Using Motor Oil for Lube

[PiratePast40]

I'm too dumb to remember all the fancy concoctions and brews. I just use Hoppe's No 9. Someone said it was designed to be a gun oil.

 

[Stomper]

I'm too dumb to remember all the fancy concoctions and brews. I just use Hoppe's No 9. Someone said it was designed to be a gun oil.

Try the sammich!

 

[ilikegunspdx]

I have helped create and test oils for cars with the former head of Exxon Mobil's advanced research lab. I am not a tribologist however. Lots of things work as a gun lubricant including anise oil (not anise liqueur ha ha) which is what is in ballistol and has been used in German guns primarily since the early 1900s -incidentally, ballistol is/was also sold as a medicine to be taken internally! Eezox acts in a similar way to ballistol but is synthetic (and doesn't stink like ballistol) and is the only gun oil I use personally.

Without going into excruciating detail, all oils are a trade off of "ingredients" formulated for a specific purpose or operating environment. Gear oils for example are going to have quite different additive packages than motor oils. Many of the the oils mentioned above are designed to just meet the minimum manufacturer approvals for the least cost. According to poeple that work for these motor oil companies, it really is all about $ and not what the advertising says. One real-world example is that an additive for one of the most popular synthetic motor oils that would reduce wear by almost 30% was rejected because it increased cost by $0.003 per quart. They get the most $ by meeting the broadest number of manufacturer approvals for the least cost and through their marketing.

It's not going to hurt your gun but may not give you the same lubrication as gun oils formulated for that purpose. Also we should be aware that additives designed for one purpose can potentially have deleterious effects in another environment.

Some advanced gun oils have a lot of thought and testing and use the most advanced materials available. Whether u want to use those, or something like ballistol, which is a 115 year old formulation that does work, or used motor oil is up to you. For me I look for the most advanced I can get cuz the cost is so minor. Also I look for something close to a "dry lube" type of formulation. Why try to save $ by using used motor oil when the cost difference amounts to 1/4 of one 50 round box of 9mm these days (I mean cost per year). But the next person may not feel the same and that's ok. My 2 cents fwiw...

 

[joken]

I use synthetic motor oil and white lithium grease

 

[HaveGun]

I have helped create and test oils for cars with the former head of Exxon Mobil's advanced research lab. I am not a tribologist however. Lots of things work as a gun lubricant including anise oil (not anise liqueur ha ha) which is what is in ballistol and has been used in German guns primarily since the early 1900s -incidentally, ballistol is/was also sold as a medicine to be taken internally! Eezox acts in a similar way to ballistol but is synthetic (and doesn't stink like ballistol) and is the only gun oil I use personally.

Without going into excruciating detail, all oils are a trade off of "ingredients" formulated for a specific purpose or operating environment. Gear oils for example are going to have quite different additive packages than motor oils. Many of the the oils mentioned above are designed to just meet the minimum manufacturer approvals for the least cost. According to poeple that work for these motor oil companies, it really is all about $ and not what the advertising says. One real-world example is that an additive for one of the most popular synthetic motor oils that would reduce wear by almost 30% was rejected because it increased cost by $0.03 per quart. They get the most $ by meeting the broadest number of manufacturer approvals for the least cost and through their marketing.

It's not going to hurt your gun but may not give you the same lubrication as gun oils formulated for that purpose. Also we should be aware that additives designed for one purpose can potentially have deleterious effects in another environment.

Some advanced gun oils have a lot of thought and testing and use the most advanced materials available. Whether u want to use those, or something like ballistol, which is a 115 year old formulation that does work, or used motor oil is up to you. For me I look for the most advanced I can get cuz the cost is so minor. Also I look for something close to a "dry lube" type of formulation. Why try to save $ by using used motor oil when the cost difference amounts to 1/4 of one 50 round box of 9mm these days. But the next person may not feel the same and that's ok. My 2 cents fwiw...

Thanks for the insider info. So, in your obviously learned and respected opinion, what would be a potential disadvantage in choosing Mobil 1for a lubricant over something like CLP or Rem Oil?

 

[olyroller]

Mobil 1 5-30, and high temp bearing grease. Of course, I don't shoot thousands of rounds through my guns. Can't afford to. I clean and lube after every range session, even if I only shoot 20 rounds. I'm weird that way.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Thanks for the insider info. So, in your obviously learned and respected opinion, what would be a potential disadvantage in choosing Mobil 1for a lubricant over something like CLP or Rem Oil?

