Gun oil
I was at the range last week and I was talking with a guy about what oil he uses after cleaning his gun. He told me he uses brake cleaner (to clean the parts) and dips all his parts in transmission fluid when putting his gun back together. Says it burns off the un-used oil in a shot or two...my question is.... is this a good way of doing it?
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I HAVE A DESERT EAGLE .44 AMONG OTHERS AND I WAS WONDERING IF IT IS OK TO USE SOMETHING LIKE STP SILICONE SPRAY INSTEAD OF REGULAR GUN OIL ON THE SPRINGS AND SUCH... 0 -
It will work. It will also eat the finish of your wood. Why not use a product specifically developed for gun lubrication? Polymer scientists spend millions developing special use products why use brake fluid, are you really that cheap? Dry lubes are probably the best, these days. Try this: http://www.steelshieldtech.com/mainpage/retail-product-weapon-shield.html 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Bigtrk
I was at the range last week and I was talking with a guy about what oil he uses after cleaning his gun. He told me he uses brake cleaner (to clean the parts) and dips all his parts in transmission fluid when putting his gun back together. Says it burns off the un-used oil in a shot or two...my question is.... is this a good way of doing it?
Will it work? Yes.
Brake cleaner is good for cleaning and degreasing metal parts, and the product called "Gun scrubber" is basically the same exact thing. Watch out because this stuff isn't good on skin. It may or may not be harsh on the gun wood finish, depending on what that finish is, and what the brake cleaner formulation is. I'd also probably want to use something like this in in a well-ventilated area.
Tranny oil could be used as a gun lubricant/protector, and if that's all I had I'd use it, though I think there are better products out there for that purpose (ie pretty much any ACTUAL gun oil including but not limited to: Remington oil, Hoppe's, CLP, etc).
If you're looking for a cheap alternative to a dedicated gun oil, supposedly Mobil synthetic high viscosity motor oil works pretty well. Its heat resistant and sticks fairly well.0 -
quote:Extensive testing and evaluation has proven WEAPON SHIELDT improves bore accuracy due to its Advanced Boundary Film (ABF) Technology, which reduces coefficients of friction between the bullet and bore surfaces assisting in the ballistic movement of the bullet and improving bullet flight.
seems to me that the bore would have to be re-lubricated after every shot, the heat generated by one round would burn out the lube, if what they say about this stuff is true, you would only have to swab your bore once and it would last forever.
no thank you, ill continue to use my old tried and true Hoppes oil and Hoppes #9 or MilSpec. CLP0 -
quote:Originally posted by beantownshootah
quote:Originally posted by Bigtrk
I was at the range last week and I was talking with a guy about what oil he uses after cleaning his gun. He told me he uses brake cleaner (to clean the parts) and dips all his parts in transmission fluid when putting his gun back together. Says it burns off the un-used oil in a shot or two...my question is.... is this a good way of doing it?
Will it work? Yes.
Brake cleaner is good for cleaning and degreasing metal parts, and the product called "Gun scrubber" is basically the same exact thing. Watch out because this stuff isn't good on skin. It may or may not be harsh on the gun wood finish, depending on what that finish is, and what the brake cleaner formulation is. I'd also probably want to use something like this in in a well-ventilated area.
Tranny oil could be used as a gun lubricant/protector, and if that's all I had I'd use it, though I think there are better products out there for that purpose (ie pretty much any ACTUAL gun oil including but not limited to: Remington oil, Hoppe's, CLP, etc).
If you're looking for a cheap alternative to a dedicated gun oil, supposedly Mobil synthetic high viscosity motor oil works pretty well. Its heat resistant and sticks fairly well.
I have been hunting my entire life (bow) and just took up the sport of shooting (trap, little skeet). Just purchased a Beretta AL-391 Urika here on gunbroker (should be here this coming week). In no way am I looking for the cheapest oil or cleaning product. I am looking for the best products that will keep my gun in top condition (trying to avoid the shoe box full of stuff that dont work). How often do you take apart the entire gun and clean it. Do you lube each part putting it back together?0 -
Like for household cleaning bleach works great but undiluted it can be too much...
