Ballistol Warning

[Zonie]

Once, I used Ballistol in my guns bores.

After cleaning and drying the bores, I wiped them with Ballistol applied with a clean patch.
Several months later I found that the bores had developed a light coating of rust on them. I live in Phoenix and even with my evaporative cooler running the humidity inside my house never rises to above 50%. As I said, the bores were clean before I applied the stuff.

Since then, I only use Birchwood Casey Barricade to protect my guns from rust. It works every time.

The Ballistol? It's still sitting on the shelf in the Poison cabinet and as far as I'm concerned, it can stay there.

 

[B P Arn]

^^^ You are doing something wrong, Zonie. It's not the Ballistol.

 

[Zonie]

^^^ You are doing something wrong, Zonie. It's not the Ballistol.

The way I figure it, Ballistol has some ingredients in it that allows it to mix with water. Anything that mixes well with water will do a poor job of keeping water in the atmosphere from getting thru it to the surface under it.
If water does get thru the protection, the water and any oxygen that is dissolved in it will have an easy time of rusting the steel that is under the Ballistol.

That's my theory and until someone can prove I'm wrong, I'll stick to it.

 

[Bob McBride]

Once, I used Ballistol in my guns bores.

After cleaning and drying the bores, I wiped them with Ballistol applied with a clean patch.
Several months later I found that the bores had developed a light coating of rust on them. I live in Phoenix and even with my evaporative cooler running the humidity inside my house never rises to above 50%. As I said, the bores were clean before I applied the stuff.

Since then, I only use Birchwood Casey Barricade to protect my guns from rust. It works every time.

The Ballistol? It's still sitting on the shelf in the Poison cabinet and as far as I'm concerned, it can stay there.

You have a poison cabinet? That is the height of Victorian awesomeness. Cool.

 

[firestick]

Once, I used Ballistol in my guns bores.

After cleaning and drying the bores, I wiped them with Ballistol applied with a clean patch.
Several months later I found that the bores had developed a light coating of rust on them. I live in Phoenix and even with my evaporative cooler running the humidity inside my house never rises to above 50%. As I said, the bores were clean before I applied the stuff.

Since then, I only use Birchwood Casey Barricade to protect my guns from rust. It works every time.

The Ballistol? It's still sitting on the shelf in the Poison cabinet and as far as I'm concerned, it can stay there.

Send it to me.

 

[Festus]

Is everyone sure that they have rust in barrel? Ballistol continues to dissolve crud in your barrel. I have noticed that after a good cleaning and storing for a while that if I run a patch in, it will come out a little dirty. Not rusty though. I agree that people who are having problems are doing something wrong, don’t think it can be blamed on the Ballistol. Also a question for the people having problems. Are you guys using real black or substitutes?

 

[FishDFly]

If there are things superior to Ballistol, why use it?

 

[Festus]

If there are things superior to Ballistol, why use it?

Cause it smells good.

 

[firestick]

If there are things superior to Ballistol, why use it?

Because it doesn't have carcinogens in it. We are exposed to enough of them. It is used in the food industry where machinery comes in contact with food. IT WORKS and I don't need a NY advertising agency telling me abut the latest and greatest crap out of the chemical industry.

 

[FishDFly]

Kinda testy.

 

[firestick]

Kinda testy.

Nope. Juz a usin my experience.

 

[FishDFly]

The best products from the Comprehensive Corrosion Test, 46 products compared:

WD-40 Specialist
Frog Lube
Hornady One Shot

 

[Omahkapi'si]

So far so good for me with Ballistol, but I'll keep an eye on it.

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

WOW! We have enough differing opinions here to get at least three different football teams together and play the playoffs! LOL! OK the reason I use Ballistol is that it mixes well with water. Why do I use oil mixed with water? The Ballistol is made for firearms applications and to "prevent" rust. Water dissolves the salts, et al, from BP fouling. When Im done shooting, I like to swab out the barrel a bit to get rid of most of the crud I can because I don't have a "back room" in which to clean my guns. I have to do it in the kitchen and it may be a few hours before I can do that. I swab out as much fouling as I can at the range, wipe down the nipple area of the gun with the solvent, and then wipe down the outside of the gun with a dry cloth, put it in it's sleeve and head home. The solvent also helps me clean off my hands because the Ballistol is OK for your skin too. It can be used as a minor wound dressing and disinfectant. My bore is slightly damp but not wet, has an oil coating in it, and has never rusted doing this. My gun is cleaned thoroughly before I turn in that night.
Yes, I wipe down my "range rod" before it goes in the tube so there is no fouling, salt or what have you on the rod or in the tube. I was born at night, but it wasn't last night. I had wiped the brass with the Ballistol mix and when I saw the corrosion, put 1 and 1 together and that is when I remembered reading on the other gun forums, not to use Ballistol on chrome or nickel plating or it may become pitted and chip off.

