Gun oil vs dead horse

What do you use and why?

  • Total voters
    74
When i started the pcc gunsmithing program i asked the lead instructor Pete what was the best thing to use. He said he only used ballistol. Since then that's all I've used and had no problems.

If i get bored at work we have lubriplate so i occasionally put a couple drops on slide rails and it works well.
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TW25B for carry gun, it doesn't migrate out of the gun and it works equally well in hot or cold temperatures.
 
I've used lots of products. There are many very good ones. Hard to imagine a "best". Breakfree CLP does about everything I need for cleaning. And it would suffice for lube, too. I also have other stuff if it's a serious cleaning problem and I have to bring out the big guns.

Now I use Mobil 1 and Slideglide, which is a pink moly grease of some kind. I have no doubt you could buy it for a fraction of the price without the Slideglide branding. But I bought two very small tubs (medium and light viscosity) and they have lasted for years, and I use to shoot quite a bit. When they run out I will examine bulk options. I use the SG on friction points and rails. Really smooths things out. And, it wipes away everything including the carbon when you wipe it clean. I probably lube my guns more than some and it's mostly because it doesn't allow anything to get baked/caked on. It's captured in the lube and easy to wipe off.
Dirty lubed wet AR's, for example, run better than dry clean ones, in my limited experience. I am liable to add oil several times between cleaning intervals.

I have to say of all the stuff I have used, the product that has most impressed me is the Eezox. THAT is a very very good product. After a couple proper applications, with some shooting of the gun in between, the gun can be run totally dry. And it cleans dang near anything. Will cut right through it and find the metal underneath. You apply it very thin, then let it sit for 1/2 hour or so and dry. Then light buff. The binder or whatever evaporates off and leaves like a bonded layer. Like it actually penetrates the metal and leaves a thin coating. And the coating seems to build up over applications. I used this on a 686 because I didn't want oil all over it and didn't want rust, and on two rimfire pistols I used for rimfire challenge. The rimfires got really slick and it really helped them perform. I also use it on magazines, which are metal. Like once a year I'll break down my competition magazines and Eezox them. Never had one rust. If I was more patient I'd use it on more stuff. Does take an extra step to get right. Has worked on all my metal finishes.
 
Criminalcamel said:
Lucas Extreme Duty......not because it is an better than the rest, but it has a nice fruity smell!
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I picked it because of the applicator, that little metal tube makes it easy to drop right onto the contact points. Smell is just a bonus.
 
Trevillian said:
Screw froglube.
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I bought into the hype, big mistake. Seized up the bolt on my 17hmr turning into some schlack like stuff, gummed up my 380 that sat for too long and generally turned to some sort of brown sticky crud if left in the safe too long. Major project cleaning that crap out my guns.

Junk, and no amount of 'works fer me!' claims will make me change my mind. I'm firmly in your screw froglube camp.
 
A few comments, I havent read all the posts, but just first things that come to mind.

I used frog lube for a while, it was ok. It would thicken in cold weather, and I kinda got burned out on it.

Ballistol is probably my favorite all around lubricant.

I used a product called WeaponShield a lot after watching the dudes videos on how well it works, and it does work quite nicely.

I also bought some Clenzoil after watching Project Farm do a video (I believe that was who made it), and its been pretty awesome.

But after about a decade of chasing the golden goose of the best libricant, I can attest that for 99.99% of shooters who arent operating in the arctic, or constantly at sea, then the best libricant is "any" lubricant. When I used to go to more matches I would see that most failures were due to not having enough lube, or even having any lubricant at all. I saw some bone dry BCGs out there. So it didnt really matter what kind of lube they owned, if it isnt applied it aint gonna work.

So, long story short...anything works if you take care of your gear. Buying the nice fancy stuff is just a way us gun dudes can throw even more money at our hobby as opposed to just buying a quart of motoroil and letting it last us til'kingdom come.
 
Jayne said:
I bought into the hype, big mistake. Seized up the bolt on my 17hmr turning into some schlack like stuff, gummed up my 380 that sat for too long and generally turned to some sort of brown sticky crud if left in the safe too long. Major project cleaning that crap out my guns.

Junk, and no amount of 'works fer me!' claims will make me change my mind. I'm firmly in your screw froglube camp.
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I was always curious about this stuff. Glad I never committed.
 
