Gun oil, available in stores

[Shadow9mm]

Just got back from a vacation. Had an impromptu range trip while I was there. Ended up having to buy a basic cleaning kit and some oil/cleaner while I was there. The store I was at, a Bass Pro did not carry the oil I normally use. Got me to thinking. Some of the oils/cleaning products I use I pretty much have to order as they are pretty uncommon in stores/gun shops. Debating if I should switch to something commonly available in stores.

What do you guys think? Does having your product commonly available and being able to go out and just buy what you need matter? Or is your preferred less common oil worth having to order?

[BarryLee]

The reality is other than groceries I order almost everything on-line and I suppose products for firearms is not different.

[Pahoo]

Does in store availability for oil/cleaner matter?

I'm having a slight problem, understanding this situation. Unless you are referring to a "special" oil, I really don't see a problem. In fact, I've got oil that will out-live me. Also, there is always the latest and greatest, coming on line. I use a variety of oils and solvents, depending on the service. I even have some Narwal whale oil that I seldom use and have forgotten where I even got the stuff. ......

Be Safe !!!

[Shadow9mm]

Originally Posted by Pahoo

I'm having a slight problem, understanding this situation. Unless you are referring to a "special" oil, I really don't see a problem. In fact, I've got oil that will out-live me. Also, there is always the latest and greatest, coming on line. I use a variety of oils and solvents, depending on the service. I even have some Narwal whale oil that I seldom use and have forgotten where I even got the stuff. ......

Be Safe !!!

So I generally use slip 2000 EWL and frog lube paste oils
slip 2000 carbon killer, and bore tech eliminator as bore cleaners

Being out of state, and having a gun in need of cleaning, I walked into a Bas Pro and none of my preferred products were available. Granted I have a good supply at home.

But I also know some oils, synthetic oils, conventional oils, and natural oils, don't mix well together when applied.

So I'm sitting there, looking a a shelf full of oils, and I need to pick one to clean my gun up.

Just got me to thinking, would have been nice to have what I normally use on the shelf. and it seems to me the only way to go about doing that is to pick one that is already on the shelf.

[HiBC]

I distinguish between oils and solvents.
Yes,I do believe mixing solvents is a bad idea. I also think leaving a firearm wet with some solvents is a bad idea.
Wipe your gun dry of solvents before you oil it for storage.

I'm of the unproven theory few of the snakeoil outfits have petro lab and packaging facilities. I suspect (but I can't prove) many "gun oils" are something like Texaco Regal R+O oil suited for hydraulics and steam turbines.

I'm certain these spec industrial oils will serve just fine as "gun oiL"

The problem is 5 gallons may be minimum quantity.

I understand compatibility concerns. Maybe legit. Wipe it or flush and wipe it.

You may have a favorite that (in your mind) makes all other oils "gun abuse"

OK. Maybe in the 1920's nothing but sperm whale oil was suitable for watches,clocks,and guns. So how have we survived?

My old owners manual for my South Bend Lathe recommended slopping the machine with a mix of Naptha and Petroleum Jelly.(Vaseline). If it did not catch fire,no doubt it worked good.

Over 10s of thousands of rounds,yes,optimum lubrication might make a difference. Find 5 people who agree on optimum lubrication.

When crappy,dirty powder was slowing my FN-FAL down, I pulled the dipstick out of my Chevy and gave it some lube. It ran. Am I recommending used crank case oil? No.
IMO, ANY CLP, 3-in !, Air Tool oil, Mobil-1, 2 stroke oil etc will serve TEMPORARILY for lubricant and preservative till you can find your special snake oil.

[Shadow9mm]

Originally Posted by HiBC

I distinguish between oils and solvents.
Yes,I do believe mixing solvents is a bad idea. I also think leaving a firearm wet with some solvents is a bad idea.
Wipe your gun dry of solvents before you oil it for storage.

I'm of the unproven theory few of the snakeoil outfits have petro lab and packaging facilities. I suspect (but I can't prove) many "gun oils" are something like Texaco Regal R+O oil suited for hydraulics and steam turbines.

I'm certain these spec industrial oils will serve just fine as "gun oiL"

The problem is 5 gallons may be minimum quantity.

I understand compatibility concerns. Maybe legit. Wipe it or flush and wipe it.

You may have a favorite that (in your mind) makes all other oils "gun abuse"

OK. Maybe in the 1920's nothing but sperm whale oil was suitable for watches,clocks,and guns. So how have we survived?

My old owners manual for my South Bend Lathe recommended slopping the machine with a mix of Naptha and Petroleum Jelly.(Vaseline). If it did not catch fire,no doubt it worked good.

