What would I use to clean/polish/lube my 1911?

[tacticooledc]

Preferrably something from walmart or an easily findable store :)

Mine has that blued finish, not sure if tuffcloth would do the trick on that

[Dr. Snubnose]

I would use Corrosion X.....Doc :D

[Jordan]

I am about to say something that would cause my more gun-snobby friends to beat me viciously about the face and neck... but it honestly doesn't matter all that much. Don't take that to mean that you should rub your pistol down with turpentine and bleach... or at least if you do, don't blame me for what happens to your finish... but any product sold specifically as a gun cleaner, lubricant, or both will do the job just fine. Thanks to the fact that my job provides me with a virtually limitless supply of CLP (as long as I remain in the good graces of my supply sergeant, that is :p ), I use that mostly. Or Hoppes... or Breakfree... pretty much whatever is on sale at Academy when I buy bullets. The trick is less in the products and more in the processes. Cleaning a 1911 properly means not only field stripping, punching the tube, and wiping carbon off of the slide... but removing the mainspring housing, leafspring, hammer, sear, and trigger to clean and lubricate those parts. Also the firing pin and ejector (in my experience... the primary cause of chronically stovepiping 1911s is this last). Lubricating a weapon is also something of an art... an art that requires a great deal of moderation. A little goes a long way with oil... and an excess can make your pistol into a dirt magnet. I'll stop now... because this is starting to feel patronizing, not at all my intention :) .

PS. Since I neglected to say anything when you posted a pic a while back though... welcome to handgun ownership bud! And also to the Lone Star State :D .

[Shike]

Firepower FP10.

[dcmartin2001]

I've used FP10, Militech, Hoppes, CLP break free.....and by far the best / most impressive stuff i've come across is Frog Lube http://www.froglube.com/roothome.htm but I think it's only available via website. I got mine at the last gun show i went to. Made the slide on my 1911 feel like it was just honed.... Cleans lubes and waterproofs.... pretty cool stuff. It lifts the ground in metal on my fine Sharpmaker rods with almost zero effort.

[tacticooledc]

I am about to say something that would cause my more gun-snobby friends to beat me viciously about the face and neck... but it honestly doesn't matter all that much. Don't take that to mean that you should rub your pistol down with turpentine and bleach... or at least if you do, don't blame me for what happens to your finish... but any product sold specifically as a gun cleaner, lubricant, or both will do the job just fine. Thanks to the fact that my job provides me with a virtually limitless supply of CLP (as long as I remain in the good graces of my supply sergeant, that is :p ), I use that mostly. Or Hoppes... or Breakfree... pretty much whatever is on sale at Academy when I buy bullets. The trick is less in the products and more in the processes. Cleaning a 1911 properly means not only field stripping, punching the tube, and wiping carbon off of the slide... but removing the mainspring housing, leafspring, hammer, sear, and trigger to clean and lubricate those parts. Also the firing pin and ejector (in my experience... the primary cause of chronically stovepiping 1911s is this last). Lubricating a weapon is also something of an art... an art that requires a great deal of moderation. A little goes a long way with oil... and an excess can make your pistol into a dirt magnet. I'll stop now... because this is starting to feel patronizing, not at all my intention :) .

PS. Since I neglected to say anything when you posted a pic a while back though... welcome to handgun ownership bud! And also to the Lone Star State :D .

Thanks a lot for the info and the warm welcome.
Also, I'm gonna check out that froglube thing, for the name if not anything else :D

Been considering trading in my taurus pt1911 for a not-as-high-maintenance gun like a revolver, but realized just how beautiful this thing is and how much history it has behind it. Besides, a giant slug traveling at a low speed is probably my definition of best stopper when compared to .357 magnum rounds that go through multiple houses :D

[BAL]

I am about to say something that would cause my more gun-snobby friends to beat me viciously about the face and neck... but it honestly doesn't matter all that much. Don't take that to mean that you should rub your pistol down with turpentine and bleach... or at least if you do, don't blame me for what happens to your finish... but any product sold specifically as a gun cleaner, lubricant, or both will do the job just fine. Thanks to the fact that my job provides me with a virtually limitless supply of CLP (as long as I remain in the good graces of my supply sergeant, that is :p ), I use that mostly. Or Hoppes... or Breakfree... pretty much whatever is on sale at Academy when I buy bullets. The trick is less in the products and more in the processes. Cleaning a 1911 properly means not only field stripping, punching the tube, and wiping carbon off of the slide... but removing the mainspring housing, leafspring, hammer, sear, and trigger to clean and lubricate those parts. Also the firing pin and ejector (in my experience... the primary cause of chronically stovepiping 1911s is this last). Lubricating a weapon is also something of an art... an art that requires a great deal of moderation. A little goes a long way with oil... and an excess can make your pistol into a dirt magnet. I'll stop now... because this is starting to feel patronizing, not at all my intention :) .

PS. Since I neglected to say anything when you posted a pic a while back though... welcome to handgun ownership bud! And also to the Lone Star State :D .

Hey Jordan, by your post I am curious if you are a jerky boys fan, just a hunch.