Bicycle Mechanics - gun lube on my drive train?

its hard to find good lubes around here with out ordering online and i need some right now.

I've got a bottle of Remington Remoil, i believe its a silicone compound with Teflon in it. it does a decent job repelling dirt. it works great in the moving parts in my guns.

what do you guys think?

It is worth a shot.:innocent:

Rem Oil is a silicone oil. I didn't know it had any Teflon in it. It is very low viscosity. It seems to have a lot of "carrier" (solvent) that evaporates away leaving a very thin, low viscosity film. I think it is okay as a corrosion preventative on surfaces that don't get a lot of wear. I'm not so sure it's be much good on a chain. It's be way better than nothing but would probably not last too long.

Break Free LP or even CLP is a good one. It has a higher viscosity and has some Teflon in it for sure - shake before using. It'd work on a chain.

I am ashamed to admit I have used quite a bit of gun oil on my chain over the years. Seems to work fine. But then again, I am of the opinion that the particular lube used on a chain is the most over-thought aspect of bike maintenance.

j

If you're going to use a spray lube on a chain, why not just stop by a motorcycle shop and buy some real chain lube?

Stuff I have used came in a drip bottle, so it really was not a terrible choice for chain lube.

its not spray lube its liquid.

it was the best thing i could find laying around my house. my other choices of lubrication would have been; wd40, 10w30 penzoil, or 3 in one oil... not gonna happen. although 3 in one isnt too bad but does attract a lot of dust and dirt.

i put the remoil on and it works good, the corrosion is gone off my chain and its silky smooth. you were right about it evaporating and leaving a "film" and i checked the bottle and it does have teflon on it.

I am ashamed to admit I have used quite a bit of gun oil on my chain over the years. Seems to work fine. But then again, I am of the opinion that the particular lube used on a chain is the most over-thought aspect of bike maintenance.

j

Sounds like a pretty good lubricant to try. I've never owned or lubricated a gun, so I haven't had the chance to try gun oil.

It's true we overthink our chain lubricants, but only because our chains need lubrication badly. Nothing improves a bike's ride more than lubricating the chain, except for one thing, which is inflating the tires properly.

Honestly, I think nearly any lubricant is fine. I even use WD-40 if that's all I have. It doesn't last long, but it works, even if briefly.

I use motor oil, too, which attracts dirt, but it works. If I use it often enough, the new oil flushes away the old, grimy oil.

Someone here recently recommended ATF fluid. I'll try that next. I remember buying some at a convenience store for my brother in law's bike while we were out on a ride. It was all they had, so I shrugged and said let's try it. I didn't stick around long to see the results, because I was visiting him from the opposite coast (of the US).

Tom Reingold
Noo Joizy, USA

I think any decent gun oil would work well as chain oil. Go for it.

its hard to find good lubes around here with out ordering online and i need some right now.

I've got a bottle of Remington Remoil, i believe its a silicone compound with Teflon in it. it does a decent job repelling dirt. it works great in the moving parts in my guns.

what do you guys think?

I like Break-Free CLP myself.
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I bought a couple of plastic bottles from the Army?Navy store for pennies. So, since it has more or less seemed to work as well as anything, it was a good deal.

jim

I like G-96 better, as a lube. My guns are very happy with it.

It doesn't get as gummy as the Remoil, and seems to stay on better.

It's also an excellent cleaner.

i'd think that the demands of a fire arm would be more than that of a bicycle. the moving parts in my guns are all metal on metal with no kind of buffer any kind except lube. gun lubes do have to deal with alot of corrosion, especially in my 1944 Mosin Nagant. which i can only find military surplus highly corrosive ammunition for. the stuff must do its job because its over 60 years old and completely rust free

for now i think its a good choice. i'm gonna check the LBS or order some online next time i place a big order.

I'm just curious ... why jsharr didn't get any props for his post?

:thumb:

It is worth a shot.:innocent:

props :thumb:

CLP should be fine as a chain lube. I use Mobile 1 for the slide and barrel lube and CLP for the action parts. The best rust prevention lube is WD40. Not a very good lube but it is awesome for rust prevention.

I have been using Dupont teflon with white lithium on my motorcycle for a couple of years. It's a spray can - available at Lowe's or Home Depot less than $5. But if you need something quick, look around for motor oil or automatic transmission fluid.

The best rust prevention lube is WD40. Not a very good lube but it is awesome for rust prevention.

