How Often Do You Oil Your Home Protection Guns & Do You Keep Them Fully Loaded?

[whiskeytangofoxtrot]

Si. Always loaded. Always wiped down and lubricated after use. This is the way.

 

[TommyGlock]

Thanks for reply's everyone, a bit overwhelmed but really insightful!

I think you need to take the gun out and actually fire it and use it. You said you haven't fired it in 5 years. All my firearms that are used for self defense or home defense see a regular usage at the range and then are cleaned and ready for the next trip or should the need arise, self defense

Will do, I've been so busy that I just kind of put it on the back burner.

I wouldn't worry about the magazine springs weakening from leaving them loaded. Using the mags is what makes the springs lose their strength. But it's a LOT of use. I'm talking thousands of rounds put through a magazine.

I'll also echo what others have said about using/training with the gun. You're not going to wear it out. Most modern pistols can go tens of thousands of rounds with only lube a recoil spring change once in a while. So a few hundred rounds a few times a year and that pistol will last a long time. If you do wear it out, that means you really know how to use it. Then you spend a little more money and get another one. The price of a gun is extremely low compared to what you're using it to protect, your life and the lives of those you love.

Also, Welcome to INGO. Don't feel like we're beating up on you. We're just trying to help. Some of us in this very thread asked questions just like you when we first joined. But stick around and ask as many questions as you want. You'll probably get a few sarcastic remarks but don't worry about those. There is a vast quantity of good knowledge on this forum. But we like to have some fun also.

Thanks, I'm weird like that, I buy guns and then store them, the ones that I actually use I clean and oil them after every use but there are some that just sit there and I always had this question in the back of my mind regarding guns that don't get used frequently.

OK now I re-read and you have not fired it. Shame on you. It is not a talisman. It needs to be fired.....by you. Practice with it man. Buy some ammo. Go to the range and use the thing. Or just sell it to someone that will.

I may sound like I am busting chops here and I may be. If you choose to own a gun it has to be something you are familiar with and comfortable in its use. If and when (God forbid) you may actually have to use it. You stated home defense. That's the reason for this rant.

USE IT>

Agreed, will do! Had a lot of things going on recently but I'll make time to do so.

All of my defensive firearms get cleaned and oiled after they are shot at the range. Everything gets shot often enough that it doesn't go more than a couple months without cleaning.

OP, you need to actually shoot your home defense firearm. Buying a brand new gun and leaving it in the box or nightstand or whatever is no bueno, especially when you're talking about an...affordable product line. Not that the gun is bad, but you do need to be shooting it regularly to confirm functionality and you do need to be shooting some of your defensive ammo through it to make sure it cycles. The gun could have some kind of defect from the factory or other parts failure and you'd never know until you picked it up to defend yourself.

Now that you mention "defects", I did notice that when I pull the slide sometimes it gets stuck half way so I'm not sure what's that about but yea the only way to find out is to go to the range. To be honest, the reason why I did not shoot the gun is because I was contemplating on moving to California but if I remember correctly you can only have magazines that accept only 10 rounds at the most for hand guns (I could be mistaken) but that was the main reason why I never took this gun out as I planned on selling it eventually and getting a 1911 instead, that was the end goal.

I have to ask if this is a trolling post or a serious post. Just seems off to me.

Not trolling, this is indeed a legit question.

I've switched to using very sparing amounts of grease instead of oil. It helps a lot with sweat and heat from carrying the gun every day concealed. Seems to effectively last for ever, at least long enough to be fresh by the time I'm done with my regular practice regime.

All guns are always loaded.

If you're measuring this period of time in months, then you really need to rethink life choices, shooting is a perishable skill. If you shoot about the same every time you go, it's time to challenge yourself, and push until you fail. If you haven't shot a gun in more than a few months, then I would not trust your life to it or your own abilities to use it anymore.

How do you even know where your ammo is shooting if you've only ever had the same rounds in the gun since 2013? I don't want to be mean, but man that's irresponsible. If you have to use that gun in self defense, you have no idea where your point of impact is going to be. You need to practice with the ammo you carry, you don't want to kill someone you didn't intend to shoot.

You're right, I do shoot with other guns, it's just this one in particular I don't but I will. As long as shooting it doesn't effect the resale value. If it does I would rather just sell it as is and replace it with a 1911 and use that instead.

 

[churchmouse]

Thanks for reply's everyone, a bit overwhelmed but really insightful!
You're right, I do shoot with other guns, it's just this one in particular I don't but I will. As long as shooting it doesn't effect the resale value. If it does I would rather just sell it as is and replace it with a 1911 and use that instead.

OK 1911 guy....I like him already....

Commiefornia….?????

Are you crazy...

 

[bwframe]

Maybe I misread?

Is the OP using a handgun for home protection that has never been range tested?

 

[TommyGlock]

OK 1911 guy....I like him already....

Commiefornia….?????

Are you crazy...

Haha, I got my first 1911 when I was 18, it was a used beaten to death Springfield, best experience with a gun thus far. Didn't know what I had at the time and treated it like crap, never oiled it, nothing, and shot god knows how many rounds (not including the rounds my friends shot) and it never failed not even once. I remember when I was going to pickup my SD40VE I told the FFL dealer that I'll probably be back soon to sell it back to him and get another 1911, he kept giving me reason as to why I should keep the SD40VE...

As for California, I don't "really" want to move to California but it's for business so I don't have much of a choice. I live in Florida and love the gun laws here so I'm trying to find a state that has similar gun laws. So I might end up in Texas , as long as I can make it work from a business sense.

 

[TommyGlock]

Maybe I misread?

Is the OP using a handgun for home protection that has never been range tested?

That is correct, purchased it from Gallery of Guns, oiled it, and then left it in the box. I have (or should I say had) other guns which I used frequently which gets oiled after every use. But I was curious about guns that don't get used frequently and how other individuals treat them.

 

[Thor]

. So I might end up in Texas , as long as I can make it work from a business sense.

IN has the gun laws you're looking for and it gets you above the killer bee fire ant line. Winters aren't all that bad either.

 

[KokomoDave]

I used to live by San Diego. Loved the climate and chill people. Hated the gun laws.
Grandparents were Texas Snowbirds. We used to visit them at Sunrise Beach in Mathis, Texas. Awesome place on Lake Corpus Christi. Citrus groves, fishing, deer and tasty javelina plus nice little town. Weird tax laws tho.
Good luck!