AR Sponsor
Grease or Oil (Page 2 of 2)
Member
Joined:
Jun 2022
Posts:
8190
EE: 100% (30)
FL, USA
| I know Mobil 1 is about as good a lubricant as you can get and have used it in the past but am I the only one bothered by the smell? It just plain stinks to me and makes the weapon stink. Balistol on the other hand, is far from the best lubricant but I kind of like it’s aroma. |
When your state is shaped like a huge, droopy penis, you have to expect there to be some huge nuts as well.
Mech 2007
Mech 2007
|
Not looking to ruffle any feathers because I'm sure there's gonna be a bunch of guys that live by grease if it slides and oil if it rotates, but I don't buy that. Oil serves two purposes in an AR. First, of course, it provides lubrication to reduce parts wear. Second, it provides a medium by which the cycling of the action can displace crud as it builds up. I've run ARs for thousands of rounds without cleaning and they will keep on running as long as they're lubed, so that crud doesn't build up in a place that stops the gun from running. An AR with good parts is a marvel and it isn't hard to keep them running. I've used cooking oil, suntan oil, motor oil .... pretty much anything that feels like oil will work. I use slip 2000. Not because it's special, I just like a synthetic lube that won't cook off, preferably with a carbon killing agent. Many argue that they use grease because it stays put. Yes, it stays put, along with all of the crud that results from actually firing your weapon. It doesn't displace anything. Besides, do you know what you get when you mix grease with an abrasive, like carbon fouling and dirt? You get what is essentially lapping compound. Grease is fine if you go to the range to run a hundred or a couple hundred rounds and then run home and clean your AR, but if you go out on a weekend shoot and run 1500 rounds and can't clean, it ain't gonna work out well. |
|
Originally Posted By TonyAngel: Not looking to ruffle any feathers because I'm sure there's gonna be a bunch of guys that live by grease if it slides and oil if it rotates, but I don't buy that. Oil serves two purposes in an AR. First, of course, it provides lubrication to reduce parts wear. Second, it provides a medium by which the cycling of the action can displace crud as it builds up. I've run ARs for thousands of rounds without cleaning and they will keep on running as long as they're lubed, so that crud doesn't build up in a place that stops the gun from running. An AR with good parts is a marvel and it isn't hard to keep them running. I've used cooking oil, suntan oil, motor oil .... pretty much anything that feels like oil will work. I use slip 2000. Not because it's special, I just like a synthetic lube that won't cook off, preferably with a carbon killing agent. Many argue that they use grease because it stays put. Yes, it stays put, along with all of the crud that results from actually firing your weapon. It doesn't displace anything. Besides, do you know what you get when you mix grease with an abrasive, like carbon fouling and dirt? You get what is essentially lapping compound. Grease is fine if you go to the range to run a hundred or a couple hundred rounds and then run home and clean your AR, but if you go out on a weekend shoot and run 1500 rounds and can't clean, it ain't gonna work out well. This guy gets it Grease has very limited application in firearms. |
Joined:
Sep 2022
Posts:
87
EE: 0% (0)
TX, USA
|
I use CLP paste and almost all the carbon just wipes off the bcg and upper with a rag. It works great as a lubricant, and it makes maintenance easier. I do keep a little bottle of gun oil in my bag to quick lube if the bcg is looking a bit dry when I'm at the range. I mostly end up using it on friend's guns. |
Joined:
Sep 2022
Posts:
88
EE: 0% (0)
TX, USA
|
Originally Posted By TonyAngel: Not looking to ruffle any feathers because I'm sure there's gonna be a bunch of guys that live by grease if it slides and oil if it rotates, but I don't buy that. Oil serves two purposes in an AR. First, of course, it provides lubrication to reduce parts wear. Second, it provides a medium by which the cycling of the action can displace crud as it builds up. I've run ARs for thousands of rounds without cleaning and they will keep on running as long as they're lubed, so that crud doesn't build up in a place that stops the gun from running. An AR with good parts is a marvel and it isn't hard to keep them running. I've used cooking oil, suntan oil, motor oil .... pretty much anything that feels like oil will work. I use slip 2000. Not because it's special, I just like a synthetic lube that won't cook off, preferably with a carbon killing agent. Many argue that they use grease because it stays put. Yes, it stays put, along with all of