Ben's Gun Oil

[fiver]

mineral oil and ZDDP.
the zddp leaves a little alligator skin coating behind at the wear spots and oil will sit in those little cracks.


I really use a minimal amount of lubricant and quite often only put a 'wet finger' on a spot that shows contact from use.
most would say I under lubricate them, I say they still work.

 

[Ian]

Many ways to get zddp and mineral oil blended at the concentration and viscosity you want.

The zinc oil additives and engine assembly lubes are good sources of concentrated zddp, atf/USP mineral oil, straight-weight engine oils (or tractor fluid like R&O, mineral vacuum pump oils) are all good sources of base oil, provided it will function in your temperature range.

Bruce brought up a good point I never thought about: thinning a commonly available #2 chassis grease to be more suitable for gun applications. Since grease is a complex substance I prefer to buy (or make from scratch) exactly what I need, but fhey can be thinned.... after all, isn't that something we've done so often with bullet lube?

 

[bruce381]

Ian look up the specs on what grease you want to use as a base, this will show things like 4 ball wear, maybe FZG maybe timken.
water wash out, rust etc. as well as base fluid, Mobil SHC 220 would be PAO and maybe some ester.

You are half way there.

All good indications of wear and oxidation rust resistance. then just thin with atf or mystery oil to your application.

#2 Syn EP grease 80% and PAO base oil 20% gives a good stable lube of a mushy consistencey fine for all my handguns.

 

[bruce381]

then get a blue grease and mix with a red grease and make purple LOL

 

[bruce381]

just like going down the bullet lube rabbit hole your thought you were done with that with powder coating now gun lubes AHHH.

 

[Brad]

I don’t want to hear anyone suggesting tranny assembly lube

 

[RicinYakima]

I was thinking more about bear grease and sheep tallow mixed.

 

[Mitty38]

25 Years ago I bought this gallon of military gun oil. In what looks like an olive drab antifreeze jug. I have since transfered it to other containers. Could not tell you what is in it.
It has been my primary putting into storage for over a month oil.
It has kind of a milky look to it.
I have never had rust with it and every gun has I have used it on just fire dandy right out of the safe. With a quick wipe down.
However for field use I have spent a lot of money on oils, might give this a try.

 

[RicinYakima]

Most likely "LSA Weapons Oil Medium" "O158" from the Viet Nam era. Made for 70 - 120 temperature range for M-16 and M-60 and low water wash off rate. Bad news it is really thick below about 50 and picks up and holds dust. Weapons maintenance was both a morning and night routine when this stuff in the dry season. Modern military stuff is environment specific for weapons use.

 

[Ian]

just like going down the bullet lube rabbit hole your thought you were done with that with powder coating now gun lubes AHHH.

Yeah, this thread got me spooled up again. I need to make another small batch of way oil for my lathe and gun oil is real close to that, only more thin. Straight ND 30-weight, some Comp Cams oil, and ATF. Way oil is the same minus the ATF and plus a little Sulphur ester oil.

 

[fiver]

I got a 5 gallon full of blue-green stickified [calcium base] grease out in the shed I might be persuaded to fill a baggie... LOL.
I don't think it'd make purple but grey should be no problem.

 

[Gary]

What's the ratio of 30 weight/Comp Cams for Way Oil that you use Ian?

 

[Tomme boy]

Ian, are you using the Comp Cams break in lube(cam)? When I was racing years ago I always ran Amsoil. Never had a cam go bad. Had one roller lifter seize the bearings. It was a Isky roller cam and lifters. We ran alcohol back then and had to change out the oils a lot as the water build up in the motor from the cooling effects of the alcohol would turn the oil to chocolate milk.

Anyway I still use Amsoil oil. It is slick. I can put it on one of my AR BCG's and it will have ran off in a week or 2. I am thinking they have something in it that evaporates. But the parts are still slick.

I did a test about 8 years ago. I did not clean one of my AR's for 7K rounds. I just gave a drop of oil on each bearing way on the BCG and that was it. It never misfed once. There was hardly any wear inside the upper once I cleaned it. The tool and die room at the place I worked at at the time had a very large ultrasonic cleaner. I took the whole upper in and ran it though a couple times. to get it clean. The tool guys were laughing at all the crud that came up the first cleaning run. That was a Model1Sales upper. It shot OK but was as reliable as any other AR I have had. That oil was Mobil1 5w20 as that was what went in my car.

 

[Tomme boy]

I also have 3 different oils a friend gave me when he was an armorer and also shot on the AMU team. Regular CLP,a winter LAW oil and another type. I think the winter stuff is not even opened. It is in qt cans. Sounds like water it is thin from the sound shaking it.

 

[JWFilips]

I like Mutton Tallow!

 

[L Ross]

I like Mutton Tallow!

Probably on an English Muffin.

 

[fiver]

okay, now you've gone too far.... blech.

 

[popper]

coiled, long-chain polymers. Yup marvel mystery oil. Long time ago had a ME friend who put it in his truck before changing oil. Stopped doing that after the rod came through the engine block. Dad had the shop use some 'upper valve lube' in the trucks before oil change and used in his autos (Dry Power product IIRC). Told him I thought I was getting married, needed a car so I bought the salesman's 64 Falcon 4 door 250ci 6 auto with air, 80k mi. Ran the snot out of it. Replaced the rocker shaft twice. I could get the dual showman and the keyboard into it.
For me, Mobil1 and ATF or any 'gun oil' in the field. Lubriplate on the AR BCG and SA barrels. If below 0F (or even 32F) they are nice and warm in the safe.

 

[Mitty38]

I just made up some. Seams to do pretty good. Going to test it this winter, as soon as I can get out again. Been looking for a good cold weather oil.