Brownells Busts WD40

[Mal Paso]

They were kinder than I am. Here's what they say.

https://www.brownells.com/guntech/smyth-busters-is-wd-40-a-good-lubricant-for-guns-/detail.htm?lid=18366&trk_msg=A4VO5AOJHG44BD02O058D8L3RK&trk_contact=D57BBPM9N8VCIH6MNUSMDOMDJ0&trk_sid=REHDG0R451HCED9TQNAEKJ93FO&trk_link=O4NJL28U23IKR7Q7CHMQ367VJ0&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Find+Out+Here&utm_campaign=2022_01_12_SmythBusters&utm_content=Content

[M-Tecs]

WD40 is great stuff when used properly of some specific applications. Normal gun is use is not a proper application.

I love it for the end of day spray down on my mills or lathes. For that is a good general-purpose cleaner and mild rust preventive.

For firearms it gums things up, however, it is a great source of revenue for the average gunsmith.

https://www.wd40.com/history/

[farmbif]

water displacement formula #40 was developed for the space program to be applied to exterior of rockets to aid in shedding the ice from the exterior.

[Thundermaker]

I can add a number of horror stories to that.

[fatelk]

I've seen guns gummed up with old varnish, I mean WD40, too. Years ago a friend of mine asked me to look at his wife's deer rifle. They had been getting ready to hunt, and the first round chambered went off without pulling the trigger! The rifle had previously been "cleaned" with WD40, then stored in the closet for a couple years. The WD40 had congealed in the trigger group. Fortunately it had been pointed in a safe direction (thank you hunter's safety education!) so no harm done. I did just what that Brownell's article says, and used WD40 to clean out old WD40. Another time I bought a beautiful vintage Ruger Standard for a bargain, then spent a couple hours cleaning the decades old WD40 varnish out of it. I'm sure most of us who have tinkered with guns for a while all have similar stories.

I thought it had become common knowledge that WD40 was not a do-all household "oil", but I guess not. I still like and use it from time to time, for specific purposes. It works pretty good as a solvent for dissolving and digging gunk and gunpowder residue out of the nooks and crannies, but I always wipe it off and apply real lube afterwards.

[Tripplebeards]

I bought a browning gold stalker semi auto 10 gauge brand new around 90’. Think it was $1200 at the time. I sprayed wd40 in and on it after a wet hunting outing. It melted the plug and all the plastic internals. Expensive lesson learned.

[reddog81]

How long does it take to gum up? Years ago I used it on numerous guns without issue.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Most oils will gum up set up or collect dust and lint over time , more so when applied to heavy , wd-40 gets the most blame , but it happens with oils and lubes over time .

Bought a gun that was oiled heavy and stored it had set up like cosmolene , wd-40 is good for light wipes and to displace water when wet , then clean and oil lightly , as to brownells when I access their site they pop up additional brownells pages , I consider them to be a virus of websites and they price high to boot .

Never seen wd-40 melt plastic , but a lot of oils will over time work on plastics , but I do not oil plastics , most firearm parts like the newer pistols should be oil resistant , time will tell if you are soaking your gun .

[megasupermagnum]

To me WD40 is the same as Marvel Mystery oil. Lots of people use it, but what is it really? The sad truth is it is not good, I don't buy it at all anymore. It's ok for de-icing locks and such in the winter, but just about anything in a can will.

The water displacement? Worthless. I have never sprayed WD40 on something that didn't rust. The two most notable being my Benelli Nova after a rainy duck hunt. Sprayed with WD40 to "displace" the water, and about 30 minutes later it was covered in rust. The other was a brand new dirt bike chain, those things aren't cheap, some are over $200. A guy I ride with kept on me about how after he washes a bike he uses WD40 on the chain. Well I did it, and I sprayed WD40 on it, and it rusted bad. I was irate that time, guy swears he never had an issue with it. Well come to find out he uses a ton, follows it with a towel dry off, and then another ton.

Its crap. If something is wet, dry it off with a towel and use a real oil once it's dry. WD40 wont displace water, and it wont protect against water. Don't have a gun oil? Use a motor oil. Seriously, the motor oil in your car is one of the best gun oils there ever was. As far as I can smell, WD40 is mineral spirits mixed with some other junk that serves no purpose but to separate a dollar from a wallet. If you need to clean something, use mineral spirits.

[gnostic]

How long does it take to gum up? Years ago I used it on numerous guns without issue.

That was my experience, I used to drench my guns in it before the internet and I didn't know better...

[Rcmaveric]

WD40 to clean guns and displace water here. Inuse a lot of WD40 cleaning metal parts. Corrosion preventatives to prevent corrosion and protect parts (hard to find but lowes, homedepot and marine boat stores have it), and the correct lube for moving parts. Gun oils are just light oils to prevent build up and gummin of small parts like triggers and bolts, but can take that high heat of the action. Knowing that you can use what ever you like. I dont like paying "specialty" oils or "love potion oil 9" name brands. Just money for gimmicks to me.

I always Oil Additive on hand and 4in1 and lucas red and tacky. You can find those any where and cheap. Use that on everything. Bolts get very lightly oild with Oil additive, triggers get 4in1 and buffer springs get red and tacky (helps with that buffer spring noise in my AR also).

If I were a watch collector and kept watch oil on hand or sewing machine oil then i would use those for my triggers. I dont though. So 4 in 1 it is.

Most oils are the same and just thinner or thicker depending on the delecacy of the parts.





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[Rcmaveric]

I just happened to get an education in oils and lubes years before i got into guns and automotive repairs. So that kind of influenced my choices and opinions.

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[GregLaROCHE]

I mix 10% motor oil with mineral spirits and put it in a spray bottle. I use it around the shop in the various ways as people use WD40. It’s less expensive. To undo frozen nuts and bolts, I use a real penetrating oil, because it works better than WD40. However, I usually have a can or two around.

