Gunsmithing Running Automotive Grease in Firearms

[Krugermeier]

All gun oil is snake oil. Hoppes, CLP, Frog Lube, forget about it. All of these companies think you are a dumb, smooth brained, mouth breathing simpleton that can be convinced to spend $30 on 3oz of the same shit sold at Autozone by the gallon for $5 if they just put another dollar into their marketing department.

I have zero respect for people that work in the gun industry. 2% is machining, and 98% is marketing department.

Be a man. Machine your firearms in your garage with CAD/ DXF files & CNC machines, and press ammunition in your free time. Don’t have free time? Have your children do it.

With that being said, Dad and I have been running cans of grease from the automotive store in our guns since I was knee-high to a tadpole. I have not encountered any grease that damages or inhibits the function of a firearm, yet.

 

[MK20]

Anything made for high temp, high pressure applications will work.

 

[Bigfatcock]

I use Lucas red and tacky.

 

[Krugermeier]

Red loctite

 

[Nik H]

I use Duragard Lubriplate L0043-004 No. 130-A. 16 oz for around $25. Will last a lifetime

 

[Mudflap621]

Ive been using high temp wheel bearing grease.

 

[hino895]

Mobil 28 aircraft grease.
Tube is about 30.00 and will last a long long long long time.

 

[SpeedyR]

just started using the SOTAR lube- Mobile 1 synthetic grease and Mobile 1 synthetic oil. Mixed to a consistency of honey and put in a squeeze bottle. Use the grease by itself if heavier grease is needed, or the oil if lighter.

Other than that, I use specific gun related stuff when assembling things and need specific use (Aeroshell, loctite, Barricade, etc).

 

[darkfader]

^Pretty much exactly what I do, mix mobile 1 synthetic grease with mobile 1 synthetic motor oil until it’s the right consistency. I might make it a tad thicker for summer than I make it for winter. Works perfectly and is unbelievably inexpensive.

 

[2/319th]

Have found white lithium grease to be very effective on steel and stainless steel wear and friction points. Available at most hardware stores and auto pars stores. I do not use gummy or sticky grease on any firearm. I do use it on my farm equipment's pressure joints and that is quite enough to clean up, when it gets all over you.

 

[B y r o n]

You might not find it at your local auto parts store but you might want to look into Aeroshell Aviation Grease 64 (formerly 33MS).

 

[Krugermeier]

F*ck you Larry Potterfield!

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Don't forget graphite. Good for below freezing temps.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BK_31646

 

[owtlaw]

I use the same stuff we lube our lathe chucks and collet chucks with. It is called chuck-eez.

 

[Sinshinedaddy]

F*ck you Larry Potterfield!

View attachment 8253619

No shit, damn

 

[GhostFace]

Ed's Red for cleaning and Wipe Out when I need to get rid of copper.

Mobil 1 synthetic and SuperTech High Temp grease for the ARs, bolt guns and Sigs...

 

[FuhQ]

This should last you a while...

 

[db2000]

The real advantage is jerking off. If you can’t multitask your lube, then you’re definitely wasting money.

 

[Kamerad]

I use Duragard Lubriplate L0043-004 No. 130-A. 16 oz for around $25. Will last a lifetime

Same. That hasn’t stopped me from trying other stuff too, for some reason.

 

[Kamerad]

All gun oil is snake oil. Hoppes, CLP, Frog Lube, forget about it. All of these companies think you are a dumb, smooth brained, mouth breathing simpleton that can be convinced to spend $30 on 3oz of the same shit sold at Autozone by the gallon for $5 if they just put another dollar into their marketing department.

I have zero respect for people that work in the gun industry. 2% is machining, and 98% is marketing department.

Be a man. Machine your firearms in your garage with CAD & CNC machines, and press ammunition in your free time. Don’t have free time? Have your children do it.

