Secret Gun Lube - This is not a debate.

[benEzra]

The only problem with silicone greases not designed for metal-on-metal bearings is that those greases do not contain the ingredients (e.g., zinc dithiophosphates) necessary to prevent galling during inevitable metal-to-metal contact. They will reduce friction, but they will not eliminate wear like a quality bearing grease will.

There are undoubtedly excellent silicone-based bearing greases out there (Browning even sold a silicone gun grease for a while), but dielectric grease and grease designed for lubricating/preserving plastic and rubber fittings are probably not as good a choice as a ZDPP-containing oil, much less a good synthetic bearing grease. They may be excellent lubricants, but are arguably not nearly as good at protecting the metal-on-metal interface.

 

[Flash!]

STOS...... by Ponsess.... other wise know as "slicker than owl s**t".....extremely good lubricant

 

[AllAmerican]

Rem Oil
CLP
Windex
Assembly Grease
3 n 1

It all depends on what Im doing...

 

[Logan5]

STOS...... by Ponsess.... other wise know as "slicker than owl s**t".....extremely good lubricant

But Owl pellets aren't slick at all! They're all fur and bones...

Anyway, I have a syringe type applicator of Sentry gun grease somewhere around here, and a pretty similar looking competitor, that I bought recently, along with the tail ends of the containers of stuff that came included with probably every gun cleaning kit everyone in my family has bought for thirty years... I don't notice a phenomenal difference between products intended for use on guns, I have to say.

Maybe one day I'll find the right product, and settle down to start a cult-like following.

 

[PT1911]

But Owl pellets aren't slick at all! They're all fur and bones...

there is a difference between an owl pellet and owl S*&T, the pellet is like a cat's fur-ball, the S*&t is.... well, S*&T...

 

[ssjones]

There is bascially one silicone lubricant used by pool company's - Jacks 327 which is made by Hayward (they make pool pumps, etc.). This is just a rebranded version of Dow Corning #111 Silicon Lubricant. It's for o-rings and plastic parts. I'm not sure a metal gun slide is the best application, but it probably can't hurt.
http://www.escopro.com/assets/docs/Molykote111.pdf

 

[conw]

STOS or silicone lube? You be the decider.

 

[win71]

Machine Gunners Lube - Sets a new standard in small arms lubricants!
Functional from -100 to + 1000 degrees

 

[trickshot]

There is a downside to using silicone oil or silicone grease on a gun.

I have read that silicone can get into the pores of metal and make it very difficult to re-blue.
And if the gun has a wood stock, the wood will be nearly impossible to refinish if silicones get into it.

I am very happy using NyOil on my guns.

 

[Lucky]

Windex and soapy water, 10-4

 

[JohnBT]

"There is a downside to using silicone oil or silicone grease on a gun."

There certainly is, I tried it for a couple of years back in the '70s. You get it on your hands and it gets all over everything. For general use I rank it right up there with graphite and a lot of the messy molybdenum disulfide lubes.

John

 

[jaysouth]

For a firearm that has been exposed to salt water, you may stop the action of the salts by thorough cleaning with simple green and hot water.

As a matter of fact, that is what I use when I detail strip and clean any polymer frames gun. Blow dry with compressed air and lube with your favorite concoction. Three drops of FP 10 will keep a glock lubed for a long time.

 

[conw]

jaysouth, thanks for the simple green idea....love that stuff!

 

[Joe Demko]

Simple Green should not be allowed in prolonged contact with aluminum. Even the maker says so. If you use it on an aluminum frame or receiver, be sure to rinse it very thoroughly. That, or use one of the aircraft-approved formulations of the product.
That said, I've used Simple Green to clean steel gun parts with great success.
AFA removing corrosive salts from either sea water or corrosive ammo, it's non-saline water that does the work. The salts are not "neutralized" or otherwise chemically changed. You can't neutralize a salt in any case. The salts are simply dissolved and physically removed by an aqueous cleaner. Any additives (e.g. ammonia) to aqueous cleaners are aimed at removing carbon fouling, copper fouling, lead fouling, or old lube.

 

[ScareyH22A]

I think lubing your firearm with such and such product is WAY overrated. Much like doing regular oil changes on your car is more important than what oil you use, you just need to lube your firearm regularly.

Although I've read so many interweb arguments about how WD-40 will destroy your firearm, I've read plenty of things from old timers with A LOT more firearms experience than most of us say that they've used WD-40 since the Korean War and not a single problem whatsoever. So I take all this, "Which gun lube is best?" arguments with a grain of salt.

 

[earlthegoat2]

CLP, yeah pretty boring.

In the book Game Gun, Groznik says he uses Sperm Whale oil. I dont know where to get it or even if it is legal. I guess it is still used though in the making of precision instruments.

I have heard Ballistol is as close as you can get to Whale Oil without all the legalities. I have also heard this of jojoba oil.

 

[jdh]

O-rings are not latex and will not be degraded by exposure to oil. They are used in many automotive applications where they are exposed to high temperature motor oil for long periods of time without decomposing and letting the oil out.

 

[Noxx]

then on our garands and mosins we use mobil1 brand synthetic grease.

Ditto that. Big Red is the household favorite around here. Works great, stays where you put it.

 

[Average Joe]

Here's what I use:

Gun oil on guns
Brake cleaner on brakes
ATF in my automatic transmission
Windex on my windows
Motor oil in my car's engine
WD 40 to displace water/moisture

 

[bdickens]

Damn! You beat me to it.

 

[NDN-MAN]

Super lube

I have used SUPER LUBE for several years. It is a synthetic grease. To check it out go to ( super-lube.com ) and click on synthetic multi-purpose grease.

It has worked great for me. And it lasts! I have let pistols set for seven months. I loaded one up and it worked great. the lube didn't dry out or gum up.

I use a cotton swab to apply it. At first apply a small amount to the slide, then work the action. After that you can touch up as needed. After several cleanings you will know how much and where to apply.


GOOD LUCK & STAY SAFE

 

[JohnBT]

"Windex on my windows"

I'll never use it again. Ever. Two words: Invisible Glass.

It's made by Stoner and you can get it at WalMart or any car parts place.
That and some newspaper makes for streak free easy cleaning. It really will clean the haze off the inside of a windshield and the bugs off the outside.

John

 

[Griz44]

Rig stainless grease. Lasts forever and works like a champ. FP-10 for those places that need a liquid on a pin or tight place that can't be greased.

 

[mljdeckard]

Hoppe's and gunscrubber to clean, I have used CLP for a long time, I stole a gallon of the stuff the first time I got discharged, but I just bought some Mobile 1 5W30 synthetic and a utility oiler, I think I'm going to try it for a while and see what happens. (It's what I use in all three of my cars anyway.)

 

[bdickens]

I stole a gallon of the stuff the first time I got discharged

No, no no. We do not steal stuff in the military, we acquire it through alternate supply channels.