More on the Ruger mystery

this kind of relates to the other thread, about comparing Glocks to Rugers P95 series. A guy had brought me one last month, allowed as too how when he got it new, it functioned very well.

he then field strips it, cleans it, and the thing wont function for sour owl manure. Smoke stacks, wont unlock, etc etc.

Well, he thought that perhaps he had messed something up in the re assy. I studied the gun for a long time, talked to guys here, tried a few things, and still the gun wont function por nada.

I was about the point, where I thought maybe they had used heavy springs in the gun, to prevent frame damage, as the gun did somewhat try to function with mil issue hardball but still would not function with handloads, or other commercial loads, that would make my Hi Power run like a swiss watch.

So, upon further searching on the net, I ran across a lot of guys, complaining of the same issues, smokestacks, FTF, etc.

So I would go to sleep at night, trying to figure out just what the heck was going on with this gun. Finally, I loaded up a batch of top of the page loads, and figured that if they would sort of function the gun, I was planning on clipping a coil off the main spring, and seeing if that helped.

Along the way, for what ever reason, I used some Rem Lube on the rails and slide.

Well low and behold, THAT was what was preventing the gun from functioning correctly!

I just near could not believe that was the issue. And the owner was like myself, he had believed that the "plastic" guns did not really need to be lubed.

Living in the desert, I know that sand and dirt is what wears a gun out, from being over lubed, so I have always tended to run my guns on the dry side.

I saw where the Army I think it was, bought a bunch of these P95s, man...thats the weapon I want in the sandbox, one that wont function unless lube is dripping off of it.

I do not know of other plastic guns are like this, I know I had an "Ultrastar" some years back, it ran fine dry.

Do Glocks have to be lubed to run?

None should think I am an idiot, lubrication does help guns function, an example is the old A 5 Browning, if the tube gets dry, the friction rings simply will not slide properly, but generally, even dry, the gun will run half bass.

I have heard that Lugers like to be lubed, but to consider any real deal combat pistol, that HAS to have much more than a whiff of lube to work properly, just isnt one I would want to bet anyones life on.

A hand built tight match 1911 can get cranky while dry of course, but again, they are not imagined as a service pistol.

Except that the hammer spring felt really heavy on this gun, I mean way heavier than other guns in my safe, even my old buddy that has shot for the Navy teams commented on the heavy feel on the mainspring, the gun did not exhibit a "rough" feel of the slide coming back.

It was fairly accurate though, which was one thing the early versions of the Ruger, had complaints about. Once it started running, tagging bowling pins at 20 yards was no challenge, even given the "OSHA approved" trigger.

I recall a P85 experience years back, a gallon bucket at that distance was relatively safe.