Best lubrication to use

[mk434]

What brand of lubricating oil is the best one for muzzleloaders. I use Hoppes lubricating oil for all of my guns and was wondering if I should be using a different/better type for my muzzleloader. Thanks

 

[Wart]

I prefer "Kano - Sili Kroil" from Kano laboratories - you can order direct (615)833-4101 :imo:

 

Youll think its odd, I use olive oil. Works on my lodge cast iron skillets, works in my Sharps rifle, and in my bullet lube recipies and in the comercial lubes I buy. and its doing a wonderful job on my muzzle loaders, not a speck of rust. The bullet lubes and greases are not petroleum based, so I decided to go "organic" with all BP firearms lubrication. And, while youre still lauging.... a good green bertoli extra virgin olive oil is better than regular olive oils. Wife unit doesent complain about the smell of hoppes ( or break free in the house, but does cringe at the cleaning of blackpowder sulfer stinking guns.

 

[Zonie]

"...a good green Bertoli Extra Virgin Olive Oil is better" mixed with a fine, aged, Balsamic Vinegar and tossed lightly with..." Oh He11. I thought we were on Cookies Cooking Forum. ::

IMO, Apache has the right idea, at least on areas of the gun which will be subjected to black powder fouling.

Petroleum oils seem to turn black powder residue into a hard carbon deposit that neither lubricates or is easily removed.

That's why IMO, things like nipple threads should be lubed with olive oil or one of the "Bore Butter" types of patch lube.

Olive oil, by the way is one of the few vegatable oils that won't turn rancid.

For lubing high pressure areas such as the tumbler axel or the nose of the mainspring where it contacts the tumbler, I use regular (petroleum) gun oils or grease.
These areas are relatively safe from the blackpowder residues.

 

[JackAubrey]

I have used CLP on the locks but prefer to use sweet oil(olive oil) on the barrels.I am inclined to lean toward the organic aswell, esspecially when there is historical documentation to show the authenticity of the leaning.The British army used sweet oil on their muskets and rifled muskets as a preservative and lock lube,that is where I got the idea.Although they did not use it as a patch lube,I do.No one laughing here!Jack.

 

[roundball]

What brand of lubricating oil is the best one for muzzleloaders.

Kind of like the Chevy or Ford thing...I'm sure there are a number of excellent ones...I've used MilSpec medium weapons oil (from gun shows) for years and years...it's an oil with lithium grease dissolved/suspended in it...outstanding stuff.

In addition, I've been experimenting with liquid Rem-Oil in the lock internals of my Flinters for a few years and it works well.

IMO, the main couple of things to watch out for is not to rely on WD-40 as a lube by itself, and don't use a lube that could stiffen up and become sluggish when cold.

 

[big bore 75]

I have used all types of oil petolium based and natural, as of last few years been leaning toward olive oil it's fairily cheap and i use it for almost everything except the internals of the lock,seems to work well as a patchlube too, and been thinking of mixing it with a little beeswax for my miniball lube as well. bb75

 

[mk434]

Thanks for all of the replies. I think that I will use olive oil as a lube for my muzzleloaders as it seems to work well for many people.
BTW. What do you guys use for greasing your round balls. I tend to just roll it in butter and it seems to work well for me. Anyone else use any type of grease that works better?

 

[rmonday2]

Has anyone tried the dry graphite on the internal parts of a lock, and wouldn't the REM oil leave a coating on the inside to prevent rust? :hmm: Ronnie...

 

[roundball]

Has anyone tried the dry graphite on the internal parts of a lock, and wouldn't the REM oil leave a coating on the inside to prevent rust? :hmm: Ronnie...

Just to be sure my previous post is clear...I only use Mil-Spec oil and/or Rem-Oil on lock internals and wiping down the outside of the rifle...NEVER in the bores.

The ONLY lube that ever touches the walls on my bores, and is in my wads & patches, is Natural Lube 1000 bore butter.

 

[SCATTERSHOT]

BTW. What do you guys use for greasing your round balls. I tend to just roll it in butter and it seems to work well for me. Anyone else use any type of grease that works better? [/quote]


I use the natural products like T/C Bore Butter or 1000+. A lot of guys use Crisco. Even though it's natural, I would think that the salts added to butter in the manufacturing process would be harmful. Just don't use anything with a petroleum base. As stated above, it just hardens into a carbon cake that is difficult to remove.

 

[Rebel]

"BTW. What do you guys use for greasing your round balls. I tend to just roll it in butter and it seems to work well for me. Anyone else use any type of grease that works better?"

You mean to lube the patches you use around the ball, and not the ball itself, right? You don't need to lube the bare ball.

 

[davy]

"BTW. What do you guys use for greasing your round balls. I tend to just roll it in butter and it seems to work well for me. Anyone else use any type of grease that works better?"

You mean to lube the patches you use around the ball, and not the ball itself, right? You don't need to lube the bare ball.

Nothin worse than lubin yor bare balls!

Sorry .. someone had ta say it! :crackup:

 

[Charles/NM]

For lubricating internal gun parts that wiggle, slide or rotate in my muzzle loader, cartridge guns and air guns I use Sta-Lube Engine Assembly Anti-Seize Extreme Pressure Grease with moly and colloidial graphite. Good stuff and comes in a convenient tube that will last a lifetime as a gun lube. Parts don't rust and stay nice and slick. Not very traditional but neither is driving an air conditioned auto to the shooting range or rondevous

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Black powder interacts with all petrolium based oils/greases and makes sludge/fouling.

Clean with hot soaping water and lube everything with a all natural food based lube.

WonderLube 1000 Plus is all Ive ever used.

Ive done 100s of shots, each one goes down the barrel, as easy as the last.

 

[Clifford]

I've found you don't want to use petrolium based oil with muzzle loaders. I'm using vegetable oil and it seems to be doing very well. There are some commercial lubes out there that you can try, too.

 

[Swampman]

a mixture of 1/3 each olive oil/beeswax/lard. In the winter I use more olive oil. Straight olive oil, bears oil, whale oil, or any non-petroleum based oil works pretty good.

 

[Regulis7]

I use petro based oils in the following order.

After cleaning I spray everything out with WD40, allow to drain and cool then swab the bore dry.

Preservative oil is Rem Oil because its light weight and only takes a dry patch or two to remove. Prior to loading or shooting I use an alcohol swab/flush to remove the oils from the snail, chamber and bore. As soon as the alcohol dries I run a patch coated with *insert favorite natural lube here* down the bore and head out to shoot or hunt.

Regulis7

 

[shmrck1]

mk434,
And if i have any butter left over i roll my
popcorn in it or lobster if i am in the chips. :crackup:
Seriously i do not lube my balls, just the patch.
Somehow that don't sound right, but you know what i mean.
snake-eyes :hmm:

 

[Swampman]

The teflon in modern lubricants is not a good thing.