Silicon oil on bolt?

[Strakele]

Hey guys,

I just got my first rifle, a Savage 110 with B&C stock. I have a question about lubricating it. I remember back when I used to shoot high end airsoft guns, you were supposed to use 100% silicon oil to lubricate them. It would make any metal on metal contact areas silky smooth and also protect the rubber seals. Can I use silicon oil on the bolt of my rifle to make the pull smoother? This would be used on areas where the bolt slides against the receiver only. I have normal gun oil to clean the barrel and chamber and bolt face and such. I see no reason why it shouldn't work, but I just wanted to ask and be sure. Only thing I can think of is the heat doing something to it, but I'm don't really know

Thanks!

 

[dakotasin]

you can if you want to - won't make much of a difference. i don't use oil on bolts - a little dab of grease in the raceways and behind the lugs is it.

the savage bolt pull won't turn 'silky smooth' if for no other reason than the drag of the bolt on the mag. nothing to be concerned w/.

 

[skinewmexico]

No rubber seals on the Savage, so no need for silicone. I use Tetra grease on mine. Now if I had a Tikka with the nylon inserts in the raceways, I might think different.

 

[JesseL]

Could the use of silicon oil on air guns also be to prevent dieseling?

 

[Walkalong]

Silicone lubes tend to build up and get gummy. I avoid them myself.

 

[Strakele]

I realize there are no rubber seals on real rifles. This application would be as a mild lubrication for the bolt to make it smoother. It works on other applications, so I figured there would be no reason why it shouldn't work here. It wouldn't be a horrifically thick spray, just a bit to keep things working smoothly. I'd clean it enough so that it doesn't get gummed up at all.

 

[mainebear]

Try it and see. I can't see any harm that it would do as long as you don't end up with the problem Walkalong mentioned. Give it a quick test and see how you like it. If you do, adjust maintenance accordingly to avoid the sticky dirt filled gummed up mess.
Let us know how it works out.

 

[The Deer Hunter]

3-in-1 works well.

 

[Slugless]

In general it's a good idea to:

* use gun oils for guns
* follow the manufacturer's recommendations
* Don't mix different manufacturer's lubrication/cleaning systems

There are always exceptions & mixing Hoppe's oil with BreakFree won't harm a thing. Some people use "alternative" lubricants such as ATF or Mobil 1. Seems to work well for them but my professional training is to use a lubricant that's specifically intended for an application. 3-in-1 type oils will say on the back of the can that they are good for firearms. IIRC it doesn't say the same on a can of silicon lube.

YMMV. If you try it, let us know what happens.

Good luck, welcome to THR, and good shooting!

 

[Sir Aardvark]

If you want something cheap that will last a long time, get a quart of 20w-50 Mobil 1.
It'll probably cost you $4.95 at your local auto parts store (for 32 ounces); for comparison, a 4 ounce bottle of breakfree is about $6.95.
Mobil has spent LOTS of money to perfect a high-performance synthetic lubricant for metal-on-metal contact, so make use of it.

It is an excellent lubricant.

Breakfree is really good too, especially when you need a spray to get all the nooks and crannies.

If you need something purely for rust protection check out EEZOX, it is one of the best anti-rust protectants out there (other than cosmoline).

The reason you use silicon on Airsoft is that hydrocarbon-based oils will attack the rubber seals and eventually break them down.
There are much better oils to use on metal than silicon.

 

[Slamfire]

If you want something cheap that will last a long time, get a quart of 20w-50 Mobil 1.
It'll probably cost you $4.95 at your local auto parts store (for 32 ounces); for comparison, a 4 ounce bottle of breakfree is about $6.95.
Mobil has spent LOTS of money to perfect a high-performance synthetic lubricant for metal-on-metal contact, so make use of it.

I have been using Mobil 1 10W-30 for years.

Automotive environments are far harsher than what your bolt gun will ever experience. There has to be millions, maybe tens of millions spent each year on research to improve automotive lubricants.

If a quarter is spent per year on research on gun lubricants, I would be surprised.

Automotive greases and oils work just great on firearms and cost one heck of a lot less than “Gun Oils”.

But only use air gun oil in those air guns. That is a specific application where you should not make substitutions.

 

[Strakele]

Thanks for the input guys, I think I'll try the automotive lubricant.