Due to skin sensitivity problems with several gun oils (especially CLP), I'm now using Ballistol as my do-everything firearms lube and protectant.  I'm getting good lube and rust protection with Ballistol on my guns and my skin isn't breaking out, so I'm very pleased.

However, shooting a Ballistol-lubed AR last weekend...  After about 100 rounds, the bolt was feeling rather gritty and under-lubed within the carrier, and I wondered if Ballistol, magical as it is, was good enough to handle the somewhat unique lube needs of the AR bolt system.

Does anyone here currently use (or have previously used) Ballistol as their main AR lubricant?  If so, what results have you had?  Were you satisfied by its performance in the AR15?  Thanks in advance for your help.


Note: This thread is specifically about Ballistol, so please don't use it as a chance to hype up some other Wonder Oil.  Chances are, your favorite uber-lube will have the same allergic effect as my favorite uber-lube (CLP).  I'm sticking with Ballistol (for now) for health reasons and I'll just have to deal with any shortcomings it has.

I like Ballistol a lot and use it on all my class 3 stuff. Sadly, I think an AR bolt needs a lube with more viscosity. I'd suggest using a syringe with your favorite lube and apply it only to your bolt and use Ballistol for everything else. It might be fine for a bolt with high quality ammo, but I wouldn't count on it.

Larry;

I have been using it. I give a squirt into the bolt camming pin recess, around the "neck" of the bolt, a tiny one into the firingpin hole (which takes care of the bolt face, extractor, ejector and locking lugs. I run a squirt down either side of the carrier and into the lower internals. Also into the firing pin retainer pin recess.

I put one drop of FP-10 on either end of the Hammer and trigger pins, the safety, and on either side of the disconnector where it slides down into the trigger.

I put white lithium grease as needed on the sear and I have never detected any "grittiness" anywhere at all.

"A squirt" means from an aerosol can. I do not shoot full auto, nor to I use the rifle like a hose. I have a featherweight bbl and it heats up very fast, so I take it easy. My longest string has been about 25 rounds without waiting for it to cool down. I have no idea how Ballistol is at very high temperatures.

Hope this helps and that I haven't left anything out.

Cheers!

Larry,

If you do not know exactly which chemical(s) is(are) causing you problems, you just might be able to figure out which component or components of the various lubes are causing your skin to break out.

Could you list the lubes (as well as other non-gun related products, if any) that make trouble for you? And any chemicals, such as acetone, paint thinner, turpentine, 1-1-1 Trichloroethane, brake cleaner, carb cleaner, starting fluid, etc. that you know of.

I think we should be able to figure it out and get you a good lube that won't make you break out!

I have quite a few MSDSes, as well as access to an online MSDS database, that I can use to cross-reference the ingredients in those products that cause you trouble.

I would be more than happy to help. The research will benefit me, also, as well as others who may have similar problems (I know of at least one other person).

Then from there it would be a simple matter of either finding a product, or making your own, that does not contain any of the "bad" components.

Slip 2000 might be a possibility, you might want to look into it.

Supposedly it's "nontoxic, nonhazardous, and biodegradable".

[url]www.slip2000.com[/url]

Don’t know that it’ll be terribly helpful, but you might want to check out this thread:  [url]www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=7&t=161164&w=searchPop[/url]