Break Free CLP

[SOLANCO]

The son of a friend is a SEAL. Years back he gave us each a quart of Break Free and said his team uses it extensively. I have used it on my unmentionables for everything except spots which make me want more lube, such as an auto pistol slide. First quart is long gone.

I have not used it on any of my BP/ML arms. Does anyone have experience with Break Free in muzzle loaders? With black powder? Is it kind to old gun finishes?

 

[Ponderosaman]

The son of a friend is a SEAL. Years back he gave us each a quart of Break Free and said his team uses it extensively. I have used it on my unmentionables for everything except spots which make me want more lube, such as an auto pistol slide. First quart is long gone.

I have not used it on any of my BP/ML arms. Does anyone have experience with Break Free in muzzle loaders? With black powder? Is it kind to old gun finishes?

I love the stuff, but wouldn't use it on my muzzleloaders, especially not to clean, since soap and water works so good. After I spritzed my shotgun with Remoil, the oil pooled in the breech and I believe it caused a misfire by clogging the nipple up. Last time I cleaned my gun, I just used a patch with a little oil on it. To contact the recesses of the breech, I put a wadded up patch under the oil patch to make a cushion to allow the oil to contact the recesses in the breach, then a little oil on a q-tip for the flash channel.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have used on locks. Good lube, I like it.

 

[SOLANCO]

I wipe my unmentionables with a light coat after using/cleaning. Once it dries you can handle them without leaving prints/marks.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

If it rotates oil it, if it slides grease it. Thats what we told our soldiers. Never liked CLP. LSA and Lubraplate did a better job, its made for machinegun heat.

It it a petroleum based product. Oil and black powder make sludge.
Id not want to gum up the works. Like said above for the inside of a lock Id use it. I only use water based lubes on black powder fired firearms.

 

[hanshi]

Until my supply was gone I often used BreakFree CLP in bores as a rust preventative and it seemed to work as well as Barricade, my default preservative.

 

[APG]

I've used BreakFree CLP since I used it in the US Army in the 1980's. Use it on my black powder guns after I clean them with water and Dawn. Eve. in the bore to prevent rust. I do wipe the bore down before shooting.

 

[Cpt Flint]

As a supply sergeant in an Armor unit I used to order it in gallons. It would come in on pallets As a small arms technician I found it about worthless. LSA was the hands down favorite as well as JPO (just plain oil).

 

[#BPBReloadingFFL]

Works great!

 

[B P Arn]

I have used it since the early 80s, and never had any kind of trouble with it, even in extremely cold weather.

I have never used it on BP firearms. I have often wondered if it would be comparable with BP fouling. So far, I have only used Ballistol, but I suspect break free would be a better rust preventive.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I started using BreakFree on my modern firearms. Then I started using it on my Blackpowder firearms. It keeps my locks functioning smoothly, and I swab my barrels as the thing after cleaning. Wonderful product…

 

[Flintandsteel]

Breakfree CLP is different that the Breakfree CLP Mil Spec.
Both are VERY good products. The Mil Spec is a better rust preventative.
I live in a very dry climate, but was still getting a little rust using WD40, so I switched to CLP, and never looked back.

 

[user 34300]

Oil is good, use some. It does not matter much which one you choose.

Unless, you are using animal fat or veg oils. Those are not good long term lubes or preservatives. The only exception I can think of right now is lanolin.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

LSA was the hands down favorite

When I retired in the 90s I took gallons of LSA and Luberaplate with me.
CLP can not hold a candle to LSA lube properties.

Once again, none of this can be used in black powder fireworks. Oil and burnt holy black equals sludge. No one wants sludge.

 

[B P Arn]

Does anyone have actual shooting experience using BreakFree and black powder? BreakFree is synthetic, so does it turn into tar, like oil does?

 

[user 34300]

I have not used break free as a patch lube. Try it and see. I doubt it will turn into "TAR".

The notion that petroleum and ML's do not mix is myth. I am not sure where the tar idea came from. I have never seen it. I normally use petroleum products to protect the the barrel. Maybe someone was using automotive grease as a patch lube????

Petroleum is not taboo for ML firearms. Ballistol is a favorite and it is mostly mineral oil, (petroleum). I have used drug store mineral oil on patches with no ill effects.

For range shooting the consensus is for a wet patch with something that contains mostly water. For hunting Mink oil is popular. I have been experimenting with tallow, lanolin and joboba mixes with no particularly notable results, only that ramming tight loads is much easier. I have used petroleum oils, like ATF, with nothing remarkable happening. I doubt you can seriously mess up patch lube no matter your choice.

As far as preservative oil or grease, petroleum is an excellent choice. It will not poison your barrel. Leaving a bunch of oil in the breech will make your first shot of the day a problem. If you do that it may mix with fouling to make gunk. Maybe gunk is the same as tar? I bet sperm oil or olive oil would do exactly the same thing.