Originally Posted by
master_shriller
Silicon oil actually soaks into the metal, and as Ben has rightly said the only way to remove it, is to remove the contaminated metal by grinding. You cannot remove it with any solvent I've ever seen, and I've used solvents that would stop you breathing if you got a whiff of them.
If you find that hard to believe, how about this, metal has also got grain, not unlike wood.
Silicon oil has it's uses, but should only ever be used in very tiny amounts, it is ok to use one tiny drop on a sythentic piston in a springer, as mineral oil would diesel and possibly soften the piston material, also another accepted fact is silicon oil wont ignite and cause dieseling, wrong, if you use much more than a small drop it goes bang like any other oil.
There always semes to be a tendency to overdo the lubrication on airguns, less is more as our american cousins love to say.
Gatito don't panic, I have found some gun finishes can be damaged by mineral oil, but silicone oil is ok for most finishes, just a hint of it on a cloth will do the job.
Ben