Motor Oil For Lube. Which is Best?

Status
Not open for further replies.
You do realize that motor oils are packed FULL of anti-corrosion additives?
Click to expand...
I was basing that comment on Grant Cunningham's analysis (see the link to his article in my first post and in Spats' post) and on the fact that motor oils always seem to score poorly in the various informal corrosion tests I've seen. I'm not saying they don't have anti-corrosion additives, it just appears that what anti-corrosion additives they have are inferior to those used in the best gun oils. I don't know if that's because of a difference in the types of additives or in the quantity of additives.
Please explain exactly which additives are unsuitable for use with firearms, given that they are perfectly suitable for use in aluminum and cast iron block engines.

What do these unsuitable additives do?
Click to expand...
According to Grant Cunningham, some of the pour point additives commonly used in motor oils are toxic and therefore a poor choice to put on an item that will be handled frequently or carried next to one's skin.
In any event, I use grease on my guns.
Click to expand...
I definitely use more grease than oil for my gun lubrication needs. I primarily use gun oils for wiping down guns to prevent corrosion. That's a large part of why I tend to be pretty interested in the corrosion prevention capabilities of gun oils.
You seem to have an unwarranted faith in gun oil companies.
Click to expand...
Not much. There is a good deal of information out there that one can use to pick a product that performs well. A lot of that information is available at TFL. In addition to the corrosion tests I linked earlier in this post, here's a rather exhaustive test performed by a TFL member.
 
I'm finding the comparison of the demands on oil of a combustible automotive engine that moves parts more times in 15 seconds than your gun will in a lifetime to be almost comical. This is yet another topic that is way over thought. I don't mean to offend, but synthetic oils were created to take longer to suffer chemical breakdown from acids and other contaminants, and high heat that occur as byproducts from burning gasoline. In other words, you can go longer between oil changes. Most people get dirt and dust in the oil and clean it off, and reapply every time they shoot. Your oil's chemical properties are not going to break down and fail during your range session.

Oil is only there to lubricate moving parts, and protect some finishes from rust and corrosion. Thicker oil stays on finishes better. Some moving parts can be greatly slowed down by lubes that thicken in the cold. I've got a little can of Remoil I bought about 10 years ago for firing mechanisms. I've got a little bottle that once held Hopps gun oil, that has been refilled multiple times with whatever motor oil I had around and open at the time, for coating external metal. If its slippery and repels water, it will work fine.
 
JohnKSa, what you seem to have gotten from Grant Cunningham's article is that motor oil is no good as a gun lube. Curiously, I read that article some time ago, and I have it bookmarked in my browser. I came away from it with the opposite impression. I interpreted it to support the hypothesis that motor oils are excellent gun oils.

Grant Cunningham said:
Let's be clear: there are no "new", "revolutionary" lubricant products made for firearms. That's a flat statement, and it's intended to be. All of the lubricants, bases, and additives of suitable use are already well known to the lubricant industry. Specific combinations might be unique, but it's all been tried before - if not necessarily on guns.
Click to expand...

Frankly, in terms of mechanical performance, most oils "work"; some are better than others, but everything will make parts move for a while. The weakest area of most oils is in corrosion resistance - and on a gun, corrosion is a bad thing! There have been lots of claims, but those people who have actually taken the time to run experiments to test corrosion on steel have found that the products with the greatest hype are often the worst at corrosion resistance. Not surprisingly, plain mineral oils, such as Rem Oil, score at the very bottom of the list.
Click to expand...

Motor oils: Generally good boundary lubrication (particularly the Havoline formulations), but very poor corrosion resistance and poor resistance to open-air oxidation. In addition, their pour-point additives often contain benzene compounds, which aren't a good thing to have next to your skin on a regular basis! If you must use something from the auto parts store, ATF performs better for firearms use on every count, even if it is a tad more expensive. (ATF is still 1/10 to 1/100th the cost of a specialty "gun oil.”)
Click to expand...
Synthetic motor oils are not susceptible to open air oxidation ... or at least much less susceptible than conventional motor oils. The close of this paragraph is almost a flip-flop, because what he wrote earlier in the article about ATF didn't seem nearly as supportive:

Dexron-type Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF). That's right, plain ol' ATF. The kind you get at every gas station, auto parts store, and even most convenience stores. Synthetic or regular, either will work just fine. ATF is not perfect, however; aside from the aforementioned deficiencies, it does have a slight odor to it, the red dye used to differentiate it from motor oil will stain, and it’s not non-toxic.
Click to expand...

Having tried a number of "gun" oils, household oils, and motor oils, I have a lot more faith in my multi-viscosity motor oil than I do in any of the "gun" oils out there. I'm not concerned about toxicity. Let's face it, ALL oils are petroleum based and toxic to humans. I always wear gloves when cleaning my firearms, and I don't practice "Mexican" carry, I carry in an OWB holster, so skin contact isn't an issue for me. I just want to be as certain as I can be that my gun will function if called upon to do so.
 
