Hi All,
Would like members to share their experience regarding use of motor oil instead of branded gun oil. I am looking for some thing which lubricates well, fight corrosion does not evaporates easily.. works perfect at wide range of temperature,is not gummy. Is it possible to use motor oil instead branded gun oil? Price is one factor, easy availability is another in India also i dont want to pay through nose that's one reason specifically if something cheaper can effectively give same results.
Rgds
Biren
Lubricating Motor Oil in Lieu Gun Oil
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Biren
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timmy
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Re: Lubricating Motor Oil in Lieu Gun Oil
I would not use motor oil. For one thing, it is too thick, and also, it will thicken when temperatures drop (although that may not be a problem in India).
One thing you may want to experiment with is automatic transmission fluid (which, I assume, should be available). ATF is synthetic and doe snot increase in viscosity very much at lower temperatures. It also is great at resisting rust. (You may even want to try it on something rusty, to remove rust.) It will retain a film on metal parts for a very long time. I use it on a patch that is run through the barrel if I am storing a gun for a long time.
You don't need much! One drop (that's one drop!) on a large bolt gun, spread all over the surface and wiped lightly will make a difference. However, I never use any lubrication at all, if temperatures drop below freezing. Remember, in dusty climates, lubricant will attract every dust particle for 50 kilometers, so in such cases, you may want to forego lubrication as much as possible. Our troops in Iraq found this out to their sorrow, as a National Guard unit had their guns jam for this reason in an ambush. The military-specificed lubricant for M4s was not used; instead, they used that WD-40 stuff (which contains a lot of hexane -- not a lubricant! -- and supposedly fish oil), which is terrible for retaining dust, as a friend who is a multiple Iraq veteran has told me, causing their weapons to jam.
Remember the only thing that lubbricates and protects is a thin film of molecules between surfaces. You don't need to have it dripping off a part! Just a drop, spread it, and wipe off the excess works! However, as I've said, you should experiment before using anything in the field. You may find your environmental conditions give a different result.
I also use a few drops of it for lubricating bicycle chains and other such things. If you are threading something steel into something aluminum, ATF will help prevent the parts from seizing together -- that's one of the reasons it was developed. In this, it is no substitute for anti-seize compound (which is lead-based), but it works well. It also does a credible job as cutting lubricant for drilling, tapping, and threading operations.
It is thicker than sewing machine oil, however it also works better at removing rust, which is why I use it where i can.
One thing you may want to experiment with is automatic transmission fluid (which, I assume, should be available). ATF is synthetic and doe snot increase in viscosity very much at lower temperatures. It also is great at resisting rust. (You may even want to try it on something rusty, to remove rust.) It will retain a film on metal parts for a very long time. I use it on a patch that is run through the barrel if I am storing a gun for a long time.
You don't need much! One drop (that's one drop!) on a large bolt gun, spread all over the surface and wiped lightly will make a difference. However, I never use any lubrication at all, if temperatures drop below freezing. Remember, in dusty climates, lubricant will attract every dust particle for 50 kilometers, so in such cases, you may want to forego lubrication as much as possible. Our troops in Iraq found this out to their sorrow, as a National Guard unit had their guns jam for this reason in an ambush. The military-specificed lubricant for M4s was not used; instead, they used that WD-40 stuff (which contains a lot of hexane -- not a lubricant! -- and supposedly fish oil), which is terrible for retaining dust, as a friend who is a multiple Iraq veteran has told me, causing their weapons to jam.
Remember the only thing that lubbricates and protects is a thin film of molecules between surfaces. You don't need to have it dripping off a part! Just a drop, spread it, and wipe off the excess works! However, as I've said, you should experiment before using anything in the field. You may find your environmental conditions give a different result.
I also use a few drops of it for lubricating bicycle chains and other such things. If you are threading something steel into something aluminum, ATF will help prevent the parts from seizing together -- that's one of the reasons it was developed. In this, it is no substitute for anti-seize compound (which is lead-based), but it works well. It also does a credible job as cutting lubricant for drilling, tapping, and threading operations.
It is thicker than sewing machine oil, however it also works better at removing rust, which is why I use it where i can.
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