Controversial opinion: RemOil is actually pretty good

[JCooperfan1911]

Only time I use it is to spray metal parts after a thorough degreasing with brake cleaner etc. The thin aerosol gets in to all the nooks and crannies.

As a standard lubricant, I’ve found Ill spray some in a mechanism and place in the safe, a couple days later I remove it and the too-thin Remoil has just leaked out of the gun and onto the stock and exterior metal. It does NOT stay where applied and other than niche applications is a poor product. It migrates or evaporates way too quickly.

I use plain old Break Free CLP and for certain things, a good grease such as Slip 2000 or really anything.

 

[DustyGmt]

I'd use motor oil or 3in1 before WD40. I know some guys on here who love it, but I don't believe it's appropriate for the application. I was thinking for a while that I should just mix up a tub of Ed's Red (Kerosene, Motor Oil and a little ATF I believe) but I have so many different lubes and greases on hand and don't shoot nearly as much as would be needed to necessitate having a big quart or more of Ed's Red. I have Slip2000 EWL and EWG, a bit of Mpro7 (Good Stuff) and quite a few aerosol cans of Breakfree, Ballistol, RemOil, Superlube, Etc..... I also have a big tub of Lubriplate white grease, about a gallon of Hoppes#9 and a number of others, I will not be needing to buy for a very long time.

I have an entire ammo crate full of CLP's and cleaning tools. While not a big fan of the RemOil aerosol I have a big can and a bunch left and have been trying to use it up. It works to lubricate my semi autos for a short time but is a lousy preservative. Watch some of the salt spray tests with it and you may rethink using it to wipe down your weapons for storage, same for ballistol. IME, you need the truly toxic stuff for good preservation and rust prevention for long terms storage. As a general cleaner and lubricant it works "ok".

Sorry for the ramble on, who knew people could have such varied opinions about what to lubricate with....lol. it's cuz we are nerds and spend too much time thinking about the non-issue issues....

 

[Eyrie G. Dogg]

Nope, those are issue issues. And dang Dusty. You could open yer own oil company.

I use RemOil, not always or everywhere but it's good stuff.

 

[John Joseph]

I started using Hoppe's 9 a long time ago. My uncle who taught me gun safety and the finer art of plinking used it so I did. Well that did not last long. I found it evaporats and gums up. I have tried alot gun oils, sprays, and snake oils. Kriol was my go to for a while then for the past 10+ years I have been using Amsoil MP spray for cleaning. A synthetic motor oil and Kluber altemp q nb 50 paste.
This has worked well for me and my firearms.

Hoppe's 9 is a solvent, not a lubricant, is it not?

 

[John Joseph]

Back before all the boutique gun stuff showed up, we used WD40 for decades, and never had the gumming or varnishing issues you hear so much on the internet. Its what we had, and it seemed to work OK. Didnt really use it as a "lube", but for wipe down rags and as an action flush, and as a water displacement for guns out in the weather or that went into the river. It was never left on or in the gun where it was obvious that it was there.

For lube, we usually used either a light oil, or Lubriplate for grease. I still use the latter when I feel it needs grease, like for M1's, M1A's, etc.

Ive always used any of what Ive used pretty sparingly, as opposed to hosing things down, or loading it up, like I have seen some people do. Ive shot other peoples guns, that were literally spraying me as I shot with whatever they used while I was shooting. Thats not right, or what you want, and where I think where the trouble starts, especially if they are put away "wet" like that and left to sit for a length of time.

Im sure some things are better than others for being a problem (Id avoid Frog Lube like a plague for that), but I think if whatever you use, you do use it sparingly, and/or follow the gun maker's recommendations, youll have a lot less trouble, than if you tend to go overboard and load it up.

FWIW I've had WD-40 gum up the innards of a DA revolver to the point of it not indexing. The WD in WD-40 stands for water displacement.

 

[Bazoo]

Glad to see new remoil being found. I prefer the old stuff.

I don't think I've ever seen another reference to remoil gumming up before this thread. That's not been my experience with it.

 

[jdc1244]

I’m still very fond the mixture of ATF/STP/Mobil1

Just ATF for me.

It’s designed to clean, lubricate, and prevent rust.

 

[WheelGunMan]

Like most here, my firearms are "pampered".

95%+ of their existence is spent in controlled-environment gunsafes in my controlled-environment house.

I used RemOil almost exclusively for many years and experienced no issues related to it.

^^^^^
YES THIS!!

