Best Reassembly Oil

[Pete453]

I use moly wheel bearing grease in the action, it puts moly in the metal and really slicks up the action. Also on arbors and the ends of cylinders.
As for oils, most anything as long as you dont lube the bore with petroleum-based oils. Ive used olive oil, its ok. Lately ive been using mineral oil, it's basically liquid paraffin wax, and im liking it. Jojoba oil is supposed to be as close to sperm whale oil as you can get. I tried it in bullet lube, groups opened up quite a bit, so i gave it away so i wouldn't be tempted to keep banging my head against that wall. Try it, you may have favorable results.

 

[Stantheman86]

I used to love Kroil, I kinda forgot about it since I've gone exclusively BP lately but it's a great oil . Less is definitely more

Also I have this liquid Blackpowder lube that I got off Ebay, it's made for round ball patches but I use it to lube cylinder arbors and hammers . So far so good , it's called Mr Flintlocks and it has a cult following. It's very hard to find.

I have a plastic bottle full of BP lube I got from Dixie probably 20 years ago , the label fell off and I don't think they sell it anymore. It is an awesome all purpose lube

 

[Bad Karma]

What do people use for lube when reassembling their BP wheelguns?

I've been using a general "synthetic gun oil" and not sure it's the best thing.

I do use only a tiny bit.

I pump the action full of Mobil 1 synthetic grease. The rest of the gun is lubed with FrogLube or Eezox. Either of those dries to a very thin film, protecting the steel, lubricating and doesn’t react with blackpowder combustion like oils do.

 

[M. De Land]

What do people use for lube when reassembling their BP wheelguns?

I've been using a general "synthetic gun oil" and not sure it's the best thing.

I do use only a tiny bit.

Some years back I came across a life time supply of Outers Polorized gun oil ( don't have a clue what that means) but the stuff really works well without gumming up from what I see for smokeless guns but for black powder guns one is better off with non-petroleum products as when these oils and greases get burned on they make tar and carbon fouling which is very hard to remove to metal surface.
Water is the best solvent for black powder fouling so the lube used should also be water soluble compatible.
Ned Roberts claimed that rendered bear oil or Sperm Oil were without peer for lubing and preserving percussion guns. Both are hard to find now days so the synthetics make a lot of sense.
I still have a gallon or two of rendered bear oil and use it in my black powder bullet lube recipe and apparently Roberts was right !

 

[M. De Land]

I pump the action full of Mobil 1 synthetic grease. The rest of the gun is lubed with FrogLube or Eezox. Either of those dries to a very thin film, protecting the steel, lubricating and doesn’t react with blackpowder combustion like oils do.

Does grease packed revolver actions effect spring function when cold say -30-40 F. ?

 

[SlidePicker]

Some years back I came across a life time supply of Outers Polorized gun oil ( don't have a clue what that means) but the stuff really works well without gumming up from what I see for smokeless guns but for black powder guns one is better off with non-petroleum products as when these oils and greases get burned on they make tar and carbon fouling which is very hard to remove to metal surface.
Water is the best solvent for black powder fouling so the lube used should also be water soluble compatible.
Ned Roberts claimed that rendered bear oil or Sperm Oil were without peer for lubing and preserving percussion guns. Both are hard to find now days so the synthetics make a lot of sense.
I still have a gallon or two of rendered bear oil and use it in my black powder bullet lube recipe and apparently Roberts was right !

Haven't tried it, but jojoba oil is supposed to be the closest thing to whale oil we've got.

 

[Bad Karma]

Does grease packed revolver actions effect spring function when cold say -30-40 F. ?

I don’t function well at those temperatures!!

 

[Johnny Tremain]

T/C 1000+ lube and number 13 cleaner.

Unlike everything listed above there is no petroleum oils in this.

I shot the 1860 for the first time this weekend. I submerge the parts in windex, blow dried everything and lubed it with bore butter. So the next I it will fire and fire and fire, instead of getting gummed up.

 

[TrapperDude]

I pump the action full of Mobil 1 synthetic grease. The rest of the gun is lubed with FrogLube or Eezox. Either of those dries to a very thin film, protecting the steel, lubricating and doesn’t react with blackpowder combustion like oils do.

