stonecutter2
Member
I thought I was the only one!I only use Sperm Whale Oil
Using motor oil on guns.
- Thread starter stchman
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Sunray
Member
Any product with the word 'gun' on it will cost more.
Motor oil is all we got for cleaning in the CF. No reason not to use it for lubing too. Just not in extreme cold or excessively dusty places.
Synthetic oil is too expensive.
Motor oil is all we got for cleaning in the CF. No reason not to use it for lubing too. Just not in extreme cold or excessively dusty places.
Synthetic oil is too expensive.
HoosierQ
Member
Motor oil is perfectly fine. I use a 50/50 mixture of Mobil 1 and Marvel's Mystery Oil. Very slippery stuff. My AR and my 10/22 love it. I use some Tetra gun grease on the AR very sparingly on the cam pin and a tiny bead along the rails and on the charging handle. Then spritz over all with some Mobil 1 mix. I tend to run the AR pretty wet and the 10/22 less so. Grease will only be a gunk attractor if you don't clean it often. If you clean often, grease seems to keep the carbon stuff from sticking. I clean my after every time I shoot it. Not sure if it's with reason or just an OCD.
savanahsdad
Member
I've been using grease on my AR since I got it , it's lite brake in grease (NAPA Lubriplate 105) I put a dab on the bolt and use a small paintbrush to get it in everywhere it need to be , I also use it on my bolt guns , a dab on the bolt lugs , work the action and wipe off, Great for long term storage too, it has little smell and wont varnish , and I've been using the same tube for over 15 years ,
Elkins45
Member
My new car specifies synthetic 0-20. I can change the oil and filter for around $35 at the most using Mobil 1 and an OEM filter. I hope they are doing a bunch of extra stuff at the same time to warrant the extra $165.
My favorite firearm lube is 50% ATF, 25% each Mobil 1 synthetic and STP. I mixed up a quart about 20 years ago on the advice of an old National Guard armorer I used to shoot with. I'm still working on using up the last few ounces of that quart today. It has a great combination of heat resistance, slipperiness and cling.
I wouldn't hesitate to use straight automotive lubricants on guns (or most other mechanical devices) if needed. Few lubricant applications have been as extensively researched as automotive products.
astra600
Member
Castrol 20-50 on BSAs & Triumphs for decades. Gotta be good for guns, too.
Caution: watch for dark spots on the floors.
Any of the plastic gun makers say not to use automotive products on their wares?
Caution: watch for dark spots on the floors.
Any of the plastic gun makers say not to use automotive products on their wares?
jcwit
member
Sperm Whale Oil was used in the first automatic transmissions, then they developed ATF which performed even better.
With that said I still use Sperm Whale Oil for some applications, supposedly it never oxidizes. Still have a can almost full that I bought from Brownell's years ago when it was still legal.
jcwit
member
I believe this is the same mix that the Marine Shooting Team used, do not know is they still do tho.
steven58
Member
I'm a big fan of Mobil 1 V Twin. As it's formulated for motorcycles it has a stronger detergent and anti corrosion additives package than the automobile version.
I've used on all my firearms for decades. For NE USA it works very well.
I'm especially happy with its performance in ARs. Stays wet longer than any other lube I've tried. It keeps carbon buildup soft and easy to clean off. Even after a 500 round course with no re lubeing the BCG was wet and easy to clean.
It seems to resist burning off very well.
I've often wondered if Mobil 1 for Diesel engines might be better in the Anti corrosion & detergentcy area
I've used on all my firearms for decades. For NE USA it works very well.
I'm especially happy with its performance in ARs. Stays wet longer than any other lube I've tried. It keeps carbon buildup soft and easy to clean off. Even after a 500 round course with no re lubeing the BCG was wet and easy to clean.
It seems to resist burning off very well.
I've often wondered if Mobil 1 for Diesel engines might be better in the Anti corrosion & detergentcy area
JDBoardman
Member
The two highest film strength lubricants availble (those that will do the most to reduce wear on sliding surfaces) are castor oil and sperm oil. The castor oilhas the drawback of cluping up when it cools down after heating, but it can withstand high heat and high pressures better than any commonly available oil. Sperm oil, well, I think it may be just a touch hard to find...
