What do you guys use for lubrication on your sidearms?
Any difference for steel frame, aluminum, or polymer?
Thanks,
Hootie
Militec-1 …
WeaponShield.
eta: I pretty much only shoot Glocks, though I do have an M&P45. I tend to use more lubricant than many typically advocate - since LAV suggested to actually lube the damn gun, I do.
I have and occasionally still use Militec-1, but now personally prefer the non-toxic Slip200 EWL and WeaponShield.
-RD62
Militec-1 and Slip EWL for high round (500+) events.
I use Weaponshield myself. But I only own HK handguns, so it doesn’t matter if I lube it or not. 
Hootiewho -
Are you referring to lube for range sessions and training classes, or for carry? For classes or high volume range sessions, I prefer a relatively light lube that I can apply quickly and easily several times throughout the day. Several of the lubes already mentioned in this thread fit that bill nicely. For carry, I prefer to use a grease that stays put and doesn’t tend to run off the gun in short order. For the last few years, I’ve been using Lubriplate grease for carry. It’s very affordable and available from Brownells. You might want to check out the “Weapon Lubrication” Tactical Tip on the Vickers Tactical site. It’s very informative reading.
This is the best stuff I have ever used:
Non Toxic, also
Militec 1 on most of my guns except my USPSA gun, and my AR which I run grease on those.
WeaponsShield for my handguns.
Everybody has their favorite brand of snake oil. Many well known & lesser known luminaries in weapon craft state very clearly that they “…use whatever is free…”. Most important is that you lube them. The appropriate heading on Larry Vickers’ website (Vickers’ Tactical) is most informative.
I use Mobil 1, Miltec, Clenzoil & Slip 2000. This is what’s on my bench & frankly I don’t see much difference in functioning.
militec 1
Militec for classes and Yam’s 10-8 for carry.
I’ve tried almost all of them and I’m sticking with Weaponshield and Slide Glide if I need grease…
As some of the replies have explained (and LAV describes in detail at the linked article), different people have different needs.
I shoot my guns a lot and clean them rarely. For that situation, I’ve found Militec to be best for me. Greases tend to accumulate shot residue and eventually turn into more of a lapping compound than a lube. The gun will still run but you’re accelerating wear. The only two stoppages I’ve experienced in almost 35,000 rounds with my M&P torture test gun were due to grease picking up debris and preventing the sear from resetting properly.
On the other hand, the Militec is thin enough that it won’t trap gunk. I’ve gone thousands of rounds of high-volume fire between applications and never had any trouble.
My guns also aren’t getting buried in sand, frozen in an ice box, etc.
I use MPro-7 and have never seen anything clean as well in my experience. It’s not officially a “lube” but I don’t find the need for it with MPro-7, although I will add just a little Miltec to the spots that my guns are “supposed” to require lube if I ever notice any reason to do so. For now, MPro-7 does it all.
I have been playing around with some dry graphic film lubricate that comes in an aerosol can on my rimfire pistol (P22) and rimfire suppressor mount. It seems to work pretty well and is very hard to remove by hand. I got it from a plant that I do some contract work at. The can says it is good continously to 850 deg F and intermittently to 1000 deg F without failure. It works wonders on old “stiff” locks. This same type of lube is used in some of the plants I do work at on steel & aluminum forge presses. It is sprayed on the die to ensure the part does not stick after the press cycles. It is actually used in the forging of AR15 receivers.
Have any of you guys tried anything similar? Can anyone think of any negative issues associated with this type of lube?
To me, it seems like it would be a very good option especially on polymer pistols such as the M&P.
Any thoughts?
Slip 2000EWL on everything…Glocks, Berettas, Tauri, Ruger, Remington and my M4 variants. It works.
Militec and Gun butter
I’ve used many different types on many different platforms. I’ve never had issues related to either.
Off the to of my head
Mobil 1
Pennzoil-various
ATF
All ran various 59/69 series S&W’s for over 1000 rounds without cleaning or malfunctions
All below have run Smith’s, Glocks, Sigs, Beretta’s, HK’s equally.
Hoppe’s
Outers
Miltec -oil and grease
Breakfree
FP10
Shooters Choice grease
Hoppes Elite
Kleenbore
Slip 2000
My personal opinion is that anything will run provided you clean the weapon right and operate it correctly.