Over 10s of thousands of rounds,yes,optimum lubrication might make a difference. Find 5 people who agree on optimum lubrication.

When crappy,dirty powder was slowing my FN-FAL down, I pulled the dipstick out of my Chevy and gave it some lube. It ran. Am I recommending used crank case oil? No.
IMO, ANY CLP, 3-in !, Air Tool oil, Mobil-1, 2 stroke oil etc will serve TEMPORARILY for lubricant and preservative till you can find your special snake oil.

So for oils and solvents I prefer low odor and non toxic when I can, makes cleaning a more enjoyable experience and my wife does not put me in the dog house.

For oils its not all about lubrication. It also about how well it protects from rust. I also look at how well is stays in place. I don't want an oil that is gonna dry out and gum up, or smply run and puddle somewhere in the gun.

For bore cleaners I want something that is bore safe, I don't want to risk leaving a cleaner in too long and having it eat my barrel. I also want something that will save me some elbow grease. I should not have to follow the directions on the bottle more than twice to get a gun clean. and the number of times I have spent hours cleaning, repeating, and cleaning again, only for the patches to still come out black... well I don't wanna do that anymore.

frog lube paste stays in place in my AR's nicely and does not burn off. Slip 2000 EWL goes on in a nice almost waxy coating in my handguns and stays in place.

slip 2000 carbon killer is cheap and removed carbon nicely. it also works pretty well on shotgun wad fouling.

Bore tech eliminator works on carbon, copper, lead, and corrosive ammo fouling. I follow the directions once, with an extended soak time, and my barrels come out clean every time.

But I'm not trying to sell any products. I was just thinking about switching oils to something I dont have to order. Or finding a 2nd string oil that I can grab off the shelf, or keep for field use if I need it.

[AL45]

I watched a youtube video of a guy that replaced his lawnmower oil with bacon grease and as I recall it ran for 45 minutes before he finally turned it off. Now I don't suggest using bacon grease as a gun lubricant, but it got me to thinking how many different oils and greases I have used over the years and never had a problem with any of them. I like Ballistol because supposedly it's safe......But bacon grease does taste better.

[Shadow9mm]

Originally Posted by AL45

I watched a youtube video of a guy that replaced his lawnmower oil with bacon grease and as I recall it ran for 45 minutes before he finally turned it off. Now I don't suggest using bacon grease as a gun lubricant, but it got me to thinking how many different oils and greases I have used over the years and never had a problem with any of them. I like Ballistol because supposedly it's safe......But bacon grease does taste better.

Project farm, great channel.

[gwpercle]

For a bore / general purpose gun cleaner I mix up a gallon of "Ed's Red Gun / Bore Solvent " ... if you don't know what it is , do a search for the recipe , 4 common ingredients will run $20.00 at Wally Mart and make up a gallon of gun solvent .

Gun oil ... B'laster Lubricants has an extensive line of lubricants , www.blasterproducts.com Big box stores ( Home Depot and Lowes for sure) carry them ... oil is oil and lube is lube ...B'laster products just as good as "Gun Oil " and Soooo much cheaper .
I do like RemOil and will pay a little extra for it but B'laster Lubricants have an extensive line and are very good . I like the spray on light grease and dry lubes .
Gary

[AL45]

Shadow9mm, Yes sir!

[Aguila Blanca]

You omitted the third option: "I don't use 'gun' oil."

[Kreyzhorse]

If it's better, and gun shops don't carry it, I've zero issue ordering what I want. Brick and mortar will never be able to have the same variety as the interweb.

[Sevens]

Why wouldn't you simply bring your gun home?

We aren't using corrosive primers these days. The gun will be a-okay for a day or five until you can clean it.

[44 AMP]

to be clear, you took a gun (your gun?) with you, you took ammo?? but didn't take basic tools & maint supplies??

Poor planning my man....
Ever wonder why there is a oiler bottle in the stock of some old rifles??


Unlike engines, guns are one of those things where almost any oil can work in a pinch, to a degree, and for a limited time, only. And there are even situations where NO OIL is better than the wrong oil.

I do have a couple guns that I use a specialized lube on/in. THe rest get what's on the shelf, when, and as they need it.

[Scorch]

I order gun oil online because I like the results from one particular type. Gun oils available at gun stores tend to be very generic, CLP-like products. The really good stuff is also expensive, but does it matter? You don't use very much of it! Car engine oils will work, but there are some things to avoid (detergent compounds) that I don't really want on my skin or gun, so I don't use motor oils for firearms. Everybody has a favorite witches brew that they claim is better than any other available. Truth is, most gun oils are very similar in composition (hydraulic oil or machine oil) and have a few drops of some special goo in them (Teflon/PTFE, etc). Pick one, it probably doesn't matter much in the long run, just keep it lubed and protected.

