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If it gets your gun clean, I guess it works. After the cleaning part is done, I would re-lube all the metal with motor oil.
If it gets your gun clean, I guess it works. After the cleaning part is done, I would re-lube all the metal with motor oil.
Why motor oil? Just because of the cost?
I use ALG Very Thin Grease on the slide rails and Eezox on the other bits.
What category of oil in the world you believe is the most heavily researched and competed? What oil describes its specifications in the most detailed fashion? I believe it's motor oil. I was so surprised to find that it does not even have to be fully synthetic to outclass any gun oils. It not only lube very well, but oiling your gun with it also leaves longer lasting protection. (Car wax/sealant is great against rust too.)
It is cheap and it works as a lube and rust preventative. I buy a quart of the cheapest store brand motor oil at auto zone for the cleaning bench. No idea what the specs, viscocity, weight, etc. are because it doesn't matter. And a quart lasts a LONG time.Why motor oil? Just because of the cost?
I use ALG Very Thin Grease on the slide rails and Eezox on the other bits.
1) Field strip gun and disassemble the mag.
2) Rinse all parts under running tap water to remove river water grit, towel dry.
3) Heavily spray anything metal with WD40 to displace the tap water, wipe dry.
4) Clean with solvent to remove WD 40, normally Hoppe's 9.
5) Let dry and re-lube.
Ziplock bag. When I fly fish, my phone, keys/fob, bug, wallet all go in ziplock bags. If I breach my waders they survive.
My LCP fits easily in a sandwich bag with a spare magazine.
once they put a heavy coat of WD on the rocket it turned into a heavy wax which allowed the missile to slip thru the atmosphere a lot easierHeh...I LOVE stories on the origin of WD-40, if only because they go against the history as documented on WD-40's own website!
Three employees of Rocket Chemical Company set out in 1953 to "createa a line of rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for use in the aerospace industry". Since water displacement is critical to corrosion prevention, it was called "Water Displacement" with the actual number associated with the successful formulation they came up with on the 40th try. Hence "WD-40".
First use was by Convair "to protect the outer skin of the Atlas Missile from rust and corrosion". Employees liked it so much they "snuck some cans out of the plant" (read: stole) to use at home.
After a few years, Rocket Chemical Company set about coming up with an aerosol can product to put on the market in San Diego in 1958.
https://www.wd40.com/history/
Every once in a while a thread starts up concerning WD-40, as well as various cleaners and lubricants that people use on their firearms.
The best cleaners and lubricants are, hands down, those designed specifically to be cleaners OR lubricants. Not both.
Lubricants, penetrants, and water displacers are not the same. Some products may have multi-function purposes, to be sure, but the combining of so many functions necessarily means compromise along the line.
To be a good cleaner, you need something that's going to REMOVE the dirt/oil/grease.
To be a good lubricant, you need something that's going to adhere to the metals long term and not evaporate or lose its viscocity.
To be a good penetrant, you need something that's going to very easily wick into tight spaces.
To be a good corrosion inhibitor, you need something that uniformly adheres to the metals long term and does not evaporate.
TO BE SURE:
Many things will work. Some will work better than others. Some will work less well than others. Some will flat out suck. Some might work short term, but gum up the works in the long term. Some are optimal under certain circumstances and less so in others. Some will work fine in some guns (like more forgiving revolvers) and less so in others (like pistols which moving slides and such).
If you want the best performance out of a lubricant, then use something that's specifically designed AS a lubricant. Compromise in the short term, if you must, but for long term use an actual lubricant. Same for penetrants, cleaners, etc.
And use it as frequently as is called for by practice/use. If you clean and store your firearms annually with no problems (operationally, corrosion, etc.), then obviously the product you're using is perfectly suitable. If not, then either change the product or change the environment.
I really don't get the bruhaha some people have over this or that "magic" product. To be sure, there's money to be made for the people advertising their brand of magic gun juice.
WD-40 is NOT designed, nor intended, to be a lubricant, cleaner, etc. That one can use it this way under some circumstances doesn't change that. It is something designed to displace water and coat metals with a corrosion inhibiting layer. It has volatiles in it and is not stable in terms of lubricating characteristics over the long term.
Will it HURT a firearm? No. Can it foul it up over time? Yes. Will it help with corrosion prevention? Yes. (But then, so will cosmoline.)
This is a thread about WD-40 and displacing water. It will certainly perform that function, and the OP described a perfectly acceptable way of addressing the issue he is most concerned about. There are several ways the OP could accomplish his goals, but in the end he's got a clean, dry gun that he's properly lubricated. Personally, under the circumstances he described, I would have cut out the middleman (not used WD-40) for the reasons I described earler.
