I know this has been asked in the past but just wanted to see if there was anything new I should be considering. What is everyones favorite AR lube? Are Slip 2000 and TW25B still considered top end stuff?
- Thread starter Texaslongshot
- Start date
Slip 2000 is my favorite. Stays wet longer compared to some others I've tried.
I had some extra Rotella T6 lying around from when I had a diesel truck, started using that and its noticeably better than what I was using, especially in the suppressed rifles. I put it in a few plastic needle droppers off amazon and has worked great so far.
Out in the PNW... a have had zero issues with ALG Go-Juice. ( YMMV )
It is my goto firearm lube.
It is my goto firearm lube.
Mobile one for oil. For grease Mobile One synthetic grease thinned with Mobile One oil. For off the shelf gun grease the ALG very thin grease.
Mobil 1, the officail motor oil of armalight.
Frog lube gums up like a mofo.
Ive been a fan of royal purple full synthetic motor oil on my AR's and bolt rifles with ceramic brake grease on the lugs.
Things that work:
Mobil 1 (synthetic oil)
Lucas gun oil
Slip 2000
ALG Go-juice (for the money, I wouldn't buy it over SLIP)
Any simliar viscosity synthetic lubricant that's non-toxic and non-biodegradable
Things that don't work:
Frog Lube
Fire Clean (and any degradable vegetable based oil)
Grease (with some very limited exceptions...most times grease does more harm than good when it becomes a lapping compound)
WD-40 (unless your gun gets drenched and you're displacing water)
Mobil 1 (synthetic oil)
Lucas gun oil
Slip 2000
ALG Go-juice (for the money, I wouldn't buy it over SLIP)
Any simliar viscosity synthetic lubricant that's non-toxic and non-biodegradable
Things that don't work:
Frog Lube
Fire Clean (and any degradable vegetable based oil)
Grease (with some very limited exceptions...most times grease does more harm than good when it becomes a lapping compound)
WD-40 (unless your gun gets drenched and you're displacing water)
Yep, I've been using the same concoction for years thinned to a smooth consistency like soft butter.
What's Really in Gun Cleaners and Lube? - Real Gun Reviews
In almost every gun forum I’ve participated in, practically every question or discussion regarding firearm cleaning and lubrication products quickly descends to the same inevitable result: a stream of “sounding off” about what each shooter uses personally, an explanation of why they love it...
www.realgunreviews.com Lots of decent oils can work in an AR, as long as you keep it wet.
In my environment though I have zero use for any dry lube or Frog Lube (so glad that fad has mostly gone away!); dry lube is a great way to drastically shorten the life of your rifle and Frog Lube is a great way to gum up the works, especially when temperatures drop a little.
WD40 is a great cleaning agent and washes out carbon and gunk better than brake cleaner or other low flash point solvents, but it's not a lube. I spray it in the upper, soak for a minute, then blow it out with compressed air. Hit it with brake cleaner after that if you want, or just re-lube and you're good to go. The key is to not leave any WD40 in the gun because it'll eventually gum up.
In my environment though I have zero use for any dry lube or Frog Lube (so glad that fad has mostly gone away!); dry lube is a great way to drastically shorten the life of your rifle and Frog Lube is a great way to gum up the works, especially when temperatures drop a little.
WD40 is a great cleaning agent and washes out carbon and gunk better than brake cleaner or other low flash point solvents, but it's not a lube. I spray it in the upper, soak for a minute, then blow it out with compressed air. Hit it with brake cleaner after that if you want, or just re-lube and you're good to go. The key is to not leave any WD40 in the gun because it'll eventually gum up.
I use Astro-Glide... I thin it out by...well you know.
We don’t have very cold temps in south Texas. I’ve experienced a little gumminess with frog lube here and there, but nothing to cause functionality issues. I never knew mobil 1 was a thing. Use it a lot so one extra quart should last a long time. Any particular weight when it comes to full synthetic oil?
Any of the x-30 weight offerings seem to work fine.
I use the racing oil. Higher zinc and phosphorus content. It's not that I buy the extra anti wear for my gun, I just use it in my trucks so I have it laying around.
Grease only, Cherry Balmz. I do not oil my ARs. You put it on the contact points of the bolt and the carrier. That is it.
