Ballistol?

[Hi-Speed]

Anyone have luck with Ballistol as a bore cleaner with cast bullets?

[trails4u]

It's the only one I use.

[DaveTNC]

I use it. I spray it down the barrel and let it soak a couple minutes than run a brush and some patches through it.

I don't know if/how it works on leading, though. I haven't had any to speak of yet.

[Walks]

I've used it, can't complain. ED's RED works better.

[big bore 99]

works for me.

[Hi-Speed]

Ed’s Red (Ed Harris) he worked at Ruger. I grew up not far from Ruger’s plant in Southport, CT. CT was the center of firearms at one time...sad how things change.

[Chill Wills]

I've used it, can't complain. ED's RED works better.

Yes. And I have found ER pulls lead out of the barrel fairly well.
It takes a really tight patch to get it out.
I used to use ER and then shoot the next time with out removing ER. I would get leading again. Now after a good cleaning with ER I dry the barrel and patch it with Ballistol, which is easier than my bullet lube on a patch.
I think the barrel steel coated with ER was pulling lead.... off my bullets too.

The new system finishing up with Ballistol works well. A little of the correct lube in a freshly cleaned barrel might prevent galling.

[Markopolo]

I use it on everything... rusty tools, bullet lube stuf, fixin wax, hmmmm bore cleaner, fish bait... hunting cover scent, stiff joints, cooking oil... :kidding:

Really good stuff though..

[Hi-Speed]

Germans used it to even treat minor wounds.

[jmort]

I use it, a lot.
It is the only wet lubrucant I will use on a lock as it never gums up.
The original CLP

[lefty o]

make sure to put ear plugs in your nose first, to bypass the month old dirty sock smell. LOL

[Peregrine]

Wish I could find a source for here up in Canada, i've been absorbing the mythos of it for years. I'm stuck with G96 for now. :(

[Petrol & Powder]

237572

I have a shelf full of oils, greases, cleaners, solvents.......
But these four will get the job done.

Kroil for cleaning the bore after shooting cast bullets.
Good old Hoppes #9 for cleaning the bore after using jacketed bullets
Clenzoil is an excellent all-around cleaner/lubricant
and RIG for long term storage of ferrous metals.

You could round out that selection with a little tube of lithium grease for sliding surfaces under load such as sears.

Lead fouling isn't dissolved, it is removed by mechanical means. A penetrating oil like Kroil helps to unlock the lead from the surface it is stuck on (like the grooves in the bore). I've also had good luck with turpentine.

Copper fouling can be dissolved and this is where one of the ammonia based solvents are helpful. There are many available but good old Hoppes#9 still works.

Clenzoil is kind of a regional thing but I've found it to be one of the best CLP's out there. If I was restricted to just ONE product for firearm's care, it would be Clenzoil.

I'm old school and RIG has never let me down. If you need to store something for a long time - RIG is the way to go.

There have been times in my life when plain old ATF was my gun oil and it works just fine. It's no longer my go-to gun oil but I know I could use it in a pinch and it will work just fine.

And Ballistol is a good product but I use it on some wood and leather items. As a bore cleaner with cast, it will work but I still prefer Kroil.

[WRideout]

I have found ballistol to be excellent for cleaning black powder fouling from my in-line muzzle loader.

Wayne

[country gent]

I use a lot of Ballistol here. Ive even taken to using it as a cutting oil for light machining drilling and tapping. When It came out it was the do all solvent of the day

[stubshaft]

I use Ballistol to oil the bore after cleaning. I use Kroil and a bristle brush with a wrap of bronze wool to clean the barrel.

[Conditor22]

Anyone try 50/50 acetone/ATF mix, it's supposed to be better than Kroil

Haven't got any leading to try it on yet (I size all my barrels before sizing the boolits and I PC/HiTek everything [knock on wood])

[Hi-Speed]

I’m reluctant to use acetone, too toxic...but whatever works for you, I’ll never criticize.

[kywoodwrkr]

I have found ballistol to be excellent for cleaning black powder fouling from my in-line muzzle loader.

Wayne
Ballistol was developed for BP weapons as I understand it.
Specifically German military weapons end of 19th century beginning of 20th.
It was only thing I could find which allowed cleaning of items which were smoked in a house fire.
ie. Black plastic based smoke-you have to experience it to understand how obstinate the 'smoke' is.
YMMV
Thanks.

[cas]

I love Ballistol, but I'm pretty sure the Germans were trying to invent tear gas or something when they accidentally came up with it. :)

[jmort]

I find the smell pleasant.
I am singular in this, it seems.

[Petrol & Powder]

I like the smell of Kroil but then I also like the smell of diesel exhaust, so I'm pretty weird. ;)

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I like the smell of Kroil but then I also like the smell of diesel exhaust, so I'm pretty weird. ;)

I'm right with you on that Ballistol is just about all i use now that and Kroil

[smoked turkey]

jmort, your post ..."I find the smell pleasant. I am singular in this, it seems."
I'm reading along and keep seeing innuendos from those not liking the smell of Ballistol. All the while I am thinking that I sort of like the smell. So after seeing your post and not wanting you to be all alone out there, I wanted to join you and say that I also find it pleasant. To each is own I guess. I also find it to be good on my black powder guns. I still use warm, soapy water for the initial clean up, but I usually to back and reclean with Ballistol as insurance against corrosion.

