With modern guns, keeping your gun from running dry is more important than cleaning it. What lube do you use? How did you come to choose it?
With modern guns, keeping your gun from running dry is more important than cleaning it. What lube do you use? How did you come to choose it?
Canola oil is preferred. As it burns off and stinks, it magically removes all the carbon fouling.
Hoppes No. 9
Same here.
I use it because that is what I have always used. (I know, extremely lame rationale.)
At least the No 9 lubricating oil is safe (isn’t a neurotoxin like the No. 9 bore cleaner).
I’ve been using Strike Industries’ AntiVenom XPLC stuff since November or December and am thoroughly impressed. Cleaned some freaking filthy guns (easily) with it, it’s slippery as frog snot, it works in sub-freezing temps, it smells nice, and it seems to prevent corrosion really well although I haven’t put that to a clinical sort of test.
Neurotoxin? Could you expand on that a bit?
*twitch*
Ditto, except for the BCG on my AR.
CLP. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Mostly Reming ton. It seems a little thinner than most and they sell it at Walmart.
Haha! From Remington’s website;
‘The same great lubricant since 1913, the advanced formula cleans, lubricates and protects your valuable firearms so they’ll keep running smoothly and looking like new.’
Same advanced formula since 1913!
Don’t use it on your 1911. It obviously wasn’t designed for such advanced chemistry.
CLP for oiling & cleaning, Milcom for grease.
I bought some Mil-Comm grease once and forgot about it. When I tried to use it much later it had the consistency of spoiled cottage cheese.
I use Wilson Combat and Break Free CLP. I’m also trying out the RIG grease from Birchwood Casey.
Somebody ask DG what he recommends.
“When I tried to use it much later it had the consistency of spoiled cottage cheese.”
You bring up an excellent point.
That being the long-term stability of the lube.
Frog Lube, Fire Clean, WD-40 and other lubes can ‘gum up’ over time.
Just what you *don’t* need if you need your weapon *now*…
Geoff, “Frog Lube…”
Thanks. I’ve been occasionally trying it, but I see it fading into the trash. (Smells nice, though.)
I have to agree about the frog lube gumming up. I went to use a 1911 that I had lubed up with frog lube 6 months ago and when I worked the slide it wouldn’t go back to battery. The slide would just move forward slowly and stop. Unfortunately I lubed up several of my firearms with it, and now have to go through and clean that crap out of all of them before I use them again. I’m back to using CLP like the good old days.
I thought the FrogLube was the stuff that you had to heat up the firearm in an oven or with a hair dryer to a certain temperature then apply it then wipe off all the access and it was supposed to be like greased snot afterwards whether or not it is I don’t know. But I do know they say to put it on to a heated metal surface let it cure on the surface and then wipe it off and then it’s supposed to stay behind and stay like Grease Lightning supposedly. But I know if you put it on chunky and leave it there it turns to cake butter
Hoffa, you’re right about the FrogLube. It’s not intended to be used like other lubricants. You heat and treat the metal with it, then remove it. It’s supposed to be “absorbed” or some such thing. I’ve been using it successfully, and as the firearms heat up, they start to work better. It prevents build-up of carbon and lubricates when hot. That said, I don’t put it on the slide rails of any of my pistols. That’s strictly white lithium grease for me.
I thought that’s how you were supposed to use FrogLube by preheating the metal you’re treating then putting the Frog Lube on it and wiping all the excess off. The reason I found out this was I meant gunsmith here in Florida and when that product first hit the market I must have got 15 AR-15 that came in that the owner claimed that the rifle was messed up it wouldn’t cycle rounds correctly. After pulling out the bolt carrier group I noticed a super thick waxy kind of material all over the bowl and the carrier and all inside the receiver it was ridiculous. I called the owner of the firearm and ask him what type of Luby was using and he told me FrogLube. So I did a little research on the product and found out you’re not supposed to put it all over the bearing surface areas and leave it you have to heat up the metal first treat the metal and wipe off all the excess to prevent it turning into blabbity group inside your firearm. I then got quite a few more rifles 12 more rifles I believe that had the same problem immediately called the owner and ask them if they were using FrogLube they said yes I said did you bother to read the directions on how to use the product? They replied no and I told them exactly how it’s supposed to be used and they went with a regular gun lubricant oil because of the actual preparation in doing the treatment requires you to totally disassemble the bolt carrier group and they didn’t want to get that far into cleaning a rifle they just wanted something they could spray on there or drip on there and be done with it.
I’ve been using Riggs plus P grease for over 30 years before it was made by Birchwood Casey it was made by another company Birchwood picked up the patent on it it’s great on stainless steel 1911 prevents stainless steel from welding itself together cold friction prevents it. I have also been using on my AR-15 for about 2 years now slip 2000 I use the grease on the four bearing surface areas on the carrier and the 30 weight Lube that is an oil on those forbearing surfaces on the carrier as well and on the bolt and on the gas rings and I have had no problems with cycling high amounts of ammunition without rewetting the bolt and carrier. However it doesn’t do so hot on Rust prevention so I use Break Free CLP on all my boars after cleaning them with Hoppe’s number 9 or some kg products all good stuff. Just make sure you use some type of surgical glove – the baby powder when messing with the Hoppe’s number 9 bore saw them that crap can cause leukemia Benzino in it.
