Lubricant Tests

C

Clayton

New member
Okay...I am assembling as many types of popular lubricants and CLP's as I can to do some unscientific testing.

I will be testing rust prevention, functionality on various types of firearms, ease of use, and lots of other things.

Rust tests are pretty straightforward, but a lot of other things I want to test are subjective, and therefore YMMV alot. FWIW, I have been shooting and cleaning firearms for over twenty years, with a few years of doing so on a more professional level. I have done lots of these kinds of tests for myself and others, and so I am a victim of my own experience, but as Kelly McCann says, at least I have some. :)

As soon as I figure out my wife's camera and the whole picture posting thing I will load as many as I can to help folks see the various test results. A picture is worth a thousand words and all that...

So far I have twenty products here, and three more on order, including Weapon Shield CLP. As soon as all has arrived, the testing will commence.

Any questions, comments, or suggestions, please E-mail or PM me.

Thanks,

Clay
 
Products being tested:

Hoppes Elite Gun Oil - the same product as Mpro7 oil. Very popular among the tree hugging environmentalist gun lovers. :)

Rem Oil - ye old standby, and a favorite of noted author and instructor Chuck Taylor.

Break-Free CLP - used by the armies of more countries than all other products combined. Been issued to U.S. military troops since 1979.

G96 Gun Treatment - Been around a coon's age. Very popular on the east coast, and used by several police departments there. Tested and approved by the RCMP.

Tetra Gun oil, grease, and spray - very popular PTFE-based products.

Militec-1 - probably the most popular lubricant by folks on the net, and lots of troops are using it right now in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Super Lube - PTFE grease type spray, tested in the 1980's by an unnamed Special Forces Group.

Ballistol - been around since the early 1900's and touted as a do-it-all miracle product. Very popular with the black powder crowd.

MMC Metal Conditioner - fairly new product, used by several gun companies and 'smiths.

Milcomm TW-25B - used by the U.S military on crew-served weapons, including the General Electric miniguns.

Weapon Shield CLP - new kid on the block.

Synthetic Motor Oils - Pennzoil Platinum and Mobil 1.

MPC FP-10 CLP - I still have some on hand.

Various industrial dry lubes including Dri-Slide, which was used during the Vietnam War.

WD-40 - probably more rednecks using this on guns than anything else on the planet.

Militec-1 grease and MPC's PL-10 grease will also be tested for the grease loving folks among us...

Clay
 
Testing products is always a lot of fun. I would recommend that you do some research on standardized practices for testing oils and greases. Simply squirting oil on an arm to see how it functions is a pretty poor and meaning less test. It would be inconsistant and would not yield any conclusive data.

I do a lot of testing of materials in my job. You need to establish what properties you would like to test that are relevant to a firearm. Then research standard methods for testing these. Now granted some will require equipment and processes out of your reach, but they will help establish good procedures that can be done at home. By doing this you will glean much more quality usable information from you tests.

properties to test-quick list
Lubricity- very important (I have a tester somewhere if I could find it)
Corrosion prevention
Boiling point- if you heat up your arm is it going to leave
Pour point (low temp)
viscosity
cleansing effect
degradation with time
gum formation
dirt attraction and grit size holding ability (generally related to viscosity)

Now are you looking for one oil to do all or best in classes. I could be wrong on this but a good quality low viscosity synthetic motor oil probably will exceed most gun oils in most catagories. Also a good quality wheelbearing grease probably should be added to your list to.
 
I don't have any Eezox on hand or I would test it again, however I have tested Eezox in the past, and it is an excellent lubricant and rust preventative. I particularly don't care for the smell, but it has been around for quite awhile and works well as a CLP.

Eezox is not compatible with some plastics used in grips, small parts, etc. Several forum members have had it and the Tetra Gun products damage certain plastics in the past. Be careful with these products.

I'm still waiting on some products to arrive, so I did a few tests last night using some new M2 high speed steel drill bits.

Break-Free CLP is normally my control, as I know what it will do realistically, and IMHO, if a high tech product doesn't outperform a $5 can of Break-Free, what's the point?

Between Break-Free CLP, Rem-Oil, and MMC Gun Protector and Conditioning Spray, Break-Free is the clear winner. The other two showed signs of rust within six hours using a spray bottle filled with a teaspoon of sea salt and warm water. No rust on the Break-Free coated bit after 12 hours.

Testing MPC PL-10, Militec-1 grease, Tetra Gun grease, and Milcomm TW-25B for rust prevention on a piece of parkerized 1095 carbon steel, using the aforementioned salt spray. I'm betting on PL-10 and Militec-1 as the winners.

Testing Hoppes Elite gun oil, Militec-1, and Break-Free CLP today.

I hear lots of folks say they won't use a C-L-P because they don't work as well as xxx oil. Check out the other tests online and look at the lab tests and you will see otherwise. CLP's like Break-Free, Eezox, Tri-Flow, FP-10 and G96 normally come out on top.

I will begin testing products on firearms and other tools this weekend. I hope to have all my orders in by Friday.

Clay
 
b00, the tests I am performing are for fun, and therefore I am not trying to conform to ASTM or MIL-L testing standards, nor will I be using any Falex machines. Most of the good companies like Steel Shield and Break-Free have been tested in the lab and the results are easily obtainable.

I will post any technical data that I have of the best products when I am through. Some companies provide data and some do not. Lots of times there is a reason for this, and it isn't good.

Motor oils, synthetic or conventional, normally do very poorly in rust tests that I and several others have already done. They work fine as lubricants if used sparingly. I will be testing Mobil 1 and Pennzoil Platinum.

Thanks for the replies and emails. If anyone has any data or personal test results of different lubes, post them here. The more opinions, the better.

Clay
 
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Out of curiousity, what are you testing with drill bits?

