– BreakFree CLP – I use CLP fairly often just because I have a ton of free sample packets and try to keep them in my cars and range bags and so on. It works fine as a lubricant in most conditions as long as you have put it on the firearm recently. It offers good corrosion resistance for storage purposes, but isn’t all that great for a carry gun prone to rusting. That problem is better solved by a more durable finish.
– Dry film lube – No.
– FireClean – I chose this as the lube for the 40000 round test because it was new on the scene and thought it deserved a shot at some good publicity. It works really well as a lubricant. I don’t think it is advertised to provide great corrosion resistance, and I haven’t tested that. Compared to CLP it cleans better, but I don’t think this property is entirely unique to FireClean. I probably wouldn’t buy it because I think it is rather expensive. I have had a lot of problems with the bottles leaking, which would be more annoying if I had paid for them. I have started putting all my FireClean bottles in Ziploc bags, otherwise my entire range bag will become covered in expensive gun oil.
– FP-10 – This is probably my favorite lubricant in terms of what it does and how much it costs. A 4oz bottle is twice the size of the Fireclean 2oz bottle but costs about half as much, so by volume it is a quarter of the price. It is a great lubricant (after shooting an AR without lubrication until it malfunctioned, or approximately 2700 rounds, a single drop of FP10 returned the firearm to proper function for another 150+ rounds) and in my opinion offers corrosion resistance nearly as effective as CLP for storage. It cleans fairly well also. The bigger bottle is harder to lose or misplace.
– Froglube – I have never used this and do not see why I should make plans to do so.
– Graphite – No.
– Hoppe’s Elite – I have used it as a lubricant a few times with good results. I have not thoroughly tested it. One time I broke a bottle of Hoppe’s #9 on my workbench and I smiled every day for the next six months that I walked past that workbench. Unfortunately Hoppe’s Elite does not smell like Hoppe’s #9.
– Mobil 1 – On the few occasions when I have been at the range without oil (such as when a bottle of FireClean has decided to leak all over my range bag/car/backpack) and find myself or others in need of oil, I pull the dipstick from my car and use whatever my fingers wipe off said dipstick. It will get me by for a range session. I don’t use it all the time. I think it does not have the right viscosity and other properties for firearm lubrication.
– RemOil – I look at people who use RemOil the same way I look at people wearing socks with sandals.
– SlideGlide – This is a grease which I use sparingly (I have been using the same two small tubs for over six years) on pistols with a lot of metal to metal contact, such as 1911s or Sigs or Berettas. I think it is a fantastic product to keep such pistols running. I would not use it for corrosion resistance purposes or cleaning, but it is worth using for its other properties. Sig puts TW25B on pistols from the factory, but I think SlideGlide is superior for most purposes.
I probably have some sort of opinion on other products which I cannot recall at this time. I will be happy to answer questions.
I’ll second the slide glide recommendation. I am not defending RemOil, but why do you dislike/not use it/ think funny people do use it?
Poor performance.
Andrew, do you have any more info (references, etc.) or details about RemOil’s poor performance? I’ve always considered it to be pretty decent stuff, but you have my attention here.
First off, I do not use Remoil. However I have before and if you live in an area that doesn’t sell say the Mil Comm (in my opinion the greatest cleaner and lubes available) or even an area that has Hoppes(yes there are places that dont) Remoil is better than nothing. I’ve seen older folks use Remoil to this day with smiles on their faces. Poor results? For the average shooter who takes care of their weapons… I highly doubt it. Now the professional special ops guy? The guy who is trekking through rain, mud, snow, saltwater, high humidity 100 degree, or below 0 temperatures then yes I’m sure Remoil won’t stack up to the greatest stuff. However, I wouldn’t put it on my HK45 or p227. That’s because I run 250 rounds a Saturday In them both year round. But in my spring turkey gun or winter deer rifle? Absolutely I’d use remoil. Anything is better than nothing and remoil certainly isn’t destructive where if you use nothing it could be destructive. Poor results? Define poor results. For me a lube or oil can only show poor results is if it’s doing damage. Sure some do better and some last longer but hurting the firearm? I don’t think so. You may go through remoil faster than other brands but it’s not hurting any unless it’s your wallet.
Hmmm… RemOil sounds promising.
Have you tried Militec-1 at all? I’m on the same bottle I bought three years ago and the actions in my AR’s are incredibly smooth. Haven’t felt a need to try anything else.
Avoid like the plague, Militech-1 has chlorinated esters. You do not want to know what they do to steel when subjected to heat and pressure.
Lets just say we stopped seeing broken bolts when we switched from it.
Joshua… yeah, I think it might be an automobile engine additive that they want us to use full strength on our guns. Lot of reports of corrosion issues on the net. I don’t like it.
Joshua, just curious, what the heck is a chlorinated ester? I do want to know what they do to steel, since I just bought some. Fortunately I haven’t used it yet. But I’ll take your word about the broken bolts.
Never mind Joshua. The article linked by neutrino cannon just answered my questions.
Yep, stress corrsion cracks. We experienced a rash of bolts breaking way before they should(around the 5,000 round mark) when using militech. Took us a while to figure out what was going on.
After we switched to slip2000 our new bolts stopped braking prematurely.
can you please provide a link to the info on these cracks caused by Militech 1? thanks!
