On the subject of gun grease

45tex · Mar 6, 2018

You guys are amazing. My big grease/oil concerns always were simply, how to insure the gun was lubed enough not to wear prematurely, avoid rust from neglect, and not migrate to the ammunition. And work 100%. I'm still leaning toward a silicone dry lube for the carry. And a tube of something I read about here for all the others.

TheMailMan · Mar 6, 2018

I have to admit I'm a firearms lube geek. I've got all kinds of them.

vmax · Mar 6, 2018

TheMailMan said:
http://www.grantcunningham.com/2006/05/lubrication-101/

I've found that NGLI 2 grease can cause problems with a tightly fitted 1911 and light target loads. No such problem with theb 0 grease.

BTW, if you get some whale snot, aka LSA is a grease and not an oil. I've still got a couple quarts of LSA on hand.

Another good read is https://www.cherrybalmz.com/history-of-gun-lubricants-cfze

If you put a #2 grease on a tight 1911 and it wouldn't function, you may have put too much on to start with
The NLGI ratings are for softness and pumpability - not much difference at 20C

RANDY_MARSH · Mar 6, 2018

I clean with CLP and I lube with cherrybalmz

RANDY_MARSH · Mar 13, 2018

Cherry balmz is pretty nice stuff. YOu got a good amount of it for $35 for different applications.

jjkukla · Mar 14, 2018

A few years ago I had a tub of synthetic bearing grease sitting around in the garage that I decided to try out on my M1A. Just a run of the mill grease from local auto parts store. Rifle functions flawlessly and grease stays in place. I can't complain.

ETA:
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...9-P?navigationPath=L1*14924|L2*15038|L3*16167

Army 1911 · Mar 14, 2018

Optima lube?

OLDVET · Mar 14, 2018

I use grease on my pistols. It is a grease I bought years ago for my over/under shotguns. I use it very sparingly.

A gunsmith friend of mine once told me "only a fool uses grease on a pistol". He was a firm believer in just a light coating of premium oil. He has since died, so I can no longer argue with him.

A few weeks ago, when it was still cold, I took my 9mm Wilson Combat Classic to the range. It operated sluggishly. It had failures to feed, which it had never had before. Turns out the grease I had used had thickened and was causing the slide to bind. I cleaned the grease off, and bingo the pistol operated perfectly again.

In a combat situation grease is the last thing you would ever put on a handgun or rifle. The fact that grease is sticky, would increase the risk of dust and sand jamming your action.
In fact, the 1911s I had to maintain while I was in the Army could only have a faint coating of oil.
If any inspector found more than that I was subject to an article 15.

This is like everything else in the world these days. Do whatever you want or think is best.

TheMailMan · Mar 14, 2018

OLDVET said:
I use grease on my pistols. It is a grease I bought years ago for my over/under shotguns. I use it very sparingly.

A gunsmith friend of mine once told me "only a fool uses grease on a pistol". He was a firm believer in just a light coating of premium oil. He has since died, so I can no longer argue with him.

A few weeks ago, when it was still cold, I took my 9mm Wilson Combat Classic to the range. It operated sluggishly. It had failures to feed, which it had never had before. Turns out the grease I had used had thickened and was causing the slide to bind. I cleaned the grease off, and bingo the pistol operated perfectly again.

In a combat situation grease is the last thing you would ever put on a handgun or rifle. The fact that grease is sticky, would increase the risk of dust and sand jamming your action.
In fact, the 1911s I had to maintain while I was in the Army could only have a faint coating of oil.
If any inspector found more than that I was subject to an article 15.

This is like everything else in the world these days. Do whatever you want or think is best.

Hmm...grease was the required lube for the M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, M14 rifle and early on for the M16.

avvidclif · Mar 14, 2018

OLDVET said:
In a combat situation grease is the last thing you would ever put on a handgun or rifle. The fact that grease is sticky, would increase the risk of dust and sand jamming your action.
In fact, the 1911s I had to maintain while I was in the Army could only have a faint coating of oil.
If any inspector found more than that I was subject to an article 15.

This is like everything else in the world these days. Do whatever you want or think is best.

I think about the only thing that would keep a GI 45 from firing is if you dipped it in wet cement and let it dry. If it didn't rattle when shaken it was too tight. I think the tolerance were +/- 50 thou.

easy rider · Mar 14, 2018

OLDVET said:
I use grease on my pistols. It is a grease I bought years ago for my over/under shotguns. I use it very sparingly.

