Ballistol is top notch... not!

[Whughett]

After reading about it being used as a field dressing during the war, I tried it on fingernail I almost ripped off doing something stupid. It healed up fine within a couple of days, didn't lose the nail and nothing turned black & blue. Just sayin'....

Bacteria couldn’t put with the delightful fragrance of the stuff.
I clean and lube my percussion guns at a slop sink in the garage here, the aroma lingers for hours.

 

[Flint n Steel]

Ballistol was created in 1904 as an all-purpose cleaner, disinfectant, paint thinner, enema-assister, coffee creamer, sexual lubricant, salad dressing, chemical deicer, and potential substitute for blood. However, when it was realized through numerous deaths, injuries and accidents that it did none of these things well, it was eventually altered slightly to become the mineral oil based chemical that is known and loved today. Try it as a sexual-lubricant though if you really want to feel that burn at your own risk. But you have been warned.

 

[French Colonial]

This is one of the stuck ball, best cleaner yada yada threads, it just happens to be about Ballistol again and I should refrain however.......

I started using it when first getting into BPCRS shooting at the recommendation of a shooter who was not struggling with first shot fliers after cleaning.

I have used it on Remington and Winchester BPCR rifles, Kelby and Anschutz bench guns, Skeet shotguns and to keep this about Muzzleloaders! I have used it on all of my custom BP rifles (do not have any production guns with patent breeches) and shotguns.

I have NEVER had a problem with it and have a shelf full of other cleaners that I use one or two times and end up going back to Ballistol.

It is not a magic potion, its just an oil that works very well and smells good to boot.

Okay, carry on.

 

[stevenjay1]

Ok, I’m going to take a few minutes to address my experience with chemical cleaners. Yes, they do the job and do it well but I agree with others. Use them sparingly and wear chemical gloves. When I got out of the Navy in ‘71 I got a position as an apprentice machinist and the first thing I learned was how to work with the variety of chemical and solvents the shop used particularly the water soluble oil used for cooling when cutting metal. Your body will absorb these fluids and chemicals through your skin and can/will do irreparable damage to include nerve problems and cancer. I did not pursue a career as a machinist but never forgot what I learned.

 

[RATROD56]

I cant tolerate the smell.

That's the main problem I have with it, that smell is terrible.

 

[brushblind]

Ballistol works really well for CLP except it's hard on my asthma because of the fumes. Hornady made a great cleaner called One Shot for BP but it's discontinued.

 

[French Colonial]

I like the smell.....

Smells like winning matches to me!!!

 

[Whughett]

One example of German engineering at it finest. They didn’t lose the WW2 due to inferior equipment.

 

[doubleset]

One example of German engineering at it finest. They didn’t lose the WW2 due to inferior equipment.

The Ballistol company itself (at least through it's marketing partnership with Sommerhoff GmbH) says that it originated through the efforts of "a lawyer with entrepreneurial talents" in 1874. That phrase should give anyone pause.

 

[Jim K]

I like the smell too. But I’m a taxidermist and deal with all kinds of smells. That’s perfume compared to a deer head thrown in the corner of a garage until the smell reminds them to get it to me!!

 

[Artificer]

I enjoyed this video as they tested some compounds I have not tried and the results of the majority I have used mirrored my own experience.

I remember when they first brought the older/stronger/Hazmat version of CLP into the military and I thought then there is NO way one compound can be best for cleaning, lubricating and rust preventative. This in fact proved true then and is still true today, as we still had to use military bore cleaner with even the older/stronger/Hazmat version of CLP. The CLP available since changing to the 1990's Non-Hazmat formula is an even weaker bore cleaner.

Hoppe's Number #9 use to be THE best bore cleaner on the market UNTIL they took the benzene out of it to make it less Hazmat. Ever since I was saddened the changed the old formula and we found it was no longer a good bore cleaner, we switched to using Champion's Choice Bore Cleaner and there is nothing that surpasses it, still to this day.

When one sticks to using traditional black powder, there is no reason to buy commercial bore cleaners, as hot water with a little Dawn detergent quickly and fairly easily gets rid of the fired residue when one cleans their ML correctly.

I will say I have almost no experience with the black powder substitutes and realize those propellants may or may not require a stronger bore cleaner than water with some Dawn in it. Though as long as real black powder is available, I won't use black powder substitutes, it would be interesting to see what bore cleaners work best to rid the bore of their fired residue.

To this day and like Hanshi, I have not seen an oil that is a better normal use rust preventative than what used to be called Sheath and is now known as Barricade. It is also a much more than adequate lubrication oil in ML firearms.

Gus

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Triple 7 cleans up with water just like BP. Quick and easy. I found Pyrodex took a little longer but still not bad.

 

[Eutycus]

All the little bottles (at least a dozen) of gun oil that I've accumulated through the years.That would include 3 in 1 , Rem oil, Marvel Mystery Oil etc.What would happen if I mixed them into a jar, poured in some ATF, top it off with Hoppes and maybe a little mineral oil? Would I have an oily mess or a decent gun oil/solvent that acts as a rust preventive? Oh yeah I might add a little synthetic motor oil as well.

 

[Whughett]

The Ballistol company itself (at least through it's marketing partnership with Sommerhoff GmbH) says that it originated through the efforts of "a lawyer with entrepreneurial talents" in 1874. That phrase should give anyone pause.

How in the world did the 17th and 18th century shooters, hunters and trappers maintain their fire arms,leather goods, traps and gear. Many which have survived in good condition to this day. I myself have a civil war breech loader, worn but with no pitting that would have indicated rusting.
Perhaps it’s the method used to clean and oil that’s important rather then the gimmicky products modern marketing is pushing.
Just saying.

 

[Whughett]

All the little bottles (at least a dozen) of gun oil that I've accumulated through the years.That would include 3 in 1 , Rem oil, Marvel Mystery Oil etc.What would happen if I mixed them into a jar, poured in some ATF, top it off with Hoppes and maybe a little mineral oil? Would I have an oily mess or a decent gun oil/solvent that acts as a rust preventive? Oh yeah I might add a little synthetic motor oil as well.

Good idea. Perhaps you could post the results here. I’d be interested in reading about that.

 

[doubleset]

Perhaps it’s the method used to clean and oil that’s important rather then the gimmicky products modern marketing is pushing.
Just saying.

Or else it's stuff like whale oil which is hard to get now? More studies must be funded.

 

[Rfp10000]

How in the world did the 17th and 18th century shooters, hunters and trappers maintain their fire arms,

I think about the times these guns ( circa Civil War for me) came from.
I think they had water (of dubious quality) , soap again of dubious quality / consistency , fire & I imagine rags & oil/grease of some sort but would think these could have been somewhat precious.
I’d guess heated (sometimes) stream / pond water was the most common cleaner & maybe some soap followed by oil. This was probably done infrequently at that.
I’m sure there were no cue tips , pipe cleaners & precut patches available let alone easily. Probably reading glasses to see what you were doing weren’t that common either .

 

[Jayhawkdan]

My can of Ballistol warns that it is harmful or fatal if swallowed.
What does CLP stand for? Hitler must have been one tough dude.

Josephg, CLP is an acronym for Cleaner, Lubricant, Protectant
Jayhawk Dan

 

[doubleset]

Before pipe cleaners, people used feathers.

 

[Whughett]

Or else it's stuff like whale oil which is hard to get now? More studies must be funded.

I suspect the further west one went, say like a couple hundred miles, the scarcer whale oil would get……….