# Grease or Oil or Both or dry lube? The neverending debate



## cclaxton (Jul 10, 2011)

For handguns is grease better, oil better, or a combination of grease and oil or this is for the dry lube fans?
If you answer both, please commend where you use grease and where you use oil: slide, trigger, hammer, etc.
If you like dry-lubes, say why and how you use them.

Thanks for your comments and your votes!


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## Overkill0084 (Nov 28, 2010)

In general:
If it rotates oil it.
It it slides, grease it.
There are exceptions, read the instructions when in doubt.


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## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

follow the instruction in your owners manual


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## Cat (Apr 12, 2011)

TedDeBearFrmHell said:


> follow the instruction in your owners manual


Ted's right people,The maker tells you what to do.:smt033


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## cclaxton (Jul 10, 2011)

Yea, I am sure we ALL follow the manufacturer's recommended practices!

Cat and Ted: What do you use on your guns?
Is it a secret? 

I forgot: We know Ted uses Wesson Oil...but do you use Crisco when you need grease?


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## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

cclaxton said:


> Yea, I am sure we ALL follow the manufacturer's recommended practices!
> 
> Cat and Ted: What do you use on your guns?
> Is it a secret?
> ...


the salad shooter manual calls for wesson oil NOT crisco.... the cookie dough shooter manual calls for crisco.... again , follow the instructions


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## Cat (Apr 12, 2011)

I use this on everything (Flitz),I even do everyone of my ammo all so. Grease high temp grease is the very best you can use. For oil just any good high temp oil. ------Here's one for you----A automatic transmission oil. There are two types. Type F & Dexron III. You put the F type in where Dex go's in to. Next your trans will blow out seals and gaskets. That is why I read a owners manual. To no no what type of oil or grease they say to use. Some oils & grease have add acid to it.So read upppppp... 

Ps If you like Crisco go for it. Let us all know how good it works for you..:buttkick:


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## thndrchiken (Oct 10, 2011)

Metal to metal contact gets grease, for preservation it's oil.


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## jakeleinen1 (Jul 20, 2011)

cclaxton said:


> Yea, I am sure we ALL follow the manufacturer's recommended practices!
> 
> Cat and Ted: What do you use on your guns?
> Is it a secret?
> ...


I wish there was a Like button on here, cosign cclaxton


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## Lateck (Jul 23, 2010)

TedDeBearFrmHell said:


> follow the instruction in your owners manual


+2

So keep both (Grease & Oil) on hand.

Lateck,


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## DanP_from_AZ (May 8, 2009)

cclaxton said:


> . . . Thanks for your comments and your votes!


I finally got around to asking her: The guys and girls on the Handgun Forum want to know what floats your boat ? grease ? oil ? dry lube ?

After I recovered from the slap to my face, and checked for loose teeth,
she said:

And, if you ever even *consider **DRY LUBE *you're gonna be missing a part of your body *YOU *think is essential !


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## cclaxton (Jul 10, 2011)

DanP_from_AZ said:


> I finally got around to asking her: The guys and girls on the Handgun Forum want to know what floats your boat ? grease ? oil ? dry lube ?
> 
> After I recovered from the slap to my face, and checked for loose teeth,
> she said:
> ...


Protecting your gun is certainly one of the main things!

Maybe dry-lube is a bad idea!

Funny!

CC


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## TAPnRACK (Jan 30, 2013)

Overkill0084 said:


> In general:
> If it rotates oil it.
> It it slides, grease it.
> There are exceptions, read the instructions when in doubt.


I follow this same philosophy with my handguns & bolt action rifle... no issues. Just make sure you use a grease that dissipates with use and dosen't gum up with nasty stuff.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

The environment your gun will be exposed to might be considered.
sand, dirt, windy. 
The grease will catch particles. Over oiling has a better chance of leaving the area's over oiled, grease hangs around.
Oil them, wipe them down. We clean our guns to get rid of foreign build up. 
Adding grease to an already tight tolerance slide can increase pressure within the slide creating issues. Grease has to be used with extreme care, in my opinion.
I have always cleaned my guns, oiled them and wiped the oil off completely leaving just a film coating of oil behind.


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## marconewt (Dec 31, 2012)

What about Hornady one-shot cleaner and dry lube? seems like a great idea,,,,if it works?


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

marconewt said:


> What about Hornady one-shot cleaner and dry lube? seems like a great idea,,,,if it works?