[jmort]

People from Southern Missouri are superior
Hillbilly wisdom

[EDG]

There is an exhaustive internet test of 46 different products for firearms corrosion resistance and lubricity.
The guy made an unbiased test of all of those products at the same time under the same conditions.
I will not tell you what tested the best but Ballistol was one of the mediocre performers. At least 15 or 20 of the other materials out performed it. One of the other products is one that I have used with excellent results for about 20 years and my choice finished about #4. There are a lot of products that people swear by turned out to be duds compared to the best performers.

http://www.dayattherange.com/?page_id=3667

[jmort]

I saw this test and many others over the years. Eezox used to be the best at corrosion protection, no more. The top performer, overall was Hornady One Shot Gun Cleaner and Lube. It is toxic if that matters. Look at their "MSDS," their term, and it is one toxic potion that absorbs right through your skin. Some do not care, I really do. It is an OK cleaner. There is no true CLP that will be a top corrosion champion, dominate in friction reduction, and clean like crazy. I will pick the non-toxic products every time. I have tried Frog Lube and found that it gums up if used as a lube, but is a great lube. It fails at cleaning. But if you warm up your gun metal and let it soak in and wipe it off real good, it really excells at rust prevention and is the only non-toxic product that does so. I will continue to use Ballistol as it is non-toxic and not only is safe on wood and plastic, but helps wood and plastic. I did note that its order was describe as "perfume" as were a couple other products. Also, and importantly, it does not gum up. The only non-toxic that will not gum up. There really is no true CLP that ranks high in every test and use. It the end, you would be best served to find a cleaner you love, a rust preventor you love and a lube that you love. And for a lube, one lighter and one that is a grease. Regardless, I will stick with non-toxic solutions.

[dragon813gt]

I use a lot of Ballistol. Buy it by the gallon and have lots of hand pump bottles and needle oilers filled w/ it. There are aerosol cans of it throughout the house and on my work van. But I do not use it as a bore cleaner. While it works it does a poor job and requires soak time. If I need to clean a bore I will use an actual solvent. Which is going to be toxic in nature.

Ballistol is not the best at anything. But it’s non toxic and doesn’t destroy the finish on anything firearms related. I can spray it on liberally, wipe off and go about my business. Routine maintenance keeps everything well oiled so I don’t worry about corrosion. Which is a major issue where I live. If I really want to prevent corrosion I use RIG grease. There’s nothing else that comes close.

Everyone has their preferred solvents and oils. My bench has Ballistol, Hoppes #9 and Kroil on it at all times. There may be better but this is what works for me. While I don’t like the smell of Ballistol. I’ve learned to live w/ it. Doesn’t bother me like it used to. But it lingers for a long time. A rag soaked in it that’s thrown in the trash can will smell for days if not weeks. This is really noticeable in my work van due to the small volume.

I use Ballistol on everything that needs to be oiled. Just oiled the door hinges in my house and may have to do it again in about five years. In a few weeks when it warms up every gun will be pulled out of the safe and oiled w/ liberal amounts of Ballistol.

[osteodoc08]

MSDS for Hornady product:

https://press.hornady.com/assets/pcthumbs/tmp/1410992901-MSDS-One-Shot---Gun-Cleaner---Dry-Lube--One-Shot---TAP---HD-Extreme.pdf

[jmort]

That is what I read. Nasty witches brew that works real good. Absorbs right through the skin.
No matter how good it is, not for me.

[beemer]

I bought a bottle of Ballistol and gave it away, it literally makes me gag and I almost threw up. Don't know why but someone can have my share.

[JWFilips]

Well the Germans did do it right The only thing close ( if not better) for cast bullets is Gunzilla. I'm always amazed at how it gets under leading and floats it off with just a tight patch after a few hours! ( both of these are supposed to be organic)

[W.R.Buchanan]

I started using Ballistol about a year ago. The smell does bug me to the point that I actually asked the guys at the Ballistol Booth at the SHOT Show if the secret ingredient was Cat Pee?

They said it was a secret.

The stuff works on everything and other than the smell, which does go away eventually, I like it.

I read an article in Handloader or Rifle Mag about it and that's what got me started. Apparently the Germans used it in the trenches in WWI and Hitler drank the stuff to deal with Intestinal Problems. Apparently he almost OD'd on the stuff. Too bad he didn't drink more and we could have avoided WWII.

Randy

[Froogal]

Anyone try 50/50 acetone/ATF mix, it's supposed to be better than Kroil

Haven't got any leading to try it on yet (I size all my barrels before sizing the boolits and I PC/HiTek everything [knock on wood])

50/50 acetone and ATF is supposed to be the magic formula for loosening a badly rusted and stuck antique tractor engine. I tried it. Didn't work.

[dragon813gt]

The 50/50 mix is a penetrating oil. And depending on how seized the items are the more soak time it might need. It creeps more than any commercial penetrating oil. But PB Blaster, Kroil and Liquid Wrench come prepackaged and aren’t as toxic. I’ve found any one of those three to meet my needs. Liquid Wrench has worked the fastest for what I need it for. And I can buy it at Walmart and not worry if some gets on my hands. I try to limit my exposure to solvents as much as possible. I’ve worked w/ nasty chemicals for to long.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

50/50 acetone and ATF is supposed to be the magic formula for loosening a badly rusted and stuck antique tractor engine. I tried it. Didn't work.

I tried it too and no it did not work for me ether

[indian joe]

I have found ballistol to be excellent for cleaning black powder fouling from my in-line muzzle loader.

Wayne

Water is the premier black powder solvent - dont need anythin added to it ??

[dragon813gt]

Water is the premier black powder solvent - dont need anythin added to it ??

The reason for mixing the two is once the water evaporates the Ballistol is still there to prevent rusting. Nothing wrong w/ straight water. I would never run Ballistol water mix and stop there. But for the short term it would provide some corrosion protection until you can properly oil the barrel.

[500Linebaughbuck]

ballistol is my first choice for cleaning guns. gunslicks foaming bore cleaner is the best thing for bores.

i like the smell of ballistol, i use it for cologne!!!!

[Bazoo]

I couldnt get past the smell to try it on anything. Wife and I both hated it.

