Ballistol is top notch... not!

[Joemolf]

Anyone ever use a product called LPS3 for protective storage ?

Yes great stuff expensive; discovered it when i was learning to be an aircraft mechanic. protects bare aluminum that loves to corrode. I’ve been using it since the early 80s on anything I wanted to prevent corrosion on. Yes I’ve used it on rifles it’s not as bad as cosmoline when it comes to removal; have Naphtha or other on hand when the time comes to remove it.

 

[Joemolf]

Another possible advantage of using Ballistol for black powder Is that it is slightly alkaline. So when using it in a wash of water for cleaning, or straight for lube and protection, the alkaline should tend to neutralize the acid in black powder residue, minimizing corrosion, at least for the short term.

I use ballistol I saw a hickock45 video where he would apply a squirt or two down the barrel of BP metallic cartridge rifle to keep fouling soft between matches. I do the same it works though brushing and swabbing is the only way to go and also at the end of the day in my flintlocks until I can get them home and give the barrel a good hot water bath. The flintlocks do better I think due to the additional lube. I have noticed rust if it used so I always wash it out the lock too and protect it with something.

 

[Walkingeagle]

Moose milk for match (volume) shooting on patches and to clean, bear oil for lubing.
Hunting.. bear grease or mink oil patching.
For long term storage, G96.
Walk

 

[Andrewmtnman]

Yes great stuff expensive; discovered it when i was learning to be an aircraft mechanic. protects bare aluminum that loves to corrode. I’ve been using it since the early 80s on anything I wanted to prevent corrosion on. Yes I’ve used it on rifles it’s not as bad as cosmoline when it comes to removal; have Naphtha or other on hand when the time comes to remove it.

Thanks Joe, sounds better for long term storage. Thanks for the info and feedback

 

[Jayhawkdan]

Anyone ever use a product called LPS3 for protective storage ?

I have used LPS-2 for years beginning in the late 1970s. Used it on all my firearms as a lubricant and protectant. It is fantastic!!

 

[Jayhawkdan]

Mineral oil (Ballistol) causing rust unbelievable. Obviously poor surface preparation. Like rust popping through new paint caused by poor surface preparation.
Windex, the stuff guaranteed not to clean a kitchen window of cooking grease. Maybe he used the vinegar containing variety at least that one will neutralize the base pH of BP fouling.
WD40 the stuff with zero lubrication properties and guaranteed to gum up an action as it varnish content dries.

Hopeless

A quality synthetic gun oil and ordinary Hoppe’s #9 would do better, much better.

Windex & WD40 on a firearm what a joke.

Black powder fouling results in acidic (not basic) compounds, hence the pH is acidic, not basic.

 

[Andrewmtnman]

I have used LPS-2 for years beginning in the late 1970s. Used it on all my firearms as a lubricant and protectant. It is fantastic!!

Is the lps-2 lighter weight than the 3? Do you know the difference?

 

[doubleset]

(I wish the guy had also tested just plain old ATF fluid that is made to mimic whale oil)

Well, there are quite a few different ATFs that have been developed since the days of whale oil and quite a few different ATFs that are on the market. So I'm not sure what "plain old ATF" refers to. It seems bit like referring to "plain old soft drink". While to some degree the development of ATFs did mimic whale oil both in chemical and functional properties, in fact, the new formulations were an improvement over whale oil -- which had begun failing to provide the necessary protection to newer, more demanding, automatic transmissions, frontwheel drive transmissions, and increased restrictions on emissions. Whether these developments make one or another of the many ATFs on the market better for BP purposes, I have no idea. That would take a LOT of testing.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

I use it on my flintlocks, only because I don’t have a better way of cleaning a pinned barrel. I find it works well but the fumes cause me to cough and if I handle it without gloves I get sore, red cracked hands. Figure it cannot be good for me long term.

I store my guns with barricade and it does a good job and the fumes are more pleasant.

Might go back to inox when the ballistol spray can is empty.

The propellent (I forget the name) in the aerosol version can cause reactions to some people, as I think it is toxic. I buy the plain liquid in a bottle & use a hand pump spray bottle to apply. Eliminates the aerosol fumes & doesn't bother my skin. In fact, it helps soothe my rough dry hands. Just food for thought!

 

[doubleset]

I use the hand pump approach instead of areosols a lot too. Not so much because I'm worried about the toxicity of the areosols, but you just can't control the area of application (and overspray!) well with the aerosols. With Ballistol (which I use only for wiping down and not for cleaning or bore protection, I don't spray it at all. But for stuff like WD-40, I have a gallon can and just pour some in a cheap small plastic spray bottle and use it that way. I get the little spray bottles I like from Walmart (cosmetics section ) and carry a bunch of them with various things in them in a pocket of my range bag.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Read through this thread and ordered 2 cans of Ballistol…

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Read through this thread and ordered 2 cans of Ballistol…

Im with you.

 

[Rum River]

Back in the day I coached the local 4-H Shooting Sports blackpowder discipline for a 'significant' number of years.

Our weekly practices had my dedicated shooters always wanting 'just one more shot' as dusk was approaching. There were slapdash efforts at firearms maintenance due to a somewhat poorly lit range area with the usual early evening descending hoard of Minnesota mosquitoes.

I started awarding prizes to those shooters that caught the biggest. Measuring mosquito wingspans or stingers was tedious to say the least. We attempted going by how many wood ticks were attached to each, but that soon devolved into determining wood tick sizes, types, and how engorged they were with blood.

But I digress.

Lukewarm water and dishsoap lobbed in the general direction of a Hawken did not make this coach happy.

Instead went to using a 10% Ballistol to water mix in hardware store pump bottles that didn't have to be hot. When done with swabbing/wiping/cleaning would use straight Ballistol on all surfaces. For long term off-season storage in the club's foam lined cases Ballistol was slathered on and then covered with that press-and-seal plastic wrap. That way the preservative wasn't pulled off the metal by the foam.

For those that are about to tell me that I could have gotten by with cooler water and dish soap in the same pump bottle plus whatever metal preservative I chose - I already know that. I'm just saying this is how I did it and it worked for us - and also that a group of well-meaning but still defintely-need-to-be-watched teenagers were unable to rust any of the club's guns.

 

[doubleset]

I started awarding prizes to those shooters that caught the biggest. Measuring mosquito wingspans or stingers was tedious to say the least. We attempted going by how many wood ticks were attached to each, but that soon devolved into determining wood tick sizes, types, and how engorged they were with blood.

But I digress.

It was worth it. Certainly the technical problems you encounter in going down that path are challenging -- especially outside a well-equipped laboratory.