Fireclean is Vegetable Oil?

Llando88 · Sep 13, 2015

Infrared Spectroscopy of FireClean and Crisco Oils | Vuurwapen Blog

"FireClean is probably a modern unsaturated vegetable oil virtually the same as many oils used for cooking.

The professor had something to say about the formulation and its relevance as a gun oil. “I don’t see any sign of other additives such as antioxidants or corrosion inhibitors. Since the unsaturation in these oils, especially linoleate residues, can lead to their oligomerization with exposure to oxygen and light, use on weapons could lead to formation of solid residues (gum) with time. The more UV and oxygen, the more the oil will degrade.”

Thoughts?

OKFC05 · Sep 13, 2015

"Green" lubricants are biodegradeable and over time and exposure to oxidants and catalysts they, well, degrade. Big surprise?

ken158 · Sep 13, 2015

Why would anyone put oil on guns that is designed for cooking food? Way too many good gun oils on the market for such silliness.

Mister X · Sep 13, 2015

Doesn't surprise me and it won't deter too many people who use it. Legions of people use and swear by Hoppe's #9 oil paying as much $5 for half an ounce and it is nothing more than 100% mineral oil. Hoppe's #9 Gun Oil Liquid

Gunhacker · Sep 13, 2015

Daniel W. said:
Doesn't surprise me and it won't deter too many people who use it. Legions of people use and swear by Hoppe's #9 oil paying as much $5 for half an ounce and it is nothing more than 100% mineral oil. Hoppe's #9 Gun Oil Liquid

Well ain't that a kick in the pants... the MSDS confirms it.

The same stuff touted as being "refined to perfection for use in firearms", is basically the same stuff I've been using to seal my unfinished kitchen wood cutting boards/blocks for decades, that I get online for about $30 a gallon (.23 cents an ounce).

John R · Sep 13, 2015

I use good old synthetic 5W-30 motor oil, works great and it's cheap compared to buying gun oil.
A quart of Mobil One last a long time.

2152hq · Sep 13, 2015

Daniel W. said:
Doesn't surprise me and it won't deter too many people who use it. Legions of people use and swear by Hoppe's #9 oil paying as much $5 for half an ounce and it is nothing more than 100% mineral oil. Hoppe's #9 Gun Oil Liquid

'Ballistol' is another. It is comprised of mineral oil (other names: white oil, baby oil..) plus a touch of oleic acid (probably as an emulsifying agent (soap)), plain alcohol and perfume.

That's why it'll clean your gun, mend your cut finger, make the holster and sling look like new, lube the muzzle loader patches, give you more mpg,,just about everything and not harm a thing.
It's baby oil,,,

garbler · Sep 13, 2015

2152hq said:
'Ballistol' is another. It is comprised of mineral oil (other names: white oil, baby oil..) plus a touch of oleic acid (probably as an emulsifying agent (soap)), plain alcohol and perfume.

That's why it'll clean your gun, mend your cut finger, make the holster and sling look like new, lube the muzzle loader patches, give you more mpg,,just about everything and not harm a thing.
It's baby oil,,,

Respectfully I'm not sure about your claim regarding Ballistols formula. I've been using this stuff since the 80's ( steel screw top cans ) and can attest that just like the old directions warned it will attack and dissolve brass or copper alloys. I've had Ballistol literally dissolve the case mouths of some Rem 45-70 brass to the point it was sharp as a knive and primer pockets that would no longer hold a primer. Of course the brass sparkled but big trade off sort of like hydroflouric acid used to shine chrome in car and truck washes.

BTW the original Ballistol paperwork claimed to have oil of licorice in it. Question I have is have they snuck in a new formula ? I still have several big cans of the original mix so not sure what they are selling these days

Regards

Mister X · Sep 13, 2015

The bulk of Ballistol is made up of White Mineral oil, but there are a few other contents in there as well http://www.ballistol.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/MSDS_TECH_BIO.pdf

Geo. T. · Sep 13, 2015

If you get a Quart of Dura Lube or slick 50 it will last forever and bonds to the metal! I put it in 2 ounce bottles with a nozzle to assist in application.

Engine49guy · Sep 13, 2015

I just dip my guns in the old french fry oil that the local Mcdonalds tosses out behind the dumpster every night,
Cost is totally free and your guns have the sweet aroma of French fried potatoes when your at the range...
The occasional free french fries that are hiding in there are just another perk.

Hows that for environmentally friendly ?

Gunhacker · Sep 13, 2015

Engine49guy said:
I just dip my guns in the old french fry oil that the local Mcdonalds tosses out behind the dumpster every night,
Cost is totally free and your guns have the sweet aroma of French fried potatoes when your at the range...
The occasional free french fries that are hiding in there are just another perk.

