# Fighting Sweat



## jdeere9750 (Nov 28, 2008)

After a quick search didn't tell me what I wanted to know, I thought I'd ask. Feel free to move me if this is in the wrong spot, as I wasn't sure where to post this question.

How do you guys that carry IWB daily in hot environments care for your gun? What do you wipe down/clean it with? Always take it out of the holster, right? Any other specific things that will help?

Thanks in advance.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Wipe the gun with a dry paper towel to remove all moisture. Maybe also run a patch through its barrel.
Wipe it down with an oily cloth, and run an oily patch through the barrel.
Leave it out of its holster overnight.

Wipe your holster down to remove all moisture.
When it's dry, give only its _exterior_ a thin coat of Kiwi neutral (colorless) shoe "polish" (hard wax, in a can).

Leather suffers slightly more from unattended sweat than even steel does.


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## jdeere9750 (Nov 28, 2008)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Wipe the gun with a dry paper towel to remove all moisture. Maybe also run a patch through its barrel.
> Wipe it down with an oily cloth, and run an oily patch through the barrel.
> Leave it out of its holster overnight.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reply. That's similar to what I expected, but I haven't thought of caring for the holster as well. Glad I asked.

Two questions, though. Does it matter what kind of oil? How often should a person "polish" a holster?


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Which gun oil to use: That's a real can o' worms.
Everybody has his own idea of what the "correct" gun oil is. But the truth is that for _daily_ wiping down to prevent corrosion, _any_ oil will do the job.
I'm trying out a 100-year-old product of German chemical engineering called Ballistol. It works quite well.
Break Free is a good lubricant, and only needs to be used in minute quantities, but it's too expensive to be a daily anti-corrision wipe.
The real answer to your question is (I kid you not) "Whatever."

I'd give a really good holster a light coat of polished wax once a month, but once a week won't do any damage.
If it gets wet (with sweat, or just plain water), let it dry thoroughly first. _Use no heat._ Then wax it.
Your previously-applied coats of wax should keep your sweat from ruining the leather...for a while, anyway.


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