We're big fans of CLPs (products that serve the multiple purpose of Cleaning, Lubricating and Preserving). There are endless products on the market that fulfill this purpose, but three of them stand out in our opinion, and we’ve featured these below.
In addition, because your health and well-being are important to us, we’ve provided links to each product’s material safety data sheet following the description. Many people aren’t even aware of the existence of this information. Even if you never use any of the products below, you should consider seeking out material safety data sheets for the products of your own preference. It’s a great way to ensure that you understand the potential risks of exposure to specific chemicals and can, if required, take necessary precautions.
Ballistol - Your grandfather's (or great grandfather’s) CLP, engineered long before CLP was even a thing
In 1874, a lawyer with a penchant for commerce by the name of Friedrich Wilhelm Klever founded the Chemische Fabrik F.W. Klever in Cologne, Germany. He began producing mineral-based oils and greases and, shortly thereafter, acquired a mineral mine all to himself in order to eliminate his dependency on third parties for delivery of raw materials.
Klever's breakthrough came at the turn of the century, when the German Imperial Army required a general-purpose oil with very specific properties; specifically, ones that made it suitable for application on all materials inherent to firearms. It had to clean, lubricate and preserve metal, wood and leather. As if that wasn't enough, it had to serve as a topical skin treatment for smaller wounds, cracks or abrasions suffered by soldiers in the field.
In 1904, Friedrich's son, Dr. Helmut Klever, at the time a lecturer in chemistry at the Technical University in Karlsruhe, successfully developed a special oil fulfilling all of the aforementioned qualities. The oil was dubbed "Ballistol", a combination of the German equivalent of ballistics and the Latin term oleum (oil). The German Army adopted the oil in 1905 and, as a result of its surprising versatility and reputation as a "wonder oil", it has continued to gain in popularity ever since. Over the years, the firm has changed hands, but the product has largely remained unchanged.
(portions of the above text have been taken/translated from the German Ballistol website)
From personal experience, we believe that Ballistol is an unbeatable, all-around CLP for the following reasons:
- It's comparatively non-toxic and, despite what many describe as an odd fragrance, will not make you nauseous or leave you with a headache even after being exposed to it for longer periods
- It's based on medical-grade white mineral oil, is skin-safe, eco-friendly and non-carcinogenic
- It's comparatively inexpensive and readily available in a multitude of sizes as a spray or in non-spray containers, with handy, portable formats for the range up to one-gallon cans for use at your workbench
- It thickens somewhat after application and does a great job of preserving firearms in your safe, but also keeps horrendously dirty actions running in the field as required (think filthy bolts on suppressed, short-barreled ARs)
- It’s also great as a CLP by itself or as a cleaner prior to using your favorite lubricant/preservative
If you've ever seen the film "My Big Greek Fat Wedding", which features Michael Constantine liberally spraying copious amounts of Windex as a means to cure afflictions “from psoriasis to poison ivy”, we think Ballistol is a similar Wunderprodukt capable of tackling just about any challenge.
Ballistol Product Links:
- Ballistol USA: https://ballistol.com
- Material Safety Data Sheet: https://ballistol.com/pages/media
Gunex - The modern version of Ballistol
Gunex is produced in Germany by the same company that manufactures Ballistol, BALLISTOL GmbH. Oddly enough, although Gunex was initially developed for the US Army, it's currently impossible to find in the United States (although we can neither confirm nor deny information to the effect that Gunex may soon be available in this country as soon as this year). At least two of us here on the FT Team have lived in Germany for an extended period and became familiar with it there.
Given its slightly more aggressive chemical makeup, Gunex does a great job of cleaning the bores and chambers of modern sporting rifles. In particular, it removes carbon with ease and preserves firearms, even for longer periods of time in your safe. Note that this also means that you'll want to wear latex/nitrile gloves while applying it to your equipment.
Like Ballistol, Gunex can be used for a variety of purposes other than firearms maintenance alone.
Gunex Product Links:
- Gunex product description on Ballistol Germany website - https://oxid.ballistol.de/Sicherheitsdatenblaetter...
- Material Safety Data Sheet for Gunex - https://ballistol.de/shop/en/products/all-things-...
M-Pro7 LPX Lubricant
M-Pro7 is actually available in two varieties: A Gun Cleaner and a Lubricant. Both are fantastic products, but which have slightly different purposes.
M-Pro7 Gun Cleaner is well suited to removing fouling in your AR and other firearms, but you'll need to treat the resulting clean parts with a lubricant/preservative once you've finished the cleaning process, which is where M-Pro7 LPX Lubricant comes in.
That said, M-Pro7 LPX Lubricant itself can be used as a CLP, so you can use the former alone for frequent cleaning after a range visit or both products following training sessions involving more substantial round counts.
Here's what the M-Pro7 website states with respect to M-Pro7 Gun Oil LPX:
- Replaces and outperforms traditional gun oils, CLPs and dry lube
- Combines high quality synthetic oils and LPX additives
- Unique technology is resistant to evaporation, separation and gumming
- Formulated from technology with the lowest known friction coefficient
- Cleans surface fouling without the use of solvents
- Temperature range (-85°F to 462°F)
- Contains a cleaning agent that repels dust/dirt and can be used as a “cleaner” to remove surface carbon in the field
A suggestion, if we may:
Many of us here at FT prefer to use Ballistol for overall regular cleaning of our equipment, following by an application of M-Pro7 LPX Lubricant to lubricate and protect our firearms. Both products are relatively non-toxic and comparatively inexpensive (this is certainly the case for Ballistol), making them attractive in more ways than one.
M-Pro7 Product Links:
- M-Pro7 product description: http://m-pro7.com
- Material Safety Data Sheet: http://m-pro7.com/safety-data-sheet/
In closing, remember that climate is also a key criterion in determining how well a product lubricates and preserves your firearms against corrosion. The comparatively low humidity here in Colorado means that what might be effective here may be less so in Southeastern states with higher humidity levels, especially when it comes to long-term storage.
Disclaimer: The content above is purely for informational purposes. Forefront Tactical assumes no responsibility for misuse of or damage resulting from use of any of the products featured above. Be sure to carefully read the instructions and warnings that accompany any CLP product prior to using it.