car oil for gun lube.

[M1A Shooter]

I use AMSOIL to lube everything, ... Truck, car, tractor, reloading press, wife, lawnmower,... heck, it's even good on pancakes...

[ssilicon]

I love Mobil1... for my vehicles. Would never put it on as a gun lube. It has addatives that do not belong in a gun. I think many (most?, all?) gun lubes these days are synthetic anyway, but with the advantage of being purpose formulated for firearms.

I say stay away.

[Se2002]

Originally Posted by M1A Shooter

I use AMSOIL to lube everything, ... Truck, car, tractor, reloading press, wife, lawnmower,... heck, it's even good on pancakes...

My wife said no to the AMSIOL...oh well...good one there M1A.

[Kaboom]

Originally Posted by ssilicon

I love Mobil1... for my vehicles. Would never put it on as a gun lube. It has addatives that do not belong in a gun. I think many (most?, all?) gun lubes these days are synthetic anyway, but with the advantage of being purpose formulated for firearms.

I say stay away.

Such as?

[ssilicon]

Originally Posted by Kaboom

Such as?

This is from Bob is the Oil Guy page:
Lubrication Design

Lots of things here that are at minimum unnecessary on a gun, or at worst are a detriment to at least some level. One example is seal swell agent. I don't want my Hogue grips swelling where I get oil on them, nor do I want my plastic frame to be affected on my polymer guns. Oil made specifically for guns are generally safe for rubber grips and polymer frames. Mobil1 makes no such promise. Anyway from the site:


Very little unadditized mineral oil is sold as a lubricant. Almost all commercial lubricants contain additives to enhance their performance in amounts ranging from less than 1% to 25% or more. By far the largest market for such additives is in the transportation field, including additives for engines and drivetrains in cars, trucks, buses, locomotives and ships. The function of additives can be summarized as:

• Protect metal surfaces (rings, bearings, gears, etc.)
• Extend the range of lubricant applicability
• Extend lubricant life

Here is a basic list of additives and how they are used

Surface Protective Additives � Automotive Lubricants

Additive Type	Purpose	Typical Compounds	Functions
Antiwear and EP Agent	Reduce friction and wear and prevent scoring and seizure	Zinc dithiophosphates, organic phosphates, acid phosphates, organic sulfur and chlorine compounds, sulfurized fats, sulfides and disulfides	Chemical reaction with metal surface to form a film with lower shear strength than the metal, thereby preventing metal-to-metal contact
Corrosion and Rust Inhibitor	Prevent corrosion and rusting of metal parts in contact with the lubricant	Zinc dithiophosphates, metal phenolates, basic metal sulfonates, fatty acids and amines	Preferential adsorption of polar constituent on metal surface to provide protective film, or neutralize corrosive acids
Detergent	Keep surfaces free of deposits	Metallo-organic compounds of sodium, calcium and magnesium phenolates, phosphonates and sulfonates	Chemical reaction with sludge and varnish precursors to neutralize them and keep them soluble
Dispersant	Keep insoluble contaminants dispersed in the lubricant	Alkylsuccinimides, alkylsuccinic esters, and mannich reaction products	Contaminants are bonded by polar attraction to dispersant molecules, prevented from agglomerating and kept in suspension due to solubility of dispersant
Friction Modifier	Alter coefficient of friction	Organic fatty acids and amides, lard oil, high molecular weight organic phosphorus and phosphoric acid esters	Preferential adsorption of surface-active materials

Performance Additives � Automotive Lubricants

Additive Type	Purpose	Typical Compounds	Functions
Pour Point Depressant	Enable lubricant to flow at low temperatures	Alkylated naphthalene and phenolic polymers, polymethacrylates, maleate/fumerate copolymer esters	Modify wax crystal formation to reduce interlocking
Seal Swell Agent	Swell elastomeric seals	Organic phosphates and aromatic hydrocarbons	Chemical reaction with elastomer to cause slight swell
Viscosity Modifier	Reduce the rate of viscosity change with temperature	Polymers and copolymers of olefins, methacrylates, dienes or alkylated styrenes	Polymers expand with increasing temperature to counteract oil thinning

Protective Additives � Automotive Lubricants

Additive Type	Purpose	Typical Compounds	Functions
Antifoamant	Prevent lubricant from forming a persistent foam	Silicone polymers, organic copolymers	Reduces surface tension to speed collapse of foam
Antioxidant	Retard oxidative decomposition	Zinc dithiophosphates, hindered phenols, aromatic amines, sulfurized phenols	Decompose peroxides and terminate free-radical reactions
Metal Deactivator	Reduce catalytic effect of metals on oxidation rate	Organic complexes containing nitrogen or sulfur, amines, sulfides and phosphites	Form inactive film on metal surfaces by complexing with metallic ions

[Se2002]

Those don't seem too bad...

[yeahYeah]

ive used mobil 1 on my ak and .22. worked great.

[SgtWKPII]

I am cleaning my gun as I type this with my mixture of Mobile 1 and Remoil, 50/50.

I love it.

That is my cleaning mix.

Sometimes I use Hoppes, but I always lube with Mobile 1 before I put them away.

[Bucc5207]

I didn't read the whole thread, so please forgive me if I repeat someone else's comment.

Considering all the money spent on your guns and ammo, and their importance in protecting the lives of you and your family, why cheap out on cleaners and lubricants?

Would you be concerned about the long-term effects of running thousands of rounds of crappy East-Euro surplus ammo? Why not be equally concerned about the long-term effects of inappropriate lubricants?

Use the right product for the application.

[Tempest]

Lots of things here that are at minimum unnecessary on a gun, or at worst are a detriment to at least some level. One example is seal swell agent. I don't want my Hogue grips swelling where I get oil on them, nor do I want my plastic frame to be affected on my polymer guns. Oil made specifically for guns are generally safe for rubber grips and polymer frames.

Seal swell agents are nothing compared to the hard solvents used in gun cleaning compounds.