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Swannys lube. Seems to work well in all temps from 10-100°. Before that I would use hoppes #9 in the cold and Lucas extreme if it was warm. The lucas would gum up In the cold.
Swannys oil
Living in Minnesota and being from North Dakota, this subject is of interest to me.
I don’t pretend to be an expert, as I’ve only really started looking into it last year. Here is a link about cold weather stuff and here is my post on a cold weather lube thread.
Basically, from what I’ve researched indicates that you first should strip all lube from the chamber and bolt with something like acetone. Get all the lube off.
I’m testing:
- Mobil One 0w-20 (-40°F)
- 880 Crown & Chassis Extreme Grease (-40°F)
- NECO Moly-Slide (-30°C to 350°C? Manuf. emailed estimate)
- CherryBalmz Winter Balm (-55 to -65°F)
Motor oil temp ranges:
(source)
I’ve used the first three so far in a bastard BRN-180 that had lots of other problems so I haven’t gotten any good data yet. Plus it’s been unseasonable warm this winter. Don’t think it’s broke -5°F.
I don’t slop it on, that’s for sure.
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Shooters choice all weather high tech grease
Very thin layer on the body, a few dots will do and smear it. Doesn't make the action feel thick and has held up to use in my ARs and bolt guns. Ran my bolt guns to 0 in upstate NY when I lived there and now down in NC where temps are 90-95+ with zero issues.
I’ve got a new 26” .308 barrel for an AT but it’s plain and does not have a threading for the muzzle. Where would you guys recommend I send m barrel to get the muzzle threaded to 5/8”-24”?
Also @BurtG, don’t trust just the number on the side of the motor oil bottle. I watched a -40°F pour test on a number of motor oils and the cheap Walmart oil was worse than molasses, and even higher end oils were significantly worse than mobile one.
Screenshot below:
@LRRPF52 has some experience in cold weather military stuff.
Finally, this thread has some good info as well (whoops, already linked to it above, oh well):
www.snipershide.com
Screenshot below:
@LRRPF52 has some experience in cold weather military stuff.
Finally, this thread has some good info as well (whoops, already linked to it above, oh well):
Freezing rifle test - Garand Thumb
I wasn't expecting much. But I must admit the brands/ types I thought would do well did not! I found this really enlightening.
www.snipershide.com
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Try XF-7...it's not oily and won't gum up. I have had it out in temps as low as 20 degrees and it is still liquid
In one of my winter courses, a guy sheared off his TRG 22 bolt handle.
I let him use a Surgeon 18” loaner.
It’s weird, because I’ve shot a lot of TRG 42 in .338 LM in Finland in the cold, and never saw a TRG fail like that.
Here’s the rifle that had the bolt knob shear off:
Day 2 brought us some nicer conditions:
I let him use a Surgeon 18” loaner.
It’s weird, because I’ve shot a lot of TRG 42 in .338 LM in Finland in the cold, and never saw a TRG fail like that.
Here’s the rifle that had the bolt knob shear off:
Day 2 brought us some nicer conditions:
What temp was it when the Sako knob sheared off?In one of my winter courses, a guy sheared off his TRG 22 bolt handle.
I let him use a Surgeon 18” loaner.
It’s weird, because I’ve shot a lot of TRG 42 in .338 LM in Finland in the cold, and never saw a TRG fail like that.
Here’s the rifle that had the bolt knob shear off:
Day 2 brought us some nicer conditions:
It was below freezing. The nearest town, Price temps were in the 25˚-27˚ F for lows, but the range complex is much higher elevation (6300-6600ft).
It wasn’t bad compared to many other places I’ve been, but it was cold.
The guy who sheared the bolt off his TRG 22 was an 11B who had served with 10th Mountain. I actually saw him and his brother first as a team at Sniper Adventure Challenge down in New Mexico in 2013, where his brother went down pretty hard, needed IV therapy. That was in opposite weather conditions.
11Bs can be hard on gear, right there with Marines. He really seemed to enjoy low-crawling in the snow.
It wasn’t bad compared to many other places I’ve been, but it was cold.
