We are getting hammered with requests about the FireClean drama. Frankly, I don’t have much of an opinion. I have never used it. And when I asked Freeze about it at our morning meeting, HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF IT! But I don’t feel like typing this response in 30 separate e-mails, so think of this as a FAQ.
Neither one of us has ever been interested in “green” gun lubes. None of the selling points have ever appealed to me. I don’t plan on eating my gun lubes…intentionally. And I have always found the Teflon / Silicone based lubricants to be fantastic. Let me say it again…fantastic. Personally I find them so slippery that I DON’T like to get them on the exterior of my guns for obvious reasons.
The 4 containers you see above are the 4 mainstay cleaners and lubricants I use. My go-to gun lubricant is SLIP 2000 products. It’s slicker than snot and doesn’t evaporate. The GunSlick is my go-to precision rifle barrel cleaner. It’s a foam product that won’t damage barrels. My generic lube that I keep for rags and / or applications that I need aerosol application is Rem Oil W/Teflon. It’s my basic wipe-down solution. The Sweets 7.62 is a product I have only used twice in over 20 years. Why? It’s a barrel killer. It’s for emergencies only! If something is not coming out of my barrel, and I need to get it out, I have Sweets. But again, it’s like pulling a Halon fire system, it’s for serious emergencies. Pro-Tip: Most people damage precision rifles with cleaners, not from high round counts!
Here is a can of EEZOX. I have never actually used this product. But I saw a fantastic study that showed how EEZOX compares to various products when left outside over many months. The rub with it, is the application is cumulative. Meaning you need to put some layers on and let it build up. Or so I am told. Recommended if storing blued firearms for long periods of time. Not a lubricant. If I expect to be gone for many months or years, I will break this out.
Hoppes Lube and powder solvent. Always worth keeping around. Very old school but works as advertised. The powder solvent does a good job of removing powder residue. The lube is basically the same as RemOil. Fine, but will burn off under high heat. So just re-apply as needed. NBD — No Big Deal.
SLIP 2000 725 Degreaser and rubbing alcohol. I keep these as general degreasers. Usually for painting firearms. I know some will say the alcohol isn’t the best but for me, it’s easier to use with less fuss. I don’t have to be outside and worry about dangerous fumes. I have only used the 725 one time, and…rubbing alcohol would have done the trick as well. WD-40..always good to have a can around. Especially if you are needing to break something lose. I don’t use WD-40 as a gun lube. It would simply evaporate under heat anyway. Very thin much like RemOil.
What does Freeze use?
Simple. He uses Rem Oil and Hoppes 9 Lubricant. Interestingly enough, Freeze uses Crisco Vegetable Shortening as a patch lube on his muzzle loaders. Been doing it for 30 years! He was legitimately puzzled why this was a problem for some. Let that sink in for a minute before I address the FireClean drama directly.
Summation
Are the people who use FireClean unhappy with it? No.
Are the people who don’t use FireClean unhappy with it? No, since they don’t use it.
Is FireClean Crisco Vegetable oil? I don’t know. I don’t think so. But I do know that designer drugs are made legal by changing one little molecule. I suspect we are looking at something similar here. But I’ll leave that for the lawyers and fan-boi’s to fight out . Pro-tip: Neither group known for their avid shooting and trigger-time.
I don’t buy “green” gun-lube. I’ve simply never given a damn, since the synthetic stuff works so well. I will add that I have a acquaintance who used one of these green-lubes out in the field. Camped out overnight and woke up the next day to find his rifle frozen. Makes you wonder how much of this stuff has really been tested in a myriad of conditions? I want my guns to run as long as they can for as hot or cold as they can get. I haven’t been sold on the “green” stuff. Easy wipe down on range-day is a pretty low priority in my book. At least for unproven technology.
So what’s the problem? Why is everyone all ass-hurt? On both sides of this? It’s simple. The people who are upset either way about the FireClean controversy are really mad about this product not being “special”. Doubt me? Nobody seems to have any argument that it doesn’t work!!!! But it’s only worth it to the cool kids if it’s super-secret-tier-1-opertaor-jizz that only those “in the know” can get.
FireClean stocked in isle 3 of the Piggly-Wiggley doesn’t have the same appeal.
It’s a people problem not a product problem. As are most things in the gun industry.
Marky
www.tacticaltshirts.com
“Shooting Guns & Having Fun”
- EP-335: Legs Tall & Alcohol - April 8, 2024
- EP-334 – Mr. Mirrored Ceiling - March 22, 2024
- POTD – EDC X9 – White Grips - March 17, 2024
