wheres the bears
.22LR
I use KY lube.
Ballistol or Rem'oil?
- Thread starter mike.t
- Start date
Ah, never thought of using Kentucky Jelly...
Twelve Pump
.270 WIN
Sorry, nitesite, I had somehow missed your post. I find that all my barrels get real clean with (liquid) soap and (hot) water. When I spot some stubborn fouling I do run some patches with Hoppes and even a brass brush, but those are fairly rare cases. Otherwise a plastic brush and several patches do the trick. In my handguns I only shoot jacketed rounds and the barrels clean up easy. Now the shotties will have lead fouling and that doesn't always just go away with soap.
I switched to soap and water after hearing about it when I was in the service (never shot black powder), and the idea is to completely degrease the gun. A complete break down is required as well as full drying and lube jobs afterwards.
I keep my guns spotless, but I don't obsess over the bores, though. And in case they got very dirty I oil all parts liberally, let them soak and clean them again hours later or the next day after all the fouling got sucked into the oil. Been doing this for many years.
As for other uses... the sky's the limit!
I like running water over dirty objects, whatever they are, because all contaminants get washed away, especially when soap is present to degrease the surfaces. Wipe-downs with rags that hold the crud and redeposit it on the parts and boresnakes that just make a half-assed pass or two don't cut it for me. It's not about being cheap, by the way - I'm anal about cleanliness and I think that most enthusiasts get cheated and taken to the cleaners (pun intended) with re-packaged simple stuff that they call must-have, space age products. It's an application of the KISS principle to maintenance for me.
You know, if you lube your gun with bacon grease you get the following benefits;
1. Lovely mouth watering smell when shooting
2. Pork based projectile lubrication when fighting ISIS, helping them to hell
3. Ensures if you are hit in battle, ISIS would not take your weapon.
Bacon, the other CLP.
1. Lovely mouth watering smell when shooting
2. Pork based projectile lubrication when fighting ISIS, helping them to hell
3. Ensures if you are hit in battle, ISIS would not take your weapon.
Bacon, the other CLP.
LOL I had a buddy who used to say the best welding spatter-off was duck fat. He used to get it from a Thai restaurant.
I wonder if he ever put it on his guns?
I use mineral spirits, gunk carb spray, Deep Creep, Hoppes #9 and Mobil-1 synthetic grease.
I've used both Rem oil and Winchester oil & didn't think they were any good as lubes, but fair cleaners unless you have copper fouling.
I will not put water on a gun ever. I know the army does it. I know the cops do it.
But I have to buy my own guns, and I don't like to get them wet ever.
Perhaps that's an irrational paranoia, but I'm keeping it.
I wonder if he ever put it on his guns?
I use mineral spirits, gunk carb spray, Deep Creep, Hoppes #9 and Mobil-1 synthetic grease.
I've used both Rem oil and Winchester oil & didn't think they were any good as lubes, but fair cleaners unless you have copper fouling.
I will not put water on a gun ever. I know the army does it. I know the cops do it.
But I have to buy my own guns, and I don't like to get them wet ever.
Perhaps that's an irrational paranoia, but I'm keeping it.
MrFrantastic
Copper BB
So just picked up my first shotgun, a Mossberg 500. I normally use Ballistol on my Glock 23, and it works great. Curious as to how to use it in cleaning my shotgun. I picked up a Hoppe's bore snake, and was hoping for some advice on basic cleaning after trips to the range. Thanks all!
Ghmann
.270 WIN
I recommend that you field strip it and clean and lube it before you ever take it to the range. A light coat of Ballistol on the bolt, carrier, shell stop, and other moving parts should be sufficient. You can clean and lube it after every range trip if you wish, although it may not be necessary until after 200 rounds or so. Even then, it will keep on tickin' for a long time.
Here is a video showing how to field strip it. It's for the the 590, but same procedure for the 500.
Here is a video showing how to field strip it. It's for the the 590, but same procedure for the 500.