Last I checked SIG Academy was using FrogLube as their official lube.
I know breakfree doesn’t work well with AR:s firing lead free ammo; it will leave more residue than any other lube I’ve heard of.
Out of curiosity, why have you not considered Froglube? I do not have any experience with it, but it seems to be very well-reviewed.
Froglube is a joke. Very well-reviewed by whom? If it were actually better than true grease or oil then it would be making inroads in places where these things are critical, such as aircraft or automobiles. But it isn’t. I don’t have anything against it in principle and would love to see a new product that performed better than existing products. That’s innovation and it’s great. But where is the testing? Where is the real data? Where is a datasheet detailing viscosity under various conditions?
This is what a product datasheet for a (legitimate) lubricant looks like: http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/GLXXENGRSMOMobil_1_Synthetic_Grease.aspx
This is what Froglube says on their website about “Testing and Evaluation”:
By users conducting their own carefully controlled rigorous tests, including many in the harshest extremes in climate, FrogLube is able to provide the shooting community with proven results of professional operators in harsh conditions. [Sentence not grammatically correct but it has a lot of sweet buzzwords so I guess it is tactical.] Link here: http://froglube.com/froglube-product-info/froglube-test-evaluation/
Anecdotal evidence is anecdotal.
The Froglube MSDS looks like it was cobbled together to satisfy some type of basic requirement but it doesn’t say anything. Their entire strategy seems to be telling you that BRO I USED THIS IN A 360 DEGREE SANDBOX AND IT KEPT MY WEAPON SYSTEM RUNNING IN FIVE BY FIVE AND NO EASY DAY — SEAL TEAM 6 BRO OUT.
I don’t want to break down all their BS line by line, but they’re just making stuff up. High specific gravity? Micro-fissures? Works to ‘season’ the bore? Makes my gun 3-12% more accurate? Penetrates deep into the surface it contacts? It just goes on and on and it is crap.
Froglube does have lubricating properties but so does my toothpaste. It is expensive. It sucks at corrosion prevention. I guess it wipes up really nice. So that’s something.
Hilarious. This is the best summary of Froglube. Several new gun owning friends told me that their local gun store told them that if you put Froglube on your gun, and then bake it (in the oven) it will seal in and you’ll never need to lube your gun again.
So I had to go look this up and after the full on front assault of hyperbole on their website, and complete lack of facts to found; I decided that no matter what the product is or does they would not be getting my money. I don’t give my money to people who don’t take me seriously, or in the case of Froglube – appear to think I’m stupid.
Hah I had heard the bake it on story too. Wait, I put my barrel in the oven and then it soaks it up, like a sponge? Do people even know how metal works?
At this point the BS is epidemic. I really would like to see some actual data. I think it works in spite of itself since it’s not a true grease or oil. The fact that it changes state from a paste solid to a liquid seems to have some benefit.
A proper test is in order, but I can’t afford anything like the amount of ammo it would take, and I’m not letting that stuff anywhere near my guns.
Actually, people bake oil onto cast iron sometimes. My bench vise has a baked oil finish. You have to do it several times to get a good coat, but then the cast iron never rusts. I think this only works because cast iron is quite porous at a microscopic level. Anyway, I think someone probably saw that and thought that it would make a good story, especially for someone who doesn’t really understand metal. Also, the oil happened to be linseed oil. Slightly different from gun oil.
I guess Froglube is the Oral IV of gun lubricants…
I gave Frog Lube a try just to see and found the results very satisfactory. To the point I use it on all my guns.
Started out with my G17 treating based on the manufactures recommendations. Clean the gun, warm up the parts, no baking was state. Let the Frog Lube sit on the pars for about an hour in the sun, wipe off and repeat twice. The third time it is not necessary to warm the parts.
Running 2,715 rounds through the gun before I cleaned it. The only reason I cleaned it was the big chunks of crud the frangible rounds left behind after a class. It was still running smooth, as if I had just cleaned and lube it with my previous method.
For many years I used Mobil 1 0W-20 as my lube of choice for all my handguns, ARs and shotguns. My felling was if it works as an automobile engine, oil that sees much harsher conditions than my guns do, it should work fine. Comparing my guns to other that use conventional gun lubes I see no more wear. For me it was buying a quart of oil for around $5 vs 10 or 12 ounces of gun lube for the same price.
Gun lube is similar to the caliber wars, every one has an opinion. Find one that works for you and keep shooting.
I’m pretty partial to MPro-7. Especially because it is made right here in Phoenix, just down the street by the Deer Valley Air Port – And because it is head and shoulders above the socks and sandals I use to use. But here is my question… I started using them because I needed “a lube” one day. On that day ANY lube would do and I thought it was a good chance to keep my dollars local and support a neighborhood upstart business.
I’ve been impressed with it so far, but that’s probably just because I’m not “tactical.” I’m more “get off my lawn.” How does it stack up in your world where exotic weapons with tight tolerances meet high demand and rugged environments?
http://www.mpro7.com/
Do you use any semi-solid lubes on anything? I’ve had really good luck with RIG grease on my Garand- it stays where its put and seems to work well om the larger bearing surfaces like the locking lugs and along the bolt raceway (or track, or whatever you call it).
Sorry, anything OTHER than Slide Glide.
