Clenzoil makes CLP (cleaning, lubrication, and protection) products for firearms, mechanical, and sporting applications. They’ve also got a powerful history behind them.
Founded by a US Army veteran in 1945, Clenzoil began with the modest goal of developing a cost-effective product that would act as a cleaner, rust-remover, lubricant, and protectant that would keep firearms running under any and all conceivable—or inconceivable–conditions. And as fits the post-war American dream, Clenzoil hit it big. Inspired by their founder’s experiences in the Second World War, the products they developed performed beautifully no matter where they were employed. In the true spirit of the 1950s, Clenzoil hit an unexpected benchmark in the early years of that decade. The US Atomic Energy Commission identified Clenzoil as the only industrial product that could stand up to the harsh conditions created by nuclear power generation.
So this stuff comes with a hell of a legacy and an impressive reputation. But does it hold up now?
The short answer is yes, across the board.
Now based in Tampa, Florida, the good folks at Clenzoil sent me a selection of their firearms products to review. I don’t have the time or space here to go through them each individually, but I did make it a point to field test them on a range trip. My methodology was as follows:
- Give all firearms a light cleaning/wipe-down with appropriate Clenzoil CLP.
- Self-explanatory.
- Clean said guns with Clenzoil and take a look at the results.
Step One was easy and showed some of the great strengths the product line offers. The attention to detail in the packaging in particular stood out to me—needle applicators for small parts or quantities. Pump sprayers that feel solidly constructed. Twist tops for containers of patches or hinge pin jelly that are easy to get on and off without cross-threading. So the initial cleaning went well.
Step Two should be self-explanatory. Had to get those guns dirty somehow..
Step Three was the subject of some interest in our group of shooters, but we were pleasantly surprised at how well Clenzoil’s products performed for us. The initial wipe-down probably helped, but our post-triggertime clean up went smoothly and easily. Carbon, gunk, and dirt melted away. Minimal lubrication was needed to get the weapons functioning smoothly again. And there’s nothing, nothing like the smell of a clean 1911.
There’s one particular moment when Clenzoil really impressed me. I shoot a lot of surplus rifles from the first half of the 20th century, and likewise some of the oldest and dirtiest surplus ammo around. Any Mosin-Nagant owner knows how filthy those rifles can get—and mine did. However, the foaming aerosol CLP melted that nasty black coating right off, leaving my M44’s bolt and barrel shining like a thing of beauty.
Clenzoil’s website notes that its products have a large following in the US military. I can understand why the company is proud of that, given their roots. And given their product performance, I can understand why our troops remain devoted fans.