I oil my bolt guns bolts and grease the lugs. Going to try dry lubes from Hornady and Bore Tech because the oil I use (Lucas Heavy Duty) gets kind of sticky after a long while. Not a huge deal, just wipe it down and reapply. Just see no need to use oil on an AR personally.
I oil my bolt guns bolts and grease the lugs. Going to try dry lubes from Hornady and Bore Tech because the oil I use (Lucas Heavy Duty) gets kind of sticky after a long while. Not a huge deal, just wipe it down and reapply. Just see no need to use oil on an AR personally.
You would want full synthetic. Keep in mind, engine oil has a shelf life and after it is opened it can collect water.
I have been using CLP / breakfree for cleaning and m-pro as lube for years. Mpro holds up well on my guns that tend to sit longer also.
I do keep a small can of clp with me at the range, it works well short term when needed.
This has been the best stuff I've ever used. I tend to prefer grease vs oil.
www.cherrybalmz.com
BLACK RIFLE BALM | CherryBalmz
Our Black Rifle Balm: Our best all-around lubricant - excellent on all centerfire rifles and handguns Provides roughly 10x the shooting on one application of lube over gun oils - ARs and centerfire pistols typically get 2000-4000 rounds on one lube job. Stays put, stays wet, and stays slick and...
www.cherrybalmz.com Same! Been using the ol’ Hoppe’s9/CLP for me and m-pro after for years. A lot of my guns that I rarely shoot it holds up very well. I’ve recently been using a lot of BoreTech cleaning solutions but still always finish with some M-Pro 7
Shooter's Lube... totally organic... SF uses
While I am sure there is better stuff out there, I have never had an issue with CLP / breakfree. One day I will break down an grab some fancy stuff
Normally i use Breakfree CLP. Been experimented with Slip 2000 EWL and it seems to hang around a bit longer, i run my BCG's wet. Also been trying out a Teflon grease on certain parts, ran it last weekend and its going right in the trash - stuff slung all over the damn place; going to try a little pro gold and see how that goes. Im a little OCD about pre and post shooting maintenance and tend to be picky about what i use, take that for what its worth.
I have used this concoction for at least two decades.
1:1 ratio of 30 weight synthetic and automatic transmission fluid. If I want some cleaning action to it I will add back in about 10-25% of fuel injector cleaner. With the cleaner the crud sort of gets suspended in the oil solution. I rarely do more than a wipe down because I HATE cleaning guns.
1:1 ratio of 30 weight synthetic and automatic transmission fluid. If I want some cleaning action to it I will add back in about 10-25% of fuel injector cleaner. With the cleaner the crud sort of gets suspended in the oil solution. I rarely do more than a wipe down because I HATE cleaning guns.
Same here. Automatic transmission fluid is designed for the lubrication of gears more so than motor oil. I use a 50/50 mix with great results.
I've used LSA for many years in both my class iii's and semi's without any problems. When the supply dried up I switched to Break Free CLP. But if I run across LSA at a gun show I'd buy some more.
Shooters Choice FP-10, have used it for over a decade, fantastic stuff.
The biggest issue I've seen with Frog Lube is it does not play well with anything other than Frog Lube products. A small amount of Hoppes 9 contamination seems to turn FL into glue.
The biggest issue I've seen with Frog Lube is it does not play well with anything other than Frog Lube products. A small amount of Hoppes 9 contamination seems to turn FL into glue.
No, atf is designed to flow easily through a pump and valve body more so than gear oil, and it’s intended to lubricate when used under pressure or flooding the moving parts. By itself it flows off way too quickly and there’s good reason most manual transmissions use thicker gear oil and not ATF.
Engines and transmissions are very different environments than firearms, and what works for one is not necessarily good for another.
With that being said are you a fan of Moblie one synthetic?
I’ve got nothing against it at least, and it does work fine, but honestly I often just use CorrosionX gun oil. Sometimes I use lathe way oil (like gear oil but more sticky) if temps are warm, and use BE Slide Glide Lite in my carry pistols because it doesn’t run off.
The problem with any thin oil is that it runs off easily, and ATF is one of the worst for that because it’s designed to flow easily even in cold weather. On the other hand really thick oils (like gear oil and way oil) get too thick in cold weather and cause sluggish operation. A balance is necessary and that does vary with environment.
Actually, GM has been using atf in their manuals for quite a while. I'm not a big fan of using it for anything other than transmissions or maybe power steering though.
