doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Rangoon Oil

Does anyone know what's in it?

It is petroleum based, as I understand, relatively thick, and insoluable. Makes a good protectant for steel. It was used in the oil bottles issued to British troops for lubrication and protection of their Martini Henrys and Sniders. I am not sure what effect BP has on this oil as some petroleum products react negatively to BP and some don't. Been in use for over 150 years I understand.

Rangoon oil is actually a heavy petroleum distillate roughly along the lines of kerosene and fuel oil. It has a slow evaporation rate and was used as a rust preventative by the British around the 1850s. They found that it worked rather well, especially in hot and steaming jungles. The name comes from the fact that the first source was from a natural oil well found in Rangoon (now Yangoon), Burma (now Myanmar).

Is it still made? Perhaps by the English makers?

Yes it is still made. Westley Richards sells it.

Ken

I have some Rangoon Oil that I bought from Westley Richards. If it has the ingredients on the bottles I will post it here.

OK....I just checked. No ingredients listed.

Bottle says:

"Specially Refined
RANGOON OIL
For The Protection of All Steel Surfaces
Made In England"

"Rangoon Oil: A traditional formula, excellent for long-term storage of firearms, their working parts, and metallic surfaces."

It is very much more, thinner, than say Beretta gun oil which I use too.

I have an older bottle of H & H rangoon oil too.......will check that and see what it says.........

Just checked......my Holland & Holland Rangoon Oil gives no ingredients either.

My old bottle is from A&F, no ingredients listed.

I would suspect that the 21st Century petroleum industry has managed to improve on some boiled in an iron pot over a wood fire concoction.

yes, but it really smells good

So does CastrolR and grease drippings off a steak but I'm not sure that is a qualification of any significance