I have a colt m4 that I want to hide in a good spot in my house. How can I lube it in a way that it will be ready for a year? Will a clean but dry colt run?
My 2 cents: Slap a ops-416 with fail zero bc, and pof roller cam pin on it, and run it dry.
I guess the short answer is “yes, AR’s are capable of running dry” however just because they are capable doesn’t mean they will when you need them most. It’s a fairly safe bet to say that over a large sample a dry AR will always be less reliable than a properly lubricated one.
The more pressing question is why would you neglect the proper maint. of a tool which may be the one that saves you or your family? I don’t know of any oil or lubricant which is just as effective a year from now as it is when you apply it. Lubricants that are thin enough to not congeal are thin enough to run out of the places they need to be and lubricants that are thick enough to not run out are the ones that “dry out” and become more viscous over time. Do yourself a favor and at least apply a good coat of a quality weapon oil to your carrier and upper reciever whether it be CLP, Militec, etc at least once every couple of weeks to a month.
Be weary of storing in a place that may promote rust…a gun with rust and pitting is No Bueno 
POF’s propaganda SEZ it will. :rolleyes: I wouldn’t know - I run my POF-415 wet. I run my DI rifles wetter.
I MIGHT find out, come the Zombie Apocalypse, Chinese invasion, or Weimar dollar & associated riots. UNTIL then, they ALL run wet.
Just lube it with a good lube that won’t dry out or run. I would use Mobil 1 synthetic or Slip 2k. I would also just give it a visual inspection every 45-60 days or so.
I doubt it’d dry out anyway. I would absolutley lube it before stashing it with mobile1 or synthetic atf. Fz bc and osprey ops 416 Imo would run dry but I always run wet. My bcm 14.5 lightweight carbine with ops-416 stays wet after many rounds and mag dumps. The bcg is actually luke warm after multiple mag dumps, and can be held in your hand. Still wet too.
Not for long.
If you apply some lube and store it you will be fine unless you plan on starting WW III. Your weapon will function more than adequately for a self defense scenario.
I would generously lube it with CLP since it has better corrosion resistance than SLIP EWL.
If you live in a dry climate like bumfuck AZ then lube may not be so much an issue with long term storage. If your area has high humidity keep it lubed.
Also don’t store it in a foam lined case. Id also recommend getting one of those “gun socks” to slip over the entire gun. Keep it in as dry of place as possible.
I use to go through several mags with a dry m4 at work. This is a battered, ragged out m4a1 at that. I wouldn’t want to do it if I was planning on shooting more than 3 mags, but certainly for home defense situation where you might shoot 2-3 rounds at most, you’ll be fine.
I have guns in storage places that I haven’t touched in like a year, and the BCG’s still have a layer of militec, which tends to stick where you want it longer than CLP
Slip2000 EWL 30wt. Best thing for storing. The thicker viscosity means it stays put longer. In the AR system over time thinner lube tends to run down the parts and pool up in the bottom of the receiver extension. The EWL 30 stays put so well that it’s almost all I use anymore. Unlike thinner lube you’ll want to put a few dabs on and then smooth it around with your fingers as it won’t just spread itself around.
They make a 50 too, but I haven’t tried the 50.
Like everyone else is saying lube it well,store it and every so often take a peek at it and make sure it is still lubed. If this is something that I was going to use as a home defense weapon I would check on it every so often anyways just to make sure it was where you had put it. It would make for a bad day if you went to get it one day when you really needed it and for some unknown reason it wasnt where you left it.
Yes.
Lube makes ARs run better. ARs run pretty much ok without it, especially before they are heated up through sustained firing.
Mobil 1 synthetic bearing grease in the tube at Wal-Mart or Autozone.
Will not ever drip off.
Works as well or better than any oil, especially once it gets HOT, since it will not run off like oil.
I’ve been running it in my AR’s for years, including several very high round count classes (2500+ rounds in 2 days).
I live in one of the dustiest, sandiest places in North America and have never had any issues with the sand grease mix being a problem.
Simple answer: I’ve never torture tested any of my personal guns, but my belief is that a properly lubricated dirty gun will probably run longer & better than a clean dry one.
Before storing, I’d clean it & lube any parts that could rust if exposed to moisture. (Pins, springs, bolt, barrel, etc.) It doesn’t take that long.
A happy AR is a wet AR. A good quality weapon can run for a long time with lots of lube, but run it bone dry and you’ll likely encounter issues before long.
I’ve applied 20w synthetic motor oil to an AR, stood it on end for 4 months, and when I took it apart, it was still wet to the touch.
Just use a thick lubricant and check it when you can.
how do you apply mobil 1 to your AR?