Favorite Shotgun Lube

Well gang,
Earlier I discussed the the pro's and con's of whether to use oil or grease to lubricate your break open shotgun. What I didn't tell you is that I found out how to avoid that decision. The product I've been using with great results for the last year is from a handgun oriented company, Wilson Combat. They are makers of custom 1911 pattern handguns[ My favorite], AR15's, and tactical shotguns based on Remington 870's. They have a series of lubricants called UltimaLube including UltimaLube grease, oil, and another that splits the difference, universal. UltimaLube Universal is a very thick oil, or a thin grease, depending on how you look at things. I tend to think of it as a VERY thick oil. I use it to lubricate, not as a general rust preventative, as there are other products that do a great job of that. The other really neat feature of the UltimaLube Universal is the applicator. It is a syringe, with a pin point plastic "needle" to place the lube just where you want it, and not all over your hands, shirt, or sweater. Also, the end of the syringe twists, effectively turning the applicator "off", so it doesn't leak all over your range bag or gun case. This stuff works GREAT!
Wilson Combat Ultima-Lube Liquid Universal 10cc Lube Syringe
For rust prevention I recommend 2 items. First for general rust prevention, I like Birchwood Casey brand "Sheath"[Now branded by Birchwood Casey as "Barricade"]. It is a rust preventative, that doesn't leave as "greasey" film as some others, and really does a great job. I like the liquid as opposed to the spray, because I like to either apply with a rag, or a brush, depending on the part of the gun..
PS4 Sheath Rust Preventive 4.5oz Spout Can
Kleen Bore Nylon Bristle All Purpose Gun Cleaning Brush Md: UT221
A rag is great for spreading the preventative on smooth surfaces like the blued barrels, and the brush is GREAT for rough areas like the top of the vent rib, or any engraved areas. Engraving provide a difficult area to treat as wiping with a cloth will just hit the high spots, and since on many finely engraved shotguns, the engraved areas are left "in the white" you need to get rust preventative all over the exposed steel. A brush, like the one above is great for getting the liquid Sheath all down in the engraved surface of the shotgun.

There is one additional rust preventative that I use, and it is very specialized. I use it mainly to treat the inside of the shotgun. Especially inside the lockwork. Especially inside detachable trigger groups, but inside the lockwork of guns that don't have detachable triggers or locks. Many, some, or none of you may know, I shoot a Beretta DT10, a gun that feature detachable triggers. I like to clean and degrease my trigger groups[ the one in the gun, and my spare ], then I soak the trigger group in Sentry Solutions TUF GLIDE....
Sentry Solutions - Tuf-Glide, 1/2 oz.
Sentry Solutions Tuf-Glide 8oz Bottle

This stuff does a GREAT job of rust prevention, with just a little lubrication....and it dries completely so the treated metal doesn't attract and hold grit and carbon. The only down side is that it doesn't have much "staying power" on surfaces that get handled[ The Birchwood Casey Sheath is better for that ], but if the surface doesn't get messed with, like parts inside your gun, it does a fantastic, long term job of rust prevention.

Now, before anyone gets upset that I don't recommend their favorite lube or rust preventative......take a deep breath and relax. These are just the products that I have found work well for me. I have used many more that work well also, I have lubed Perazzi's with motor oil off golf cart dipsticks, and kept Krieghoff's from rusting with olive oil, but these are the products I use when I have a choice. Use with confidence!


Best,

Will

Paper or plastic? Oil or grease?

Folks,
I have been hearing this questions since I started the game oh these many years ago......should I used oil or grease to lube my over and under? The truth is that it doesn't really matter, as long as you use one of them, and use it correctly. OK, so now you want to know what 'correctly' means.....

First, you need to understand the strengths and weakness' of the 2 types of lube.

Grease does a great job of lubricating, and does a good job of staying where you put it, but it does collect and hold dirt and grit. These solid particulates can quickly turn your grease into an abrasive compound, grinding away at your expensive blaster. If you like to use grease, you need to be diligent about wiping out the old grease, and applying fresh grease very frequently[ I suggest ever time you head to the range ].

Oil also does a great job of lubricating, and unlike grease, it holds dirt and grit in suspension and allows it to flow out of the way of moving part, thereby mitigating the abrasive qualities of the contaminates. So far, so good, but there is a downside. Oil does not do a very good job of staying where you put it.....it creeps, flows, seeps, and generally goes places you don't want it. Like on you new shirt, shooting glass lenses, or worse of all, falling victim to gravity and flowing down into your expensive wood when your shotgun is stored in a gun rack. Gun lubricating oil is VERY bad for your stock, so we don't want that happening. This is the main reason we don't recommend the ubiquitous WD40, as it is designed to penetrate and we don't want it penetrating your beautiful walnut gunstock.

Soooo, if you choose grease, change it often. If you use oil, use it sparingly, wipe off the excess, and consider storing your trusty boomstick upside down when it is put up long term in you gun rack.

I'll be following this up with a couple of additional posts regarding which lubes I recommend, and where to apply them. Before anyone gets too excited, as long as its not WD40, just about any lubricant will do.....

Best,

Will