[reivertom]

Ballistol is great for use in (and on) Black Powder firearms to prevent rust in the bore during storage. I also clean my muzzleloaders with it 50/50 solution with water. I remove it from guns I'm taking in the woods to hunt because of the strong smell. The smell isn't horrible, but I wouldn't want to smell it more than I had to.

[dragon813gt]

I’ve come to realize the smell doesn’t really bother me anymore. Used a lot of it today after cleaning up some tools w/ Evaporust. Before I would almost gag if a drop was used. Now I barely notice it. The lingering smell from rags in the waste basket is usually when I notice it the most.

[lefty o]

I’ve come to realize the smell doesn’t really bother me anymore. Used a lot of it today after cleaning up some tools w/ Evaporust. Before I would almost gag if a drop was used. Now I barely notice it. The lingering smell from rags in the waste basket is usually when I notice it the most.

your nose has died!

[dragon813gt]

your nose has died!

It hasn’t. I don’t notice it due to exposure over a long period of time. Every other human will do the same thing. When you walk into a barn you notice the smell. If you stay in be barn the smell is present but you don’t notice it anymore. I mention that because I hated helping a friend out on his dairy farm. The smell of the barn when I walked in was putrid. But five minutes later I didn’t notice it any more.

[Bent Ramrod]

I was a chemist in a previous life, so most smells don’t bother me.

I was also an experimental scientist, and had to design experiments to prove various things. I read that “exhaustive Internet test” of gun cleaner/lubricant/preservative offerings and found the test conditions were ridiculous. The only relation they would have to gun maintenance is if you’re worried about that gun on the foredeck of your WWII submarine.

My gun safe has no salt spray mister (I ordered the basic package; no frills :mrgreen:). Downgrading a cleaner/preservative whose function is to form an emulsion in water because one finds to one’s surprise and shock that it doesn’t stay on a surface under a constant spray of water is like saying a strike-out pitcher is no good because he only bats .150.

Here’s a “torture test” for a gun cleaner/preservative: a small-caliber muzzleloading rifle. There’s essentially only one outlet, and the internal volume is small. Any moisture left from cleaning will stay in there from lack of air circulation and wind up on the cleaned bore. I used to clean with dish soap and water, dry with acetone and swab the bore with whatever cleaner and preservative was touted, from Hoppe’s to RIG. Whatever I used, if I didn’t check in a day or two, there would be red on the surface of a cleaning patch; a bloom of fine, red rust.

I now clean all blackpowder firearms with Ballistol/water followed by Ballistol. In the case of the muzzleloader, no red ever shows up on patches any more. Nor on any other gun. After the normal cleaning of barrel and cylinder, I can spray the straight stuff into the mechanism of cap&ball revolvers and only take them completely apart for cleaning once a year, and the “mud” of Ballistol mixed with black powder fouling found inside doesn’t affect the springs, sears and surfaces at all.

So to me, the smell of Ballistol is the smell of a well-cleaned black powder gun that I don’t have to worry about, even if it stays in storage for a year before I get back to it. As Harry Pope said about his favorite cleaner, “There may be a better product on the market, but LET GEORGE USE IT!”

[KenT7021]

I have seen numerous statements about the German Army use of Ballistol.The book Rifle and Carbine 98 by Dieter Storz has a section on the cleaners and preservatives used by the German Army.Ballistol is not mentioned.

[barnabus]

I find the smell pleasant.
I am singular in this, it seems.

i kinda like it to.,,

[sparky45]

It's an acquired smell. At first I didn't like it at all, now I do + it works very well.

[GregLaROCHE]

I am a firm believer in Ballistol. Works well for all sorts of things. Metal, wood and leather.

After a life of using and abusing a lot of petroleum products, mostly diesel, I have developed an allergy to them. I am very sensitive to the smell and if I get some on my hands, (petrochemical products) I can quickly taste it in my mouth. It’s strange how your body can change with age.

Ballistol was developed before the first WW. At that time petroleum wasn’t used much. It is a mix of natural oils. That’s why it is said you can drink it. It doesn’t bother my petroleum allergy at all.

I also use castor oil to lubricant my guns and other machinery for the same reason. It’s all natural too and works great.

[EDG]

Perhaps you do not read the labels of every prescription med you consume. Almost everything has some effect on you if you touch it, drink or breathe it. Got an allergy? Wash you clothes with soap? Handle fired brass with primer residue? Have a case tumbler? Breathe the essence of gun powder?
Expose your skin to the sun? Get X rays? Smoke cigarettes? Drink alcohol?

Witches brew? Come on read the definition of mineral oil.
Mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of higher alkanes from a mineral source, particularly a distillate of petroleum.

Perhaps you have not read the MSDS of many products including Ballistol.

Ballistol contains medicinal grade mineral oil, alkaline salts of oleic acid, several alcohols, Benzyl Acetate and an oil from vegetal seeds. The mineral oil is unchlorinated and conforms to the specifications of US Pharmacopeia XX.

Ballistol aerosols contain A-70 (a Butane, Propane blend ) as propellants. The pressure inside the full can is 7-7.5 bars. Ballistol aerosols contain 14% Isohexane as a thinner.

I am pretty sure the mineral oil in and isobutyl alcohol is also absorbed through your skin.
You might want to stop at Harbor Freight and invest in several boxes of nitrile rubber gloves.



That is what I read. Nasty witches brew that works real good. Absorbs right through the skin.
No matter how good it is, not for me.

[EDG]

Sorry but you need to read the definition of mineral oil. It is a petroleum distillate- meaning it come from the distillation of crude oil just like diesel, gasoline and kerosene and many other things. It is not correct to say it is natural unless you consider crude oil natural too.

