# A lubricant question



## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

While I use weapon specific brand lubricants when cleaning my firearms after firing or during the twice a year cleaning of my gun case stored firearms, my daily carry weapon, I generally wipe clean and oil with light 3 in One household oil each night after removing it from my carry holster for the day.

I was recently given a 2.5 ounce spray can of 3 in One Lock Dry Lube. Anyone know if this product is safe to use as an in between cleanings light lube or is it a potential gum up shellac developing lube like WD40?


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## weaselfire (Feb 7, 2018)

Mobile 1 and automatic transmission fluid.

Jeff


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

Shrek said:


> While I use weapon specific brand lubricants when cleaning my firearms after firing or during the twice a year cleaning of my gun case stored firearms, my daily carry weapon, I generally wipe clean and oil with light 3 in One household oil each night after removing it from my carry holster for the day.
> 
> I was recently given a 2.5 ounce spray can of 3 in One Lock Dry Lube. Anyone know if this product is safe to use as an in between cleanings light lube or is it a potential gum up shellac developing lube like WD40?


Shrek I used it on my vehicle locks for a little while...I wouldn't recommend it for guns. It definitely left a bad film on my door locks and let the dirt cake on. Maybe I got a bad can...don't know...but I've never used it since.

Back when I carried fairly regularly when we produce farmed (dang coyotes and rattlesnakes!), I used a Hoppes brand spray on gun lube/protectant from Wally World. Think it was about 4 bucks a bottle then...and it seemed to work well.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

With the exception of the spray paint type mixing ball, the spray oil can gave me a feeling of WD40 which I have seen gum up floating firing pins and parts from folks using it after cleanings.

Even though I use the more expensive firearms grade oils when doing my complete cleanings, I have found the $1 a can light "sewing machine grade" classic household 3 in One or Gunk brand oil adequate for the daily dust and pocket lint surface wipe down while saving a few bucks I can put back into my powder cleaning supplies / ammunition restock budget.

I think this spray can will go in the trash and I will go buy another can of light sewing machine oil to continue my daily carry weapon wipe down as I have done for the past 36 years.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I don't know a bout the dry lube but I can save you money on every day oil 

buy a quart Mercon dexron III ATF Automatic transmission fluid 

you can repackage into a small can or bottle and use as is or if you like a spray cut it 50/50 with deodorized Kerosene like you would use in an indoor kerosene heater and put in a WD-40 spray bottle the pump spray type with the extra fill cap and re-label it I have a few of these around the house and shop as well as small eye dropper type bottles for easier transport.


you may have heard of ED's Red gun solvent a formula made by ED Harris who contributed greatly to bullet and shooting knowledge and wrote for the NRA in the 60s and 70s .

if your not familiar with it's recipe here it is http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm

he also had the idea to use the Dexron ATF and K1 50/50 as a wipe down and preservative lube after cleaning and between cleanings. 

ATF has very good anti corrosion properties , very good lubrication properties and detergent properties a build up of carbon or sludge would stop up a transmitting valve body in a hurry as well it is high temp if it didn't lube very well the planetary gears would wear with the trillions of revolutions they make 

the penetrating oil that penetrates even better than the best options on the market is 50/50 Acetone and Dexron ATF the acetone thins it to allow it to really creep into places other won't get to.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

I remember a friend using Ed's Red to clean and lube our shotguns during a hunting trip. I have the transmission fluid. kerosene and MEK paint stripper / plastics weld already. I just have to buy some of the odorless mineral spirits and acetone to make probably a lifetime supply of cleaning and lube oil. Thanks for the link.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

Back during the 80's I shot 500 rounds per week, every week for ten years. I cleaned my gun every sunday. I have been using WD-40 since 1975, from the tropics to the artic. As soon as I have a problem I will let you know.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

Shrek said:


> I remember a friend using Ed's Red to clean and lube our shotguns during a hunting trip. I have the transmission fluid. kerosene and MEK paint stripper / plastics weld already. I just have to buy some of the odorless mineral spirits and acetone to make probably a lifetime supply of cleaning and lube oil. Thanks for the link.



I didn't use the MKE 

the acetone gets plasitc residue from shotguns and helps thin the mix 

ATF , Lanolin , acetone , mineral spirits and K1 is I think all my batch has.
then K1 and ATF for day to day wipe down. in a refillable wd-40 spray bottle relabeled


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## Wyobuckaroo (Dec 30, 2011)

About every other year, for a local sports club I used to belong to I would mix up a 3 gallon batch.

1 gallon Dexron atf
1 gallon K1 kerosene
1 gallon cheap home supply store brand odorless paint thinner. 

Anyone could use out of the bucket at the club grounds, and twice a year we cleaned club owned 22 rifles and other firearms used in hunter safety classes and youth shooting events. 

Many learned, even if they didn't like this mix. They learned to first clean there firearm with this mixture, then clean it with there favorite expensive stuff. In other words, they learned to save a bit of money.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

ok came across an interesting read http://www.dayattherange.com/?page_id=3667

ATF for wipe down compares to several others like Breakfree CLP which was the army's choice for some time.

but ATF at 48 hours had light rust 

as did breakfree CLP and several other gun oils 

the top anti corrosion products were Hornady one shot clp and WD-40 specialist anti corrosion this is not the plane old WD-40 but part of their new specialist line and rust prevent , however rust prevent eats plastic.

rust prevent also was middle of the pack for lube.

the Hornady one shot clp lube also exhibited very good results in the top 3 in least sliding resistance.

what does this mean , ATF and BreakFree CLP obviously work with regular wipe downs , but there are products with both better corrosion resistance and better sliding resistance characteristics.

do you need these top performing products , not really if you have an extreme use then you will see the benefit , but atf wipe downs or atf/K1 wipe downs will last you the rest of your life and then some given regular wipe down and cleaning like you have been doing.


by the way 3 in 1 oil was not good at all in the corrosion test it rusted badly in 24 hours, it was middle of the pack for lubrication.

what you have been doing is obviously working so your not being very demanding on the 3 in 1 oil , atf will be better than 3 in 1 for rust. but there are longer lasting rust preventatives. but they run about 15 dollars a can.


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## Wyobuckaroo (Dec 30, 2011)

After a long carrier in machine shops I've learned rust preventatives typically lubricate very poorly. 

For instance. Last I knew both Ruger and Remington shipped new firearms with a coating more geared to rust prevention. If this coating was not cleaned off and replace with a lube material, many times with normal use these coating would lead to many of the malfunction issues people have had with these firearms. The preservative seems to accumulate and hold grit and fowling from use more so than lube materials that will work past this fowling to a point. 

My 5 cents of experience.


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