I read a Grant Cunningham article on gun lubrication. It's a long read and includes engineering considerations. His conclusions were the primary purpose of a gun oil is to prevent rust. He also concludes any light machine type oils will work as well as any other, so long as it's light enough to migrate into pin bores. (Motor oil is not, but ATF is.) His engineering support are the properties of the oils and that guns put almost no stress on oils that are designed for much higher operating pressures, temps, and duration under those conditions. He did make the exceptions for military automatics being used in combat where temps will be very high. He concluded: Very light film of light grease for shear parts (Lithium is not light.), and light oil for rotating parts and surfaces. In short he basically said stop worrying about it. If you are cleaning and lubing regularly you're doing it right. That's why every gun guy who posts says "My way works just fine." because it does.
Simple Green is a great alternative as a degreaser/cleaner when used as directed, but not meant to be a rust preventive or metal preservative as are the other products. I feel that Simple Green is a great alternative when cleaning a gun, again, when used properly and followed up with a lubricant or wax of some sort. Simple Green has a few new formulas now that will not haze aluminum and is made for cleaning dirty aircraft. From the videos I've seen, it does a pretty good job. Thanks for sharing the video.:)
It must be noted also that simple green is a soap, detergent. Not good for firearms, because as with any other soap, it needs to be rinsed with water. Otherwise the soap residue is left behind.
I absolutely love silicone spray. I'm a mechanic and use it constantly and I've never seen it have a negative effect on plastics or rubbers. It evaporates fast and if you use it along with an air blower it works great to clean the crud out of actions and trigger assemblies. Basically like a brake cleaner but not as harsh and has anti corrosion properties. Light coat of motor oil for lubrication where needed and you're set. Only actual "gun product" I use is Hoppes foaming bore cleaner right after doing a bunch of shooting
Glad to see the results. Lithium grease has been in use by guys whose weapons are shot more bullets (training people) than I could afford to buy with my whole months salary and they have recommended white lithium grease. I have used it and it works good, but I have since switched to simple red colored "high temp. high pressure" type grease. Its a hell of a lot cheaper and works great.
Great test Fred! There is a lot of hype in gun cleaning and lube. Personally I believe engine oil like mobile 1 and moly wheel bearing grease is as good as any overpriced gun lube. Egine oil has extreme presure and corrosion addatives and will be polymer safe, most newer cars have plastic intakes & other parts.
3 in 1 for general use on firearms, lithium for long term storage. For cleaning of completely disassembled metal parts. Brake Cleaner then use 195 Proof Grain Alcohol(best use I have ever found) to clean any residue off of weapon (DO NOT USE ON PLASTICS OR WOOD) Lube with 3in1. Note I have used brake cleaner and grain alcohol to clean engine parts and 3in1 to assemble the parts and lithium for long term storage of parts for years. Found a crank for a 855 Cummins that I stored in the parts room in 1987. I wrapped in oil paper and covered the crank in lithium grease. In 2006 helped clean out shop as we were selling the building. Crank was still rust free after 19 years. I also found the Stevens M-15A .22 S L LR rifle that I had stored in the small work area I had when I was working for my Dad. I gave it the same lithium and oil paper as I did the crank. Bolt was gone but the rifle was still rust free. No stock or bolt went in the junk pile.
As many have stated, Simple Green is not a lubricant or rust inhibitor (But the reason you included it was to test if it would damage the metal). On the cleaning aspect though, it works OUTSTANDING. It dissolves carbon and dried grease with ease. It doesn't smell as harsh as some cleaners and isn't flammable. Pretty much strips it down to bare metal. Which is why immediately after cleaning with it, you need to rinse the parts thoroughly in plain water, and then thoroughly dry those parts (200° oven for half hour for metal-only parts, or blow it dry). THEN I use a designated paintbrush to coat the parts with an oil (I like Break-Free CLP, which is what we used in the Marines). This technique works great. I learned about it from American Gunsmithing Institute videos where Bob Dunlap recommends cleaning guns with Simple Green. This video link skips to the part where he talks about it: th-cam.com/video/9uRoSp1nWFc/w-d-xo.html The blower I like is this one (doesn't add moisture like compressed air): www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00SI67YRU/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_4?smid=AVFHERP2L596L&psc=1
simple green is a degreaser tho. any cleaner solvent or not, you need to make sure it's dry and clean, and re lube any metal surface to keep it from rusting over time. simple green is great for cleaning. I just wouldn't recommend using it in areas you cannot dry and relube.
