Dry Lubes and Magazines

[PA PATRIOT]

Had a few friends rotate back home that had a few tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan under their belts. I asked if there was any thing new in the terms of maintenance that they learn to help keep M4's running and one of the answers was that they started using PTFE X-Extreme ultra dry lubricant on the inside of their magazine bodies.

Basically they disassembled the magazine and used a round brush to clean dirt out of the tube and then spayed the dry lube into the tube and on the spring and reassembled. They claimed the dry lube did not attract or hold dirt and the follower moved friction free and improve function for better then a month of heavy use.

While basic in nature is the military now policy wise starting to become proactive with maintaining the function of magazines with the use of dry lubes?

[Iraqgunz]

I haven't heard of this being done on a wide spread basis. I also never had an issue with magazines not feeding or working properly. Simply empty the magazines, wipe em out and reload them.

[VIP3R 237]

A couple of the local 3-gun guys swear by using dry lube on their magazines, some are retired military. i personally havent tried it.

[Jaysop]

I heard of people using graphite powder. Lock lubricant I believe. I've never tried it though.

[Brahmzy]

So basically spraying a dry lube into the interior of the mag body? Makes sense. Magpul's followers, whether in PMAGs or GI mags, have a bit of teflon in them. Also, DH makes their teflon coated GI mags.
I could see this benefiting a PMAG. Needed? I don't know.

[Clint]

Minimizing friction is good.

That's why USGI magazines are already finished in a dry film lubricant.

The dry film finish is even mentioned here:
http://www.44mag.com/product/nhmtg_magazine_magpul_follower/223_ar15_magazines

If the mags are in good shape, adding Teflon over that during maintenance seems unnecessary.

If the factory finish is worn off, it may be a good idea to just replace the mag, as it is used up.

If replacements are unavailable, re-dry filming seems like a good field expedient measure.

[PA PATRIOT]

I found a can of the PTFE X-Extreme ultra dry lubricant at local hard ware store for $2.49 and grabbed six Colt labeled 30rd magazines which have a good amount of use on them.

Two were to remain as is.
Two were to be cleaned only no lube
Two were to be cleaned and lubed

I disassembled and used a baby bottle bush and some hot water to clean inside four of the magazine bodies and a cloth to wipe down the spring and follower.

Only on two of the magazines I applied a few second burst of the lube to the inside of the magazine body and another second on the spring and follower and allowed three minutes to dry.

I used a paint stirrer to cycle the magazine follower up and down to feel the resistance of the follower as it moved Thu the magazine.

I must say that the dry lubed magazines were much smoother as the follower moved over its full range of travel when compared to the cleaned but un-lubed and the uncleaned stock magazines.

Now not that this informal test means anything but I can see why some of the guys in the military are using the dry lube as it does make the treated old Colt magazines a bit smoother in follower travel over the others in the test.

ETA: Since the drag/friction of loaded rounds inside the magazine can cause some dirty magazines not to function properly I uploaded five rounds at a time to a max of 25rds and used my paint stirrer to push the rounds/follower down and feel the resistance and then slowly allow the follower to return.

In all cases the dry lubed magazines were much smoother in travel then the others from 5 to 25rds loaded and while clean or lightly carbon magazines will function just as well the dry lube treatment may offer a bit of extra reliability when conditions become extreme and foreign material invades the magazine tube.

[Thomas M-4]

I have used brownells dry mag lube. http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=7618/Product/MAG-SLICK

It has worked for me I can tell a difference with a mag treated with it and one not.. But along the same lines of Iraqgunz I never needed it to get a weapon to function properly If I did I would be looking as to why I am having a problem and would be doing corrective action to fix the problem. In other words I would not consider dry mag lube a fix just something that is nice to have.

[BufordTJustice]

I know of a few guys who do this and they endorse it.

I, however, have never felt s smoother follower stroke in a magazine than with my Brownells Mil contract mags with magpul genIII followers in them after they were broken-in.

They glide as if they are lubed....and they are bone dry. Even with carbon and some dirt in them...smooth as butter. I haven't A-B'd with the lub'd mags, but mine are already so smooth as to not matter. The drag from the round stack is already so much greater than any friction the magpul follower generates....I think we're gilding the lily at this point.

I'm not shouting down the practice...but I think it's unnecessary for well-maintained (read: clean) mags.

[Thomas M-4]

Funny you mentiion that I have 12 brownell 30 round GI mags with magpul genIII mag followers all have been treated one time or another with brownells mag slick there is a slight improvment. But I tested all of them for function before treatment and they all but one worked fine. I have also done p-mags. Shrug sholders meea it works but its diffenatly not needed and it most certanly not a fix for a problem. Just a nice to have product.

[GTifosi]

Say, why not use the stuff that is actually supposed to be used on USGI mags instead of whatchafoundinthedrawer?

This (http://www.neelyindustries.com/p-2703-perma-slik-g-12-oz-aerosol-can.aspx) is the civilain version of the stuff talked about in a few TMs that discuss mag and certain firearms parts refinishing.

Its a moly lube carried in an epoxy and applied by spray.

[M90A1]

Say, why not use the stuff that is actually supposed to be used on USGI mags instead of whatchafoundinthedrawer?

This (http://www.neelyindustries.com/p-2703-perma-slik-g-12-oz-aerosol-can.aspx) is the civilain version of the stuff talked about in a few TMs that discuss mag and certain firearms parts refinishing.

