What lubricant is NO good

9

9MMand223only

New member
This is a somewhat confusing thread. What is really important is "protecting" the metal in your gun from corrosion/elements. And having a "protective layer" to stop corrosion, and prevent things from sticking to parts is important.

So really, the question is, what product "protects" your toy the best from the elements?

That answer is more straight forward, with the best you can buy according to this, really good test:

WD-40 Specialist
Frog Lube
Hornady One Shot

http://www.dayattherange.com/?page_id=3667

I use Hornady One Shot, because it leaves almost no residue at all and dries completely, eliminating any grime buildup from anything sticking to it. Nothing sticks to it, because its dry. Unlike many lubes.

Also of note, making your handgun "wet" with lube is bad. It interferes with your recoil spring action, and can cause problems.

This is why Hornady One Shot is a top, top top tier product. It doesn't interfere with any action or parts, because its dry, not goopy or wet.
 
M

michaelcj

New member
I happen to hate dust bunnies that turn into sludge and crud…. A well tuned and cleaned pistol or revolver requires no lube whatsoever.

Carried on duty for 40 years… competed… hunted…and just shooting for fun.

I've never "lubed" a gun in my life…. other than a wipe and then dry patches after a "boiling water" clean of a muzzle loader bore.

Snake oil….. there's one born every second.

Mike
 
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Bill DeShivs

New member
Gee, Mike- we've been doing it wrong all these years! Thanks for enlightening us! :rolleyes:

Gunkooker- WD 40 doesn't die, so I assume you mean dries. WD 40 contains mineral oil-the same thing in 95% of the gun oils.
 
4

45_auto

New member
gunkooker55 said:
WD40 is more a cleaner that flushes dirt & rust out after it dies leaves no lube at all.
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http://wd40.com/uses-tips

Lubricates and protects parts from rust and corrosion

Anti-rust agent and lubricant for gun magazines

Cleans and lubricates automatic poultry feeders

Cleans and lubricates BB guns

Cleans and lubricates bells on antique sleighs

Cleans and lubricates caulk holes in horse screw caulks

Cleans and lubricates commercial coin rollers/counters

Cleans and lubricates electric horse clippers

Cleans and lubricates remote control model helicopter
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Either gunkooker55 or the WD40 company is lying to us. Whom should we believe?
 
G

gwpercle

New member
I used Breakfree CLP on a few guns in storage, in a locked indoor closet, the stuff gummed up the works on a K11 Swiss Schmidt-Ruben , two double action revolvers and two shotguns. To get them working again I had to totally disassemble them and remove the hardened , thickened gum stuff.
This was totally unexpected...no one ever complains of Breakfree causing this, Maybe I got a bad batch.
Gary
 
M

michaelcj

New member
I am really not trying to be argumentative or even snarky here, but please explain to me what are the reasons for "lubing" the working parts of a pistol or revolver?

If the parts, as manufactured, are well fit and finished and the design is good what is the purpose?

If the bearing surfaces are clean, maybe even polished, what does the oil do??…. Other than attract and hold dust dirt and grime?

Rust / Corrosion Protection? I live on a small island in the Pacific North West, my house is 100yards off the beach [salt] and anyone who is familiar with the area knows there is plenty of fresh water falling from the sky more days than not.

My Long Guns are in an open faced cabinet/rack in the front room. My handguns in a locked drawer in the bed room. No oil, no lube, no rust or corrosion.

I do clean them after use and especially if they have been outside in the wet, but usually only with a good commercial gun solvent, make sure they are dry and…. Bob's "my" uncle!

No one can cycle a revolver or semi-auto pistol fast enough, for long enough to create heat or friction at the levels that it would harm the bearing surfaces of the action parts…….. unless… possibly… if the action was full of gritty little boogers trapped in the last times oil/lube hanging out there.

Those of you that use oil/lube… do you remove revolver side plates and strip all the internals, clean, lube? Or just put a "couple of drops down there" from the outside and kinda "slosh thing around" so it's all coated?
Same question regarding pistols?

Now if what every one is talking about is using a cleaner/solvent that advertises lubricating qualities and then remove and dry all the parts before reassembly… that seems reasonable … but again… Why?

Please believe the above are serious questions not snarks… I am more than willing to learn new tricks if they make sense… but..

Most of my long arms are at least as old as I am [66] half are older… oldest is my granddad's 1890 [ca 1897] that still gets shot regularly… no lube/no rust.

Revolvers/pistols are a bit younger 1977 for the revolvers 1990's for the Pistols…. again no lube/ no rust.

All function perfectly.

Mike
 
J

JohnKSa

Administrator
...what are the reasons for "lubing" the working parts of a pistol or revolver?
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1. It reduces wear and helps prevent galling. Metal sliding against metal induces wear and can produce galling. The amount of wear/galling depends on a number of factors including the roughness of the surfaces, the amount of force against the two surfaces, even the material composition of the two surfaces. It is true that high-speed applications (where parts are moving with respect to each other at high speed) require lubricants--usually special lubricants--any time metal slides against metal there is the potential for wear and galling. That potential problem can be addressed with lubrication.

2. It insures proper function. I've run into at least one gun design that has a lubrication point that absolutely requires lubrication to function properly. The owner had used an ultrasonic cleaner to clean the pistol (removing ALL traces of lubrication in the process) and had failed to lubricate the gun properly after cleaning. The slide was noticeably difficult to cycle manually and the gun would not fire without malfunctioning several times per magazine. Applying a drop of lube to the proper point restored the gun to perfect functionality.