If you think it has no effect on a human you are very wrong. When it is used for a cutting oil the mist will have a laxative effect on anyone that breathes it. You should not drink it...



I am a firm believer in Ballistol. Works well for all sorts of things. Metal, wood and leather.

After a life of using and abusing a lot of petroleum products, mostly diesel, I have developed an allergy to them. I am very sensitive to the smell and if I get some on my hands, (petrochemical products) I can quickly taste it in my mouth. It’s strange how your body can change with age.

Ballistol was developed before the first WW. At that time petroleum wasn’t used much. It is a mix of natural oils. That’s why it is said you can drink it. It doesn’t bother my petroleum allergy at all.

I also use castor oil to lubricant my guns and other machinery for the same reason. It’s all natural too and works great.

[EDG]

Apparently you have never subjected anything to an accelerated environmental test. You don't test based on your environment at home. You test based on the worst case the test item may be exposed to. That includes a duck blind in a salt water environment. Those tests are for items that actually get used. Sitting in your gun safe is hardly a test environment.

The test protocol in that corrosion test is very similar the testing required by the US government for military items. Since many or most gun designs are related to military development those tests are reasonable for use on consumer firearms. In fact many of the firearms we use were actually military surplus.

How do you think they prove an airplane used on a Navy aircraft carrier will not turn into a pile of corrosion? Most items including firearms purchased by the US military have to be treated with one or more chemical finishes, plating or paint to protect it from the environment. Then samples of the items have to be tested in a 96 hour salt fog chamber at 100°F. There is a standard test protocol for it. The standard is ASTM B117.

You might also want to review MIL-STD_810. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIL-STD-810
The government specifies specific finishes and finish processes for most common materials including metals and woods. The government also specifies how to test for corrosion resistance on the test item. The government also specifies that the corrosion prevention treatment processes be qualified and
re-qualified periodically.
If you want to review the theory behind corrosion prevention check out a copy of Corrosion Engineering by Mars G Fontana PHD.
The late Dr. Fontana was one of the top experts in both academia and industry in the field of corrosion engineering.

https://corrosion-doctors.org/Biographies/FontanaBio.htm

Finally I would suggest that you read a copy of the Ballistol MSDS because there are NO magic ingredients in it.... That was also proven by the rust on the test samples.
I know it might be painful but that is the purpose of standardized tests. It makes no difference what kind of myth you believe in or what your opinion is. The test is the same for all products. It proves some work better than others.



I was a chemist in a previous life, so most smells don’t bother me.

I was also an experimental scientist, and had to design experiments to prove various things. I read that “exhaustive Internet test” of gun cleaner/lubricant/preservative offerings and found the test conditions were ridiculous. The only relation they would have to gun maintenance is if you’re worried about that gun on the foredeck of your WWII submarine.

My gun safe has no salt spray mister (I ordered the basic package; no frills :mrgreen:). Downgrading a cleaner/preservative whose function is to form an emulsion in water because one finds to one’s surprise and shock that it doesn’t stay on a surface under a constant spray of water is like saying a strike-out pitcher is no good because he only bats .150.

Here’s a “torture test” for a gun cleaner/preservative: a small-caliber muzzleloading rifle. There’s essentially only one outlet, and the internal volume is small. Any moisture left from cleaning will stay in there from lack of air circulation and wind up on the cleaned bore. I used to clean with dish soap and water, dry with acetone and swab the bore with whatever cleaner and preservative was touted, from Hoppe’s to RIG. Whatever I used, if I didn’t check in a day or two, there would be red on the surface of a cleaning patch; a bloom of fine, red rust.

I now clean all blackpowder firearms with Ballistol/water followed by Ballistol. In the case of the muzzleloader, no red ever shows up on patches any more. Nor on any other gun. After the normal cleaning of barrel and cylinder, I can spray the straight stuff into the mechanism of cap&ball revolvers and only take them completely apart for cleaning once a year, and the “mud” of Ballistol mixed with black powder fouling found inside doesn’t affect the springs, sears and surfaces at all.

So to me, the smell of Ballistol is the smell of a well-cleaned black powder gun that I don’t have to worry about, even if it stays in storage for a year before I get back to it. As Harry Pope said about his favorite cleaner, “There may be a better product on the market, but LET GEORGE USE IT!”

[Bent Ramrod]

Admittedly, the only environmental testing I remember doing with metal coupons involved standing them up half their height in solutions of corrosives and measuring the mils lost over time. But this was at least a reasonable model for what we were trying to determine—the extent to which the inside of partially-filled storage tanks would corrode, especially at the interface between air and liquid. A test comprising all of the most severe conditions we could think of inflicting upon the coupons would have proved nothing worthwhile to us.

Most of my environmental testing involved artificial aging of composite materials by various regimens of thermal cycling or holding at temperatures. These tests did little besides assure the military officers and civilian program managers in the audience that something was being done, but they knew as well as I did that life is infinitely stranger than anything anybody can cook up in a lab, particularly if it involves long periods of time. At best, such tests cull out mixtures which should have been suspect by the time they got to such testing, and at worst, they're like the guy who lost his car keys in the dark alley but looks for them under the street light because the light is better there.

So I still don’t see the applicability of that salt spray test in firearm maintenance. (Given, that I am not in a state of War at this time.) Even if I dropped a gun out of a duck boat into a salt marsh, after fishing it out, the cleaning regimen would be fresh water, then water/Ballistol, then pure Ballistol, same as ever. With the same results as ever, as expected.

But hey; I’m an easygoing guy. Just because I don’t insist that everybody else use something that has endured the worst test conditions I can look up in a book doesn’t mean such preservatives aren’t applicable in certain cases. Everybody can decide for themselves, and report what works best for them, as I have. Certainly somebody who loses their gun overboard and decides to leave it in the drink until next hunting season needs the added protection. And some time in the future, if I have need to store my firearms on a beach between low and high tide marks, I will certainly revisit the test and see what is best for those conditions. Until then, Ballistol uber alles, for Black Powder guns, anyway.

