Rifle lubes

[RAEDWALD]

Diz. If you want to use tallow pop into a Halal butchers and ask them for some mutton fat offcuts. They are the largest market for proper mutton as ordinary butchers sell lamb.

Mutton is better than lamb if cooked slowly in my opinion so buy some mutton too and cook that, but I digress.

Cut up the fat into thumb sized pieces cutting away any meat or other non fat bits and cover them in water and bring to the boil. Simmer very gently for an hour or two (slow cookers are ideal and leave it overnight.) The tallow fat will float to the surface and set as a cap when it cools. Cut away the ring of tallow. Let it dry then reheat just to melting point and pour into a jar. Job done. Mix 50/50 with beeswax and vary with the season. More wax in summer and more tallow in winter. Been doing the job for rifles since the 16th century. There are far more complex brews for BP cartridges but plain beeswax/tallow has done the job for champion Bill Curtis since the 1960's so if he says it is good then you need not use anything else.

This real mutton tallow will keep for years in a closed jar. I have some from 5 years ago in good order.

 

[Billnpatti]

I have rendered different fats to get the grease to use for various purposes. I never use the first rendering because it invariably is never as pure as you can get it. Once I have rendered the fat and gotten the grease. I remove it and put it in a pan of boiling water and let it boil for a few minutes. I then cool the water/grease mixture and let the grease rise to the surface and harden. Sometimes I have to put the mixture in the refrigerator depending on the ambient temperature. I repeat this "purification" process a couple of times until the resultant grease is nice and white. Then I know it has had all of the impurities and natural salts removed and is ready for whatever purpose I may have for it. I know others may think it is overkill and, I'll be the first to say that it is not the only way to do it, but it works for me, I like it and it is how I do it. Try it, you may like it.

 

[cynthialee]

That is how I clean animal fat for cooking and soap making. You get a really good pure product that way.

 

[azmntman]

My mom made soap that way too :v

 

[Black Hand]

I do my Deer tallow and Bear grease that way too. Clean and has very little/no odor.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I'll be the first to say that it is not the only way to do it, but it works for me, I like it and it is how I do it. Try it, you may like it.

No reason to modify procedures if you get results as desired, and you are happy with the effort needed to get those results. :wink:

LD

 

[seaguy]

Diz I was checkin out prices on mink oil and found that the majority are waxy substances in 3oz. Tins. I finally tracked down the ingredients of Sof Sole's Mink Oil thus: "Turn to Sof Sole mink oil. Specially formulated with silicone, lanolin and vitamin E to replenish lost oils." As you can see it don't even mention mink oil. Like always- buyer beware. Not sure what silicone would do to a ML barrel but that is what makes the product a water proofing past. Maybe track o' da woof has the real stuff. Let me know if you go that way. Just curious. 👍

 

[Electric Miner]

This link is to a pdf of the MSDS of sofsole mink oil...

sof sole mink oil msds pdf

The largest ingredient appears to be bleached tallow, followed by mink oil, a couple varieties of glycerol, and then fragrance.

 

[nhmoose]

Diz I was checkin out prices on mink oil and found that the majority are waxy substances in 3oz. Tins. I finally tracked down the ingredients of Sof Sole's Mink Oil thus: "Turn to Sof Sole mink oil. Specially formulated with silicone, lanolin and vitamin E to replenish lost oils." As you can see it don't even mention mink oil. Like always- buyer beware. Not sure what silicone would do to a ML barrel but that is what makes the product a water proofing past. Maybe track o' da woof has the real stuff. Let me know if you go that way. Just curious. 👍

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/132/1/MINK-OIL Nope no silicone there.

I am still using Foggy Mountains Bear grease for boots. Bear grease and Bee's wax. They sold it everywhere in the NE I bought 10 or more on sale at a Rite Aid Pharmacy 15 years ago. Have enough for another 15-20 years for patch use.

I use the empty cans for my anti terrorist lube of 50/50 bee's wax and Morrell Snow Cap Lard.

 

[seaguy]

That msds has to be accurate by law. Since what I found was a sellers description the falsehoods should be expected. Nothing's changed about ad accuracy in the last 200 years..maybe even worse nowadays. From what I been seeing the "science" of patch lube is a mighty broad subject.

 

[Heelerau]

I use 1 part by volume unsalted lard to 5 parts beeswax for my minies', never had to store lube in the fridge and I live in a hot country. I would not be inclined to use paraffin wax, tried it once and did not work for me, but that was a straight sub for beeswax in the above mix. I use 11parts by volume beeswax and paraffin oil for my Enfield paper cartridges, both recipes courtesy of Hans Busk, Handbook for Hythe. and were standard British army lubes of the time.

 

[Heelerau]

Buckeye, TOW has the genuine Mink Oil, I use it for greasing patches when I go a hunting and it works fine. It is a ver fine animal fat that smells a little sour over time.

 

[Heelerau]

Raedwald, you are dead right, nothing better than a good leg of mutton slow cooked in the woodstove, we can actually get legs of mutton at the local supermarket, you have to be quick before the retired farmers get it all !! Even after all these years still have trouble buying meat as we always home killed on the station.

 

[M. De Land]

I just harvested a large boar black bear last week and am in the process of rendering about 25 lbs of pure white fat off his back and butt.
I have read in Ned Roberts book that bear oil makes very fine gun lube and was preferred above petroleum products of the day.
I'm going to use it for patch lube as well.

 

[Black Hand]

Bear grease & bear oil are excellent. You may find that several rounds of purification will considerably reduce any lingering odor in the rendered fat.

 

[hanshi]

TotW is where I get my mink oil. It's good stuff.