Is there any reason not to lube your AR with motor oil? If you do it, is there any reason to pick certain weights or synthetic vs. conventional?

ehudbengera,

I've heard many people have used it in their rifles. Synthetic oil is what they use and they always spout Mobil 1 is the best. I admit I never tried it. With all the gun oils I've collected through out the years I have enough to last an easy 5 years!!!
For now I'll just stick to Breakfree.

Impala

I'm a fan of supertec myself. . . in my car lol

I have used Mobil1 for years on pistol and rifle. Freezing Cold weather 0-30 otherwise 15w-40. mobil1 synthetic grease andgrease for pistol slides. For NiBX/NP3 BCG I use a 50\50 mix of oil and grease as it holds better.

Trying out WeaponShield Solvent/CLP/Grease now to see how I like it. So far so good

The old notion that "any lube is better than no lube" should be said here. You could put veggie oil in your ar and it will work just fine. Of course, that doesn't mean it is supposed to be used.

It is recommended to use the same oil as your car. A weight smaller than 10 is usually recommended. Something like 10W-30 or 5W-20 will be fine to use with an ar15. It's better to use synthetic such as Mobil 1 or something similar.

Keep in mind that motor oil is highly toxic and usually contain additives in it that make it highly toxic to a human. It is not meant to be touched but poured into an engine and kept inside of an engine. While a lot of people will stand by motor oil, there's no telling what the long term effects are especially if you are a frequent shooter. Would you put your lips around a muffler and inhale the gas?

It should also be noted that motor oil has piss poor rust protection. That might not be an issue for most people.

Good gun oil will usually be much safer on your skin. A small bottle will usually last you for well beyond a year or two with multiple guns. Most people go with motor oil because they say it is cheaper and better and that gun oil is simply a marketing gimmick. There's a small subsection of the population who believes better gun oil is simply a rebranding of motor oil. With that said, it is cheaper and safer in the long run to get a good gun oil. It may seem expensive at first but the benefits are long term.

Good point. Motor oil is considered a carcinogen,

That would be used motor oil.  It's the by-products of combustion and additive break down that's the nasty stuff.
New motor oil is generally considered non-hazardous, so long as you're not eating it or anything.



http://www.texasexpresslube.com/documents/MSDS/Mobil%201%205W-30.pdf
 

Would't new oil be fine though? I thought only used motor oil was considered toxic?

Ah, there you go, thanks

I think the funny thing is someone asks these type of questions every week. Personally I have used Mobil1 with good result but am always looking for the better healthier option. I have a drawer full of products that claim to perform better but most have not. I am currently giving Weapon Shield a try as the reviews seem positive and will see how it goes... Fingers Crossed.

I am a miser and I do not like to touch my gun lubricants if I can avoid it so I re-purposed an ink syringe for my cleaning.  This way be it grease or oil I have better control over how much I use, and where I use it, and I do not have to wipe away.

That being said motor oil (namely synthetic motor oil) will lubricate, not clean or protect.

Motor oil will get the job done, in reality the lubricant properties of gun oil and motor oil are pretty much the same, it is the additives that are different.  How will this change the way it affects firearm operations is at best/worst minimal.

Oil VS grease is a very interesting argument.  I say after you clean you can use grease but do not use too much, just enough is more than enough but when you are in the field use oil.

The only real problems I have uncovered about using car products in firearms is with competition firearms, namely the oil was to thick (automatic transmission fluid tends to fix this)

In short if you want to use car products to lubricate your firearm you can use automatic transmission fluid, motor oil (5W-10 the heaviest in my opinion), and high temperature bearing grease and get the same lubricant properties as your run of the mill gun grease as long as you know how to use them.

I tried to cover myself by saying "From my research" which means that there could be some misinterpreted or even fabricated data that I found.
I am no scientist when it comes to lubricants but I will say the concept of using automotive lubricants in firearms intrigue me.

The argument of heavy oil VS light oil is an interesting one and I will not try to confirm or deny my statement.  All I will say is that any weight oil can work if used properly.  Using it properly is the hard part because that includes temperature variations.  Heavier weight oil will work in most conditions but if things get really cold a lighter weight oil may be better but that depends on the oil, the firearm, the temperature, and more.

All I am trying to say is Go with what works for you and if you can, test, test and more test.

I want to say more but I think I will keep it at this.

Haha, being a high performance boat nut, I can tell you that brand oil conversations can go on forever. However, on rifles, it's not going to make any difference. Use whatever you have on hand. I'm a big fan of Amsoil so use their Dominator grease because it's white and clean. I still use CLP though and use it for tons of other household tasks.

Oh-oh...

.

Mobil 1 is NOT fully synthetic.

I believe this is correct for all but 0W-40

Mobil 1 synthetic have been using for years love it.