[GregLaROCHE]

It is interesting to know Ballistol has pharmaceutical mineral oil in it. I would like to know what percent. I can’t see it being that much, since Ballistol is water soluble. I wouldn’t be surprised if the oil from seeds is castor oil or even canola oil. The original plant that canola oil comes from was originally grown to make machinery oil in the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.

I know mineral oil is derived from petroleum. The refinement must be extensive and produce a very pure oil. Mineral oil doesn’t bother me and I have and do use it on guns. I have drunk it several times to cure severe constipation after a hospital stay.

I still feel Ballistol is less toxic than most other gun cleaners and protectants. I also like that it can be used on wood and leather.

[jmort]

^^^ you can get it on your skin. No problem. Good for metal, wood, leather, plastic.
It is the best all around CLP. It does not gum-up. For over a century it has done its duty. Don't like it, buy something else. Most hand-creams and many other skin care products contain mineral oil.
Hickok45 did a lot to bring Ballistol to people's attention.
He has been using it exclusively for 20 years.
Take it, or keave it.


https://youtu.be/DZf4mUM10Vc


https://youtu.be/hDXyJSMujFQ


https://youtu.be/kwK3j615734

[edp2k]

So I still don’t see the applicability of that salt spray test in firearm maintenance.

You obviously didn't read the whole test.
In addition to a one-time salt spray, he placed another sample set outside exposed to the elements (rain, etc.) that had NOT been exposed
to a salt spray.

In addition to those 2, he performed a 3rd test where he placed a 3rd sample set indoors in the living area in his house.
This is similar to your proposed "put it in the gun safe" test, however I find it interesting that you didn't mention that
in the midst of your criticisms of his testing protocol.

[EDG]

You can answer many of your own questions by merely reading the MSDS.
The MSDS says the mineral oil content is 30% to 60%.
The oil is nothing but petroleum oil. It is not any sort of plant based oil.
The CAS (chemical abstract service) registry number is 8042-47-5. This is nothing but mineral oil.
This is the EPA file on mineral oil per the CAS number.

Ballistol is not a food product.
This text is also contained in the MSDS so I would not recommend consuming it.

Quote
24.18% of the mixture consists of ingredient(s) of unknown acute toxicity (Oral)
39.24% of the mixture consists of ingredient(s) of unknown acute toxicity (Dermal)
15.06% of the mixture consists of ingredient(s) of unknown acute toxicity (Inhalation (Vapours))

The whole point of the corrosion test is not to find a product you can consume it was to find an effective corrosion prevention material. If you chose to use an inferior product that is your choice but don't chose to use it because you think it is safe to consume because it isn't. Choosing gun care products based on toxicity is sort of ironic. If avoidance of toxicity were your main goals you would not be casting bullets.
I would recommend a box of disposable nitrile rubber gloves from Harbor Freight are more effective for protecting you from gun related chemicals.
Your post contains speculation, assumptions and personal feelings. None of those are as reliable as the facts from the MSDS.



It is interesting to know Ballistol has pharmaceutical mineral oil in it. I would like to know what percent. I can’t see it being that much, since Ballistol is water soluble. I wouldn’t be surprised if the oil from seeds is castor oil or even canola oil. The original plant that canola oil comes from was originally grown to make machinery oil in the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.

I know mineral oil is derived from petroleum. The refinement must be extensive and produce a very pure oil. Mineral oil doesn’t bother me and I have and do use it on guns. I have drunk it several times to cure severe constipation after a hospital stay.

I still feel Ballistol is less toxic than most other gun cleaners and protectants. I also like that it can be used on wood and leather.

[EDG]

Actually based on the test protocol it is not the best of anything based on facts and evidence of a real test. You have not proven anything because you have not tested it. The author of the test also tested many other better and worse chemicals at the same time to provide comparative evidence of corrosion prevention.

hickok ran no tests on the stuff. You guys are picking a product based on skin contact yet you are not so fussy about touching lead?
I would not spend money to use a known inferior product. Want skin protection wear nitrile rubber gloves because the following are the facts about Ballistol per their own MSDS. You have assumed it is safe. They are saying the toxicity is unknown....

Quote

24.18% of the mixture consists of ingredient(s) of unknown acute toxicity (Oral)
39.24% of the mixture consists of ingredient(s) of unknown acute toxicity (Dermal)
15.06% of the mixture consists of ingredient(s) of unknown acute toxicity (Inhalation (Vapours))

End Quote

I find your logic and comments contradictory at best. Here you are a proponent of a product mostly because you think you can get it on your skin.
Yet over in Our Town you posted the following about WipeOut bore cleaner products without regard to safety, skin contact or chemical contents:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?379267-Wipe-out-cleaner

Quote of your post at Our Town

I use most all their products
Great stuff
For copper, lead, plactic wad residue, whatever.
Great products.
Not just Wipe Out and Patch Out, check out their whole line.

End Quote

So what gives?
You seem to have 2 different stories.



[QUOTE=jmort;4611668]^^^ you can get it on your skin. No problem. Good for metal, wood, leather, plastic.
It is the best all around CLP. It does not gum-up. For over a century it has done its duty. Don't like it, buy something else. Most hand-creams and many other skin care products contain mineral oil.
Hickok45 did a lot to bring Ballistol to people's attention.
He has been using it exclusively for 20 years.
Take it, or keave it.

[GregLaROCHE]

Some things never change. The battle about Ballistol. Most either love it or hate it.

[ukrifleman]

I use Ballistol for cleaning storage and lubing my rifles, I don't mind the smell, but it does make me cough!