I can't believe all the controversy on gun lubes/protectants. Unless you store you guns for years at a time w/o using them and possibly storing them in high-humidity environments, I don't see a big difference. As long as you are cleaning them 'guns' on a fairly regular basis, I don't see the point of this test. There are so many good quality 'oils' on the market that I doubt any are markedly superior over another. I've used motor-oil on mine for years w/o any noticeable wear.
He was simply testing if it was true what people say - that if you leave Simple Green on the metal too long it would ruin it. In part one he talks about that. I think this is good to know because some might be tempted to use it without rinsing it off.
Thanks for doing these videos. In the Army we were handed bottles of CLP. Now, since I've been out for a few years...all I use is CLP. just recently in a Facebook group, some swear by motor oil and that old timers used it as well. Blew my mind....hope to see an actual shooting test between motor oil and gun lube such as CLP
I spray my handguns down with Breakfree CLP, Scrub with a nylon brush, then spray it afterwards with Birchwood Casey Gunscrubber. That removes all the dirty oil and debris. Then lube where appropriate. It works for me.
Simple Green will damage anodizing. If left on long enough it'll completely remove anodize. Useful or destructive, depending on one's desires. I regret having used a similar but stronger degreaser (Castrol Super Clean) on my Beretta Mod. 20. The anodized frame is all messed up now with areas of black, purple, and silver. I'm still debating a complete stripping just to even it out.
Simple Green doesn't make things rust it cleans everything off of it such as any oils that may be on it allowing it more vulnerable to moisture, I think it is a testament to how well it cleans
A comment about Simple Green.. When it first came out, I was working in the kitchen of a hospital and the salesman dropped by to show us how well it would clean cooking surfaces as well as get hardened grease off of cookware. He demonstrated the "organic safety" of it by spraying some on a slice of bread and eating it in front of us (DO NOT EVER TRY THIS!). Since he brought us a 55 gallon drum of the stuff for free, I put some about 1/2" deep in the bottom of an aluminum pot sitting on a stainless steel sink, for an "overnight soak" (it was REALLY caked on with burnt on grease). When I returned the next morning, I lifted the pot up off of the sink to rinse it out and the whole bottom came loose at the 1/2 inch "liquid level line" (that the Simple Green was poured to) and it fell completely off the pot because it had eaten thru the aluminum. Because of that, I would be REALLY reluctant to use Simple Green on an aluminum gun frame, and I have always wondered if that poor salesman ever survived his career. And then again, it is possible that they have changed the formula after 43 years. However, the Safety Data Sheet provided by the manufacturer states: Recommended Use: Cleaner & Degreaser for water tolerant surfaces. Restrictions on Use: Do not use on non-rinsable surfaces. So take this advise for what it is worth and USE AS DIRECTED by manufacturer only. PEACE..
The thing about Simple Green is it is water based. That's what's going to cause the rusting. Oil of all kinds displaces water because it won't mix with water and it will penetrate into metal, which should always follow any water based cleaner used on any metal surface. They show a method of using Simple Green in several of the old American Gunsmith video armorer's courses. I remember in at least one of them they recommended heating the parts after using SG in order to evaporate all traces of the water, but really that shouldn't be completely necessary. Probably the oldest gun cleaning product was plain old water, and this was at a time when ammunition was much more corrosive. As long as the metal is well oiled afterward, there should be no problems. This is also very simply why products like Mobil One and 3-n-1 will prevent to some extent rust as well. If the chemical is mostly petroleum based oil, or a mineral or napthemic or otherwise synthetic substance with similar properties, it will prevent rust. Some products though are tricky, like WD-40, because it feels oily (and the WD even stands for water displacing if I'm not mistaken), but it actually doesn't have enough percentage of such chemicals in its solution to be very effective long term at protecting from rust/oxidation. You can get information about most products by looking up their Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) online.
On a non-gun-related note, during OIF3 my platoon used spare MiliTec by adding a half-litre to the fuel tanks of our HMMWV gun trucks every time we refuelled. Why? We were fuelling downrange with JP8 instead of diesel, and were adding the stuff to more adequately replicated the lubricating properties of diesel. BTW... I like the Oath Keeper scroll visible. I'm a III%-er myself!
Rather then water I would use Isopropal alcohol. it gets the water off and it evaporates, just be sure to lube it right away once your done. When I was in the Corps I know of people using carb cleaner to clean their M16. After firing on the range all week you didn't want to be stuck at the armory on Friday cleaning your weapon with CLP and a little brush.
Let’s see, you used simple green a de-greaser to remove all oils from the surface of a mild steel plate and you’re surprised that it rusted faster or more than areas that were coated with oils or products with some lubricity characteristics? Now I am a little surprised that the rest of the plate didn’t behave in similar fashion. Wonder if the rest of the plate may have been cleaned or prepped with a cleaner that had some protective ingredients prior to the test. Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea of the experiment. Just not sure why simple green was included in a test of metal protectants?