With that being said, Dad and I have been running cans of grease from the automotive store in our guns since I was knee-high to a tadpole. I can’t remember if you are supposed to stay away from moly grease or another type. Are all cans of grease at the auto store g2g?

You seem to know a lot about lubrication, and then by the last sentence, you’ve forgotten all that knowledge. What?

Gun lube is sold in smaller packaging than automotive lube, that has to account for some of the difference in pricing.

Lubrication has to be one of the least expensive aspects of using firearms, by far. Especially if you use that can of Lubriplate @Nik H referred to.

 

[91Eunozs]

Ed’s red for cleaning; snipped from some forum years ago; may have been this one!

1 part Dexron III Automatic Transmission Fluid
responsible for leaving the thin film mentioned above and general crud cutting)
1 part Deodorized Kerosene
General degreasing compound. It's widely used on many parts cleaners and can be obtained in small quantities at walmart in the camping section. it's usually in a blue bottle.
1 part Aliphatic Mineral Spirits
Use REAL mineral spirits. It's important to note that some places use a 'mineral spirit substitute' that is suppose to be environmentally friendly.it DOES NOT work in this recipe. The mineral spirits are a grease thinning agent and used as the solvent in the recipe.
1 part Acetone * Optional
Responsible for speeding up the cleaning process and some claim it's a copper fouling cleaner. I leave this out to prevent reactions with wood finishes and some plastic parts.


And I use Lucas oil and/or grease depending on the application—almost exclusively. Have used regular old 3 in 1 oil in an emergency before though; it was that or WD-40. Cleaned the rifle with the WD40, then applied the 3 in 1 like I normally would regular gun oil. Worked fine.

 

[R_A_W]

Not grease, but chainsaw bar & chain oil is great for ARs. They have tackifier additives that increase adherence help keep the oil in place. Go light on the coat, at least with summer weight

Stihl is $25/gal

 

[FredHammer]

All gun oil is snake oil. Hoppes, CLP, Frog Lube, forget about it. All of these companies think you are a dumb, smooth brained, mouth breathing simpleton that can be convinced to spend $30 on 3oz of the same shit sold at Autozone by the gallon for $5 if they just put another dollar into their marketing department.

I have zero respect for people that work in the gun industry. 2% is machining, and 98% is marketing department.

Be a man. Machine your firearms in your garage with CAD & CNC machines, and press ammunition in your free time. Don’t have free time? Have your children do it.

With that being said, Dad and I have been running cans of grease from the automotive store in our guns since I was knee-high to a tadpole. I can’t remember if you are supposed to stay away from moly grease or another type. Are all cans of grease at the auto store g2g?

I was really hoping you could tell us with all that experience with automotive products!

 

[Krugermeier]

I was really hoping you could tell us with all that experience with automotive products!

I have not encountered any grease that damages or inhibits the function of a firearm, yet.

 

[FredHammer]

Not grease, but chainsaw bar & chain oil is great for ARs. They have tackifier additives that increase adherence help keep the oil in place. Go light on the coat, at least with summer weight

Stihl is $25/gal

I got a bottle of Lucas extreme gun oil as a free sample. It has a modicum of tackiness, but not like bar oil. Great idea!

 

[FredHammer]

I have not encountered any grease that damages or inhibits the function of a firearm, yet.

It's metal on metal and there can be carbon. What would be the difference, right?

 

[msgriff]

Fuckin' newbies

 

[pmclaine]

I use Lucas red and tacky.

On your guns or hos?

 

[pmclaine]

Fuckin' newbies

You jest but it's a real thing......nothing but the best for my precious.

 

[Bigfatcock]

On your guns or hos?

Both!

 

[Hobo Hilton]

And if you are duck and goose hunting in that brackish water, this works well.

