People seem to rave over Ballistol so I started checking it out...no one had it locally, but several places have it online.

Decided to checkout what it was made of...MINERAL OIL, OLEIC ACID AND ALCOHOL...the price seemed a bit steep for basically Mineral oil, Olive or Grapeseed oil and rubbing alcohol so I made up a small batch...2 oz each...from the kitchen and bathroom cupboards...you can vary the amounts to get the consistency you want.

Added a shot of Almond extract to make it smell good but when you shake it up the alcohol overpowers ANY other odors.

I will try it for a while.

Seems like lots of BP shooters swear by Ballistol and also using olive oil in several ways.

Not badmouthing the commercial brand in any way, don't want to start a riot or stir folks up...but if this 6 0z worth of SNAKE OIL that cost all of 50 cents works as well as the OEM product, then I've saved myself enough to buy at least a box of bullets or a can of powder. Hahahahaha


Luck

A few minutes later...the alcohol, 91% Isopropyl rubbing alcohol separated out in a hurry...I'm talking as I watched it...so whatever alcohol the makers use must be at a higher percentage or has less water in it...the makers list 3 different alcohols...I'm guessing the H2O percentage is actually what is separating out.

Anyone know where I can get some Benzyl or Butanol real cheap???? Hahahahahaha

I'll let the alcohol evaporate out and use the mineral/olive oil as is...on something.

Isn't experimenting fun and enlightening.

Luck

quote:

Originally posted by FOOBAR:
if this 6 0z worth of SNAKE OIL that cost all of 50 cents works as well as the OEM product, then I've saved myself enough to buy at least a box of bullets or a can of powder.

And if it doesn't work as well as the OEM product you can put the $10 you saved toward replacing the guns you ruin with your "getto gun oil".


I'm just kidding you. I did a test a year or two ago and Pam spray olive oil did very well for rust protection. It was not nearly as Ezzox, but was far better than ATF. IIRC, it was better than FP10 and Shooters Choice rust protectors by a slight margin.

"GAT-O" gun oil as in the "gat" of the early "real Gangsta" years.

I knew that was coming...hahahahahaha...I was doing a tongue in cheek thing to see if the fish were rising ...from what Ballistol users say, it is the best thing since sliced bread...alleesamosamo...but then again plain old mineral oil has been working fairly well for as long as I can remember

But like ANY rust prohibiting product it only lasts so long...the olive oil just makes it BETTA...I can always use it to preserve my wooden kitchen utensils, makes stocks and metal works shine...or for a belly ache...hey.

Luck

Ezzox...now that's some real "stuff"... Trichloroethylene...I used to use that stuff to set toner on Xerox reproduced documents back in the day...it was "removed from service" after a few liver problems showed up...but then again, too much salt, sugar or caffeine will shrivel up an ant. Hahahahahaha

Check out the MSDS sheet...definitely something I don't want slathered on my toast...OR on my guns/hands/body...

Luck

I guess you should use some care with Ezzox, but it can't be that bad, after all we are still allowed to buy it here in Ca.


I will have to get off my ass and post the photos from the test I did. When you see how well Ezzox performed you might be willing to chance your health. It is that good. Truly unbelievable.

Ballistol has been around for a very long time, it was used by the German military since ? 1905, it saw two world wars and some here saw it's use in civilian life.

Used not only to oil guns, leather belts and boots it saw use as a general medication, used on superficial wounds, used as remedy for all sorts of gastric ailments. This was by design when developed by Clever and German pharmacist.

It is also claimed that it was in part instrumental in the failure of the German Military arms during the Stalingrad offensive. Ballistol emulsifies when it comes into contact with water and unlike Russian oils it froze solid in the Russian winter causing the German guns to bind.

My grandfather's generation swore by this wonder oil.

I got my first bottle as well as a small can of Vaseline from Rawbone and Sons in Cape Town when my dad bought me my first gun as a boy at age 13.

As a young kid growing up in Africa I have had the misfortune to have been forced to down a big table spoon of Ballistol whenever a gastric ailment presented.

I use Ballistol quite a bit.
I like it, it is good stuff. I also have used it on cuts and insect bites.

