Mag maintenance

[Supranatural]

Okay aside from the typical stuff (take the mag apart, clean it, lube internally) do I have to do anything to the external part of the mag? The reason I ask is that I do a lot of reloading drills in dry fire and I noticed my black MecGar CZ mags have shiny spots where the black paint has worn off. Do I have to worry about corrosion/rust? Do I/Should I put a light coat of oil on these spots? Or is it a non issue for a regularly used pistol (i.e., if I get another pistol I use a lot more should I do something to the mags to protect against corrosion)?

[Sarge]

First, I wouldn't oil inside the mags. All that does is attract dirt. As for the finish wearing off, that would be badge of honor for some shooters. Some like to show others how much they dry fire. I love when a guy walks up with his open gun bragging about how much of the bluing he has worn off. Never going to be an issue for me I assure you!

I would just wipe the mags externally with a silicone cloth to prevent rust forming on the bare spots.

[Yeti]

Hi Supranatural,

Just disassemble and clean on a regular basis. I like to use a light CLP to clean and wipe it off prior to reassembly.

You can use a cold bluing on your mag body if you want. IMO, unless you live near the ocean or neglect them it probably is not necessary.

Wipe the tubes down the same as above.

In the north here, if I won't be using the pistol/mags for months I just disassemble & wipe everything down to leave some CLP present. Store them in safe with humidity controls.

[Steve RA]

Easiest way to clean mags is to disassemble and throw all metal parts in tumbler (not stainless pins) for an hour or so. Might wear off the "black paint" a little worse.

[Glock26Toter]

A short spurt on the inside of the mag with Liquid Wrench Dry Lube (PTFE) is the trick. You can also spray the outside during a match, but I'm pretty sure it would do nothing to prevent rust between matches.

I use it all the time. I use it for case lube in my case feeder.

http://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Wrench-L512-Lubricant-CERFLON/dp/B000CPJLE4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430545715&sr=8-1&keywords=liquid+wrench+dry+lube+L512

[pointerman1967]

Since no one has stated the obvious, if you lube the outside of the mag it would likely make for some very unreliable mag changes as you struggle for grip. Once you transfer that lube to your hands everything else you do during a stage will also get a bit worse. Have to eject a defective round with oily fingers? I have never seen anyone lube a mag inside or out. In my twenty plus years of shooting I have never lubed a mag. In my mere two years of competition shooting I have never lubed a mag and have never experienced an issue that a lubed mag would have solved.

[Steve RA]

+1

Clean and dry is the way to fly !

[Bkreutz]

When the followers get sooty and black (they are light grey when clean), I take them apart and throw everything into my ultrasonic cleaner (steel solution) for 30 minutes, rinse them off and blow dry with compressed air. I wipe the tubes with a silicone cloth and reassemble. I'm trying to remember how often I do this, I'm thinking every 6 weeks or so.