[David2011]

WD-40 was invented by gunsmiths to generate more business.

[Idaho45guy]

I don't own any WD-40. For the garage, I use Liquid wrench or PB Blaster. Finally ran out of my Breakfree CLP from the 90's and replaced it with Lucas Oils CLP for my guns. The slide rails get Mobil 1 5w20. Very happy so far. RemOil for a quick wipe down of the exterior.

[JRLesan]

In1968 we were issued WD40 to keep our M16's running when they jammed up...

[Scrounge]

I don't own any WD-40. For the garage, I use Liquid wrench or PB Blaster. Finally ran out of my Breakfree CLP from the 90's and replaced it with Lucas Oils CLP for my guns. The slide rails get Mobil 1 5w20. Very happy so far. RemOil for a quick wipe down of the exterior.

For a long time, I was pretty broke, so I mostly used whatever I had for lube. The remnant of the Mobil 1 5W30 from oil changes for my truck did double duty as way lube and spindle lube on my lathe, until I had to buy bar and chain lube for my chainsaw. Then it was the way lube. I did buy a gallon of WD40, and the hand-pump sprayer. Still have about half a gallon left, and the sprayer. It works for a lot of things, you just don't want to leave it as the only thing on a machine surface. Finally got to the point where I could afford to buy the proper lubes for my machine tools, but I've still got a oil can with Mobile 1 in it, too.

ANY lube is better than no lube. The right lube is better than the wrong lube. As a bunch of folks have mentioned, WD-40 is a great cleaner. It should be, it's mostly Stoddard Solvent and light machine oil. Plastics beware, of course. It's pretty good as penetrating oil, and I use it for that a lot, though I also keep a couple of cans of PB Blaster around. I don't use PB Blaster on guns. It supposedly eats rust. Blued surfaces are rust. PB Blaster is great on cars and machine tools. Especially those in the condition I usually buy them. :) WD-40 won't mess up the blued surfaces. Painted is perhaps another thing. Depends on the paint. Talk about YMMV! :veryconfu

And having recently gotten back into shooting and playing with guns and gun stuff, I've also got several types of gun cleaning and lubing materials, now, as well. Somewhere there's a smallish can of sewing machine oil, too.

Bill

[Hossfly]

All my WD-40 long gone. Found on here Ed’s Red for cleaner, have 2 types one without lanolin and one with, for longer rust protection.

[Texas by God]

WD-40 is the best thing to remove Tru-Oil from my hands- like a pre-wash.
And it will loosen loctite.
We sprayed it on our distributors to restart our six- banger pickups after driving through shallow water too fast....
I won't use it on guns.

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[MostlyLeverGuns]

WD40 is not a good lubricant, but it is useful in many other ways. I use to swab bores after firing corrosive ammo and have had no rust from the old (1929-1939 8x57 ammo) when proper cleaning was not convenient, same for black powder revolvers. It works well for dissolving old crud when cleaning older firearms and even cleaning sticky stuff from hands. It also makes a good anti-rust wipedown for the exterior of firearms that will be used in foul weather. After liberally dousing hardened crud with WD40 and giving a couple hours to work, a blast with brake cleaner or carb cleaner clears out the crud. Carb cleaner will damage any finish and plastic parts, then your choice of lube, but not WD40 on rubbing/moving parts, unless it is all you have and it is short term.

[BrassMagnet]

I have had two memorable bad experiences with WD40.
I also bought a gallon and I still have some left.

I lubed an Op Rod with it. It ate the op rod and my rifle had to have extensive repairs.

I stored many steel reloading items in WD40 including a Forster Trimmer. Enough WD40 that it was wet in the Ammo Can. When I removed it all from storage, the Forster trimmer had a lot of aluminum eaten away. The spinning handle really looked terrible.

Never Again!

[DDriller]

Only thing I have found it good for is removing bugs and road tar off my truck.

[BrassMagnet]

Only thing I have found it good for is removing bugs and road tar off my truck.

My Grandmother used kerosene to remove bugs and road grime including asphalt from her 61 Falcon.

[gwpercle]

It's a Penetrating Oil ...it's thin and it will dissapate over time . That leaves a little rust protection .
Another plus is I've never had it go Gummy on me ... Break Free CLP have gummed up several ... but maybe I used Too Much .
WD40 - Thin light and dissapets , not a great long term lubricant .
Good for cleaning rusty stuff and soaking rusty things in ... but so is Kerosene !
Okay ...got it ...not a great lubricant but useful for squeeky door hinge and sticky door locks !
I still keep cans of WD40 all around ...house and shop ... along with the roll of duct tape .
Gary

[waksupi]

I think it was Felix who posted here on the board many years ago, that WD40 also had bad interaction with barrel steels.

[waksupi]

How long does it take to gum up? Years ago I used it on numerous guns without issue.

Watch for a brown discoloration on your metal.

[Scrounge]

To me WD40 is the same as Marvel Mystery oil. Lots of people use it, but what is it really? The sad truth is it is not good, I don't buy it at all anymore. It's ok for de-icing locks and such in the winter, but just about anything in a can will.

The water displacement? Worthless. I have never sprayed WD40 on something that didn't rust. The two most notable being my Benelli Nova after a rainy duck hunt. Sprayed with WD40 to "displace" the water, and about 30 minutes later it was covered in rust. The other was a brand new dirt bike chain, those things aren't cheap, some are over $200. A guy I ride with kept on me about how after he washes a bike he uses WD40 on the chain. Well I did it, and I sprayed WD40 on it, and it rusted bad. I was irate that time, guy swears he never had an issue with it. Well come to find out he uses a ton, follows it with a towel dry off, and then another ton.

Its crap. If something is wet, dry it off with a towel and use a real oil once it's dry. WD40 wont displace water, and it wont protect against water. Don't have a gun oil? Use a motor oil. Seriously, the motor oil in your car is one of the best gun oils there ever was. As far as I can smell, WD40 is mineral spirits mixed with some other junk that serves no purpose but to separate a dollar from a wallet. If you need to clean something, use mineral spirits.

