Ballistol Warning

[Onojutta]

The way I figure it, Ballistol has some ingredients in it that allows it to mix with water. Anything that mixes well with water will do a poor job of keeping water in the atmosphere from getting thru it to the surface under it.
If water does get thru the protection, the water and any oxygen that is dissolved in it will have an easy time of rusting the steel that is under the Ballistol.

That's my theory and until someone can prove I'm wrong, I'll stick to it.

Water itself does not cause rust/corrosion. That requires oxygen and an electrolyte. Even though Ballistol emulsifies with water, it somehow either blocks oxygen or prevents water from becoming an electrolyte.

I came across a study once where several products gun cleaning products were tested and Ballistol was found to be the best long term rust preventer. Maybe it isn’t the best, but it works for me and I trust it.

What I like the best about it is that I can get it in the wood stock. In facts it’s good for my hand rubbed oil finish.

 

[SOLANCO]

Does anyone have experience with using CLP on black powder arms/black powder residue?

I've used it to good effect on modern firearms, but am new to black powder.

 

[Scota@4570]

Does anyone have experience with using CLP on black powder arms/black powder residue?

I've used it to good effect on modern firearms, but am new to black powder.

You must use something with water in it to clean BP residues. No oil or petroleum solvent will clean BP fouling. Any cleaning is due to the mechanical action. Water dissolves the bad stuff in the fouling.

I do use CLP as a light preservative and lock lube. For that matter, any oil or grease will work to prevent rust. These threads go on and on. Don't be confused, it is simple.

 

[Archer 756]

Yes HOT HOT water pump through with dish washer solution than rinse , pump, with HOT HOT clear wate end up using G96

 

[FishDFly]

"You must use something with water in it to clean BP residues."

If you must use something with water "IN IT", why not just use "WATER and a dash of SOAP"? Huh???

"Yes HOT HOT water pump through with dish washer solution than rinse , pump, with HOT HOT clear wate end up using G96""

Please explain to me why shooters at State shoots and at Friendship clean their guns at the end of the day with tap water and do just fine? After cleaning at the end of the shoot, they travel all the way home and their guns are rust free?

Has anyone has done a study that documents that "ONLY HOT WATER will clean BP residue?

Let the fight continue.

 

[Bent Sight]

I don't think water temperature helps to neutralize the corrosive properties of propellants. I like to use hot water, because I am able to dry the muzzleloader barrel faster after cleaning and before lubing. That is the same reason I use hot tap water to clean unmentionable firearms after shooting corrosive ammunition.

If I was someplace where all that was available was cold water, I would not lose sleep over it.

 

[Scota@4570]

You only need to dissolve hygroscopic salts. Nothing needs to be neutralized, like an acid. When possible I flood the barrel with warm water. I use a hose with an attached 1/8" copper tube in my garage wash sink. I let it run for several minutes. The flood of water flushes 95% of the fouling. It dissolves the part that matters, the remains are carbon and goop, not the corrosive stuff. After that a couple of patches, then some alcohol to dilute water in the breech, a patch to dry, then oil.

 

[mooman76]

You don't HAVE to use water to clean with. That is the method most used but I have been using regular gun cleaners like Hopps 9 for close to 40 years with no ill effects. It just takes a little more than when cleaning a centerfire. Clean until the patches come out clean.

 

[Archer 756]

FishDFy may be my barrels are not made of steel, last I known steel will RUST that's why I oil barrel after cleaning to stop RUST

 

[Mad L]

'Water's could be a big part of it.
Myself, I live in a carpeted apartment with no access to a hose. Also a wife with a rolling pin in case I start making a mess!
Therefore, I start with a small tub of hot water and soap but only dip the patch and swabs out as much heavy stuff as i can (4-6 patches depending). From that point i switch to gun cleaner (Hopps #9 mostly, I have a couple others too). Once the patches come clean I come in the other side (remove nipple on percussion or vent liner on flint...where available) and use Q-tips. On my two without vent liners I use pipe cleaners.

Once done with 'Cleaning' I clean o e last time but with oils...usually Breakfree or Ballistol.

So far, only one I have a rust problem with is a TC Hawken that was 'gifted' to me already with a rust problem

 

[azmntman]

Like Zonie I live in AZ and humidity is not an issue. I used WD-40 for over 40 years with ZERO ever never any rust issues. I once used bore butter too, 15 years later I heated the barrel and cleaned it and no rust. I now use Barricade cuz so many here praise it. I for one tho would NOT hesitate to use plain ol WD-40 (long as the good Lord lets me stay here anyways).