Simple Green is a cleaner not a lubricant or protectant/preservative, correct? The bottom line to me from this is: It really doesn't matter as long as it was designed to lube and protect metal in hot conditions especially since we strip it off and replace it on a routine basis. I've gone exclusively to Mobil 1 and Hi Temp Wheel Bearing grease for lube/preservative/protectant and whatever bore/action cleaner is available.
Mobil SHC100 grease is good from -40 to + 475F. It costs from $15-$23 for grease gun tube. None of this tells me how well these work as an actual lubricant.
Just call me at about the simple green. Remember, simple green is a cleaner, not a lubricant. It's not a protectant, it's a cleaner and it's water based so I'm not surprised it rusted and rested worse than anything else. Just a comment about that
I've had issues with differant actual gun oils! Like Barricade, doesn't protect as well as Rem Oil, and Gun Blaster to Nitro 9 Hoppe's. Over the counter Brake Cleaner is pritty good for cleaning, then some kind of oil! Great testing and analisis! Keep it up Fred!
Mobil 1 as with most oils is a PROTECTANT. As oil seeps into the microscopic pores on metal surfaces it PROTECTS and lubricants and no I do not use Mobil 1 on my firearms. I have used CLP (Breakfree) for over 20 years with no issues. I also use White Lithium Grease on my AK bolts and carriers as well as the abrasion points on my AR’s BCG to the sides of the gas keys and in the carrier’s rails. Both Jim Fuller and Rob Ski who shoot way more than I will in a single year use grease on their AK’s. White Lithium Grease should be applied in SMALL amounts where you can not see any of the white grease visible but a slick surface. Then re-lube your rifles on a regular schedule unless they are in long storage. YMMV.
I was a fan of your first plat-o-truth as well, this kind of testing as well as bullet penetration of every day stuff is interesting to me. It's a form of a real world results kinda thing.
A better test would have been to wipe down the entire plate with simple green first to remove any residual grease. THEN apply the lubricant/protectant and stand the plate on it's end to see how the lubricant/protectant sticks to the gun surface or if it just runs off the metal surface after a period of time.
Simple green? Seriously? I was surprised that that would even be considered an alternative. Simple Green is a soap, detergent. Not good for firearms at all. Because as with any soap, a good rinse with water would be required to get rid of the residue.
Can you please explain why you put simple green? I think what Happen is not that Simple green necessarily create rush, I think what I happen is because simple green is a desegregate it did eliminate any layer of protection on that plate so it did rush. Simple green have no preserving components.
Degreasers have acid. Sulphuric, Phosforic, Citric, etc.. They will cause rust. Never use an acidic cleaner on a firearm. Good for taking brake dust off of wheels though.
very good. i got a glock, i dont worry a lot about this. grease the slide in four places, lightly oil and wipe clean. when i say lightly oil, i mean LIGHTLY oil and wipe off with dry patches. i bought the gun used. works perfect, never jammed after firing hundreds and hundreds of rounds as fast as you can load clips and pull the trigger. no rust.
I dont believe the simple green caused excessive corrosion, what it did was strip the oils from the metal (most rolled steel has oil on it from the factory) so your "control" isn't 100% clean
I know this is a year later, but I just came across your vids. The bearing grease does great...I've used it many a time when the wallet could only sustain ammo, not fancy lubes :)
Why u no test Eezox? Or RIG? Now those are what i'd call the controls...nothing else in any other tests i've seen, even comes close to those two. I think the conditions were maybe not moist enough?
Ballistol lube is water soluble and is great with black powder cartridge and muzzleloader gun cleaner. Especially when mixed with water, AKA moose milk.. As for the "heat the metal and it opens the pores" That's BS. Metal does not have pores. I could possibly believe that heat is opening up minute surface scratches, the kind that you see on even a mirror polished surface with a microscope. Or maybe thinning the viscosity of the oil so it'll flow into minute surface imperfections. But pores? No.
If you see Strike Hold at a gun show or online give it a try bought a small bottle a year ago picked up a big one since at gun shows here in SC works great. Comes in either spray or liquid like CLP or balistol too the woman selling it was comparing it to Balistol probably bout the same thing she was soaking an old single action with it and dunking it in buckets of water and other stuff
Simple Green is a dilute phosphoric acid solution; akin to 'metal prep' which etches, of course it will accelerate corrosion. Why not widen the box, and test Boot waterproofing like Sno-Seal, Bidwell which has fish oil, etc? Protection does not equate with lubrication, and vice versa. Heating works on cast iron pans, why not gun metal?
