Questions about “Grease, Rifle” history

This is not a “what grease should I use” thread, at least I hope not. After I answered a friend’s question about Garand lubrication, I realized that I know less about the grease history of this rifle than I would like. Looking around online and in books, I can’t find all that much documented either. Here is what I think I have learned from these sources and where I still have questions:

- The original grease was “Stano-Rust No. 3” to spec SXS77, adopted in FY38. It is mentioned in the 7/40 edition of FM 23-5 as issued in a tube. Pictures of tubes can be found online. These show instructions on the tube to lube all the usual places, including the compensating spring. So definitely this grease goes back pretty far.

- Following washout problems and maybe insufficient use of the Stano-Rust, Lubriplate 130-A was adopted in late ’42, following tests vs. several competitors, and provided in the little yellow-lidded containers added to the cleaning kits.

- At some point apparently after WWII, the little containers marked Lubriplate 130-A were replaced by similar ones just marked “Grease, Rifle”, containing a darker grease that is widely called Plastilube, but sometimes also called Lubriplate. Does anyone know when exactly this change was made, and why?

- One pound cans of this darker grease used to be widely available. For some reason, every one I have seen is dated 11/63. Coincidence, or what? The cans are marked as “Grease, Rifle”, made by International Lube. Corp, to spec MIL-G-46003, Amend 2.

- You can still buy commercial Lubriplate 130-A today, and spec sheets are available online.

- You can still buy a grease marketed as Plastilube today, and find a spec sheet for it. But the current Plastilube is a premium synthetic grease made by Henkel and targeted at brake pad applications, that I doubt has much if any similarity to “Grease, Rifle”.

- Did Lubriplate 130-A meet the same spec (maybe an earlier revision) as the darker grease?

- Can anyone comment on what exactly is in the darker grease?

- The spec for the darker grease was rescinded in 1/09. But there are still some M14s in service. What grease do they use?

I am hoping the experts here can help fill in or improve any of the above. Sorry for all the questions and thanks so much for any assistance.

I use the Lubriplate 130-AA on my Garand and both of my M1 carbines. Never failed me yet and they get used pretty regularly. I don't use it on my other rifles since I save it for the M1. I really only use Hoppes oil on those other guns and maybe some MCarbo grease on the rougher actions (like the MAS-36 I just obtained).

I have used Lubriplate 630AA for years on Garands, M3-A1, AK's, Brownings and all other military weapons.
I had used it on printing presses earlier in my life.

130 AA is calcium based and 630AA is lithium based.

Their slogan is, "It's the film"

From their website.......
LUBRIPLATE No’s. 130-A & 130-AA are designed for those applications where a grease-type lubricant possessing extremely good water repellency and superior lubrication characteristics are desired. These products are recommended for plain bearings, cams, guides, open gears, slides and chassis lubrication and where temperatures do not exceed 170°F. (Note not exceed 170degrees)

LUBRIPLATE No 630-AAA: is an NLGI No. 0 lubricant, is ideal for centralized lubricating systems. Also excellent for certain types of enclosed gear cases (medium speed – no seals) as the lubricant will re-feed itself into the gear train.
Product Highlights Water resistant High anti-wear for extra lubricity Oxidation inhibited

It's really good grease.:thup:

AZB

Early grease tube, as I remember gas trap era. Unfortunately its not in the best condition

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There were three rifle grease plastic tubs used that I am aware of. The first is Lubriplate brand marked and has a golden yellow lid with rounded knurl. The tub has a flat bottom with rounded edge. The second is identical to the brand marked tub but is instead marked "GREASE, RIFLE". The tub and knurl is the same. The third has a new container and lid also marked "GREASE, RIFLE" but with concave bottom and squared edge and has a lid that is bright yellow with a very different and easier to grasp knurl.:D

If I am not mistaken, the intermediate tubs had remnants of lubriplate inside when I acquired them at Northridge about 12 years ago.

