Grease for cleaning?

[toadold 0]

I've got a CAI "Polish" under folder on layaway. My understanding is the barrel is American made and is not chrome lined. I've been thinking about treating it like the guys who have Swiss Milsurplus rifles, like the K-31, do and that is they use a grease for both lube, cleaning, and finish protection. While I realize that the Swiss ammo is very clean and the barrel steel is pretty good, I've always been impressed by the general condition of the Swiss rifle bores and exteriors. Apparently after shooting they'd run a brush with grease on it down the bore, then grease up a patch and rap it around a brush or a jag and run it down the bore. Then a couple of dry patches, then a run with a greasy patch. They run a dry patch down the bore before shooting. There were variations but they all said they use grease and nothing else.

Any opinions or experience on this with AK's?

[308SAIGA 55]

I see no issue with this, I would def clean with a good bore scrubber solution (copper fouling), then in the end a good swipe with grease, I would use Lithium Grease. Remember to pass a clean patch before you fire the weapon, too much will cause extra pressure that you do not want. I have been told in the past that non lined barrels are more accurate then lined.

Edited March 11, 2012 by 308saiga

[toadold 0]

Lithium grease works great 99% of the time but it can fail if exposed to too much water or super high humidity. The lithium base will swap the oil it is holding for water if the water is there for too long a period. If you are carrying in a real rainy, wet environment a wax on the exterior or a red aluminum base red grease works better. If you have a stock of lithium grease I'd keep a condom over the barrel if you are going to work where you get hosed a lot. I worked at a place where we use lithium grease to lubricate our air tools. We found out the hard way we need to keep the air lines dry and drained.

I'm thinking about getting some M-Pro 7 for an initial clean.

[308SAIGA 55]

I did not know this, I only use it for my internal parts. I still like to know how accurate this barrel is.... Keep us up to date thanks....

[toadold 0]

I'm hoping to run a series of tests on it. As it is with just a clean up out of the box. with the standard sights. Of course with my eyesight I may have to find some young shooter to do that. Then I'm going to replace the slant brake with possibly the latest Yankee Hill Machine flash hider. Depending on how smooth the finish and how they cut the rifling standard steel barrels can be more accurate than hammer forged barrels. I'm going to avoid the corrosive primer stuff. The ranges within reasonable driving distance to me wont let you use steel core ammo anyway....damn it. I've got 1000 rounds of Wolf fmj stored away, non-corrosive primer but fmj steel core.

Fluff and buff the internals,FCG, recoil spring tube, bolt carriers, and etc to cut down vibration and improve the trigger a bit.. Depending I might put on a stronger trigger spring and recoil spring. I've got a cheap Tasco scope that I'll put on it temporarily. Right now I have a problem in that I've got a cataract in my dominant eye and I wont be able to get that fixed until next August. After that I'd like to mount a red dot.

[Gaddis 1,689]

Lithium grease works great 99% of the time but it can fail if exposed to too much water or super high humidity. The lithium base will swap the oil it is holding for water if the water is there for too long a period.

 

Steel Shield (the makers of Weapons Shield grease) have a lithium based weapons grease advertised over on MidwayUSA that claim it's formulated for all types of weather conditions, and it resists water washout well. That's good to know, since I was thinking of trying some out.

Edited March 11, 2012 by Gaddis

[toadold 0]

Gaddis

If you get some see if they print the ingredients or explain what they use to prevent washout. If you have the patience and the time put some on some bare metal and put it, at least overnight,in a container of water....suggest you don't use a kitchen pot if you have an old lady around. After my small part cosmoline removal experiment by boiling in a small pot I can testify clean up can be a problem. or one of the reasons why I'm single.

Edited March 12, 2012 by toadold

[Gaddis 1,689]

Well, looking at it again, I see it's only for a 2 oz. container.

 

http://alturl.com/3e9nj

 

Even though those 2 ounces would probably last me a couple of years, $8.69 is a little too rich for my blood.

 

Besides, I have to use the 50+ (probably! ) containers of other assorted gun greases I have already just to find a place to store it.

 

(yes, I admit I'm a sucker for a finely crafted gun grease advertisement).

[toadold 0]

When you look at the selection of lubes and cleaners available on the larger online retailers it is enough to drive you bonkers. Even when they have review sections you can get confused. I'm reminded of that scene from the movie "Moscow on the Hudson" when the recent defector from Soviet Russia (Robin Williams) is sent to the supermarket to buy some coffee. There is a whole aisle of different coffees and the number of choices is so overwhelming he faints.......of course I only recently figured out what to order at Starbucks when I want a cup of coffee.

Edited March 13, 2012 by toadold

[Gaddis 1,689]

Three-In-One oil has worked well for a lot of firearms throughout the years.

 

Just sayin' here.

[Dad2142Dad 6,559]

Read this http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?/topic/71007-anyone-use-grease-on-the-bolt-carrierframe-rail/page__p__689564__hl__MILITEC__fromsearch__1#entry689564

[toadold 0]

Of course one of the reasons that I'm going to an AK platform is that it doesn't really require exotic stuff to keep it running.

 

"What's your tool kit for your AK? A can of motor oil, a boot string, one large rock and one small rock."

[Scott Kenny 144]

Yeah, my shooting buddy runs a Remington 1100, Para .40, and an AR at 3-gun matches. His toolbox is larger than his ammo box(es)!

 

But I do like the AMSOil synthetic automatic transmission fluid mixed with the 'machinery protector' he uses for lube... it sticks to the metal and doesn't suck up dirt and crud.

 

Simple is good. Reliable is better. More time shooting with less time fixing means better scores!

[G O B 3,516]

I can guarantee that of the millions of AK's in the world, the vast majority are cleaned with gasoline or diesel fuel, and lubed with motor oil.

[toadold 0]

I remember an old Sargent telling me that they used hydraulic fluid and motor oil a lot for arms cleaning. A number of guys get fancy use Automatic Transmission Fluid for cleaning and Mobil 1 for their fire arms. When I was trying to clean out the beef grease from a Foreman grill drip tray the other day I got to thinking it would probably lube up an AK pretty well because the dang stuff was hard to get off with soap and water.