I use motor oil...pretty much whatever oil I happen to have. Right now that happens to be Penzoil 10w 30 and haven’t had any problems. It cost my about 8 dollars for a quart, that same 8 dollars would only get you a few ounces of special high tech super awesome gun oil.
Quite dumb to use simple green which is a degreaser and nothing to protect afterward. All the rest had the ability to clean and or protect. Comparing an apple to oranges.
Indeed, a great idea to put it in the oven, that way we can get an idea how those different products react under stress, in this case high temperature. It's probably a good idea to run this toaster in a well ventilated area because of that potentially unhealthy mix of vapours. ;-) Balistol is good for many things, but I doubt it's good for your body. ;-)
When the balistol turned "whiteish", was there moisture present? The reason i ask is because i've notice balistol turn milky when i wash it off of things.
brreed82 ballistol includes water and mineral oil. in fact, it was originally designed not only for guns, but also for leather AND to use on minor wounds! I personally think WHAT you use on your guns isn't as important as HOW you care for them. just keep 'em clean, and lube them properly and frequently enough.
The problem I see with using motor oil is that it's toxic and you have it all over your gun using it as a protectant while handling your gun bare handed. Any protectant/lubricant I'd want to use would have to be nontoxic. Other then that I know The Valvoline conventional oil I use in my car is very sticky and won't completely wipe clean off anything it touches with just a paper towel so it should do a very good job at protecting any surface you coat it with and provide lubrication as well. But, if you are going cheap I think something like WD 40 would be a better choice because it's nothing more then fish oil. Here is an excerpt from an article I found and a link to the rest of it below. " Believe it or not, and contrary to what a lot of marketing hype will try to tell you, firearms aren’t generally all that hard on lubricants. They encounter intermittent high loads, interspersed with long periods of inaction. This means that the primary lubrication need isn’t hydrodynamic - it’s boundary. What, then, should we be looking for? " www.grantcunningham.com/2006/05/lubrication-101/
Why would you do a test like this when the real test for a lube is its wear properties and heat resistance. All this test showed is the ability to stop bare metal from rusting. Most any oil, grease or lube will stop bare metal from rusting if properly coated. Only a friction test will give the real answer.
I read a Grant Cunningham article on gun lubrication. It's a long read and includes engineering considerations. His conclusions were the primary purpose of a gun oil is to prevent rust. He also concludes any light machine type oils will work as well as any other, so long as it's light enough to migrate into pin bores. (Motor oil is not, but ATF is.) His engineering support are the properties of the oils and that guns put almost no stress on oils that are designed for much higher operating pressures, temps, and duration under those conditions. He did make the exceptions for military automatics being used in combat where temps will be very high.
He concluded: Very light film of light grease for shear parts (Lithium is not light.), and light oil for rotating parts and surfaces. In short he basically said stop worrying about it. If you are cleaning and lubing regularly you're doing it right. That's why every gun guy who posts says "My way works just fine." because it does.
What A LEGEND
All motor oil by SAE standards has rust inhibitors in it. All oils and grease will protect as long as their coating layer is not broken.
Simple Green is a great alternative as a degreaser/cleaner when used as directed, but not meant to be a rust preventive or metal preservative as are the other products. I feel that Simple Green is a great alternative when cleaning a gun, again, when used properly and followed up with a lubricant or wax of some sort. Simple Green has a few new formulas now that will not haze aluminum and is made for cleaning dirty aircraft. From the videos I've seen, it does a pretty good job. Thanks for sharing the video.:)
It must be noted also that simple green is a soap, detergent. Not good for firearms, because as with any other soap, it needs to be rinsed with water. Otherwise the soap residue is left behind.
I absolutely love silicone spray. I'm a mechanic and use it constantly and I've never seen it have a negative effect on plastics or rubbers. It evaporates fast and if you use it along with an air blower it works great to clean the crud out of actions and trigger assemblies. Basically like a brake cleaner but not as harsh and has anti corrosion properties. Light coat of motor oil for lubrication where needed and you're set. Only actual "gun product" I use is Hoppes foaming bore cleaner right after doing a bunch of shooting
Are we not going to mention his shirt?
Glad to see the results.
Lithium grease has been in use by guys whose weapons are shot more bullets (training people) than I could afford to buy with my whole months salary and they have recommended white lithium grease. I have used it and it works good, but I have since switched to simple red colored "high temp. high pressure" type grease. Its a hell of a lot cheaper and works great.
Great test Fred! There is a lot of hype in gun cleaning and lube. Personally I believe engine oil like mobile 1 and moly wheel bearing grease is as good as any overpriced gun lube. Egine oil has extreme presure and corrosion addatives and will be polymer safe, most newer cars have plastic intakes & other parts.