Same.
Hoppes for most, except Gun Butter for the Glock and Lubriplate for parts of the Garand.
Been thinking about Amsoil, since their automotive oils are well regarded, might order some along with the our annual mid-summer oil and filters order.
I was thinking about this late last night, as a possible contribution to the forum. What about all the oils and greases?
One earlier input here noted that oil should be used on things that rotate, and grease on things that slide together. So…I thought, “Great. Settles that.” Then I thought about the next oil change for my car. Wait! Oil used where things slide together? Oil? That took me back to the utility of the proposition of when to use oil, and when grease.
If oil is used to lubricate engine cylinders and piston rings, why not the frame and slide rails of a gun? Why use grease anywhere on a pistol or rifle (discounting that cosmaline is a successful means of preventing rust)? Why not just use oil on all sliding parts?
Sam I Am,
The oil versus grease debate is mainly a factor of temperatures involved as far as I know. Obviously, oil is a LOT thinner than grease. I would tend to use oil on parts that never get very hot. And the colder the temperatures where I would be using the firearm, the thinner the oil I would use.
Think of engines. You use a thinner oil in extreme cold and thicker oil in extreme heat. I don’t see why the same would not apply to your firearm.
Having said all that, for the casual shooter, a thin oil is probably the best all-around choice. It will lubricate even in extreme cold and provide at least some lubrication in extreme heat. Most importantly, a thin oil will never get so thick as to cause a firearm to not function in extreme cold. At worst, a thin oil will lead to increased wear in extreme heat. But if you use a thick oil to minimize wear in extreme heat, your firearm might not work at all in extreme cold. (Of course you don’t have to worry about extreme cold in some climates …)
Thanks.
I use Mobil 1, 10W30 year ’round. Top OAT around here is about 100, and low around zero. Wonder how that would work lubricating a pistol? I could arrange a way to have some in a bottle, on hand.
A bigger factor to me is how clean you keep your guns. I’m pretty religious about cleaning after every range trip, so maybe I run 100 rounds at most (I never go to the range with only one gun) out of a semi-automatic handgun and then clean and lube. Any oil will keep the slide rails sufficiently lubed for 100 rounds, so I don’t see an upside to thicker oils for me. If you clean your guns once a year whether they need it or not, you might want to grease those rails.
Also, the heat and friction found in internal combustion engines are astronomically higher than can be found in a firearm.
A little Break Free CLP for me. Like Gov, I generally clean my guns each time I take them out and they really don’t get excessively dirty nor worn from lack of lubrication.
The gun store where I rent pistols sometimes claims they never clean the rental guns, unless one breaks, and is repaired. Also, they do not keep track of which gun breaks at which round count. I don’t go often, but the rental staff don’t complain much about guns breaking. Is all this cleaning and lubing just unnecessary for “average” gun owners?
My range doesn’t clean guns either.
I rented one one day and when I turned itbin, I said it was very dirty and needed cleaning. They laughed at me.
It’s great testing grounds.
Oh, someone recently posted that you would want to use grease with dissimilar metals to prevent galvanic corrosion and on extremely tight fittings to prevent cold-welding. At least that is what I think I remember. Keep that in mind.
That was anti-seize compound. It has some grease-like properties but I wouldn’t equate the two.
Rig+P stainless steel Grease prevents stainless steel from cold welding pieces of metal together from being very tight we fit together and a lot of friction applied to them. This is not an anti seize or anything like that this is a gun lubricant that is used specifically for stainless steel and race guns is what it was originally designed for. When they stopped manufacturing at the original manufacturers that is Birchwood Casey picked it up and bought the patent on it and continued manufacturing the product I believe the original manufacturer passed away.
Sam I Am,
Not to wade into the use of grease or not on firearms, but in automobile engines the use of oil between pistons and cylinders is different because the oil is both delivered under pressure and circulated. The circulating oil is used not just as a lubricant and corrosion preventative but also as a heat transfer medium and particulate flush. The presence of the pressurized film of oil that flows allows it to lubricate better than a static coating of oil at similar temperatures and pressures. Think of those large stone balls that “float” on a fountain of water and how easy they are to spin, and then imagine shutting off the water and trying to spin that ball on a coating of grease.
Good information. I understand the difference you explained, between oil under pressure, and oil not pressurized/circulating. I understand that characteristic as relates to engines that are moving pistons at great speed, over long periods. I guess my curiosity remains as to application of oil on infrequently (compared to car engines) use, speed, and heat build-up. Given the rate-of-fire for weapons cannot approach the rate of contact between cylinders and walls, would it not be true that engine oil (or maybe lighter) would act quite well as a lubricant for firearms?
Works for me. I use ATF (auto transmission fluid).