I use it straight from the bottle not in aerosols, so no airborne solvents.

One of the biggest advantages is that is harmless to the skin even it gets into cuts, as it acts as an antiseptic.

ukrifleman

[jmort]

Some things never change. The battle about Ballistol. Most either love it or hate it.

Pretty much
Don't like it
Don't buy it
Simple deal

[Markopolo]

I live on an island with severe salt water weather.. everything rusts, and I mean everything.. I think even plastic parts rust here. But stuff I use straight balistol on, doesn’t rust. I go through bottles of it... it is Alaska tuff. And when folks get mad at me, I just spray a little on them, and it removes rusty crusty attitudes as well.. I just use it.

Marko

[JWFilips]

I can tell you an interesting story about Baillistol! I do a lot of 18th Century gun work. Not my favorite thing but I Slow Cold brown a lot of barrels in the past. There is always a problem of stopping the browning action ( something I am used to ) However one of the last browning jobs I did I decided to try Balistol after a caustic wash and Oiling proved it was unable to neutralize the acid browning solution....ballistol stopped it dead! Leading me to believe that it neutralizes acids!
Just my 2 cents

[John 242]

I can tell you an interesting story about Baillistol! I do a lot of 18th Century gun work. Not my favorite thing but I Slow Cold brown a lot of barrels in the past. There is always a problem of stopping the browning action ( something I am used to ) However one of the last browning jobs I did I decided to try Balistol after a caustic wash and Oiling proved it was unable to neutralize the acid browning solution....ballistol stopped it dead! Leading me to believe that it neutralizes acids!
Just my 2 cents

Ever try 1 table spoon of baking soda to 1 gallon of water to neutralize your browning solution?

[greenjoytj]

I use watered down Ballistol for a dry patch lube and for cleaning BP fouling.
I don’t like the odour, I wish the manufacturer would make a de-odourized version or at least don’t compound the odour problem by adding perfume scent.

[Big Wes]

Diesel exhaust is America's perfume!

[EDG]

You apparently do not get it that not everyone lives in southern Arizona. At the typical relative humidity in Arizona there is very little corrosion even when NO corrosion preventing product is used. The same thing happens in my house where the air conditioner keeps the relative humidity low. You could move to the Gulf Coast and your statements would not be accurate. They are certainly not accurate for people living in a more corrosive climate than Arizona. Attributing the lack of rust to Ballistol when you live in a low humidity environment is misleading. The US Government has long use the salt fog test as a way to determine corrosion resistance for military hardware including firearms, air craft and other military hardware.


I was a chemist in a previous life, so most smells don’t bother me.

I was also an experimental scientist, and had to design experiments to prove various things. I read that “exhaustive Internet test” of gun cleaner/lubricant/preservative offerings and found the test conditions were ridiculous. The only relation they would have to gun maintenance is if you’re worried about that gun on the foredeck of your WWII submarine.

My gun safe has no salt spray mister (I ordered the basic package; no frills :mrgreen:). Downgrading a cleaner/preservative whose function is to form an emulsion in water because one finds to one’s surprise and shock that it doesn’t stay on a surface under a constant spray of water is like saying a strike-out pitcher is no good because he only bats .150.

Here’s a “torture test” for a gun cleaner/preservative: a small-caliber muzzleloading rifle. There’s essentially only one outlet, and the internal volume is small. Any moisture left from cleaning will stay in there from lack of air circulation and wind up on the cleaned bore. I used to clean with dish soap and water, dry with acetone and swab the bore with whatever cleaner and preservative was touted, from Hoppe’s to RIG. Whatever I used, if I didn’t check in a day or two, there would be red on the surface of a cleaning patch; a bloom of fine, red rust.

I now clean all blackpowder firearms with Ballistol/water followed by Ballistol. In the case of the muzzleloader, no red ever shows up on patches any more. Nor on any other gun. After the normal cleaning of barrel and cylinder, I can spray the straight stuff into the mechanism of cap&ball revolvers and only take them completely apart for cleaning once a year, and the “mud” of Ballistol mixed with black powder fouling found inside doesn’t affect the springs, sears and surfaces at all.

So to me, the smell of Ballistol is the smell of a well-cleaned black powder gun that I don’t have to worry about, even if it stays in storage for a year before I get back to it. As Harry Pope said about his favorite cleaner, “There may be a better product on the market, but LET GEORGE USE IT!”

[EDG]

Why don't you just admit that you live in southern Arizona where there is almost no rust even when no Ballistol is used? You characterize the environmental tests as of no value when your own statements are of little value to people that live along the Gulf of Mexico or near any marine environment. You have no good way to predict the performance of Ballistol in a high humidity environment if you do not use it or test it in that environment. If you want a reasonable assessment of rust preventing properties don't ask someone that lives where there is low relative humidity.




Admittedly, the only environmental testing I remember doing with metal coupons involved standing them up half their height in solutions of corrosives and measuring the mils lost over time. But this was at least a reasonable model for what we were trying to determine—the extent to which the inside of partially-filled storage tanks would corrode, especially at the interface between air and liquid. A test comprising all of the most severe conditions we could think of inflicting upon the coupons would have proved nothing worthwhile to us.

Most of my environmental testing involved artificial aging of composite materials by various regimens of thermal cycling or holding at temperatures. These tests did little besides assure the military officers and civilian program managers in the audience that something was being done, but they knew as well as I did that life is infinitely stranger than anything anybody can cook up in a lab, particularly if it involves long periods of time. At best, such tests cull out mixtures which should have been suspect by the time they got to such testing, and at worst, they're like the guy who lost his car keys in the dark alley but looks for them under the street light because the light is better there.

