What lube do HK armorers use?

[LSP 972]

FWIW, I have been using LubriPlate grease, in the areas noted above by GOTURBACK, for over a year now. It makes cleaning the pistol a bit messier, but as far as I'm concerned it is a good thing because the grease reduces wear on the gun. I have observed this on two pistols- an HK45C and 9mm P2000- that were purchased NIB and shot alongside older, identical examples (the wife and I have multiples of our EDC stuff).

Specifically, the wear patterns on the barrel, inside of the slide where the barrel hood rubs, and the main contact areas on the recoil spring guide all show significantly LESS wear after 5K rounds on the two new pistols, when compared to the older examples that have not much more than 5K rounds through them but began life using oil as a lubricant.

Not empirical or scientific, I know. But I see what I see. Does it really matter? Will it "extend" the service life of the pistol/s? Unknown. But it makes me feel better, so what can I say?

I'll tell you something else, too. Oil evaporates. Some types have more "staying power" than others; Tetra in particular. But that grease will be there until the cows come home. The one drawback (besides messy clean-up) that I can think of is in extreme cold weather. I was in Alaska in 1975 and sub-zero cold most definitely affects weapon function. But that isn't a problem for me, living in the sub-tropics like I do. Besides, one's body heat keeps the weapon warm if you carry it IWB.


Anyway, my .02...

.

[Kost]

Moved over to Weapon Shield 4 years ago after George offered free sample 1oz. bottles.
Have not looked back, its the best I found - thanks George!

[AKA]

Moved over to Weapon Shield 4 years ago after George offered free sample 1oz. bottles.
Have not looked back, its the best I found - thanks George!

This is what we use on our pistols as well, great stuff!

[M995]

At least since 1986 there has never been an "official HK lubricant" for HK weapons, either at HK GmbH or at HK in the USA (HK Inc or HK Defense). Mostly it is dependent upon personal preference of the staff. Not all HK weapons would use the same lube anyway. For handguns HK GmbH used a white grease in the trigger mechs and a preservative oil during packaging. The GMG uses white grease and LSA. I have seen HK use anti-seeze paste on the G11 chamber and "Ballistol" on other items. Dry graphite power is used on drum mags like the G8 drum and Beta mags. At times they will use what ever is laying around it seems.

The closest "official" HK lube was Ballistol in the 1980's because HK Inc was selling it, not because it was superior to anything else. (and you could use it as salad dressing - true!).

I personally like CLP for all automatics and suppressed weapons where there is a lot of heat and fouling that bakes on (the solvent in CLP helps prevent that and can be reapplied cheaply when the gun goes dry) and MILITEC for pistol mechs and small part items (trigger groups) that don't need a lot of lube. Benellis like MILITEC also as it does not collect debris and imbeds itself int the tight fitting parts. It is safe to say there is no one lube that works best for all weapons but if I had to carry only one it would be CLP.

Let's face it. Any high quality lube designed for firearms should work well. If a pistol requires a special lube to operate correctly under normal use and conditions, then the issue is not in the lube but in the pistol.

G3Kurz

Hi G3kurz,

Can I ask you a question about the grease lube used in the HK GMG? Sorry if my question is retarded b/c I don't have experience with grease lube. A Canadian officer told me that if you use grease lube in the C7 and C8 rifles in the arctic, the rifles would completely freeze up. Would the HK grease lube for the GMG freeze up the weapon in the arctic? I know this is an apples & oranges comparison (since the 2 grease lubes may be different and the C7 and GMG are different weapons).

Also, does HK use CLP for the G36 and HK416? Would CLP be a good choice for G36s and 416s?

[bsafe]

Why? You think that motor oil is ineffective at lubricating metal?

No, quite the opposite. I use Mobil One in all my automobiles. Plenty of 1911 folks think motor oil is the best lube for a lot of the same reasons they think the 1911 is the best defensive sidearm. Just because one product is effective in one application does not mean there is not another product that is more effective, especially since we are talking about different applications. I think there are more effective, newer products that are researched and developed specifically for use in firearms in a variety of climates and conditions. Many folks on this forum believe that HK makes the most modern, reliable weapons available, and the HK45 falls into this category. I would rather use the most modern, reliable product to clean and lubricate that weapon. Preferably the one used by HK themselves, if one exists. That was the reason for my question.

[cjennings]

bsafe


I guess I am falling into TGS camp here. Alot of these weapons grade oils are just that, oils... There are a few components to an oil and everything is a balance of those. But looking specifically at Mobile 1 synthetic, its inexpensive, penetrates well, has good dwell time on the parts, provides great lubrication, and has good cleansing ability *(there is tech term I cant think of). In terms of reseach and development of oils I dont know how a small vender making gun lubes could compete against the big time motor oil companies for reseach. I might assume some of these venders are adding an additive or two to a comercial oil and branding it as their own.

[MLS]

...has good cleansing ability *(there is tech term I cant think of)

I think that's "detergent properties", as described by automotive oil companies.

[Blitzkrieg]

That is almost EXACTLY how I have been lubing my HK45. I guess it depends who you ask and orfeo was probably right. For the record I guess the HK cleaning kits contain a product called Formula 3 Gun Conditioner by Kleenbore. I've never used it, but I don't think it's a new product.

For me, going from 1911s to an HK45 represented a giant leap of 100 years in one small step. I'm surprised that some people that might criticize the 1911 as an antiquated sidearm would continue to use motor oil and petroleum based products on the latest, greatest, most modern firearms. The same "It's always worked for me for XX years" argument is the one used by 1911 holdouts. Of course one of the benefits of newer designs is their ability to run and run with less than ideal cleaning and lubrication.

You must not understand the tech-specs of synthetic engine oil. It protects and stays put better than most gun oils. And I don't think the 1911 is antiquated either.. so there, lol

[itznfb]

I think in the MR556 manual it actually states CLP which I thought was weird to identify and endorse a particular product, but I appreciate the fact that they did.

CLP isn't a product. It stands for Cleaning, Lubricating, Protecting. A lot of companies use the CLP acronym on their all in one products.

I use Remington RemOil.

[Black45]

IMO, I would never use a motor oil for a firearm. Motor oils work best (as designed) within an operating temperature range for a car/truck where temperature is managed. While guns get hot when they are repeatedly fired, my guess is that the motor oil starts off cold (providing limited lubrication) and then quickly passes through the operating range (180-220 def F) again failing to lubricate or even breaking down as they get too hot. I'd stick with a firearm designed lubricant. Several good ones are mentioned here. I like Militec FWIW.