Anti-seize grease on military rifles

[gbw]

Just curious.

Everybody says we must grease sliding surfaces on Garands, M1Aa, &etc.

Not a huge fan of grease... On non-closed mechanisms it tends to get pushed away from where it's needed and must be frequently re-applied.
Also gets and holds dirt, sand, grit, and it's messy. Still, everyone seems to see the need.

On a Glock pistol I saw where the factory had applied a very small bead of anti-seize lube, looked like copper based, on the slide along high wear areas.

Glock factory folk know stuff.

So. Would this also be a good idea for the Garand and M1A lugs, op-rods, etc? These lubes are supposed to lay down a thin coat of anti seize material that stays put, at least that's what I've always heard.

 

[Pat Riot]

I have never used antiseize on my M1 Garand or M1 Carbines so I can’t say how it would work. I no longer have the carbines but I do have the Garand. I use Mobil 1 grease on it for the bolt and op rod.

I did use copper antiseize on a couple of my new Glocks to add to what they put on them after the original stuff was worn away. I did that just to see if it made a difference in anything. I am not seeing any benefit to it.

 

[illinoisburt]

Antiseize is not lubricant. It's a metal based compound to keep out moisture help prevent rust or reduce galvanic reaction between two metals (like steel fasteners in aluminum blocks). It's great for automotive applications on torqued parts but definitely not good for things which are supposed to move.

 

[gbw]

I probably described it wrong. The stuff I looked at:

LOCTITE LB 8008 C5-A is an exclusive anti-seize lubricant in a brush top form with copper and graphite suspended in high quality grease. It has an NLGI Grade of 0. (Italics in original).

So a thin grease with (I assume) colloidal copper and graphite suspended. I don't know what Glock uses but it looks like the same stuff.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I use synthetic motor oil on everything. Including my mini 14, AR'S and my SKS.

 

[Joshua M. Smith]

I use oil on rotating parts, and Lucas Assembly Lube on sliding parts. It doesn't displace like grease.

 

[AK Hunter]

The only place on a firearm I know of that needs Antiseize is on the barrel nut of the AR-15.
Any place that is two moving parts sliding against each other should only need a light oil. The heaver the oil will reduce movement in cold weather. Some dry lubes work good for this too.

 

[nettlle]

I use this on my M1A and 1911's:

 

[tommy.duncan]

I am a mechanic, Please don't use anti-seize as a lubricant!!
Anti-seize is sandpaper in oil!!

It is NOT a lubricant!!!

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Shake it.
If it rattles, grease.
If not, oil.

 

[.45Coltguy]

The only place on a firearm I know of that needs Antiseize is on the barrel nut of the AR-15.
Any place that is two moving parts sliding against each other should only need a light oil. The heaver the oil will reduce movement in cold weather. Some dry lubes work good for this too.

Anti seize sure works good on shotgun choke threads. Just so you know.

 

[AK Hunter]

Anti seize sure works good on shotgun choke threads. Just so you know.

Why would anyone put a choke in that tight??

 

[.45Coltguy]

Why would anyone put a choke in that tight??

A: you really don't want them to loosen up during a shoot. B: you don't need them super tight. Snug works, but, if you don't unscrew them from time to time after repeated shooting, they can become stuck.

 

[AK Hunter]

A: you really don't want them to loosen up during a shoot. B: you don't need them super tight. Snug works, but, if you don't unscrew them from time to time after repeated shooting, they can become stuck.

I shoot shotguns in competition. I shoot many rounds with extremely tight chokes (Diameter wise) & never needed more than a snug fit to keep the choke in.

 

[.45Coltguy]

I shoot shotguns in competition. I shoot many rounds with extremely tight chokes (Diameter wise) & never needed more than a snug fit to keep the choke in.

Ok, I'm glad that works for you. For the sake of argument, let's just do what works for us.

 

[entropy]

Anti-Seize has two uses on guns: On the threads of Shotgun choke tubes, and on the Threads of breech pieces on inline Muzzleloaders.

