Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

BP Bullet Lube Recipes wanted


Recommended Posts

 

OK the title pretty much says it all.  I'm looking for a BP bullet lube recipe to use in Big Lube bullets over BP.  Feel free to tell me they're already on the wire, but if you do please include a link.  Just telling me to search doesn't help me.  I tried and came up with a bunch of junk including someone using Peanut Butter as a lube.  I have no skillz with computer searches.

 

I recall somewhere reading a recipe with Bees wax, Crisco and Olive Oil, but I don't recall the portions.  Also, will the Olive Oil make the lube real soft and prone to melting and making a mess?  I may want to use this in a regular lube/sizer as well as a pan lube.  A comment or two on how well your lube works in a lube/sizer would help.

 

I've been playing with ~50/50 Beeswax/Crisco over Cap and Ball chambers.  How does that work as a regular bullet lube down a 24" .44-40 barrel?

 

Thanks,

 

Angus

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An old, reliable, available components, and easy to blend is:

 

melt 2 parts Gulf Wax parrafin in a double boiler (1 qt Mason jar in a multi quart pot),

add 2 parts mutton tallow, melt,

add 1 part bees wax, melt and stir.

 

Can be stored in sealed Mason jar, or poured in a mold to form plugs for use in lube/sizer.

 

38 and 44-40 rifle and revolver barrels are very easy to clean.

 

I recently fired 44-40 rounds through a 24” barrel over a Magnetospeed V3 chronograph, with a bayonet sensor next to the muzzle. The sensor was wet from the lube spinning off the bullet after 2+ rounds. 

 

Big Lube mold bullets hold plenty of lube.

 

Amarillo Rattler

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been using 50/50 Beeswax/Crisco (Walmart version) in my 24 inch 44-40 with big lube bullets and Goex black powder for a few years.

 

Works so well, I never bothered fooling around with anything more complicated.

 

Muzzle is wet after the first shot and stays that way...for at least 12 stages.

 

YMMV

 

Jackalope

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are a couple of dozen lube recipes floating around, they all seem to work pretty well. Use plenty of whatever and experiment with something else if you don’t like your results.

 

I use beeswax/ Crisco 50/50 for both over the ball lube and on rifle bullets year ‘round.  It’s worked for over 16 years, and I have no reason to change.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

+1 for both Jackalope & Sgt. Hochbauer.  I have been using 50/50 Beeswax/Crisco in Big Lube 38, 44 & 45 bullets for over 3 years with great results.

 

Holler

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like peanut butter.  Just don't use the chunky style.

 

Just kidding!  

 

I did experiment with several lubes over round balls in 51 Navy 44s.  Peanut butter worked as well as anything else.  A little drop of Murphy's Oil on each ball worked also. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have these in my files.  Most were copied from various forums, like The Open Range & Frontier Spot.

Here is a link to a lube thread on the Open Range.  It has changed some.....

http://www.theopenrange.net/forum/index.php?topic=450.0

 

Hope you find one or more of these useful

--Dawg

 

 

Here is Springfield Slim's Lube

I used to go 50% beeswax and 50% crisco back when I panlubed, but that mix is way too stiff to use in a sizer. Now I use a 7 parts beeswax, 2.5 parts crisco, .5 part lanolin, and just a dab of citronella candle to make it smell nice. Soft enough for my Star sizers but not so soft that it can't he handled. On a really cold day I have to aim my lightbulb heater at the sizer but only then. Really cold meaning anything under 60 degrees. This is California, after all.

****************

Here is Dick Dastardly's Snot lube

The Snot recipe is equal parts of:

Soy Wax

Toilet Seat Wax Rings

Any vegetable shortening

******************

Modified Mathews Lube

50% Beeswax

25% Lanolin

25% Neatsfoot oil.

