Use of wd40

WD40 is a good cleaner, but a poor lubricant. Ever have a sticky door lock, and spray WD into it? You have to do it again and again every other month. It also leaves a sticky residue not conducive to long term lubrication.

It is a great degreaser but once again, NOT a good lubricant.

WD40 has been known to remove all lubrication. It is also a common misconception that wd40 is a lubricant... it is not. If you want to test this, take a piece of plain steel, clean it really good with wd40 and set it outside somewhere. Do the same using something like rem oil and then compare the 2 pieces of metal in a few months. The wd40 piece will be rusted, corroded, etc.

abl760 said:

Where Did the WD40 and 3 in one oils fall in disuse in gun world. Is there any
proof they should not be used.I read in a beretta nano manuel not
to use wd40. Also a bike manufacture said not to use wd40 but a different one says its is good stuff. Hope someone could shed some light on this idea.
ab

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Plenty of proof. My grandpa and I were talking guns and he happened to mention his Smith and Wesson .38 was gummed up to where he couldn't open the cylinder or even pull the trigger. I asked him when the last time he cleaned it was thinking he hadn't cleaned it on a while. He said 3 days ago. I said really? What did you clean it with? He said wd40. There was the problem. He promptly cleaned it with I think it was rem oil and it functioned flawlessly again.

Sent from my mind using ninja telepathy.

Schwing said:

WD40 has been known to remove all lubrication. It is also a common misconception that wd40 is a lubricant... it is not. If you want to test this, take a piece of plain steel, clean it really good with wd40 and set it outside somewhere. Do the same using something like rem oil and then compare the 2 pieces of metal in a few months. The wd40 piece will be rusted, corroded, etc.

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Its not a lubricant but a water displacer. It can only "displace" so much water. Thus it provides poor corrosion and lubrication properties.

Sent from my mind using ninja telepathy.

WD-40 is a very GOOD rust preventative(http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=...inic-Knowing-the-Limits-of-Rust-Preventatives) and cleaner. If used properly it will not gum up metal works. Too many people want to blame the results of poor cleaning habits on the product they use. I've used it on my guns for more years than many on THR have been alive and am happy with it and continue to use it.

Water displacement formula 40 was designed to displace water on wet electrical contacts and leave behind a waxy film after the solvent evaporates.

I have sprayed WD40 into a metal cup, and came back to the cup every weekend or so. Fresh WD40 was very runny when the solvent was fresh, but as the solvent evaporated, it got thicker, until it was the consistency of molasses.

Within its limitations, it is a cheap, readily available cleaner. If I use it as a cleaner, I wipe it off after cleaning and use a regular gun oil for lubrication. I have also used it to wipe the metal exterior of a gun to break up finger prints to prevent surface rusting.

If you have a mechanism gummed up with dried out WD40, fresh WD40 will dissolve it. Then you can blow it out with brake cleaner.

Classic 3 in 1 oil is another combination of pentrator oil and lubricating oil, and it always worked for me on bicyles, but I was not a perfectionist.

Why not just use brake cleaner Carl?

Before there was a www gun forum [early 1990s] there was usenet rec.guns.

The question of WD40 was constantly beat to death.
I even called up an application engineer at the WD40 manufacturer. That info can still be accessed through Google groups.

So in 1999 in the parking lot at a gun show I met some people that wanted to sell three shotguns for $185 each.
I smelled WD40 in the guns, so I figured that they did not know much about guns.
So I offered $185 for all three.
They took it.

When I got them home, I cleaned out the WD40.

Under the rubber butt pad of the double barrel was a 1936 Ohio hunting license for someone 26 years old. The cost of the license was $1.

I smelled WD40 in the guns, so I figured that they did not know much about guns.

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Wow. I promise you that you WILL smell WD-40 on my guns,my tools,my shop equipment,my truck and my lawn care equipment. I can also promise you that I'm very knowledgeable in the care and maintenance of all of them.

I echo what Schwing said.
WD40 is crap.

I use WD-40 to hose out my bullseye guns before pulling them down. Getting the grit out before you disturb the closely fitted parts will prolong the accuracy of the weapon. I then tear down, wipe clean and lube. Works for me.

The OP mentioned 3 in 1 oil too, but I don't get what's wrong with it?
I've been using it for decades on all my stuff and we are fine shape. What is the danger of 3 in 1?

You can certainly use WD 40 on anything you want (I wouldn't) but for firearms there are SO many better lubes and cleaners on the market. I have seen WD 40 lubed mechanisms become totally gummed up after a while. Another application of WD 40 will loosen it back up but in time it's going to get gummy again. Try a bottle of Breakfree CLP.

jimmyraythomason said:

Wow. I promise you that you WILL smell WD-40 on my guns,my tools,my shop equipment,my truck and my lawn care equipment. I can also promise you that I'm very knowledgeable in the care and maintenance of all of them.

