I have been reading from different forums and sites that the use of synthetic motor oil is better then "gun oil" they say that it is the same thing but in a bottle with "gun" on the label and they charge you more for it. I also have read about "Ed's Red" has anyone mix this up and does it work as good as they say it does. Has anyone used motor oil or Ed's Red? What do you like/ dislike about it.
Motor Oil
- Thread starter fralic76
- Start date
Well... Ed's Red is more of a cleaner that happens to contain red transmission fluid as a corrosion inhibitor. It's not really a substitute for gun oil as such.
I've used some Mobil 1 on some guns and still do in the action if the bottle is handy. But the bottle in my range bag has Break Free CLP in it since the CLP also cleans powder fouling to a pretty good degree as well as an oil. That makes it more suitable in many cases as an emergency clean and lube combo.
I've used some Mobil 1 on some guns and still do in the action if the bottle is handy. But the bottle in my range bag has Break Free CLP in it since the CLP also cleans powder fouling to a pretty good degree as well as an oil. That makes it more suitable in many cases as an emergency clean and lube combo.
I would suspect that motor-oil contains a host of additives that a gun oil doesn't have...such as detergents etc.
I'm not saying any of these additives will harm your gun, but for the little amount of oil one really uses on a firearm why not buy a lubricant with the additives you do want?
I'm not saying any of these additives will harm your gun, but for the little amount of oil one really uses on a firearm why not buy a lubricant with the additives you do want?
Oil types
Gun oils are specially formulated for firearms use. One of the worst oils to use is the 3-in-one type as it can cover rust spots but it does not displace water and allows rust to form underneath.
As mentioned, Ed's Red is a cleaner and does work quite well for that purpose, but not quite so well as a lubricant.
Generally, motor oil for vehicles is not a good idea for gun purposes, because of the different formulation and intended useage.
The Internet is a wonderful place to find Myths, incorrect advice, and just plain dumb stuff. If I had nothing else for a gun lubricant, motor oil in small quantities might be considered, but not in a cold climate where it will stiffen up and cause malfunctions.
While the price of a specific gun type oil may seem excessive, compared to a can of motor oil, you have to ask yourself just how much you really are going to use on a firearm. A small amount goes a long way for lubricating a gun.
Would you use motor oil for a sewing machine, a wrist watch, or a precision instrument?
The question of using motor oils for lubricating firearms surfaces on these forums several times a year. If you use the search function, you can probably find a half dozen or so threads on it. Most of these threads are started by newer shooters, but you will find that anyone who has been seriously shooting for a long time will use the proper gun type oils for lubricating guns.
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Gun oils are specially formulated for firearms use. One of the worst oils to use is the 3-in-one type as it can cover rust spots but it does not displace water and allows rust to form underneath.
As mentioned, Ed's Red is a cleaner and does work quite well for that purpose, but not quite so well as a lubricant.
Generally, motor oil for vehicles is not a good idea for gun purposes, because of the different formulation and intended useage.
The Internet is a wonderful place to find Myths, incorrect advice, and just plain dumb stuff. If I had nothing else for a gun lubricant, motor oil in small quantities might be considered, but not in a cold climate where it will stiffen up and cause malfunctions.
While the price of a specific gun type oil may seem excessive, compared to a can of motor oil, you have to ask yourself just how much you really are going to use on a firearm. A small amount goes a long way for lubricating a gun.
Would you use motor oil for a sewing machine, a wrist watch, or a precision instrument?
The question of using motor oils for lubricating firearms surfaces on these forums several times a year. If you use the search function, you can probably find a half dozen or so threads on it. Most of these threads are started by newer shooters, but you will find that anyone who has been seriously shooting for a long time will use the proper gun type oils for lubricating guns.
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alberta tactical rifle
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- calgary alberta
I could not agree more.
