After learning that Fire Clean was essentially the same as Crisco, I started using it on my knives (instead of mineral oil). I've noticed that after a while the vegetable oil leaves a sticky coating. Would Fire Clean behave the same way?

Reading the Fire Clean thread below, it seems users had similar experiences on firearms. I guess I answered my own question. How in the world could it have been so highly regarded at some point?

Because it was decent at keeping the carbon from sticking. Especially if you were running a suppressor.

Aside from it's ability to keep carbon from solidifying, vegetable oil/Fire Clean is a poor weapon lubricant/corrosion protector.

because it had a catchy name, costs more than mobil 1 and most people are truly idiots when it comes to purchasing the next greatest thing for their ARs.  I truly believe that you have to be a complete idiot to spend what people spend for AR lubes and cleaners when nothing has a material advantage over mobil1 for lube/protection and hoppes 9 for cleaning

If you shoot weekly then it's a great product. It keeps carbon from sticking and lubes well enough. It's when you let it sit a few weeks when you see it start to gum up and get sticky.

From a chemistry standpoint, I would never put bare bio based oils such as Crisco, palm oil, olive oil, or coconut oil on a firearms unless you want to cook bacon with it. Don't do it bro.

It's more expensive to find and buy non toxic, non hazardous, and safe nanoadditives than it is to find synethic or petroleum based products. While paying $10-15 for a freaking 2oz is preposterous, and probably earning 500% profit (if not more), it is more expensive to produce than traditional oils such as hoppes.

People are more stupid thinking that because a base formula is 80-90% bio oil (which is pretty much a given when they say they're bio based). Then you add the nanoadditives such as, Zinc Dithiophosphate, C4H9COOAg, a- Exene [Ex-1-ene], and other additives (safe non toxic, etc). These additives take up roughly 0.1%-2% of formulas and are used to enhanced the oil or add properties on a molecular level. This includes temperatures from -40 to 400+, hydrophobicity, lubricity, adhesion to alloy, corrosion inhibitions, ability to repel carbon fouling, etc.

So when people say Fireclean and Froglube are simply vegetable or coconut oil, they have absolutely no clue what it takes to formulate a functioning oil for everything a firearm needs. What's even funnier is when people don't understand the term "bio-based" meaning plant based and non synthetic. Where else would you get a bio based oil from than a freaking plant or fruit?

I still get a chuckle out of this whole fiasco

This is just getting stupid.

And in todays news, Fireclean has filed lawsuits against several gun bloggers who claimed that Fireclean was just Crisco.

Appears Fireclean is NOT "just Crisco" as the bloggers are going to be uncomfortably informed of in a court of law.

Right? How do people not understand that "bio-based" has to come from sunflower oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, soy oil, peanut oil, etc? Then additives increase or add different desired properties.

From the sound of it, by the time Fireclean gets done in court some of these bloggers are going to wish THEY had some Crisco.

It's just close enough, functionally and measurably, that the whole internet now knows it and isn't going to
pay their goofy prices for it.  So in typical modern American business-butthurt "I'm sad because I can't continue to
rip people off" fashion, they'll sue anyone and everyone
they can so they can make some more money from their stupid ass idea.  Bunch of fucking nancys.
Maybe next time they can sell it at wallmart with an "as seen on TV" sticker.

Come on; this is a technical forum. -Andrewphillipf

I'm surprised people bash on Fireclean and then say something sillier like they "used it on their knives." It appears that you didn't do any research into the subject. Fireclean is piss poor rust prevention and nobody would recommend putting it on anything to prevent rust.

Now as far as where fireclean is applicable is with suppressed weapons or just general high round counts weapons. If you want something that will work all day at the range or class, then Fireclean is for you. Otherwise if you don't shoot that often, there are better alternatives. Unsure what the stuff is made of but it doesn't really matter when it works as it should in the application it states.