[wvshooter]

I clean my barrels with Hoppes or Remington's Brite Bore but like to spray the rest of the gun with Rem Oil. The spray gets into small spaces and does a good job of removing crud. What is the inside scoop on Rem Oil? What is it and what does it do?

[Ed Harris]

I don't know about Rem Oil, but suppose it does no harm. It's your money. If you own stock in Remington and want to support the company that's fine.

But the best bang for the buck is to use any good name brand of automatic transmission fluid cut 50-50 with aliphatic (clear odorless) mineral spirits (aka Varsol or Stoddard solvent, which you can get at any hardware or paint store) for gun oil. For bore cleaner you can mix your own bore cleaner with equal parts of ATF, K1 kerosene, acetone and Varsol or Stoddard solvent. I have used this recipe for many years and most people who try it like it. http://shilohtv.com/?cat=8

[ArmedBear]

I like the stuff, but have mainly used it on Remington shotguns.

It leaves a teflon film, so it still works when it's dry, and it works very well as a rust preventative.

What I'm not sure about is using it on a handgun. Depends on which handgun.

[9mmepiphany]

as a protectant i's about as good as any other oil

as a lube for the rails of a semi-auto pistol, it's less than acceptable...you're better off with a grease that will stay in place

[jimmyraythomason]

It's Rem-oil it only works on Remington products. sheesh some people. I use Rem-oil as well as other types and brands(no ATF for me) it is very light weight but okay for most applications.

[ArmedBear]

I didn't imply that it only works on Remington guns. It does, however, work very well on 870s and 1100s with their crappy parts that rub together. Smooths 'em up, but doesn't collect dust badly in the field.

You have issues, jimmy. You're not the only person in the world with a brain, even if it seems that way where you live.

Berettas come with oil, in the case, so it's generally in the vicinity. Therefore, it gets used on my Berettas.

That's what I usually use: whatever oil is arm's length from me.

I prefer Bullfrog Lubricant and Rust Blocker for handguns. It's a spray liquid, but it stays in place almost like grease. It's worth ordering, IMO.

I use Pro Gold if I need sticky grease that REALLY stays in place. It's great stuff.

Militec has turned out to be a PITA on many guns, including automatic handguns. It flows everywhere and doesn't stay in place. IMO it works great with light applications on revolvers' moving parts, as well as on ARs and .22 semiauto rifles. I like it, but it really doesn't stay put. Putting it on pistol rails or O/U shotgun ejectors has resulted in puddles of oil.

I'm a fan of Bullfrog's stuff (also their Rusthunter).

[ojibweindian]

ArmedBear

Pretty sure that was supposed to be a funny on jimmy's part. :D

[jimmyraythomason]

It was a joke ArmedBear ,I had to go back and reread your post to see why you took exception to it. I apologize,no insult intended.

[huntsman]

I clean my barrels with Hoppes or Remington's Brite Bore but like to spray the rest of the gun with Rem Oil. The spray gets into small spaces and does a good job of removing crud. What is the inside scoop on Rem Oil? What is it and what does it do?
I also use bore brite and Rem-oil to wipe the outside. It seems to repel water and doesn't harm wood. For slide lube I use gun oil.

[Sr.Shooter]

It is standard issue where I work. If I recall correctly, it came into our system as a cleaner to replace Hoppes. I've never been able to warm up to it as a cleaner. I see it more as a light lube. For what it's worth...

[Walkalong]

Rem Oil works pretty well. It definitely slicks things up, and migrates into little places well. It just doesn't seem to last as long as some others.

[Publius1688]

I think RemOil is an excellent protectant for handguns.
However, it's not the best slide lubricant. I like to toss some Hoppes lube on my slide rails.

[Dienekes]

Ed's Red and any light machine lubricating oil. I still have some of the surplus Navy oil I paid 50 cents a gallon for years ago.

The guns can't read the hype on the container anyway.

[DBR]

In unscientific tests Remoil does very poorly. There are much better choices such as Mobile One 15-50 full synthetic or Weaponshield. Even Breakfree CLP has tested better.

[rcmodel]

It didn't do poorly in my informal test three years ago.


Got bored because it has rained all day, so I decided to do some testing of oils & greases I had on hand. While not scientific, it did show some surprising results, to me at least.

