new handgun....strip and lube before first shooting?

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  • websbydoc

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    May 12, 2018
    23
    1
    Scottsburg
    I'm wondering if the members have an opinion on whether a factory new handgun
    should be oiled and lubed before shooting the first time....

    What Would You Do?


    I'd welcome the experts input....


    thanks
    Jay
     
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jul 29, 2016
    1,232
    12
    Bloomington
    Not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but i always clean and lube before i shoot em if not because you should then because i just want to touch and see how it works, take it apart and see what makes it click.
     

    masterdekoy

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    56   0   0
    Feb 12, 2013
    854
    28
    Columbus
    Shouldn’t have to. But you can if you want. I would just check the barrel to ensure it’s clear and load it up. Maybe some light oil if you feel inclined.
     

    M67

    Grandmaster
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    23   0   0
    Jan 15, 2011
    6,181
    63
    Southernish Indiana
    For any guns that are new to me, either buying new or used, I completely strip then and oil/grease/run dry as I see fit. I have more confidence in what I use than other people/gun manufacturers cause I know what works for me, plus I like to semi memorize what things look like inside in case something breaks/acts weird and I can tell what's causing the problem if one pops up

    After the first initial cleaning though, game on for when it may get cleaned again, most of the time I won't re-clean them until they start malfunctioning
     

    gmcttr

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
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    12   0   0
    May 22, 2013
    8,594
    149
    Columbus
    I normally field strip, clean and lube a new firearm at a minimum before shooting it the first time.

    When I picked up a new CZ a few months back, I knew I wouldn't have a chance to try it out for a couple of weeks if I didn't rent time and do it at the shop when I got it. In that case, I still ran a couple of patches through the bore before firing.
     

    nakinate

    Grandmaster
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    9   0   0
    May 1, 2013
    13,425
    113
    Noblesville
    Nah. If the gun is worth having you should be able to take it straight to the range and shoot it. Put a few hundred rounds through it and then clean it.
     

    wtburnette

    WT(aF)
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    44   0   0
    Nov 11, 2013
    26,859
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    SW side of Indy
    I've always done this and have never had any issues with my guns running correctly. A buddy of mine bought a G19 Gen5 a couple months back at Point Blank and he and his girlfriend took it straight to the range to shoot afterwards with the free pass they got with the gun. They had problem after problem with the gun and tried to get the store to replace it, not realizing that with firearms, all purchases are final and you have to deal with the manufacturer afterwards. He called me afterwards complaining about the gun, the range, etc. I explained about how most gun shops can't swap out the gun and told him that it could have been the fact that the gun needed to be lubed prior to shooting it. He didn't believe me, but took it home, cleaned and lubed it and took it back to the range a few days later. He hasn't had any issues with the gun since. People can say all they want that you shouldn't have to clean and lube a new gun, just like they say that no gun should require a break in period before becoming reliable, but I've seen examples of both, so :dunno:
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
    Rating - 100%
    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
    191,809
    152
    Speedway area
    I've always done this and have never had any issues with my guns running correctly. A buddy of mine bought a G19 Gen5 a couple months back at Point Blank and he and his girlfriend took it straight to the range to shoot afterwards with the free pass they got with the gun. They had problem after problem with the gun and tried to get the store to replace it, not realizing that with firearms, all purchases are final and you have to deal with the manufacturer afterwards. He called me afterwards complaining about the gun, the range, etc. I explained about how most gun shops can't swap out the gun and told him that it could have been the fact that the gun needed to be lubed prior to shooting it. He didn't believe me, but took it home, cleaned and lubed it and took it back to the range a few days later. He hasn't had any issues with the gun since. People can say all they want that you shouldn't have to clean and lube a new gun, just like they say that no gun should require a break in period before becoming reliable, but I've seen examples of both, so :dunno:

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^

    I have seen some weird stuff inside brand new guns. No, it should not have been in there. But is was. Would the gun have ran....probably. Did I possibly catch something and prevent an issue....possibly.

    Pull it down. Look around. Clean and lube it up. Take 15 minutes. Or don't.
     

    Doublehelix

    Master
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    15   0   0
    Jun 20, 2015
    1,874
    38
    Westfield
    With a gun I purchased within the last year or two, I remember reading the instruction sheet that came with it that said to remove the shipping grease and then relube before shooting. Apparently this company coats the inside of their guns with something that is rust resistant for storage and shipment, and needs to be removed before shooting.

    It might have been my SIG P226 Legion, or maybe my Dan Wesson Silverback (both bought new within the last 2 years).
     

    gregkl

    Outlier
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    33   0   0
    Apr 8, 2012
    11,868
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    Bloomington
    I strip them down, clean everything with brake cleaner, then run them. Having that metal on metal shortens the break in period.

    On a more sincere note I do at least a field strip so I can look at everything and make sure I'm not missing anything or I didn't get anything "extra" that I didn't pay for. Like other's have said, I want to see what's inside before I start blazing away. I do add some lube, but I'm not unlike M67 that after that I will run them until they malfunction. I do this at least once or twice to check the limits of the firearm.

    However in reality, I usually end up cleaning it before I have a malfunction just because I get tired of that black ooze getting all over me and everything else.

    My autoloader shotgun was really the only firearm that I shot until a malfunction (the bolt would fail to lock open). That was when I was shooting 6-7 rounds of Trap every week. Usually took about 3 weeks before I had to clean it.
     
    Last edited:

    Ziggidy

    Grandmaster
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    2   0   0
    May 7, 2018
    7,271
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    Ziggidyville
    Most definitely, break them down,clean and lube....for so many reasons. Far more reasons than someone saying you "should not HAVE to".

    I have always cleaned a new gun before it is used.
     

    WanderingSol07

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 7, 2017
    413
    28
    North Central
    My Browning Buck Mark manual said to clean the gun before shooting the first time as it was covered with a preservative. It took a half dozen patches to clean the barrel.
     

    WebSnyper

    Maximum Effort
    Rating - 100%
    56   0   0
    Jul 3, 2010
    15,419
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    127.0.0.1
    Yes, you shouldn't have to. Yes, sometimes you have to.

    And of course, what's the harm in doing so.

    Basically, is there a reason not to... no, so do it, is how I look at it.

    It's an easy practice that removes a variable if there is an issue.

    Kind of like checking the oil immediately after an oil change (if you were not the one who changed it and had not already done it as part of that process). Should I HAVE to do that? No. Do I do it? Yes.
     

    Hop

    Grandmaster
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    16   0   0
    Jan 21, 2008
    5,084
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    Indy
    I've seen some pretty sticky residue on new guns. I'm sure this does not aid in function nor reliability but it hasn't stopped me from taking a gun straight from the store to the range. I just can't help it. If I get to take it home, clean and re-lube then all the better. I adjust my first firing experience expectations accordingly.
     

    Expat

    Pdub
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    23   0   0
    Feb 27, 2010
    108,736
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    Michiana
    Depends. Some guns you can tell are dry as a bone, others are swimming in oil when you buy them. Some guns are hard to take apart until you shoot them some and you are even recommended to put 500+ rounds through them before field stripping them. Classic P series Sigs, I always take down and grease the rails good before taking out. I want those anodized frame rails to last a long time. So like I say, it depends...
     

    Birds Away

    ex CZ afficionado.
    Emeritus
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    18   0   0
    Aug 29, 2011
    76,248
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    Monticello
    Most definitely, break them down,clean and lube....for so many reasons. Far more reasons than someone saying you "should not HAVE to".

    I have always cleaned a new gun before it is used.

    My profound apologies if you found that, somehow, offensive.
     
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