So I still don’t see the applicability of that salt spray test in firearm maintenance. (Given, that I am not in a state of War at this time.) Even if I dropped a gun out of a duck boat into a salt marsh, after fishing it out, the cleaning regimen would be fresh water, then water/Ballistol, then pure Ballistol, same as ever. With the same results as ever, as expected.

But hey; I’m an easygoing guy. Just because I don’t insist that everybody else use something that has endured the worst test conditions I can look up in a book doesn’t mean such preservatives aren’t applicable in certain cases. Everybody can decide for themselves, and report what works best for them, as I have. Certainly somebody who loses their gun overboard and decides to leave it in the drink until next hunting season needs the added protection. And some time in the future, if I have need to store my firearms on a beach between low and high tide marks, I will certainly revisit the test and see what is best for those conditions. Until then, Ballistol uber alles, for Black Powder guns, anyway.

[GunGuy2756]

I use it on anything made of metal and as a personal lubricant. [smilie=l:

[Dieter]

Love the stuff! When I got my new Ruger SRH .44, talk about gritty trigger pull. Yanked it all apart, like you’re supposed to do with a new gun. Cleaned it and sprayed trigger group down real nice with Ballistol. Let it soak for a while and wiped away excess. I added a smidge of Mil-Comm grease to the sear and put it back together. Night and day difference. I use it on about everything.

[enfield]

I cant imagine how the smell of Balistol is offensive to someone. It doesn't smell like fresh baked bread sure , but to actually be concerned about the smell of it seems a bit dramatic doesn't it ?

[Rug480]

Like hot sauce I put that stuff on everything but I’m Greek and love the licorice smell, reminds me of ouzo opa

[gumbo333]

The smell reminds me more of my grandkids puke! But Ballistol is good stuff.

[Hickok]

It could keep an MG 42 running @ about 1200 rounds per minute so it has to be good stuff!

I like it.

[Conditor22]

I read somewhere that you shouldn't mix Balistol with oil products, anyone else see this?

[Drydock]

Been using it for 30 years on BP cartridge and smokeless firearms. (Clean BP with plain water, follow with Ballistol) Most of that in the Tidewater VA area until I retired from the USN. It works. 10 years on a MAS 1873, no rust. Might not be the best, probably not the worst. But it works, and does not eat my leather slings. If you like black licorice, the smell won't bother you.

There's enough stuff out there that everyone can have their favorites. Never can understand the rancor.

[Dvdmacdaddy]

I used Frog Lube until I found out it gums up and renders your gun useless. Ballistol cleaned up the Frog Lube with ease and is now my go to cleaner and lube. I have a can in each vehicle, range bag, garage, house, tool box, gun tool box. It has replaced WD40 in my house.

[Lance Boyle]

Perhaps you do not read the labels of every prescription med you consume. Almost everything has some effect on you if you touch it, drink or breathe it. Got an allergy? Wash you clothes with soap? Handle fired brass with primer residue? Have a case tumbler? Breathe the essence of gun powder?
Expose your skin to the sun? Get X rays? Smoke cigarettes? Drink alcohol?

Witches brew? Come on read the definition of mineral oil.
Mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of higher alkanes from a mineral source, particularly a distillate of petroleum.

Perhaps you have not read the MSDS of many products including Ballistol.

Ballistol contains medicinal grade mineral oil, alkaline salts of oleic acid, several alcohols, Benzyl Acetate and an oil from vegetal seeds. The mineral oil is unchlorinated and conforms to the specifications of US Pharmacopeia XX.

Ballistol aerosols contain A-70 (a Butane, Propane blend ) as propellants. The pressure inside the full can is 7-7.5 bars. Ballistol aerosols contain 14% Isohexane as a thinner.

I am pretty sure the mineral oil in and isobutyl alcohol is also absorbed through your skin.
You might want to stop at Harbor Freight and invest in several boxes of nitrile rubber gloves.

Hexane is another readily absorbed by the body. I used a ton of it when I worked in the lab.

Back when RCBS made their first pump spray case lube they cut the lanolin with hexane. I knew it the instant I sprayed it on the casings. I got the demo bottle before it was on the market when I called for parts when I screwed up resizing 7.62 NATO machine gun brass.

I think they almost immediately changed the product to an alcohol carrier. Much safer.

I try to wear the nitrile gloves but old habits are what they are. I am consistently inconsistent..

[Lance Boyle]

I cant imagine how the smell of Balistol is offensive to someone. It doesn't smell like fresh baked bread sure , but to actually be concerned about the smell of it seems a bit dramatic doesn't it ?


I love fresh baked bread but really don’t like when the whole house smells of it. Yes I bake my own bread now and again.

I do not like the taste of black licorice so it doesn’t smell good to me either. Browning had a canned gun lube back in the nineties. I bought a couple cans in a blow out bin. It smelled horrible. I gave it away.

[lefty o]

I love fresh baked bread but really don’t like when the whole house smells of it. Yes I bake my own bread now and again.

I do not like the taste of black licorice so it doesn’t smell good to me either. Browning had a canned gun lube back in the nineties. I bought a couple cans in a blow out bin. It smelled horrible. I gave it away.

i wouldnt mind ballistol so bad if it smelled like black licorice instead of month old dirty socks.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Tried some for the first time the other day. Didn't think it stunk too bad, but not good by any means, and one wiff did choke me up a bit. Much oilyer than Hoppes, my usual go to. Didn't seem to cut carbon as fast as Hoppes, and I don't mind the smell of Hoppes at all, so I guess I'm not changing. I also like non-chlorinated brake cleaner for hosing out actions, trigger groups, etc. Got to be be sure to oil well afterwards though.

