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Anyone like WD-40 for bore oiling and conditioning?
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I have heard all the negative things about it but I was just curious if anyone out there does like it for the purpose I stated.
I would like to hear their comments as well.
I used some during my last cleaning routine and had good results both on paper and preventing fouling.
 
Posts: 11651 | Location: Montreal | Registered: 07 November 2002Reply With Quote
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I use for quick cleaning after a gun has been real wet.

I always try to oil with some thing else after wards.

But WD does a good job of getting rid of the water.
 
Posts: 19355 | Location: wis | Registered: 21 April 2001Reply With Quote
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After I put some in my bore the patch slides through slicker than with any other gun oil.
I then wipe off and finish with a gun oil like FP-10.
 
Posts: 11651 | Location: Montreal | Registered: 07 November 2002Reply With Quote
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WD-40 is great for what it's made for; lifting water off metals and short term rust protection. I flush any firearm that's been exposed to rain with it but wipe it down and apply another oil as soon as possible, it's lousy for anything else.

WD-40 is too thin for a decent lubricant. The carrier evaporates in a few weeks and the remaining residue is a varnish like brown goo that doesnt't have much rust protection. And the goo makes it THE worst common "lube" for triggers...or fishing reels. Try some Automatic Transmission Fluid instead, the brand doesn't matter, it's all a synthetic oil found in any 'marts auto oils department.

ATF is inexpensive, it's a very good light lubracant that penetrates well, it dries very slowly (months) and leave no surface contamination. Great for triggers, it won't foul bores and gives good rust protection for months. I've tested a lot of other stuff and continue to use ATF for a gun/reel oil for more than 30 years.
 
Posts: 1615 | Location: South Western North Carolina | Registered: 16 September 2005Reply With Quote
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I like WD-40 for cleaning and moisture removal.

That's it!


________
Ray
 
Posts: 1786 | Registered: 10 November 2004Reply With Quote
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It is as good as it gets for water proofing on a daily basis..I use a lot of it and have for many years and never had a gun rust yet..Any oil is temporary, use them fairly regularly in enclimate areas such as Alaska, and less as you go South, and most work fine..I know Indians, Eskimos that use crank case oil and it works also..In Idaho I wipe my guns off whenever with WD-40, usually after a cleaning and I don't clean them often. In Ariz and West texas Big Bend, maybe twice a year.


Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120

rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com
 
Posts: 41820 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000Reply With Quote
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Posts: 11651 | Location: Montreal | Registered: 07 November 2002Reply With Quote
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I prefer to use the spray Ballistol, when I need to "de water" the insides of a gun, barrel included.


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Posts: 16134 | Location: Texas | Registered: 06 April 2002Reply With Quote
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WD is good for removing water and it is basically paraffin dissolved in kerosene; the paraffin is what is left after the kerosene evaporates. It is not a good lubricant and does form a thin film which you should remove from your bore. I do clean with it sometimes but always follow it up with CLP.
 
Posts: 17095 | Location: USA | Registered: 02 August 2009Reply With Quote
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Here is Shootaways link, interesting reading from the WD40 company's mouth.

"So many "experts"....here's one more....

Louis E. Repaci
WD-40 Company
San Diego, CA

To the Editors:

One of your readers forwarded a "letter the editors" article to our
attention. The gentleman commented on an article written by Mark
Parsons "Keep 'Em Clean," and that he was aghast that the use of WD-40
is recommended for guns as it is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the
air).

Could we please clear the air and set the record straight for your
readers by correcting the misconceptions regarding the use of WD-40 on
firearms.

WD-40 is a lubricant, penetrant, rust preventative, moisture displacer
and cleaner used extensively in the firearms industry on:
* Gun barrel (inside and out)
* Ejection mechanism
* Firing pin and magazine

WD-40 is not hygroscopic ((does not) absorb moisture from air)

WD-40 does not contain chlorinated paraffins or contribute to stress
cracking of stainless alloys. WD-40 does not degrade into acidic
byproducts under exposure to ozone.

WD-40 does not contain Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), HCFC's, Halons, or
1.1.1 Trichlorethane (Methyl Chlorofrom); chemicals that are alleged to
contribute to the depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer.

WD-40 is used exclusively at Trinidad College's School of Gunsmithing
in Colorado for general gun care and maintenance as well as after the
bluing process to displace the saltwater solution in order to prevent
metal corrosion and rusting.

According to Professor Harold Thomason, WD-40 displaces water which is
why it is used in the final stages of the bluing process.

