Who swears by Ballistol ???

[Skychief]

For rifle cleaning and protecting, that is.

Ballistol seems to be popular with many folks.

Also, how does it perform in protecting/cleaning stocks?

[Dan]

Don't swear by much of anything, but I use it. No complaints.

[axelp]

I use it. It keeps the rust away from the bore like nothing else. stinks though... Lehigh Valley lube is about as good.
K

[Roger Fisher]

I use it in the bore, not in the lock innards though.

My ol gal is steel mounted so I rub the fittings with it also...

[trentOH]

I've used it for probably 10 years to clean my bores and locks, and wipe down the exterior of the barrels and locks and anything else that's steel. I've tinkered with it on leather, but haven't developed an opinion on it.

I think it smells great! That's one of us.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I was given a pop bottle full of Ballistol at Moose camp about three years ago.  After I cleaned my jaeger, I oiled it with Ballistol inside and out, and hung it from the liner ropes of my tipi.  In the morning, the barrel was rusty on the edges of the flats where the rust blue was worn, and the patch down the bore came out red too.  that's it for me, for Ballistol. 
USELESS OR WORSE.

[Skychief]

 

[roundball]

If ou don't mind my asking, just curious why such a singular focus on "ballistol" when as you know there are any number of good lubes available in general...? 

[Jerry V Lape]

I use it for patch lube at the range (not for hunting) diluted about 5-1.  I also use it from the same container at the range to swab the bore out before heading home; where a normal room temp water cleaning is done followed by a protective wipe of straight Ballistol for protection of the bore.  And I wipe the exterior metal parts with it.  However, I use Break Free on the lock and a touch of lithium grease on the locks contact surfaces.  

[Skychief]

If ou don't mind my asking, just curious why such a singular focus on "ballistol" when as you know there are any number of good lubes available in general...? 

Of course I don't mind your asking Roundball!

I seem to keep stumbling into posts of how well Ballistol works and I have seen many long-in-the-tooth shooters cleaning up with it too.   Just thought I would quiz all here about the stuff!

Best regards my friend,  Skychief.........

[smylee grouch]

Taylor: Do you think any thing other than Ballistol could have been in that pop bottle in that others have had such good luck with the stuff?  Simmiler thing happened to me before is the reason I ask.    Gary

[J.D.]

I tried Balistol for patch lube and bore protection. I wasn't especially impressed with it for either use. IMHO, it's ok, but there are better options.

[roundball]

I've never tried ballistol so I have zero experience with it and can't personally comment to its effectiveness.
Just for conversation about lubing in general I have noticed some posts over the years from some diehard ballistol users...who then go on to say that they double check their bores every couple days afterwards.
Personal opinion is I think there are so many variables involved with the maintenance of any equipment that to simply say "a product"...(ANY product)...is an end all choice across the board might not necessarily be the case.

Differences in individual's degree of attention to details, ie: is a bore or lock REALLY 100% clean before lubing...are they REALLY 100% dry before lubing...because from a scientific point of view, if something is 100% clean and 100% dry any lube will do as long as it stays in place to insulate the metal surface from the air which contains moisture.
Also differences in environmental conditions from one part of the country to another enter into it...ie: is the storage located in an area that's well maintained with heating / air conditioning, etc.

For example, I buy aerosol cans of WD40 by the case...have used it on bores & hammer / trigger mechanisms of many modern Ruger, S&W, Remington and Marlin firearms starting back in the '60's/'70's...and then a couple dozen muzzleloaders for the past 20 years...as far as I'm concerned its fantastic stuff.
Yet there are those who say its no good, claiming it leaves gummy residue and causes rust...yet I've used it constantly for almost a half century and never experienced those WD40 claims in my 65 years on the planet.

So how can that be?  Is it because I live in North Carolina? Because my house is heated and air conditioned year round? Because I am almost fanatical about 100% cleaning and drying before lubing...to what some call an extreme of removing the frizzen every time to clean and lube all its contact & pivot points?
I couldn't have simply been 'lucky' my entire lifetime...so it’s a puzzler to me.  I guess the bottom line is once a particular product and cleaning/drying/lubing regimen is proving to be 100% reliable and successful, it’s a keeper for that person in his/her environment.

[Kaintuckkee]

I think ballistol may be ok for a patch lube but I dont like it for bore protection....I use WD40 after I use water to clean with and then a few days later wipe that out and use Break Free CLP.....I wont use WD40 on any of my modern guns.....no bad reason....just dont trust it as a lubricant....but it may be fine....dunno

[Roger Fisher]

I was given a pop bottle full of Ballistol at Moose camp about three years ago.  After I cleaned my jaeger, I oiled it with Ballistol inside and out, and hung it from the liner ropes of my tipi.  In the morning, the barrel was rusty on the edges of the flats where the rust blue was worn, and the patch down the bore came out red too.  that's it for me, for Ballistol. 
USELESS OR WORSE.

