Ballistol Recipe

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  • Last Post 24 December 2024
jimkim posted this 15 December 2024

I was looking at an old thread that contained a recipe for Ballistol. It said it was 80% Mineral Oil, 10% Oleic Acid, 10% Benzyl Benzoate, and an unknown amount of Anethole. The math literate person in me regects this as mpossible, in this reality, because that is over 100%. Do any of you know the original recipe, and could I substitute Banana Oil for the Anethole? I really don't care for the smell. Banana Oil would make it smell like Hoppe's. The intended use for this is to make "Moose Milk" for my black powder firearms. I want something I can spritz my patches with that will aid in cleanup.

Thanks in advance for your help.

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shjoe posted this 15 December 2024

interesting topic. for my black powder cartridge firearms and muzzleloaders, at the range i use a mix of water and murphys oil soap to do a quick and dirty clean up. i always believed that the murphys left a protective film on the guns until i can do a more thorough hot water clean up at home. stay safe

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Tom Acheson posted this 15 December 2024

Maybe I'm doing something wrong...

Since 2010, after all the shooting is completed, I clean. Not a quick or brief effort. I use Buch's Bore Shine BP  solvent. Usually requires 6-7 patches, with the patches becoming progressively cleaner looking. The last patch is white. I shoot no smokeless cast bullet only guns that clean up that good and all I use is Ed's Red.

The last bore cleaning patch has EEZOX on it, which leaves a protective film behind on the surfaces. Early on I used a water based cleaner and then the last patch had denatured alcohol on it to displace any residual moisture.

After the cleaning I deprime all the cases and for the ride home, the cases go into a jug with water, a pinch of Dawn and some vinegar. At home I brush out the inside of the case and put the cases on a "drying rack". The rack is a wooden thing with small dowels on each cross member. This thing is made to hold (60) spools of sewing thread. 

If I'm wiping the bore between shots (on real atmospheric dry days), my wiping solution is either a ratio of 6:1 water and NAPA cutting oil or Ballistol. Maybe I could mix Ballistol and water for that use?

This BP shooting has as many cleaning practices as bullet lubes. Lots of different ways to do things.

Tom

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Oquawka posted this 16 December 2024

I've just been  using 1 part Balistol and 2 parts Water for cleaning.  Haven't shot black powder in a long time but I have used it on anything smokeless. 

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Aaron posted this 17 December 2024

Since Anethole is added as an agent, not simply as a perfume, I doubt banana oil has the same chemical and performance properties. If the Anethole were simply used as a perfume, one could leave it out to avoid the odor. If I were a betting man, I would guess that Anethole was added for its antimicrobial, antibacterial, and insecticidal properties.

Remember that Ballistol was originally meant to be used on all military gear like leather, metal, wood, and God knows what else it was rubbed onto.

With rifle in hand, I confidently go forth into the darkness.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 17 December 2024

I have found that Ballistol is also a pretty good anti-itch agent when rubbed on chigger bites.

Might as well add that my shooting buddy found that smearing Ballistol on his bench rest stopped his particular sweat from eating up that aluminum surface.  when we were shooting competition we bought Ballistol from Brownells by the case.

If storing guns in normal and dry environment, Ballistol is great because you can wipe your pretty walnut stock down and leave it glowing without causing oil rot.  However, Ballistol in a less than friendly environment is not good enough for long term storage.    ...  Rig Grease is the best, and Fluid Film from a Napa auto parts store is close, and full synthetic motor oil is darned good and cheap.  I mix 5-20 weight  with about 50 per cent mineral oil and use it also for general gun lube on metal parts.

lastly, although I have never sipped Ballistol, ..... I do occasionally remember that a thimbleful of it's cousin  Jaegermeister is good for an upset stomach ...  or warding one off just in case ... 

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pat i posted this 17 December 2024

Ialthough I have never sipped Ballistol, ..... I do occasionally remember that a thimbleful of it's cousin  Jaegermeister is good for an upset stomach ...  or warding one off just in case ...

Lol. I don't know how it would taste but I'd have a hard time getting past the smell. That stuff and my sinuses just don't get along.

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Ross Smith posted this 17 December 2024

Glad someone besides me likes RIG. Good stuff Ken.

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mashburn posted this 18 December 2024

Ken is right, Rig is great stuff, I have been using it for over fifty-years. I found a little empty rig metal can in the shop recently and the price, marked on the lid, was 50 cents. Folks, that was a long time ago.

Keep up the good work Ken.

Mashburn

David a. Cogburn

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jimkim posted this 22 December 2024

Cutting oil, now you have me wondering if Tap Magic and beeswax might be a good bullet lube. Might give the Tap Magic stick wax a try.

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porthos posted this 24 December 2024

my thoughts are: balistol may be good for black powder, but after that almost everything else is better for rust prevention. i disagree about the rig. i tested many products on a bare bbl. outside hanging from a tree exposed to the elements. best product that i have found is Boshield T-9. it was developed by boeing aircraft for long term storage. but, rig and fluid film are good

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