Military approval of synthetic motor oil as expedient weapons lube??

[Mike S]

I need a quick response if anyone has a link to an Army (or other DOD pub) that authorizes the use of synthetic motor oil as a field expedient weapon lubricant.

(Sorry, I'm not asking for 'opinions' if it works/is safe/etc, as that's been covered ad-nauseam here & elsewhere. I'm looking for a link to something official that either prohibits it, or that allows it, & my Google-fu is weak tonight...).

[casp625]

Never read anything of the sort. We always used CLP.

[WildBill]

I need a quick response if anyone has a link to an Army (or other DOD pub) that authorizes the use of synthetic motor oil as a field expedient weapon lubricant.

(Sorry, I'm not asking for 'opinions' if it works/is safe/etc, as that's been covered ad-nauseam here & elsewhere. I'm looking for a link to something official that either prohibits it, or that allows it, & my Google-fu is weak tonight...).

I don't think that the DOD would ever do this. I don't think that they "authorize" any "type" of product.
IMO they would issue a mil spec for lubricants for a specific purpose and application.
Unless it didn't meet the specification, they wouldn't "prohibit" anything without specifically stating the requirement.
If a particular type/grade of synthetic motor oil met their specification then it would be "approved."
I don't work for the DOD or the government, but that has been my experience with military specifications.

[Lena]

I used to shoot a lot of Reg trap, at the world shoots in the Perazzi and Kreighoff buildings I was watching them do repair work on customer's guns I asked the Perazzi gunsmith what was that lube he was using? Valvoline synthetic oil ! He showed me the bottle, on the hinge pins he had Valvoline gear grease, he said that's all he used.

In my 6 years in the Army we used LSA on about everything, I till have a gallon, never had any problems, if I lubes my firearms today it would be with LSA.

[Shotgun_jeremy]

The military isn't likely to approve synthetic motor oil as a gun lube. I'd say that when times get tough, use whatever you can, but I've never seen anyone get pushed to that point of times being so tough, you can't even get CLP in the military.

[WildBill]

Here is a link that might help.

https://www.mil-specproducts.com/Brands/Milspec/

Just a thought - if you are wondering about a particular gun, maybe the military manual will contain the spec reference for suggested maintenance materials.

[jimd1981]

Not synthetic, but according to the Field Manual for the U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1 (Garand)

FM 23-5, Chapter 5 (Maintenance), section 21 "Cleaning, Materials, Lubricants and Equipment", b.3:
"OS 10 engine oil may be used as a field expedient under combat conditions when the oils prescrived in (1.) and (2.) above cannot be obtained. However, the weapon should be cleaned and lubricated with the proper lubricants as soon as possible."

'Course, they used to micturate on 'em in Korea when they froze up, too!

[WildBill]

"Field-expedient" to me means I'm gonna use whatever I darn well feel like will work out in the field.

In the commercial world this would be classified as "Factory Warranty is Null and Void".

[WildBill]

In combat this could alternatively be classified as 'Dead or Alive', but you know that ;)

Yep ... in the commercial world ... expired shelf life.

[ELB]

Somewhere Mikhail Kalashnikov is laughing.

[ghostrider]

"Field-expedient" to me means I'm gonna use whatever I darn well feel like will work out in the field.

I"m pretty sure that's a dictionary definition (if it isn't, it should be) :-)