Some guns, like your Garand, were designed for grease. Not the AR15 FOW. On an AR, grease works for a while but it does get gummy/pasty and things slow down to the point of failure, especially in cold weather. I’ve done tests down to -20F and products like FIREclean, SLIP2000, even Mobile1, work great. Grease had issues right away, but it does stay where you put it. I think a tad on the cam pin might be ok, but otherwise I avoid grease entirely.
Grease is appropriate for AR trigger parts and thing that don’t move far, but oil is preferred for the BCG and such that reciprocates.
Why not try Froglube? If for no other reason than to have a more complete review?
What are your thoughts on this article on lubricants by Grant Cunningham?
what do you recommend in terms of corrosion resistance for the slide of a carry gun that’s going to come in contact with sweat? At this point I feel like my only option is getting the slide plated/refinished with a different coating which would be fine if I had the money
If it’s just the slide and barrel, you can probably have it cerakoted for $50-60. I have had a number of pistols done this way, most recently by Legendary Coatings. Compared to $10-20 for a bottle or tub of something that may or may not work very well to prevent corrosion, it isn’t terribly expensive. Another option is carrying OWB in a kydex holster, which greatly reduces how much my carry guns come in contact with sweat in the first place.
I run KG Gunkote (2400 – the bake on) on my ARs. It’s 1/4th the cost of Cerakote. Cerakote I believe is tougher. It is also harder to apply. Ionbond has some excellent treatments, as well. It is especially excellent on the barrels:
http://www.ionbond.com/en/coating-services/decorative/deco-and-sport/firearms/
As for Cerakote: gunsmith rendered inoperative a beautiful 1967 Ed Brown Colt 1911 with Cerakote, by overapplying it to the slide and frame, and not it won’t function. I’m sure I can sand it down and get it working, but a perfect, flawless 1911 is now rough and FTF central due to Cerakote. I spoke with gunsmith Don Lazzarini and he told me he’s gotten multiple handguns in ruined (or requiring repair/refinish) due to improper application of Cerakote. So make sure you pick your vendor carefully.
http://www.tacticalinstincts.com/
Cerakote Vendor
Sir, I was wondering about your experience with MilComm products in either oil or grease based form. AR platform evaluation and/or pistol evaluation. Thanks
Guess I’ll chime in. I’m a biologist (toxicologist) with a penchant for guns and tribology.
My tribology “expertise” comes from an into-to-engineering class I took at the local community college. I got a C+. That is, I have none.
BreakFree CLP: Which formula? It has changed a bunch over the years. Last I checked, semi-synthetic blend, nice rust inhibitor package, not super good C but good LP.
Dry Film Lube: Eezox comes to mind. It is a solvent (TCE last I checked) with a fancy ester. Should be an okay C, okay L and good P (those esters like to stick to metal). I’d use it with gloves, eye protection and in a well ventilated area. For safe queens, super dig it.
FireClean: Don’t know what is in it, but if you dig it, good enough enforcement for me to try and maybe even shell out the 40 bucks for a VOA (virgin oil analysis).
FP-10: George Fennel’s baby. George is a gun guy, astronomy buff with some smarts in the tribology realm. Also super cool, took time to help me, directed me to some good literature on the topic, cool tats and motorcycle(s) too. If you like FP-10, you love Weaponshield, his new one. Synthetic base, tough corrosion inhibitor package that seems to work well. It does have a bona fide EP (extreme pressure) additive, from what I’ve read it is one of longer-chain variants (chlor. hydrocarbons) and does not come with the human/environmental health issues as the shorter chain cousins. The toxicologist in me likes that. Nice to see some actual chemistry in a product.
Froglube: Dont’ know what’s in it.
Graphite: On guns, doesn’t sound like a good idea?
Hoppe’s Elite: Don’t know what’s in it.
Mobil 1: I think it should work fine, basically a CLP with not much P. But it is certainly not a panacea some on the gun boards profess.
RemOil: Last I checked it was about a 50/50 split of solvent and mineral oil with a sprinkle of Teflon. Old school.
SlideGlide: After a lot of digging, I managed to get an MSDS for this stuff. Lot of stuff in there, fancy blend, additives… pricey though, right? The guy who made it seems cool, a mechanical engineer who said he took a bunch of tribology classes, honesty is cool if you ask me. Tacky stuff, I guess, in my humble opinion, I’d just be careful in cold weather, doesn’t look like it is rated for super cold places.
A lot of the others I’ve seen are repackaged industrial lubricants, synthetic cutting oils and the like. Not a big deal, probably work.. but the prices they ask are pretty insane.
What I don’t like, is the mystery.. getting even a basic MSDS for some of these gun oils can be like pulling teeth. On the other hand, an old school company like Lubriplate will give ma a product data sheet, MSDS and bunch of their lab test results. For that reason, their large selection, pretty good prices.. I like them (I don’t work for them or sell their stuff). They also call me back when I leave messages that very likely pester the shit out of them.
Again.. biologist’s opinion, probably not worth much.
Brad
Brad,
I just read your comment and would love to here more about Eezox if you have the time to indulge me. I use it, largely as a wipe on the exposed metal surfaces of my shotguns. I love my AR’s but I do a lot of registered trapshooting with my perazzi. Guess it’s good to compete even if you are too old these days to be an NFL quarterback. But, back to the point, I’ve never used gloves while using Eezox but at one shot show heard some negative comments with respect to the chemical content. In short, how dangerous is it?
