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Weapon lubrication and preservation in the Wehrmacht

Stephan98k

aka 8x57IS
I thought I will write a bit about weapon lubrication and preservation in the Wehrmacht. The orders are historic and I don't want to encourage somebody to clean the K98k's in this way, it's just a information. Don't put oil or other cleaning products on the stock, keep in mind that anything you put on the stock will decrease the collector value!

Purpose of the oil and grease introduced in the Army

Designated Use
Cleaners and rust preventatives for barrels and all blank parts of weapons.
Normal Conditions: Waffenreinigungsöl TL 6007 - Gun cleaning oil TL 6007
Tropical Conditions: Waffenreinigungsöl TL 6007 - Gun cleaning oil TL 6007
Strong Cold: Waffenreinigungsöl, frostsicher TL 6024 - Gun cleaning oil, frost-proof TL 6024 (Usable up to -40° Celsius. At lower temperatures these oils have to get mixed with petroleum: 1 part petroleum 3 part oil

Designated Use
For lubricating the bolts and all moving parts on weapons and equipment.
Normal Conditions: Waffenschmieröl TL 6021 - Gun lubricating oil TL 6021
Tropical Conditions: Gun lubricating oil Aero M.G.-Oil from the company Hamburg-Amerikanische Mineralöl G.m.b.H., Hamburg 36, Jungfernstieg 51
Strong Cold: Waffenreinigungsöl, frostsicher TL 6025 - Gun lubricating oil, frost-proof TL 6025 (Usable up to -40° Celsius. At lower temperatures these oils have to get mixed with petroleum: 1 part petroleum 3 part oil

Designated Use
Rust preventive for blank parts of weapons and equipment of stored inventory
Normal Conditions: Schutzfett 40 TL 6017 - Protection grease 40 TL 6017
Tropical Conditions: Schutzfett 40 (Tp) TL 6023 - Protection grease 40 (Tropics) TL 6023
Strong Cold: xxx

Designated Use
To spread the Unfleiß (area between barrel and stock)
Normal Conditions: Waffenfett TL 6006 - Gun grease TL 6006
Tropical Conditions: Waffenfett TL 6006 - Gun grease TL 6006
Strong Cold: xxx

Designated Use
For leather care
Normal Conditions: Lederöl und Lederfette TL 6003 - Leather oil and leather grease TL 6003
Tropical Conditions: Lederöl TL 6003(because leather grease also get liquid at higher temperatures, it could get replaced with leather oil)
Strong Cold: xxx

Supreme High Command of the German Army (Ch H Rüst u. BdE), January 26, 1942
- 2197 /42 g – AHA /1 b (I).

TL = Technical delivery condition




Use of the gun care products, lubricants (oil and grease) in extreme cold

Gun cleaning oil, gun lubricating oil and - if still available – M.G.-oil are usable at temperatures up to minus 30° Celsius.

For higher degrees of coldness, these oils must be mixed with petroleum as required (in each case for adaptation to the outside temperature) for preservation in the liquid state. The admixture of petroleum may not exceed 25% of the total amount (at most 1 part petroleum to 3 parts oil). Then they remain liquid up to around minus 50° Celsius.

For the time of greater cold, the troops in the East and in Norway receive frost-proof gun cleaning oil and frost-proof gun lubricating oil, usable at temperatures up to minus 40° Celsius. At lower temperatures these oils must also be mixed with petroleum in accordance with the principles set out in paragraph 2. Barrels with frost-proof oil are marked "frost-proof".

O.K.H. (Ch H Rüst u. BdE), October 8, 1941
- 85/86 – AHA /In 2 (VIII) In 4.​
 
Stock preservation​

Due to inadequate delivery of the company with Leinölfirnis (linseed oil varnish) by the suppliers, tests are currently being carried out with other, equivalent materials for the stock preservation.

Until the conclusion of these tests Reinigungsöl 34 (cleaning oil 34) can be used for stock preservation in the absence of Leinölfirnis (linseed oil varnish). The cleaning oil must be applied thinly and rubbed into the stock wood with a cloth. After rubbing, the stock must be wiped dry with a clean cloth.

The substitutes for Leinölfirnis (linseed oil varnish) offered by private companies may not be used by the troops for stock preservation, since they are usually containing paint and are harmful to the stock wood.
All existent requests are rejected.

Supreme High Command of the German Army,
January 23, 1936. AHA/In 2 (III).​




Stock preservation product​

As a substitute for the previously used stock preservation product, gun cleaning oil may be used until further notice for the treatment of rifle and carabine stocks.

The oil should be applied to the stock wood with a clean cloth or cleaning string and wiped dry after a short time.

O.K.H. (Ch H Rüst u. BdE), July 3, 1940
85 – 4910/40 AHA/In 2 (VII).​




Barrel inside oiling​

After the shooting, the preliminary oiling of the barrels has to be done in the still lukewarm state.

In the H. Dv. 256 ---- Cleaning kit 34 and Cleaning kit 34 for caliber 5,6 ---- Description and instruction manual ---- in the first sentence of section F, the word "immediately" has to be deleted and "in the lukewarm state" must be written.

Cover sheet correction is not intended.

O.K.H. (Ch H Rüst u. BdE), July 30, 1941
---- 72 d 60/83 ---- AHA/In 2 (III b).​





Weapon cleaning oil​

The gun cleaning oil will in the future be produced in red color in order to reliably distinguish it from other oil --- in particular gun lubrication oil. ----

The relevant instructions are occasionally revised.

O.K.H. (Ch H Rüst u. BdE), March 17, 1942
---- 85/86 ---- AHA/In 2 (VIII).​
 
Rust removal​

The blued parts get only dabbed, not rubbed off. Rusty areas get oiled and wiped the following day. This procedure is repeated until the rust disappears and a black spot is visible in its place.