Measure all by weight

Tis a bit on the hard side and can be pan lubed

*************************

Here is Gatofeo's lube from a 1943 American Rifleman

2 parts paraffin

2 parts tallow

1 part beeswax

By weight

*************************

Here are some historical lubes:

 

Historical Black Powder Bullet Lubricants

Composition of Extensively Used Bullet Lubricants

 

(E.H. Harrison: American Rifleman, Jul '65)

 

1. U.S. Army 1855 - 1 beeswax, 3 tallow.

 

2. U.S. Army 1861 - 8 beeswax, 1 tallow.

 

3. U.S. Army 1873 - 8 bayberry wax, 1 graphite.

 

4. U.S. Army 1880 and thereafter - Japan wax.

 

5. Sharps Rifle Co., 1878 - 1 beeswax, 2 sperm oil.

 

6. Massachusetts Arms Co. (Maynard rifle), 1890 - 1 beeswax, 3 tallow.

 

7. Marlin Firearms Co., 1891 - 1 beeswax, 4 tallow.

 

8. Smith & Wesson, 1891 - tallow.

 

9. H.M. Pope, about 1900 - 3 mutton tallow, 2 bay wax, 1 beeswax, 1 steam cylinder oil, .2 of 1 acheson graphite. The bay wax could be omitted.

 

10. Automobile door latch stick lubricant, U.S. Patent 1,920,161

 

11. (1931) - 5 paraffin wax, 3 petroleum jelly, 2 oil.

 

12. A large police department, 1962 - 1 beeswax, 1 paraffin wax, 1 cosmoline. Notes: "Cosmolene" in this context refers to dark petrolatum with no anti-corrosion additives. Refined yellow petrolatum (petroleum jelly, Vaseline) may be substituted.

 

13. Any mixture containing paraffin wax *must* include a plasticizer, such as petrolatum. Microcrystalline petroleum waxes may be used as-is.

 

14. The 1:3 beeswax/tallow mixture (or any composition composed mainly of tallow) is probably the most traditional choice for "primitive" shooters. The 8:1 mixture is rather stiff, and better suited to conicals, paper cartridges, and the like. For paper-patched bullets, I'd be inclined to try the Sharps formula, substituting Dexron II/III automatic transmission fluid for the sperm oil.

********************

Felix Lube:

Felix's World Famous Boolit Lube Recipe

You can equal or surpass Veral's lube with beeswax, anhydrous lanolin, mineral oil, sodium stearate, castor oil, and paraffin. On the stove using a shallow pot, heat two tablespoons of baby oil (mineral oil).  When starting to smoke, add a tablespoon of castor oil and raise to just below smoking (about 300 degrees) and continually stir for around an half hour. After the time is up, add slivers of Ivory soap (sodium stearate), making the slivers melt entirely by stirring one parcel before adding more. Use a razor blade to make the slivers, and saturate the mixture with the soap, but no more than a tablespoon's worth. Then add one tablespoon of lanolin. After mixing, add beeswax to make the final mixture per requirement. Add paraffin to the batch to make it a harder pan lube when beeswax is scarce.  A special ingredient which

impresses friends is Carnauba wax.  It's not required to do the job, but it keep your barrel mirror bright after each shot. The next time you go to the cheese shop, pick a selection having a thick plastic wrapper. The Laughing Cow brand comes to mind. After enjoying the cheese, wash off the cover and mash up about a rounded teaspoon (not tablespoon) and melt this into your freshly made lube. Mix well....Now here comes a little more info: beeswax is the base, castor oil is the real lube, lanolin makes the lube sticky, stearate glues the mess together so it does not separate into components upon cooling, carnauba

wax adds the shine, and paraffin is the ultimate hardener, to be used as a last resort...add more castor oil or lanolin to make the lube slicker for smaller bores and/or a winter lube....Always slick the barrel down with Hoppy's or other oily cleaner and then dry patch it with only one push-thru stroke before shooting...felix

 

03178: Felix lube As an addendum to the last post, the amount of carnauba wax added to a lube is critical when the so-called barrel shine is the objective after shooting. If using shoe polish for example, it would take more of it to get the proper amount of carnauba; if using pure carnauba, it won't take but a little. The amount does not hurt the lube, but it's the proper ratio in the final lube that counts to make the mirror-bright shine. You just gota' play

games to get to the correct amount....felix

******************************

Here is a nice article by Pigeonroost slim:

