Compositions and methods for ballistic conditioning firearm projectiles, firearms, and firearm components such as bores of barrels, by applying to such items a conditioning composition selected from the group consisting of hexagonal boron nitride, graphite, tungsten disulfide, antimony trioxide, talc, mica, and mixtures thereof, suspended in a carrier comprising a volatile solvent, and a binder selected from the group consisting of cellulosic-, alkyd- and acrylic-resins.