CLP stands for cleaner, lubricant and protectant. The idea is one bottle that removes fouling, keeps the action moving and stops rust. A dedicated gun oil does one job, lubrication, and does it for longer. Which you should buy depends on how much you shoot and what you shoot.
Ballistol Universal Oil was developed in 1904 as an all-in-one care product for the German army's rifles, wooden stocks and leather slings, so it is one of the oldest CLPs still made.
What CLP does well
- Loosens powder residue and light fouling so it wipes out with a felt.
- Leaves a light lubricating film on moving parts.
- Neutralises acidic sweat and combustion residue, which is what starts rust on a gun put away after a wet day.
- Covers the whole gun in one pass, which matters in a field kit or a busy week.
What a dedicated gun oil does better
- Stays on high-friction parts longer under heat and repeated cycling.
- Holds up across a wider temperature range. GunCer Ceramic Oil works from -40°C to +210°C.
- Reduces wear on rails and locking surfaces in self-loading rifles and pistols.
Side by side
| CLP (Universal Oil) | Dedicated gun oil (Gunex, GunCer) | Barrel cleaner (Robla Solo MIL) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleans powder residue | Yes | Lightly | Yes |
| Removes heavy copper and lead | Slowly | No | Yes |
| Lubrication under heavy use | Good | Best | No |
| Rust protection in storage | Yes | Yes | No, oil afterwards |
| Wooden stock and leather sling | Yes | No | No |
| Best for | Most shooters, field kits | Semi-autos, high round counts | Accuracy rifles, heavy fouling |
Getting value from regular rifle cleaning
If you clean a rifle every week, how you buy matters more than which brand you pick.
- Buy a bottle, not lots of small cans. The 500ml bottle of Universal Oil with a spray nozzle costs less per millilitre than aerosols, and you can refill a pump sprayer from it.
- Use less. A felt should be damp, not dripping. Most of what you spray into a bore comes straight back out.
- Clubs and estates can buy 5 and 10 litre containers and decant.
- Starting from scratch? A gun care kit bundles the oils, barrel cleaner and tools for less than buying each one separately.
A simple routine using CLP
- Unload and check the chamber is empty.
- Push a felt damp with Universal Oil through the bore from the breech and leave it a few minutes.
- Follow with dry felts until they come out clean.
- Wipe the bolt, action and external metal with a lightly oiled cloth.
- Wipe the wooden stock and leather sling with the same cloth.
- Run one last dry felt through the bore before you shoot next time.
When to add a dedicated oil
Keep CLP for cleaning and protection, and add a dedicated oil on the rails, bolt lugs and other high-friction points if you shoot a semi-automatic, shoot several hundred rounds a session, or shoot in very hot or cold weather. Add Robla Solo MIL when accuracy starts to drop or you can see copper in the bore.
