In today's world of new and amazing lubricants, I can't imagine using something like vaseline on a double, or any gun for that matter.

Jabali, especially, thanks for the link to the old post. Very interesting! I wonder what the rating is for vaseline...

Vaseline: The part about vaseline that has always frustrated me is the heat sensitivity of the stuff. In a cool room it is Dr Jekyll, acting like the grease we all believe it to be. Out in the heat of day, over a hundred here recently, it turns to Mr Hyde, running all over the place, notably, OUT of the gun. When there was nothing else, sure, but now? I would especially warn against using it for rust prevention under the wood line, as when the barrelled action heats up, it turns into a penetrating oil and penetrates, guess what, the stock...

White Lithium Grease: I've used white lithium grease on Lee mold blocks for years {where recommended} and THAT is demanding, requiring a grease that stays put and doesn't run under high heat. Grease inside a mold wrecks it till cooled and degreased and can in fact essentially ruin the block if it varnishes on, baking under the 700+ degree heat of the melt. Vaseline would act like Kroil under these conditions... And maybe there is something better than white lithium grease even here?

Grease vs Oil: The discussion of grease vs oil on that other thread was enlightening, particularly the explanation of the nature of oil to act as a carrier of abrasives into a gun action. I, too, was mesmerized by the spell of believing grease to be a dangerous lapping compound carrier until I chewed on that explanation. Very interesting

WD40: As for gun cleaning, I disagree with Curl in one area. I've used WD40 for 30 years {I believe the recipe has changed over time?} for cleaning guns, mostly as a "soap" of sorts for the insides and then as quick, gotta-do-something-more-important lube on slide action shotguns and auto pistols. I've heard/read the bit about the gumming nature of WD40, etc, but have never experienced it. And my auto pistols get...dirty. Very dirty. Of course, my cleaning SOP is highly technical in nature; I hold the gun over the trash bucket and hose it down with WD40, the shake it a good three or four times, then shove it back in the holster. So far, so good.

It does not "feel" like a very good lubricant, tho. For slide action shotguns I use G96 or Triflow sprays, a quick squirt on the rail and inside and done, gun stood on muzzle to allow drainage of excess away from the buttstock. I've seen may pumpgun stocks turned to sponge because of oil {vaseline?} in the thin parts against the action.

I read years ago that some of the modern spray lubes are so "slippery" they can actually be detrimental to auto pistols, allowing increased slide speed and increased battering of parts. This seems apochryphal, but who knows, maybe not, some modern lubes ARE really slippery. I know I can feel the difference between WD40, grease and G96 when racking a pistol slide so maybe it's true.

I once sent a Browning Superposed back to the company. It left the USA tight as a drum for a shoot in Argentina. A week and 3000 rounds later it returned, shot off the face and in bad need of retightening. Now I wonder what the fellow used {didn't use...} for a hinge pin lube...