I used to be a Hoppe’s No. 9 guy, and I’ve tried other CLP (cleaner, lubricant, preservative) products and they work fine. But I’m always in search of products that make my life easier. Over the past few months, FrogLube has kept my guns clean and well functioning. So now, I’m a FrogLube guy.

Developed in 2009 by former Navy SEAL Captain Larry Lasky, FrogLube was born from a variant product used to lubricate large industrial machinery. Larry’s buddy was in that industry, and this buddy was also a gun guy who used the industrial grade form of the product on his guns. They started kicking around the idea that the formula could be optimized for use with firearms.

The variant product was designed to be slopped on and left on the surface — think heavy industry with machine chains and parts. However, Capt Lasky changed the formula so that FrogLube would permeate metal more effectively and hence reduce the need to leave gobs of the product on the weapon (we know what can happen when guns have a lot of gunk on them).

In 2012, over 500,000 FrogLube units were produced to give away to the U.S. military and the product is widely available in stores throughout the U.S.

From left to right: FrogLube solvent, paste, and liquid. Available in different sizes.

So enough of the background, and on to the product! The solvent breaks down grime really well, and cleans heavy metal fouling like copper and lead. FrogLube CLP is applied in either paste or liquid form. One part of the process that took me a little getting used to is busting out a hair dryer to apply heat to the gun parts to melt the FrogLube. But after a few times, I got used to the new routine. After the melted FrogLube has been scrubbed in and left for 5-10 minutes, you simply wipe everything down and you’re done. Heat is FrogLube’s friend, so it’s an added benefit that the heat activates its lubricating properties.

One really notable feature of FrogLube is that it is 100% bio-degradable and non-toxic. The FrogLube distributor I spoke to demonstrated this to me by taking a huge chunk of paste and jamming it into his teeth. Quite the demo, I must say. But Captain Larry and his team aren’t tree-hugging hippies, he likes to promote FrogLube’s non-toxic formula because he’s seen so many veterans come home with ALS, cancer, and other ailments — so he wanted to do something good to protect soldiers from unnecessary risk. In his words, he’s just “trying to do the right thing” by his fellow solider.

Over the past few months, I’ve applied FrogLube to my pistols, rifles, and shotguns and have experienced no malfunctions. FrogLube has made my life easier by making the gun cleaning process go faster. When I apply FrogLube and heat in subsequent applications for cleaning, you can see all the carbon and stuff just melt away. Lastly, I won’t miss Hoppe’s lingering toxic solvent smell, which in my house has been replaced by FrogLube’s safe, minty scent. If you’re interested in a new solvent and CLP solution, take a look at FrogLube.

www.FrogLube.com.

Chris Cheng is History Channel’s Top Shot Season 4 champion. A self-taught amateur turned pro through his Top Shot win, Cheng very much still considers himself an amateur who parachuted into this new career. He is a professional marksman for Bass Pro Shops who shares his thoughts and experiences from the perspective of a newbie to the shooting community. www.TopShotChris.com.