[Stinkyshoe]

Is WD-40 an adaquate action lube? What kind of lube is best for auto pistols and rifles?
thanks
Ss

[DMK]

WD-40 isn't a good lube for anything, least of all guns. Automotive motor oil or ATF would even be better. It isn't even a good penetrant, products like PB-Blaster are much better. WD-40 excels at water displacement. That is all it's good for.

As far as good gun lubes, there are a lot of opinions. Any gun oil made specifically for guns by a competant manufacturer is better than WD-40. I like FP-10 personally. There will be other opinions in a few minutes.

[Blackhawk]

WD-40...? :what:

In a word, NO!

In two words, ABSOLUTELY NOT!

You can find many other words about WD-40 on guns, including about it killing primers, if you do a search here or on TFL.

The best, IMO, is a combo of FP-10 after Moly-Fusion treatment. Not long ago, I was caught in a torrential downpour of about 3" per hour, which ended up absolutely soaking me, my gun, and everything else I was wearing just as though I'd jumped in the river. I was traveling and didn't have the opportunity to do a thorough inspection and cleaning, so I just did a visual inspection. Everything looked okay, and was dried out okay. Finally, 3 WEEKS later, I took the gun down for a thorough inspection and found RUST in one tiny place. It was at the bottom of the firing pin set screw socket, and nowhere else! That's the ONE place that never got any FP-10 or Moly-Fusion attention. Needless to say, my formerly high opinion of FP-10 and Moly-Fusion simply went much higher. The gun was perfect except for that speck of rust, and now that set screw is also treated....

[Stinkyshoe]

Well thank you both for the wake up call! I didn't know this. Where can I get this stuff? Can it be used for rifles as well as pistols? Should all gun parts be coated with it?
Thank you!
Ss

[DMK]

I get FP-10 from these guys: http://www.fp10.com/

You can get it from a lot of sources though. Shooters choice also sells it under their brand label.

I'd bet that if you email them, George Fennell would send you a free sample.

Miltec will also: http://www.militec-1.com/

[El Tejon]

I use Kellube (heavy and sticky), but my primary is a 1911.

[Penforhire]

Another DO NOT USE WD-40 here! I've tried a variety of gun-intended lubes (including FP-10) and haven't found a favorite yet but they all worked fine on my polymer guns. I'll try some slide-glide snot (forget the exact name but thicker grease than usual) on my Series 70 slide soon.

[Sean Smith]

I'd say FP-10.

[Ky Larry]

I use Break FreeCLP, Rem-Oil, and Miltec-1 Grease.

[Dr.Rob]

WD-40 is a good way to get water off your pistol in a hurry. Over time though, it can create a layer of "shellaque" they is pretty gummy.

WD-40 is not a very good lube, it's too thin.

Good old fashioned high temperature grease should be applied sparingly to your slide rails, barrel lugs and the top of the barrel/barrel bushing.

Break Free CLP is nice because it leaves a dry film lube, but its not as slick as greased rails.

[Black Snowman]

I've used shooters choice synthetic grease and it was pricey but it doesn't take much and one little syringe has lasted me years. I also use Rem-oil spray from Wal-mart as a protectant on my guns that needs it.

[ChickenHawk]

I use BreakFree CLP for everything but the slide grooves. For that I use Slide Glide.

ChickenHawk

[10-Ring]

I'm kinda late to the party, but I'm chiming in on the stay away from the WD 40! I've been using Militec for the last few years w/ really good results. There are alot of other quality gun lubes out there, so it should be difficult to find some to fit your needs.

[TonyB]

Brake-free=good
WD-40=bad
:D

[roo_ster]

Stinkyshoe:

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say WD40 ain't as bad as folks say it is. Generally the reaction to saying one may/has/know somebody who used it is:
"WD40 is a water-displacer, NOT a lubricant!"
"Are you INSANE?!"
"Do you kick small puppies and knock over old ladies crossing the street!?"
"Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist Party?"

A couple of buddies went off on me a while back for not toeing the party line. I gave them some heck in return. "So, would my wife's peach-scented sea-salt body rub gel be better than WD40? How about a sulphuric acid dip?"

