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lard as patch lube

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How about adding onion juice? There's something about the smell of frying onions that tends to make people salivate :grin: .
 
My usual lube has been a mix of crisco and bees wax. I had some lard from making tamales and decided to give that a try the last time I needed a batch of lube. I found it to have a "sticky" effect in my rifle which necessitated swabbing a lot more frequently than with the crisco blend. I did notice the commercial lard had a different consistency than naturally rendered lard and read the ingredients which included hydrogenated lard and stabilizers. I imagine that is to increase the shelf life without separation.
 
Ghettogun said:
read the ingredients which included hydrogenated lard and stabilizers. I imagine that is to increase the shelf life without separation.

Sort of, the hydrogenation process also makes it stiffer/thicker, so it will keep its (packaging) shape (it's all about marketing, of course). Pure lard should be much like tallow. I reckon you'd be better off with pure lard, without the treatment and additives.
 
I use beef tallow right out of our refinery, before anything is added. Super slick! I've used our lard with no additives, but the tallow is smoother.
 
Doesn't lard get rancid?
Commercially available lard has preservatives in it. It's sold on the shelf unrefrigerated, with no expiration date. I buy it a pint at a time, keep several ounces in the refrigerator and store the rest in the freezer, probably because I'm one of those guys who has a hang up about being careful. The freezing is probably not necessary.
 
What's the name of that lanolin in a tube? What else is it made of besides lanolin?

I have a tube of lanolin that I use for resizing brass unmentionables when I have some heavy duty sizing to do. The stuff I have's brand name is Lansinoh, it's 100% pure and is actually sold for women who breastfeed. Get it in your pharmacy. Stuff is slicker than..........
 
Just about the awfulest, dirtiest stuff ever. Too soft in warm weather, too hard in cold. I have tried more lubes than I can count. Chicken fat is probably the worst, in my experience. Stick with the more traditional lubes.
 
I use lard/beeswax 'pills' in my cap & ball revolvers as a lube. I also use it to lube the grooves in conical bullets.
Your mentioning of the pills just inspired me to look them up. I think I'll be making some of those, too. I've been putting cork disks over the powder and smearing lube around the chamber mouths before seating balls. It works, as evidenced by 48-round range sessions, but it takes a good bit of time to load that way, and the soft lube requires the disks to protect the powder from contamination.
 
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