PRS Black Powder Bullet Lube

 

Lube recipes, especially personal ones are subject to change without notice –or with the maker’s whim. Some folks swear by all natural food grade

ingredients and shun petrol chemicals. The old timers had things we can not get (or are not supposed to get) just as we enjoy access to things beyond their

imaginations. Some good folks state their satisfaction using lubes designed for smokeless powder loads, even lubes containing allox such as the NRA formula

commercial bullet lubes. Others have contrary reports to offer with such modern lubes in loadings with real black powder. I am not certain that any of this

topic has application for those good folks who choose or must use substitute black powders. I am also not going to lend my support to any argument that only

natural products or non-petroleum based products are acceptable for black powder. I have not personally used petrolatum (Vaseline brand petroleum jelly)

or paraffin wax, nor various silicones in my BP lubes, but I have no doubt that some folks have done so with success. I have tried many of the "natural"

ingredients, but certainly not all. This lube’s development was and is an act of evolution; an ongoing process, and not of an act of Divine intervention.

 

I shall share with you one of my renditions of a lube of mostly natural things, at least natural in so far as commercially processed goods can be. I currently

use this product in my bullet sizer/lubricator to fill the grooves of home cast lead alloy bullets. The finished lube should be just stiff enough to handle

without mess, but soft enough to perform admirably with black powder. This product should be melt resistant enough to allow exposure to normal human

tolerable heat without seeping out of the groove(s) and into the powder charge.

 

To keep things as simple as possible, lets make a batch size of 100 fluid ounces. Don’t worry about weight. Ingredients that are not readily liquefied

will be specified in common volume measurements. A four quart stainless steel sauce pan is a wonderful "caldron" for our sorcery. An adjustable heat source

such as an electric or gas range is very nice. Baking mitts or pot holders are recommended. Cautious use of a microwave oven can be an advantage, but great

care must be taken to avoid fire with flammable ingredients such as beeswax. A double boiler is a great safety enhancer!

 

My basic formula, PRS Lube, is adapted from one I learned as Emmert’s Formula. With Emmert’s, one takes a ratio of 50:40:10 where the first numeral represents

beeswax, the second shortening, the latter oil. I was taught to reverse the portions of beeswax to shortening for cold season shooting, if desired. This is

an excellent lube when made with pure beeswax, Crisco, and peanut oil. It tends to separate over time. It can go rancid. Emmert’s may leave something to be

desired in fouling softening when it comes to prolonged rapid fire use with black powder cartridge arms. Some folks report an objectionable slime deposit

in their guns which they associate with the Crisco type shortening. PRS lube is based upon the ratio of 35:35:10:10:10 plus three "adjuncts" to finish. Since

we are shooting for a 100 fl oz batch, consider the ratio proportions to be fluid ounces. The proportions, in order stated are beeswax, Crisco, glycerin

soap base, anhydrous lanolin and vegetable oil mix. The adjuncts are 25 drops of oil of peppermint, two tablespoons of stearic acid granules, and 0 to ?5

soap making dye chips. The soap dye is a non-functional addition and color of dye is up to the maker; I use bright yellow. I do not know what the carrier

ingredient of those die chips is; hopefully nothing which will detract from our lube’s performance. I have noticed no derogatory effects.

