Gun Grease Evaluation

[PegLeg45]

To each his own..... everyone's mileage will vary........please don't take any of my previous comments as argumentative, as I am not picking at you..... just pointing out my own observations from 30 years of owning and shooting guns.

My late uncle who passed away in 2010 had a Remington 1100 16ga that he owned since the late 60's. He cleaned it with Hoppe's and lubed it with 30W motor oil. My son has it now and it still shoots fine, shows no noticeable wear, and still has the original rings and seals.

I'm not advocating that everyone run out and buy all the things on Bill's list for gun maintenance...... just saying that many "magic gun oils" are merely the same old tried and true lubes in fancier packaging with a higher price tag.

[Jrlobo]

Pegleg,

      I take no offense and I don't think badly of those that use motor oil for their guns. I use Hoppes and RemOil for my centerfires, T/C  water and BoreButter for my muzzle loaders (which are the sidelocks with older, softer barrels). And I don't feel the need to buy the latest and greatest formulae that is milspec, etc., because I don't believe they are necessary. I just don't feel comfortable using materials designed for other purposes on my precious few guns. Remember, here in the People's Republic of Maryland purchasing guns is not just a matter of having the money so keeping what you have is an imperative. Conservative? Yup! Obstreperous? Yup, so I apologize for that!

[PegLeg45]

Obstreperous?

Then you fit in just fine.......right here with most of the rest of us.      

[fatbaldguy]

Obstreperous? Yup, so I apologize for that!

Never apologize, obfuscate!   

[m25operator]

I like fp10 as my go to lube and preservative, then at automotive stores, sylglide, a silicone based lube, for heavy applications, like AR buffers, M1 rollers, and Brownells action magic, a molybednum derivative, very slick. I like Kroil, as a cleaner, preservative and 1st or 2nd cleaner for the bore. If your gun gets wet, Kroil is killer as a quick wipe to prevent rust.

[Sponsor]

[billt]

The biggest thing with lubricants is the proper application at the proper time and location based on usage/storage .........more than the oil itself.
JMHO,FWIW.

I agree 100%. I think far too much is made of the type of lubricant, rather than how, when, where, and how much is applied. A gun isn't that difficult of a piece of machinery to keep lubricated. Look at how many times a V-8 automobile engine revolves in it's lifetime. The number is staggering, especially when compared to say how many times an AR-15 rife cycles at over .30 cents a round.

Also when comparing the 2, look at the temperature and load factor the engine is under. The lubricant has to perform from Winter start ups that can be as low as below zero, and in 10 minutes that same engine is running at almost the boiling point. A firearm comes nowhere near to those extreme operational parameters. Yes, automobile engines have a pressure oiling system built into them where a gun does not. But in all of my years involved in the shooting sports, I can never recall shooting a properly lubricated weapon until it was "dry".

I think the biggest drawback to these "gun oils", is two fold. One is cost, and the other is the so called added benefits that are received from those costs. If you do a volume VS. cost comparision on some of these products, you'll be astonished at the price mark up on them. For example, some of these "gun greases" that come in these fancy hypo type applicators with a gold foil label can run as much as $10.00 for a 1/4 ounce tube. If you price that out to a 5 gallon pail, it would run well over $10,000.00 dollars! I highly doubt one would receive that much added benefit from their use.

[ellis4538]

I have used Lubraplate for years and never looked back.  Tried the "Designer" stuff and works well but costs way more than what I prefer.

FWIW


Richard

[JoeG]

Good article on lubes.

In the chemicals industry we used a lot of high tech stuff for severe duties but teflon seemed to always answer for corrosion resistance and temperature extremes. Like the void filling idea with Teflon beads and if you can get them to adhere to the surface it is a poor mans duracoat in theory.  So I tried the Tetra lubes with Teflon since they had them at my local gun store. They were OK but not special IMO. I do not believe that teflon, even though contains chlorine, is a cause of stress crack corrosion. Let me know if someone has data on that.

Since then I have tried the Wilson grease and the Brian Enos Slide Glide. I like the slide glide the best as it reminds me of the red lube I used as a kid on my HO race cars! The smell takes me back. Could actually be the same stuff. It is tacky and stays put with a nice film. Does give better slippery feel to the operation.

I am not excited about the cost thing as I have about $20 bucks into lube even with testing things and it will last me for years. Not disagreeing with the other options. I am still using some 20 year old Hoppes gun oil as general lube in my shop.

I agree with the point that over lubing is the biggest issue. I have learned to apply generously and then wipe most off after cycling the action. I use a Qtip to push it down into the crevases and get most excess out. I tend try a new gun with too much lube and look for where it actually needs to be lubed.

I don't tend to clean my guns within an inch of their lives like some with the aggressive solvents as this pulls off any film I have laid on. Mostly use CLP and resort to brake cleaner if I really need to scrub a gun for maintenance.

Real impressed with Butchs bore solvent for getting copper fouling out about twice a year. Don't see as much fouling if I do it more often and don't think it improves function all that much as I am to a benchrest OCD type.

Regards,

Joe