I think you're misunderstanding the Water Displacement part a bit. To get rid of the water you have to flood it with WD-40. Can't just spray a little bit on. Where it shines, or at least used to, was when you got water in a distributor cap. Hose that sucker down, and you could start the car/truck again. It's gotten me back on the road again more than once in the past 48 years.

There are a few things it's good for. There are a bunch it is not. There is one guy who wrote in to the WD-40 folks to tell them that it is a great treatment for his arthritis. I am NOT going to try that. ;)

Bill

[andrew375]

WD40 is just silicone waxes dissolved in a light oil. It's the waxes that work to protect metal surfaces but gum up fine mechanisms. It was never intended as a lubricant. I have had several opportunities to open locks seized solid as a result of WD40, in all cases a good dose of WD40 re-dissolved the waxes and I was able to open lock.

Clock repairers like the stuff. A regular occurrence is a customer comes in with an old clock and the story is "it wasn't running, I sprayed it liberaly with WD40 and it worked, now it won't " . Clock repairer tells them it's a difficult costly repair, come back in a fortnight. Repairer simply drops the clock mechanism into a bucket of white spirit, paraffin or meths and leaves it to soak. A few days later there's a ticking sound coming from the bucket. The clock is taken out, hung up to dry followed by a proper cleaning and lubrication. Not a lot of effort required so its a nice little earnerl

[alfadan]

Its a great cutting fluid for aluminum and a good gentle tool and machine cleaner. Supposedly, grandpa would wash his hands with it for arthritis.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I won't pay full price for WD40, but I'll find it at garage sales for cheap or the HHHW free store.

I do like WD40 for two things.
When I get a gun that hasn't been cleaned in eons, I prefer to spray the crud with WD40 (and let soak if necessary), than something more aggressive like Gun Scrubber. Once most of the crud is softened and removed, then clean with Ed's Red.

Also, it's great for removing adhesive labels.

[John Guedry]

ATF works pretty good on my guns. That and a little CLP.

[Char-Gar]

Back in the early 60's, cops would spray their service revolvers with that crap and wipe them down after every shift. This stuff kills primers as well as gum up the action with time. Didn't take but a few years for that to stop, but seem like it takes some folks a very long time to get the memo.

[Wayne Smith]

We are gardeners - it works great on preserving shovels, trowels, rakes, etc. I have gardening tools that are over 30 years old and, while they are worn they are still rust free. Wash off the dirt and spray with WD40 and put away. I've gone through a gallon and bought a second and it has never touched any of my guns!

[Handloader109]

wd40 isn't an oil, it isn't a penetrating oil, it ir really worthless for either if those functions. Get a can or sprayer with kroil if you want the best penetrating oil for loosening nuts and bolts. Wd40 is superb at helping metal rust and deteriorating plastics and some metals. It is amazing what false advertising can sell. There many great products out there, but wd40 ain't one of them

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[Scrounge]

wd40 isn't an oil, it isn't a penetrating oil, it ir really worthless for either if those functions. Get a can or sprayer with kroil if you want the best penetrating oil for loosening nuts and bolts. Wd40 is superb at helping metal rust and deteriorating plastics and some metals. It is amazing what false advertising can sell. There many great products out there, but wd40 ain't one of them

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Beg to differ. I've been using the stuff since it came out, and it is useful. It is not a miracle cure for everything, though there are people who think so. And they're just as wrong as you are.

I've been a mechanic on home and industrial appliances, high performance fighter jets, mainframe and microcomputers, automobiles, military satellite communications systems, and a bit of audiovisual equipment, among other things. Seems to me you prefer Kroil? Kroil is a solvent with mineral oil, solvent, and some other additives very similar to WD-40. Not exactly the same, but not too very different. I don't doubt it works better for some things than WD-40. But I wouldn't expect miracles out of it, either. There are dozens of such technical chemicals because there are many many folks who think that they can do better. And in some areas, many of them can. PB Blaster is a better penetrant, but it will damage the finish on blued parts. It's mostly solvents and oils, too. It's natural to have preferences, and just about everyone does. One of the advantages to WD-40 is that in its class, it's relatively cheap, and I'm a cheap bastrich. Which is one reason I like it. I've not tripped over a can of Kroil or I'd probably try it, and like it, too. When I'm not in a hurry, WD-40 is perfect for my needs as a penetrant, and I've used it a lot as a water displacer for electrical equipment. I spent the last five+ years of my working live keeping industrial washer and dryers and associated equipment running, and WD-40 was one of the chemicals we used frequently. That doesn't make it perfect, either. I also like PB Blaster, and buy it. And when I want what I think is the best penetrant, I mix acetone and auto trans fluid. It works pretty well, better than WD-40 when I'm in a hurry, but it's a PITA to keep around.

I'm told if you really want to protect metal from corrosion, you need Boeshield. I've never tried it because it's expensive. An 8oz pump spray bottle is about $11. That's a couple of cans of WD-40 for short term, or a quart of most any good oil. There are lots of chemicals that will damage or destroy plastics. Kroil contains some of them, too.

Gotta be careful about what you use where, and what effect it has. Compare the SDS data sheets for WD-40, Kroil, and PB Blaster Penetrant. Lots of similarities, and a few differences. I'd say which one is best depends on exactly what you need to do. None of them are good for everything, as I think I've said before.

Bill

[higgins]

It is good for what it was designed for. Decades ago I got the inside of the distributor wet at the car wash when washing the engine of my car. It wouldn't start. Sprayed the distributor and cap with WD40 and it started. I've used it for 50 years as an exterior wipe down for guns and have never damaged anything with it in that application, but I don't use it as a lubricant or preservative.

