I don’t have the issue but there was a copy of AGW that had a dry-lubed Feinwerkbau Sport. The tolerances on this rifle are such that just dry moly powder could be used to lubricate the piston and seal, and it worked well, consistent and powerful.
So I’m thinking that one could make a lube from dry moly powder pus the very least amount of oil or grease, just enough for it to make a kind of paste but nearly dry. This might be good stuff.
Reminds me of the different ways of making curry; dry powder, paste and viscous liquid in a jar.
I think the stuff you have in mind probably already exists......the very high moly content pastes, like Monsieur Tinbum's Bumslide and the Rocol paste. Plus, even if going as "dry" as possible, I'd always prefer a very sparing amount of very tacky stuff on the spring.
Many , many moons ago, in our young teens, a friend and I were playing with different stuff. We had "dry-lubed" my Meteor and a few belonging to other friends with Dri-Slide. And my friend's dad had obtained some graphite powder which we duly buffed into the cylinder and piston of his Diana G80. They worked. Actions felt "quick". But they didn't feel ever so civilised on the cycles due to the wider tolerances you mention on lesser rifles. A little dampening grease (the Abbey LT2 was the stuff to have then and still viable today) calmed them down.
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