Right now I am using either Hoppes Elite or Hoppes # 9

Which lubricant do you use? Is there any that really makes you feel is better than another?

I am not locked into any type but would like to make my next bottle the best choice.

Right now I'm using Golden Spectro engine assy lube, it flows and is 'clingy'. Amsoil synthetic spray grease, shoot a bit into a bottle cap, 'Q' tip or tooth pick it into/onto what ever I want, slides, etc. Since the spray grease is light to begin with and synthetic, I believe it would work well in cold climates.

Hoppe's #9 and Hoppe's Elite are great solvents-but I would not use them as lubricants. I like 3-1 oil for lubrication after cleaning. For general wipe down-I have a lambs wool pad saturated with Remington gun grease that leaves a light protective coat on the outside-then into a gun sock.

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Forum consigliere

I use Hoppes # 9 and Hoppes Elite solvents as well but, currently, I am using the # 9 and Elite lubricating oils also.

My problem is I went shooting yesterday and ended up using five different guns. So I came home and began cleaning. As I got all the cleaning supplies out, I noticed I bought large bottles of the Hoppes # 9 and Elite in both the lubricant and solvent. This was back in 1999 and I still have a half bottle of each. I figured I ought to buy some fresher stuff and wondered what was out there these days worth buying.

Hoppe's heavy-vis oil, and Eno's Slide Glide on the rails.

I imagine that there are numerous lubricants that are up to date on their technology and I just comes down to personal preference.
I use Corrosion X lubricant and have for years. Works great.

I use what I have left of RIG, Slide Glide light, and FP10 all weather grease for the greases. FP10 oil, CLP oil, mixed with SFR (an automotive friction reducer) for oils. CLP and CLP Powder Blast for cleaners.

I have every cleaning solvent and lubricant know to Man.

The best I have found but it is too expensive is Mil Com TW-25B synthetic. They have a oil and a grease. A very little goes a long way. Recommended by Sig and you get a free sample when you buy a new gun. If you call them, they will send you a free sample.

Mil-Comm Products - TW-25B synthetic lubricant protectant grease or oil for firearms, fishing reels, locks and hardware. - For Sig Sauer Owners and Enthusiasts

I find myself using lots of Rem Oil lately and Ballistol Sportsmans oil (basically mineral oil, non toxic)

Ballistol Sportsman's Gun Oil 16 oz Liquid - MidwayUSA

Homemade Eds Red is great and cheap I add one part of Mobile one synthetic oil to it.

To be honest, as a lube just a qt of straight Mobile one synthetic(or the Wal Mart brand) will work as well as anything and last for ever.

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Still Running Against the Wind

I will go against the grain here, but I still haven't found anything better than WD-40 for keeping a gun from rusting in hot, humid Georgia weather. I still use Hoppes #9 as a solvent, and 3-1 oil, or most any other kind of machine oil, as a straight lubricant.

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Georgia On My Mind

"To be honest, as a lube just a qt of straight Mobile one synthetic(or the Wal Mart brand) will work as well as anything and last for ever."

Botta bing, botta boom. How true.

as neglectful as it may sound ... cast bullet lube residue.
some might call it dirt, or fouling but it seems to be a gift that keeps on giving

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it just needs more voltage

I have used more different lubes than I have fingers and toes...

I still find BreakFree hard to beat.

I got some of this stuff this past summer and use it on everything!!! I like it a lot!!

M-Pro 7 LPX Gun Oil 4 oz Liquid - MidwayUSA

More than just gun oil, LPX is the next generation of Lubricant and Protectant for advanced military and law enforcement style handheld and crew-served weaponry used in extreme environment operations.

The highest possible protection against wear, humidity, and moisture, including salt water; leaves a long-lasting film that repels dust/dirt and will not evaporate - excellent for long-term storage.

M-Pro 7 Gun Oil LPX contains a cleaning agent that repels dust/dirt and can be used as a "cleaner" to remove surface carbon in the field.

Technical Information:

Notes:


Replaces and outperforms traditional gun oils, CLPs and dry lubes
Combines high quality synthetic oils and LPX additives
Unique technology is resistant to evaporation, separation and gumming
Formulated from technology with the lowest known friction coefficient
Cleans surface fouling without the use of solvents
Meets requirements of MIL-L-63460 revision "E"
Max temperature range (-85?F to 462?F)

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Rick
American Blacksmith

Birchwoodcaseys sheath aka baricade.

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Take it easy. Chris

One of several tests that I have seen for corrosion protection.
Corrosion Protection Products for Rifles, Shooting, Benchrest Competition, Varminting and Firearms Storage

While I agree there should be protection against corrosion, I am more concerned with free movement. About a year ago, I took a 686 out of a drawer and the cylinder was difficult to swing out. Once I opened it, the cylinger did not want to turn. No corrosion, just gummed up. It had not been fired in 5-6 yrs and still has not been fired but it got a good cleaning.