 

[AK Hunter]

Ok, I'm glad that works for you. For the sake of argument, let's just do what works for us.

I'll do what works for most shooters. I have seen guys shooting with anti-seize in their barrels. As soon as it gets warm it liquifies & blows out on the target. Quite a few get disqualified or just get the target tossed out because they don't want to judge a target with that stuff on it, it gets everywhere. Unless you have dissimilar metals in your choke you don't need anti-seize on it, a light oil or dry lube works best.

 

[.45Coltguy]

I'll do what works for most shooters. I have seen guys shooting with anti-seize in their barrels. As soon as it gets warm it liquifies & blows out on the target. Quite a few get disqualified or just get the target tossed out because they don't want to judge a target with that stuff on it, it gets everywhere. Unless you have dissimilar metals in your choke you don't need anti-seize on it, a light oil or dry lube works best.

Ok, at the risk of getting in trouble here, you really don't get it. You don't slather the stuff there and you should know this. Crud all over the "target"?
We're talking skeet, sporting clays or maybe trap, correct? How do you get "stuff" on a busted clay!? Please clarify. Sorry mods, but, geez.

 

[GRIZ22]

I use mobile one grease on garand and simliar actions. Grease it up. Shoot it years later. No issues.

 

[entropy]

Ok, at the risk of getting in trouble here, you really don't get it. You don't slather the stuff there and you should know this. Crud all over the "target"?
We're talking skeet, sporting clays or maybe trap, correct? How do you get "stuff" on a busted clay!? Please clarify. Sorry mods, but, geez.

To be fair, he could be talking about shooting at paper or gong targets in 3 gun, with a choke tube equipped shotgun. However, soaking the targets with anti-seize would be the least of one's worries if one were soaking the paper or gong targets at a 3 guns shoot, because the choke would have been blown out the front of the barrel. This usually results in a barrel that's split about 4" back from the muzzle.

It is far more likely that a choke would get stuck by the owner tightening it in as much as possible, then forgetting about it after shooting a lot of rounds without removing it and cleaning the inside and outside of the choke, and the barrel area where the choke sits. Sometimes the choke must be ruined in order to get it out.

 

[AK Hunter]

Ok, at the risk of getting in trouble here, you really don't get it. You don't slather the stuff there and you should know this. Crud all over the "target"?
We're talking skeet, sporting clays or maybe trap, correct? How do you get "stuff" on a busted clay!? Please clarify. Sorry mods, but, geez.

It's shotgun target shooting, many call it spot shooting, beef shoots or turkey shooting. It's trying to keep the shot group as tight as possible. We shoot as far away as 60yds at a cut mark in a 5" x 6" piece of plywood, trying to get one piece of shot right on top of the cut mark.


Yes they are not supposed to slather it but when you put as much pressure on that choke as we do even a little bit will bleed out.
Just because it's not the shooting you do don't assume it's good for all chokes.

 

[Gun-Reck]

"If it slides - grease it."

I use marine grease, as it also contains detergents and anti-corrosives.

 

[troy fairweather]

Can you imagine what one drop of antiseize would do in a gun, you would look like the tin man after a range Session. You can paint a whole car with one drop, it's also not a Lubricant.

 

[JohnKSa]

On a Glock pistol I saw where the factory had applied a very small bead of anti-seize lube, looked like copper based, on the slide along high wear areas.

Glock factory folk know stuff.

It's Loc-Tite C5A copper anti-seize. It's there for break-in. Per Glock, it should be left in place until it wears off. After that, there's no need to replace it. None of the Glock materials for the Armorer's or Advanced Armorer's class that I can recall suggest the use of anti-seize as a maintenance lubricant.

A lot of (most?) anti-seize formulations contain abrasives. I wouldn't use them in place of grease/oil unless there's an application that calls for their special properties.

 

[FL-NC]

I use white lithium grease from auto zone.