Who swears by Ballistol ???

[axelp]

I wonder if the difference is where the cleaned and oiled gun is stored after the cleaning? My gun stays in the house (moderate temps and dry) after I clean it and lube the bore--- and I get very little to no rust when I use Lehigh Valley lube or Ballistol as a rust preventor after cleaning. I know if I took the same cleaned and oiled gun into my garage or under the eaves outside and left it, I would have more rust, all other things being the same?  I do not expect my rust preventor to keep my gun rust free when out in the field. But I DO require it to keep my gun rust free when it sits idle in my house.... and both of these products do that for me, in my specific environment. (Central California, Sierra Mtns about 3000 ft elev---about at snowline)

Ken

[chuck c.]

I don't blame the LVH for what happened, I really liked their product or I wouldn't have seven bottles of it. I was being lazy I guess, but it's a real pain to come in after dark, shoot the rifle, clean it, then start over the next day before daylight. Since I use my rifles mostly for hunting I wanted something that would work around my laziness. So far Track's Mink Oil has fit the bill. I would like to try something non-commercial like bear grease, but what few bears we have are not legal to shoot. Ken, I was also bringing it indoors at night from a relatively cold ( 40 something) temperature. It did only rust where the patch was. I used Balistol for a while but never was real happy with it. Chamber's Accuguard or RIG work the best for me as far as protecting the bore after cleaning and during storage.

[axelp]

I like TOW mink oil too.

K

[Daryl]

The mink oil is pretty slick. the leather shop in tow sells a liquid bottle of 'Mink Oil"- perhaps, some day?  I suspect the fats or filler/shortening/whatever that makes track's mink oil so thick, helps with the oftening of the fouling. What I like is as soon as it's touched with a finger, it's soft- even when I experimented with lubed patches stored in the deep freeze.

[William Worth]

Three things have gained my confidence, each in it's appropriate application;

1)  LHV
2)  Fluid Film
3)  Eezox

[Roger Fisher]

I use a special oil on my locks internals that I got from a friend--- I wont say its whale oil---it might be or it might not...

I use bear oil/beeswax mix for the bore and the stock when I am out in the field or camping out away from home and find need to clean and oil my bore.

BUT when I am home I use either Lehigh Valley lube or Ballistol. For no other reason except that they both work really well on my guns. There are so many variables like humidity and weather and temperature--and also personal hygiene and cleaning habits, hot water cold water... To say that any one thing will work for everyone is perilous. Try them and use what best works for you.

K

Johoba (spl) oil meebeee.

[Burgess_rudy]

I just threw my Ballistol out. I can't stand the smell of it. I opened up my container of black powder gear and got a whiff and said, that's enough. It did well when I used it mostly as a cleaner, but to me it just reeks.

[Dphariss]

I like WD40, especially because so many self-righteous gun fanatics claim it is the worst thing you can use.  I wouldn't use Ballistol for the opposite reason -- it just turns me off when I hear so many miracle stories and testimonials about a product; reminds me of a cult or a time share community.  For metal, I've seen guns that were maintained regularly for decades with motor oil on the exterior (metal -- internals need a lighter lube), and they did not have a speck of rust on them -- wipe on, wipe off, very little smell and $2 a quart for the generic stuff.  30W is the best .  So who swears by 30W motor oil? 

Dan Phariss,
Which one of those boys is you?  I can't argue with your logic about the WD40 -- that is the most stringent field test I can think of.

Left to right Roy Blythe, Dan Phariss and Sgt John Peck. We all came home SFAIK I talk to Roy now and then by phone. Sgt Peck I have not heard from since DEROS. Roy and I were FNGs at the time. Bananas were too green but they didn't feed any NVA later either.
The photo of the Colt was taken in a sleeping bunker on A-4 FSB. Lovingly referred to as Con Thien by the USMC who held it before we took over.

Dan

[Dphariss]

The WD 40 of 1970 is not the WD-40 of today.  If I did not already post this...
When this first came up on this site or another a few years back I had an old can under the seat in my pickup (for drying the distributor cap and a firewall connector when driving in powder snow).
This can mentioned "Chlorinated hydorcarbons" IIRC maybe "solvents" was used. The newer cans did not have this.
I believe the chlorine may have been removed sometime in the 80s (). The current stuff seems to be pretty good to excellent by the test on Brownells site. But it WILL penetrate and/or attack natural oil finishes and will darken wood if it gets through the finish to any extent.
I found this out the hard way but I think the wood is recovering so maybe the solvents are evaporating (??).
Ballistol has alcohol and this takes it off the rust preventative list IMO.

Dan

[bgf]

Left to right Roy Blythe, Dan Phariss and Sgt John Peck. We all came home SFAIK I talk to Roy now and then by phone. Sgt Peck I have not heard from since DEROS. Roy and I were FNGs at the time. Bananas were too green Grin but they didn't feed any NVA later either.
The photo of the Colt was taken in a sleeping bunker on A-4 FSB. Lovingly referred to as Con Thien by the USMC who held it before we took over.

Thanks, Dan.  That is a striking picture -- everyone is so young and it looks like a little break, but there's something all the more ominous about it as well because of that.  I was just a little kid at the time, but you all look very young to me now.  Thank you for your service, and I'm glad you all made it out -- I wish everyone could have. 

[jrice]

I have made an attempt at even in the toughest of situations NOT to use any petrolium products in a traditional muzzleloading gun period. Jerry

[anj4de]

Hello from Germany...