OffGrid9
.410
You didn't say if your 500 is new or used. If it's new, I agree with Ghmann -- I'd break it down and clean it: blow out the action, trigger area, and tube magazine with air (canned or compressor), give a quick shot of Ballistol to all moving parts (only exception...I wouldn't shoot any oil up the magazine) and wipe off any excess. Then a patch of Hoppe's #9 cleaner or CLP up the barrel, wait 5, one dry patch, and your good to go to the range or start hunting.
Pretty much the same routine after each range session or hunting trip, though you may need to repeat the wet & dry patch a couple more times, depending on how much you shot. Likely don't have to repeat the Ballistol on the action too often...don't over-oil it.
As to bore-snakes, some guys hate 'em...me, I love 'em. They don't do a thorough cleaning job, but they are a god-send in the field, or when you just don't have a chance to do a complete cleaning. My bird-hunts may last for 10 days or more, and I don't do a deep-cleaning in camp. Every evening, I run a bore-snake with a little oil on it through the barrel just to give it a quick clean and keep any condensation from staying in the barrel. Also, I hunt in all kinds of weather, so I carry a lightly oiled piece of Tshirt and that oily bore snake, just to give the barrel a quick cleaning and oiling and give the gun a quick rub-down, to dry it and wipe off finger-prints before it goes in the case. Instead of a an oily rag, a lot of my friends swear by the silicone impregnated cloths. I'm old-school, I like oil.
If you bought a used gun, there may be extensive lead fouling. Lead is pretty much inert, and I have never had much luck removing heavy leading with any chemical cleaners, not without a lot of elbow grease with a bronze-brush. I guess the electonic bore cleaners (e.g., Outers Foul Out), used with a bore-full of chemicals, do remove lead, though it will run you well over $100, and if the barrel is REALLY leaded up, it may take multiple sessions. The only simple way I've found to remove heavy leading from a shotgun barrel is to find a 36-inch chunk of dowel-rod that is about 3/16 inch smaller than your bore, cut a piece off a 100% pure copper scrubber (like Chore Boy or Libby's), wrap it around the dowel, and drive the copper-wrapped dowel up the barrel with a hammer. Sounds goofy, but it won't hurt your barrel, and if the barrel is really fouled, you won't believe how much lead comes out the end of that bore. I bought a well-used Winchester 24 side-by-side back in '64...1st owner had NEVER cleaned it. I could have filled a shot-shell with the lead I got out of it.
If your action is really dirty, or has a lot of hardened grease, you might want to try a long blast of Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber (NOT Bore Scrubber, which is much more aggressive). Gun Scrrubber is just a blast of rapidly evaporating solvent...it's nasty stuff. You want to wear wrap-around eye protection and use it outdoors if possible, but it definitely will clean out a filthy action...and will also melt the stock finish and dry out the wood and melt plastic or turn it "milky"...be really careful where you aim it.
If you want to use a heavier oil than Ballistol on the parts of the action that rub, you might want to try one of the Super Lube products (oil and/or multipurpose grease) with PTFE. The grease stays where you put it forever, and won't harden with age. It is a fantastic lubricant, I've used it for 20 years on my folding knife collection, on small equipment and guns and fishing reels...it has never let me down. The Super Lube oil is obviously a lot thinner, but still has a tendency to stay where you put it without running. For any long-term storage, I don't think you can find anything better than Super Lube (although I realize I'm butting heads with proponents of Slip2000 and Frog Lube). You can find "sportsman kits" of Super Lube oil, grease and a few plastic paddles, but you'll spend about $12, and get maybe half an ounce of grease and 7 cc (0.25 oz) of oil. On Amazon, you can get a 3-oz tube of grease and a 4-oz bottle of oil (separate, not a kit) for less than $10, and that should last you for years. I buy the grease in 14-oz tubs...but that's 'cause I'm queer for the stuff, and use it on a lot more than guns.
Good luck with your 500. It's a good model.
Pretty much the same routine after each range session or hunting trip, though you may need to repeat the wet & dry patch a couple more times, depending on how much you shot. Likely don't have to repeat the Ballistol on the action too often...don't over-oil it.
