Consensus firearm lubricant

mrdrar

mrdrar

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Dec 1, 2011
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#1
This is an attempt to summarize various postings on firearm lubrication. It is not intended to be the way to do it. Additions and corrections gratefully accepted.

Load carrying parts (slide rails, sears, and bolt carriers)--grease (fully synthetic and containing molybdenum may be preferred):

Firearm specific--Slip 2000 EWG (no molybdenum); Mil-Comm TW25B Synthetic Grease (no molybdenum).

General purpose grease substitutes available in small quantities--AMSOIL Synthetic Fifth Wheel Grease (no molybdenum); TS Moly-Lubricants GD-525 Moly Grease (may be too thick--has high molybdenum content); Valvoline Full Synthetic Grease (has molybdenum). Note that Mobil 1 grease is not fully synthetic.

Rotating parts--oil (fully synthetic preferred):

Firearm specific--Slip 2000 EWL; TW25B Synthetic Oil.

General purpose oil substitutes--ATF--AMSOIL Signature Series ATF; Royal Purple Max ATF; Valvoline Maxlife ATF; Mobil 1 ATF.

Bore oil for storage: Kroil.
 
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#2
I'll tell you from personal experience that Kroil does not work well for bore storage. I shot (non-corrosive ammo) my Mosin, cleaned the shit out of it, and oiled the bore with Kroil. It rusted within a week.

Thinking that I may have left some other chemical in the bore that caused the rust, I tried it again on a completely different rifle, making sure to first wash the bore with Gun Scrubber to ensure that no other chemicals were there... same result. Light rust after a week or two.
 
#4
I'd suggest looking into the following web site.

www.nanoslicklubricants.com

TungstenLube Reseller - NanoSlick Lubricants

www.nanoslicklubricants.com www.nanoslicklubricants.com

Fifteen years ago when moly coating bullets was common I tried Tungsten disulfide known in the shooting world as Danzak. It is far superior to moly lubricants for all applications. It is available both as a dry powder or in suspension with oil or grease.
 
#5
ken4570tc in WY said:
I'd suggest looking into the following web site.

www.nanoslicklubricants.com

TungstenLube Reseller - NanoSlick Lubricants

www.nanoslicklubricants.com www.nanoslicklubricants.com

Fifteen years ago when moly coating bullets was common I tried Tungsten disulfide known in the shooting world as Danzak. It is far superior to moly lubricants for all applications. It is available both as a dry powder or in suspension with oil or grease.
Click to expand...
Good to know about both. Thank you.
 
#6
On bolt guns, I use Mobil 28 grease on the bolt lugs and other contact surfaces. On carbines and handguns, I use Slip EWL on the bolt carrier group, rails, etc. I will apply Kroil in very limited doses to small parts. I have toyed with ALG Go Juce, Wilson Combat’s line of grease/oil, LaRue Machine Gunner’s lube, Lubriplate, and a host of others. Always come back to Slip, Mobil 28, and limited Kroil. YMMV.
 
#9
I've tried everything there is. I still end up back at Mobil1 for anything not requiring a grease and Lubriplate for anything that does.

I've spent entirely too much time fucking around with the latest oil fads and while there may be some higher tech shit out there, who cares. If it runs it runs, if not, check your maintenance schedules and what you're doing to get failures (i.e. not lubing the right spot, not replacing worn parts as needed, etc).

Other than the magazine, the caked up chamber in an AR is the main culprit of failures. Yet, most amateurs are obsessed with lubing the shit out of their bolt with whatever space age teflon dry film bluetooth enabled oil they can get their hands on, cleaning their barrels to a mirror finish and even sticking a fucking pipe cleaner into shit. Yet they'll get failures because their chamber is rat fucked with carbon.

The latest insane price per fl oz shit out there isn't going to magically make shit work when it would have failed anyways due to not lubing as needed/lubing the correct area/part wear/general maintenance.
 
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#10
Frog lube isn't not too terrible on celery. Just the right amount of mint.

7066077
 
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#13
I have some experience specing and testing lubricants and agree with theGerman. There are applications where lubricants are critical such as hydraulic spool valves or heavily loaded equipment pins or bearings. Typical firearms just don’t have these loads and long term cyclic rates. I’ve settled on breakfree clp or mobil1 as an oil and the light grease I am using for equipment for grease. The only exception is on. Beretta OU hinge pin where I use a EP grease because it’s tight. Rust prevention is a whole nother category.
 
