WD40 and Gun Cleaning

[AK103K]

Funny how it served so well for decades, and now it seems to be the bane of the internet gun world.

I used it most of my life, and never had any of the issues you see posted. No gumming or varnish, no rust, no dead primers, nada. Kind of makes you wonder what those who seem to have these problems were doing to have them.

While these days, there are better things and we do move on, I still have a big can with my gun stuff, and while the can lasts a lot longer now, it does still get used fairly regularly, and still works well for that purpose and many others.

 

[Geneseo1911]

The truly great thing about WD-40 is that it is so cheap. I have plastic tub I put my bolts/slides, etc in, spray down with WD-40 (there's enough in there now to immerse most small parts) and let it sit while I clean the barrel. When I come back, the fouling & dirt is loose , and most runs off when I pull the part out. I give it a good wipe down, oil what needs to be oiled, and rest assured that IF I didn't get oil into a place that needed it, it will at least be minimally lubricated and rust-proofed until the next cleaning.

I have also used WD to protect bare sheet metal. It works quite well, and guess what.....it leaves a greasy film. That's what it's designed to do. All of the bad-mouthing of WD-40 (I think) comes from people who used it SOLELY, or (as mentioned above) just spray it in without proper disassembly and cleaning. Over time, that protective film WILL build up, which is why it needs to be scrubbed off once in a while. It is a TOOL, not an all-in-one solution. Hoppe's, brake cleaner, WD-40, grease, motor oil, (insert your favorite lube CLP, etc here), all have a use and a place.

As for rust protection, have a look at this...
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/GunTech/NewsletterArchive.aspx?p=0&t=1&i=503
This is a side-by side test of several chemicals Brownell's sells, and it is a real eye opener about why solution #40 has survived 60 years as a corrosion preventer.

PS-WD-40 will take parkerizing from gray to a deep, rich black. Spray it on your AR or your Springer Mil-Spec, rub it in with a felt cloth, and marvel at the difference!

 

[warnerwh]

My opinion has been quite wrong according to this test. Thank you for posting this.

 

[X-Rap]

For those complaining about the lifetime buildup of residue left from WD-40 on guns that were never striped down and cleaned. Take your motor oil, CLP, or anything else in vogue today and spray it into an action and never strip and clean the gun for 20 or 30 yrs and your kid will be complaining about how lousy their dads compound was.
Oily substances collect dust and grit, heck moist substances do it why would you think that WD-40 wouldn't.

 

[Vader]

WD-40, motor oil and Auto Zone brake cleaner work great to clean my guns. I have never had any problems in the past 25 years when using these fluids. I actually shoot my guns a lot, so it might be different if I they were safe queens or only used to impress my friends.

Ditto here, I've done for a liitle over 5 years and so far it has been great. I use WD40 to losen crud, scrub wiht a toothbrush, then blast it wit Non-Chlorinated BC and then WallyWorld's 5W20 Sinthetic Oil. And to clean the barrel just gool ol' homemade Ed's Red

 

[Calibre44]

I’ve used it for years in 10.22 mags to solve feed problems. Quick spray inside each mag then immediately upend them and drain the fluid out.

Works fine for me.

 

[Afy]

I use it on my cheap shotgun all the time. Even when it gums up with residue and gunk from shooting cheapie ammo and dust... WD 40 gets it going. Then again even if the gun gets junked it isnt a big deal.
I also use it liberally on my Blackpowder guns before I store them and know that I wont be using them for a few months.

I have had no issues with using WD 40.

On my active, target guns I use conventional products.

 

[dirt_j00]

Oily substances collect dust and grit, heck moist substances do it why would you think that WD-40 wouldn't.

I do not think that... That is why I clean my guns properly.

Maybe you missed this part:

Whether this can be directly contributed to the WD40 is debatable

or this:

IMHO YMMV

your kid will be complaining about how lousy their dads compound was

Where did I complain again? Can you show me?

Do we now have gun-solvent snobs to add to the collection? I use products made to clean guns. You use whatever you want.

I intended to help the OP by posting my experience with WD40. What did you add to help the OP?

Sorry if I stepped on your can of WD40.

 

[jay870]

Did anyone else actually click on the link in the original post? Very nice Python. Perhaps I am just noticing a difference in lighting, but the grips in the last pics are much darker after getting the WD treatment. Actually everything in the "after" pictures seem like they have a different sparkle to them.

 

[DHJenkins]

Using it as a cleaner/solvent works fine. Just make sure to follow up with some proper gun oil.

