Why does everyone tell me not to use...

[SilentStalker]

Why does everyone keep telling me not to use high temp synthetic wheel bearing grease in my AR's? When the guys next to me at the range always have to stop and lube and stuff I can keep going. So, why does everyone say not to do this? Is it going to do something that I do not know about or what? Regular cleaner dissolves it just fine. So, why the fuss? Can someone explain?

 

[ugaarguy]

As long as there's graphite (which is abrasive to aluminum and acts as a catalyst in galvanic corrosion between steel and aluminum) or other weird substance in it, I don't see why you shouldn't use it.

 

[Creature]

AR's dont like grease. They like oil. CLP works well, but in a pinch, any oil will do. In crappy conditions, oil the hell out of it, and keep oiling it, new on top of old.

 

[LoonWulf]

If its working i cant see a reason not to use it personally.
Ive never owned an AR, but herd pretty much the same thing Creature said "AR's dont like grease". If this is true, when i DO get an AR im likely to find out, as i tend to grease everything LOL.

 

[JustinJ]

Grease of any type will hold fouling and dirt much worse than oil. So while it may stay lubed longer it will also foul up faster and removing fouling is much more invovled than spraying oil. In mechanical devices grease is generally preffered in spots that are sealed or not exposed to much dirt.

Personally i'd stay far away from graphite based lubes. I've seen it loosen up pliers and other tools in a way that could only be caused by lapping the metals.

 

[dprice3844444]

i use amsoil synthetic high temp waterproof wheel bearing grease,works fine

 

[TonyAngel]

Oil, or other freely flowing lubricant, servers as a medium to allow the action of the rifle to displace contaminants, like sand and grit. Grease will keep the sand and grit right where it shouldn't be.

Grease contaminated with sand is just about the equivalent of lubing your action with lapping or grinding compound.

 

[Robert101]

Although the lubricating properties of grease are fine, grease tends to increase the ability of gun parts to stick together (It sort of causes them to slow down). Some people use grease on their 1911's and you can really feel the slide momentum change or retard. I only use oil in my metal firearms and clean them after each range visit. I've never greased an AR but I'll bet it will change the dynamic of the BCG movement.

 

[velocette]

I use a synthetic chassis grease on the wear surfaces of my AR's bolts, on the locking lugs, on the cam pin and on the sear face. All sparingly, no globs of grease. My rifles run flawlessly and show virtually no signs of wear. Oil is used on the bolt wear surfaces and gas rings. That same grease is used on the locking lugs of my bolt action rifles also.
I did try using grease on my 1911 and Browning Hi Power slide & found that it DID slow down the slide & I got some malfunctions when using reduced power target loads.
Remember folks, the M1 Garand the quintessential semi auto rifle is lubricated with nothing but grease.

Roger

 

[Creature]

Remember folks, the M1 Garand the quintessential semi auto rifle is lubricated with nothing but grease.

True, but the M1 Garand was designed to operate with all sliding components greased. The M16/AR15 was not.

 

[Boomie]

How much are the other people at your range shooting that they have to stop and relube? Shouldn't an AR go a thousand rounds without needing to relube?

 

[Gtimothy]

On advice from several members of the THR community, I'm using a mixture of 2 parts Mobile 1 synthetic to one part Marvel Mystery oil. That mix is SLIPPERY! My ARs run great on it and I oil them til they're almost dripping. I don't use grease on anything but action springs, as a light coating applied with my fingers, to prevent rust.

 

[TonyAngel]

For the guys that run grease in their ARs, I wonder how many rounds they can go before they have to clean their rifles because it's stopped running due to the build up of crud?

I'm only asking because I've never used grease, for the reasons stated above, but I do know that my rifle has gone thousands of rounds since its last cleaning and all I do is lube it every 500 rounds or so.

 

[WNTFW]

Some people use grease.
Yeager says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXIsKEHo-4g

I'm sure there are other youtube videos that suggest it.

I don't claim to know, but it is easy to add oil on the fly.

 

[dfariswheel]

More and more Match AR shooters are using grease in key areas.

One top shooter wrote that as an experiment he ran his Match AR for an entire shooting season without cleaning the action or removing the grease.
He just added more grease when it was needed.
He had zero stoppages or any trouble at all, and no visible wear or damage.

One strange use of grease the Match shooters are using is a thick coat on the sides and bottom of the trigger area in the lower.
This coating of grease catches and holds any grit, blown primers or other debris and prevents it from fouling up the trigger assembly.

The idea that the AR should be used only with a liquid lube, or that grease will foul up and slow or jam the action is undergoing revision due to real world experience by the civilian Match shooters who shoot the AR more than almost any one else.
Their experience is indicating that like in most firearms, grease is an excellent lubricant for the AR.

