If you're like me and like to clean, but don't have the skill to take it apart and put it back together?

I didn’t respond to this question earlier because although my most-used “trainer” P320 has nearly 3000 rounds through it thus far, I haven’t felt the need to clean the FCU other than wiping the accessible parts with a paper towel.*

I can disassemble the unit, but I find installing the trigger bar spring to be very difficult despite having done it a score of times or so, and the easiest method I’ve found isn’t one I’d recommend to anyone else.

All that being said, if I felt the need to clean the assembly without taking it apart, I’d just drench it with some sort of gun “scrubber” spray that would flush out most old lube and light firing residues that accumulate between the parts. I’m not a fan of that method for cleaning guns like Classic line SIGs because of the difficulty of relubricating them, but most of the P320’s FCU mechanism could be lubricated with the judicious use of a needle oiler. Don’t get carried away with the oil; a few small drops on the friction points should be sufficient.

Keep in mind that some of the FCU parts are made of plastic and therefore any scrubber product should be rated as being safe for use on polymers. Don’t just grab anything cheap and handy from the bargain bucket at the auto parts store. SIG has always cautioned that any cleaning or lubrication product used on their guns should be identified as being intended for use on guns. As my first factory SIG armorer instructor put it, if it’s intended for use on cement mixers, use it on your cement mixer, not on your guns. There are of course countless safe and effective exceptions to that rule, but I have always followed it myself.

* That comment is not intended to discourage you from cleaning the FCU or to suggest it’s not ever necessary, BTW, but rather to explain why I don’t have any experience doing it the way I described.

In addition to the excellent advice from sigfreund, I find an air compressor invaluable when cleaning any firearm. (Pressure commensurate with the application of course).

BERRYMAN PRODUCTS says the non chlorinated brake cleaners are generally safer to use on plastics. I pin point spray with that, then blow the contaminants out with my air compressor. I can adjust air pressure down from 90psi. Then apply oil and/or grease.

https://www.berrymanproducts.c...nated-brake-cleaner/

And this product, that is intended for use on guns, claims to be safe for polymers, not just safer.

Hey all, thanks! I'll need a couple of back-up P320's before I think about taking one apart. We're in the south east coastal zone, so an extra drop of oil or two.

I put the FCU in a gallon ziplock bag to contain the spray and keep it from splashing into my eyes. Hose it out with aresol Eezox. Scrub with toothbrush, wipe off excess. Done.

WD40 works just fine. It's a solvent.

Oh NO - anything but WD40 - unless you get it all off - will gum! P320 has a bunch of small parts that may not react well to the residue from WD40. Glock course instructor was adamant that WD40 was never to be used.

I cleaned a very early P320C9 this morning and removed the s/n block to clean surfaces that slide when trigger is pulled. Cleaning and oiling by hand - no spraying.

Once upon a time, I made the mistake of using WD-40
on a German Luger. As P320Mac has said, NOT GOOD!

That WD40 glued the Luger action components together.

I remove the FCU, hit it with Hoppes on a brush to break loose any carbon buildup, then hose it all down with gunscrubber to clean off all the crud and Hoppes. Once that dries, I lightly lube the contact points and re-install into the grip module.

Check out videos on
www.sigsauerguy.com

He has a good one on completely dis-assembling the FCU and another on re-assembling, plus several on swapping specific parts.

WD40 will work fine. Again it's a solvent. It won't attack the plastics.

It's not a lubricant. The question is cleaning, not lubricating. The WD-40, because it is a solvent, must be removed and the pistol lubricated.

This can be bypassed by using AeroKroil in a spray can which will clean, remove grease and debris, and lubricate. Let it drain, and apply any greases desired over the top.

If you use WD-40 to spray down the FCU and then follow up by penetrating something like the blue Lucas oil into the parts, you'll have no issues at all.

For the FCU, I wipe the parts with a paper towel, and dont' soak anything, as it's not necessary. Any grease or dirt will be removed easily enough. Get into places with a q-tip, that you need to, and oil. Use adequate grease.

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I worked at the WD-40's plant in the Summer of 1980 painting their chemical storage tanks when my Uncle's company was hired to paint them.

I don't know the formula, but I do know kerosene is a main ingredient. I also learned from another Uncle who worked for Convair that they used the stuff to protect Atlas Rocket bodies from rust and exposure.

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Mine gets a bath and short soak in Gen. Hatcher's Ordinance Solvent from the 1920s. This is also identified as Ed's Red at times.

Under either name it works well, cleans like mad and is inexpensive to make... The stuff is good for cleaning any gun you are likely to find.

FWIW

Chuck

This product might be of help -

http://www.cylinder-slide.com/...&ns=catshow&ref=Dunk