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Surface finish scratched on the barrel.

7K views 12 replies 10 participants last post by  grworrall 
#1 ·
First of all wish to say Hi to all Experts on this great forum!
My first post here today!

I'm pretty new to firearms. I visited range occasionally during last couple of years, but I bought an LCP and Glock 19 Gen 4 this August. I'm trying to visit range now once per one or two weeks.

I do have question about maintenance of LCP and would love to hear your advise and opinions.

My LCP is of simplest variety (non stainless slide), latest gen (no dashes in SN), which I upgraded with CT laser recently. I love this gun so far. It is not as easy to shoot as her bigger brother G19, but it surely is fun, and I love ease of concealment!

I'm using rather dirty ammo now (AMSCOR PRECISION) so have to do quite a lot of cleaning after each range trip.

For both guns I use FrogLube kit (liquid cleaner, and CLP in form of paste and gel). I do not use anything else - FrogLube supposed to work as both cleaner and lubricant. I'm spending quite a lot of time for cleaning - usually it takes me abouth 2 - 2.5 hours to fully clean both... I know it's likely an overkill, but I like to do it to be honest.... For FrogLube's application I'm using recommended routine involving heat gun to heat metal parts before applying CLP paste.

I fired 152 rounds so far (2 HP which I carry with, 50 reloads bought from the range owner and 100 AMSCOR new ammo). I would love to do more, but .380 ammo is rare and expensive these days, so have to be frugal with it...

After cleaning my gun last time, I noticed that finish surface on the barrel is scratched a bit. Not really scratched, I could see a bit of shiny metal on it. It is noticeable near muzzle end all around and on top especially, and on the lateral sides of the chamber which rub against the slide.

I do apply pretty liberal amount of frog lubes CLP (second coat, first one is removed during cleaning), but not too much. Please see pictures below. Is it normal wear and tear? Or is my cleaning and maintenance is inefficient and I will need to switch to traditional oil based CLP and lubes?
Please advise!

Thank you all in advance!

Alex
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#2 ·
Welcome to the forum from Western Pa. I use diamond ruge past I purchase from a local jeweler and a buffing wheel with a Dremel and buff the scratches out. That should help you get the scratches out.
 
#4 ·
Thank you for replies!

I'm from CT, but can't edit my details yet.

It's not really a scratches. The surface of the barrel was a bit rough from the factory - I could feel rings from machining when I drive my nail over. And now these places look polished, with shiny metal instead of factory dark color.

I would love to hear more opinions about FrogLube. Is it effective or not.
Thank you all again,
Alex
 
#9 ·
I would love to hear more opinions about FrogLube. Is it effective or not.
Gun cleaning products are one of those passionate issues many folks will argue to death, but in my experience brand loyalty and using what one has already purchased are the primary drivers behind using one product over another.

I really like Frog Lube. It seems to work very well on weapons and has never given me a headache or a rash. There are a couple of corrosion tests I've seen posted online where washers dipped in Frog Lube didn't seem to hold up as well as many competing products in exposure to salt spray, so it might not be the product for costal duck hunters, but after a couple of weeks of being forced to purse carry while some contact dermatitis healed up I will only use Frog Lube on the weapons i conceal carry. :tennis:
 
#5 ·
Alex, the wear you described it absolutely normal where parts move and rub against each other.

The slight roughness of some interior surfaces is quite normal as well. Ruger has to control production costs to be able to sell their products and still maintain the relatively low retail price that we pay. That demands that they don't polish surfaces that don't matter.
 
#6 ·
Hi Alex, you're probably doing just fine with shooting and cleaning your LCP. Just remember, a little goes a long way when it comes to gun lubes. That wear also is where the lube needs to be. Some polish these areas, but it doesn't retain the lube as well.
Here's a Glock cleaning vid;
 
#7 ·
Welcome to the forum, alexn.
Like all others said, it looks perfectly normal. As much as we tend to "baby" our little guns, we need to remember that after all the LCP is just an emergency rescue/survival tool meant to be carried. The bluing on edges will soon be lost and it will be scuffed. But that's all cosmetic issues. So long as you take good care of your gun by cleaning and lubricating properly, it should serve you for thousands of rounds.
 
#8 ·
Thank you guys for all responses!
Skip, it actually amazes me how inexpensive LCP is, giving fine materials and precision manufacturing involved.

Verticoli, thank you for the video. I follow similar routine, but froglube involves heating metal parts and applying semisolid paste. It melts and covers metal in thin layer. I do remove this and later apply a little bit more as a lube.

Good thing to hear that this is normal! I'm just a bit paranoid due to the lack of experience....

Among all 152 rounds so far only had 2 FTF with reloads - was very easy to solve. Probably cases were in a rough shape. 0 problems with 100 rounds of new ammo.

Have you guys tried .380 ACP from freedom munitions? They do have some in stock now. With their first order free shipping I could score a good deal... Want to get both 9 mm and .380 ACP to maximize bang for a buck :)
 
#12 ·
I agree it is normal wear and tear on parts. However, a thin layer of grease may help in the wearing of parts especially on the barrel. Grease stays in place better but obviously can attract debris. Use your own judgment. Spread thin if used. Be careful because some oil and grease are not compatible. I do not use grease in compression spots like the slide grooves. I use the 1,2,3 technique. 1 small (and I do mean small) spot of grease on the slide at the top (on the inside) where the flat spot on the top of the barrel slides down it; 2 small drops of grease on the barrel (1 on the outside of the barrel spreading it to basically put a micro thin layer on the outside of the round barrel and 1 small spot in the groove underneath that locks onto the retaining pin when assembled); and 3 spots of Oil on the frame 1 on each rail and a very small drop on the top of the trigger (inside the frame). Everyone has a different reason and opinion on how/why they do things but this works for me and has for years.
 
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