Keeping The Barrel Lubricated

[AR-556]

Of the (5) AR's that I own, my Ruger AR-556 (my very 1st AR) has a factory barrel that is not chrome lined, or Nitride lined. Ruger states that it's barrel is made from 4140 chrome moly steel. I usually go months without shooting it, but about once a month I run a few patches of BALLISTOL down the barrel just to keep it lubed. Is this a good practice, or should I be lubing it more often, less, or just when I clean it after shooting it? I know it might sound trivial to some, but I just don't want it to rust. My other AR's are SS, Nitride lined, and (1) chrome lined, so I don't worry about them as much.
Thanks for any advice you offer.

[AKDoug]

It really depends where you live. I have a dozen bolt guns with non-stainless barrels and I lube them after cleaning and some have gone years without shooting or any other care. I happen to live in a place with very low humidity and bare steel doesn’t rust inside my house.


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[AR-556]

It really depends where you live. I have a dozen bolt guns with non-stainless barrels and I lube them after cleaning and some have gone years without shooting or any other care. I happen to live in a place with very low humidity and bare steel doesn’t rust inside my house.


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I live in GA., where it gets very humid.
I do keep my firearms in a insulated safe.
Thanks for the reply.

[TomMcC]

Of the (5) AR's that I own, my Ruger AR-556 (my very 1st AR) has a factory barrel that is not chrome lined, or Nitride lined. Ruger states that it's barrel is made from 4140 chrome moly steel. I usually go months without shooting it, but about once a month I run a few patches of BALLISTOL down the barrel just to keep it lubed. Is this a good practice, or should I be lubing it more often, less, or just when I clean it after shooting it? I know it might sound trivial to some, but I just don't want it to rust. My other AR's are SS, Nitride lined, and (1) chrome lined, so I don't worry about them as much.
Thanks for any advice you offer.

If you haven't gotten any rust with your regiment so far, then it's doing the trick. I don't use Ballistol, but I hear it is good stuff.

[hk_shootr]

I live in GA., where it gets very humid.
I do keep my firearms in a insulated safe.
Thanks for the reply.

Spent many years south of Macon. I kept my rifles in silicone impregnated gun socks, and kept a GoldenRod in the safe.

[WS6]

I use dehumidifiers and keep my firearms at 20-40% and that room about 5 to 10 degrees above ambient. Note that all my firearms are synthetic. Wood stocks require much more care with regard to what is too dry.

[jsbhike]

A wet patch after cleaning for storage then a dry patch before shooting again should be sufficient. Ballistol claims that is one of the things it is really good for and all of their other claims seem valid from what I have seen.

In my experience using it with other cleaners/lubes tends to negate it working quite as well so I use it exclusively. No idea how it chemically dissolves copper, but after storing awhile the patch down the barrel comes out blue so apparently it does it.

[556BlackRifle]

I don't know about Balistol for long term storage on blued or melonited rifle barrels, but it works good on my Glocks. I usually use CLP or FP10 and so far, I've been good.

[shadowrider]

Ballistol is water miscible. It'll work but you'll need to keep it freshly wiped. I did my own corrosion test once upon a time and the only one that rusted faster was the untreated control patch and Breakfree CLP.

I dare to say the this is an area where Froglube does actually work very well. I use it for corrosion protection and that's it. FWIW, Froglube paste and Eezox were a dead heat tie for first followed by FL liquid.

[georgeib]

I don't know about Balistol for long term storage on blued or melonited rifle barrels, but it works good on my Glocks. I usually use CLP or FP10 and so far, I've been good.

Aren't Glock barrels melonited/tenifered?