AregularGuy reckons you’re better off lubricating your firearms with motor oil than anything the firearms-related aftermarket has to offer. If you’re the kind of person who knows better then A) you’ll watch this entire video to dispute his claims (you’re a more patient man than I Gunga Din) and B) I invite you to leave your choice of gun lube in the comments section below, along with the reasons for your choice. Suffice it to say, I wish I shot my guns often enough to give a damn about which lube I use. Your thoughts?

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

192 COMMENTS

    • +1 only issue I’ve had is it got really thick in cold on my shotgun. I just ordered Fire clean along with an extractor spring kit from bcm for my grendel bolt.

        • Eh I just wanted to try something different and I hate paying $5 in shipping for a $5 order.

        • Give the FireClean some time to bond with/seal the carbon in the steel, then wipe the rest off with a cloth. Its effect is still there, as is some dryfilm lubrication. Good stuff. Game changer for some tasks.

          “AregularGuy reckons you’re better off lubricating your firearms with motor oil than anything [for] firearms”

          ‘Lubricate’, maybe. But automotive oils won’t chemically treat/seal the carbon in the steel so that it doesn’t bond with carbon in the gunshot residue like FireClean, they won’t cause multilayer anti-rust coatings that laugh at 100 hour salt sprays like Hornady One Shot (dynaglide plus version) and Frog Lube, .. you could NEVER EVER EVER blast an assembled trigger mechanism (etc) clean with motor oil and just walk off from it the way you can with evaporative dry-coatings like One Shot, you’d be making a motor oil dirt-magnet nightmare, .. and the conventional motor oils that he’s recommending have no actual superiority over gun oil except his room-temperature preference for higher viscosity, which in and of itself is no predictor of lubricity, nor of detergent suspension, nor of resistance to poor low-temperature performance. Nor poor high-temperature performance either since automotive engines very rarely reach oil temperatures above 250F ..so most aren’t engineered for no reason to tolerate temps much above that.

          If ‘viscosity’ is his argument, then just use a vastly superior product (vs conventional motor oil) such as Tetra grease (etc).

          If lubricity is his argument, then move up to an actual high-lubricity synthetic motor oil such as Mobil 1 or Castrol Edge (along with far better low and high temperature performance as well.) While those two can be remarkable, I’ve still seen no data proving them to be better in lubricity to the top gun products.

          And if he ever broached cleaning or anti-rust, he would have no argument .. Gun products every time.

          There very much is snake-oil out there waiting to take your money, but there are also radically advanced specifically engineered products, which random-thing-x from another field simply can’t compete with just ‘because’ it’s cheaper.

          Back in the 1970’s Bell had an advert for motorcycle helmets that over the years I’ve found applies to many fields and endeavors: “If you have a $10 head, buy a $10 helmet.”

          I’ll use conventional motor oil on my firearms the day Aliens arrive and beam up the dozens of superior options.

      • I used Frog Lube with great results, until we had 45 days in a row where it never got over -15 degrees this last winter. Turned to a sticky pasty goo that cause constant malfunctions until it warmed up. Once its hot, it works awesome again. In the winter months, especially when it’s below zero, and I go out back to shoot, I have to hit the bolt with a shot of Remoil first.

        • Nsz85 had a shot show 2015 video with the guys from frog lube and they gave a demonstration on winterizing with frog lube. He pretty much ran a lubed up bolt through an ultrasonic cleaner filled with frog lubes degreaser and says that’s winterizing. I just wiped off any excess leaving a very thin coating on my Beretta 390 and never had any issues.

    • Also a +1 for Frog Lube that stuff is great and it leaves my guns smelling minty fresh to the point I had a nice comment from an old lady at church about how fresh I smelled. (I clean my carry guns every Sunday morning before church)

    • + Another… Frog Lube works very well for what I do, its not toxic at all and the minty smell is pleasant…. I also like the Tetra product line. I’m on a 10 step though for my Militech habit…

    • Frog Lube on most of my guns.

      Gunzilla on my XDm just to see what the long term differences may be.

      • I like the tadpole lube , it isn’t as tacky as the full frog .
        …………. truthfully , I do like Frog Lube and being a little old school I still use Hoppe’s products .

    • Weapon shield. Hands down, I’ve used fireclean, ballistol, milcomm, seal 1, Rand clp and mpro7. Enough of the bio based oil (vegetable oil). Weapon shield smells pretty good also.

    • Frog Lube on my pistols…but to be really effective the forearm needs COMPLETE disassembly and hydrostatically cleaned and applied at over 150F to be effective……just like my women! Clean, hot and Frog Lubed!

