I was told that that mixture in a 1 part 10w30:1 part ATF ratio or a 4:1 ratio was magic for using as a lube on AR15s.. Well, upon reading up on it, it looked like several people have used a mixture similar.. Has anybody here tried it? Wouldn't the mixture be too thick?

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Isaiah 43:1-3

I'm using it on 4 different AR's and it works well. Only difference is I use 75w90 synthetic Mobil 1 gear oil in place of motor oil. Reason is that gear oil contains more of the extreme pressure additives than motor oil which may or may not help to prevent wear. I also add in a little boron nitride to the mix which is a very slippery powder that over time will burnish into the mating surfaces.

And for those that are going to say gear oil is too thick, the numbering system for gear oil and motor oil is different. A 10w30 motor oil and a 75w90 gear oil are nearly the same viscosity.

So the mixture isn't too thick to use? Wouldn't have to add anything to lower the viscosity?

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Isaiah 43:1-3

Can't see how you could stand the smell of the 90wt gear oil. YUK.. As for high pressure additives, ATF has all the high pressure qualities your AR will ever need. After all, it seems to handle the shearing effects of gears and chains in both transmissions and transfer cases in 4X4's just fine and with Dexron VI it handles it for up to 100,000 miles... 90 wt gear oil not only smells like sht, it won't protect your rifle any better either. Especially in cold weather. Straight up synthetic ATF is better lube than any gun oil on the market all by itself.

My mixture is 90% M1 10W30 + 10% MerconV transmission fluid. If I'm not using that I use GRIZZLY GREASE or 3 IN 1 oil.

I've heard 3 in 1 was bad for firearms, kinda like using wd40.. Not sure if that's true though, I've seriously contemplated trying it out (3 in 1).. It's probably obvious that I'm use to using hopes elite gun lube.. Use to using runny stuff and wanted something better.. And cheaper.. If y'all say it's good to use, I'll mix it up and refill the hopes bottle once I use the last little bit in it.

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Isaiah 43:1-3

Not a thing wrong with 3in1 oil as long as you're not trying to make it do something it's not designed for. 3in1 is a great cleaning oil. On a rough rag or 0000 steel wool it will easily remove surface rust, lube slide rails and on a patch will do for light carbon fouling cleaning. It is also good in the bore for short term storage. Would I use it on an AR bolt? No it's too light weight for that, but it has it's place in the gun world.

Another cure looking for a problem thread.

Now I've found ALG Go Juice I have forsaken all other lubes, for my AR at least.

3 in 1 is a high grade light machine oil, think sewing machine and electric motors . Not bad for firearms at all . Great for double action pistol internals .

WD40 is a Water Displacing (WD) penetrating type oil. It is thin bodied , and in time will dissipate.

Each product is good for their intended purpose , you have to use the right product for what you want it to do.

Give 3 in 1 a try , it has a not unpleasant smell , works fine as a light oil and is affordable.
I too like Hoppe's Elite , it has no smell , but that small bottle is expensive and doesn't go far.

For a really inexpensive gun oil mix equal parts ATF and K-1 Kerosene. Kerosene is a oil with cleaning properties and ATF is a great lube. This is a inexpensive CLP. But it does have a little smell, not bad but it's not odorless.
Gary

These days I just buy a tub of this stuff and I am good to go. Still use some CLP but for the most part this is my go to AR15 and pistol lube.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/16795246?...&wl13=&veh=sem


I see no need to pay more or mess around mixing stuff up.

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Use should dictate gear!

Why not just buy a good oil / lubricant intended for the purpose instead of trying to save a dime on something of dubious worth?

Do you use gun oil in your car ?

3 IN 1 oil has been around for ages. It was there long before all of these "FANCY SMANCY" lubes that are out today!
When I was 5-6 years old is when my grandfather started showing me how to clean and lube firearms. He used a combination of kerosene and ATF for cleaning and 3 IN 1 oil for lubrication.

Simply because the demands placed on lubrication by firearms is not that demanding. There is no need to pay 10X as much for something that is basically repackaged lubricant designed for a different purpose.

