Gun oil

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Gun oils are oils that are used for the care and maintenance of guns. They are primarily intended for use in firearms , but are also suitable for other types of weapons, such as bladed weapons . The requirements listed below are made for the care and maintenance of weapons of the type mentioned.

conditions

The required properties of gun oils are based on the wishes of gun users in connection with the use and preservation of weapons:

  1. Lubrication of moving parts to prevent wear
  2. Corrosion protection of parts which, due to their properties , can be damaged by corrosion .
  3. Cleaning of all kinds of dirt and especially of combustion residues from the propellant powder and smearings from projectiles and rust
  4. no oxidation , no resinification , no thickening or chemical change in the weapon oil
  5. no adverse effect on wood, plastics, lacquer or other coatings on weapons and
  6. not harmful to health when used as intended.

So far it has not been possible to optimally combine all the required properties in a single formulation : Excellent lubricants often have inadequate corrosion protection and poor cleaning properties , while good cleaners usually have no corrosion protection and no lubricating effect; Good anti-corrosion oils are not necessarily good cleaners or lubricants. The previous incompatibility of all properties means that the focus of the effect is set differently by the manufacturers.

In the military, in particular, as a main user of gun oils, there is a need for an oil which combines all the required properties as far as possible in order to ensure quick and mistaken use. In the military sector, there is also the problem of logistics and the usability in different, even extreme climatic zones . Extreme cold in sub-polar and polar regions, as well as sand and dust in deserts, place high demands on, and the Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) research institute of the US Army is testing solid-based lubricants to meet these requirements .

Normalization

For weapons oils in the US armed forces are used, which is specification MIL-L-63460 used. It prescribes precise test modalities in order to meet the requirements for good lubrication, good corrosion protection and good cleaning effect against the background of military requirements. Gun oils according to MIL-L-63460 can be used for small and large caliber weapons in the temperature range from −65 to 150 ° F (corresponds to approx. −54 to 66 ° C).

Firearms Care

Since not all the required properties can be combined in one oil, non-military users of firearms, such as hunters and marksmen, often use suitable individual components.

For lubrication:

For corrosion protection:

For cleaning:

Against metal smearings from bullets:
Combustion residues:
Rust:
  • Mechanical removal

Care of blades and bladed weapons

Weapon oils used for bladed weapons mainly serve to protect against corrosion. In addition to oils specially developed for this purpose, oil made from camellia seeds is also used. Traditionally, Japanese weapons ( katana , wakizashi , tantō etc.) and chef's knives are mainly used . Cleaning is usually done with water or mechanically, since normal soiling does not require any special agents and experience has shown that work-related soiling is more water-soluble than oil-soluble or even requires other special substances.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hitesh K. Trivedi, Maurice M. Massey, Rabi S. Bhattacharya, Gerald A. Strahl and David Collum: Next generation lubrication system for weapons In: Tribology Letters Vol 10, 2001. ( Accessed August 30, 2008.)
  2. ^ Leslie R. Rudnick and Ronald L. Shubkin: Synthetic Lubricants and High-performance Functional Fluids . CRC Press, 1999, p. 36, ISBN 0-824-70194-1 .
  3. ↑ Munitions lubricant and protector, United States Patent 5062974 (English)