Sam forget about comparing internal combustion engines to Firearms brother there is no comparison an internal combustion engine is a sealed environment with oil under pressure up to 40 PSI in a standard engine. The only contaminant that comes into an engine is the air that it Breeze through a air filter which still turns the intake and intake manifold a dirty black color after time and can cause problems even when changing the air filter on a regular basis with the oil and oil filter as well. Guns are exposed to a lot more dust dirt and debris and Deering firing these weapons there is no oil pan to catch the oil that flings off no oil pan to catch the oil that runs down inside the weapon no oil pump to pump it back up to where it needs to be. Therefore we use thicker oils that stay in place such as Greece 30 weight oil made specifically for firearms it does make a difference and what you use if you don’t plan on cleaning your gun on a regular basis if you clean it all the time you can run any oil you want including automatic transmission fluid. The thing is if you change your oil every 3000 Miles with a new filter you don’t have to use Amsoil and filter you can use the cheap stuff as long as you keep changing it but Firearms tend to sit for a while before they are used and that is where the more specifically designed oils and greases come into play and are better more appropriate for use in these systems because of their openness to debris as discussed before.
Thanks for the input.
My comparison was actually between metal parts that are designed to slide against each other; automobile engine was merely a convenient object. Core question was whether specialized lubricants were/are superior to motor oil for lubricating guns. The “control” element was noted as the rental gun, which receives zero lubrication until it stops functioning. Assumption there was that all the guns do not break weekly or monthly (although I have no data on actual repair rate, or that repaired guns are always cleaned and lubed prior to going back into service). From the responses here, it seems the specialized lubricants (oils and greases) do either no noticeable advantage, or an advantage nearly immeasurable. Still considering the implications for a gun I have yet to buy.
We had some rental guns at a shop I worked at and range for a couple years when I was younger. They also were never cleaned until they stopped functioning. The only pistol we had in our cabinet that continually fired and did not stop doing its job for the three years I work there was the Glock 19 we had second gen. Even the revolvers would get so carbon that they would lock up in like almost a half cocked position we would simply take the grips off and had a huge Parts washer tank like Automotive garages use and soak the gun in there for like three days until you started to actually work. And then go through and take everything apart clean it really well oil it and put it right back in the cabinet. Nothing really broke on any of the rental guns either placing them dropping them. I believe all we used back then was CLP or g96 gun treatment one or the other had no problems but the guns were being shot constantly and that also makes it a little bit better than letting one sit for two years with no lubrication on it they tend to rust or freeze up.
More good information; thanks.
When the choice for a gun is finalized, it seems that shooting every so often would be OK, using a thin coat of synthetic motor oil. By thin I mean thin. Especially if I clean and lube now and then.
I clean my guns about every couple months or if I shoot the gun at the range it gets cleaned immediately after once I get back to the house or the shop. However my daily carry I go ahead and mop the barrel with a little CLP once a week unload the magazine use compressed air and blow out the mag and add a couple drops of oil to the rails on the inside of the slide just because I carry in Florida where it can be a hundred degrees in the shade and a hundred and 10% relative humidity and very sticky and I’m always sweating like a stuck pig in a pressure cooker LOL. And I had to move to Kydex holsters because I could only use the leather ones daring the winter unless I was carrying a plastic fantastic or a stainless steel gun. I tend to use a little bit more grease because most of the spray Lubes that are thin drip right out of the gun due to the Heat.
I think when it comes to an automobile engine, oil is used for distribution, as you can’t really pump grease through an engine. Grease is probably used more in a “set it and forget it” situation, for places (like an axle) where you lubricate and expect the lube to stay in place, whereas oil will run out. For guns, oil or grease both might work on a slide and rail…oil still works because the slide doesn’t really move except for the few times the gun is actually being fired, and you can apply oil as needed in between sessions; an automobile engine is used much more often.
“…oil still works because the slide doesn’t really move except for the few times the gun is actually being fired, and you can apply oil as needed in between sessions;…”
Kinda thinking along those lines, myself.
I don’t really think that much….CLP and leave it.
A gun produces say Thirty to forty thousand PSI when fired temperatures that go is high as 500 Degrees to 600 degrees Fahrenheit you’ve got to realize that when you fire a firearm arm all that pressure blows lubricant out of the gun the slide going back and forth or the bolt going back and forth swings oil off of it so you constantly have to be aware of lubricants that will stay in place and take extreme temperatures along without attracting tons of dirt and sand and debris.
It’s really very simple oil inside an internal combustion engine needs to be able to reach very small areas and runs. It’s used in conjunction with an oil filter and or an oil cooler. Grease is used in areas that require lubrication that will be exposed to extreme dirt and foreign matter. That’s why we Grease the front ends of our heavy equipment such as semi trucks and trailers with grease 90 weight so that it will not go anywhere and it will stay in place and when contaminants enter the grease as the grease moves on the actual metal part against the other metal part it will actually push the nasty contaminated grease to the outside leaving the surfaces bearing surfaces free of contaminants but still lubricated with the heavy Grease. You can’t fill an engine block full of grease and hope that it’ll work it’ll just catch fire. The only issue I’ve had is some manufacturers will say don’t use heavy grease on the slides of your 19 elevens because it can actually cause the gun to loosen between the frame and slide fit if you use grease on these areas be very sparing and application. I always like a 20 to 30 weight synthetic oil that stays in place and doesn’t go all over the place.
