Winterizing America's Rifle (AR)

[RnR]

Before the slush starts flying about ignoring someone else's favorite, I'd like to canvas every one and see what ought to be done to keep the AR plartform optimized for the colder weather ahead up here in the frozen North. I've been considering a little 3-gun action and have started eyeing a couple of products from Magpul, but thought I'd see what y'all might say on the subject.

Some of the things I plan on doing are using the Magpul followers (I don't like fumbling with feeding issues at near-zero temps.) and perhaps their modified trigger-guard gate for use with thick/warm gloves (swinging and leaving open the standard issue gate is dangerous in my view).

What else, folks?

 

[Jong]

Having been in the army in Alaska I have a few pointers. Only used the gate when I was using mittens, because most gloves fit in fine. I also never oiled my weapon. Never had a problem jamming at all, but make sure you clean it. There are some arctic type lubricants but we never seemed to have them and the no oil thing worked fine. When it gets really cold don't put lips anywhere near your weapon. You won't like the results

 

[Lebben-B]

If you DO lube the rifle in cold weather, I'd recommend a lighter oil (LAW - Lubricant, Artic Weather) that won't coagulate as easily in the cold. Also don't lube moving parts as heavily as you would in more temperate weather.

Another tip is to not subject your rifle to temperature extremes, as in going from cold outdoors to warm indoors and out again. It causes condensation that freezes on the rifle when you go back outdoors.

Mike

 

[Cosmoline]

Put the AR in storage, get out the SAR-1 Seriously, after firing one at forty below with nary a problem I'm sold. When the deep cold comes, the crude and fool-proof mechanism of the AK is absolutely superior. Any frost or crud that gets into the gas system is just blown out.

Either way--ditto the NO OIL suggestion. Keep it dry and clean. To avoid moisture, keep it outside or at least in the arctic entry. If you bring it inside a heated house or cabin it will sweat like crazy, and that condensation will promptly freeze solid when you go out again. If you do have to bring it in, I've found sheepskin lined cases work pretty well at wicking the moisture away from the steel.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

As for our above posters advice: Look at his user name.

Ok then.

Seriously though, dry lubes work well in extreme cold.

 

[enfield]

If you do get the urge to try some oil in really cold weather, consider Mobil 1. I've used it in pistols to about 20F (in Michigan) and had no problems. I'd like to know how it works down around zero. I hope I don't get the chance to find out personally here in the Chattanooga area.

 

[MartinS]

Put a little of the Mobil 1, or anything, in the freezer for a few days.

 

[slzy]

put it up for the winter and git yer ak out

 

[soul_rapier]

i'd do nothing to it and see how good it work . so you would know what your weapon is capable of . have you a backup weapon just in case you need it if the other fails . but id say you are safe thats combat proven and if it failed in the cold i'd say you would have heard about it by now .

 

[Onmilo]

I use Tetra Gun Grease mixed 50/50 with M-Pro 7 CLP.
Never had an issue with lubricant from -10 to 100 F.

 

[Erinyes]

If you do get the urge to try some oil in really cold weather, consider Mobil 1. I've used it in pistols to about 20F (in Michigan) and had no problems. I'd like to know how it works down around zero. I hope I don't get the chance to find out personally here in the Chattanooga area.

You won't. Daytime temps below 30F are quite rare. Daytime temps below 20F just don't happen. Heck, nightime temps below 20F almost never occur. Maybe one night out the whole year.

 

[dispatch55126]

Dumb question but would graphite work in a situation like this?

 

[Lebben-B]

Graphite and aluminium react with one another and causes the aluminium to gall.

 

[enfield]

Put a little of the Mobil 1, or anything, in the freezer for a few days.

I put my little can of Mobil 1 (about 1 oz) in the chest freezer overnight. I took it out about a half-hour ago (2 pm EST) and it was still a thin liquid.

What's your point?

 

[carebear]

What's your point?

Freezer's not cold enough. Next question...

I used LAW up here in the Marines. As Lebben and Cos have said, condensation and water freezing was a bigger issue than lubrication.

Also, get a muzzle cover of some kind. We used a plastic cup kind that fit tight over the flash suppressor and could be shot through if necessary (tied it to the front sight with 550 cord so it wouldn't be lost if we had time to remove it). It's easy to be aware of dirt and mud getting in there, they're down low on the ground. Snow is all around you, in the air and trees and one fall into a snowbank (skis/snowshoes can be tippy) or just going prone and you can have a solid ice plug in minutes.

I typically carried 3 cleaning rod sections already screwed together and taped to the handguard of my A2. Break the action, pull the bolt and we could punch out any bore obstructions in seconds for my team. Not sure that'd be as easy with the M4.

 

[mc223]

Break Free CLP. They ( the Break Free mfg ) state on the label -65. Gets cold in N/W Wisconsin too.

 

[pkm]

During my service in Finnish army we were instructed that freezing and melting of weapons causes condense water that changes the mixture of lubricants
and causes weapon freezing. After cleaning the lube that is applied should be good for extreme cold. Anti-corrol sold here works up to -60c (-76f)
Apply only thin layer of lube to slide surfaces. If it gets terribly cold and you are out of high end lubricants one can wipe clean with diesel or lamp oil and use them to lube the slide surfaces.
We were using RK62's (kalashnikov variant). Worked flawlessly.
Winter time in the southern parts the coldest nights were around -4 / -22 f.
Northern parts more like -40 f in some days.