AR Experts. Predictions?

JBoomhauer

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Feb 16, 2019
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It is supposed to be chilly tonight in my area. -20f +…. I just took my AR outside with one mag and a kestrel.

It is oiled normally, mostly motor oil topped off with a dash of ALG. Will it run in the morning? No water or any other dumb shit.

Predictions?
 
I think people make too much of it. I grease my bolt carrier (and a little on the buffer spring) and have used them in the teens without issue. Yeah, you could tell it was cycling a good deal slower than normal, but it worked just fine.
 
-20 Not an expert by any means, but I think it may be a little sluggish for the first couple rounds....

UNLESS you used 0-20 wt synthetic..... j/k 💥 💥 💥 then a little less sluggish.

Report back with your results.
I’ll at least do a kestrel picture provided the screen is legible, if not it will be a truck thermometer picture, a rifle picture, and if it worked at all.
 
When it get this cold I usually cut way back on the lube. I just saw the windchill on Mt. Washington is going to be -100f!
I am more interested in your group size if this wind holds up. haha I almost took the Vudoo to the range this afternoon to see how it does in the cold but decided against it with how hard it was blowing.
 
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When it get this cold I usually cut way back on the lube. I just saw the windchill on Mt. Washington is going to be -100f!
I am more interested in your group size if this wind holds up. haha I almost took the Vudoo to the range this afternoon to see how it does in the cold but decided against it with how hard it was blowing.
Im going to be running to the truck immediately after, groups would be shit lol.

I am intentionally lubing it normal for summer to see what happens.
Just a bit bored and taking advantage of the shit weather.
 
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049B7F40-66E1-45E1-BA85-0B0C4785B474.jpeg

Might be a touch colder than -20f.
 
When it get this cold I usually cut way back on the lube. I just saw the windchill on Mt. Washington is going to be -100f!
I am more interested in your group size if this wind holds up. haha I almost took the Vudoo to the range this afternoon to see how it does in the cold but decided against it with how hard it was blowing.
Tried to calculate based on the predictions. -50F and 140mph gusts. The calculator said max 110 winds. Cannot compute.
 
It is supposed to be chilly tonight in my area. -20f +…. I just took my AR outside with one mag and a kestrel.

It is oiled normally, mostly motor oil topped off with a dash of ALG. Will it run in the morning? No water or any other dumb shit.

Predictions?
Touch your tongue to the barrel. I TRIPLE dog dare you!
 
Had that cherry balmz shit on my issue AR that was mounted to the roof of a Ford Explorer.

In some similar weather on my ride home I stopped at the range for some cold weather shooting and it ran like shit.

Sluggish wouldn’t feed mess. Warned my coworkers.

If I was in the Chosin circa The Chinamens coming down on Tok tong pass I d leave it dry and only apply some oil as you are cutting them down.

As soon as you are done stacking bodies wipe it dry again.
 
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Had that cherry balmz shit on my issue AR that was mounted to the roof of a Ford Explorer.

In some similar weather on my ride home I stopped at the range for some cold weather shooting and it ran like shit.

Sluggish wouldn’t feed mess. Warned my coworkers.

If I was in the Chosin circa The Chinamens coming down on Tok tong pass I d leave it dry and only apply some oil as you are cutting them down.

As soon as you are done stacking bodies wipe it dry again.
Better just pick up a burp gun out of the pile.

BTW,
A friend who was there at that time recently passed. Saw his son last week. USMC combat engineer.
 
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Better just pick up a burp gun out of the pile.

BTW,
A friend who was there at that time recently passed. Saw his son last week. USMC combat engineer.
Hector Cafferata says just keep having your pals hand you a new Garand whenever it fails to operate or runs out of ammo…..
 
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Well. It did not get as cold as predicted but I still did the test.

Ended up testing 3. All aero lowers/BCM uppers, all lubed in a similar manner.

A 13.9 SOLGW P&W with mystery BCG & JB SCS
CB6F6FF9-30E2-4A15-A6B6-1D4E18AD8227.jpeg


A 16” WOA W/ SOLGW BCG
65B09B17-8996-4F05-9B66-B5215703A108.jpeg


A 20” WOA W/ SOLGW BCG
9F62E993-4A0B-40BF-9D3A-763F539E5976.jpeg


The temp was around -16F. The Kestrel would warm up when handling to take photo.

8763521A-49EC-4C09-9E66-26E2770B36E6.jpeg
 
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All 3 were left outside overnight with a mag of ammo.

All 3 would not feed the first round from the mag by hitting the bolt release. Had to pull the charging handle back and they fully seated on the second attempt.

First was the 13.9… pull the trigger and nothing. Recharge and It fired 5/5. BCG movement was fine, not sluggish at all.

The 16” fired 5/5 no issues. Not sluggish.