[rfd]

since all my long guns are only fed real black powder, ballistol is all i need, either cut 1:6 with plain tap water or full strength. the caveat is that these guns have their barrels and locks and actions spritzed with straight ballistol to keep the bp residue soft and as a barrier to air. failing to do so can mean bringing in the chemical concoctions to take care of the nasties. for the smokeless powered handguns, it's straight ballistol. ballistol is non-toxic and good for the wood, to boot. after years of using it, i actually kinda like its stink, er, smell, er, aroma. :)

[Froogal]

Reviving an older thread I guess, but I began using Ballistol yesterday for the first time. Previously it was Hoppe's and/or Rem-oil. I THINK I like how the ballistol works, and the aroma is not disagreeable, but IS a bit intense. Just wondering if I could cut it with some water? Would it still be as effective? I use smokeless powder, mostly SAA revolvers and lever action rifles.

[dragon813gt]

A 50/50 mix is known as “Moose Milk”. You will see why when you mix it.

[BigEyeBob]

Anyone have luck with Ballistol as a bore cleaner with cast bullets?

Havent tried it as a bore cleaner ,but use it for storage protection , I found it on the shelf at my local gunshop 320klms away and bought it to try . But I still like Lanotech lanoline spray ,I spray it on a cloth and wipe over my guns .I use 3in one for lubing moving parts .Living in the tropics makes a whole new subject of rust , If Im handling guns during the wet season my hands get a spray of lanoline .My sweaty hands can make steel rust in minutes .

[Froogal]

A 50/50 mix is known as “Moose Milk”. You will see why when you mix it.

Does it still work as good?

[slohunter]

I like the smell of Ballistol, I also like the scent Hoppe's #9 and I love the smell of NitroMethane.

[John Boy]

For some reason, folks are in love with Ballistol. I am not. All it is, is white mineral oil and a petroleum distillate. So if it is you choice, just buy a jug of mineral oil. Here is the MSDS sheet for it ... https://ballistol.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/SDS-WTC-Ballistol-Multi-Purpose-Liquid-Revision-4.pdf.
If you want an excellent bore cleaner and rust preventative, Give Eezox a try. I buy it by the quart - working on quart #9
https://www.amazon.com/Eezox-Premium-Synthetic-Gun-Care/dp/B07FCRVTDL
https://www.eezox.com/

[Static line]

Eezox ? A quick search tells me it is a health hazard.

[dannyd]

Just started using Ballistol works very good.

[Static line]

Ballistol is fantastic for cleaning black powder firearms and is about all I use on them. It also does a good job on general cleaning of smokeless powder firearms for removing crud left from shooting, for that it is just as good as the new formula Hoppe's in the plastic bottle. You will , however need something else for removing lead or copper from the bore. It will not do that. I have used it on leather and wood and it is also wonderful for that. Hoppe's would not be. I don't even mind the smell of Ballistol. I don't find it offensive at all.

[Froogal]

I like the smell of Ballistol, I also like the scent Hoppe's #9 and I love the smell of NitroMethane.

I just recently began using Ballistol. I like how it works. The odor is pleasant at first, but then becomes a bit overwhelming. A floor fan directed right at my work area does help to disperse the fumes.

[Chill Wills]

For some reason, folks are in love with Ballistol. I am not. All it is, is white mineral oil and a petroleum distillate. So if it is you choice, just buy a jug of mineral oil. Here is the MSDS sheet for it ... https://ballistol.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/SDS-WTC-Ballistol-Multi-Purpose-Liquid-Revision-4.pdf.

I will say up front, I am not a Chemist of any sort.
I looked at the MSDS sheets many years ago and did again just now.

Ballistol is made up of >60% white mineral oil. The balance of the product is a "Proprietary Petroleum Distillate" and a Trade Secret. In that non-mineral oil portion of Ballistol, the trade secret part, is an emulsifier that makes the product soluble in water.

I am not trying to put too fine a point on this but, simply buying inexpensive white mineral oil and using it on the black powder does not equal Ballistol. Not even mixed with water would it be the same.
Perhaps an option that might be a little closer would be to buy some water soluble cutting oil, (such as NAPA water soluble cutting oil) tho it would not be the complete Ballistol product.

I like Billastol a lot, but not for the initial cleaning. Not that it does not work. I just use something else and follow up with Ballistol. I find that among the other good reasons to leave my bore wet with it when done shooting, that the first shot in the cleaned barrel leads much less, or not at all, with a slippery layer of Ballistol for the bullet to glide on.

[oconeedan]

I think it smells like the bottom of a chicken coop. Or very dirty wet socks. Both very comparable. Spill some of it at a public range, and you'll have your own shooting lane, as well as the ones next to you.:)
But it does work well with bp guns.

[fiberoptik]

I haven’t smelled anything since 1984, so the smell doesn’t bother me. Great for bp guns & milsurp wipe-downs. I tried it on pocketknifes and don’t think it lubricates all that well.


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[kcajeel]

I keep seeing this "Rig" grease mentioned and don't know what it is. Where would I find it? I want to give it a try.
Thanks

[BUFFALOW RED]

Balistol a must for BP shooter's

[indian joe]

Balistol a must for BP shooter's

why????

[44MAG#1]

I used some on my Glock M21 this morning.
I have used it on my leather boots too.

[fiberoptik]

I keep seeing this "Rig" grease mentioned and don't know what it is. Where would I find it? I want to give it a try.
Thanks

Rig is a lot like cosmoline, a heavy grease used to protect & store to firerarms long term. It comes in a jar like Vicks. Can’t find mine to show you.


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[nicholst55]

I keep seeing this "Rig" grease mentioned and don't know what it is. Where would I find it? I want to give it a try.
Thanks

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1180385501/

[ulav8r]

https://www.amazon.com/Birchwood-Casey-Universal-Grease-Ounce/dp/B0033CMK0A/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=rig+grease&qid=1607228242&sr=8-3