Anti-seize grease on military rifles

[Dave DeLaurant]

Back to the lubrication part of the OP's question, my advice is to follow the manufacturer's advice regarding oil vs. grease for the specific arm.

As to grease, I still use this stuff according to the FM on my M1 Garand and M1A:



I haven't use grease on much else, firearm-wise.

No expert here, but the thing I am fairly confident in saying is that gun oils can be classed as primarily lubricants, protectants or both (CLP). Most lubricants will protect a bit and vice versa. Penetrating oils like Kroil are another class, strong solvents with lubrication thrown in. The 'C' in CLP means clean, so it also acts as a mild solvent.

Right or wrong, I consider Ballistol as a protectant (and, mixed with water, as a solvent for corrosive primer and black powder residue) and Mobile One as a lubricant. G96 is my CLP of choice, but I probably use more Ballistol than anything else.

FWIW, Ballistol also smells nice -- my cats like it.

 

[entropy]

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.
View attachment 1177302

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.

I've done my fair share of spot shoots, never seen any anti seize (or grease) on any of the targets. I have a .660 Turkey choke for my 1100 just for such occasions. I use Permatex anti seize or Birchwood Casey Choke Tube Lube, I just don't "slather" it on, nor does anyone else I know. Like you say, they are usually shot from 60 yards on out. Even if a choke tube or the lube for it were somehow launched, it wouldn't make it that far.

 

[natman]

Why would anyone put a choke in that tight??

In choke tubes anti-seize is doing what it's supposed to do - keep threaded objects from sticking to each other due to corrosion, heat and/or pressure.

 

[JeffG]

The closest thing I come to putting grease on a rifle is Lubriplate 130-A, or Mobil 1. Used sparingly.

 

[12Bravo20]

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.

When I was in the Army all we used for barrel assembly was GAA - Grease Automotive, Artillery. GAA is just your standard brown grease.

 

[Littlef]

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

Choke tubes are also not moving parts, and don't need lubricant. It works great, to ensure they don't "seize." I use anti-seize on the cones of my percussion cap pistols to make sure they don't seize. I can always take them back off with ease. - But same principal, they are not moving parts in the firearm. Both are Good applications.

 

[Thomasss]

Lubriplate was the go to grease for Garands for a very long time. My buddy, a former U.S. Rangers armorer recommended EWG (Extreme Weapons Grease) as a good replacement. It's good from -100 degrees to 720 degrees F. I've been using it on my Garand for over 10 years with no problems. It also does not attract dirt unlike Lubriplate. I have also used EWG internally on my S&W Mod. 14-4 and on my 586 with excellent results. Looks like I'll will that to my kids too....I used about an ounce out of the 4 oz. container in the last 10 years.

 

[Thomasss]

Choke tubes are also not moving parts, and don't need lubricant. It works great, to ensure they don't "seize."

Bees wax works much better on choke tubes, since they warm up and cool down while shooting and tend to loosen in shooting competition.
CVA is now making a commercial product for that purpose which includes choke tubes and cap lock nipples. I prefer just plain old bees wax.

 

[Littlef]

Bees wax works much better on choke tubes, since they warm up and cool down while shooting and tend to loosen in shooting competition.
CVA is now making a commercial product for that purpose which includes choke tubes and cap lock nipples. I prefer just plain old bees wax.

That not a bad idea. I already use beeswax and tallow for all my black powder lubricant, and might give that a shot. Although my one bottle of automotive anti-seize will probably outlast me, since I only use a drop or two from a toothpick at a time.

 

[Ignition Override]

Even though my Czech VZ-58 might not quite “qualify” for the OP’s curiosity, I bought it NIB in spring of 2019.

It has used 4,000 rds (each used box counted/stored) and usually has —-thin Mobil 1—grease on tbe rails.

Zero issues with this rifle. To help preserve it, the antique German CLP known as Ballistol is used.

 

[MikeInOr]

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.

I have never used anti-seize on a gun but I have used it as a lubricant on wood working machines with good results. When I rebuilt a 16" radial arm saw I used anti-seize on the elevation screw which requires complete disassembly of the saw to get to. So far it is working much better than grease which typically gets impregnated with with saw dust and looses any lubricity quite quick.

What is it going to hurt to try it on a weapon? The only downside I can think of is the huge mess it makes on my hands when I work with the stuff. I might be worried about making a mess on a wooden stock. If you have a plastic stock it should wash off with soap and water.

 

[nettlle]

When I worked in the machine trades building paper machines (huge machines) that used bolts with 2"+ threads we were not allowed to use never-seize on these bolts because it eliminated the metal to metal tension and could possibly cause these bolts to vibrate loose. Getting bonked on the head with a 5 pound bolt not good. This was back in the day when I rode motorcycles. I was talking to our never-seize rep one day about replacing all the bolts on my motorcycle with stainless steel and using never-seize due to the fact that stainless bolts and nuts have a tendency to gall. He said using never-seize on motorcycle bolts, especially front axle bolts, was not a safe thing to do. We only used never-seize on small stainless to stainless fasteners on non critical assemblies. To me there are more negatives than positives concerning never-seize.