      Shotguns get anything designed for a firearm…AKs get anything above greasemud.

    • Is it just me or does froglube smell like winter green gum. I have almost no sense of smell but my wife says it does. But yeah froglube.

    • I got a small sample of frog lube with an upper a while back, but I’ve never opened it. I guess should give it a try, but I have enough Ed’s Red to last a few more years. That is somewhat similar to what he is recommending in this video since it is partly automatic transmission fluid. Gear oil/transmission fluid makes more sense to me than standard motor oil.

      I had a retired FBI firearms instructor once recommend that I dip my AR bolt carrier group in synthetic motor oil, shake it off and put it in the gun.

      I used ballistol for a while, but I found it would leave a flaky film on internal parts if I didn’t clean my pistol right after a USPSA match. Consequently, I’ve quit using it to lube the inside of my guns, but I do sill use it for external blued surfaces.

  2. K-Y …hers and mine

    It can be bought at the grocery store
    and any other store that sells personal care products.

  3. I’ve stopped lubing guns, whatever is left after being wiped down with hoppes no 9 wipes works for me. Unless it’s a machine gun rocking and rolling for an extended period of time I doubt active lube does anything. I have seen M240s lubed by spitting in them, and then again some gunner swore on a combination of LSA and motor oil

    • Pretty much the same thing but there are a few that needed it heavy during break in . My Noreen BN 36 for one , man I lubed that sucker so much my wife got suspicious .

    • Yup. It worked for me in the military, and it works for me now. I am sure there are better and more specialized choices out there, but for the limited amount that I get to shoot, it’s good enough.

      Also, the smell brings back memories, and it’s not as harsh as a lot of other stuff.

    • +1. When we were in the desert we also used the spray on graphite stuff – can’t remember the brand.

    • Eezox.

      The ‘good stuff’…

      I love me some Eezox almost as much as another ‘specialized’ lubricant…

      🙂

    • Lubriplate?
      I’m guessing this is the same stuff we used on the depth charge mandrels on my ship. back in 53.
      Is it sort of a sand colored grease?

      • It could be any number of things,Lubriplate is a brand name rather than specific product so it could be anything from air tool oil to caterpillar tread grease.

    • Uggg, Lubriplate, gets on everything and stays there….fingers, clothes….I use Mobil 1 on everything that moves.

  6. I tend to agree that a heavy weight motor oil would work just as well as any of the fancy gun lubes on the market.

    • I’d suggest stopping smelling it or touching it. It’s a full-on neurotoxin and there are a lot of gunsmiths with neurological damage who can attest. Just read the MSDS: http://www.hoppes.com/Hoppes/files/9d/9dc3db35-232c-4353-bc5c-9b3e79cfc834.pdf

      Here’s a little snippet:

      Inhalation: Prolonged or repeated overexposure is anesthetic.  May cause irritation of the respiratory tract, or acute nervous system depression characterized by headache, dizziness, staggering gait, confusion or death.  Irritation of the mucous membranes, coughing, and dyspnea are also possible.
      Effects of Chronic Exposure: Reports have associated repeated and prolonged occupational overexposure to solvents with irreversible brain and nervous system damage (sometimesreferred to as “Solvent or Painter’s Syndrome”).  Intentional misuse by concentrating and inhaling this product may be harmful or fatal.
      Target Organs: Eyes, Skin, Respiratory System, Central Nervous System, Liver, Blood
      Routes of Exposure: Skin Contact, Skin Absorption, Eye Contact, Inhalation, Ingestion

      There was a time when it was the CLP and everything was solvent-based and such anyway. But… there are tons of really good — better, even — alternatives now that are 100% safe, biodegradable, etc.

      • I stopped using Hoppes a few years back after getting quite ill from an extended cleaning session. It was not pleasant.

      • “I’d suggest stopping smelling it or touching it. It’s a full-on neurotoxin and there are a lot of gunsmiths with neurological damage who can attest.”

        So, that Hoppes car air freshener might not be a good idea?

      • Damn, it smells almost as good as Xylene, though.
        BTW – that is the just Hoppes bore cleaner that is toxic, not the oil, right?

      • Your eye opener regarding Hoppe’s No. 9 made me sad. Obviously, I never read the fine print..

  9. I’m still using Slip Mist from 300 Below (see review here), actually. It’s some sort of heavily modified soybean oil and it’s been really great. Totally safe, no scent, super slippery, seems to prevent wear, prevents corrosion quite well. Still totally happy with it.

      • LOL. Not suggested for food use ;-). Modified soybean oil has been popular for machining and production line equipment for a long time. It can handle high pressures despite being a relatively lightweight lube and it stays slippery and lasts a long time and doesn’t gum up at low temps, etc etc.