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Use should dictate gear!

The basics of " Eds Red " is : Mineral Spirits , K1 Kerosene (camp stove fuel ) and ATF . He talks about adding acetone so it will cut through carbon build up quicker . Also mentions lanolin . Everything is mixed in equal parts . The first 3 are the primary parts , the rest is optional .

The only thing I would add to this is that transmission fluid has red dye in it that will stain. Power steering fluid is the same thing, but without the dye.

Motor oil gives almost no corrosion protection, and oxidizes quickly. It is not a good firearms lube.

Seriously I wasn't kidding, this new stuff from Geissele is awesome and completely non-toxic. Even the folks on m4carbine.net rate it well.

ALG Go-Juice Lubricant (4 oz.)

First, page 38 of S&W's manual for the M&P-15 Sport II says that it should be lubricated with a high quality firearms oil. 3-in-1 as a light machine oil meets that requirement.

Second, I bought several cans of Sears Household Oil (their version of 3-in-1) in about 1979. I am on my last can of it. With the exception of a motor oil on some inaccessable areas (like the barrel under the handguard), the Sears Household Oil is all I have used to lubricate my guns for more than 36 years and none of my guns is any the worse for their use.

Third, during the time between about 1995 and 2013 that I was disabled and the guns sat untouched and unmaintained, the gun parts that had been coated with motor oil and the Household Oil experienced no rust or corrosion.

Looks like I need to pick up some of this 3 in 1.. The original is the best?

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Isaiah 43:1-3

Seems like any synth oil is slicker than any standard equivalent. An old timer way back showed me a simple test for when synthetic oil was just starting out, put it on my thumb and snap my fingers the synthetic was always waaaay slicker than the standard oil by about 10x.

Lots of documented success using Mobile 1 and other synthetic oils in guns. Both are meant to lubricate metal objects rubbing against one another while under extreme heat.

I use Mobile 1 with good success on my ARs, so I'll contiune to use it.

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Still carrying my S&W 642

My approach to these things is similar to your sentiments.

I use a couple different lubricants sold by Wilson Combat (different viscosities) they well stay where applied and I like the ease of use of the applicator bottles. I think I paid $15 a couple years ago and by the looks of it they'll last for years to come for all my firearms uses. I make no claim to their having magic lubrication qualites. I am quite sure others have great results paying less. Maybe I paid $14.99 too much. I can live with that.

Just 2 words , " Safari Charlie " . I've use it with great success . I can only find it at gun shows though .

Whelp I decided to mix up a small batch to see how it works.. As mentioned before, it has a pungent odor, more so than expected, so I mixed in some Marvel Mystery Oil I had laying around since it smells semi-minty and has a bunch of cleaners and what not and it knocked the smell down significantly. While it still has an odor, I can tolerate it now. After applying the mixture to my rifle, the smell is barely there and seems to do a good job at lubricating, but we'll have to give it time to actually come to a conclusion.. I'm planning on doing research on what the best lube for the money is in the mean time. Best lube for the money meaning cheap and effective so no crazy priced stuff is being considered.

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Isaiah 43:1-3

GRIZZLY GREASE was rated as a top 4 CLP of 2016. It has a nice minty smell to it and works very well!

The 4 Best Lubes for AR 15 / AR15 -- Reviews 2016

I'm more impressed with Hoppes #9 being on that list.

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Still carrying my S&W 642

Three parts Mobil one 10W-30 one part ATF. works on all my firearms, been using it for years, cheaper and just as good as the expensive stuff. One thing I did use that surprised me was canola oil. It was the main ingredient in a very expensive well know gun oil. It worked as a lubricant, but it also gummed up.

Hoppes #9 is a cleaner / degreaser / copper remover, not a lube, isn't it?

In the shop I've got some bug spray, mineral spirits, weed killer, gear oil and liquid fungicide. Hmmmm... I'll report back.

