ATF fluid + Silicon Spray in a Pinch

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bussttwo

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I searched the forums, and everyone seems to hate EVERYTHING from wd-40 to Mobil 1, except Breakfree CPL, while some people think corn oil would be good enough if you kept it oiled.

I know. Just get gun lube. for guns. I know.

Well I can't get the stuff, and I can't wait around to have it shipped here, as I must be leaving in about 2 days, and I really don't think I'll be passing a gun store any time in the following week or two, or on the way.....

What I DO have on hand is:

Castrol ATF+4 Full Synthetic, and 3 in 1 Silicon spray Lubricant.

Using the ATF fluid on the inside, and the silicon spray on the outside, I should be covered... for years right? Its a Parkerized Steel Receiver, BTW.

My friend is in the same boat, but he has a blued finish, if that matters....
 
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I have been using ATF as an interior and exterior lube and corrosion inhibitor for years. It works very well for both purposes. I would skip thensilicon and just use the ATF.


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Just use the ATF. There is no finer lube for stainless, put it on, it takes ovewrnight fo fully penetrate (or whatever it does) and then it's buttery smooth - nothing else comes close. Some $$$ "stainless" lube in tiny containers is repacked ATF.
 
I have used silicone and it works, although it's pretty thin. I hate it, it gets on everything and stinks and your hands are slippery all day. Yuck.

The only thing worse than silicone on a gun was the day my now ex-wife Armor All'd the steering wheel and shift knob in my car.
 
yeah.....
So I oiled the bolt/action bars and the inside of the receiver with the ATF, and then gave the outside parkerized finish a nice coat with the silicon, let it sit there, before I wiped it off.
Now that I am doing heavier research this boring morning, people are claiming that the silicon is actually clogging the 'pores' in the parkerized finish, which will make it difficult for any other type of oil/lube to penetrate its coating.....

Is there any factual basis behind this? Or is it just someone that didn't like silicon spray? I'm having hard times separating facts and personal opinions on some forums lol
 
If I remember right the guys at cheap paint shops who would do touch up painting on cars really hated someone who had used Silicone wax on the finish; they claimed the new paint would not stick so maybe there is something to the pore thingy.

I have used cheap Walmart Breakfree CLP for years and wipe the finish of the weapons I own with it. Some of my Comblock weapons if they have been worked hard and have gotten a scratch I use high temp spray paint and do a touch up...works great for me so maybe the CLP does come off when wiped down with Alcohol before painting?
 
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We use silicone as a waterproofer and rubber lubricant at work all the time. I'm pretty sure it does that by stopping up the pores in the material. It is basically silicone (similar to what is used in caulk) in a carrier. The carrier evaporates and leaves the silicone behind. I would avoid it on a parkerized surface because of that property. There are silicone based gun oils, which might be a different story, but what you have there is the dry film type. Here's a quote from the Wikipedia article about silicone:

"Lubricants
Silicone greases are used for many purposes, such as bicycle chains, airsoft gun parts, and a wide range of other mechanisms. Typically, a dry-set lubricant is delivered with a solvent carrier to penetrate the mechanism. The solvent then evaporates, leaving a clear film that lubricates but does not attract dirt and grit as much as an oil-based or other traditional "wet" lubricant."
 
Well I used it.... before I read the replies that said just use the ATF...... Doesn't ATF repel water as well, being an oil?

Does that mean that my parkerized finish on my shotgun is now silicon impregnated, and completely ****ed?
 
[email protected] said:
Does that mean that my parkerized finish on my shotgun is now silicon impregnated, and completely ****ed?
Click to expand...

I think I'd see if alcohol will remove it and then try some more interesting degreaser. If brake cleaner doesn't remove the finish (I have no idea - google/spot test!) I'm 99% sure it will do the trick.

IMHO your whole approach here was wrong. I prefer to avoid complicated chemicals that I don't understand. How toxic is transmission fluid? I'm sure it's great for transmissions, but do I want it on something I handle? Ditto with silicone, that's the last thing I want on my hands, rubbing my eyes, etc.

