Motor Oil as a Lubricant

[Heavy_Grinder]

Anyone use motor oil as an effective lube on their rifles. My Father who served proudly in the USMC (circa late 70s early 80's) told me that he used motor oil as an effective lube on his M16 way back when.

Until I hear otherwise, the mobil 1 will stay in the garage for now.

[CHS]

There's nothing wrong with using motor oils as lubricant. Most firearms lubricants are just repackaged industrial lubricants and marked up 1000%.

According to:
http://www.grantcunningham.com/lubricants101.html , ATF is a better choice than motor oil.

[trinydex]

i use mobil one and clp to soak my lpks before i install them... was thinkin' of repackaging a bottle of clp plus mobile one only for lubing ar during shooting.

there was this thread on ar15.com where someone said motor oils are excellent for firearms because of the heat tolerance that they have.

in my experience though you might not want to leave motor oil in the gun because they tend to get thick and attract dust. but i don't see anything wrong with using motor oil while firing.

[Heavy_Grinder]

Thanks for the replies.

On our last shooting session, my ol' man shot my M4gery for the first time and after a couple of rounds, he asked why my rifle smelled like roses (the CLP). He then told me to ditch the new school crap and use motor oil from now on.

[CHS]

i use mobil one and clp to soak my lpks before i install them... was thinkin' of repackaging a bottle of clp plus mobile one only for lubing ar during shooting.

Just a clarification, you MIX the CLP and Mobile 1?

50/50? 60/40? 70/30?

[5hundo]

I used ATF to de-gunk my Krag barrel. It worked great...

I have to say that I've never used "motor oil" specifically. Break Free has always been a good product that I trust, so I gladly pay a little bit more for it.

I will confess, though, that I use red Moly grease on my Garand instead of the G.I. "pot" grease...

[Beelzy]

I have used motor oil on my m1919. The stuff works splendidly.

I would rather use it than some of the watered down lubes currently marketed
as wonder lubes.

[InsightsBest]

In my tank I use one gallon of mineral spirits with 2 quarts of Automatic transmission fluid it works great and doesent leave it sticky for build up but leaves it lubed!! trust me on this one !!!

[M. Sage]

Motor oil is designed to lubricate by flowing. It's not meant to just lubricate sitting between two parts.

Engine bearing surfaces are smooth and flat, and the oil actively is flowing through them to keep them lubricated. Low oil flow will cause bearing failures because the motor oil is designed to keep the parts away from each other by "floating" them as it flows past. Kind of like your crankshaft is water skiing on the journals inside the main bearings.

Motor oil will probably work "ok", but there should be better lube options out there, IMO.

I used ATF to de-gunk my Krag barrel. It worked great...

I have to say that I've never used "motor oil" specifically. Break Free has always been a good product that I trust, so I gladly pay a little bit more for it.

I will confess, though, that I use red Moly grease on my Garand instead of the G.I. "pot" grease...

I use moly grease for pretty much anything that requires grease. Molybenum disulfide is a great lubricant.

If I had an AR, I'd be down for stripping the finish off the bolt carrier and baking moly disulfide on instead, possibly do the same with the inside of the upper.

[trinydex]

Just a clarification, you MIX the CLP and Mobile 1?

50/50? 60/40? 70/30?

mmm i don't know if there's a magic ratio, but there may have been someone on arfcom that mentioned a ratio.

i just sprayed a lil clp in there to thin it out and make it smell nice .

Motor oil is designed to lubricate by flowing. It's not meant to just lubricate sitting between two parts.

Engine bearing surfaces are smooth and flat, and the oil actively is flowing through them to keep them lubricated. Low oil flow will cause bearing failures because the motor oil is designed to keep the parts away from each other by "floating" them as it flows past. Kind of like your crankshaft is water skiing on the journals inside the main bearings.

Motor oil will probably work "ok", but there should be better lube options out there, IMO.

how do other oils work pray tell?

[NRAhighpowershooter]

I use Penzoil 30wt in my 1919A4

[Ledbetter]

I agree with M. Sage.

I have used Mobil One for lube and it just doesn't stay put. It tends to flow down with gravity.

Thicker, waxier products are better for long-term storage and lithium grease is much better for lubrication.

[MILLITIAof1]

whats about something like lucas oil stabilizer? there is no way that crap would run or drip.

[trinydex]

i use mobil one and clp to soak my lpks before i install them... was thinkin' of repackaging a bottle of clp plus mobile one only for lubing ar during shooting.

there was this thread on ar15.com where someone said motor oils are excellent for firearms because of the heat tolerance that they have.

in my experience though you might not want to leave motor oil in the gun because they tend to get thick and attract dust. but i don't see anything wrong with using motor oil while firing.

i have to add that the original reason i ended up using mobil one was not because of something i read on arfcom but something i read on thr

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=4509221

if you follow gunslinger's posts, he appears to be a lube engineer or something

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=339348

[Blademan21]

The fastest way to ruin a M1A is to use motor oil to lube it. The M1 and the M1A were designed to be lubed with grease.You can even use Wal Mart marine bearing grease.I paid to much for my M1A to use oil when grease is what it was designed to be lubed with. You can buy Plastilube/Lubraplate at Napa Auto real cheap.Can't speak for the ARs,don't own one.