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Gunsmithing gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

Eric Myers

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Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 25, 2012
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How come gun oil is not sold by weight like motor oil and is there really that much of a difference. I am no skimper when it comes to cleaning supplies but 4 oz. of syn gun oil for $10.00 vs 32 oz. high end syn motor oil for 10.00? I really hate to ask stupid questions but I have never heard this discussed. In an emergency situation would you use motor oil if you had to? Thanks!
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

I use motor oil on my AR rifles. I don't know where you buy your oil but Mobil 1 is about 5-6 dollars a quart.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

Mobil 1 syn is kinda what I was thinking. Some places here are almost $10.00. No kidding. Any particular weight? And thanks for responding.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

For all intents and purposes it will do the same thing...
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

I always used 10W30 on my 1919 belt fed. Worked great.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

Mobil1 synthetic works great! The biggest difference is that it does not say Remington, etc. on it. And it costs a hell of a lot less. If I trust it to protect my Toyota Tacoma engine in 120+ degree heat, I think it will easily lubricate my 1911 or Xd, or AR series.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

Take a container with you next time you get your oil changed. If you get Mobil 1, just drain the leftovers from the jugs into your container. There will be plenty it will cost you nothing extra.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

I've been using the same 4oz. bottle of Militec-1 for several years and when it's gone I'll probably buy another bottle. If you're saving money it isn't much. Motor oil smells bad. I guess if you save like a dollar a year it's worth it.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

been using syn 5-30W on everything from AK to AR and FAL, M1 garand, G3 etc foe over 10 years. Never had a problem and still on first quart.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

Take a sniff. They're different. Maybe there's a reason for that difference. I'm gonna use the one that says 'gun', and pay what it costs.

I used USGI 30 weight motor oil on my M-14 in 'Nam for over a year. Did what I needed it to do.

Now I can, and do, buy gun oil. What's the biggie? Shooting is not a cheap pursuit, is never gonna be a cheap pursuit.

There is such a thing as false economy. Gun lubrication is important. Use the real thing. It's really very simple. There are no trick questions about this.

Greg
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

I have used 5-30 on all of my 'items' for over 15 years. I switched to 5-30 synthetic about back in '05, and still have never had a single problem.

One thing that stands out, is that for those that aren't used often and are put up for some time, they are still protected and 'gooey' same as when they were put away. And yes, I 'goop up' all of them that are not going to be used for some time.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rookie</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Take a container with you next time you get your oil changed. If you get Mobil 1, just drain the leftovers from the jugs into your container. There will be plenty it will cost you nothing extra. </div></div>

Everytime I change the oil in one of my vehicles (3 that use synthetic oil) I set the empty jugs up so the left over oil drains to the front bottom side of the jug and let it sit for a couple of days. Then I put it in one of the small GI type (think M16 cleaning kit) squeeze bottles. I get enough for a bottle with a little left over for another bottle. I use 5W10, 10W30 and 10W40. All of them have been working on my handguns and rifles for 3 or 4 years now.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

i've been using a high temp silicone grease. makes things nice and smooth operating and stays where you put it (no running). makes one heck of a rust preventative too.

though it does and will collect more dust / dirt than oils as it has the consistancy of petroleum jelly, a little goes a long way to help reduce that very same dust / dirt collection. besides cleaning the rifle and proper storage takes care of that problem anyway. unless you are in the desert, i see no problem with it.

http://www.sspinc.com/products_and_servi..._2_silicone.htm

http://snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3131587

have been using it as a rifle & pistol lube / protectant and a bullet lube. a toothpaste sized tube is around 20.00 and so far only used 1/2 a tube over the last 3 years, 2-3 range sessions a month and thousands of lubed bullets later.

i've also heard of transmission fluid being used to lube firearms, i believe there is an extensive thread on it here at the hide.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

If a weapon needs a certain type or weight of oil in order to function properly, it isn't built correctly.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

Why not just use Royal Purple, there gun oil and motor oil sell for about the same price and perform exceedingly superior to even Mobil 1. Watch their bearing viscosity failure tests. The only thing I've seen that comes close is Moly Graphite which is basicly the best dry lubricant you could get. Do what suits you what works for me may not work for you. It all depends on how you use your gun and where you use your gun. If I was going to swamp land I'ld put some moly lithium axle grease on it for lube.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: zuke</div><div class="ubbcode-body">http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=12616...t-Preventatives </div></div>

Interesting read, but I oil my guns for mechanical lubrication, not solely for rust prevention. Mobil 1 makes an AR run smoothe as butter, and any kind of good automotive grease works great on bolt action locking lugs and firing pins. To each their own, but automotive lubricants have worked quite nicely for me.