Its a moly lube carried in an epoxy and applied by spray.

I use a dry-film moly spray, also, and not just on magazines. The stuff really slicks up any metal surface. Been using it or a Teflon spray on various parts for probably ten years. Got the idea while prepping parts for my brother's drag bike.

http://www.apmengineparts.com/009401.html

A local ZEP dealer, if you have one, would probably sell you a can or two, since a case would last for years.

[Thomas M-4]

I use a dry-film moly spray, also, and not just on magazines. The stuff really slicks up any metal surface. Been using it or a Teflon spray on various parts for probably ten years. Got the idea while prepping parts for my brother's drag bike.

http://www.apmengineparts.com/009401.html

A local ZEP dealer, if you have one, would probably sell you a can or two, since a case would last for years.

I have used that stuff yrs ago I was given a can of it by a coworker / fellow gun nut.;) Only problem is that Grainger told me Ill have to order it a case at a time:bad: Sucks but if you can get it buy the can I liked it.

[Evil Colt 6920]

Interesting. I dont see this making much difference with my .556 mags(unless a very dirty/sandy environment perhaps)but Im wondering if it would make a noticeable difference in .22lr AR mags since they can be more "finicky"? Im not familiar with the dry lube mentioned... what is its intended purpose? Would an aerosol case lube work just the same?

[Thomas M-4]

I dont remember every using Zep dry moly lube on magazines but i suppose you could. The liberated sample that I got I tried on pistols I would coat the inside of slides ,barrel and the recoil guide rod. I only got the one can so I dont have to much experiance with it. I do remeber that I liked it and was pissed when I was told I would have to pay $200 a case to try it again.
The Zep dry moly lube coats a black color the brownells mag slick drys clear. With my limited experiance with both and also remember the zep dry moly experiace was 10 yrs ago. If you just want to do mags I would lean to the brownells product if you want to try a a dry weapons lube and you can get a can of it to try the zep would get the nod.

[M90A1]

I dont remember every using Zep dry moly lube on magazines but i suppose you could. The liberated sample that I got I tried on pistols I would coat the inside of slides ,barrel and the recoil guide rod. I only got the one can so I dont have to much experiance with it. I do remeber that I liked it and was pissed when I was told I would have to pay $200 a case to try it again.
The Zep dry moly lube coats a black color the brownells mag slick drys clear. With my limited experiance with both and also remember the zep dry moly experiace was 10 yrs ago. If you just want to do mags I would lean to the brownells product if you want to try a a dry weapons lube and you can get a can of it to try the zep would get the nod.

I use the ZEP on CS mag springs and inside the mag bodies. It keeps the springs from rusting, as well as making them very slippery. I've also used it on bolt carriers, buffer tube springs and buffer bodies, specifically, and any other high friction area that I don't necessarily want wet. I also really like the fact that once this stuff is dry, it doesn't make everything it touches black, like a lot of graphite products do.

You could call this product a poor man's nickel-boron coating for bolt carriers. It really is slick.

[ruchik]

I'm guessing it's just cheap insurance. Certainly wouldn't hurt to have it. Some of us may have never been in a car accident, but we all have auto insurance "just in case". Same idea, perhaps?

[Brahmzy]

I use the ZEP on CS mag springs and inside the mag bodies. It keeps the springs from rusting, as well as making them very slippery. I've also used it on bolt carriers, buffer tube springs and buffer bodies, specifically, and any other high friction area that I don't necessarily want wet. I also really like the fact that once this stuff is dry, it doesn't make everything it touches black, like a lot of graphite products do.

You could call this product a poor man's nickel-boron coating for bolt carriers. It really is slick.

Just picked up a couple o cans of Zep - I'll give it a shot. Can't hurt.

[MegademiC]

FWIW, I wipe my mags down every so often. Once a year I clp them and let the shit "cure" or whatever overnight. Wipe them dry and load up. Havnt had a problem from sticky mags. I dont know if the clp thing works or not but it doesnt hurt, supposedly it leaves a teflon coating.

[Eurodriver]

I haven't heard of this being done on a wide spread basis. I also never had an issue with magazines not feeding or working properly. Simply empty the magazines, wipe em out and reload them.

IG is the king of Occam's razor: That one should proceed to simpler theories until simplicity can be traded for greater explanatory power.

I.E. There's no need to use SUPER AWESOME X-TREME LUBE for your magazines as they have worked for decades without it unless someone can provide tangible proof of it being necessary and not just some CO making it mandatory "just because"

[PA PATRIOT]

I.E. There's no need to use SUPER AWESOME X-TREME LUBE for your magazines as they have worked for decades without it unless someone can provide tangible proof of it being necessary and not just some CO making it mandatory "just because"

Not sure why they feel the need to use the dry lube inside the magazines as the conversation did not go in exact specifics but I did get the impression that it was to address some issue which was occurring in the field. I will be seeing several of the recently returned military friends at a BBQ this week end and will ask what problems they were addressing and how they received to lube.

[mike_556]

I have used that stuff yrs ago I was given a can of it by a coworker / fellow gun nut.;) Only problem is that Grainger told me Ill have to order it a case at a time:bad: Sucks but if you can get it buy the can I liked it.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#dry-moly-lubricants/=i15wa8

This help you any?