        • I wonder how it is as a rust preventer. I got some back when that special deal was going on, and it seems to work really well, but considering that most of my guns sit in the safe most of the time and don’t get either used or cleaned much, rust is something I worry about.

  11. The issue with motor oil is that it thickens in cold weather as do most natural oils. I have had misfires in cold weather from oil thickening. On the other hand, I have seen failure to fire on guns that had been over leaned and not lubed.
    On my ma deuce, I use LSA. All my normal guns get a synthetic lightweight lube preferably with PTFE or some polymer. That has served me well for decades.

  12. I don’t shoot near as much as I should, recently have taken to using Kal-Gard 30-30, which is effectively a dry film lube. Clean the gun, spray it down, and leave it ’til dry, then reassemble. The product is actually sold as a corrosion inhibitor, but it slicks up the action real fine, and dust doesn’t gather on the parts, etc. I have not tried firing 100 rounds to see if the lube would disappear, gun would jam, whatever, but for EDC guns, having a dry weapon would be handy, protection from corrosion from sweat would be handy, and I’m certain it would last for as many rounds as I carry with me. Stuff is tough to find, not cheap. One can may last a lifetime for some, tho. OH! And it smells nice, like flowers or something.

  13. The cheapest off the shelf stuff I can find. Currently it’s a can of Rem-Oil. Occasionally it’s been whatever nearly empty container of lubricant found in the garage.
    Haven’t had any problems putting a thousand down range in dry sand, pouring rain or sub-zero ice and snow. No lube related problems in my AR’s, AK’s or pistols. Talking lube is like talking politics or sports. It serves no purpose other than to entertain people who are into the subject.

    • Kind of a buzz kill, but probably true. I’m pretty fastidious about cleaning and lubing my guns, but find it hard to believe they will fail or even excessively wear under ‘normal’ conditions without specialized lubrication.

  17. Anal ease Best lube made Oh you guys mean gun lube Lmao. Slip 2000 products Pretty good stuff. There Greece works very well To

  19. I’ve used many lubes over the past few decades. A few were memorable failures for me. Break-Free thickened sufficiently in cold weather to prevent a Ruger semi-auto .22 pistol from functioning. Birchwood Casey Sheath tended to evaporate and leave the guns to rust in the high heat and humidity of Missouri in the summertime. Currently I just use a 50/50 mix of STP and O’Reilly’s synthetic 10-30 motor oil applied with a Q-tip and the excess wiped off with a cloth.

    • I use the high temp, red colored grease sold at the auto parts store for the rails on my CZ75. I only need a little tiny bit to make racking the slide much smoother. Pretty sure the big tub of the stuff will last for the next 1000 years based on how much I use every time I clean.

      I also use that generic Hoppes gun oil on parts that just need a dab of something to move a little bit smoother after the cleaning solvent has left the metal clean and bare. I live in a very dry, non-humid environment so I’ve never needed to coat any of my firearms in anything to prevent rust.

      I can’t imagine spending money on those boutique gun lubes that blogs like these review every so often. I just don’t shoot enough and don’t see how the expensive stuff does any better.

    • +1. My truck goes through far more than my guns, so it works great. I use Hoppe’s Elite Cleaner though. Stuff is amazing.

  21. TW25B made by Mil-Comm Products.
    It’s kind of a creamy lube. Even after it “dries”, it still does its job. I’ve fired guns months after the last cleaning, with no issues.
    Also, a thin film in the barrel will make cleanup easier after shooting.

  22. I am a fan of Shooter’s Choice FP-10 or Brian Enos Slide Glide (weight differs for use)

    I am of the knowledge that where most people use oil, they should be using grease. It lubricates better, it stays in place, and if you use it on tight slide rails it moderates slide velocity. Now, there are situations where I would still recommend using oil where grease should be used, and that is mostly on a dedicated self-defense gun, I would rather you under-lube and eventually tear up that gun and have to replace it than someone leave grease, which admittedly can capture dust and debris more than oil, in a gun for way too long and let it foul.

  23. I was using Ballistol, but stopped because it was stinking up the gun cabinet and the entire closet where the gun cabinet lives. Mostly just use Break Free CLP currently.

    • I agree that Ballistol stinks, but it has a ton of upsides. It’s a non-carcinogenic mineral oil based cleaner that safely cleans wood and leather, and won’t etch or harm plated finishes, brass receivers or gold leaf engraving.

      While I reserve Ballistol for high-end stuff, my WWII surplus warhorses get lubriplate and Ed’s Red homebrew bore cleaner and my black rifles and modern pistols get regular BreakFree CLP.

