compressed air, then some solvent to take the congealed oil off of the metal.

I use Strik Hold, just because it is a lube that dries, but stays slick, and I have a shitload because I used to sell it. But it doesn't collect dust like an oil that stays wet.

I haven't seen one that bad, but close.

I care for my firearms, especially my carry firearms, as if my life depended on them....'cause it might.

Merle said...

Maybe he was "testing" to see how long it took to jam??? :)