[poppy42]

My Grandmother used kerosene to remove bugs and road grime including asphalt from her 61 Falcon.

Was it a Falcon Sprint, or a plain Jane Falcon? Ah doesn’t matter I still wouldn’t mind having a car right now! Great gas mileage. I guess I’m gonna have to build my own electric car for my wife. I already got an old washing machine motor. Anybody know where I can get about 40 miles worth of extension cords really cheap?
Oh wait this thread was about wd40 oops!

[JWFilips]

Like that Video!

[725]

I use WD-40 on ML's used in a summer camp program for kids. After a session, I clean with water & soaps and them wash 'em down with WD-40 or PB Blaster and put 'em in the rack knowing in 2 days we'll be at it again. At the beginning of each session, I wipe the WD-40 away and start all over again. When stored between seasons, they get washed and oiled with either Fluid Film or Boeing's T-9. 20 plus years of hard use and they are all running strong.

On my bench, I use 20 weight synthetic motor oil or sewing machine oil. Good stuff. No WD-40 for me.

[jimlj]

I think WD-40 gets a bad rap, just like Fram oil filters. They are both the big dog and have a bunch of detractors trying to take them down. Are there better alternatives available? Most certainly. But are they the zit faced red headed step child they are made out to be? Nope. I have WD-40, PB Blaster, Marvel Mystery oil and a few others in my garage. Some work better than others for a given task, but I've not had a catastrophic failure from any of them. BTW, I don't use any of them on my guns.

[Tripplebeards]

I used it in the past on PCd boolits. I sprayed them before running them through my lee sizers. Now I just run them though without any type of lube.

[Mal Paso]

. And when I want what I think is the best penetrant, I mix acetone and auto trans fluid. It works pretty well, better than WD-40 when I'm in a hurry, but it's a PITA to keep around.

These are not cheap but mine has paid for itself. I keep it full of ATF and Acetone 50/50 and don't have to worry about the Acetone evaporating. It pressurizes with an air compressor. It holds pressure for years so you could charge it at a gas station if you don't have a compressor. 100 PSI Max but 30 is plenty to get a good spray.

ATF/Acetone has beaten All the commercial rust busters/penetrating oils in numerous tests.

[john.k]

The effective rust penetrators of the past had now banned chemicals in them ,like carbon disulfide,and carbon tet,......the most effective ones for marine use have nitric acid in them ,so you wont be seeing them in the hardware store.

[thegatman]

I bought a browning gold stalker semi auto 10 gauge brand new around 90’. Think it was $1200 at the time. I sprayed wd40 in and on it after a wet hunting outing. It melted the plug and all the plastic internals. Expensive lesson learned.
Yup I had cleaned mine with a non-synthetic cleaner. Did the same thing. I had to replace a bunch of parts. I went with an aluminum follower.

[ulav8r]

In 1977 Jack Belk was talking about WD40 one day. Said it would not gum up if used properly. If used on parts that had some other oil that was not completely removed. then it would gum, or if too much was left on parts for more than a year it would gum. It is a light machine oil similar to 3 in 1 with lots of Stoddard Solvent and a few other minor ingredients. Best use on guns it to clean out gunk and as a lubricant on 4ought steel wool to remove rust. Afte those uses it should be wiped off and a proper lubricant and/or preservative used. Don't leave WD40 to react with other products.

[Scrounge]

WD40 is just silicone waxes dissolved in a light oil. It's the waxes that work to protect metal surfaces but gum up fine mechanisms. It was never intended as a lubricant. I have had several opportunities to open locks seized solid as a result of WD40, in all cases a good dose of WD40 re-dissolved the waxes and I was able to open lock.

Clock repairers like the stuff. A regular occurrence is a customer comes in with an old clock and the story is "it wasn't running, I sprayed it liberaly with WD40 and it worked, now it won't " . Clock repairer tells them it's a difficult costly repair, come back in a fortnight. Repairer simply drops the clock mechanism into a bucket of white spirit, paraffin or meths and leaves it to soak. A few days later there's a ticking sound coming from the bucket. The clock is taken out, hung up to dry followed by a proper cleaning and lubrication. Not a lot of effort required so its a nice little earnerl

https://files.wd40.com/pdf/sds/mup/wd-40-multi-use-product-aerosol-low-voc-sds-us-ghs.pdf

You see silicone waxes listed there? petroleum oil and solvent. Originally, fish oil and Stoddard Solvent. They keep tweaking the formula, but it's light oil and solvent.

Bill

[Scrounge]

In 1977 Jack Belk was talking about WD40 one day. Said it would not gum up if used properly. If used on parts that had some other oil that was not completely removed. then it would gum, or if too much was left on parts for more than a year it would gum. It is a light machine oil similar to 3 in 1 with lots of Stoddard Solvent and a few other minor ingredients. Best use on guns it to clean out gunk and as a lubricant on 4ought steel wool to remove rust. Afte those uses it should be wiped off and a proper lubricant and/or preservative used. Don't leave WD40 to react with other products.

Lots of folks want to buy one thing, and use it for everything. Then they wonder why it doesn't always work the way they expect. Use it right, it's good stuff. Use it wrong, it's not good stuff.

Bill

[Scrounge]

These are not cheap but mine has paid for itself. I keep it full of ATF and Acetone 50/50 and don't have to worry about the Acetone evaporating. It pressurizes with an air compressor. It holds pressure for years so you could charge it at a gas station if you don't have a compressor. 100 PSI Max but 30 is plenty to get a good spray.

ATF/Acetone has beaten All the commercial rust busters/penetrating oils in numerous tests.

I've got an air compressor, but I'm too cheap to buy one of those sprayers until I just absolutely can't live without it. Then I'll probably need two or three. Yep. Acetone makes a great vehicle for the oil, and will carry it deep into rust and gunk. Then it evaporates, and the ATF sucks in after it, and helps things to move out of the way, and lubricate the parts touching each other. Then you wiggle it a bit, and it comes apart. When I've used it, I make it a couple of ounces at a time, shake well, and usually brush or pour it on. Note: "wiggling it a bit" can be anything from a small wrench to an 8 pound hammer. :) YMMV!

