Maintenance question

That's if you want crap to get into every little crevice and you don't worry about causing a hydrauylic lock of the firing pin and you have some primers from Mars that won't allow liquid to enter by capillarity.
TRhis is not a snide answer. I've seen lots of long term damage to pistols caused by faulty "quick and dirty" use of aerosol cleaners and lubes.
It is still best by all measures to strip the frame and slide at intervals, wash with boiling water and dishwashing detergent to which just a pinch of baking soda has ben added, air dry and rub down with paper towels, then properly re-lube the pistol with a dry moly lube and supplement with a top quality grease that performs under pressure and heat conditions and has a great tenacity.
If I catch any of you using aerosol products on any firearm in my class, I'll hand you a pair of white cotton gloves and make you run your fingers over every surface of the gun. Guess what the result always is?
Which is less trouble, a white glove inspection or a failure during a lethal confrontation and trying to explain to the surgeon where you think the bullet is lodged?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: John Lawson on 2001-04-25 11:54 ]</font>

ANY penetrating oil is poison around a gun you use for personal defense. Aerosol penetrants are double poison. However, if you feel lucky, do what you like; only a few people die as a result of poor maintenance and you may never be one of the statistics.
You add soda to the water and detergent to prevent rusting. Sometimes the doorbell rings, the phone rings or Waldo wants to go for a walk. The soda will allow it to stand after the hot water evaporates without rusting. Heckfire! Gunsmiths fave been doing this for a long, long time.
What will the white gloves show you? You, perhaps nothing. Me, that you are spreading crap from one place to another, not floating it away and getting rid of it.
Some solvents have a deteriorating effect on polymers. If you ever want your Glock dissolved, I have just the solution for you.
On the other hand, dishwashing detrgent is easy to obtain, beneficial to man and machine and it removes (floats away) carbon and ground glass (primer residue) leaving a clean surface for lubricants to adhere to.
The soda is not essential, but it guarantees no oxidation of steel or iron. (Ever clean up after black powder?)
You don't need to detail strip your carry gun every time you clean it, obviously. But, a serious professional will do so at intervals depending on his use of the gun.
As I mentioned elsewhere the ideal lube and protecting products are available only in very large quantities. I have offered to package some up in small quantities if you would like to try them. I'm not marking the items up, just including postage and handling, container cost, etc. If you want to try them, eMail me. I'll put in a complete instruction sheet.

I agree with John Lawson 100 percent, he makes a good point if you can bother to read through all the wishy-washy double talk!
hehehehehehe!
(Ain't nuthin' wrong with speakin' your mind!)

NOTE!
I'm sure this is what John meant, but in case he didn't make it clear enough, and at the risk of stating the obvious, use the water on parts ONLY, not assembled pieces.
(Strip the slide before you soak it down.)

I've used the boiling water many times myself, and it's great for de-greasing and flushing out the stubborn stuff, but you don't have to go so far as to use actually boiling water.

If you've got a good water heater in your house, (hot enough that you don't want to stick your hand under the hot water) that will do the job just as well, but you have to leave the part under the hot water long enough for the part to reach roughly the same temp as the water.
This does two things.
1. Flushes out all the gunk.
2. Causes the water to evaporate very quickly.

Have Q-tips on hand to reach in and clean all the nooks, crannies, and tunnels, and to re-lube them as well.

As to what sort of lube to use, I'll not get too detailed and just ditto Mr. Lawson. The one thing I do want to add though, is to mention the judicial application of a good gun grease where it's called for.
A tiny dab on the back of the trigger stirrup, and maybe a dab on the (side) bearing surfaces of the hammer.
My general rule of lube, is that if after lubing your pistol, you would not want to wear it tucked in the waistband of your best suit, there's WAY too much oil.
(Kinda the same thing as the white glove test I suppose.)

Remember, best lube is measured in DROP and DAB, anything else is excessive.