Ballistol ... myth or magic ?

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  • Last Post 12 October 2009
Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 02 July 2007

OK, ten years ago I ordered sort of by accident, from Brownells a can of Ballistol.  It took months to use it, even after reading on the flyer that came with it how incredible it was.   It took almost a year to use up the can of stuff, but then I ordered 2 or 4 cans, and gave some to fellow shooters ... also my wife started cleaning her horse tack with it, I spray it on door hinges, etc. etc.  

Now I order it by the case ... in fact,  Brownells dropped it for awhile and I called them up and told them to start stocking it again (g) ...


I am curious if any of youse other shooters have found this to be good stuff, and your experiences and uses for it ....

I like it because it stays wet forever and .... geepers ,   maybe is darn near as good as the little flyer says it was ... took me ten years to find that out ....  it doesnt seem to harm wood finishes, or cause rashes .... oh, it smells terrible, a definite downside in mixed company (g) ....  so far it seems to even outdo another favorite of mine ; SHEATH for keeping off rust and mildew on guns and leather goods .... 


... and no, I ain


regards, ken campbell, iowa

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R. Dupraz posted this 04 July 2007

I have been using Ballistol on muzzle loaders for near ten years and five or so for cleaning and preserving my BPCR's. After running across the stuff back then and using it on all black powder arms,I have never seen any rust or corrosion at all even when stored over the winter months. 50\50 with water to clean and full strength to preserve. And the first shot from a clean bore will more often than not go into the same group.

I use nothing else on black powder guns. So, I tend to believe their cleaning claims and that it neutralizes black powder fouling.

That's more than I can say about a lot of the other super BP cleanerspreservatives out there. Have tried a bunch. For an eye opener,figure the costounce some time. Get it a gallon at a time for about half price of anything else and it works.

Have a safe 4th and celebrate our freedom.

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guido4198 posted this 04 July 2007

Absolutely LOVE IT..!!

For Blackpowder shooting and cleaning, I find it an excellent product. Mixed w/ water for patch lube,solvent, etc..then used full strength ( after cleaning) as a “preservative/rust preventative” until next time.

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JeffinNZ posted this 05 July 2007

Yes, great stuff even though it smells like a factory full of tom cats.  Great way to keep the garage a 'wife free zone' however.  Just spray it round merrily and she will NEVER come in.  :shock::P.>

Cheers from New Zealand

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Ed Harris posted this 06 July 2007

Has anyone ever read the Material Data Safety Sheet on this stuff?

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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PETE posted this 06 July 2007

 Ed,

  No I haven't. Something we ought to know?

  If you believe the advertisements you can almost drink the stuff without any side effects. Gotta get past the smell tho. I bought a can of it several years ago when it first became available locally and I didn't see anything about it that was better than what I'd been using for years, which smells better, so haven't gotten anymore.

PETE

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Ed Harris posted this 06 July 2007

I haven't read it, so just ask the question. MSDS should be on Brownell's website, I may check it out.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Ed Harris posted this 06 July 2007

Contains: Medical grade mineral oil, alkaline salts of oleic acid, alcohols, Benzyl Acetate and oil from vegetable seeds.

I didn't find an MSDS on Brownell's web site, but have asked them to email me one. I'll post what I find out. Their catalog description siggests that it doesn't have any offense odor. Does this differ from anyone's experience?

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Ed Harris posted this 06 July 2007

Got the MSDS from Brownells by email. The .pdf is 2MB, but the condensed version is that it is essentially nontoxic, although it is flammable and the butane propellant in the aerosol VERY much so.

Probably safer than most gun cleaners out there, maybe I should give it a try. The 16 oz. bottle from Brownells is competitive in cost with Hoppes or similar products and less wasteful than the aerosol.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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PETE posted this 06 July 2007

 Ed,

  Thanks for the info. Actually I like your Ed's Red better. A friend and I made up a gallon of it and we both think it's the best for cleaning cast bullet barrels. So, if you're looking for something as good as or better, I'd say save your money.