I was just trying to put out a warning, to which, ONE person responded with thanks.

Y'all do as ya mind to, as your experience dictates. I will.

 

[FishDFly]

Why does everyone try to push their personal cleaner on everyone else?

Makes as much sense as pushing your wife on others.

 

[Bob McBride]

I don't get the issue. Someone puts out a warning on a product and other folks express their experiences with it, whether it conflicts or agrees with the OP. Seems like a great thread full of a great range of thoughts to me. It had been one of the most thought provoking threads I've read in a few days and caused me to do a bit of research myself because I've never never had an issue with it (I use it to clean but not as a rust inhibitor necessarily). That's just the sort of thread that has value to me.

 

[rodwha]

One of my main appreciations of Ballistol is that I no longer had to worry about the little bits of moisture after cleaning where I’d use WD-40 to remove, which then needed removed. Cut down on an unnecessary step and the need to use more products.

But I have seen that Ballistol has and has not worked long term on my three guns. I took Zonie’s advice and bought a little can of Barricade, though this isn’t because I think it’s better, but because I am likely going to need to store a gun or two long term where I may not have access to it for a while. Since Ballistol hasn’t proven itself 100% for long term I feel it prudent to use something better.

Now if I were told that Barricade emulsifies like Ballistol and will allow the water to evaporate leaving just the oil I’d probably ditch Ballistol.

 

[Bob McBride]

One of my main appreciations of Ballistol is that I no longer had to worry about the little bits of moisture after cleaning where I’d use WD-40 to remove, which then needed removed. Cut down on an unnecessary step and the need to use more products.

But I have seen that Ballistol has and has not worked long term on my three guns. I took Zonie’s advice and bought a little can of Barricade, though this isn’t because I think it’s better, but because I am likely going to need to store a gun or two long term where I may not have access to it for a while. Since Ballistol hasn’t proven itself 100% for long term I feel it prudent to use something better.

Now if I were told that Barricade emulsifies like Ballistol and will allow the water to evaporate leaving just the oil I’d probably ditch Ballistol.

That's exactly how I do it. I clean with Ballistol mix but I use bear grease for a month or less and Barricade for longterm rust protection. Lots of ways to do it but that's mine.

 

[Mad L]

Windex:
I will not even use that on Windows, let alone my firearms!!!
As a 30+ year Xerox tech I have seen what that stuff does to glass, metal, and plastic over long term use....I chew out any customer using it a machine I am tasked with to maintain.
There are all kinds of 'junk' (perfumes and such) they put in it. And it Streaks like crazy (ie: it leaves residue behind)

If you have ever seen the glass, and mirrors on a copier that the secretary cleans regular ('regular' another story) with Windex then you will know.

Alchohol - streaksless, does not stain, evaporates away with no residue.
(Warning: not for drinking)

Ballistol: been using it for years and not seen any problems mentioned. But I dont dilute, I am also a clean freak.

 

[Festus]

Well I have used Barricade before and had guns rust. I was using Pyrodex then and whatever I did ended up being wrong. Now that I am using real black I have never had a problem. And the same time I started using real black I switched to Ballistol. I have had guns laying around in high humidity conditions that I have not cleaned. I have however sprayed them down with Ballistol and cleaned them later with no issues. I have one I am doing a little bit of a test with now that has not been cleaned but sprayed with Ballistol about 4 months ago. No rust yet and it’s been humid here. I think it works and know it works for me. It was designed for black powder. If it doesn’t work for you, fine. It works for the majority of people and I am not sure why the naysayers have problems. I encourage everyone to try for them selves like everyone used to do before the Internet. Ballistol is good for leather, wood and metal. It will tarnish brass. I try to stay away from brass. I see all the magic potions everyone comes up with think they could make things a lo simpler.