Method:
>1/4" aluminum rod chucked in lathe and spun at 1,500 RPM.
>1/4" x 1" steel bar on a pivit riding on rod, on edge.
>4 pound NRA trigger weight set hanging on end of steel bar, 12" from aluminum rod. (4 ft/pd pressure on rod?)
>Spun in lathe until galding on aluminum rod caused noticable chatter.
>New section of rod used for each test.
> Lubed as follows:

Remington DriLube Spray= 2.37 sec.
Militec-1 oil applied 3x, heated, and wiped off each time = 3.48 sec.
Dry, run with no lube = 3.97 sec.
Militec-1 oil applied wet and left wet, over 3x treated surface = 5.73 sec.
Red Lithium automotive grease = 8.68 sec.
Pro-Gold gun grease = 10.37 sec.
Militec-1 grease applied over 3x treated surface = 10.52 sec.
GI issue CLP = 12.62 sec.
RCBS case sizing lube (STP?) = 13.20 sec.
30w motor oil = 15.93 sec.
Lubriplate (M1 Garand) grease = 25.12 sec.
Vasaline = 1 min. 31.38 sec.
Outers Gunslick Graphite grease = 2 min. 52.93 sec.
RemOil w/Teflon gun oil/bottle = 3 min 6.99 sec.

I'm not sure what all this means, but there it is!

rcmodel

[Lonestar49]

...

A rainy day not wasted.. ;)

Just shows that grease or newer products with Teflon (bonding agents) do the job over time..


Ls

[wvshooter]

Thanks rcmodel. That certainly is an interesting test. I had no idea Rem Oil's lubricating properties were that good. I have been using Weapons Shield for lube and rust prevention but it could be Rem Oil is all that is needed with the exception of cleaning the bore.

[KyJim]

It seems to be a pretty decent lubricant. I think the "knock" on RemOil is that it contains teflon and tends to become gooey over time, especially in those hard to get to places. It is fair as a rust preventive.

[Virginian]

As long as anyone makes any kind of light spray oil I will use that rather than mixing up any homebrewed concoctions. Life's too short.
Very cool test rcmodel. Made me feel smarter for that bottle of RemOil I bought some years ago. I appreciate all the help I can get.

[Gadzooks Mike]

I like Hoppe's Elite oil, but it doesn't come in a spray, so I also have a bottle of RemOil. Looks like it's good stuff. Thanks for posting that, rc!

[MR.G]

Looks like it did very well in the test done by rcmodel. I have been using it for years on some of my revolvers. Usually use Breakfree Greased Lightning on the autoloader slides because it is thicker. Looks like RemOil might be fine to use on the slides also.

[Onesiphorus]

Mobil 1, 5-20 or CLP.

[mgh]

These articles are very informative, particularly the corrosion test.

www.6mmbr.com/corrosiontest.html

www.grantcunningham.com/lubricants101.html

[golden]

I do not use REM OIL. It seems to work fine as an oil lubricant, but oil burns my skin. It may be just me, but I have not had this problem with CLP or HOPPES.

Jim

[Shadow 7D]

I use it because it comes in a convenient spray can, and it seems to penetrate the trigger group well.

First started using it in the sandbox on my M-4, the SOP was to leave the weapon dry, so after cleaning it was sprayed with remoil + teflon and all part rubbed down, left to dry then reassembled, before leaving the gate, the bolt was lubed with CLP, the idea was that if we had to use our weapon before a mission that it would be able to function until we got to the unit compound, and the dry remoil didn't attract sand like CLP.

[DBR]

Just found this in my files:

Wear test conducted by the Falex Corp., a professional lubricant testing firm. The LOWER THE INDEX NUMBER, the better the wear preventive properties of the lube:

RIG+P #72.1
Rem Oil #68.3
G96 Gun Treatment #62.8
Break-Free CLP #30.2
Prolix #7.0
Tetra Gun grease #2.1
Eezox #2.0
FP-10 #0.9

Just FYI

[Shadow 7D]

Between that and the story one member told about retrieving his safe after a hurricane and the only weapon that was rust free was the one he had tested Eezox on, makes me think I might want to get some...

[Mr.Revolverguy]

EEzox is good but it is my understanding it is very toxic and you should wear gloves when applying it. I wear gloves with any of it but they were supposed to stop making eezox due to it's toxicity.

1-Basic Information on Trichloroethylene ...

<snip>

Briefly, what do I need to know about Trichloroethylene in an emergency situation?

