Grease packing revolver internals, why synthetic grease?

[Blitz]

I’ve read with interest about packing the internals of a revolver to keep BP fouling out of the works. I want to try this but every thread that I have read specifies synthetic grease, usually Mobile 1 brand.

Does it have to be a synthetic grease or will any type do. If it has to be synthetic…why?

It`s just a trendy thing.
The people who used them every day found what worked, Be pragmatic use what works.
curiosity is good but often a waste of effort

buzz

 

[david w]

I use TW25 grease on my revolvers.

 

[Whughett]

I use liquid Micro Lube that is made for patches but is also a BP lube

I put a drop or two down the hammer face, a drop on the bolt and let them sit upright after cleaning to let the oil seep down into the lock works

Or just Ballistol into the internals

That’s my approach. A heavy spray of aerosol Ballistol into every opening, trigger, hammer and bolt followed by a gentle blast with the air hose.
I actually see the excess Ballistol come out black. It’s carrying additional fouling away from the internals. After a few rang trips I’ll break the gun down completely.

 

[45D]

It`s just a trendy thing.
The people who used them every day found what worked, Be pragmatic use what works.
curiosity is good but often a waste of effort

buzz

Kinda like the folks that shoot cowboy action . . .
that 40 yr old trend.

Mike

 

[Stantheman86]

That’s my approach. A heavy spray of aerosol Ballistol into every opening, trigger, hammer and bolt followed by a gentle blast with the air hose.
I actually see the excess Ballistol come out black. It’s carrying additional fouling away from the internals. After a few rang trips I’ll break the gun down completely.

I usually do a complete break down after a few heavy range trips, to clean and re-lube everything

 

[Blitz]

Kinda like the folks that shoot cowboy action . . .
that 40 yr old trend.

Mike

I 1983 not a lot of people had even heard of synthetic oil, Trendy indeed .
Have to say though , had heard of Amsoil, and a Texaco rep.visited the asphalt plant site trying to get an account and gave some of us a case of their synthetic. At that time it was red.
all kinds of advice going round. don't use that in your old truck, it will always leak, if you do, it will clean your engine so good you will have excess bearing clearance. Well, none of the dire warnings were heeded and none of them panned out!
Since that time those marketing folks sure have done their job
Buzz

 

[Boston Bill]

I've been "packing" actions for many years with Mobil1 grease . . . for everyone . . . including the racing crowd!! It keeps fouling out (because there's already something there), keeps the parts lubed and protected. What it doesn't do is "gum things up" or turn to "tar" ( it's synthetic not conventional).
First of all, you can't run a SA fast enough to "out run" the viscosity of the grease . . . so nothing slows down. I've set up a few full time fanners and yes, they were packed with grease. Secondly, all the action parts move slow and not very much. Best of all, the action needs no cleaning and the cowboy shooters are told to check it once a year. As everybody knows, cowboy shooters shoot much more than the average shooter that actually shoots!

Mobil1 maintains its viscosity from -58° to 475° . . . I doubt anyone will be shooting outside those parameters.
I found it BECAUSE of the cowboy shooters (customers), turns out they had been using it for yrs. Things like Bore Butter (chapstick) and animal renderings will definitely change consistency in a rather small range.

So with all that going for it ( not to mention the huge majority of my customers agree) that's what I use because it works as advertised!!.

Mike

And his actions are smooth as butter. I have 3 now that he has done. They run great! ( an unpaid testimonial, lol )

 

[hawkeye2]

Mike do you offer the Remington base pin mod as a service and can someone just send you the pin for rework?

 

[45D]

Mike do you offer the Remington base pin mod as a service and can someone just send you the pin for rework?

Hey hawkeye2 !!
Yes, it's included in the Outlaw Mule service.
I would do the mod on pins sent in.

Mike

 

[hawkeye2]

I’ve read with interest about packing the internals of a revolver to keep BP fouling out of the works. I want to try this but every thread that I have read specifies synthetic grease, usually Mobile 1 brand.

Does it have to be a synthetic grease or will any type do. If it has to be synthetic…why?

Here is my take on that. I'm a retired auto mechanics teacher and I've gone to synthetic oil and I just made the change to synthetic wheel bearing grease recently when I used up my stash of the petroleum based ones. Petroleum based products form the tar like fouling when exposed to the products of black powder combustion and at the high temperatures found in the chambers and barrel. The inside of the frame and the parts it contains are not subject to those high temperatures and therefore any wheel bearing grease should work. Consider this; how many of you use gun oil or 3 in 1 oil in the frames of your revolvers and do you find it turning to tar? Fouling and dirt may contaminate the lube, petroleum or other, inside the action but that lube won't turn to tar from firing the gun. I've fired countless rounds in my revolvers using gun oil or silicone in the action and never experienced and issues from it. By all means pick up a can of synthetic at your local parts store as it's superior but don't be afraid to use what you have on the shelf in the garage either. Wheel bearing grease is subject to higher temperatures in your front hubs from normal running plus the heat from the disc brakes than it ever will be in your guns.

