Gear oil on firearms

[Rafter-S]

Does anyone besides me use plain 80-90W gear oil on firearms? Unlike many "gun oils," it is sticky enough that it doesn't run dry yet it's fluid enough to carry (flow) debris out from between working parts. It is good enough to protect the deferential gears in my truck for 200,000 miles so I figure it ought to be good on working parts of firearms...not to mention that a $5 bottle will last most of us a lifetime.

I would appreciate your thoughts and comments.

Rafter-S

[patrickd]

My thoughts are that the stink outweighs any benefit of using it. When I put my guns away for extended periods of time I use RIG Universal Grease. Never ever had any issues and no smell.

[jack the toad]

Although I've not tried it and don't know what firearms you're using it on but first thing that comes to mind is how cold it gets in your part of Texas and is 90W gear oil pretty viscous when cold?
I imagine it offers good coverage for corrosion resistance but what about all-around performance?

[Pisgah]

My thought -- there is a real and time-tested reason most gun oils are thin. Thicker oils don't cause dirt to "flow out" -- they hold it in place. The fact is, the very thin residue left by most gun oils is sufficient.

[Rafter-S]

Originally Posted by patrickd

My thoughts are that the stink outweighs any benefit of using it. When I put my guns away for extended periods of time I use RIG Universal Grease. Never ever had any issues and no smell.

Regarding the odor, I came from the oil business, so to me it smells like money. It smells good.

I use gear oil on the guns I shoot regularly, though my carry guns are kept close to dry...to keep them from hanging on to dirt and whatever.

Rafter-S

[Tom S.]

Don't try it in cold weather. Stuff flows like tar when temps get to zero. While your car/truck may have the hp to make it move, your firearm may not. Nothing more disappointing than having a 10 pointer lined up and getting a misfire because the firing pin won't move. Let alone trying to defend yourself against a BG who used the proper oil instead.

Just because you can use something doesn't mean you should. If you want real protection, do what Uncle Sam does and pack it in cosmoline.

[Warren Sear]

Gear oil for gears, motor oil for motors, gun oil for guns.

[sophie]

Originally Posted by Warren Sear

Gear oil for gears, motor oil for motors, gun oil for guns.

Good point, and no I have never used 80-90 weight gear lube for my guns.

[Steve912]

Originally Posted by patrickd

My thoughts are that the stink outweighs any benefit of using it.

It'll work as an anti-theft device!

[Derosa]

Beats vaseline, huh?

[G.T. Smith]

I'll use it right after I have used my gun for a jack handle. Seriously though, I'm afraid that game might smell it and stay away. I stink enough already, don't need no more stink.
Peace,
Gordon

[BC38]

Stink? I don't think he's talking about draining it from a differential and then using it on his guns. Clean and straight out of the bottle it doesn't have much smell.

As for viscosity, it is significantly thinner than any kind off grease would be - at any temp.

Not saying I'm going to use it. Just that I don't see a major issue with it. I'm pretty much of the gear oil for gears and gun oil for guns philosophy myself.

[jack the toad]

Originally Posted by Derosa

Beats vaseline, huh?

Depends on what you're... ah, never mind.

[Rafter-S]

I find it amusing how fast many guys will criticize and poo-poo what they haven't tried or know nothing about. Like I mentioned above, I spent my career in the oil business--in the research lab of one of the "big five" oil companies. Most people are clueless about the millions of dollars that's gone into the technology of a simple quart of oil they buy at Walmart. If they did they would be amazed at what they pour in their engines and gear boxes. Little hole-in-the-wall outfits that bottle and sell "gun lubricants" are doing just that--bottling and selling something that someone else developed. They are marketeers, not scientists. Think about it.

Rafter-S

[Tom S.]

Originally Posted by Rafter-S

I find it amusing how fast many guys will criticize and poo-poo what they haven't tried or know nothing about. Like I mentioned above, I spent my career in the oil business--in the research lab of one of the "big five" oil companies. Most people are clueless about the millions of dollars that's gone into the technology of a simple quart of oil they buy at Walmart. If they did they would be amazed at what they pour in their engines and gear boxes. Little hole-in-the-wall outfits that bottle and sell "gun lubricants" are doing just that--bottling and selling something that someone else developed. They are marketeers, not scientists. Think about it.

Rafter-S

Well, in your original post you did say: "I would appreciate your thoughts and comments."

I seriously doubt that any gun lube company reprocesses gear oil for any gun products though.

[Steve912]

Originally Posted by BC38

Clean and straight out of the bottle it doesn't have much smell.

It does, to my nose.

[GM4spd]

I'll leave it in my differential,where I know it's doing the
most good.

[RILEY31]

I'm sure it would work just fine. I just don't see any reason to use it. I have never wore out a gun using gun oil.