Sorry for the typing errors and bad grammar.. trying to get a 3 year to nap while I wrote that….
I currently am a big fan of Slip2000 EWL 30 for my ARs and their grease for metal to metal like 1911, Sig, etc.
I’d like to give TW25B a try
I think RemOil works great ……… for lubing my paper shredder blades
Yep . . . Remoil is a nice, VERY light lube where you need a nice, VERY light lube. In test after test, it has never been a strong performer in terms of performance as a lubricant or rust preventative. Search the Internet and you will dig up this information. It is basically a mixture of a light, pure solvent, light pure mineral oil, and a sprinkle of microscopic teflon flakes.
I think it works nicely as a penetrating oil, or as a quick fix for a few shots over a few days (as on a camping or hunting trip). If you find you have a bolt action that is stiff, or trigger mechanism that feels gummy, it should help. Likewise, it is handy on the reloading bench. But for serious, periodic lubrication, Remington screwed up on this one. I am more tempted to use it on a fine instrument, on a watch, than as a gun oil.
I don’t use anything but FrogLube. You are missing out on an excellent product. Give it a try!
No.
Second only to the great caliber debate is the debate about which gun oil is “best”. It’s a passionate debate and one that is unlikely to ever end. That being said…
I have come to believe that most gun oils are little more than regular lubricants packaged in flashy packaging and priced outrageously. I think that all of those Mobile One guys who smile contemptuously at people arguing over which pricey lube is best may be on to something.
Most guys I know, myself included, use Mobile One Synthetic 10w30.
Full disclosure: I live in Iowa.
One of the local gun shops been selling a mixture of motor oil and automatic transmission fluid wich seams to be working, has anybody heard of this before? I been using CLP breakfree and tw25b without any problems.
Jody.. not sure why they’d mix ATF. From the gun lube perspective, it doesn’t seem to have much over motor oil. I guess that is where I’d dissagree with that Grant Cunningham article, just don’t see ATF as that awesome. Would probably work in a pinch though.
ATF is a synthetic replacement for sperm whale oil, which hasa long, long, pre-WWII history of being a great lubricant. Works well, hardly just “in a pinch”. As a chemistry professor, and 30+ year student of tribology, ATF makes lots of sense, except for the smell if it bothers you.
The motor oil/ATF combo, in various forms, has been around for a long time and is commonly called ‘red lube’. There are at least a dozen different recipes out there but for me the Mobil 1/ATF/ STP oil Treatment recipe works fantastic. For under $20 you get almost three quarts of the stuff.
I haven’t read the science behind the stuff but I do know that motor oil and ATF are made to stick like hell to metal under high heat and pressure and have detergents to keep things clean so the recipe makes sense to me.
Just leave out the snake oil -STP- and it’s okay. Leave out most of the Mobil 1, too. ATF has it all. Thin a bit with some pure kerosene or paint thinner to use as a thinner, and you have Ed’s Red.
Brian
What exactly is the reason that you dislike Froglube? Do you believe that it is just hype or is there an actual performance related reason?
Does anybody have experience or opinions on Wilson Combat’s Ultima-Lube II grease? WC recommends it for AR15 bolt carriers. Others have recommended it for 1911’s slide/frame rails.
The Other Tim. Last time I checked, about 7 years ago, Wilson’s stuff was made by a company called Protec.
I have used it on my DI ARs . Grease for the BCG in the upper, as proscribed by Wilson, and a small drop on contact points in the trigger group. Also some lube on the charging handle and buffer spring, though that is not required.
In my limited experience it worked well. The grease sticks but not as well as a high-temp synthetic bearing grease. It is easier to apply since it is has a lower viscosity at room temperature. I take classes, drop my gun in the dirt/mud, clean it at the end of the day. Never a jam or malfunction related to the bolt sticking. YMMV.
Switched to the cheap grease when I realized that they were all doing the same thing. I’m still partial to it but until I see hard evidence that the synthetic grease isn’t working then I am unlikely to switch back.
A proper test is in order, but it would cost a mint. Andrew would have to do it, sponsored by LuckyGunner.
Hello ladies and gents —
OK – for pretty much the first time, none of this stuff is helping here. I must be missing something.
First, I am kinda old school. Given that, my understanding is:
a) with high velocity moving metal parts you need grease (i.e. high viscosity lubricants) at critical points – so for Garands and M1As there are lubrication (i.e. grease) points which are specifically defined in the manuals.
b) for pistols, things seem a little more vague – and a variety of lubricants, mostly high-techie chlofofluorocarbon-based lubricants, appear to work OK ; and
c) there seems to be a high degree of disagreement about DI AR-15 rifles and carbines with respect to how much lubricant and what type, depending upon environmental conditions. Some even advocate “running dry.”
Have I missed something here? Probably, but if someone would spell it out, based on preponderance-of-evidence (data) that would be great.
Not trying to be sarcastic, just wondering what bottle of luby-goop I should pick up after next range session.
Rutger
PS – When I was a starving college student, I kept a 10 speed bike (my only transportation) going through two Michigan winters with a towel and a few cans of WD40. So I am a practical, not theoretical, guy.
Fireclean: This is great for cleaning. It prevents “carbon” from sticking to surfaces if used beforehand. There’s less crud left behind, and what is there is a lot easier to remove.