A gunsmith friend of mine once told me "only a fool uses grease on a pistol". He was a firm believer in just a light coating of premium oil. He has since died, so I can no longer argue with him.

A few weeks ago, when it was still cold, I took my 9mm Wilson Combat Classic to the range. It operated sluggishly. It had failures to feed, which it had never had before. Turns out the grease I had used had thickened and was causing the slide to bind. I cleaned the grease off, and bingo the pistol operated perfectly again.

In a combat situation grease is the last thing you would ever put on a handgun or rifle. The fact that grease is sticky, would increase the risk of dust and sand jamming your action.
In fact, the 1911s I had to maintain while I was in the Army could only have a faint coating of oil.
If any inspector found more than that I was subject to an article 15.

This is like everything else in the world these days. Do whatever you want or think is best.

So are you saying that dust and sand doesn't stick to oil? hmm.

OLDVET · Mar 14, 2018

I stand by what I said above.
I served in Germany and this was standard protocol for weapons over there.
Yes, dirt will stick to oil. But not as much if the coating is light.
You guys can argue all you want. As I mentioned above, everyone is correct these days.
What I said was how it was during the two years I was the Company Armorer for my company.
I also assisted the IG with the Battalion yearly inspections.

Oh, I had about 60 M1A rifles in my armory. I can't remember grease on any of them.

vmax · Mar 14, 2018

OLDVET said:
...
If any inspector found more than that I was subject to an article 15.

....

That reminds me of going on a night fire exercise sometime in the late 80s
One of us snuck a can of CRC spray lube on the bus

We broke down are M16s and coated the bolt carrier group with it good so it would be easier to clean later

Once on the firing line we began to fire and some master sergeant came running down the line screaming wondering who had the WD-40!

He was mad AF

Which is really pretty stupid considering it didn't harm the weapon at all and made it easier to clean up

But regulations are there right or wrong

Moonpie · Mar 14, 2018

I use grease. My guns are happy.
My firearms aren't subject to duststorms or sub-freezing temps. If they were I'd do things differently.
Not too many of us are crawling thru sand dunes and snow drifts now are we?
The .mil does things their way but it may not always be the best way.

IXLR8 · Mar 14, 2018

Used Remington grease in the white syringe for years. I was sad to find it no longer for sale. I used it mostly on the rails of semi-auto pistols.
I never had any negative things using it. My usage of the weapons is minimal, and they were always functional. There are individuals on here that have much higher demands.
Looking for a similar replacement, but have not found one.

TheMailMan · Mar 15, 2018

OLDVET said:
I stand by what I said above.
I served in Germany and this was standard protocol for weapons over there.
Yes, dirt will stick to oil. But not as much if the coating is light.
You guys can argue all you want. As I mentioned above, everyone is correct these days.
What I said was how it was during the two years I was the Company Armorer for my company.
I also assisted the IG with the Battalion yearly inspections.

Oh, I had about 60 M1A rifles in my armory. I can't remember grease on any of them.

http://www.m14.ca/maintenance/M14_Lubrication_Tutorial_with_Pictures_1_.pdf

Note, there's even a tool to help grease the bolt.

https://www.brownells.com/guntech/b...m1a-lubrication-part-3-4/detail.htm?lid=16381

But what the hell does this old Marine know anyway. I just have a buddy that has over $200k of Garand and M1A parts and builds custom Garands and M1A rifles. I spent many a day off greasing those suckers.

pharmaco · Mar 16, 2018

jjkukla said:
A few years ago I had a tub of synthetic bearing grease sitting around in the garage that I decided to try out on my M1A. Just a run of the mill grease from local auto parts store. Rifle functions flawlessly and grease stays in place. I can't complain.

ETA:
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/valvoline-synpower-full-synthetic-grease-vv986/7070009-P?navigationPath=L1*14924|L2*15038|L3*16167

I've always used a little jar of red grease from Berryhill customs

Fred Defender · Mar 16, 2018

There are few subjects I enjoy on a gun forum more than lube threads. What do they say that opinions are like?

Hint: Everybody has one.

FWIW: I choose my cleaning/lube products by smell. I sleep with a can of Barricade (Sheath) on my nightstand.

TheDan · Mar 20, 2018

vmax said:
...tube of PTFE based grease...

Super Lube?

vmax · Mar 20, 2018

TheDan said:
Super Lube?

If "Super Lube" is a brand name, then the answer is no
The product I have is from a German company called Kluber. I have samples of it from use in Wind Turbines

On the subject of gun grease

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