[katie5805]

Is it a good idea to wipe down mags after shooting...perhaps with Ballistol?

 

[socrates007]

Is it a good idea to wipe down mags after shooting...perhaps with Ballistol?

I always wipe down the outside of my magazines after shooting them with a drop of Ballistol on a rag. It has never hurt any of my magazines, and I think it protects the metal.

 

[halfmoonclip]

A truly anal-retentive buddy was crazy to wipe down anything blued to the point of making me paranoid to even handle a blued gun for fear of damage.


He was overthinking it; wipe things down if they aren't getting handled again for a really long time.


Sweating on guns is another matter; some of my stainless Smith carry guns have developed rust under composite grips.
Moon

 

[MGMike]

I am more interested in cleaning mags inside. At least depressing the follower and wiping out the front and back walls and under the feed lips with a Q-tip.

My rule of thumb: if the gun is dirty enough to field-strip to clean, it's dirty enough to warrant dismantling the magazine to thoroughly clean the entire mag body --particularly the follower legs (which cannot otherwise be reached).

M

 

[socrates007]

I am more interested in cleaning mags inside. At least depressing the follower and wiping out the front and back walls and under the feed lips with a Q-tip.

My rule of thumb: if the gun is dirty enough to field-strip to clean, it's dirty enough to warrant dismantling the magazine to thoroughly clean the entire mag body --particularly the follower legs (which cannot otherwise be reached).M

I also use Q-tips to clean under the feed lips of my magazines, and on and around the follower. I usually don't disassemble the magazines, but maybe I should do that too - at least every so often.

 

[imaoldfart]

Disassembling the mag is easy. The mag body acts like a trash can....collecting stuff....like brass shavings and powder residue. Once disassembled, its easy to use a little cleaner to wipe the inside of the mag and clean up the follower with some cleaner and a brush. You can either soak the spring or just use compressed air to blow it off. Reassemble DRY....you're good to go. And, its OK to wipe the outside of the mag with a little oil, just don't leave it wet....

 

[MGMike]

The vertical surfaces of the follower scrubbing against the magazine walls is where most magazine friction originates (apart, of course, from the cartridges themselves). If these surfaces are gritty from firing residue or sticky from dried lubricant, the added friction retards the easy movement of the cartridge column, or causes it to stumble, which leads to feeding stoppages.

Drag your finger over the front and rear legs of the follower both before and after brushing them with a nylon or stainless GI "toothbrush", and you'll feel the difference.

M

 

[Andyd_is_PzGren]

I have a lot of obsolete factory magazines that cost as much as some people spend on their gun. So, yes, I take good care of them.

 

[imaoldfart]

^^^^^You DO have a lot of obsolete magazines. Which reminds me of a story. A few years ago, I took my chain saw to a repair shop. Dropped back by a few days later to check on it, and the guy said the saw was an antique and he couldn't find parts for it. I thought 'holy sheet, I bought that saw NEW'.....I guess that makes me an antique. Naaahhh, just an old fart.

 

[Andyd_is_PzGren]

^^^^^You DO have a lot of obsolete magazines. Which reminds me of a story. A few years ago, I took my chain saw to a repair shop. Dropped back by a few days later to check on it, and the guy said the saw was an antique and he couldn't find parts for it. I thought 'holy sheet, I bought that saw NEW'.....I guess that makes me an antique. Naaahhh, just an old fart.

That is just the tip of the iceberg. I guess I am what the MSM considers a gun nut but it doesn't hurt.

 

[Zebra]

Is it a good idea to wipe down mags after shooting...perhaps with Ballistol?

If you like the smell - yes.
I use lightly oiled cloth.

 

[MGMike]

Everybody should have a "RIG Rag". For many decades every recruit in the FBI Academy was told to make one.

Take a small glass jar with a screw-on lid and plop into it a glob of RIG grease (Yes, RIG's still made). Cut a 4" square of heavy lint-free cloth, put it inside the jar and mop it around until the grease is absorbed into the cloth. Squeeze it and mop it more, turning the rag until it is evenly saturated and you can't see the grease on the rag, or in the jar.

The jar is then kept on the workbench where the rag can be used to wipe down a dry gun or remove fingerprints, leaving a smooth greasy film on the surface without visible deposits of grease; with use the rag gets "seasoned" and works beautifully; you can add more RIG to the jar when and if needed.

M

 

[BlitzPig]

I have a similar rag I use for wiping down my handguns, though I have used Slip 2000 EWL oil as the lubricating medium.

It imparts a very nice look to today's modern matte finished pistols as well as traditional glossy blued ones.