WD40 in Guns

[Technosavant]

Just to repeat, but in extremely clear terms:

WD-40 is a water displacer, not a lubricant!!!

It was created for the express purpose of getting water out of where it ought not to be; water causes rust. It does have some short-term lubricating ability, but once it dries out, the lubing ability goes away. If your gun goes for a swim, sure, WD-40 is great to get the water out of the nooks and crannies, but then you need to use a real lube/protectant afterwards (like a CLP, Rem Oil, Mobil 1, etc.).

 

[stevelyn]

Before I went to a Glock for LE, I used to use WD-40 to flush the crud away from the slide rails when it built up to the point I had to smack the slide back into battery during long training sessions.

The other thing it's good for is as a starting fluid for diesels.

 

[SaMx]

WD-40 is a water displacer. I use it to clean water off the chain and gears of my bike. I guess if my guns got wet I would use it there too. It did leave a slipper film all over the garage floor, but it wore away quickly. I've also used it as a waterproofer but there are better things for that.

 

[heron]

I like TriFlow (teflon-based) instead of WD40. It penetrates and rinses out crud very effectively. Back when I could ride a bicycle, I'd use TriFlow on chain and gears, and it got all the mud and gunk out and kept everything working very smoothly.

I was first introduced to it by the guy who sold me my first revolver, when I asked him what was good for a gun lubricant.

I don't use very much of it now, since I've treated my guns with Microlon Gun Juice, they simply don't get dirty in the first place, and what's there is a dry film that wipes off very easily.

 

[ilbob]

About once a year someone starts a thread about WD40 on the Bullseye mailing list. Usually after 100 people or so respond with their opinions, the owner of the list steps in and kills the topic.

I don't use it myself on guns. i am not convinced it is going to harm your gun any, and as a light cleaner it probably will work, although maybe not as well as other cleaners. I don't consider it a very good lubricant though.

 

[Kurt S.]

I use WD-40 in my field expedient cleaning method after firing corrosive ammo in my milsurp guns:

I pull the bolts.
Liberally squirt Windex with ammonia down the bbl till it runs out.
Run a boresnake through.
Do another Windex and boresnake run.
Spray a big dose of WD-40 down the bbl.
Let it run out.
Another boresnake application.
Light spray of aerosol Break-Free down the bbl.

 

[pharmer]

Penetrates. If you get enough of it on your ammo, that ammo is undependable afterward. Joe

 

[Walter]

The best use I've found for WD40 is "burn relief".
Any time you burn your hand, fingers, arm, etc., just shoot
a little WD40 on it. It's a miracle fix. It soothes the pain,
and facilitates healing much more quickly than any other
"burn relief" medicine I've ever used.
I know this sounds goofy, but I've been a welder for almost 40
years, and I heard about this not long after I started in the
trade. And believe me, I've burned myself often enough to try it,
and it works.
But I never use it on my guns, it just evaporates and leaves a
"gunk".

Walter

 

[jhco50]

Let me just say that I have some guns that were treated with WD-40 and now I'm having a H311 of a time getting the actions open.

 

[FerFAL]

Take your prized gun. Lube it up with WD40 and let it sit for 3-6 months. Let us know how well it does.

Did just that some time ago.
Had a SMG that I didn’t care enough to disassemble, so after several hundred rounds I just hanged it over an opened trash bag and sprayed WD40 into every hole. Repeated the operation every hour or so until I used up ½ the can.
I could see that the liquid poured out of the gun almost black, full of powder residue.
Several months later I took the time to disassemble it expecting to find a mess inside. Surprise, Surprise, it was almost clean , with a very thin layer of well lubricated powder residue, that easily came off wiping it with paper. The continuous soaking of WD40 had removed almost all gunk residue, and the gun was lightly lubricated, not one bit of gumming or solidifying.
I use WD40 to clean my guns, dry it out very well, and then add a few drops of oil.
It doesn’t just displace water, it cleans and lubricates lightly (too lightly).
My brother used WD to clean a carpet that had been step on with tarred boots. The WD removed all tar easily.
Not perfect but it works well for me.

FerFAL

 

[slylikea_fox]

I have used wd-40 to cut cosmoline but never to actually clean dirty firearms. Several weeks ago i was at the cove campground range during the 4-wheeling ice breaker event when several guys showed up with machine guns. I watched them spray the linked belts of a 1919 down with wd40 and the internal workings however it did seem to be having some problems, they were also spraying down the insides of an m-16 with no problems. Maybe this is some magic lube in the full auto world i don't no about and the problems with the 1919 jamming and such could not be linked to the wd-40. I thought in the past i've read that it will leave some kind of "varnish" behind.

