Motor oil as gun lube? Yes/No, which one?

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Pistoler0

New member
I have read and seen videos exalting the virtues of motor oil as very efficient, long lasting gun lube that is resistant to heat and fouling.

What are your views on this? What would be the benefits/cons of using motor oil as gun lube (besides the obvious: cheaper cost).

And WHICH motor oil would be better? (they come in all kinds of viscosity grades)
 
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101combatvet

New member
Pistoler0 said:
I have read and seen videos exalting the virtues of motor oil as very efficient, long lasting gun lube that is resistant to heat and fouling.

What are your views on this? What would be the benefits/cons of using motor oil as gun lube (besides the obvious: cheaper cost).

And WHICH motor oil would be better? (they come in all kinds of viscosity grades)
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I have been with some foreign troops that oiled their weapons with used motor oil. I see no problem with it; however, I use the brand name stuff.
 
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Skippy

New member
Most people swear by Mobil One synthetic being the gold standard. 10w40 is what they say is best but that's probably getting picky. I will say I've noticed lighter viscosity tend to evaporate faster than heavier but if you shoot once a month or so and clean/lube afterwards that's not a problem. Mobile One is also not a great corrosion preventative, so safe queens should use something like Eezox for long term storage. Or tranny oil.

I've read the USA is probably the only country that uses lube made specifically for guns, other countries use whatever dribbles off a dipstick.

Dextron II or III transmission fluid is also excellent. It doesn't change viscosity and is high detergent, keeping carbon buildup down.

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I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous
 
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Mulebuk Mojo

Moderator
Pistoler0 said:
What are your views on this?
And WHICH motor oil would be better? (they come in all kinds of viscosity grades)
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Personally I'm no longer willing to spend more that 15 minutes cleaning my guns and lubing them. Some may find enjoyment in that i don't. I'm rocking with Rem oil spray now clean and lube at the same time and when that runs out I'm going probably to Ballistol and with that you don't have to worry about it getting on polymer or wood even.

Your oil will work I'm sure just understand it's a petroleum product and generally as such will eat anything not metal.
Viscosity wise depends on where you live, the big danger is guns freezing up and it's happen from people using to much grease. I'd be more concern about cold weather than hot weather.

But as I said the days of me rocking with multiple bottles of whatever in my ammo box are gone.
 
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FireForged

New member
Many oils have all sorts of additives, detergents and the like. Do you know how those "things" are going to respond or react with "things" found in gun solvents. I dont think that the scientists behind motor oil development are thinking about bore cleaners and the like or how those things might react with their oils. I am not suggesting that using motor oil is necessarily a bad thing, I simply have a few questions that pops into my mind when I hear its use suggested for guns. A bottle of gun oil will last me a couple of years. It doesnt cost much and its not hard to obtain. Unless a person is conducting a torture test of a full auto, I am not sure why people are so concerned with using something other than plain ole gun oil.
 
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
These days, my primary gun oil is Gun Butter. Before I started using Gun Butter, I used Castol Syntec 15W50 synthetic motor oil with a dollop of micro-fine moly powder mixed into it. I still have lots of the Castrol and enough to mix up more of my home brew. If I run out of my current supply of Gun Butter, I'll go back to the Castrol with Molybdenum.
 
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Moonglum

New member
Pistoler0 said:
I have read and seen videos exalting the virtues of motor oil as very efficient, long lasting gun lube that is resistant to heat and fouling.

What are your views on this? What would be the benefits/cons of using motor oil as gun lube (besides the obvious: cheaper cost).

And WHICH motor oil would be better? (they come in all kinds of viscosity grades)
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There's a search function here bro. I bet this has been done A Hundred Times.

Motor Oil has Carcinogens in it. If you want to walk around with that in your pocket, have at it.

From all the reading I've done I think Lubriplate has the best reputation. If I ever need to buy oil again that's probably what I'll get

I have a bottle of Starrett Light Tool Oil that's been in my tool box for years. It's what I have so it's what I use.

F
 
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
Moonglum said:
From all the reading I've done I think Lubriplate has the best reputation. If I ever need to buy oil again that's probably what I'll get
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This stuff? https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn...b4b17a6e0349191d1b681b7b55c57a0f&gclsrc=3p.ds

I didn't even know Lubriplate offered an oil, and I've been using their grease for years. Not only was Lubriplate specifically called for by name by the U.S. Ordnance Department for maintaining the M-1 Garand, back in my motorhead days Lubriplate was the only lubricant product that was specified by name rather than by generic SAE type and grade by American Motors in their factory service manuals.