3. It enhances function. Even assuming, for the sake of argument, that there are guns that can function without any lubrication at all, judiciously applied lubrication can enhance the function of the gun. I've noted on more than one occasion that a little bit of light grease applied to the sear of a firearm can reduce the trigger pull a measurable and noticeable amount and can also make it feel smoother.

4. It helps prevent corrosion. Although your guns may remain in perfect condition with no oil applied, I can assure you that such is not the general case. I have had firearms, knives and other steel objects rust when not protected by oil and my experience is most assuredly not unique. I'm glad you've been lucky, but most people don't seem to share your good fortune.

I suspect that the cleaning products you use are leaving enough residue to provide at least some basic level of lubrication and corrosion prevention. Many cleaning products advertise such properties and apparently you've found some that are advertising truthfully.
 
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buckhorn_cortez

New member
Rust / Corrosion Protection? I live on a small island in the Pacific North West, my house is 100yards off the beach [salt] and anyone who is familiar with the area knows there is plenty of fresh water falling from the sky more days than not.
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I live in New Mexico. Most of the year the relative humidity is below 15%. In the summer it gets as low as 1%.

I have pieces of steel in my workshop that have never been outdoors exposed to weather. They develop rust after about 1-2 years depending upon how much rolling mill oil is still left on them when I pick up the material at the steel vendor.

I have a cabinet saw and a jointer / planer. Both of them have ground cast iron surfaces. The machines are always covered with a breathable cover when not in use to keep dust off of the machines. The ground cast iron will rust if I don't treat it with something like Boshield before putting away the machine.

If you don't think steel rusts...I got news for you, it rusts in New Mexico...must be the altitude...
 
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buckhorn_cortez

New member
If the bearing surfaces are clean, maybe even polished, what does the oil do??…. Other than attract and hold dust dirt and grime?
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First, you need to explain to me how a lubricant "attracts dirt and grime"? Is the lubricant electrically charged in some way and the dirt and grime are the opposite charge?

I don't believe lubricants are capable of "attracting dirt and grime." They may capture the fouling created through gunpowder burning - but, that's not the same as attracting something.

You know what happens to a totally dry semi-auto pistol with no lubrication? The slide will fail to close at some point. With a 1911, that will be in under 200 rounds. With other semi-autos with smaller rails this may take longer, but at some point - the slide will fail to close.

Why? Because the carbon and powder fouling caused by shooting will be caked onto the rails making the rails physically larger until the gun jams open because the recoil spring cannot overcome the friction.

This is easily cured through lubrication. The lubricant keeps the carbon and fouling in suspension and provides a slick boundary layer for the rails to ride on.

I can run 1911's well past 2,000 rounds without cleaning or additional lubrication once lubricants are applied the way I like them done. I've done it on multiple occasions with a variety of different pistols.

Tell you what. Why don't you take one of your guns and put it in an ultrasonic cleaner and get absolutely all of the lubrication off of the gun and then run 2,000 rounds through it - I'd be interested in how that works out for you.
 
T

TJx

New member
Froglube is just coconut oil, perfume and food coloring. Coconut oil turns into a solid at 76 degrees so it's no wonder it jams guns up.
Pure garbage.
 
C

Cosmodragoon

New member
Froglube is just coconut oil, perfume and food coloring. Coconut oil turns into a solid at 76 degrees so it's no wonder it jams guns up.
Pure garbage.
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I've seen a few knocks against Froglube over the course of this thread. I've never used it but I did recently bring a salvage gun in for an inexpensive professional overhaul and they used Froglube. It seems alright but I haven't shot it yet. I don't recall a perfume smell. My family has used coconut oil, raw and refined, for cooking, baking, and other applications for years. I have trouble believing that it's just coconut oil in there... If someone has concrete proof of this, I'd love to see it.
 
S

SlvrDragon50

New member
Have you actually used Froglube before TJx?

If it jammed guns up as easily as you make it out to be, then I don't think Froglube would be as big as it is today.
 
S

Sgt127

New member
I've tried most everything. Back in the good old days of IPSC, you finished the day with splatters all over your shooting glasses, bill of your ball cap and shirt.

Lots of marvel mystery oil, Rig +P grease and Break Free.

Lately, I like the G96 mil spec CLP & Ballistol.

I've found Remoil to be pretty worthless. The carrier evaporates and, it appears, leaves nothing. Maybe it's leaving a dry film. If so, I would guess its good for actions. But, on autos, I want to SEE the lube on the rails.

WD40 is a great surface wipe down and water displacer. If its all I had, and a gun wasn't working right, I'd use it as a lube. It's, ok.

A long time ago, the armorers at Dallas PD believed dry guns ran better and longer than wet guns. Any issued new gun, or guns that came if for service, were stripped, degreased, reassembled, hosed out with silicone spray and then blown out with compressed air.

Having taken apart, and tried to get all the dried grease and crud out of old revolver actions, I agree. An old dry revolver action will work better than one full of old, congealed and hardened oil and grease.
 
W

WIN71

New member
Yes, I do

You guys know that you're replying to a thread that's been dead for over 2 years?
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And I started the thread. I'm surprised this happened too. I was looking for what "bad Lube " might be.
For what I think is good stuff, I use "high speed lathe spindle oil". It is close to the old sewing machine oil. Takes heat, takes pressure, doesn't break down
 
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