Other uses for WD-40 include:
1. For excessive powder build up, use WD-40 as a cleaner.
2. If a case is used for storage, WD-40 is all the protection required.
Under these conditions WD-40 will protect firearms for one year or
more.
3. If WD-40 is used with teflon, silicone, graphite or grease,
softening of these type lubricants may occur. To correct this simply
flush with WD-40 to remove the gummmy residue. WD-40 is all the
protection required.
4. WD-40 may stain unfinished wooden stocks. WD-40 has no effect on
finished wood.

I would appreciate your assistance in sharing the foregoing information
with your readers. "
 
Posts: 5603 | Location: Eastern plains of Colorado | Registered: 31 October 2005Reply With Quote
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The toughest to prevent rust on in my shop is machined surfaces like milling machine ways, drill press table, band saw tables, lathe and milling tooling, dividing heads, etc., etc.
WD-40 will last for about one to four weeks. ATF will protect surfaces for about one year.

Rust protection on blued gun surfaces, WD-40 1 to 6 weeks; ATF one year or more.

What I like about WD-40 : It is an excellant hand cleaner for grease and a very good hand cleaner for stock finishes, just scrub with WD-40, wipe with a paper towell then wash hands with soap and water. Best smelling hand cleaner around.

It will gum up triggers and delicate mechanisms big time.


Craftsman
 
Posts: 1530 | Location: North Texas | Registered: 11 February 2001Reply With Quote
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A good spray of WD40 down the lukewarm bore before I go home from the range makes cleaning MUCH easier!
 
Posts: 118 | Location: Norway | Registered: 09 August 2007Reply With Quote
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WD-40 will be praised by guys that live in a very dry climate because they think the stuff is effective when it is just the climate.

In a humid hot climate where you really need it to work WD-40 is a lousy rust preventative.

If you have any doubts there is a standard 96 hr salt fog test used to test corrosion resistance.
WD-40 fails miserably.
 
Posts: 13978 | Location: http://www.tarawaontheweb.org/tarawa2.jpg | Registered: 03 December 2008Reply With Quote
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WD40 isn't the best protection, but you can certain do worse with other products on your guns.

http://www.thegunzone.com/rust.html

http://www.6mmbr.com/corrosiontest.html
 
Posts: 1615 | Location: Washington State | Registered: 27 May 2004Reply With Quote
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quote:
.

It will gum up triggers and delicate mechanisms big time.


AMEN, I won't use it.


Remember, forgivness is easier to get than permission.
 
Posts: 3991 | Location: Hudsonville MI USA | Registered: 08 June 2000Reply With Quote
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For my guns I just buy EEZOX instead. It works better. I have a Rem 1100 though that rusted just looking at it. I did WD40 it and let it dry and the rusting quit.


Larry

"Peace is that brief glorious moment in history, when everybody stands around reloading" -- Thomas Jefferson
 
Posts: 3942 | Location: Kansas USA | Registered: 04 February 2002Reply With Quote
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Posts: 13978 | Location: http://www.tarawaontheweb.org/tarawa2.jpg | Registered: 03 December 2008Reply With Quote
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My dad always swore WD-40 was the best for guns, for cleaning and lubrication, until it gummed his Ithaca 37 up so much it wouldn't feed. He used to spray shotguns with it inside and out after being used. Not any more!


"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."
 
Posts: 775 | Location: Minnesota | Registered: 05 September 2006Reply With Quote
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quote:
WD-40 will last for about one to four weeks. ATF will protect surfaces for about one year.

Rust protection on blued gun surfaces, WD-40 1 to 6 weeks; ATF one year or more.


Matches my experience.

Any light oil will serve as a light lube and cleaner, any oil will prevent rust for a short time and all oils will eventually evaporate. WD-40 is moderatly cheap and it lifts water pretty well. It does okay on guns for a short time but it leaves a non-helpful (to say the least) gummy residue on the metal and it doesn't take very long to do it.

ATF is a superior gun/light machine oil in every way .... and it's cheaper.
 