...which is what I use.

the link from old_painless says to use 10w30 or 10w40?



 

Mobile 1 or other fully synthetic oil, mixed with transmission fluid until red. Shake well, enjoy your savings.

The above is for a lubricant / protector, still use a good copper or lead cleaner like Butch's Bore Shine for cleaning the bore. I like CLP for cleaning everything else.

On anything that slides, like a 1911 , I use Wilson Combat or equivalent synthetic grease.

I use synthetic diesel oil, it's made to handle high levels of soot (carbon) produced by Diesel engines.
My other go to is Lucas red and tacky high speed/high temp wheel bearing grease.
Never had a problem,never.

But yet there's a picture of 5w30. Is 5w30 better for varying temperature? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't 5w30 better for cold weather?
 

But the only fully synthetic Mobil 1 is their 0w-40. I've been using it for some time now w/o complaint.

Thanks for all the replies gentlemen, excellent responses

It will lower viscosity, but tranny oil has lots of detergents. I think that's why many add it.

Looks like only the "high mileage" and a motorcycle flavor come in 10w40.  There's also a flavor in 20w50 - is that too thick?

I tried CLP, loved how easy it made clean up but on hot days it did not stay put.  It just ran everywhere.  Even if I lubed everything sparingly it ran.  Only time I use CLP is when I am coyote hunting in the winter.

Switched to Mobil 1 10W-30 Full Synthetic (silver bottle at walmart for $7) and even on hot days it stays put.  I am happy, I havent had any rust issues, even after shooting in downpours with no real clean up immediately after getting home.  I know guys that smoke E-Cigs, so I have them save me their little E-Juice bottles, I then fill those bottles with the motor oil.  I now have a handful of bottles spread all over the place and still a half a quart on the shelf.  Untill someone finds me some hard evidence as to why I shouldnt use it I will stick with it.

My dad can beat up your dad!

Hell, I was taught to use motor oil to lubricate heavy machine guns over 30 years ago. Works great. A firearm is nothing more then an internal combustion engine that runs on ammo. Metal moving parts that heat up...expand and contract and wear from friction.

I have never purchased any "wonder lube", and never will.
Mobile 1 is where its at.

You would think people would be smart enough to know products with silly names like Frog lube,Slide glide,Gun butter,Fire clean,etc are silly, marketing names to hype overpriced lubricants.

BUMP to keep it from archive

If you go to the store and pick up a bottle of Mobil1 you'll see a nice warning label on it that says lab tests shown constant exposure to oil causes skin cancer in lab rats. With that said, using it during cleaning session is not nearly as bad for you if you just kept it on you all day.

There's nothing wrong with using motor oil on your gun, per say. Then again, you could buy yourself some rubber gloves and use it as a cheap condom but that doesn't mean one day you won't be sorry you did.

There are a few things the ATF offers as long as it's Dexron or Mercron, and not the Type F Ford stuff, mainly, friction modifiers and rust / corrosion protection.

Modern ATF typically contains a wide variety of chemical compounds intended to provide the required properties of a particular ATF specification. Most ATFs contain some combination of additives that improve lubricating qualities,[2][3][4] such as anti-wear additives, rust and corrosion inhibitors, detergents, dispersants and surfactants (which protect and clean metal surfaces); kinematic viscosity and viscosity index improvers and modifiers, seal swell additives and agents (which extend the rotational speed range and temperature range of the additives' application); anti-foam additives and anti-oxidation compounds to inhibit oxidation and "boil-off"[5] (which extends the life of the additives' application); cold-flow improvers, high-temperature thickeners, gasket conditioners, pour point depressant and petroleum dye. All ATFs contain friction modifiers, except for those ATFs specified for some Ford transmissions and the John Deere J-21A specification;[6] the Ford ESP (or ESW) - M2C-33 F specification Type F ATF (Ford-O-Matic) and Ford ESP (or ESW) - M2C-33 G specification Type G ATF (1980s Ford Europe and Japan)[7] specifically excludes the addition of friction modifiers.  

Yes, that's Wiki, but it is correct.


This is the same reason Ed's Red mix uses it, but I don't use it to clean and lubricate, just to lubricate, so I don't add the kerosene or acetone and the like. I take the Mobile 1 synthetic oil, and add the ATF until it turns red.

It lasts, it's slick, I don't get any rust, and parts generally wipe clean very easily with a paper towel.

This is my 1911, RIA GI, so nothing special, but this is about three months of daily carry, and around 750-800 rounds. You can't always see how wet the oil/atf is on the parts, but it's there, just an iPotato photo issue. The bushing is an EGW custom fit btw. I sent this gun back to Arnel at RIA because it was shooting way left when I bought it and wasn't grouping well. It was reliable as it was though. The slide was not machined concentric, so he hand fit a new GI slide and a barrel from the tactical line, and fit the bushing to them. Also did a trigger job, polished everything up, and tuned a new extractor. Anyway, the pics.

