Ballistol

[29thWisCoG]

I dunno, some of us have been stricken with the tinkers curse... making their own stuff adds to the overall enjoyment of a muzzleloader. Add a decent bench top lathe to the mix and it gets even better... need an 10-32 by 8-32 adapter for the cleaning rod? just make it

 

[Silent Walker]

I agree, but........
There is something in the human being that wants some ritual.

Kinda funny.... but they like to make simple difficult.

 

[barracudadave67]

AHH, the smell of Balistol, while cleaning your guns. I've been using it for over 40 yrs. I pump my Richmond bbls out in a bucket of hot soapy water, with nipples removed, dry them, and then Balistol. never have any rust. works for me. I only use the real black.

Dave

 

[GriscomRun]

I know this has been beaten flat. But I have a curious dumb guy question about ratios.
Is a ratio of 7 to 1 Ballistol to water ?

 

[painter]

I know this has been beaten flat. But I have a curious dumb guy question about ratios.
Is a ratio of 7 to 1 Ballistol to water ?

Other way round...7 parts water, 1 part Ballistol

 

[Woody Morgan]

I agree, but........
There is something in the human being that wants some ritual.

Not to mention dogpiling on someone who is "wrong".

wm

 

[GriscomRun]

Thanks Painter

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

I keep a small bottle of water/Ballistol 7:1 in my range bag. I use it to swab the bore during and after shooting and wipe down the exterior of the gun. The water breaks up the fouling and the oil, making it easier to swab, helps keep any rust from forming until I can get home and clean the gun thoroughly. Sometimes, I can't go directly home to clean and it might be a few hours or more before I can break the gun down to clean it. The "Moose Milk" works well for that. I don't use Ballistol for storage because the smell bothers my sinuses and I cant work with it full strength so I just use it at the range. I use Fluid Film to prevent rust.

 

[gkterry]

 

[Jaeger777]

Ballistol has petroleum in it.

It is not water nor natural based.

Petroleum + burnt black powder = sludge

No it doesn’t. It’s mineral oil. Nothing petroleum about it.

It has mineral oil printed on the back under ingredients. The MSDS sheet also said mineral oil it has NO Petrolum product in it.

It also says contains a “Proprietary petroleum distillate”. But I have never had it leave a sludge no matter how it was used or what concentration. Using pure Ballistol as a patch lubricant I can shoot all day without swabbing. If that’s sludge I’ll take more of it!

 

[Jaeger777]

View attachment 74799

My can also says “Contains Petroleum Distillate” and nothing about alcohol. Maybe they changed the formulation.

 

[Jaeger777]

Your statement couldn't be further from the truth. If you will read the Material Safety & Data Sheet (MSDS) for Ballistol, which obviously you haven't, you will find no petroleum based products. The mineral oil in Ballistol is paraffin based & medical grade. The oleates are natural components of fats, the alcohols are from the natural fermentation of proteins, starches & sugars, & the benzyl acetate is from the Jasmine plant. Ballistol DOES NOT make sludge when in contact with black powder fouling. If you are going to criticize something, at least get your facts straight so as to not spread misinformation.

My Ballistol says “Contains Petroleum Distillate-a Trade Secret”. Right there under ingredients with a poison warning and directions in case of swallowing or eye contact. But maybe the formulation has changed? Either way it does NOT make sludge.

 

[SOLANCO]

Something I particularly like about Ballistol is that the thin film I wipe on a weapon after cleaning dries. It protects without taking finger marks as oil will.

 

[wb78963]

Ballistol has petroleum in it.

It is not water nor natural based.

Petroleum + burnt black powder = sludge

That is odd because I have been using Ballistol:distilled water* 1:10 for a very long time. The mineral oil in Ballistol has a different organic composition that works quite well with black gunpowder. The water evaporates leaving a fine film of Ballistol to protect the metal.
I* I use distilled water so there will be no mineral spots from tap water to act as a rusting agent.

 

[TheOutlawKid]

I use Ballistol with distilled water to get rid of surface fouling etc. But if i want a good deep clea i use a cleaner from the dollar stores call "LA Totally Awesome". Since most of the lubes we use are a mix of oils and wax..when it mixes with fouling it gets stuck in the pores of the metal. It can also encapsulate old fouling. You can clean the barrel good with ballistol and water and/or other cleaners and clean it well till all the white cleaning swabs come out clean...then clean it with LA Totally Awesome and you can see what was left behind. I have some white nylon bore brushes that i used to clean tight spaces of my cap and ball guns, they became dingey and black from cleaning fouling mixed with waxy lube. I tried all sorts of cleaners and even carb and brake cleaner...nothing ever got them clean or atleast back to white. Then i used LA Totally Awesome and it cleaned them good as new back to their original white color. I was so impressed that i scrubbed the insides of my "clean" barrels and was shocked by the fouling i got out. I also recommend it when it comes to cleaning Pyrodex fouling. Lots of people have shot with pyrodex, then cleaned their guns well only to find surface rust the next day. (most folks in dry climates dont seem to have this issue but those in humid regions usually do). Pyrodex fouling is sticky and can really stick in the pores of the metal especially when mixed with waxy lubes. A good brush and LA Totally Awesome will solve that problem really well. Its only a dollar...its worth the risk of trying it out...and if you dont like it you can use it to clean stuff around the house. Label says its a cleaner and degreaser .

 

[BillinOregon]

"Mineral oil" itself is quite a sticky wicket.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_oil

 

[Davey Boy]

After cleaning my pistol I used Ballistol.

Now I see how really good it is and glad I bought it.

 

[Sam squanch]

Too expensive anymore

 

[wb78963]

Ballistol has petroleum in it.

It is not water nor natural based.

Petroleum + burnt black powder = sludge

Yes Ballistol does contain a petroleum product (mineral oil) but it has a different organic arrangement that is quite comparable with BP fouling. A 1:10 mix with distilled water is an excellent cleaner and when the water evaporates leaves a nice film of oil protectant.
I have had guns so cleaned stored for a year and they stayed perfectly fine.
The proof is in the pudding.
And yes Johnny, regular petroleum based gun oils and greases do not play well with BP, you are correct.
Ballistol and paraffin wax are a different breed of cat.
My lube is 50:50 beef tallow or lard and Gulf canning wax and it works just fine and I burn up a lot of it.
Respectfully
Bunk

 

[J2shortt]

https://dayattherange.com/?page_id=3667
Here is a link that THOROUGHLY tests water displacement, smell, lubrication, corrosion inhibitory, and material compatibility, properties of 46 different products. Ballistol being one of them.
It's one of the most comprehensive tests I've ever seen.