What is in Fully Synthetic oil ?

[SmuvBoGa]

Gents,

The basic question is in the subject line - background info - a shooter at the range told me "The Secret" to a better muzzleloading lube - - add a tablespoon of synthetic motor oil to my Bwax & chrisco mix. I did; much slicker but the mini balls were too small, so melt them down & cast up. This was THE nastiest re-melt, I had flame ups (nothing new BUT not this often), thick smoke, AND yellow deposit all over the side of my pot. Yes I was inside - stupid is my sign.
2nd Question - guessing this is / was sulfure ? Would Fully Synthetic motor oil, Mobil 1, 10w - 30 cause the increased flamability & the deposits ?
The "Slick" was good but Lord what a mess with the remelting lubed minis. I question trying another brand of Syn oil - - the lube was slicker but seemed to dry out around the edges faster (approx 3 wks on the lubed mini's).
I welcome your thoughts, ideas.

JohnMc

[357maximum]

Most synthetic oils are made out of chemically synthesized plant oils using heat/pressure/chemicals. What that means I only have a small clue about and there ain't no way to splain something you do not fully understand.

[mack1]

I do not know about syn oil but caster oil works well for that but I have not melted any back down to see what happens.

[Boerrancher]

Mobil 1 when it first came out years ago was made from Porcine Lipids, or so I was told by a friend of mine who was a chemist for Exon-Mobil for a few years. He didn't say what was added to it as a stabilizer but did say the bulk of it was porcine. I know that there is also stabilizers that are added to synthetic oils that allow them to withstand much more heat than normal petro based oils will. These additives will raise the burning temp of the oil several hundred degrees. Hence when you added it to your hot lead pot, it was not hot enough to fully combust like petro based oils are and you got all of that nasty smoke. The combustion you did get was likely from your wax and vegetable shortening mix. The reason you got more flare ups was because the synthetic oil was acting as a retardant preventing it from fully burning off all at once. Keep in mind that this is mostly speculation based on what I was told many years ago and 4 years of biochemistry at the University, so please don't take it as gospel. As I said it is just mere speculation.

As far as using synthetic oil in your lube, if your gun likes it then I don't see a problem with it. You are not going to damage your gun in any way by using it, but I would bet even money that you won't see enough improvement to make it worth your while in the long run. For years I would play with the latest and greatest lube/solvent/what ever happen to come along. I finally give up and stuck to what I knew would work. I have found a few guns that wouldn't like a particular lube. My 50cal flinter does not like my bear grease and bees wax mix that I have been using as a hunting lube in my 50cals for 20 years or more. It fouls it up so badly it is impossible to load the sixth consecutive shot in it. It is still fine for deer hunting in the cold, but requires a bit more diligence than other lubes. I guess what I am trying to say is it is fine to try other things but in most cases the old tried and true methods are what you will end up with.

Best wishes,

Joe

[SmuvBoGa]

Gentlemen,

Thanks for your replies. All together it helps explain why there was so much black smoke & the flame ups, like a yo yo - cover the pot, uncover the pot, wooof smoke.
Think I may try some kroil in place of the syn oil - can't make a BIGGER mess.
Best I just go back to simple mix & not try for slicker.

JohnMc