History of Firearm Lubricants
- Thread starter shoelessjoe
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Not as much of a variance down here in E. Texas. Plenty hot in summers, so do not want anything that can run. I think Feb of 21 we had our all time low of -6, so not that bad for a good lube.Oklahoma is the 'Korea' of the U.S. It can get really hot in the summer and really cold in the winter. Fall and spring here, only lasts a week each.
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shoelessjoe
"I took out a Chihuahua!"
In that History of Lube’ write-up & in regards to M16s, the switchover to LSA solved most of the early M-16’s hiccups … they referred to LSA as the lube that saved many, many (GI’s) lives.
I am not a chemical or lubrication engineer, so feel free to be skeptical.
You guys want to have some fun, go to just about any motorcycle board and find a "Which is the best oil" thread and read it. People get down right hostile, defending their favorite slick stuff.
For grease, I like a grease that uses solids that are lubricants, even when dry. Molybdenum Disulphide, Tungsten Disulphide, Hexognal or Cubic Boron Nitride, Collodial Graphite, and a few others qualify. My main compliant is the viscosity is usually way too high for most applications (hinge points on a shotgun is an exception). So, I start with a commercial Moly Graphite grease and cut it with turbine engine oil till I have it 'thinned' down to what I want. Why turbine engine oil? It's ester based which makes it a natural detergent. It is also pretty much impervious to temperature extremes. Being a natural detergent, it mixes well with the solids in grease and does a great job holding them in suspension.
If I remember correctly, the viscosity is around 20 centistokes. In other words, a little bit thicker than Remoil.
There is nothing special or magical about turbine engine oil, other than its base stock (ester) and viscosity stability (high viscosity index). It's a little expensive, usually costing me about $25/quart by the time I have it delivered to the door. That being said, I don't think I know anybody who has ever used a quart of gun oil.
I have several different gun oils around here and many greases. For some reason, I end up going back to mixing my own. When the oil evaporates out of the moly/graphite grease (all oils eventually evaporate), there is still Molybdenum Disulphide, and Collodial Graphite on the moving surfaces. Yes, I have tried using these dry and it makes an amazing mess. I have also tried making my own grease from Tungsten Disluphide (also known as WS2 and Danzac) and oil as well as Cubic Boron Nitride and oil. It was a pain, messy, and in the end, no better than cutting Moly/Graphite grease with turbine engine oil.
Where I need oil, I just use straight turbine engine oil. My 'home made' grease goes where I need grease.
Most gun or aerospace-centric lubricants are orders of magnitude better than what our firearms require. We want something with a high film strength, the correct viscosity, and a high viscosity index (viscosity stability). Frankly, that sounds like I am describing Mobil 1 and Lubriplate.
If you use what works for you and what you trust, there is a good chance that it is many times better than your application requires. So, make yourself happy.
Bill.
You guys want to have some fun, go to just about any motorcycle board and find a "Which is the best oil" thread and read it. People get down right hostile, defending their favorite slick stuff.
For grease, I like a grease that uses solids that are lubricants, even when dry. Molybdenum Disulphide, Tungsten Disulphide, Hexognal or Cubic Boron Nitride, Collodial Graphite, and a few others qualify. My main compliant is the viscosity is usually way too high for most applications (hinge points on a shotgun is an exception). So, I start with a commercial Moly Graphite grease and cut it with turbine engine oil till I have it 'thinned' down to what I want. Why turbine engine oil? It's ester based which makes it a natural detergent. It is also pretty much impervious to temperature extremes. Being a natural detergent, it mixes well with the solids in grease and does a great job holding them in suspension.
If I remember correctly, the viscosity is around 20 centistokes. In other words, a little bit thicker than Remoil.
There is nothing special or magical about turbine engine oil, other than its base stock (ester) and viscosity stability (high viscosity index). It's a little expensive, usually costing me about $25/quart by the time I have it delivered to the door. That being said, I don't think I know anybody who has ever used a quart of gun oil.
I have several different gun oils around here and many greases. For some reason, I end up going back to mixing my own. When the oil evaporates out of the moly/graphite grease (all oils eventually evaporate), there is still Molybdenum Disulphide, and Collodial Graphite on the moving surfaces. Yes, I have tried using these dry and it makes an amazing mess. I have also tried making my own grease from Tungsten Disluphide (also known as WS2 and Danzac) and oil as well as Cubic Boron Nitride and oil. It was a pain, messy, and in the end, no better than cutting Moly/Graphite grease with turbine engine oil.
Where I need oil, I just use straight turbine engine oil. My 'home made' grease goes where I need grease.
Most gun or aerospace-centric lubricants are orders of magnitude better than what our firearms require. We want something with a high film strength, the correct viscosity, and a high viscosity index (viscosity stability). Frankly, that sounds like I am describing Mobil 1 and Lubriplate.
If you use what works for you and what you trust, there is a good chance that it is many times better than your application requires. So, make yourself happy.
Bill.
Same. That's the only gun and the only place on the gun that gets a small dab of lithium grease.
Otherwise, I use Ballistol, the original CLP, on everything (pistols, revolvers, shotguns, AR's).
Pretty much what I have always done. A bit of grease on the bolt locking lug of the Remington 870 and a thin swipe on the forearm rails and Rem-oil on the trigger group and any other place I need some slick-um.
However, I don’t want to be one of those old dogs that can’t learn new tricks.