The only purpose of using grease in any application is if oil will not stay in place. Grease is oil plus a thickener soap, but the only part that lubricates is the oil and any additives. Honestly, I don’t think guns are the harsh environment some people make them out to be compared to engines and other machines. I’d use whatever is affordable that you can get to stay in place and isn’t such a hassle to use that you refuse to clean your gun. Side note, I use bike polish in a spray for the exterior of my safe queens. It keeps finger prints off and the one I use is not slippery at all.
Not particularly brand loyal in this area, although Remington and No. 9 tend to be what I use the most. Axle grease goes on the lower parts of the AR when needed.
Rem Oil with molly. Not the spray. So far so good.
Frog Lube for anything 9mm and up and CLP for the mouse guns. (Frog lube seems to gum them up too easily.)
Once you put g96 triple action on your guns, you will start putting it on everything else… including your body. Good Lord, man… The smell.
Geez that I’ve been using for over 30 years as well. G96 Gun Treatment. This is very similar to CLP except that it has magnetic particles in it that actually magnetically adhere to whatever you spray it on. I like to use these or this product on my Glocks. Just because my clocks in my Polymer pistols don’t seem to need as much lubrication has my all metal guns do but you guys have name some really good products I use a little bit of everything now and then because I guess I’m geeky like that and I like to find the best product to use and I know technology is improving with oils and lubricants in general.
Liberal tears!
Since the election oversupply has caused the price to drop dramatically.
X 2
RemOil wipes for light cleaning, as it is incredibly fast and easy, followed by a couple drops of CLP.
Periodic deep clean with Hoppes alternating with CLP to clean and a light coat of US Tactical All Temp Lube on all bearing surfaces.
RemOil wipes are just super convenient for quick wipe downs. CLP is handy since it works as both cleaner and lube. Hoppes just plain works.
US Tactical was at a local gun show some years back, and had a Deagle on display that had been treated, and was almost as smooth to rack as a 1911. It bonds to the metal molecular level, so they say, and really does make everything noticeably smoother, even several range trips after it has been wiped off. It is expensive, at $40+ for a small bottle, but I just had to purchase my second bottle. I have treated over 30 guns with this stuff, and have obviously been pretty impressed. You can also swab a bore with it to make it more resistant to fouling. And no, I do not work for them, just a very satisfied customer.
Milcom all the way (TW25B) https://www.mil-comm.com/
Also like Remington Action Cleaner and Tri-Flow Dri-Lube spray.https://www.triflowlubricants.com/
Like plastic (Nylon) brushes over Bronze/Brass brushes.
CLP, Slip 2000, Super Lube Synthetic Grease for wear areas and White Lithium for barrel nuts.
The import thing we should be talking about is Judge Gorsuch. He answered Fienstiens 2nd amendment question. I thought he did well. He never mentioned the whole m16 thing she was trying to get him to awnser on. Instead he said the standard is whether it’s in common usage. To me he thinks semi auto MSR’s are perfectly legitimate for self defense and other legal purposes.
“Instead he said the standard is whether it’s in common usage.”
Another court-imagined constitutional limit. Essentially, Gorsuch believes the government DOES have the constitutional authority to determine which arms the public may use to keep the government in check. The difference between judges everywhere is degree, not distinction. Everyone of them operates from the position of government superiority, with “reasonable” controls against overreach.
+100. If firearm laws reflected the actual 2A they’d be selling M4s at Dicks.
Ya, asking your government (a collection of your asshole neighbors that needed a job) for the firepower to overthrow them, drive them from the seat(s) of power and hunt them to a place they are afraid to return from, is ridiculous and illogical.
The 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees (for U.S. Citizens) your right to possess the things (“ARMS”) needed to establish a new guard [see 2nd Para. of the [U.S. Declaration of Independence]].
http://www.thoseshirts.com/atf.html
It was my understanding that in the 1939 case, the decision was that protected arms had to be something which the military would use, meaning select fire M-16s today. I don’t know where that interpretation was, apparently, reversed.
““Instead he said the standard is whether it’s in common usage.”
Another court-imagined constitutional limit.”
But one that works in *our* favor.
The Heller decision used the ‘in common use’ by Law Enforecement as a metric as to what guns are protected under the 2A.
The most common LE handgun is standard hi-cap Glock and the most common patrol rifle is a standard capacity AR-platform weapon.
Therefore, magazine capacity limits are unconstitutional under the Heller precedent.
Cool, huh? 🙂
I am not a Philadelphia lawyer, but …..
First, I don’t like any judge who begins with the theory that government has rights superior to the public, while allowing for some, limited restrictions on government power.
Second, I don’t want to be in the position of “liking” judges only when they favor my narrow interest. Because one day they won’t.