Tonight I cleaned a 66, 36 and a Glock 22.

The lady that lives here with me just to make my life miserable and spend my money is complaining the house smells like chemical from cleaning five guns last night. So maybe a scented lubricant would be nice.

Tomorrrow it is going to rain hard so I will likely clean 4-6 more.

OM45 ... you need to shoot more cast.
really ... get over that JHP hype and go to cast lead.
Cast bullets carry a fair dose of lube which seems to progressively infiltrate the gun.
Ive yet to discover one gummed up like your 686 or even beginning to show signs of corrosion.

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it just needs more voltage

Me, too. Someone in a gun mag (I know, I know) did a test a few years back and found that good old BreakFree outperformed the other miracle lubes in the test. It's also what we always used at the armory for cleaning weapons.

I recently picked up some Lucas Oil gun oil. Used some the other day and it seems like a good product, only time will tell though.

Weapon Shield, They have a fine line of products.

Time for a little common sense, or a reality check. You don't need the best lubricant. You don't even need one of the best. Almost any old lube will do. When you think about it, cost needs to be considered.

I've got a couple of old guns. They date from 100 years ago onward. Somehow they all survived without the benefit of today's wonder lubes (and wonder prices.). Most look so pristine you'd guess they came off the production line yesterday. But instead they've spent at least the last 70 or more years stored someplace. Not together, either. The guns can't talk. We all wish they could.

We've guessed over the years the owners, and I'm sure with most its plural, used what they had. It wasn't the same thing, because they had no idea what the last guy used. And almost all of the products worked.

The 3 in 1 oil is an interesting product. Almost no one recommends it for any serious use. Except I feel pretty certain the unwashed gun owners in the past used it with great success. The more recently hated substance is WD40. Almost no product elicits more hatred. Yet many of us have used it with good results. I think its probably the best gun first aid product ever made. A lot of people use it exclusively. Many of them own guns that are still very nice.

Something else we haven't discussed is need. We've got a big forum here. We've got folks who live on the salt flats of Utah and the coastlines of the Atlantic and Pacific. Others live in places where even a car body sanded to bare metal won't rust because there is no moisture. And some live in the cold wastelands with temps often below zero. Others live in the deserts where its hotter than hell. We don't all require or want the same products. Some lubes evaporate, others turn to concrete with cold. One product may not fill all of everyone's needs.

Me, I use what I can lay my hands on, mostly. I do have some RemOil that works pretty darn good on safe queens. And I've got both CLP and CLP collectors. I've got an aged Browning that has only seen the original can's of Browning gun oil. Not rusted yet.

My conclusion: It just doesn't matter.

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Dick Burg

Concur. When I was a kid it was 3-in-1 oil because my dad had some around for hinges, etc. Years ago I picked up a couple of gallons of "oil, light lubricating" in Navy grey gallon cans from a surplus outlet at 50 cents a gallon. Still have some of it and with luck it will last as long as I do.

As I recall the lost B-24 Lady Be Good's engines were still decently protected by the engine oil after being baked in the desert for a couple of decades.

I don't get wrapped around the axle on the subject either.

Rem-oil for most gun uses. Hoppes liquid grease for rails, but they don't make it any more. I think it's regular oil with a lot of teflon in it. I use a dry teflon for magazines. I can load a high cap g20 to 15 rounds without using the charging tool.

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9tenz

Great minds run in the same track . . . .

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Georgia On My Mind

I suppose the lube debate could rage for generations.
Technically there is an ideal lube for each part of a gun.
rails and slides would prefer a grease, the hand in a revolver would like a dry silicone, trigger parts a light oil ... each could further be subdivided into optimum requirements until you have a tool shed stuffed with 8 oz tubes and bottles of oils greases and metal treatments to make you feel better about your gun care.
Bear in mind folks, that the iconic Colt SAA and even further back to the old Kentucky rifle saw lots of service with not much more than lard, and still lived long enough to be seen today in museums. Ive seen a private collection consisting of several vintage black powder era pieces, each of which could, and occasionally were called upon to perform.

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it just needs more voltage

Another vote for BreakFree. It works great for me.....

I was always partial to Hoppes, as its the standard around these parts .... but I recently tried Breakfree and am really impressed with it. I like to soak my barrel and recoil spring in it before they see any patches/brush ...

I'll still put a tiny dab of hops on the slide, but that's old habit.

Here's another vote for Breakfree™

ezzox all in one cleaner and rust inhibitor good stuff.

