The thin grease for firearms

Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Messages
63
Location
Missouri
Many of you know that firearms need a lube that not only ensures firing reliability, but also absorbs or suspends dirt/carbon from firing. In various forums, you hear the old saw, "If it slides, grease it. If it rotates, oil it." But the point argued around the web is that traditional auto grease is too stiff for many sliding parts, and rotating bolts found in many semi-auto firearms need something more 'stay put' than the traditional 'gun oil' that we all grew up with.

There must be over 50 specialty gun greases for sale across the web. Lubriplate, Tetra, Frog, and a new player CherryBalmz all come to mind. I think what they are trying to do is to provide ultra high lubricity, with ultra high 'stayinplacity' by mixing up a very thin grease. Most appear to be in a consistency somewhere between a 00 "Applesauce" and 000 heavy oil.

But look at what they charge! Most of these heavily-hyped gun greases are $14-$16 for a few ounces!
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However, if I want to save money by running down to the local auto parts or hardware store, all I can find is "Normal" NLG #2 Grease with the consistency of peanut butter. Many of you know that there are less than a dozen major grease manufactures in North America. So, none of these gun grease sellers make their own grease. They must be buying a 00 or 000 from one of the majors and repackaging it to make $1000 a gallon.

My question the BITOG hive mind is: Can I take an auto grease & an auto oil and mix them to get the desired consistency? Or who do you think sells a reasonably priced semifluid grease formulated to lubricate and protect in a dirty environment with a wide temperature range?
 
Compared to the cost of ammo, the cost of grease is trivial.

Or just spray a little LCP and be done with it.
 
I really like the breakfree CLP and LP products. I know they got a bad rep a few years back but ever since they returned to mil-spec they have been working very well for me. The LP is significantly tackier than the CLP.

As for grease, Jet-Lube offers a lot of different products. I would be they have a low # grease for you. I think valvoline greases are made in multiple weights, but I've never seen anything but #2 on the shelf.
 
Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
Unless you shoot a whole lot more than me this is likely a 3 to five year supply.

https://www.creedmoorsports.com/pro...=GoogleUS&pk_source=GoogleUS&pk_

Only $700 per gallon!!

Originally Posted by Yah-Tah-Hey
Gun Oil

Which is not a grease. I've already got a great gun oil, it is called Mobil 1. I can take a couple of oz off the top of an oil change and keep myself supplied forever. But I need a product for "if it slides,grease it" and I was thinking the tribologists of BITOG could come up with something was wasn't $700+ a gallon!
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There are tons of ranges of lubricants. Its just that there arent many that are heavily used in the automotive environment to get nicely packaged units to end users.

Gun product companies are providing this "value", maybe with a little manufacturing/blending of their own, and packaging it to you in a convenient for your needs size. But Im sure because typical use is miniscule, the overall volume is low, and thus costs are still high.

Its fun to play your own blender. You can try - adding oil to grease might not work - it may drop out or not - all you can do is try it.
 
Originally Posted by tundraotto
I just use the mobil 1 grease when i (rarely) grease my AR's...with a toothpick

Good from -40 to 400 degrees F,
 
Any grease will generally be better than no grease, but most of my firearms run on no grease just fine. Why not use an automotive grease if you prefer? I've never seen a grease that was so stiff that it prevented any of my firearms from functioning properly.
 
My brother used to shoot PPC in North Carolina. There were a lot of .45 Colts there as you can well imagine. Most of the old timers would mix there own slide lube from STP and Marvel Mystery Oil. You can control the blend yourself to achieve the desired consistency. I think this might be just what you are trying to achieve. Lots of ZDP, plus whatever the "mystery" is! It would stay for the entire match anyway.

It has been my experience that some gun oils like M-Pro 7 and Break Free contain a solvent that will evaporate over time leaving behind a pretty stiff residue. I avoid those in most applications. I have never seen good old Hoppes gun oil stiffen up, so that's still my go to product for thin oil applications.
 