It does work good on metal, wood and leather.

I like the smell of it too.

And yes it is kinda a Snake Oil...

I cannot think of another gun product that you can use for so many uses besides on guns...

Do a Youtube search on Ballistol, and you will be amazed at all the things you an use it for, around the house, car boat, etc...

It just might be one of the essential liquids of life, Water, Scotch, Red Wine, Gasoline, Diesel, Break Free, Prolix and BALLISTOL.

No doubt about it...Ballistol has been around for a long time and is very useful...no diss on the product...as I said my comments were more tongue in cheek...I've been using 3 in 1 oil and mineral oil on a lot of things...for a lot of years...excellent on new leather, but easy does it or you will end up with a saggy holster or belt loops.

My "gunoil/rust preventive/killtheironoxide" shelf has more products on it almost than my bullet shelf...and that is sagging under the weight and number...not to mention the other "stuff" I use on my lathe/mill, vehicles and tools.

I was just pointing out the cost difference in mixing your own batch vs buying it and the fact that many of us never really look into the constituents of the products we use...if it smells good...USE IT!!!!!

I have Eezox at the top of my "tobuy" list, along with several other products, just in case I come across it in a store...I HATE paying full shipping If I can find it in a store...don't mind paying the profit margin, that keeps the economy rolling along and people working, but shipping is another story...doesn't really matter tho', the arguement is the same no matter which way you go.

You want an eye opener, checkout TCE,(a form of dry cleaning "cleaner") TRIKE, TRICHLOROETHYLENE in Wikipedia...I use a form of it to clean brake parts and it is the main constituent in many "degreasing" products sold in ALL the cheapo -Marts, auto parts stores, etc...go figure.

I just struck me strange that that particular chemical that caused such a hoohaa back then is now the main constituent in a gun preservative.

You hit it N E 450 No2...especially about the Red Wine and Scotch...

Luck

I use it for my 5.45 AR upper after shooting corrosive surplus ammo.

so far so good. no rust

Do you really think they tell you everything that is in the formula and the exact amounts...?

I have been shooting the Quigley Rifle Matches in Montana for about twelve years now. I would expect half of them are using Ballistol, most for a number of years. It is highly regarded as a cleaner BP fouling/corrosion preventative.

Rich

450 No2: you forgot Kroil and Amarula

quote:

Originally posted by FOOBAR:
...Decided to checkout what it was made of...MINERAL OIL, OLEIC ACID AND ALCOHOL

there are two formulations I have heard of. one, the original, is saponified tall oil (oil derived from conifers when processing for paper). the other has mineral oil.

FYI.

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Do you really think they tell you everything that is in the formula

in an MSDS, yes, they are required to tell you exactly this

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:

and the exact amounts...?

generally, ratios are given

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:

Rich

450 No2: you forgot Kroil and Amarula

here's the MSDS http://www.baileysonline.com/m...s/PDFs/ballistol.PDF

Rich, I haver never used much Kroll, but I do like Amarula , or if you cannot find it Baileys.

I used some Ballistol this last month at the deer lease on my rifles, knives and on several small cuts and abrasions. In fact I just put some of it on a cut on my knuckle a few minutes ago...

There are a lot of the old chemicals still around that work just fine and a lot that can be proved to be Snake Oil. The same can be said of the new "wonder cleaners" that have sprung up, largely due to the ease of advertising to shooters via the internet retailers and the overpopulation (which means there are a lot more "articles" being written by people who are not qualified to do so, in any sense of the word) of gun rags.

The only real way to tell the snake oil from the quality cleaner is to use a borescope. Anyone who tells you he knows how clean a rifle barrel is without actually looking into it through and through is and idiot and if you believe him you are a bigger idiot.

Ballistol is/has an oil in it and most oils(fatty acids) when mixed with water "saponify" or make a milky, liquid soap.

Turpentine and/or pine sap, comes from various trees including conifers and maybe it was used in the early German formulations and now Ballistol uses white oil and Oleic acid which are both fatty acid oils, which will saponify if mixed with water...things change over 100 years of time.

