PVT LOW TIME PLT IN SMA ACFT MISTOOK A MIL ARPT FOR CIVILIAN ARPT WHERE HE WAS DIVERTING FOR PERCEIVED ENG TROUBLE.

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ENRTE FROM HAWTHORNE; CA; TO SAN DIEGO; CA; APPROX 40 MI S OF LOS ANGELES; THE ACFT BEGAN TO LOSE OIL PRESSURE; UNTIL THE GAUGE INDICATED WELL BELOW THE RED LINE OR LOW LIMIT. OIL TEMP INCREASED; AND CONTINUED TO INCREASE; ALTHOUGH REMAINING BELOW THE RED LINE. THE PLT IMMEDIATELY INFORMED ATC (SOCAL DEP) OF THE PROB; BUT DECLINED TO DECLARE AN EMER; INSTEAD REQUESTING AN IMMEDIATE APCH AND LNDG AT L32 ARPT; ONLY 8-10 MI AHEAD. THE ACFT WAS OPERATING IN SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUD COVER DURING THIS ENTIRE PERIOD. ATC CLRED THE ACFT TO DSND AT THE PLT'S DISCRETION; AND CLRED IT FOR AN APCH AT L32 REQUESTING THE PLT TO RPT CANCELING IFR. APPROX 4 MI N OF OCEANSIDE VOR; THE PLT MISTAKENLY IDENTED NFG ARPT AS OCEANSIDE; RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT; AND CANCELED IFR. AFTER CHANGING TO THE CTAF (FOR L32); STILL SEVERAL MI FROM CAMP PENDLETON; THE PLT REALIZED THAT THE ARPT HE HAD IDENTED WAS A MIL BASE; NOT L32. HOWEVER; BECAUSE L32 WAS NOT IN SIGHT; AND NOT WANTING TO RISK A PWR OFF APCH TO L32 THROUGH IMC; THE PLT ELECTED TO LAND ON THE MIL BASE; BECAUSE THE BASE WAS CLRLY WITHIN GLIDING RANGE; AND BECAUSE A VFR DSCNT AND LNDG WAS POSSIBLE THERE; EVEN IF THE ENG HAD FAILED BECAUSE OF OIL LOSS. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO ACTIVITY ON THE BASE; AND A SAFE APCH AND LNDG WAS EXECUTED UNDER VFR. UPON LNDG; THE PLT AND PAX WERE ACCOSTED BY MIL POLICE; AND THEIR PERSONS AND THE PLANE WERE SEARCHED. THE NEXT DAY; 2 MECHS WERE ALLOWED TO INSPECT THE PLANE; ADDED ENG OIL; AND DETERMINED THAT THE PLANE WAS AIRWORTHY FOR THE MECHS TO FLY TO A NEARBY ARPT FOR A MORE DETAILED EXAM. PRIOR TO DEP FROM HAWTHORNE; THE PLT HAD POSITIVELY VERIFIED THE PLANE'S OIL LEVEL WAS WITHIN OPERATING RANGE; AT 6 QUARTS; IN ADDITION TO PERFORMING A THOROUGH PREFLT INSPECTION. AFTER MAKING THE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT CAMP PENDLETON; AFTER APPROX 3/4 OF AN HR OF FLT; THE DIPSTICK INDICATED ONLY 4 QUARTS. AT THE TIME OF THIS RPT BEING ISSUED; NO MECHANICAL PROB OR REASON FOR THE RAPID; 2 QUART OIL CONSUMPTION HAD BEEN DETERMINED. IT IS LIKELY THAT THE AIRPLANE'S ENG WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO RUN NORMALLY AND PERMITTED A LNDG AT THE NEARBY L32 ARPT. HOWEVER; IN VIEW OF THE ENG GAUGE INDICATIONS; THE PLT FELT THAT REMAINING IN VFR CONDITIONS AND LNDG AT THE NEAREST ARPT IN SIGHT WAS THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION; REGARDLESS OF ANY REPERCUSSIONS FROM LNDG IN A RESTR AREA. FROM THE GAUGE INFO; WHICH WAS VERY DEFINITE; THE PLT HAD TO ASSUME THAT THE ENG COULD SEIZE AT ANY TIME; AND MADE THE DECISION TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG UNDER VFR; RATHER THAN RISK AN ENG FAILURE IN IMC; OVER UNFAMILIAR AND HILLY TERRAIN. 2 PLT INACTIONS WERE: 1) NOT DECLARING AN EMER WHEN GIVEN OPPORTUNITY; AND 2) NOT REQUESTING CONTINUED RADAR SVC UNTIL SAFELY ON THE GND.