Submerge in.paint thinner or mineral spirits, blow off with compressed air and relube. It's that simple and anything aerosol will drain the bank account for no reason.So I often go wade fishing where I'm standing in knee to waist deep water for hours and hours. These are midwest streams, meaning a mix of mud, sand and rock; water is clearish but certainly not mountain stream clear. Inside my pocket on these outings is an LCP, which sees plenty of time submerged throughout the day. I wanted some folks take on my cleaning procedure:
1) Field strip gun and disassemble the mag.
2) Rinse all parts under running tap water to remove river water grit, towel dry.
3) Heavily spray anything metal with WD40 to displace the tap water, wipe dry.
4) Clean with solvent to remove WD 40, normally Hoppe's 9.
5) Let dry and re-lube.
Too much? Am I missing anything? Anything you'd do differently? I used to just rinse, use compressed air to blow out the tap water and go right to re-lubing, but I figured WD 40 is better at getting into the nooks and crannies in the frame and slide than a jet of air.
Posted my concern about ammo sprayed with WD40 (or any spray lube actually) in post #28... Read every post since -and no response from a pretty educated crowd... Sure would like to hear if anyone has heard of this. Down here in south Florida we were warned about it in writing in the late seventies to early eighties era (technical bulletin widely disseminated) - Dade county alone had 27 different police departments back then (the number is larger now....)... Ammo that looks just fine but won't fire due to compromised primers isn't funny at all when you might be relying on it in the blink of an eye - yet still have to maintain a service revolver in a high heat, high humidity - nearly marine environment day after day... To this day I never use any kind of spray lube on ammo - just clean and polish each round carefully with a dry cloth. Any sign of corrosion that doesn't polish off means that round goes out of service...
Do you take care to keep it off of the wood? I'm always scared that the WD-40 may damage the wood finish so I stress about making sure it doesn't come in contact with the wood. It's not something I want to find out the hard way, but I'm curious if my fears are unfounded.Bought my Remington 700 30-06 new in 1975. Hunted usually 3 days a week during season. Rain, Fog, Snow, Ice, Temperatures down to 0, for over 33 years. During season it got sprayed and wiped down with WD40 pretty much every hunting day. Wiped down with WD40 every cleaning. I got old and had to give up hunting and shooting big calibers. I still have that same Remington 700. I keep it in a metal gun cabinet with no dehumidifier, no dry packs. Two times a year it comes out to be cleaned and wiped down with WD40 and nothing else.
It's Never had any parts repaired or replaced. It's Never failed in Any Way What So Ever. It's Never seen a speck of Rust. I would say the bluing and wood finish is over 90 percent. EVERY gun I own gets wiped down with WD40 after every cleaning or 6 months if not shot.
I don't need the internet Hog Wash.
I have the Real Proof. Nearly 50 years of it.
I've repeatedly heard of military members being barred the use of WD-40 on their service weapons due to the tendency of WD-40 to decommission ammo. At the same time I've seen at least one test where a guy thoroughly coated ammo as well as bare primers with WD-40 to no effect. I'm not sure what to believe. Although, frankly, I don't see a reason to lubricate ammo or protect it from corrosion in the first place, so for me it's a moot point.I do think the post about the ammo was relevant. Didn’t see a good reply? Did I miss it?
I've repeatedly heard of military members being barred the use of WD-40 on their service weapons due to the tendency of WD-40 to decommission ammo. At the same time I've seen at least one test where a guy thoroughly coated ammo as well as bare primers with WD-40 to no effect. I'm not sure what to believe. Although, frankly, I don't see a reason to lubricate ammo or protect it from corrosion in the first place, so for me it's a moot point.
(I'm more worried about your ammunition than your gun!)
I do not intentionally spray it on the wood. Most times I will remove the wood on most guns so I can wipe wd on the under side of the barrel, breech and everything metal. On something like lever action I usually don't remove the stock. Just the wood forearm. If I do get it on the wood, no big deal. Just wipe it off. I wipe it on metal with one rag and lightly wipe off with another. I will usually use the wipe off rag to wipe down the wood.Do you take care to keep it off of the wood? I'm always scared that the WD-40 may damage the wood finish so I stress about making sure it doesn't come in contact with the wood. It's not something I want to find out the hard way, but I'm curious if my fears are unfounded.
Ah, I thought you were talking about getting WD-40 on ammo. My bad.Not really talking about WD40, more the submerged ammo:
This is my made in 1978 H&R 650. It too has always been protected by WD40. Nickle Finish. Never any fails or problems.Do you take care to keep it off of the wood? I'm always scared that the WD-40 may damage the wood finish so I stress about making sure it doesn't come in contact with the wood. It's not something I want to find out the hard way, but I'm curious if my fears are unfounded.