Reduce it to it's simplest form and you have basically 3 in one oil(mineral oil)...not a very bad product to begin with and a hell of a lot cheaper than the "name" brand.

Rich...You and I both know that once something is touted by someone who wins something regularly or even once in a while, EVERYBODY jumps on the band wagon. If the "significant others" claimed rendered goose lips made them shoot twice as good, the goose population would take a sudden and gigantic population dive. Not saying Ballistol is good or bad...just what human nature is.

I use good old Johnsons paste wax on my guns, lock, stock and barrels...works great for stopping rust as it seals both the wood and the metal...even after I have had those "miracle" coatings cooked or sprayed on.

Probably the cheapest and best BP cleaner I've used, besides WonderLube patches, is straight 70% or 90%alcohol...one wet patch, one dry patch that becomes the wet patch after the next shot. It cleans well, evaporates quickly, doesn't cost much, I don't have to wear a rain coat everytime I clean my BP guns, heat up the water, add soap, more hot water to get the soap off, THEN hose down with some antirust product to keep things from rusting...what's not to like.

I'm not dissing Ballistol...I just think the price is like a Gooche label on your backside...when there are so many other good oils that can be mixed up for a few bucks a GALLON...and work just as well. I would rather have Walphart on my butt cheeks and buy more bullets/powder with the difference in price...the jeans last just as long.

The few oz of "replicated Ballistol" I made is still working well...Great for my wooden handled knives, forks and spoons...but I would rather use Johnsons paste wax and the "evaporating" oils that don't leave a "slick", on my guns.

Luck

I use it when shooting corrosive ammo in my old mil surp rifles.

No problems with rust.

I like it.

I started using it after switching to a blackpowder class in cowboy action shooting. At a 10% ballistol to water mix it works well as a cleaner between stages. It gets bores mirror clean and all the residue off the front of the revolver cylinders. After finished for the day, I reclean with undiluted Ballistol. Then dry the gun and wipe down with Breakfee CLP or remoil.

very happy with the results of this system.

I only use Ballistol and or Clenzoil now....

http://www.clenzoil.com/

quote:

Originally posted by FOOBAR:
Ballistol is/has an oil in it and most oils(fatty acids) when mixed with water "saponify" or make a milky, liquid soap.

saponification is not "mixing with water", maybe you are referring to emulsification. saponification is different; it is when a strong base reacts with a fatty acid. it makes soap. oils are not all fatty acids. mineral oils are not.

quote:

Turpentine and/or pine sap, comes from various trees including conifers and maybe it was used in the early German formulations and now Ballistol uses white oil and Oleic acid...

ballistol is still made from tall oil (from trees).

quote:

...which are both fatty acid oils, which will saponify if mixed with water...things change over 100 years of time.

white oil is not a fatty acid, and it will not saponify. it can emulsify, though.

This discussion reminds me of a time when I was racing motorcycles and degreasing was almost a daily ritual.
I would swing by a self serve carwash with empty milk gallons and for about $1.25 I would be set with degreaser for the bikes, driveway, car wheels etc. for the whole summer!
One carwash had exceptionally good degreaser. Dont know the brand but it did work great especially when submerging parts in the ultrasonic and in the parts washer.

Me and a bud went to the Houston gun show on Sunday and the Ballistol rep was there. I went over and chatted a minute. They recommended 50/50 mix with water for black powder.

They also commented that using this you were finished when completing the cleaning in this mix of 50/50. I would not think so for anything containing water. I would prefer to oil or lubricate the guns afterward.

We went through this when the newer water based products like the Slip etc came out. They worked Ok enough but I had to oil and reoil just to be sure as I use a smaller amount of oil than many. I know some guys that did not and had some rust issues. I chunked the water based stuff out.

I intended to get back over and buy a couple of the cans, but we got hung up on a safe deal for my buddy and we never got back.

Do you generally use the liquid or the spray or no matter? I am only using it on blackpowder as I have my preferred snake oils for the regular cartridge guns.

I buy the bottle with the screw on cap, then use an old windex bottle to make the diluted version. Like you, I give a final treatment with something else-- Breakfree or Remoil for me. I only use Ballistol with black powder firearms.

