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Mobil 1 for gun oil?

good morning.

i am a gun builder.

i like to use 'gun oil' or 'machine oil'.

motor oil has additives that hold water in suspension. gun and machine oil don't.

while i am sure that it will work, i would not use motor oil on any of my guns. my dad did his whole life and he had few rust problems, etc. he also sprayed his guns with wd-40 to protect them, which is another thing i would not do unless they had gotten wet. wd-40 is a water displacement thing and is less than stellar as a lubricant. it does work pretty good as a machining fluid for aluminum, and in some cases as a penetrant.

it isn't my place to tell you what to do, but stop and think for a moment. you have a gun. it cost you $1k. is it worth the minimal saving you would realize by *not* using a proper oil or lubricant you did not specify exactly what you would use it for. there is a reason that there are different kinds of oils and lubricants. i have seen lots of posts over the years from people who want to use bar and chain oil on machinery. my suggestion would be to use whatever the manufacturer advised or a good oil made for the purpose that you are using it for.

good luck with whatever you do.

peace.
billr
 
I like synthetics but I'd have to be really sure before posting a knee-jerk reaction answer to this one.
A lot of really high-end synthetics do not have all the additives inherent in conventional automotive oils.
I used Castrol Syntron-X in a competition motor & because of the lack of additives the oil change was theoretically at lower mileage than with a conventional oil & I still used a Molybdenum-Disulphide additive for when the sump baffle couldn't keep up & delivery failed!
I'd have to research this before expressing an opinion, you could ask the oil manufacturer what goes into it.
Synthetic is inherently better for the job for which it is specified because it means the mollecule required is built for the job for which it is designed.
I have worked in a pipe drawing company in the UK in which synthetic was used only in the most demanding operations because it cost so much, it was like snot & was the best high pressure low speed lube I have ever seen.
Synthetic car oil not being designed for anything else may mean it's not good for anything else, I'm not making that assumption because I don't have the knowlege to confirm that, I'm sure others WITH that knowlege will make the judgement for you,
Regards,
Nick
 
Gun oil is pretty cheap considering what you use it for and the amount you use. I use a 50/50 mix of WD-40 and 20 W motor oil for keeping parts from rusting after machining, the WD 40 will evaporate after a couple of days, motor oil keeps the part from rusting for a week or two. There are so many good gun oils out there, just pick one.
 
The advice I was given was to use Mobile 1 grease for parts on a weapon that need a thicker lube, (locking lugs on an AR15, for example). Never heard of using the oil.
 
Do NOT use any kind of grease on AR-15 bolt lugs. You will get through a practice session and half an 80 round High Power match before the rifle starts to jam. Guess how I know. There is a reason the military issues light oil for AR-15s. Personally I like RemOil.

MDH - There was a test in Gun Tests a while back where they compared a bunch of rust preventatives. First and Second place were far ahead of everything with First going to LPS3 and Second to good old Vaseline.

Steve.
 
Armen:

SAE 20 weight light machine oil will work just fine. Non detergent, no additives. You can buy a quart and it will last you for years. I would not recomend cutting it with WD-40 OR CRC as these are penatratining oils. They will kill primers. Rub the 20 weight on liberly then rub off with dry cloth. It will leave a protective film that displaces moisture. As for gun greases there are two types both for lubriscity one low temperature and the other type high temperature. The only places grease should be used are metal on metal friction points.
Rustystud
Rustystud
 
I'm not sure but I think someone also recommended using sewing machine oil or three-in-one oil as they were basic old timey soft "unalloyed" oils which were sticky, stayed put, and didn't have problems of internal chemistry or additives. I was told by one restorer not to use WD-40 as for his purposes it can promote rust. That is for a very exotic application of preserving armor hundreds of years old where the tiniest amount of PH in the wrong direction can do teensey damage to a piece.
 
Steve,

Not recommending my mix for long term storage, but for me its great for short term protection, octagon a bunch of barrels that I plan on chambering next week some time, or prep a few frames for Bluing/Color Case Hardening, heck I’ll just hose them down with my 50/50 mix, seems to keep the surface rust and finger prints at bay. It’s cheap, and easy to remove with greased lightning.

As to sewing machine/3 in one oil, actually the Parker Firearms Co. who built the Parker shotguns recommended in their owners pamphlet to use 3 in one oil for their guns.

Mike Hunter
 
I dump 30w detergent oil in my Browning 1919a4 when I shoot it... everywhere but the head of the bolt. Wipe off the bulk of it when I get home and its protected till the next time I shoot it.
 
For my working guns I keep two standard items in the bag. A jar with Chamis cloth containing RIG (Rust Inhibiting Grease) for wipe down to protect from corrosion. Rem Oil for lubricating sliding surfaces like shotgun ejectors or pistol slides. In the shop there is a large can of RIG on the shelf above the lathe. For long term bare metal storage LPS #3 is good. The VPI and other new technology compounds are better for their intended purpose than the 50 yr old standbys whose only sin was that people tried to use them for things that they were never intended to be used for.
 








 
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