SILICONE and guns
- Thread starter Pablo
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Originally Posted By: Pablo
A lot of what you say is true, but silicone is used as an industrial lubricant:
http://www.dowcorning.com/content/discover/discoverchem/si-lubricants.aspx
http://www.mclube.com/products/91
Zero solubility? You might even be surprised how well a good silicone spray cleans out a firing pin mechanism in a semi-auto slide. When I take my slides apart, they are always spotless inside, no evidence of wear or any gooey organic lube build-up. It cleans and leaves a nearly invisible lube film, so each time it cleans easily. Can't hardly say that for most organic lubes, typically a separate cleaner is necessary. Brake fluid in my guns? Heck no!!!
Bottom line, it does work great in many firearm applications. I've "discovered" something that really works for me.
If it's working for you stick with it. A firing pin isn't going to care what you lube it with. I've never heard of one wearing out from movement (1911)
. Sear surfaces would be another matter.
I assume you are using the Amsoil spray silicone? It's great stuff for what it is. I use it for working on hoses and the like. But if you look at the MSDS:
http://www.amsoil.com/msds/als.pdf
You'll see a significant amount of organic solvent in it. That would explain the cleaning you are seeing. Once this flashes off, the cleaning power is gone.
Thanks for the links. One is just a mold release, not mechanical lube, and the other states:
Quote:
However, the surface tension of silicone fluids is very low, and they tend to spread more than organics.
Their high spreading and high compressibility limit the internal pressures (viscosity increases) that can build within silicone materials when they are used as lubricants. This limits their load-carrying capacity compared to organic lubricants with the same initial viscosity. However, silicone lubricants do have sufficient load-carrying capacity for all metal-to-plastic and plastic-to-plastic lubrication applications.
Which is exactly why I don't use it.
Machines that use silicone lube are specifically designed for it. I would assume they use larger bearing surfaces to accommodate the reduced load carrying ability of silicone.
A lot of what you say is true, but silicone is used as an industrial lubricant:
http://www.dowcorning.com/content/discover/discoverchem/si-lubricants.aspx
http://www.mclube.com/products/91
Zero solubility? You might even be surprised how well a good silicone spray cleans out a firing pin mechanism in a semi-auto slide. When I take my slides apart, they are always spotless inside, no evidence of wear or any gooey organic lube build-up. It cleans and leaves a nearly invisible lube film, so each time it cleans easily. Can't hardly say that for most organic lubes, typically a separate cleaner is necessary. Brake fluid in my guns? Heck no!!!
Bottom line, it does work great in many firearm applications. I've "discovered" something that really works for me.
If it's working for you stick with it. A firing pin isn't going to care what you lube it with. I've never heard of one wearing out from movement (1911)
I assume you are using the Amsoil spray silicone? It's great stuff for what it is. I use it for working on hoses and the like. But if you look at the MSDS:
http://www.amsoil.com/msds/als.pdf
You'll see a significant amount of organic solvent in it. That would explain the cleaning you are seeing. Once this flashes off, the cleaning power is gone.
Thanks for the links. One is just a mold release, not mechanical lube, and the other states:
Quote:
However, the surface tension of silicone fluids is very low, and they tend to spread more than organics.
Their high spreading and high compressibility limit the internal pressures (viscosity increases) that can build within silicone materials when they are used as lubricants. This limits their load-carrying capacity compared to organic lubricants with the same initial viscosity. However, silicone lubricants do have sufficient load-carrying capacity for all metal-to-plastic and plastic-to-plastic lubrication applications.
Which is exactly why I don't use it.
Machines that use silicone lube are specifically designed for it. I would assume they use larger bearing surfaces to accommodate the reduced load carrying ability of silicone.
When I clicked this post, I was sure Pabs had posted a YouTube of a bikini babe shooting a 1911 at his range.....
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infxtra/infsil.html
Quote:
Manufacturers of silicone spray products promote this product like the best thing since sliced bread. It is great... but some of the applications they recommend may be inconvenient or downright hazardous. Because it is so slippery and persistent, avoid using silicone spray under the following conditions:
On any surface upon which you walk, sit, or lay. You'll slide off!!
On painted surfaces... the paint sucks up the silicone and makes paint prep ever more onerous than it normally is (if that's possible)! Paint will not stick to silicone, so always minimize overspray when using silicone near painted areas (door hinges, locks, etc.).
On any item that you have to handle, such as the outside of a gun, fishing rod, door handle, etc.
Quote:
Manufacturers of silicone spray products promote this product like the best thing since sliced bread. It is great... but some of the applications they recommend may be inconvenient or downright hazardous. Because it is so slippery and persistent, avoid using silicone spray under the following conditions:
On any surface upon which you walk, sit, or lay. You'll slide off!!
On painted surfaces... the paint sucks up the silicone and makes paint prep ever more onerous than it normally is (if that's possible)! Paint will not stick to silicone, so always minimize overspray when using silicone near painted areas (door hinges, locks, etc.).
On any item that you have to handle, such as the outside of a gun, fishing rod, door handle, etc.
Look at all the good stuff they put in Liquid Wrench Silicone Spray.
http://www.rscbrands.com/products/msds/M914.PDF
Amsoil doesn't even list the percentage of Dimethyl Polysiloxane.
http://www.rscbrands.com/products/msds/M914.PDF
Amsoil doesn't even list the percentage of Dimethyl Polysiloxane.
Key words - "outside of a gun" Don't get wild with the stuff!
I'm not sure what silicone compound is in the Amsoil spray lube.
I'm not sure what silicone compound is in the Amsoil spray lube.
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