[Mulebuk Sam]

First I read this

Originally Posted by Rafter-S

I find it amusing how fast many guys will criticize and poo-poo what they haven't tried or know nothing about. Like I mentioned above, I spent my career in the oil business--*in the research lab of one of the "big five" oil companies. Most people are clueless about the millions of dollars that's gone into the technology of a simple quart of oil

*(perhaps as the janitor)

Then I read this

Originally Posted by Tom S.

Well, in your original post you did say: "I would appreciate your thoughts and comments."

I seriously doubt that any gun lube company reprocesses gear oil for any gun products though.

Oh yeah people this is simply another case of someone tripping over nickles to only save pennies.
In layman terms that spells usually, young, dumb and cheap.
(I've also met some older ones just as dumb and cheap)
Not I of course mine you.


So people we can file this thread under where most other gun forum threads go,
"tales from beyond and other assorted innuendos"

[tpole]

Surprised nobody has directed Rafter-S to Grant Cunningham's informative article on gun lubes.

I recall Cunnigham thought well not necessarily of gear oil, but of the lubricity and other sound properties of ATF.

twb

[series guy]

Ballistol, still family owned and sold by the grandson of the inventor.

[Kanewpadle]

Are you talking for storage? Any oil can breakdown over time. And the chemical composition of all oils can change due to factors such and temperature, air, and moisture. And different oils have additives that can react negatively on certain metals. A simple $5.00 gun sock is all you need.

If not for storage, gear oil can be too heavy. And stinky.

[mrchuck]

I only use "gun oil" and have a lot of it.
Even for long term storage, a reputable named gun oil is all I use.
Never a problem here.

[Muss Muggins]

Originally Posted by Rafter-S

Does anyone besides me use plain 80-90W gear oil on firearms?

. . .

I would appreciate your thoughts and comments.

Rafter-S

I believe this is a first for me . . .

[chief38]

Whenever I change out the Gear Oil on my Harley (I use Amsoil brand 75-110 wt) , I hate the STINK of it! Gear oil is also way too thick and so sticky it will attract all kinds of crud. IMHO NOT a good idea for firearms!

There are sooooo many good "GUN OILS" made and marketed exclusively for firearms, WHY would you want to use Gear Oil on them??

[reddog81]

I use Mobil 1 75W-90 occasionally. It lubricates...

It stays in place better than most gun oils. Some people use grease on semi auto rails without any ill effect.

It also works great for storage. You can wipe down a revolver and a month later you can still see a light coat.

i usually clean my guns after a couple hundred rounds or less so basically any oil would probably work.

[gwpercle]

Originally Posted by Rafter-S

I find it amusing how fast many guys will criticize and poo-poo what they haven't tried or know nothing about. Like I mentioned above, I spent my career in the oil business--in the research lab of one of the "big five" oil companies. Most people are clueless about the millions of dollars that's gone into the technology of a simple quart of oil they buy at Walmart. If they did they would be amazed at what they pour in their engines and gear boxes. Little hole-in-the-wall outfits that bottle and sell "gun lubricants" are doing just that--bottling and selling something that someone else developed. They are marketeers, not scientists. Think about it.

Rafter-S

Being in the industry, what do you recommend ?
I was looking at a small pricey bottle of gun oil marketed by Lucas and it looked a lot like transmission fluid , I would rather buy a quart of automotive oil/fluid of some type if it would do the job of lubricating and protecting.
Some swear by Mobile 1 5W-30 full synthetic for firearms.
Do you think it would be a good choice ?

Gary

[rwsmith]

The smell is the very high sulfur content.

[Rafter-S]

Originally Posted by tpole

Surprised nobody has directed Rafter-S to Grant Cunningham's informative article on gun lubes.

I recall Cunnigham thought well not necessarily of gear oil, but of the lubricity and other sound properties of ATF.

twb

I will look for the article and read it. Thank you for pointing me to it. I have been using ATF for a long time for cleaning handguns. It does a great job, in my opinion.

Rafter-S

[Rafter-S]

Originally Posted by rwsmith

The smell is the very high sulfur content.

Not true. Crude high in sulphur, such as comes from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, is refined in special refineries set up to remove the sulphur. Most refineries on the west coast are these type refineries because they get their crude from Alaska (Port Valdez at the terminal of the Trans Alaska Pipeline).

