Another cleaning question - why no gun oil

[Lovesbeer99]

I just noticed that now where does it say I should use gun oil on my BP gun. No one ever mentions cleaning it, then wiping with gun oil or running oil anywhere.

So I did I miss something or is that on purpose.

 

[mykeal]

It's on purpose. Gun oil is a petroleum distillate. Petroleum distillates react with black powder (and to a lesser degree black powder substitutes) combustion by-products to form a tar like material that is difficult to clean from the gun.

In practice there are areas in the action parts of revolvers and the lock parts of single shot guns that see little if any combustion by-products, and in those areas limited amounts of gun oil would be ok. However, it's generally best to just keep the gun oil away so that it doesn't inadvertently find it's way into an area where the reaction could occur.

There are a number of mineral oil based lubricants and corrosion preventatives that work as well as gun oil and which do not react with the combustion by-products, so their use is recommended in place of gun oil.

 

[Cpt. America]

What I normally do is use the Bore butter or nipple lube. I put it on a cleaning patch and run it through the barrel. Then I take a paper towel with some of the bore butter and rube the rifle down and take off excess with a clean paper towel. I don't know if its proper but it has worked for years. All three of my BP guns look like new and still shoot better than the day I bought them.

 

[Shultzhaus]

I use Ballistol. Seems to be a favorite of several others on this forum.

 

[whosyrdaddy]

Ballistol is now available through Amazon.com. Shipping estimates are rather optimistic since it is shipped ground only, but you will probably be unable to find it locally.

Here's the link.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_7_5?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=ballistol&sprefix=balli

 

[Afy]

I use WD 40

 

[jmaubin]

Another vote for ballistol.

 

[Lovesbeer99]

What about the trigger parts, the outside of the barrel, the hammer, and other external parts?

Thanks for all the responses.

 

[mykeal]

Treat them the same way. What works for the bore works elsewhere as well.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Another Ballistol user. I'm order from Midway often and buy the 16oz cans. At .47 an oz it's cheaper than a lot of other products.

 

[BlackNet]

Proof is in the pudding so they say.

Here's the low down on products like this.
http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/corrosion/corrosion.html

http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/corrosion/corrosion2.html

 

[mykeal]

Interesting information.

Of the 3 products that worked the best I believe the only one still available is Ballistol.

 

[sundance44s]

Ballistol can be hard to find ....I`ve always used WD40 ...I one time I tried olive oil on my black powder guns . But switched back to WD 40 . after the guns set in the safe for a few months , there was some nasty looking brown stain on the cleaning patches I ran to check the bores ....The ones I had set up with WD40 still had clean bores ...
I would use Ballistol if it were stocked on the shelves around here .

 

[Ginormous]

Ballistol is all I've ever used in recent memory for my guns, fishing reels, and pocket knives. I had no idea it was that effective at preventing corrosion though. Makes me feel pretty darned happy I have been using it.

Local gun shops in North Atlanta area carry both the 6 oz. spray cans and the 16 oz bulk cans pretty regularly.

 

[Old Cannonballs]

I like both Ballistol and Bore Butter, and use 'em both. Always have favored overkill.

 

[Phantom Captain]

Another very happy and satisfied Ballistol user here too. Been using it for years now on all my BP stuff. I buy the big bottles for use at home and take and always have a 6oz. spray can in my reenacting stuff. Does the job wonderfully.

Track of the Wolf sells it the cheapest and you can order your caps, powder and oil all in one place!

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(f2fdlk45igne2x45qon00zvh))/Search.aspx?Search=ballistol

I also order from Fall Creek Sutlers quite a bit as I'm in Indiana and they get it to me in 2-3 days tops. Scroll about 2/3rds of the way down the page.

http://fcsutler.com/fcfirearmaccessories.asp

 

[MISSEDSHOT]

Long term storage is one thing, for a gun such as a black-powder revolver that is shot and cleaned often, I use canola oil such as is used for cooking as a lubricant and rust preventive. It does dry out however and re-application is necessary often. It works well for me. Long term, I use Bore-Butter and or pure lard. Alcohol and a few caps through the cylinder and its' ready to load after a pick through the nipples.

 

[scrat]

borebutter on most parts. Graphite on the inner works

 

[samstone]

I like Dri Slide
http://www.uniquetek.com/site/696296/product/T1247

 

[armedandsafe]

The theory on using only "natural" products in the bore is the same reason you season a cast iron frying pan or dutch oven with fat or vegetable oil. The "natural" products will create a carbon bond with the iron which protects it. The carbon coating actually slicks and smooths the bore, also.

Residues are much easier to clean out of (wash off of) a carbonized iron surface than one without such a seasoning.

Just as an aside, Ballistol is rated safe for use in food processing machinery. So, I guess that means you don't have to worry about tainting your deer meat.

Pops

 

[armedandsafe]

Double tap

 

[bigbadgun]

I use ballistol when cleaning bore butter on the internals and nipples and when all is said and done balistol all over.

 

[fordlover35]

Treat them the same way. What works for the bore works elsewhere as well.

Thats is what i do and I have never had any trouble with mine.