Lubriplate isn't a gun grease or gun oil, per se, but a food-service industry line of lubrication products, some of which shooters (including the US military at some points) chose for their uses. They make a huge line of both fluids and greases. Their oils can be found in sizes from a quart to a gallon to a pail to a drum.
Only product of theirs that I can say I use regularly for firearms is their SFL 0 grease, which I've found quite useful in firearms apps ranging from shotguns that have to shoot high volumes in all sorts of weather to some carry handguns (the rails). I like it expressly for its light consistency and relatively easy clean & replace properties.
If you want to blend and experiment, have fun and good luck.
Gotta say though, and I'm not trying to be smart***, I don't see cost per gallon as a practical concern, as I don't think I could use a gallon (or pound) of grease in a lifetime of firearms apps for a lone individual.
I think if I was looking for a semifluid, I'd get a quart (or gallon) of something from Lubriplate that meets the specs I want, or I'd consider military LSA.
JMO/YMMV
 
Originally Posted by JHZR2
There are tons of ranges of lubricants. Its just that there arent many that are heavily used in the automotive environment to get nicely packaged units to end users.

Gun product companies are providing this "value", maybe with a little manufacturing/blending of their own, and packaging it to you in a convenient for your needs size. But Im sure because typical use is miniscule, the overall volume is low, and thus costs are still high.

Its fun to play your own blender. You can try - adding oil to grease might not work - it may drop out or not - all you can do is try it.



Yep re the convenience factor and the relatively low-volume need/usage for firearms.
I keep two greases on the bench -- Lubriplate SFL 0 and Shooters Choice Synthetic. Both are in pre-packaged syringes, and I find they meet my firearms needs and last for literally years. And I run a fairly wide assortment of guns.
Well, wait ... I also have a tube of Rig Universal. Applied to one of their sheepskin "Rig's Rag" sheepskin applicators, pretty nice stuff as a long-term protectant if you're putting a gun up for some time. But single container still lasts a very long time.
 
Originally Posted by fnbrowning
Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
Unless you shoot a whole lot more than me this is likely a 3 to five year supply.

https://www.creedmoorsports.com/pro...=GoogleUS&pk_source=GoogleUS&pk_

Only $700 per gallon!!

Originally Posted by Yah-Tah-Hey
Gun Oil

Which is not a grease. I've already got a great gun oil, it is called Mobil 1. I can take a couple of oz off the top of an oil change and keep myself supplied forever. But I need a product for "if it slides,grease it" and I was thinking the tribologists of BITOG could come up with something was wasn't $700+ a gallon!
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Except you'll never live long enough to use a gallon let alone a half gallon.
 
I've been using this on my pistols for years. It's an Aussie made grease I bought in Basspro for my saltwater reels. I really don't know if this was meant for guns too, but it just works. It doesn't melt, and the slide is pretty shinny after applying a thin film with a rug.

[Linked Image]

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Originally Posted by OilReport99
I've been using this on my pistols for years. It's an Aussie made grease I bought in Basspro for my saltwater reels. I really don't know if this was meant for guns too, but it just works. It doesn't melt, and the slide is pretty shinny after applying a thin film with a rug.

[Linked Image]

cheers3.gif



Found it on Amazon ... too bad the shipping is so high (not sold via Amazon warehouse it seems).

https://www.amazon.com/MX-6-Inox-Grade-Machinery-Grease/dp/B004WLGC6E/

https://www.amazon.com/FOOD-GRADE-GREASE/dp/B07B8TBHH9/
 
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
Originally Posted by OilReport99
I've been using this on my pistols for years. It's an Aussie made grease I bought in Basspro for my saltwater reels. I really don't know if this was meant for guns too, but it just works. It doesn't melt, and the slide is pretty shinny after applying a thin film with a rug.

[Linked Image]

cheers3.gif



Found it on Amazon ... too bad the shipping is so high (not sold via Amazon warehouse it seems).

https://www.amazon.com/MX-6-Inox-Grade-Machinery-Grease/dp/B004WLGC6E/

https://www.amazon.com/FOOD-GRADE-GREASE/dp/B07B8TBHH9/


It is indeed expensive after $hipping. I don't even know if Bass Pro carries it anymore. I bought that one 10 years ago for my reels, but the #1 "customer" has been my HK45 -- after shooting over 12-13K rounds I can say this stuff is good for guns
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[Linked Image]
 
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