Last edited:
I've seen pistols coated in'n'out with motor oil rust to a farethewell because motor oil does NOT have rust preventative features perse'.
I'll use that proven to be the best for firearms and let the cheapskates deal with their folly.
And so it goes...
 
I've seen pistols coated in'n'out with motor oil rust to a farethewell because motor oil does NOT have rust preventative features perse'.
I'll use that proven to be the best for firearms and let the cheapskates deal with their folly.
And so it goes...
Click to expand...
Would it still be alright then, if I use Mobil one on my stainless steel 1911 Colt Commander then? Or, is there some ominous reason not to? :D
 
I've heard that semi-synthetic motor oil is the best for guns. I use a Castrol blend.

For example...Lucas Oil sells a small or large bottle of Lucas Gun Oil --- Lucas Oil also sells Extreme Duty Gun oil --- which I believe {though not quite sure} that both are semi-synthetic.
 
Last edited:
Years ago when I drove a VW my brother the mechanic recommended using 30W non-detergent. Thoe who are concerned about addiditives might look into that.
 
Years ago when I drove a VW my brother the mechanic recommended using 30W non-detergent. Thoe who are concerned about addiditives might look into that.
Click to expand...
I wonder if detergents are the only things added to oil?
 
I just want to clarify that when I said I use Mobil 1, it as a lubricant, not a rust preventive. I use Mobil 1 on the rails and other points of friction. I'll use something else to lightly coat other parts of the firearm which need rust protection; usually Breakfree CLP or Eezox (but my wife hates the Eezox odor, even if it's opened in the garage).
 
JohnKSa, what you seem to have gotten from Grant Cunningham's article is that motor oil is no good as a gun lube.
Click to expand...
I wasn't trying to interpret it. I don't think it needs any interpretation--it stands on its own.

What did I "get" from the article? I've made three statements about motor oils based on or at least supported by the article.

1. Motor oil pour point additives can be toxic.

2. The corrosion protection offered by motor oils is inferior to what is available from the best gun oils.

3. There are better choices than motor oil for a gun lube if one chooses not to use a gun specific product.​

Here are Grant Cunningham's statements from the article:

1. <motor oil> "pour-point additives often contain benzene compounds, which aren't a good thing to have next to your skin on a regular basis!"

2. <motor oil has> "...very poor corrosion resistance..."

3. "If you must use something from the auto parts store, ATF performs better <than motor oil> for firearms use on every count" ... "What do I consider a "best in class" oil? Generally, it would be one made for lubricating food processing machiner, like Lubriplate's FMO-AW oil (specifically the 350-AW weight.)"​

I don't believe I've misrepresented his opinion/statements as aired in the article (or in his revolver book which contains a section on lubricants).
I interpreted it to support the hypothesis that motor oils are excellent gun oils.
Click to expand...
(My emphasis added.) I don't see how one could draw that conclusion from the article.

Here's a section you quoted from the article with some different emphasis added. We'll take it as a given that your comment about synthetics being resistant to open-air oxidation is accurate and not emphasize that portion.

"Motor oils: Generally good boundary lubrication (particularly the Havoline formulations), but very poor corrosion resistance and poor resistance to open-air oxidation. In addition, their pour-point additives often contain benzene compounds, which aren't a good thing to have next to your skin on a regular basis! If you must use something from the auto parts store, ATF performs better for firearms use on every count, even if it is a tad more expensive. (ATF is still 1/10 to 1/100th the cost of a specialty "gun oil.”) "​

He does state that motor oils provide "good...lubrication" but every other comment in the paragraph is negative. And he then makes the further statement that if you want to use an automotive lubrication product, ATF is better than motor oil "on every count". I don't believe that comes close to saying that motor oils are "excellent" gun oils.

I guess if one were to interpret his comments as being an endorsement of motor oils as "excellent" gun oils" (ignoring that he scores them as "good" in one category, "not good" in another and "very poor" in a third) then one would have to assume that ATF is better than excellent "on every count" and that Lubriplate's FMO 350-AW is even better than better than excellent.
The close of this paragraph is almost a flip-flop, because what he wrote earlier in the article about ATF didn't seem nearly as supportive:
Click to expand...
The paragraph before the one you quoted was actually quite supportive:

"...there is one product that does pretty well in corrosion resistance (not great, but better than average.) It also has good migration, a fair boundary lubrication package, is the right weight (thickness) for general firearms use, doesn't oxidize over long periods of storage, and is compatible with a wide range of metals and plastics. In addition, it is recommended by at least one real degreed firearms engineer! Just what is this miracle elixir??
...
Dexron-type Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF). ..."​

I believe the article makes it plain that if he were to pick an automotive product for use on guns, it would clearly be ATF, not motor oil.
Would it still be alright then, if I use Mobil one on my stainless steel 1911 Colt Commander then? Or, is there some ominous reason not to?
Click to expand...
Obviously it's alright for you to do anything you want with your pistol. And, just as obviously, if you aren't concerned with corrosion protection then there's no need to be concerned with corrosion protection. :D
I'll use something else to lightly coat other parts of the firearm which need rust protection; usually Breakfree CLP or Eezox (but my wife hates the Eezox odor, even if it's opened in the garage).
Click to expand...
Beeman MP5 is, in my experience, an excellent rust preventive. However, it is not a lubrication product in my opinion, and I wouldn't use it for anything other than rust prevention. But it has a very mild odor and if you're just looking for a product to use to wipe down parts that need corrosion protection it's a good choice.
 
what is the best lubricant for firearms?

