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Mil-spec lubricant

From that spec:

The lubricating oil, general purpose, preservative, is intended for use in lubrication and protection against corrosion of small arms, in lubrication of fuze mechanisms, general squirt can aircraft application, and whenever a general purpose, water displacing, low temperature, lubricating oil is required. For aircraft application the oil should not be used on aircraft weapons being used for aerial fire due to its loss of Newtonian properties at low temperatures in high altitudes.

As you can see, it is a general purpose spray on/wipe on application, and is ok where motion between parts is involved, but not for use in high speed rotating service and high temperature applications. Sort of a MIL Spec 3 in 1 type oil.
 
divingin said:
Sounds more like WD-40. Hopefully doesn't gum up like it though.
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WD-40 wasn't developed until after the Korean war.

The formula for WD-40 was invented for the Rocket Chemical Company as early as 1953. It became commercially available in 1961
 
Yeah, I know. The Water Displacing description prompted that; I wasn't saying it was developed to replace WD-40.
 
Update: Just got this from a pal who was in 1st Air Cavalry, Vietnam:

"Man, this brought back some old memories that I totally forgot about. Many times when we were on the firing line, we would have one guy protected and his job was to continually clear jams on the 16's. He would give em' back dripping with good old Mil oil!!!! Door gunners and artillery used it by the gallon and I heard there was a spray canister but never saw any."
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jonbearman said:
The stuff I had from ww2was yellowish and lightly waxey. I have none left but it was a great lube.
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What I have appears reddish peering down into the can, but on a clean white patch is is nearly colorless. Not waxy at all, about the consistency of Marvel oil. I'd love to have some more of it.
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Brians356 said:
What I have appears reddish peering down into the can, but on a clean white patch is is nearly colorless. Not waxy at all, about the consistency of Marvel oil. I'd love to have some more of it.
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I wish you luck, as it seems to be good stuff for its intended purposes, but unfortunately the last revision of that spec is dated something like 4 March 1958, and it has been listed as inactive for many years. I have no idea what Mil Spec (or Specs) replaced it, so I can't tell you what to look for on the surplus market.

Later addition: It seems to have been replaced by Fed Spec VV-L-800, so if you find anything on the surplus market to that spec, give it a try.

Unfortunately, while my job in the Naval Sea Systems Command exposed me to lots of Mil Specs and Fed Specs before I retired, I was in the submarine piping systems area, not the lube and lube applications area, so my knowledge there is limited
 
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