Best Lubricant & Cleaner for Glock Pistols

Glock is known for its reliability, being able to cycle when put in just about any condition. Large amounts of carbon build up, dirt and even mud, inexplicably doesn’t stop Glock from firing, but it is obvious keeping it clean and lubed will make it that much more reliable. Glock has a very specific way they recommend you to clean and lube your firearm and you can read about that in the owner manual that came with the firearm. Glock also recommends using a quality lubricant that won’t harden or gum up to prevent any malfunction when firing your Glock. We will be giving you our top choices for Glock lubricants and cleaners as well as how often you should clean your firearm.

How Often?

Keeping your Glock clean and on the dry side is ideal, but the question is how clean and how dry should your Glock be. Below is Glock's recommended cleaning cycle to achieve optimal longevity of your firearm.

• Clean your firearm when it’s brand new, before it’s fired for the first time.
• Clean your firearm after each time you take it to the range, this will avoid brass corrosion and pitting from left over propellant and primers.
• Clean your firearm at least once a month, if it hasn’t been used during that that time.
• Clean if it’s been exposed to rain, snow, perspiration, salt water, dirt, dust, etc.
• Don’t over lubricate, which can affect your guns performance.

Without further ado, we will share our choices for the best lube and cleaner that will keep your Glock running.

Overview

Ballistol

Over 100 years ago the German military requested an 'all-around' oil and cleaner for their rifles and equipment, the product that was formulated is now called Ballistol. This 3-in-one lubricant, cleaner, protectant, can be used for a wide range of applications such as wood, leather and firearms, just to name a few. Cleaning with Ballistol will save you time, minimize the need for brushing, and it also forms a protective film on your glock overtime.

Due to its slight alkalinity (8 - 8.5), Ballistol neutralizes and dissolves black powder and corrosive ammo residue. Since Ballistol neutralizes, instead of eats away at the fowling, it is safe to have residual Ballistol, but it is recommended to wipe off any access lubricant. One of the major advantages of using Ballistol as a lubricant and cleaner is it will never gum up or harden, which can be detrimental to any gun, and you never have to worry what you put it on. Ballistol is a high quality product and even some of the more notable people in the firearm community use it, like Hickok45. We would recommend anyone and everyone to use Ballistol on there Glock, and it is what we use on our own.

Hoppe’s #9

Of course Hoppe’s will be on this list, what kind of gun owner would we be without having a bottle or two of Hoppe’s No. 9. Hoppe’s has been around for some time, since 1903 to be exact and got its name from Frank August Hoppe who mixed nine chemicals together and created a cleaner that will last generations.

Hoppe’s is another classic choice for cleaning your Glock but you will need to get the Hoppes bore cleaner and the oil/lubricator since its not a 3-in-one. When applying Hoppe’s to your gun you won’t have to worry about any corrosive properties, it acts as a rust inhibitor and any leftover solvent will be evaporated but do make sure you give it a good wipe after applying the solvent. Hoppe’s lubricant is a high-quality lube that is long lasting, does not harden, gum or expire, which is exactly what we want when applying it to any striker fired gun. The Hoppes lubricant also comes with a fine nose point so you can easily apply it between the rail grooves and on the extractor or any where else that has metal on metal contact.

BreakFree CLP-4 Cleaner Lubricant Preservative

CLP is another great multi-use product, for cleaning, lubing and preserving your firearm. CLP is a safe product that does not corrode or affect the wood or polymer materials in your firearms. We use CLP anytime we will be keeping a firearm in the safe for a long period of time, since it acts also as a preservative but CLP does make an even longer lasting preservative here. CLP is known for having minimal burn off, and can withstand a wide range of temperatures with no adverse affects to your firearm. CLP is also on the US military approved list for firearm cleaners/lubricators. CLP has a long-lasting lubricating film that is supposed to reduce adhesion of sand, grit or other abrasives which cause wear and failure. Just like ballistol CLP creates a protective film overtime, which helps from rusting and pitting.

Cleaning Tools

No matter what lubricant and cleaner you choose you will still need to apply it to your firearm. What we typically like to use are simple cleaning patches, and woven low-lint cotton swabs, so they do not leave behind any fibers and excess lint. With the swabs you can get in between your rail grooves and hard to reach places with the 6-inch stick attached. Glock also ships with a cleaning rod, which I prefer to use since it’s made of a polymer and won't scratch the barrel when cleaning the bore.

If you need something to remove some of the fowling and old lube you applied to your weapon the last time you cleaned it, its safe to use some rubbing alcohol. Being so simple is why we like it, we know it works and its cheap. If you are wanting to see what that looks like, you can refer to the video below of Hickok45 cleaning with rubbing alcohol, cleaning pouches, cotton swabs and some trusty Ballistol.

Cleaning Kit

Sometimes people like to bring some cleaning equipment on the go, when they go to the range, or just to have in there bag for a "just in case" situation. There are many mobile kits you can purchase, some obviously being better than others. Some brushes are known for shedding the copper wires from the brush quality being low, and don't have the best attachment threading. There are some much larger cleaning kits you can purchase, but those are very dependant on whats in your arsenal. If you are wanting to look for some quality cleaning kits, check out our article here.

BOOSTEADY Universal Handgun Cleaning kit

The BOOSTEADY cleaning kit is not only great for your glock but any handgun you own, since the kit is not platform specific. If you have multiple calibers this is also a good option since it is compatible with 22, 357, 38, 9mm and 45 caliber handguns. The product comes with a nice case that holds each piece in place. 16 total Pieces, and two good 10.5 inch Handgun cleaning rods. The rods are made of brass, so you don't damage your barrel, and is a lot stronger to push patches through then the stock glock plastic cleaning rod.

Overview

With so many options on the market it can be difficult to find the best Glock lubricant and cleaner. Sticking to the basics and using the old time originals you can be sure your gun will last generations. Below are two videos of the best ways to clean your glock from Hickok45 and Sootch00, they are also cleaning with the products listed above.

hickok45 Cleaning with Ballistol

Sootch00 Cleaning with Hoppe's #9