Ballistol

[Jay Templin]

It works great. I just can’t stand the smell, or the fact that you can’t get it off your hands- they’ll feel greasy until tomorrow.
Jay

 

[toot]

I was sold on Ballistol about 15 years ago. My son, a friend/Air Force Pilot and his stunningly beautiful wife were sitting in a duck blind, VA eastern shore; she pulled a small can from her pocket and used it as bug spray! After the hunting, he wiped down his guns with another can, and then gave me one from his shelf. My wife hates the smell...my son and I still enjoy it.... ;-)

it makes me sneeze when ever I spray it on items!!

 

[French Colonial]

I have been using it for patch lube, mixed with water, then allowing the patch material to dry. It really works and give significantly smaller groups.

It is mineral oil, from petroleum, just like you buy in the drugstore to help you poo. The reason it mixes with water is alcohols that are added, they act as emulsifiers. The perfume they add is obnoxious to me. I wish they would skip the scent. The only thing it does extra for me is mixing with water for patch lube. The oil portion is nothing special.

The smell seems to be perceived differently by individuals. Some people are "super tasters". They have a more sensitive sense of taste them others. Some people taste cilantro as soap like. I suspect some people have a more sensitive nose in a similar way. ,

The thing about oil and grease is that you need to use some. Getting hung up on the prefect properties of this product or that is not important to me. My workbench oil cans are filled with ATF with a dollop of lanolin melted in it. It seems to so every oil job reasonably well.

I still want to see where the perfume is on the SDS sheet............

 

[user 48702]

No perfume. Ballistol is made from medical grade mineral oil, alkaline salts of oleic acid, several alcohols, Benzyl Acetate and oil from vegetable seeds. The smell comes from medicinal Anethole Oil, which is derived from the Anise plant. The Anethole Oil helps to neutralize acid, and you can also use Ballistol as a case sizing lube (6-1 ratio water/Ballistol).

 

[French Colonial]

No perfume. Ballistol is made from medical grade mineral oil, alkaline salts of oleic acid, several alcohols, Benzyl Acetate and oil from vegetable seeds. The smell comes from medicinal Anethole Oil, which is derived from the Anise plant. The Anethole Oil helps to neutralize acid, and you can also use Ballistol as a case sizing lube (6-1 ratio water/Ballistol).

That makes sense, that's why some say it smells like licorice.

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

I dont mind the odor, I just find it a bit strong. I keep the small spray cans in my shooting boxes for various uses an I use the liquid, in various strength, as a mix with water to clean and lube patches. I'm glad it is becoming more available now, after 100 + years.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

I bet all that use this, also swab between shots.

From the data sheet above: Petroleum Distillate

No petro oil in the bore makes sludge.

 

[SOLANCO]

Another happy Ballistol user here. I use the liquid, it is much thicker and way more bang for the buck. It is also a good leather conditioner and chap lips medication

Absolutely agree on the liquid vs aerosol. I like it on leather and have even polished some unfinished wood with it.

 

[user 48702]

I bet all that use this, also swab between shots.

From the data sheet above: Petroleum Distillate

No petro oil in the bore makes sludge.

Not me, I don't swab until about 15 or more shots. I swab when it gets difficult to load, and this is shooting my .32 Rice barrel with square cut rifling, .310 ball, .010 patch and 3f. I experience about the same results in my .45 and .50 calibers. I float between using either Dutch's Ballistol formula or a spit patch, though a little Copenhagen in the spit might help a little. While growing up, all the old folks used to wet the end of a plug of tobacco like Bull of the Woods to cut the bug doo-doo off of their windshields.

 

[mushka]

I bought a can of it a while back. Used it once and due to the objectional odor for me, I gave it away.

 

[Bill Bryan]

I've been using it 10:1 for bore swobbing and initial range cleaning for 30 years. None of my guns complain. Bill

 

[mldors42]

Anyone noticed that their patches wet with Ballistic smolder after shooting? I use Ballistol for lots of things. I was shooting a match at a rendezvous on a really dry day (a drought and fire warnings were out) and about every other shot the patch would smolder. Everyone was nervous about a fire starting. Everyone kept asking me what I was lubing with. Never noticed this happening before. Anyone else have this happen?

 

[Scota@4570]

I still want to see where the perfume is on the SDS sheet............

Anethole

http://www.ballistol.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/MSDS_TECH_BIO.pdf

 

[ostaffwilliam]

So, not turning this into a cleaning thread, nor a “is one lube better than another”, but was at a local sporting goods supply store here yesterday and seen Ballistol on the shelf for the first time in my life. At least as far as I can remember.
Anyhow, I picked some up and wish to confirm that it’s the same stuff that some on here are raving about. We also happened to shoot our local ranges trail walk yesterday, so I had a perfect opportunity to try my new purchase. All I can say is thus far I’ve no regrets. I guess time will tell.
Walk

After many years in military using CLP which can cause cancer, Ballistic is safe non toxic and can be used on wood and leather. What more can you ask for.l

 

[ostaffwilliam]

After many years in military using CLP which can cause cancer, Ballistic is safe non toxic and can be used on wood and leather. What more can you ask for.l

Ballistol not ballistic

 

[dehart.stephen]

Works well on BP and Pyrodex etc. One caveat: It turns to a white liquid soap when moisture hits it. Water souluable. So don't expect it to repel rain. It won't get sticky or gum up little revolver parts after long storage lime some oils.

 

[Redlemur60]

If it smells like barf! It must be good!

 

[dehart.stephen]

I like the plain liquid pour can. Wastes less and smells less. Instead of cutting out the whole 5/8 inch dia. disk to open the plastic top, I just punch a 1/16 inch hole in one edge of the disk. The stuff doesn't evaporate away in storage as it did otherwise, and it lets me meter out a drop or two as I choose. I still screw the red cap on as before, but the small versus large opening just inside the cap DOES reduce losses.

 

[Scota@4570]

Once applied to your gun as made, the alcohols and emulsifiers evaporate. That leaves only the mineral oil. Mineral oil is not water soluble. It does not turn to soap. Soap is a different thing. It becomes an emulsion, making mayonnaise is another example of an emulsion.

 

[William Hagewood]

I was having a rust problem in this Tennessee humidity until I started using a ballistol and water mix for cleaning and straight Ballistol for lubricating following cleaning about 4 years ago. Works well for me