Grease vs Oil

I really like a good corrosion preventive compound in situations like that. I use Boeshield T-9 that I got from West Marine...it sprays on or can be dabbed on, and does an excellent job preventing corrosion for a long time.

Which grease? Which oil?

If you want to protect the metal get some Breakfree CO.

I always thought the "rule" was: if its slides grease, if it rotates oil.

OTOH I think "modern" lubes like CLP with PTFE split the difference and just work, and throw in corrosion resistance for "free".

As above, I have always used grease on my Garands, M1 carbines, and SKS's, but I use Mobil1 applied and then wiped off on my AR's and all my bolt guns.

I just use gun oil on everything. A few older - 40s 50s rifles, I took down and pretty sure I'm the only one ever to take the stocks off and look in there. There was maybe a touch/hint of corrosion, but more a layer of grime. I just cleaned the components and then lightly oiled with a patch. I've taken those stocks off since, a couple years later, and the spring and parts in there looked like the day I cleaned and oiled them. I was going to use some grease here and there, but researching it, turned up grease can/will collect dirt/stuff and over time become more of a lapping wear compound than a lube. It would also be harder to clean old grease out later down the road. That's my 2 cents for what it is worth.

For parts that have infrequent access I like to use BoeShield also. It’s intended for use on aircraft parts to prevent corrosion while in storage. It a thin liquid that dries to leave a thin waxy film on the metal parts.

I’ve used RIG (rust inhibiting grease) before and never had corrosion while using it, but it is messy to apply and store. Once I found BoeShield I stopped using it. BoeShield can be found at bike shops as they use it on bike chains to prevent rust.

BSW

I don’t claim my method is correct but what I do first is spray Pledge in the barrel channel to add a little wax to any raw wood. I lightly grease any threads to prevent seizure, place a small amount of grease on a Q-tip to coat bolt rails, and oil anything else.

Geographic considerations may not favor this routine for everyone but it’s worked for me for decades. For rust protection in dark places Rig+P is the best solution I’ve found, ProShot for general purpose grease.

wally said:

. . . if its slides grease, if it rotates oil.

Click to expand...

And that's the ticket.

Caveats:
1) I use grease ilo oil when long service intervals might leave time for the oil to run off.
2) You should not switch to grease in your defensive arms without thorough function testing afterward; you might find that thick grease slows some functions.

This is the purpose of Slide Glide for semi pistols, and it works.

Keep in mind that grease and oil are similar except grease has greater viscosity. When I was issued a M1 in boot camp it came out of WWII stocks. It was coated inside and out with Cosmoline, a thick grease similar to wheel bearing grease. It took hours to do the first cleaning of the rifle. For routine maintenance we were issue Lubriplate, a clear oil (grease) with about the thickness of high viscosity motor oil, which is slow viscosity grease. That was in 1959. Today oils or greases for are much better due to good science. There is little need to use a high viscosity grease on a gun unless it is to be used extremely heavily in a brief period of time. Lubricants like CLP are quite sufficient for cleaning and maintenance. An oil like RemOil. Is also a good lubricant but does not have the cleaning properties of CLP. Over lubrications leads to fowling once the gun is fired many times between cleanings. That is why I use CLP to clean and RemOil between cleanings to lubricate the moving metal on metal parts. If I am going to be out in cold for a long period of time I wipe the oil off those parts and spray them with Remington DriLube. It does not thicken in the cold. The simple fact is that if you clean the firearm routinely after firing a lift lubricant will be fine. If you are goin to store the gun for a long time a grease is best. OK that is my 2 cents.

I hardly ever use grease on my firearms. I use Ballistol to clean, protect and lubricate. IMO modern firearms do not need a lot of lubrication. If they are clean with a light coat of oil on the bearing surfaces the gun will function properly without much wear. Over lubricating can be a bigger issue than no lubrication.

1942bull said:

Keep in mind that grease and oil are similar except grease has greater viscosity. W

Click to expand...

Umm....no. Some greases have the consistency of cooking oil. LSA, Lubricant, Small Arms is a grease.

Skeptic13 said:

I hardly ever use grease on my firearms. I use Ballistol to clean, protect and lubricate. IMO modern firearms do not need a lot of lubrication. If they are clean with a light coat of oil on the bearing surfaces the gun will function properly without much wear. Over lubricating can be a bigger issue than no lubrication.

Click to expand...

No*. Over lubricated firearms are messy, but they work. Under lubricated guns frequently will not function.

I frequently assist at our prematch safety briefing and range test at my local club. I’ve seen multiple instances of guys showing up with rifles that have stoppages during live fire. In each instance the rifles were returned to reliable functioning by simply adding lube to the bolt and bolt carrier. The dry BCG problem is probably accentuated in AR15s as the operating gas tends to blow lube out of the BCG and the extra heat in the BCG tends to dry out the lube that’s there.

BSW

*Unless you’re in -40 winter conditions. But you’ve probably got bigger problems if it’s that cold and your logistics have broken down.

For corrosion protection or hunting with blued guns in the rain I’m a huge fan of a liberal coat of Johnson’s Paste Wax on both the metal and wood, and especially the inaccessible parts like the barrel channel and underside of the action.

If you can’t decide between grease or oil then have I got a product for you: 00 grease. It’s a thixotropic non-Newtonian fluid that acts like a grease but still flows. When the oil seal fails on farm equipment like Bush Hogs it’s common to just shoot the gearbox full of 00 or Deere cornhead grease rather than replace the seal. A quart will cost you less than $6 at Tractor Supply. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/super-s-cotton-picker-spindle-grease-00?cm_vc=-10005

NO grease oil only. Don't' leave my guns sit that long.

