Best lubricant for slide/frame contact points?

Lightsped · September 30, 2001, 02:45 PM

What is the best lubricant to use for areas of semiautos where the slide and frame rub each other?

Currently I use Hoppes #9 for cleaning the barrel, and Breakfree CLP for cleaning the outside finish of the gun.

Is something thicker needed for slide/frame rails and other areas where alot of friction is present? Like a gooey grease?

Mark IV Series 80 · September 30, 2001, 03:30 PM

I use Tetra-Gun Grease on the rails and the locking-lugs, Break-Free CLP everywhere else.

-Mk.IV

Clayton · September 30, 2001, 04:05 PM

Lots of good products out there, and "better" is a relative term. One is far more likely to encounter corrosion problems versus wear problems.

Lots of good info here and on the other forums. Do a search on lubricants.

http://www.1911forum.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000409.html

http://glocktalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=39176

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...5&pagenumber=1

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...ght=lubricants

I'm very pleased with Break-Free CLP.

Shooters Choice/MPC FP-10 is the best oil lubricant available. Tetra Gun Grease is the best grease type lube.

www.mpc-home.com
www.break-free.com(for the best prices on Break-Free go to www.midsouthshooterssupply.com)
www.corrosionx.com
www.tetraproducts.com
www.bestdefense.com for Milcomm TW25B
www.g96products.com

Best regards,
Clayton

Lightsped · September 30, 2001, 04:43 PM

Is greese the best thing to use on the slide rails, or should I be using a oil in that location?

Clayton · September 30, 2001, 05:19 PM

Honestly, it really doesn't matter from a wear standpoint. Many light oils actually outperform greases in wear tests.

Lots of people recommend a grease for carry guns, as it won't run off or evaporate from the weapon.

During cold weather, oil is the best thing to use, with FP-10 and G96 being the best for extreme cold weather useage.

The only real use for grease that I have found is on the connector face of a Glock.

Grease is preferred for weapons that see use in a maritime environment, i.e if you swim with your gun, a good grease is the way to go, unless it is cold outside.

You can use nothing but CLP on your weapons, with no problems at all. Millions of weapons are maintained this way with no issues of abnormal wear.

As always, use what you like and have confidence in, and use it often. A good Preventative Maintenance schedule overrules fancy gear and hyped-up products.

Clayton · September 30, 2001, 06:30 PM

Comparison of weld load points of various lubes, the higher the number, the better the lubricant:

Break-Free CLP 315kg
Super Lube 250kg
FP-10 730kg +
Tetra Gun grease 800kg
Militec-1 800kg
TW25B 620kg

Wear test conducted by the Falex Corp., a professional lubricant testing firm. The lower the index number, the better the wear preventive properties of the lube:

RIG+P #72.1
Rem Oil #68.3
G96 Gun Treatment #62.8
Break-Free CLP #30.2
Prolix #7.0
Tetra Gun grease #2.1
Eezox #2.0
FP-10 #0.9

Again, these test say nothing about a lubricant's rust preventative properties, temp range, water washout rate, evaporation rate, etc.

Just food for thought

.

Mark IV Series 80 · September 30, 2001, 07:00 PM

Robert P. Firriolo wrote a test report on Rust Preventatives for Firearms.

Here is the link:

http://communities.prodigy.net/sportsrec/gz-rust.html

Clayton · September 30, 2001, 07:29 PM

Robert's test results correlate with mine, although I used scrapped barrels from a local maker as a test bed. I treated the barrels with the product, then hung them out in the rain.

Break-Free CLP, Corrosion X, Eezox, and G96 performed the best in my tests.

The worst products I've ever tested were Mpro7 Gun Lube, Mobil 1 15w-30 synthetic motor oil, and Militec-1.

Thanks for the link

!