I sure wish I had a dollar for every time this issue has been just beaten to death on this and every other gun related internet forum.

Rem Oil lubes fine but seems to wear out quickly.

I generally use grease on the slides of my auto pistols. Lubriplate, TW-25B, Brian Enos Slide Glide, Shooter's Choice Red Grease, MD7, I've used all of them with good success.

I use grease on a gun that will be carried for at least a couple of weeks before being shot & re-cleaned, which applies to my duty gun for work and whichever off duty auto is in the rotation for this quarter. I haven't noticed a problem with grease in really cold weather, but if it's that cold I'm probably not out on the range for more than 90 minutes anyway.

On guns that will be shot more frequently than that, I usually use oil. I have most recently been using Slip 2000 EWL (extreme weapons lubricant) and also some 10-8 Performance Lube that I'm experimenting with.

For regular lube I've used Triflow, Triflon, Break Free CLP, GI LSA, Militec, FP-101, Weapon Shield, Prolix, Snake Oil, Rem Oil, Gun Butter, Machine Gunner's Lube, Marvel Mystery Oil, etc. and haven't had any problems with those, either. My mechanic uses Mobil One as a lube on his rifles and is very happy with it. (He always liked Havoline for use in cars)

Some shooters recommend the procedure of using a "floater" (thin bead) of oil atop the grease before going to the range for a lengthy practice session. I've experimented with that a little bit but I suspect that getting that complicated may be over thinking the issue a little bit . . .

I was in the National Guard for 20 yrs (1980-2000). For most of that time we used GI rifle bore cleaner (RBC) to clean in the armory or after a range qualification, and Break Free CLP in the field as a cleaner & lube both. As a cleaner I found RBC to be MUCH better than the Break Free -- Break Free was too thick to clean very well. But in the field it was nice to only have to carry one product to accomplish both tasks.

25 years ago I shot on the State ARNG pistol team (to be honest, I was 2nd alternate) with a couple of old timers who made their own "Red Oil". If they liked you, they'd put a little bit on the slide rails of your M1911. It was a big honor. "Red Oil" was a mix of STP, Marvel Mystery Oil, Breakfree or Triflow, and something else that I don't remember anymore.

Seemed to lubricate okay. Tended to get all over the lenses of your shooting glasses because it was kind of thin.
 
Lots of comments about rust; aren't we talking about lubrication?
Motor oil generally smells bad, so I don't think I'd use it as an overall lube and preservative, for that reason alone.
I just started using Mobil 1 bearing grease on my Garand, and at least during application, it doesn't appear to have much odor. We'll see what happens after it warms up a bit during firing.
 
What I never use on a firearm is original WD40 it leaves a gummy film behind that after time can stick small parts togeather .
 
I use three oils for various needs on my guns, AmsOil 80W-90 (heavy lube), Hopps gun oil (medium lube and anti corrosion), ATF (light lube).

In the winter, some parts run dry.

The AmsOil 80W-90 synthetic gear lube goes on revolver cylinder pins and auto loader rails and slides. Have never had a problem with a gummy CF slide even in sub-zero temps.
 
Psalm7 and all: WD40 contains chlorimates I understand. Ed Harris who was QC engineer at Ruger years ago forbad the use of it in the plant because it attacked the nickel in stainless steel. Several revolver barrels cracked where workers lubed the threads of the barrel as they threaded them into revolver frames. The barrels cracked as they were stored in the box from the contaminate. Above all don't use it on nickel plate as it will take the plating off.
 
Last edited:
If you wish to use a light oil , try Automatic Transmission Fluid .

For general purpose gun oil , 5W-30 synthetic that I use in our car .

I also have an oil can with motor oil + ATF + STP I use to lube my press .

Have not purchase gun oil in al long time .

As a teenager , I used the 3 in one oil Mom used on / in her sewing machine .

I use axle grease on the spots / points subject to high speed friction on a Garand or a M1A . Oil on the rest of the metal .

Wyr
God bless
 
I'm sure a gun will work fine with what ever lube you use. As long as you clean it after firing. Someone stated in this post to prove to him if the automotive oil would be harmful to use . I guess I took the bait because the burning oil fields in Kuwait popped into my head. Stop the madness just buy a good gun oil. What ever you use , sorry it won't help you shoot any better . Keep it cleaned & lubed. KY an that's not Kentucky.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top