the crud that results from actually firing your weapon. It doesn't displace anything. Besides, do you know what you get when you mix grease with an abrasive, like carbon fouling and dirt? You get what is essentially lapping compound. Grease is fine if you go to the range to run a hundred or a couple hundred rounds and then run home and clean your AR, but if you go out on a weekend shoot and run 1500 rounds and can't clean, it ain't gonna work out well. Why not both? I use clp paste because it makes it super easy to keep it clean for my normal use case which is taking it to the indoor range three minutes from my house. I was also in the Army for 4 years, and I know that in extended field conditions as long as you keep dropping oil into that bcg the rifle will keep running. So I use clp paste for normal range activities, but keep a supply of oil in the event that the local situation becomes less of a scenario and more of a reality. |
|
Originally Posted By TonyAngel: Not looking to ruffle any feathers because I'm sure there's gonna be a bunch of guys that live by grease if it slides and oil if it rotates, but I don't buy that. Oil serves two purposes in an AR. First, of course, it provides lubrication to reduce parts wear. Second, it provides a medium by which the cycling of the action can displace crud as it builds up. I've run ARs for thousands of rounds without cleaning and they will keep on running as long as they're lubed, so that crud doesn't build up in a place that stops the gun from running. An AR with good parts is a marvel and it isn't hard to keep them running. I've used cooking oil, suntan oil, motor oil .... pretty much anything that feels like oil will work. I use slip 2000. Not because it's special, I just like a synthetic lube that won't cook off, preferably with a carbon killing agent. Many argue that they use grease because it stays put. Yes, it stays put, along with all of the crud that results from actually firing your weapon. It doesn't displace anything. Besides, do you know what you get when you mix grease with an abrasive, like carbon fouling and dirt? You get what is essentially lapping compound. Grease is fine if you go to the range to run a hundred or a couple hundred rounds and then run home and clean your AR, but if you go out on a weekend shoot and run 1500 rounds and can't clean, it ain't gonna work out well. Exactly how is carbon chemically "killed"? Are we talking about accelerating its atomic decay rate or something? Might be some hazardous radiation exposure going on with that, but I digress. Points for creative phrasing. |
|
Originally Posted By Master_Blaster: Exactly how is carbon chemically "killed"? Are we talking about accelerating its atomic decay rate or something? Might be some hazardous radiation exposure going on with that, but I digress. Points for creative phrasing. Oh, geez. Are you really gonna take that literally? Man, there always has to be THAT guy. I'm talking about a lube/cleaner that contains a component that helps to keep carbon from clumping and hardening and promotes it's being moved away from vital areas. Like when you'll add something like marvel mystery oil to home made lube to act as a carbon remover component. |
|
Originally Posted By Moondog: How does Frog Lube behave in extremely cold weather? Originally Posted By Moondog: Originally Posted By Unit-59: I tried synthetic grease and it worked well but it was messy when cleaning time came. I tried synthetic oil and that was better for me. But then I tried frog lube and all my grease and oils sit unused. How does Frog Lube behave in extremely cold weather? Poor enough that I threw it in the trash after the first try. Wilson Combat 1911 and Colt AR I brought out that day were seized up. |
Dómine Jesu, dimitte nobis débita nostra, salva nos ab igne inferni; perduc in caelum omnes ánimas, praesertim eas, quae misericórdiae tuae máxime indigent.
|
I use oil, sometimes EWL, sometimes synthetic motor oil, sometimes Birchwood Casey gun oil. They all seem to work equally well. |
Dómine Jesu, dimitte nobis débita nostra, salva nos ab igne inferni; perduc in caelum omnes ánimas, praesertim eas, quae misericórdiae tuae máxime indigent.
Member
Joined:
Jun 2022
Posts:
8229
EE: 100% (30)
FL, USA
|
Originally Posted By Gullskjegg: Poor enough that I threw it in the trash after the first try. Wilson Combat 1911 and Colt AR I brought out that day were seized up. So the new stuff is the same as the old? I wondered as I’m seeing it mentioned again. I tried it years ago (used according to directions) and it baca me “gummy” after maybe six months just sitting in the safe. I went back to Balistol for most things. |
When your state is shaped like a huge, droopy penis, you have to expect there to be some huge nuts as well.
