Garand Grease??

[Creedmoor]

I understand that there are certain specs for the grease you are too use on the Garand, specifically on the op-rod. I found a can of grease I bought at a gun store in Utah about 10 years ago which I finaly opened. When I bought it, I thought I was geting Cosmoline - why I wanted that I don't recall. Anyway, I decided to open it to see what it looked like after all this time. What I found was a light tan colored creamy grease, not at all the sticky, stringy consistency of Cosmoline. Rather, it was smooth and relatively light bodied. It looks a lot like the stuff they say you are supposed to use on a Garand. I think it was called Lubri Plate. The can is marked as follows:
GREASE, RIFLE
I/A/W MUL-G-46003
9150-00-754-0063
QUALIFICATION #M-8200
There are a lot of other numbers and manufacturing and test date info on the 1 lb. can but I think the above nomenclature is the pertinent info. Oh, it was made by the Industrial Supply Corporation in 1993. What do I have here? Is this, as I suspect, grease for an M1 and not storage protectant goo? Thanks guys.

[rockbilly]

When in the Army many years ago we used a "General Purpose Grease, and a General Purpose Oil for everything, including our firearms.  I never ran across a grease specifically for the M1, though some we were issued was a "Gun Grease," this was usually used on the howitzers, for lube on the breech parts.  This may be what you have.

The can likely reads MIL-G-46003 (not MUL), this is the Military specification number, and will revert back to a written Mil-spec providing the composition of the contents.  If it is a quart can or larger, then I would bet it was for the big guns.

[dogwhisperer5]

   Lubriplate was developed specifically for the Garand as it would adhere to the metal rather than "fly off" during the rapid cycleing of the action during fireing. There were some reliability issues early-on with the rifle in wet weather, etc. that were traced to lack of lubrication of certain metal surfaces. It was issued in small, round containers with a yellow twist-off top that would fit in the butt as part of the maintenance gear stored there.

[Lost Okie]

As part of the station weapons while at NAS Chase Field in Beeville TX, we maintained 100 Garands for various reasons.  The grease I remember was not a light brown or tan but a dark sticky grease (I actually still have some that I use now and then on my semi-auto 22's)  We had to dig the grease out of the butt stock. Not sure of the milspec on it though. 

[John Traveler]

It's true that Lubriplate was selected by the US Army as the lubricant of choice for the M1 rifle before WWII.  It's selection was based on the ability to lubricate high friction areas (operating handle cam, bolt lug, etc) and resist being washed off during heavy rainstorms.  It was a translucent, medium dark, gooey grease.

That MIL-G specification you listed was developed during the middle 1950's when the US Military went to procurement specifications for lubricants, oils, and solvents.  It's intended for all small arms use, including the M1 and M14 rifles, BAR, M1919, M73, M60, and M1/M2 .50 cal machine guns.  As a product formulated to meet specifications, the appearance will vary.  I've seen light and dark amber, yellow, translucent, and creamy greases using that same MIL-G

It's not cosmoline.  I believe cosmoline was eventually listed under a MIL-P (preservative) specification.