Today's topic could be a slippery slope! A viewer read on the Interwebs that you should lubricate your ammunition. Yep, just wipe it down with a little gun oil. But why? Caleb's theory is that the "lubricators" are folks who are having feeding or extraction problems with their guns, and they think lubricating the ammo will solve that. If you have to lube your ammo to get your gun to function, you have a problem with the gun itself. And the solution is to FIX THE GUN because lubricating ammunition causes other serious problems.

When you fire the gun, the brass case expands and grips the wall of the chamber. If there's oil between the case and the chamber wall, the case can't fully expand as it's supposed to, causing excess pressure. This leads to excessive "head thrust" the head of the case applying too much force to the bolt face, which puts extra strain on the bolt lugs and wears them out faster. You may see flattened primers, ruptured primer pockets, and other signs of excess pressure. Excessive bolt velocity may also cause the rifle to overcycle. Brass may not clear the ejection port before the bolt comes slamming back closed.

Modern guns like the AR15 are designed to stand up to extra pressure, but why strain it? With older guns of a weaker design, shooting lubricated ammunition can cause significant, lasting damage faster. For example, early .22 Magnums were made of soft steel that was just strong enough to do the job. Excess head thrust can cause the bolt lugs in the receiver to "set back" on these rifles. On blowback operated semiautos, the friction between the case and the chamber wall helps keep the action closed long enough for pressure to subside so the gun cycles correctly.

So this myth is BUSTED. Do not lubricate your ammunition! The guys can't think of any circumstances where it's a good idea. Even handloaders should wipe case sizing lube off their ammo after they've loaded it.