Lube is lube, I donā€™t I get why people nerd out about this. Sure some stays on the gun longer than others but at the end of the day, itā€™s all just lube and really not worth wasting any brainpower over. MILSPEC CLP has been working for along time. Keep some on hand, lube when dry, repeat as necessary..
 
Derek8404 said:
Lube is lube, I donā€™t I get why people nerd out about this. Sure some stays on the gun longer than others but at the end of the day, itā€™s all just lube and really not worth wasting any brainpower over. MILSPEC CLP has been working for along time. Keep some on hand, lube when dry, repeat as necessary..
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Staying in the gun is the only thing I care about, and it varies by the gun.

I want it to stay in my AR and not blow out after dumping a magazine or 5. Same with my competition pistol.

Concealed carry gun gets regular lube.
 
Scsmith42 said:
Iā€™ve used most of the commercial products, but switched over to Weapon Shield a few years ago and havenā€™t looked back.

Suppressor baffles get coated with spray Pam cooking oil. It makes them easier to clean and the range smell like French fries!
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George Fennel was the inventor and owner of steel shield technologies, met him several times when I lived in Pennsylvania. Apparently steel shield has closed and sold all of the formulas for weapon shield to another company.

Probably one of the only gun oils that was actually made by metallurgist.
It's all I've used for probably the last 10 or 15 years.
 
If I am putting guns in for long-term storage Fluid Film aaaallllllll over everything. For general use Hoppes No. 9 or CLP. Heavier on the rifles than the carry guns since the lint can accumulate pretty quickly.

I have used Molyb in the past which seemed to work alright. The US Army uses the TW-25B grease on the 30mm cannon for the Apache, as well as for greasing up the Mk. 19 Grenade launcher, and it can be used on the 50 cal. The TMs even gave what specific oils that could be used on the 240's and SAWs in a pinch (basically anything high-temp).

I have almost zero experience with the "dry" lubes other than the Molyb. I have heard anecdotes of people in Afghanistan, Iraq and other dangerous desert areas (like southern Arizona) who had success with Graphite.
 
# 9 for cleaning cause I'm addicted to the smell. Break free for lube cause I got a good deal on a gallon of it 30 years ago and have never had any problems.
 
Side note- i helped dad clean his 22 and left the ballistol on the counter.

The next day mom says the handy man came over to fix the dishwasher and saw the bottle on the counter and said i can tell by that bottle that we think alike. Gave her a discount on the labor.
 
I use Mobil 1, not because "Mobile 1" but because that's what I use in nearly all our vehicles.

The drippings from a 5 quart jug after an oil change will last me forever in my gun oil bottles.

When I was younger, Dad used Kendall oil in the family cars. If I was still using that today, then that's what would be in my gun oil bottles.
 
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Jayne said:
I picked it because of the applicator, that little metal tube makes it easy to drop right onto the contact points. Smell is just a bonus.
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I bought a pack of these from Brownells years ago to round up an order to use a discount code, and they're probably one of my most used purchases from them.

www.brownells.com

NEEDLE OILER BOTTLES | Brownells

Polyethylene bottle with hollow, steel tube places just the right amount of lubricant, cleaner or other liquid exactly where you want it. Flexible, translucent body aids in metering the contents and allows viewing contents of bottle; resists break...
www.brownells.com www.brownells.com

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CLP here. Either breakfree or breakthrough, as to why, it's just old army in me and like Forest said, "for no particular reason at all".
I use a cycling grease on my pistol slides at the contact points.
 
Since virtually all of them work "well enough" (except for Froglube in the cold), my bigger concern is fumes and toxicity when it comes to skin absorption. Don't have the link at the moment, but I'm pretty sure there was an actual study done on the Break-free CLP using rodents which had some concerning results indicating organ damage. Supposedly, Ballistol is less toxic (I'm guessing hardly anything is "nontoxic"), but it does still create smelly fumes, which sucks for cleaning indoors.

Any suggestions with all that in mind?
 