If you're in the middle of nowhere with no better cleaner/lube/protectant than WD40, you won't destroy your weapon, spontaneously combust, or go to H#ll if you use WD40 on your weapon, contrary to popular opinion.

My gramps & dad used WD40 on thier rifles, shotguns, & pistolas for decades with no issues cropping up, BUT, they did a good job of general maintenence and upkeep.

All that being said, it ain't 1930 and there are a lot better products to use as a lube on an auto. My favorite is CLP/Breakfree. I love that stuff, man. The smell of it brings warm & fuzzy feeelings to my belly. Some of the greases work swimmingly on the slide rails. Did I mention I like CLP? The name says it all...CleanerLubricantProtectant.

What I wil absolutely never use again is this dog-nasty product called "Tetra-gun" or Tetra-Lube." Holy mackerel, does that stuff smell like a$$! Nastynastynasty! If you like it, good for you. I'll be able to smell you coming and avoid any uncomfortable meetings.

BTW, back in the service, I did a few experiments at taxpayer expense. We lubed up some M4s with WD40, some with CLP, and some others with LSA. Then we shot the heck outta them. The WD40-lubed carbines went dry the fastest, burning up the WD40 pretty quickly. The CLP-lubed carbines went for a significantly longer time before the lube dried up/burned off. The LSA was good-to-go for the greatest volume of fire. As for the varnish/shellac buildup using WD40, who could tell through the hunks of carbon in the chamber due to the "defecates where it eats" AR15 gas system?

WD40 ain't the anti-christ, it won't destroy your weapon, or make you impotent. But, you owe it to yourself & weapon to choose a better lube for everyday use. Use WD40 when no other options are readily available.

[SigP220ST_Guy]

No WD-40 here. I use Break Free CLP, Militec 1 oil and grease, and Rem oil.

I recommend going to the Militec-1 and ordering some FREE samples. I did and I am very pleased with this stuff.
http://www.militec-1.com/

[lycanthrope]

FP-10.

Always.

[sm]

Whatever I steal from my gunsmith :D

I believe I last stole the little bottles with a tad left of RIG #2 and Kellube left in them. I really need to steal some more...my patio sliding door needs lubing. I've used RIG grease forever to protect from elements.
Played the lube game once-never never ever again, gave everything away...I stay away from some stuff because it caused problems ( peening, wear...).

Dr. Rob gives good advice.
Kellube and RIG #2 works great. I recommend highly.
Pro-Tec oil and grease is really good --much better than the stuff they make for Wilsons to Wilsons req's .

Hoppe's oil in orange bottle, still works great , easy to find and not expensive. Buddy of mine uses in his Caspian and has for years...never failed. Undercover and does not want any gun oil smell period.

[HogRider]

I use Break Free for almost everything.

[Shmackey]

I've replaced my Break-Free with FP-10.

[Moparmike]

Ok, if FP or CLP is the way to go, what the heck do I do with my Hoppe's gun oil?

Why is gun oil included in kits if it is insufficiently lubricating?:confused:

[sm]

...what the heck do I do with my Hoppe's gun oil?
Use it.
It's perfectly fine, been working for too many years. Just like the solvent- Hoppe's No. 9.

IMO use the monies for ammo, training , range fees...this will save your life.
If a gun won't run for the number of rounds it takes for a CCW, or HD situation, the guns perhaps has a problem, shot placement trumps gun oil everytime.

Like I said before I've got a buddy whom runs Hoppe's in a Caspian, last time we shot he put 500 rds through it with no problems.

There is also something of a concern with PTFE ( Teflon) and the EPA noting high levels in humans. I wasn't sent the link in the email I rec'd.

Use what have, most people use more solvent than oil, many improperly or overclean anyway. Inspect ,maintain ,lube with what you have, use proper technique...of more importance is BA/UU/R.

[roo_ster]

" There is also something of a concern with PTFE ( Teflon) and the EPA noting high levels in humans."

re1973 makes a good point I missed, namely that precautions must be taken when using solvents. I had this hammered home to me in the service when a contractor (who used to be a CSM from way back) came upon myself and my buddy cleaning our weapons in a solvent tank without rubber gloves. He mentioned that he used to do the same thing and had nerve damage in his hands from the solvents.

