Grease!

[DeanoBeanCounter]

OK. I'm tired of wondering. What's wrong with using bearing grease as a boolit lub? I happen to have a small can of military moly based grease that the shelf life expired sometime in the 1950's. I know I saw it someplace but I can't remember where it was that it's not to good to use. Can anyone tell me so I can get some sleep?
Deano

[Johnch]

I would think if any grease got in with the powder
Like if you left the ammo in a hot car or in my 50 cal can
It could cause squibs

Besides every time I use Moly grease my hands and everything I wear is black
I have had to hand pack a few bearings on the farm
And never in a easy place to get to or work

John

[Ricochet]

I tried it and thought it was great stuff when I was starting to cast. And it was, as long as I was so eager that I loaded up my ammo, headed straight to the range and shot it. Then as I started getting ahead on my loaded ammo and it'd take a while to get out and shoot it, I started getting unexplained velocity variations, squibs, and a stuck bullet. At first I thought it was my ball powder not getting ignited briskly enough by a standard primer. Then I got that stuck bullet, and the powder was all clumpy with a film of oil on it. Oil was migrating out of the grease and getting into the powder.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Grease is primarily soap mixed with light oil such as mineral oil. The moly greases just have an addition of molybdenum disulfide, but still have the light oil. Given time, the oil will migrate out of the soap into small capillaries, like the space between your case walls and boolits, and crawl into your powder. Just like what Ricochet said. So if you do try it, like Ricochet said, shoot them quick. Also I predict grease would not work well for higher pressure loads like over 1000 fps in revolvers or say 1500 fps in rifles. I think it would flow too quickly and get blown out early in the trip down the barrel and leave boolit unlubed for the last 1/3 or so of the barrel.

[44man]

Yes, grease will bleed oil. I see it when I take my grease gun off the shelf. If I walk across the garage I will leave a trail of oil on the floor from the back of the gun. I have to put a rag under it.

[sundog]

I made a single batch of 50-50 moly sta-lube and bees wax several years ago. No oil bleeding out - still after the unused remainder has been sitting in a Pyrex cup after several years. Also use it the grease gun (for my tractor and equipment) and do not get the oil bleed from the grease gun like from regular grease. The boolit lube was used in an not so perfect Colt 1917 with .454 boolits and did a good job. Lube is rather foul smelling when shot. I have no idea what would happen to ammo stored long term with this lube.

[felix]

Nothing, especially when cartridges stored boolit DOWN in a typical house location. ... felix

[VTDW]

Nothing, especially when cartridges stored boolit DOWN in a typical house location. ... felix

A good way to store your rifles also.

Dave

[Trigger44]

I have been casting bullets since 1960, 47 years. I have never used anything but wheel bearing greases. Yes some do bleed oil but not all. I have never had a powder contamination problem. In recent years I only do target shooting. Past years when I loaded cast for hunting, I always stored that ammo in a cool place.
I have never even once had a leading problem and I think wheel bearing grease
gets you better accuracy. Also I have shot my .22 BR at 2950 fps with the 55 grain
RCBS, 1" at 100 yards no leading with IMR 4895.

[TCLouis]

would weigh in on this one.
As I remember it, his go to lube is 50/50 Sta-Lube moly grease and beeswax.


I have several cans (15-20) when a friend at a local university snagged a bunch of old school surplus, military surplus that was to be dumped in the trash.

ALL NEW, all grades of oils and greases in SEALED cans.

[longbow]

I used to use wheel bearing grease for both black powder cartridge and muzzleloader, and smokeless loads.

The grease I used did not bleed oil or at least it wasn't obvious. It seemed like it had a 'fiberous" texture and was very thick unlike the wheel bearing greases I find now. This was Valvoline PB wheelbearing grease. I have tried a current Valvoline wheelbearing greae but it is definitely different and it does bleed a little oil.

Most of my wheelbearing grease shooting was done with .45-70's with both black and smokeless loads. I did not get the "tar" fouling with black that many people describe and I had no trouble with leading for very hot smokeless loads.

I also used the same grease for patch lube for muzzleloader and it worked very well for me. If I found ramming a ball was getting a little tough I would just put a little extra grease in the bore and that took care of things. I never had to swab the bore at the range and clean up after shooting was done by running a jag with clean patch down the bore to wipe out the grease then hot soapy water, dry and oil.

I see lots of comments about not using petroleum products for black powder but I never found a problem with that grease.

Also, there are several homemade lube recipes for smokeless powder that use wheelbearing grease, lithium grease and others usually in combination with beeswax or some other thickener.

Glen Fryxell also recommends lube of 50% moly grease and beeswax: http://www.lasc.us/FryxellCBAlloyObturation.htm

[kodiak1]

Have used the axel grease got good stars of grease on the end of the barrels and no leading.
Stored with bullets down and have left them sit for a year still fired and still shot very well.
Ken.

[buck1]

The only trouble I found with grease , was its sooo messy.
But add some bees wax and a little ivory soap (Igot that from FWFL) and its a lot more friendly.

[AZ-Stew]

Johnch,

The guided missile launcher I worked on during my US Navy service used a moly grease that was rumored to be a combination of military General Purpose grease, molybdenum-disulfide powder and STP, in some secret proportion. We swore that the stuff was able to leap a distance of at least 3 feet between the launcher and anyone passing by wearing the summer white uniform. Good lube, though.

Regards,

Stew

[kodiak1]

AZ=Stew About 20 years ago went to an auction sale in Red Deer Alberta, There were 6 kegs of military grease there bought them for $5.00 apiece sold 4 of them for $15.00 a piece to other guys that owned trucks (used it for 5th wheel lube). But it stated right on the label on the keg General Lube and Projectile Lube. Never thought anything of it, couldn't imagine seeing guys lubing bullets for rifles but naval slugs yeah that makes sense.
The part about it could leap three feet I never seen it happen but I now I packed some to the house from the shop every so often it stuck to everything and everyone.
Ken.