Henry Rifle Forums

Ok pistol guys: any reason to NOT use a high end grease on the base pin the cylinder rotates on? Instead of oil? Cimarron revolver.
Thks!

RanchRoper wrote:... high end grease on the base pin the cylinder rotates on? Instead of oil?

I have only used oil - because it is what I've seen done; but it is an interesting question, RanchRoper. I've read that synthetic motor oil is as good or maybe better than any other gun lubrication, but I don't recall any discussions regarding the use of grease. We have several members that are very familiar with engines and machines who I hope will tell us, "why not grease?"

I have some tube grease. Hi-Temp, water resistant for bearings etc. I'll let others weigh in before I do anything. Thks.

RanchRoper wrote:Ok pistol guys: any reason to NOT use a high end grease on the base pin the cylinder rotates on? Instead of oil? Cimarron revolver.
Thks!

I was told a long time ago, if it slides; grease, if it rotates; oil, Mobil 1 works great

Are you shooting smokeless or black powder in the cartridges and are you loading your own ammo . All this makes a differences .

Don't know for sure...never have heard anyone yet say they use a grease on moving gun parts. I've always used the appropriate oil.
The only time I use a grease (White Lithium) is to lube the choke threads for my shotgun. Of course, chokes are not a "moving" metal part. Put it there to help to take the choke out easily when cleaning the barrel. It will be interesting to see what come around for your question....

tx gunrunner wrote:Are you shooting smokeless or black powder in the cartridges and are you loading your own ammo . All this makes a differences .

Factory Winchester smokeless ammo.

DWD445 wrote:

RanchRoper wrote:Ok pistol guys: any reason to NOT use a high end grease on the base pin the cylinder rotates on? Instead of oil? Cimarron revolver.
Thks!

I was told a long time ago, if it slides; grease, if it rotates; oil, Mobil 1 works great

That's the school I come from too, but wheels/axles turn on grease, and wheel bearings spin in it too, so hmmmmm....

I'm of the old school mindset that you shouldn't use any lubricant on a firearm that attracts and holds grit or grime .... for that reason I don't use grease and go with dry lubes .... I've found that spraying on a coating of Ballistol, let it sit a few minutes, and wiping in off works well .... in addition, many years ago I learned the hard way that grease can thicken during cold weather and impede the operation of the firearm's action

JEBar wrote:I'm of the old school mindset that you shouldn't use any lubricant on a firearm that attracts and holds grit or grime .... for that reason I don't use grease and go with dry lubes .... I've found that spraying on a coating of Ballistol, let it sit a few minutes, and wiping in off works well .... in addition, many years ago I learned the hard way that grease can thicken during cold weather and impede the operation of the firearm's action

I like this theory! You are correct that anything pasty will attract stuff to stick to it! I just spent some time taking it partially apart; separated the barrel from the frame enough that I could move the cylinder enough to put some Hoppes 9 lube oil in there. Put it back together and the cylinder actually spins free on half cock, and it is WAY smoother. I did not force the barrel off as it was TIGHT, and I have to figure out a way to get it apart without doing anything that would jar or bang the gun. Maybe hitch it between 2 horses...kidding. I watched a youtube video of one of these same guns being disassembled and the guy said some of them are "@#$%^&" to take apart, and he is right. So for now, I can use it and I'll try to get it apart on the weekend when I have more time to curse.

Hitching it between 2 horses would be a good last resort...sounds like a doable plan. I'm sure yours would be willing to help!

Ya i got a little frustrated the barrel wouldn't slide off the frame....but....I'll figure it out on the weekend. Might have to drip some lube oil on it here and there and slowly work it off a fraction at a time. "Defeat is something buckaroos will most emphatically refuse, they'll search for something they can use to guarantee success."

RanchRoper wrote:

DWD445 wrote:

RanchRoper wrote:Ok pistol guys: any reason to NOT use a high end grease on the base pin the cylinder rotates on? Instead of oil? Cimarron revolver.
Thks!

I was told a long time ago, if it slides; grease, if it rotates; oil, Mobil 1 works great

That's the school I come from too, but wheels/axles turn on grease, and wheel bearings spin in it too, so hmmmmm....

First, I was talking GUNS only and I only use grease on the semi auto slide contact points [very little] and a little on the bolt of my Henry
other then that it's oil. My point was; use oil on a revolver ! I use Hoppes or Mobil 1 and patience
JEBar is right about attracting dirt. Also bearings are usually sealed and turn faster and oil would not do the job.
Elbow grease on the other hand.....

Thanks I'm using Hoppes.

That Colt type pin is generally more forgiving than the Remington type from that period. The base pin usually isn't as prone to binding because of its design. With smokeless powder loads oil should do really well and one less thing to mess with. A bit of oil on the 2 barrel pins and use will make take down easier. You are on the right track with going slowly. Good luck and happy shooting!!

DWD445 wrote:

RanchRoper wrote:Ok pistol guys: any reason to NOT use a high end grease on the base pin the cylinder rotates on? Instead of oil? Cimarron revolver.
Thks!

I was told a long time ago, if it slides; grease, if it rotates; oil, Mobil 1 works great

I agree. Military field manuals says the same thing.

Ok, no grease. I hear ya'll.

As I understand it, the main reason for using grease over oil is staying power. If you are cleaning and lubing the gun every outing, I would think oil would be the preferred lube. I hear arguments between oil and grease for semi auto slides. Good points on both sides. I feel any decent lube that is properly applied will probably get the job done. The only time I use grease on my firearms is choke tube grease on my over/under. It's more like a really thick oil than a grease. I use it on the choke tubes, and on the back end of the barrel where barrel parts ride against receiver parts when breaking the barrel open.

clovishound wrote:As I understand it, the main reason for using grease over oil is staying power. If you are cleaning and lubing the gun every outing, I would think oil would be the preferred lube. I hear arguments between oil and grease for semi auto slides. Good points on both sides. I feel any decent lube that is properly applied will probably get the job done. The only time I use grease on my firearms is choke tube grease on my over/under. It's more like a really thick oil than a grease. I use it on the choke tubes, and on the back end of the barrel where barrel parts ride against receiver parts when breaking the barrel open.

I've seen oil fly from an over oiled slide when fired. The M1 and M14 field manuals have pictures where to apply the grease and where to apply the oil. The grease is only applied to external moving parts such as where the op-rod rides in the receiver. The grease is applied to the stationary receiver and not the moving rod itself. Internal moving parts are only oiled. I never trained on an M16 and don't know what the manual says so I just used oil everywhere. Actually we used diesel fuel because it was the only thing readily available.

All good info guys. Thanks.