K98k manual from 1935​





Consumption values 1934​

As consumtion values are determined:
Schußwaffen 98 monthly 28 cleaning strings, 46 gram gun cleaning oil
M.G.-barrels monthly 15 cleaning strings, 30 gram gun cleaning oil
Pistole 08 monthly 6 cleaning strings, 10 gram gun cleaning oil

Supreme High Command of the German Army, November 26, 1934
AHA /Fz In IV A.




Consumption values 1938​

As consumtion values are determined for A 1 a and A 15 units:
Schußwaffen 98 monthly 20 cleaning strings, 30 gram gun cleaning oil
M.G. monthly 15 cleaning strings, 20 gram gun cleaning oil
Pistole 08 monthly 3 cleaning strings, 4 gram gun cleaning oil

As consumtion values are determined for M.G. units:
Schußwaffen 98 monthly 15 cleaning strings, 20 gram gun cleaning oil
M.G. monthly 40 cleaning strings, 60 gram gun cleaning oil
Pistole 08 & M.P. monthly 3 cleaning strings, 4 gram gun cleaning oil

As consumtion values are determined for Pionier units:
Schußwaffen 98 monthly 15 cleaning strings, 20 gram gun cleaning oil
M.G. monthly 20 cleaning strings, 30 gram gun cleaning oil
Pistole 08 & M.P. monthly 3 cleaning strings, 4 gram gun cleaning oil

The battalion etc. has to order the cleaning strings and gun cleaning oil quarterly, from the responsible Heereszeugamt (HzA).​

O.K.H., July 15, 1938
- 85 – In 2 (VIII).​
 
Great historical references - do we have any idea if Ballistol is what is referenced for gun cleaning oil?
 
Former Wehrmacht soldiers told me, Ballistol was their gun cleaning oil. It seems like Ballistol had the specification of Waffenreinigungsöl TL 6007/Waffenreinigungsöl 34, but certainly there was more supplier.
 
From the Ballistol page, a letter from a soldier to the Ballistol company:

Your Ballistol, supplied to my battalion, has been very effective in maintaining the rifles. In the prolonged rainy weather you could see in the trenches almost only rusted barrels and parts. A highly detrimental for the rifles cleaning with harmful agents was the result. After application of the ballistol, the rusting was completely eliminated.

Scheffen
Hauptmann und Bataillonsführer
1943
 
Cool write up! Thanks Stephen. I have a tube of some wartime grease downstairs, now I have to go examine it. Haha
 
..Your Ballistol, supplied to my battalion, has been very effective in maintaining the rifles..

Great stuff! Amazing that someone in that position took the time to write a letter to the company, especially at that time! (1943) Thanks for sharing this interesting information.
 
Cool write up! Thanks Stephen. I have a tube of some wartime grease downstairs, now I have to go examine it. Haha

You are very welcome Andrew! I'm curious what kind of grease you have there.

@ heavy_mech
It surprised me too and usually the people who was writing a letter to the company was hunters who expect to get at least a single can of Ballistol, because it was nearly impossible to get something like that on the civilian market during the war.
 
Outstanding information!! Thank you for sharing this. Imagine mixing petroleum with your oil because you need functionality down to -50C!!! I wonder what the “frost proof” was made with? Great stuff!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Great information provided thank you for taking the time to do this. Such a interesting read.

You are very welcome Jordan and I have to thank you, because you always share your new rifles and data with us.



Cleaning products for small arms and M.G.

The total amount of cleaning products shall be calculated according to the number of weapons for which maintenance fees are payable under H. M. 1938 Page 78 No. 227 A 1 and 2, in the cases of items 8b and 15a for the relevant head strength.
In the event of inventory changes, etc., the provisions governing the maintenance fee are valid.

Within the consumption limits, only the absolutely necessary need is to be requested. It has to be taken into account that cleaning strings and oil belong to saving materials.

Cleaning strings and cleaning oil are to be requested quarterly - on the 3rd of the first month of each calendar quarter - by the battalions, etc. at the Heereszeugamt according to the following pattern:

*** Translated example is attached ***

You must send the tank/barrels for the cleaning oil with the order to the Heereszeugamt.

O.K.H., July 15, 1938
- 85 – In 2 (VIII).​
 

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Thank you 8x57. This is as good as it gets for information and learning, period source documentation. Stickied for reference :happy0180:
 
Great presentation of information from PRIMARY sources. Something sorely lacking in this field.

Thank you for taking the time to translate and present this information.
 
The “gap filler” grease is really interesting to me - the goop used between metal and wood interface. Wonder what a modern commercial equivalent is (I have always used Vaseline or low soap grease in any restorations).

Make this a sticky for sure. This topic is raised so often it needs to be.
 
You are very welcome and I'm glad you appreciate it. Here's something else, but it's also on the topic. Used cleaning strings were not thrown away, but sent back for recycling.


Return of used rifle cleaning strings.


The Überwachungsstelle für Baumwolle (Cotton Monitoring Center) reports that on returned used rifle cleaning strings to the company Mechanische Weberei Altstadt G.m.b.H. Ostritz , the cleaning strings was severely interspersed with garbage, paper and similar debris and whole lumps of rifle cleaning grease.

It contained not only blank ammo but also live ammunition.

All departments take care that there are no debris and contaminant in the dirty cleaning strings.

O.K.H., June 23, 1939
72 a/b 60/83 – Fz In (IV b 1).
 
..the cleaning strings was severely interspersed with garbage, paper and similar debris and whole lumps of rifle cleaning grease.

It contained not only blank ammo but also live ammunition.

Well that's interesting. I wonder how much 'command emphasis' was put on making sure their debris was separated?
 

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