Favorite Lub

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Originally Posted by EddieM

Hello Fjruple
What do you use to clean first?
How long last your mixture?
Eddie :beerchug:

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Eddie-- I use a standard solvent with a brass/bronze brush on the bore and pressure parts. For lubbing I use my mixture. Usually if my lub comes in contact with carbon build up it keeps it loose so it is easily removed. The automatic transmission fluid acts as a detergent and anti-friction agent not unlike your automatic transmission. The Marvel Miracle oil acts as a lubricate. Both of these oils do not jell like some greases and lubricate if they sit long. I just made a new batch of my "lub". The last batch lasted me from the mid 1990"s. Not to be vulgar but my fellow match shooter's use to call the concoction, Hillary's *lit Juice. LOL!!

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Originally Posted by fjruple

Eddie-- I use a standard solvent with a brass/bronze brush on the bore and pressure parts. For lubbing I use my mixture. Usually if my lub comes in contact with carbon build up it keeps it loose so it is easily removed. The automatic transmission fluid acts as a detergent and anti-friction agent not unlike your automatic transmission. The Marvel Miracle oil acts as a lubricate. Both of these oils do not jell like some greases and lubricate if they sit long. I just made a new batch of my "lub". The last batch lasted me from the mid 1990"s. Not to be vulgar but my fellow match shooter's use to call the concoction, Hillary's *lit Juice. LOL!!

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Nice Fjruple,
Thanks for share I will try your "mix".
Eddie :beerchug:

I don't have a favorite; at least not yet.
However I am interested in using the appropriate lubricants for the job and thought the historical lubes would be a good starting place for the specs were. See
Oil, Lubricating Preserving, Original - The Carbine Collector's Club

If you skim to my March 29 post you'll see that by 1944 FM the Army was recommending different lubes for different situations. Its probably not surprising that guidance is very much in line with what DaveHH and USABaker do based on their training and years of experience. Thank you!

Funny, I was looking and a Winchester 70 Heavy Barrel .223 that I was thinking about buying. Wanted to take my grandkids out to shoot ground squirrels and since its lead-free only in california now I figured I could load down a .223 Remington with Barnes TTSX. ANYhow... this guy load his action and bolt with grease! LOL don't know if I want that rifle anymore.. I think burnt and hydraulic-sized bores-N-barrel may be a result. Holly Molly...

You should not see the grease!

Attachment 116296

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Originally Posted by Matt_X

I don't have a favorite; at least not yet.
However I am interested in using the appropriate lubricants for the job and thought the historical lubes would be a good starting place for the specs were. See
Oil, Lubricating Preserving, Original - The Carbine Collector's Club

If you skim to my March 29 post you'll see that by 1944 FM the Army was recommending different lubes for different situations. Its probably not surprising that guidance is very much in line with what DaveHH and USABaker do based on their training and years of experience. Thank you!

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Hello Matt,

Thank you for share.
I agree with you.
Eddie :beerchug:

---------- Post added at 10:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:41 PM ----------

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Originally Posted by usabaker

Funny, I was looking and a Winchester 70 Heavy Barrel .223 that I was thinking about buying. Wanted to take my grandkids out to shoot ground squirrels and since its lead-free only in california now I figured I could load down a .223 Remington with Barnes TTSX. ANYhow... this guy load his action and bolt with grease! LOL don't know if I want that rifle anymore.. I think burnt and hydraulic-sized bores-N-barrel may be a result. Holly Molly...

You should not see the grease!

Attachment 116296

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Lol Bill
Eddie :beerchug:

The old man swore by Lubriplate and I've never had any problems with it. It is a molybdenum-disulphide grease IIRC and well known for not washing off, high pressure applications etc.

The coloured jelly that's sold as grease now doesn't come close, though whether Lubriplate is as good as it was 50 or so years ago would be another question.

Did a little looking around on the internet and some of TMs yesterday for documentation on Rifle grease specs and revisions.
The rifle grease used for many years was Lubriplate 130A.
This is a NLGI 2.5 calcium base with what might be called heavy viscosity oil (similar to SAE 40).
Good news is its still readily available.