I only use my finger to rub a little oil on each area that is supposed to be lubed. The pistol has about 5,000 rounds through it, but these pics are 750-800 rounds and three months carry.







On this one I had already wiped some of the oil off by accident when I turned the bushing and pushed the slide back. There is still a film there, but the camera doesn't pick it up well. I still think on a 1911 that a grease is better in that area, and on the rails, but on the rails I still use the oil.







Just like the film of oil and atf on the bottom of the barrel in one of those pics, there is a film on the rails , the bushing, etc, that didn't come out well.



Anyway, it stays put, it works. I've tried about everything out there in the last 20 years or so, and only one product has been slicker and stayed put better and longer, and that is the Blue Wonder Dissotec XFR, and that stuff is just so far above and beyond anything else, it isn't funny. The last store bought stuff I used before the oil/atf was the Slip 2000EWL, and it isn't close to the oil / atf, not nearly. I was disappointed in it when I used it.

I used the oil / atf over the years, but kept trying different products, and I got to the point that unless I want to spend a lot of money on that Dissotec XFR, there is nothing else worth the incredible increase in price. Everything else is either not as good, or isn't enough better to make a difference. Just my .02¢, but I've been shooting and cleaning guns for 40 years, and I've used recommended products by friends, neighbors, military, professional shooters, manufacturers, etc. , and this simple mix was recommended by a builder of high end ARs actually, but I'd used it before, just not mixed so red.

I clean with CLP mostly, unless I use Butch's bore shine for copper.

I have used mobil 1 synthetic for years and love it.

Lubrication Testing & Troubleshooting flow

1.) Use lubricant of choice.
2.) Does it cause problems?
3.) If Yes go back to step 1 and try new product
4.) If No keep using it

I am of the opinion given that workflow that you should start with the least expensive stuff i.e. synthetic motor oil.  

But there are those who just cannot/will not believe that something that isn't a Wonder Lube with a cool name and high price tag can lubricate moving metal parts.

Motor oil has worked well for me ever since I made the switch to it years ago. Lately I've been using Rotella 10w-30 synthetic.

I have gallons of CLP.

It always cracks me up when people think their AR (or any firearm) is some kind of "special" tool that requires fairy dust to keep it running.
It's a tool, same as any other tool. It operates under heat, gets carbon fouling, and operates at high speeds. Hmm... same as a motor. But hey, if you want to keep buying the latest and greatest fairy dust.. have at it. For the non special ed crowd... Motor oil works just fine.

No it's not too thick.  I've been using Mobil 1 15w50 on my ARs for a number of years now.  A quart lasts a long time.
I only use it to coat the BCG inside and out.  CLP for lubing the barrel.

I have always wondered if motor oil would do the trick. Obviously by all the comments heres it works fine.

I have been using Slip2000 EWL on my guns for a year or so. I like it but it is expensive. I will try some synthetic motor oil and if I like it I may switch once the Slip2000 runs out.

I am not really worried about using "green" or "bio" oils. All the by products of shooting are toxic. So once it mixes with the "safe" oils you still have a toxic mixture.

The Slip2000 has made cleaning carbon off the BCG a much easier task than when I was using Hoppe's oil because I had a few bottles that I accumulated but carbon was a bitch to clean. .

I tried Remoil but it dries up real quick. So Remoil has been relegated to the oil I wipe the exterior of my guns with to give it a nice look after cleaning.

Sure ....put Mobile 1 on your AR and BreakFree in your car.......perfect logic.......

Ugh. This is where I get frustrated by common misconceptions. Mobile 1 would be a GREAT choice for BOTH, since they do the same thing (no your rifle is not some mystical device, it is a machine that deals with high heat and carbon... SAME as a motor and many other types of machinery).
CLP is garbage. Many people do not understand it was designed for military expedient field use. In other words, less supplies. It functions as 3 things with 1 product, however sucks at all of them (but will suffice for "field" use). As a civilian, who is not limited to only ONE supply.. why the F would one use a "does all, but none well" product when you can use PROPER products that accomplish your goals? Cleaner: use a dedicated cleaner, Lube: use a dedicated lube (such as the common, for a reason, Mobile 1), Protectant: use a dedicated protectant (such as Eezox, paint, silicone, etc).
Boggles my mind how (just because the Mil uses it) CLP has gained such widespread use. It sucks. Period. Unless you are "in the field" and counting your ounces... stay away from it. It's really that simple. It was/is not designed to do ANYTHING well (it is designed as a "compromise" that will "DO" for a limited time being).