Rburg,

I will agree with you about 75% of the way. My father was not a gun lover but rather a gun owner. He would shoot occasionally and carried one for self defense. He also could afford anything he wanted. Yet he used whatever he had. His cleaning hit was what ever old cotton shirt he could rip up into patches. They were pushed through the barrels with small dowell rods from his shop. For chemicals, he used WD-40 or 3 in 1 machine oil my mother kept around for her sewing machine. I still have some of his guns. They shoot fine and look great.

That said, times change. Some of the things I learned in school, even college, have changed and what was correct years ago is not correct now.

Technology has came a long way. We have discovered synthetic oils, we have better solvents, we have chemicals that will no longer hurt the finish of guns.

I will say that often we become victims of advertising hype for various products. Gun writers make a lot of money and get a lot of perks to write about how good a product is, when their articles are based on nothing more than what the maker says. We can spend a lot of money on worthless or just passable chemicals that will not perform as the maker advertises.

We can also buy some really good products based on the thoughts of those here buying and using the items. Technology in the chemical field is so advanced over the last 50 years, the chemicals of today does not even resemble the chemicals of yesterday.

Had WD-40 gone unchanged in their formula? Is the 3 in 1 machine oil we buy today the same chemical composition of 1950? I doubt it since they companies know that there are better products out there and chemicals, even synthetics, have came a long way.

We all resist change, even when it is an improvement for our needs and use. It does not have to cost a fortune to use good grade products on our guns. We can benefit from the knowledge and experiences of others using products for the same use we need. If CajunLawyer buys a product for $5 and find it does not work, then I do not need to spend that $5 based on his doing so. If TxShooter spends $2 on a product and finds it works well, leaves no residue and he is pleased, then I only need to spend $2 instead of $7 to learn what both men did.

The same works with guns. The model 36 made last month is not the same model 36 made in 1971. The basic S&W 1911 is better made than the custom guns made in 1990 simply due to improved metals, manufacturing methods and quality control. Yet we can now know this by being on this site together and taking advantage of the experiences and purchases

Today's Buick is not your grandfathers Buick.

My thin lubricant is a blend of spray Superlube and a moly additive from NAPA, for my heavier oil I use Amsoil and for my grease like for my Mini 14 and the M1A I use Super Lube synthetic grease.
Where I live I have mostly a very dry and cold condition, not much humidity unless I bring in something from outside and then it sweats, so basically for Alaska inland area I rely on ordinary off the shelf synthetic lubricants.

I've been using Mobil 1 for years. I think a quart will last several lifetimes.

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VIVERE MILITARE EST

Slip2000 EWL.

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John

I have had guns mostly stored for over 35 years. I have kept a small piece of chamois sprayed with WD-40 with them. When I handled them, if I thought of it, I would wipe them down. Every year or so I would spray a little more WD-40 on the Chamois. Have never had any rust on any of them.

Anything from "3 in one oil" to "mobil 1" will work. I like "Ezzox" there are lots of other lubes that will work just as well, you can't go wrong with "Breakfree."

kroil is the best all around, i shoot a lot of my cast boolits. when the barrel is clean i wipe it down with kroil and it cuts down the leading signicantley the next time out.

When I started my shootiing career, WD40 was the solvent and lube of choice, mainly because that is all I knew and all I could afford. Then I got "gunny" and started using Rem-oil. I still keep a squirt bottle of Rem-oil in the safe, the gun bag, and probably a few other places. It is great to wipe down guns I've handled before sticking them back in the safe. I also put a drop on grip screws of my carry gun. Those screws are carbon steel and I sweat when I work. The screw against my skin tends to get a little rust going if I don't do this about once a week.

Sure WD40 and 3in1 were ok. But the technology is so much better today it just doesn't make any since to use them. A 50 year old car will still get me to work, but not nearly as safely or comfortably as my 2010 Honda does.

Honestly, I no longer use oil on handguns, I prefer grease. One brand I like is Krieghoff Gun Glide. Started using it on shotguns, and have also used it with success on handguns. Shooters Choice makes a great grease that also comes in a handy syringe that lets me use exactly how much I want, where I want it. I also have a tube of Brian Enos' Slide Glide laying on my bench that will be used when the Shooters Choice runs out.

By the way, I don't think SIG is still including the TW-25B with new guns. At least my latest didn't have a tube.

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I hope I copied that right

I also use more grease then oil for most of my guns. The TW-25B is good and I also use Krytox made by the Dupont company.

