Historic grease and lube

[JakobinWisconsin]

What greases and lubes were used in the past? I heard of lard, tallow, and beeswax all being used alone and mixed together and the thought of being able to use a grease that costs .99 cents per pound and is available in every grocery store sounds appealing.
Please share any primary sources and personal experiences of period lubricants.

 

[Flintlock]

Whale and bear of coarse were used.

 

[Phil Coffins]

the thought of being able to use a grease that costs .99 cents per pound
To use on your hundreds of dollars shooting iron? Does this sound like false economics?

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

Tallow was common and used for patch lube and treating moccasin leather, as a sauve for wounds, and water repellent for cows knees etc. I've made mixtures using lard and beeswax.

 

[FishDFly]

the thought of being able to use a grease that costs .99 cents per pound
To use on your hundreds of dollars shooting iron? Does this sound like false economics?

On the chart where the best rust preventatives were rated, I did not see any .99 cent products listed.

 

[The Appalachian]

On the chart where the best rust preventatives were rated, I did not see any .99 cent products listed.

His request was for period lubricants. Strange isn't it, that the original old timers owned and depended on one rifle that they adequately cared for with lubricants they probably made themselves over a smokey campfire and not in a 21st century laboratory.

 

[tenngun]

Histoicly the same traditionalist use today, except whale and sperm oil that’s in short supply today
Bear, grease and bear oil, deer and beef tallow, bees wax was expensive then, sheep tallow, lard, raccoon grease, sweet oil- olive oil

 

[RjSixgun]

Sweet Oil and Beeswax

 

[Grenadier1758]

What greases and lubes were used in the past? I heard of lard, tallow, and beeswax all being used alone and mixed together and the thought of being able to use a grease that costs .99 cents per pound and is available in every grocery store sounds appealing.
Please share any primary sources and personal experiences of period lubricants.

In the past, bear's grease was really favored according to Ned Roberts in "Muzzle Loading then and Now". Most of us don't have ready access to bear's grease, so we should make use of a good lubricant such as unsalted lard or a mix of oil and wax.

 

[FishDFly]

His request was for period lubricants. Strange isn't it, that the original old timers owned and depended on one rifle that they adequately cared for with lubricants they probably made themselves over a smokey campfire and not in a 21st century laboratory.

Is that why a lot of the barrels were ruined?

 

[Grenadier1758]

Yup, @FishDFly, those period lubricants "seasoned" the bore to the point that the barrels were no longer accurate. Talk about planned obsolescence.

 

[Okie Hog]

Is that why a lot of the barrels were ruined?

i've owned and/or examined hundreds of original muzzleloaders. 75 percent had roached bores.

 

[tenngun]

Is that why a lot of the barrels were ruined?

I do not think modern lubes and oils are better at stopping rust then past oils and greases
Old guns were made out of iron, so wore quicker. The guns could well be put up dirty, and all oils will evaporate off.
Without occasionally checking the bore airborn dust would find its way in even on the best oils making a wick effect.

 

[Hesp]

If lard is used, make sure it is absolutely unsalted!!!

 

[Gee Dog]

Colt's instructions for care, loading and cleaning of 1851's called for a "quality oil". In the mid Nineteenth Century sperm whale was as quality as it got. Jojoba oil is its closest cousin.