Third, “common use” is in the eye of the beholder. You just identified two instancew where “common” is restricted to law enforcement, only. That opens a hole for argument. The majority of the populace does not own a gun. Therefore, even owning a gun (regardless of type) in “uncommon” among the populace. The majority of the populace does not own multiple guns, making owning more than one gun “uncommon”. And so on….
Fourth, it is true that “originalist” or “textualist” judges are quite selective. Everyone of them walks away from the exact wording in the constitution, depending on how they perceive a “reasonable” extrapolation. For instance, all the wording in the constitution declaring “he” or “him”. The words mean what they mean. “He” and “him” cannot be logically construed to mean “anybody”. Yet, “anybody” is the interpreted meaning. That seems fine and dandy if you benefit from that interpretation. “But….” you say. No “buts”. Original/textual, the words on the page have specific meaning, or they don’t. Any interpretation is as valid as the next.
“Gun rights” are no more secure with Gorsuch at the SC, than they were when Scalia declared in “Heller”, ‘ the Miller decision meant “only that the Second Amendment does not protect those weapons not typically possessed by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes, such as short-barreled shotguns.” ‘ (an interpretation by the SC, twice regarding permissible firearms that can be used to check a rogue government). And, ” ‘the right of law-abiding, responsible citizens to use arms in defense of hearth and home,’ “. And,” ‘Nothing in our opinion…should be taken to cast doubt on…laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.’ And, ” ‘…not absolute and subject to reasonable regulations enacted by local communities to keep their streets safe.’ ”
All the quotations from the much vaunted originalist/textualist Justice Scalia. The only logical conclusion is that government has an inherent right to circumscribe the “natural, human and civil right” of the people to restrain an out of control government.
“You just identified two instancew where “common” is restricted to law enforcement, only.”
Read the Heller decision. Heller claimed, to the effect of, whatever weapons law enforcement uses most common is protected by the 2A and those weapons are a metric as to what the general public could own.
It gets even better for us as more and more LE use select-fire. Under Heller then, select-fire is good to go for us common people…
Read the Heller decision, again. Full of limits, implied if hot stated. That is the truck sized hole. Again, what is common for law enforcement is common to them, alone. Can’t be used to define “common” for the public. The numbers of people who own “weapons of war” is insignificant compared to “the number of people”.
“Common” is simply a word that allows much interpretation, and that rarely to the advantage of people who believe in limited government. And in the end, Scalia even allowed that “reasonable requirements” regarding weapons “commonly” used are legal, just and constitutional.
Frog lube.
I will never use frog lube again. After awhile of sitting it gummed up my 11-87 and AR15. Never had a problem like this with anything else. It really thickens up in cold weather.
I use motor oil, Tetra or Wilson grease and a mix of ATF and petroleum jelly as a rust protectant. Works well for me.
I have had the same problem with Frog Lube, but after carefully reading the instructions, I found it was me, not the product. Basically, it says to wipe it off after you apply it. A super fine film is all that should be left. That’s how little of it should be applied. I still don’t use it because most of the time I just want to spray douse whatever I’m working with and be done with it. But, when used as instructed, it works very well.
+1 for the FrogLube. Used as directed and I’ve never had a problem. Though the 1911 is getting the last of my Breakfree CLP supply used on it and then I will probably switch to Rem Oil.
Most gun lubes are simply marketing and hype. Remember Fire Clean? There isn’t an independent body that evaluates oils like motor oils are evaluated by ARE. Having said that, I’ve been using Weapons Shield for the better part of a decade. Why? Because I got a deal on a bulk purchase. However my supply is at its end. I’m considering checking out the new lube from Amelie. Why? I’m curious if they can make a better product.
WD40 Specialist Synthetic or synthetic motor oil.
Lukas gun oil and Lubriplate sfl-0. Both a re wonderful and can be found easily
? Lucas is good stuff.
+? On Lucas Gun Oil been using it for a while now. Good oil and stays where you put it.
If there was ever a modern lubricant that has proven itself in the field, Lucas Oil is it. Their racing products get put through absolute hell and translate directly to the firearms products.
I’ve been using Hornady Gun cleaner and dry lube on my carry gun and magazines. The dry lube doesn’t seem to attract as much dust, and particles. I use Breakfree and RemOil on my other guns.
Hornady cleaner and dry lube works great on trigger groups and similar hard to access nooks. Blows and flushes the dirt out and then dries leaving non tacky lubricating film.
Breakfree CLP and Breakfree foaming bore cleaner on my pistols. Breakfree CLP on my shotguns.
RemOil.
CLP Breakfree
I wring my hair out into the receiver. That normally provides all the oil needed for the next six months or so.
If I’m out of that – the drippings from a chuck e cheese pizza will normally suffice.
Rem oil. If something were cheaper and more available I’d use that.
I’ve used old motor oil that was laying around the garage too. Worked fine.
The gun lube market is a lot like the bike lube market or ski wax market.
So much branding and hyping for nothing at all.
Ballistol, because it’s German, like my PPQ. Can be used on leather, rubber, etc. too. Non-toxic. Nice retro graphics.
The Germans used it on horse tack, for brushing their teeth, cleaning their guns, you name it.