Use of other products will work but can cause issues.0 -
For a basic gun lube - you could use Kerosene.
It does not gell up like gun oil does when it gets cold, it will not gum up your trigger or firing pin.
You can wipe it off with a rag.
For a protectorant - I use LPS 2
http://www.lpslabs.com/product_pg/lubricants_pg/LPS2.html
Crap like Remoil - evaporates after you apply it and it really doesn't protect the surface of the metal parts for a very long period of time.
WD 40 is a rust penetrant and not a lubricant and it is not any good for long term storage.
I guess the reason for this line of posts on the dozen or more forums that I belong to is because the hunters or shooters has used their firearms all summer and fall and now they want to put it away for the winter and they want to make sure to use the best product to protect their firearms so it will not rust or have issues somewhere down the road.
There is nothing wrong with asking a question, but you have to be willing to accept that most answers will be just opinions and not actual factual information.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Bigtrk
I have been hunting my entire life (bow) and just took up the sport of shooting (trap, little skeet). Just purchased a Beretta AL-391 Urika here on gunbroker (should be here this coming week). In no way am I looking for the cheapest oil or cleaning product. I am looking for the best products that will keep my gun in top condition (trying to avoid the shoe box full of stuff that dont work). How often do you take apart the entire gun and clean it. Do you lube each part putting it back together?
I've shot the Beretta you mention, and its a good solid gun. You should be pretty happy with it.
To answer the first question, lots of people have their own pet products that they like, and there are a gazillion of them out there on the market.
In *MY* opinion if you're gun is designed properly and isn't defective, pretty much any product intended to clean and lubricate guns will work fine to do those things. Unless you're taking your gun into what might be termed "extreme" conditions (ie sub-freezing, desert with lots of dust) or trying to push it as long as possible without service, I really don't think you're going to notice all that much of a difference between the various products.
I don't think I've ever had a "lubricant failure" where a gun malfunctioned because it wasn't lubed with some exotic product. Then again, I don't push my guns by firing hundreds or thousands of rounds at a time without cleaning, though some people do.
I personally happen to like "old fashioned" CLP to clean, lubricate and prevent rust, just because its readily available at any gunstore or sporting goods store, its not terribly expensive, its been around a LONG time and in my experience it does work. It may or may not be the best product out there, but I figure if the US military spent a gazillion bucks developing and testing it, it can't "suck". As mentioned above, there are MANY other products that could work too (hoppes, Rem oil, Slip 2000, etc, etc).
As to your next question, how often do I take apart the ENTIRE gun?
Well, under ordinary use its generally NEVER necessary to "detail strip" a gun, that is to say, take it apart to every single screw, pin, and other component. There might be times when its appropriate to do that (eg if you're modifying the gun, or if it gets dunked in something nasty, etc), but its pretty unusual, and unless you're a gunsmith or pretty experienced in disassembling guns, its also not a good idea to even try.
I think what you're asking is how often do you need to CLEAN a gun.
When you clean a gun, you usually "field strip" it, or just disassemble the main moving components such as slide, etc. The instruction manual that came with your gun should explain how to do this. If you don't have one, Beretta USA will probably happily send you one for free, or let you download one from its website.
The answer to how often to clean is that it depends on the exact gun, it depends what you were doing with it, it depends what kind of ammo you were putting through it, and of course how much ammo. It also depends on what you intend to do with the gun.
If a range "plinker" malfunctions. . .eh. But if I'm a soldier in Afghanistan or a cop, the LAST thing I want to hear is a "click" when I should be hearing a "bang"!
Some guns have complex actions that require cleaning more often than others. For example the AR-15 rifles are notorious for clogging with dirt after a few hundred rounds if uncleaned, where as because by design they have loose tolerances, AK-47 type rifles can run uncleaned for thousands of rounds.