Just cleaned my Glock with Mobile 1 and wiped the excess oil off the metal parts. I have been using it for years.
3 in 1 for general use on firearms, lithium for long term storage. For cleaning of completely disassembled metal parts. Brake Cleaner then use 195 Proof Grain Alcohol(best use I have ever found) to clean any residue off of weapon (DO NOT USE ON PLASTICS OR WOOD) Lube with 3in1. Note I have used brake cleaner and grain alcohol to clean engine parts and 3in1 to assemble the parts and lithium for long term storage of parts for years. Found a crank for a 855 Cummins that I stored in the parts room in 1987. I wrapped in oil paper and covered the crank in lithium grease. In 2006 helped clean out shop as we were selling the building. Crank was still rust free after 19 years. I also found the Stevens M-15A .22 S L LR rifle that I had stored in the small work area I had when I was working for my Dad. I gave it the same lithium and oil paper as I did the crank. Bolt was gone but the rifle was still rust free. No stock or bolt went in the junk pile.
Hey, appreciating your video in 2022.
As many have stated, Simple Green is not a lubricant or rust inhibitor (But the reason you included it was to test if it would damage the metal).
On the cleaning aspect though, it works OUTSTANDING. It dissolves carbon and dried grease with ease. It doesn't smell as harsh as some cleaners and isn't flammable. Pretty much strips it down to bare metal. Which is why immediately after cleaning with it, you need to rinse the parts thoroughly in plain water, and then thoroughly dry those parts (200° oven for half hour for metal-only parts, or blow it dry). THEN I use a designated paintbrush to coat the parts with an oil (I like Break-Free CLP, which is what we used in the Marines). This technique works great.
I learned about it from American Gunsmithing Institute videos where Bob Dunlap recommends cleaning guns with Simple Green.
This video link skips to the part where he talks about it:
th-cam.com/video/9uRoSp1nWFc/w-d-xo.html
The blower I like is this one (doesn't add moisture like compressed air):
www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00SI67YRU/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_4?smid=AVFHERP2L596L&psc=1
simple green is a degreaser tho. any cleaner solvent or not, you need to make sure it's dry and clean, and re lube any metal surface to keep it from rusting over time. simple green is great for cleaning. I just wouldn't recommend using it in areas you cannot dry and relube.
I can't believe all the controversy on gun lubes/protectants. Unless you store you guns for years at a time w/o using them and possibly storing them in high-humidity environments, I don't see a big difference. As long as you are cleaning them 'guns' on a fairly regular basis, I don't see the point of this test. There are so many good quality 'oils' on the market that I doubt any are markedly superior over another. I've used motor-oil on mine for years w/o any noticeable wear.
Simple Green is a water based CLEANER. There is no claim that Simple Green preserves metal or prevents rust.
He was simply testing if it was true what people say - that if you leave Simple Green on the metal too long it would ruin it. In part one he talks about that. I think this is good to know because some might be tempted to use it without rinsing it off.
***** You'll get the same effect even if you do rinse it off. It strips away all the oil so you need to treat the metal to protect it.
Thanks for doing these videos. In the Army we were handed bottles of CLP. Now, since I've been out for a few years...all I use is CLP. just recently in a Facebook group, some swear by motor oil and that old timers used it as well. Blew my mind....hope to see an actual shooting test between motor oil and gun lube such as CLP
I spray my handguns down with Breakfree CLP, Scrub with a nylon brush, then spray it afterwards with Birchwood Casey Gunscrubber. That removes all the dirty oil and debris. Then lube where appropriate. It works for me.
Simple Green will damage anodizing. If left on long enough it'll completely remove anodize. Useful or destructive, depending on one's desires. I regret having used a similar but stronger degreaser (Castrol Super Clean) on my Beretta Mod. 20. The anodized frame is all messed up now with areas of black, purple, and silver. I'm still debating a complete stripping just to even it out.
Simple Green doesn't make things rust it cleans everything off of it such as any oils that may be on it allowing it more vulnerable to moisture, I think it is a testament to how well it cleans
A comment about Simple Green.. When it first came out, I was working in the kitchen of a hospital and the salesman dropped by to show us how well it would clean cooking surfaces as well as get hardened grease off of cookware. He demonstrated the "organic safety" of it by spraying some on a slice of bread and eating it in front of us (DO NOT EVER TRY THIS!).
Since he brought us a 55 gallon drum of the stuff for free, I put some about 1/2" deep in the bottom of an aluminum pot sitting on a stainless steel sink, for an "overnight soak" (it was REALLY caked on with burnt on grease).
