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Posted: 12/2/2023 8:35:30 PM EDT
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As a new AR owner, the volumes of information out there both on youtube and here on these forums is overwhelming. As I work to put together my gun bag and maintenance case for this rifle, I came across a video on youtube where the gentleman suggested Lucas White Lithium Grease for the charging handle contact areas to reduce the metal on metal grinding noise as you pull the handle. Judging from reading a few of the posts here, this may not be such a wise idea as it may hold debris and such. I attempted to use the search function however it doesn't appear this specific product has ever had a topic of it's own. In short, I'd like to reduce the metal on metal grinding noise from pulling the charging handle as it's nails on a chalk board for me so anything to reduce that noise would be appreciated. Regards, AB |
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White lithium grease will collect the debris from the blowback, it is a ugly mess. Powdered graphite is the answer you seek. A tiny puff will not attract crap and quiet your action. Attached File Tractor supply sells the PB Blaster in a can powder graphite. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By Haveme1: TW25 is prolly what he was talking about. Too much cost IMO. I'm not sure if I can share the link here, but the gentleman was from Tactical Toolbox. He linked directly to the Lucas White Lithium Grease. NLGI #2 says on the front of the bottle. Thank you all for the replies. I may skip this and try a dab of graphite. |
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Only place I would put it would be on the buffer spring if you wanted to quiet the action. Not necessary and makes a mess. Use specific gun grease if you want grease or gun oil if you want oil. I like cherry balmz but good luck gettting it. When I was new to ARs I used the white lithium. Im not convinced it did a very good job at anything. I suppose it’s better than nothing but it will attract crud and be a mess so best to clean it regularly. With Cherry Balmz I just reapply now and then, rarely clean unless it’s super dirty. It’s a much thinner and slicker grease compared to white lithium. People to seem to like the EWG grease by Slip and its more available than Cherry Balmz. If you want grease look into that |
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Originally Posted By deerranger: White lithium grease will collect the debris from the blowback, it is a ugly mess. Powdered graphite is the answer you seek. A tiny puff will not attract crap and quiet your action. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/413300/Screenshot_20231202_195155_Chrome_jpg-3047547.JPG Tractor supply sells the PB Blaster in a can powder graphite. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/413300/Screenshot_20231202_195308_Chrome_jpg-3047549.JPG I'm pretty sure graphite is corrosive to aluminum. OP, it isn't neccessary to put grease there however it may cut the "percieved" grinding you are feeling. White lithium and assembly greases were popular with M1 and m14s, shouldn't be an issue if you decide to put a thin layer in the channel. Grease will attract debris. As will an overabundance of oil. Don't overthink it. A well built AR will function with complete disregard for what you chose to lube it with, and I've never seen an upper completely worn out in the charging handle channel. If I had to make a reccomendation I'd lean you towards using any of the oils that meet MIL-63460. They are made for that purpose. (Breakfree CLP/Radco/G96 synthetic clp/ biosynxtra clp) |
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I use Superlube grease on a lot of my guns, including AR charging handles. I mix in some Tungsten disulfide which is better than Moly which is better than Graphite. For something like the charging handle I take a small dab of grease on a Qtip and smear a very light coating on the nubs that ride in the slots of the receiver. Feels and sounds much smoother and has not caused any issues. Lucas White Lithium grease was recommended for AK's years back and worked well on them. |
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Everyone has their own take on how to clean and maintain guns. As you're discovering one can get into the weeds with this for your rifle. My suggestion is to follow the manufacturer's instructions since you're new and stay away from vegetable-based lubes. Because of how the gas system works, it gets dirty fast. Accept that the AR-15 will get dirty when you use it, and that it would be a good idea to at least clean the bolt carrier group and charging handle when you're done shooting. Use a gun oil to lube the parts. Some people use greases, motor oil, transmission fluid, or something else. Some of these may have harsh chemicals that aren't good for the rifle or you. If we were overseas at the end of a long supply chain then yes, you can substitute something else. Otherwise, use a made for the purpose lubricant. You can do a more detailed cleaning less frequently. Rod the barrel and bore, clean the lugs and inside the upper receiver. I clean the BCG, charging handle, and barrel when I'm done. It's important to get carbon out and clean oil in. I paid hundreds of dollars for my rifle, so I protect my investment. Keep it simple: The AR was designed to be lubricated with oil. |
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Originally Posted By wireguided: Everyone has their own take on how to clean and maintain guns. As you're discovering one can get into the weeds with this for your rifle. My suggestion is to follow the manufacturer's instructions since you're new and stay away from vegetable-based lubes. Because of how the gas system works, it gets dirty fast. Accept that the AR-15 will get dirty when you use it, and that it would be a good idea to at least clean the bolt carrier group and charging handle when you're done shooting. Use a gun oil to lube the parts. Some people use greases, motor oil, transmission fluid, or something else. Some of these may have harsh chemicals that aren't good for the rifle or you. If we were overseas at the end of a long supply chain then yes, you can substitute something else. Otherwise, use a made for the purpose lubricant. You can do a more detailed cleaning less frequently. Rod the barrel and bore, clean the lugs and inside the upper receiver. I clean the BCG, charging handle, and barrel when I'm done. It's important to get carbon out and clean oil in. I paid hundreds of dollars for my rifle, so I protect my investment. Keep it simple: The AR was designed to be lubricated with oil. Thank you for this. Much appreciated Ab |
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Generally speaking using multiple oil and grease products on your rifle is a bad idea. I would recommend sticking with a cleaner, then a lubrication. For example, you can use Hoppes to clean the rifle, then use Lucas grease to lube the rifle up. You do not need to put grease everywhere. You only need to put a tiny bit on very few friction points you can see on the various manuals. The thing is everyone has their own habits. If each person showed how they cleaned their rifle, every other person would be shocked. It takes a bit of experimentation to get right but eventually you'll see that gun lube is generally a fraud industry. Per ounce, gun cleaning products are way more pricier and less effective over time. I would recommend that you experiment and you'll likely find your own habit. If you have a friend or family, you can also ask them how they clean their firearms and you can follow that as well as a good start. |
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