you mean if you submerge it in motor oil, how long it will take for the polymer to breakdown?

 

Exactly what i am looking to find out.

 

Ive been lubing my Glocks with Mobil One for about a year now. So far, no problems.

What are we looking for?

 

I keep probably one of the most re-viled pistols in my toolbox at the shop, a older Kel-tec p-40, after i worked the trigger and did a lil slide work it has never missed a beat in gods, must be 15,20 years, from oily hands, to dropped in a drain pan, to bouncing around on various vehicles, that early cheap polymer has never missed a stroke. and that firearm has never had a break or a easy day.

 

Lowers made of dark chocolate don't seem to fare well. Poly lowers seem fine. My M&P 15-22 has 4,000 rounds through it, and that thing is made entirely of plastic. I use Mobil 1 liberally on all of my guns. Maybe too liberally. :thumb:

 

What do you mean by dark chocolate, not sure I have heard that term in relation to firearms?

 

Your question is will mixing oil based plastics with oil break it down?

 

Been doing it for years.

 

Been using Mobil One for years. Glocks, Springfields, Kahrs... no issues whatsoever. It's better for them than thin gun oil IMHO.

 

Mobil one for my polymer guns also. And all the others as well. I also dunk in kerosene as well when a deep cleaning is called for. Take care of your firearms and they will outlast you.
The only parts of a glock you might have problems with are the magazines. They use a different polymer on them than what's used on the frame. No k dunking and when they are cleaned it's with warm soapy water, rinsed and dried with a towel. (Disassembled first)
Glock armorer for years, still certified. I have personally run abuse tests on a 23 and have been impressed by the ability to keep shooting in the dirtiest conditions. Glocks are almost idiot proof, that's why cops carry them.[emoji23]

 

Basically i am thinking of taking some pistols, cleaning them good, and putting them in an ammo can filled with motor oil to preserve them until needed. But i got to thinking whether this constant exposure would degrade or eat away the polymer ones. Not sure i want to open them in 20 years and find a beautiful metal upper with a bunch of springs and pins connected to a molten glob of polymer lower. This would basically be the pistol sitting in motor oil for years.

 

I wouldn't do it. The reason is that with the striker fired pistols you have to keep the firing pin channel clean and dry in order to function properly. If the oil gets in the channel then you may have a very hard time to remove it if the oil gets congealed.

 

How about mineral oil to store weapons?

 

I change the oil in my Glock every 3000 miles.

But seriously, I've never brought any of my guns into contact with motor oil. Not sure if it's a good idea or at all necessary.

 

I would think for long term storage, break it down and store the individual parts in their own ziplock bags with a light coat of oil on them in an ammo can. I would imagine that would be sufficient but that is just my thoughts

 

This pretty much sums it up. Why do the guns need to be submerged? Just bag them with a good grease and there you go.

 

Speaking as a retired automotive engineer - - - There are quite a few parts inside your car's engine that are one sort of polymer or another. Running bathed in oil, and hot oil at that.

Much as I dislike plastic pistols esthetically, I seriously doubt that any gun designer would choose a polymer that would be weakened or swollen by motor oil.

 

I would not bury ammo cans. They are steel and will rust eventually coated or not. Gets some large PVC pipe and use PVC cement to put end caps on it. Put desiccant in the pipe. I'd probably seal up the pistol ammo etc. in several thick plastic bags inside the pipe just in case there is some reaction with the PVC cement on the plastic gun parts. Whomever finds it and cuts it open in a hundred years will be amazed.

 

I buried some surplus tokarovs that I didn't have to worry about polymers quite awhile back.

The technique for that was to get the gun sopping wet with motor oil, wrap the gun in a thick rag, soak the rag, and then sealed that in a mylar pouch before putting it (and other supplies) in an ammo can that was then painted with a thick coat of bed liner. Those I have less to worry about I think.

My buddy did something similar back in the early 90's with a few things. We pulled one can around 2005, and everything was fine.

The biggest PITA was trying to degrease things, and it took forever. The guns were flushed with a degreaser a couple of times, and oil was still weeping out of every little crack and crevice for a long time after.


About the same time period, I went the vapor bag route, and had the same results as the oil soaked guns, but with none of the mess. I simply wiped things down with a rag sprayed with WD40, and bagged them up. I could have slapped a loaded mag in the guns and started shooting, right out of the bag. Something that wasnt happening with the oil soaked guns.

 

why use oil when you can use cosmoline. seems to have worked pretty good for all my milsurps.
pvc is also a better way to store in the ground.

 

Then of course there's the old Cold War joke:

Why do Czechs pour their used motor oil on their gardens?

So their guns won't rust.

 

25 plus years in the plastics industry- there I are a few solvents I would keep away from polymer guns- methylethylketone and acetone- they could melt or just weaken the polymer on a molecular level- other than those I expose my polymer guns to lots of oils and solvents with no worries

 

Well heck.

Nice to know I not the only one who uses motor oil on his firearms.

 

I've often considered the PVC route. I see it as a best possible outcome. I'd love to do this with a gun or two but I can't seem to force myself to do it

 

If Mobil 1 synthetic protects engines it should be good enough for guns.

 

A lot of engine parts on cars are made from the same type of polymers as gun parts and they handle constant exposure well enough, usually. I have seen plastic engine parts degrade but I more suspect heat than the oil exposure.

I wouldn't store any gun in an oil bath though. It's just not necessary.

VCI paper in a heat sealed VCI or mylar bag is plenty of protection.

 

I read this a couple days ago and was especially curious about the posts that said the cleaning was long and arduous. I remember how much fun it was with cosmoline in the military. So in a SHTF situation i would not like having to do a regular gun cleaning let alone a drawn out one. So for grins i took one of my old ugly pistols and a mag and dumped them in my oil drain pan full of used oil. Took them out this afternoon, hung the pistol on a nail while i dug out the mag. Drained the mag for about a minute shook it out a bit then put in 10 fresh (dry) rounds. I fired four at a target then six as fast as i could pull the trigger. Not so much as a hiccup from the gun. Unless you count the face full of used motor oil. Of course my wife nearly caused me to hiccup when i walked in with my clothes splattered with oil...lol
I am wondering if that had been grease if it may have blew the gun up, cause it forced that oil out of places i never imagined. And no i do not have the proper set up/gonads to try the grease.....
One caveat i have to add; it was rimfire.
I am going to try centerfire soon as my wife gets over it.. Not sure how quickly the oil may ruin a primer...
Just incase it was a fluke; i put the pistol and mag back in the oil.