Grease packing revolver internals, why synthetic grease?

[Old-Duckman]

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?

 

[TDM]

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?

Regular petroleum grease can react with black powder residue and become more like tar.

 

[nkbj]

Maybe Mike will weigh in here. I've used the method but have no idea as to why Mobile 1 became the grease of choice.

 

[Uncle Miltie]

Grease is great to use inside locks and revolvers, if you want to slow them down. Squirting a good quality gun oil will keep things pliable and easily removed when you disassemble the gun. If you've gotta use grease use it on the arbor but nowhere else.

 

[TDM]

Agree @Uncle Miltie, regardless of what type is used, it’s not something I’d do or recommend.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

I have used grease on heavy bearing surfaces inside locks, i.e.: the sear engagement, but never thought to "pack" the lock with grease. Seems like a good way to gum things up good... kinda like filling an engine's crankcase with grease. You don't generally get all the much fouling inside a revolver's works. Most people I know will clean the revolver about once or twice a year.

What I usually do is separate the barrel and cylinder assemblies and clean those in the normal way, then put the frame and action assembly into the hot soapy water for a while, rinse it out with hot water, shake it down, blow as much of the water out as I can and then put the whole thing in a convection oven set at it's lowest setting... about 200 degrees... for a half hour or so. Then oil the internals up with any good gun oil, grease the arbor with any good grease, coat the bore and cylinder walls with Bore Butter, lube the nipple threads up with an anti-seize compound, coat the rest of the gun using an old shaving brush dipped in gun oil.

Before I forget, yeah, you gotta remove the grip.

This pretty much gets the job done without much effort and seems to work well enough.

 

[Gee Dog]

Put some regular petro gun oil on the arbor and see how long you can shoot. It won’t be for long.

 

[Old-Duckman]

Dale A. R. I like that idea of the 200 degree drying method...makes sense to me.

I read about grease packing on this forum and it seemed quite popular for some.

And Uncle M. I thought the same thing about slowing down the works. I think of shifting my standard transmission in my pick-up on cold mornings...very stiff until it warms up. Grease is always stiff...But still it sounds like something to experiment with. I don't see how it could harm the gun. I hope some of the "greasers" chime in and comment.

 

[Ed C.]

I use grease on the muzzleloader's trigger and lock. I don't have to worry about the cold here in Florida and I've sealed off the few places where BP smoke could enter. Just a light coating of wheel bearing grease in the works. I pull the trigger and the gun goes bang. Any time that may be lost I'd never notice. On the revolvers I put a dab of grease on the bolt arm and hammer cam area. Ballistol on everything else except for bore butter on the arbor. I take my revolvers down every time I shoot and the internals are always dirty. Oil or grease. So far no complaints and don't know if this is better than any other method.

 

[45D]

Maybe Mike will weigh in here. I've used the method but have no idea as to why Mobile 1 became the grease of choice.

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

 

[jd945043]

Sounds like a well thought out plan. I think I have to try it in my revolvers

 

[ernbar]

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 hit it right on. His method works specially when using the action shield/cover.

 

[Greenjoytj]

Don’t “pack” the revolver internals full of grease. Just paint the grease thickly onto the parts. Paint on the grease a as thick as you feel comfortable doing.
Synthetic oil in the grease clings better to the metal.
Any BP fouling thats gets inside will just lie upon the grease surface.
I use a disposable brush and trim back the bristles to about ⅜” to make the brush stiffer so can brush out the grease to a thinner coat.

 

[45D]

Don’t “pack” the revolver internals full of grease. Just paint the grease thickly onto the parts. Paint on the grease a as thick as you feel comfortable doing.
Synthetic oil in the grease clings better to the metal.
Any BP fouling thats gets inside will just lie upon the grease surface.
I use a disposable brush and trim back the bristles to about ⅜” to make the brush stiffer so can brush out the grease to a thinner coat.

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

Mike

 

[Greenjoytj]

Maybe to OP is shooting a cap & ball percussion revolver.
Maybe he’s shooting a straight walled cartridge like 45 Colt, tough Starline brass won’t obturate well in the low 45 Colt pressure.
Even my overly annealed (soften with dull red torch heat) 45 Colt cases (Starline & Hornady) still allow some blow back leakage. Annealing did greatly reduce the amount of blow back but some still occurs, and I use 35 grs of 2fg OE & 250 grain bullet, that’s not a light load.

 

[45D]

Yep, I understand perfectly! All mine shoot unmentionable smokeless ammo but I still pack the frame. My customers all shoot cap guns and that is the MAIN reason for packing the frame. Of course some folks like the cleaning chore so just use some light oil and clean away!!!! But, for those that don't think it's the bee's knees to clean action parts, pack it and forget it! With an action shield in place, the casual shooter won't ever have to clean the action. The competition guys, once a year ( or as often as you like).
If your engine calls for 6 qts of oil do you put just 4 in because it'll still run that way? I say "filler up"!!

Mike

 

[ZUG]

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.

 

[45D]

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.

Hey ZUG, thanks for the question. The short answer is no. My "special" springs are coil which addresses longevity as well as easier tuning. They only impart 3 - 4 lbs tension (which is what Colt factory specs are) which is about half what the typical factory flat spring is.

You don't have to shoot cowboy action to give your revolver a great, worry free lube setup. That's just funny to me. But hey, do what ya want.

Mike

 

[ZUG]

Thanks for the reply - maybe I will buy me some Mobil 1 grease and goop up one of my revolvers and see for myself

 

[Old-Duckman]

Thanks for the reply - maybe I will buy me some Mobil 1 grease and goop up one of my revolvers and see for myself

My plan too. Amazon rips you off for $20 a can where the local AutoZone wants a bit over $10. One can should last a lifetime.