  25. MPro7 Gun Oil for most things, but MPro7 grease for slide rails on pistols. Little extra cash to protect things now unavailable in the not-so-great-geedamn-roster-state.

    • WOW , I have tried to figure out what that smell reminded me of for years . You have truly given me some closure so I’m going to reveal my secret lube .
      Every year I go visit my great Aunt Gertrude , she is 92 and still gardens and drives . I know , scary , but all that aside , Gertrude is probably a size 50 triple D bust size and she doesn’t seem to believe in bathing so once a year we visit and I get her so intoxicated that when she falls to sleep in her favorite chair , I pull up her blouse , raise one of those behemoths up off her belly and scrape off about 2 to 3 ounces of Gertrude lube . I last a whole year . It really has no equal . Picture that Gunr .

      • OH great, thanks Mark. That little scene you just played out will stick with me for days I bet, might even give me nightmares, especially when I next go to clean/lube my few tools. You’re a real peach my friend.

        • Just try naming the most useful tool you have GERTRUDE and you’ll have that picture forever . My favorite tool may be my $ 60.00 cut off saw , I use that little sucker for almost everything . My little Gertrude .
          GREEZY JULIAN .

  27. I’ve been cleaning with Rem Oil mostly or Hoppe’s #9. I’ve been lubing rails and other contact surfaces with a little tub of Brian Enos’ Slide Glide that I bought years ago when I was more inclined to buy such things. It goes on sparingly with an artist’s brush, I imagine I’ll have it for years to come. Works pretty well, I’ve not had problems even using it on the BCG of my AR.

  28. Hi temperature wheel bearing grease for the sliding parts on my M1 and M14, CLP for everything else.

  30. I’ve been using Remington CLP. They seem to have stopped making it though, so when my supplies run out I’ll probably switch to Break Free.

  31. I also use Hoppe’s No. 9 lubricating oil. I have no rationale … maybe because my local sporting goods store carried it? Having said that, it seems to work well and it seems to be light (thin) enough that I imagine it will not gum up at extremely low temperatures.

    • It came with the first cleaning kit I bought for a .22 rifle, and have been using it ever since. My only issue with it on a carry piece is that it seems to evaporate in just a couple of weeks even if the gun is unfired. So I periodically put a few drops on the slide rails, and that works well. I have never had a failure associtated with it in a pistol.

      For black powder I use Bore Butter. For ARs, red high temp wheel grease on the rails.

  33. Firearms are machines… Small, filthy, hot machines. All machines run better when lubricated. Lubrication reduces wear and allows that machine to run longer. A good lube can also help keep carbon solvent and makes cleaning much easier.
    Questioning the need for lubrication? Same kinda person that believes in Man Made Global Warming.

    Weaponshield, FireClean, Slipstream Styx, and ZMax Bolt Lube.

    But mainly FireClean and Slipstream.

    • Neither the video nor the article is questioning the need for lubrication. Please, at least read the first line of the article.

      The author is all for lubrication, just with different products.

  36. Am I the only person still on the Gun Butter train? Did I miss something?

    Hoppes for the long guns, Gun Butter for the handguns.

  39. Slip2000 for oil and Brian Enos Slide Glide for grease.

    I became tired of experimenting and stuck with those two. Have not seen an issue

    I do use Frog Lube for my shotgun barrels as is seems to stop the plastic fouling I get when I doing a lot of shooting at Field Clay Matches..

  40. I clean with isopropyl alcohol, and lube with white lithium grease. no issues. People generally over lube their guns.

    • Had to scroll through tons of comments before finding a fellow lithium grease afficionado. Hats off to you Jake from Detroit.

      Worth it though, this thread is hilarious.

      Isopropyl for cleaning is a great idea, I’ve been cleaning with WD-40.

      WLG is King for can lube too. Can’t go wrong with really any lithium grease. I did try the red lithium goop in a surplus SKS though and the firing pin stuck forward in the bolt. Upon disassembly I observed the pin had become magnetized and would stick to the bolt. Very strange.

  41. Whatever is handy, I have Break Free, sewing machine oil, hair clipper oil, WD40, and various automotive lubricants laying about in different places. I also have a couple of gun-cleaning kits somewhere, but after my wife has purged the house of what she considers unnecessary and exiled the surplus to the garage a couple of times, I have no idea where.

  42. Many professional shooters use Ed’s Red. The oil used in the formula is Dextron transmission oil. It is very thin and highly detergent. The formula is equal parts of: mineral spirits, kerosene, aceitane and Dextron transmission oil. Is a Great CLP-the Dextron by itself is also very good. Google Ed’s Red gun cleaner and many responses can give in depth reviews.