September 30, 2001, 09:38 PM

Glock recommends one drop of oil on a q-tip to lubricate the entire pistol.

waltherpfive · September 30, 2001, 10:24 PM

I have used Eezox on all my pistols for about 10 years now without a problem with wear or rust. My $.02

Clayton · September 30, 2001, 11:12 PM

PreserveFreedom, Glock wants to sell guns, and they're just like car manufacturers in that they are forced by the industry to claim their products are low maintenance, etc. Whoever wrote the Glock manual doesn't carry a gun in the same world I do, that's for sure.

A manual is a guide, nothing more, nothing less. PM isn't a religion or a science, it's a required chore

.

Weapons maintenance is a personal thing, and your specific weapon and the conditions you use it in dictate the schedule and products used.

Like everything else in the world, there is a fine line between too much and not enough

.

I've been testing out the MPC FP-10 and PL-10 lubes on my Glocks and my M500MILS, and I'm very happy with it so far. A great company to deal with, too. www.mpc-home.com

Eezox is indeed a good product. It always does well in wear and rust tests. www.eezox.com

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police tested lubes for wear and use in a low temp(-40C) environment, and the only four that were approved for use by the RCMP were Eezox, G96, FP-10, and TW25B.

KSFreeman · October 1, 2001, 08:37 AM

Glock is not immune to laws of Nature, including friction.

I use Kellube (the stuff they use at Springfield and I think Les Baer uses it too) on all my firearms, including Glocks (just not as much). I've had good results with Tetra as well.

Jason Demond · October 1, 2001, 04:18 PM

I use Tetra grease for all slide contact areas. I also like FP10 for everything else.

Rob Orlando · October 3, 2001, 01:22 PM

Wilson Ultima Lube! I use the oil and the grease, I've never used anything else, I'm suprised no one mentioned it.

blades67 · October 3, 2001, 01:50 PM

Oh my God! I've only been using CLP/Breakfree since 1985 to maintain my firearms, but according to some here on this forum my guns are going to rust and fail because I'm not using their favorite lube or grease!

Singer Sewing Machine oil (3 in one) will keep firearms lubed and free from rust providing the gun is cleaned daily. Just about any modern gun care product will be more than adequate.

Clayton · October 3, 2001, 03:15 PM

Wilson Ultima Lube is an excellent product. It is manufactured by Protec, and similar products are available from them.
www.proteclubricants.com
www.wilsoncombat.com

However, PL-10 grease made by MPC is just as good, and much cheaper if you buy the one pound tub for $6.34.
www.mpc-home.com

Master Blaster · October 4, 2001, 09:16 AM

Clayton what wear scar test are you quoting? ASTM has standard tests using 4 balls.

Wear scar test for Castrol syntec motor Oil:
4 ball wear scar test 1800rpm for 1 hour at 150C and 40KG pressure:

ASTMD4172

Castrol Syntec .45
FP-10 .90

It seems that castrol syntec 5-W30 is much better that FP-10 on this standard test. $5.00 a quart at your local auto store.

YMMV

J.T.King · October 4, 2001, 10:08 AM

BreakFree/CLP everywhere else!

JT

Clayton · October 4, 2001, 12:03 PM

Master Blaster,

There's quite a few different wear tests, and manufacturers like to use different one's so their products can't be compared.

Where'd you get the 4172 results for FP-10? Good job

.

ASTMD-4172 Test results:
Break-Free CLP .80
Corrosion X .58
Milcomm TW-25B .42
Super Lube .50

Now keep in mind, this is but one test of literally hundreds which can be performed on lubes, and these results alone mean nothing.
http://www.users.nac.net/petrolube/

Again, wear is a secondary concern compared to corrosion. Motor oils, all of them, suck as protectants. I have tested them. Don't recommend them until you test them accordingly. There's no free lunch. If you think you're getting a top of the line firearms lube/protectant with motor oil, you're kidding yourself. Will it work? Absolutely. Best? Not even close.

On the subject of FP-10 and PL-10:

Test PL-10 on any plastic parts before use to guarantee compatability. I'm testing this now on a Glock frame.

My only complaint so far with FP-10 is it tends to run off my carry guns much more rapidly than Break-Free CLP or G96. It also seems to evaporate rather quickly. If you're using FP-10 on your carry weapon, check it often.