Hows that for environmentally friendly ?

Heck... that's what I used to run in an old '83 Mercedes diesel sedan, and local restaurants were happy to let me haul it off, rather than pay to have it done.

Filter it through cheese cloth into a 5 gal bucket to get rid of the food particles and it was good to go, just pour it in the fuel tank and rumble off.

The deep frying use got rid of the glycerin... which is what needs to removed when transforming pure vegetable oil into bio-diesel. And yes... the exhaust smelled like French fries.

Big Stick · Sep 13, 2015

Daniel W. said:
Doesn't surprise me and it won't deter too many people who use it. Legions of people use and swear by Hoppe's #9 oil paying as much $5 for half an ounce and it is nothing more than 100% mineral oil. Hoppe's #9 Gun Oil Liquid

Just beware that Hoppe's #9 gun oil is not the same as #9 cleaner... If you look at the ingredients, you'll see its a blend......

Mister X · Sep 13, 2015

Big Stick said:
Just beware that Hoppe's #9 gun oil is not the same as #9 cleaner... If you look at the ingredients, you'll see its a blend......

Yeah, a lot of folks only think of the solvent when they see/hear hoppes #9. There is actually two #9 oils, the older lubricating oil which is the one that is pure mineral oil and the lubricating gun oil which is a synthetic blend with other additives.

cgt4570 · Sep 14, 2015

So what's the additive in Hoppe's No. 9 Solvent that gives it the aphrodisiac aroma? I sure like it when my wife puts a little behind her ears.

(just kiddin' and it's a good thing she doesn't look at my posts very often.)

2152hq · Sep 14, 2015

garbler said:
Respectfully I'm not sure about your claim regarding Ballistols formula. I've been using this stuff since the 80's ( steel screw top cans ) and can attest that just like the old directions warned it will attack and dissolve brass or copper alloys. I've had Ballistol literally dissolve the case mouths of some Rem 45-70 brass to the point it was sharp as a knive and primer pockets that would no longer hold a primer. Of course the brass sparkled but big trade off sort of like hydroflouric acid used to shine chrome in car and truck washes.

BTW the original Ballistol paperwork claimed to have oil of licorice in it. Question I have is have they snuck in a new formula ? I still have several big cans of the original mix so not sure what they are selling these days

Regards

It's been changed a little a couple of times to please the Greenys.
I wouldn't doubt if older mixes had a touch of ammonia in them to cut copper fouling in the bore. That'll shine brass and copper buckles up nice too (like Brasso), but long term exposure to those trinkets by the ammonia formula will degrade them. Just a guess though.

Oil of Licorice is of some medicinal use, other than that it's a perfume for the mix. It's not much of a cleaning agent for metal,leather or wood.
It's supposed to be OK for your stomach though.

The ingredients listed now are: White oil, oleic acid, alcohol, perfume.
That's it.

The stuff is listed at slightly alkali,,8 or 8.5 I think. Don't know what they insert for the 'perfume'.
Nothing earth shaking in the formula.
The fact that it does work well shows how little in the way of specialty lube is needed to clean the gun mechanism.
Much less than the mass marketers would like us to believe.

I use Mobil 1 sparingly.
But a lot of people use and have used Ballistol with no problems either.
Both pretty simple gun lubes I guess.

jack the toad · Sep 14, 2015

I saw a guy once at the gunshow demoing frog lube and would eat it to show it's harmless. I guess he lived?

He gave me a free sample pack and it did ok on my gun. Never tried it on my toast though.

Mister X · Sep 14, 2015

jack the toad said:
I saw a guy once at the gunshow demoing frog lube and would eat it to show it's harmless. I guess he lived?
He gave me a free sample pack and it did ok on my gun. Never tried it on my toast though.

Lol. I have no clue what's in froglube, but I called their customer service once and mentioned that their MSDS information contained absolutely no warnings of any kind and he replied that it didn't need any. I then asked him, so I could eat it or actually spray the solvent in my eyes without any harmful effects and he said "yes, it's completely non-hazardous."

gwpercle · Sep 14, 2015

Marvel Mystery Oil, which I have used as a light oil for decades is :
74% Mineral Oil
25% Stoddard Solvent (which is just highly refined mineral spirits)
1% Lard (lard is rendered hog fat )

I bet a lot of expensive super gun lubes are mostly mineral oil. And if I remember correctly, mineral oil will not hurt you if ingested in limited amounts . I believe it is used as a laxative. I worked at a wholesale drug co. and We sold the stuff to pharmacies .

Gary

44wheelman · Sep 14, 2015

Yep, pharmacy isle of your big grocery store is the place to buy mineral oil, store brand of course. Last time I bought it was $2/pint, on sale. Primary use is for the cutting board.

Fireclean is Vegetable Oil?

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