 

I hear your gasp! "Keep it simple?", you question as you ponder that onerous list of ingredients in the long "ratio" listing. Such is life. Beeswax is the

carrier and binding agent. I believe it has some lubricant quality in its own right; although I have noticed some folks disputing that. Beeswax certainly

helps soften black powder fouling when consumed in the combustion. The best bulk beeswax is sold by beekeepers as "cappings grade" wax. The Crisco blends

with and softens the wax. Its a good lubricant, but more than that it gives additional moisture to the mix when exposed to or consumed by the closed

combustion of our black powder. As mentioned above some folks report Crisco to have left a scum fouling in their barrels, but I have not noticed such. The

lanolin is an extraordinary lube. It has abundant moisture to offer when combusted in our irons. Its cost may far exceed that of Crisco or otherwise we

might do well to substitute even more lanolin in place of the Crisco. Glycerin bar soap base is a product available to those adventurous souls who wish to

easily make their own specialty bath soaps. It is a very pure and pretty product; amber, translucent, and quite hard. Its a rather harsh soap when pure

and has enough active potential to convert some added oils and fats into soap.  The soap base gives our concoction body and keeps our ingredients in emulsion;

perhaps even converting the mix partially into a soap as we stir the caldron. Perhaps the use of soap in my lube explains why I have not noticed the reported

sludge some folks have attributed to the Crisco. "Now", you ask, "what is this vegetable oil mix?" My oil mix is equal portions of olive oil, peanut oil, and

castor oil. Olive oil has been with me all along, maybe I could drop it, but I have not. Peanut oil hopefully lends its great heat tolerance to our brew.

Castor oil has that mysterious odor and may help stiffen or modify the final product through the soap making process.

 

Now for the adjuncts. The stearic acid granules are not so much intended to make our mix "acid" in an attempt to counter the alkaline nature of the fouling

of black powder; although any such help is appreciated. This common soap making and candle making ingredient should help further bind our ingredients into a

stable more firm soap-like blend and help with preservation also. The peppermint oil? I initially used it for its great smell and clean feel in the

lube, but then noticed that it gave the lube a sticky nature that I liked. This peppermint oil may also lend some preservation qualities to our product. The

soap dye chips are pretty much self explanatory. They make the product pretty, but are unnecessary in a functional sense. I go sparingly with bright yellow

chips. If you have a local candle supply and soap making store, they will have all of this except the cooking oils, shortening, castor oil, and peppermint oil

which you can get at the grocery or drug store. Get the beeswax from your local beekeepers, the honey they have should be quite a treat too.

 

Lets stir off a batch:

 

In the SS 4 quart pot heat the 10 fl ounces of blended vegetable oils to the point of "just beginning to smoke".

 

Add the 10 fl ounces bar soap base ( I liquefy mine in a Pyrex cup in the microwave first - at your own risk there).

 

Add 2 level tablespoons of the steric acid granules, stir until dissolved.

 

Add 35 fl oz Crisco (again, I pre-liquefy in microwave). Cook for 20 minutes at a moderate heat level.

 

Stir occasionally.

 

Reduce heat to "low" because the remaining ingredients are more fragile. Add beeswax and lanolin (I pre liquefy in microwave with great care – beeswax is

highly flammable!) Cook at low heat for 5 minutes, stirring gently and constantly.

 

Cut heat and add soap color dye chips, if desired. Stir until dissolved/

 

Let cool until a skim of hardened lube just begins to form. Add peppermint oil and stir to blend.

 

Pour into your desired molds, containers, or straight into the lube sizer. Hollow sticks are EZ to cast too. 8 ounce jelly jars are handy to use because

the microwave oven can be used (at your risk) to liquidate just enough to refill your lube-sizer with this liquid gold. Keep in mind, liquefying of solid

ingredients in microwave oven may be a fire hazard. If in doubt, go by dry volume measure and cast into hollow sticks for your sizer. This has been an

excellent lube for me. Its clean to handle, it stays put in the lube grooves of bullets.

 

Its fairly soft, yet does not melt easily. When used with appropriate bullets for black powder, the fouling stays soft and cleaning is easy with plain soapy

water or other traditional black powder cleaning agents Enjoy your shooting of real black powder and be safe!