This is what I use for my carry guns. Works fine. I've been using it for years. I either use this or a quality silicone spray such as CRC Heavy Duty Silicone Spray. These products attract the least amount of dust, dirt, and debris in your carry guns. Modern polymers, like the Glock, XD, and M&P do very well with these products.


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## KampfJaeger (Sep 25, 2013)

None of the above. 
I am a gun cleaning fanatic. 
My Father and then my Uncle Sam taught me to keep everything like new at every opportunity after use, because you never know how long it could be or how much use your firearms will get before they can be properly field stripped and scrubbed.

I've got a bushel basket full of Break Free, Rem Oil, EzOx, Gun Butter, Moly Bore, Kroil, and just about every cleaning, lube, and preservative product made. Whenever something new would show up in the Brownells Catalog I would buy it. It all works. Some works better than others, and certainly all bore cleaners and defouling elixirs are not created equally. I need to re-divide my cleaning stuff, because I still use bore cleaners and solvents, but I use no petroleum based product on any of my firearms (that I've shot in the last year and a half) any longer. I've tried them all, grew up using Hoppes products, but now there is no point.

Frog Lube and Seal Lube are so vastly superior to anything I've ever tried I've been slowly transitioning everything over for the last year and a half. There are still plenty of long guns that have petroleum based still on them, but nothing I've shot since I found and started using the FL and SL CLP. They're entirely synthetic, and darn near food grade (which I could care less about).

There are two disadvantages. The first is that it doesn't mix with anything petroleum. Your guns have to be completely degreased (either sonically, Simple Green, or degreaser aerosol). If you leave oil on them it doesn't work. It has to go on bare hot metal. 
The second is that the CLP has to be applied to hot metal (just cool enough to handle comfortably). I use a heat gun to heat the metal before applying, and then sometimes wave it over a treated area. You could use a hair dryer but it would take much longer. The time you lose heat gunning your shooting irons, to prep them for CLP, is saved with a healthy return the next time you clean them. That's where the disadvantage ends. 
The FL and SL (SL is the viscous paste, and FL has a thinner consistency cold) turns very thin when hit with heat, and coats the metal like Teflon. It works the same way too. Fouling simply doesn't stick to it, and dirt doesn't stick to it like grease. They say it completely protects against salt water too, but I have no experience with that. You'll take a treated pistol and you can literally clean it by wiping it off after use. You hardly need brass brushes anymore (I still use them because old habits die hard). It somehow makes the metal resist all fouling or buildup. I'm not a chemist and have no idea what it's actually doing that is different from petroleum based, but I can tell you that it works exactly as advertised, which is allot more than I can tell you about any other gun cleaning product that requires a great deal of elbow grease to get a firearm truly clean.

Even after a total degrease on a "clean" firearm I was totally shocked by how much fouling and gunk came off the first time I cleaned and lubed a AR with the Frog Lube, but it is the second time you clean with it that you'll really be shocked. My bushel basket has been replaced by a tiny metal one with one bottle of Frog Lube, one applicator, and a small jar of Seal Lube. I have always been completely skeptical of gun cleaning wonder products, but this is totally different. I can't bring myself to just give away all my traditional gun cleaning stuff, and you have to buy a whole new set of cleaning gear for the Frog Lube (if your old set is covered in oil like mine it would defeat the purpose).

I don't know what else to say other than if you're like me and absolutely have to have completely clean firearms you will pull your hair out if you've invested as much as I have in cleaning produces, because you won't need any of them after trying this. It's a hassle to change over buy once you do you will only look back for sentimental reasons. The heat gun thing has just become part of the cleaning routine. It was a hassle at first but now I don't even think about it.

Try it. You will be bowled over if you shoot a lot and clean a lot of guns. It works like nothing else. 
I wish I owned some stock, because the other Mfg.s better either start copying this stuff or they're going to get waxed in the marketplace.

FrogLube | The World's Only Complete Bio Based 'Green' Weapons Care system, Solvent and CLP USDA Approved


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## campbed (Feb 16, 2013)

Well, as long as we are starting up this topic again...

I DO care about non-toxic and food grade. Sheesh, we get exposed to enough crap with this sport as it is. So, as long as it is effective, I try for that.
My current:
CLP: Ballistol - mineral oil with bio-degradable cleaning stuff in it
Grease: NLGI grade 0 - currently Lubriplate SFL-0 - food grade - mineral oil with aluminum soap in it.