The guy who sheared the bolt off his TRG 22 was an 11B who had served with 10th Mountain. I actually saw him and his brother first as a team at Sniper Adventure Challenge down in New Mexico in 2013, where his brother went down pretty hard, needed IV therapy. That was in opposite weather conditions.
11Bs can be hard on gear, right there with Marines. He really seemed to enjoy low-crawling in the snow.
Not -27°F, just a range between 25°F & 27°F, right? So could be maybe 0° to 15°F where you were?
As you allude too, surprising that the bolt knob decided to let go…maybe just metal fatigue? Someone on SH broke an AI bolt handle somehow and posted a pic.
Is this in Utah? I recognize your username. You helped me build a Mk12 Mod 0 upper and accuracy test it in like 2015.It was below freezing. The nearest town, Price temps were in the 25˚-27˚ F for lows, but the range complex is much higher elevation (6300-6600ft).
It wasn’t bad compared to many other places I’ve been, but it was cold.
The guy who sheared the bolt off his TRG 22 was an 11B who had served with 10th Mountain. I actually saw him and his brother first as a team at Sniper Adventure Challenge down in New Mexico in 2013, where his brother went down pretty hard, needed IV therapy. That was in opposite weather conditions.
11Bs can be hard on gear, right there with Marines. He really seemed to enjoy low-crawling in the snow.
Yes. +25˚ to 27˚ F down in Price. I don’t recall what it was exactly up in the mountains, but it was pretty chilly.
Nothing like Russia though.
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Yes, outside of Price at probably the best range facility in the US.
Is that the upper that shot really well, but didn’t like M193 due to having a shorter chamber meant for secant ogive bullets?
Day 1 was mostly at the 1000yd and 600yd flat ranges. Day 2 was all in field conditions where I’m pretty sure he switched to boots.
Also @BurtG, don’t trust just the number on the side of the motor oil bottle. I watched a -40°F pour test on a number of motor oils and the cheap Walmart oil was worse than molasses, and even higher end oils were significantly worse than mobile one.
Screenshot below:
View attachment 8064023
@LRRPF52 has some experience in cold weather military stuff.
Finally, this thread has some good info as well (whoops, already linked to it above, oh well):
Freezing rifle test - Garand Thumb
I wasn't expecting much. But I must admit the brands/ types I thought would do well did not! I found this really enlightening.
Mobil 1 is the best all around gun lube you can buy
What you do on your own time is your own business, bub.
Lol ok sorry for the dumb joke. It was just too easy!
And I agree with the poster above me…cleaner oil = better. Obv.
How I came to use Mobil One:
After a lot of fucking reading it became apparent that lots of people that seemed to know what they were talking about mostly all agreed that most gun lubes were repackaged industrial lube, one of which is motor oil. Which has a ton of research behind it.
And it’s cheap. Mobil One was mentioned a lot, and it seemed to do well in pour tests. (Which may not have anything to do with anything, but hey)
I cannot say they are right or wrong. But I like the story, and the story makes my capitalistic ironic spider-sense tingle.
Motor oil operates in a seemingly way harsher environment then most firearms do. I believe that it is formulated to remove/resist/clean? carbon.
So there you have it. Gun oil and grease are primarily made of backstory.
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Also I think this is the real stuff the mil used (maybe still uses?). Some form of Castrol:
Who knows what was added/removed from motor oil to create this?
Who knows what was added/removed from motor oil to create this?
Wasn't there some company that was basically selling Crisco as a gun lube and they got busted on that?
Either way, I don't buy into all the gun industry doing any kind of research on their own lubes. You have the major oil companies spending millions and millions of dollars on R&D on lubricants that stand up to way more abuse than a gun cycling. I personally use ATF in a small needle bottle applied to the high friction areas and it's a very very little amount. I have had the same 2 oz bottle for 10 years and there is still over half full of ATF in it. If you took the bolt out of my rifles they would almost feel dry. I hate it when I pick up a gun and there is just oil everywhere.
Either way, I don't buy into all the gun industry doing any kind of research on their own lubes. You have the major oil companies spending millions and millions of dollars on R&D on lubricants that stand up to way more abuse than a gun cycling. I personally use ATF in a small needle bottle applied to the high friction areas and it's a very very little amount. I have had the same 2 oz bottle for 10 years and there is still over half full of ATF in it. If you took the bolt out of my rifles they would almost feel dry. I hate it when I pick up a gun and there is just oil everywhere.