For those using Tetra grease, Milcomm's TW-25B is very similar, and a better protectant. It's also mil-spec, and may very well be the "weapons lube of the future". Good stuff.
www.milcomm.com

Clark Kent · October 4, 2001, 01:22 PM

I use BreakFree CLP to clearn and prevent rust, Militec-1 to slick up contact points.

Clayton · October 4, 2001, 03:19 PM

Something to keep in mind when buying or using gun care products:

Many products, be they cleaners, lubes, etc. are not compatible, and should not be mixed. This is especially so with products originally formulated for automotive use, as they contain more chemicals in general. Be wary of Militec-1 and FP-10 in this regard.

Clark Kent, an excellent product to use in conjunction with CLP for high wear areas is Milcomm TW-25B. I use it on the connector face of Glocks, as well as the sear/trigger parts of rifles etc. It is the lube of choice for Gunsite, and is recommended by none other than Louis Awerbuck.

denfoote · October 4, 2001, 03:23 PM

I use Pro Shot Zero Friction. It is a PTFE (That's teflon) based gun oil. Works for me...

Clark Kent · October 4, 2001, 03:39 PM

Clayton - Thanx for the tip. Am curious as to what can happen with Militec-1 mixing with the FP-10. Also, is BreakFree similar enuf to FP-10 that it can cause a similar reaction?

Anybody checked the exhaustive lube test report on the Gun Zone lately? I think I'll go back and take another look.

XXXXXXXXX

Back from the Gun Zone. The report was on rust preventives, not lubricants. BreakFree came out on top. Here's the link:

http://communities.prodigy.net/sportsrec/gz-rust.html

Fred Hansen · October 4, 2001, 03:44 PM

Tetra rocks!

Dabit deus his quoque finem (Aeneid)

God will even grant an end to these [troubles]

Clayton · October 4, 2001, 10:48 PM

I have tested Militec-1 on my daily carry pistol, a Glock 23. I personally wasn't impressed, as the four slide rails had significant rust spots at the end of a long, hot, sweaty day of carry. In all of my lube tests, I have never experienced rust this fast on a carry weapon. No rust at all after a week of carry when using Break-Free CLP. Militec-1 didn't impress me as a lube either, although lots of people love the stuff. Pistolsmith Teddy Jacobson and Benchmade Knife Company being two of them.

One thing I will say about Militec is there customer service and tech support are excellent. They are very kind and helpful, and don't hesitate to give you a sample to try. www.militec-1.com

Anybody using Prolix? Been around for awhile, but you don't hear much about it, kinda like G96. Supposed to be really good stuff.
www.prolixlubricant.com

September 30, 2001, 02:45 PM	#1
Lightsped Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2000 Location: Kennesaw/Marietta, Georgia Posts: 810	Best lubricant for slide/frame contact points? What is the best lubricant to use for areas of semiautos where the slide and frame rub each other? Currently I use Hoppes #9 for cleaning the barrel, and Breakfree CLP for cleaning the outside finish of the gun. Is something thicker needed for slide/frame rails and other areas where alot of friction is present? Like a gooey grease?

September 30, 2001, 05:19 PM	#5
Clayton Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2001 Location: Bentonville, Arkansas Posts: 268	Honestly, it really doesn't matter from a wear standpoint. Many light oils actually outperform greases in wear tests. Lots of people recommend a grease for carry guns, as it won't run off or evaporate from the weapon. During cold weather, oil is the best thing to use, with FP-10 and G96 being the best for extreme cold weather useage. The only real use for grease that I have found is on the connector face of a Glock. Grease is preferred for weapons that see use in a maritime environment, i.e if you swim with your gun, a good grease is the way to go, unless it is cold outside. You can use nothing but CLP on your weapons, with no problems at all. Millions of weapons are maintained this way with no issues of abnormal wear. As always, use what you like and have confidence in, and use it often. A good Preventative Maintenance schedule overrules fancy gear and hyped-up products. Last edited by Clayton; September 30, 2001 at 06:15 PM.

