Hi Jim,
I’m in the middle of reading Roy E. Appleman’s book “East of Chosin“. It is an account of the tragic fate of the 31st Regimental Combat team during the Korean conflict.
Several references talk about the soldiers weapons (especially M1 Carbines) locking up due to the extreme (-20 Fahrenheit or greater) cold. It mentioned how the Chinese weapons worked because they had little or no oil in them. I imagined those weapons had a short operational life without lubrication, but they worked when needed.
What would you recommend to keep firearms functional in extreme cold? A dry/powdered lubricant? Sincerely, – Ron S. in Upstate New York
JWR Replies: Thanks for mentioning this topic! It is particularly important fro SurvivalBlog readers, since firearms will surely be carried and used outdoors more frequently, post-TEOTWAWKI. The only sure method to keep firearms actions from binding in sub-zero weather is to completely de-lubricate the moving parts, using a spray can of carburetor cleaner solvent such as Gummout or Berryman’s B12 Chem Tool. (Wear rubber gloves!) and then re-lubricate, using a dry film lubricant such as Dri-Slide or similar molybdenum disulfide powder. Even when using these dry lubes, there is the chance that moisture from rain or condensation can get in a gun’s action and freeze it to the point of binding. Therefore, it is important to frequently test your guns’ actions by cycling them, whenever the temperature drops below freezing