They also make a lube called hoppes #9.. comes in an orange bottle

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Isaiah 43:1-3

Oh ok, think I'll stick with ALG Go Juice, cheap, non-toxic, no smell, great lubrication and it's stable. Can't go wrong.

Yup and I never knew they made a lube.....synthetic no less. I'm definitely going to pick some up. I've used Hoppes bore cleaner since the beginning of time, I'm glad to see another one of their products at top of the list.

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Still carrying my S&W 642

is their original lube synthetic or is it just a synthetic version out there?
btw on the homemade lube, i've noticed from cycling my AR's bolt, it seems to run smoother/quieter than when I was using the hoppes elite.. just need to take it out and shoot it a bit and give it a wipe down and see how everything works out

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Isaiah 43:1-3

I guess I'm weird, I use Break-Free CLP on mine.

Oh yeah. And it takes a lot of those little dropper bottles to do an oil change!

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Just Say No - To Social Media

The only thing I don't like about Hoppes is that it tends to gum up over the time. The synthetic blend might mitigate that problem. The rest of the list doesn't surprise me.

Irrelevant.

It makes for a good quip, but the logic fails. Equivalency is not necessary. Suitability is. The question is whether a particular oil/lubricant is suitable for the mechanism in which it is used.

"Gun oil" is, generally speaking, too light, too subject to thermal breakdown and too liable for oxidation to be used in automotive applications. That does not mean that heavier oils intended for automotive use with added anti-oxidants are axiomatically not suitable for use in firearms. As I have already posted, for certain applications - particularly long-term protection against neglect and corrosion - they have proven themselves quite suitable.

ATF and a mix of oil worked for years on my stuff.

They make both regular and synthetic.

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Still carrying my S&W 642

That's what I was thinking

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Isaiah 43:1-3

The regular Hoppes #9 lubricating oil in the orange bottle is nothing more than plain mineral oil FWIW.

Now you are on to something--cleans and protects your guns, wards off tick, chiggers and mosquitos, and kills poision ivy and crab grass.

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Possum—The other white meat!

Ballustol
I put that sh&t on everything.

What ever happened to the Tri-Flo craze?
3 in 1 smells like LSA....
CLP seems to work o.k.

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Halfway and one more step

I think that I may have replied to a similar thread a while back. I'll try to stay in my lane here as I'm no SME. I suppose that some of what has been suggested here is GTG. If it works for you then have at it.

That being said, please check on the container of the petroleum based lubricants, i.e. transmission fluid & oil. Most will stipulate that repeated exposure may cause cancer. In law enforcement we call that a "clue". I've used petroleum based cleaners and lubes in the past but as of late I have switched to synthetic lubes. I now use SLIP 2000 EWL on my patrol rifle and service pistol. I have experienced no related malfunctions with it. My point is to research what is out there and determine what works best for you. Be aware of the fact that if a lube is subjected to extreme cold and thickens, it may slow down the function of the bolt/slide with all the attendant non-virtues. I prefer to use a product specifically formulated for its intended purpose, be it weapon lubrication or cleaning. If you are shooting as a hobby, a malfunction is a minor annoyance. If you go in harm's way it could be a life changing experience.

Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with SLIP 2000. I
started using it in 2008 and never looked back.

HTH.

Joe

Castrol synthetic ATF, kerosene and acetone work well as a lube on any gun I use. Have used the same to free up rusted stuck tractor engines but used diesel vs kerosene on the tractors due to diesel being cheaper.
As stated above I may start using power steer fluid instead of ATF in my gun lube mix.

LSA is available on line as a surplus item. It is what Uncle Sam paid $$$$$ to develop and is now cheap. I paid about 10 bucks for the last quart-won't need another-shake well before using-Lubricant-small arms.

I still use Tri Flow, especially the Dry one, with the grey label. I use it on all sorts of stuff. After the carrier oil evaporates, it has left PTFE. The PTFE can build up, so I do a full cleaning when I notice the gunk. Works GREAT in a .22 LR. But Eezox works better.

You can get synthetic power steering fluid if you care, and use deodorized kerosene too. Making it indoor friendly.