The short answer is only testing (or long term real world use) would tell you. There may be no noticeable "real-world" difference between two specific formulations or there may be a difference.

For me one of the biggest differences between some CLPs, such as Eezox, would be the difference between a "wet" formulation and a "dry lube" formulation. Motor oil and a "dry lube" would be dramatically different in how much they attract and hold dirt, carbon fouling, powder residue, etc etc. For me that is a huge deal (not just due to easier cleaning after shooting but for effect on function, increased wear on parts, etc), for someone else it may not be.

 

[bobcat7677]

I prefer a scientific approach to such decisions. I look at coefficient of friction (how well does the stuff actually prevent wear), rust resistance (very important to me as I live in the pacific NW and often use my guns in challenging conditions that have resulted in corrosion damage when I used lesser lubricants), "stickyness" (I don't want the lube attracting a lot of dirt), and of course price and availability.

Many people swear by Frog Lube, and it does perform very well in some tests, but does not do so well in others and is pretty expensive. The black powder guys seem to really like it since its available as a paste, and personally that is the only application I would typically use it for given some of the problems that people have had with it in modern firearms.

Next I will mention Break Free CLP. This is my "go-to" because it's a strong overall performer, cheap, and available just about everywhere. It's not the "best" in any category, but it's close. Low friction, excellent rust resistance, not much problem with attracting dirt, good price, and availability.

Finally, I have to mention Hornandy One Shot Cleaner and protectant with Dynaglide. I have no idea what dynaglide is, but the stuff excels at being an extremely low friction dry lubricant (does not attract dirt). The rest resistance is top shelf. It's somewhat inexpensive (a bit more than Break Free, but not bad). The main problem with it is that it's not available everywhere. If you have a Cabelas near by you can get it there, otherwise it's hit and miss where you might find it (other than ordering online of course).

This article gets really detailed about the primary drivers and quickly rules out some of the true "snake oil" garbage products like "Gunzilla". http://www.dayattherange.com/?page_id=3667

One set of products not covered in this article that I would also absolutely avoid is TetraGun. God, that stuff is awful. Some slick salesman sold me on it at a gun show one time and now I have a several deeply pitted guns to show for it. Once I figured out what was going on, all my TetraGun products went in the garbage. There are a ton of products on the market, and lots of stuff that will do in a pinch. But it makes me feel sick inside when I see well made guns wear prematurely or rust because they didn't have good protection. The moral of this story is that there are proven products out there that do an excellent job of protecting your stuff. There is really no good reason to take chances on stuff like "Gunzilla".

Break Free CLP is a proven product, inexpensive, and available everywhere (I get mine at Bi-Mart). In my mind, there is really no excuse not to at least invest $10 in a product you can trust to keep your valuable firearms in good condition.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

Oxidation people, read the post i put on the first page, easy short video included. Yes, motor oil will lube, but it won't protect from oxidation/rusting etc.

Believe it or not, engine oil isn't needed to do that duty, so it doesn't.

 

[Member 34319]

Oxidation people, read the post i put on the first page, easy short video included. Yes, motor oil will lube, but it won't protect from oxidation/rusting etc.

Believe it or not, engine oil isn't needed to do that duty, so it doesn't.

Sounds like marketing to me!

 

[RetiredLEO]

If you're purist, this thread isn't for you. Or maybe it is.
Back in the day, we had three basic lubes sitting around the motor pool, 10W, 30W and GAA (Grease, Auto and Artillery, AKA...standard axle grease). Of course, we had the standard little green bottles of bore cleaner and the gallon jugs of Break Free as well. Truth be told though, I was fond of using the GAA on the M2HB's and 1911's when out in the field. It worked well. These days I have a nice stock on hand of Rem Oil, Lucas and even a jar of Frog Lube (Ban-Gay for guns). Fancy stuff. Does it work? Sure, quite well. However the topic pops up on occasion about using standard motor oil as a gun lube. I have no problem with that and have used it when my Rem Oil is nowhere to be found. I usually stick with Mobil-1 5W30 or 0W20, as that's what our vehicles all take. I find that it works well. No gumming, fouling, build up of any kind, even after hundreds of rounds between a cleaning. Of course, YMMV. It really shouldn't though as modern day motor oils (especially synthetics) have all of the anti corrosion and anti friction additives that you would want. They are designed for flow in hi revving engines with tight tolerances so it seems like a natural application for any modern fire arm.
What do the rest of you use aside from the Hoppe's, Rem Oil, Break Free, etc and why?

View attachment 793505

Cerakote your frame and slide and you don't need any oil.

