I have no problem with FireClean marketing a vegetable oil as a gun oil, as it seems to perform the role well enough.

I do, however, have a problem with what appears to be an intentionally rigged “product testing” video.

First, the video.

Fireclean’s founders and Larry Vickers make the claim that more smoke equals more carbon fouling leaving the gun. I question this accuracy of this statement, but admittedly don’t have the scientific background to dispute their claim.

That isn’t the issue we’re addressing.

Andrew Touhy of Vuurwapen Blog dissected the high speed film footage in the video above, focusing on the three handgun rounds fired. He made the disturbing discovery of what appears to be a mid-test ammunition swap, seemingly calculated to benefit the “more smoke is better” thesis of FireClean also espoused by Vickers.

In my opinion, what Tuohy  uncovered suggests intentional dishonestly, not an innocent mistake. The questions boil down to the Watergate-esque, “who knew about the swap, and when did they know it?”

I think both Fireclean’s Ed and David Sugg and Larry Vickers need to explain themselves, and quickly, as both Fireclean and Vickers Tactical would seem to have a lot to lose in this developing gun industry scandal.

* * *

It now seems like foreshadowing, but over two years ago, Touhy’s alter ego “Rick Taylor, World’s Greatest Tactical Instructor,” endorsed another questionable gun oil in a satirical video.

Update: Vickers has responded… sorta… to Bearing Arms reader Alan Byerly.

I find this explanation to be be suspect, for the following reason.

While it is very common to see mixed brass (brass cartridges from various manufacturers) in reloaded or re-manufactured ammunition, those loads all still use the same bullets, powder, and primers for consistent performance.  The round fired with FireClean has a different colored primer than the two prior rounds.

As the round in question is clearly using a different primer, we’re still looking a dissimilar loads.

Vickers isn’t doing much to help himself.