(Disclaimer: I really like Ballistol and use it on a lot of different things.) Ballistol is... something of an acquired smell. I don't mind it, but some people

(Disclaimer: I really like Ballistol and use it on a lot of different things.) Ballistol is... something of an acquired smell. I don't mind it, but some people absolutely detest the odor. It's been likened to a combination of Pine-Sol mixed with any or all of the following: Dirty gym socks, licorice, mint, and plastic glue. This is most likely due it containing anethole (and the MSDS indicates it's mostly medical grade white mineral oil, various oleates, and alcohols). If you don't mind star anise or licorice, you probably won't find Ballistol repulsive either. Similar to other lightweight oils, Ballistol acts as a creeping oil. It's not an especially great penetrating oil, but it works surprisingly well on a lot of things. It's usually joked about as "German WD-40" because of its lineage, although it's a lubricant first and foremost. Interestingly, because it contains anethole, it can readily form an emulsion with water. Due to this and the other ingredients it contains, it's used by black powder enthusiasts as a cleaner and neutralizer ("moose milk"). I'm not sure how effective it is in the cleaning department, because it does a pretty subpar job at cleaning modern smokeless powders, but the neutralizing effect on black powder residue may actually be true (it has a pH around 8.5 to 9.5). Amusingly, when I clicked on the comments here, the first thing I did was search for Ballistol. eth0up didn't disappoint!