Posts: 1615 | Location: South Western North Carolina | Registered: 16 September 2005Reply With Quote
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I have used WD-40 for years. I was a mechanic in Seattle, WA. for over thirty years. WD-40 is a water displacer. It gets rid of water and moisture on any surface. In the humid environment and rainy weather in Seattle it is a necessary part of any maintenance regimen when you are dealing with metal. I have never seen any residue from WD-40 unless you count the oil residue that was softened by the WD-40. That residue is stuff that should have been cleaned off anyway. I don't use it on my guns other than to remove moisture. I use a 50/50 mix of ATF and Kerosine to lubricate my guns. That is the best "light oil" to use as both a lubricant and rust preventative. It penetrates well and keeps parts clean and lubricated for long periods of time. I clean my guns with "Outer's Solvent" made for the purpose of getting the bore clean. I then run "dry patches through the bore followed by an oiled patch and more dry patches. When I clean the disassembled action I use "Stoddard Solvent" or the electrical parts cleaners in aerosol cans. They both evaporate without leaving a residue and then I wipe the parts with a cotton cloth followed by the gun oil above. I use a syringe to apply less than a drop to all rubbing, rotating and sliding contact areas.
The only time I have had problems with lube "gumming" up the action was when I inadvertently mixed oils with silicone products without cleaning thoroughly first. I used to like the silicone lubricants but it is expensive and you can't mix silicone with any other kind of oil.

WD-40 is not an adequate lubricant for your firearm.


Speer, Sierra, Lyman, Hornady, Hodgdon have reliable reloading data. You won't find it on so and so's web page.
 
Posts: 639 | Location: SE WA.  | Registered: 05 February 2004Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by shootaway:
After I put some in my bore the patch slides through slicker than with any other gun oil.


That is not the criteria I adhere to when selecting a solvent for cleaning a bore.
 
Posts: 10127 | Location: Tooele, Ut | Registered: 27 September 2001Reply With Quote
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My impression of WD40 is that it gets gummy with age and it really gets gummy with low temperatures. I have seen a couple auto shotguns turned into single shots because of too much WD40. I believe any good light weight gun oil is better for most applications. I pick up the large cans of mil-surp LSA's when I can find them.
C.G.B.
 
Posts: 1094 | Registered: 25 January 2005Reply With Quote
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When I bought my M1A I looked for a good grease and lubricant for the gas gun. I found this Lubrikit
This stuff works great. Not only has it smoothed out my M1, M1A, it works great all my semi-auto pistols! I am sure there are better lubes out there. This one works for me!


Rusty
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Posts: 9797 | Location: Missouri City, Texas | Registered: 21 June 2000Reply With Quote
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I use WD40 to displace water or clean off anti corrosion coatings on machinery surfaces. As many folks have said, it is not a good lubricant. It is an all purpose tool to keep guns and other things from rusting in wet weather. That said, additional cleaning, preservation and lubrication is needed sometime after it's use.


Cliff
NRA Life Member
CMP Distinguished Rifleman
NRA Master, Short and Long Range
 
Posts: 436 | Location: Fulshear, TX | Registered: 28 May 2009Reply With Quote
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I do not use WD as a solvent to clean my bore or reloading dies.I know it is very poor at that.
What I am trying know is soaking my bore with it and leaving it in for a few days then removing and coating with FP-10.
 
Posts: 11651 | Location: Montreal | Registered: 07 November 2002Reply With Quote
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Eezox has been used on my guns for the last 20 some years, WD40 for wet guns first tho. FP10 wouldn't be considered at all, it sucked in the 6mmBR tests.

http://www.6mmbr.com/corrosiontest.html
 
Posts: 1615 | Location: Washington State | Registered: 27 May 2004Reply With Quote
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I use FP-10 because I want a good lubricant.
I will grease the bores on the rifles I will not be using or that I store away.
I am always willing to try something else.
 
Posts: 11651 | Location: Montreal | Registered: 07 November 2002Reply With Quote
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Pretty hard to beat Eezox for lubrication as well as protection.

http://www.eezox.net/page2.html
 
Posts: 1615 | Location: Washington State | Registered: 27 May 2004Reply With Quote
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WD40 worked great to dry out the distributor on my 66 Chevy 1/2 ton inline 6 when you went through a puddle and it drowned out the ignition.

So if you drop you duck gun overboard you might find it useful.
 
Posts: 19 | Registered: 18 April 2013Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by wrongtarget:
Pretty hard to beat Eezox for lubrication as well as protection.

http://www.eezox.net/page2.html

Do you you of any friction test that puts Eezox up against other lubricating oils? There is a test on video of FP-10 against other oils and it did way better.
test
 
Posts: 11651 | Location: Montreal | Registered: 07 November 2002Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by shootaway:
quote:
Originally posted by wrongtarget:
Pretty hard to beat Eezox for lubrication as well as protection.

http://www.eezox.net/page2.html

Do you you of any friction test that puts Eezox up against other lubricating oils? There is a test on video of FP-10 against other oils and it did way better.
test


Just what the Mfr states in the link I posted.

quote:
The scientific method of testing the "load factor" or "reduction of friction" of a lubricant is done with a Falex Testing Instrument. The pressures are increased under controlled conditions and measured by special monitoring devices. EEZOX extends the life of operating mechanisms. Synthetic EEZOX Premium Gun Care with only 0.42 - 0.45 mil film thickness achieved a Peak Load "pass" of 4,500 Ibs. This load factor far exceeds pressures found in any firearm, including full automatic machine guns. Falex tested by ASTM D-3233 procedures (Mil Spec requires only 1,000 Ibs.)
 
