Ideal Lubricant and Grease

[McNally M.]

Hi all, what's the general consensus out there on what are the best lubes/greases for air guns? Seems like there's not really a straight answer for this out on the interwebs.

By and large, Crosman's Pellgunoil seems like the front runner, however I've heard mixed reviews. In general though it seems frowned upon to use petroleum based oils (with Pellgunoil is) for guns with synthetic seals as this can be degrade them. Silicone oils seem to be the preferred option because its most neutral. By and large, Crosman's Pellgunoil seems like the front runner, however I've heard mixed reviews.

I heard that Super Lube is a good alternative, and much cheaper than the branded air gun oils. So I picked up a bottle of the stuff:

https://www.amazon.com/Super-Lube-56104-Silicone-Clear/dp/B00OBV1JC2/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=silicone%2Boil&qid=1609895491&sr=8-5&th=1

What are some other products out there that do the job well?

[subscriber]

There are different types of airguns. They need different lubes. Without being specific about the type of powerplant, you are not going to get the right answer.

[McNally M.]

There are different types of airguns. They need different lubes. Without being specific about the type of powerplant, you are not going to get the right answer.

Fair enough. In particular: springers, break barrels, and pneumatic pump air guns. What's the best lube for these guys?

[subscriber]

For hinge pivots, any decent mineral oil will work. As long as it does not run into the transfer port, or the spring cut under the compression cylinder. From the latter, it can get into the compression space. Then it will tend to burn and cause erratic velocities than play havoc with accuracy. In large enough quantities there is also risk of such oil causing damage to the airgun:

For compression cylinders:
Low power springers used to have leather piston seals. These needed to be oiled to work. Any available oil would work. Today, the more potent springers should be lubricated sparingly with high flashpoint grease.

Spraying something like CLP into the transfer port hole of a springer is asking to damage it severely. Not only will oil such as engine oil or 3-in-1 diesel badly; something with a cleaning solvent will tend to burn the piston seal and break the spring.

High molybdenum disulfide grease used sparingly on assembly is popular. This will still tend to smoke, but is of no consequence, as long as you don't place gobs of it on the piston face.

To completely eliminate dieseling, an inert grease is required, that is also a good metal to metal lube: Krytox PTFE grease is preferred, but is very expensive. Also, all previous lubes need to be removed, else there is no point: https://www.amazon.com/Chemours-Kryt.../dp/B00MWLD8UO
See https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA...641#msg1554641

Silicone grease is correct for PCP O-rings and anything exposed to high pressure air. However, it is not a good metal on metal lube.

When it comes to pumpers, their user manuals state 30 weight non detergent motor oil. The pumping is not fast enough to generate enough heat to diesel the same oil that will diesel in a springer. Nor is their operating pressure very high or their compressed air volume large enough to consider such oil a significant explosion hazard. Some people would use silicone oil here, but that would cause galling of matter to metal parts, if any exist.

On page 8 of this Daisy 880 user manual it specifies motor oil: https://www.pyramydair.com/airgun-re...web_manual.pdf and warns against the wrong oils. Ones with cleaning solvents in will dissolve the O-rings. And are a risk for combustion.

Crosman specify pellgunoil for their pumper guns. Even though that is actually intended for lubing CO2 cartridge seals before installing the cartridge. Note pellgunoil is not silicon oil, and will diesel in springers. It should also not be used anywhere near the high pressure air system of PCPs: https://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Crosman_Pellgun_oil/222

Break barrel or fixed barrel, the lube requirements are the same for all springers. Most are greased at the factory and don't need any intervention until the spring or piston seal are replaced. If the piston seal "honks" (sounds like a goose) on cocking, then it is dry. The there are "compression chamber oils". If the seal tells you it is dry, then a few drops of silicone oil are indicated through the transfer port:

https://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Crosman_Silicone_Chamber_Oil/311

https://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/RWS_Air_Chamber_Lube_Dropper_Silicone_Oil_50_oz/3002

The spring should be greased at the factory. If in doubt, adding a little moly grease through the cocking slot underneath may be indicated. Thin oils will migrate, and then start dieseling as soon as they get in front of the piston seal. Here, silicone oil is of dubious value for lubing the metal spring ion contact with other metal parts.

So, specified airgun lubes have overlap betwen types, and can trigger some apparently contradictory dogma.


If you want better information and better informed opinions about airguns, go here: https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?board=1

[subscriber]

Shooting heavy pellets actually is more likely to provoke dieseling than light ones. It is just with obvious dieseling, heavy pellets are more likely to remains subsonic. So the lighter ones announce the dieseling via a rimfire like crack, while the heavy ones smoke more.

If you don't believe me, I have a factory lubed Gamo Silent Cat. It shoots 7 grain pellets at 1050 FPS. After the shot there is no haze in the barrel and no obvious smoke on firing. Shooting 10.3 grain pellets at 900 FPS leaves a brown haze in the barrel, visible when you cock it for the next shot.

This indicates that the higher inertia of the heavy pellets is driving higher peak compression pressures, with higher peak temperatures. High enough temperature to evaporate some of the oil in the factory grease on the compression cylinder walls, blow it down the barrel and light it. There is an unmistakable burnt smell with the heavier pellets too.

The extent to which this is happening is insignificant, as the power output is very slightly higher with the heavy pellets. I am sure that after 500 pellets all of the brown haze will be gone. People get bent out of shape over dieseling (compression ignition). If it is consistent and not harsh, it is of no consequence. Igniting a whole compression cylinder full of oil vapor, on the other hand is so harsh, it is obviously bad for the gun.