 

Pigeonroost Slim

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read this in the 1860 US Army Manual 

1 pound Sheep Muton 

1 pound Paraffin Wax

1/2 pound Bees Wax 

On a big lube bullet it will carry the full leanth of a 24 inch 44-40 Rifle barrel 

I make lube disk for my C&B Pistols to seal the chambers, will not melt all over your guns

also works With smokeless powders

Link to comment
Share on other sites

50% beeswax, 40% Crisco, 5%Lanilon, 5% Canola Oil. If I need to thicken a little for summer I'll add a couple of chunks Pariffin. Works great on Big Lubes with  a Star lube/sizer, I have one Star for BP and one for that other stuff;) Good Luck:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

44 minutes ago, Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329 said:

Here is Dick Dastardly's Snot lube

The Snot recipe is equal parts of:

Soy Wax

Toilet Seat Wax Rings

Any vegetable shortening

My favorite.   If you want it stiffer just add more soy wax and it works good for pan lubing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That was my old recipe, from a few years ago. Now it is 9 parts beeswax, 6 parts IGI-4630A wax blend, and 3 parts synthetic 2-stroke oil. Sticky enough to stay in the lube groove but won't stick to your fingers. Only need a heater on my sizer if below 70 degrees out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing I'd like to debunk is when some say don't use smokeless bullets, as long as you use a good lube behind the bullet they work just fine..at least it is that way in my 44-40's who never miss a beat & easy peasy to clean !! That's with real BP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have tried'em all.

Now-I buy DGL, as it is the best.

https://www.buffaloarms.com/reloading-supplies-accessories/cast-bullet-lubes

 

Or you can order it directly from the maker.

D.G.L. Lube
Jim Sproul P.O. Box 547 Canyon City, OR 97820 (541)620-0231 :

 

 

 

OLG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last year I dropped into Grafs retail outlet and as always checked there bargain table.  The had a 6lb brick of SPG at a rediculious low price so I bought it.  Later traided it to someone who could use it for 4 boxes of Magtech brass hulls - 3  boxes new and one once fired. We were both happy.

 

I went back in a week and bought up the 1oz sticks at $1/ea and sold them to a buddy for what I paid for them. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 parts beeswax, 2 parts crisco shortening, 1 part oilve oil has been my recepie when I need to make my own lube- stays pretty firm but lubricates well enough to shoot a match without cleaning the guns when applied to bullets that are properly sized with normal grooves.

 

 

and while handling would be messy, I would expect peanut butter to work just fine for a a while.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine is 2 parts soy wax to 1 part vegetable shortening.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WOW!  Lots of info there.  You guys have given me lots to experiment with.  A couple more questions:

 

Is Crisco effectively the same thing as tallow? 

 

What is "Soy Wax" and where does one get it?

 

To El Hombre, 50/50 Bees wax/Neatsfoot oil sounds like it would be awfully soft.  How does that hold up in bullet grooves?

 

Thanks to all.

 

Angus

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Barry Darr fan here. 50/50 Parafin and beeswax and add a teaspoon of STP. Shot a bunch of BP today. No leading. C Sharps 38-55.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Black Angus McPherson said:

 

Is Crisco effectively the same thing as tallow? 

 

No; tallow is an animal fat, Crisco is a Vegetable oil.

 

From wiki:

 

“As of 2012, Crisco consists of a blend of soybean oil, fully hydrogenated palm oil, and partially hydrogenated palm and soybean oils.”

 

I use the semi-solid stuff in a can, not in the bottle.  Cheap,  universally available, what’s not to like?

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I keep it simple.

 

50/50 - beeswax/olive oil, with a touch of mint flavor for scent.  Add part of a crayon if you want a specific color.

 

Never fouled out using this lube formula shooting fast with 2-lube groove RNFP 180gr, 38-40's loaded with a full charge of FFg black powder.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My pellets made of  sheep tallow, paraffin wax and bees wax 

they did not melt or got solf after staying in the altold tin and 95 degree day of shooting 

and they do not melt and flow all over my pistols when shooting 

here is a test for your lube to see how it holds up 

put a lube bullet out in your vehicle for a couple of hours with the windows rolled up and see 

if the lube will stay in the lube grove,  then that should tell you it will hold up during a match 

2A7139A1-ED97-41F2-B7F0-E8DE0063A4FA.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

 

No; tallow is an animal fat, Crisco is a Vegetable oil.