I don’t know how it is for corrosion. I will use an oil based product for long term storage just because I don’t understand how a water based product can work for corrosion protection.
I also like MPro copper remover. It’s got to be a lot less aggressive to the barrel then ammonia products.
For the past few years, I have been using Slip 2000 EWL (Extreme Weapons Lubricant) on all firearms with positive results. It works great on AR-15s.
Why not Froglube? I have used it quite a bit; in the dirt, rain, cold…it has never failed me. It would be interesting to hear what you think about it compared to the others. I have found it to be superior to CLP and Militec.
Did you read their website? It’s the Oral IV of lubes.
Superior to CLP isn’t saying much.
Gasp! No mention of Slipstream? Don’t you know it’s best?! It has what guns crave. It has nanoparticles.
http://madogre.com/?p=4395
I see what you did there. Nice Idiocracy reference.
You know the first thing I noticed on that site?
“Cognito Ergo Boom”.
It’s cogito. Dumbass.
Aside from that, this person seems to counter bullshit with more bullshit. Good job.
Just FYI I have an FNAR and an FNP45 and a sixty year old Remington 1100 shotgun and I use Slipstream on them. I had used Hoppe’s elite and red lube before but had issues with both ‘drying up’ during a long range session. My son bought Frog Lube with his birthday money last year and we both quit using it pretty quickly. I asked for Slipstream as a Christmas present from my sister (she is less than weatlhy) and she dropped thirteen bucks on it from Amazon.
I do actually think it is better than Hoppe’s and red lube and Mobil 1 and beats Frog Lube hands down for durability. I haven’t tried a huge number of other lubes because I don’t have THAT much money to spend on this stuff.
With the other lubes I would have to (HAVE TO) clean my guns after *every* range trip and it was frustrating as the FNAR has about a six round interval between cold bore and ‘normal’ shooting for me. I would rather use those six rounds for technique training instead of watching the first six rounds group high.
With SlipStream I clean my pistol every six hundred rounds instead of every one hundred and the FNAR is less finicky about ammunition and the aging 1100 doesn’t jam after twenty rounds any more.
I am not affiliated with Crusader or the Ogre.
I have to agree I’ve had excellent luck with slip stream. I have an ar15 that is surprising smooth and has never had a problem running. I’ve even taken it to my friend while he was a production supervisor for a black rifle company and it shocked him. Ive even loaned it out to people who’ve had feeding problems at the range before and there stuff picked right up after that. (to be fair i don’t know what lube they were running before).
Hi Andrew.
Like your reviews and honest opinions.
It really seems like its personal with you and Froglube.
“Froglube – I have never used this and do not see why I should make plans to do so” – Sounds a bit imature to say something like that in this time and age.
Not defending Froglube, just noticing that my favorit gear evaluator seems for the first time a bit narrow minded?
Best Regards.
I’ve never had any dealings or communications with anyone from or associated with froglube.
Can you at least explain why you don’t plan on using it? Is there something you know that we don’t about the product or company? It just seems strange to present an article giving honest evaluation but when it comes to a certain lube you say you refuse to try it and won’t explain the reasoning behind it.
I never refused to explain the reasoning behind it. I simply don’t like their marketing and do not feel that I should reward bad marketing with publicity (of any kind) from my little slice of the gun world.
Got it. Thank you for the reply
Thank you for the reply. Now I know.
In the future, just say that from the beginning.
Faith restored in Andrew 🙂
In effect you don’t care if it works as advertised because the ad was not to your liking?
I want to know if it works or not.
If you didn’t want to give them any publicity, perhaps no mention at all would have been a better path.
While you weren’t refusing to explain your bias, you also did not volunteer it.
Jeez, can’t anyone see you didn’t like that this Frog**** is a gimmick?
It is not incumbent upon Andrew to defend his decision to pass by Frog**** an overcrowded sideshow of magic lubes; it is instead up to Frog**** to show why they should get our attention, no less our $$$. I, for one remain unimpressed by the product, and the evidence (???) they offer. Wake me up from my nap when that changes.
BTW, Grant Cunningham’s article is simply THE best one published on the Internet -get any experienced petrochemical or lipid chemist (like myself) or mechanical engineer to take a look at it, or better yet a tribologist, and you’ll hear only agreement and praise. Read it a few times, and you’ll really understand what lubication really involves.
Ouch!
For those that clean and lube their firearms after each use, you could use 3 in 1 oil and realistically never notice or experience any issue related to lubrication. For those that do ever notice or experience a lubrication related issue. You need to start cleaning your firearm more frequently.
I tried Froglube, I thought it was a PIA, and way over priced.
No love for Gunzilla? Boooooo.
Thoughts on White Lithium Grease? Granted I have AKs and Glocks that will run dry but a little of this seems to go a long way as far as lubrication.
Slipsteam works for me.
But I clean and lube a lot, so who knows.
Slipstream probably does work just fine. My issue is with the pseudo-science and snake-oil salesman tactics of Crusader.
George Hill recommends idiotic things like lining the barrel of your rifle with Slipstream, and makes up random lies backpedaling when he gets called on it:
http://oi41.tinypic.com/2lwku1f.jpg
On the plus side, he can be quite entertaining when he stumbles across people NOT excited about Slipstream:
(AngstyElf is George Hill)
http://baconsurvival.com/forum/index.php?topic=8834.msg176441#msg176441
“Buh buh buh I bought it an an I used it and I liked it, an an you don’t like it, does this mean you don’t like me?”
