DIY Firearms Lube : M1 Grease + M1 Oil ?

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ChrisD46

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I forget where I saw it but a guy mixed M1 synthetic grease plus M1 5W30 to a consistency of a “slightly thin honey” using it mainly on AR bolts , lugs , etc. *Looks to me like this basic M1 grease + M1 oil mixture would also work on semi-auto pistols for rails , barrels , lugs , sears , connectors , etc. - curious has anyone tried this mixture as a firearms lube ?

P.S. The above would be for a lube and light protection only - for cleaning and long term storage protection there are better firearms products to use .
 
XW-30 is too thin!! Must bump it up to an XW-40. HAD to fit a thick/thin debate in here 😁.

Seriously, don't see the harm except for how it would do with carbon laden gases in the AR. Also, the viscosity could *possibly* slow down actions where very rapid movement is necessary and cause misfires. I've heard of this happening with some greased rails on semi-auto pistols, but haven't ever seen examples of it. Lots of force at work there and I personally don't think a grease can hold things back THAT much. FWIW on my AR platforms, I run and rack those things as wet as possible using a liquid CLP only.
 
ChrisD46 said:
I forget where I saw it but a guy mixed M1 synthetic grease plus M1 5W30 to a consistency of a “slightly thin honey” using it mainly on AR bolts , lugs , etc. *Looks to me like this basic M1 grease + M1 oil mixture would also work on semi-auto pistols for rails , barrels , lugs , sears , connectors , etc. - curious has anyone tried this mixture as a firearms lube ?

P.S. The above would be for a lube and light protection only - for cleaning and long term storage protection there are better firearms products to use .
Click to expand...
I am not sure mixing the two would yield much value, other than to help the oil stay. As I understand it, grease and oil after "mixing" will separate.

If you really want to mix something up, motor oil and HBN....... works killer.

Makes a pink paste, real easy to see, and very slick and long lasting.

https://lowerfriction.com/dry-solid-lubricant-powders/hexagonal-boron-nitride-hbn-powder/
 
In my shop I mix grease and hydraulic oil in a cup with a brush to get it to a thin viscosity grease primarily as assembly lube for hydraulic cylinders to keep the seals from ripping upon insertion of the tight piston into the barrel. Also works good to lubricate stuff especially the lead screw on the lathes and mills. Grease is usually too thick and oil is too thin. You can definitely do it.
 
Mix seems a little....you enter the adjective. I have been using a tub of Valvoline synthetic grease for years for lubing O/U shotgun hinges and rails of P Series Sig's with, no surprise, excellent results. A few Browning 725's and Beretta 682's so we aren't talking cheap guns. Hinges are like new and the Sig's rails look new as well. Two of the Sig's are newer Legion LE P220/P229 with about 5k each down the tube, so there are not many shots there. Works well on M1A's and so many other firearms. Only other grease I have faith in is Enos. Good stuff.

I use 5-30 synthetic oil on almost everything else. AR bolts, handgun barrels, and nothing better for tight-fitting 1911's IMO. Grease on tight rails like a 1911 just gets pushed out. Oil is the way to go in these spaces. My money is where my mouth is as I use 5-30 on each of my higher-end 1911's.
 
0W-20 and 5W-30 work just fine on guns like AR's. It's all I use anymore. I still have bottles of Militec-1 from 2004 that I throw into rotation as well but generally go for the extra frankenjug of clean oil if I need some.
 
I haven’t tried mixing anything like that. Grease for where grease is specified, like the Garands. Oil for where oil is specified.

The thing about gun lubes is:

1. They are outrageously expensive per unit volume.
2. Guns require so little, that it doesn’t matter.
3. Guns generally aren’t picky, and run pretty well with anything.

I have a one lb tub of Mobil 1 grease that I use on the Garands. At the rate I am using it - it’s a lifetime supply.

The various oils that I have? They seem to last forever. I decant a bit of oil into a 2 oz. Needle bottle for final oiling. CLP, G96, AMSOIL, HPL, Wilson Combat, I have tried them all, and they all work well. I reckon regular motor oil would work well, too, applied appropriately.

If your gun needs a fancy lube to run correctly - then you have a gun problem, not a lube problem.
 
burbguy82 said:
I am not sure mixing the two would yield much value, other than to help the oil stay. As I understand it, grease and oil after "mixing" will separate.

If you really want to mix something up, motor oil and HBN....... works killer.

Makes a pink paste, real easy to see, and very slick and long lasting.

https://lowerfriction.com/dry-solid-lubricant-powders/hexagonal-boron-nitride-hbn-powder/
Click to expand...
Interesting stuff - curious what size HBN would be ideal in a gun lube ?
 
ChrisD46 said:
I forget where I saw it but a guy mixed M1 synthetic grease plus M1 5W30 to a consistency of a “slightly thin honey” using it mainly on AR bolts , lugs , etc. *Looks to me like this basic M1 grease + M1 oil mixture would also work on semi-auto pistols for rails , barrels , lugs , sears , connectors , etc. - curious has anyone tried this mixture as a firearms lube ?

P.S. The above would be for a lube and light protection only - for cleaning and long term storage protection there are better firearms products to use .
Click to expand...
Sounds like trailer park LSA which the story I heard is LSA was developed for the m60 in a jungle environment.
 
ChrisD46 said:
I forget where I saw it but a guy mixed M1 synthetic grease plus M1 5W30 to a consistency of a “slightly thin honey” using it mainly on AR bolts , lugs , etc. *Looks to me like this basic M1 grease + M1 oil mixture would also work on semi-auto pistols for rails , barrels , lugs , sears , connectors , etc. - curious has anyone tried this mixture as a firearms lube ?

P.S. The above would be for a lube and light protection only - for cleaning and long term storage protection there are better firearms products to use .
Click to expand...
I'm fairly certain that you would have seen it on the School of the American Rifle channel on YouTube. He has been building/repairing and teaching the AR platform for years.
 
When I got my 1911 back from my gunsmith it was lubed up with what appeared to be thick oil. He said they like to run wet. I forgot to ask him what he used, though. Once my Hoppes #9 bottle is used up, I might experiment with motor oil. Thickest I have is 15W-40. FWIW please don't use penetrating oil; I learned while I was in the sheriff's academy that it can leach into primers and cause them to fail.
 
Ranger83 said:
We buy Lubriplate 130-AA, which was the grease that came in the little plastic pots that fit in the stock.

https://www.lubriplate.com/Products/Grease/Multi-Purpose-Greases/130-Series/NO-130-AA
Click to expand...
I almost bought a tub of Lubriplate just to be historically accurate on the M1s!

But I find that the red color of the Mobil One allows me to see where I have put a thin film.

Just took my primary shooter M1 (they all work but this one is the one I shoot) completely apart last month, and replaced all the springs, and checked every part, along with timing.

Greased it with the Mobil One - with a thin film where needed.

My understanding is that the lubriplate did the best in the washout testing by the Army. Washout was a big concern for a rifle in combat - exposed to rain and the elements. I’m not sure that any grease is better than any other - I think they would all work pretty well - but not washing out in the rain would matter to a combat rifle.

For mine, that live in a safe and are taken to the range, washout isn’t a big concern. I think they would run fine with just about anything.
 
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