Tech Tip: Dri-Slide

[offeror]

I first heard about the lubricant called Dri-Slide back in the 60s. It's a "suspension" in the sense that it is a dry lube floating in an evaporatable liquid. You shake the container, apply the lube, and allow to dry. It won't pick up sand or grit and lubes very well. Apparently, supplies of it were sent to Viet Nam by the troops' request. Then I heard the guy who invented it and marketed it had either gone out of business or sold the business.

I recently learned that after all these years it is still being made and the company (Valspar?) sent supplies of it (free of charge), again by request, to troops in Afghanistan and probably Iraq. I immediately ordered some, in both the plastic bottle and in the spray can.

If you have need of a dry gun lube that doesn't attract dust or grit, I can heartily recommend you get hold of a container of this stuff and keep it around for those knotty problems that nothing else seems to work on. And if you have someone over in Iraq or Afghanistan or S. Korea right now, a bottle of this might make a very good "stuffer" idea for your next Care package. Just make sure you tape the lid on tight and put it in a ziplock baggie so it arrives full and ready to use.

[Xracer]

Dri-Slide is pure graphite in an evaporative medium.

I've used it on car door locks (keeps 'em from freezing up during the winter), and on my 1911's when shooting outdoors in cold weather.

Camera repairmen often use Dri-Slide to lube the gears, shutters and lens apertures on cameras that are going to be used outdoors in cold weather....where conventional lube oils would thicken up and cause these mechanisms to run sluggishly.

It works well, but drys up kind of dirty.

Since it's a dry lubricant, I can see where it might be of advantage in a sandy and dusty environment....where oil might trap & hold dirt & dust.

Another newer, similar product is Triflon.....which is minute teflon particles suspended in an evaporative medium, and comes in a spray can. Works the same as Dri-Slide but is a little cleaner.

[Country101]

Where can you get these products? I've never heard of them or seen them anywhere.

[Marlin]

I might suggest Prolix® as one that is excellent, also.

[Xracer]

Country101....try a large hardware store. Also I've seen Dri-Slide in some Auto Supply stores.

[armedandsafe]

http://www.drislide.com/
http://shootersforum.com/printthread.htm?t=9517

[Pistolsmith]

Dri Slide was powdered molybdenum disulphide in a small container with a ball bearing for mixing and liquid mineral spirits.
You can buy powdered moly various places. I simply buy a can of Ronson lighter fluid, remove the top, drop in a ball bearing, spill out some fluid, add powdered moly, and I have a nearly identical product. It is, however, messy as hell, and your fingers will turn black if any gets on you.
It has an effect like interposing tiny ball bearings between parts. Powdered graphite, on the other hand, is an ABRASIVE. You can verify this in George Herter's book "Professional Loading". A very fine abrasive effect, but an abrasive nonetheless. Try rubbing some on your brand new aluminum boat or step ladder and see the mess it makes of the bright finish. You gonna put this on a gun?

[4 eyed six shooter]

Brownells also sells a 2 part dry lube. The only thing I have used it on is firing pins in bolt action rifles. It gets very cold here and it won't slow down lock time.
Good shooting, John K