I’ll use Remoil as a light cleaner but I’m not sold on it as a serious lubricant. It’s worked for me as a light wipe when doing nothing would only serve to invite rust. I do love FP10, however, and while I’ve not run an AR dry, I use FP10 on the hinge and load bearing areas of a Perazzi shotgun and have never had a hint or galling or premature wear in over 12 years. I can’t think of any contact area that doesn’t move smoothly with FP10. It can dry out a bit over time and so I’ve begun using Slip 2000 for some applications. Any thoughts on that particular lubricant. As far as Frog Lube goes, I have a strong suspicion that it would do ok as a substitute for salad dressing. I’m not a believer in grease under high pressure use. Any comments?
Grease is pretty much what you want in a high pressure, load bearing, etc environment.
I am surprised you aren’t hellbent on discrediting Frog Lube. After being a huge fan of Militec-1, I swithed to FL. The stuff is amazing; easy clean up, no stink, and the bottled don’t leak.
Speaking of Mobil 1, dump that shit and get Royal Purple. (I just got a case off ebay for $87.75/shipped.) If you notice any improvement with M1, you will notice that much more with RP. Even my OL can tell the difference.
I used to use royal purple. Mobil One racing oil has the proper levels of zinc for my older engine with a flat tappet cam.
Good to know, I will be starting up a DZ302 soon, and this has been a concern of mine.
Biggest thing is making sure each lobe is properly lubricated with the stuff included by the cam manufacturer before the first startup. My understanding is that if that isn’t done right, the lobe will wear no matter what oil is used. I lost a cam that wasn’t properly lubricated by the shop that installed it before startup. Reinstalled another cam with the help of a friend/mechanic, no problems.
I went to SEMA a few years ago and talked to scientists who worked for various oil companies. Mobil was most responsive about the formulation of their oil and most helpful about which oil to use, so I use their stuff.
Edit: DZ302s are awesome
I have always used the stuff that comes with the cams. I doubt the cam companies would spend the money to include it if it wasn’t an absolute necessity. I have read so much on this that I was considering shelving the stock cam and trying a roller. I know some reputable people that have said they did everything right and the cam still got wiped. Good to know about Mobile 1 though, I did some looking around on their page and they even list the phosphorus and zinc levels.
god, I need to stop typing without my reading glasses.
It would be interesting to see what elastohydrodynamic (shear thickening) lubricant would work on a gun. What is that? Fancy CVT traction fluid. Due to the nature of the transmission they have to maintain a lubricant film to keep the roller (assuming a Nissan style toroidal type of CVT) from destroying themselves due to their work load, unfortunately that same load pushes conventional lubricants out of the way and things consequently wear fast. If the gap between rollers is big enough to actually allow lubrication then the rollers fail to transmit torque between them. The solution was a lubricant that thickens with pressure and actually “sticks” to the surface for a short amount of time to actually allow lubrication and torque transmission. I think it would be worth trying it on guns with tight tolerances like rotary bolts and barrels. The thing works in a fairly clean environment if compared with the internals of a firearm, so it maybe not handle the crud and chemicals very well. If I said anything wrong then someone with knowledge corrects me, this is not my expertise area and I just vaguely remember the subject.
That actually sounds quite interesting, thanks.
I would like to get you a sample of M-Pro 7 Gun Oil LPX to test drive if you are interested.
Please contact me at [email protected] with a mailing address and I will send you one.
Anyone want to buy a couple bottles of Militec?
I forgot … what was wrong with Slipstream again? … not the marketing … the product (serious question here).
Wilson Combat Ultima-Lube?
Man … I’m going to have to read all this again … a couple times (after I wipe off all the Militec off all my guns).
“I forgot ⦠what was wrong with Slipstream again? ⦠not the marketing ⦠the product (serious question here).”
http://rationalgun.blogspot.com/2011/09/firearms-lubricants.html
Thank you, sir!
G96 anyone?
Have you tried and or what do you think of Gun Butter?
Surprised you didn’t list Snake Oil. Some famous trainer advertised that ONE DROP of Snake Oil will lubricate your gun, FOREVER.
Now, more seriously:
FP-10: used it for years, worked fine, made no strong impression but certainly worked fine as a lube. Have Weaponshield sitting around but haven’t tried it yet.
SLIP2000 EWL: used this for about two years after FP-10. It worked fine. Didn’t make much impression, but maybe a slightly better cleaner than FP-10. It is slick when wet, but seems to evaporate or run off easily, which is a problem with an AR stored vertically, or any gun stored more than a few months. It seems rather thin and just not ideal for the loose clearances typical of many semiauto firearms. I know there are thicker versions made, but I can’t find them at local stores or mail order houses that I regularly buy from.
Hoppes Elite: have tried this on a couple guns. Makes no impression on me at all. Not convinced it is better than 3-in-1 oil.
Froglube: have tried both liquid and paste, and has been my primary AR15 lube for over a year. This cleans up carbon better than anything else I’ve tried. The paste stays put and stays slick in storage for months, which is a big plus. I have had two uppers that had intermittent jamming issues with SLIP2000 that went away after switching to Froglube paste. It also keeps my Glock slicker than oils I’ve tried. I do not endorse the marketing or “mystery ingredients” aspect, but it has worked very well for me in use, and the list of satisfied users on M4C is lengthy.
