Silicone Oil

[emilianoksa]

Why does what I have always been taught about silicone oil not apply to Airsoft.

I realise of course that Airsoft guns have seals that need silicone, and plastic parts that would degrade with the use of other oils.

What has surprised me however is that it is also used as a lubricant on metal to metal parts eg.on the slide rails of blowback guns. As a spring piston airgun user, and one time firearm owner, I was taught that silicone would quickly bind steel parts.  Am I right in thinking that aluminium and alloys are not affected in this way? I have noticed, though, that some Airsoft users prefer to use moly grease on slides.

I also note that most of the cleaning and light protection from rust is done entirely with silicone.

Apparently the use of anything other than silicone oil can cause rust.  This surprised me and I assumed there was little danger of rust attacking aluminium alloys.

Could somebody kindly recommend  a decent set of products to help me maintain my blowback pistol?

 

[Sako]

As a spring piston airgun user, and one time firearm owner, I was taught that silicone would quickly bind steel parts. 

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You’re completely correct, with firearms we have always been made aware of the galling of the bolt/receiver/block if silicone is used.

 

[jcheeseright]

Silicone oil is basically useful only for keeping o rings and seals in good nick. 

Outside of that I would use lubricants suitable for their intended purpose.  I use Tamiya ceragrease for most mechanical stuff, it’s suitable for cylinder greasing too. 

 

[Tiercel]

I was always taught silicone oil for everything, except gearbox internals which reccomend white lithium grease. Always seemed to work well for me. 

Ive always wondered if theres something better for lubing the slides on GBB pistols, as silicone oil tends to get everywhere and attract dirt like crazy. I suppose anything heavier would gum up just as quick and cause worse cycling issues when goopy?

 

[Wo1f]

GHK silicone oil for sealing parts (O-rings) 

wurse dry spray lube for motorcycle chains for metal parts. It’s a ptfe/Teflon spray that dries on contact, so no mess. If it’s good enough for a 200mph motorbike it’s good enough for a bolt moving forward and back 8 inches. Spray means it’s easier to get in all of the little holes and whatnot in the trigger mech. 

 

[Marc.RG1]

Hello, i will not mention to much about my airguns or that i shoot RS at firearms clubs etc, did it before and was told off, but i respect that and rightly so as this is purely an airsoft forum..

yup your correct in that silicone 'grease' (silicone oil and added thickener) is not ideal for metal to metal high load contact, on plastic to plastic its fine or metal to plastic its OK (i want use it), but on metal to metal its not good it can gunk up and then start acting like a grinding compound.. pure silicone oil is slightly different as it does not gunk up and react like silicone grease. but i personaly would not use it for metal to metal.

The only thing that silicone 'grease' or oil would see on my airsoft guns is my magazine seals once in a blue moon and thats it, infact im not a huge fan of silicone spray either, be it pure or not, i for one do not get a can of silicone spray airsoft or the multi purpose stuff and spray my whole gun like i see some people do.. As wolf says ptfe/teflon spray is ok though..

Oh i do love my silicone impregnated guns socks though, silicone does have great waterproofing factors

On my metal to metal contact parts like slide and frame rails i use a molybdenum gun grease (abbey LT2 gun grease) have done for many years, lithium gun grease like tetra is also good, now for some of my guns like that have metal to plastic rails i will also use a moly based grease, but you do have to be careful sometimes because some plastic can be penetrate by the moly and it 'can' weaken the plastic, a great alternatives is mineral-oil-based lubricants, they work great on most, i have been using JRAK murder oil for a good year or so now and love the stuff, its basically friendly for most things, its what i lube my BBU seals with and some internals, if im not using a gun oil..

ATB, Marc..

 

[emilianoksa]

Thanks for the replies.

Then why do manufacturers insist on using it as a metal lubricant?

And why is there no galling on slides that have been treated with it?

Seals for green gas guns are treated with silicone oil.

Why can seals for co2 guns be treated with pelgun oil, which I gather is similar to an oil based automotive product?

 

[Rogerborg]

Then why do manufacturers insist on using it as a metal lubricant?

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Do they?

When I had my gearboxes apart, I lubricated then with a little W90 gear oil, because it's gear oil.

Also: my cat's breath smells of cat food.

 

[Hangtight]

Pellgun is apparently based on automatic transmission fluid...silicon soap basically.

Silicon spray is OK as a wipe on surface treatment, but it has poor metal to metal lubricating properties. This isn't true of all silicon greases though, but the common silicon greases are usually electrical compounds and promote galling.

Dry moly is good for pistol slides, but a lot of moly greases use an oil based carrier that can attack plastics and rubbers.

Real firearm cleaning products should be avoided, as many of them contain ammonia which isn't good for die cast airsoft gun components.

I'm just using Superlube in gearboxes. Low friction, Teflon loaded, doesn't dry out or attack different materials.

 

[Immortal]

Pellgun Oil is SAE30 engine oil - with no detergents as a rule, if it has any added it's of no use in airguns.