Spring/Piston Balistol Bad for Blueing?

[Hoppalong Doc]

Earlier today I heard mention via ytube that my favorite go to for almost everything, Balistol, will damage the blueing on my guns. I've been using it liberally on both my pb guns as well as my airguns for about 6 years now. It makes everything shine, eliminating fingerprints, disolving oil residue, wiping away dirt, and making everything look better than new. Where's the harm? My guns look better than new. My blueing and wood stocks shine. Was this guy blowing smoke up my barrels? You mean I can't believe everything I hear on the tube? Orv.

 

[FL22]

Let me think about this for a nanosecond, “YT guy” or Stephen Archer, I’ll go with Steve, he hasn’t lead me down the wrong path.

Ballistol - The Product With A Million Uses - Hard Air Magazine

Ballistol is a great product that has a million uses. I’ve been using it on airguns for over 10 years and it continues to amaze me with new capabilities.

hardairmagazine.com

 

[Roamin Greco 1]

Earlier today I heard mention via ytube that my favorite go to for almost everything, Balistol, will damage the blueing on my guns. I've been using it liberally on both my pb guns as well as my airguns for about 6 years now. It makes everything shine, eliminating fingerprints, disolving oil residue, wiping away dirt, and making everything look better than new. Where's the harm? My guns look better than new. My blueing and wood stocks shine. Was this guy blowing smoke up my barrels? You mean I can't believe everything I hear on the tube? Orv.

I'm with you, Orv. I can't imagine mineral oil, which is basically what Ballistol is, can be bad for metal. Perhaps the logic is since Ballistol will remove rust and bluinh is a kind of rust (oxidation of the underlying metal), then Ballistol must be bad for bluing. But so far in my experience, my oily rags don't seem to be changing color just from rubbing down blued gunmetal.

However, I know that wood can be negatively affected from too much exposure to oil (except perhaps boiled linseed oil), but a rubdown with a slightly oily rag doesn't seem like it would be harmful even over time unless the rag is literally dripping in oil every time.

 

[Hoppalong Doc]

I appreciate knowing that Balistol is based on mineral oil. It was safe enough for babies bottoms back in the seventies when my kids were born. In six years of using it, there's been no harm.

 

[guidodg]

it's nonsense...no truth in it at all

 

[Scriv]

Everything is bad for you, we're all going to die.

 

[Hoppalong Doc]

Sure, we're all going to die of something. At 78 years, I think that old age is catching up with me. Orv.

 

[Scriv]

Sure, we're all going to die of something. At 78 years, I think that old age is catching up with me. Orv.

Life is the number one cause of death.

 

[Hoppalong Doc]

Life is the number one cause of death.

Ahhh. . . wouldn't be without it. Orv.

 

[FL22]

Life is the number one cause of death.

Your killing me

 

[pan60]

Life is the number one cause of death.

I'm screwed.

 

[guidodg]

is Ballistol good for longevity?

 

[Hoppalong Doc]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by longevity, but being oil based it won't evaporate like an alcohol or water based product might do. Interestingly enough though, it doesn't feel "oily" either. Orv.

 

[Roamin Greco 1]

I dunno about Ballistol being good for longevity, but personally, I use a lot of extra virgin olive oil in my own diet!

 

[Waytoomany]

Earlier today I heard mention via ytube that my favorite go to for almost everything, Balistol, will damage the blueing on my guns. I've been using it liberally on both my pb guns as well as my airguns for about 6 years now. It makes everything shine, eliminating fingerprints, disolving oil residue, wiping away dirt, and making everything look better than new. Where's the harm? My guns look better than new. My blueing and wood stocks shine. Was this guy blowing smoke up my barrels? You mean I can't believe everything I hear on the tube? Orv.

Ten plus years ago I had never even heard of Ballistol. It still is not sold at retail in these parts. But then I learned the German military used it in two world wars and maybe even treated wounds with it. There was the story told by someone I trust that a friend returned home after extensive travel and found his basement flooded. His guns were kept there and were immersed in water. He was a Ballistol user. They were okay! Reviews I found were almost all positive. I ordered some and have used it ever since on both firearms and airguns. Semi automatics love the stuff for function dependability. It is also effective for darkening wood stocks when desired. I sound like a Ballistol salesman but am not. If I were a young man starting a career I would look into doing that. There are lots of shops that sell guns that never heard of it.

Waytoomany

 

[Hvacguy]

Ballistol is good to go. Smells good too

 

[Danman]

Ten plus years ago I had never even heard of Ballistol. It still is not sold at retail in these parts. But then I learned the German military used it in two world wars and maybe even treated wounds with it. There was the story told by someone I trust that a friend returned home after extensive travel and found his basement flooded. His guns were kept there and were immersed in water. He was a Ballistol user. They were okay! Reviews I found were almost all positive. I ordered some and have used it ever since on both firearms and airguns. Semi automatics love the stuff for function dependability. It is also effective for darkening wood stocks when desired. I sound like a Ballistol salesman but am not. If I were a young man starting a career I would look into doing that. There are lots of shops that sell guns that never heard of it.

Waytoomany

Ahhh YouTube...where wise men and fools converge.
My experience mirrors yours with it.
No one who shoots, sells, or services guns (air or powder) knows about ballistol around here. Like many good things regarding airguns I heard about it first on Ham. 3 years of use and me & my guns love it! I pest a fair bit and I drag my poor expensive babies through rain or humidity somewhat frequently.
After any exposure I bring the gun in and let it dry off a bit, them a ballistol spray followed up with a rag. Steel first, then the wood...I only spray the metal, wood gets the residual on the rag.
My old Slavia would get rust on the blued metal sitting on the rack in my house. Now my HW50 hangs in the same spot, but with ballistol treatment.... Zero rust so far and yeah i like the smell too.

 

[Scriv]

I find it odd that not many have heard of it. I've been familiar with it for years. I just had so many other products that were getting the job done that I felt no need for it. Only lately have I tried it because I thought it might make a good bore cleaner for my air rifles.

 

[Hvacguy]

I find it odd that not many have heard of it. I've been familiar with it for years. I just had so many other products that were getting the job done that I felt no need for it. Only lately have I tried it because I thought it might make a good bore cleaner for my air rifles.

My guess is PB cleaners aren't discussed out of fear of dieseling

 

[Scriv]

My guess is PB cleaners aren't discussed out of fear of dieseling

Well, there is that. I tend to think that not much is left after dry patches.