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Posted: 8/27/2012 6:37:46 PM EDT
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I read where a person used lithium grease on a stainless steel slide to prevent galling. I also read where a person lubed a Remington 870 shotgun, but didn't mention what type of lube they used, but I got the impression it was some type of grease as compared to Break Free or Hoppes, etc. Was wondering if and when you would use grease and what type of grease would be used? Never heard of using any kind of grease, just Break Free, etc.
Thanks in advance. |
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Mil-comm TW-25B is commonly used in the .mil for heavy weapons and has trickled down to small arms.
It is a relatively thin grease/paste which works well in dirty/dusty environs. Mil-comm also makes thinner (more conventional) lubes as well. Mobil 29 grease is also recommended for FCGs but I wouldn't use it anywhere else as it is relatively thick. |
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In many environments, a Remington 870 works best with a dry lube. If you are worried about stainless galling, you need to use anti-sieze. Otherwise, lightweight machine oil or CLP has never failed me. If your parts tolerance is too tight, a stainless gun (SIG GSR) will not run worth a shit unless it is a very hot day, again, first hand experience. |
| The newer 870s have a delrin plug in the bolt. They do not recommend clp because it will melt the delrin. Clp is a much better lube than their Remoil. Clp will also desolve the newer trigger guards on 10/22s and the like. Hot or cold weather will also determine what lubes work better. |
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Greases will make most any firearm work smoother and with less wear.
This is because the grease won't evaporate or dry out, sling off, run off, wick out, or otherwise disappear. For this reason, grease works very well in defense guns that are carried or stored for longer times without constant maintenance. Automatic pistol slide and frame rails and barrels, and shotgun internals will retain lubricating grease for years unlike most liquid greases. Even after years grease will still be present and working. Contrary to popular belief, grease will not "attract" dirt and grit. Grease is not a magnet. If the gun is used in a sandy or dusty environment it may tend to catch and hold it, but since few civilians use their guns in sand or dust storms, this is less a hazard then thought. If you shoot a gun a lot without cleaning fouling can get mixed with the grease, but again this is not as bad as it seems. A lot of AR-15 Match shooters are using grease in their guns and some never clean the actions during a shooting season. They just apply more grease where needed. What type of grease really doesn't matter, most any higher grade, heat and water resistant grease will work perfectly. Many shooters just buy tubes of Lithium grease at Walmart or any hardware or auto supply house. It works as well as any "miracle" grease from the gun shop. |
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I prefer STOS grease in lots of applications, for reasons in the post above, but particularly because it stays in the gun.
I've also used Mobil 1 grease on AR carriers, and am currently using it on bolt guns. This grease remains soft in cold weather that makes lithium grease hard. CLP and various silicone oils I've used evaporate and need to be replenished far more often. I've used a lot of lithium grease, but it does not hold up nearly as well as STOS. The cold weather oil to use is Ballistol. |
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I have dielectric grease for electrical connections, I also have motorcycle grease for off road motorcycles. Both are very high quality. Can this be used if I just apply a thin layer? How about Vaseline? I've heard of Vaseline being used on many items that you would not normally think of. If lithium grease is a better alternative and I don't need some fancy gun grease, I'll just get that.
I have an OMC .380 back-up and read that they have found a problem with galling between the stainless steel on that, so that's what started my interest in grease for guns over just breakfree. I took a weapons repair class from my department and for working on departmental guns I was restricted to Breakfree only. We couldn't even use Hoppes. They advised to just wipe Breakfree on the parts and wipe it off and that was enough of a lubricant, but we also went through the guns with Breakfree after every shoot. |
I run regular old axle grease on the bolt carrier of my AR,the FCG, have for 20 years on my M14S, and on the slide rails of my Glock. I figure if it's kept the bearings on my truck together going down the road 70 MPH for 300,000 miles (yup, original bearings, not original grease ), it's good enough for my needs for a rifle.I'm no "Operator" crawling through sleet, snow & mud.
Except for the Glock, they are mostly bench toys that don't spend time in the dirt. I find that the grease keeps the carbon in suspension on the AR, making a good wipe down an easy cleaning. I live in Florida, so heat is the enemy for the most part, oils need constant replenishment, grease lasts forever. I don't like Lithium becase it dries and gets crusty. Just don't put a thick grease or anything high viscosity on the firing pin....I had a friend that assembled his new AR build with "TORCO", a high cling motorcycle chain lube. Took it out on a 40 degree morning and the gun wouldn't fire until we cleaned that crap off the firing pin 
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Quoted:
I run regular old axle grease on the bolt carrier of my AR,the FCG, have for 20 years on my M14S, and on the slide rails of my Glock. I figure if it's kept the bearings on my truck together going down the road 70 MPH for 300,000 miles (yup, original bearings, not original grease ), it's good enough for my needs for a rifle.I'm no "Operator" crawling through sleet, snow & mud.
Except for the Glock, they are mostly bench toys that don't spend time in the dirt. I find that the grease keeps the carbon in suspension on the AR, making a good wipe down an easy cleaning. I live in Florida, so heat is the enemy for the most part, oils need constant replenishment, grease lasts forever. I don't like Lithium becase it dries and gets crusty. Just don't put a thick grease or anything high viscosity on the firing pin....I had a friend that assembled his new AR build with "TORCO", a high cling motorcycle chain lube. Took it out on a 40 degree morning and the gun wouldn't fire until we cleaned that crap off the firing pin Thanks for the info. Chain lube is designed to be sticky once it dries, so it won't fling off the chain. The grease I have is used for bicycle bearings and races, so it is very high quality. Petroleum jelly is used on lots of things, such as light bulbs, injectors, etc, because it is a clean light lube, so that's why I was wondering if it was OK on a gun since it is so light. I'll just try a very light coating of the bicycle grease or go get some lithium grease. Bicycle oils are very high quality too as the chains and gears on top end road bikes, and the bearings cost a small fortune, so the lubes need to be high quality. |
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