I use Kroil to wipe down guns and clean the barrel..note you should not store guns for any extended period with Kroil as it gums up over time, it is good at the range for barrel cleaning and a quick wipe down after shooting until you get home and do a full cleaning. For quick cleanings I also use Fluid Film- inexpensive and one can goes a very long way. This product does not gum up if stored, does a nice job at cleaning carbon and copper..all that said the best I have ever used and still use is EEZOX, it isnt cheap (but neither are your guns) it smells..cant imagine cleaning in a closed unvented area and I also dont think its to good for your skin for any prolonged exposure. That being said the spray works terrific! A quick dusting and with in minutes you have a long lasting synthetic finish/coating. It has rated time after time as one of the best if not the best protection against moisture/salt water exposure etc...
test results can be seen here
http://www.6mmbr.com/corrosiontest.html

http://www.thegunzone.com/rust.html

G96 Gun Treatment works well for a thin lube and a barrier. Smells good too if you like Banana's. For grease and guns that may be subject to harsh elements I use Super Lube. Wont melt out from extreme heat, and is impervious to salt water.

Hello all, this gun cleaner/lubricant is a grease less spray. It's called Safari Charlie Gun Lube have any of you used it yet? it has some pretty good reviews:
Gun Lube - Safari Charlie
This is not a spam website, just pointing out a good product in case you are interested.

For those who have used it, let me know what you think!

Mobil-1 synthetic.

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NRA Certified Instructor & RSO

Mobil1 Synthetic A.T.F. Automatic Transmission Fluid.

Back in the day, trapshooters liked to spray their guns down with WD-40. I worked in the gunrepair shop at Browning Arms Co. at that time and I cannot tell you how many BT-99's came in with the action totally gummed up. The formulation of WD-40 at the time would change to a gooey varnish over time. I understand that the formulation has been changed since that time. I use Butch's Bore Shine Gun Oil on my guns.

LSA-MIL-L-46000B Lubricating Oil Semi-Fluid

"A little dab will do ya"

I blame it all on the US Army.

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Doesn't hasta call me Johnson

I like Gun Butter on my slides and rails. A little goes a long way and it stays in place quite well. The pink color is helpful when applying to see exactly how much you have and where it is.

Their grease is also great.

Neither are too expensive and they sure go a long way.

All the lubes posted here works good but you have to use them. I think that is the secret. My oil receipt was given to me by the gunsmiths at the Tennessee National Guard and I have used it for years. Don

3 quarts of automatic transmission fluid

1 can of STP

1 quart of motor oil

You can hand this down to your grand kids. There will still be some left.

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"Don't worry be happy"

Gun lubricant?

Mobil1 "V-Twin" synthetic 20W50.

I've always got several quarts in the garage sitting next to the Harley. In a needle oil bottle it goes where I want it and stays put. Slick as owl snot.

Edmo

This is what I've currently got at arm's length.

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God spelled backwards is dog.

The Hoppe's silicon based oil/lubricant is very good, and what I use often. Many don't understand that Hoppe's makes a protectant/lubricant and probably thought you were referencing their excellent, time-proven solvent; they make a great pair, the solvent and the oil. Each one has it's purpose.

Any silicon based oil product is a great lubricant protectant, at least ones designed for firearms that is.

If you want to simplify your life, Break-free/CLP is a good general purpose do-all (thus the title, "cleaner-lubricant-protectant). It's no accident that the military adopted it decades ago.

Only a few that have been mentioned here would I caution against. 3-in-1 oil has virtually no protectant and while a great lube, not so good for protecting against finger prints, salt, etc. WD40 is one to stay away from; not only does it not protect the finish, when it comes to mechanisms it will eventually break down and turn to gum. It's not really a great lubricant either, especially for high heat. Neither of those were designed with firearms in mind, nor were transmission fluids or engine oils. Some people like to wax their firearms for instance, which is fine, but car waxes are not the kind of wax you should use since they are designed for paint, and actually contain some elements which can damage blueing.

As far a the Tennessee National Guard concoction, I really couldn't say, but when you combine liquids, you never know what reaction you might get. I think it might be safer to just stick with your Hoppe's which has decades of reliable use behind it. I've seen even regular army guys use solvents and oils not designed for use with weapons, and in the worst case scenario, believe it or not, improper stuff can cause fire or explosions. Normally, it just eats up finishes and stops mechanisms from working, neither a very good end state. I often witnessed the results of bad cleaning/protecting practices

If you see the words "gun" (or firearm/weapon) and "silicon" on a label, you are pretty safe. Magic concoctions and quick remedy, home grown solutions often end badly, either now or later.

I've been using either a local brand called Wally's or Birchwood Casey synthetic. Wally sells his bore cleaner and oil at the local gun shows.
After seeing the posts with Mobil 1, that will be my next try. I paid for 4.5 oz. of Birchwood Casey what I probably could have got a Qt. of Mobil 1. Still learning after all these years.