Curious about Ballistol

[Jim C]

I ordered a 16 oz can of liquid Ballistol from Midway USA so that I could put the "Dutch System" to work. It's supposedly non toxic/bio degradable, non hazmat, but it's regulated by the Dept of Transportation and the dog gone shipping charges are $11 for a one pint can. What's up with that? Another hidden tax?

 

[azmntman]

Do not recall haz mat when I ordered it from trac? may be wrong

 

[Jim C]

It says on Midways website that it is not a hazmat item, but that it is regulated by the DOT, therefore it cannot be shipped by air. The USPS won't ship it. UPS or FedEx Ground transportation only and it's not allowed to be sent to PO boxes. None of that makes absolutely any sense to me whatsoever because it's a non toxic non flammable biodegradable product. A 16 oz can cost almost $30 by the time it's all said and done. :idunno:

I just checked and it's the same deal at TOTW, and even costs $4 more on shipping than I paid at MidUSA.

 

[frogwalking]

I bought a can at the local gunshop. Check those near you before you pay too much. It is not magic, but seems to be good stuff.

 

[Cowboy2]

I've ordered it several times in the past, almost certainly at least once from midway (piggybacked on orders for something else), and I can almost promise there were no shipping/handling restrictions. I would have waited to find it locally if there had been.

 

[azmntman]

I rarely order a single item so I may have missed any "extra" charges. If I buy one item use amazon prime.

 

[Cowboy2]

I love prime. I'm sure a lot of people don't get their money's worth from it, but I sure do.

Speaking of which, I just looked liquid Ballistol up on Amazon, and its Prime qualified, which means free two day shipping, which means it almost certainly isn't a haz/mat item.

mtmanjim, I think you may have ordered the aerosol by mistake, or they made a mistake and classifying it as such on their end. Most aerosols seem to have special shipping fees/regs.

 

[Jim C]

No, I ordered the 16 oz liquid with screw on cap. The Aerosol spray is offered in a 6 oz can. Like I said in my post above, it is NOT a hazmat item, but it IS regulated by the DOT. Cannot be shipped by air, FedEx/UPS ground shipping only, USPS will NOT ship it. The shipping charges from MidwayUSA is $11. I also checked TOTW and their shipping charge is $15. The cost of the 16 oz can of liquid is the same price at both places $17.99......Can't get the 16 oz liquid version locally, ONLY the 6 oz aerosol. :idunno: To be a non toxic biodegradable product, the gov't sure makes you pay dearly for it = just another one of their infamous hidden taxes! :cursing:

 

[Jim C]

BTW guys.....any time you purchase a shipping restricted item it doesn't matter whether you buy it locally or not. The local retailer has to pay those extra charges as well and he tacks it on to the retail price and passes that cost on to the customer.

 

[mooman76]

I had the same problem with Kroil. Couldn't find it anywhere here and the shipping was more than the cost of the product. I like the product but I'm sure I can find something suitable that does the same or close job.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Pity you have already ordered it. It is worstest stuff ever to use on guns, or anything mechanical. At first it lubes but then dries to a serious glue making movable parts immovable. Several threads here about the stuff.

 

[Dr5x]

I've never heard of this charge before. You might see if other suppliers ask for it.
It could be just another tax. The gov't would tax flatulence if they could figure out to measure it.

Am curious about this as well.
16 Ounces of Ballistol should last you a long long time.


Dutch

 

[Dr5x]

I have been told that Mobil Oil produces a water soluble oil which is what I use originally.
Look into :Specialty Lubrication" sources and see if you can get the real thing.
I used to suggest NAPA's Cutting and Gring Oil, but some 10 or 15 years ago they swathed the formula to something else which dries out and catches fire if used as a patch lube.


Dutch

 

[garra]

I use a long life emulsion oil called Trim E206 to make my Moose milk. Mixes well with water, cleans as it lubricates. I soak my patches in it before I go out, squeeze the excess out and I am good for the range of 20 targets, no cleaning between. I even use it to clean the bore after I shoot.
I mix it 15 to 1, comes out a nice baby blue color.

 

[Jim C]

I bought it strictly for patch lube only to work with the Dutch Shoultz accuracy system as he prescribes it. I'm sure that if it works for him and all the other hundreds of folks using his system, it'll work for me as well. Although in the past I've been pretty skeptical of just about anything as a cleaner/protectorant that is non toxic/biodegradable, I did coat the bore of my Lyman GPR with Bore Butter before I put it away for over ten yrs without ever touching it in that entire lenght of time, and I'm happy to report that after swabbing it out real good just here recently, a couple of mo's ago, the bore is as bright and shiny as a brand new penny! :grin:

 

[Jim C]

Exactly, using it as patch lube only, as you prescribe in your accuracy system, I'll probably never have to buy it again.

 

[ZUG]

I was using that NAPA oil in your "system" and was catching the woods & fields on fire - I stopped using it - now I know why it caught on fire thanks for clearing that issue up for me:bow: .

 

[Claude Mathis]

I ordered a 16 oz can of liquid Ballistol from Midway USA so that I could put the "Dutch System" to work. It's supposedly non toxic/bio degradable, non hazmat, but it's regulated by the Dept of Transportation and the dog gone shipping charges are $11 for a one pint can. What's up with that? Another hidden tax?

The DOT regulation states that it cannot be shipped by USPS or Air. It must go UPS Ground, which should be the cheapest.

 

[Jim C]

$11 shipping from Midway and $15 from TOTW........for a 1 1/4 lb package. Normal shipping rates for that weight is around $5 or $6

 

[Loyalist Dave]

None of that makes absolutely any sense to me whatsoever because it's a non toxic non flammable biodegradable product.

According to the MSDS , it has a flashpoint of 126 degrees so it is flammable.

Should be treated as flammable aerosol although product has not been tested as such to ASTM standards. Butane / propane (A 70) used as propellant.

Plus you have the EPA the Transportation Department classifying all sorts of stuff willy-nilly into areas where they really do not belong.

LD