Review: Froglube

[chezuki]

This will be an ongoing review starting with today's initial application and first impressions.

I received my 8oz tub of Froglube paste ($18.99 Amazon Prime) today and after the initial application to my M&P9 I realized that I may have purchased a lifetime supply, so I hope it performs as well as its reputation implies.

Following the instructions found online for initial application, I detail cleaned the M&P and stripped it of all residual oil. I used non-chlorinated brake cleaner for this which works wonderfully and despite concerns I've read online, had no ill effect on the polymer. YMMV.

I then heated the slide, barrel, and receiver individually with a hair dryer before painting the stuff on with my wife's cutesie little pink makeup brush (this may be a problem in the future). I let the parts sit for an hour and then wiped off the excess which wasn't much as it really does absorb into the metal.

As soon as I reassembled the pistol I could already tell a difference. The slide felt super smooth and cycled like it was on ball bearings, the "squeak" from the recoil spring dragging on the guide rod was gone, and my gun smelled minty fresh.

I'll follow up this weekend after I put a few hundred rounds through it and break it down for a cleaning. Stay tuned.

 

[SaintsNSinners]

IM inlove with froglube and Seal 1... I have it on all of my firearms.....

 

[esrice]

I like ongoing reviews. Subbed.

 

[Pete]

Subbed. Great start. I want to know more...

 

[HavokCycle]

i use the stuff. if you have several firearms it can go faster than you think.

after its first use, i liked it a lot. i wound up using it all of mine. i posted a thread on this a while back, on new gun rituals. i disassemble and coat all functioning surfaces with it, then shove it in the oven at 170 degrees for about 10 minutes.
for rifles, ive raised the temp to 250 and left the door open. you want it to run free for several minutes, and the gun to be just slightly too warm to touch.

ive used it on ARs, AKs, glocks, revolvers, bolt actions, shotguns, everything i own. not had a problem whatsoever. I use the paste as CLP on the barrel and receiver, and i have a liquid i use on other moving parts.

good stuff.

 

[cedartop]

I will use it until the bottle I have runs out. It seems fine, but I didn't notice any big difference from anything else.

 

[HavokCycle]

I will use it until the bottle I have runs out. It seems fine, but I didn't notice any big difference from anything else.

i dont know that it really does either. but it does what its supposed to.

 

[chezuki]

I'm happy enough with the initial results to toss another couple in the test group. Spent the rainy evening cleaning these and giving them the same treatment.

 

[jdhaines]

Guys...if you like the stuff then feel free to use it. Just make sure you aren't using it because of all the hype. This stuff (and no stuff for that matter) will "soak into" wrought or forged (or cast for that matter) metal used on gun components. If it's disappearing, it's volatilizing or evaporating. Heating steel gun components with a hair dryer, oven to 250F, or similar does absolutely nothing to the surface from an absorption standpoint. There are no micro-pores that can hold the liquid and release it later. It isn't like stain going onto wood.

Use the product if you like the product, but don't use it because it does something that no other product does.

I've given other reasons before, which I won't go into, but every time someone talks about slightly warming some metal so a lubricant can soak in...a metallurgist somewhere dies a little inside.

 

[deputydawg39]

I used it on a my g19 that I shoot in IDPA and had 6 failure to feeds during a classifier this past weekend. I was using factory ammo also

 

[chezuki]

I used it on a my g19 that I shoot in IDPA and had 6 failure to feeds during a classifier this past weekend. I was using factory ammo also

I'd imagine there are other issues involved here.

 

[Steve B]

I've been using it on my suppressors as well. They clean up with a lot less effort now. I did leave it on a bit thick to see how it acted. Caused my M&P to not fire a couple of times in cold weather (43*). Wiped it down and everything went bang again. So far I like it. I have bad lungs due to being in a chemical fire so it really is a plus for me.

 

[scootersrockin]

I love my ballistol. I use it on everything now, tools, bicycles, anything metal on metal. Funky smell but besides that, great.

