BALLISTOL a fair shake

[JollyRoger]

Project Farm did a very good test on gun lubes and at best Ballistol was mid pack.

Thank you for this, new at Black Powder, so this really helps me out.

 

[JDBraddy]

Thank you for this, new at Black Powder, so this really helps me out.

Balistol was formulated in a time, prior to WW-I when black powder and corrosive primers where standard, or the norm. For soldiers in the field who had to carry everything afield on foot, for extended periods, in a cold wet climate, and could only carry one product to use for everything. It's a compromise product from the start, though not necessarily the best for any particular job. It's very good for most.

Most modern CLP products where developed for modern weapons, smokeless powders, in a time of more advanced chemical technology, so it doesn't surprise me that many of them may be either better lubricants, or better rust preventative. I have tried several, and while I keep them in my cleaning kit for my modern weapons, I have the luxury of being able to have several specialized products that are superior for various purposes, but I still go back to ballistol to clean blackpowder and rimfire. It works well for that, but I finish up wiping everything down with Barricade or Remoil, because I believe they are both superior as a rust preventative.

 

[Mike in FL]

Dawn MAY help in cleaning if your using an oily patch lube

You got me there. I think you are correct. Never thought about oil. I reckon I was zeroed in on powder residue. Thanks for that reminder.

 

[Togo]

I bought a can of Ballistol a few years ago, the stuff makes me cough when I breath it in, terrible smell. I was at a rendezvous one time and had the lid off, then I knocked it over onto my RV camp mat losing half the can on the mat and in the ground, for the next 2 days I thought I had dog crap on my shoes everytime I was at the camp, it was the ballistol stinking up my camp site. I clean my muzzleloaders with warm or cold water and a few drops of Dawn, then WD40 to displace the water, then lube with RemOil, I have no issues shooting after lubing with petroleum-based lubes. RemOil doesn't goop up like someone said, it literally dries on the surface leaving a layer of protection.

 

[Trigger]

.

Thank you for this, new at Black Powder, so this really helps me out.

Your can ask old questions here also.. don't kill yourself with the search feature.

We all answer them and don't mind.

Other forums threw Google search pop up good threads also but most still direct you here. More or less is us on every other forum too... you'll start to recognize some. It's not a big group.

 

[Trigger]

I don't think I'd use break free.. for a patch lube.. just saying.

Cleaning supplies.. all over the house. Lots to try.. add water

But then again patch lube is allot of options. You can find patch lube all over the house.

Rust protection. You know. You should have something that works somewhere around the house to..

Save some money.

 

[Trigger]

My question..

Travel packs hand lotion? Could carry that nicely.

Any try hand lotions for patch lube?

Just an example.. the dollar store deal.

 

[Trigger]

I can't get a good picture.. shotgun

I'm cleaning now.. it's been 2 or 3 weeks..

It's ok for a week. Fouled.. It was ok.

2 or 3 weeks you can see it's... ehhhhh.

 

[Mike in FL]

I bought a can of Ballistol a few years ago, the stuff makes me cough when I breath it in, terrible smell. I was at a rendezvous one time and had the lid off, then I knocked it over onto my RV camp mat losing half the can on the mat and in the ground, for the next 2 days I thought I had dog manure on my shoes everytime I was at the camp, it was the ballistol stinking up my camp site. I clean my muzzleloaders with warm or cold water and a few drops of Dawn, then WD40 to displace the water, then lube with RemOil, I have no issues shooting after lubing with petroleum-based lubes. RemOil doesn't goop up like someone said, it literally dries on the surface leaving a layer of protection.

There's no accounting for taste (smell.). What one man hates, another loves. . Like beets: I can't stand them but wife loves them.

 

[45man]

I can tell the yung uns here, when old as me the smeller doesnt work as good so Ballistol smells better! However even with the mineral oil, Ballistol will desolve BP fouling just fine.

 

[Trigger]

When I clean with soap water now etc.. I get Clean ballistol patches at the end..

Before on "a used" I got dirty ballistol patches for days. I don't know what it was pulling out of the barrel when I first got the gun. Lead maybe.

 

[rodwha]

Balistol was formulated in a time, prior to WW-I when black powder and corrosive primers where standard, or the norm. For soldiers in the field who had to carry everything afield on foot, for extended periods, in a cold wet climate, and could only carry one product to use for everything. It's a compromise product from the start, though not necessarily the best for any particular job. It's very good for most.

