XADO gun oils and NATO standard

For many people in Ukraine, the war began back in 2014, and everyone without exception was touched on February 24, 2022. Many went to the front as volunteers, while others are working for victory in the rear. The entire country, without exaggeration, is making efforts to ensure that the defenders have all the necessary resources for a successful fight.

It would seem, what does this have to do with an information resource on automotive topics? But, as it turns out, some world-known manufacturers of automotive oils are also very fruitful in the field of weapon oils. Therefore, it is time to disclose more information about the quality and basic tests of some weapon lubricants approved according to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) standards.

Old Soviet weapons, as well as lubricants for them, were designed under the old GOSTs. So do not be surprised if now in most cases for cleaning, lubrication and preservation of weapons are used oils "RZh" or "KRM", developed back in the 1970s. And the only test that deserves attention is the corrosion test according to GOST 9.054-75. The number 75 at the end is the year of development of the document. But even here there are its "moments", because products manufactured according to GOST, it is almost impossible to find, only according to the manufacturer's own TU. Therefore, we have only to rely on the conscience of the oil manufacturer and believe that he will conduct all the necessary tests and guarantee the quality of products.

But things are changing. Our country is transitioning to NATO standards. We are receiving small arms and many other types of weapons that require proper care and quality maintenance. At the very beginning of the Russian aggression, our armed forces had to import new lubricants and fluids for the maintenance of new-style weapons on an emergency basis.

What's this about?

Today, NATO has two lubricant specifications for gun care - NATO Code S-758 CLP Oil and NATO Code S-761. Oils with these specifications do not contain solvents, powdered metals or solid components such as graphite or PTFE. Code S-761 oil has a higher viscosity and is used as a general purpose gun oil. S-758 has three functions at once - lubrication, cleaning and preservation. Such oil serves well "in the field". It has a lower viscosity, which means that it demonstrates better penetration properties. Its main purpose is cleaning, lubrication and preservation of automatic weapons: such weapons are more difficult to disassemble and clean, and to keep them always ready, it is necessary to use only quality lubricants. In the following we will focus on S-758 oil.

The gold standard among weapon lubricants is considered to be SLP S-758 oil. It is produced by several world manufacturers, has passed numerous tests and received certification from the governments of many countries for use in their armed forces. The main feature of this product, of course, is its composition. Let's reveal it on the example of XADO CLP Oil-758:

• 50% API Group IV PAO - these oils have high antioxidant stability and the pour point of these base fluids is less than 60°C;

• 25% of Group V, which covers 15% of the esters that give the oil high adhesion to metal;

• 15% sulfonates acting as corrosion inhibitors;

• The remaining 10% are emulsifiers to stabilize the balance of oils and additives, and antioxidants to slow down the oxidation process.

As you can see, in order for the oil to be gun grade, manufacturers use very expensive and high quality components.

Why is the oil called SLP S-758?

S-758 is an approved NATO code that certifies the quality characteristics and guarantees the normative performance of weapons manufactured to NATO standards under all climatic conditions.

SLP stands for Cleaner, Lubricant & Preservative, in other words, it is a 3-in-1 product.

Consider what this composition provides and how it is tested. Let's divide the information into a laboratory test unit and field tests.

The laboratory block covers the following types of tests:

1) Humid chamber. Three metal plates treated with SLP S-758 are placed in a humidity chamber and kept for 900 hours, i.e. almost 38 days. After this test, each plate is allowed to have one corrosion point with a diameter of no more than 1 mm.

2) ASTM B-117 Salt Chamber. The same plates shall be purged with 5% saline solution in the form of a mist for 100 hours, i.e., not more than four days. After this test, no more than three corrosion points not exceeding 1 mm in diameter are allowed on each plate.

3) The CLP shall provide a cleaning capacity to remove at least 80% of the residues resulting from the combustion of WC 844 Class smokeless powder.

To complete the laboratory control block, let us summarize the main technical criteria of the oil in a table.