 

[Omahkapi'si]

You don't HAVE to use water to clean with. That is the method most used but I have been using regular gun cleaners like Hopps 9 for close to 40 years with no ill effects. It just takes a little more than when cleaning a centerfire. Clean until the patches come out clean.

Glad to hear this cuz that's what I am doing too! So far so good. Shiny all the way down to the patent breech shining back at me.

 

[Onojutta]

Does anyone have experience with using CLP on black powder arms/black powder residue?

I've used it to good effect on modern firearms, but am new to black powder.

You want to avoid petroleum based products around the stock. I use CLP for all my modern guns like Glocks that don't have any wood. But petroleum based oil can damage wood over long term if it gets between the barrel and stock, behind lock and side plate, etc. That's why I like Ballistol, because in addition to being a good protective lube it is also friendly to the stock.

 

[Tb54]

I’ll add this cause I ain’t heard it mentioned. I cut a piece of 3” pvc pipe the length of my barrel and capped one end. I put the bbl in it and fill w/ water and Dawn dish soap and scrub with a swab, brush, or patch or two if that’s all I got. Flush/rinse with boiled water, let drain and evaporate, then some alcohol to flush any puddles of water hidden behind something, then oil with break free while it’s still hot. I like using the pipe cause I think the water column follows the brush up the bbl better than a bucket or similar.

 

[Tb54]

PS.
i don’t use ballistol, but I have had my copper bore brush turn green, and seen Dawn dish soap corrode black iron gas line fittings and copper refrigerant lines when I’ve used it to leak check when I ran out of bubbles, and didn’t rinse well afterwards.

 

[Onojutta]

Does anyone have experience with using CLP on black powder arms/black powder residue?

I've used it to good effect on modern firearms, but am new to black powder.

You want to avoid petroleum based products around the stock. I use CLP for all my modern guns like Glocks that don't have any wood. But petroleum based oil can damage wood over long term if it gets between the barrel and stock, behind lock and side plate, etc. That's why I like Ballistol, because in addition to being a good protective lube it is also friendly to the stock.

Just to clarify, I am referring to Break Free CLP by Safariland.

Lot's of products fit the bill as a CLP (Cleaner, Lubricant, Protectant) including Ballistol.

 

[Tb54]

I use break free on all my guns. A gunsmith I knew once tested a bunch of gun oils, and found breakfree, and tri-flow to be the best lubes w/o gumming up due to powder residue. After thousands of rounds in my (favorite unmentionable adopted in 1911), I still see the machining tool marks in the slide rails. I’m a believer in breakfree.

minimal experience on BP, but I do use it on my revolver and sidelock, with no big issues due to the lube.

 

[Mad L]

I use break free on all my guns. A gunsmith I knew once tested a bunch of gun oils, and found breakfree, and tri-flow to be the best lubes w/o gumming up due to powder residue. After thousands of rounds in my (favorite unmentionable adopted in 1911), I still see the machining tool marks in the slide rails. I’m a believer in breakfree.

minimal experience on BP, but I do use it on my revolver and sidelock, with no big issues due to the lube.

Tri-Flow is Excellent lubricant, but as one who has used it for decades - Keep the Muzzle Down. It does migrate like Crazy!

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

Hot water will not do anything luke warm or room temp water will do. The only reason guys use boiling water is it's supposed to dry quickly in the bore. It makes no difference because who would put water in the bore and then dump it out and let the barrel sit and dry on it's own? Thats silly, you're just asking for rust. When I am done swabbing the bore, I run a couple dry patches down several times to remove the water and swab the breech out too, then oil the bore right away. Clean bore, no flash rust, and not burned fingers. Boiling water is a myth, just like seasoning the bore is a myth. Sorry if that burns some posterriors but you can clean a barrel just as well with tap water as you can with boiling water. You really need to try it sometime.

 

[Professor flintlock]

For protection of your barrel the best product I've found is accugard. Jim Chambers carries the product. Have used it with a not so clean bore and it protected it from rust. Years ago I took 12 baby food jars filled them with a saline solution. Then I rounded up twelve different anti rust solutions. Next I took 12 finishing nails, cleaned them with brake clean dried them and coated them with the different solutions. Next placed them in the individual jars and sealed them up. Wore gloves the whole time not to contaminate the process . Several products started to rust right away, ones you would have thought to have done good. Snap-on air tool oil protected for several years. The best was Browning gun oil. After about four years I finally threw the whole mess out after finding my results. When dumping the Browning jar I noticed a white protective film covered the nail. After wiping it off it looked like new underneath. So that was my test take it for what it's worth. I still use accugard for long term storage.