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Obviously not or you wouldn't use wd40 on your guns.

Better penetrating oil is Kano Kroil. Better cleaner and corrosion fighter is eezox. Better long term storage corrosion fighter is rig grease.

Sent from my mind using ninja telepathy.

Obviously not or you wouldn't use wd40 on your guns

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With over 40 years of using WD-40 on my entire gun collection without rust or gumming or ANY adverse condition that it could possibly be linked to,I can say without reservation that WD-40 has performed ever task with colors flying. I literally bathe gun parts fresh out of the bluing solution in it(or after a hot soap scrub down). If used correctly,WD-40 will serve the gun owner very well.

jimmyraythomason said:

With over 40 years of using WD-40 on my entire gun collection without rust or gumming or ANY adverse condition that it could possibly be linked to,I can say without reservation that WD-40 has performed ever task with colors flying. I literally bathe gun parts fresh out of the bluing solution in it(or after a hot soap scrub down). If used correctly,WD-40 will serve the gun owner very well.

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You're an exception to the rule. Everyone I have known over the years that have used wd40 on their guns has had them gum up. PERIOD!

I'll never use it and most people would be smart not to use it. But to each their own.

Sent from my mind using ninja telepathy.

I fix appliances for a living and if there is one thing I know from experience, it is that if I use WD on a moving part, I will have to come out all over again another day to repeat the process (and lose money in the meantime). YMMV

You're an exception to the rule

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Actually I am not alone,it is that TOO many have given up trying to counter such a response as I have gotten here. Do a search of THR threads on WD-40. I don't care what anyone else uses for guns or anything else. I just get SO blasted tired of a good product being trashed. I have even heard (on THR.no less) that WD-40 CAUSES rust. You would be surprised,too at how many STILL think it contains fish oil.

WD-40 is great for loosening rusty nuts and bolts. It's also great for removing glue residue. Anything else? Nodda chance. I keep my WD-40 in my shop. Far, far away from my gun cleaning bench.

Like jimmyraythomason, I have extensive experience with the care and operation of machinery. Retired Master Marine and Industrial Diesel Mechanic.

Here is a usenet post from 1993 [20 years ago was before there were www gun forum lists] between a math professor and a WD-40 consultant, who are tired of arguing about WD-40 in guns. The name of the thread is "WD-40 Rerun"
The moderator was and still is a professor of computer science.

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.guns/v_N_1tOtC_k

rec.guns ›
WD 40 Rerun
syoung%[email protected] 5/6/93
After seeing an astounding amount of mis-information being posted regarding WD-40, I thought it was time for a repost of this info from October of last year. Maybe whoever is writing FAQ's could include this; it certainly comes up regularly.
FWIW, I have one gun that has been subjected to a fairly harsh environment for the past 20 years. Not a hint of rust, and it still has all the bluing;
I've used WD-40 exclusively. I've also got guns I use Breakfree CLP on; both work just fine.


#[MODERATOR: Now *here* is something I wish we could get more of ... direct access to and comment from vendors that we seem to discuss a lot here.]

#I am the consultant to WD-40 Company in San Diego. About two weeks ago I was #showing their system administrator the different newsreaders available when
#they saw a message about their product harming firearms. Since they do not #currently have news on their system they asked me to post a reply. I have
#been on vacation and the original messages have expired so I can't include #them in this post. WD-40 invites your comments. You can email to their
#system administrator [email protected] and she will print and deliver the #message to Mr. Repaci.

Jimmyray, you'll smell WD40 on my guns and pretty much everything else too so your not alone. I've got enough guns that have had a steady dose of it over 30-40 yrs to know they still work fine and aren't gummed or rusted solid.
WD is just one of the things I keep around but it is by far in the greatest quantity and the longest continued use.

jimmyraythomason said:

Actually I am not alone,it is that TOO many have given up trying to counter such a response as I have gotten here. Do a search of THR threads on WD-40. I don't care what anyone else uses for guns or anything else. I just get SO blasted tired of a good product being trashed. I have even heard (on THR.no less) that WD-40 CAUSES rust. You would be surprised,too at how many STILL think it contains fish oil.

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I can't say that I believe that it causes rust but I can certainly say it doesn't do anything to prevent it either. I also spent nearly 30 years in CNC manufacturing. While I often did use WD40 as a cleaner, I always followed up with a good lubricant. I can tell you from experience that things like gears and chains will rust up very quickly if WD40 is the only lube they get. I do believe that if you clean your guns with it regularly that you are probably not having gumming issues because a new coat will dissolve the old.