Grease packing revolver internals, why synthetic grease?

ernbar · Feb 22, 2023

ZUG said:
Mike - I guess you can't argue with success but my only question is about the bolt - with all that grease in there does it slow the bolt down from quickly popping up into the cylinder notch? In your race guns you have special springs that mitigate this "slow bolt" action am I correct in saying this? On a stock revolver there are only factory springs inside the revolver nothing fancy.

As a side note I am not a "cowboy shooter" and I don't shoot a revolver all day at the range so my revolvers don't get very dirty inside so for me I don't feel that adding grease is a plus. For some it very well might be just not me.

To add to Mike’s reply, my springs are stock and no problem with the hand either. As a matter of fact, my Pietta 1951’s action is super slick and smoooth thanks to the grease.

Freedom · Feb 22, 2023

Most folks that give grease a try will love it.
There is just something about the feel and sound of the revolver.
It's more of a vault like lock-up of the internals in the friction free grease cushion environment.

Blackpowderwarrior · Feb 22, 2023

I'v tested mikes method and it does work great.

I have one 1860 conversion thats not been fiddled with or broken into for a deep clean in a long while and the mobil1 is still doing a great job.

TFoley · Feb 22, 2023

freedom475 said:
Most folks that give grease a try will love it.
There is just something about the feel and sound of the revolver.
It's more of a vault like lock-up of the internals in the friction free grease cushion environment.
View attachment 200646

Chacun á son gout.

TDM · Feb 22, 2023

TFoley said:
Chacun á son gout.

Oui, je suis d’accord.

Bobby44 · Feb 22, 2023

45D said:
Why let the fouling in in the first place? Why not stop it at any point of entry??

Mike

Mike - Been using grease on the arbors for a long time. Got a 1858 in stainless and the arbor seizes in place really quick. It is such a pain that I often leave home without it. Any suggestions? I like the gun but not the hassle.

45D · Feb 22, 2023

Bobby44 said:
Mike - Been using grease on the arbors for a long time. Got a 1858 in stainless and the arbor seizes in place really quick. It is such a pain that I often leave home without it. Any suggestions? I like the gun but not the hassle.

This,

It's the "marriage" of Colt's "fouling groove" with Ruger's "diminished diameter". The groove in line with the cylinder face is from Colt, the reduced diameter of the base pin found on the ROA. I link them with 3 grooves front to back, left to right. It works extremely well and allows "all day shooting" with no binding.

Mike

Jayhawkdan · Feb 22, 2023

45D said:
I've been "packing" actions for many years with Mobil1 grease . . . for everyone . . . including the racing crowd!! It keeps fouling out (because there's already something there), keeps the parts lubed and protected. What it doesn't do is "gum things up" or turn to "tar" ( it's synthetic not conventional).
First of all, you can't run a SA fast enough to "out run" the viscosity of the grease . . . so nothing slows down. I've set up a few full time fanners and yes, they were packed with grease. Secondly, all the action parts move slow and not very much. Best of all, the action needs no cleaning and the cowboy shooters are told to check it once a year. As everybody knows, cowboy shooters shoot much more than the average shooter that actually shoots!

Mobil1 maintains its viscosity from -58° to 475° . . . I doubt anyone will be shooting outside those parameters.
I found it BECAUSE of the cowboy shooters (customers), turns out they had been using it for yrs. Things like Bore Butter (chapstick) and animal renderings will definitely change consistency in a rather small range.

So with all that going for it ( not to mention the huge majority of my customers agree) that's what I use because it works as advertised!!.

Mike

Mike, I really like your idea here! Two questions: 1. What’s your technique for packing in the grease, and 2. What’s an action block/shield?
Thank you!
JayhawkDan

45D · Feb 23, 2023

Jayhawkdan said:
Mike, I really like your idea here! Two questions: 1. What’s your technique for packing in the grease, and 2. What’s an action block/shield?
Thank you!
JayhawkDan

A hypo baster from any grocery store.

