Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
Lock lubrication
 Login/Join
 
Greenhorn
posted
What do you all use to oil your locks with. Especially the locks with flys.
 
Posts: 8 | Location: Hardinsburg,Kentucky | Registered: 22 September 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hivernant
posted Hide Post
Birchwood-Casey Barricade, just a drop or two is more than enough.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bull3540,
 
Posts: 111 | Location: Texas | Registered: 25 May 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
Picture of Hanshi
posted Hide Post
I use Barricade in the bore for rust protection but never thought of it as a general lubricant. Something to try.

I've generally used a drop or two of most any lubricating oil in addition to Castrol motor oil, white lithium grease and Tri-flon, a teflon based lube. All seem to work so I'd say there are a lot of lubes that should work just fine. I think I would avoid most heavy greases as they can stiffen and attract grime.


*Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff.*
 
Posts: 3560 | Location: Maine (by way of Georgia then Va.) | Registered: 26 January 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Free Trapper
posted Hide Post
accralube from Jim Chambers flintlocks. a small drop in the proper places is all you need. and don't forget a thorough cleaning after a lot of use


a day in the woods with a flintlock refreshes a man's soul
 
Posts: 191 | Location: Battlefield,Missouri | Registered: 25 April 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of roundball
posted Hide Post
I thoroughly clean my locks after every use...wehther after 50 shots at the range or 1 shot to take a deer.
After cleaning I power flush the internals with an aersol can of WD40...shake off he excess and let it drain on a rag while I'm cleanng the bore


Flintlock Rifles & Smoothbores
Hunt Like The Settlers
 
Posts: 1867 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: 28 January 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of TurtleDave
posted Hide Post
i do exactly as roundball does. only thing i do different is after it drains on a rag i will put one drop of oil on the tumbler.


Member #277 Mo. State Rep. for the Traditional Muzzleloading Association
"The reason a dog has so many friends,He wags his tail instead of his tongue"
 
Posts: 381 | Location: Butler, Missouri | Registered: 08 December 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of captchee
posted Hide Post
Im with RB on this one . But I do use a small drop of gun lube for the tumbler .
As to the fly , I don’t lube it I take pains not to get lube in the hole . The reason for that is that the fly must fall free . Lubes as they age , thicken causing the fly to drag .
WD is fine if you clean your lock regularly . But if you don’t and your lock or trigger inlet isn’t tight , what can happen is the WD will collect small particles and soon cause you fly to drag .
IE it wont quickly fall back as the sear passes it .
This should not be a big problem if you have a smaller width fly that gives more room and isn’t tuned so as to drag up to close to the full cock .

However a lot of the newer locks that im getting have a larger cut and larger fly . Thus they nearly cover the edge of the full cock notch . when they begin to drag , it creates a situation where the sear wont engage the full cock ..
They then sometimes hang up next to the seat and the full cock and not drop back down . So what happens is as you trip the lock , the fly gets pushed back down as the sear travels forward . When the fly hits it stop the sear then jars then rides /slips past the fly . That little jarring motion soon creates a small burr . The lock then starts to catch . If the burr becomes large enough it will stall the lock just like it was catching the ½ cock , even though its not , its catching the burr on the fly .

So IMO no lube is needed for the fly . If you do chose to lube it , use alight lube like WD and clean your lock often
 
Posts: 687 | Location: Payette ,Idaho | Registered: 23 November 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of Newoodsrunner
posted Hide Post
i use Ballistol on my locks, bore even the stocks, never had a problem it works for me
 
Posts: 461 | Location: SW Okla | Registered: 02 September 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
posted Hide Post
Usually WD-40 or CLP Break Free teflon based. But, today, I am going to buy a bottle of Ballistol. Have heard so much about it, time to try.
 
Posts: 1487 | Location: Mountain Home, Arkansas | Registered: 08 October 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of Newoodsrunner
posted Hide Post
Rifleman i use it on everything, got all the BP shooters around here using it also . It is so popular my R&G club sells it too.
 
Posts: 461 | Location: SW Okla | Registered: 02 September 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Greenhorn
posted Hide Post
Thanks for all your replies. I am a firm believer in ballistol. I use it both 50/50 mix with water and full strength.
 
Posts: 8 | Location: Hardinsburg,Kentucky | Registered: 22 September 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Free Trapper
Picture of Montour
posted Hide Post
I use a total non period solution for the lock on my rifle. I use TW-25grease on all the mating surfaces. Its a great lube, comes in both grease and oil. First started using it on M134 Miniguns, and I have even used it on the firing mech's of M14's. Its so good that Army Designated Marksmen have thought I did a trigger job on their guns when all I did was properly lube the moving parts of the trigger mech.

