Lubriplate oil equivalent?

[Bakebfr480]

I still have and use Lubriplate my dad brought from the Korean war! Works like a champ too!

 

[Mister X]

I would just use USP white mineral oil. The Hoppe's #9 lubricating oil is straight "industrial grade"(dirty) mineral oil and countless people have used it for decades and find it adequate. The USP stuff is cheaper and better.

 

[Autonomous]

another quick update- I received a response back with a MSDS and a remark that they had never thought of their product for firearms lubrication (this is not Lubriplate, but an equivalent produced by a smaller company).


The MSDS is identical to Lubriplate's.
link

I think I will wipe down a sample piece of steel and leave it outside (I'm in south Louisiana, pretty sure my environment will promote rust) to test the anti-rust properties.

it's certainly slick as heck, clean and no odor. MSDS states no toxic effects unless I breath it or squirt it in my eyes.

How is the test going?

 

[SATX]

I have been using nothing but CLP for the last 5 years in my duty guns and CCW guns. They have been exposed to rain and sweat in the Texas weather. None have rusted and all have functioned flawless. One step cleaning is easy.

 

[Pisgah]

Let's get something clear about lubricants for firearms. Not saying that one brand/type or another might not out-perform another in some specific aspect or application, but for the most part any ol' oil or grease, properly applied and maintained, will do.

The cost of one product in no way indicates that a less-expensive product is inferior, or a more-expensive one is superior. I once made the acquaintance of a gunsmith who, rightfully so, was widely -- as in nationally -- recognized as one of the best. Like anyone else, he was in business to make a buck, and one thing he did was purchase a couple of barrels of grease at a bargain price, then load it in to 2 oz. jars priced at, as I recall, $8.95 apiece and labelled to indicate that it was the be-all to end-all for gun lubrication. For years, he sold a wad of the stuff by mail and at gun shows and trust me, he chuckled on the way to the bank every day. Often his only profit from a 2-day weekend show came not from sales of guns and services but from sales of the wonder-grease -- which was nothing but a lube anyone could by a year's supply of for a few bucks at Walmart or Auto Zone.

I am not saying don't try different products, but be sensible about it. Try a bit and see what it does for you, and if what it does is any better than what Generic Brand X does. Just don't swallow the hype -- NOTHING will protect/lube/clean your gun sufficiently in ALL conditions, but just about anything will work if you pay attention to your gun as you should. Regardless of what you use, your gun will get dirty if you shoot it, it will rust of you ignore it, and it will wear more rapidly if you don't keep it lubed. No product will eliminate those facts.

 

[cmj8591]

The only lube specifically designed for guns I know of that fails one of these tests is Frog Lube, which has reported to gum up under certain adverse conditions.

I experimented with Frog Lube a while ago and I can tell you that it is the devils brew. I followed the instructions and detail stripped and degreased the guns. I heated them with a hair drier and applied the glue..er, lube then wiped it off. It started out well and I thought that the Frog Lube was going to be my new wonder lube. I especially liked the fact that it was dry on the gun. The problem came when the gun was fired and not cleaned right away. The stuff turned to a maple syrup consistency then dried to something akin to Elmer's Glue. I actually had to drive the trigger of a 1911 out of the frame with a brass punch. This stuff is horrible! Needless to say it ended up in the trash. At least it won't pollute the land fill. I am now experimenting with MPro7 at the suggestion of an Army friend who used it Afghanistan. So far it's working great. The CLP reminds me of Break Free and the gun cleaner does a great job getting those stubborn black rings off of the face of revolver cylinders.

 

[SATX]

Piscah speaks the truth. Some people say the Lucas gun grease that ships with new Sigs is the same as their marine wheel grease, and if you compare both MSDS's it appears that it's true - except one is way more expensive.

 

[DWalt]

My feeling is that a can of 3-in-One (the name refers to "Clean, Lubricate, and Protect") household oil will do anything that ordinarily needs to be done in the way of gun lubrication and protection. You can certainly pay more for other similar products if you wish, but the benefits will be minimal. Outlandish product claims to justify high prices are all part of the sales game. The women's cosmetics business was based on it. To wit, regarding gun products - Plain old Johnson's Paste Wax is every bit the equal of the much-touted Ren-Wax, except it's about 5% of the Ren-Wax price.

Regarding gun cleaning, it's difficult to beat mineral spirits or a can of aerosol spray carb cleaner for that purpose.

 

[Bakebfr480]

I'm still using Lubriplate on my guns that my dad brought home from the Korean war! Works on my guns!

 

[scoobysnacker]

So far, the test is going very well. Everything is staying very well oiled. It is neither drying up or running off. I have shot a couple pistols a good bit and just wipe them down afterwards, they look clean and are still very slick. Nothing looks the worse for wear or storage... I've wiped a couple down and just put them away in boxes, and they still have a sheen when I take them out.

What seems to really be encouraging, is that there is both zero gumming, and that no matter how much I wipe something down with a dry rag (or paper towel), I can't remove the base coating. Takes something as strong as a can of brake cleaner (and a pretty good amount of it) to remove.

It seems to spread over the metal, without running, if that makes sense.

This definitely is a keeper in my book.

 

[scoobysnacker]

Just updating this, it's been over a year since the last post...

This stuff works just fine, the guns have had no issues, the pistols I haven't shot much remain clean and slick (no gumming up). Heck, the rails still look wet on a couple I haven't shot since starting this.

As for the ones I do shoot a lot, everything is just peachy with them too. No buildup of crud, just doing a minimal wipedown with a rag and then putting a drop or two on again. I'm only shooting FMJ instead of lead, so I don't use a bore brush a lot, just shove a patch down a few times until it's clean. No accuracy or function issues as of yet.

I still have a ton. I've topped off one can of empty Ballistol since I've started this.

Hopefully, someone can make use of this to save a couple bucks