Ballistol: need shooters opinions pls

[milprileb]

Specifically Ballistol----------what is your opinion of this product?

Please...no Eds Red, Hoppes, etc etc. I am familiar with those.

I am specifically interested in the facts about Ballistol so if you have experience with this product, pls respond.

Many thanks and no offense to Eds Red and Hoppes etc etc users.

Information

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[Sid]

This product has taken on a sort of mystique over the years with certain shooters. However, its usefulness has been greatly exaggerated in my opinion. It was originally developed by the German army in the latter part of the 19th century as an all purpose lubricant for their weapons. It is not petroleum based and can be mixed with water. In this country it has been widely used by many black powder shooters who are always touting its virtues. During my many years of shooting black powder I also tried it out and found it to be mainly useless. It represents 19th century technology and has since been eclipsed by modern, dedicated products. I found it marginal as a lubricant and worthless in protecting against rust. Several antiques in which I used Ballistol developed rust in the bore which they had never had before. After I switched to Rem Oil the problem disappeared. Also, there is a large gun shop in Pennsylvania that deals only with black powder firearms. I discussed my problem with the owner at the time and he told me his own experience with Ballistol was identical. I have never trusted any of my modern firearms with it and so far have not any any rust problems at all using current products which are purpose-built.

[Emri]

I don't like the smell. I did get good results rejuvinating the appearance of an old camera that was covered in leather that had dried out during the last 100 years. Never could bring myself to trust it on a firearm. Too many proven products out there.

FWIW,

Emri

[gunner]

The Ballistol is also good for bore cleaning. It takes more time but it works . Ballistol isn`t good for rust prevent because its hygroscopic. You have to add a good oil to the clean bore.

Regards

Gunner

[BerdanIII]

Love the stuff, gonna buy more when I run out. I've used it for about 8 years and never had any of the trouble mentioned by the gentleman above. It does work on jacket fouling (verrrrry slowly) when left in the bore. I have never used it solely as a cleaner by itself or as "Moosemilk".

[Alfred]

Well I also got rust in the edges of the grooves of a BP revolver after using ballistol and leaving the pistol untended for several months.

Otherwise it has worked very well for cleaning up fresh fouling of smokeless powders but works very slowly at removing old hardened fouling and baked on carbon deposits.

Its greatest attribute that I've found is that it softened and removed a thick ridge of scar tissue from my hand, leaving only a thin pale line, and other less prominent scars disappeared completely.

[MEHavey]

Sources for Ballistol Lube (and Mysteries Revealed) « AccurateShooter.com Bulletin

It *looks* interesting. I'll have to find/try some in my usual rust test using 10d nails left outside in the elements--one surface ground flat and coated with BreakFree as control.

Til then, my favorite BP cleaner is plain old water + Pine-Sol