People claim this is the grease used in WW2, and it may be true, the oldest specific documentation I've found so far is a labeled jar in a 1954 package.
In this thread, Which Plastilube grease is the closest to the original? - AR15.COM a person found Lubriplate 130A was still listed as recently as 1999.

The same person found the military also sourced a clay based (1963-96) and barium based grease (1990). The brown milsurp rifle grease we often see on the market is the bentonite clay based Plastilube. I don't what the barium grease looks like.

The Plastilube name is currently owned by Loctite Henkel. They still sell products called Plastilube. I can't tell if its the same stuff. The milspec rifle grease is supposed to pass a water proofing test and at least one place selling plastilube says it can be diluted with water for use as a mold release. :dunno:

Molybdenum Grease in common usage everywhere can actually damage ferrous metals and the Army recommended not using it on artillery and automotive AD 291052 dated 1970. That is a great recommendation for plain old axle grease. You have to admit that is an extremely bold move by the Army but it also shows how important they believe it is. Lubriplate is a Lithium based grease.

Moly grease apparently does its damage when the greased material sits for long periods. I'd recommend reading AD 291052 as it has a lot of info on various greases and applications.

I know that the Army M16 oil is OK and I know that the axle grease is OK, both are cheap. Those quart cans of German M16 oil for $9 ea look pretty good.

It's been 20 years since I retired from the Military, but I do remember that our unit had 450 M-16's, we cleaned and lubed them after they were used at the range, and once a year while it storage. all we ever used was CLP, and we never used any kind of grease. the CLP we used at the time had a very bad smell about it, hard to wash the smell off of your hands. not like the CLP of today.
Why would anyone want to use grease on a Military weapon when there is a good chance it will be used in a sandy area ? looks like the grease would collect and hold all kinds of sand and other trash while in use..... maybe ok in a clean indoor range.
But, that's been 20 years ago. ;)

Painter,
My handguard is on the way, thanks for the info. and help. Louis

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Originally Posted by lboos

we cleaned and lubed them after they were used at the range, and once a year while it storage. all we ever used was CLP, and we never used any kind of grease.

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I believe Breakfree CLP is the original formula purchased by the military. The practice continues. We were only ever issued CLP to clean and maintain. I don't know about cdeaning only twice a year - we had to go down to the armory monthly to check out and clean. CLP takes a long time, and after a month it always dissolves some deposit you didn't get last month. Took a long time to pass inspection to turn in after the range...the dreaded patched pinky in the chamber test. If you were on drinking buddy terms with one of the armorers on duty, you could offer him a beer later to give your rifle a flush in the solvent tank they had inside to speed up your cleaning.

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Originally Posted by lboos

Why would anyone want to use grease on a Military weapon when there is a good chance it will be used in a sandy area ? looks like the grease would collect and hold all kinds of sand and other trash while in use..... maybe ok in a clean indoor range.

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different weapon systems get different treatment. the m16 functions a lot differently than the Garand or m1 carbine. I remember the kit with the mk-19 had a special translucent white grease in it. Some parts got slathered in it. Here is a good thread about military weapons in desert conditions.
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.ph...-desert.52459/

In Iraq convoy security, we field stripped, wiped down, and lightly oiled the correct points and no more, and ran a dry patch dust mop down the bore, every time we stopped...sometimes within 15 minutes of the last stop. The fine dust that settles everywhere after being kicked up by all the vehicles ahead penetrates everything.

While I'm on the subject of convoy security in Iraq...I've heard lots of discussions about how bayonets are soooo obsolete. Well, often we were the first Americans to roll through a town in the early days of the war and the town roads would be clogged with people. Packs were strapped to the outside rail on the truck to make room for marines, ammo, and crates of grenades inside. Kids would pick at the packs, and people would rush and pound on the vehicles in excitement, even with rifles pointed outboard. I'm glad we had bayonets...and fixing them instantly cleared a 10 ft. radius around the truck.

Here you go...
https://youtu.be/QlZKY2Se56M
If there was a bayonet on that rifle, he wouldn't dare grab it.