Oil in the firing pin hole

[Michigunner]

If there are those on the forum new to firearm maintenance, please consider using a very tiny drop when inserting oil into the firing pin hole, and then wipe away the excess.

I am reminded of this because the firing pin hole is one of the maintenance points for the R9.

Time and again, over the years, I've been warned about oil contaminating the primer, which may result in a round which will not fire.

Some people even seal the primer so it will remain fresh when carried in the chamber.  The well-known Texas pistolsmith, Teddy Jacobson, advocates primer sealing.  http://www.actionsbyt.com/

That's going a little far, but I try hard to keep oil away from the cartridge.

My apologies for preaching to the choir.

[R9SCarry]

Worthwhile point to raise and I'll add a bit.

''Less is more'' is often the way with gun lube.... and I recommend applying oil in particular with a wee small jeweller's screwdriver.  Touch said driver blade on oil supply sufficient to gain a small coating, whilst horizontal - then offer blade to where oil required and tip near vertical - watch end and hopefully you'll see a subtle capillary creep as oil is drawn off.

Big drops of oil are NOT good juju for most part - surplus oil has to ''drain'' somewhere and will - not always toward desirable places - or failing that it just makes a mess and encourages crud!

Grease can be overdone too - in as much as, only ''so much'' is needed amount and more is wasted and messy.  A ''Q'' tip with grease works well - so as to smear as against ''glob''.

Way better IMO to clean and lube a tad more often than try and use too much between longer intervals.

I too am probably preaching to choir!

[sslater]

Roger that on being stingy with lube around the firing pin /hole.  I had an embarassing experience with my early H&K USP40.  Cleaned it with EESOX after every range session.  Pretty liberal with the stuff, too.  I carefullly wiped off the excess, including extending the tip of firing pin so I could wipe it off with a q-tip.
After about 3,000 rounds the gun wouldn't go bang when I pulled the trigger.  The guy at the gun shop attached to the range tried the old pencil down the barrel trick.  Pencil didn't move.  He concluded the firing pin was busted and we sent the gun for factory service right then & there.
A couple of weeks later H&K returned the gun with a note that said "Tell the customer not to use GREASE on the firing pin.  Firing pin tunnel was so crudded up the pin couldn't move enough to strike primer.  Cleaned & returned."
The combination of over-generous application of the oil mixed with powder residue did me in.  
Now, I'm careful to flush the tunnel with solvent and re-lube with a tiny drop of oil in the firing pin hole.  Many thousands of rounds later, I've had no problem with that gun or any other.

  

[Michigunner]

sslater,

I was thinking that my Glock even said Not to put oil in the firing pin hole.

Can't find the manual now.

Anyway, I'm using just as little as possible.

Thanks,

Bill