I wonder what they used as gun oil in the old times. I found a reference to olive oil used for cannons in a provisioning list for a fort, but I don't know if it was used for pistols or rifles as well... As far as I could determine sperm oil is what they used... Can anybody please confirm / disprove this and give more detailed informations?
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Gun oil in the XVIII - XIX century?
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Billnpatti
Cannon
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You are correct. Olive oil,also called sweet oil, and sperm oil were commonly used as gun oil. When a person lived where these products were not readily available, they often used whatever animal oil was available. An example of one of these oils is bear oil obtained from rendering bear fat at low temperatures such as gently simmering in water. Rendering at higher temperatures such as frying, yields grease rather than oil.
I'm sure all correct. Only comment I have is not all whale oil is "sperm". The "sperm" oil comes from cavities in the head of the sperm whale. The rest of the animal is rendered for regular whale oil. The "sperm" oil was extra special and higly prized. Got that straight from Ishmael hisself.
Thanks.
Yep, I know the difference between sperm oil, derived from the spermaceti organ of the sperm ("right") whale and generic whale oil.
Sperm oil is odorless, incredibly stable (samples from the XIX century are still good today) and doesn't gum up or leave residue at all. It was used in watches as well.
For anyone interested I found that an almost perfect substitute, almost identical in molecular structure and, unfortunately, in price, is jojoba oil.
I've been trying it in my Walker, based on the opening post assumption. Up to now, it works wonderfully in keeping gunk on the cylinder axle soft and in preventing rust.
And, as a bonus, unlike petroleum oils it is actually good for your skin.
Yep, I know the difference between sperm oil, derived from the spermaceti organ of the sperm ("right") whale and generic whale oil.
Sperm oil is odorless, incredibly stable (samples from the XIX century are still good today) and doesn't gum up or leave residue at all. It was used in watches as well.
For anyone interested I found that an almost perfect substitute, almost identical in molecular structure and, unfortunately, in price, is jojoba oil.
I've been trying it in my Walker, based on the opening post assumption. Up to now, it works wonderfully in keeping gunk on the cylinder axle soft and in preventing rust.
And, as a bonus, unlike petroleum oils it is actually good for your skin.
Yep... been using Jojoba oil for years.
Why do you use it, and is it expensive compared to say rem-oil or barricade? Never heard of it myself but just googled and it seems pricey??
Back in the 80's an old watch repairman turned me on to it as a replacement for whale oil.
It is very shelf stable (won't turn rancid) and mixes well with bees wax for patch grease and lube for minnie balls & a little goes a long way. I like it much better than olive oil. Haven't had to buy any in a long time and my wife uses it in her "beauty" routine, although she doesn't need it. :grin:
I still use Barricade for bore protection and 3in1 oil for locks.
It is very shelf stable (won't turn rancid) and mixes well with bees wax for patch grease and lube for minnie balls & a little goes a long way. I like it much better than olive oil. Haven't had to buy any in a long time and my wife uses it in her "beauty" routine, although she doesn't need it. :grin:
I still use Barricade for bore protection and 3in1 oil for locks.
So ya just use as a patch lube?
Mostly, but have used if for lubing the locks. It doesn't gum up like petroleum lubes.
I hope the whales know that 'cause they can't read. :shocked2: :rotf:
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"Seal" oil, whether from an actual seal or a sea lion or walrus was really common up here. Sure it oxidized and smelled to high heavens, but it was cheap and readily available. Sperm oil was expensive and hard to come by from local sources, so folks without a lot of jingle in their pockets used what they could get for free. That's all first hand from locals still living today who predate the MMPA that shut off sources of sperm.
Where do you get the jojoba, and how much do you pay? I found it on Bulk Apothecary $5.96/2 0z and $19.06/1lb. How much do you use for patch lube? mix it?
The last 4oz bottle I bought, several years ago, cost $13.99 (had to go look). Have to get the pure oil (no additives like scent) at our local health food store.
As far as how much, I just melt the bees wax and mix in the Jojoba oil until it is the right consistency when cooled for what I'm using it for. The last batch I made up was a stiff mixture for minnie balls and I would guess it was about 3oz of bees wax and 1 of oil.
As far as how much, I just melt the bees wax and mix in the Jojoba oil until it is the right consistency when cooled for what I'm using it for. The last batch I made up was a stiff mixture for minnie balls and I would guess it was about 3oz of bees wax and 1 of oil.
Carteret Kid
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What makes sperm oil special is, it is the liquid filling for the large sonar dome cavity in the sperm whales large forehead.It must be smooth, stable to handle the sound vibrations consistently. Regular whale oil is rendered down fat.
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Depending on where you live, you MAY have a problem using Olive Oil and some other natural or "sweet oils" as they called them in the period.
I am no authority on insects, but the small sweat bee's that sting like heck will flock to an open container of Olive Oil and some other natural oils in the warmer months. Their stings are extremely unpleasant and takes many hours for the pain to go away. Just something to bear in mind when using such natural oils then or today.
Gus
I am no authority on insects, but the small sweat bee's that sting like heck will flock to an open container of Olive Oil and some other natural oils in the warmer months. Their stings are extremely unpleasant and takes many hours for the pain to go away. Just something to bear in mind when using such natural oils then or today.
Gus
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As time goes on I'm really wondering just why it is I buy anything for muzzleloaders when the olive oil is always sitting on the kitchen counter. I've used ATF fluid to see how the adjunct corrosion inhibitors perform but olive oil makes more sense. And it's gotta be better for the person handling it.