When I returned the next morning, I lifted the pot up off of the sink to rinse it out and the whole bottom came loose at the 1/2 inch "liquid level line" (that the Simple Green was poured to) and it fell completely off the pot because it had eaten thru the aluminum. Because of that, I would be REALLY reluctant to use Simple Green on an aluminum gun frame, and I have always wondered if that poor salesman ever survived his career. And then again, it is possible that they have changed the formula after 43 years.
However, the Safety Data Sheet provided by the manufacturer states:
Recommended Use: Cleaner & Degreaser for water tolerant surfaces.
Restrictions on Use: Do not use on non-rinsable surfaces.
So take this advise for what it is worth and USE AS DIRECTED by manufacturer only. PEACE..
The thing about Simple Green is it is water based. That's what's going to cause the rusting. Oil of all kinds displaces water because it won't mix with water and it will penetrate into metal, which should always follow any water based cleaner used on any metal surface. They show a method of using Simple Green in several of the old American Gunsmith video armorer's courses. I remember in at least one of them they recommended heating the parts after using SG in order to evaporate all traces of the water, but really that shouldn't be completely necessary. Probably the oldest gun cleaning product was plain old water, and this was at a time when ammunition was much more corrosive. As long as the metal is well oiled afterward, there should be no problems. This is also very simply why products like Mobil One and 3-n-1 will prevent to some extent rust as well. If the chemical is mostly petroleum based oil, or a mineral or napthemic or otherwise synthetic substance with similar properties, it will prevent rust. Some products though are tricky, like WD-40, because it feels oily (and the WD even stands for water displacing if I'm not mistaken), but it actually doesn't have enough percentage of such chemicals in its solution to be very effective long term at protecting from rust/oxidation. You can get information about most products by looking up their Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) online.
On a non-gun-related note, during OIF3 my platoon used spare MiliTec by adding a half-litre to the fuel tanks of our HMMWV gun trucks every time we refuelled. Why? We were fuelling downrange with JP8 instead of diesel, and were adding the stuff to more adequately replicated the lubricating properties of diesel. BTW... I like the Oath Keeper scroll visible. I'm a III%-er myself!
Not sure if it existed 8 years ago but I heard recently (not sure where) that “purple” Simple Green is the one to use for gun cleaning.
This is why I lubricate where it's needed then I spray a protectant (Remoil or clp) on a rag and give the gun a wipe down.
Rather then water I would use Isopropal alcohol. it gets the water off and it evaporates, just be sure to lube it right away once your done. When I was in the Corps I know of people using carb cleaner to clean their M16. After firing on the range all week you didn't want to be stuck at the armory on Friday cleaning your weapon with CLP and a little brush.
Let’s see, you used simple green a de-greaser to remove all oils from the surface of a mild steel plate and you’re surprised that it rusted faster or more than areas that were coated with oils or products with some lubricity characteristics? Now I am a little surprised that the rest of the plate didn’t behave in similar fashion. Wonder if the rest of the plate may have been cleaned or prepped with a cleaner that had some protective ingredients prior to the test. Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea of the experiment. Just not sure why simple green was included in a test of metal protectants?
Simple Green is a cleaner not a lubricant or protectant/preservative, correct? The bottom line to me from this is: It really doesn't matter as long as it was designed to lube and protect metal in hot conditions especially since we strip it off and replace it on a routine basis. I've gone exclusively to Mobil 1 and Hi Temp Wheel Bearing grease for lube/preservative/protectant and whatever bore/action cleaner is available.
Mobil SHC100 grease is good from -40 to + 475F. It costs from $15-$23 for grease gun tube. None of this tells me how well these work as an actual lubricant.
Just call me at about the simple green. Remember, simple green is a cleaner, not a lubricant. It's not a protectant, it's a cleaner and it's water based so I'm not surprised it rusted and rested worse than anything else. Just a comment about that
I've had issues with differant actual gun oils! Like Barricade, doesn't protect as well as Rem Oil, and Gun Blaster to Nitro 9 Hoppe's. Over the counter Brake Cleaner is pritty good for cleaning, then some kind of oil! Great testing and analisis! Keep it up Fred!
Do a freeze test!
91 TO 99 PERCENT rubbing alcohol for degreasing .....
Mobil 1 as with most oils is a PROTECTANT. As oil seeps into the microscopic pores on metal surfaces it PROTECTS and lubricants and no I do not use Mobil 1 on my firearms. I have used CLP (Breakfree) for over 20 years with no issues. I also use White Lithium Grease on my AK bolts and carriers as well as the abrasion points on my AR’s BCG to the sides of the gas keys and in the carrier’s rails. Both Jim Fuller and Rob Ski who shoot way more than I will in a single year use grease on their AK’s. White Lithium Grease should be applied in SMALL amounts where you can not see any of the white grease visible but a slick surface. Then re-lube your rifles on a regular schedule unless they are in long storage. YMMV.