 

[76shuvlinoff]

yep, cleaner not a long term lube

 

[makarovnik]

I use it for cleaning and degreasing but not for lubrication. While it may be a light lubricant I prefer CLP, 3 in 1 oil or gun treatment after I use WD-40.

I live in the pacific nw where humidity is usually pretty high. No problems with rust yet.

 

[RP88]

I prefer CLP

 

[yokel]

WD-40 soak is just the thing for yokel's mini 14 after rapid firing with cheap, dirty, smokey wolf ammo.

 

[Hk91-762mm]

I aquired a really nasty rusted Small auto I put it in a ziploc bag and sprayed a bunch of WD in with it after a few weeks the rust softened enough to attack with a tooth brush wire brush. Its the Tops for my Nylon 66 After shooting cheep dirty 22 ammo Spray work action -spray again stand in the corner on a rag bore down a couple drops oil for lube later..
Its not a primary lubs -But it has its place .

 

[rogerjames]

Used WD 40 to clean the cosmoline off my AK mags. Read it somewhere, so I tried it... seemed to work well.

 

[amd6547]

The only way WD40 would get on my firearm is if my firearm was behind my bicycle chain when I sprayed it...Oh yeah, I don't even use it on the bike!

 

[Deltaboy1984]

I have used it for years to wipe down my guns that have gotten wet duck hunting or hunting in the rain. But you still have to clean them when your done.

I have an 870 wingmaster that is 25 years old and has not 1 speck of rust and it has always been wiped down on the outside with WD-40 on some old t shirt.

For tools in your tool box it is great as a wipe down agent to prevent rust.

 

[novaDAK]

I know of guns that were preserved with WD40 for 30 years and none of them have a bit of rust at all.

 

[blkbrd666]

Been using it for years(40 of them) as a cleaner and lube. Even had a couple of guns stored over 20 years with nothing done to them except spraying them down before storage...no rust...guns are still new. I still use it as a cleaner for all guns but use gun oils or synthetic bike lubes for lubrication purposes. It's just mineral spirits, mineral oil, ~8-9% inert incredients, and CO2 for propellant...none of these ingredients will harm a gun. Cosmoline will gum up a gun's action with yellowish brown muck too, but it's a decent storage media...you just clean it off when you want to use the gun.

 

[WardenWolf]

I use WD-40 for 1 reason and 1 reason only: killing black widows. Hit one at close range, and they drop dead right there. I've seen them dead before they hit the ground. For everything else, there's Breakfree.

 

[Jim K]

One good reason not to use WD-40 is that under humid conditions, it can, itself, mildew and the mildew attacks the wood or metal underneath. The result is a ruined finish.

There are far better gun cleaners that will protect guns, not destroy them.

I do find WD-40 useful on garage door hardware, though.

Jim

 

[.38 Special]

I..oh,what's the use? WD-40 haters are convinced in spite of countless rebuttals to the "it'll gum up your gun " myth. So I'll just forget I even saw this thread and move on.

Bingo. In my experience, the people who argue against WD-40 are generally people that have not used it and are just repeating the nonsense they've heard somewhere. There is, of course, the subset that sprays the daylights out of a gun for years on end and then complains about "build-up".

Conversely, there are folks that use it intelligently, ie. a a quick spray on a rag to clean powder fouling off of a surface, or a light coating on the gun to keep it from rusting during the few weeks or month before it goes back to the range. Those folks (gasp!) seem to have perfectly good luck.

To read some of the stuff around here, WD-40 is about equivalent to sulfuric acid. Hopefully that sort of opinion is self-evidently stupid.

 

[X-Rap]

Just don't park your bike next to your guns you might get some on the bike.

 

[StoPPeR]

WOW!

I just watched a thread be closed on a ammo tax topic and it was closed because it has been discussed too many times. Obama was just elected so some are interested in starting the topic over. It is relevant and valuable to discuss such topic when pertinent information changes, I suggest.

However, this topic, "WD40" has been done to death for years. Why has it not been closed. It is ridiculous. WD40 is for water displacement. Jeez why is it ok to rehash this crap but, no, can't discuss taxes.

Disputes over taxes is what made this country, lest anyone forget.

It seems to be little more than the pathertic teacher in the new currently, that is afraid because his student thinks differently than he.

I also understand that the thread deleted was probably a troll but it does not negate my argument.

I am a bit lit up tonight because I just found out that I am unable to carry at my new employer. They have a very open floor plan.