It allows you to reach all the areas like the hand slot, cam side of the hammer. Then smooth /pack with a finger.

The bolt block is lying right next to the bolt here-

It restricts lateral bolt movement.

The action shield-

It's a brass cover mounted on the hammer. It has a curl on the end which will present any caps/cap frags each time you cycle the action so that you can "dump" the debris. Unmentionables get the same but without the curl.

Mike

TDM · Feb 23, 2023

@45D Mike you make it very difficult to argue against greasing up a revolver.

Whughett · Feb 23, 2023

In years past several of my guns came back from tune up packed with red grease. They worked fine and I ran them as such. Problem was it interfered with the way I clean the guns and after several range sessions when I did disassemble the gun that grease was mixed with powder fouling quite extensively. I did not care for that. However I can see where a competition shooter who may be limited to a quick bore scrub and wipe down over a few days of events would benifit. For a shooter who may take a gun to the range weekly, or less, not so much.

45D · Feb 23, 2023

Mr. Whughett is correct. The grease can get dirty over time, especially without the shield ( don't think his had a shield). The shield catches hard parts and fouling and keeps the grease rather clean. The main purpose of the grease is to capture and hold any fouling and render it inert. As you cycle the action, it will migrate through the cavity. Of course over time you'll need to wipe out some and replace it with new (maybe an annual inspection). You can clean the barrel and cylinder as normal but the frame just needs a wipe down. Swab the hammer slot with a q-tip.
Here's a look inside a ROA after a year of cowboy shooting.

Parts are dirty but wet with grease.
Same in the frame -

After just a wipe down , parts are perfectly clean as well as the frame.

Mike

Johnny Tremain · Feb 23, 2023

Ive been using bore butter, washes right off when your done having fun

Whughett · Feb 23, 2023

Johnny Tremain said:
Ive been using bore butter, washes right off when your done having fun

I understand some folks mix graphite powder in with it. Would be good until the hot weather. Borebutter can get runny though. The yellow stuff even smells good.

Billy Boy · Feb 23, 2023

Old-Duckman said:
I’ve read with interest about packing the internals of a revolver to keep BP fouling out of the works. I want to try this but every thread that I have read specifies synthetic grease, usually Mobile 1 brand.

Does it have to be a synthetic grease or will any type do. If it has to be synthetic…why?

If I grease packed my ‘60 Army and New Model Rem and ventured into the forest, I would have to wait till mid April before I could cock them, -13 this AM, wind chill -32.

ernbar · Feb 23, 2023

Billy Boy said:
If I grease packed my ‘60 Army and New Model Rem and ventured into the forest, I would have to wait till mid April before I could cock them, -13 this AM, wind chill -32.

I think I will stay in Florida! Lol

Whughett · Feb 23, 2023

Billy Boy said:
If I grease packed my ‘60 Army and New Model Rem and ventured into the forest, I would have to wait till mid April before I could cock them, -13 this AM, wind chill -32.

No thanks. Thems the months I shoot on the INDOOR range at the club, and the only months I shoot modern stuff.

SPQR70AD · Feb 23, 2023

did you guys ever hear of ultra lube grease? non petroleum product 4X the lubrication higher flash point says it actually plates the metal. I figure it would even be good for the barrel

Ed C. · Feb 23, 2023

So many people love bore butter so I guess it works for them. I got a tube of bore butter with my first BP revolver and on its shake down cruise I realized that bore butter in Florida is good for making a runny greasy mess out of everything and little else. Although I do like it for BP arbors. Hoppe's elite gun oil, Ballistol, and grease are my go to lubes and protection depending on the gun and the parts I'm dealing with

Stantheman86 · Feb 24, 2023

I use liquid Micro Lube that is made for patches but is also a BP lube

I put a drop or two down the hammer face, a drop on the bolt and let them sit upright after cleaning to let the oil seep down into the lock works

Or just Ballistol into the internals

Grease packing revolver internals, why synthetic grease?

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