 

 

 

 

I knew that.  Sometimes I forget things.  :wacko:  I guess I should have thought a little longer before I posted that question.  Maybe my rememberer would have remembered.  Thanks for reminding my rememberer to remember that for next time.

 

Angus

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is my recipe has served me well.

1 Lb beeswax

1/2 pint Murphys oil soap

1/2 pint olive oil

 If I buy any it is usually SPG Lube It is Great stuff!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK Angus - you have received the smorgasbord board of BL lubes ... it's time to acknowledge - which one have you picked and why?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/2/2018 at 12:34 PM, John Boy said:

OK Angus - you have received the smorgasbord board of BL lubes ... it's time to acknowledge - which one have you picked and why?

 

So far I've pan lubed and loaded up 50 Mav Dutchman Big Lube .44 WCF with 50/50 beeswax/Crisco over mmmm-mmmm cc of Goex FFFg.

 

Why?  Because that's what I already had mixed up for use over the chambers in my Cap and Ball guns.

 

How did they work?  I don't know.  Rainstorms nixed plans to head over to a friend's place and try them out.

 

Next I think I'll try the beeswax/Crisco/Neatsfoot oil mix.  I'd probably try olive oil first, but I have a bunch of Neatsfoot oil and don't have any olive oil.

 

For you folks waiting for a post of my results and preferences I'll warn ya,  I'm not just a crastinator, I'm a pro-crastinator, so don't look for anything real soon.

I've still got a few pounds of Pinnacle that I've been using in cartridges and I don't expect to go full BP until that gets used up.  I'm just trying to find a good BP bullet lube for when I really need it.

 

Thanks again to all,

 

Angus

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From the post, it should appear that almost anything can and does work.   Not so sure about the Peanut butter, but it is an all natural product.  Seems like over the years I have used many of the combinations but currently go with beeswax and equal amount of lard.  Throw in a little bit olive oil if it appears to stiff.   Instead of olive oil, tablespoon of STP and it goes good for smokless rounds or BP

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

50/50 Bees Wax and Crisco

Pan lube Bullets ,

Works for Black Powder and Smokeless Powder  , Even Cap and Ball Pistols .

Never seen a reason to change .

Rooster 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/1/2018 at 2:05 AM, Painted Mohawk SASS 77785 said:

One thing I'd like to debunk is when some say don't use smokeless bullets, as long as you use a good lube behind the bullet they work just fine..at least it is that way in my 44-40's who never miss a beat & easy peasy to clean !! That's with real BP.

 

And I've used good quality commercial smokeless lubed bullets with Goex and Kik black powder in pistol cartridges, and in rifle cartridges, and had the barrel foul after three shots and start throwing horrible flyers after 6 shots, rifles and pistols. 

 

You can't debunk it - the warning is VERY TRUE for many of the smokeless lubes!

 

Maybe you got lucky with one particular lube that worked well with BP, but most will not.

 

Good luck, GJ

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 said:

 

And I've used good quality commercial smokeless lubed bullets with Goex and Kik black powder in pistol cartridges, and in rifle cartridges, and had the barrel foul after three shots and start throwing horrible flyers after 6 shots, rifles and pistols. 

 

You can't debunk it - the warning is VERY TRUE for many of the smokeless lubes!

 

Maybe you got lucky with one particular lube that worked well with BP, but most will not.

 

Good luck, GJ

 

 

Howdy GJ

                  I may not have explained myself properly...   I am saying that a good BP  lube wad is required behind the smokeless bullet which then negates the smokeless  lube..not advocating smokeless lube by itself is ok.......cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Painted Mohawk SASS 77785 said:

 I am saying that a good BP  lube wad is required behind the smokeless bullet ....

 

OK, yeah, suppose that works.   I have problems with greased wads getting hot here in our desert temps and draining oils down into powder.  So I quit (with a vengeance) using them.

 

Good luck, GJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.