September 30, 2001, 11:12 PM	#11
Clayton Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2001 Location: Bentonville, Arkansas Posts: 268	PreserveFreedom, Glock wants to sell guns, and they're just like car manufacturers in that they are forced by the industry to claim their products are low maintenance, etc. Whoever wrote the Glock manual doesn't carry a gun in the same world I do, that's for sure. A manual is a guide, nothing more, nothing less. PM isn't a religion or a science, it's a required chore . Weapons maintenance is a personal thing, and your specific weapon and the conditions you use it in dictate the schedule and products used. Like everything else in the world, there is a fine line between too much and not enough . I've been testing out the MPC FP-10 and PL-10 lubes on my Glocks and my M500MILS, and I'm very happy with it so far. A great company to deal with, too. www.mpc-home.com Eezox is indeed a good product. It always does well in wear and rust tests. www.eezox.com The Royal Canadian Mounted Police tested lubes for wear and use in a low temp(-40C) environment, and the only four that were approved for use by the RCMP were Eezox, G96, FP-10, and TW25B. Last edited by Clayton; October 1, 2001 at 12:24 AM.

October 1, 2001, 04:18 PM	#13
Jason Demond Senior Member Join Date: May 9, 1999 Location: Mivonks, Michigan Posts: 1,846	Ditto on the Tetra. I use Tetra grease for all slide contact areas. I also like FP10 for everything else. __________________ "ACCEPT NOTHING LESS THAN FULL VICTORY!" General Dwight D. Eisenhower June 6, 1944 ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ!

October 3, 2001, 01:50 PM	#15
blades67 Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 1999 Location: Chandler, Arizona, USA Posts: 6,014	Oh my God! I've only been using CLP/Breakfree since 1985 to maintain my firearms, but according to some here on this forum my guns are going to rust and fail because I'm not using their favorite lube or grease! Singer Sewing Machine oil (3 in one) will keep firearms lubed and free from rust providing the gun is cleaned daily. Just about any modern gun care product will be more than adequate. __________________ Guns cause crime like spoons cause Rosie O'Donnell to be fat! I hunt, therefore I am.

September 30, 2001, 03:30 PM	#2
Mark IV Series 80 Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2001 Posts: 540	I use Tetra-Gun Grease on the rails and the locking-lugs, Break-Free CLP everywhere else. -Mk.IV

September 30, 2001, 04:05 PM	#3
Clayton Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2001 Location: Bentonville, Arkansas Posts: 268	Lots of good products out there, and "better" is a relative term. One is far more likely to encounter corrosion problems versus wear problems. Lots of good info here and on the other forums. Do a search on lubricants. http://www.1911forum.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000409.html http://glocktalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=39176 http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...5&pagenumber=1 http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...ght=lubricants I'm very pleased with Break-Free CLP. Shooters Choice/MPC FP-10 is the best oil lubricant available. Tetra Gun Grease is the best grease type lube. www.mpc-home.com www.break-free.com(for the best prices on Break-Free go to www.midsouthshooterssupply.com) www.corrosionx.com www.tetraproducts.com www.bestdefense.com for Milcomm TW25B www.g96products.com Best regards, Clayton Last edited by Clayton; September 30, 2001 at 05:26 PM.

September 30, 2001, 04:43 PM	#4
Lightsped Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2000 Location: Kennesaw/Marietta, Georgia Posts: 810	Is greese the best thing to use on the slide rails, or should I be using a oil in that location?

September 30, 2001, 06:30 PM	#6
Clayton Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2001 Location: Bentonville, Arkansas Posts: 268	Comparison of weld load points of various lubes, the higher the number, the better the lubricant: Break-Free CLP 315kg Super Lube 250kg FP-10 730kg + Tetra Gun grease 800kg Militec-1 800kg TW25B 620kg Wear test conducted by the Falex Corp., a professional lubricant testing firm. The lower the index number, the better the wear preventive properties of the lube: RIG+P #72.1 Rem Oil #68.3 G96 Gun Treatment #62.8 Break-Free CLP #30.2 Prolix #7.0 Tetra Gun grease #2.1 Eezox #2.0 FP-10 #0.9 Again, these test say nothing about a lubricant's rust preventative properties, temp range, water washout rate, evaporation rate, etc. Just food for thought .