I wrote this up in the GCA Journal several years ago.Attachment 111265

Did the M1 really need the heavy application of grease that we give it today or was the grease a reaction to using the rifle in harsh conditions of water etc.? I know that AR's seem to function better when slathered in lubricant, but the common wisdom is that grease attracts dirt and grit (I use cast bullet wax lube on my bike chains). I have been to CMP matches where if a little is good, a lot is much better. I grease mine as instructed, so I'm not a hater, just curious. The CMP website mentions that the rifle was designed to operate with minimal lubrication, but the experience was that it needed more. I have never dragged a rifle through, surf, sand, muck, dirt, ash or any other stoppage material. Just inquisitive about what we accept as gospel and how it came about.

Dave

I also use Lubriplate 630AA for riffle grease,

I also wondered about the minimal lubrication on AR type rifles. The only one I had always worked better with more than recommended gun oil. As to grit, dust, etc, regular cleaning has always been the solution.

If you are slathering the garand in grease you are lubricating wrong...................

I'm not slathering the M1. I follow the pic from the CMP disassembly website. I have seen rifles at matches especially with colored grease that, you would not want in a stiff breeze as ever leaf in the air would stick to them. How they dont get grease on the cartridges during single loading is a mystery.

Dave

You forgot to mention the first type of lubricant that was referenced in the manuals, it was a particular kind of graphite cup grease. When, they were having particular problems with the rifle locking up they tried modifying the bolt etc, and even recommended adding a particular type pencil to the cleaning kit. Fortunately, they came up with the tube lubricant and eventually, lubriplate 130-A. The trials and recommendations for lubricating the garand is a story in itself.

Many thanks for all the good comments on this.

- Bob Seijas, thanks for the GCA Journal reference, outstanding magazine. I found two mentions of the early grease from you, in V28/2 page 20 with the same picture, and in V32/2 page 28. The latter mentions a question as to which grease tubes were earliest. Not knowing any more, I assume the tubes labeled “Stano-Rust No. 3” from a Springfield MA company predate both the spec and the yellow tubes and white tubes labeled SXS-77 from two different NY companies. The markings otherwise are nearly the same. If there are other references or another article I have missed, please let me know.

- Looking for the above, I found an article from Bill Ricca, in V27/3 page 7 that says the Army changed to the darker grease, issued in cans “as 1963 approached”, and the “older yellow grease” was no longer acceptable. He also states contract dates for the cans in ’63 and ’65, and the earliest contract that he saw for the late grease pots with the darker grease was 1970.

- I said the only date I had seen on the darker grease cans was 11/63, but of course there are others. Looking around online, I can see at least two other manufacturers with dates including 5/62 and 10/63. I wonder if the can dates are more of a contract date, since it was more difficult to change can markings at the time.

- I also wonder if the three or more producers gives a reason why the darker grease was adopted – to move to a grease that was either non-proprietary or that had more favorable license fees than the Lubriplate.

- LavaTech, great point on the transitional grease pots just marked “Grease, Rifle” containing a lighter colored grease. I wonder if even this was a either a knock-off version or a licensed version of the Lubriplate.

- CPC, I would fully agree more could be written on this. And I would definitely be interested to hear more about the earliest graphite cup grease you mentioned. The only mentions I have seen are to “Dixon’s Graphite Cup Grease No. 3” and also the pencil(!) as competitors that were tested against Lubriplate 130-A in 9/42. Hatcher’s Book of the Garand also mentions that users recommended a graphite grease for the sticking op rod cam issue, before the (non-graphite) Lubriplate was adopted to cure this issue.

- Since my first post on this, I’ve also received Canfield’s “The M1 Garand Rifle”. I know many people here already have it, or contributed to it, etc. but for anyone else, it’s an amazing book and I highly recommend. The book includes a quote from a 1/39 letter from GHD that is fairly disparaging towards the graphite-based grease, which apparently came over from the Infantry following their testing, and which I think is consistent with the Hatcher reference above. The SA folks didn’t seem to like the graphite grease; I don’t know if this was due to any wear concerns or what. GHD favored oil alone at the time. Per the Canfield book, the graphite-based grease in use at the time was the Stano-Rust.