 

[Show Me]

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.

Thin thin thin. Nothing to push away. We're not talking a roller bearing here.

 

[JohnKSa]

What is it going to hurt to try it on a weapon?

Just be aware that it's a special application material, not really made to substitute for a grease. Know of any other greases that contain ground up quartz?
Here's the Safety Data Sheet for Loctite C5A.

https://pim.henkelgroup.net/henkel/sds/A/1999559/US/EN

Look under the ingredients and you will find:
Quartz particles (SiO2)

 

[Show Me]

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.

First on your finger, then your nose, then your ipad, then your keys, then your.......target ?

 

[toivo]

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.

That's why I like extended chokes. I put them in with my fingers -- no wrench -- so they don't get too tight. And if they come loose, I can tighten them again without a tool.

 

[Rodfac]

I've never seen "anti-seize" mentioned as a lube for the M1, M-14, etc. That said: I've used both Lubriplate as recommended by CMP & Springfield Arsenal and/or Military Rifle grease as shown in Dave Delaurant's post....both with no problems, in several M1 Garands. At Camp Perry, '06 & ''07, the bulk of the competitors I shot with in the Garand Match used one or the other.

Lubriplate as I recall, was developed in WWll to stand up to the wet conditions prevalent on some of the Pacific battles where torrential rains washed ordinary military rifle oil off. Bolt races and lugs were the primary problem areas IIRC. Poster "Slamfire" is quite knowledgeable here on THR and may chime in with more definitive recommendations.

Best Regards, Rod

 

[Mauser lover]

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.

This is it, right here. Others have said it too. Anti-seize is a lubricant, but it is a lubricant that contains abrasives to clean threads as necessary. It certainly should not be used on an op rod. It’s used on Glocks because that way the customer can do the final manufacturing step of break-in.

 

[Show Me]

I've never seen "anti-seize" mentioned as a lube for the M1, M-14, etc. That said: I've used both Lubriplate as recommended by CMP & Springfield Arsenal and/or Military Rifle grease as shown in Dave Delaurant's post....both with no problems, in several M1 Garands. At Camp Perry, '06 & ''07, the bulk of the competitors I shot with in the Garand Match used one or the other.

Lubriplate as I recall, was developed in WWll to stand up to the wet conditions prevalent on some of the Pacific battles where torrential rains washed ordinary military rifle oil off. Bolt races and lugs were the primary problem areas IIRC. Poster "Slamfire" is quite knowledgeable here on THR and may chime in with more definitive recommendations.

Best Regards, Rod

Different types of lubriplate. Common in my shop is the assembly lube which isn't the one. Any grease rated at GL2 is what to use. Very thin wiped on with your finger. Proper cleaning keeps grit off. Grit and grease is valve lapping compound.

 

[Crosshair]

On non-closed mechanisms it tends to get pushed away from where it's needed and must be frequently re-applied.

You don't need a thick layer of grease any more than you need a thick layer of oil. The thin film that remains is enough. It's just that it's easier to put it on thicker than it needs to be and just let the extra get slung off. So no need to frequently re apply.

Also gets and holds dirt, sand, grit, and it's messy. Still, everyone seems to see the need.

That's true of every lubricant. Regularly changing the lubricant is standard maintenance for everything from cars to cranes to guns. While I can understand not LIKING dirty lubricant, ask yourself which will last longer:
A. A wheel bearing with dirty grease?
B. A wheel bearing with no grease?

I think your issue is that you think you need to use more grease than you really do. I slap it on thick because grease is cheap and it's fast to do. Not because it needs to be that thick.

 

[Outlaw75]

Lubriplate as I recall, was developed in WWll to stand up to the wet conditions prevalent on some of the Pacific battles where torrential rains washed ordinary military rifle oil off. Bolt races and lugs were the primary problem areas IIRC. Poster "Slamfire" is quite knowledgeable here on THR and may chime in with more definitive recommendations.

It was already in production. The Ordnance Bureau adopted it as the spec because it was the only commercially available grease that would pass their spray tests.

 

[Speedo66]

Anti-seize has its uses, but don’t ever get it on clothing, it generally does not wash out.

 

[Joshua M. Smith]

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

It is NOT a lubricant!!!

Years ago, I peened the rails on one of my 1911 pistols. I then applied anti-seize, installed the slide, and shot it to lap it in, then cleaned and greased it.

That 1911 remains one of the most accurate pistols I've shot.

 

[tommy.duncan]

I then applied anti-seize, installed the slide, and shot it to lap it in, then cleaned and greased it.

I agree. Anti-seize will remove a layer of metal!! NOT lubricate it!!
Glad it worked on your 1911!

 

[tommy.duncan]

Anti-seize has its uses, but don’t ever get it on clothing, it generally does not wash out.

And it gets on EVERYTHING you THINK about touching!!!