Semi Auto lube in cold temps

How to do run your semi auto (lubricant) in cold temps (below 32 degrees)

  • Shoot the gun dry

    Votes: 11 33.3%

  • Use a light application of lubricant

    Votes: 22 66.7%

  • Heavy. slather it on thick

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    33
  • Poll closed .
birdshooter

birdshooter

Well-known member
For those that shoot autoloaders. In cold temps, (below 32 degrees) how do you run your guns as far as lube.

Experiences welcome.
 
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I took some advice from a gunsmith and have used Marvels Mystery Oil (just a couple drops) in my Benelli for years. A quart is probably the smallest qty to buy it and should last decades!
 
Some guns just don't work when it's cold. Browning Gold Fusion is one of them. The only fix was to sell it,and get a Benelli .:thumbsup:
 
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Shooting when the temps are around freezing down to maybe 20 is one thing, but temps like were currently experiencing here in Minnesota around zero or below, is quite another. Lots of synthetic lubes on the market advertising good to well below zero, some may live up to their claim and some may not. I however, belief that whatever you use, a dab then wiped onto the metal with a rag would be as much as you'd want in that kind of weather.

And just to clarify, you won't find me out in zero degrees experimenting. :D
 
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Highvoltage said:
Some guns just don't work when it's cold. Browning Gold Fusion is one of them. The only fix was to sell it,and get a Belelli.:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

+1 I have an old Beretta A302 that gets really stiff in anything under 30 degrees regardless of how I lubricate it.
 
Interesting. Normal temps[35 and above], Lucas Gun Oil. Below that, Thinly applied Mobil One. Rem-Oil works fine also.
 
I said "shoot the gun dry", which means I don't apply anything specifically for cold weather. I clean it and very lightly oil it a few times a season. Never had any trouble with it in cold weather, of course Kansas is not known for the type of cold some of you get.

The coldest morning I can ever remember hunting was -10 (actual temp) at sunrise. We quickly hit our honey-hole spot at sunrise and then quit until after lunch. Our guns still handled the temps much better than our bodies did. Somewhere there's a pic of us with frozen tears and ice moustaches and beards. Obviously that is out of the ordinary for this latitude. :cheers:

I've only ever seen a couple semi-autos not work in cold weather and I think they were over lubricated.
 
I'll second CLP - will freeze at -40. I did have one misfire with my Bng. Gold last week, with wind chills in the -25 ;shell didn't cycle from the magazine. Not sure this is a lube problem or lack thereof.

I did have issues with my very old A5 - the gun is at a gunsmith as I write. I may pass on this episode when he's finished with the inspection...
 
Little bit of RemOil works great on either my Sweet 16, Montefeltro or 303 (a little more on the A5 than the others). I had some Browning oil years ago that was TERRIBLE (don't know if it was the same as what they sell today). It was in an aerosol can, but even when applied with a cloth, would leave a white, extremely NON-lubricating film. Horrendous stuff.
 
On Benelli/Stoeger autoloaders I'll clean them a couple times a season, and apply G96 to all the internal parts. I let it soak in for 10-15 minutes then I wipe them clean. That is all the lubricant those guns need, even in some of the coldest temperatures.
 
I have tried about every method with several different autos when it gets cold and I mean cold. Had a Beretta Al391 in 12 ga. and it didn't matter really what the temps were so got rid of it. I have the 20ga in the same model and works well unless it hits that-5 to -25 zone. Same with my benelli. Brought some guys up to hunt on the river years ago and they all laughed at me when I told them their guns were not going to work properly that day. Oh I have never had a issue with this benelli ever is what I heard. First flock of ducks came in and no one got more that one shot off. They were all stunned. I clean it regular and wipe off as much lube as I can.Try and run it as dry as I can when it is that cold. Too much lube gets residue build up quick and with cold is not a good recipe. I think if one is going to hunt in cold conditions when most are at home should probably get an O/U.
 
I've been trying a different lube this year. In years past I have used rem oil and the like and below 25 I could tell it was slowing down the gun.
I'm using a lanolin based lube called Berkebile PFC this season. So far I've been very happy with it. It is mostly wiped off so there is little there to thicken up. It hasn't collected dust and seeds either on the dry warm days.

So far I've had my Affinity out on a couple cold days down to about 12. I haven't noticed it cycling slower and it has ejected and reloaded just fine. Time will tell if it's going to keep it up.

Tim
 
My vote goes for no oil at all if your gun and the conditions you hunt allow it (I.e. Salt vs freshwater, etc...). I like Remoil but by the the end of November I don't oil my Beretta Unico until I clean it January 15th to put it away.
Cheers,
Dave
 
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