 

[Retired Guy]

I use whatever motor oil is left over from my oil changes and synthetic grease (current is Mobil 1).

I used to buy expensive gun oils and such. I was once having a chat with a very experienced gunsmith and he suggested a light motor oil for firearms lube. I replied that it was worth it to me for the added protection of Break Free CLP. He said that guns survived well before fancy gun oils and that I'm not working my firearms hard enough (most people don't) for it to make a difference. He then added that oils designed to do a lot (clean - lube - protect) do none well. FWIW. YMMV. Do what you feel is best.

 

[CastleRocker]

During my apprenticeship, I had to take a semester of lubrication technology courses. Our instructor was a triologist/petro research engineer. He knew more about galling, brinelling, spalling, fretting, and how to prevent it than anyone I've ever met. I don't see why motor oil or ATF won't work. Oil is oil when it's first cracked, it's the additive package that separates the usages. Any oil with additives to emulsify carbon, steel, and such should work on a gun.

Long before I got a "real job", I was a commercial fisherman for 12 years in AK. I can say from experience, a gun kept on a boat, it going to rust, unless it is sitting in a bucket of motor oil...(yes I did, and the clean-up takes a long time). Doesn't matter if it's stainless or not...it's going to rust if air, (especially salt air) gets to it. In that 12 years, I think I tried everything to prevent rust/pitting. I settled on; anything that prevents oxygen from coming into contact with iron is going to be a "rust inhibitor", whether it's a coat of oil or a coat of rattle can paint. Best method I found for a rifle bore was, stick a grease gun in the chamber, and pump until it comes out the muzzle, then insert an empty case, close the bolt, and tape the heck out of the muzzle. Yep, the cleanup socks, but it's better that a pitted bore.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Oxidation people, read the post i put on the first page, easy short video included. Yes, motor oil will lube, but it won't protect from oxidation/rusting etc.

Believe it or not, engine oil isn't needed to do that duty, so it doesn't.

Very true. Again they r designed with a specific operating environment/use in mind. Increasing a given additive, or using an additional additive for rust prevention Fe can potentially hurt (or even destroy) the benefits of another additive, that's why it's always a balance of trade offs. Have to be careful about the word "oxidation" though in an oil context as it's often used in a different sense (eg oil oxidation and antioxidant additives).

For rust prevention on guns, paraffin-based such as boeshield works well but as I understand not as well as Eezox though I have not tested them personally other than just regular use and I've found both of those to be great for rust prevention. Note that's not a knock on any other lube that I have not used regularly, just mentioning 2 that do well in terms of rust prevention.

 

[zenmariner]

Saw some utube commandos submerge an ar with a 30 round clip (sic) into a wash tub of motor oil. They pulled it out and shot all 30 rounds without a miss fire. Guess you cant overlube with motor oil.

 

[cigars]

Cerakote your frame and slide and you don't need any oil.

Some of us are too cheap...

 

[Robear]

I use Breakfree clp. I bought a gallon of it from Sportsmans Guide years ago for about $20 and haven't used it up yet. No idea what's best, but this keeps everything clean, rust free and working smoothly so it's good enough. After using corrosive ammo, first I clean with 20% Simple Green. Then I finish with Ed's Red home brew.

 

[twa2471]

The one and ONLY thing I've used for years is the Mercuruser synthetic gear lube for outdrives ( the green stuff) on all my firearms and have ever sense it was introduced. It's by far the best lubricant I've ever found,,bar none! It's designed for close tolerance equipment, will not loose it's lubricity even when diluted to a very high degree by water, repels moisture and is designed for very tight tolerance, high pressure applications and has extreme anti corrosion protection properties plus it won't allow fouling to stick to internals near as much using it. It can even be bought @ wally world in pints or quarts. OMC makes some quite similar too, but I haven't found it to be quite as good as the Mercruiser stuff. The OMC stuff will loose it's lubricity much quicker if exposed to high moisture from my experiance and will "wash off", the Mercruiser stuff won't,,,like in a rain storm for example.

Try it folks, you won't be disappointed in the least ! It's wicked good stuff,,,,

 

[Capn Jack]

ATF

 

[twa2471]

ATF

ATF I've heard is good for cleaning carbon build up , but not a great option for lubrication, especially if you get caught in the rain, that wash's away quicker than anything then. It can damage varnish's and some types of plastics too . A friend of mine uses ATF in a ultrasonic cleaner to clean his 1919 internal bits and he swears by it and uses the Mercruiser gear lube too on his 1919 .