- The Canfield book also gives a reference to the later darker grease as Plastilube, from the Warren Refining & Chemical Co. They sent Garand himself a sample can of this at one point. I don’t know if Henkel bought this 1950 trademark or if it just expired, but I still doubt the current Plastilube is anything similar to the ‘50s-‘70s Plastilube.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mark in Rochester

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At least someone read my posts from before, lol

I still have a can of it but can bet the formula has changed since 1942. I prefer the brown as it doesn't show like the yellow or pale stuff does. Rick B

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I still have an unopened can. It'll last me a while, I think.
Attachment 111630

I cannot add to the history any more than what has already been posted. However, as a user, here are some observations:

In my rifle team days, the Armorer used Lubriplate 130A when he serviced the team rifles, and personally owned rifles he worked on. I never liked it as it would turn runny in the summer heat and get down into the bedding.
Plastilube was the preferred grease by the vast majority of High Power shooters at the time for the M1 and M14. It will not melt, and it will not get stiff in winter temps like a lot of greases will.

You can find Plastilube on Amazon in 75ml tubes for $9 where it is advertised as a brake pad anti squeak remedy. A better deal is Champions Choice that sells it in 2.5oz jars (a lifetime supply) for $10. Get one of those little flux brushes (under $1) from Lowe's and you will have the perfect applicator. Brush on a thin film and you are GTG.

Champion's Choice


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The best grease I've found that sticks and stays there is Permatex Super Lube Multi-Purpose Synthetic Lubricant With Teflon. Bruce Dow in Florida told me about it in the late 1990's or early 2000's and I've been using it ever since. When Peter Laidler visited in 2003 and 2004, he was interested to see it on my bench and was astounded to find that it came with the Dillon Mini guns that MoD received in the mid 2000's as he was in charge of the test trials for all services. He knew he'd seen it before. Pick up a tub at your favorite auto parts store and give it a try. My guess is most won't go back to the old petroleum based greases.

Just a little grease factoid, to keep things in perspective. Continuing up to and beyond change 2 of FM 23-5 dated 1940, (which occurred in early 1942) all of the areas which we now grease were still only oiled and the manual stated "use no grease". The M1 does in fact run fine with oil only, but it was discovered that water and an ungreased M1 were a very bad combination and so we still grease them to this day.:D

LavaTech, here’s a scan from my copy of the 7-40 edition of FM 23-5. It does say to grease before firing, in generally the same places we do today, and the same ones listed on the SXS-77 and Stano-Rust No. 3 tubes.

If that got changed in a later pre-Lubriplate edition of FM 23-5, I would definitely be interested to see. We do know that SA was advocating for oil only around that time, per the letter from Guy H. Drewry that is mentioned in Canfield’s book.

I answered too soon above - just found the attached "do not use grease" change to FM 23-5 - it is from Change 2, dated 1/30/42. I wonder if they never made this change, how long it might have been before the need for a more water-resistant grease like the Lubriplate would have come up.

The July '40 FM with changes is my source, and BTW the PDF is coming up on my refresh schedule. I'll try to remember posting links to the bookmarked and hot-linked TOC/index version when I finish it. Typos in the index are turning up often in the '51 FM 23-5 I'm working on now, and being changed to reflect reality now after 69 years of error.:D

Still have to finish TM 9-1276 and 1275 too.:(

I found a catalog from Northridge from the past and they had both cup type
greases. I found mine that were for both Garands and M14s.
I had an M-14 in the Army.

[ATTACH]Attachment 111740[/ATTACH]



AZB

As early as March 1939 you were supposed to grease the normal areas using prescribed grease of that era, no secret it was Dixon’s graphite Cup Grease #3. The prescribed oil since sperm oil was getting used for other things was lubricating oil US spec 2-27d. That also changed as better lubricant/preservatives were developed. When the change (2 23-5)was made, if I recall correctly, ordnance tests being completed at that time in conjunction with the infantry board only determined that 3 areas needed to be greased based upon the tests that were being done. I believe the next paragraph even after the change and subsequent publications indicated these areas (op rod cam, hammer, receiver etc)needed to be greased or lubriplated once it was accepted. Good discussion in the thread.