Another Balistol question

[Felonious]

Ballistiol it's fantastic if it actually stays on the part that you're trying to keep clean. It's a thin oil, so it wipes off easily and leaves room for oxidation. A lot of people give it a bad reputation for this, but it's really just easy to clean, that's it. I like using it for internal parts that aren't exposed to anything outside of the gun.

 

[Greenjoytj]

In my near 40 years of working with industrial equipment & lubricants. Ballistol never even came into our discussion.

The properties of mineral oil have been known for a long time and Ballistol being mineral oil with a bad scent added further testing on a such a product with all ready well documented components ingredients wouldn’t be worth the cost of more testing.

I will stick with using a more modern synthetic gun oil, which is likely just a base mineral oil that has been passed through the process to make it now considered a synthetic oil.

Most muzzle loading traditionalist would swoon over the opportunity to use real whale oil but that’s not an option now. So I have also been using a synthetic version, a variation of ATF made by Lubegard that is based on Jojoba seed oil. It has been working very and has no bad scent like Ballistol.

https://www.lubegard.com/products/val/

 

[wiscoaster]

Ballistol is ok , but the price is ridiculous! I had a friend in high school, he could handle his just cleaned 30-30 slathered in oil and still get rusty fingerprints on it. I loaned him a 22, got it back rusty. He said he cleaned and oiled it, his mom told me his dad and grandpa had the same problem- whatever they touched corroded. Body chemistry?

Good point. Fingerprints are absolutely the worst for gunmetal.

 

[wiscoaster]

....Ballistol being mineral oil with a bad scent added ...

Hah!! Ballistol makes me sneeze. But I use it anyway. I just wish they made an "unscented" version.

 

[zipmark964]

I switch over to Ballistol for all of my guns about 4 years ago or so. No rust on any of them.

 

[WarDawg]

I know we all got our own experiences and situations. I’m new to black powder. I am not new to firearms . I read so many times not to use a petroleum product in our BP lead slingers. But after thinking about this dilemma I’m going to go back to what works for me. Break Free CLP in the gallon jug or bottle. I also got some rigs. I will just alcohol patch the bore and a quick light enough bore butter patch before heading to the range. I have a tube of bore butter. Might as well use it. WarDawg

 

[Trigger]

I know we all got our own experiences and situations. I’m new to black powder. I am not new to firearms . I read so many times not to use a petroleum product in our BP lead slingers. But after thinking about this dilemma I’m going to go back to what works for me. Break Free CLP in the gallon jug or bottle. I also got some rigs. I will just alcohol patch the bore and a quick light enough bore butter patch before heading to the range. I have a tube of bore butter. Might as well use it. WarDawg

It's fine..

I ran out of Ballistol.

You can run a windex to clean it out to..
I coated everything good.. the number 11 nipples I have rust up with nothing.. so there all oily.. just windex them before use.

 

[smoothshooter]

1. Never store a gun in a gun case. (Ask me how I know)
2. Ballistol works great for short term storage (6-12 months or so)
3. R.I.G. Rust Inhibiting Grease from Birchwood Casey applied and excess wiped off for long term storage.

I would add do not use a nylon or any kind of waterproof case what will not breathe for long-term storage.

 

[deerstalkert]

Ballistol is a lousy rust inhibitor if there is any humidity present. got a nice palm print on a rifle barrel that I put up right after slathering in ballistol and being stored on the wall in a room between 50-55% humidity, monitored. I also get brown patches after 2-3 days of drying the bore and coating with straight ballistol. It has a purpose in "moose milk" for keeping steel from rusting while cleaning powder fouling with water, and also for helping dry the metal afterward, but after that it needs to be wiped off and a real preservative type oil, grease, or wax applied.

I'm sure a zillion Ballistol fanbois will dogpile this comment and claim it's the best thing ever invented, makes them shoot 10X scores and prevents warts, but like most things it has limitations and climate has a lot to do with those.

hmmmmm. I need to give it a try. have a wart growing on my left knee of all places. now where did i leave that Ballistol???????

 

[wiscoaster]

hmmmmm. I need to give it a try. have a wart growing on my left knee of all places. now where did i leave that Ballistol???????

Ballistol is supposed to be good for whatever ails.

However: it does make me sneeze.

 

[ernbar]

I can only speak from experience about Ballistol’s ability to prevent rust. As an experiment, I used tap water to clean my 1860 Army after using Schuetzen BP. I dried the parts and within minutes surface rust had formed. I scrubbed the parts and using my Ballistol/tap water moose milk mix, dried the parts and no rust showed up. That is because after the water is dried or evaporates Ballistol protects the metal against corrosion. Obviously this stuff does what it’s supposed to do otherwise it wouldn’t be around since 1904.

https://ballistol.com/pages/about

 

[fltaft]

1. Never store a gun in a gun case. (Ask me how I know)
2. Ballistol works great for short term storage (6-12 months or so)
3. R.I.G. Rust Inhibiting Grease from Birchwood Casey applied and excess wiped off for long term storage.

Is the "new" RIG as good as the original (1960's) version? I bought several tubes in 196? and loved it. I saturated a silicon laced gun cloth that came in a metal case with one tube and I am still using that same cloth to wipe down any/all my guns after cleaning or handling. NO rust EVER. Soon after discovering RIG, they stopped making it and I was told that when it became available again it wasn't as good. Opinion?

Other than my question, I agree with your advice.

 

[R Ellis]

Is the "new" RIG as good as the original (1960's) version? I bought several tubes in 196? and loved it. I saturated a silicon laced gun cloth that came in a metal case with one tube and I am still using that same cloth to wipe down any/all my guns after cleaning or handling. NO rust EVER. Soon after discovering RIG, they stopped making it and I was told that when it became available again it wasn't as good. Opinion?

Other than my question, I agree with your advice.

I have been using RIG for 40 years .I purchased some about a year ago and it seems to be a little thinner than the old stuff but works just as well. I also keep a old handkerchief coated with RIG in my vault to wipe any gun I touch and have excellent results.

 

[deerstalkert]

Ballistol is supposed to be good for whatever ails.

However: it does make me sneeze.

it makes me sneeze too!