Trichloroethylene is a clear, colourless liquid with a sweet, ethereal, chloroform-like odour. It can probably burn if strongly heated, or be ignited by a high energy source. It can decompose at high temperatures forming toxic gases such as hydrogen chloride, chlorine and phosgene. Closed containers may rupture and explode if heated. Trichloroethylene vapours may accumulate in low lying areas. The vapour causes irritation of the nose and throat. Trichloroethylene is also a central nervous system depressant. The vapour may cause headache, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, incoordination, and confusion. High vapour concentrations may cause unconsciousness and death. Trichloroethylene causes skin and eye irritation and it is an aspiration hazard. Swallowing or vomiting of the liquid may result in aspiration (breathing) into the lungs. Trichloroethylene is a SUSPECT CANCER HAZARD - may cause cancer, based on human information, a POSSIBLE REPRODUCTIVE HAZARD - may cause birth defects, based on animal information, and a MUTAGEN - may cause genetic damage, based on animal information.


Where do you find Trichloroethylene?

Trichloroethylene is predominantly used for vapour degreasing of metal parts in the automotive and metal industries. It is also used as a component of adhesives and as a solvent in paint-strippers, lubricants, paints, varnishes, pesticides, cold metal cleaners, rubbers and elastomers. It is used as a low temperature heat-transfer medium and as a chemical intermediate in the production of pharmaceuticals, flame retardant chemicals and insecticides. It is used in metal phosphatizing systems, textile processing, the production of polyvinyl chloride and aerospace operations.

Its historical use in foods, beverages (decaffeination of coffee), pet foods, medicine, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics has been banned because of its toxicity.

What should I know about the composition and purity of Trichloroethylene?

Trichloroethylene is available commercially in a number of grades, including high-purity, electronic, metal degreasing and extraction grades. It typically has a purity above 99%. Impurities include other halogenated hydrocarbons such as tetrachloroethane, dichloroethylene, and trichloroethane. Stabilizers are added to prevent decomposition by air and light, and to prevent trichloroethylene from becoming acidic and corrosive. Some 50 known stabilizers are used in trichloroethylene formulations and include amines, pyrroles, mixtures of epoxides and esters, phenols, and alcohols. Stabilizers are generally added at concentrations of 1% or less and to be effective must be present in both the liquid and vapour phases. Epichlorohydrin has been used as a stabilizer in the past, but concern over its toxicity has led to elimination of its use.


What are some synonyms for Trichloroethylene?

Trichloroethylene is also known as Acetylene trichloride, 1-Chloro-2,2-dichloroethylene, 1,1-dichloro-2-chloroethylene, Ethinyl trichloride, Ethylene trichloride, Tri, Trichloroethene, Trichlorethylene, 1,1,2-Trichlorethylene.


With so many names for Trichloroethylene, is there a unique identifier for this chemical?

Its CAS Registry Number is 79-01-6. This number is assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) in the United States and is used as a unique identifier number world-wide.

http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/trichloroethylene/basic_trichlor.html

[Marlin 45 carbine]

try X-19A if you can find it.

[gyvel]

Honestly! Doesn't ANYONE use 3-in-1 oil anymore?

[Maj Dad]

I have had a tube of Gunslick in my cleaning kit and on my bench since the 50s. It's how I lube(d) any reciprocating part, like 45 slide & frame rails, rifle bolts, and anything else that got in my way while I was applying it. It never failed, and everything always worked. I started to try Dri-Slide in the late 60's but it had a bad rep for staining and I never got a round tuit. One thing rcmodel didn't test which I would be curious to see is Tetra (another ptfe carrier). I have used it for the past 10 or so years after a master smith recommended it to me, and I have been very happy with the results. It comes in a white grease and a viscous white liquid lube similar to mil 46000 CLP. Directions are to apply the grease, buff it in then polish it, but I usually leave it just a little damp out of habit & paranoia. Directions for the lube are similar, and they advertise increased velocity and tighter groups in barrels properly treated, and my experience has been exactly that (at least tighter groups, especially in rifles). If I were a skeptic or sitting around on a rainy day at the range I would conduct double-blind tests using Tetra, GI CLP and a couple others. But since it works for me, I haven't been so inclined. Any skeptics or formerly bored shooters out there?

(gyvel, I've got 2 cans of 3 in 1 on the lube shelf, too ;) )