Ballistol question...

[mazo kid]

I have been using Ballistol for the past 3-4 years to clean, protect and lube my BP guns. I have used the aerosol cans and am wondering if there is a difference between that and the bulk Ballistol. I have heard of others mixing the bulk Ballistol with water; what ratio wateril is used? Thanks in advance...Emery

 

[renovato]

I don't use the spray on my guns. I mostly use it around the house and in the shop, but it seems to be identical in every respect.

As for the Ballistol and water mix, it depends on what you are going to do with it. As patch lube, I generally mix 1 part Ballistol to 5-7 parts of water, depending on the gun's preference. Most of mine prefer the 1/7 ratio. I let the patches absorb all they can, then I let them dry. This leaves just the right amount of Ballistol evenly distributed in the cloth. A little Ballistol goes a long way, so it would be hard to get the patches evenly and lightly lubed without the water as a carrier. The same mix works great at the range for swabbing, though I rarely find that I actually need to swab. It's also a good cleaning solvent.

Diluted even more it makes a great cutting fluid for metalworking, a great honing oil for blade sharpening, and believe it or not, a replacement for Armorall that works better on dash and tires. Straight, it'll do anything that WD-40 will do, without the gummy residue. It's pretty amazing stuff when you play around with it a bit.

It's kinda funny for me to be such a Ballistol advocate. I originally tried it as a patch lube only because I had seen so many recommendations. When I started seeing all the claims, I thought it was "snake oil" and my :bull: detector went off. I set out to disprove as many of the claims as I could, and in the process, fell in love with the stuff! :haha:

 

[mazo kid]

Thanks Plink; I really like the stuff too. We recently had a lot of water damage in our home and a lot of guns, tools, etc got rusty. I just sprayed on the ol' Ballistol, let it sit a while, then wiped off with 0000 steel wool. Most of the rust came off fairly easily. My order from Midway should be here tomorrow, does anyone know another place to get Ballistol? Gander Mtn., Cabelas, etc.? Emery

 

[Hawkeye]

Try here, http://www.ballistol.com/

 

[Birddog6]

I buy it directly from Ballistol. I bought the last 6 cases they had of the large aerosol cans since they were in the process of making the can smaller. Also buy the large non-aerosol cans & also have bought it in the gallon can.

I use the spray for locks & when done cleaning them just saturate them inside & out, dab off the excess & it is done. I use the non-aerosol for the bores. Have not used it as a patch lube as I have a liquid lube I like & a grease I like & really don't want to go thru all of the lube/load testing for a bunch of rifles when I have lubes that work well for me, so have not done any extensive testing for that.

:thumbsup:

 

[mike alexandre]

Buying it as an oil instead of a spray is cheaper. I pour a small amount into a small atomiser bottle I bought from the chemist(drug store) and use that on the range and around the workshop.
For final clean up/storage I use it neat sprayed on a cloth.
For patch ball lube in rifles I use it 7 parts water/1 part ballistol and leave the patches wet in a poly bag.
For cleaning between shots I use it 50/50 and pre soak the patches which speeds up cleaning between shots.
Did the inside of my jeep last week and its as good as any of the other plastic cleaners I've used.
It shines the dogs up as well !!!!

 

[Many Klatch]

Emery, 1 part Ballistol to 10 parts water makes a good cleaner for dirty guns.

Many Klatch

 

[mazo kid]

I bought the last 6 cases they had of the large aerosol cans since they were in the process of making the can smaller.

I see what you mean about smaller cans....my last can was 11 ounces, the one I just got is only 6 ounces!
Andy, thanks for the ratio you use. It's always good to know what works in the real world. I see that there are different generalized ratios listed on the bulk can for different applications. Emery