    • I use similar. 30W synthetic motor oil/F-type tranny fluid/STP oil treatment/Hoppe’s. It works as good or better than any other lube I’ve used and for around $20 I have over 4 quarts of the stuff which means more money for powder,primers, molds etc.

      For parts that require grease I’ve been very happy with Tetra white grease.

    • Same here….decades and many tens of thousands of rounds without any problems is enough proof for me.

  43. Just a little fireclean, not much. Yes, it’s major ingredient is probably veg oil but so what…it works well and reduces carbon buildup.

  44. Dupont Krytox. It is used in the food service industry to lube oven conveyors so it is heat resitant and non-toxic. I had a tube left over when I had my pool installed. It is used on the gaskets of the pool pump. It is a grease therefor it doesn’t get all over the internals of the gun. Stays where you put it until you clean it off. Too expensive to buy for gun lube, but if you have some lying around, why not?

  45. I’m not to picky, use whatever’s handy — Currently I have Hoppe’s Elite both CLP that I use for cleaning and Hoppe’s Elite oil. CLP over all the metal of the gun, touch of the oil on “contact” parts (slide rails, barrel, locking block, etc).

  46. Ballistol in my AK, Ed’s Red or Hoppes #9 in handguns, Castrol 5w20 for oil, high temp lithium grease on rails, a final wipe of Eezox down the barrels. I have too many partially-filled containers of pretty much anything you can name, so I’m using them up before settling on Ballistol and Eezox. It may take years.

  47. BreakFree CLP for cleaning.

    Lucas Gun Oil for lube.

    I’ll probably need some sort of copper remover for the bores sooner or later, don’t know what to use yet.

    • Barnes CR-10 or MPro7 Copper Removers are the only ones I’ve tried, both work quite well.

  49. “I wish I shot my guns often enough to give a damn about which lube I use. Your thoughts?”

    Amen to that.

    I have Regular ol’ hoppes oil and a sample size of frog lube which I hope to transition to. If I really needed to run them hard I’d just use some kind of grease. If it’s going to get hot you’ll need some viscous stuff to stay in there. and if your gun can’t run thick lube it ain’t meant to run a lot. 🙂

  50. Archoil- Might be tribology snake oil but the nanotechnology marketing made me try it out. So far so good!

    • I was tempted to buy a can of Remoil some months ago because it came with a “free” box of .22LR–LOL!

  52. After 5,000 rounds, the conventional motor oil needs to be replaced with high mileage oil blends to keep your gun purring.

  53. Break-free CLP in work guns, and some others. Otis UltraBore 085 in AR’s, with some TW25B here and there.

  54. Frog Lube.

    I know my Sigs need cleaning/lubricating when the fresh minty smell goes away.

    Frog Lube is also very good at keeping the Sigs wet. They magically seem to suck up lube into the pores in the steel.

    I use the Hoppes Elite spray gun cleaner also. It seems to work as advertised and the wife doesn’t complain about the smell (although I miss the smell of No. 9).

  56. FrogLube, baby! Got a crock pot full of it. A nice dipping in it is a rite of Spring (and Fall) and they come out so minty fresh! And in-between I use MP7 for cleaning after a trip to the range. Only to use it up, though. I’ll be switching to some version of FrogLube’s solvent after that.

  60. I make my own using 1qt synthetic 5w-30, 1qt synthetic automatic transmission fluid, and 1-2oz Hoppes #9. Have been using it for a couple years now hasn’t let me down yet!

    • I’ve had zero issues, and I skipped the last ingredient. Just equal parts 5W20 and Dexron ATF. Worls fine.

  61. I use extra virgin olive oil when I’m out of hoppes #9 oil since its usually in the kitchen. I have a s&w sd9ve and I’ve ran it completely dry firing a couple hundred rounds and it worked flawless tho so how important is lube anyways. But then again I am not a scientist 🙂

  63. I’ve used a bunch – various CLP brands, FireClean, Hoppe’s… to be honest, I haven’t really noticed much of a difference. I use MG Lube currently on account of it being very good at spreading itself.

  64. 5w30 mobile 1 for most spots, white lithium grease for slide rails and such.

    Might not be perfect but it’s cheap and easy to obtain while doing the job I need.

    For solvent I use the 300 below stuff Jeremy reviewed a while back. It’s good stuff and easy to use.