Rafter-S

[gman51]

Gear oil above 50 wt. IMO is way to heavy for having a smooth action. Heavy gear oil is made for high heat situations due to no cooling systems. Even transmission rebuilders say do not use gear oil heavier than 50wt. The reason being by the time heavy gear oil is moving and coating bearing surfaces the bearing could be trashed already. Now that might not apply to a gun slide but I do believe the sliding factor of the slide metal to metal would be hampered by the heavy gear oil.
Myself if I was to use a motor oil on my guns it would be Mobil 1 synthetic only. It impregnates the metal surface reducing friction which is especially needed upon cold start ups.
I am using Ultima-Lube II from Wilson Combat which I saw a video on the bearing wear/friction test results and it has been all I use since. It impregnates the metal surface and wiped off it still had way more protection than common gun oils. It comes as an oil and a grease. The grease supposedly is only to be used in big guns like rifles or shotguns. It is a blend of petroleum and synthetic oils which is probably why the color of product is red. I lubed guns of two friends and they really noticed the easier slide movement.
It would be interesting to see a bearing wear test using gear oil.

[Mister X]

I can't say I see a need for gear oil or any of the high tech, high performance and very expensive wonder lubes available in a gun. Probably lots of unneeded chemical additives in the gear oil I wouldn't want nowhere near my skin and clothing and probably not in my gun. Plus, just about anything will work fine for the average gun owner unless you're running a gun excessively hard for very long time or are in extreme weather conditions and I doubt any of that applies to most of us.

The Hoppes lubricating oil in the orange bottle that's been used for decades with success by countless gun owners contains nothing but white mineral oil. You can buy USP mineral oil in the pharmacy by the quart for a dollar or two. You could even drink it, so no concerns of toxicity. Something to think about if you're paying lots of $ for things like froglube, m-pro 7 etc. or other "non-toxic" products. Most modern firearms like my Glocks and alloy/stainless steel revolvers don't require much oil and are extremely rust/corrosion resistant and I take good care of them, so I see no need to pay the extra money for a product that will protect a piece of scrap metal in saltwater.

[Mulebuk Sam]

Originally Posted by Mister X

Something to think about if you're paying lots of $ for things like froglube

Froglube is one of the biggest loads to come down the pike in years in the gun world.
And they pull it off by making people think that all the steps involved are somehow scientific.

Complete with using a hair dryer to warm up the gun and the youngsters go ga-ga over it.

I'm a Hoppe's man myself using their new Synthetic #9 for clean (won't eat polymer) along with their Elite series for oil.

And I don't put much stock into anything that claims 'all in one'

[Ben_hutcherson]

I can't imagine tolerating the stink of gear oil on a gun. The stuff is nasty and wretched smelling.

BTW, gear oils that carry a GL-5 rating are high in sulfur-based anti-wear additives. These are known to attack "yellow metals."

[vmumford]

Perhaps this thread should be put to bed.

[Rafter-S]

Originally Posted by gwpercle

Being in the industry, what do you recommend ?
I was looking at a small pricey bottle of gun oil marketed by Lucas and it looked a lot like transmission fluid , I would rather buy a quart of automotive oil/fluid of some type if it would do the job of lubricating and protecting.
Some swear by Mobile 1 5W-30 full synthetic for firearms.
Do you think it would be a good choice ?

Gary

Gary,

It looked a lot like transmission fluid because it's formula base is probably automatic transmission fluid. Most of the new fangled gun oil companies aren't established by chemists and scientists, but rather marketeers, or old shooters who mixed up some stuff in their garages and it worked.

Regarding Mobil lubricants, they are great., IMO.

As a suggestion, get a quart on Mobil 1 SW-30 and mix a tablespoon of Walmart brand transmission fluid in it, then market it as Gary's Super Gun Lube. With the right publicity you will get rich. :-)

Rafter-S

[joe44va]

I remember when... I had a 12# trigger return spring in a 686 and lubed it with 10w-30 Mobile 1. Worked great in the house, but the trigger wouldn't return when outside in cold weather. 10w-30 is much thinner than gear oil. I now use Birchwood Casey Synthetic gun oil even though I know they are buying it in 55 gallon drums from an oil company and packaging it in a basement or contract manufacturer somewhere. It has never failed me, nor has old Hoppes. I also agree with Muss Muggins.

[Rafter-S]

Thanks for all the inputs, gentlemen. I hope I didn't ruffle any feathers, as mine aren't ruffled, and everyone learned perhaps something. I guess it all goes back to each his own. That's what makes America and the shooting sports so great.

Rafter-S

[Steve912]

Originally Posted by Rafter-S

As a suggestion, get a quart on Mobil 1 SW-30 and mix a tablespoon of Walmart brand transmission fluid in it, then market it as Gary's Super Gun Lube.

Who's got the formula for Ed's Red?

[TAC]

After reading the info noted below, I don't understand why anyone would use gear oil for their firearms. There are numerous alternatives that are better suited for the application.

Gear Oil
Gear oil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[gwpercle]

Originally Posted by Steve912

Who's got the formula for Ed's Red?

