My Results w/ Hoppes vs Ballistol

[chief38]

Like everyone above has said, Hoppes 9 is a solvent and not intended on being a lubricant or rust preventative as it's primary goal.

I have never used Balistol however since it's been around for over 100 years I would think it is a fine product. As far as smell goes, that is a personal thing. Most love the Hoppes scent - some hate it. I've heard many times that people dislike the smell of Balistol while some actually have no issue with it.

The major advantage is that Balistol is much safer to use as it contains much friendlier chemicals. Balistol is probably one of the only major gun chemicals I have not tried yet - one of these days I will ......

 

[Valmet]

I’ve been a Ballistol guy for about 10 years, but I still love the fragrance of Hoppes

 

[cmj8591]

I've done this lubrication dance a thousand times. For what it's worth, here's my observations. It's hard to go wrong if you use something that has a national stock number. If it keeps a SAW running in Afghanistan, it will keep my gun running while I shoot up the sand bank at the gun club. A friend of mine, who actually had to depend on his weapon to keep him alive in Iraq, turned me on to M-Pro7. The gun cleaner works lights out and when combined with a bronze brush, removes the black rings on a cylinder face better than anything I have used. (Side note: Go easy on blued guns with the bronze tooth brush.) Their LPX gun oil is a CLP that is used with the gun cleaner and can be used by its self for light cleaning. I also have a tube of their grease that I use on high friction parts and it works as good as RIG, which is saying something. To each his own, but I could never understand the utility of mixing up a home made cleaner/lube. Mix 2 parts ATF with 1 part motor oil, one tablespoon of local honey and save 2 dollars by not having to buy a bottle of Break Free. It's not for me, thank you. While I'm up on the soap box, I an going to mention Frog Lube. Apologies to those of you who like it, but Frog Lube is the devil's sperm! I fell for their slick (pun intended) advertising and tried it. At first everything was good and I really liked that it was dry to the touch. During an IDPA match, I noticed that my 1911 was very sluggish going back into battery. When I looked closer, it looked like it had been cleaned with maple syrup! It had started off dry to the touch. My gallery gun had to go to a smith to have it's trigger group disassembled and the sludge removed. And yes, I followed the directions to the letter. $75 worth of minty smelling soybean oil went into the trash. DON'T USE IT!

 

[BigBill]

I use the orginal USGI RIFLE BORE CLEANER it comes in metal cans. I use the USGI LIGHT WEAPONS OIL for the bores. Everything else gets the moly treatment. For storage it’s the G96.

I hadn’t opened one safe in a decade +. (Cancer) I wiped them down, sprayed them with G96 wrapped them in s&w parchment paper and in the case they went. Fearing the worst they all look great.

 

[Jessie]

Now, if you ask me that G96 is about the best smelling stuff around and it’s worked great as a quick cleaner/lube at the range and home if I’m pressed for time.
If I can get some G96 on a gun I’ve used I don’t worry about rust until I get a chance for a detailed cleaning.
Hopped#9 and G96 make a pretty effective one-two team for clean & lube.

 

[Greyman50]

Remember back when Hoppes #9 was about the only cleaner unless you had some GI bore cleaner? Dont remember my mother complaining about it but my wife sure did. Have found that the el cheapo carb. spray cleaner at wally world works very well, just spray it outside , remove grips and use brass tooth brush and bore snake for bore and cylinders. Follow up with wipe down with Kroil. Long term storage CLP has worked well. Had a gallon given to me by NG Lt years ago when their unit was checking out of training , he found that it was not on his books.

 

[garbler]

My first can of Ballistol was back in the early 80’s when I ran into a guy trying to talk a local gun store into handling the product. He failed but I followed him out to the parking lot and talked his product to death. I bought three cans one still unopened.

If you have the old mix as found in the can below be aware that it will attack your brass over time. I actually ruined about twenty 45-70 cases where the mouths dissolved and wouldn’t hold cast bullets. I stored them in a container with a paper towel wet with ballistol. Cases got so thin you could easily crush the mouth with your fingers. The new stuff won’t do that

 

[PatriotX]

Please explain how mineral oil will mix with water.

Have a read on surfactants and emulsifiers.

 

[cowboy4evr]

I'm not a chemist , but I will tell you this . The black powder boys has been mixing it with water for eons and calling it " moose milk " . The usual mix rate is about 7 parts water to 1 part Ballistol . They soak patches in it for cleaning the barrel and the chambers on the cylinders of revolvers . They spray down the outside parts with it . So yes , it does mix with water . Regards Paul

 

[S&W Fan]

Ask 10 guys about which cleaner/lubes to use and you’ll get 11 opinions lol. Been using MPro7 as a cleaner longer than I can remember and Break Free CLP as a lube on every type of firearm imaginable, all finishes as well.

I noticed my revolvers felt smoother after I started using Break Free. If you’ve never handled a new in the bag 1911 from Les Baer his pistols are soaked in it.

 

[rockquarry]

The late Warren Page, gunwriter, hunter, and benchrest shooter for many years had the opportunity to try virtually everything that was was available in the way of cleaning products. He had no brand loyalty and when asked to name his favorite solvent /cleaner, his response was, "whatever's free!"

 

[luvsmiths]

It's hard to go wrong if you use something that has a national stock number. If it keeps a SAW running in Afghanistan, it will keep my gun running while I shoot up the sand bank at the gun club.

Apologies to those of you who like it, but Frog Lube is the devil's sperm! DON'T USE IT!

You nailed it on all quoted! People WAY overthink some of this stuff.

 

[rockquarry]

You nailed it on all quoted! People WAY overthink some of this stuff.

You're right, but "overthinking" is consistent with today's compulsive folks. Too many choices, I suppose, with most products offering nothing over something similar, except for better marketing.

YouTube experts don't help in this regard, either, and that's where many get their information nowadays.

 

[DR505]

I was issued Militec-1 and it has always worked fine. It has a NSN as well, so I guess all is right with the world.

 

[Austinpaulster]

Like everyone above has said, Hoppes 9 is a solvent and not intended on being a lubricant or rust preventative as it's primary goal.

I have never used Balistol however since it's been around for over 100 years I would think it is a fine product. As far as smell goes, that is a personal thing. Most love the Hoppes scent - some hate it. I've heard many times that people dislike the smell of Balistol while some actually have no issue with it.

The major advantage is that Balistol is much safer to use as it contains much friendlier chemicals. Balistol is probably one of the only major gun chemicals I have not tried yet - one of these days I will ......

you missed the part about Hoppe's 9 "Oil". They have cleaning kits (I got one about 10 yrs ago) that have all the rods, brushes, patches, as well as two bottles - one being the solvent we all know and love (well not everyone), and also a bottle of Hoppe's 9 Lubricating Oil.

 

[DB404]

Gun Cleaners

Eons ago I switched from Hoppe's #9 to Break Free CLP. Hoppe's does have an iconic odor, but is old school for cleaning and was never meant to prevent rusting. And wasn't a lubricant. Break Free was said to do it all; in my experience it worked mostly. Where I had problems with it (I think - I never ran tests) was with my rimfire Smith revolvers, where fired cases began to extract poorly, sticking in the chambers. It happened with Model 34s, 651s, 43s and K22s. Stopped using it and went to MPro7. Then Ed's Red and never looked back. Inexpensive and works great.

 

[swrevo]

Dillon mini guns are/were lubed with Tw25b. I have used this on ar's, rem 1100's, and 1911's. When it turns black, wipe, reapply.
I now use on auto rails is Slide Glide from Brian Enos.
Ballistol has been my go to general purpose lube/cleaner for 35 years. Try it on an old dry holster.