Motor Oil = Gun Oil...... Opinions?

in Afghanistan our chinook guy were using mil spec 23699 jet engine oil to lube there 240H's. the air crews said it worked great for keeping them lubed and cool during fire fights. However their armors were always ****** saying the oil turned to gum in the guns over time. I personally never used motor oil of any kind in a gun. but I did rack off rounds every time the chinook guys let me. and they always seemed reliable
 
Motor oils can have additives that aren't particularly good for you and are missing useful additives that most decent gun oils will have. Other than that they obviously do a good job of lubrication.

The main disadvantage of motor oils compared to a good quality gun oil is that motor oils are typically do a very poor job of corrosion prevention.

If you like Mobil 1, the "L" in Breakfree CLP is the same synthetic oil that was used in the original formulation of Mobil 1 (Mobil 1 was reformulated when the supply of the original synthetic oil dropped). What Breakfree CLP gives you that Mobil 1 doesn't is that the "P" provides some of the best corrosion protection on the market. In the tests I've seen, Breakfree CLP scores near the top while Mobil 1 scores near the bottom.

If corrosion protection isn't an issue and you know that the motor oil in question doesn't have additives that would make it a poor choice for an item handled & worn (for example, at least one formulation of Mobil 1, i.e. EP 15W-50, contains zinc dithiophosphate which the MSDS says has a low order of toxicity and may result in eye, skin, or respiratory irritation, also the aforementioned benzene found in some motor oils) then motor oil isn't a bad choice.

On the other hand, there are choices available (such as ATF) that provide the same level of economy that motor oil does but that are a much better overall match for the application than motor oil is.

1. Premium gun oils are tailored for the application and do a better job of lubricating and protecting firearms than motor oil does.
2. Even if you want to avoid buying gun oils there are better (still inexpensive) options available for lubricating and protecting firearms than motor oil.

The information to verify both statements is not hard to find and there's really no room for debate.

Will motor oil do the job? Yes. So will any number of special purpose or general purpose lubricants/oils.
Is it a good match for the application? No. There are choices (even inexpensive products) out there that will perform better.

Really the only thing motor oil has going for it is that it's cheap and readily available.
The only thing I thought of, was pulling the engine oil (Use Mobil1 10w30) dip stick out of my Jeep and allowing a few drops to fall into the rails and dust cover.
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Used motor oil is considered to be carcinogenic. I wouldn't make a practice of using used motor oil to lubricate a firearm.
 
Thousands invested in high quality guns, and I'm going to worry about the cost of quality gun oil to maintain them properly.
Okie Dokie.
 
So does anyone know any reasons not use MOBIL-1 on my guns? Iv read some testimonies saying its the best gun oil ever.... so i just figure i need to get TFL folk's opinion on it.
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I have found that using motor oil as a lubricant for my guns/rifles has, over the years, worked quite well. My only complain is that it does adhere quite well and, over time, will pick up dust/stuff. All that means is that I have to clean the gun again which is no big deal. As a preservative and lubricant motor oil on guns does quite well.
 
Detergent factor?

Mobile1 and most other motor oils have detergent additives. Any gun oil I know of is non-detergent. I wonder what the detergent factor adds or subtracts? I am not sure myself...just asking.
 
Hey, great idea...Buy a $400+ firearm, and cheap out on the lube....
I will stick to WeaponShield CLP. A large bottle cost $20, and will last me several years.
 
I've used whatever open quart bottle of motor oil I just happen to have in the garage. Been doing this for over 25 years and never had any problems.
 
Scott - nah. It's when you put the wrong grease in your grease gun that things get sticky. :eek:

:D

You know, until we get some sort of quality testing, 98% of the gun oil controversy will continue to be opinion and hearsay. As Dfariswheel once said, it's not so much what you use, it's using it frequently and correctly. (IIRC)

I've cleaned way too many handguns (police confiscation trade-ins) that were almost glued shut with dried gun oil to trust anything for long term.
 
Every product has an intended purpose. Why would you want to use a product for something other than it was designed for ? We spend all this money on our firearms, and then look for cheap ways to care for them.
 
AJ, I don't think it's a desire to be cheap, but more of a desire to not get ripped off. There is no argument that 95% of the gun oils and solvents are not distilled and produced by the companies marketing those said oils and solvents. The development cost would be idiotic. In a majority (IMHO) of cases, someone finds a decent solvent or oil used for something else and applies it to firearms. May be some minor design/formula changes, but nobody except the .gov spends a million bucks to test the stuff. And CLP was an off the shelf procurement. Breakfree had some serious issues getting CLP accepted by the .mil. The economics finally changed the military's mind about CLP along with lots of instruction about shaking the bottles often. :D
 
I don't think it's a desire to be cheap, but more of a desire to not get ripped off.
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Exactly. Im not trying to cheap out and compromise. If I thought my collection would be damaged by the use of cheaper products, I wouldnt use them. Period. My guns are worth alot to me as Im sure yours are to you.

But........ If I can find a product thats essentially the same quality (and possibly out-performs) for a fraction of the cost as the firearm specific stuff, why not use it? Im just curious as to what the difference, if any, is.
 
Anti sieze and Mobil 1

Howdy,
I use mobil 1 synthetic ATF but very little. I use a copper base anti sieze on my frame rails, bushings, springs etc. A little goes a long way and nothing makes a gun feel smoother. It stays put and a can will last forever if you shoot a lot.
On the down side it is nasty stuff to get on you or your clothes. If you are getting it all over you, you are using too much. I kinda dot it on with a tooth pick where I need it.
Places where I need to flow a little lube into is where I use the ATF.
Thanks
Mike
 
Motor Oil

I bought a quart of the heaviest Mobile 1 I could find. If I had kids their kids would be finishing up that quart.
I have never had a gun malfunction using it when oil is called for.
 
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