What does everyone think is the best brands of gun oil? What I am particularly fishing for is the best oil for semi-automatic weapons...pistols in particular.

After 45 years of shooting this has suddenly become a serious issue for me with my new Kimber 45. Their pistols are built tight as a bank vault and my old methods just simply don't adequately lubricate them in the long run. Oils that work great in weapons with a manually operated action may not be worth a flip in the automatic actions. Especially if they are tight and still wearing in.

Currently I've changed to some Vietnam era LSA lubricant designed for M-16s etc. This stuff looks like lubriplate and may be too thick. Haven't really tested yet.

Anyway, wondering what everyone else's pet lubes are.

I like Miltec pretty well. TWB-25? is my favorite grease (forgive my memory it's something like that.......DJ

I don't want to sound too primitive here, but a favorite of mine is ATF thinned with about 5% mineral spirits.

Teflon-based oils are all the rage today.
TW25B is a good one.
ProTec makes some good stuff.
Break-Free is OK, but I can't stand the smell.
Remington WonderLube is fine.
RemOil is good too.
I think the best I have found for semi-autos are G96 Synthetic Gun Oil and that Break-Free Greased Lightning.
The ProTec stuff in the syringe is good too.
There are some soldiers in Iraq who use the G96 stuff and they just swear by it.
The biggest downfall of most of the oils and lubes out there is their increased viscosity at high temperatures.
This soes not refer to atmospheric temperature, rather how hot the metal surfaces get such as slide rails when you shoot for an extended period of time.
Humidity also factors in there but that only really applies to rainforest-like conditions.
What will basically happen is as the oil starts to break down, it begins to gum up and in some extreme cases can cause things to freexe up.
The G96 Synthetic Gun Oil, when put under these conditions always seems to come out on top.
By the way, for those of you out there that use motor oil and transmission fluid need to stop.
Seriously, you guys are some of the cheapest jerks around and are too miserly to part with one red cent over the sake and well-being of your firearms.
Invest in some quality oil and see what is does to your guns.

-Spencer

Pecos - I use the Break Free lubricant/preservative and it works well for me on several semi auto pistols to include aluminum frame/stainless slide and polymer frame/stainless slide models. Also use Tetra Gun oil on my 22 target pistol and rifle, works well also. Lots of choices out there - which model Kimber did you get and how do you like it? KMule

Mr shopcartracing... You might be surprised how effective some of the automotive products are in keeping firearms running smoothly. I spent a good part of the last year understanding tribo-systems and testing lubricants in a physical metallurgy classes. I see that there are fewer concerns with lubricants being "poor", then with lubricants living up to manufactures claims. Many products out there are nothing but bottles of wonder piss, perhaps you sell them?


Pecos ill Pm you later this week, maybe after easter.

I dont think the brand is as important as application.

I agree.

Don't come hunt whitetails at the end of november with oil in your gun cause you willlll beeeeee sooooory!
my .02

Hey Bigbull welcome to the forums! I hope to see more of your posts.

I don't care if I do sound cheap, been using trans fluid for years and Kroil (SP). Also mix my own out of Trans fuid, STP and Reslon topcylinder lube. Works for me. I've pretty much tried them all, even some hi dollar industrial lubricants not typicaly sold in stores that have been given to me by customers in the Chem plants etc I've called on.

Breakfree can be smelled upwind, but it works good. But having a background in Oil Refinery process control, gun oil aint all that special. If its light weight and has no moisture in its gun oil as far as I'm concerned.

Gentlemen: Thank you one and all for your comments and experiences. I checked my owners manual for Kimber recommendations and their pet lubricant is Shooter's Choice FT-10. It's a synthetic oil that is supposedly good to go from -75 up to 500 degrees.

Regarding the use or non-use of automotive transmission fluid, the fellow at Kimber Custom Shop DID mention this as an acceptable lubricant. And really it makes sense. An automatic transmission must surely go thru more use in a week than any firearm does in a lifetime. So unless there is something about ATF that I don't know, it seems only logical that it would be a pretty good firearms lubricant at well.

KMule - I just got the cheapy Custom II in .45ACP. Frankly, I wish I'd sprung for the extra money and gone with a stainless or blued model.

