The Ins and Outs of Gun Lubrication

When it comes to lubrication, there is a lot of information on the web and it can be confusing, particularly as it relates to firearm lubrication. Fortunately, gun lubrication and maintenance is fairly easy to understand.

Compared to automobiles, ATVs, and marine vehicles, guns don’t have very strict requirements for lubrication. In vehicles, oils have to withstand extreme conditions such as high speeds or temperatures; however, guns don’t demand that a lubricant is able to deal with conditions quite as extreme for the length of time that an automobile does.

While gun lubrication is fairly simple, it is still important to put thought into what lubrication you use. There is always a better option, so it is important to understand how products like Amsoil firearm lubricant can help you get the most out of your gun.

Why Use Gun Lubricant

Firearm lubrication should be used for the same basic reasons you need lubrication in your motor vehicles.  You must to protect against wear and corrosion, and promote high performance.  Firearm lubrication ensures parts do not rub against and damage each other.  It protects the metal from the effects of corrosion from powders and the environment.

When looking at the individual parts of a firearm, they may look incredibly smooth; however, if you were to look under a microscope, you would notice that these metal surfaces are much rougher than they appear to the naked eye.

In order to effectively protect your firearm from wear, you should strongly consider a lubricant specifically formulated for firearms, such as Amsoil firearm lubrication.

What About Grease and Your Firearm?

Grease is essentially a thickened oil, and should be used on load-bearing parts of the firearm, such as bolt carriers, slide rails, and sears. Grease is formulated by combining oil with a metallic soap such as calcium or with a non-soap such as polyurea.

Depending on the base used, any given grease will have a different level of water resistance, stability, oxidation, and performance in cold weather.

While lithium is the most commonly used base, due to its cheap cost and good performance, aluminum bases are generally much more beneficial. Aluminum-based firearm greases offer better cold weather performance, water resistance, and stability; however, they are much harder to find.

What Makes a Great Gun Lubricant?

As stated before, firearm lubrication is much different than motor vehicle lubrication in that the requirements aren’t very strict. However, there are a few things you can look for to improve the effects a lubrication has on your firearm.

Migration is an important quality for any firearm lubricant to have. Migration refers to a lubricant’s ability to disperse and spread to areas surrounding the point of application. An oil with poor migration prevents lubricating many of the smaller holes and crevices on your firearm. This will result in many areas experiencing wear.

Additionally, you should look into getting a good grease to pair with your firearm lubricant. A great rule is to use grease for sliding, load-carrying parts like bolt carriers, sears, and slide rails. These parts are subject to a lot of pressure and shock.  They perform better when lubricated with something thicker than a typical lubricant.

As for what to avoid when searching for a viable firearm lubricant, steer clear of any product containing chlorine compounds. Chlorine compounds are sometimes used as additives in boundary lubricants and do a fairly good job of keeping parts separated. Unfortunately, they promote the occurrence of stress corrosion cracking, which creates tiny cracks that expand when under heat and pressure. Eventually, stress corrosion cracking can lead to broken parts.  So make sure to stay away from lubricants with any chlorine compound additives.

Which Gun Lubricant Should I Use?

When it comes down to it, most oils will do the job- at least for a while. However, many firearm lubricants do not perform well in terms of corrosion protection. Mineral oils, plant-based oils, and vegetable oils generally offer a less then desirable protection. Amsoil firearm lubricant is going to be one of your best options in terms of a lubricant that you can trust to protect against corrosion and wear. Amsoil products have a long history and reputation of offering high-quality protection at a fair price. From automobile oil to ATV oil to firearm lubricant, Amsoil products are reliable, fairly-priced, and offer incredible protection.  Amsoil firearm oil is fully synthetic and provides functional protection to -40 Degrees Fahrenheit.

If you are interested in purchasing Amsoil firearm lubricant, or any other Amsoil products, feel free to visit BuyGreatOil. Here, you can find links to purchase Amsoil products as well as articles answering many questions you may have, such as what is synthetic oil, and why it’s better.