It's not sexy, but your standard mineral oil based products (machine oil from the hardware store, your average "gun" oil) are the way to go. And that's what's intended to saturate a parkerized finish. Any hardware store will have machine oil (aka "3-in-1").
 
Which is the funny thing because I have regular 3 in 1... and I heard its no good because its not synthetic and will gum up, and attract dirt, and all that.. I really hope I didn't mess my gun's finish up with this spray silicon.... time will tell.
I mean, if it stops oil from penetrating, surely it will stop water, and thus rust? That can't be too bad.....
 
Xylol/xlene solvent will remove the silicone without messing up your park. It's not that big of a deal, just keep it away from the stock as much as possible or if it gets on, get it off quickly......Re-oil the park after using the solvent.
 
For the Xylol/xlene stuff... any hardware store has it?

Will the silicon in the parked finish NEVER leave unless I use a solvent? Should I be doing this immediately?
 
[email protected] said:
Which is the funny thing because I have regular 3 in 1... and I heard its no good because its not synthetic and will gum up, and attract dirt, and all that..
Click to expand...

People have been oiling guns with petroleum-based oil for a lot longer than whoever told you that has been alive. It works fine. This isn't something to overthink too much, especially for a shotgun.
 
Silicone isn't going to hurt anything. The reason paint shops hate it (and the reason it's used to protect rubber) is that it's not water soluble and most cleaning methods and solvents won't fully dislodge it. The paint then doesn't adhere in places and you get visible defects.

Silicone doesn't clog pores in metals or surface finishes, doesn't prevent other products from getting there, and certainly doesn't stay forever. If you feel you have to do something, you'll find xylene in the paint section of any hardware store or in products such as Oops! or Goof Off in the cleaning isle. Apply, let sit, wipe with a clean cloth, repeat. Or just light fire to the money you would have used to purchase the solvent. The shotgun isn't going to know the difference.
 
MHO your whole approach here was wrong. I prefer to avoid complicated chemicals that I don't understand. How toxic is transmission fluid? I'm sure it's great for transmissions, but do I want it on something I handle? Ditto with silicone, that's the last thing I want on my hands, rubbing my eyes, etc.
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Then you better quit using any petroleum based oil at all, and that includes 99% of the synthetics on the market. There's only one company producing oils that contain no known carcinogens that I'm aware of, and I work in the industry. That company is Hydrotex.
 
I's no big deal. I really wouldn't worry too much about it. Even if it does clog the pores in the parkerized finish slightly, it will eventually wear off. And, unless you had water under it when you applied the silicone, it would seal the water out and not in. I would just avoid using it in the future and stick with a petroleum based or synthetic oil. Parkerized finishes are about the toughest thing out there and they do carry oil to prevent corrosion, but it isn't like you're dragging the thing through the mud to take back France. Don't freak out, just stick with the more normal stuff in the future. The single application of silicone should be fine, I just wouldn't recommend it for regular use. Like I said before, the silicone gun and reel oil in the little drip bottle is a different product entirely and is fine for guns, though I find it a little slimy on the hands. Also, silicone is not poisonous. It is commonly used on food processing equipment and even as an ingredient in certain food additives to prevent foaming during manufacturing (even beer).
And I really don't think it's worth using any kind of solvent to try and take it off. It will wear off, and if your gun was properly oiled before you applied it, it probably didn't penetrate the parkerizing anyway due to the oil already there. I would pretend it never happened and avoid it in the future if just for your own peace of mind. Just my $.02.
 
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As far as ATF attracting water, I spray the underside of my truck with it in late fall and it lasts all winter, seems to keep the rust at bay.
 
"I really wouldn't worry too much about it."

I wouldn't worry at all. I still have guns I used the stuff on for a few years starting in 1972. Gunscrubber or CLP or #9 should take it off the next time the gun is cleaned.
 
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