petrolium products

[john4645]

Looking at a lot of the posts on lubing and cleaning I see a lot of shooters using rem oil, wd40, motor oil and other petrolium based products. I thought I was told and read somewhere that you were not supposed to use that stuff with black powder?

 

[Keppy]

You can use anything for lube that you would like. It's when you start to shoot that you want to clean it out. I have a friend thats all he like is marvel oil. I like the natural stuff for everything. I do use WD40 for wiping after cleaning with water. I use olive oil, crisco and bee's wax for a patch lube. Olive oil to store it.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I wipe with an alcohol damp patch and then a dry patch before a beeswax based grease lubed patch prior to shooting. Removes most of the oils.

 

Some petrolium products work OK, such as automatic transmission fluid. Motor oil is reputed to leave a tar like residue. STP is reputed to work OK. I don't think anyone knows why some work and some don't.

 

[Halftail]

Looking at a lot of the posts on lubing and cleaning I see a lot of shooters using rem oil, wd40, motor oil and other petrolium based products. I thought I was told and read somewhere that you were not supposed to use that stuff with black powder?

I believe after reading many posts and talking to many shooters that If you clean your rifle out properly after shooting and before storing(with just about anything mentioned) there should be no problems with fouling.I've used them all over the years and have had no problems.
IMHO

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Petro based chemicals mix and make fowling when burnt with black powder.

I do use LSA, only on my flintlock springs, then are open to the air, and I steel wool them to keep them in the white. A coat keeps them rust free between shootings.

Other than that. I only use food based products in and on the barrel and pan.

 

[Pittsburghunter]

I use to only use Natural lubes myself but learned over the years that you can use quality gun oils if you clean down to bare metal after shooting and it will protect bores fine.

It does require the step of cleaning out the oil before shooting using Alchohol (91% is best) a couple of dry patches and you are good to go.

On the other hand I have rifles that I just used natural lube on for years and they are still in fine shape so I would say use what you like to use if it works.

Like they say if it ain't broken.....

 

[kentucky bucky]

He there!

I use petrolium based oil for protection only. It's wiped out before shooting and a combo of beeswax and various veggie and animal oils is used for a bullet lube. Everybody seems to have their own magic concoction. Petrolium oils turn into hard fowling when blackpowder is burned with it.....at least in my experience. I use to use it in my guns until I switched and saw how soft the fowling was with natural lubes.

 

[jimeckersley]

Looking at a lot of the posts on lubing and cleaning I see a lot of shooters using rem oil, wd40, motor oil and other petrolium based products. I thought I was told and read somewhere that you were not supposed to use that stuff with black powder?

Some so called "natural lubes" can cause a gummy mess and also get really sticky in cold weather. Think about this a minute. What kind of oils are specifically designed to have anti oxidant qualities and handle high heat and pressure?

Automatic transmission fluid is about as close as you can get to whale oil. Great anti oxidant (rust preventative) qualities, doesn't get sticky, etc. Some people, after alcohol patches, will store rifles using the ATF fluid.

Water Soluble Machine Oil is great at high temp and pressures. That mixed about 1 part oil to 7 parts water or rubbing alcohol make a great patch lube. Add a tiny bit of murphy's and it works for cleaning the bore too.

Ballistol, one of the best all time all around lubes for just about anything, is partly mineral oil based but is water soluble. That's good because it will mix with any remaining water left in your bore. The water dries and the Ballistol stays.

There are so many variables in this sport, half the fun is trying something else to see how it works.

 

[longfowler]

after cleaning I also use wd40, or anything similar thats handy(such as marvel mystry oil & pb blaster). but before we shoot, I spray the barrel out with brakleen. It's made to remove petroleum products & grease, so it works great!

 

[jimeckersley]

I hadn't heard of Brakleen, so did a Google on Brakleen MSDS to find out the ingredients:

Section 2: Composition/Information on Ingredient
Toluene
Methanol
Acetone

Use it outside, stay upwind, and don't get it on your skin.

StumpKiller gave you good advice. Just use alcohol and dry patches. Even if something works well, sometimes it just doesn't pay to expose yourself, kids, grand kids and pets to nasty things when you have plenty of choices.

 

[hcook]

I hadn't heard of Brakleen, so did a Google on Brakleen MSDS to find out the ingredients:

Section 2: Composition/Information on Ingredient
Toluene
Methanol
Acetone

Use it outside, stay upwind, and don't get it on your skin.

Looks like it might be a good idea not to get it on stock finishes also.