Is 3 in oil any good for firearms?

[goon]

My grandfather used it on all his guns for like fifty years. Worked OK for him.

 

[1SOW]

Yes, virtually any oil will reduce friction and help prevent corrosion.

Pull your car's dip-stick out and you have another source for gun lube in a pinch.

 

[rogertc1]

Nothing is better than pure Sperm Whale Oil. Hard to find however.

 

[klover]

a big plus one on:

"For $3.49, I can go and get 4 oz. of Break-Free CLP from the local Academy store. For $5.99, I can get 4 oz. of Corrosion-X from the local gun shop. Either one of these provides VERY good corrosion protection and both are pretty decent lubricants."

Just try the above, and you will realize just how inferior ANY other products are. BoeShield T9 for corrosion is also a very excellent product.

Break-Free is totally awesome even if you use it only once in the life of a weapon. Seems to "slick up a slide" forever!

The military uses vapor paper and plastic chips in air tight cans for long term storage. I have been using these products (from Brownell's) for the past 15 years in a very wet environment with excellent results. I never do oil my guns once a week or day or month. My God, I would not have time to go to work!

Not to mention oil in a rifle chamber can put undue stress on the bolt because the case can slide back with greater force than a dry rifle chamber.
Most newbies way over oil their guns, only to attract lint. Use a tooth pick to apply the BreakFree in very small amounts, and you are good to go!

3 in 1! Give me a break! And I have seen 3in1lube sewing machines for the past 50 years of my life!

Get a life for your guns!:banghead::banghead::banghead:

I can't believe this.....3in1????? Come on!!!!! Rant, rant............!!!!!!

 

[hometheaterman]

Yeah I have some Break Free CLP at the house and usually either use that or Remington oil. However, when I asked this question it wasn't a option as I didn't have it with me and the nearest store that sold it was 30 minutes away. I just needed some oil to put on my gun after it had gotten wet out in the rain so that it didn't rust. The 3 in 1 oil seemed to do the trick. Now it's back to using either Remington oil or Break Free CLP.

 

[DAVIDSDIVAD]

In steam engine rooms on old navy ships we fried steaks in steam turbine lubricating oil(2190TEP), probably already toxified!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[LaserSpot]

Eezox is probably the best product for long term storage because it's designed to dry and create a lubricating film; unlikely to gum anything up. Any kind of oil will dry out eventually.

I now use Break-Free CLP for everything because I ran out of Eezox.

Heavy whipping cream would be good enough to keep an AK running.

 

[WingRider]

+1 in the eezox

I spray a little in the barrels when cleaning. And also use it in the mags. Love the smell of this stuff

 

[billybobjoe]

I worked in a bicycle shop for many years and Yes! WD 40 is good for cleaning.

 

[ol' scratch]

I don't put WD40 or 3-in-1 on anything except sticky bolts. I don't even put it on bike chains because it messes up the chains. Both WD and 3-in-1 evaporate and collect crap. I do a lot of riding and have found the both products just don't cut the mustard. I don't even use them for cleaning.

My favorite gun oil is Moble One synthetic. I use 15 50 and it works great. It stays where I put it and lubricates better than anything I have found. I use CRP to clean and then apply the Moble one.

 

[The Deer Hunter]

I would use straight 10w30 motor oil on my guns if I had to, as I wouldn't hesitate to use 3 in 1 on my guns. If it came down to my gun getting rusty and I had no way of getting oil before my gun was all fubar, I would use 3 in 1 before running it dry after being drenched.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

It works, but with long term use the solvents/carriers (which give it its odor and help it to flow into crevices) evaporate and leave congealed oil behind.

 

[GUNDOC454]

3 in 1 oils

I have found that one of the best type of oils that can do multiple tasks is breakfree 3 in 1. It lubricates, cleans & has rust protective additives. For home use it works well. When you go afield keep a utility pack with you and put a teflon rag, and a small squeeze bottle of break free and a small spray bottle of wd-40. The wd-40 (water displacement & penetration solution) is only used on the exterior of your gun. Before you go to bed spray a coating on your whole gun, stock and all wipe the excess off that you can see and the condensation during the night wont hurt your gun and if you get caught in the rain it will protect it from superficial rust starting till you can dry your gun.

 

[X-Rap]

Good show Doc. I have treated my guns to a wipedown of WD since as far back as I can remember, stock and all and have seen no ill effects.
I use a rag that sets in the safe and when I handle one I give it a rubdown and refresh the rag every now and then.
Tetra makes fine lube products and I maybe use harsher stuff on my barrels but run a oil patch after cleaning. Breakfree is good too.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Be careful using WD or ANY other pentrating type oil on a wood stock. It wont harm the finish but will penetrate the wood(and turn it dark)where ever the finish is lacking.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

My Grandfather swore by 3-1 oil, Commercial Fisherman on the White River in Ark use it for Rods and Reels and all sorts of lube and rust protection. Same with WD-40.

I used it till I got a hold of CLP and I use it and Rem oil for my guns and other toys.

 

[X-Rap]

Be careful using WD or ANY other pentrating type oil on a wood stock. It wont harm the finish but will penetrate the wood(and turn it dark)where ever the finish is lacking.

