Lanolin for patch lube

[Gene L]

I'm wondering if this would work. I use it for sizing brass cartridges and it's very slick. Specifically, I use Wire Aid, which is used by electricians to lube wire so it can be pulled through conduit. It's lanolin and water, I think.

Looking at it as a possibility as I have a lot of the stuff and it's slick.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Lanolin or wool wax has many uses...from drilling lubricant on oil rigs to automotive undercoating to rust prevention on ICBM missiles...It's even sold as patch lube....Give it a whirl...
I like beeswax and olive oil for consistency..

 

[Gene L]

It dries like wax (Wire-Aid) and is easy to wipe off cases with a rag.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Sometimes bullet lubricants can be too slick, preventing the ball and patch or minnie ball from properly engaging the rifling. There is really little to say that your lanolin lube won't work and most likely will be just fine.

Try it and report back.

 

[nkbj]

One characteristic that can work against accuracy is it's tackiness. For a high powered load in a "larger" bore rifle the tackiness is insignificant. In a relatively smaller bore at lower power then the shedding of the path can be less consistent. Does that makes sense? I don't have any high speed photography videos uploaded on youtube to back up my opinion but what I've seen using lanolin-olive oil-beeswax bullet lube on cloth patches has made me think might sometimes disengage unevenly.

 

[Vaino]

Seeing everything from spit to numerous lubes has been used to lube patches, you might in a way "re-invent the wheel" w/ lanolin based lubes. Seeing sheep were "out west" and were present in many other areas of the US early on, possibly lanolin was used for lubing.

Personally I like lamb chops but abhor mutton.....and if lanolin smells like mutton, I don't want to have as a "companion" a muttony smelling substance when hunting.

Lamolin is secreted from the sebaceous glands of sheep and usually glandular secretions "smell".

But...who knows that it might work if you "hold your nose".......Fred

 

[BrownBear]

As usual, I'd sure try it and let your gun(s) decide. Each gun has its own preferences, so who knows til you try.

I only know one person using it, and he's "half" sold. By that I mean it's his smoothbore's favorite lube for patched balls, but his rifles have other preferences.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Here's a video...
https://youtu.be/d2pEIsyWD-Y

 

[tenngun]

I hope it doesn't turn out bbbbaaaadddd. Had to say it.

 

[Zonie]

Come on now !!

No sheep comments from the peanut gallery.

:grin: :wink:

 

[tenngun]

:haha:

 

[Vaino]

In spite of lanolin's possibly bad smell. it's probably better than possible "germ" infested spit......can you imagine an epidemic caused from spit lubed PRBs?.....Fred

 

[mooman76]

If it's processed, it should have any smell at all or at least a bad smell. Maybe mixed with something like a little olive oil or something else so it doesn't dry out.

 

[Zonie]

Well, if the smell of burning lanolin turns folks off, maybe they should try adding a little curry powder to it.

Brazed lamb chops sprinkled with curry. YUM.

 

[azmntman]

Cant stand Curry.....reminds me of a two for $12.00 :surrender:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Try rosemary. Yummm.

 

[tenngun]

I grew up around them sheeps :wink: and I kinda like the smell

 

[coloradoclyde]

Beeswax and olive oil won't turn your nose. :grin:

 

[Col. Batguano]

I grew up around them sheeps :wink: and I kinda like the smell

Oh boy, here we go now. :rotf:

 

[Stumpkiller]

I grew up around them sheeps :wink: and I kinda like the smell

We're down to nine Shetlands right now (seven ewes, a ram and a wether). There certainly are worse smelling farm animals.

Lanolin is pretty much odorless if it is properly prepared. You may be thinking of mutton tallow. THAT is another matter. One is the oils of the skin, the other is rendered fat. Though I have a quart jar of mutton tallow I have been using for wad lube (equal parts tallow, beeswax and olive oil) and that hasn't gone rancid at cellar temperatures in a quarter century.

I just lightly roll the edges of the wads stuck on a pin in a heated mixture and let them dry. A little lube goes a long way at the rate I shoot shot loads.

Lanolin I used to use on our sailboat rigging to keep the turnbuckles and fasteners from galling to corrosion. Haven't tried it as a lube.