cleaning oil caution!

[bigdog454]

In Sept of 2022, I purchased a inexpensive single action .22, planning on having it to train my grandchildren on the proper handling of a handling of a handgun. At the same time I purchased a bottle of bio-degradable oil, advertised as useful for gun cleaning and "everything else". I put the revolver away planning on using it in the spring when one of my GC. was a little older. Last weekend I got the revolver out of the safe to use. The cylinder would not revolve. I had to disasemble the gun and use some good ole H#9, to clean the sticky gum off of the parts, and reassemble it.
Nothing was damaged, BUT, I don't think that bio-degradable is a good oil to use on a firearm. It may have been just this particular brand, but be cautious of bio-degradable gun oils.
I did find out that bio-degradable oil makes a wonderful penatrating oil, the best that I have ever found.
BD

[Winger Ed.]

Like WD40, it's great for awhile. After the solvents & such evaporate and it turns to gum---- not so much.

[schutzen-jager]

jmho - the WD40 does not turn to gum - the gum is the residual left when loosened by it + not properly flushed out or blown out with air pressure -

[stubshaft]

The closest thing I use that is eco-friendly is Ballistol.

[ukrifleman]

The closest thing I use that is eco-friendly is Ballistol.

+1!

[TD1886]

I've used WD-40 my entire life and also in the military. It's not as bad as it's made out to be on gun forums. I've never had it gum up.

[Winger Ed.]

I've used WD-40 my entire life and also in the military. It's not as bad as it's made out to be on gun forums. I've never had it gum up.

It takes awhile. But if ya clean fairly often, it's fine.
I've cleaned guns prior to going shooting, used WD40, then cleaned 'em again when I got home.
However; I've also had guns in the back of the safe that never came out for a couple years or so.

In our climate--- What's left after that long is a rather firm sticky orange goo.
It cleans right off & out, but synthetic car motor oil didn't seem to do that.

[Froogal]

10w-30 in a squirt can works about as good as anything.

[schutzen-jager]

I've used WD-40 my entire life and also in the military. It's not as bad as it's made out to be on gun forums. I've never had it gum up.

i knew a police armorer with over 3 decades in a 120 + man dept who has never had a problem with WD40 gumming, but also stated that it is not a great lubricant -

[TD1886]

10w-30 in a squirt can works about as good as anything.

Automatic transmission fluid is better.

[TD1886]

i knew a police armorer with over 3 decades in a 120 + man dept who has never had a problem with WD40 gumming, but also stated that it is not a great lubricant -

That's right, it's not a good lubricant. Think of it close to kerosene.

[gumbo333]

ATF 50/50 mix with kerosene/ diesel. Pretty good stuff for guns, shop, rust removal, all sorts of things. As also mentioned, Ballistol, been good for maybe 120 years. Lots of really good lubes available these days. Some are $$$.

[405grain]

Water dispersant formula number 40 (WD40) was invented to displace moisture out of crevices and tight places on Atlas ICBM's. Back in the days when we had to duck & cover under our school desks to protect ourselves from a thermonuclear bomb going off right above out pea-brained little heads, America had an arsenal of retaliation standing by, but generally not too far from the coasts. Because of this fog, rain, ocean spray, and other sources of water would try it's best to infiltrate into any opening on our missiles. (Obviously it was communist water) It's both hard and dangerous to take apart a nuclear missile so you can wipe the water out of it, but at the same time you don't want wiring and valves and stuff to rust. So, how to keep Amageddon's hammer in tip-top shape without having to take anything apart? Just spray something in there that repels the water, yet won't damage all the sensitive stuff. Apparently they must have tried 39 other things before they came up with WD40. It was never intended to be used as a lubricant. Yes it has a thousand and one uses, but it was originally a military asset invented for the cold war. I think that WD40 and Tang were the only good things that came out of that stare down.

[mike_kaleigh]

i use synthetic 0w-20 motor oil for lube and protection after cleaning, clean metal with wd40 or similar, but i clean plastic with gun scrubber, to scared to us anything else that might melt plastic. really want to try balistol though.

[45_Colt]

I dunno', but a bio-degradable oil is likely vegetable oil.

For oils I use either 0W20 Mobil 1 synthetic. Or Ed's Red of 1/3 each: kero, mineral spirits, ATF. For a light grease, Redline CV2 does the trick (again, a synthetic).