Rapid compression causes a surprisingly high peak temperature to be reached. Something easy to appreciate by contemplating a transparent fire piston:

[subscriber]

I copied this from the GTA forum. You can go read it in their library, or below:

Springer Break Barrel Airgun Lubing
By CharlieDaTuna
2/12/12

How an airgun is lubed, where it is lubed and what it is lubed with is extremely important. I am going to show you here how I would lube a gun using the basic Gamo and Gamo clone airgun as a guide. I would lube many break barrel springer airguns that would come across my workbench using the below process and it will be a good basic lubrication guideline for just about any springer. It is important to keep in mind that if your gun is lubed properly internally, it can go for many years without having to be opened up again for maintenance. Your gun will thank you for it, you will have a greatly improved firing cycle and it will provide for you a whole new shooting experience.

NOTE: These basic principles would also apply to gas ram powered guns also.

Please do not ask me about alternative lubes because throughout my years of experimentation with various lubes and with all of my years of experience tuning guns, as far as I am concerned there are none. That said, it's your gun of course and you can use anything that you want to use.

We are going to break this down to individual sections and parts as we go. You can get a pretty good idea of what and where these various parts are located by referencing the tune guide by clicking the link below. (Keep in mind that I published this tune guide many years ago but they are still pretty much the same)

http://www.charliedatuna.com/airgun_docs/B19%20Super%20Tune.doc

But before we do start,lets let's take a look at the different lubes that we are going to use.

Most of the lubes as well as parts that I used were ordered from Jim Maccari at

http://www.airguns.citymax.com/page/page/251327.htm

[C.Bronson]

For hinge pivots, any decent mineral oil will work. As long as it does not run into the transfer port, or the spring cut under the compression cylinder. From the latter, it can get into the compression space. Then it will tend to burn and cause erratic velocities than play havoc with accuracy. In large enough quantities there is also risk of such oil causing damage to the airgun:

For compression cylinders:
Low power springers used to have leather piston seals. These needed to be oiled to work. Any available oil would work. Today, the more potent springers should be lubricated sparingly with high flashpoint grease.

Spraying something like CLP into the transfer port hole of a springer is asking to damage it severely. Not only will oil such as engine oil or 3-in-1 diesel badly; something with a cleaning solvent will tend to burn the piston seal and break the spring.

High molybdenum disulfide grease used sparingly on assembly is popular. This will still tend to smoke, but is of no consequence, as long as you don't place gobs of it on the piston face.

To completely eliminate dieseling, an inert grease is required, that is also a good metal to metal lube: Krytox PTFE grease is preferred, but is very expensive. Also, all previous lubes need to be removed, else there is no point: https://www.amazon.com/Chemours-Kryt.../dp/B00MWLD8UO
See https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA...641#msg1554641

Silicone grease is correct for PCP O-rings and anything exposed to high pressure air. However, it is not a good metal on metal lube.

When it comes to pumpers, their user manuals state 30 weight non detergent motor oil. The pumping is not fast enough to generate enough heat to diesel the same oil that will diesel in a springer. Nor is their operating pressure very high or their compressed air volume large enough to consider such oil a significant explosion hazard. Some people would use silicone oil here, but that would cause galling of matter to metal parts, if any exist.

On page 8 of this Daisy 880 user manual it specifies motor oil: https://www.pyramydair.com/airgun-re...web_manual.pdf and warns against the wrong oils. Ones with cleaning solvents in will dissolve the O-rings. And are a risk for combustion.

Crosman specify pellgunoil for their pumper guns. Even though that is actually intended for lubing CO2 cartridge seals before installing the cartridge. Note pellgunoil is not silicon oil, and will diesel in springers. It should also not be used anywhere near the high pressure air system of PCPs: https://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Crosman_Pellgun_oil/222

Break barrel or fixed barrel, the lube requirements are the same for all springers. Most are greased at the factory and don't need any intervention until the spring or piston seal are replaced. If the piston seal "honks" (sounds like a goose) on cocking, then it is dry. The there are "compression chamber oils". If the seal tells you it is dry, then a few drops of silicone oil are indicated through the transfer port:

https://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Crosman_Silicone_Chamber_Oil/311

https://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/RWS_Air_Chamber_Lube_Dropper_Silicone_Oil_50_oz/3002

The spring should be greased at the factory. If in doubt, adding a little moly grease through the cocking slot underneath may be indicated. Thin oils will migrate, and then start dieseling as soon as they get in front of the piston seal. Here, silicone oil is of dubious value for lubing the metal spring ion contact with other metal parts.

So, specified airgun lubes have overlap betwen types, and can trigger some apparently contradictory dogma.


If you want better information and better informed opinions about airguns, go here: https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?board=1

Ah yes Charlie aka Bob da tuna...
A wise old arsehole. Knew air rifles better than anyone on the planet. Man, on the phone, he was a prick. And, yes I told him so
RIP Bob. The triggers are the best upgrade ever.

[chrometip78]

Good info in here, saving this for later.

[john reilly]

To "Subscriber" (Gamo Air Gun Owner):

I have the Gamo Swarm Maxxim Gen 2, .177, (just purchased) and the barrel cap doesn't have removal pins as Vids on Youtube show.. I don't want to risk breaking the plastic in removing it.

Any thoughts on how to remove this barrel seal (end of muzzle) so I can remove baffles for barrel cleaning?

Thanks!