Originally, Automatic Transmission Fluid contained sperm oil, but by the 1950's, it was being phased out and replaced with engineered synthetic replacements. ATF is an excellent lubricant, it doesn't break down under high pressure, and it can withstand high temperatures. Its biggest drawbacks are its low viscosity and low polar attraction - it doesn't stick well to metal. Castor oil used to be used in race cars and motorcycles because of its high film strength - excellent lubricity at low viscosity , and its heat resistance. Unfortunately, you had to drain it before it cooled down or you would have to flush out the engine because castor oil clots up after it has been heated. Castrol Motor Oil actually had one line that was castor bean oil.
Synthetic oils of the proper viscosity are excellent for use on firearms, and do every bit as good a job as any of the high-priced "gun branded" products.
Originally, Automatic Transmission Fluid contained sperm oil, but by the 1950's, it was being phased out and replaced with engineered synthetic replacements. ATF is an excellent lubricant, it doesn't break down under high pressure, and it can withstand high temperatures. Its biggest drawbacks are its low viscosity and low polar attraction - it doesn't stick well to metal. Castor oil used to be used in race cars and motorcycles because of its high film strength - excellent lubricity at low viscosity , and its heat resistance. Unfortunately, you had to drain it before it cooled down or you would have to flush out the engine because castor oil clots up after it has been heated. Castrol Motor Oil actually had one line that was castor bean oil.
Synthetic oils of the proper viscosity are excellent for use on firearms, and do every bit as good a job as any of the high-priced "gun branded" products.
45_auto
Member
mnhntr said:
Not to disrespect anyone on here who is what I call under-educated and has little common sense, but it would appear that you need a degree in something. Does your common sense also tell you that a lubricant made for high heat applications such as gasoline engines would also work in other high heat applications like transmissions and gearboxes? You must save a TON of money not having to buy different oils for your transmissions, differentials, boat outdrives, and 2-stroke outboards. Since the object is to lubricate and reduce wear, I'm sure that you have no problem interchanging them.
I would venture to say that since there is a lot more money put into researching motor oil that it is probably a better product for motors.
On the other hand, the closest approximation in a motor to a firearms scenario (highly loaded lugs in sliding contact in a gun, as opposed to pressurized bearings with no metal-to-metal contact in a car) is probably best represented by the older flat tappet cam lifters in automobile engines. It's very common knowledge that the ZDDP content of motor oils has been significantly reduced (interferes with oxygen sensors, don't need it with modern roller lifters and overhead cam followers) to the point that older engines can be damaged running modern motor oils and require a ZDDP additive.
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/engine/flat_tappet_cam_tech/
Your call, run what you want. Nobody here is going to characterize the wear on their guns, so your adversity to education will serve you well!
benEzra
Moderator Emeritus
Firearms do work reliably for longer if you use high quality lubricants. I use Mobil 1 5W30 EP on my AR and it works better than any gun-marketed lubricant I've ever tried. Thicker and more persistent film stays put better, lubricates better than thin gun oils like Rem Oil, keeps carbon dissolved better, and stays wet longer between cleanings.
As far as I know, there are no oils on the market that are refined specifically for guns. Gun oil is mixed from the same base stocks as other types of lubricants are, with off-the-shelf additive packs, and are little different from non-gun oils intended to work in similar temperature ranges. I challenge you to compare the physical and lubricative specs of, say, Rem Oil to a Group IV based synthetic 5W30 motor oil. Rem Oil or CLP are excellent as a thin corrosion protective film on a gun's exterior, which is what I use Rem Oil for, but as an internal lubricant it is not as good as synthetic 5W30.
As to ZDDP content, that is a valid concern (flat tappet to cam is actually a very good analogue) which is one reason I use EP rather than regular Mobil 1, and race oils would undoubtedly work great. I don't think you can find Rotella or Delvac in the appropriate viscosity ranges. (And what is the ZDDP percentage of Rem Oil?)