Disposable Latex Exam Gloves
Anyway, these days I buy a box of properly sized latex exam gloves from Sam's or a medical supply store and use them when cleaning & lubing my weapons. Not only do they help prevent the solvents from getting into your system, they keep my hands from smelling like Hoppes #9, CLP or Ed's Red. This can be mighty handy when you want to lube up your weapon before heading out for an evening out on the town with the missus.

The gloves are also great for when I polish my boots or work on the car: no more Kiwi/grease under the fingernails.

Some solvents will eventually eat through latex. Just replace 'em before they break or invest in a pair of heavy chemical gauntlets.

[sm]

Your supposed to clean guns? :D

I clean extractors and chambers. I treat bores with RIG, been doing this since JFK and Dallas made history. I usually use lighter fluid since I do keep that around.. I used G96 on a friends guns ( she brought her own stuff...smart girl, since I don't keep stuff around). G96 works real well to clean , smells good, won't freeze FP in winter, no Teflon. Did the chore girl copper wrapped around a brush to get the lead out with G96, cleaned the revolver, treated the bore with RIG ( I do keep RIG around) internals/externals and she is good to go .

Nitrile gloves are good .

Dunno before we all got edjumatcated and all I never had a problem with gasoline. Too many guns cleaned with gas or mineral spirits and lubed with that GI issue stuff back in the old days.... Esso,or Texaco machine oil and lithium grease all I used...thought I'd hit high cotton when I got .15 and sent in taped onto a postcard and the Penguin folks sent me my sample of Hoppe's No 9. Coke bottles only brought .02 a pc back then.....17 cents bought a box of 22 longs...see I could have saved the $ and bought 50 rds of ammo ....some things ...more they change - more they remain the same.

[Oracle]

I think that most of the "gun oils" out there lubricate pretty well, at normal temperatures. What I'm most concerned about is corrosion protection, and that's why I use CLP. A light wipe down with that every so often is all that is necessary to keep my guns from rusting to death in Georgia's humidity, so that's why I use it. I may switch if something better comes along.

[Berg01]

I like FP-10, Militec Grease & Oil, and the KleenBore TW25B Grease & Oil is also very good.

[loveipos1234]

Militec, FP-10 and Breakfree in that order for me. I do remember the old days of cleaning in Gasoline and lubing with Motor oil though. Still love the smell of Hoppe's.

[45R]

FP10
Breakfree
Militec
Armalube
RemOil


I've had really good luck with these 5 lubes in oil

For grease

Jardines Ultimate Grease
TW25
Militec

[DMK]

I had this hammered home to me in the service when a contractor (who used to be a CSM from way back) came upon myself and my buddy cleaning our weapons in a solvent tank without rubber gloves. He mentioned that he used to do the same thing and had nerve damage in his hands from the solvents.
Excellent point. I believe that FP-10 is solvent free. Although it's technically a CLP, I think it's a lot better at L&P than it is at C.

I've been use Hoppe's #9 for cleaning, but I'm considering switching to Mpro 7 for health reasons.

[Kentucky Rifle]

Militec works the first time you use it. But, by the third time you lube your pistol with Militec-1, it works REALLY good. The heat of firing the pistol and the heat from the slide moving is what makes Militec-1 fully work. Slick stuff. I've noticed that Militec doesn't evaporate very quickly either. Last week, I decided my Seecamp could use a good field strip, clean & lube. When I took the slide off--there was the Militec--still making the slide feel like it's on roller bearings.

KR

[oldman]

Another vote for not to use WD-40 OR carb. cleaner. A shooter came down to my range with a very rusted 1911 and after questioning, found out he used carb. cleaner but did not know enough to re-oil everything afterwards. WD-40 is not a lubricant and I worry about this. If you're going to clean and oil your firearm, why not use a product that was designed for this very use? After years of buying every product under the sun, I now have settled on just G-96 for cleaning and lubication on all my toys. I may use STOS or the Lubri-plate grease as used on my Garand for the slide and frame rails but not always. I've never had a single malfunction shooting hundreds of rounds in a firearm cleaned and lubed with G-96 even after being stored away for months.

[sm]

oldman, welcome to THR !

