Lanolin as a patch and bullet lube

[Billnpatti]

I know everything on earth has been tried at one time or another for patch lube or bullet lube but I have not read of anyone having tried lanolin. I was in a vitamin shop a few days ago and saw some of it on the shelf and it struck me that it might make a decent patch lube or if I mixed it with bees wax, it might make a decent bullet lube. Has anyone tried this stuff as a lube?

 

[necchi]

Dixie Gun Works sells or sold "Old Zip" which is lanolin based.

I got a tin of it years back in a trade deal, never did try it for patch lube as I'd already found Dutch.
I currently use it on my revolver arbors without any trouble.

 

[nkbj]

Picked up a bucket of lanolin at a chemical supply house. Use it in bullet and patch lubes. Good stuff.

 

[Kapow]

It is amazing stuff. Did you get the grease or watery version. I use the grease on all my through hull fittings on my boat to stop corrosion. I use the spray can version on my fishing tackle/reels. It is natural (from sheeps wool) so it doesn't rot fishing line like wd40 can. I have been having rust problems in the tropics - just had to re blue my GPR - so may start using the grease for storage and for between wood/metal. Can be a bit expensive though.

 

[AZbpBurner]

So, where is everyone finding enough lanolin cheap enough to go blow it on patch lube??

I use a mix of lanolin and alcohol in the shop as a sizing lube.

When I ran out, I discovered that I can have more lanolin shipped from New Zealand, but the cost ranks it up there with gold and precious metals. The pharmacy I had gotten my last supply from about 15 years ago no longer has either a clue about what lanolin is, or where to get anything less than a 1/2 gallon of some ultra-pure reagent-grade stuff for a hunnert bucks. I'd rather have the solid, instead of some unknown runny stuff, anyway.

Other lanolin 'blends' I've seen on retail shelves has so much other junk added to it, that it's not usable for anything past a hand cream.

 

[roundball]

I ended up with 3 bottles of pure lanolin a couple years ago that I have no use for...planning on trying it at the range this year as a patch lube for plinking sessions
http://www.amazon.com/Now-Foods-Liquid-Lanolin-Ounce/dp/B00028MLKC

 

[Richard Brinkman]

There is a guy over on castboolits.gunloads.com that sells lanolin and a bunch of other lube related products. I have lost his contact info but he goes by randyrat and has great prices and does a quick turnaround on the order and does not gouge on the shipping either. A great guy to deal with.

RB

 

[BillinOregon]

Necchi, I thought Old Zip was sheep tallow, not lanolin. Think I have a tin somewheres ...
The fellers that shoot BP cartridge guns with grease-groove bullets often use anhydrous lanolin in lube recipes.

 

[Silex]

I use lanolin in my BP shotgun shells - actually it is a mix of lanolin and sunflower oil.

Google nipple cream / breastfeeding :wink:
and don't get caught in the wrong isle at Wallyworld

Good luck,

Silex

 

[necchi]

Necchi, I thought Old Zip was sheep tallow, not lanolin.

Oop's, and right you are. :redface:
Thank You for the correction.

I see Dixie has it for sale again. http://www.dixiegunworks.com/produ...cts_id=3689&osCsid=ocffcb1opu50i6v0gr6r358nt2

 

[nkbj]

So, where is everyone finding enough lanolin cheap enough to go blow it on patch lube??

I use a mix of lanolin and alcohol in the shop as a sizing lube.

When I ran out, I discovered that I can have more lanolin shipped from New Zealand, but the cost ranks it up there with gold and precious metals. The pharmacy I had gotten my last supply from about 15 years ago no longer has either a clue about what lanolin is, or where to get anything less than a 1/2 gallon of some ultra-pure reagent-grade stuff for a hunnert bucks. I'd rather have the solid, instead of some unknown runny stuff, anyway.

Other lanolin 'blends' I've seen on retail shelves has so much other junk added to it, that it's not usable for anything past a hand cream.

Try chemical supply houses and soap making suppliers.

 

[coloradoclyde]

It’s the chief ingredient in FLUID-FILM best anti-corrosion protection I have found for a gun that comes in a spray can. http://www.fluid-film.com/company.html

 

[okawbow]

You can get anhydrous lanolin on *bay for about $14.00 a pound. Cheaper than bore butter. I use it to coat sailboat rigging that will be covered. It should be great for both bore lube and should provide good corrosion protection in the bore, as it contains no water. Should be good for the wood, and makes your skin nice and soft!

 

[Joel/Calgary]

So, where is everyone finding enough lanolin cheap enough to go blow it on patch lube??

See if you can find a "compounding pharmacy" where they make up custom combinations. The ones here tend to cater to veterinarians and/or oriental and other "alternative" medical traditions in addition to conventional western medicine. It's a niche that a few of the smaller/older pharmacies here have gone to to survive in a world of big chain drug stores and pharmacy departments.

Regards,
Joel

 

[roundball]

So after all this, what's the bottom line I should expect burning up my 3 bottles of pure lanolin at the range this year?

I won't be using Lanolin for hunting so am only interested in it for range use...for example, just plinking steel targets, coke cans, little blocks of wood with liquid Hoppes PLUS, I can shoot the entire range session without wiping between shots.

If Lanolin will let me do that I'll use it, otherwise I'll let it sit on the shelf as I wouldnt want to waste my time swabbing a bore 40-50 times just for that kind of fun / plinking kind of shooting

 

[azmntman]

:wink: Hoppes # 9 :thumbsup:

 

[mooman76]

Shoot it and let us know how it works. I have heard Lee case lube is mostly lanolin but I couldn't find a MSDS to confirm that.

 

[roundball]

LOL...I know I can do THAT...was assuming from all the posts somebody would already know the answer

 

[roundball]

( ssssshhhhh...often when someone talks about the excellent qualities of Hoppes No.9 PLUS, there are always a couple of curmudgeons who have never used it, who accuse the posters of "bragging"...LOL)

 

[necchi]

I think the stuff is alright, now that we determined that the "non-water" water component is actually water.
It does help others to understand what an MSDS is when the one explaining an MSDS sheet knows what an MSDS is.