  65. The real problem with motor oil is the fact that, since its designed to do it, it picks dirt and debris like a magnet.
    In your car’s engine this is a good thing since it gets cumbustion by-products out of the cylinders then its pumped through the oil filter and comes out clean to do it all over again.
    In your gun–not so much.
    Since none of my guns have an oil pan and filter, I’m going stick with gun-specific lube.
    BTW: I know; “they lube AK’s with it all the time..,yadayada” that’s because it beats nothing.

    • Motor oil grabbing dirt is a feature not a bug. I clean my weapons the evening after a range session, the oil pulls all the grime off with it. Makes cleanup easier. Maybe in a three day firefight against alqaida it might be an issue, in that case I’d probably be following standing orders and using the breakfree I’d been issued. Full auto shooting isn’t that fun when Uncle Sam aint buying ammo no more anyway.

  66. I use wheel bearing grease on many parts like trigger bearing surfaces and slide rails. These are areas where high surface film strength is important.

    I use a variant of Ed’s Red (google it) for most other lubrication needs.

    For long term corrosion resistance I use AeroShell aircraft engine preservation oil in combination with WD40 Specialist Long term corrosion protector. (don’t confuse it with regular WD40)

    I’m straying a bit from the original question but also for long therm storage, I wrap firearms in VCI (vapor corrosion inhibitor) paper after lubing with AeroShell or WD40Specialist. If its a gun I’m not going to use for years, I’ll then vacuum pack it in a foodsaver tube with some Oxygen absorbers.

    Don

  68. I use militec-1 or SigSauer Lubricant Protectant… but the video is correct it is basically marketing. And marketing is gardening…you are trying to prove that your product is the best….but there are clear alternatives that are cheaper and do the same job. When I was in school we were taught If it slide use oil if it cams ie. a bolt action rifle use a little grease on the contacting surfaces.

  70. Breakfree CLP and Rem Oil. NO problems. After watching this know it all dip-shite(who looks awfully young& immature) I realized he runs regular FB page(which I belong to). He hates almost any gun except GLOCK brand GLOCKS-and after a few weeks I guess I’ve had enough of the vile language every day. MOTOR oil is for MOTORS(having driven for 45 years)…high temps ya’ know. Unless it’s all you can afford in the 3rd world…

  73. Rem oil on the tight spots like around the hammer and small parts and grease on the rails, currently I’m using shooters choice that I picked up at cabelas but I may try a different grease when I’m out.

    I like m-pro 7 too and will usually use it on the less tight spots like barrels and bushings since its a little thicker.

  74. I used to use Froglube until I found it going rancid in my safe. I switch to fireclean on my EDC because it washes out of my clothes as my body heat causes some of to wick off into my pants. I also like the easy cleanup of my guns and the zero odor. I stumbled across a website of good old boys talking about something called fluid film which is used to coat tractors for shipping and apparently is made from lanolin. these guys are adamant that once you put this stuff on your gun you’re not getting it off. it’s peaked my curiosity I’ll let you know if I become a test monkey.

  75. A product called Motorkote. It is an engine oil additive but works on anything that you don’t want to gall or freeze up. For example I bought a brand new Century Arms AK47 Centurion Sporter that has the milled receiver instead of the stamped one. The coating Century uses is thick and hard and in all the grooves for the receiver, bolt carrier and bolt. With any one of my magazines, I have all brands of composite and metal surplus mags, I could bring into battery exactly two rounds. This thing bound up, stuck and very hard to clear. I field stripped it and with a cotton swab, coated all sliding surfaces with a very light coat of this Motorkote. Let it set overnight and reassembled it. It went into battery every time with every brand and type of magazine. Took it out to shoot it without any hint of fail to feed, fire or eject. 1000 rounds including about 400 rounds with bump fire.

    After the 1000 rounds, there is no sign of the coating wearing off anywhere. None. In fact I believe that the coating with Motorkote on it is slicker than ball bearings. I love this AK, runs flawless. I use this stuff on all my AKs now as well as every gun I own. Pistols, revolvers, shotguns and rifles all run perfect with this.

    And I was a big Hopps guy.

    And yes, I run it in all three of my diesel pickups, five generators and two Harley Davidson. Love it!

  76. How dare any of you go against AregularGuy’s chosen lube? He trains more than you, knows more than you, and he’ll swear at you while he tells you about it. Ok? He’s not arrogant; he’s just right. Ok? I watched the video then immediately threw away my Slip 2000 EWL and bought a quart of multi-viscosity motor oil because standard 30W wouldn’t work in all weather conditions. I learned my lesson and you should, too. Ok?