 

[NMachine]

Aerosol RemOil has been my all-purpose "go-to" but unfortunately I can't find it anywhere in stock any more. Is it still being made?

During the great RemOil shortage mid pandemic, I had to find an alternative. TriFlow is almost the same thing. It is a very slick and stays put for a good long while. I believe it was developed for the bicycle industry. Oh well, now RemOil is back and I have plenty of both. I will probably use the RemOil for wipe downs, and the TriFlow for lubrication.

 

[Walkalong]

TriFlow

Is great stuff for locks and hinges, lubes them better than WD or Rem Oil and lasts longer, the company locksmith turned me onto it. It does not protect against rust very well, but does remove rust well.

 

[rust collector]

Who owns the Rem-Oil brand now? Did Vista get the right to the brand except for firearms? If so, Vista probably doesn't make it. At one point, DuPont owned Remington, and Teflon was their trademark. These days, it's difficult to know who makes it. Here's a link to the MSDS, which changed in March 2021, and it appears that Vista does control the trademark. https://www.remington.com/on/demand...m Oil LIQUID Original Rev 4 - 2021-03-23.pdf

 

[Bazoo]

I occasionally use wd40 for cleaning. It dissolves crud pretty good.

One consideration, for me atleast, is smell. It needs to be wife approved, and not drive me out of the gun room. Hoppes 9 is a touch strong. Remoil, and wd40 are easy smelling.

Surprisingly, my wife likes the smell of Kroil. I don't particularly like it. I don't hate it either.

We both hated ballistol.

 

[Eyrie G. Dogg]

Gotta be a licorice fiend to enjoy ballistol. It's loud smellin.

 

[wiscoaster]

.... Oh well, now RemOil is back and I have plenty of both. ...

Mind if I ask where you found it? Can't find it in NE WI.

 

[Zerodefect]

Because you don't saturate the whole gun with it but put one or two drops here and there kind of like they tell you in the owner's manual.

Oh, but I do. My hands are oily from servicing the pistol. I massage the oil over the whole gun. Wipe off with a soft auto wax towel.

 

[sequins]

I like ballistol for the aerosol property. It's far from the best by any metric besides convenience, however a spritz, a swab, and a wipedown of the exterior finish takes about 5 minutes total and in that sense I use ballistol on range guns often. If it actually got wet or will get wet I use a better product.

 

[NMachine]

Mind if I ask where you found it? Can't find it in NE WI.

I ordered it from Midway when it showed back up. I ordered a case of squeeze bottles and a case of spray cans. I have seen it at farm and fleet and Walmart locally.

 

[rust collector]

Understand that whatever it once was, it is now something different. That's life as we know it these days. WD-40, Hoppe's #9, and many other consumer products have changed formulations over the years in the interest of reduced toxicity and improved profitability. Once upon a time, mercury, benzene and ammonia were common ingredients in bore solvents and other compounds. Not so these days. Trading effectiveness for survivability is maybe not such a bad deal.

Rem-oil is a brand, and those change hands and formulations without notice. When Remington went through bankruptcy, things changed and only time will tell. I do think the current Vista management is customer focused and intent upon doing a good job, but of course things change daily.

 

[wiscoaster]

.... I have seen it at farm and fleet and Walmart locally.

No joy at Fleet Farm. I'll give Wally a look-see.

 

[tws3b2]

From Remoil to Mobile 1 Extended Performance Full Synthetic oil. Over my 50 some odd years of owning/shooting/cleaning firearms I can't say I've ever come across a Brand name quality oil that I can say did Not do it's job when used on guns from way back then up and untill guns of today. I even have guns that I bought some 50 years ago that never had anything but the lowly 3in1 oil on them and they still work perfect with No parts ever repaired or replaced. (It's gotta cost more or it's not goodenuff for me).

 

[AK Hunter]

I use quite a bit of the Rem Oil spray can, but it's getting hard to find. Did the discontinue it or what??

 

[Bazoo]

I'm on the hunt for an automotive or general application remoil spray replacement. Its got to be similar, not too smelly, not super toxic, reasonably cheap. Any suggestions?

 

[daniel craig]

I'm on the hunt for an automotive or general application remoil spray replacement. Its got to be similar, not too smelly, not super toxic, reasonably cheap. Any suggestions?

Not too toxic or smelly says ballistol to me. They make it in spray bottles.

 

[Bazoo]

Ballistol smells like cat pee on mildewed leather underwear, to me.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

[wiscoaster]

Ballistol makes me sneeze.