Mink Oil question

[hanshi]

Sir, you are wrong, do women eat mink meat before wearing the coat?

A requirement in some states. :idunno:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Does anyone use mink's oil as a summertime lube as well? I hear much of it's use in winter as I hear it doesn't freeze so readily.

mixing it with some beeswax will raise the melting point and make it suitable for hot weather.

 

[coloradoclyde]

As a newer black powder rifle shooter, I sometimes am a bit wary of these complicated recipes. Are they really and better than mink's oil or tallow/olive oil etc.? Do I really need witch hazel and hydrogen peroxide and all these strange things?

A person can use whatever they like for lube.....The things to remember are, different people have different applications and preferences....Additional ingredients should serve a purpose...
I haven't tried every concoction known to man but I have tried a lot of them...
Most of the ones that people on this forum report to use are very good...
Most are extremely easy, cheap, and simple to make. It's also fun to make your own lube....
Give it a try and see how you like it...

 

[meanmike8665]

Can SMS be used as a cleaner between shots?

Michael

 

[coloradoclyde]

I don't think it would be that efficient....sure it contains soap, but it not soluble enough to hang onto the fouling......alcohol, M.A.P., windex, spit, etc....all have high solubility.

 

[meanmike8665]

CC, I have a very good " moose milk" I have used for years, I was wondering why people think SMS is so good. Now I think I know, they don't clean between shots. That is ok, if that works for them. Not me.

Michael

 

[Okie Hog]

Mixed the stuff up several times as per directions. It did not work well. Lots better stuff out there.

 

[coloradoclyde]

CC, I have a very good " moose milk" I have used for years, I was wondering why people think SMS is so good. Now I think I know, they don't clean between shots. That is ok, if that works for them. Not me.

Michael

OH!...I think I see what you are getting at...
Yes moose snot keeps the fouling very soft, I could easily see guys using it keep shooting without cleaning...Works great on conical and wads....
I too wipe between shots, which is why I don't use it....But it is a good lube...

 

[Black Hand]

Do I really need witch hazel and hydrogen peroxide and all these strange things?

No, they aren't necessary, but some people seem to think they are...

 

[Black Hand]

It's hard to make the oil "behave" and stay in whatever container you use. Hard to imagine guys back in the day coming up with something that stoppered well enough to keep the oil from leaking out. I sure have trouble doing it with modern containers!

I carry a small bottle stoppered with a cork in my gun bag - Never had any problems with leakage...

 

[meanmike8665]

Thanks for the info.

Michael

 

[SgtErv]

Smokey,

I use Mink oil Tallow year round. The key is to use it as sparingly as you can get away with. I even wipe the patch on my pants leg before loading it. The fibers of the patch are still coated, sort of impregnated, so that when you compress it while loading it usually squeezes some out.

It's a little more slick in summer time but not to the point of inconvenience.

 

[BrownBear]

It's hard to make the oil "behave" and stay in whatever container you use. Hard to imagine guys back in the day coming up with something that stoppered well enough to keep the oil from leaking out. I sure have trouble doing it with modern containers!

I carry a small bottle stoppered with a cork in my gun bag - Never had any problems with leakage...

Makes me wonder if there's a difference with oil from our brown bears. That stuff just hates to stay bottled up.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Very neat, sounds like good stuff.

Seems like a good thing to put in a "grease hole" in a rifle's stock. I read some old mountain rifles had a hole bored in the stock and they would put the grease in that, wipe their patch, and load.

 

[Billnpatti]

:hmm: Is the pale colored mink oil, sold in tins, for boots and shoes, by Kiwi, what y'all are talking about for lubes? If not, would this stuff work? Inquiring minds want to know. Keep yer powder dry.........robin :idunno:

I wouldn't use it in my rifle because it is not pure mink oil, it contains petroleum grease as well as mink oil. http://www.kiwishoeshine.com/KIWI-Outdoor-Mink-Oil-2-58-oz_p_448.html

The stuff that you want is pure mink oil. I think Track of The Wolf sells the good stuff. Dixie Gun Works might also sell it. https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/132/1/MINK-OIL

 

[jbwilliams3]

Very neat, sounds like good stuff.

Seems like a good thing to put in a "grease hole" in a rifle's stock. I read some old mountain rifles had a hole bored in the stock and they would put the grease in that, wipe their patch, and load.

Yes, those grease holes work great, if you’ve got a stiff lube like bear grease. I base that caveat on second-hand evidence as I don’t have a mt. rifle”¦ If I did and I were using mink oil, I’d probably cut it with a bit of beesewax. Reason being -I have a repro 18th century snuff box I keep filled with mink oil. In the summer, if it’s in my shooting pouch, it does move around a bit and a little bit seeps through the non-air-tight seams. Not a huge deal, but it could get a little annoying in a grease hole. Some others have indicated that Track’s mink oil doesn’t run, but it has when I’ve used it. I mainly use spit for shooting, but mink oil is wonderful for hunting. My friend has a lifetime supply of bear grease from a bear he shot. He’s never offered me any”¦ Ha!

As an aside, I know some folks keep lube in their patch boxes, some even have a hole drilled into the patch box cavity for this purpose. I believe there are antique rifles out there that have the same, but I’m drawing a blank as to where I’ve seen/read that.

 

[Twisted_1in66]

Not as a cleaner. I use MAP for that.

SMS will soften and push the fouling from the previous shot down on top of the powder though and it's shot out with the next shot. That's why it doesn't build up. But it's not really meant to be a cleaner and I really wouldn't want to push softened fouling down against the breech.

Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
Dan

 

[Twisted_1in66]

And all the multiple number of times I've made it, it turned out fine and has worked great - Nothing Better Out There...for me.

Different strokes for different folks. Sorry you couldn't make it work, but there's plenty of other choices for you.

Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
Dan

 

[Twisted_1in66]

Yes, I'm not really a fan of grease holes myself, but actually it would work fine for that. You'll see those grease holes in a lot of the 1800's mountain rifles (Tennessee, Carolinas, VA, etc.)

Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
Dan

 

[robinsroost]

:hmm: Thanks to everyone for their thoughtful replies. I see from the description that Kiwi contains petroleum products, or byproducts. I don't know what that means but it doesn't sound like something I would want to try. Keep yer powder dry.......robin