Grease or Oil?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I used Break Free CPL and when all done if needed a bit of hoppes premium oil. But I will say I use very little oil. Just enough to give it a skim coat. Never had a problem yet with any of my firearms.
 
It also depends on the type of action as well as environmental conditions. Grease is typically not used very often because it will trap and hold debris. Basically the only thing you would want to use grease in would be a SEALED unit of some sort. Something that would not be exposed in any way to dust and debris.
 
Cleaning is accomplished with solvent, light oils, and elbow grease, but I think you're actually asking about the post-clean lubing.

Grease on sliding surfaces, oil where I want it to seep in. I apply grease with my finger after removing old grease with rags/swabs.

Grease won't seep out of your weapon / into your holster the way oil can, obviously range toys can be lubed with whatever the heck you like.

As far as why, my personal reliability testing has revealed that a linted-up dirty pistol runs a bit smoother with grease, so worst-case reliability is the driving factor. You'll have to do your own testing, I'm lucky that my carry guns all either benefit or aren't affected by the use of grease on rails, feed boss, hammer face, etc. I've let my two most carried guns get good and cold a few times, the grease doesn't seem to be degraded, probably because I use very little. Also consider that a carried gun will be close to body temperature until drawn, and then it will be heated from within or returned to the cozy holster ... not a lot of times it will get seriously cold for carry.
 
I use oil on all the internal pieces of everything, But I usually put a little line or 2 of oil on each of the slide rails on an auto loader. Also on a break open shot gun I use grease to lubricate the knuckle.
 
I use grease mostly; things like bolt lugs, barrel cams (locked breech pistols), trigger sears, slide/receiver rails etc. And one proprietary grease in particular, Tetra Gun Products. It can be applied and progressively wiped dry, then buffed to a dry coating. It can even be used inside the barrel bore in this way acting as a bore conditioner reducing friction and cleaning, and helps deter rust very well.

Oil I use on trigger/spring mechanisms, sprung/pivoting ejectors, trigger groups in a revolvers etc.

-----------------------------------

Je Suis Prest
 
Several types of both, I own a few very different guns.

Lately I have been lubing my Mosin with Mobil 1 wheel bearing grease, it works pretty good and is probably 100 times better than anything the Russian soldiers put on it.:D
 
^+1

It will also last forever (the tub, that is). I've been using the same tub for several years, to include several motorcycle bearings/driveshafts, trailer bearings, etc.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top