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Ballistol

keystone1974
Hello,
Has anyone had any problems using
Ballistol on nickel plated handguns?
Especially on old handguns where the nickel
has small cracks over metal seams in places?
If so, maybe you could recommend a cleaner.
Thanks
Ron
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Comments

8 comments

Date Votes
  • keystone1974
    Anybody else useing this great stuff?
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  • Hawk Carse
    I use it on my black powder rifles because the guy who got me into BPCR said it was the stuff to have. Can't stand the smell long enough to put it on anything else.
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  • keystone1974
    Unlike hoppes or other solvents I use the smell goes away, except for hoppes elite which has almost no smell
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  • perry shooter
    I tried this stuff a number of years ago and have been like an evangelist preacher ever since.There may be a better product for one specific job but when you have a firearm that is Metal ,Wood, and is in contact with Leather and there is a Product that will clean, lubricate & protect all three . is non toxic and biodegradable where can you go wrong. BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREADcomes to mind[:D][^]

    EDIThello VICG1 the first can I ever bought stated that it could be used on hunting dogs for injury in the Field from Barb Wire ETC . Did not really state if was approved for use by Humans but did state non toxic. I personally like the smell but then being a second Generation German maybe that is why I like the smell. Sort of like Knackwurst and Sour-kraut[:o)][:I][;)]
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  • vicg1
    Want to hear something wild? I met a couple from Germany at a gun show here in the states... they said that Ballistol is banned thruout Europe because people were drinking it to help with joint pain!
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  • beantownshootah
    Ballistol is an old European formula. The Germans actually used it as their main weapons cleaner for WWI and WWII.

    If I remember right, major consituents include ordinary mineral oil, oleic acid (which is a fatty acid) and fragrance agents.

    The stuff was originally specifically designed to clean guns **AND** treat minor wounds! So I suppose you "could" use it on your skin, even though there are probably better choices for that sort of thing.

    After being used there forever, I find it hard to believe the stuff was banned in Europe. . .again, its mostly mineral oil, and I think the other ingredients are all non-toxic.
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  • Wolf.
    I am a big fan of Ballistol as well. It is pretty benign stuff and has been around about 140 years in one form or another. It is very difficult for me to accept as true that Ballistol is banned in Europe or is otherwise controlled as something hazardous. 'Course, Europe rachets up the socialist bs level to something like 5 x California, so anything is possible, I suppose.

    I am repeating some stuff that was already posted, but as I recall, Ballistol was developed back in the mid-1800's in Germany. I recall reading that it was used by the German military for a host of things, including cleaning and protecting the steel parts of weapons, cleaning and preserving wood gunstocks and other equipment, as a leather dressing and as a general antiseptic for minor scrapes and cuts. It went out of favor in the German military after WWII, but I'll bet it never really went out of use in the military, even today. It is a great wipe-down for your weapons and won't hurt any standard gun parts that I know of.

    I keep electronic copies of MSDS's (Material Safety Data Sheets) for the chemical products I use, so reviewing the Ballistol MSDS and extracting data from it.....:
    --- "Ballistol-Lube is an alkaline, emulsifying oily lubricant and corrosion inhibitor."
    --- There are no known acute or chronic health hazards
    --- Ballistol's only component with an OSHA-defined "permissible exposure limit" is "Isobutyl Alcohol" (PEL = 100 ppm).

    The stuff is a proprietary compound product and the MSDS is not required to list its full range of non-hazardous components. However (from the MSDS now), Ballistol is a medicinal-grade mineral oil-based product, containing isobutyl alchohol and other components. It has a low, 126 degrees F flashpoint, has a yellowish, oily appearance and a citrus-like odor

    If you want some, you can get it at good gun shops, some hardware stores and from the well-known firearms-related catalogs.
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  • TommyGun724
    Picked up a can at a gun show last spring after reading a lot of good about it. The vendor I purchased it from gave me a info sheet on it describing all its uses. I also purchased the sprayer that screws on to the can. I keep a cloth I sprayed with ballistol in a zip lock bag in my gun cleaning kit and wipe down the entire gun, the stock and the leather sling.I also use it inside the barrels and receivers. This stuff works great. It does have a weird odor, but its not too offensive and goes away quickly. I have a small refillable oil can that has a sealing twist nozzle. In it I keep a 50/50 mix of ballistol and ATF.I use this for lubricating any metal moving parts,small bearing, hinges, rusted bolt threads, etc.The ATF dissolves any old gummy oil or other residues and penetrates better.This stuff works for me !!!
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