PETE

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 07 July 2007

Hey, Ed Harris is a hero of mine ... in the early 90's he was the only reason I did not sue the NRA for a return on my life membership ... an occasional article by Ed kept me from moving my latest copy from the bathroom reading stack to the TP Roll....... (g)...


and I too use versions of Ed;s Red almost daily here in the shop ... HOWEVER there might be one application that Ballistol might have an edge ... that is after a plinking session Ballistol is pretty handy to just spray the gun with a massive dose and then blow it off/out with shop air .... great for rimfire automatics ...  doesnt seem to attack the stock finish in any way, and 8 seconds can do a spray and blow job ...

... shop air usually has a fair amount of water in it, so this is not recommended with many ” anti-rust” goops.  Notice that Ballistol can be diluted with water for useage !!  scary stuff . 


There is an interesting story about Ballistol .... ( myth? )  ... that in WW1, young prick Adolph Hitler had some intestinal trouble, so he drank his Ballistol to treat it ... this may have caused some of his erratic behavior later .....


HMMM... wonder if modern Pro Wrestlers know about Ballistol ??


regards, ken campbell deltawerkes

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CB posted this 07 July 2007

I wonder if Patton knew about it, ya know, ol' iron guts...

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ktw posted this 10 July 2007

It has something of an anise/black licorice smell to it.  It doesn't smell as good as Hoppes, but I don't find it highly objectionable, either.

I use it for patched round ball/traditional muzzleloaders; cut 50/50 with water as a patch lube and bore cleaner and straight as a preservative. 

I have not been using it for smokeless firearms.  While it works great for black powder fouling I think you may find something more aggressive to be desirable for cleaning lead and copper out of centerfire barrels.

-ktw

Ed Harris wrote: Contains: Medical grade mineral oil, alkaline salts of oleic acid, alcohols, Benzyl Acetate and oil from vegetable seeds.

I didn't find an MSDS on Brownell's web site, but have asked them to email me one. I'll post what I find out. Their catalog description siggests that it doesn't have any offense odor. Does this differ from anyone's experience?

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cat1870 posted this 13 July 2007

I think it smells rather nice. Use it fer deoderant from time to time.

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guido4198 posted this 26 January 2008

It has a “unique” aroma for sure.....deodorant though..:shock:.hmmmm...OK, maybe it's a Utah thing.

Whatever your personal choice...get some of this stuff( preferably NON-aerosol). I'm pretty sure you will be pleased. I have shot blackpowder rifles since the mid-70's. Always had rifles with a hooked breech so when it was time to clean'em..I'd take off the bbl. and flush it out with hot soapy water, then clean hot water, then boiling water final rinse & dry. I'm sure you know the procedure. Awhile back, I got a pretty hi-dollar longrifle with a pinned bbl. and wasn't about to pull that apart everytime I wanted to clean it up. I found out about Ballistol, and have been using it ever since. I use a mix with water initially to clean out the bore, then finish with the straight stuff for final cleaning & protection. Wipe down all external surfaces with the straight product, and have had zero issues with rust, corrosion, etc,etc.

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sundog posted this 26 January 2008

I'm still in process of revitalizing an old Sharp's carbine. Somewhere I got a recipe for bullet lube for BPCR that is Ballistol, Safflower Oil, and bees wax. Well, my bullets are sitting in the lube, still in the pan. Sharp's is not ready yet. But, the lube appears as though it might be pretty good. Only way to know is to get'er done.

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AzShooter posted this 06 September 2008

I always used a mix of 7 to 1 water to soluable oil for cleaning my black powder guns.  Then, a few years ago I won a bottle of Balistol as a door prize at a match.  Now I  use a mix of 7 to 1 of water and Balistol.

It cleans better and faster than my old mix and keeps the guns from rusting.  Accuracy has improved.

It's inexpensive.   Don't buy the aerosol because you are paying mostly for the release mix to get it out of the can and it won't last that long.

 

 

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Brodie posted this 06 September 2008

I have used Balistol now for three years on all my guns, and I have to say that I really like it.  Mixed 50/50 with water it cleans better than anything else I have tried, even removing lead from the bvarrel of my 1911.  Dont let the 50'50 mix freeze it will seperate and I have not been able to get it back into solution.  Great lube and cleaner all in one.

B.E.Brickey

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Will Durant posted this 12 October 2009

Just to add to the legend,While in Switzerland a few years ago I bought a bottle.Several shooters there told me that it was useful on insect bites to stop itching and inflamation.Will

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