-matt
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: gpowers</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Been using Mobil One 5w30 for years with no problems.
</div></div>

I have as well. Some areas such as the slide and frame interface I also use a light coat of a synthetic grease (for autos).
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

I used FP-10 for years until I noticed that it seperated out when it sat in my brownell needle oilers. After that I ran Slip 2000 EWL and grease and never had any lubrication related issues. Recently I read a post by another hide member that use there weapons for work and have thousands of rounds through there rifles. They use synthentic motor oil for lube and specifically one used for diesel engines. The reasoning for using a diesel oil was that they have additives to deal with soot that also work on carbon build up. Since I already use amsoil 5-30w for diesels I gave it a try and it works great, AR and 1911 run smooth and they clean up much easier.

Chris
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

As several others have pointed out, gun oil isn't magic. The conditions inside of the typical internal combustion engine or gearbox are much tougher for lubricants than any weapon I'll ever own (keep in mind that I am not in the business of wearing out machine gun barrels in desert-like heat; if that is of concern, then perhaps I can't be of much help).

Extrapolating from the rate at which I consume those little bottles of "special" gun oil that I've accumulated over the years, a single quart of motor oil and a tube of bearing grease would probably last a lifetime of shooting. I'd probably go with a lighter grade in a synthetic formulation (0W40 Mobil 1 is what I run in one of my cars), but frankly, one could probably use a couple drops from whatever bottle was discarded after the last oil change. Hell, the little bit that's wiped from the dipstick every time that one checks the oil is probably good enough for most any firearm...
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Eric Bryant</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Hell, the little bit that's wiped from the dipstick every time that one checks the oil is probably good enough for most any firearm... </div></div>

I've used oil from engine dipsticks on more than one occasion
cool.gif


-matt
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

I have been wanting to try a little bit of the sythetic oil I run in my ATV (the stuff without the clutch additive). My diesel gets old fashion dinosaur juice which I don't like using on guns that sit for a while, but will dry up and get gummed up with age.

Hell, prior to all these fancy gun oils, people always used motor oil. There is something to be said for the smell of some of the oils and the carcinogens, but I'm sure there are other things that will kill me first.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

Multi-viscosity motor oil also stays runny in the cold. I once greased up the internals of a bolt, then later on I had problems with light strikes in extreme cold. Engine oil fixed it.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

Use Mobil-1 and your gun will never need to be cleaned (other than the barrel), all it takes is a wipe down.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

One time at make-believe-gun-camp, one of my friends gun was nto working, put in Mobil-1, and bam! it runs.

Another time at make-believe-gun-camp, I threw dirt in the action. Gun hiccup'd, put in Mobil-1, and bam again! ran flawlessly. Mobil-1 turns the dirt into lube, and keeps everything slick.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

I've used Royal Purple motor oil on firearms with no issues. Lately I've been using Shell Aeroshell aerospace oil and Froglube. I think it goes to show that keeping your guns lubed is much more important than the particular nuances between oils. You could probably keep a gun running on bacon grease, and it would smell delicious.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RTK</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: zuke</div><div class="ubbcode-body">http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=12616...t-Preventatives </div></div>


Wow, pictures don't lie when it comes to protecting from the elements. Good ole wd-40 did amazing </div></div>

Mobil-1 is just a lube and nothing more. It does not really do anything against protecting your gun from rust.

WD-40 is not a lube, but more of a protectorant, and it does work great as this! It leaves a film on on the gun that actually repels water (WD stands for water displacement). For long term storage, I highly recommend WD-40. However when you are about to use your gun, put liberal amounts of Mobil-1 to make it run good.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: trilogymac</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I always used 10W30 on my 1919 belt fed. Worked great. </div></div>
Me too. I also use it on my mac's as they always run better "wet" Dont forget the hand wipes. lol
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rbt50</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i use gun oil for guns and motor oil for cars.i dont use that much gun oil to worrie about the price. </div></div>

Problem is the gun oil does not work as good. Also who keeps gun oil on hand? every man has motor oil in his house.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

Marvel Mystery Oil
Doesn't gum, attcks carbon, doubles as a cleaner in a pinch, displaces moisture, great lubricity. Used it for many years, cheap as anything out there and is a high grade product. Buy it by the quart or gallon. A quart will last a very long time.
 
Re: gun oil vs. motor oil. Please!

I have used whatever motor oil was left over after I changed the oil in my rigs for 10 years or more without any ill effects . My buddy makes up his own lube for AR's out of Transmission fluid and something else . He also makes his own "slide glide" for handguns . He is an all around smart dude who does consulting work for most of the firearms manufacturers that we all sit and slobber over so I just trust him when he says to "pour some of this on your gun."