Ballistol ?

[r29l20]

I was going to get some, till I read it eats brass. Are you guys using it on brass frames ?

[Nobade]

Never had any problem with it myself except my wife doesn't like the smell. Who says it eats up brass?

[deacon stone]

I don't believe that's true. I use it on all my guns. Even my 1866's and use it on my cartriges after I fire black powder out of them. Never had a problem. Works great.

[r29l20]

There ad says it cleans and dissolves copper, lead, brass, zinc and tombac.

[Fingers McGee]

I've used it for a number of years on all my BP guns and recently started using it on my smokeless guns.  It's great stuff that will do most anything.  It's safe for use on all surfaces.  It cleans and dissolves traces of the offending metals, not brass cases or frames.

[Flint]

Ballistol, like most other gun colvent/cleaners will dissolve trce metals in the bore, as will Hoppe's 9 etc.  Ballistol is also a lube.  It will not harm the surface of a frame or other brass parts, any more than any other cleaner will.  I've left Ballistol in the lockwork of guns and there is no problem.

[Hellgate]

I use it for making a moose milk but don't rely on it for long term storage/protection. I have a little squeeze bottle of it and the runoff on the shoulder of the bottle when left exposed to air forms a sludge. I suspect a more volatile ingreadient evaporates and the texture of the Ballistol changes. My other oils, when drizled onto the bottle stay oily.

[srussell]

it will work as well are better than most other lubes for long term storage

[Larry L]

Ballistol is nothing but mineral oil with a splash of Ioso-alcohol. There's nothing in it that would effect brass or copper including copper fouling in the barrel. The mineral oil acts as the antioxidating agent while the alcohol is the solvent. There are far better gun products on the market.

[Fingers McGee]

Ballistol is nothing but mineral oil with a splash of Ioso-alcohol. There's nothing in it that would effect brass or copper including copper fouling in the barrel. The mineral oil acts as the antioxidating agent while the alcohol is the solvent. There are far better gun products on the market.

Not exactly.  According to the MSDS, 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"
for more info about Balistol, see: http://www.ballistol.com/

[RaiderANV]

 I got hooked when one of the firearms curators at the Smithsonian said they'd switched to it. I actually meet the maker/owner of Ballistol in the US while fishing on a pier in Nags Head NC in 1995. I was sunburned to heck and back. My wife got out the solar cane and he walked over and said why not Ballistol. We did a half and half and right away the Ballistol side was far ahead of Solarcane. It was originally pine oil based when the Germans invented it back what,,,,,,1903-6. I use it on wood, metal and even slight waterproofing on my wool Confederate kepi. Work great on the work and hunting boots as well. I use it to clean all my firearms (over 119 in the collection) which includes long term storage with NEVER an ill side effect.

[Pulp]

The Germans used it on all their weapons, and lost two wars.

[srussell]

The Germans used it on all their weapons, and lost two wars.

yes but the weapons stayed in great shape

[Larry L]

http://www.baileysonline.com/msds_sheets/PDFs/ballistol.PDF


The Benzyl Acetate is used in perfumes and makes it smell good. It's an ester and as such has solvency at removing old oils. The salts of Oleic Acid is used as a soap. The alcohols are used a solvent. After these items migrate out or dry, there's nothing left but mineral oil and vegetable oil. Like I said, there are many other oils out there that are far better than this stuff but if yer happy with it- keep using it.

[arcticap]

The dominant use of oleic acid is as its sodium salt, which a major component of many kinds of soap. Small amounts of oleic acid are used as an excipient in pharmaceuticals, oleic acid is used as an emulsifying or solubilizing agent in aerosol products...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleic_acid

Wikipedia says that Oleic acid is used as an ingredient of soap, not as a soap.
And even though oleic acid is a component of soap. I think that it's purpose in Ballistol is to enable it to emulsify with water. That characteristic of Ballistol makes it much different than plain mineral oil.

[theratdog]

never tried  Ballistol i just started using Kroil good stuff loosens up lead in my barrels. really penitrates also use c.l.p. can't go wrong with either.