Question for anyone who cares to answer: why is it standard to use an oil on firearms rather than a grease? The Garand and M14 are the only firearms I know of that recommend a grease as the standard lube. It seems like nearly all semiautos would be better off with a grease than an oil, because of the working clearances and exposed parts.
Slip 2000 EWL will not dry out or attract dust or dirt particles like petroleum products. Even when surface is wiped dry to the touch Slip 2000 EWL is still present and lubricating the metal parts from within the pores of the weapon. This product does not require a liquid carrier to be present for protection.
http://www.slip2000.com/slip2000_ewl.php
EWL-30 has the same properties as our original EWL but with an additional carrying agent that makes a thicker, heavier weight (30) lubricant.
Order here:
http://www.slip2000.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=S&Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=EWL30
I’m nobody’s fan boy but I’ve found RemOil to be pretty good stuff. I’ve been using it on guns, marine hardware, delicate mechanisms and scientific instruments for probably 30+ years now. It’s not expensive and it works well. Good lubricity with the TFE, good penetration and decent staying power. And yes, as a matter of fact, I do occasionally wear socks with my sandals, especially on colder mornings. You got a problem with that?
BTW, I love your blog, your straightforwardness, your total aversion to BS or PC and the fact that you have a difficult time smiling when appropriate.
In this part of Europe very common one is Ballistol. I guess you can buy it in the US as well. Is anyone using it? I’m finding it really god for cleaning, and great for short term lubrication. It’s not for long time lubrication/storage, at least not for me. Also, it’s great as general household lubrication oil, I’m using it for everything.
Fantastic posting, socks and sandals….priceless. I’ve used all manner of lubes and have gone back and forth. Right now, I’m using a 50/50 mixture of Shooters Choice and Kroil on all my firearms without any issues. It tends to separate a little after it sits but I shake it up each time I use it.
Any thoughts?
Great article Andrew. I agree with a lot of your selections as well.
My experience is:
FP10: Great lube, really light and penetrates well. Does evaporate off over time so keep it applied if you want corrosion protection.
Breakfree CLP: Excellent all around lube. One of my favorites. I think the MIL got it right when they selected this for a lube. Are there better lubes out there? Sure. Is there a better cleaner, lubricator, and protector all in one package? I don’t believe so.
Froglube: Haven’t tried it, don’t intend to. Plant oils tend to oxidize over time and leave a sticky gummy mess. Heat accelerates the process. Don’t believe me, put a thin layer of any plant oil on anything and come back in a few days/week and you’ll have gummy mess.
MPro7 LPX: Love the stuff. Probably a slightly better lube than FP10 or CLP. Recommended!
Mobile1: A great all around lube and very cheap. Doesn’t clean as well as the modern CLP’s but for lube and corrosion resistance it is outstanding.
I’m not sure how many guns I’ve owned through the years, but It has been more than a few. I’ve tried a lot of different lubes and never found one that didn’t work, or caused my gun to malfunction when applied correctly. Now my dad lived by the old addage that if a little will do good, a lot will do better, and consistantly over oiled his Browning Auto 5 with 3 and 1 oil year after year. One day the stock just crumbled in his hand. (True story). In my old paranoid age I use simple products that are green for the planet and as safe as possible for me. I don’t see the need for anything else, my firearms are not running at automotive temperatures or stresses. Nyoil is a very refined oil that is non-toxic, no odor, clear and non staining on most things and works just fine on any firearms, or anything else that needs a drop of oil for that matter. On my auto’s slides I use just a touch of Superlube grease which is FDA approved for use around food……and No I’m not associated with either company.
Nyoil should be mentioned more often -thanks for bringing it up! It’s clean and clear (a consideration for CCW). It’s main fault is that it does a great job and doesn’t brag about it. Fully-acceptable in the food service industry isn’t a bad trait either!
With growing concerns about some the additives in ATF, Grant Cunningham has started recommending Nyoil in it’s place. (I’ like to see Jojoba oil given a fair trial -it is available in a cosmetic grade, and is not a “drying oil” like linseed, and it is the closest thing we have to the once venerated sperm whale oil.)
Given that Grant knows a thing or two about getting guns up and running (particularly any and all Colt revolvers), and that he is also a very bright guy, it’s worth conidering his opinion. He has seen what many of the gun oils and greases have done to the close tolerances of revolver mechanisms.
While 3-in-1 has been reformulated over the decades, and is marketed in several different forms (such as a 20-weight non-detergent oil which is splended on air pistols and rifles), for a long time it was the major culprint when it came gumming up firearms and door locks
Funny how dry lubes get simply dismissed out of hand here. Brownells are a pretty savvy and honest group of people, and I’ve had great luck with some of their dry lube formulations.
Hi I occasionally read this blog and living in Canada have nothing but difficulty getting Break free CLP. I have however started using Mpro 7 then is switched to the whole G-96 line for all my gun cleaning and lubricant needs and have found that It seems to be working a little better for me. Is it actually used by the U.S. military as alleged on the side of the bottle? Also the triple action treatment spray smells nice but is it or the oil super toxic compared to other products?