Most modern CLP products where developed for modern weapons, smokeless powders, in a time of more advanced chemical technology, so it doesn't surprise me that many of them may be either better lubricants, or better rust preventative. I have tried several, and while I keep them in my cleaning kit for my modern weapons, I have the luxury of being able to have several specialized products that are superior for various purposes, but I still go back to ballistol to clean blackpowder and rimfire. It works well for that, but I finish up wiping everything down with Barricade or Remoil, because I believe they are both superior as a rust preventative.

The only reason, at this moment, that I use (and love) Ballistol is that it emulsifies in water so I no longer need concern myself with my guns being absolutely dry first. Typically my guns were shot at least once every month so long term wasn’t an issue. I’ve found Ballistol didn’t work so well for long term on some guns, but over time now they’ve all (3) done quite well with it. I bought Barricade but just haven’t used it yet.

If there’s another oil that emulsifies I’d like to know. Skipping WD-40 to dry before cleaning that out to oil is a huge bonus, along with not concerning myself with being 100% dry everywhere. Ballistol sure seems to work great for this but I’d definitely be open to trying something that costs no more, even more so if it’s something easy one can make themselves.

 

[flatcreek]

I can't get a good picture.. shotgun

I'm cleaning now.. it's been 2 or 3 weeks..

It's ok for a week. Fouled.. It was ok.

2 or 3 weeks you can see it's... ehhhhh.

I clean the same day, 2 or 3 weeks is way to long. After a day you can hear it rusting at night.

 

[Trigger]

I clean the same day, 2 or 3 weeks is way to long. After a day I can hear it rusting at night.

It was stressful.. you think about it.

I was cleaning after use like that also... you know one shot at a birds hit or miss you have to Clean it again.

 

[rodwha]

I clean the same day, 2 or 3 weeks is way to long. After a day I can hear it rusting at night.

Even more so if it’s Pyrodex. When I first began shooting there were a couple of cowboy action shooters claiming they could hold off a bit so I cleaned my two pistols and left the rifle for the morning. HUGE mistake! Took me about 6 hours just to get a clean patch.

That started a conversation in which someone said if ever you don’t have the time you can use an oil, such as Ballistol, to soak into the fouling leaving it saturated with no room for moisture. I tested it in my two pistols here in central Texas during the hot humid summer and indeed it works. But I clean when I get home, it’s a part of the deal and I enjoy it.

 

[JollyRoger]

Balistol was formulated in a time, prior to WW-I when black powder and corrosive primers where standard, or the norm. For soldiers in the field who had to carry everything afield on foot, for extended periods, in a cold wet climate, and could only carry one product to use for everything. It's a compromise product from the start, though not necessarily the best for any particular job. It's very good for most.

Most modern CLP products where developed for modern weapons, smokeless powders, in a time of more advanced chemical technology, so it doesn't surprise me that many of them may be either better lubricants, or better rust preventative. I have tried several, and while I keep them in my cleaning kit for my modern weapons, I have the luxury of being able to have several specialized products that are superior for various purposes, but I still go back to ballistol to clean blackpowder and rimfire. It works well for that, but I finish up wiping everything down with Barricade or Remoil, because I believe they are both superior as a rust preventative.

Thanks, while I bought Ballistol after watching some You-tube video's on cleaning and it definitely worked great compared to my first very slow cleaning, old school style the first time, I will use it up and change to one of the newer formulas as that tested showed good results.

 

[cannonball1]

I know nothing about Ballistol, but my question is this. Using a very light wet clean patch between shots, with say a 1 to 3 water, and one dry clean patch after. Will it lubricate the next shot at all. I am using a single wrap clean dry paper patch bullet now. It is working great, but.... if you have had a wife who sews any at all and try to borrow her scissors' to cut paper, she will cut your fingers off at the knuckles. She says nothing dulls scissors' faster than cutting paper. I am sure the wear and tear of shooting paper patch bullets is minimal, but would a very light Ballistol on the damp patch film cut down on the barrel wear?

This is target shooting and what I am doing now is to load the charge on a dirty barrel, place a hard thin card wad seeding the charge. Then swabbing the barrel with one damp water patch and a dry patch after. Then snug the paper patched slug down on the card.

Think the barrel would be slicker?? Less friction?