@OkieStubble I'm not sure if you have ever noticed but back in the day (not sure about now) the metal rails on a Glock frame that interface with the slide had this funny, glittery, almost orange colored compound on them. Well, my friend, being in the hydraulics industry I one day received a factory Catterpillar seal kit for a job I was doing. In said kit was a CAT branded pouch of copper anti-sieze. Guess what? It looked EXACTLY like the stuff on the Glocks I had seen. Can't be 100% sure but I'm guessing that was the factory contact point lube of choice for the reciprocating bits. Anti-sieze kinda makes sense when you think about it.
That copper stuff on Glocks is anti-seize. Anti-seize will stay put longer than any grease.
Based on the tools in my tool box, I am positive.
I had a friend who had problems with people stealing campaign signs from his yard. I advised him to paint the edges liberally with antiseize.
I had a friend who had problems with people stealing campaign signs from his yard. I advised him to paint the edges liberally with antiseize.
Quoted for truth! And that would be an epic mess!!!
Edited to add... There isn't a suppressor I own that doesn't get a wee smear of nickel anti-sieze on the threads. A can will melt before that stuff breaks down.
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I’m a Glock Fanboy? I’m also a certified Glock Armorer. I’ve definitely noticed Chris.
I own 7 Glocks. I’ve trained at least, many hundreds of; or at most a few thousand police cadets how to use their brand new shiny Glocks. I have seen plenty of the Loctite brand
C5-A anti-seize Glock uses for break-in lube purposes.
I’ve shot lots of brand new Glocks right from the box teaching many of the young bloods in the way of the Glock.
The reason why Glock uses the Loctite anti-seize for their break in lube isn’t because it’s lubrication properties are really slick, because a Glock will run bone dry with no lubricant. The reason Glock uses the anti seize for break in, is because if small excessive bits and pieces or flakes of metal or polymer from the production line, comes off the pistol during break in, those small, miniature, or microscopic pieces of plastic over- molding or possibly metal flakes/chips from the rails or barrel lug or feed ramp etc, will actually stick or adhere to the anti-seize compound, versus floating around and traveling in a more thinner or liquid viscosity. Depending on the size of the small pieces of chaff that comes off during break in, those pieces could potentially travel and get stuck or wedged into other tight or hidden places inside the frame or slide that could cause minor friction or early wear or damage.
The anti-seize is/was only meant for break in purposes and not intended by Glock to be a long term, repeatable lubrication solution.
Doesn’t mean the Glock will stop working if someone decides to use anti- seize permanently. But Glock doesn’t recommend using anti seize as a permanent method of lubrication. Heck, someone could still decide to run it dry with no lubrication and it probably would still run. It’s a Glock.
On my 7 Glocks? Personally?
I immediately flush the anti-seize from my Glocks with REM-Oil right after purchasing. Every Glock is fired at the Georgia facility and the two empty cartridge cases are stuck In a small yellow envelope and put in the case with the pistol. The rifling is de- breeded before you get it. Breaking in, now is just a few dozen racks of the slide.
My very first personally owned Glock was a Gen2 G19 back in 1989. I sold it 26 years later for $400 with a guesstimated round count somewhere in the ballpark of 70,000 to 80,000? Give or take a few hundred cases.
Taking into account it was used as a training/instruction pistol and shot a thousand round case of ammo just about every 10 days in the months of June-November for 10 years from 05’ to 15’. Plus my own personal training endeavors in varied locations over those years. REM-Oil CLP is the only lubricant it had ever known.
While I replaced a couple of springs a connector and a cruciform from wear, It still used the original barrel when I sold it. I’m thinking the polygonal rifling had to be showing some kind of wear; statistically at least after that kind of round count, but when I sold it, if there was any wear it had to be really minor cuz I didn’t notice it before I sold it. I know it’s a long ramble, but I ain’t got nuthin’ else to do right now.
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@OkieStubble, very informative, thanks!
Had an Egyptian Hakim rifle just refuse to fire. "Why, it was just fine last time I shot it - maybe ten years ago ..."
Total teardown. Tiny little part and spring was stuck due to overlube. Or just grunge.
That part can go without lube from now on ...
AA
Total teardown. Tiny little part and spring was stuck due to overlube. Or just grunge.
That part can go without lube from now on ...
AA
Yep, I don’t lube springs if I can help it. Especially the ones ya don’t see on a regular field strip.
I may have mixed some greases, but if so it has been so long I cannot remember what. I have mixed Tungsten Disulphide, and Hexagonal Boron nitride ( cubic boron nitride is an abrasive), whereas the hexagonal varity is very slick, in fact used in cosmetic products to create a feeling of slickness, in Mobil 1 with good results. I like the hexagonal boron nitride as it is white and not nearly as messy as molybdenum or tungsten disulfides.
Back in the early 60's we had a Ford Falcon station wagon. The front suspension would always creak and groan, until we discovered a unique chassis lube. I think it was Quaker State Golden Chassis lube, and what made it different was that a large part of the grease mixture by weight was powdered brass. I was a bit on the messy side, but sure quitened that car's suspension, and lasted longer than anything else at the time.
That Hakim had stock damage, sure looked like (Israeli?) bullet damage. Six Day War, dropped in the sand, methinks. AA
AA
Your firearms are history representatives.
Your firearms are history representatives.
I certainly have Stalingrad K98s keeping company with the Mosins that put them in the snow.
Japanese bayonets will surely cause some contemplation as well. An M1 is watching those!
But they are only wood and steel, shaped by the folly of man. My small meteorite collection is more worthy of deep thoughts; at 4.6 billion years old, the most aged objects for many miles. Wish I had a meteor-iron firearm! Or at least, a razor ...
AA
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