September 30, 2001, 07:00 PM	#7
Mark IV Series 80 Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2001 Posts: 540	Corrosion Protection Robert P. Firriolo wrote a test report on Rust Preventatives for Firearms. Here is the link: http://communities.prodigy.net/sportsrec/gz-rust.html

September 30, 2001, 07:29 PM	#8
Clayton Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2001 Location: Bentonville, Arkansas Posts: 268	Robert's test results correlate with mine, although I used scrapped barrels from a local maker as a test bed. I treated the barrels with the product, then hung them out in the rain. Break-Free CLP, Corrosion X, Eezox, and G96 performed the best in my tests. The worst products I've ever tested were Mpro7 Gun Lube, Mobil 1 15w-30 synthetic motor oil, and Militec-1. Thanks for the link !

September 30, 2001, 09:38 PM	#9
PreserveFreedom Guest Posts: n/a	Glock recommends one drop of oil on a q-tip to lubricate the entire pistol.

September 30, 2001, 10:24 PM	#10
waltherpfive Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2001 Location: TN Posts: 129	I have used Eezox on all my pistols for about 10 years now without a problem with wear or rust. My $.02

October 1, 2001, 08:37 AM	#12
KSFreeman Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2001 Location: Lafayette, Indiana--American-occupied America Posts: 5,418	Glock is not immune to laws of Nature, including friction. I use Kellube (the stuff they use at Springfield and I think Les Baer uses it too) on all my firearms, including Glocks (just not as much). I've had good results with Tetra as well.

October 3, 2001, 01:22 PM	#14
Rob Orlando Member Join Date: October 18, 2000 Posts: 33	Wilson Ultima Lube! I use the oil and the grease, I've never used anything else, I'm suprised no one mentioned it.

October 3, 2001, 03:15 PM	#16
Clayton Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2001 Location: Bentonville, Arkansas Posts: 268	Wilson Ultima Lube is an excellent product. It is manufactured by Protec, and similar products are available from them. www.proteclubricants.com www.wilsoncombat.com However, PL-10 grease made by MPC is just as good, and much cheaper if you buy the one pound tub for $6.34. www.mpc-home.com

October 4, 2001, 09:16 AM	#17
Master Blaster Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 1999 Location: One of the original 13 Colonies Posts: 2,281	Clayton what wear scar test are you quoting? ASTM has standard tests using 4 balls. Wear scar test for Castrol syntec motor Oil: 4 ball wear scar test 1800rpm for 1 hour at 150C and 40KG pressure: ASTMD4172 Castrol Syntec .45 FP-10 .90 It seems that castrol syntec 5-W30 is much better that FP-10 on this standard test. $5.00 a quart at your local auto store. YMMV

October 4, 2001, 10:08 AM	#18
J.T.King Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2000 Location: SoCal Posts: 345	Tetra Gun Gease for Slide contact points... BreakFree/CLP everywhere else! JT

October 4, 2001, 12:03 PM	#19
Clayton Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2001 Location: Bentonville, Arkansas Posts: 268	Master Blaster, There's quite a few different wear tests, and manufacturers like to use different one's so their products can't be compared. Where'd you get the 4172 results for FP-10? Good job . ASTMD-4172 Test results: Break-Free CLP .80 Corrosion X .58 Milcomm TW-25B .42 Super Lube .50 Now keep in mind, this is but one test of literally hundreds which can be performed on lubes, and these results alone mean nothing. http://www.users.nac.net/petrolube/ Again, wear is a secondary concern compared to corrosion. Motor oils, all of them, suck as protectants. I have tested them. Don't recommend them until you test them accordingly. There's no free lunch. If you think you're getting a top of the line firearms lube/protectant with motor oil, you're kidding yourself. Will it work? Absolutely. Best? Not even close. On the subject of FP-10 and PL-10: Test PL-10 on any plastic parts before use to guarantee compatability. I'm testing this now on a Glock frame. My only complaint so far with FP-10 is it tends to run off my carry guns much more rapidly than Break-Free CLP or G96. It also seems to evaporate rather quickly. If you're using FP-10 on your carry weapon, check it often. For those using Tetra grease, Milcomm's TW-25B is very similar, and a better protectant. It's also mil-spec, and may very well be the "weapons lube of the future". Good stuff. www.milcomm.com