I've heard that before but don't see it to be honest, the oldest gun I have is a 92 win saddle ring and it has had that treatment since at least 1970. Close to 40 yrs and no damage.
I don't think a person needs to soak them in a vat of it and don't know if it does any good but I sure have seen enough guns treated this way to know it does no harm and my guns do not rust and don't get the weekly or monthly cleaning that some here claim.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

It will penetrate the wood if there isn't finish isnt on the wood. Finish that has been damaged or removed leaves the wood unprotected and oil(not oil finish) is soaked up like a sponge. This isn't urban legend,it is fact.

 

[X-Rap]

It will penetrate the wood if there isn't finish isnt on the wood. Finish that has been damaged or removed leaves the wood unprotected and oil(not oil finish) is soaked up like a sponge. This isn't urban legend,it is fact.
__________________

But WD-40 is not oil it is solvent or
My 90 year old gun is in pretty fair condition but the finish is not pristine. I don't need urban legends to see what I see and there are no darkend spots other than what one would expect on a old gun that has seen nearly a century of use.
I also use it on oiled finishes like that on the older BLR and Citori Superlight if it was a solvent I would think that those finishes would be damaged also but in 20+ years I see no deterioration in either
To each his own but I think the damage done by WD-40 is what is urban legend, perhaps we need to submit this to Myth Busters for their show.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

I was including WD-40 with any liquid that would likely be put on a firearm(you can classify it any way you wish)oil,solvent or whatever. The fact remains that unprotected wood is going to absorb it and it will with time turn dark. That discoloration is very difficult to remove. Mineral spirits can remove some and bleach can help too but it never will equal unstained wood. I like WD-40 and have no qualms about wiping down a wooden stock with it as long as none runs onto unfinished wood.

 

[X-Rap]

I guess this is a case of two people looking at the same thing and seeing something different. Kinda like those ink blots the shrinks use on TV.

 

[HOUNDDAWG]

Houndawg,

I admire your dedication to cleanliness but on the rifles it is missplaced. You need to read John Barsness's latest article on bore cleaning and rifle accuracy. He kept track of every group and cleaining for a decade or so. He (like my dad) can prove that a rifle shoots it's best groups when the bore is fouled to some extent, and that group size doesn't open up for at least 50 rounds. Your cleaning after every time out is not only unnecessary it is making you a worse shot. Modern residue will not effect your bore if cleaned in a reasonable length of time.
One time I saw my dad whip out a Ruger M77V that was dirty and hadn't been cleaned in at least 3 years but I think longer. He wanted to prove a point: He knew where he would hit and how big the group would be because he never dicks with the rifle before its time to shoot. He shot a 1.5 inch group at 200 yards with reloads and a Weaver K6 scope. Sight the rifle in with a good load and put the sumbich away if you plan to shoot it sometime in the next year. The less dicking with things you do the better, simpler is always better. Thats why you should also never dry fire the rifle in the house to store it with a relaxed firing pin. Biggest bunch of crap I have ever heard of. Your wearing out your rifle and risking shooting a relative.

rizbunk77:

Good post.

A careful reading of my post will show that I didn't recommend cleaning after every outing. I specifically said that after firing a single shot I'd leave the bore fouled to constitute the "oil shot". This is the first shot which often results in flyers when bench shooting because of the residual oil in the bore.

And, keep in mind that hunting accuracy is not the same as bench rest accuracy. Most of us bench shooters would clean the bore after every 5 shots when trying to "put em all through one hole" or working up that "magic load" for competition or our long range varmint rifles.

I agree with everything you wrote, and I think you'll see that my post it entirely consistent with it but for one detail. John Barsness's article seemed to make no provision for those of us who hunt in rainy and snowy climates. My suggestions for bore care were quite different when I lived in Southern California and Arizona than they are now in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland. In this neck of the woods it would take quite a while for me to fire fifty rounds from a hunting rifle, and in that time the bore would likely corrode if left unattended.

 

[tc54]

i've used 3n1 oil (and numerous other gun oils i had on hand) for at least 40 years. i keep a couple rags (well oiled with 3n1 or whatever i put on the rag last) in zip bags. their sole use is to wipe down guns after i have used them. never had any gun rust, and this includes several years in alaska. use what you believe to be sufficient, but from my experience 3n1 works just fine.

 

[Sudden Impact]

Second generation CLENZOIL user here!

Won't hurt wood...

Dries yet still protects...

Best LAZY man's rust protectant yet!

I have an old Win '94 from my Grandpa that was almost impossible to keep from rusting. Dad coated it with Clenzoil when he had it and set it in the rack...never touched it for years and it still hasn't rusted, though I've only wiped it down a few times in thirty years!

Yup! I'm lazy but my guns aren't rusty!

 

[berettaprofessor]

I won't get into the whole CLP vs. Motoroil vs. 3in1 vs. poop argument, but I will say that I recently bought a used 1981 Single Six that was in good condition finish-wise, and I'd love to know what the previous owner was using for lubrication because it had dried out at the hammer and trigger joints and around the cylinder to a hard yellow glaze that was difficult to remove. Haven't seen that on my CLP or EEzox guns, although I'll admit I haven't been at it 25+ years yet.

Laserspot; MidwayUSA has EEZox.