Grease! Which one?

[shooty]

There are super clever Engineers designings oils and lubricants for specific uses. All work. Some just designed better.
Some you think does the job but does not.

[janfred]

Well, If I need some extreme lubrication, I won't use ballistol. Thankfully I only use firearms so that won't be a problem.

That lubricity test is bit over the top. None of my firearms have places with point-loads as per the tester. Also, none of those products were rated for chemical resistance. Then baking the products over 200°C does not seem very realistic; I tend to stop shooting when I can no longer hold it in my bare hands. The cleaning test seems oK, then I remember that trucks don't run on nitrocellulose. All in all I rate the test a F- .

[ady]

I have at home Fluid Film. Brilliant for protecting anything against rust. But crap as a lubricant as its thick and sticky.

I used Fluid Film on my semi auto shotgun. It retarded the action so much, that the shotgun wouldn't reliably cycle, but as you say. It is brilliant against rust.

I've been using speed metal (from Rescomp) on handguns, shotguns and semi auto rifles for years now with very good results.

[DaavG]

Gun Grease from DVC Technologies?

I use this and very happy with it. But haven't tried anything else

[KnifeOfWar]

Thanks guys, will get the DVC and see how it runs.

[SLR]

The unfortunate truth is that firearms we own are not really difficult to lubricate enough, compared to belts and turbines etc, and we tend to overthink things. It's not a Gau-8

Most options work

[A-R]

You can use the DVC or EWL grease with confidence.

I use grease on some handguns like Glocks, that have small bearing surfaces on the slide rails. With CZ75 and 1911 types, that have much longer rails with large contact areas, I prefer oil. I think grease would cause lots of drag with those larger surfaces.

Usually wheel bearing grease or moly (CV-joint) grease works well. The moly grease will still help to reduce friction if dried out.

In our weather, I would stick with a single lube throughout the year. An EDC gun stays close to body temperature anyway, but our winters are not cold enough to warrant different lubes.

In very dusty conditions where oil or grease may attract the dust and form grinding paste, you may want to consider using a dry lube. Talcum based baby powder has been used for this purpose before.

[DS]

On the AR15 issue of lube.

Imo grease is not the right lube application for your AR15 especially for a DI AR15.

The platform gets dirty with the gas residue and carbon being blown back by the DI system. Your AR will run smoother longer and clean easier if you have a good quality oil that will not blow off/out of the bolt carrier system. The oil helps to float the the gas residue and carbon which aids in smooth running, reliability and easy cleaning of the DI AR15 system.

Just like any piston with sealing rings the AR15 bolt rings prefer oil and not grease.

On the AK platform grease works well imo and I get excellent results with using grease to lube the AK system.

I have used grease like the Lucas Gun Grease and EWL grease on my handguns in summer with excellent results. EWL also does an excellent job especially EWL30 for summer conditions.

I have never had a gun (handgun, shotgun, AR) go dry in extended use on high round count classes or matches when using EWL and Lucas Gun Oil.

There are many good products out there to properly lube a gun and there are products dedicated to give the best lubeing performance for different platforms as I indicated in short above.

[GAZZAMCK]

As above, white lithium grease on an AK works great

If my factory machines run at much higher temps and frictions using it. The AK pig can too

[zs6hdv]

Comments on the use of grease in general (I am Senior Lubricants Technical Advisor for an oil company, a qualified tribologist):

Grease is just lubricating oil with a thickener to keep it in place where oil would leak out. If you can get away with oil, it is a better solution (the lubricating function of grease is done by the oil, NOT the thickener).

Lithium grease is a general purpose grease, lithium complex is a BETTER general purpose grease (higher temperature handling, longer life). GP grease is very good for rotating machinery, like plain or roller bearings. The rotating action keeps drawing the grease into the surfaces which need lubrication.

In applications where the equipment does not complete a full revolution (in machinery, typically on the swivel of an excavator bucket, or the mount point of a hydraulic cylinder), you need a "pin and bush grease". The grease get squeezed out and not pulled back, so a good pin and bush grease has some solid lubricant added (typically graphite and/or moly - molybdenum disulphide).

A firearm would be better lubricated by a moly grease than a lithium grease. The downside is, the black grease dirties EVERYTHING.