Some people clean their gun religiously after EVERY use. Not necessarily a bad idea if its a gun you're trusting your LIFE to. Unless its obviously dirty, I generally let my guns go a few hundred rounds between cleanings. . .but I will ALWAYS clean the gun immediately after use *IF* I use military surplus type corrosive ammo in the gun. You won't be using corrosive ammo in your shotgun.
If the ammo you're shooting is "dirty" you may have to clean the gun more often than if its clean-burning.
If the gun starts to malfunction, obviously, then it needs cleaning. Again, some guns are more prone to this than others.
For your Urika shotgun, I'd say it probably could use a taking down and cleaning say every few hundred shells fired.
When you clean, no you do NOT need to "dunk" every single part in gun oil, and in fact, you should *NOT* do that since the extra oil can attract dirt.
What you want to do is strip the gun down, clean off dirt and caked on carbon deposits where they occur, and clean out the bore. Tools that may be helpful here include plastic brushes (eg toothbrushes) cloth patches, and toothpicks. In other words, soft implements that won't scratch the gun surfaces. After everything is clean, then you apply a **SMALL** amount of lubricant to the MOVING surfaces of the gun (eg slides, rails, pistons, etc), and you make sure the outside and inside of the bore are coated with a thin film of oil to prevent rust. In many cases, you can use the same product to prevent rust, lubricate AND clean.
Again, everyone has their own favorite products and way, but as an example, in my case, I generally will use CLP for most cleaning, but I have a few other products I'll occasionally use, as needed. For example, I have gunscrubber/brake cleaner for spraying out gun actions when I don't want to (or can't) carefully dissassemble them. I have some lithium grease which can be useful for CERTAIN gun applications (though I would NEVER use it as a general purpose lubricant). I also have a few other cleaning products that may work better than CLP in certain applications.
By the way, if you want a cheap gun cleaner/degreaser, the master gunsmith who does all the "AGI" gunsmithing videos swears by "simple green" for cleaning, with blow-drying the parts afterwards. He also likes CLP for lube and protection against rust.0 -
Thanks Guys! 0 -
Crap like Remoil - evaporates after you apply it and it really doesn't protect the surface of the metal parts for a very long period of time.
You are dead wrong here buddy. I've been using Remoil for years and none of my guns have ever rusted. The Remoil contains teflon and the oil may dry, but it leaves a teflon coating that protects very well. Even when hunting in the rain, the water just beads up and rolls off like a freshly waxed car. I'll continue to use Remoil because it works well for me.
Regards, Don0 -
I'm cheap. When I buy a product, I want the one that will do what I need it to do at the best price.
I make my own Ed's Red bore cleaner as it does what I want.
For lube, I use LSA lube. Good enough for the US Army, good enough for me. At a gun show a quart is under $10, lasts for years. A few drops on moving parts will do ya. For some parts that require grease, I use the same stuff (gimbal bearing and spline grease) I use in the stern drive on my boat. If it can withstand being in a closed gearcase at up to 4000 RPMs under water, I think it will do fine for a firearm. And it is cheap. I can get a whole tube for my grease gun for the same price I pay for 2-3 oz of fancy purpose made stuff.
I appreciate the guy using tranny fluid and again, it is made for high pressure, high temp applications and so would be a good bet in a gun. I don't think I'd dip it though; too much oil is as big a problem as not enough. That said- it is a hydraulic fluid, not a true oil.
WD 40 and Rem Oil are fine for getting water off of guns or removing finger prints, but neither is a long term storage product, nor do either provide real lubrication. With respect to those who have used them without issue, I HAVE had rust using both.
For longer term storage, I use a light grease like RIG or something. I have a tub of Swiss Automatic Grease (Automattenfett) that is also nice but it is sort of a novelty, not something I use daily. Even vaseline works great, but is a bit thick.0
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