Ballistol first experience

[Rifleman1776]

As my experience with Ballistol progresses, I guess I'm becoming a fan. Great lubricant.
But, now I have a new use. The label claims it is fine for wood and wood finishes but I was a bit leery of that. However, my rifles have been getting sticky and dirty lately. I have been using a wood care product called Kramer's Antique Restorer for years. For whatever reason, recently the guns, as I said, are sticky and pick up dirt easily. Not good. So, yesterday, I tried Ballistol. Wow! Pretty amazing. Cleaned and polished in one swipe. I'm very impressed and plan to continue using as part of my clean up and put away ritual. Only downside to using Ballistol is that I do need a separate product for rust protection in the bore. I'll probably continue with WD-40 for short term and RIG for longer storage.

 

[Bear Rider]

I've been using RIG for over thirty years as a preservative. I also use it as a lube for the lock, and put a thin film on nipples and vents whenever they're removed. Thus far, I've never had any problem with a seized thread.

I've also used WD-40 for that long -- as a water displacer, inside the barrel. However, I immediately wipe the barrel with a dry rag, followed by an application of RIG. I NEVER let WD-40 get in contact with the wood, because it's murder on both the finish and the wood itself.

 

[Greenjoytj]

I wonder if the brown on your pictured patch is just old solidified wd40 being disolved and removed?

 

[Rifleman1776]

WD-40 doesn't "solidify".
But, in that case the bore was squeaky clean. I had cleaned well with a Murphy's soap solution and dried completely then coated with Ballistol.
The rust is what I found a couple weeks later.

 

[Billnpatti]

Ballistol is an organic material. Litmus works only in aqueous solutions. I'm not sure if it will work in a mixture of Ballistol and distilled water.

 

[Rifleman1776]

That coloring you see on the patches is NOT rust; it is a chemical reaction happening in the Ballistol when it meets steel. As you said, there was no evidence of rust.

Is there some way you can support that claim?
It sure looks like rust.

 

[Rifleman1776]

My use of Ballistol now goes back several months. And, unfortunately, some of the luster has gone dull.
I pulled the lock on a rifle used two months ago then lubed with Ballistol and put away.
The lock innards do not appear to have any lubricant on the parts. The Ballistol may have dried and left a lubricant coating but I really dunno and don't care to trust it for that use anymore. I lubed with teflon based CLP, just like the original mountain men used, and put away. For me, Ballistol will now only be used for cleaning and lubricating when the gun or other item is to be used immediately.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I wrote to Ballistol concerning the aparentlack of lubrication after my lock had set a while. Below is the response from Patrick at Ballistol.



These are his words. I provide only as an FYI.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I wrote again and addressed the question of rust protection, or lack thereof, with Ballistol.
The answer was:

Thanks for sending the picture of the patch. There was a similar case last year where a customer kept getting rusty patches from the bore of their muzzleloader. After the second time, (I believe there was a week between cleanings) the patches came out “less rusty”, and by the third cleaning there was zero rust. The customer determined the Ballistol was actually removing a thin layer of surface rust in the barrel they did not realize was there; the previous cleaning product was not removing and/or causing the previous rust.



We do not recommend storing anything laden with Ballistol. It is in best practice to only leave a thin film on the surface you wish to protect.

I don't understand the "laden with" comment. Does he mean more is less protection and less is more protection?
This is the pic of the patch I sent him. BTW, the bore was not rusty when I 'protected' it with Ballistol.

[/img]

 

[Zonie]

That looks exactly like the patch I got after I ran it down a barrel that had been "protected" with Ballistol and left to rest for a few months.

That is why I have never used another drop of the stuff for protecting anything.

After removing the flash rust from that barrel I used the Birchwood Casey Sheath (now called Barricade) to recoat the bore.

Like all of my rifles, the Sheath (Barricade) has prevented all of this rusting nonsense.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Sheath (Barricade) has prevented all of this rusting nonsense.

We have six local gun shops and a Wal-Mart. None have ever even heard of Barricade. Only one has heard of Ballistol.
If I was just starting a career, I would get with one of those companies and make them bigger fortunes by getting the word out.

 

[Zonie]

I hear you.

I can see where some small gun shops might not have it but I'd be surprised if they hadn't heard of Brownells.

In the Brownells web site under "Rust Prevention" there are a lot of different oils shown and right there among them is Birchwood Casey Barricade.
http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleaning-chemicals/oils-lubricants/rust-prevention/index.htm

I'm sure one of them could order a can of it for you from Brownells and he would probably appreciate the business.

 

[Rifleman1776]

It is not something I am desperate for. I hate paying $10.00 shipping for a $5.00 item.
I'll wait until I am traveling then look in local gun shops. That in itself can be fun. We have the flagship store of Bass Pro Shops near where my son lives. I can check there sometime.

 

[bobthemotorcycle]

Have you made it over here to Rogers to see the new Cabelas? Its worth checking out.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Have you made it over here to Rogers to see the new Cabelas? Its worth checking out.

I would have been there yesterday and today but I had to attend and be a pallbearer at a funeral.