Jeez, Taylor you just broke my bubble.  Here I've been satisifed with the stuff (It turns up around here as match prizes); but now???

Overnight in the bush is a test of lubes for certain.  Sooo, now I'll be the guy that asks. What do you use to protect that same Jaeger while she hangs under the canvas at moose camp overnite...   Some folks need to know.   Lemmee guess, I'll vote for your schmutzing her with a dab of bear grease., well rubbed.

[eagle24]

I haven't found anything in the last 25 yrs that I like better than Eezox.  Google it.  Try it.  You'll like it I bet.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Something else in the bottle with the Ballisol?  I doubt it.  The outfitter who gave it to me had a gallon can and poured it off for me, because I asked him to.  The tipi is a good test for rustproofing.  I went to sleep in with a bed of coals in the fire, and woke up to a good freeze and two inches of snow outside.  I have gone back to WD 40 with confidence, Roger.  I wipe down the outside of the barrel with the same patch that did the bore, before returning the barrel to the stock.

[bob in the woods]

I used WD40 for the last 35 years with no complaints. The only thing I've found that I like better [ after a wipe down with WD40 ] is bear oil that I process myself. I almost think it will creep through steel, and it is the slickest stuff I've ever seen. Doesn't gum up.. amazing !  As long as the bears co-operate it is my oil of choice.

[Scott Semmel]

Didn't we have a thread a while back where Balistoil did rather well in a controlled test when compared to numerous other oils/rust preventers? I like the stuff have used it for several years.

[doulos]

Didn't we have a thread a while back where Balistoil did rather well in a controlled test when compared to numerous other oils/rust preventers? I like the stuff have used it for several years.

heres one test
http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/corrosion/corrosion2.html

[Skychief]

Didn't we have a thread a while back where Balistoil did rather well in a controlled test when compared to numerous other oils/rust preventers? I like the stuff have used it for several years.

heres one test
http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/corrosion/corrosion2.html

doulos, thanks for the link.    I wonder how WD-40 would have faired.

[roundball]

I saw that test a few years ago and I while I found reading about how the tests were conducted to be interesting, I found the actual test results themselves to be meaningless because they don't represent reality...people don't leave perfectly good firearms out in the elements of 100% humidity for days on end.

Put another way, I could run a test that shows every time somebody jumped out of an airplane at 40,000 feet without oxygen and a parachute they'd die...but it would be a meaningless "so what" test because it has nothing to do with real life activity.  IE: people don't actually go around jumping out of airplanes at 40,000 feet.

Speaking only for myself, I think tests like these are interesting exercises and hats off to the investment in time the individual took to run it...but I don't personally believe the results of this lube-test establish any real world basis for people to rush out and start using any particular product that was included in it, regardless of the product...just my .02 cents.

[Frank]

I have heard a lot of people rave about how good ballistol is, so I thought I would give it a try. Tried it a few times and always had rust after 2-3 days. It is a waste of money.

[P.W.Berkuta]

I also agree with GHall - If I put a gun up (both modern or muzzleloader) for a fair amount of time I use EEZOX then before I put'er to use I wipe her down so it don't feel "slippery" and I drop it. If the gun is going to be used next weekend/weekday then I use WD-40 -- works for me all the time ! I shoot rain or shine - so they are not fair weather guns -- when they get rained on I take them apart and clean (toothbrush-cotton cloth) /dry (compressed air)/WD'em .

I haven't found anything in the last 25 yrs that I like better than Eezox.  Google it.  Try it.  You'll like it I bet.

[Dphariss]

Thank you Taylor.

I have never used the stuff. But your experience is not unusual it seems from reports I have read.
I had a similar experience with WD-40 in 1970 on my Colt Commander. But I believe the chlorine was removed a few years back.

It contains mineral oil and several alcohols and a vegetable oil according to the MSDS.
Alcohols always contain a greater or lesser amount of WATER.
Since its a pretty old formula 90 years they claim, I suspect it was originally developed as a cleaner for smokeless powder and/or chlorate primers.
From the MSDS (which reads in parts like an advertisement)
******
Contents

Ballistol contains medicinal grade mineral oil, alkaline salts of oleic acid, several alcohols, Benzyl Acetate and an oil from vegetal seeds. The mineral oil is unchlorinated and conforms to the specifications of US Pharmacopeia XX.

******

Hoppes #9 Solvent (by comparison) contains Kerosene, ethyl alcohol, oleic acid, amyl acetate and ammonium hydroxide.

Dan