I was a fan of your first plat-o-truth as well, this kind of testing as well as bullet penetration of every day stuff is interesting to me. It's a form of a real world results kinda thing.
Just wanted to say thanks for doing these test. I really enjoy watching them.
Why include a cleaner in a comparison of lubricants ??
He explained in part one that some claim it will damage metal.
Gear Obsession, Thanks for you effort in testing these products
Awesome Gun product myth testing. Keep up the great work, I really enjoyed seeing the results. You got my Sub!
Great video and great information
you didnt need toaster oven, just put that metal on top of your kitchen stove and heat it, thank you for video.
I didn't notice you were in the tank until 8:05. Could've at least worn a different shirt... ;)
Good stuff, man.
Ipod Nano Watch FTW...Oh, the plate of truth info was good too!
A better test would have been to wipe down the entire plate with simple green first to remove any residual grease. THEN apply the lubricant/protectant and stand the plate on it's end to see how the lubricant/protectant sticks to the gun surface or if it just runs off the metal surface after a period of time.
Simple green? Seriously?
I was surprised that that would even be considered an alternative. Simple Green is a soap, detergent. Not good for firearms at all. Because as with any soap, a good rinse with water would be required to get rid of the residue.
Nice and interesting video.
So Im curious about your opinion - would you recommend using car oils for gun cleaning&preservation?
Best wishes!
how did this test show heat related breakdown ?
Now you should heat it up too about 400 degrees f. And use a litmus test to check for chemical reaction which would be bad
Can you please explain why you put simple green? I think what Happen is not that Simple green necessarily create rush, I think what I happen is because simple green is a desegregate it did eliminate any layer of protection on that plate so it did rush. Simple green have no preserving components.
Degreasers have acid. Sulphuric, Phosforic, Citric, etc.. They will cause rust. Never use an acidic cleaner on a firearm. Good for taking brake dust off of wheels though.
Fantastic series, thank you.
very good. i got a glock, i dont worry a lot about this. grease the slide in four places, lightly oil and wipe clean. when i say lightly oil, i mean LIGHTLY oil and wipe off with dry patches. i bought the gun used. works perfect, never jammed after firing hundreds and hundreds of rounds as fast as you can load clips and pull the trigger. no rust.
This was really awesome! And good information!
I dont believe the simple green caused excessive corrosion, what it did was strip the oils from the metal (most rolled steel has oil on it from the factory) so your "control" isn't 100% clean
I know this is a year later, but I just came across your vids. The bearing grease does great...I've used it many a time when the wallet could only sustain ammo, not fancy lubes :)
Good vid, great info, Thank you for the content, i really enjoy it. :)
Why u no test Eezox? Or RIG? Now those are what i'd call the controls...nothing else in any other tests i've seen, even comes close to those two. I think the conditions were maybe not moist enough?
Ballistol lube is water soluble and is great with black powder cartridge and muzzleloader gun cleaner. Especially when mixed with water, AKA moose milk.. As for the "heat the metal and it opens the pores" That's BS. Metal does not have pores. I could possibly believe that heat is opening up minute surface scratches, the kind that you see on even a mirror polished surface with a microscope. Or maybe thinning the viscosity of the oil so it'll flow into minute surface imperfections. But pores? No.
Sir, You are a LEGEND
Was the simple green used in concentrated form, or was it diluted? A 2 oz S.G. to 6 oz of distilled water is a proper solution.
If you see Strike Hold at a gun show or online give it a try bought a small bottle a year ago picked up a big one since at gun shows here in SC works great. Comes in either spray or liquid like CLP or balistol too the woman selling it was comparing it to Balistol probably bout the same thing she was soaking an old single action with it and dunking it in buckets of water and other stuff
The lithium grease should be food safe?
Simple Green is a dilute phosphoric acid solution; akin to 'metal prep' which etches, of course it will accelerate corrosion. Why not widen the box, and test Boot waterproofing like Sno-Seal, Bidwell which has fish oil, etc? Protection does not equate with lubrication, and vice versa. Heating works on cast iron pans, why not gun metal?
than maby do both one in oven one outside,
and thank you to fred and to gogreenman.looking forward to part 3
Good test I use what ever engine oil I have on hand for my edc knife
I use motor oil...pretty much whatever oil I happen to have. Right now that happens to be Penzoil 10w 30 and haven’t had any problems. It cost my about 8 dollars for a quart, that same 8 dollars would only get you a few ounces of special high tech super awesome gun oil.
