Motor oils as firearms lubes. . . .

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Since firearms operate strictly within the boundary lubrication regime and not the hydrodynamic lubrication regime, it appears that synthetic motor oils should possess the necessary attributes (including detergency, rust and corrosion inhibition and adequate film and barrier strengths) to serve successfully as alternative small arms lubricants.

This is flawed as most things in an engine occur in the hydrodynamic regime. So if motor oil is designed to operate in the hydrodynamic regime, there is no reason for it to be designed to operate heavily in the boundary regime.

Motor oils are acceptable as firearm lubes and are probably just as good as 90% of the gun oils on the market. My main problem with them is that they will have poor solvency for in situ cleaning and do not contain EP additives.
 
Originally Posted By: Tempest
... My main problem with them is that they will have poor solvency for in situ cleaning and do not contain EP additives.


What part of a gun needs EP additives? Every part of the gun that moves can be cycled with your hands. The bolt doesn't move while there is still pressure in the barrel.
 
I remember when I was doing my master thesis research seeing reports of Marines using Diesel oil as a cleaner and lube in a pinch in the era before we were issuing cleaning supplies to soldiers in Vietnam (circa 67-68 if I recall). Id think the older formulations of HDEO that were loaded with detergents would work pretty darn well as an ersatz lube.
 
Originally Posted By: Loobed
Originally Posted By: Tempest
... My main problem with them is that they will have poor solvency for in situ cleaning and do not contain EP additives.


What part of a gun needs EP additives? Every part of the gun that moves can be cycled with your hands. The bolt doesn't move while there is still pressure in the barrel.


Ya reckon ?

You can turn a differential with your hands unloaded...doesn't mean that it doesn't need EP.
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: Loobed
Originally Posted By: Tempest
... My main problem with them is that they will have poor solvency for in situ cleaning and do not contain EP additives.


What part of a gun needs EP additives? Every part of the gun that moves can be cycled with your hands. The bolt doesn't move while there is still pressure in the barrel.


Ya reckon ?

You can turn a differential with your hands unloaded...doesn't mean that it doesn't need EP.



Since you think EP additives are needed, I will repeat myself.

What part of a gun needs EP additives?
 
Originally Posted By: Loobed
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: Loobed
Originally Posted By: Tempest
... My main problem with them is that they will have poor solvency for in situ cleaning and do not contain EP additives.


What part of a gun needs EP additives? Every part of the gun that moves can be cycled with your hands. The bolt doesn't move while there is still pressure in the barrel.


Ya reckon ?

You can turn a differential with your hands unloaded...doesn't mean that it doesn't need EP.



Since you think EP additives are needed, I will repeat myself.

What part of a gun needs EP additives?





I think the locking lug areas on some guns as well as the cock on opening camming area on my bolt rifles might benefit from some anti wear additives. I mean its darn hard to wear out a mauser 98 anyways, but I can see where it COULD decrease wear a bit. Sure cannot hurt.
 
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
I remember when I was doing my master thesis research seeing reports of Marines using Diesel oil as a cleaner and lube in a pinch in the era before we were issuing cleaning supplies to soldiers in Vietnam (circa 67-68 if I recall). Id think the older formulations of HDEO that were loaded with detergents would work pretty darn well as an ersatz lube.

I agree that something is better than nothing, even diesel.

IMHO the detergents in PCMO's are useless in guns. The amount of junk that an oil has to deal with in a gun is WAY more per unit of volume than in an engine. This is why base oil solvency is more important with guns than engines, IMHO.
 
Originally Posted By: Loobed
Originally Posted By: Tempest
... My main problem with them is that they will have poor solvency for in situ cleaning and do not contain EP additives.


What part of a gun needs EP additives? Every part of the gun that moves can be cycled with your hands. The bolt doesn't move while there is still pressure in the barrel.


Anything with slide ways, especially those of automatics. Automatic pistols are especially sensitive since the slides impart a strong vertical force on the frame ways during recoil. Cam surfaces are also subject to high forces and can benefit from EP adds. Break open shotguns are also prone to high wear.

S/S has been much improved since it first came out but galling was an issue with earlier alloys/designs. This tells us that there is in fact sufficient force/heat generated in a cycle to transfer metal. This is why EP adds are an important part of a gun oil.
 
I just remembered that in the old days of early AMT Hardballers, they suffered from persistent galling issues with the slide and frame and the fix was to use some anti galling grease or grease with moly in it. Later they learned to use dissimilar stainless alloys for the frame and slide.
 
Interestingly enough, I found that Mobil 1 5W-40 works wonders on my 1911 target pistol. Seemingly better than Remoil or any of the other commercial gun products. I tried it on a whim, and was quite pleased with the results.

It simply seems to keep the gun from developing deposits and it runs quite smoothly with the M1.

Obviously, the 1911 is not highly stressed, and the stainless slide has very little loading.
 
Originally Posted By: Cujet
I tried it on a whim, and was quite pleased with the results.

It simply seems to keep the gun from developing deposits and it runs quite smoothly with the M1.


+1

Although I used Mobil 5000
 
I have been using Amsoil Scooter oil on my Kahr's and 1911's for about a year now. So far I really like the way it works.
 
using Pennzoil Gold 15w-40 HDEO for my lube...ran out of CLP and had some of the Pennzoil around after an oil change on a scooter I no longer own
 
I have a mix of whatever. I dont even remember what all it has in it any more. I think it has some Schaeffer's ATF, 2-cycle oil, ARx, Type F, and Amsoil MTF. Mostly the latter which should take care of EP needs.
 
Motor oil does work as a gun lube but only as a lube. It does nothing to clean and very little to prevent rust. For the high volume shooters looking to save money, it works well enough as a lube.
If you are going to use motor oil as a gun oil, I recommend you save your money and not buy synthetic. Synthetic motor oil wont make any difference in anything in anyway when it is used as a gun lube. As far as viscosity, I recommend 10w-40 in high temperatures and 5w-20 when it is really cold.
 
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