This is the first of what will hopefully be a series of posts by reader Paul Mattoon. This one covers the often-asked question "What lube should I use when rebuilding or making a lube tune on my spring/piston airgun?"
Take it away Paul...
"This is a summary of the various lubricants that I have found to work exceptionally well for tuning and general lubricating purposes. These products are not designed for air rifle use, but are readily available, and prove to be quite appropriate for the uses I have listed.
Through the process of modifying and tuning my spring piston air rifles, I have found the following products to serve exceptionally well as lubricants. They all have relative differences, and are used for specific purposes. All of these are reasonable in price, and are commonly found in various retail stores. This has eliminated the need for me to special order "air rifle specific" lubricants.
1. Silicone Faucet Grease:

The intended use of this product is with plumbing applications, which primarily use neoprene seals and are subjected to extreme variations temperature. I have found that this product is extremely versatile, catering to the need for a lubricant that doesn't break down quickly with friction, or deteriorate various materials like rubber (neoprene), vinyl, latex, silicone, polyethelyne, PVC, ABS, and many others. The grease is extremely viscous (similar to petroleum jelly). I primarily use this for lubricating piston seals, and coating breach seals. This product can be found within the plumbing department of many hardware stores for less than $5.00 per container.
2. Losi Silicone Shock Oil:

This product is intended to be used as shock oil for RC cars and trucks. There are many brands and weights of shock oil. Like the faucet grease, this product is composed entirely of silicone. It will not damage synthetic seals, as it is not a petroleum based product. Due to the nature of the use, this oil does not break down through agitation or friction, making it ideal as a form chamber oil. Keep in mind; the higher the weight number, the higher the viscosity. Oils within the 10-50 range are best used as chamber oil, as they are thin enough to pass through the transfer port quickly. This can be found in most model/hobby stores for a price of around $5.00 per bottle.
3. Traxxas Silicone Differential Lube:

The silicone differential lube is very similar to the silicone shock oil. Composed entirely of silicone, it also safe to use on an array of plastic and rubberized materials. The major difference between this and the shock oil, is the viscosity. This product has a consistency similar to molasses. I have found that this is ideal for coating breach seals for periodic care. It allows the seal to slide against the receiver, and prevents the neoprene from drying out. Like the shock oil, this can be found in most model/hobby stores for around $5.00 per bottle.
4. Bel-Ray Waterproof Grease:

The intended use of the Bel-Ray grease is for sealing air filter interfaces and lubricating various bearings on motorcycles. Due to the nature of the intended use, this product holds up well through extreme friction, and exposure to extreme temperature changes. It retains a consistent lubricity and viscosity through these extreme changes, even when submerged in water. This is ideal for using as a main spring lubricant, as it is light in weight, but extremely viscous. It will cause swelling and erosion to rubber/neoprene materials, but sate on plastics. The Bel-Ray grease can be found in nearly all motorcycle stores for around $10.00 per "butter container" sized tubs.
5. Moly-Graph Grease:

This type of grease contains graphite and molybdenum. It is intended to be used as a bearing grease in automotive applications. The graphite and molybdenum are both tolerant of extreme friction, and do not "scuff away" easily. I use this type of grease for any metal-to-metal interfaces, cocking levers, and for the posterior end of the piston itself. Keep in mind; a little goes a long way, and this will damage rubber/neoprene components. There are many variations of this type of grease, just make sure it contains molybdenum for the uses stated above.This particular container was purchased at my local automotive store for $6.00."
Paul, Thank you! I'm sure your suggestions will be of great value to the many folk who are interested in doing a lube tune on their air rifles.
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