Both are effective, non-toxic, and cheap.


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## Sgt45 (Jun 8, 2012)

AR's run wet, 1911 I run wet, M&P not so much. The oil is Wilson's red stuff.


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## rustygun (Apr 8, 2013)

I have also been using the frog lube and after several applications I am extremely impressed. I know many people are very set in their cleaning routines but this stuff really works. Definitely worth trying. Frog Lube don't look back.


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## rooksd1 (Jan 6, 2014)

I was told several years ago (when I was shooting shotgun comp. around the Country) by the owner of one of the largest if not the largest manufacture of after market triggers to never oil or grease a trigger. He said if you oil it the parts never marry and you invite dirt and grit into it. If the parts properly marry the steel will lubricate itself.


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## TheReaper (Nov 14, 2008)

I use oil or should I say Breakfree.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

rooksd1 said:


> I was told several years ago (when I was shooting shotgun comp. around the Country) by the owner of one of the largest if not the largest manufacture of after market triggers to never oil or grease a trigger. He said if you oil it the parts never marry and you invite dirt and grit into it. If the parts properly marry the steel will lubricate itself.


A trigger does not create a lot of friction, the oil might create more of an issue attracting foreign material.


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## BingoFuel (Jun 20, 2014)

This (below). Perhaps even more to the point, lube it often. Better yet (by far), clean and lube it often. If you do, any lube will do. Angst'ing over this issue in lieu of just caring for your firearm is a fools errand.
B



Overkill0084 said:


> In general:
> If it rotates oil it.
> It it slides, grease it.
> There are exceptions, read the instructions when in doubt.


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## boatdoc173 (Mar 15, 2014)

this is such a hot and confusing topic t. I find myself swaying between oil only and oil and grease

as suggested above, I see what the makers suggest--e;x Dan wesson-- fp 10(or dw lube)oil only, same with H+K

On my berettas and czs,walthers- oil on almost everything(barrel,slide grooves,springs,trigger) + some grease on the frame side for the slide--BUT I am thinking of eliminating the grease

I clean and lube all guns after 100 rounds-- use rand clp fo r cleaning, slip 2000 for oiling ( fp 10 on the dan wessons and my rifles per maker)

I like mil comm tw 25b but it is over kill--sometimes I use it or super- lube synthetic multi purpose lube(oil) on the barrels as a film is left behind when they dry out in the safe--an extra precaution against wear.

it is all good--take care of your friend and if the time comes it will take care of you--no fte, stovepipes using this technique and any ammo I choose--so I guess it works for me


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## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

I'm an oil only kinda guy. I use RemOil and CLP...old school.


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## Glock37 (Nov 14, 2014)

Depends on the gun. 1911s, the out of spec overly tight ones require being dripping wet if you want them to be reliable. Mil spec ones can run on a hand full of sand for lube and will go longer on sand than oil because it don't attract dirt and carbon into big globs. I clean the XD and Glocks with seafoam. Melts carbon and dirt and when the cleaners evaporate off it leaves a very small film of lube, it's all them guns need. Pumps and bolt guns get frog lube, autos get seafoam and it leaves the perfect amount of lube behind. Cheaper than "gun" cleaners too and will not damage wood, rubber or plastic. Seafoam on the P22 is perfect too. Stays clean longer. It's been 21 years since I used grease. One chilly day when it was -34F it was rock hard and guns would not even cycle, hand racking was even hard. This last winter we got that cold and the Glock ran perfect with seafoam as lube. Grease is good, but I like to use the same thing all year round.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

pic said:


> The environment your gun will be exposed to might be considered.
> sand, dirt, windy.
> The grease will catch particles. Over oiling has a better chance of leaving the area's over oiled, grease hangs around.
> Oil them, wipe them down. We clean our guns to get rid of foreign build up.
> ...


A good way to think of grease is to consider it as a sponge (thickener matrix) soaked in oil. Under no-stress conditions, the sponge holds the oil within its matrix, ready to be released to provide lubrication. When stressed in application (e.g., rotation, churning, temperature, etc.) the sponge releases the oil to provide the necessary oil film. In addition to providing lubrication, grease also serves as a seal preventing environmental ingress that can lead to premature failure of the grease and the lubricated equipment.

The grease is actually the thickener that holds the oil.


