Enos Slide-Glide for Lube?

[Irish10]

I have two bottles of Brian Enos' Slide-Glide which I use at times on my 1911s. I primarily use it when hot and I intend to do a lot (500 rounds or more) of shooting. It's a fairly thick, gloppy lubricant and I'm curious if anyone uses it on their AR's. If used sparingly it's a great lube but too much and you have problems with the slide retarding, etc. Honestly, I used it once on my HK P7's and it turned the guns into paperweights so discretion is the key. Seems like it might work for the BCG, cam pin and trigger areas if applied sparingly. Comments?

[Batt 57]

I tried it in my AR and used sparingly it seemed to work fine. I only shot about 250 rounds during a training day and then cleaned it.


I have always thought the Slide-Glide made any gun easier to clean.

[Irish10]

For me it kinda makes the recoil action feel like a "rubber band", doesn't affect the operation or accuracy just a strange feel. Did you experience this at all?

[Batt 57]

For me it kinda makes the recoil action feel like a "rubber band", doesn't affect the operation or accuracy just a strange feel. Did you experience this at all?

Not that I recall but I will pay more attention next time.

[austinN4]

I first starting using Slide Glide on my M&P 9 and continue to do so. But your question was about ARs.

I don't use it on my 5.56 BCG, but I do use a light coat of it on my CMMG 22LR conversion bolt everywhere the bolt and the rails it rides on contact each other and I think it makes the CMMG run better. I probably should try it on the 5.56 BCG as well and see how it works out.

[CHoffman]

Some friends and myself went out shooting the other day, and I had previously lubed my rifle with Enos' Slide Glide standard. I wanted to see if it 'slicked' up the action like it did on my pistol's slide. Hand cycling the action after application felt about the same as when I use CLP or FP-10. It was about 10 degrees and dropping with the sun almost down when we were finishing up. The rifle had no malfunctions up to this point with about 270 rounds sent down range. It never had the chance to get real cold as after I would shoot my string it would go back in the Jeep where it was still relatively warm. I wanted to see what effect the cold would have on the grease so I threw the rifle into a bank of snow for about ten minutes and then inserted a mag and proceeded to fire.

The first round short stroked, but after working the action it fired the remaining 29 and another mag without a hitch. Perplexed as I have never had an issue with this rifle before I threw it back into a bank of snow and let it cool off again. I had done this test about a month ago when lubed with FP-10 when it was several degrees colder and never had a problem. With FP-10 it loaded, ejected, stripped a new round, and went to full battery every time. So I pulled the rifle back out and the same thing happened again. Short stroke the first, fire any successive rounds without a hitch. Given the standard viscosity was probably too thick and the lite would have been better suited to my unorthodox test it still did all right I guess. About 360 rounds total with 3 short strokes always on the first shot from a frozen gun lubed with grease.

When I got home and stripped the rifle for cleaning I noticed something weird. The bolt was very stiff in the carrier. It would not move without quite a bit of force. I stripped the bolt and found that it was pretty dry in most spots with a very thin coat of caked on carbon in the bolt carrier. Now when I lubed the gun I did it the same I do with oil. Light on exterior of carrier with a heavier on the wear points like gas key, rails where it makes contact with the upper, and underside where it contacts the hammer. Heavier coat on the bolt, and cam pin. The grease was still intact and fine everywhere except on the bolt from the gas rings back, and the interior of the bolt carrier where the chrome lining is. Cleaning was just the same as always with exception of the caked on carbon where the slide glide sort of congealed inside the bolt carrier.

So in conclusion of my long winded report if I were to use the grease again I would just use it on the exterior of the bolt carrier at the wear points and the bolt cam pin. Then just lube the rest with CLP, FP-10 or whatever oil you prefer. This rifle has had several thousand rounds sent down range with no malfunctions in various inclement conditions until I used the grease so I personally am sticking with oil. Sorry for the length.

[Irish10]

What you describe is exactly what happened with my HK P7. I lubed it with slide glide, hit the range and shot approx 300 rounds, when I got home the slide was literally baked on and I had to take a rubber mallet to get it to budge. FWIW, the P7 runs extremely hot and I 'm sure this is where the problem came in, the slide glide was as I said "baked" onto the slide (this was the normal viscosity). I have never seen anything like it and honestly I may have put too much on but no lube should cause this. It was a bitch to clean off and I went back to GunButter afterwards. I would caution anyone using or considering the use of this product to apply sparingly and keep any eye on any problems that develop with it's use. On another gun, a 1911 I used a small amount and at first the slide felt like it was on roller bearings but again after it heated up it the slide recoil felt like it was on rubber bands. Didn't affect the functioning of the weapon but it was the strangest thing I have felt while shooting. Not saying it's a bad product as a lot of the pros use it but you really have to experiment to get the right amount as the packaging and/or website aren't very helpful. At this point I am very hesitant to use it on my BCG but time will tell. Thanks for the feeback and any more is welcomed!

[mmike87]

I have been trying slide glide just for the charging handle and so far have not had any issues. In my uneducated opinion, the CH just seemed like the right place for something like that.

I didn't use it any where else on any guns - always Miltec or FP10 everywhere else.