ditto1958

I was getting some ingredients out tonight preparatory to making some pizza later. I couldn't resist snacking on a couple of slices of pepperoni. Hmmm... it tasted and smelled great. What is that? Never tasted like that before.

Suddenly I realized I had been cleaning a gun earlier, and had wiped down a rifle with a rag that I misted with Ballistol. Now, I know it says on the label not to eat the stuff, but it sure did taste and smell good with that pepperoni!

WvDave

I ordered a 16 oz pump bottle of Ballistol from Amazon and it will be here tomorrow. I just had to see what all the buzz was about concerning this stuff!!

ditto1958

Well, I don't know if it's gonna change your life or anything, but it does work well for cleaning and lubricating. I guess it's just a bonus that it smells and tastes good, too!

87hurricane

I think the smell must be an acquired taste. It does work well, but I think it's smells pretty awful.

jaxrider14

I've been using it for a few months now, and when I open the door to my shop I think it smells pretty good. Kind of like licorish.

Combine it with a little Hoppe's and it's almost mouthwatering.

JaPes

Agreed. It does work well, but the scent leaves something to be desired. It smells like licorice + sweaty gym bag to me.

snuffy33

I agree. The stuff smells like dirty socks.

Noah Zark

The distinctive odor of Ballistol comes from one of the ingredients, butyl alcohol, aka isobutyl alcohol, butanol, and other names depending on which of the four isomers is being referenced. Two of isomers of butyl alcohol are very miscible in water.

Butyl alcohol is toxic in quantity or concentration, but in small single doses apparently has little effect. The odor of butyl alcohol is known to initiate histamine-producing respiratory allergic reactions, at worst asthmatic attacks in some individuals who are sensitive to the odor.

It is primarily a solvent, and as such it has intrinsic cleaning properties. The water miscibility of two of the isomers lend them to being used in emulsifiers. Since Ballistol is an oil/solvent blend that can be readily mixed with water, the butyl alcohol is one of the main ingredients that makes the product mix with water. A mixture of Ballistol and water appears cloudy, much like coffee with a considerable amount of creamer added or silty river water after a heavy upstream rain.

This emulsifying property of Ballistol makes the product somewhat diametrically opposed to a water-displacing oil product, such as WD-40. In fact, the emulsifying property of Ballistol is somewhat off-putting for use on or in firearms with thin blueing; water such as condensed humidity or rain will readily mix with a Ballistol film, whereas other gun care preservative products tend to shed or repel water.

Noah

WvDave

I just tried my 16 oz pump bottle of Ballistol for the first time. I cleaned my SR22p with 235 rds on it and my MKIII 22/45 with 215 rds fired since last cleaning.
I used nothing but the Ballistol along with a microfiber towel, my Otis patch holder/patchs and brass brush, and a few other things like a plastic pic, small nylon brush and a few q tips.

I took the 22/45 all the way down and it was surprisingly clean except for the chamber area around the LCI.

It did a great job as far as cleaning goes and the pistols look great.

As to the smell - not bad at all. So far, I like the stuff.

I have a still unopened tub of Frog Lube that I will try on the next batch of guns to be cleaned.

montveil

I have used it on leather, ie
knife scabbard and leather handle,
pruning shear holster,
placed inside my wife's shoes at the inside of a tight heel and then stretched the leather,
old Sorrel pack boots on the leather uppers and all seams and rubber pack tops.
It soaks into and turns the leather a dark brown.
So far all the applications are doing well

GonzoGeezer

I am a recent convert to Ballistol. I first heard about it from fellow Walther users then saw a table at a gun show and bought a small can with some free wipes. The German armed forces adopted it in 1908 and used it until 1945, so it as some major chops. I like it much better than the Gunzilla I used to use or the Hoppes I've had laying around forever, and it smells better to me than either of them.

It's a great cleaner and lubricant. It works on wood and smooth leather too, but not suede. It was even specified as useful on minor scratches, cuts, and scrapes by the German Army! I use it to lubricate locks and even restored a gnarly old pair of shoes with it. The company claims it is safe on any surface that does not react to mineral oils.

Ballistol will not resinify (sp?), that is, it won't get thick and sticky like some products do, like Gunzilla. Case in point: I have a Walther SP22 that I stopped shooting when I picked up my MKIII and had cleaned it with Gunzilla before putting it away. The outer shell of the SP22 is a sort of brushed aluminum finish and the Gunzilla on it had thickened and was turning yellow. I used Ballistol to clean it and it even restored the finish to the original condition. And no yellowing since.

I have some vintage Walthers and have picked up extra magazines along the way because they are getting rarer to find, and I have more than I use when I take the guns to the range. They are mostly parkerized/phosphated finishes. I disassemble, clean, reassemble and spray them heavily with Ballistol, then put them in plastic sandwich bags before storing them in a dry closet.

I'm sold on Ballistol.

bigslim

love the stuff,one bottle takes care of everything! i do use another lubricant though, not that i need to but i like the stuff.

mike

WvDave

Welcome to the forum Mike. I used it for the first time yesterday. It worked quite well. I didn't use any other lubricant with it.

bigslim

THX, its good enough that i haven't gone looking for another cleaner. i use another lube because a) its good stuff and b) i kind of know the people who make it so i like to support small business when i can.

mike

leftofcentre67

Does anyone know if Ballistol has limited distribution in Canada? I can only find an online site to get it.