Over here Balistol is mentioned when ever someone is talking guns...In my family there were quite a few gun owners over the last 60+ years and all I have ever seen in their tool box were Balsitol products. Balsitol, according to certain older guys, is also good as a treatment for cuts in the skin!  I personally like it when it comes in spray cans. After spraying a gun the surface dries a bit and leaves a wax like finish. Balsitol also makes all kind of stock oils and other gun cleaning stuff. It is not good for cleaning BP barrels though. Over here mostly real BP is used and the best way to clean a barrel is still hot water, dish wash solution and a good brush. WD40 is not liked amongst gun folks since it has a lot of petroleum in it and tends to disappear after a while...when a weapon is put away for a rather long time. Weapons here in Germany spend most of their life locked up in safes or locked suitcases due to our crazy gun laws. It is not concidered normal to have guns openly hanging around in the house, not to mention keeping a loaded gun at home for self defense...

cheers
Uwe

[Scota4570]

I use Balistol.  I do not like the smell.  Nobody has mentioned LPS-3 for a long term preservative.  It sprays on wet ad dried like a takcy wax.  Never had any rust with it.  I also use ATF for every day oil.  ATF + acetone for penetrante.  ATF + STP for thick oil.  Bearing grease or lithium grease also.  Where I live the humidity is low so rust is not usually a problem. 

[WadePatton]

Lanolin (wool grease), NFO, tallow, RLO/BLO, beeswax, and pastewax tend to most of my preservation and lubrication chores.   

[Vomitus]

  Lots of water has passed under the bridge since this was posted! In MO, there are lots better.It stinks too!

[necchi]

  Lots of water has passed under the bridge since this was posted!

Yeah well, folks are still just discovering the stuff.
It has it's place in our modern times using modern reproductions of traditional guns.
It's not the Alpha and Omega, but it does have it's uses.

[TG]

In all 5 pages of posts, it is surprising to me that nobody has mentioned G96 or Barricade as rust protection for firearms. I'm sure there are many Barricade users out there...

[Hessian]

I use Ballistol, deer tallow, bear grease/oil, and WD40 (for water displacing). Keep your "firelocks" clean & lubed & you'll be fine. (Long term storage is better with grease.)
JMHO
Hessian

[IROCZ]

I use Ballistol and really like it.  It has not let me down yet in 10 years or so.  It also is great for cleaning corrosive priming out of old military bores.

[Dphariss]

Its just Mineral oil, Isobutyl Alcohol and some other stuff. Isobutyl Alcohol does not "does not readily absorb water from air" which is good.
They make a deal of its neutralizing acids but there are no acids  in BP fouling.
The rust preventative in Ballistol appears to be basically baby oil. 
High priced baby oil, but I assume its not scented.
Dan

[Dphariss]

In all 5 pages of posts, it is surprising to me that nobody has mentioned G96 or Barricade as rust protection for firearms. I'm sure there are many Barricade users out there...

I use G-96 almost exclusively for a rust preventative. I have used in in Iowa when I was a kid (then G-66), In VN (they sent some to me free as did Dri-Slide when Mom wrote them) where I used G-66/96 on this for the most part,



Since it was more prone to rust than the issue items were.
In Alaska and the mountain west. I have never had a reason to cuss it. Not so with with some other stuff. Break Free CLP for example builds up at an incredible rate.

So I stay with G-96 for protection and generally 0w30 Amsoil for lube for most places/arms.

Dan

[Hungry Horse]

 Since you are on a muzzleloading orientated forum I assume you are talking about muzzleloaders. My take on all this stuff is if you have to drive a vehicle to town, and pay money for it, you don't need it. The old timers kept these guns working just fine without spray bomb synthetic whiz bang oil with new all outdoors scent. That stinkin' stuff will scare game at twice muzzleloading range, especially hogs.

                  Hungry Horse

[Dphariss]

Since you are on a muzzleloading orientated forum I assume you are talking about muzzleloaders. My take on all this stuff is if you have to drive a vehicle to town, and pay money for it, you don't need it. The old timers kept these guns working just fine without spray bomb synthetic whiz bang oil with new all outdoors scent. That stinkin' stuff will scare game at twice muzzleloading range, especially hogs.

                  Hungry Horse

Thats why I always hunt down wind from the critters. If they smell the gun they can smell you.
Almost anything will work. Tallow on shooting patches will keep the bore from rusting is loaded for a few months.
We also have to remember that some of the things used in the past. Like Sperm Whale Oil, is unavailable now.
Sperm Whale Oil  is a pretty good patch lube since its lower friction than stuff like lard oil or tallow and will often shoot better. Its also an excellent lubricant.
Bear oil or other animal oils will work if they are properly rendered and they don't have any left over corrosive elements.

Dan

[Dphariss]

One other thing. Yeah I posted a photo of something not MLing.
But I have never used a ML under the conditions I used this Colt.  Period. And neither has anyone else here and this includes using MLs while guiding elk hunters during rainy and/or snowy "go arounds". They were only a week or 10 days and there were tents and sometimes cabins. I have wore this particular pistol in a shoulder holster when I was sleeping in water an inch or more deep. One tends to sink into the mud you know. Impossible to keep dry roll in a poncho and condensation will make you as wet as the rain almost. Bear oil and tallow or hog oil is not going to work in this situation without a lot more maintenance than the stinky modern stuff.
I figure if G-66 (96) will prevent rust under those conditions, its not going to fail is civilian life. Which by comparison is relatively dry even when its raining.

Dan

[TG]

Love that G96. I've used it for better than 40 years. It's been especially good for late season sink box water fowling, which can get really wet and really cold. Also, the guns don't freeze up.