About this cherry balmz stuff, do those who use it just get the black rifle one and use it on everything? I looked into it after reading the above posts, may try some out. Seems like a decent price, especially if you want the whole variety with the 5 for the price of 2 deal. Has to be an improvement in semi auto stuff I'd think vs just plain hoppes oil etc.
About this cherry balmz stuff, do those who use it just get the black rifle one and use it on everything? I looked into it after reading the above posts, may try some out. Seems like a decent price, especially if you want the whole variety with the 5 for the price of 2 deal. Has to be an improvement in semi auto stuff I'd think vs just plain hoppes oil etc.
What I like about the ATF blend is that it doesn’t gum up my 22lr 1911. That action is really sensitive to highly viscous oils causing it to malfunction.
Yes, some manuals do use ATF, and have for many years, but that's more about efficiency and reducing drag from heavier oils than it is about lubrication. (Efficiency is huge in the automotive engineering world and a small increase in efficiency often carries more weight than a big hit in durability.) Obviously a transmission designed for ATF can work fine with it, but don't put it in one that was designed for gear oil. The AR platform wasn't designed for ATF either.
Slip 2000, unless I’m out and then I just open a new bottle of slip 2000. I also like to use slip 2000 on top of my slip 2000 to make a super slip 2000.
I use cherry balmz field and black rifle use it on all my centerfire pistols and ARs. I am going to try their rimfire remedie here soon!
Slip has cost me critters in cold weather. Will not use it. Just about to the point where I run the bolt with Eezox only and a dab of gun grease on heavy wear points.
Because it gummed up???
From their site: EWL withstands extreme temperature changes (-100°F to +1250°F)
Ive never had an issue with it down to single digits in comps on my AR. You must be in a different kind of cold than me...
maybe you just needed to add some more
I use CLP.
I have had rem oil gum up calling in cold weather. I am very carful to run pretty much dry when calling in cold weather.
I have had rem oil gum up calling in cold weather. I am very carful to run pretty much dry when calling in cold weather.
I used to use Benelli MF-82 on AR's. It was obviously intended for inertia shotguns but is light weight and worked perfect on my AR's. Unfortunately it only ships with Benelli shotguns & is not available in the US.
When I started getting low I went hunting for the best replacement. I tried a few and Hoppe's Elite Black is my second favorite.
My favorite hands down by far & the best damn gun oil no one's ever heard of is Polydyn 2A. It is a polymer based lubricant (not CLP).
Polydyn is a Veteran owned company & it's 100% American made in Houston TX.
While searching for the best Gun lubes I remembered Polydyn and thought well hell I wish they made one. I was very happy to find out they do.
They absolutely suck at marketing it though.
I have been running it for a while now on AR's, bolt guns, & pistol slides. It has not disappointed.
I am very familiar with Polydyn products & used them extensively through the 90's & early 2000's, mainly their dry film bearing coatings & even 1 fully coated EAA witness that ran slick as shit with zero lube. The bearing coatings were used on Marine race, Sprint car, Super late models etc.
Anyone remember the IROC series? Ever remember one breaking during a race? I'm sure it must have happened, but I don't remember a failure.
The IROC cars were all identically prepared & all were fully treated with Polydyn's coatings and additive lubricants.
Only place I know of to purchase it is Amazon.
When I started getting low I went hunting for the best replacement. I tried a few and Hoppe's Elite Black is my second favorite.
My favorite hands down by far & the best damn gun oil no one's ever heard of is Polydyn 2A. It is a polymer based lubricant (not CLP).
Polydyn is a Veteran owned company & it's 100% American made in Houston TX.
While searching for the best Gun lubes I remembered Polydyn and thought well hell I wish they made one. I was very happy to find out they do.
They absolutely suck at marketing it though.
I have been running it for a while now on AR's, bolt guns, & pistol slides. It has not disappointed.
I am very familiar with Polydyn products & used them extensively through the 90's & early 2000's, mainly their dry film bearing coatings & even 1 fully coated EAA witness that ran slick as shit with zero lube. The bearing coatings were used on Marine race, Sprint car, Super late models etc.
Anyone remember the IROC series? Ever remember one breaking during a race? I'm sure it must have happened, but I don't remember a failure.
The IROC cars were all identically prepared & all were fully treated with Polydyn's coatings and additive lubricants.
Only place I know of to purchase it is Amazon.