Texas10mm said:

Umm....no. Some greases have the consistency of cooking oil. LSA, Lubricant, Small Arms is a grease.

Click to expand...

We obviously disagree or do not understand each other’s views. The chemical composition of grease and oil is the same. The differentiation is the additives. grease and oil are petroleum based. Oil can be processed to be thicker or thinner. Additives can be used to affect endurance and anti-corrosiveness. But in the end it is all petroleum

1942bull said:

We obviously disagree or do not understand each other’s views. The chemical composition of grease and oil is the same. The differentiation is the additives. grease and oil are petroleum based. Oil can be processed to be thicker or thinner. Additives can be used to affect endurance and anti-corrosiveness. But in the end it is all petroleum

Click to expand...

You stated that greases were thicker than oils. That's not a true statement.

There's a LOT more to grease than the NGLI #2 that is commonly seen.

Anyone interested in firearms lubrication should read this https://www.cherrybalmz.com/history-vietnam-and-the-great-disconnect or better yet read the whole series of pages.

Your basic question appears to relate to metal preservation during storage. If so, in addition to a light oil coating, consider a safe dehumidifier plus silicone impregnated covers such as the Bore Stores fabric cases or Sack-ups woven 'gun socks':

http://www.borestores.com/order_online.php?cam=show_cat&cat_id=125&nav=Long Gun Cases

https://www.amazon.com/Sack-Ups-VAL...dchild=1&qid=1590424739&sr=8-3&srs=7504524011

With old milsurp wooden stock firearms, you'll often find the wood right behind the action oil soaked. Part of the reason this happens is the result of storing a heavily oiled firearm in a muzzle-up position: the oil will gradually flow downhill and seep into the wood at the lowest point of the inletting, behind the action.

I was originally instructed by my shooting mentors that for basic storage, oil lightly and check on conditions frequently. I live in a dry climate, so a Sackup and safe desiccant is usually sufficient to prevent surface rust on any of my blued long guns. My gunoil of choice is Mobile One synthetic crankcase lube. I have an oily gun rag that I use to wipe down metal surfaces after cleaning and before storage.

Finn Aagard used to recommend applying automotive or floor paste wax to the underside metal of firearms before the rigors of an Alaskan hunt. I've used Birchwood Casey Gunstock Wax in this manner with some of my wooden stocked firearms and I've been satisfied with the results. The wax coating is invisible except where it accumulates in cavities and turns white; it comes off without much bother using mineral spirits. It soaks particularly well into a Parkerized surface, forming a protective layer between metal and wood.

My M1 gets greased according to the manual, for functional reasons.

Mobile One user here too. The key though is use any good lube and always wipe to a thin film. If you can't get to it to wipe it, blow it out.

I always thought grease was just oil with a thickening agent, no?

film495 said:

I always thought grease was just oil with a thickening agent, no?

Click to expand...

Grease is oil + soap.

@Elkins45 is right on the money!

On grease vs oil (general comments, not weapon specific)...I am more in line with @Texas10mm than @1942bull. Forgetting additives, oil is oil. This is regardless of whether it is by itself, or incorporated into grease. Oils typically are either mineral or synthetic. You generally want a viscosity to maintain the separation desired at the operating temperature. This applies to either oil, or the oil in grease. The oil does the lubricating. The viscosity of the oil is typically denoted by the ISO VG number. The higher the number, the more viscous the oil is.

Grease is a lubricating oil carried by a “soap”. In bearings, the soap is typically a lithium complex. There are a variety of soaps depending on application. The “hardness” of the soap is listed as the NLGI number. The higher the number, the “harder” the grease. The grease is a carrying agent to get the oil into the right space.

You can have a low NLGI grease with a high ISO oil - this means a very viscous oil in a very liquid grease. You can have a high NLGI grease with a low ISO oil. Remember, the oil does the lubricating whether delivered by the grease or by itself. It is a lot harder to properly specify a grease vs an oil.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NLGI_consistency_number

https://www.tribology-abc.com/abc/viscosity.htm

EDIT: added @Elkins45 comment

Texas10mm said:

You stated that greases were thicker than oils. That's not a true statement.

There's a LOT more to grease than the NGLI #2 that is commonly seen.

Anyone interested in firearms lubrication should read this https://www.cherrybalmz.com/history-vietnam-and-the-great-disconnect or better yet read the whole series of pages.

Click to expand...

Yes I did use the word thicker. Here is one of many reference I have to back that up. I have a number of other references but this one is from:
https://www.thelubricantstore.com/oils-vs-greases-whats-the-difference

So we disagree. You wrote “That’s not a True statement” In reply to what Iwrote, but is is a fact that grease is thicker than oil.

The two main types of lubricants are oils and greases. Both aim to lubricate equipment and prevent damage through metal to metal contact. However, there are a few key differences in how they are used.

To put it simply, grease is oil mixed with a thickener and other additives. These thickeners impact grease capability and compatibility. They also impact grease consistency, which is measured in NLGI (National Lubricating Grease Institute) Grades. The NLGI grade is a measure of a greases consistency. The higher the grade, the thicker the grease.


But why use grease over oil? Greases are better for leakage control and provide better seals against contaminants. Grease can remain in equipment longer and tolerate a variety of conditions. It is also easier to apply in most industrial settings. The best greases should tolerate some contamination, resist leakage and change in consistency and be compatible with all seals.

Of course, oil has advantages as well. It’s easier to drain, easier to control the amount you are using and much cleaner than grease. It also provides better cooling properties. Oil is also better for extending the life of bearings, as oiled bearings can last twice as long as greased ones.

Click to expand...