teflon lubricant question...

[SUWANNEE MAN]

Hello all. I've been a reader for some time but just joined so I could search old threads and post.

Here's my question: My father just bought brand new nice FN SLP Mark I and we were reading over the owners manual this evening at his house. Page 41 of the manual states: "Never fire your new Self-Loading Police Shotgun without cleaning first." It goes on to say that this is to "remove the preservation lubricant instead of the maintenance lubricant." One other thing... it also says in big bold font in a squared off box "Never use Hydrocarbons, trichlorethylene, ammonia or teflon-based lubricants. They could cause damage to your gun!" ... I've been using Rem-Oil (with teflon) on revolvers, semi-auto pistols, bolt actions, and pump shotguns for 15+ years. I use Strikehold on AR's because they run hot and teflon gums up. Is it the same with auto-loading shotguns? This our first auto-loading shotgun and we're both sort of scratching our heads here. If Rem-Oil is a no-go, is the Strikehold ok to use? Please advise. Thanks in advance for your input.

Life on the Suwannee is good.

 

[Snarlingiron]

I find it a bit strange to lump "Hydrocarbons, trichlorethylene, ammonia or teflon-based lubricants" all together and claim that they might harm your shotgun.

Trichlorethylene can attack some plastics
Hydrocarbons covers a vast array of materials...pretty broad.
Ammonia is alkaline, and aluminum is particularly susceptible to damage by Ammonia, or for that matter any acidic solutions as well
Teflon also covers a whole array of products. It is a trademarked name owned by DuPont.
The amount of "Teflon" (whatever that may refer to) contained in Rem Oil is apparently negligible. I use in on my auto loaders, my pumps, my SxS double, my revolvers, my electric hair clipper and the door locks on my house. I have a hard time believing that it will damage your shotgun.

 

[Gun Slinger]

http://www.remington.com/pdfs/msds/guncare/remoil-aerosol.pdf

Here is the M.S.D.S. for RemOil.

MINERAL SPIRITS: CAS# 8052-41-3 <35%

ALIPHATIC PETROLEUM DISTILLATE: CAS# (N/A) <55%

PROPANE: CAS# 74-98-6 <25%


Considering the composition which is predominantly V.O.C.'s, I doubt that it would harm your shotgun unless of course there is a component within it that is made from a chemically unstable polymer, which is a distinct possiblity. If you really want to use RemOil (or any other chemical) just give FNH a call and ask if it is compatible with your shotgun despite the warning in the owners' manual.

 

[Virginian]

I would say FNH's lawyers wrote that for them. Unbelievable.

 

[SUWANNEE MAN]

thank you all for your responses. would you all agree that the Strikehold I use on my AR is good enough or good at all for this new auto-loader? I just want to use what's best for Dad's new shotgun.

Thanks everybody.

 

[Snarlingiron]

I am not familiar with Strikehold. I think the main issue for an autoloader shotgun is the viscosity of the lubricant. I found out the hard way that greases and other highly viscous lubricants will slow down the action of some shotguns enough to render them unreliable. If Strikehold is relatively thin, and it works well on an AR, then it should be ok for your shotgun.

I know there are two schools of thought on the AR. The first and most prevalent group is what I term the "sloshers". These are the guys that run their AR's very wet. The other yet unnamed group of which I am a member keep the lubrication to a minimum on the AR.

If you are a "slosher", you will more than likely find that most auto loading shotguns don't like to be run real wet. There is a group that swear by running Remington 1100's, and 1187's wet, but I haven't found the need to do that on mine.

Just my nickels worth (inflation).

 

[SUWANNEE MAN]

Thank you Snarlingiron. I run my AR fairly dry as well.

Thank you to all you answered my questions. By the way, I called FN, the tech I spoke to confirmed that lawyers wrote the manual and that he uses Rem-Oil on his FN SLP. He said he's never had a problem. So I guess it was not a big deal after all.

Thank you again to all those that gave me input. It's much appreciated.

 

[Gun Slinger]

Glad you got your answers.

 

[mrmeval]

Teflon is a SOLID, even at it's smallest it can be abrasive. It breaks down under heat to a variety of nasty compounds including hydrofluoric acid.

I'd avoid teflon as a suspension in an oil or other carrier. I'd not mind it as a coating such as nickel teflon microlube as long as it would not exceed the thermal breakdown temperature.

In otherwords keep it off of and out of the barrel.

 

[Gun Slinger]

Originally posted by mrmeval:
Teflon is a SOLID, even at it's smallest it can be abrasive. It breaks down under heat to a variety of nasty compounds including hydrofluoric acid.

I'd avoid teflon as a suspension in an oil or other carrier. I'd not mind it as a coating such as nickel teflon microlube as long as it would not exceed the thermal breakdown temperature.

In otherwords keep it off of and out of the barrel.

While Teflon is indeed a "solid", it is not "abrasive".

Actually, it has a very low coefficient of friction which is the opposite of being abrasive (high friction).

The temperatures needed for such decomposition of Teflon would be extremely high and lengthy in duration and as such, is not generated in firearms for long enough periods that would sustain such profound decomposition of that compound.

It is just fine for use in guns, barrels, actions and mechanisms of all sorts.

Use it in confidence.

 

[SUWANNEE MAN]

thanks again to all.

 

[JNewell]

Suwannee man, I saw the same warning...after I'd used Rem Oil on my SLP! I'm with the posts above that say that the amount of Teflon in Rem Oil (which is an aerosol) is probably neglible. I have a bottle of vintage CLP that has a good inch or so of teflon that settles out if it isn't shaken...that's a lot of teflon and it is relatively large size. I probably won't use Rem Oil again, but I very much doubt that using it some is a problem.

Edit - by the way, I believe the instructions for the SX2 said the same thing (not surprising, since it's the same gun), so one of the things way down my to-do list is searching a few shotgun forums for discussion of Rem Oil and other teflon-containing lubricants on the SX2 or the Browning Gold.

 

[ATAShooter]

Grab some G-96

 

[JNewell]

Suwannee man, I made a few calls today. I have it on good authority that Rem Oil is not going to harm your SLP.