Anyone ever use Ballistol on their guns?

Im about to clean my Camalots and Mastercams. I use Ballistol for a lot of different applications. Just wanted to see if anyone else uses it for cam maintenance. 

Chicken Adobo wrote:

Im about to clean my Camalots and Mastercams. I use Ballistol for a lot of different applications. Just wanted to see if anyone else uses it for cam maintenance. 

Had to look it up. It leaves an oil film. You do not want that on your cams since it will just attract dirt. 

Wash them in water, dry, then apply a *wax or teflon based* cam lubricant.

I use it on my SKS, but i wouldn't use it on my cams. I'd agree with Marc801 Chrusch.

Spend the $5 on cam lube 

I think bike chain lube is the same stuff as cam lube. 

Creed A wrote:

I think bike chain lube is the same stuff as cam lube. 

Yes, if it's the wax kind. There are wet (oil based)bike chain lubes, for use in wetter climates.

Big issue is every CLP has a solvent (to removed baked carbon, lead etc.) and a solvent is the last thing you want around climbing gear.

A lot of folks don't realize that its not just the oil (which can be corrosive to nylon), but also the solvent (which IS corrosive to nylon) that makes this class of chemical cleaner hazardous.  

coldfinger wrote:

Big issue is every CLP has a solvent (to removed baked carbon, lead etc.) and a solvent is the last thing you want around climbing gear.

A lot of folks don't realize that its not just the oil (which can be corrosive to nylon), but also the solvent (which IS corrosive to nylon) that makes this class of chemical cleaner hazardous.  

Totally depends on which solvent - not all affect nylon. Recall that the most powerful solvent in the world is water. Oil and gas have no effect on nylon, so no, the oil in those products doesn't "corrode" nylon - it just attracts dirt. 

Marc801 C wrote:

Totally depends on which solvent - not all affect nylon. Recall that the most powerful solvent in the world is water. Oil and gas have no effect on nylon, so no, the oil in those products doesn't "corrode" nylon - it just attracts dirt

Where did you get your info? 

Water is the most powerful solvent? 

Oil and gas?  So I guess it's ok to get motor oil on a climbing rope?

Ballistol: "Caution should be used when using Ballistol on soft and/or non-oil resistant plastics."

Point that was being missed here was CLP is not just a lubricant. 

coldfinger wrote:

Where did you get your info? 

Water is the most powerful solvent? 

Oil and gas?  So I guess it's ok to get motor oil on a climbing rope?

Ballistol: "Caution should be used when using Ballistol on soft and/or non-oil resistant plastics."

Point that was being missed here was CLP is not just a lubricant. 

Motor oil and gasoline have no effect on nylon other than making that spot a dirt magnet.

https://www.calpaclab.com/nylon-chemical-compatibility-chart/   <- one of many such tables on the net

Yes, water will eventually break down anything on the planet. Just remember that thermodynamics determines if a chemical equation is possible, kinetics tells you if it will happen before next Tuesday or in 200M years. A bit facetious, yes, but was used to illustrate that just because something is a "solvent" doesn't necessarily mean it represents a danger to a particular item.

One Shot gun cleaner/lube has been good to my cams

Gee....

Motor oil has no effect on nylon? 

Try calling a rope manufacturer and seeing what they have to say on that.

As for cams.... I know BD doesn't recommend using any degreasing solvent or oil based lubricant due to the effect on the nylon slings.

I really don't know why you'd have to use gun cleaner on a cam anyway.  No leading, copper fouling or propellant residue there!

coldfinger wrote:

Gee....

Motor oil has no effect on nylon? 

Try calling a rope manufacturer and seeing what they have to say on that.

As for cams.... I know BD doesn't recommend using any degreasing solvent or oil based lubricant due to the effect on the nylon slings.

I really don't know why you'd have to use gun cleaner on a cam anyway.  No leading, copper fouling or propellant residue there!

Source - I worked as a chemist doing materials compatibility work in Big Oil for many years.

How about solvents?  Ballistol warns against use with soft nylons and is a CLP.

coldfinger wrote:

How about solvents?  Ballistol warns against use with soft nylons and is a CLP.

No, they warn against soft *plastics* that are not oil resistant. Nylon is oil resistant and is not a plastic.Ballistol is also non-toxic - you could drink it.

"Ballistol will not negatively affect plastic materials or paints which are chemically resistant to oils. Specifically, Ballistol will not adversely affect PVC, high pressure Polyethylenes, mipolam, teflon-derivatives or hostaflon-derivatives. It can be safely applied to the gel coat of fiberglass boats. Caution is recommended with foamed polymers like polyester, foamed rubber, or caulking foam in the areas of direct contact. As a rule of thumb, it may be safely assumed that all plastic materials, polymers, paints, lacquers, or varnishes that are chemically neutral toward technical oils will not be adversely affect by Ballistol either. The same holds true of rubber objects. All those types of rubber, which are chemically resistant against mineral oils, will also remain unaffected by Ballistol. Rubbers that are not resistant against mineral oils may become brittle if exposed to Ballistol for an extended period of time and/or under higher than ambient temperatures. If applied thinly Ballistol is suitable for maintaining and cleaning any sort of rubber without damage."

Ryan Hamilton wrote:

Yes, if it's the wax kind. There are wet (oil based)bike chain lubes, for use in wetter climates.

In most situations, I use the Finish Line Ceramic Wet. It's less sticky than many wet lubes and washes off after a couple of short journeys in the rain, but on the plus side, it doesn't hold as much dirt as some wet lubes.

Personally, I think it's a good all-year lubrication (here in Glasgow where the weather is always awful :D )

Nylon is a very generic term as is plastic.

I doubt many in the nylon manufacturing biz would agree that "nylon is not a plastic".

But yes types of nylon are commonly used as fuel line for many applications. Other thermoplastics are in common usage for fuel tanks. 

There are all sorts of things you can safely use to clean and lubricate cams. 

It is wise to control/limit what chemicals come in contact with the soft goods you depend your life on. Generic absolutes might be unwise.

Tamiban Gueterstan wrote:

okay but the real question. does ballistol smell good or bad?

Really depends on your mood.

I kinda like aromatic hydrocarbon smell myself....that benzene ring...so good...

(Way too much time in a chem anal lab.)