Anyone use Ballistol as a cleaner for corrosive ammo?

drwalker47

I hear it is water sou-able and prone to rusting. Anyone know the skinny on the product?

Teach

I use it for cleanup after shooting my flintlocks, and black powder is as corrosive as it gets. It neutralizes BP salts, lubricates, and also preserves leather. In a pinch, it makes a pretty good antiseptic for treating wounds. Yes, it's water-soluble, which makes it an ideal short-term cleaner for corrosive priming which needs to be flushed away with boiling water as soon as is practical after shooting. The real advantage is the fact that it's non-petroleum based, and does not react with BP salts to form hard, crusty deposits the way regular gun oil does. It's been around longer than smokeless powder, BTW, and entire armies have used it as their primary cleaner/lube.
Jerry

woodsrunner

What Jerry says:

Ballistol was developed for the Wehrmacht in the 1890's, and is STILL used to this day by the German Armed Forces. You can rest assured that if it is firearms related, and a German developed it, that there can be none better!

Gene L

Hot water is the best stuff to use for corrosive primers.

Here's the history of Ballistol. Sounds like good stuff, and it's biodegradable.

http://www.ballistoluk.co.uk/acatalog/worlds__first_multi_purpose_bio_degradable_oil.html

glockman0422

I use Ballistol to clean all my guns. However i preffer the aerosol over the regular can. No mixing needed and its easier to use. When cleaning after corrosive ammo, i first take the gun apart and then i flush it out very well with warm water. Which here in south florida a good rinse with the hose does the trick. After the rinse with the hose, i proceed to clean it with the ballistol. I try not to shoot corrosive ammo out of my AK74 but when i do, this is how i clean it. So far it has worked well.