Mech 2007
Mech 2007
|
Originally Posted By Curmudgeon762: So the new stuff is the same as the old? I wondered as I’m seeing it mentioned again. I tried it years ago (used according to directions) and it baca me “gummy” after maybe six months just sitting in the safe. I went back to Balistol for most things. Originally Posted By Curmudgeon762: Originally Posted By Gullskjegg: Poor enough that I threw it in the trash after the first try. Wilson Combat 1911 and Colt AR I brought out that day were seized up. So the new stuff is the same as the old? I wondered as I’m seeing it mentioned again. I tried it years ago (used according to directions) and it baca me “gummy” after maybe six months just sitting in the safe. I went back to Balistol for most things. I couldn't tell you if it was new or old formula, maybe about 8 years ago? I wouldn't try again either way though. |
Dómine Jesu, dimitte nobis débita nostra, salva nos ab igne inferni; perduc in caelum omnes ánimas, praesertim eas, quae misericórdiae tuae máxime indigent.
Joined:
Jun 2024
Posts:
684
EE: 0% (0)
USA
|
Originally Posted By Gullskjegg: I couldn't tell you if it was new or old formula, maybe about 8 years ago? I wouldn't try again either way though. FrogLube cleaner is a decent carbon cutter. But we don't use their CLP. For that, I've been pretty happy with Professor Pew (sucky name, works very well) and it cleans well enough that we've dropped the FrogLube cleaner. As a lube it seems okay but I generally use ALG for that. |
|
I was a die-hard CLP user until about 2006/2007. Then I used TW25b for a few years, but that is quite pricey. So I then switched to Mobil 1 synthetic wheel bearing grease. About 18 months ago, I switched to a mix of 5w - 30 synthetic motor oil (any brand) and Mobil 1 synthetic grease. I mix it to the consistency of honey. One quart of oil and one can of grease is a lifetime of lube (and I go shoot at least twice a month). For me, the best of both worlds. YMMV. |
|
I use current MIL-PRF lubricants. G96 Synthetic. I prefer the F revision over the Bio G. Reason being, the F tends to migrate a bit on surfaces, while G stays right where placed. I don't mean "runs vs not", but more that it has what appears to be polarity and will protect pinholes etc by capillary action. Why do I use boring stuff like this? Because I tried Froglube. I tried Fireclean. I tried every fancy stupid new fad in lubing my carbine. You know? Properly mil tested lubricants tend to have less bad unintended side effects on the platform. They. Just. Work. |
|
Originally Posted By Unit-59: I tried synthetic grease and it worked well but it was messy when cleaning time came. I tried synthetic oil and that was better for me. But then I tried frog lube and all my grease and oils sit unused. It was more like Frog Glue for me. I threw that shit away. It did smell nice, though. |
Did I just kill another thread?
We are in the middle of a Communist Revolution in the USA.
There is no voting our way out of this.
We are in the middle of a Communist Revolution in the USA.
There is no voting our way out of this.