I use it occasionally in my shop. Neat stuff. Funky smell.
+1
+2
for rifles, remoil, pistols, remoil.
The gun however…..astroglyde
“The gun however…..astroglyde”
MattV2099 beat you to it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8zWAgQ62us
I use Hoppe’s 9 on the handguns and CLP on the long guns. You waste a lot of CLP on a handgun because it doesn’t take a whole lot of product to clean and lube a Glock.
The AR and Mossberg 930 on the other hand can take a few blasts of CLP foam and come back needing more.
KY for the gun, Froglube for the weapons.
Ballistol.
One container goes a long way. And my cat likes how it smells.
The blood of my enemies.
Gums up too quick n leaves rust spots.. No thanks…
… Mixed with liberal tears harvested after the Trump inauguration.
MPro 7 to clean. Lucas gun oil to lube. Smells like blueberries.
CLP and RemOil. Not a high volume shooter or hunter.And it’s available. Works fine but I’m trying other stuff.
Lubriplate, grease and oil. Bought it on the recommendation of Grant Cunningham. Use it on all firearms zero issues or complaints.
I use the same stuff. It’s easy to apply and doesn’t have any odor. I have not discovered any adverse issues in using it.
I use RemOil and Hoppe’s 9. The RemOil seems to be mostly(?) a PTFE dry lube, so I put a few squirts of Hoppe’s 9 in my 1 oz bottle of RemOil. I use this combo on all the sliding parts, but NOT the barrel and chamber.
When Teflon/PTFE gets burnt it produces a residual amount of hydrofluoric acid. Not what you want in the lands and grooves.
I’m not too happy with Hoppe’s 9 because after a month or so it seems to evaporate. I am thinking of using some Mobile 1 motor oil instead.
I got & use the free sample of WOLF oil.. Only on my rail guns. Seems to work great. BUT,,,, I’m a firm believer in BALLISTOL.
Sorry, BALLISTOL was originally made in Germany during WW-ll.
I use it for everything. Swede boat shoes, for waterproofing, Fishing reels, & GUNS It’s worth considering, especially since Hicock 45 recommends it.
A little hard to find, but the online retailers are finally starting to get this stuff in stock.
I’ve come to the realization, that MOST hobbiest gun owners, tend to OVER LUBRICATE their firearms.
Modern guns (those manufactured in the past 40-50 years or so) are engineered to be fired & used HARD. That said, why in the world, would any gun owner wish to “OVER LUBRICATE” his firearm.
ANSWER: to store it as a possible collectible for a future sale!
Learned this lesson in my younger years. Over-lubricated everything. Once I learned it was causing excessive crud buildup, I changed my tune. Nowadays, I hardly feel like it needs a good cleaning after a couple hundred rounds. I still do it, but cleanup is quick and easy.
I agree, I use four or five drops of CLP for all of my autoloaders with a thin coat of RemOil on all metal surfaces during regular cleaning.
If there’s enough oil on the surface to lubricate, there’s enough oil to attract dust and powder residue.
The problem of overlubrication is it will run off the places it should be, and onto those places it shouldn’t be, attracting crud in those places.
I don’t know…. while waiting to go over the berm on my first deployment, we were given crew-served refresher training by a couple guys who may have been civilians, but were definitely OAF. One of them went on a fair lecture about keeping our M2s, 249s, and 240s working in the dust.
He made a point about not overdoing the lube (except on the M2), but also showed us something that seemed counterintuitive; he applied a very light coating of CLP over the entire external surfaces of a 249, wiped it off, and then drizzled moon dust over the thing. The dust and sand kind of just floated around metal & plastic, and what stuck could be just blown or brushed off. Bare metal or too much CLP caused the dust to stick like powder coat.
As it happens, the same thing happens with the red clay & coal dust around here, and I use CLP for everything.
I use Hoppe’s Elite. How did I come to that choice… Needed gun lube. It was on the shelf. Let’s try it?
It seems to work just fine.
FP10, Slide glide, and Lucas gun oil for me.
A quart of Mobile 1 0w-20 synthetic oil set me back about 7 or 8 bucks 4 years ago and since I’m in my 50’s it’s a pretty safe bet I’m squared away with a lifetime supply of top tier oil for all my firearms. I filled four 8oz plastic storage bottles that Harbor Freight sells for less than 5 bucks for a package of three and still have a lifetime supply after giving two away.
Any quality synthetic motor oil such as Mobile 1, Lucas, Royal Purple, etc, in the 0w-10 to 0w-20 viscosity range provides identical lubrication, protection, and heat resistance properties as any of the top selling oils and lubricants marketed specifically for firearms that sell for between $5 and $20 for a one half ounce to four ounce bottle.
Fluid Film would be an excellent lubricant for firearms except for the unpleasant noxious odor and higher price for the lanolin based lubricant as compared to a quality synthetic motor oil.
In an apples to apples cost and performance comparison, you can’t beat a quality synthetic motor oil like Mobile 1 0w-20 for use on firearms.