Yep G96 is great stuff.
STOS...oh my...ya know I may still have some of that in an old range bag...and yeah it really is , err ...umm ...that slick :p

Ok thats gotta be twenty years ago at least when I rec'd that in a shooter's kit before a competition...now I feel old...

[enfield]

WD40 is just a slow-curing shellac at worst and a good crayon mark remover at best, IMHO.

I've been experimenting with Mobil 1 as a lubricant (so far, so good) and I use either Remington gun oil for light corrosion protection, RIG (moderate protection) or LPS#3 for long-term storage. A gun treated with LPS #3 needs to be disassembled and thoroughly cleaned before use. I do use WD40 to dissolve the LPS though. Then the gun gets wiped down, lightly lubed, oiled and wiped dry before use.

[oldman]

Thank you re1973,

Just had to register on this forum, though at first I had a bit of a problem logging in and posting replies. Guess I'm OK now. This is a great forum and glad I found it, though now I have to divide my time between here and my other forum. Yes G-96 seems to do everything for me. Just spray it on, wipe off the glunk, wipe more on and just leave it. Wish I had this back in the service in '65. I get the impression that most shooters never heard of STOS or Lubri-plate or just that they never mention them. Must be an old-timers thing. Anyway, glad to be here.

[Moparmike]

Oh lord, I can see a new thread title now: "What would you use for solvents and lube in a SHTF/TEOTWAWKI situation?":eek: :eek: :eek:

I too use latex gloves on the car. It is so satisfying to do something that coins the phrase "grease monkey" and still be clean afterwards.

[peashooter]

Hey WD-40 does have it's uses. I went to the range one day and my trusty carry gun didn't go BANG after pulling the trigger over and over. Well, I shot my Beretta and Springer and went home. After a quick diss-assembly and inspection I realized that there was a carbon buildup preventing the firing pin from striking the primer. So I got out the can of WD-40 and shot a LOT of WD-40 into the firing pin hole, also throughout inner parts of the slide.
After working the firing pin a few times I then blasted it with compressed air, the lubed it with CLP. It went bang just fine after that, so now I do the same treatment at least once a month and have had no further problems with FTF.

[Prof]

I have always used Breakfree as a cleaner and protector. I use Wilson's Ultima-Lube grease as a lube.

[Scarface]

Dear Stinkyshoe,

For the best lubrication and corrosion protection, I highly recommend Militec-1. It seals and conditions the metal and it makes the gunmetal self-lubricating.

Too much lubricant can actually attract and adhere dirt and fouling to the weapon. Militec's bonding with the metal "seals" the surface and makes dirt and fouling less likely to adhere and much easier to clean. I carry it on my site, but they'll even give you a free sample if you go to http://www.militec-1.com. Sorry, I can't carry free samples, but I'm a little guy.

I've been talking to them about carrying the grease as well, but Militec doesn't recommend greasing firearms. If there's enough interest in it, I would. It's hard for us old guys not to like a judicious dab of grease.

Be well,

Scarface

[Zenon]

My only problem with Militec is that it's TOO good. :D

I've been using it on a new 1911 and the break in period STILL ain't over even at over 800 rounds! :banghead:

It's not a problem though, really. I love the stuff, use it, and Breakfree on everything.

[loveipos1234]

Militec is great on knives, tools, heck, anything. Better than windex. I am thinking of using it on cuts and joint pain.

Seriously, it is the best...followed by FP-10 and Breakfree.

[clubsoda22]

call me ond fashioned, but i use hoppe's solvent and oil.

[roscoe]

WD40 is a solvent, that is why it is good at freeing rusty, stuck parts. But once it dries, it is mostly gone.

I use Militec because when the fluid (mostly) dries it leaves a graphite film, but doesn't attract (too much) sand, dirt, etc.

[kimbernut]

Getting back to basics. I've always been told that wd40 is a rust remover and of course gun blue is simply a form of controlled rust. I've used nothing but BreakFree CLP since 1988 for lightweight lube and Brownells grease for heavyweight lube(slide rails, bolt and barrel lugs,etc.)From all the mention of militech and examination of their website it may deserve a closer look.

[pistolwhipped]

I really like Miltec-1 .:)

[incursion]

FP-10