The 20” fired 5/5 no issues. Not sluggish.

This is what the 13.9s BCG looked like.
B00B56C4-FA45-4EC7-A285-2595AF2CDE4C.jpeg


Lube had gotten into the firing pin channel and gummed up the works for the first round.

FD6DD5E2-7B80-4FA3-B950-4908B086DDCB.jpeg

A wipe down of the firing pin and channel and it should be good to go.
 
I missed a bobcat once because the Rem oil on my firing pin got so thick, the pin couldn't move fast enough to detonate the primer. It was somewhere around 0 that day. It was a dumb bobcat too, it stood there and watched me as I racked about 5 rounds through the gun, only to get another click on each trigger pull. When I got back to the pickup, I pulled the pin out and wiped it down. No troubles after that. But I am always careful to wipe off excessive lube when I am going out in cold weather now.
 
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I have my ideas based on my experience and what I would do.......have you come to any conclusions?

I think the mil actually gets it kind of right on this one.
 
I have my ideas based on my experience and what I would do.......have you come to any conclusions?

I think the mil actually gets it kind of right on this one.
No real surprises here. Clean BCG, Clean chamber, minimum lube rated for low temps.

So in my case, I’ll just clean everything and scale back the lube in the winter.

There was one interesting part…

I re-tested closing the bolt with the release on a full lancer and okay instead of the Pmag. Metal feed lips worked way better and I did not need to use forward assist or re-charge. The pmag must have additional drag on the feed lips.
 
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Definitely oil instead of grease.

My fave is usually TW25B. I was using Cherry Balms because someone here was saying it’s gods gift to lubrication surpassed only by outlawed sperm whale oil.

I think he was half right in that summarization.

My rifles except for that issue one are toys, all toys now.

I stopped using grease on the duty gun and would leave it drippy in summer and very light in winter.

Never really fired the Garand or M1A in extreme temps because they are a bitch to recover the brass from when snow is on the ground and really shooting is only about reloading. I’m guessing lubriplate and the greases recommended for them were the reasons the mil went to dry weapons in winter.

Speaking of sperm…

I bought a few bottles of sperm whale oil on eBay. I can’t say I have put it to any test but it’s use in watches and fine equipment was based on the fact it doesn’t gum or harden it was the gun lube of choice until it couldn’t be.

Those that know it better than I say it’s actually not an oil, it’s a wax.

I think we need a Hide whale hunt, not the kind you guys do every Friday night, but for a real Sperm whale.

Run an ice auger into its cask, than just drop the smallest guy in and have him start bailing out a lifetimes super oil to all present.
 
These are hunting rifles. So a little more important than a toy, but nothing like a duty rifle.

I have used them a bunch in the +10-15F area without issue. Figured it was a good time to see how far away from failure they were.

You figure that whale thing out… haha

@502Chevelle you just know he was referring to Frank.
 
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^^^Im in! I can’t be “the guy”. Unless you auger four holes into a big square. I won’t fit otherwise. My ass is too fat! 😁

Would have been nice to get that one in Hawaii that washed up.

It's early morning, I'm walking the beach and I come upon a sperm whale,,,,,I hope I have a tooth extraction kit nearby and I'm out of camera shot.......
 
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Why not a 0W blend, something that would be diesel rated detergent wise.

But even better if you are outside run dry and add the oil if need be.

Once it’s outside keep the rifle outside.
 
This was my mixture. I just simply applied too much and it worked into the firing pin area.

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For a couple rounds to say a mags worth dry or nearly dry is prob ideal.
 
Why not a 0W blend, something that would be diesel rated detergent wise.

But even better if you are outside run dry and add the oil if need be.

Once it’s outside keep the rifle outside.
Because I keep 5w20 on hand for the pick up. Maybe it is 0w’sonething.’ I can’t remember. I just look at the oil cap and buy a bottle or 2 of that. The engine is taxed harder than any gun I shoot. If it keeps the pick up running, it’s good enough for a rifle.

With the cost + the amount of ad copy dedicated to convincing me it was the shizzle, I was sure CherryBalm was froglube 2.0.

On that note, isn’t ‘cherry’ some .mil slang for a newb or a sucker? IDK. Maybe I just made that up.
 
I missed a bobcat once because the Rem oil on my firing pin got so think, the pin couldn't move fast enough to detonate the primer. It was somewhere around 0 that day. It was a dumb bobcat too, it stood there and watched me as I racked about 5 rounds through the gun, only to get another click on each trigger pull. When I got back to the pickup, I pulled the pin out and wiped it down. No troubles after that. But I am always careful to wipe off excessive lube when I am going out in cold weather now.
Had a similar situation with a deer, except it was more my fault than the rifle. And a different result!

D88vuNu.jpg
 
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