 

[SmokinSigs357]

I've been following reviews of this stuff on SIGforum...I have come to the conclusion (after 6 pages over the last several days) that it is either the best stuff or the worst stuff...

 

[chezuki]

Follow-up #1

I'm at just over 300rds since the initial application.

Tonight at FNS my M&P had its first failure to fire. I've put over 3000rds through it in the 4 1/2 months I've owned it. The FTF happened in the middle of a string of fire so I quickly cleared the malfunction and continued. After the final string, I found the offending round to inspect...

I assumed the froglube must be to blame as it seemed to be the only variable, but after inspecting the round and finding the primer seated sideways it's obviously not the lube's fault.

In edition to lubrication, FL is also advertised as a protectant that keeps gunk from sticking. To test this I field stripped the pistol for cleaning.

Seems pretty grimy...

I gave it a wipe down using only a dry cotton washcloth.

Not bad...

While it may not be "detail clean", I am actually quite impressed with how effortlessly the grime wiped away. I spent literally less than 2 minutes on cleaning this.

Froglube definitely has some haters, but for me, it seems to work as advertised and I will continue to use it until I see a reason not to. I am now in the process of giving the FL treatment to anything that I shoot on a regular basis.

 

[Raitekk]

Good stuff man! I have also been using it on my M&P 9 with no problems whatsoever.
I did two separate detail strips and treatments before using it for the first time.
Flawless performance so far! and it has been about 350 rounds.
I also like how easily everything wipes off, then I reapply a little bit more FL then just takes off the excess again, and its good as new!

 

[mammynun]

Guys...if you like the stuff then feel free to use it. Just make sure you aren't using it because of all the hype. This stuff (and no stuff for that matter) will "soak into" wrought or forged (or cast for that matter) metal used on gun components. If it's disappearing, it's volatilizing or evaporating. Heating steel gun components with a hair dryer, oven to 250F, or similar does absolutely nothing to the surface from an absorption standpoint. There are no micro-pores that can hold the liquid and release it later. It isn't like stain going onto wood.

I have a problem wrapping my head around that aspect of it as well. But my experience with Frog Lube is that it does work as advertised. I had 2 new AR builds so I used CLP on one and FL on the other. It wasn't an apples to apples comparison as the FL one was a (usually suppressed) 300 BLK with 10" barrel and the CLP was a 5.56 16" unsuppressed, but both had new BCM BCG's in them. I don't claim to know how or why, but cleaning the Frog Lubed SBR was much easier. Carbon wiped off, but the FL itself seemed to be impossible to wipe off. FWIW, I've never heated a part "treated" with FL other than what firing the weapon does, nor did I have any function problems with either rifle.

The tiny voice in the back of my head is somewhat concerned with the actual long term lubricating and protective (i.e rust) properties of FL... I will say that the bottom of my BCG's show almost zero wear to the finish where the hammer rides across, and I've not had any rust issues.

I like the stuff. That said, I'm now comparing FL to Fireclean (which is stupid expensive). I've got the Fireclean on a 12.5" 5.56 vs Frog lube on a 10.5" 5.56 and so far I don't see/notice any difference but the round count is low as ammo is... well, you know.

 

[guns and groceries]

Ditto on the easy wipe downs. The first and second heated applications do take some extra time but I have found the results are worth it. My P239 runs VERY smooth now and my Glocks seem happy with it too. I love the fact that it does not smell. I find I clean my guns more often, if they need it or not, because I can do it in the living room. I have done my EDC knife and the FL solvent is great too. 55 years of gunk and build up on my dad's 22 just dripped away.

 

[Maximinus Thrax]

I'm interested in this product as well. subbed

My biggest question concerns how often you clean your firearms and how well the froglube stands up to Hoppes cleaner. I am more than a little compulsive about cleaning my EDC any time it is fired. With how involved this product is to apply, does it have to be reapplied after a regular cleaning?

 

[cosermann]

... Caused my M&P to not fire a couple of times in cold weather (43*). ...

Probably because frogs are ectotherms. Just a guess.