Unfortunately many people rely more on the internet or TV for knowledge or information than they should. In both cases there can be some good intel gleened, but more often than not the source of the info is from a nut case trying to make their 15 seconds of fame.
Sons of Guns TV and Best of the West along with a few other shows comes to mind, some of the crap those clowns display as knowledge or useful advice just makes me shake my head in wonder. The wonder being does anyone really heed that???
Apparently they do
I mostly use hoppes gun oil and sometimes rem oil. I asked the question to get some feed back before doing it. I will not be using motor oil. On a different side, I was in my local Home Hardware and seen Stag Frigidized Gun Oil. I picked it up and read that it is "Guaranteed not to freeze action of firearms down to 50 degrees below zero" and it is Made in Canada, Thunder Bay. Has anyone used this brand of oil? The link to the product on the Home Hardware site http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/i...l/Ne-67n/Ntk-All_EN/R-I7670120?Ntt=frigidized
Doesn't matter what label you put on it 100% Synthetic oil doesn't seem to gum and is a much more constant a viscosity regardless of temperature.
Regardless of the label conventional oil (Dino oil) gums over time.
As an aside, I buff Mobil 1 synthetic grease into the bluing of my guns. It lasts and it keeps the water beading off. Use it on the locking lugs of my bench guns and the cam on the back of the bolt.
Doesn't say that on it's suggested uses.
I once bought a pre 64 m70 in 270 for a really good deal because the bolt was stiff to cycle and the firing pin was slow to fall. (It would never have fired)
Lucky for me the old guy only used "gun oil" in it.
I do buy Wipe out bore cleaner, CR-10 and #9 dedicated for firearm use but other than that....
Regardless of the label conventional oil (Dino oil) gums over time.
As an aside, I buff Mobil 1 synthetic grease into the bluing of my guns. It lasts and it keeps the water beading off. Use it on the locking lugs of my bench guns and the cam on the back of the bolt.
Doesn't say that on it's suggested uses.
I once bought a pre 64 m70 in 270 for a really good deal because the bolt was stiff to cycle and the firing pin was slow to fall. (It would never have fired)
Lucky for me the old guy only used "gun oil" in it.
I do buy Wipe out bore cleaner, CR-10 and #9 dedicated for firearm use but other than that....
- Location
- Alberta Free State
I'm a long, long way from being an expert, and any information I offer is based on my own experience, not on anything suggested by the uber-experts like ATR.
Ed's Red bore cleaner. It's a cleaning solvent that works well, it's inexpensive to mix up in quantity, and if you include the optional Lanolin in the mix it leaves behind a slight film of moisture repellent and lubricating lanolin. Lanolin is an amazing compound in its own right, and it's used in many lubricants, especially in marine environments. However, using Ed's Red is no substitute for proper lubrication, as Ed Harris says right at the beginning of his article.
Ed's Red does nothing for removing copper fouling, so far as I have seen, but is good for regular cleaning. The only downside to it, IMHO, is that it doesn't smell as nice as G96, LOL.
Synthetic oils and greases: I've used - when regular gun oil was not available - 0W20 (or was it 0W30) fully synthetic motor oil as gun oil. It flows freely at arctic temperatures and has good lubrication qualities. The key is to use as little as possible. Over-oiling just collects dirt and crud. Some people claim that ATF (automatic transmission fluid) is all you need to oil your guns. I'm skeptical about that claim.
I've also used low-temperature synthetic grease - sold for lubricating snowmobile bogies - with no ill effects. Synthetic greases formulated for arctic conditions do their job without gumming or caking. As with oil, just a trace of grease is all that's required - more is definitely not better.
Having said all that, there are any number of very high quality firearm-specific lubricants on the market, and given the small amounts required, one regular-size container will last most shooters for quite a while.
I can never understand why someone is prepared to drop 4 or 5 thou on a very expensive rifle (or even $500 on a good .22) , and then be unwilling to spend twenty bucks for the correct special-purpose gun lubricants.