Bill

Bill

[Scrounge]

Its a great cutting fluid for aluminum and a good gentle tool and machine cleaner. Supposedly, grandpa would wash his hands with it for arthritis.

Saw a collection of suggested uses for WD-40 one time. There was a guy who swore by it for that purpose. Having spent much more time around aromatic hydrocarbons that was really good for me tells me I do not want to do that. And I've had arthritis since I was 17. We used benzine to clean the leaking hydraulic fluid off the panels under the horizontal stabilizers of my F-111D fighter jets when I was only a few years older, and it didn't help at all! Bucket of benzine, and rag, no gloves. This was back when USAF compliance with OSHA regulations was voluntary, and not compelled.

Bill

[fiberoptik]

We are gardeners - it works great on preserving shovels, trowels, rakes, etc. I have gardening tools that are over 30 years old and, while they are worn they are still rust free. Wash off the dirt and spray with WD40 and put away. I've gone through a gallon and bought a second and it has never touched any of my guns!

Take a pail & fill with sand. Add used motor oil and mix a bit. Whenever you use your tools, afterwards stick in the pail and put away. Cleaned and oiled in 2 seconds!
Btw, wd-40 does have a good use: killing wasps and hornets. Spray nests or flying ones & insta-kill!


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[David2011]

Beg to differ. I've been using the stuff since it came out, and it is useful. It is not a miracle cure for everything, though there are people who think so. And they're just as wrong as you are.

I've been a mechanic on home and industrial appliances, high performance fighter jets, mainframe and microcomputers, automobiles, military satellite communications systems, and a bit of audiovisual equipment, among other things. Seems to me you prefer Kroil? Kroil is a solvent with mineral oil, solvent, and some other additives very similar to WD-40. Not exactly the same, but not too very different. I don't doubt it works better for some things than WD-40. But I wouldn't expect miracles out of it, either.

I'm told if you really want to protect metal from corrosion, you need Boeshield. I've never tried it because it's expensive. An 8oz pump spray bottle is about $11. That's a couple of cans of WD-40 for short term, or a quart of most any good oil. There are lots of chemicals that will damage or destroy plastics. Kroil contains some of them, too.
Bill

Bill, you seriously underestimate Kroil. It’s what PB Blaster and Knock-er-Loose want to be. Boeshield is worth every penny. Most of my woodworking machinery is old cast iron and was purchased with anywhere from a little to completely covered in rust. After I removed the rust every bare cast iron surface was treated with Boeshield and paste waxed after the Boeshield dried. The machines remain rust free in the Gulf Coast humidity.


I used it in the past on PCd boolits. I sprayed them before running them through my lee sizers. Now I just run them though without any type of lube.

That works with WD-40. I made the mistake of lubing a single boolit with Kroil once and had a terrible time getting the boolit unstuck from my sizer. Kroil makes a lousy lubricant.

[fiberoptik]

I've got an air compressor, but I'm too cheap to buy one of those sprayers until I just absolutely can't live without it. Then I'll probably need two or three. Yep. Acetone makes a great vehicle for the oil, and will carry it deep into rust and gunk. Then it evaporates, and the ATF sucks in after it, and helps things to move out of the way, and lubricate the parts touching each other. Then you wiggle it a bit, and it comes apart. When I've used it, I make it a couple of ounces at a time, shake well, and usually brush or pour it on. Note: "wiggling it a bit" can be anything from a small wrench to an 8 pound hammer. :) YMMV!

Bill

Bill

Use a metal can/lid.


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[fiberoptik]

Saw a collection of suggested uses for WD-40 one time. There was a guy who swore by it for that purpose. Having spent much more time around aromatic hydrocarbons that was really good for me tells me I do not want to do that. And I've had arthritis since I was 17. We used benzine to clean the leaking hydraulic fluid off the panels under the horizontal stabilizers of my F-111D fighter jets when I was only a few years older, and it didn't help at all! Bucket of benzine, and rag, no gloves. This was back when USAF compliance with OSHA regulations was voluntary, and not compelled.

Bill

And the Marines gave me a green scrubpad and a gallon of muriatic acid to scrub urinals with mineral buildup. I asked for gloves too. Gunny just said, ”You’re a Marine, just use your hands!”
I got rid of the mineral buildup and most of the skin off my hands [emoji119]!


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[Cosmic_Charlie]

I used to use it to clean my motorcycle chains before lubing them. Now i just use lucas chain lube and my current chain has 20K miles on it and no stiff links. Before my chains were toast at 15K.

[john.k]

I had Ford cars in the 70s......a big water splash ,and you had 10 seconds to get off the road before the motor cut out.......Out with the WD40,spray the leads and inside the cap,even in the rain,and youd be going again.

[Land Owner]

WD-40 will also soften (and ruin) the wood stock of a rifle. A squirt on the barrel, placed barrel up in the safe, the WD-40 runs down and softens the wood.

[Tripplebeards]

Yup I had cleaned mine with a non-synthetic cleaner. Did the same thing. I had to replace a bunch of parts. I went with an aluminum follower.

I traded that gun off for the “light” aluminum receiver 30” stalker version the first year they came out with it…91’ or 92’ I believe. I then traded it for the national wild Turkey federation gold light version I still have today.

About the only thing I use WD-40 now is cleaning white walls.

[Scrounge]

And the Marines gave me a green scrubpad and a gallon of muriatic acid to scrub urinals with mineral buildup. I asked for gloves too. Gunny just said, ”You’re a Marine, just use your hands!”
I got rid of the mineral buildup and most of the skin off my hands [emoji119]!