This flat black finish Kimber puts on the custom II looks OK and probably is good.....but I just don't personally like the FEEL of it. It's something of a "rough" finish and after a box or two of firing the whole gun just feels gooey and grimy to me. It makes you start thinking "DIRTY GUN...DIRTY GUN...when you should still be enjoying the shooting.

I don't mean to start any trouble.
All I am saying is if transmission fluid and the like are go great for guns, why doesn't someone come out with it for the gun industry.
Oh wait, Hoppes and Castrol teamed up for a while to bottle engine lube and oil for guns, and guess what?
The stuff did not work.
And as to your remark about what I sell, yes I do sell everything, only because I have to.
As a retailer, I am obligated to stock it all.

-Spencer

ShopCartRacing

I would think the folks in the gun oil business are smart enough to realize that a $5 bottle of gun oil marked ATF gun oil might not sell.

As far as the Castrol gun oil, I thought it was pretty good, but I'll oil my guns with Camp Dry if that all I got.

For smooth operation just about any good oil will do.

ATF is a good, varnish-free temperature stable lubricant, but Break-Free is as good or better and rated very high in Saeed's rust-protection tests as well.

Remember thateven stainless weapons usually have steel springs, firing pins, etc.

Thank You, I hope to be a valuable contributor to your forums.

Here is one experiment I tried a few years ago prior to a northern deer hunt (Saskatchewan Nov/Dec). Granted these conditions aren't something you see most of the time, I had to find a way of testing the suitability of gun oils in cold conditions. Bear in mind that some of these oils advertised very broad operating temperatures. The oils were
1. Break Free
2. Birchwood Casey synthetic oil
3. Hoppes Lubricating Oil
4. Pro Shot All Weather Oil
5. Super Lube
I started my test by placing a 4" x 8" piece of steel plate along with each of the bottles of oil in the freezer and left them there for 3 hours.
I then removed the steel plate and each oil one by one from the freezer and placed three drops on a designated part of the plate, each numbered to avoid confusion. I did this as quickly as possible to keep things from warming up. Each drop was placed at the top of the plate.
I then tilted the plate with each sample at about 30 degrees and started counting. For the next minute I watched as each oil tried to flow to the bottom of the plate.
You know that most of the oils didn't even make it half way down! The only one that made the half way point was the P-S all weather oil. I was very disapointed in the cold test results and consulted my partners in an attempt to choose a lubricant for our hunt. They had all tried the various products and experienced various problems with gun function in the past. Theirs solution was
1. complete degreasing of the firearm
2. wipedown with the thinest oil only to prevent rust
3. or a dry lube like teflon
4. avoid rapid temperature changes or condensation/sweating on the firearms, this would freeze up the gun. If the gun sweats it must be allowed to completely dry out in the heat before it is re-introduced into the cold again. Meaning that the guns stay outside or are brought inside and allowed to dry overnight for the next morning hunt. The wipedown is just that no visible lube is left on the surface only enough to darken the metal after the degreasing operation, therby preventing surface rust from forming.
My .02

I like #'s 1 & 2 per Bigbull. Many moons ago, before the advent of most of the synthetics, the NRA did some testing on the (then) new Birchwood Casey Synthetic. It did especially well, even on the (then) sticky steel in stainless firearms. It is also something of a powder solvent. Since then, they have changed the stainless steel so that it is not so sticky, but I still use the BWC Synthetic. I also use Break-Free CLP. It is also synthetic with added stuff, like teflon, and works wonders in a lot of places.

I have to agree with bigbull..I used fp-10 synthetic (i think) on my rifle last november..It did freeze up and was a bitch to open the bolt..If I had a shot that morning I would have been hooped.

I really like Eezox.

I havent seen Eezox in years if its the same stuff I remember, its good stuff

I recently saw an aerosol graphite formulation from the folks that make Kroil. I don't recall what it's called exactly but it looks a lot like the Kroil can. I would think an aerosol can of graphite might be very good lube for this application (cold). I suppose it would be similar to the teflon lubes mentioned.

I've been useing LPS 2 for years. It doesn't gum up or get sticky like some.
I don't hunt extreem cold so I can't give any input on that.

It is MIL-C-81309E and MIL-C-16173E certified.