Also have you done any long term corrosion resistance tests? Salt spray tests are great to simulate arms by the ocean, but how about storage in a house on verticle surfaces and humidity that sneaks up on arms?
 
I have used Eezox on all my guns for about 2 years and love it. It might damage some polymers but I have used it on Rugers P-series and Remington nylons and it doesn't hurt them.
 
I've used Eezox for a year or so and have yet to have it damage plastic (including an XD). It does take off the black lettering on a barbecue grill though.:eek::)

Clayton, good work. I'd love to see some tests on Slip 2000. Very little out there, and I can't find it locally to try.
 
Large drill bits, made of blued M2 high carbon steel are excellent to use in rust tests. I also use mild steel plate, angle iron, old gun barrels, and 1095 high carbon steel. Coat the metal with the product and spray with a fine mist of salt water several times a day. Sometimes I use good 'ole rainfall as well.

Products that do well in these kinds of tests will normally excel in long term tests as well, unless evaporation is an issue. Salt fog lab tests and water washout tests are great if the manufacturer will release the independant lab test results to the public.

Personally, I rarely use a product long enough to see long term results, with the exception of Break-Free CLP, FP-10 and a few others. Also I don't have any weapons in storage. It either gets used often or it gets sold off in my house. :)

A friend of mine who does have some fine firearms stored away uses Corrosion-X, with excellent results. He also uses it on his hunting rifles.

As far as compatability with Eezox goes, I never had any problems with it on Glocks. Some manufacturers have tested their products for compatability with plastics, rubber, etc. but many have not and instead leave it up to the consumer to find out the hard way.

Pat Rogers, who has forgotten more about this stuff than I'll ever know, has used Slip 2000 with good results, but I have yet to try any. I have never heard anything bad about their entire line of products.

www.slip2000.com

Clay
 
Lets talk about customer service and product information.

The following companies have excellent customer service, and go out of their way to provide the consumer with valuable information-

Steel Shield Technologies www.steelshieldtech.com
Break-Free www.break-free.com
FTI Inc. www.tetraproducts.com
Milcomm www.milcomm.com
Corrosion Technologies www.corrosionx.com
Militec Inc. www.militec-1.com

The following companies have good service, and provide you with some data, albeit mostly testemonials -

G96 Products www.g96.com
Eezox Inc. www.eezox.com
Russack www.russack.com

Several other companies have lousy service and provide no info, but we won't talk about these guys...

As far as products having an informative label on the container itself, Steel Shield wins hands down. My Weapon Shield arrived today and I have to say that George has outdone himself again. Well done, sir.

Clay
 
Tests

Thank you Clay...just wait till you get to the tests :D

As for OUR customer service, I'm sure many of you remember it when I was with MPC...bar none. I make the pledge to all...it is, and will always be, "beyond reproach".

Best regards,
George
 
I do have a suggestion that isn't meant to insult your intelligence...

Do you apply the products as specifically designed first? I know you're probably tired of hearing the songs of praise of Eezox (especially since I'm a big fan), but it's the only example that I have at the top of my head. Eezox is designed to be applied to a surface totally free of previous lubes, dirt, etc. before application. Then apply a thin amount and let sit for several hours to penetrate the surface to be protected. Then wipe off excess and should be ready to deal with whatever comes.

I just wanted to suggest that the application of each product is applied by what each manufacturers instruct. Thanks for reading my thesis...

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program...:o
 
Hey guy, no insult taken at all..

First thing I do is clean the metal being used with either carburator cleaner, gun scrubber, acetone, or alcohol, depending on what it is. I always make sure the surface is clean and dry, and after each product application I wash my hands/wear gloves to ensure that there is no cross-contamination.

The products are also applied according to direction i.e. shaken first, etc. The only exception is I use the same amount/thickness across the board, which is more than what you would usually leave on the outside of a firearm. Products are rubbed or brushed in well so that there are no voids.

Clay
 
http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic/a640gWp8XR-eypavKYZzePKzDYVoHuKRZI3Kv4xQp5Fd3Ig=_l.jpg

http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic/a640gWp8XR-eypavKYZzePKzDTqOB7-WLFbGv4xQp5Fd3Ig=_l.jpg

http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic/a640gWp8XR-eypavKYZzePKzDbFkg-57m7ibv4xQp5Fd3Ig=_l.jpg

http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic/a640gWp8XR-eypavKYZzePKzDXnH7cQmU4E7v4xQp5Fd3Ig=_l.jpg

Okay guys, here's some pics. This is a trial run, and very much a learn as you go process for me, so be patient, and advice is welcome. :) If these kinds of links or whatever will work for everyone then we in bidness.

When I get to the real tests later on I will be more in depth in the explaination, etc.

Clay
 
This test has been done more than a few times already, some of you may be surprised what does teh best at rust prevention;)

I would like to see a lube test though.
 
Lots of other excellent tests out there. I am not alone in my madness:

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85273&highlight=FP-10

http://www.thegunzone.com/rust.html

http://www.accuratereloading.com/rustest.html

http://www.frfrogspad.com/cleaners.htm

http://www.shootersolutions.com/webrusttests.html

http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=895087&an=0&page=0#Post895087

It's interesting how some of the results vary a bit. Some products like FP-10, TW-25B, and Break-Free seem to do good or bad depending on the test, while Eezox is pretty consistant. Lots of different factors at play, not the least of which is the unscientific nature of these tests.

I will be doing some live fire tests as well as cleaning tests on the CLP's I have, which of course are subjective and non-scientific, but fun anyways. I will also post any lab results regarding Falex wear tests, etc. that I have.

Anyone currently using Eezox or Slip 2000 should get a sample of Weapon Shield and tell us what you think after comparing them a bit.

:)
 
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