Grease or Oil on the Arbor

[fishmusic]

I have used both, lithium grease for a while and oil now. I prefer oil since the fouling buildup in front of the cylinder isn't mas bad. What do you guys use and why?

 

[64Springer]

Grease.

Because grease stays put.

It's why arbors are grooved or undercut.

 

[Boston Bill]

I use Bore Butter. I also load off the gun. So it's easy to add Bore Butter as needed.

 

[Greasecookie]

Finish Line bicycle grease. Just cuz I have it to grease bicycles. Any grease would work fine.

 

[mushka]

grease for friction, oil for protection.

 

[Daveboone]

I have been using bore butter or mink oil...same as my wad lube. Works great, assists for an easy clean up.

 

[45D]

Mobil1 grease.
Won't thin and run out.
Maintains a barrier for fouling.

Mike

 

[Packrat]

Usually use grease, trying some anti seize thread protector

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Grease.

Because grease stays put.

It's why arbors are grooved or undercut.

Yep, What he said. . Even Vaseline will do the job.

 

[SOLANCO]

Old armorer's axiom: If it rotates, oil it. If it slides, grease it.

That cylinder is not spinning like a car wheel.

 

[45D]

When I packed wheel bearings I packed them with grease . . . not oil . . .

"What" you use serves specific purposes. A problem with bp revolvers is fouling getting between the arbor/ base pin and the cylinder. So, both oil and grease will lubricate but grease will do a much better job of keeping fouling out than oil.

Mike

 

[SOLANCO]

When I packed wheel bearings I packed them with grease . . . not oil . . .

Mike

Yep. My point. That cylinder is never going to be spinning like a car wheel and does not need the lubrication that wheel bearings do.

Wonder what they use on those electric gattling guns?

 

[45D]

Yep. My point. That cylinder is never going to be spinning like a car wheel and does not need the lubrication that wheel bearings do.

Wonder what they use on those electric gattling guns?

Like I said in my edited post above, it depends on the purpose.

Mike

 

[fishmusic]

Wow! I got some answers and looks like I will change my ways.

 

[rodinal220]

Ballistol, or sometimes if I'm out of aerosol Ballistol some spray cooking oil.

 

[45man]

STP, hangs on and also seals.

 

[Griff093]

Lucas' "Red N' Tacky" synthetic grease. Same stuff I use on my wheel bearings, u-joints, and other places one commonly uses grease.

 

[CaptainVane]

RIG gun grease on arbor, put cylinder on, smear gun grease around front of cylinder at arbor enterance to keep fouling from getting into cylinder / arbor hole. Works for me.

 

[64Springer]

Unless someone has been able to increase their cap n ball cylinder RPM to that of Dillon Minigun, any lubricant will work to some degree.

Creamy peanut butter would work in a pinch.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

I use white lithium grease on the arbors of my Colt-style revolvers. Remingtons get Ballistol on the cylinder base pin. I will pull the pin after 2 or 3 cylinders full, wipe it down, and relube.

I also use Ballistol on my Rogers & Spencer but that doesn't require me to pull and lube the pin after a few cylinders, because the front of the cylinder has a gas shield.