Nice write-up. I agree that any product that does not readily publish an msds should be avoided in principle. Not that I can readily interpret an msds, and with “proprietary” or “trade secret” components listed, even an msds is only marginally helpful. However the refusal to publish this basic document disqualifies it from use in my case. I have allowed myself to be suckered into trying just about everything, at the end of the day I go back to breakfree CLP. I don’t care what lubricant you use: at the end of the day, if you shoot as much as you should, you will get wear on your guns. If you don’t shoot that much, you won’t get wear on your guns even if you use EVOO from Rachel Ray. I use BF CLP primarily because it’s kept my guns rust free, 100%, when I was abroad for years. Corrosion is my main concern, not wear from cyclic use of guns. Second is using something I feel reasonably certain won’t coadjuvate alcohol consumption in destroying my liver and brain with ordinary exposure. Lubrication is only third. But ab initio, it’s a manufacturer that provides basic info, whether or not I’m qualified to interpret it. I’ve noticed that silly names like Gunzilla, Frog Lube, Slick as Owl Sh*t typically go hand in hand with zero tech and toxi info, and bizarre claims (“over 22 federal departments use our product”-what’s that then 23? 25? 22.5?); (“soldiers in Iraq noted a 75% reduction in malfunctions” – how the hell is that obsreved and recorded?). I do note from comparing MSDS from 1993 and 2010, that Brad is correct in that BF CLP is now semi-synthetic and no longer a full syn PAO. I don’t know how this would affect its performance as a lube (less than crucial to me), I’m more concerned about its performance as a protectant. We shall see. Meanwhile, like the original post, no Frog Lube, no Gunzilla, no STOS, no Militech or anything with either Mili or Tech in it.
Best
Patrick,
What I am looking for in a lube is dependable lubrication, followed by an easier clean-up, and then protection from corrosion. Is that too much to ask? We put guys on the moon, for heaven’s sake! We even brought them back!
I love how you called these companies out on their manifold, mysterious claims -mysterious as in how, exactly, did they get this information? (“Slick as Owl Sh*t” might have been the easiest to gather data on; just get some dumb*ss to stand under where the owl roosts with a cup, keep the mouse snacks coming, and there’s your baseline.)
What I can’t understand is the enthusiasm over “Mil-Spec/Tech” ANYTHING . These are the people who took ten years and 100 million dollars to pick a new sidearm, when our Danish NATO recently allies did it in four weeks and without a doubt for significantly fewer Kroners. But why am I surprised? Our first effective modern bore cleaner was developed between the World Wars by a guy at the old NBS!
Personally, I am trying “Gun Lube” (yeah, clever name) marketed by the LubeGard Company. They employ a proprietary liquid “LEE” wax ester base in this product. They also use it, among other things, such as transmission and engine additives used by fleets, and widely in industry. Google their website (www.lubegard.com) – and you see they have the science; moreover, they have the patents. LOTS of them. I’ve only seen Gun Lube for sale on Amazon, because Lubegard does only a small percentage of sales directly to consumers. But that doesn’t mean you will get anything less than truly cordial cooperation if you phone or email them!
I’ve also been experimenting with their tranny and engine cleaners, diluted in a mix of solvents, in my quest to develop an updated form of Ed’s Red. So far, it is very promising.
http://www.ar15news.com/2014/01/23/bcg-cleanup-froglube/
Would love a test on froglube by you, Andrew.
I can send you some bottles if you want to =)
Best regards – Martin
“Marty” just doesn’t get it. Creeper.
What about M-Pro7?
+10 on M-Pro 7 LPX. I’ve been using it exclusively on all my firearms for over a year with excellent results. Slicker than a baby’s butt, stays put, long lasting, and doesn’t dry out. Also has a ridiculously wide temperature range. The local Wal-Mart sells it for $9 for a 4 ounce bottle.
That is a good lube for sure.
I like Weapon Shield. I first became aware of it when I saw a video of Terry Gardner performing a trigger job on a 1911.
As mentioned above, how about Balistol? I also have used FP-10 and Pro-Shot Zero Friction. Balistol seems to out perform both, but since I don’t leave my guns out in the rain it is hard to tell. Lubrication wise, Balistol seems at least as good as these, and superior BF CLP. Any experience otherwise out there? Particularly with Slip 2000, or Slipstream?
https://www.shootersforum.com/gun-cleaning/91566-results-gun-care-product-evaluation.html
Probably worth posting this here, even if/especially as it seems to disprove some of what’s been claimed here.
I’m confused as to what is in this post that disproves what was in my article.
Regarding Frog lube. I have tested every clp, lube, grease or any other formula I have knowledge of in terms of firearms. The frog stuff is not Mil Comm. But nothing is. The absolute best cleaner and grease lube i’s made by Mil Comm. Most are familiar with the exceptional TW25B that Sig used to send out with their handguns, but every product they produce is superior. I’ve let water literally stand on my guns and their stuff doesn’t even allow rust to form let alone wipe off. However, why not try Frog? It’s some of the best stuff available that’s not Mil Comm. While it did allow light rust to form it more than done it’s job in ensuring nothing touched the metal. In fact a light wipe took care of it. It’s more readily available at local stores than Mil Comm and in terms of driving and picking something up that’s the best you will find. It’s a lame name and a weird color, but they make quality products