Ballistol fumes?

[N.Y. Yankee]

I use Ballistol for Moose Milk and straight oil. When I spray it or drip some on a patch, I get a slight burning sensation in my nose and throat. I don't mind the odor, which to me is a lot like licorice, but that irritation in my throat is annoying. I try to use it outside. Anyone else notice this?

 

[Carbon 6]

The burning sensation could be the thinner, solvent, or propellant in Ballistol.

The odor comes from Anethole.
Anethole is the essential oil from the seeds of Pimpinella anisum L., a shrub which grows around the Mediterranean and in South and Central America. Anethole is the key compound in the odor of star anise, which smells like licorice.

Ballistol contains:

Mineral Oil
Potassium Oleate
Ammonium Oleate
Oleic Acid
Benzyl Alcohol
Amyl Alcohol
Isobutyl Alcohol
Benzyl Acetate
Anethole
Isohexane (aerosol only)

 

[Hawgeye]

The stuff smells like dirty socks to me. Works good but stinks bad.

 

[rodwha]

I have not noticed any burning. And I like the smell.

 

[30coupe]

It smells like vomit to me. I switched to Hoppe's Black Powder Lube and Solvent. It works as well or better and smells like Hoppe's #9. I've liked that smell since I was a little kid watching Dad clean his guns.

 

[Rifleman1776]

After it seized up my guns so bad I needed tools free them I don't use that junk anymore. So the smell doesn't matter. I don't recall if I threw out an almost full can or if it is hiding at the back of one of my shelves somewhere. Awfullest stuff ever.

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

Thanks Carbon 6. I probably have an allergy to one of those ingredients. I wonder how many others do as well.

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

After it seized up my guns so bad I needed tools free them I don't use that junk anymore. So the smell doesn't matter. I don't recall if I threw out an almost full can or if it is hiding at the back of one of my shelves somewhere. Awfullest stuff ever.

How can that be? A lubricating oil seizes up your guns? I don't get it. Please explain.

 

[Carbon 6]

Thanks Carbon 6. I probably have an allergy to one of those ingredients. I wonder how many others do as well.

I'd guess that you are just hyper sensitive to one or more of the ingredients. You probably have a good sniffer and a lot of taste buds.
It's always fascinating the wide variance in smell and perception that people have.

There are lots of good alternatives to Ballistol out there.

 

[Juice Jaws]

I use it and like it. Smell is no big deal, of course I don't go around stiffing the bottle. Grew up on a dairy, my nose buds been burn up long ago.

 

[Danny Ross]

I use Ballistol for Moose Milk and straight oil. When I spray it or drip some on a patch, I get a slight burning sensation in my nose and throat. I don't mind the odor, which to me is a lot like licorice, but that irritation in my throat is annoying. I try to use it outside. Anyone else notice this?

That burning sensation you are experiancing in your nose and throat, maybe due an allergy to one or a combination of more than one, of the ingrediants in the Ballistol, irritating your mucos menbranes. DANNY

 

[Spikebuck]

It does the same thing to me...only worse. I get a cough that lasts for hours. I quit using the stuff. I only had it to try Dutch's "dry patch" system, but that stuff would kill me. Allergic reaction, perhaps. I have NO known allergies to anything else and never had, but that stuff certainly has some kind of reaction with me.

 

[Jruby38]

Rifleman man is nuts. I used it for over 30 years on high end Browning, CZ, STI to low end Savage and Mosins. Its wont seize up any gun and works in freezing weather.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

After it seized up my guns so bad I needed tools free them I don't use that junk anymore. So the smell doesn't matter. I don't recall if I threw out an almost full can or if it is hiding at the back of one of my shelves somewhere. Awfullest stuff ever.

Poppycock.

I don’t know what you’re talking about, but BALLISTOL (ballistic oil) has been in use for DECADES as THE premiere black powder muzzle-loading cleaning and piling fluid. I’ve never heard of it “seizing out” a BP arm...

 

[Carbon 6]

Poppycock.

I don’t know what you’re talking about, but BALLISTOL (ballistic oil) has been in use for DECADES as THE premiere black powder muzzle-loading cleaning and piling fluid. I’ve never heard of it “seizing out” a BP arm...

I think Rifleman was referring to Hoppes #9

 

[rodwha]

I think Rifleman was referring to Hoppes #9

Nope. Ballistol.

 

[inthex]

I use Ballistol for Moose Milk and straight oil. When I spray it or drip some on a patch, I get a slight burning sensation in my nose and throat. I don't mind the odor, which to me is a lot like licorice, but that irritation in my throat is annoying. I try to use it outside. Anyone else notice this?

Your not alone friend. I'm not to crazy about the smell either. It works but if I can smell it then the animals can too. I'm going to try Birchwood Casey's Barricade.

 

[Pete G]

If the animals can smell your gun oil, then the animals can smell YOU!

 

[toot]

it was developed by the GERMANS in forever ago, and was the only thing that was approved for a centaury! cant be all that bad?

 

[Juice Jaws]

it was developed by the GERMANS in forever ago, and was the only thing that was approved for a centaury! cant be all that bad?

Well I guess they were better at developing a gun lube than at winning the last few wars.