I used to always use CLP. Some lucas gunoil came with my STI Edge. I have converted to Lucas gun oil.
5W-20 synthetic motor oil.
I use CLP but have been thinking of either switching or moving to a combo of CLP and some grease.
It’s all well and good to talk about “Oh, I never let my gun go more than 100 rounds between cleans”, but that doesn’t work so well at a competition, and by the end of the 200 round match (I will admit I put about 100 rounds through it a few days before at the range) the gun was cycling a bit roughly.
I was thinking that perhaps a bit of grease on the slide rails might help in that regard.
Lucas’s green grease for everything that slides (bolts, rails) and TriFlow TF21010 for everything that needs a protective film or anything fiddly. In the cold sometimes the grease is too thick for proper operation with blow-back 22 rifles so I’ll drip some motor oil or whatever’s handy to get their lube thinned enough to run reliable.
99.9% of gun lube is just marketing BS.
Hoppe’s Lubricating Oil
I prefer StrikeHold for cleaning and lubrication, but it ain’t cheap and isn’t commonly sold in stores. You can get it online though. If that’s not available, then RemOil or whatever’s handy.
Clean with Gunzilla CLP and keep it on non-wear metal parts. I use Gun Butter on the rest. Seems to last forever and doesn’t “settle” when a rifle is stored upright in the safe. Tried Mobil 1 and it just gummed up after extended storage periods (2+ months). Tried FrogLube, but under 32° F it slowed the bolt on my AR-15 so much that I could never fire enough rounds to heat it up enough to keep the rifle working. Hoppe’s #9 is a smell I could never jibe with, Slip2000 was “meh” and the rest have come and gone.
Had a PPS 43 that would only work when I used 30 wt oil. Sold it.
I use whatever is the cheapest. When the price is the same, Hoppe’s — because it smells great.
Break Free CLP.
CLP for cleaning then wipe off, Slip 2000 for slide rails, Otis dry lube for bolts and actions.
Depends on the gun.
For pistols, usually FrogLube solvent to clean, then WeaponShield CLP or grease for lube. Or Lucas oil in a little needle oiler.
(I used to have a 5-gal tub of Dunk-Kit from Cylinder & Slide, which worked great for clean and light lube, but we moved and I had to dispose of it. Will likely order more at some point.)
For the Garand Dame, green grease and Ballistol.
For the AK … well, the manual calls for BreakFree but I’ve never cleaned it, so…
For cold weather I use Slip 2000 gun lube- a light thin oil, in warmer temps. Mil-Comm TW-25- seems to stay longer with heat. Used for years- very happy with both.
I’m still using the same bulk lube I discussed at some length some months back – I think it was in July of last year, we had a big thread where I propounded upon gun lubrication and rust prevention. ATF, Marvel Mystery Oil and STP additive. It works.
Mobil 1 0w-20 and regular ass grease, and bacon grease
Been running Rem Oil spray lube on my AR bolts for 30 years. They run like chinese sewing machines. Triflow on my semi auto handguns.
Lubrimatic Marine Trailer Wheel Bearing Grease.
It’s anhydrous, non-fibrous, pretty much zero odor, the color of it in quantity is a dark-ish green, but as thin as you’ll be using the stuff on your toys that go bang, it’s basically clear.
It also stays where it’s put and an 8oz container will seemingly last forever.
Get one or two of those all-plastic hobby syringes used for model-making and a few very good small artist-type paint brushes and you’re golden.
Now I am really confused. Do I clean my gun every week or not? Do I clean my gun and lube it every time? Do I lube it dirty? Is there even a “right” answer? Is there a “wrong answer”? Must it be this complicated?
It isn’t all that complicated. But it does require some forethought. If you shoot a gun regularly, as in multiple times per week, just lube it dirty and clean once a month or so. If it’s going to sit for a while (more than a week), clean it thoroughly and give it a light coat of some decent oil. Rust is the worry, not so much fouling.
This doesn’t apply to antiques or blackpowder, but any modern firearm should be fine.
That helps. I clean and lube after each trip, but the trips are usually a month or two apart.
In 1969 the military taught me to wipe off all excess oil from my M-16, since it would cake up with powder residue and cause the gun to jam, which was happening regularly at the time, giving the gun a horrible reputation at the time. I kept mine as dry as possible and never had any jam problems, even with twice running 800+ rounds through it, once a long time after the last cleaning, then again a week later, which means a week after the last cleaning. I thought it was a pretty good idea, and that gun collected nowhere near the crud my suppressed .300 blk does. I have been using Kal-Gard 30-30, on no recommendation but my own, to see how it works, and so far it seems good. This is a spray on anticorrosion which is also a dry film lube. You spray it on, then leave it to dry before reassembly. If there is still wetness after a few hours, you used too much, wipe off excess. Once it’s all dry, reassemble and note how little residue collects on your next shooting spree. YMMV.
Lubrikit Guardian LP kit — http://lubrikit.com/guardiankit.html
Works.
