I pulled the trigger and nothing happened, no click, mushy trigger. The range was quiet in those milliseconds as I tried to ascertain what was happening. My weapon just malfunctioned? Smoke rose steadily from the end of my suppressor. I could see the heat waves rising off the spray paint camouflaged shroud of my Surefire suppressor, distorting the target through the lens of my Aimpoint Micro sight. I turned the weapon and saw that I had a failure to extract. I corrected it but that malfunction nagged me. I was running a Daniel Defense MK18, a 10.3 inch barreled AR-15 with a Surefire Suppressor as the end. These weapons ran fast, dirty and hot. A sure recipe for disaster if you have a lubricant that isn’t up to snuff. And apparently the one I had been using wasn’t.
My lubricants need to do several things in the following order of importance; not give me cancer, keep my weapon running, and protect my weapon. My test platform is always my MK18, since it is brutal on any lubricant. The heat tends to vaporize most lubes and if they survive the heat they rarely survive the violent quick action of a short barrel and suppressor combo. It’s not specifically that the MK18 fails but rather that there are increased signs of wear as the lube dissipates. It is with these facts in mind that I was sent some Rand CLP and Rand Bore & Bolt to test out.
Rand CLP is a thick substance that stays where it is put. It’s non-toxic and biodegradable with a flashpoint of 607 degrees Fahrenheit. So how does it run? Like many other modern CLP’s it gives the action of an AR-15 a slick feel. With my weapon treated with Rand CLP I found that it both ran smoothly and consistently and at the end of an arduous training day would retain the lube on the necessary contact points without an appreciable amount of burn off due to heat. Where the Rand CLP has been placed, it stayed despite the intense heat and friction applied to it. What does this give me? Peace of mind. And that is worth quite a bit. I have full faith that my weapon will run reliably with this lube applied and that it will stay where it’s meant to stay throughout countless rounds.
Rand CLP allows for simple cleaning. A rag can simply be wiped across the metal parts and the carbon build up comes right off due in large part to the film that the lubricant’s nanoparticles form on metal. Rand CLP also claims the lowest coefficient of friction on the market. What does this translate to? In theory reduced friction and wear on your gun. In practice it’s hard to test. Over the 2000 or so rounds of M855 fired (1900 of those suppressed) through my MK18 with Rand CLP applied, I’ve noted very little wear on my weapon on contact points which does seem to support what Rand has been saying about their product. Though I’m always hesitant to say it 100 percent works unless I could take two identical AR’s, lube them both with different lubes and run 10,000 rounds through them each on the same firing schedule and then compare how it works in practice (Who’s in to fund that!?).
I used the Rand CLP in conjuction with Rand Bore & Bolt which is a non-toxic solvent used to clean, you guessed it, your bore and bolt. It’s safe to use on polymers, metals and wood. Always a good thing. So how is it in practice? When combined with Rand CLP I’ve had some pretty painless weapons cleaning sessions which says a lot. Any suppressed weapon is dirty, and the MK18 with its enlarged gas port is particularly prone to build carbon on your bolt. I’ve found that with Rand products I’ve had no problem simply wiping the carbon away which leaves the weapon looking as clean as a well-used weapon can look.
Rand has stated that by using nanoparticles mixed with oils and ester bases they have created a formula that when used cuts cleaning time in half and extends service life of your weapon. So how does it stack up in the end? Rand delivers on the cleaning time being cut in half and from my observations on wear patterns. My rifle would seem to support the statement of extending service life due to the reduced wear that I’ve seen on metal contact points. Many individuals in high risk jobs throughout the world trust their lives to Rand CLP. I’m no different, to date this is the best lube that I have used. My weapons recoil smoothly and clean easily. If you choose Rand CLP you won’t be disappointed.
Michael Jones is an Active Duty USAF SERE Specialist (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) currently residing in Eastern Washington. He spends his time teaching SERE and parachuting from anything that flies. On his off time he shoots and spends time with his family.
This post first appeared on loadoutroom.com