    • Yep! That’s the point. Every household regardless of gun ownership has several lube options. You don’t have to buy firearm specific lube.
      Sewing machine oil
      Hair clipper oil
      3 in 1 oil
      Transmission fluid
      Wheel bearing grease
      Bicycle chain lube
      And more

  80. “‘Lubricate’, maybe. But automotive oils won’t chemically treat/seal the carbon in the steel so that it doesn’t bond with carbon in the gunshot residue”

    Actually, if you are talking about used motor oil you will get all of the carbon bonding you desire – even from synthetics like Mobil One (my preference). The carbon comes from combustion contamination and it is especially good when forging and heat-treating edged weapons. I learned about this when I participated in a sword-making class in Kyoto. Modern technology enhancing an ancient weapon-building technique!

  81. LikeISeeIt said:
    “‘Lubricate’, maybe. But automotive oils won’t chemically treat/seal the carbon in the steel so that it doesn’t bond with carbon in the gunshot residue”

    Actually, if you are talking about used motor oil you will get all of the carbon bonding you desire – even from synthetics like Mobil One (my preference). The carbon comes from combustion contamination and it is especially good when forging and heat-treating edged weapons. I learned about this when I participated in a sword-making class in Kyoto. Modern technology enhancing an ancient weapon-building technique!

  82. Whatever is handy and cheap. RemOil seems to work just fine on my AR’s. TriFlow is good too. LA Vickers says there is nothing wrong with good ole Castrol GTX. The rest is just over priced marketing hooey.

  84. White lithium grease because I had some left over from something and by the way Rifle Dynamics recommends it for the AK variants they build. It is wonderfully cheap and a tube will last a really long time, oh by the way it doesn’t stink up the house (the wife complained that the Frog Lube smelled like rancid mint, so I gave it away).

  85. Fireclean almost exclusively here. I haven’t done extensive testing and I’m not incredibly concerned. Fireclean seems to do its job just fine.

  86. Ballistol. Been in service since 1903 with the German Army. Works on leather, stocks,etc. No rust on carry guns.

  88. I have used every lube on the market and found, by far, that ‘Weapons Shield’ works the best in my experience. This recommendation covers handguns and rifles (AR-15/M-16) in lubrication issues as well as corrosion protection.
    I have sent this lube to numerous military units, including my son’s, in the middle east and the personal reports I received back were exemplary. It excelled even in M2 .50 caliber weapons.
    After my experience over the years with success in firearms I tried it in my wife’s Nissan Rogue (Engine Shield) and the mileage jumped by almost 3 MPG. I have been in the Automotive Maintenance field most of my life and have never seen anything quite like it.
    This stuff is the real deal and I encourage everyone to try Weapons Shield in your firearms. You WON’T be disappointed!
    PS I do NOT work for the company and this is my personal recommendation!!

  91. I’ve been using Boeshield for quite a while. Tried it first because it was sitting within reach one day, and found that it is the best thing I’ve run into for preventing rust in a salt-air environment. The stuff was developed by Boeing for all sorts of moving parts in airplanes that undergo almost constant use in a wide range of temperature and pressure and moisture conditions but get human attention only in annual inspection or upkeep. It’s a good coating for the whole gun, for that matter, if you’re willing to leave your piece sitting for four or five days while it turns to a protective coating.

  92. as is oft repeated in the vintage m’cycle community ” some oil is better than none…”

  93. For nearly 50 years, I’ve been using Hoppes for cleaning, and 3 in One for lube.
    This has proved an effective combination.

    I have occasionally experimented with other products, but I suspect many are simply marketing gimmicks. I am not convinced that using the same product as solvent and lube is the hot ticket.

    On a brand new AR I tried some EEZOX on the outer surfaces, based on the mfr’s claims. I think a once-over w/ a silicone cloth would be as effective, without attracting as much dust. EEZOX never really dried.
    There may be some merit in using synthetic motor oil on slides and bolts, and perhaps on trigger parts.

    I find my guns do not need to be surgically clean to run reliably. So, field strip, bore snake, chamber brush, breechface/firing pin hole, locking lugs, then a few drops of oil here and there, reassemble, function/safety check, and on to the next…

    I would caution against the use of WD40 for rust prevention.

  94. I use plain old white lithium grease on the slide, and militec/CLP everywhere else. After a thorough cleaning I also use Tetra gun grease on all the grinding parts before anything else.

    There are quite a few non-toxic white lithium grease varities, and the wear protection is fantastic. plus it’s cheaper than dirt.

  95. I’ll try to add some thoughts here:

    Oil on a steel (ie, plain chro-moly steel, etc) gun has two functions: lubricate and prevent corrosion. Oil on a stainless gun has one primary function, to lubricate.