 

[R_A_W]

FrogLube inflicted tremendous brain damage on the entire industry… half of consumers believe anything not specifically designed for firearms will cause damage. The rest of us had to listen to the Cold Steel of lubricants spew bullshit

 

[powerspc]

FrogLube inflicted tremendous brain damage on the entire industry… half of consumers believe anything not specifically designed for firearms will cause damage. The rest of us had to listen to the Cold Steel of lubricants spew bullshit

I tried Frog Lube years ago. It ended causing me to coin the phrase "My gun is Frog-Fucked". That dog shit turned into a fucking adhesive that would make Super Glue blush. I still use it, but only for attaching cinder blocks to my ceiling. Works awesome.

 

[powerspc]

I never had a problem with frog lube....even in sub freezing conditions...

You have to put that shit on hot, let it dry, then wipe nearly all of it off....like waxing a car.

I still don't recommending It...too much hassle with 0 upsides...but put on sparingly I never had an issue with it.

I'm aways willing to admit when I'm the one causing the problem and in this case that's probably true as well. I could just never get it to work right for me and as you point out it can be a little tricky. Anyway, I talked to someone along the way that said it was initially intended (invented) for machine guns? Not sure if that's true, but could make sense

 

[FuhQ]

In all seriousness, just get some Aeroshell 33MS/64. You'll be good to go.

I have not encountered any grease that damages or inhibits the function of a firearm, yet.

i have…Go load up a semi-auto shotgun with WD40 and go out to the dove field and rip off a few hundred shots…The inside of your gun will feel like you shoved cotton candy inside the action. I’ve had to disassemble and clean more people’s jammed up firearms on a dove field than most people will in their entire lives.

Never use WD40 or Kroil to lube your firearms. They’re great for pretty much everything else, but not heat and guns.

 

[Krugermeier]

In all seriousness, just get some Aeroshell 33MS/64. You'll be good to go.


i have…Go load up a semi-auto shotgun with WD40 and go out to the dove field and rip off a few hundred shots…The inside of your gun will feel like you shoved cotton candy inside the action. I’ve had to disassemble and clean more people’s jammed up firearms on a dove field than most people will in their entire lives.

Never use WD40 or Kroil to lube your firearms. They’re great for pretty much everything else, but not heat and guns.

What’s the heat tolerance of WD40?

 

[FuhQ]

What’s the heat tolerance of WD40?

About 50-100 rounds of 12ga... I don't know an actual number.

 

[R_A_W]

Zero surprise... WD40 is a terrible lubricant for firearms.

It acts as a mild solvent to break down and remove any other lube/grease on your parts. Worse yet, it's mostly petroleum distillates, which evaporate much faster than any proper lubricant (and more rapidly as temperatures increase)

 

[pmclaine]

Got inspired to clean the pocket lint from the pocket pistol….

Grips got some linseed oil love….

 

[roostercogburn98]

My 1919 preferred motor oil

 

[johnnyvw]

Zero surprise... WD40 is a terrible lubricant for firearms.

It acts as a mild solvent to break down and remove any other lube/grease on your parts. Worse yet, it's mostly petroleum distillates, which evaporate much faster than any proper lubricant (and more rapidly as temperatures increase)

IMO WD-40 is good for one thing, hosing something off with it after getting water on stuff that will rust. Sucks as a lubricant, sucks as a rust penetrant. That said, WD-40 brand does have "specialty products" aimed as specific uses which work better.

Which probably shouldn't be a surprise since WD stands for "water displacing"

 

[LRI]

So, 40ish orbits ago, I attended a Hunter Safety Course in Grand Forks, ND. I watched the instructor pull out a shotgun that had taken a bath in a slew earlier that day. He "cleaned" that thing by sticking a diesel gas pump spigot into the muzzle and making a nice puddle in the dirt lot of a filling station. EPA don' go roun' here' understan'.

Fast forward to 2006-2009: It was well understood that if you were in the IZ and encountered a school circle of IPs in the PX parking lot conductiong weapons maintenance, it would be in your best interest to get off the "X" until they'd packed up.

• They used a 55-gallon drum of diesel to clean their stuff with zero shits given about any sort of flame management.
• It was a certainty that someone would catch a bullet from an ND.