I got a couple of bottles, cans really and the aerosol, and I am going to give it a try and see how it works out. I kind of sniffed at it to see how bad it was going to be, but it was not as much bad odor as I was expecting. Maybe it gets worse. Or maybe I am just getting older LOL.

TexKD

The smell is strongest when it is first applied.

After few minutes the smell goes away.

Tanks NE. I guess I am good to go then. I am just using it for black powder so I wont use too much. Or I can open a bottle of Hoppes somewhre near to keep a good scent LOL !

Best thing you can use to clean after firing corrosive ammo is hot soapy water. Follow with a through drying and a light coat of oil.

amamnn, is correct on the bore scope statement.

As I have reported here before a few years ago I did a test on over a dozen different rifles, all 308, with one 300 Mag.

These were "Sniper" rifles,some had factory barrels, most had big name a custom barrel.

I was using a borescope.
We tried several dofferent solvents, including Wipeout, Shooters Choice, J&B Bore Paste, thinned with Prolix, and the Remington "abrasive" bore cleaner.

The quickest, essiest, fastest, with less strokes going down the barrel was with J&B or the Remington abrasive cleaner.

I am talking really clean, as observed on the borescope.

In this group of rifles some barrels cleande up a lot quicker, easier than others.

With 50 to on some days 100 rounds fired through the barrel, some cleaned up in as few as 10 strokes of the J&B or Remingon cleaner.

Most barrels would be clean in 20 strokes, ie 2 seperate 10 round strokes.

A couple of the factory barrels took 3 or 4 sets of 10 round strokes.

You cannot tell an accurate barrel just by using the bore scope, but you can pretty much look at a clean barrel and tell if it is going to be hard to clean by the surface finish of the bore.

Without a bore scope looking at the muzzle of the barrel can give you some indication of how clean the inside is, but the true story was some barrels fouled more near the chamber, some in the "middle" of the bore and some more toward the muzzle.

As amamnn stated, a bore scope tells all.

I am actually doing a little Ballistol test right now.

The other day I shot my Brazillian 308 Mauser, and I am using only Ballistol, with a brush of course to clean the barrel.

I will keep it wet with Ballistol for a few days, patching it out daily and adding more. So far I did get a fair amount of copper on the first patches after letting it set over night with a wet bore.

I pushed a couple of dry patches throught that 308 bbl today and more copper was on the patch.

So I again put some more Ballistol back into the barrel...

The lands look free of copper, but there is still copper in the groves.

I cought a few catfish out of my pond today.
One of them "finned" me in the hand.

That usually always caused an infection.
It was already red and sore in just a few minutes.

After I got done fishing I put some Ballistol in the wound.

We will see what happends.

So...

...how's the hand & the copper fouling?

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
I cought a few catfish out of my pond today.
One of them "finned" me in the hand.

That usually always caused an infection.
It was already red and sore in just a few minutes.

After I got done fishing I put some Ballistol in the wound.

We will see what happends.

N E 450 #2
Next time rub the wound on the catfish belly.
Handy and works.
Save the snake oil for something valuable like your gun.

Since my last post in this thread.

The catfish fin wound did not get infected.

I have had several other minor wounds, including one where a 30/06 round blew rock bits into my nose and left arm.
I also has some insect bites, and those anoyine cuticle bust open sores on my fingers.

I treated them all with Ballistol and none got infected and they all are healing up nicely.

I also cleaned a couple of barrels when I was at the deer lease for a couple of weeks with Ballistol.

There are a lot of good "juices" out there but none do all that Ballistol can do.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Since my last post in this thread.

The catfish fin wound did not get infected.

I have had several other minor wounds, including one where a 30/06 round blew rock bits into my nose and left arm.
I also has some insect bites, and those anoyine cuticle bust open sores on my fingers.

I treated them all with Ballistol and none got infected and they all are healing up nicely.

I also cleaned a couple of barrels when I was at the deer lease for a couple of weeks with Ballistol.

There are a lot of good "juices" out there but none do all that Ballistol can do.

+2

Before you believe in magic you should consult a TEAS chart.
TEAS chart

If this is not enough look up Strip TEAS.