DuncanLempRIP said:
Since virtually all of them work "well enough" (except for Froglube in the cold), my bigger concern is fumes and toxicity when it comes to skin absorption. Don't have the link at the moment, but I'm pretty sure there was an actual study done on the Break-free CLP using rodents which had some concerning results indicating organ damage. Supposedly, Ballistol is less toxic (I'm guessing hardly anything is "nontoxic"), but it does still create smelly fumes, which sucks for cleaning indoors.

Any suggestions with all that in mind?
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Ballistol was recommended as a minor cut treatment at one time and is quite safe.
 
DuncanLempRIP said:
Since virtually all of them work "well enough" (except for Froglube in the cold), my bigger concern is fumes and toxicity when it comes to skin absorption. Don't have the link at the moment, but I'm pretty sure there was an actual study done on the Break-free CLP using rodents which had some concerning results indicating organ damage. Supposedly, Ballistol is less toxic (I'm guessing hardly anything is "nontoxic"), but it does still create smelly fumes, which sucks for cleaning indoors.

Any suggestions with all that in mind?
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Wearing gloves, like the prostrate dr uses. šŸ˜¬ It helps with the transfer of carbon and gunk onto other surfaces and helps protect against skin absorption.
 
LucasGunOil.PNGLucasBottles.jpg

I bought the Lucas product because of the applicator, as said above, at FG&G - one for my shooting bag, one for my cleaning bag, and one for a place so special I can't find it. Now with the Amazon bottles posted above, I am reevaluating my life choices. Do I buy the empty 3-pack? I don't know, because as @fieldgrade says, "I have people for that." As in Lucas. The bottle in my shooting bag has been there a couple of years, I shoot almost every week somewhere, and I haven't used 1/4 of it yet. The 3 bottles of Lucas might last me my lifetime, assuming I can find that 3rd bottle.

Also, I have an interest in a small fuel-additive company that does some business with Lucas, so I feel a certain sense of loyalty buying their product.

I also use Remoil in the aerosol can because it's easy, and because my shotgun shooting buddy uses it on his $25k Krieghoff.

I have a bottle of Valvoline Gear Oil, synthetic 80W-90, that I bought 15+ years ago at a yard sale for maybe $1. I seem to recall buying more than one and giving the others to my Dad and Brother. I just checked and I have 30 oz. left, so Amazon here I come.
 
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Dirtydirtysouf said:
So my pops is retired and is spending too much time on the interwebs investigating gun lubrication ā€¦.
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Reading for Pops (donā€™t let title fool you; scroll down for / includes lubricity testing):

ā€œComprehensive Corrosion Test: 46 Products Comparedā€​

Comprehensive Corrosion Test: 46 Products Compared | Day At The Range

By: DIY_guy We all want to use goods quality products on our guns, bows, fishing gear, knives, autos, hunting and lake front gear and like you I?m not a fan of letting things get rust on them nor am I a fan of items wearing out prematurely. To protect my investment in gear, I began
dayattherange.com dayattherange.com
 
73Chall said:
Reading for Pops (donā€™t let title fool you; scroll down for / includes lubricity testing):

ā€œComprehensive Corrosion Test: 46 Products Comparedā€​

Comprehensive Corrosion Test: 46 Products Compared | Day At The Range

By: DIY_guy We all want to use goods quality products on our guns, bows, fishing gear, knives, autos, hunting and lake front gear and like you I?m not a fan of letting things get rust on them nor am I a fan of items wearing out prematurely. To protect my investment in gear, I began
dayattherange.com dayattherange.com
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Thanks for the link!
 
I use CLP primarily on mine, Atlas, Sigs, Staccatos, etcā€¦. I was using EWL grease, but watched some videos from the owner of Altas and some others about the potential of grease picking up debris and causing additional wear to the parts (Mainly slide rails), Iā€™m assuming this is for persons shooting thousands of rounds monthly in matches which is NOT me. Iā€™ve yet to have a problem with anything.
 
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beeleafs said:
Wearing gloves, like the prostrate dr uses. šŸ˜¬ It helps with the transfer of carbon and gunk onto other surfaces and helps protect against skin absorption.
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Yep. I wear gloves to clean the guns. My concerns being the chemicals along with lead entering the skin.
 
I have different weights of Royal Purple for my black guns/working guns (straight weight 30, 40 and 50).

And Ballistol for my expensive and/or guns with wood.
 
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