Gun Oil: Does It Matter What Kind You Use?

Cleaning and oiling your gun is one of the most debated topics in the gun industry. I’m not sure why, but it is. I don’t think I could count the number of times someone has told me I don’t need to clean a gun or oil it. Most of the time someone tells me this, they are bragging about how tough a specific gun is.

When someone tells me I don’t need to oil guns, I ask them if they ever put oil in their car. Or change the oil after that. Anything with metal rubbing against metal should have lubricant applied to it. I won’t win that argument with some, but others like to keep their expensive firearms clean and well-oiled. For those fanatical gun oilers out there, you may be wondering if it matters what type of oil you use on a gun.

There are different brands, different viscosities, and some even use oil that was not made for guns. Have you ever heard of someone using regular engine oil for their gun? I have, and I have used it on multiple occasions. I mentioned cleaning above because cleaning and oiling are often talked about together.

You should also understand that cleaning a gun and lubricating it are two separate things. Yes, oil is used after cleaning. But you do not have to clean a gun before you lubricate it. I often add some oil to my AR-15 even though it has not been cleaned. So, let’s talk about oil.

What is the purpose of oil?

To understand why a gun needs oil, you need to understand what oil does. As I mentioned above, when metal rubs against metal it needs lubrication. This is because friction is created when two metals are moving in different directions. This could be the cylinder of a car, the roller on your garage door, or the many moving pieces of your firearm.

Oil will help protect a gun from rust, which is important but that’s not the reason it needs oil when you’re using it. Without oil, the moving parts on your gun will not slide properly, they heat up faster, and start to wear down. Quality, type, and level of craftsmanship all play a role in how well a machine holds up. But they all need oil regardless.

The AK-47 was designed to function with very little lubrication. It is not uncommon for an AK to fire thousands of rounds without being cleaned or lubricated. That’s great, AK’s are tough guns. But that doesn’t mean they should never be cleaned and oiled. For an AK, grease also works well.

I won’t get into the specific AK-47 debate today, but the point is, any “machine” needs to be lubricated. Just because a gun can keep firing does not mean it shouldn’t lubricate it. Keeping your firearm oiled will prolong the wear to the metal and increase reliability. But what type of oil works best?

What type of oil should you use?

This question is a little more complicated. In general, oil is oil so any kind should work, right? The answer is, kind of. Is any oil better than no oil, yes. But the temperature and type of gun you are using cab make a big difference. I mentioned before, AK-47’s work well with grease. The tolerances on AK-47 rifles are loose, which is why they can stay shooting even when they are dirty.

But metal still touches metal, and those parts should have some type of lubrication. One important thing to pay attention to is the weight (thickness) of the oil. Some gun oils are so thin, the oil burns off quickly and doesn’t maintain lubrication for the gun while it is being fired. In the summer, oil can become a little thinner due to the heat.  Conversely as it gets colder, the oil can thicken up.

So during extreme cold periods, a thinner oil will help your firearm run smoother. I use synthetic motor oil regularly to lubricate my firearms. It’s designed to reduce friction and it’s heavier than most gun oils. But I will note that motor oil does not work very well at stopping rust. Because of this, I still use gun oil on the outside of my guns. Some people don’t like using motor oil on guns and that’s fine. But I’ve been doing it for decades and my grandfather used it before that. It has always worked well for me. But again, if you use motor oil for lubrication, use gun oil on the exterior. Gun oils have rust inhibitors added to them to help protect the metal from rust.

What are some good brands?

If you are not sure what type of gun oil you want to use, try a few different brands. If you ask the “experts”, they will all give you different answers. Some people use CLP for cleaning and lubricating. CLP works great, and is one of the best multi-purpose cleaners/lubricators. I find my guns start to dry out faster with CLP than it does with heavier oils, but it’s still a great lubricant.

Wilson Combat makes an oil called Ultima-Lube. They offer several different thicknesses for some of the reasons I mentioned above. I like the Ultra-Lube II for handguns, especially 1911 pistols because it’s on the thicker side and makes the slide function like butter. It’s ok to try a few different brands and types of oil on your firearms. See which ones you like and go with that.

Any metal parts that touch should be oiled, and the oil will dry up after sitting for a while. If it does, try a different kind. I lightly oil my guns after cleaning with motor oil and then wipe a high-end gun oil on the outside. But if I’m going to be blasting away on the range all day, I add more oil to my gun before I start.

After shooting, I always add a little more before putting the gun away. Even if I’m not going to clean it, oil is needed. If you are not sure where to start, here are some good brands of gun oil.

Gun oil suggestions

• Shooters Choice Synthetic All-Weather
• Break Free or Battel Born CLP
• Wilson Combat Ultima-Lube (universal)
• Bore Tech Friction Guard XP
• Battleborn Lubricant and Preservative (works well for rust on the outside of the gun)
• Synthetic SAE30 motor oil

Just make sure you oil the gun

During my first armorer’s class, the master armorer told us to never use CLP because it had cleaning agents in it that was not good to leave on your gun. The next armorer’s class I attended, the instructor said CLP was his favorite gun cleaner and lubricator. A gunsmith told me motor oil is what he always uses on the inside of his firearms.

A local gun manufacturer told me they only recommend oil made for guns. The best advice I was given came from a WWII vet that said it really didn’t matter what brand you use, just make sure you clean and oil your gun. There are cheap and expensive oils on the market. Many of them are too thin for me, but that’s just my preference.

Try a few brands out and decide for yourself which oil you want to use. Make sure you do not over-oil your gun as this can also cause reliability issues. Look up the manufacturer’s recommendations for the type of gun you have. Some need more oil than others. I add more oil to my AR-15 than I do my AK-47. Guns are expensive and the last thing you want to do is wear it out from shooting it dry all the time. Keep it lubed and keep it running.