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You're a Marine. You're not really supposed to have brains. Just be tougher than Hell. I'm Air Force. We were supposed to have brains. I won't swear that was always true, after all I was Air Force, myself. ;) But prolonged exposure to benzine can damage your brain. And mine wasn't any too great when I enlisted. That was about 48 years ago.

[Scrounge]

Bill, you seriously underestimate Kroil. It’s what PB Blaster and Knock-er-Loose want to be. Boeshield is worth every penny. Most of my woodworking machinery is old cast iron and was purchased with anywhere from a little to completely covered in rust. After I removed the rust every bare cast iron surface was treated with Boeshield and paste waxed after the Boeshield dried. The machines remain rust free in the Gulf Coast humidity.



That works with WD-40. I made the mistake of lubing a single boolit with Kroil once and had a terrible time getting the boolit unstuck from my sizer. Kroil makes a lousy lubricant.

David, I've just looked at the SDS sheets for both of them. They are different, but not by that much. One ingredient can make a big difference, so I'm not saying they're the same. Just that they have similar chemicals, and those chemicals do the same things in both cases. Both Kroil and WD-40 have aromatic hydrocarbons, and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Solvents and oils. Kroil has one more that may make a big difference, but I've not needed that difference in my work or home life. And I don't expect WD-40 to be the cure-all that some folks are looking for. My major argument is with the folks who say Kroil is best and WD-40 (or about anything else) is utter trash, and the ones who say WD-40 is best, and Kroil (or about anything else) is utter trash. Neither is always true.

You can use water as a lubricant. And for most stuff, it would be better than running the parts dry. Maybe not by much, but some. It is absolutely NOT a good lubricant. Put it in an engine, and you might as well have burned the money you used to buy that engine. It will not last long.

As I mentioned, I've never used Kroil. It might work fine as a water displacement treatment, and it might not. It's not advertised as such. Maybe there's a reason for that. WD-40 now sells a Rust Preventative. I haven't tried it, either. Nor any of their many other new special purpose products. Though it could happen that someday I might find I need something special, and buy a can of one of their new products to try. If I tripped over a can of Kroil, I might try it, too. AFAIK, and I've got a small collection of old cast iron tools around here too, most of which were acquired with substantial rust, paste wax can be good. Once the rust came off, paste wax alone is sufficient to keep them from rusting, though I generally use a coating of oil. That works as well, as long as you re-apply it frequently. Which is also true of paste wax. My last employer bought paste wax by the case for use on some of our equipment. One advantage of paste wax is that once it dries it won't attract dust, and our work environment was full of dust. Even my home shop tends to be full of dust. I'm in process of refurbing, again, an old Lewis shaper that is once again frozen. It was oiled after it's last refurb, and then sat here for several years with Mobil 1 as the lube and protector. There is no rust. There is a film of muddy oil however. Dang it!

Funny thing. I'll be using WD-40 to strip that oily mud off. This time, it will get proper spindle and way oils applied, and a dust cover. I have projects to do on that poor little shaper that means it will get a bunch of use, so it needs to stay lubed. Boeshield seems to not be what it needs.

Bill

[Scrounge]

And the Marines gave me a green scrubpad and a gallon of muriatic acid to scrub urinals with mineral buildup. I asked for gloves too. Gunny just said, ”You’re a Marine, just use your hands!”
I got rid of the mineral buildup and most of the skin off my hands [emoji119]!


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Forgot to mention here that I once built racing go karts for my uncle. We used a sprayer bottle to apply the muriatic acid we used to strip rust off the frames. If you were careful of overspray, you didn't need gloves. OSHA was just a baby then. Late 1973, and 74-75 on the aircraft maintenance.

Bill

[FISH4BUGS]

I protect my Hensley & Gibbs bullet moulds by spraying them with WD40 and wrapping the mould in a plastic bag and taping it, leaving the handles exposed.
I have done that for some 40 years. Works like a charm.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I use Birchwood Casey's Barricade on my Steel molds. Clean them of with Gunscrubber.

[todd9.3x57]

i use pb blaster to take off rusted nuts. i use kroil for the stubborn ones. i use 3 in 1 oil for everything else. my rifles are either g96 gun treatment or ballistol.

[PopcornSutton]

I have read WD isn't the best for long term storage. I rarely use it when machining aluminum, as many suggest. I use my usual cutting oil when machining, it keeps chip weld down, I also keep a spray of air while cutting. For storage, I haven't had much problem, but WD isn't my go to. I wipe things down with a rag that has something more substantial than WD.

[1hole]

I've seen guns gummed up with old varnish, I mean WD40, too. Years ago a friend of mine asked me to look at his wife's deer rifle. They had been getting ready to hunt, and the first round chambered went off without pulling the trigger! The rifle had previously been "cleaned" with WD40, then stored in the closet for a couple years. The WD40 had congealed in the trigger group.

I've long suspected it was WD40 (or a similar quick-drying oil) that gummed up the excellent Rem 700 hunting rifle trigger and caused some accidental discharges and even a few deaths. Dry oil is called "varnish" ... and varnish is NOT a good gun (or fishing reel) lube!


... it had been pointed in a safe direction (thank you hunter's safety education!) so no harm done. I did just what that Brownell's article says, and used WD40 to clean out old WD40. Another time I bought a beautiful vintage Ruger Standard for a bargain, then spent a couple hours cleaning the decades old WD40 varnish out of it. I'm sure most of us who have tinkered with guns for a while all have similar stories.

As I was learning to never use WD40 as a precision lube I used cheep spray brake cleaner (Walmart's brand) to remove the sticky mess I had sprayed in; that worked great so I've not had any trigger troubles. (I'm not very smart but I CAN learn!) :)


I thought it had become common knowledge that WD40 was not a do-all household "oil", but I guess not. I still like and use it from time to time, for specific purposes. It works pretty good as a solvent for dissolving and digging gunk and gunpowder residue out of the nooks and crannies, but I always wipe it off and apply real lube afterwards.

