Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters What do teflon based lubes do in the bore?

I recently started using break free on my guns exculsivly due to good reports about rust prevention with it. But I thought I got rust in the bore of my 257 Bob . So I scrubbed and scrubbed and got it out, and it wasnt rust because no pitting was left behind, It just seemed like a hard deposit.

Could that be teflon?

The reason I ask is I read in a recent post someone made a point about no teflon in the barrel but didn't elaborate.

And also was reading back issue of Handloader #234 in the article "45-70, Cheaply", JB made a comment in passing about using a teflon- free gun oil in the bore when cleaning.

I am not positive but what I have heard is that it turns into flourine gas which is highly corrosive.Could be BS, maybe not though! I don't take a chance and use Montana Xtreme oil or Corrosion X in my bores.

I don't put CLP/Breakfree in my bores anymore because of that. I could be wrong, but from what I've seen the teflon burns, in many cases.

Scott

I quit using Break Free on my guns long time ago
when I found it had gummed up the hammers on my hand guns.
WD-40 or Kroil oil will dissolve the gum quite quickly
though and thats how I got them working at the range.

I think there is a new type of Break Free out now
that will not gum up, but I have not tried it out.

If you keep the Break Free away from the trigger,
hammer (and firing pins on the rifles)it does give
a very good hard coating of oxidized oil on the rest
of the metal parts, which translates to very good
protection for the metal.
Don

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Welcome to the forum, Don.

Interesting handle that you are using, Owyhee. I fish Lake Owyhee on a regular basis and the Owyhee Mountain range is just to the south of us. For those who may not know, Owyhee is pronounced exactly like the state of Hawaii. In fact, that's where the name came from - it's just that the early pioneers could not spell Hawaii.

As for the Break Free oil, I have used it for 30 or 40 years with never an issue. It works for me and I will continue to use it. (I have recieved no compensation for this endorsement)...grins.

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Break Free is just as the name states. It's a penetrating oil for use in loosening tight nuts and bolts. There a far better lubes to use for firearms.
I have some, but never use it.
The application dictates what lube to use.

Don

fwiw,
I've never used it first hand in the bore, however, I have heard from credible sources(CRANE and PWS) that the free floating teflon actually builds up in your barrel and makes for a hell of a job to scrub out. I've never been a fan of that product and would not put it in my bore...fwiw & imho.

Regards, Matt.

Break Free is all I've ever used in my AR15s, and as I recall while actively competing that was about 25 barrels we've gone through... never had an issue, with or without moly. Cleans fine, accurate, and never rusted that I am aware of. Standard barrel life.

Jeff

Matt,

Good info on the teflon build up.
Thanks,

Don

Break Free CLP = Cleaner, Lubricant, Preservative

Now, I've used better cleaners, but as a lubricant and preservative, there are few better; military testing has proved this.

I've used Break Free for decades and it's my #1 go-to lubricant or preservative.

If it's gumming something up, it's because you over-lubricated, not because it's breaking down.

Break Free has been tested time and time again. It's probably the most tested and most proven solution in existence.

well thanks for the replies guys, I think i will make sure I run a couple dry patches through the bore before I shoot next time.

It sounds to me like it's copper, not rust. I just bought a used gun and the barrel had alot of copper in the grooves at first I thought it might have been rust,and I used Gunslick's foaming bore cleaner in it. It was ALL copper, the first patch I ran through it was a very deep blue color. I use rem oil in my barrels without any problems of rust.

Now y'all have me interested in finding out just what is in that dang bore. I am doubting it is from Break free but am certainly no expert and am open to the possibility. Would really like to know for certain. Were it my bore I would Kroil and Butch it. Foaming sounds like a plan too. If it comes back blue you know it is copper. Please let us know more when you do.

Break-Free advertises 8 different products for the civilian market, 3 of which use CLP as their base ingredient. I assume this thread this thread is about CLP, though it wasn't specifically stated as such.

IME, CLP WILL dry-out over time and cause mechanisms to bind, regardless of what you read or hear. I have seen this on personal weapons and military weapons during my term of duty as Small Arms Repairman and company armorer. If it is used on moving parts, the old coat should be removed and and a new coat reapplied periodically - like every month - to keep things moving. Used as a corrosion preventative on the exterior of weapons, the periodic cleanings probably need not be repeated as often. If it is used to clean a weapon's bore, it should be removed from the bore with dry patches immediately after cleaning. Actually, ANY excess lubricant or cleaner should be removed from a weapon's bore before firing.

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My experience with any teflon based product in the bore is that it will cause fliers for the first couple of rounds. In three rifles I have logged with the results they all showed 3-4" fliers for the first 2-3 rounds and then settled down back to submoa.

This is what I was talking about in my previous reply.
The case, in my reply, was that the guns had not been used
for a couple years and had dryed to a hard finish. This
made me consider Break Free to be a very good storage coating
and when taking them out of storage, WD-40 or Kroil oil will
desolve it very fast. The type I used was the aerosol form
and can get to much in hammers or even triggers if your not
careful. I did use a patch to apply it though.

Break Free does have a collector type in their line now that
is for long term storage and probably due to its nature.

If you are using your firearm regularly you won't have a problem,
but it would be better to wipe out the bore before the next
firing session, which is desirable for any bore oil.
So, nothing I can say wrong with it, just when I went to the
range it surprised me and without the WD-40 I would have had to
go back home.

I've also used Tri Flow another teflon based oil and never had
problems with it, but, I still always wipe out the bore before
firing.
Don

I was moving to your area but the real estate market kind of
stopped the move. I've been in those areas and the Owyhee area
plus the lake. My wife was raised in Shoshone.
Thanks for the welcome.
Don

After a throrough cleaning I'll run 2 wet patches of Tetra Gun down the bore, let that sit for a few minutes and follow with a couple of dry patches. Seems to make subsequent cleanings much easier.

I would be interested to hear JB's reply too. I have often used straight Breakfree CLP on a patch down the bore, and it seems to clean the barrel too. If I am messing stuff up, I would like to know.

ken, it ain't copper I am sure of that, the patches dont have green on anymore. I used jb bore paste and then soak overnight with hoppes benchrest.
on further though I shot several different times without swabbing the excess oil out of the bore. I think that was the cause.

I am using the CLP version of break-free for the record.

I am wondering now too if "shooting through" the oil in the bore boosted pressures.

Its very humid here and I think I went overboard with excess oil in the bore in an attempt to avoid rust. to the point there was a pretty good amount of oil on the bolt face when pulling the gun out of the safe. A good shot of degreaser cleanes that up though