Coconut oil bar and beeswax bullet lube

[Hang Fire]

I did a search and got nada.

Several years ago the wife was going to throw away some coconut oil bars for popcorn, as she said it was getting old.

I took it out to the shop and used some for C&B handgun lube as I noticed it was firm, but not hard and did not run in hot weather. It worked good, so put the remaining bars in a can, set aside and then forgot about it. We are often gone for a couple three months in the summer and here in this part of Arizona it gets hot, like 125 degrees is not uncommon. In the closed garage without the cooler on, it gets “VERY HOT”.

After setting for few years, I stumbled upon the can and the coconut oil bars looked the same as when I put them there, same consistency, they had not melted or separated and it was not rancid.

Like so many others, I started playing around and the formula I arrived at best for me was 70% coconut oil bar and 30% beeswax melted together (others mileage may vary) and it does not separate. It works fine in my old #45 lubrisizer and I now use it for smokeless or black powder.

Not saying this is an end all eureka concoction, just that it is a very simple mix from readily available ingredients. It works for me better than any commercial lubes I have used and it is nice to go into the garage on a hot day and not seeing Alox/NRA formula leaking all over Hades from the lubrisizer.

Note: The Lou-Ana brand coconut oil bar I use also contains small amounts of soybean and cotton seed oils which label says is for stability.

[geargnasher]

Interesting, thanks for sharing. What did you shoot it in, and how was the accuracy?

Gear

[Dannix]

Interesting indeed. Subscribed.

[sundog]

Uh, yeah. That's the same stuff people eat, huh?

[geargnasher]

Coconut grease really does make the best popcorn ever. Learned it from an old Bohemian theater owner with (now) 61 years of experience making it in fine old machines from the '20s. Light, sweet, and NO butter required.

Gear

[Hang Fire]

Interesting, thanks for sharing. What did you shoot it in, and how was the accuracy?

Gear

Shoot it in my milsurps etc., handguns like .45 acp, .45 LC, C&B and BPC guns. Accuracy is good, on par or bit better maybe than the old NRA formula which have used for years for smokeless. Except for 30-30 one time, I have never pushed velocities over 2,000 fps (per book, as have no chrony) and have had no leading.

I gave some to a friend from back east who is an occasional BPR competitor and he swears by it.

[Oyeboten]

Hmmmm!


Good to know.

Probably be a fine Lube for Smokeless Cartridge also.

[Sonnypie]

And...
It smells like the Coppertone Girl. :veryconfu

:popcorn:

[Hang Fire]

Did a Google search of coconut oil for cast bullet lube, and lets just say there is nothing new under the sun as it has been used for such over the years. Found two old Castboolit threads about it. (did a search here at CB on coconut oil for bullet lube and got nothing, guess my wording for search question was wrong)

Pure coconut oil has a melting temp of 76 degreees, but once it is hydrogenated with other oils at high temp, the melting point can go way up. Also found that coconut oil can be stored at room temp for years without oxidizing or going rancid and remain safe for human food consumption.