|
Originally Posted By pite0007: Old saying: If it rotates, oil it. If it slides, grease it. Bad old saying. You do not grease the ways of the lathe or mill, you oil them. Permanently lubricated electric motors typically have greased bearings. Your internal combustion engine have both sliding (pistons) and rotating (crankshaft) parts and all is oil lubricated. Wheel bearings are usually greased. Some helicopters use grease filled gearboxes . . . . Grease is best for high-load, slow speed operation, or where re-lubrication is impractical. Oil is best for high-speed operation, or washing away contaminants is desirable. Oil also works better in close tolerance mechanism as it can better penetrate into smaller gaps than grease. EDIT: I like to follow the recommendation of the experts, i.e., the tribology engineers that write the lubrication instructions. For an AR, a relatively light weight oil pretty much everywhere; for the M14, grease on the operating rod guides and spring, oil in the firing mechanism and inside the bolt. |
Joined:
Aug 2024
Posts:
86
EE: 100% (4)
AL, USA
|
Lucas white lithium grease. Light skimmed layer on contact parts. Oil will eventually dribble out. In a quick high round exchange, the grease will tend to thin out and keep the gun lubricated as it oozes. Oil tends to escape and burn off. Lube a handgun with oil and lay it on the counter overnight. Oil will be on the counter. |
|
Originally Posted By KurtVice: Lucas white lithium grease. Light skimmed layer on contact parts. Oil will eventually dribble out. In a quick high round exchange, the grease will tend to thin out and keep the gun lubricated as it oozes. Oil tends to escape and burn off. Lube a handgun with oil and lay it on the counter overnight. Oil will be on the counter. Only if you dunk it in oil. I use oil on most of my stuff and don't see oil puddles under any of them after months of storage. |
|
When I lived in Arizona, and temps got to 105F I used grease - in the winter when temps were in the 80's I used oil. Grease tends to accumulate dirt and debris so you have to keep an eye on it and reapply if it gets too gunky... Oil tends to run off and you need to reapply every once in a while and clean up the drippings... |
|
Originally Posted By Ronnoc: I put Mobil One synthetic 10w-30 in a dropper bottle and use it to oil everything. For my non-super duty weapons, I use mainly the PSA premium BCGs that are phosphate which helps keep the oil in place. Pretty much same, just whatever viscosity I have for current cars. Any synthetic motor oil is going to far exceed the needs of even an AR running full steam. We used to keep our duty rifles in the trunk in SE TX gulf coast heat/humidity. Mobil 1 worked just fine but I probably wiped down the BCG and relubed every couple weeks. I tried different greases on pistols but they always ended up getting grease on my clothes. If I had to use a grease for any firearm it would be Sil-Glyde brake parts synthetic grease.. it's clear and stays put. |
Crap Magnet Extraordinaire
|
I've use Magnalube grease on every firearm I've owned for the last fifteen years. I have Mobil 1 10w40, Slip 2000, and a few others I use when I feel like it. Guys that stick to one or the other religiously are fuckin' hilarious. Guns aren't demanding environments. Oil is fine, grease stays put and lasts longer. Both work. |
"What is socialism? The most difficult and tortuous way to progress from capitalism to capitalism." -Stated at an intel conference, East Berlin, Oct. 1988
"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods." -H.L. Mencken
"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods." -H.L. Mencken
|
Originally Posted By Unit-59: I tried synthetic grease and it worked well but it was messy when cleaning time came. I tried synthetic oil and that was better for me. But then I tried frog lube and all my grease and oils sit unused. Originally Posted By Unit-59: I tried synthetic grease and it worked well but it was messy when cleaning time came. I tried synthetic oil and that was better for me. But then I tried frog lube and all my grease and oils sit unused. I used to love Frog Lube. Until it got cold. Or sat for a while between range outings. It gunked up my guns REALLY bad. Inoperable, and taking weeks of work to get working again. Originally Posted By Moondog: How does Frog Lube behave in extremely cold weather? Terrible. It will either harden or oxidize and become glue, in my experience across multiple guns. |
|
Originally Posted By lysanderxiii: Bad old saying. You do not grease the ways of the lathe or mill, you oil them. Permanently lubricated electric motors typically have greased bearings. Your internal combustion engine have both sliding (pistons) and rotating (crankshaft) parts and all is oil lubricated. Wheel bearings are usually greased. Some helicopters use grease filled gearboxes . . . . Grease is best for high-load, slow speed operation, or where re-lubrication is impractical. Oil is best for high-speed operation, or washing away contaminants is desirable. Oil also works better in close tolerance mechanism as it can better penetrate into smaller gaps than grease. EDIT: I like to follow the recommendation of the experts, i.e., the tribology engineers that write the lubrication instructions. For an AR, a relatively light weight oil pretty much everywhere; for the M14, grease on the operating rod guides and spring, oil in the firing mechanism and inside the bolt. This. The “slides - grease, turns - oil” thing seems to have been handed down from Garand maintenance, where grease WAS used in specific sliding interfaces, while oil was used everywhere else. On the other hand, official guidance for lubricating M-16 family weapons calls for using CLP - an oil - everywhere. I use Mobil 1 on most things. I’ve found that Mobil 1 (I can’t recall what weight I have) is a good “pre-solvent”, loosening crud and soot pretty effectively. Then it’s solvent and then/or degreaser for cleaning. |
Grease or Oil (Page 2 of 2)
AR Sponsor