I have completed due diligence to the best of my ability, searching every available post I could find herein and all without answering the questions I have posited below. If I have grossly erred in my search, please guide me to the relevant thread(s) and accept my chagrined apologies and multitudinous thanks.
In it, a Member (post #121, page 13) notes the following: “So I didn’t notice when I picked them up but my complete rifles and the uppers I ordered don’t have dry film lube in them. I don’t think it really matters that much in the grand scheme of things, but MUH MIL-SPEC! Haha. But seriously, did anyone else notice this in their upper?”
THE REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION
Dry Film Lubricant (DFL), from what I’ve gleaned, is mandated in the TDP, yes?
1.1. As several members in several threads have made light of its utility (cost vs. benefit), may I reasonably conclude that this specific mandate is a half century old vestige of optimistic, creative engineering that ultimately bore no fruit on the battlefield? Id est, the absence of factory applied DFL, while making a given rifle MIL-SPEC deficient, does not ultimately hinder that rifle’s proper functioning (assuming, of course, this rifle is wet in all the right places).
Which AR components are mandated to have the DFL?
Is the MIL-SPEC, factory applied DFL durable? Or, perhaps, it’s more meaningful to inquire into its functional persistence, where persistence is measured within the milieu of an easily measured variable like round count.
When I Googled outside of this website most results were for magazines and the remainder advertisements for dry lubricants. My suspicion is that at least the inside surface of the upper receiver would be required to have the factory applied DRL.
I’m genuinely curious about the requirement of the dry lube. I don’t think it matters much, as I’d guess your contact points will quickly wear the dry lube off and need to be kept wet (which you’d lube with wet lube anyway), but I’m always learning.
Has someone defined what dry film lubricant? MOS2 and graphite are dry but not film, is teflon a spray and when dry may qualify, so is spray on silicon lubricant. None seem very popular as an AR lubricant. I have a spray on dry lubricant which is really just dilute mineral oil in a spray which evaporates–completely of no value. Graphite is rumored to cause some sort of electrical-based corrosion. I don’t know about moly, silicon film may alter tolerances, silicon just plain doesn’t work.
I’ve at least partly worn through the anodizing in most of my uppers, so I’m not sure it matters. Also common on military uppers to have bare aluminum contact points.
The upper receiver 1 inch bore is to be coated with MIL-PRF-46010 except for the first 7/8th to 1 inch (where the barrel is) and cured at 300 -325 degrees F for 1 hour.
The rifle receiver extension is to be coated inside and out (except for the threads) in the same manner, the carbine extension inside only.
By the way, this type of solid film lubricant (and corrosion inhibitor) does come in the color black, so just because you don’t see a grey coating doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t there.
the interior and exterior of the magazine are to be coated wit solid film lubricant, MIL-L-45983 or MIL-L-46010, and
the cam pin is to be coated with MIL-PRF-46010, all over.
MIL-PRF-46010 is required by the specification to last an average of 450 minutes under a 1,000 pound load, when tested per ASTM D2625, procedure A (Falex pin and Vee method).
All you have to do is get a quart of Sandstrom 28A and put it wherever you want it. I would not get the spray can, I would paint it on. It is a lubricant AND a protection from moisture. Also needs to go inside lower receiver ring on the threads and on the threads of the buffer tube. Inside upper receiver and would not hurt on the BCG contact points.
A quart will cost you about 125.00. You need a L shaped heavy wire and a electric drill and mix the lube frequently as it tends to settle very quickly.
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YOU NEVER PUT GRAPHITE ON ANYTHING, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE[/SIZE]
Sandstrom 28A is qualified as MIL-L-46147 - Lubricant, Solid Film, Air Cured, Corrosion Inhibiting, and is only required to last 120 minutes as opposed to the 450 minutes of 46010.
Sandstrom #099, is qualified as MIL-L-46010, and can be had for $70 a quart, you just have to cook it for 2 hours at 300 F, after a flash dry at 150F (heat gun).
You might explain to them how the Falex load test is conducted. I think they would be impressed with how well Sandstrom holds up. 9A was the first variant and required it to be baked on and over the years the film has been refined/upgraded to a really good product.
I was disappointed when they discontinued the 532 but I have over a pound laid in which should last me 25 years.
As a test I painted 27A on the axle/bearings of a bushhog when I replaced them. I could run the dry film for 8 hours while cutting with sand/crub slung all over the tail wheel.
The original axle lasted one season and it was greased before every use and thee was a major groove in the axle. I replaced it and turned new bearings for the wheel and started painting on 27A and five years later that axle is still in use and shows about 1/5th the wear that the same set up greased did.
We learned all about Sandstrom in the fabulous Rock Island Arsenal Course named Corrosion Control and the Prevention of Material Deterrioration taught by Joe Menke who I keep still up with. He was THE corrosion specialist in Dept of the Army and retired after 50 years of service. He is in the process of writing a book on the subject now.
Standstrom 27A (MIL-L-46147) is good stuff, we use it all the time where I work. It’s just that Standstrom 099 is better, much better. I have rarely seen it worn off. The only time we use the air cured stuff is in the aerosol can for small stuff, if it goes to the paint shop to be applied, 099 is what is used.