What lubricant do you guys trust/use normally?

G

Gahaha

New member
I've been using Hoppes #9 for years. Recently I've ran into a couple of guys who say that Hoppes is not a good lubricant and will cause premature wear on slides/rails.

Any opinions or experiences? For me I've ran probably over 10k rounds total and haven't had an issue. I honestly don't see any issue with Hoppes, I oil before going to the range and right after, haven't had or seen any issues yet.

Edit - The hoppes I'm talking about is the lubricant one, not the solvent.
 
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I use Hoppe's #9 as my primary solvent, and have recently begun to use Frog Lube as my primary lube. There are several tests that show Frog Lube to be ideal gun lubricant and protectant, plus it's very safe and is based on natural products, and smells like mint. Now on my black powder guns, I use Ballistol... which smells like ass. :o
 
I've never seen #9 lube. Only the solvent. Never knew Hoppe's made a lube.
As far as gun lube goes, I like 5w20 synthetic motor oil.
 
This isn't going to go well...

... and I probably shouldn't say this out loud but keep it to myself. I keep a small automobile chamois cloth lightly saturated with WD-40 rolled in a large pill bottle on my nightstand. About once a week I wipe down my DC, honestly I use it to wipe down all my firearms of all finishes and yes even on the wood. I know I know what everyone says about using it on firearms, I've heard it all over and over. Thing is I am 51 years old and some of my firearms I've had for up to 30 years and more and I've done it that way for most of those years without any ill effects. It does not replace a true gun oil for bearing surfaces in which case I have used a variety through the years, but for overall protection I think it's tops for the price. Give this link a look if you're of a mind to.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=...nic__Knowing_the_Limits_of_Rust_Preventatives

...and then look up some facts debunking all of the misconceptions about WD-40... like it has fish oil in it and many many others.

Just my opinion.
 
WD 40 isn't a lube either. Wiping down the exterior of your guns will get rid of moisture and prevent rust, but I wouldn't use it as a lube. I use Remington Gun Oil or Frog Lube.
 
Turkee, that was an interesting read on the testing & I'll admit I was surprised at some of the results, especially with BreaKFree CLP.
WD is a good rust preventative but as a lube it's useless, as you already know.
I haven't used WD on guns in a very long time, preferring traditional gun oils.
But with the advent of synthetic oil, it just seems to work best, for me anyway.
No rust on my guns.
Many thanks for posting this though. I continue my education with posts like these.
 
It doesn't matter much what oil you use as long as you don't use too much
It also depends on exactly what you're oiling

Slides and rails do better with a little grease and triggers generally do best with dry lubes
 
As a protectant from rust, WD-40 works well. Regular wipe downs will prevent it from gumming up. It just doesn't work well as a gun lube, and can gum up inside an action if left unused.


For lubrication I use...

Slip 2000 EWL and Gun Lube... Both are CLP type, and non-toxic, which is important to me. I find them both to be the best CLP type products available. I use the EWL to lube my ARs, and use the Gun Lube for cleaning and wiping down parts for corrosion protection, on all my firearms. The EWL has better lube properties and holds up in an AR better. The Gun lube is half the price of EWL and is a better cleaner. Since you use more product cleaning and wiping things down than just lubing, the cheaper cost is a good thing. The fact that I use them like any other gun oil without the need for special application techniques and procedures is a bonus.

Lubriplate FMO oil... It is a food safe oil, so it is non-toxic. It is designed to hold up to harsh conditions. I use it in a precision oil bottle to lube small parts in my firearms.

Lubriplate SFL-0 grease... It is a light (zero grade viscosity) grease, similar in viscosity to other popular white gun geases. It is food safe, non-toxic. It is Aluminum based rather than lithium. Aluminum based greases outperform lithium greases. It holds up to harsh environments and has excellent lubricating properties. Plus I can get 14oz for less than $15... Many of the "gun" greases available cost that much for only 1oz.
 
I like G96 CLP in a spray can. It's milspec, you can flush residue out of all the nooks and crannies and be sure to lube and protect all surfaces. It even smells pleasant.

Hoppe's destroys nickel. It has ruined many a fine nickel finished gun. I saw a 2" Colt Python that had Hoppe's spilled on it. Also seen the nickel action internals of a fine Benelli sporting clays shotgun got eaten up by it.
 
Even under my wife's objection to the odor (one that I always thought of as nostalgic), I used Hoppes #9 until trying a product called Strike Hold that I got at a gun show. Pretty impressive demonstration. The seller screwed in a light bulb in a socket, sprayed the socket with his product, connected it to 110 power outlet, then put the whole thing in a bucket of water. I've been using it for a few years now and it does a good job of both lubing and protecting any of my guns.

As for lube, I just tried a product called Ballistol on the recommendation of a salesmen in the firearm section of my local hardware store. I tried it on a set of mags that were giving me trouble and it worked perfectly.
 
I stopped using Tetra Grease years ago when I found it was rusting the rails of a gun that I hadn't shot in several months. Fortunately, I caught it in time. I switched to the M Pro-7 line of cleaning and lube products, and have been very satisfied. I also use Break Free CLP.
 
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