    Products like WD-40 and Ballistol are very good at corrosion inhibition. There are better products out there to prevent corrosion, but they cost more, some of them much more. Some anti-corrosion products aren’t useful for a gun that will be used – ie, you need to clean them off before using the gun. (eg, Cosmoline) Ballistol is a good product for inhibiting corrosion from fingerprints. Some people have acidic/salty fingerprint oils, and Ballistol, being slightly alkaline, will neutralize those issues.

    The other job of a gun oil is to lubricate. Most of what needs lubrication in a gun will be a sliding surface; ie, not a bearing. There’s all sorts of lubricants out there that will work, and what you prefer will depend on your requirements. If you’re in a highly dusty environment, you would prefer a “dry” lube. Moly disulphide, graphite(s), PTFE’s, etc – are all common “dry lubes.” They all work, the graphite/moly powders will get on your hands & clothes if you use too much.

    For oil-based lubes, there’s tons of options. For wet lube, I use a variant of “Ed’s Red” – which is a mix of Mobile-1 synthetic engine oil, ATF, and a bit of WD-40. The older formulas used Hoppes’ #9. I no longer use #9 for cleaning or lube of guns, having decided that I would prefer to not be exposed to some of the components of #9 any more than necessary. “Ed’s Red” was originally used as a bore solvent. I’ve modified my concoction for being just a lube. When I clean, then I’ll use a cleaning solvent specific to the task at hand – ie, I’ll use a copper solvent for removing copper fouling, MPro-7 for removing plastic wad fouling in shotguns, etc.

    Before people get all concerned about using automotive products, remember that many fine guns used to call for the use of sperm whale oil for their lubrication – as did sewing machines, watches, clock mechanism, early automatic transmissions, model trains, model slot cars, etc. Whale oil used to be used as the working fluid in the earliest automatic transmissions. Sperm whale oil was used for all manner of things where you wanted lubrication, but wanted a product that wouldn’t varnish up as it dried, wouldn’t get gummy, wouldn’t retain lots of dirt, and which prevented corrosion.

    The closest equivalent to sperm whale oil today is ATF. Dextron, Mercon, whatever. The exact specs don’t matter for use on guns. 3-in-1, Marvel’s Mystery Oil, and R&O turbine/spindle oils also work.

    As for greases on guns: The only places I put grease on guns is on break-open gun hinge pins and the bolt roller on M14/M1A’s. I use either moly disulphide greases (which are an evil black concoction, which will stain your clothes if you get it on them), a high quality synthetic NLGI #2 grease (Chevron Delo #2 or equivalent) or Lubriplate 103A (which is the mil-spec lube for the M14 bolt roller). I wouldn’t use grease on an areas which is exposed to dirt often (eg, the slide on a semi-auto).

    Pork or bacon fat: Bacon or pork fat is a poor proposition for use on guns unless the pork/bacon was cured without salt. This would be a rare thing. If the meat had salt in it before you rendered out the grease, well now you’ve got salt in your grease. This is a bad, bad deal. 100 years ago, machinists used to use rendered lard for cutting lube, but with all the modern lube available, I wouldn’t be using the stuff today.

  97. I have been using Archoil
    AR4200 since the day it came out.
    It is a CLP but it does everything it claims.
    Reduces friction
    Prevents build up
    Increases velocity
    Corrosion Protection
    Faster action
    I have never looked back.
    I have also used AR4400 LP
    That is just a lube
    Theres a better gun oil in town

  98. I’m a 68 year young shooter from southeast Michigan. Have owned or shot over 20 makes of shotguns since 1957. As i found with a Benelli Montefeltro Light 20 guage, any autoloading shotgun can or will jam unless meticulously lubed with a high tech CLP. I’ve used Frog, Hoppes, Rem Oil and a dozen others. A kitchen table started business near me in Lansing called Top Duck was at a gun show 5 years ago and convinced me to try it. The Benelli stopped jamming once lubed with Gunzilla. Inventor says soybean oil and 5 other expensive proprietary ingredients. The company has over 200 testimonial letters combat vets in the Gulf War claiming Gunzilla is the ONLY lubricant that keeps ANY weapon from jamming. The company also says it has a hundred letters from the parents of combat vets thanking the company for saving their sons life.About half of the police officers, skeet shooters and hunters i know have switched to it. Ungodly expensive; buy the economy 20 oz non aerosol bottle. I have no financial or personal interest in this company. I just find it fascinating that a table top gunsmith/chemist came up with a CLP that saves lives in combat and kept me from smashing my thousand dollar Benelli into a tree out of anger when it jammed on 7/8 ounce loads when lubed with anything but Gunzilla.

Comments are closed.