"Ballistol" gun cleaner and lube

[HoosierQ]

You can get it at www.ragweedforge.com.

You mix it with water to make "moose milk" to clean corrosive powder residue from barrels. You do that because the corrosive material is a salt and the water disolves it so the Ballistol can carry it away.

Unless you are disolving a salt based corrosive agent, don't dilute. I think the converse is true too...so if you got corrosive ammo you need to dilute it to clean out the barrel.

When the Germans invented it prior to WWI, all ammo was corrosive. The ammo used in the M1 Garand was corrosive which is why you see them rebarreled.

In WWI the Germans put in on steel, wood, leather, FEET, horses, wounds...you name it, they used it.

 

[Manco]

Ballistol consists primarily of "white" mineral oil (petroleum-derived), C-5 alcohol (probably an amyl alcohol such as pentanol), various essential oils, and oleic acid (a common fatty acid in plants and animals); the latter allows the mineral oil to emulsify in water. While the mineral oil component is claimed to be pharmaceutical grade, I would advise against ingesting Ballistol or using it for medical purposes because of other components that may not be safe (including the alcohol and essential oils). There are variants of Ballistol (with different ingredients) that are pharmaceutical or food grade, but the original general-purpose type that is normally used on guns (often called "Sportsman's Oil" or "Multi-Purpose Lube") is not one of them.

The stuff works well for many purposes, particularly guns when black powder or ammo with corrosive primers are used, but for modern guns using modern ammo, almost any quality oil will work just about as well (and a few may be better in some ways). There's nothing wrong with using Ballistol, though--it's still one of the best overall. I currently don't because it smells funny and I've found other products that work fine for my purposes, but if I ever get into black powder guns, Ballistol is what I'd use on them.

 

[unknwn]

If water scares you, mix some with stoddard solvent (mineral spirits -same thing). Try just a little bit initially. If it doesn't do something untoward (curdle?) and is effective, mix a larger batch.
Stoddard solvent can be totally removed with steamy hot water & then air dry using compressed air. Nothing gets cleaner than that.
There again, you don't HAVE to wash stoddard solvent with hot water, it is just faster, and will leave NO residue if you do use "steamy" hot water.

 

[Kylima]

I use it about 30 yrs - no problems

 

[Manco]

According to their website, it is used medicinally in Germany and is safe to ingest.

Well, you could probably get away with ingesting a lot of questionable substances if you're lucky, but I still wouldn't advise it. If anybody needs to swallow mineral oil for some reason (massive constipation? ), then use pure pharmaceutical grade mineral oil rather than regular Ballistol with its additives. The straight mineral oil should work fine on your guns, too--most just aren't that picky.

May need to find some, sounds like an interesting substance.

It's just mineral oil with some additives that are useful for certain purposes, particularly when old types of ammunition are used. That said, while nothing in it is unusual, it is extremely versatile and decently priced.

How much is it compared to Breakfree?

When I bought it, Ballistol was significantly less expensive than Break-Free CLP, and I believe that is still the case (at least in the US). I think it works better as a cleaner and lube, too, in addition to being far less toxic. On the negative side for Ballistol, Break-Free appears to be a more effective protectant, although Ballistol does an acceptable job in this regard, as gun oils go. Between the two and as a CLP, I much prefer Ballistol overall (although I now use Weapon Shield because I think it's better than both ...not that it matters much, truthfully...).

 

[heavyshooter]

You mix it with water to make "moose milk" to clean corrosive powder residue from barrels. You do that because the corrosive material is a salt and the water disolves it so the Ballistol can carry it away.

Unless you are disolving a salt based corrosive agent, don't dilute.

That's what I'm looking for. Thanks Guys.