Cold weather function checks/ lubricants

[BangBang]

A lot of the AR guys are using Mobil 1 synthetic on their guns. I plan to do the same when my economy size bottle of hoppes runs out.

You won't be disappointed. It works great and saves you a bunch of cash.

Alot of guys think that a cleaner or lube has to say "gun" on it. Think about it for a minute though...

A gun is just some moving metal parts. The BEST lube you are going to find for moving metal parts is MOTOR OIL. I don't care how fast you can do a mag dump. You are not going to make a gun cycle as fast as a piston moves in an engine. Motor oil is way cheaper and way better than any "gun" oil.

And just in case that fact doesn't piss enough internet gun experts off, here is another one for you...

High-dollar gun cleaners are a rip-off. Go to the Walmart automotive department and get a couple cans of their cheapest BRAKE CLEANER. You will be amazed how well it works on your guns at less than half the price of "gun" cleaner.

 

[StateLine]

Heck, it gummed up into a tacky mess on three of my ARs during the summer!

Same thing happened on my 10/22 with frog lube.

The culprit is most likely that your guns had residual petroleum based lubes/solvents on them. When FL mixes with petrol based it turns into a white-ish goo. I used FL for a little while because we had a few hundred sample packs kicking around the shop. Didn't take long to switch back to good ol' CLP or EWG, or whatever's open and handy.

 

[Retread]

I'm old, so sometimes my memories blur, so I don't remember what class I was attending, or even if it was Army or Marines, but I do remember being told not to bring weapons inside the tent in freezing weather. They would get condensation, and freeze up when you went back outside. I also seem to remember that there are different lubes and lubing directions in severe cold. If I was going to spend time outside for extended periods, I'd keep sidearms next to my body where it wouldn't freeze up.

 

[RamRoddoc]

 

[BackWoods]

I've never had any issues with FL...whether it be cold or hot. Rem oil is pretty good but, is a little "thin"....CLP is pretty good as well.

 

[hikingthehills]

CLP to clean and a couple drops of Hoppes where the slides move and I have never had a problem.

 

[Retread]

You won't be disappointed. It works great and saves you a bunch of cash.

Alot of guys think that a cleaner or lube has to say "gun" on it. Think about it for a minute though...

A gun is just some moving metal parts. The BEST lube you are going to find for moving metal parts is MOTOR OIL. I don't care how fast you can do a mag dump. You are not going to make a gun cycle as fast as a piston moves in an engine. Motor oil is way cheaper and way better than any "gun" oil.

And just in case that fact doesn't piss enough internet gun experts off, here is another one for you...

High-dollar gun cleaners are a rip-off. Go to the Walmart automotive department and get a couple cans of their cheapest BRAKE CLEANER. You will be amazed how well it works on your guns at less than half the price of "gun" cleaner.

Be careful with unknown solvents. I've seen AR stocks and handgun grips messed up with either carb or brake cleaner. Try a bit on a cotton swab in a hidden spot before blasting away. I seem to remember a recent thread where a chemical engineer spoke on the topic of motor oils as gun lubes. I wish I could remember what he said.

 

[bearpugh]

brake cleaner will remove the finish on some guns so be careful. rem oil being thin is why i like it. 3 in 1 household oil works good too.

 

[protective measures]

My justification for using the Synthetic oil is 1) very high heat tolerance 2) good to very frigid temps (lower than I will ever go, and 3) at <$25/gallon, why not? I always have a couple gallons on hand for my VW TDI so I will never run out of gun lube.

I've been hearing this for awhile. It makes a lot of sense. Had a few guys tell me they were using it but haven't seen it tested under extreme conditions yet. I would think it would probably work. One concern I have is whether it would work on an "exposed" system vs. an "enclosed" one.
In otherwords, inside a vehicles engine there is no where for the oil to escape or "bleed" out to whereas many parts of a gun are open to the outside environment. Others may have personal experience that would be interesting to hear.

 

[camramrod87]

good ole hoppes #9 and rem oil or breakfree for me. no thick oils.

Right there with ya!