45_auto
Member
Nothing like a good oil argument! Almost as good as caliber wars.
Actually, Rem Oil or CLP are excellent as a thin corrosion protective film on a gun's exterior, and also far surpass synthetic 5W30 as an internal lubricant.
(Notice that I cleverly provided an equal amount of justification for my statement as you did for yours. One of us is possibly correct!)
benezra said:
Actually, Rem Oil or CLP are excellent as a thin corrosion protective film on a gun's exterior, and also far surpass synthetic 5W30 as an internal lubricant.
(Notice that I cleverly provided an equal amount of justification for my statement as you did for yours. One of us is possibly correct!)
Nom de Forum
Member
Any one familiar with the product Dillon sells as "Snake Oil"? I think they claim it is medical instrument oil. Anyone know what it really is and how well it works?
dprice3844444
member
i use amsoil synthetic waterproof wheel bearing grease on the bolt carrier for ar-15s.
friend said lucas oil makes a gun lube available at racetrack gas stations
friend said lucas oil makes a gun lube available at racetrack gas stations
beamon
Member
Amazing, I am subscribed to 6 gun boards and certainly the lubrication and caliber wars occupy a great bit of their total posts. If I had a nickle for each post on lubrication, I'd surely have a more comfortable retirement than I do now, but lest you think I'm criticizing all this info, be advised that I assiduously read each and every one!
Hoppes 9 for the bore and Ballistol for the rest works for me assuming that I tend to them after each session.
Hoppes 9 for the bore and Ballistol for the rest works for me assuming that I tend to them after each session.
Elkins45
Member
I'll bet you could turn a nice profit indeed if you could find a high end watchmaker/repairman to sell it to. Somebody once told that for the high precision tiny, soft gears in very expensive watches that there is no better lubricant even today.
SleazyRider
Member
That's an awful lot of money to be payin' a feller right out of school, don't you think? But me bein' uneducated and all, I'm thinkin' the lubrication requirements of a firearm are but a fraction of those imposed by a modern internal combustion engine, so you're good to go. But I'm not so sure about puttin' gun oil in your car engine.
An engine kinda sorta has an oil pan filled with a whole bunch of oil, a pump to circulate that oil to where it is needed constantly, and a filter through which said oil is continually passed, even though it is a (mostly) closed system. What part of that is applicable to firearms?
XD Fan
Member
This has become one of the most enjoyable treads I have read in a while.
Potatohead
Member
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- Mar 9, 2013
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That's what he was sayin wasnt he?
Potatohead
Member
- Joined
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- 5,375
I'd have to agree, if "threads" is what you meant
I'm still flabbergasted by the Sperm Whale lube mention. My little infant mind wants to joke about it, but in fear of drawing a rebuke from the mods, I shall refrain
Gtscotty
Member
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2007
- Messages
- 3,635
Well the part about sperm whales being ground up and used in automatic transmissions was certainly interesting.
I have a buddy who has an MSE focused on Tribology, I think he just uses a decent gun lube and calls it good. I may not have his credentials, but I have run Mobil 1 in an AR some, and couldn't tell any difference when I switched to SLIP2000... I reckon I'll switch back when the slip runs out given that Mobil 1 is an order of magnitude cheaper. If my guns suffer premature wear and give out at 60k rounds instead of 40k rounds, I'll just buy new guns.
I have a buddy who has an MSE focused on Tribology, I think he just uses a decent gun lube and calls it good. I may not have his credentials, but I have run Mobil 1 in an AR some, and couldn't tell any difference when I switched to SLIP2000... I reckon I'll switch back when the slip runs out given that Mobil 1 is an order of magnitude cheaper. If my guns suffer premature wear and give out at 60k rounds instead of 40k rounds, I'll just buy new guns.
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doubleh
Member
I love these gun lubricant threads. Fantastic thoughts about the whole mess. Makes for amusing reading when you are just killing time.
Makes for amusing reading when you are just killing time.- Status
