Wheel bearing grease

[alanwk]

Do any of you use wheel bearing grease on your AR15? I have seen a video of a trainer that uses it. He really likes it. A tub goes a very long way. On handguns too. I you do, is any brand or type preferred? Thanks.

 

[InTheSwamp]

No. Just gun oil, or grease from a reputable gun oil, or grease maker. I see no need to over-think it.

 

[12Bravo20]

I've only used it when assembling uppers on the receiver threads. I'll also put a small dab on the trigger and hammer when first assembling the lower. In the Army we used GAA - Grease, Automotive, Artillery which was your basic cheap brown grease. It's too thick for the BCG.

And asking what type of oil or grease to use opens up a big can of worms. Don't be surprised if this discussion gets a little heated.

PS: I'm old fashion and still use BreakFree CLP and have been using it since Uncle Sam introduced me to it at 17 years old in the late 80's

 

[tmd16556]

The blue smelly stuff? Where do you put it in an AR that won’t make a mess? It’s good on wheel bearings and on bird feeder poles to keep raccoons from climbing them.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I put some of it on my BCG stems. Last time i cleaned them. Hoping it helps with the carbon build up.

 

[Pat Riot]

I use Mobil 1 oil and grease for lubricants. Years ago I tried generic axle grease. When my guns got hot in the sun the grease oozed out into the action and outside the gun. I thought that was odd for a supposed high temp grease. I haven’t had that occur with Mobil 1.

 

[TonyAngel]

I think that using grease as a lubricant between moving parts in any firearm is a bad idea. Lubricant serves two purposes. The first is, of course, to lubricate. The second is to act as a medium by which the cycling of the action can displace crud as it builds up.

If you use grease, the crud just mixes with the grease and creates a thick sludge that isn't easily displaced. Besides, mix grease with an abrasive, like sand or dirt and you get a sort of lapping compound. You might as well be running sand paper between your parts.

 

[joseywales76]

Tacky red hi Temp for me. Been using the same tube for 25years, still 60% full

 

[GRIZ22]

I use Mobil 1 grease on my M1s and similar actions. It doesn't dry up. Fired M1s I greased a couple of years ago with no issues.

I use Dri-Slide on ARs. I used it at my own expense in Vietnam in 68-69. Never failed me.

CLP is also good but it is second to Dri-Slide.

JMO

 

[Zygodactyl]

I wouldn't use grease, it collects dirt. CLP was newfangled stuff. We used LSA, sparingly for the same reason, too much and you collect dirt.

 

[Blue Brick]

Do any of you use wheel bearing grease on your AR15? I have seen a video of a trainer that uses it. He really likes it. A tub goes a very long way. On handguns too. I you do, is any brand or type preferred? Thanks.

Moly lube.

 

[LoonWulf]

I run moly lube on some contact surfaces, and i run the red stuff on buffer springs.

 

[sparkyv]

I use lithium and/or moly grease.

 

[redneck2]

I made a good living for 30+ years selling industrial lubricants. Grease is simply oil with something added to thicken it (think flour in gravy), then additives. There is no such thing as moly grease. Moly (molybdenum disulfide) is an additive (think salt or pepper in gravy). Typically oil is preferred in any friction producing situation and grease only used when oil won’t stay in place

Most wheel bearing grease sold at places like Walmart or automotive stores has cheaper lithium as a thickener and a few additives. Being tacky due to thickener, it will tend to accumulate debris and will partially to greatly inhibit performance in colder weather.

I personally would shy away from heavy lubricant. I personally use PTFE Teflon spray in my AR’s. It is the slickest substance known. It leaves a rust resistant coating that feels dry and collects minimum debris.

 

[Hartkopf]

I made a good living for 30+ years selling industrial lubricants. Grease is simply oil with something added to thicken it (think flour in gravy), then additives. There is no such thing as moly grease. Moly (molybdenum disulfide) is an additive (think salt or pepper in gravy). Typically oil is preferred in any friction producing situation and grease only used when oil won’t stay in place

Most wheel bearing grease sold at places like Walmart or automotive stores has cheaper lithium as a thickener and a few additives. Being tacky due to thickener, it will tend to accumulate debris and will partially to greatly inhibit performance in colder weather.

I personally would shy away from heavy lubricant. I personally use PTFE Teflon spray in my AR’s. It is the slickest substance known. It leaves a rust resistant coating that feels dry and collects minimum debris.

Is this any good? https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1014722895?pid=233826

 

[trackskippy]

I use Mobil 1 grease on my M1s and similar actions. It doesn't dry up. Fired M1s I greased a couple of years ago with no issues.

I use Dri-Slide on ARs. I used it at my own expense in Vietnam in 68-69. Never failed me.

CLP is also good but it is second to Dri-Slide.

JMO

This stuff?