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## boatdoc173 (Mar 15, 2014)

pic said:


> A good way to think of grease is to consider it as a sponge (thickener matrix) soaked in oil. Under no-stress conditions, the sponge holds the oil within its matrix, ready to be released to provide lubrication. When stressed in application (e.g., rotation, churning, temperature, etc.) the sponge releases the oil to provide the necessary oil film. In addition to providing lubrication, grease also serves as a seal preventing environmental ingress that can lead to premature failure of the grease and the lubricated equipment.
> 
> The grease is actually the thickener that holds the oil.


Hi PIc

you sure are a library full of knowledge--we are thankful that you are

I am leaning to oil only --because grease(even in a very small used as I do)is a dirt magnet and hard to clean off.

MY issue is that oil tends to dry out--. Thus I have to check each gun befor e use and sometimes reapply some oil to the barrel and slide grooves to be sure I keep wear down

some products like super-lube multi purpose synthetic spray or slip 200 claim they leave a protective barrier behind--- I am not sure if this is true. I have been leaning away from real grease and have tried mil comm tw25b-- so far just the spray--this definitely leaves a film of lube behind--but it is considered a grease-- so I am not grease free.

what do you think about th e left behind protective film pic? truth or BS? have you trie d mil com tw25 b? opinions wanted I hope TRUTH so I can just use slip 2000 and / or super-lube

thanks Rob

ps BTW the tw25b can says lubricant--but I think the sit e indicates it is an aerosol grease.?


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Rob, 
Myself, I use oil.

What works best for you, is most important.

Certain firearms or models of handguns require different attention. 

Most hand gunners experiment with different products. It seems there's always a new product just around the corner.

Mode of carry, environmental elements that you're exposed to, etc.

Be safe , have fun.

Thanks ,
pic
:smt1099


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## Greybeard (Mar 17, 2013)

I use Remington Clean Bore and Action Cleaner for cleaning and Remoil for lubrication . Works for me, no problems.


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## shootbrownelk (May 18, 2014)

I can't remember ever reading a gun manual that recommended grease on anything. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't recall ever seeing that. I use Mobil 1 synthetic oil on all my guns and have for years.


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## boatdoc173 (Mar 15, 2014)

pic said:


> Rob,
> Myself, I use oil.
> 
> What works best for you, is most important.
> ...


Hi PIc

I have wavered back and forth grease and oil--just oil- droped the grease for a while then decide dthat grease may help due to oil that dried out--the grease usually doe snot----oh the choices!!!LOL

- seeing that H+K, Dan Wesson ,Sig and others suggest just oil and do not mention grease at all ....I hate to waste the $$ spent on grease but I am now leaning YOUR way

super lube,milcomm and even slip 2000 all have sections on the internet sites claiming that they leave a film of protective lube behind even when dried. That is my issue. I want to be sure that I reduce wear on my prize d possessions--my gun collection.. I , now, check each one before leaving for the range--if it is drie d out--I add a drop or 2 to assure proper function

I do NOT get FTE or any jamming or ammo loading issues on any gun.:smt083

thanks again for your advice and valuable information

have a great week

enjoy your shooting time--I will

Rob

ps anyone want my grease ?--LOL hate to waste the slipstream and slide-glide--but I guess I can find anothe r use for them


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Save your grease, you never know. You may grease down a handgun before storing it away for a period of time.

There are some pretty well sealed up areas in handguns n rifles that you often do not access. And are not exposed to the outside elements as harshly.

You may want to hold on to that grease. 
The last sig I bought came with a small tube of grease. But I'm still an oil guy, :smt033
Link
https://www.mil-comm.com/previous/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51&Itemid=72

Have a great week also, be safe,
Pic


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## Greybeard (Mar 17, 2013)

I watched this video yesterday from GUNBLUE490. His method on oiling is pretty much DON'T DO IT. His take on things is that oil and grease always combine with carbon and dirt to form an abrasive paste which does more harm than good. He advocates a silicone rag for preservation. What do you think?


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## BackyardCowboy (Aug 27, 2014)

Use Frog Lube on mine. keeps them from croaking.


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## Sierra_Hunter (Feb 17, 2015)

Coming from alaska, I run my guns dry. Nothing like lining up on a good shot and pulling the trigger, and hearing a click three seconds later because your oil/grease is, too thick


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## Greybeard (Mar 17, 2013)

Update: Lately I've tried Hoppes Elite solvent and oil. Seems to be getting a lot of dirt that KleanBore and Remoil missed. My guns run real smooth with it too. Good stuff.


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