Indeed it was. It was a Douglas barrel chambered by compass lake and it shot the big ones (77 or 69) really well but was awful with 55. Good memory.
I should have kept that upper. It was awesome. But someone make me a ridiculous offer for it a few years later.
I’ve moved on to bigger and better things. Like AI
If you think your engine takes a beating, imagine a part that doesn’t get its oil changed for 100,000 miles. Lots of moving metal parts in that tranny.
ATF for the win
That and trans fluid has the most amounts of detergents in it for automotive applications.
Frog lube is coconut oil.
FrogLube is Probably Made From Coconut Oil (Not Frogs) -
Last month Andrew Tuohy published a blog post comparing FrogLube with two other lubricants TrackLube+ (a rollercoaster lubricant) and Seal1, another gun lube. He commissioned a infrared spectroscopy analysis of the three lubes and found they were virtually identical chemically, despite being...
www.thefirearmblog.com
Slide-Glide Firearm, Pistol, Rifle & Overall Lubricant
Slide-Glide firearm lubricant is now in resealable Tubes - for Pistols, Revolvers, Rifles, 22's, and Shotguns - it will outperform your favorite gun lube.
brianenos.com
Been using this one for years now on all my firearms. And only apply once, very little of it. Runs your bolt or pistol slide like butter. But for some reason, I don’t know why they sell it in little tubes now. Last time I went on this site, was 6 years ago. And they use to sell them in 2 oz containers. Oh well, don’t need too much when applying.
Transmissions don't see any carbon build up though, is the consensus that it's superior to Mobil-1 in that regard or just generally superior?
PS - I've had really good luck with Fire Clean in all my rifles, especially the suppressed, DI M4/AR15 platforms. You guys saying I'll have better luck with either Mobil-1 or ATF accross the board? Because I have gallons of both lying around the garage. I maintain all my vehicles at home so it's always in abundant supply.
Lubricating on the bottom of engine where the oil runs don’t see much carbon. The top end does, pistons chambers etc. Transmissions have metal holding together and spinning at hefty rates. Heat in a tranny is close to 200*.
Motor oil I think holds up better to being washed with fuel, from cylinder leakage. But motor oil is changed often, 3000. Tranny oil is WAY longer, and most trannies that I’ve rebuilt the oil wasn’t the issue. It was clutch slippage (horsepower related).
In my opinion ATF does well in cold or hot and doesn’t attract as much dirt as motor.
It’s handy when you already have the lubricant on “hand” 
“Flavor” lol
Thanks. Appreciate the insight.
I’ve always used gun-oil products but there’s no question the automotive industry has done way more development on their lubricants than the gun industry ever will.
I use fuel injector cleaner (Sea Foam) for cleaning barrels/bolts etc… might as well try automotive lubricants as well LOL. Gun care products are not magic and likely just relabeled automotive chemicals anyway. And they’re a huge rip-off when you look at cost/unit volume. Auto stuff is way cheaper and does exactly the same thing.
You shush your mouth.Glad we could con another person into the cult
You guys and all your fancy Nightforce’s about to make me make the leap into the dark side complete
I mean if the dark side worries you so much, they've also got you covered with a 'not-so-dark side'.
ETA, sorry about the MRAD, I was too lazy to find a more suitable pic.
ETA, sorry about the MRAD, I was too lazy to find a more suitable pic.
Brother. Nightforce? Gross
We rocking ZCO, Schmidt, and the all mighty Tangent dawg.
Brother. Nightforce? Gross
We rocking ZCO, Schmidt, and the all mighty Tangent dawg.
Poor is a mind set, there's a few TT's going for cheap in the PX. @NoLegs24 may still have some for sale too man. You owe it to yourself to get one
If I did that, one of y’all would have to adopt me when I get thrown out the dang house.Poor is a mind set, there's a few TT's going for cheap in the PX. @NoLegs24 may still have some for sale too man. You owe it to yourself to get one
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