 

[SaMx]

I think WD-40 actually changed their formula a couple years ago so it may or may not have problems anymore.

 

[Ian Sean]

WD-40 is good for oiling parts after parkerizing, also for general cleaning of parts, decent penetrating oil, after the windex for cleaning corrosive ammo a few shots of WD is good to flush the bore.

It is not a good lube in my opinion but has many uses for me.

I watched them spray the linked belts of a 1919 down with wd40 and the internal workings however it did seem to be having some problems, they were also spraying down the insides of an m-16 with no problems. Maybe this is some magic lube in the full auto world i don't no about and the problems with the 1919 jamming and such could not be linked to the wd-40.

Never lubed links on my 1919...what are these guys doing?

Internals of the 1919 run best on 10W40, not WD 40.

 

[Cowboybootnut]

I like WD-40 for a "light" cleaning and lube. I also spray it on a rag an use it to wipe fingerprint oil off.

I use Break Free for heavy cleaning and lubing.

 

[dfariswheel]

One of the most hair-raising cases of using WD-40 on guns, and one that flies in the face of everything people believe about it was written in the book, "Good To Go" by retired Navy SEAL Harry Constance.

Constance was a multiple Vietnam tour SEAL, and is one of the most respected in the SEAL community.

Constance used a Stoner light machine gun as his favored weapon.
In the book, Constance says that when he returned from patrols, he'd remove the plastic stock and drop the gun AND the linked 5.56mm ammo into a cut-off 55 gallon drum of gasoline.

While the gun and ammo soaked, he'd get cleaned up and have breakfast.
He'd then remove the gun and linked ammo, dry it off, then he'd spray the gun AND AMMO with WD-40, and he was ready to go out again.

Constance said that in three tours, he never had a stoppage.

 

[XDKingslayer]

WD stands for water displacing. Do you go swimming with your guns?

Ocasionally....why?

 

[230RN]

I don't use it on my guns except if it's handier than anything else. I used to use it on my lathe beds and drill press columns if I wasn't going to be around for a while, and it leaves a brownish stain on bare steel which resembles rust.

Almost fainted dead away when I first saw this stain. But it did not impair the machines' operations, nor did they rust.

Good for what it's good for, not for what it's not.

WD40 and Duct Tape and Baling Wire are the world's three greatest man-hour savers.

Oh, and large battery/terminal spring clamps.

Make that four.

 

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

WD is Water Displacer formula # 40, used on the tips of intercontinental ballistic missiles. If its good enough for thermo nuclear anti commie warheads, it'll do fine on my lever 30-30.

As noted, not for lube, for water displacement. Use a tool correctly, get good results

ST

 

[texas bulldog]

WD40 and Duct Tape and Baling Wire are the world's three greatest man-hour savers.

amen, brother. i have a catchy phrase related to duct tape, but i'm not sure it's high road material.


on the WD40 topic, i won't argue that it can't ever be useful as a gun care item. but i couldn't see myself using it on any of my guns unless they got dropped in a creek. some combination of CLP and RemOil would seem to solve most problems better.

 

[CWL]

just looked-up the contents of WD-40.
50% mineral spirits/naptha
25% CO2 as propellant
15% mineral oil (light lubricant capabilities)
10% aromatics & inert materials

It originated as a product to resist corrosion by displacing moisture from electrical circuitry. There is no need to lube circuitry.

The fish oil as ingredient is just an urban legend.

It may have been useful from the 1950's thru Vietnam, but there are much better and specific lubes available nowadays.

 

[Plink]

I won't use WD-40 on my guns. If I need a water displacer, I'll use CorrosionX or even Ballistol. They also act as lubricants and don't gum up.

 

[Lashlarue]

Take your prized gun. Lube it up with WD40 and let it sit for 3-6 months. Let us know how well it does.

I have for for periods a lot longer than that.Just pulled my 1894s out of storage[10 years] looks and shoots like new.For cleaning bores Berrymans B-12, then a protective coat of WD40. The only thing you shouldn't use it for , is cleaning battery posts. Don't test me on that ,you will regret it. Among it's properties is that it is an insulator.