As to bore-snakes, some guys hate 'em...me, I love 'em. They don't do a thorough cleaning job, but they are a god-send in the field, or when you just don't have a chance to do a complete cleaning. My bird-hunts may last for 10 days or more, and I don't do a deep-cleaning in camp. Every evening, I run a bore-snake with a little oil on it through the barrel just to give it a quick clean and keep any condensation from staying in the barrel. Also, I hunt in all kinds of weather, so I carry a lightly oiled piece of Tshirt and that oily bore snake, just to give the barrel a quick cleaning and oiling and give the gun a quick rub-down, to dry it and wipe off finger-prints before it goes in the case. Instead of a an oily rag, a lot of my friends swear by the silicone impregnated cloths. I'm old-school, I like oil.
If you bought a used gun, there may be extensive lead fouling. Lead is pretty much inert, and I have never had much luck removing heavy leading with any chemical cleaners, not without a lot of elbow grease with a bronze-brush. I guess the electonic bore cleaners (e.g., Outers Foul Out), used with a bore-full of chemicals, do remove lead, though it will run you well over $100, and if the barrel is REALLY leaded up, it may take multiple sessions. The only simple way I've found to remove heavy leading from a shotgun barrel is to find a 36-inch chunk of dowel-rod that is about 3/16 inch smaller than your bore, cut a piece off a 100% pure copper scrubber (like Chore Boy or Libby's), wrap it around the dowel, and drive the copper-wrapped dowel up the barrel with a hammer. Sounds goofy, but it won't hurt your barrel, and if the barrel is really fouled, you won't believe how much lead comes out the end of that bore. I bought a well-used Winchester 24 side-by-side back in '64...1st owner had NEVER cleaned it. I could have filled a shot-shell with the lead I got out of it.
If your action is really dirty, or has a lot of hardened grease, you might want to try a long blast of Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber (NOT Bore Scrubber, which is much more aggressive). Gun Scrrubber is just a blast of rapidly evaporating solvent...it's nasty stuff. You want to wear wrap-around eye protection and use it outdoors if possible, but it definitely will clean out a filthy action...and will also melt the stock finish and dry out the wood and melt plastic or turn it "milky"...be really careful where you aim it.
If you want to use a heavier oil than Ballistol on the parts of the action that rub, you might want to try one of the Super Lube products (oil and/or multipurpose grease) with PTFE. The grease stays where you put it forever, and won't harden with age. It is a fantastic lubricant, I've used it for 20 years on my folding knife collection, on small equipment and guns and fishing reels...it has never let me down. The Super Lube oil is obviously a lot thinner, but still has a tendency to stay where you put it without running. For any long-term storage, I don't think you can find anything better than Super Lube (although I realize I'm butting heads with proponents of Slip2000 and Frog Lube). You can find "sportsman kits" of Super Lube oil, grease and a few plastic paddles, but you'll spend about $12, and get maybe half an ounce of grease and 7 cc (0.25 oz) of oil. On Amazon, you can get a 3-oz tube of grease and a 4-oz bottle of oil (separate, not a kit) for less than $10, and that should last you for years. I buy the grease in 14-oz tubs...but that's 'cause I'm queer for the stuff, and use it on a lot more than guns.
Good luck with your 500. It's a good model.
FWIW - a Ballistol guy here because it works so great as a cleaner (dilluted with water) for my muzzleloader. As a lubricant I use it full strength and no problems with it - does not harm the wood and acts to preserve that as well, assuming there are still wood stocks, etc. out there. Sure stinks, though. My wife sure doesn't like it.
Never used Rem Oil or done much shotgunning but Ballistol was used in my long range target rifle, after cleaning. It was said that while the elevation from a cold clean bore could vary from that of the rest of the course of fire, the use of Ballistol would minimise the difference.
Ballistol was tested among many other oils on another forum for its rust preventative qualities and found to be wanting. We shot weekly and although the climate is humid and the air salty, the threat of rust in the bore never bother me. Those trials were pretty drastic.
Ballistol was tested among many other oils on another forum for its rust preventative qualities and found to be wanting. We shot weekly and although the climate is humid and the air salty, the threat of rust in the bore never bother me. Those trials were pretty drastic.