[MarkCO]

I have a tote that goes with me. Eye and Ear Pro, Tools, cleaners and lube.

IF I was, but some chance in need of gun oil on a road trip I was taking without my guns, I guess I'd just pick up the cheapest bottle of whatever from wherever was the closest.

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by Scorch

Car engine oils will work, but there are some things to avoid (detergent compounds) that I don't really want on my skin or gun, so I don't use motor oils for firearms.

Why do you believe that detergent additives in motor oil are bad for firearms?

[tangolima]

When it is on firearms, it will have good chance to contact bare skin. That's the concern. Occasionally use in a pinch should be ok, I think.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[rickyrick]

I’d be more concerned about the firearm that shows any extra wear or damage as a result of using any oil product designed for lubrication of metal.

I really only buy gun specific oil for the convenient container that most gun oils come in.

I usually misplace the bottles before I ever empty them.

[44 AMP]

I’d be more concerned about the firearm that shows any extra wear or damage as a result of using any oil product designed for lubrication of metal.

If it is designed for the lubrication of metal (and it does its designed function) it will lubricate your gun. How well it works, and how well it stays in place compared to other products is what differs.

Literally, any, and everything "slippery" is going to lube your gun, for a time. The key is time, time in terms of operational cycles, and time in terms of actual time. Some things do well enough short term, other things do as well or better, and last longer term. There are even some that do fine, short term and fail completely in really "long term" storage. Amount used also plays more than a small part, as well.

After my father passed, I found his guns, which almost certainly hadn't been touched in years (perhaps 10) preserved, but a couple were "non funtional" due to dried out oil.

His Colt Govt model, stored in a dresser drawer was gummed up to the point the side crept slowly closed, and stopped a half inch before fully shut, because over time, the oil had gotten "thick". A S&W M28, stored on a closet shelf, (and oiled less) worked perfectly. And a Savage 99, stored in the same closet was frozen shut from the oil having turned to lacquer (glue!)

I'm sure the oil he used was what ever was in the usual Outers/Hoppe's cleaning kits, or possibly 3 in 1 oil. Point here is the usual stuff is fine, if you use your guns at least every year or so, but for really long term storage, you should use something else.

[rickyrick]

I really hadn’t considered long term storage. I was thinking along the lines of actually firing and manipulating the gun.
Most people add lubricant after X amount of rounds, probably more than needed which isn’t particularly harmful.
I found out on my own that a viscous oil in the firing pin channel can slow it down enough to cause the weapon not to fire.
If I were to place guns into long term storage, I would need to be more careful in my selection of treatments.

[Shane Tuttle]

Originally Posted by Aguila Blanca

Why do you believe that detergent additives in motor oil are bad for firearms?

He said he didn't want it to contact his skin, which I certainly understand.

For the longest time, my local shops didn't provide the stuff I use. Thankfully, one does, now. I'm very picky on what I use on my own firearms even though most solvents/oils/greases carried by the Big Box stores will do just fine to get you by until you get home with little or no accelerated wear.

[tangolima]

A bit off topic perhaps. What's the deal with the recent trend of running guns wetted with lube? I still sparingly lube my guns, including ARs. I don't see any problems at all. I realize the aluminum - steel interfaces will need more, so I lube those points more frequently. But it is always sparing, never dripping wet.

BTW, one AR has shot over 1k rounds without cleaning, other than the sparing lube with CLP. No problem.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[44 AMP]

Might be due to a couple decades back when at least one of the major (winning) competition pistol shooters was interviewed and told how he ran his match guns "wet",,, in other words very oily just short of the point where he got oil on his hands making them slippery when shooting.

Personally, I tend to let mine run on the "dry" side, my main reasons being I live in a dusty place, and (for sporting use) low lube amounts tell me where the gun will stop working right. IN other words, if one of my guns starts to choke due to lack of lube, that gives me the minimum amount to keep it lubed for proper operation.

Additionally, I've had a bit of experience with guns in very cold places, and in those conditions, no oil is better than the wrong oil for the temps.

One place often overlooked is the firing pin and channel. Nothing quite like firing a bolt gun in sub zero and seeing the striker SLOOOWLY creep forward resulting in no shot when you wanted/needed one.

[MarkCO]

A bit off topic perhaps. What's the deal with the recent trend of running guns wetted with lube?

Keeps the crud in suspension making cleaning easier and faster. For a range gun, shot a lot, it's a decent methodology.