Posts: 1615 | Location: Washington State | Registered: 27 May 2004Reply With Quote
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WD-40 is fishoil based.
It was invented as an electric "moisture repelleant" for NASA.


Abade... abade... abade... Thats all folks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E12ykihvCHk

It is made up to be some wonder snakeoil, but it's not.

It has about as mush use in your firearm as in your car radio or calculator.
 
Posts: 1102 | Location: Denmark | Registered: 15 October 2001Reply With Quote
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For bore cleaning and conditioning i myself use nothing but rendered budgie testes fat.

It is the best!

Once you tried it, you wont go back to ordinary poultry!!!

And remember that a butch budgy has a lot of scrotum fat, so things soon adds up to a pint.
 
Posts: 1102 | Location: Denmark | Registered: 15 October 2001Reply With Quote
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quote:
will gum up triggers and delicate mechanisms big time. Craftsman


No, it will not gum up.

It's to thin to gum up.
Used it for many years as I have Kroil Oil,
These will remove gumming very nicely
and have used them for that at times in the past.
Mostly to remove gumming from other oils.
WD 40, Kroil and Kerosene will remove gummy oil
quite nicely. Flame away but it does work well
for this.
Used it for many years to clean triggers and firing mechanisms with absolutely no problems.
Don
 
Posts: 3 | Location: SE Washington | Registered: 19 February 2012Reply With Quote
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There is no Fish Oil in WD-40.


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Posts: 16134 | Location: Texas | Registered: 06 April 2002Reply With Quote
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I have had to beat apart a 1911 pistol that was sprayed inside and out with WD-40, and let to sit for a year. The crap turns to a laquer and will gum up and glue stuff together.
Have had many, many other firearms given to our main gunsmith in order to remove the stuff from firing pins and other areas where it had glued them up tight.
I would keep WD-40 away from all guns.
Was told about this some 40 years ago by an old gunsmith. Seem we have to keep learning these lessons over and over again.
If you have not had problems with it on guns yet, it's because it has not sat long enough. . . . . yet!
 
Posts: 1324 | Location: Oregon rain forests | Registered: 30 December 2007Reply With Quote
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quote:
WD-40, and let to sit for a year. The crap turns to a laquer and will gum up


Hi DWright
I know this argument has been going on for
many years on various forums.
I have used it many years and presently have a
number of firearms, rifle, revolvers and semi
auto's that have sat for longer than 10 years
and all will operate normally. The only other
oil I have used is Break Free and it will gum
up in a years time or less.
I did quit shooting over 10 years ago so I know
its that span of time.
I suspect your problem is with another oil.
If you had sprayed it with WD 40 you would not
have had to beat your 1911 apart.
This is from another old geazer that was also
a gunsmith.
My best to you.
Don
 
Posts: 3 | Location: SE Washington | Registered: 19 February 2012Reply With Quote
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A common job I get in is a Remington 700 with a non functional trigger. When taken apart, they are often coated with a yellow, sticky film. I clean it up, it works. I ask the customer if he uses WD40 on, the answer is yes.

Use it if you want. It's good for business.


Mark Pursell
 
Posts: 544 | Location: Liberty, MO | Registered: 21 January 2003Reply With Quote
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I have never had BreakFree gum up.

I have a couple of Target Pistols that I lubed up with BreakFree, and I had not shot them in at least 15 years. They did not gum up.


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Posts: 16134 | Location: Texas | Registered: 06 April 2002Reply With Quote
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Y'all should check out a product called FROG LUBE. I have recently started using it and so far am impressed. Right now I am using it to clean up a terribly rusted Jap rifle that I picked up cheap. So far it is cutting the rust and then lubing the parts great. The salesman for the company keeps an automatic handgun in an aquarium 24/7. Let me pull it out rack the slide etc. It was as smooth and fast as could be. It is vegetable based so does not have the smell of a lot of the other things I use. the wife has not complained once about it. So far I am sold.


Happiness is a warm gun
 
Posts: 4106 | Location: USA | Registered: 06 March 2002Reply With Quote
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