Reddit mentions of Lubriplate L0043-004 130 Series Beige ISO-9001 Registered Quality System, ISO-21469 Compliant 135 cSt Multi-Purpose Grease (Pack of 12)

Ill differ from others in this thread - will Ballistol work in all firearms? Yes more than likely. Will it be 'perfect'/the right fit for all? No.

For example the M1 Garand (and most rifles with major sliding/'grinding' parts will benefit greatly from a grease instead of an oil, originally Sperm Whale/whale grease was used just as it was for the 03 and M1917. But even a new grease like White Lithium/ball bearing will help. If you want high end grease for sliding parts Lubriplate is of the same "grade" of grease as Cherry Balmz (grease comes in grades just like steel wool does) but this tub is a lot cheaper, might not smell as nice though. Not to mention a tub will last you a decade easily as its only applied to sliding/grinding parts and not drowned like an oil can be. You can use a combination of grease and oil depending on what part of a firearm is being lubricated.

The use of oils such as Ballistol or CLP etc. on the sliding components of an M1 will certainly work but will 'burn off' and not provide the same benefit as a grease. Will it work? Sure it will...but the M1, like most 'modern' firearms will work even without lubrication which, as stated, is sometimes recommended (for that particular firearm, not to be run with any lubrication for certain instances)

In an AR platform, like with a Glock, and most Smith & Wessons you will probably never notice the difference running Ballistol over CLP or over a Hoppes brand lube etc.


But like with most tools, a singular grease or an oil 'be all end all' is asking too much/you will end up with something that works but doesnt necessarily do as good of a job as a 'specialty' tool. Will you notice the difference in most firearms? Probably not. But cleaning/lubricating items are cheap and firearms are not, using the right product can, has, and will help in longevity and reliability.

I have ran a number of greases and oils for a while, from CLP, Hoppes for both cleaning and lube, Ballistol, MPro7, MPT Industries gun oil and many different Greases. High end and low end, what I would say is find the stuff that works well in your firearm and use it. If youre looking for 'general' use, I would say you probably cant go wrong with any of the mentioned oils, but you might want to consider using a grease where needed.

I didnt mention cleaning in any of this, the reason being what you are cleaning will impact how it is cleaned far more than the solvent you use. If its a Mosin you're shooting corrosive ammo out of, hot/boiling water will probably clean just as well as any Hoppes solvent or Ballistol, more so depending on how you clean it than what you clean it with, but I usually try and separate cleaning from lubricating (CLP and Ballistol will certainly 'work' for both, but will they be ideal? Really depends on that particular type of firearm you are using)

(We all have our own way of 'rolling our own', do your research and find what works best for you. Stay away from anyone who says x is the best and theres no need to try y)

You want some good old LubriPlate 130-A. A 1 lb tub will run you about $18 and is essentially a lifetime supply. It's great for M1911 pistols too.