You're right; used correctly, WD40 is a great spray but it often gets used incorrectly.

The right way to use that stuff to prevent rust is to liberally spray down any gun AND bore that's been exposed to water. I do it in camp, as soon as possible. And then wipe it with paper towels to remove any surface water before leaning it (muzzle down, to drain everything) in a warmish corner to dry for a few hours. Finish with a high quality light oil that is a good lube but doesn't dry gummy.

I've found the very best light oil that safely lubes my guns (and reels) very well and protects the metal from rust while it's very slow drying and leaves no discernable residue (it's also quite cheep by the Walmart quart) is any automotive ATF (automatic transmission fluid).

[1hole]

That was my experience, I used to drench my guns in it before the internet and I didn't know better...

Actually, if you keep your parts well wetted it can't dry so it can't congeal as a varnish! But it's really just a water "lifter" anyway! As a very light oil it does have some short term lube qualities but it's not intended to be much of a long term lube.

The question of how long before WD40 gums up is unanswerable; what's the storage temp, what's the humidity, what's the air circulation around the wet surfaces, etc., all come into play.

[Rcmaveric]

.
I'm told if you really want to protect metal from corrosion, you need Boeshield. I've never tried it because it's expensive. An 8oz pump spray bottle is about $11. That's a couple of cans of WD-40 for short term, or a quart of most any good oil. There are lots of chemicals that will damage or destroy plastics. Kroil contains some of them, too.

Gotta be careful about what you use where, and what effect it has. Compare the SDS data sheets for WD-40, Kroil, and PB Blaster Penetrant. Lots of similarities, and a few differences. I'd say which one is best depends on exactly what you need to do. None of them are good for everything, as I think I've said before.

Bill

I got a can of Boesheild. Its a lacqure type cpc similisr to the cpc type 1 from the military aviation. Expensive amd works great aslong as yhe surface doesnt move. What i want is some CPC type 2 or 3. I did find this fluid film stuff st Lowes that is a lube and cpc (corrosion preventstive compound) its exactly the same stuff we used in helocopters called Fluid Film. I use that on moveable parts that need corrosion protection.

I was just using WD40 as a penetrating oil earlier today on my saw. Had to break the blade guard loose to get the blade off.


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[Alstep]

I've tried just about everything mentioned here on old rusted bolts on farm machinery that's been left outside for years. Nothing penetrates it. My solution is a red wrench (torch). When I get it to break loose, non of the penetrants even got under the bolt head, much less the threads.

[BucketBack]

It works great in a duck blind when weather is nasty and the shotgun is dirty was swamp.

But, yeah clean the gun when you get home.

[Handloader109]

Bill, you seriously underestimate Kroil. It’s what PB Blaster and Knock-er-Loose want to be. Boeshield is worth every penny. Most of my woodworking machinery is old cast iron and was purchased with anywhere from a little to completely covered in rust. After I removed the rust every bare cast iron surface was treated with Boeshield and paste waxed after the Boeshield dried. The machines remain rust free in the Gulf Coast humidity.



That works with WD-40. I made the mistake of lubing a single boolit with Kroil once and had a terrible time getting the boolit unstuck from my sizer. Kroil makes a lousy lubricant.Yep, Wd40 is crap. Kroil is a very good penetrating oil, and Boeshield is as good as it gets fir protecting metal surfaces

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[alamogunr]

I keep a can of WD-40 in the shop. Every time I have to use the toilet auger, I spray the spring or whatever it is called well with WD-40. I used a borrowed auger one time and had a terrible time removing the rust marks it left.

BTW, that toilet auger that cost less than $50, has saved me several hundred over the years. Someday, I'm going to get the transitions replace in my waste lines under the house. Old time plumbers sometimes didn't know the difference in vertical to horizontal transitions. At least that is what I've been told.

[azrednek]

In the early 70’s I was an outside salesman for an automotive warehouse. We sold WD-40 by the case and sold a lot of it. Back then WD-40 was great for moisture displacement. It was often used for wet distributor caps. The formula was changed after pressure from the feds to eliminate its Freon based evaporant. It was changed to an alcohol evaporant similar to brake clean and would leave an oily mess inside of distributer caps.

We also sold competitive products that the factory reps tried everything imaginable to disparage WD-40. The early WD-40 formula was 90% or more kerosene with fish oil and a strong perfume according to the competition. Best I recall two competitors showed us what they claimed were lab reports. Like a window sticker on a new car it would be hard to verify the veracity of their lab reports. Both claimed the NASA involvement was extremely exaggerated and mostly BS. The kerosene content was inconsistent lot to lot with 12oz cans having more than the 16oz. Give me a brake, been a lot of years ago and maybe it was visa-versa. I sold a lot of cases to gun shops but they insisted on 12oz cans only. The complaint was 16oz cans after being 2/3 or 3/4 used the remainder was to oily and gummed things up. The perfume giving WD-40 its unique and somewhat pleasant odor was often depleted when the 16oz cans were near empty and the fishy odor was noticeable. Gun retailers used WD-40 on blue steel parts. It could be wiped dry usually with a rag sprayed with it. Leaving just a tad of oil on the surface enough to prevent rust but covered up fingerprints from handling. The WD-40 also left a bit of shine on the blue surfaces.

I was on to another occupation when the formula changed and the Freon was removed. I was told it fell out of favor with gun retailers. The new formula was no longer used to dry out wet distributer caps by auto mechanics. It was still being utilized to take the squeak out of noisy leaf springs. My guess it turned the gummed up lubricant between leafs back into an oily solution. The new formula as was the old favored by auto mechanics to wipe clean their chromed tools such as sockets and wrenches bringing back some of the new shine. I’m also told as I can’t say for sure. WD-40 does not dissolve Lock-Tite as something like PB Blaster will. IMHO I wouldn’t hesitate using WD-40 on a gun dropped in water and as said in the Brownell’s video to loosen gummed up parts as a temporary fix. During my stint in the uniform business late 80’s and early 90’s. I sold a bunch of the surplus Brazilian 1917 revolvers. I used WD-40 under the side plate of many with a gummed up action then lubed the parts with conventional gun oil. I recall two of them having what appeared to be cosmoline under the side plate.