Fry six slices of bacon, eat bacon. Dump grease on a pile of patches and run them through gun. Bolts and such just dunk them in the bacon grease. There is one benefit to this process. Everyone at the range wants to know where you got gun cleaning oil/grease that smells like bacon. I’ve never tried putting some small pieces of bacon in the barrel and taking a couple shots, that might just cook the bacon as it cleans the barrel.
Sarc meter at 100%
CLP, Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber products, that’s when I actually clean them.
Weapon Shield
I don’t know. I make my wife clean my guns.
Hoppes 9 when I need a solvent along with Pro-Shot Zero lube oil (mostly on my old WW2 stuff given all their steel). My newer items get Breakfree CLP. Brian Enos Slide-Glide Medium weight when I have need of a grease.
I put some RemOil into a small container and then squirt enough CLP to turn the mixture slightly yellow. The two combined effectively remove carbon. Plus both are very economical and do not have a harsh odor.
Lucas gun oil. I used to work in a NAPA that started selling Lucas directly from Lucas, before NAPA started supplying it. One day they shipped a counter display of gun oil in. It was cheap for a little bottle and I knew the rest of Lucas product line was great so I gave it a try. I haven’t bought anything else since. I was at the NRA convention and seen a couple big AR builders were even handing out the new Lucas Xtreme. It works great too. Whenever I get a BCG that won’t cycle or catches I just put a good helping of Lucas on it and dump a mag, I don’t have a single problem after that. I am surprised it is not more popular.
Breakfree CLP, though I am currently trying Ballistol. So far so good.
Breakfree CLP and FP10
G96 products. My dad introduced them to me 55 years ago. They’re the best stuff out there….and the smell is iconic. I like Ballistol too, and occasionally put a dab of Automattenfett on a 1911 rail or Model 12 bolt.
M-Pro 7, Rem Oil, old military CLP left over from my days in service. Anything, really.
Just remember, rust is the enemy, not fouling so much.
I ran my competition guns dirty all summer long, over five thousand rounds through the AR and pistol, each. Just a dab of oil on the action surfaces, and off to the races. Not one malfunction or stoppage. I did over-oil the AR at one point and it started spitting black sludge onto my glasses, but lesson learned.
If you don’t shoot very regularly, it makes sense to clean after every trip to the range. You don’t know how long it will sit. If you do shoot all the time, and you know that gun is coming back out in a day or two, cleaning every time will just shorten the life of the gun very slightly. My hunting guns get cleaned every outing. My competition guns once every month or two.
5w30
Mobil 1 for 13 years… Still going strong.
Hmm.
Hoppe’s Elite to clean.
MPro-7 LP-X to lube.
In the field I use RemOil wipes to clean and lube… but it evaporates too quickly for home “guns will sit for a bit” lubing after cleaning. MPro-7 seems to sit and seep, and leaves a nice high speed low drag sheen. Or something.
However, in my spontaneous-evacuation-with-unforseen-events-forthcoming bag (“bugout,” I guess…), I have a bottle of Hoppe’s 9 oil… so it’s entirely possible I believe that regular and usage-based intervals of routine maintenance are of much more importance than what brand of cleaning/lube product is used during said maintenance.
Also, I use plain old unscientific hot water on my Russian babushka after corrosive milsurp, which has literally horrified (with gaping mouths) some of my military pals. What I have found is, using too effective a lube on such a rifle can actually work to repel the water enough to reduce its effectiveness in dissolving corrosive salts, a necessary thing when shooting Commie guns/ammo… in other words, to avoid rusting and corrosion caking, cleaning and lubing in and of itself will necessitate another cleaning and lubing, independent of the quantity of rounds fired, in some kind of torturous Russian cycle of grueling labor. Like, comes accessorizes with its own gulag…. When shooting loads gets dirty, I much prefer Stoner’s “shits where she eats” American Feinstein Fouler….
PS– I also use Hoppe’s No. 9 cleaner… for the memories when I’m feeling weirdly gun nostalgic. I think a lot of people do. That smell, that Hoppe’s solvent smell… smells like, I dunno, victory.
Be safe. Especially with Hoppe’s in an enclosed space ha.
Oil: Lubriplate’s FMO-350-AW
Grease: Lubriplate “SFL” NLGI #0
http://www.grantcunningham.com/2006/05/lubrication-101/
Ballistol
Hickock45 recommended…??
I just coat everything in Ballistol. Stuff is great. Can use it on wood, leather, etc.
I’ve lived a lot of places and used a lot of different gun oils. Now that I’m dealing with the intense, sweat producing heat and humidity of southern Florida I use CorrosionX for oil. Best I’ve ever used.
I believe I am using Rem oil. Was considering a switch to froglube, that stuff is pricy, though. And I’m moving to UT, so the cold would be murder on the consistency. So I guess I just stick with what I have.
break free CLP too keep it running, Kerosene for cleaner followed by swab of liquefied Crisco thinned.
The craziest stuff I’ve ever seen used as a lubricant for rifles is bear fat melted down chunks a bear fat poured down the boar of a bolt action rifle. I don’t know how good a protectant that would be but it seemed to make the rifle very smooth period LOL
Slip 2000 Gun Lube.
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