I do , just got through cleaning a bunch of flood damaged firearms for friends who's houses flooded. Coudn't have afforded to do it without Ed's Red Cleaner !
Equal Parts , 1 quart of each will make a gallon.

ATF , General Motors compatible Dexron.
Kerosene K1 type has a low odor, for lamps and heaters.
Mineral Spirits - odorless
Acetone

I purchased 1 quart of each from WallMart and the total cost was under $20.00.....16.00 or 18.00 was the cost I believe .
It works and doesn't smell to high heaven...like some stuff.

Gary
For a general purpose CLP and gun oil , equal parts ATF and kerosene works very well. The ATF is the lube and the Kerosene is the cleaner .

[flintsghost]

The use of gear oil is not a great idea in my opinion. 90 wt gear oil is designed to work in differential gears where the gears are essentially in a wet sump environment and the gear turns and relubes itself each time it makes a revolution. The third member is it's own wet sump and it is filled to at least half full with the lubricant. It doesn't stay on the gears all that well or it wouldn't need a constant wet sump environment. If it was a great lube for all purposes then it would also replace motor oil and transmission fluid or ATF. It is terrible in cold weather and requires some turning and warm up to get it's lube properties up to speed.

ATF is used as a gun lube and can be found in the military lubricant cabinet under the name... Arctic Weapons oil. It is great in extremes of Cold weather. It is thin and sticks to the metal and is not in danger of freezing, however, it's lubricating qualities start to die out for weapons in normal temperatures. Automatic transmissions are also a wet sump environment. Actually, at a match when I didn't have lube available, I have taken the residual off my dip stick to lube the bolt on my M1A, but that is not a long term solution, only an emergency expedient.

One of the best lubricants for firearms that was not intended directly for them is Singer Sewing Machine oil. Sewing machines need good lubrication and run at an RPM level higher than any motor vehicle. They withstand some high temperatures and high friction. The oil is light, although a bit heavier than teflon type REM Oil. Cost for a normal bottle of substantial size is about $1.50. That much Rem Oil would be about 8 bottles worth. You can find it at nearly any fabric or pattern store in the USA and also at most sewing machine stores. Even in podunk junction you should be able to walk in and buy a bottle. Good stuff

The only auto lube I have found other than ATF in military use which might be used on a firearm is Camshaft lube which is normally used only at installation for break in. It is a Molybdenum Disulfide mixture and withstands high heat and stays put for long periods. It is exactly the same product that Chip McCormick used to sell in small containers called "Trigger Slick." He intended for people to use it on sears and hammers in 1911 pistols. I have some original "Trigger Slick" still. I also have a larger tube of Camshaft lube for break in that came with a Sig Erson cam that I installed in a 4 wheel drive truck I used to own. It's the same stuff. It works good on slide rails of semi auto pistols.

[silentflyer]

I use Rem Oil on my guns, and Mobil synthetics in my Harley, and have been known to use a bit of Marvel Mystery oil added to aircraft engines, but only Rem Oil for the firearms. Each lube has a different function for different applications.

[gwpercle]

Originally Posted by silentflyer

I use Rem Oil on my guns, and Mobil synthetics in my Harley, and have been known to use a bit of Marvel Mystery oil added to aircraft engines, but only Rem Oil for the firearms. Each lube has a different function for different applications.

I did some poking around and found out that Marvel Mystery Oil is mineral oil base with a highly refined white kerosene like solvent (Stoddard Solvent) three other things with enezene in their name and of all things a bit of lard !

My daddy used it in his car and boat engines.

Not sure of RemOil composition but I like it for use as a light gun lube, tends to not get gummy. I believe it also may be mineral oil based.

Gary

[TAROMAN]

[TAC]

Remember back when STP was all the rage!

[josywales]

MOBIL1. I can't find any reason to stop.

[pinduck]

I've used 3 in 1 oil for about 75 years now and see no reason to change. I get a kick out of all the angst created by the marketers for some magic mouse milk formula that comes on the scene and everyone starts singing its praises.

[tndrfttom]

I shot Bullseye matches pretty heavily in the 1970s 80's and into the 90's. The majority of old timers I shot with used Marvel Mystery Oil as a firearms lube. A few of the shooters used some variation of Ed's Red both as a cleaner and lube. I've had good luck with Marvel Mystery Oil and use it on just about everything. I do try to keep it off of wood grips and stocks.

[Mainsail]

Since I don't have the opportunity to shoot every day, or even every week, I've started using DuPont Krytox on the barrel and slides of all my autos. It's expensive but it stays put and lubricates like nothing else. My Legion P229 has had it on since new and there is zero wear marks in the rails and no smilie on the barrel.