[243winxb]

If you buy/use WD-40, Brownells can't sell you there high priced lubes. When i bring the old Rem 760 punp 30-06 rifle in from a rainy day hunt, it gets hosed down with WD-40. Same when season is over. #9 goes down the BBL. All done.

Love WD-40 & will use it for the next 50 years , if i live that long. Age 77+ 50 = :veryconfu

[Mal Paso]

There are a lot of combination locks here, on gates, pump houses and lockers. Graphite is THE LUBE for Locks but someone will hose a lock with WD40. It will work until the solvent evaporates then it needs another shot. WD40 is Crack Cocaine in a can and it's not allowed on the property!

LOL

[Eddie Southgate]

After it dries on a gun it still absorbs water and causes more rust than it ever prevents . I keep a can on both my old Ford tractors and any car or truck that uses points. Spray it inside the cap and on the wires of a drowned out engine and it will start . That's all it's good for at my house. Stuck or gummed up stuff gets a spray with PB Blast . Guns get an oil made specifically for guns .

[azrednek]

After it dries on a gun it still absorbs water and causes more rust than it ever prevents . I keep a can on both my old Ford tractors and any car or truck that uses points. Spray it inside the cap and on the wires of a drowned out engine and it will start . That's all it's good for at my house. Stuck or gummed up stuff gets a spray with PB Blast . Guns get an oil made specifically for guns .

I tried racking the grey matter. When I was peddling WD-40 one of the WD-40 competitors had a formula specifically for that problem but I just can’t remember the brand name. It worked really good nearly instantly drying out wet ignition systems but best I recall they didn’t push it as a lubricant.

The demo I saw had worn plug wires cross firing after he spayed a water mist on them. After he sprayed on his formula the cross firing stopped.

[Rcmaveric]

My brother swears by WD-40 for cat fishing.

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[Patrick L]

I must be in a minority. I have used WD40 for decades with no issues. But, I only use it as an exterior wipe down, and occasionally to clean something that is then lubricated with something else. If you simply spray it inside your action, sure you're asking for trouble.

As I said, decades as an exterior wipe and never any rust on my guns. It has a place on my bench.

[fatelk]

I must be in a minority. I have used WD40 for decades with no issues. But, I only use it as an exterior wipe down, and occasionally to clean something that is then lubricated with something else. If you simply spray it inside your action, sure you're asking for trouble.

As I said, decades as an exterior wipe and never any rust on my guns. It has a place on my bench.

You’re far from alone. A lot of people use and like it, for what it is. I’ve always had decent success with it, within the confines of what it was designed for. If it was as terrible and useless as some say it is, I can’t imagine it would be as popular as it is if it was really that bad.

[popper]

WD-40 was invented by gunsmiths to generate more business.
No, it was developed by the same guy that invented a good rivet lube for military aircraft manufacturing. He went on to develop some automotive lube stuff, IIRC, the slick stuff.

[243winxb]

Sds is available.

[jonp]

use it as intended. For spraying down firearms soaked in the field until you can get home and clean them properly it does a great job

[popper]

Also good as starter fluid on small engines. Penetrating oils are small molecule viscus oils to get into metal pores. Anti-corrosion oils should be more 'polar' than water, that way they replace the water on metals with oil. Yrs ago garage door guy suggested wd40 spray on the springs to prevent rust. Many are coated now but I use wax as it keeps out water and lubes the adjacent coils The pledge stuff works good too.

[Lloyd Smale]

what do you think a company that sells gun oil is going to say about something that you can get at the hardware store. I personaly dont use it. I use mostly kroil and its worked fine for me. But then my guns dont sit for 10 years in the safe where something might dry up. Bottom line is most people over lube there guns. Even an ar15 only needs a couple drops to run. Anymore is just collecting dust.

[Rcmaveric]

I just finnished cleaning all my guns, presses, and dies with WD-40. Cleaned off all the carbon and rust like a champ. Wiped off all the excess. A few drops of Rem Oil where needed. A tight patch of rem oil down the barrel. Good to go for another year. I did wipe down the outsides with Boe sheild or Fluid Film as an added precaution. I am worried the garage will get humid in the summer. But i do have a dehumidifier. Presses got grease and ATP where needed. Everything has a nice patina now.

I think the problem lies in leaving the excess. All oils dry up or gunk up. I have seen more than one over oiled gun at the range jam up. I am guilty myself of over oiling my guns. RSO told me to add a drop to all moving parts then wipe off the excess. Havent had issues since.

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[Lloyd Smale]

I just finnished cleaning all my guns, presses, and dies with WD-40. Cleaned off all the carbon and rust like a champ. Wiped off all the excess. A few drops of Rem Oil where needed. A tight patch of rem oil down the barrel. Good to go for another year. I did wipe down the outsides with Boe sheild or Fluid Film as an added precaution. I am worried the garage will get humid in the summer. But i do have a dehumidifier. Presses got grease and ATP where needed. Everything has a nice patina now.

I think the problem lies in leaving the excess. All oils dry up or gunk up. I have seen more than one over oiled gun at the range jam up. I am guilty myself of over oiling my guns. RSO told me to add a drop to all moving parts then wipe off the excess. Havent had issues since.

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biggest offenders are usually guys with ar15s. Ive seen them dripping wet with oil. I wipe mine down with some oil soaked into a rag. NO oil in the fire control group. We were taught in the service to put a couple drops in the holes on the bolt carrier to lube the bolt. Found out later by people who have to trust there lives to them to never do that.