 

[Cosmoline]

For the guys that run grease in their ARs, I wonder how many rounds they can go before they have to clean their rifles because it's stopped running due to the build up of crud?

Up to 500 between cleanings, and no stoppages due to the action gumming up. But I use it sparingly, just a few small dabs rubbed at key points in the action. Must lubing comes from CLP. I've never noticed any accumulation of grit at those points.

 

[taliv]

Why does everyone keep telling me not to use high temp synthetic wheel bearing grease in my AR's?

because some people can learn from the mistakes of others and don't have a strong desire to put themselves in a suboptimal position just to prove to some guy on the internet that their method works too.

all the match shooters i hang out with use oil.
all the tactical shooters i hang out with use oil.
because that's what they run BEST on in the most environments, for most uses


hey, attend a pat rogers class and you'll probably see him lubing ARs with vagisil, just to make the point. they will run on grease. they will run on urine.

but if you have a choice, why would you use grease?

 

[TonyAngel]

The idea that the AR should be used only with a liquid lube, or that grease will foul up and slow or jam the action is undergoing revision due to real world experience by the civilian Match shooters who shoot the AR more than almost any one else.

I would hardly call shooting an AR in matches "real world use." I'd call that very limited exposure to harsh environments.

This thread was begun asking the question of why grease should not be used. I'd look at it from the flip side and ask, why should you use grease? The answer is for no good reason.

What does grease do that a good lube won't, other than make it messier to clean the rifle? Even if grease did work as well as oil, now you have two types of lube to contend with. Why even complicate matters?

Still, grease does nothing to allow the action to displace the crap that finds its way into the action of a rifle. Are those proponents of using grease on an AR saying that having grit trapped in the action is a good thing?

 

[JohnBT]

I don't know ARs, but I know grease comes in a wide variety of thicknesses from semi-fluid to solid. You can't just talk about "grease" like they're all the same. Well you can, but it's sounds silly.

www.greasedispensing.com/ref-viscosity.html

Then there's the whole worked vs. unworked grease angle.

 

[JAV8000]

I used nothing but CLP in my M4 while combat deployed in Afghanistan....I never had a malfunction. People like to say the M16 based actions don't run well dirty. This is a falicy. They run fine dirty, they just need to be properly lubricated and free from mass quantities of dirt/sand. Carbon buildup isn't much of a concerne within 1000 rounds. I never had To shoot 1000 rounds in a period of time before being able to clean my weapon system. Keep oil in a little squirt bottle near by. Your weapon will speak to you in how it feels and sounds in recoil.....if it becomes sluggish, squirt a little oil on the bolt and carrier. This is a professionals weapon system, not a peasents. She works well and will gratify your whim if shown proven understanding and love. Know her and love her, she is (could be) your life.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Since 1967 I have used thin coat of light grease (Lubriplate 130-A) on the carrier rails, cam pin and a touch on the bolt lugs. The gas rings and inside the carrier is well oiled. While in service I well oil the carrier and bolt as needed. I've had many 1000 round plus weekends with zero lube problems.

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

The problem with grease is some folks tend to overdo it. I have worked on some AR's that looked like they applied it with a rubber spatula. I stopped using grease in my guns a long time ago. The variety I used would harden over time and slow the action down causing malfunctions. Some grease types don't harden over time or from cold but they are still a pain to clean when a deep cleaning is necessary. I stick to good old CLP.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

but if you have a choice, why would you use grease?

It stays in place, unlike oil.

because it stays in place, i don't have to use very much of it.

because it stays in place and i dont have to use very much, there's less surface area covered in lube, which attracts dirt.

I use the high temp grease on all my guns, and it works like a champ.

 

[Creature]

The idea that the AR should be used only with a liquid lube, or that grease will foul up and slow or jam the action is undergoing revision due to real world experience by the civilian Match shooters who shoot the AR more than almost any one else.

I would hardly call shooting an AR in matches "real world use." I'd call that very limited exposure to harsh environments.

I concur.

The competitive match rifle is not going to experience anything like what a battle rifle in harsh conditions will experience. Sure, grease will work....for a time. But in a far wider range of possible conditions, liquid lube will work better.

So, if you still prefer grease for your AR, stick with it. No pun intended.

 

[Red Cent]

When I do a disassembly of a firearm, it is immersed in a cocktail of Rigid Cutting Oil, Mystery Oil, and ATF. After brushing and rinsing with same, it is air blown to rid excess oil.

The cutting oil is a super carbon cleaner. My tricked out cowboy guns require clean and the Stag Model 3 runs very well.

Between teardowns, I rinse with Remoil, let set for a few minutes, work the action and rinse thoroughly. Wipe clean.

Competing in Wild Bunch matches, I rinse the Colt National Match with RemOil on the third stage. Wipe down and shoot the last three stahes.