But -- although I use Lubriplate (the grease) on the rails of my 1911s in warm weather, it's too heavy for use in cold weather. For cold weather I just use oil. But the Lubriplate is a straight SAE 20 weight, which gets awfully runny when hot. That's why I prefer the multi-viscosity 15W50.
 
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Moonglum

New member
Grant Cunningham on lubricants

https://www.grantcunningham.com/2006/05/lubrication-101/

Specifically on Lubriplate


What would I consider a “best in class” oil? Generally, it would be one made for lubricating food processing machinery, like Lubriplate’s FMO-AW oil (specifically the 350-AW weight.) Food grade lubricants have to prevent wear in sometimes corrosive environments and they have to do so even after being wiped off of the surface they’re protecting (which is actually part of the requirement for food contact ratings!) They have good boundary protection and very high corrosion resistance especially in the presence of acids, alkalis, and moisture. They’re darned near tailor-made for our use!

I’m aware of at least one large coastal police agency using Lubriplate FMO-AW, and they report complete satisfaction with its performance. Unfortunately, it’s not (as of this writing) packaged in consumer friendly quantities – 1 gallon pails being the smallest available. You can get it repackaged in consumer sizes from Lubrikit *.
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eflyguy

New member
My opinion only. Any oil is just freaking fine. Canola would be ok if you're cleaning and re-oiling after a range trip.

That said, WD40 is not an oil.
 
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Cosmodragoon

New member
No, do not use motor oil, WD40, 3-in-one, etc. Here is an oldie but a goodie. It's an excellent article on lubrication overall.

https://www.grantcunningham.com/2006/05/lubrication-101

The lubricant he eventually recommends is now sold by Lubrikit. You can get it here:

https://lubrikit.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=54

I've been using it for years now. It is fantastic. It also works well on folding knives and multi-tools.

EDIT: I see that I was not the first to recommend this. The weight of this oil is one of the things I like I about it. I live in a place with big temperature swings and I've never had an issue with the oil.
 
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Moonglum

New member
Cosmodragoon said:
No, do not use motor oil, WD40, 3-in-one, etc. Here is an oldie but a goodie. It's an excellent article on lubrication overall.

https://www.grantcunningham.com/2006/05/lubrication-101

The lubricant he eventually recommends is now sold by Lubrikit. You can get it here:

https://lubrikit.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=54

I've been using it for years now. It is fantastic. It also works well on folding knives and multi-tools.
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Look two posts before yours
 
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Scorch

New member
Gun oils are a witches' brew of solvent, lubes, preservative, and perfume to make your gun easier to clean, lubed up and slippery, and smell good (well, sorta).

While most motor oils are good lubricants, they also contain things you do not want in your firearm (or more specifically on your skin). Detergents, sulfur, viscosity modifiers, hazardous materials, etc. Motor oils tend to creep or migrate as well, which means your clothes, holster, gun case, etc, will soon feel like and smell like motor oil. The suggestion to use Lubriplate is a good one, we used it on M2s when I was in the USMC. It sticks well and lubricates superbly. And yes, it migrates as well.

One other option is a good multipurpose grease: it stays where you put it, lubricates better than oil, and protects the finish of your firearm.
 
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Moonglum

New member
Scorch said:
Gun oils are a witches' brew of solvent, lubes, preservative, and perfume to make your gun easier to clean, lubed up and slippery, and smell good (well, sorta).

While most motor oils are good lubricants, they also contain things you do not want in your firearm (or more specifically on your skin). Detergents, sulfur, viscosity modifiers, hazardous materials, etc. Motor oils tend to creep or migrate as well, which means your clothes, holster, gun case, etc, will soon feel like and smell like motor oil. The suggestion to use Lubriplate is a good one, we used it on M2s when I was in the USMC. It sticks well and lubricates superbly. And yes, it migrates as well.

One other option is a good multipurpose grease: it stays where you put it, lubricates better than oil, and protects the finish of your firearm.
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When I was in the National Guard our dipstick maintenance section would slather GAA all over the breeches of our M110A2s. It was so thick it was impossible to close the breech.
 
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Mike38

New member
I used Mobil One Synthetic 0w-20 for many years. Until.... I was at a competition in late October and the temps took a sudden dive. It went from 50 degrees to 20 in about 2 hours. My pistol started choking. 0w motor oil should not have been affected at all, but it did. A guy next to me let me try his oil, Pro Shot CLP, and my pistol started working like it should. I now use it exclusively.
 
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