WD-40 can also deaden primers. I'd avoid using it on firearms.
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WD-40 can also deaden primers. I'd avoid using it on firearms.
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Absolutely. I use Pedro's on my Glock 9 exclusively.

Ice Wax, I hope?:D
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Sounds kind of like a dry lube. Seems reasonable.

Why not? I think sometimes people kind of overthink the lube thing. The most important thing is that the lube...well, lubricate. Apply regularly and wipe it as dry as you can after applying (particularly for thicker lubes).

I'd say give it a try and see how it goes. If it starts collecting too much crud or if your drivetrain sounds like death...try something else.

Once upon a time I lubed the chain on my old Fisher mountain bike with Tetra gun oil that has a lot of Teflon in it. Instantly had bad chain suck. The chain would stick to the chain rings big time. Never had that prob with any other oil. I oil most of my chains with non-detergent 30 wt. motor oil. Works fine.

i used to do all the work on my bmx bike when i was in elementary school, i used to use car motor oil on it(when i didnt have brake cleaner or something else that sucked for lubrication. hey i was a kid and didnt know what i was doing!) . it attracted so much dust and gummed up. i did hit the dirt track everyday after school.

mobil one might be better since synthetic motor oils repel crust and debris better, but its damn expensive, although i suppose 7-8 dollars isnt alot for a quart of bicycle lube.

Remoil is perfect. It repels water and prevents corrosion, temperature resistant, and has high shear characteristics, you would have a hard time finding any cycle-specific lubricants that work as well.

I can't stand motorcycle chain lubricants, they are heavy, and attract incredible amounts of dirt. They are designed to be thick and heavy to resist water, extremely high temperatures and also to prevent dirt (by trapping it) from entering the bearing surfaces of the chain. Quality motocycle chains have o-rings, so heavier lubes work perfectly. But on a derailleur equipped bicycle the heavy lube tends to transfer the dirt and grime to anything the chain touches.

Personally, I'm a fanatic about cleanliness, and I run my chain through a Park chain gang cleaner every other week. I then lubricate it one link at a time with Kleenbore gun protectant oil. I usually get 6000 miles or so out of a chain, so it works pretty well.

Try the G-96 on your firearms, and I'll bet you won't go back!

its hard to find good lubes around here with out ordering online and i need some right now.

I've got a bottle of Remington Remoil, i believe its a silicone compound with Teflon in it. it does a decent job repelling dirt. it works great in the moving parts in my guns.

what do you guys think?


Use bar and chain oil for a chainsaw on the chain. Best lube out there for a chain.

If you're going to use a spray lube on a chain, why not just stop by a motorcycle shop and buy some real chain lube?
motorcycle chain lube is supposed to run at a higher temp, since the chain goes a whole lot faster. on a bike you'd need something a little lower in viscosity. sheldon brown suggests a thin motor oil in a pinch...

I am of the opinion that the particular lube used on a chain is the most over-thought aspect of bike maintenance.

I think so too. I'm particularly amused at how strongly some people's opinions are that are diametrically opposed to sombody else's equally strongly held opinion. I made a proposal a while back that all chain lube threads should be moved to "Religion and Politics".

I admit to using my own concoction. It seems to work pretty well thus far:

1 part 5w30 synthetic motor oil
1 part mineral spirits
1 part of paraffin (the white wax, not the liquid what we Americans call kerosene)

I would venture to say it is the HOW, not the WHAT, one uses for chain lubing that is important.

I use CLP on my chain and other moving parts. Seems to work OK.

I think any decent gun oil would work well as chain oil. Go for it.

I've heard Lucas products (i.e. automotive lubes) makes a gun oil. Can't say I've tried it, but it can't hurt.

I have started to use Boeshield T9 on my guns!

It is a GREAT lube for chains. The chains will stay cleaner - longer.

Hi,
.
Lots of folks here have said that motor oil (especially
Mobile synthetic, available at hardware stores) mixed
with mineral spirits, 1 to 3, respectively, is basically what
bike-specific chain lubes are. The mineral spirits dilutes
the oil, enabling it to get into the rolers where it belongs
and then evaporates, leaving the lubricant in place. It
also allows for easy removal of excess oil on the chain's
plates, where lubricant doesn't belong. Less oil on outer
parts, less crud picked up from the road.
....


:thumb: Some real chemistry going on here! I like it!

Oil is oil.

+1 for BreakFree. Great for the bike.