So, diesel FTW! lol.

 

[JoshPutman]

I've tried various things just for the sake of trying them. For instance, STP Oil Treatment. Thick and pretty much stays where you put it.

A freeze proof grease made for lubing ice fishing tip-ups.

The Makino CNC mills I run at work have an auto grease feature that uses a grease cartridge. When the machine tells you it needs to be changed, the cartridge is collapsed, but there is still a decent amount of grease left in them. I have two in my tool box at work and one at home. It's a light grease, and it works well for the slide on my 1911.

Pretty much any lube will work.

I will say the Liquid Wrench dry lube I tried failed miserably. I couldn't get through a full 8 round mag without a jam, so the little squeeze bottle of Lucas Extreme Weapons Lube came out of the range bag and corrected that little problem.

 

[308pirate]

All gun oil is snake oil. Hoppes, CLP, Frog Lube, forget about it. All of these companies think you are a dumb, smooth brained, mouth breathing simpleton that can be convinced to spend $30 on 3oz of the same shit sold at Autozone by the gallon for $5 if they just put another dollar into their marketing department.

I have zero respect for people that work in the gun industry. 2% is machining, and 98% is marketing department.

Be a man. Machine your firearms in your garage with CAD/ DXF files & CNC machines, and press ammunition in your free time. Don’t have free time? Have your children do it.

With that being said, Dad and I have been running cans of grease from the automotive store in our guns since I was knee-high to a tadpole. I have not encountered any grease that damages or inhibits the function of a firearm, yet.

Cool story bruh

 

[obx22]

All gun oil is snake oil. Hoppes, CLP, Frog Lube, forget about it. All of these companies think you are a dumb, smooth brained, mouth breathing simpleton that can be convinced to spend $30 on 3oz of the same shit sold at Autozone by the gallon for $5 if they just put another dollar into their marketing department.

I have zero respect for people that work in the gun industry. 2% is machining, and 98% is marketing department.

Be a man. Machine your firearms in your garage with CAD/ DXF files & CNC machines, and press ammunition in your free time. Don’t have free time? Have your children do it.

With that being said, Dad and I have been running cans of grease from the automotive store in our guns since I was knee-high to a tadpole. I have not encountered any grease that damages or inhibits the function of a firearm, yet.

All you need:

 

[jetmd]

Mobil 28 aircraft grease.

Mobil 28 for the win.

Great stuff!!

 

[carbonbased]

The cool thing about running automotive grease and other auto products in your gun is you can drive your gun to work.

Saves so much !!!

 

[308pirate]

The cool thing about running automotive grease and other auto products in your gun is you can drive your gun to work.

Saves so much !!!

View attachment 8256589
View attachment 8256590

That car would tits to drive on the MDX expressways.

If the machine guns worked.

 

[SDet]

I've tried various things just for the sake of trying them. For instance, STP Oil Treatment. Thick and pretty much stays where you put it.

A freeze proof grease made for lubing ice fishing tip-ups.

The Makino CNC mills I run at work have an auto grease feature that uses a grease cartridge. When the machine tells you it needs to be changed, the cartridge is collapsed, but there is still a decent amount of grease left in them. I have two in my tool box at work and one at home. It's a light grease, and it works well for the slide on my 1911.

Pretty much any lube will work.

I will say the Liquid Wrench dry lube I tried failed miserably. I couldn't get through a full 8 round mag without a jam, so the little squeeze bottle of Lucas Extreme Weapons Lube came out of the range bag and corrected that little problem.

I was going to chime in about the matsuura grease. White grease in a green tube for the makino as well?

 

[E. Bryant]

I was digging through my engineering sample collection last week looking for some silicone damping grease for a work project, and stumbled across a couple small jars of Nye 875MS:

I believe it was used for automotive applications like steering racks. Gotta try it on one of my pistols during the next cleaning.