I used that when it was still being issued (thats an old issue can). Seemed to work OK, but what a mess! They still make it, but the packaging is different. Its still a mess too.


Over the years, Ive tried most of the way overpriced gun-specific lubes. Some worked OK, others not so much.

For the past decade or so now, except for things like my M1's, M1A's, which got Lubriplate, Ive been using Mobil 1 oil for everything else and its been working great. Still using the original quart I bought, and its still about a quarter full at this point, and Ive been cleaning and lubing a number of guns every week all along.

 

[Nature Boy]

A good ol oil and lube thread. What would we do without em

I think wheel bearing grease is fine if used sparingly. Better still is lithium grease or one of the myriad choices marketed for gun applications.

As far as concern over it attracting dirt, how many of us are running our ARs in battlefield-like conditions?

 

[Pat Riot]

I personally use PTFE Teflon spray in my AR’s. It is the slickest substance known. It leaves a rust resistant coating that feels dry and collects minimum debris.

On ARs I use Mobil 1 grease on the recoil spring and in the buffer tube to 1. Lubricate, and 2. To reduce noise. The noise is no biggie. Can I use this PTFE Teflon spray for buffer / spring lube? Have you used it on older guns like M1 Garands in place of grease?
Do you know if Hornady’s “One Shot CLP” is a Teflon based CLP? It leaves a slick residue after drying.
And “Ditto” to @Hartkopf question about Hoppe’s Dri-Lube.

I only use grease where it’s a must (as I was taught). In the Navy we used grease on the M14s on the sliding parts and I do that on my Garand and formerly, my M1 Carbines.

 

[Gun-Reck]

Do any of you use wheel bearing grease on your AR15? I have seen a video of a trainer that uses it. He really likes it. A tub goes a very long way. On handguns too. I you do, is any brand or type preferred? Thanks.

"If it rotates - oil it, if it slides - grease it."

Any old bearing grease works fine, especially blue marine grease.

 

[mcb]

My AR's pretty much only get Break-Free CLP everywhere, and fairly generously. I am not in the sandbox and an AR runs better wet if you don't have to worry about dust. For competition I run them with extra lub. Now on my revolvers I do use a small amount of high pressure bearing grease on the star and the end of the ejector rod. I also use the same high pressure bearing grease on some parts of semi-auto handguns, like ears, disconnectors etc.

 

[Walkalong]

I use oil on ARs. Can’t think of anything gun related I use grease for anymore. Oil, thin or thick, depends.

But as I always say in threads like this, just use something, most serious lube issues are caused by no lube at all. 99% of all the lube issues I’ve seen at the range have been squeaky dry guns.

 

[Remington1911]

My father in law, and his brother......uncle in law? Used wheel grease and motor oil going back into the 50's. I have the brothers old 16g 1930's A5 and it runs like a champ. It was dirty as all get out, and it was a hell to get clean. The FiL said he did not think his brother ever cleaned it, if it stopped running he would just oil and grease it.

Personally I don't, but not for any good reason. I do use grease more then most "modern" people do. Started with my first Garand and went from there. My thinking was well the working of a garand is not much different from any other automatic, so why grease on it, but just oil on the others. Oil is so much "thinner", and it will get "slung off" with the speed of the automatic. The grease stands a better chance of staying put. So a light coat on anything that is metal to metal. Oil in general other places.

My two bits that is not worth two quarters.

 

[12Bravo20]

Walkalong is correct that any type of lube/oil is always better than running a firearm dry. And as others have stated, collecting dirt is not as much of a concern in the civilian world as it is in the military. One exception is if you live in s dry dusty/sandy environment.

I've used the M16A1/A2 and M60 in just about every type of environment and have always stuck with BreakFree CLP since it was always available and it always worked. We never worried about putting any grease on the buffer springs to quiet them down since that noise was the least of our concerns. I know things have changed since I retired but the basics have not and the KISS principal is still used.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Survey 50 gun owners and you will learn about 40 different lubes they swear by and 30 of the different lube owners will tell you they found the right one. 20 may actually be right.

 

[SterlingBullet]

I think that using grease as a lubricant between moving parts in any firearm is a bad idea. Lubricant serves two purposes. The first is, of course, to lubricate. The second is to act as a medium by which the cycling of the action can displace crud as it builds up.

If you use grease, the crud just mixes with the grease and creates a thick sludge that isn't easily displaced. Besides, mix grease with an abrasive, like sand or dirt and you get a sort of lapping compound. You might as well be running sand paper between your parts.

Thank you for following a rational thought process called common sense. Apparently, no one has ever removed and repacked wheel bearings before; the old grease can be a paste-like sludge from dirt and debris mixing with the grease.
Similarly, once you lubricate locks with graphite, you never follow it up with oil or silicon.