 

[Griff093]

I've been using Lucas "Red n Tacky" synthetic grease for years... packed well inside the internals of my '51 Navies. I don't fill the action of my 1873 rifle quite the same... there's a lot more movement of the internal parts than in the pistols. I don't use a "wet lube" on the carrier of any of my toggle link rifles, and I "clearance" each side of the carrier by about .015" so it's kinda sloppy. The 45 Colt will still be running fine on the 3rd day of the match after as many as 240 rounds over those 3 days. Same with the 1851s. Clean 'em once per match... whether it's one day or 3. In fact, after arriving home, sometimes as long as two days later, I can light off the remaining charge in each gun without any issues, before cleaning the bores and cylinders. The synthetic grease doesn't react with the BP fouling the way petroleum grease and oils do. I use the Lucas cause it's cheaper than Mobil 1, and it works on everything from my wheel bearings in my golf cart to my 18-wheeler's, fifth wheel coupler. Stays put. Plus I like the distinctive red color!

 

[Scott Jones]

It has been only the past month or so since I read of folks using grease on arbors or "packing" the internals. I've been shooting revolvers since 1967, and currently have a passel of originals and repros. In all my shooting, I've only used the same gun oil on the arbor as I have for the rest of the firearm. I may shoot up to 5 cylinder loads at a sitting, and only one bound on me after two loadings (don't recall which one). As for packing, I use Rig grease inside, but only a film, not a blob. I've taken several old revolvers/rifles apart, and the internals, even after a century or so, are usually still in good shape; most problems involve the sears and springs. The worst was a '92 Winchester in our local museum that was packed with what appeared to be wheat chaff; parts were good, and once cleaned it worked great.

 

[bpd303]

I like Sta-Lube Super White Lithium grease by CRC for all the areas that like grease. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

 

[M. De Land]

It has been only the past month or so since I read of folks using grease on arbors or "packing" the internals. I've been shooting revolvers since 1967, and currently have a passel of originals and repros. In all my shooting, I've only used the same gun oil on the arbor as I have for the rest of the firearm. I may shoot up to 5 cylinder loads at a sitting, and only one bound on me after two loadings (don't recall which one). As for packing, I use Rig grease inside, but only a film, not a blob. I've taken several old revolvers/rifles apart, and the internals, even after a century or so, are usually still in good shape; most problems involve the sears and springs. The worst was a '92 Winchester in our local museum that was packed with what appeared to be wheat chaff; parts were good, and once cleaned it worked great.

I think most grease that is identified as "GUN" grease is more about corrosion protection than it is about lubricity of high stress areas.
I have found that petroleum products subject to high heat from powder combustion do make carbon fouling in a bore which is very hard to remove once baked on. For this reason it would follow that the same would most likely occur on a cylinder face, arbor, base pin and barrel breech.
Petroleum lube wither grease or oil is very subject to low temperature and will slow if not completely stop mechanical function if cold enough.
Seems to me that the synthetics are the way to go on all accounts.
I use grease on arbors and ratchet stars. Oil on all else.
I am going to try some of my rendered bear grease on the arbor to try what some of the old timers said works well.

 

[M. De Land]

This,
View attachment 200723

It's the "marriage" of Colt's "fouling groove" with Ruger's "diminished diameter". The groove in line with the cylinder face is from Colt, the reduced diameter of the base pin found on the ROA. I link them with 3 grooves front to back, left to right. It works extremely well and allows "all day shooting" with no binding.

Mike

 

[M. De Land]

So the full base pin diameter is maintained fore and aft but the center portion diameter is reduced for grease capacity ? I'm not tracking on how the grooves are. Are you speaking of the helix angled grooves up front on the pin or are there full length grooves made not shown in the picture ?

 

[45D]

So the full base pin diameter is maintained fore and aft but the center portion diameter is reduced for grease capacity ? I'm not tracking on how the grooves are. Are you speaking of the helix angled grooves up front on the pin or are there full length grooves made not shown in the picture ?

Yessir, your understanding correctly. The grooves allow a pathway for fouling to migrate toward the open area in the center section of the pin. That section mimics the same reduction that the ROA has on its base pin. The forward circumferential groove idea is from the original Colt "fouling groove" which allows most of the fouling to blow past the cylinder/ pin intersection. I just linked the two together with the helix grooves.
This setup has been extremely effective in cowboy shooting matches. I use the same even on smokeless cartridge Remingtons.

Mike

 

[paulragan]

I pack the locks on my original Enfields, I shoot them alot during the summer the only reason I do it is the screws are 170 yrs old, some are a bit worn and I don't have to remove the locks as often for cleaning, I use amzoil synthetic snowmobile low temp grease...as thats what I had laying around lol

 

[ernbar]

I heard somewhere about using Pam spray on the Remington 58 cylinder pin to reduce binding. I tried it the last time and was abled to shoot about 7 cylinders without any binding. Unfortunately I ran out of round balls and couldn’t continue to see further mileage.