Just picked up a Garand to start getting into long range matches.  All they talk about is grease, grease, grease!  "Many shooters select various types of oil ....This may lead to malfunctions, especially during rapid fire exercises or in hot weather."  What am I missing here?  Is this just old WWII logic or is there a difference in the way a "rapid fire" semi '06 is working and a semi (or auto) AR?

Thanks,

Dale

Actaully the M1A and the Garand need grease, not oil, on the retractable slide. Been that way for decades and nothing has changed. As to what grease to use, then there comes the debate. RIG is a very good grease to use, but there are a multitude of modern greases that can do the job better. Make sure the little bearing on the forward part of the slide gets some oil in it. Otherwise grease the machined recess, but wipe off any excess to not attract dust or you will end up with the stuff on your shooting matt, hands, colthing etc. HTH

ARs and Garands are 2 different animals and require different care and feeding.  There are some serious heavy duty reciprocating parts in the M1 op system, steel parts which require forceful crashing and banging into each other in order to ensure proper function (rear of bolt to receiver, op rod to receiver groove, bolt to op rod.)  Grease is the best choice in this highly stressed environment in which there is little problem with crud build-up.

AR's have fewer and less-stressed reciprocating parts and can get away with oil.  The only steel-to-steel contacts I can think of in the op system are bolt-to-cam pin-to-carrier and bolt-to-lugs, the latter of which you obviously cannot use grease on due to chamber proximity, and I'd think using grease in your carrier would collect crud even faster than normal.

Thanks,

Appreciate the information.

Grease for M1s and M1As, oil or grease for ARs. (Derrick Martin swears by grease)