Frog Lube is what I use to coat everything when I finish cleaning, too. Fouling mostly comes off with a dry paper towel, and the test comes off with paper towels dampened in some commercial bore solvent that smells foams up like Windex. Speaking of Windex, that's probably what I'll use when that bore solvent runs out.

 

[Bad Karma]

Does grease packed revolver actions effect spring function when cold say -30-40 F. ?

But… I have taken a gun from a vehicle left overnight in 10 degree temperatures and it functioned as normal. Mobil 1 doesn’t gum, prevents rust and prevents blackpowder fouling from reaching the good stuff inside the action. I’ll never go back to stripping the guns to clean them. It’s just not necessary.

 

[TrapperDude]

But… I have taken a gun from a vehicle left overnight in 10 degree temperatures and it functioned as normal. Mobil 1 doesn’t gum, prevents rust and prevents blackpowder fouling from reaching the good stuff inside the action. I’ll never go back to stripping the guns to clean them. It’s just not necessary.

Do you just squeeze the stuff into the action from the opening at the base of the hammer?

 

[45D]

Take the trigger guard off. I use a Hypo turkey baster.

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After

Mike

 

[TrapperDude]

Take the trigger guard off. I use a Hypo turkey baster.

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Mike

That looks pretty solid. Thanks for the visual. Is that filled all the way so you can see it up to the base of the hammer when it's cocked?

 

[M. De Land]

Take the trigger guard off. I use a Hypo turkey baster.

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Mike

 

[M. De Land]

Take the trigger guard off. I use a Hypo turkey baster.

Huh, never thought of filling the action voids with synthetic grease. Have to give it a try for our cold weather and see how it works . Even light petroleum oil has to be stripped from gun actions at the temperatures I mentioned for them to function .

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Mike

 

[45D]

That looks pretty solid. Thanks for the visual. Is that filled all the way so you can see it up to the base of the hammer when it's cocked?

Good question! Actually I put an action shield in all my revolvers which acts as a cover for the action (it locates on the hammer and moves with it.). So, the grease is in the action up to the shield. The shield keeps trash,dirt, grit from entering through the hammer slot.

You can see there's a "hook" or "curl" at the end of the shield for the cap guns. It traps any cap hulls or fragments from entering the action and can be easily dumped out by turning the revolver over. The unmentionables don't get the hook.

But yes, you can finish off by going in through the hammer slot. I usually add a little to the hand slot as well ( from up top).

Mike

 

[necchi]

What do people use for lube when reassembling their BP wheelguns?

When are you going to use it next? Tomorrow? Next week? Or next year?
That matters when it comes to a choice of lubrication.

I like to keep it simple, when I clean out all the old oil and gunk,, I use fresh oil.
No mystery, no magic, I just clean the parts of debris and old oil, then lubricate with fresh oil.
I do that each time. But each time I know, when that gun was shot last and mostly when I'm going to shoot it again.
There is no magic, besides, clean, and fresh lube. Each time.

 

[Rokon]

Action shield! That's a new one on me. Is this mase by you or purchased? Given your photographic expertise could you please share a photo of it by itself.

Thanks so much.

 

[ernbar]

Take the trigger guard off. I use a Hypo turkey baster.

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Mike

Great idea to pack the action to keep junk out along with the cover on the hammer but won’t the grease react with the BP fowling?
So I can use red high temp bearing grease to do this? Thought using petroleum based products was a no no.

 

[Bad Karma]

When are you going to use it next? Tomorrow? Next week? Or next year?
That matters when it comes to a choice of lubrication.

I like to keep it simple, when I clean out all the old oil and gunk,, I use fresh oil.
No mystery, no magic, I just clean the parts of debris and old oil, then lubricate with fresh oil.
I do that each time. But each time I know, when that gun was shot last and mostly when I'm going to shoot it again.
There is no magic, besides, clean, and fresh lube. Each time.

I’m not that organized. I may shoot that gun tomorrow or next week or next year so I shoot them, clean the bore, cylinder and exterior, wipe inside and out with Frog Lube and when that dries, reload and set them aside. Some of my favorites may not even really be cleaned, just wiped the exterior and bore and then reload and put up in a holster for immediate carry and eventual use. The gun below is nearly always loaded and seldom really “cleaned”. Except for a couple of 4 year hitches, and a week or two here and there, it’s been in almost constant use for 60 years, none the worse for wear and tear.