Now if a site visitor were to ask, it would be bear oil :-)
 
Posts: 150 | Location: Right where Im standing | Registered: 07 September 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of andy*
posted Hide Post
When at home I use my stash of bear oil.
out and about a drop or two of hoppe's lubircation oil or 3 IN 1 oil
Andy


Follow me I am the Infantry
 
Posts: 668 | Location: Everson, Washington | Registered: 27 June 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
Picture of Hanshi
posted Hide Post
3 in 1 oil doesn't get a lot of respect nowadays; but, IMHO, is still just as good as about any lube/rust oil out there. I've used so much over the years that the smell is only second to WD40 as a pleasant and nostalgic experience. Actually bp smoke ties for 1st.


*Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff.*
 
Posts: 3560 | Location: Maine (by way of Georgia then Va.) | Registered: 26 January 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Pilgrim
Picture of Laughing Bear
posted Hide Post
Lots of interesting replies to the question...But I notice that no one's mentioned powdered graphite.

That's what I've been using recently, and while it seems to work just fine so far, I'm a little nervous that none of you mavins have mentioned it.

Is there some drawback that's just waiting for me to drop the cock on some unsuspecting animal before screwing up my flinter?
 
Posts: 61 | Location: Edmonton, Alberta | Registered: 16 March 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
Picture of Hanshi
posted Hide Post
Actually, Laughing Bear, it has crossed my mind on many occasions. I have a small tube of of graphite I've used for lubing case mouths for cf rounds. It now seems like eons since I've done that. The only problem I see with graphite is its longevity. I'm not sure it would have much staying power, leaving the lock without any lube at all. I also wonder about wear on metal parts.

I think it can make a good lube in certain situations; just not too sure I want to use it on my locks. Maybe others with more experience will tell us more.


*Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff.*
 
Posts: 3560 | Location: Maine (by way of Georgia then Va.) | Registered: 26 January 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
Picture of volatpluvia
posted Hide Post
Hanshi,
My bicycle chain oil has graphite in it. Just oil without the graphite gets slung off in a hurry. When you think about the abuse a bicycle chain takes and that many last for the life of the bike, it think graphite should work real well on a lock. I think though that something else should be put on to protect against rust.
Hombre del Bosque


pistuo deo lalo
 
Posts: 3714 | Location: Acatlan de Juarez, Jalisco, Mexico | Registered: 22 October 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of captchee
posted Hide Post
Couple things graphite
a) the part you use it on must be harder then the graphite or it will act as an abrasive
b) graphite needs moisture in order to become a lubricant .
don’t think of this as liquid water but more of environmental humidity .
So in some cased the use of powdered graphite can be little better then no lube at all
However in applications where you have high contamination levels . IE dirt and dust , dry graphite then becomes an option. But requires constant maintenance.
if your lock plate isn’t tempered to well what can happen is the graphite turns into a very fine polish .
With that being said , there are some graphite gun lubes and greases out there . These however you have to watch as the oils become a trap for contaminants which in turn results in wear . It also should only be used on hardened applications . IE you don’t want to be using IMO a graphite lube on an aluminum part like a sprocket or slider .

For the most part applying it to a muzzle loading lock that’s of quality , you should be ok . But realize it will do nothing in the way of keeping corrosions down unless its used as part of a patrolium based mix
 
Posts: 687 | Location: Payette ,Idaho | Registered: 23 November 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Pilgrim
Picture of Laughing Bear
posted Hide Post
Thanks guys...I sorta thought there might be more to this than I knew.

I went with graphite for two reasons: My fly kept getting gummed up so my locks wouldn't hold half-cock, and I was told the graphite would soon hone my tumbler and plate which would make the lock smoother and faster.

Both situations have been helped quite a bit since I started with the graphite.

So now to find a lube that's both hydrophobic and unattractive to dirt and grime....

Hmmm...3-in-1, kerosene, gun oil...So many choices...

I guess it doesn't matter which, as long as I keep it out of the fly.
 
Posts: 61 | Location: Edmonton, Alberta | Registered: 16 March 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Graybeard
Picture of MedicineSoldier
posted Hide Post
Jumping into the discussion a little late but I used to use the same stuff I use for patch lube - an olive oil/beeswax mixture (still do occasionally). But most of the time I am now using "Fluid Film" a lanolin based lubricant / rust preventiative. Non toxic, can be used on leather and won't dry out. Overall some really good stuff for a lot of things.

Nice thing about both is that it can be used on all the metal and wood parts of firearms.

Medicine Soldier
 
Posts: 219 | Location: Black Hills of SD | Registered: 05 October 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
  Powered by Social Strata  
 


2014 Historical Enterprises, LLC