#14
I have some experience specing and testing lubricants and agree with theGerman. There are applications where lubricants are critical such as hydraulic spool valves or heavily loaded equipment pins or bearings. Typical firearms just don’t have these loads and long term cyclic rates. I’ve settled on breakfree clp or mobil1 as an oil and the light grease I am using for equipment for grease. The only exception is on. Beretta OU hinge pin where I use a EP grease because it’s tight. Rust prevention is a whole nother category.
 
#15
was pheasant hunting in tipton ks a few years back and a crew from south Africa was in (met them a few times over the 12 years we went there).

they ran a quail/ pigeon hunt outfitter

they said the best lube they used was diesel

didnt cake as bad and stayed wet, so they could wipe off crap during the shoot.

their temps were warmer as can be imagined

they were talking about 10,000's of rounds per year on the house guns

that being said my experience mirrors Spdy

and default to manual like German suggests...Colt knows how to lube a M4 for dusty conditions by now.
 
#17
Consensus gun lube? That's like trying to get consensus on hottest actress or best song. But, for what it's worth, I use Moble1 Synthetic, unless I use something else. Maybe Pensoil. Or, whatever it is that goes in my truck. If it can handle 2000 rpm, all day every day for 8000 miles, it's good enough for a gun...
 
#18
TW25 for a few small bits on my precision rifle.

Otherwise, Ballistol. Has worked well in all conditions for me, never gets weird due to temps, is a mineral oil so less poisony and actually good for your wood stocks, etc. Comes in liquid, sprayer, aerosol, so pick your way. Even have tiny little sprays for my range bags.

I have used a bunch of other lubes. All are given away, or put in the general lube shelf and available for other stuff I don't care about so much.


Agree: you will never get consensus.
 
#25
Been using Breakfree CLP on everything for over 40 years. Never had rust...never had a malfunction that would be lube induced.

Prolly not *The Best* for everyone all the time but it has never failed me be that on auto pistols, AR-15's, or my bolt gun.

VooDoo
 
#26
I recently got recommended to try working lube clp from the shop I picked up my last receiver at and I have to say I have been impressed so far. We will see if it hold up long term but I do like the fact that its non toxic and odorless so I can use it in the house without the wife freaking out.
 
#27
For those using Lubriplate , what product are you all using as there website shows several products. Link to specific item please?
 
#28
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#34
DOA said:
Thanks, but was kind of looking for a serious answer as this isn't the Bear Pit section.
Click to expand...

You might be surprised. I’ve seen an AR run with Vagisil before, just to prove a point. The moving parts need something to reduce friction, they really don’t care what it is. While probably not recommended, I have no doubt that the stuff The German posted up there would keep a gun functioning, at least to a point.
 
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#36
TravisJr said:
You might be surprised. I’ve seen an AR run with Vagisil before, just to prove a point. The moving parts need something to reduce friction, they really don’t care what it is. While probably not recommended, I have no doubt that the stuff The German posted up there would keep a gun functioning, at least to a point.
Click to expand...
There are several products that Lubriplate sells and a generic "just get Lubriplate" wasn't specific enough. If I wanted a flippant answer, I would be asking at arf.com or the Bear Pit. I doubt Frank wants flippant answers given in his technical forums as he seems rather straightforward. Sean gave me the answer I was looking for and I do understand your point as well.
 
#40
About 6 years ago I nabbed a small gatorade bottle full of CLP from the armory gallon containers. Still using that. Also use motor oil, and on the M1 Garand I use bearing grease just out of habit. The switch the military made to grease there was because heavy rain was enough to remove oil. Otherwise in dry climates oil worked fine.
 
#41
When serving in the army a long time ago (we were issued M-1's) those that greased their weapon had jams out the ass in our sandy environment. I ran mine dry and hit the showers with it at day's end before oiling it. Never had a malfunction. Grease was the kiss of death.
 
#42
TW25 is great it's expensive but works at low temp and it does not pick up dust and dirt. The only grease I have used that doe not pick up dirt over time. Basically "which lubricant is best" is almost as bad as the 9mm 45 thing. I think it's more important that you keep your weapons lubed, than what you keep them lubed with.
 
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