October 4, 2001, 01:22 PM	#20
Clark Kent Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 1999 Posts: 128	Are we talking about lubricants or rust prevention? I use BreakFree CLP to clearn and prevent rust, Militec-1 to slick up contact points. __________________ Idiot, n. A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in human affairs has always been dominant and controlling. -- Ambrose Bierce

October 4, 2001, 03:19 PM	#21
Clayton Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2001 Location: Bentonville, Arkansas Posts: 268	Something to keep in mind when buying or using gun care products: Many products, be they cleaners, lubes, etc. are not compatible, and should not be mixed. This is especially so with products originally formulated for automotive use, as they contain more chemicals in general. Be wary of Militec-1 and FP-10 in this regard. Clark Kent, an excellent product to use in conjunction with CLP for high wear areas is Milcomm TW-25B. I use it on the connector face of Glocks, as well as the sear/trigger parts of rifles etc. It is the lube of choice for Gunsite, and is recommended by none other than Louis Awerbuck.

October 4, 2001, 03:23 PM	#22
denfoote Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 1999 Location: Buckeye Arizona Posts: 5,526	I use Pro Shot Zero Friction. It is a PTFE (That's teflon) based gun oil. Works for me... __________________ Ich bin kein Nationalsozialist!!!!!! Ich bin Republikaner!!!!!!!! Neca eos omnes. Deus suos agnoset. Arizona: Flush the Johns!!!

October 4, 2001, 03:39 PM	#23
Clark Kent Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 1999 Posts: 128	Clayton - Thanx for the tip. Am curious as to what can happen with Militec-1 mixing with the FP-10. Also, is BreakFree similar enuf to FP-10 that it can cause a similar reaction? Anybody checked the exhaustive lube test report on the Gun Zone lately? I think I'll go back and take another look. XXXXXXXXX Back from the Gun Zone. The report was on rust preventives, not lubricants. BreakFree came out on top. Here's the link: http://communities.prodigy.net/sportsrec/gz-rust.html

October 4, 2001, 03:44 PM	#24
Fred Hansen Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2001 Location: The middle of WWIII Posts: 3,335	Tetra rocks! Dabit deus his quoque finem (Aeneid) God will even grant an end to these [troubles] __________________ "This started out as a documentary on gun violence in America, but the largest mass murder in our history was just committed -- without the use of a single gun! Not a single bullet fired! No bomb was set off, no missile was fired, no weapon (i.e., a device that was solely and specifically manufactured to kill humans) was used. A boxcutter! -- I can't stop thinking about this. A thousand gun control laws would not have prevented this massacre. What am I doing?" Michael Moore

October 4, 2001, 10:48 PM	#25
Clayton Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2001 Location: Bentonville, Arkansas Posts: 268	I have tested Militec-1 on my daily carry pistol, a Glock 23. I personally wasn't impressed, as the four slide rails had significant rust spots at the end of a long, hot, sweaty day of carry. In all of my lube tests, I have never experienced rust this fast on a carry weapon. No rust at all after a week of carry when using Break-Free CLP. Militec-1 didn't impress me as a lube either, although lots of people love the stuff. Pistolsmith Teddy Jacobson and Benchmade Knife Company being two of them. One thing I will say about Militec is there customer service and tech support are excellent. They are very kind and helpful, and don't hesitate to give you a sample to try. www.militec-1.com Anybody using Prolix? Been around for awhile, but you don't hear much about it, kinda like G96. Supposed to be really good stuff. www.prolixlubricant.com Last edited by Clayton; October 4, 2001 at 11:36 PM.