Tried hard paste wax? I have had decent results with min wax on outside of the firearm, does good on the wood and metal
Nice!! I got some 10w 30 in the closet! Lol, jokes aside great vid always good to put the products we use to the plate of truth.
We’re any of these products tested with metal on metal friction?
Quite dumb to use simple green which is a degreaser and nothing to protect afterward. All the rest had the ability to clean and or protect.
Comparing an apple to oranges.
wait, so you're supposed to wear gloves when you clean? oops, never did that. they may have forgotten to mention that during my mandatory safety class
Wished that you had tested Slip 2000 EWL(extreme weapons lube)
This is what RIA ships their guns to America with...saturated in this oil.
Indeed, a great idea to put it in the oven, that way we can get an idea how those different products react under stress, in this case high temperature. It's probably a good idea to run this toaster in a well ventilated area because of that potentially unhealthy mix of vapours. ;-) Balistol is good for many things, but I doubt it's good for your body. ;-)
Lucas red n' tacky drop point is over 500F give it a try I use it on all guns except .22 lr's have no problems in years of use
YEAH that's me!!! I'm famous!!!!
can't wait to see what happens
This could use Microscope viewing.. or at least magnifying glass viewing.. after the heat and long term test.
So the 3 in 1 was the best ?
Hoppe's stinks. Simple Green is best because you strip the gun down and toss the parts in the tub and scrub and dry. Lube with what you want.
Does metal have pores? And if there are pores, would heating and expanding the metal close or open the pores?
thanks !!!!!!, for you, which lubricant is the best, for an ar15 ???. Greetings from Barcelona (Spain)
Simple Green is corrosive, which fortunately for me, is not news. That's why I never use it, ESPECIALLY for washing aircraft especially.
its not corrosive. but it strips off every bit of oil .you just have to reoil .
When the balistol turned "whiteish", was there moisture present? The reason i ask is because i've notice balistol turn milky when i wash it off of things.
brreed82 ballistol includes water and mineral oil. in fact, it was originally designed not only for guns, but also for leather AND to use on minor wounds! I personally think WHAT you use on your guns isn't as important as HOW you care for them. just keep 'em clean, and lube them properly and frequently enough.
Oops should kept watching lol
I thought you were going to put it in the oven in the first place
Simple Green is a cleaner. It has water in it. Sheesh.
What do you think of frog lube? Could try it on the plate of truth? I would like separate fact from slick marketing.
I love grease I don't think somebody would leave it on there gun for a year or two to harden up gotta clean after shooting
A great gun cleaner is Ed's Red, google it and maybe you can give us a review of how well it works?
Thanks for sharing this.
Pretty cool fred!
Fred. Those are rectangles.
Interesting! Great test..
Have you ever thought about testing gunzilla and/or froglube?
how good is 3in1 as a goon oil or gun cleaner ?
Mobile 1 MIXED WITH LUCAS OIL ADDITIVE. 1 TO 1 WILL NOT RUST.
simple green is a cleaner and not a lubricant or a protectant.
This is a very interesting video
does anyone else notice the fly around 2:20 lol
@GFED0909 I never knew plastic could rust.
What about aero kroil?
Kroil rules.
I want to see animal fat and cooking oil on the plate of truth!
Yeah nothing ran over. Uh huh right. And you missed ATF
you keep saying 'protection'. Why wouldn't the motor oil not be one of the best at protection? It goes in your car.
The problem I see with using motor oil is that it's toxic and you have it all over your gun using it as a protectant while handling your gun bare handed. Any protectant/lubricant I'd want to use would have to be nontoxic. Other then that I know The Valvoline conventional oil I use in my car is very sticky and won't completely wipe clean off anything it touches with just a paper towel so it should do a very good job at protecting any surface you coat it with and provide lubrication as well. But, if you are going cheap I think something like WD 40 would be a better choice because it's nothing more then fish oil.
Here is an excerpt from an article I found and a link to the rest of it below. " Believe it or not, and contrary to what a lot of marketing hype will try to tell you, firearms aren’t generally all that hard on lubricants. They encounter intermittent high loads, interspersed with long periods of inaction. This means that the primary lubrication need isn’t hydrodynamic - it’s boundary. What, then, should we be looking for? "
www.grantcunningham.com/2006/05/lubrication-101/
Why would you do a test like this when the real test for a lube is its wear properties and heat resistance. All this test showed is the ability to stop bare metal from rusting. Most any oil, grease or lube will stop bare metal from rusting if properly coated. Only a friction test will give the real answer.
Maybe he stores his guns out in the shed?