45_Colt

[porthos]

like many; i don't like wd-40. so, after some of the above comments; i decided to do a test. i sprayed a quantity in the bottom of a aluminum can. i marked the date and will at some point (??) post results

[uscra112]

That's right, it's not a good lubricant. Think of it close to kerosene.

WD-40 principle ingredient is plain old Stoddard Solvent. The stuff we used in Safety-Kleen tanks. The formula was developed to displace water from surfaces. Never intended to be a lubricant. Even kerosene would be better.

+1 on ATF as a gun oil, preferably as a component of Ed's Red. I've used nothing else for over 25 years.

[kenton]

On going testing of WD40 and other rust preventives.

https://youtu.be/3CcO-jiIKa4

[murf205]

I used Singer sewing machine oil for years but Ballistol has replaced it as my #1 gun lubricant. It is great on leather too!

[charlie b]

For guns I use a lot, Ed's Red lube is what I use, simply because I use Ed's Red for cleaning guns as well.

For guns such as my pistols that don't get fired much I use one of the spray on dry lubes. Rust is not an issue where I live but dust is :)

I never use WD40 as a lube. I do use it as a penetrating oil. The parts eventually get cleaned of all residue and a lube made for the application is applied.

[charlie b]

I used Singer sewing machine oil for years but Ballistol has replaced it as my #1 gun lubricant. It is great on leather too!

Hopefully that is the new version, not the stuff in the green cans :) FWIW, the 'new' sewing machine oil is simply mineral oil. I use it when repairing and maintaining sewing machines. It even works to loosen up the varnish left from old oils.

[Streetwalker]

10/4 on Ballistol. Synthetic 0/20 weight motor oil and Marvel Mystery Oil are very useful as well.

[murf205]

Hopefully that is the new version, not the stuff in the green cans :) FWIW, the 'new' sewing machine oil is simply mineral oil. I use it when repairing and maintaining sewing machines. It even works to loosen up the varnish left from old oils.
It is indeed the green can stuff. Since the sewing machine was mineral oil, that must be why it had no odor. What ever it was, it's good stuff.

[WRideout]

I used Singer sewing machine oil for years but Ballistol has replaced it as my #1 gun lubricant. It is great on leather too!

I picked up a sample of Ballistol (from my locksmith, of all places) and used it on my inline muzzle loader. I was amazed at how well it took off the burned on carbon. Since then I have used it for cleaning all my guns, with good results. Still use Hoppe's #9 for the bore, though.

Wayne

[GhostHawk]

In my opinion you can take that WD-40 and stick it where the sun don't shine.

ATF, Dextron II or III works good, wipes almost dry, and leaves a lubricating layer that won't dry out and gum up like WD-40 does.

[Harter66]

WD will also clean up the bluing on nickle steel barrels and take them back to white in a surprisingly short period of time when hunting water fowl ....... I'd rather go into it .

The assorted dry lubes also don't work well in the rain and snow below 10° ..... It's a fowl hobby but you loves it or you don't.

[elmacgyver0]

I like WD-40 and have a lot of uses for it, but I don't use it for a lubricant.

[murf205]

I was working in the paint shop at Mercedes Benz when a man came walking through with a can of WD-40 in his hand. In about 2 seconds, 2 of the paint shop Mercedes guys grabbed him and took the can away from him and carried it and him outside the building, they were afraid he had WD residue on his clothing. When I asked what that was all about, the paint shop supervisor said that ANY amount of that stuff in the air that settled on a car body would cause the paint to not adhere to it.

[schutzen-jager]

like many; i don't like wd-40. so, after some of the above comments; i decided to do a test. i sprayed a quantity in the bottom of a aluminum can. i marked the date and will at some point (??) post results

did a tesr awhile back, but i used a glass plate because unlike metal it has no porosity at all - after 9 months absolutely no gumming residue could be found -

[uscra112]

WD-40 won't touch bluing on guns, but acid rain will. My Dad hunted ducks for decades with a fine Parker that he could ill afford. He waxed everything to keep rain off the metal. The gun was still near-mint when he finally passed on. I chose to let my brother have it, because at the time my life did not include duck-hunting, and the sod up and sold it.[smilie=b:

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

WD40 seems like 95% MS (or ingredients similar to MS) and 5% waxy mineral oil.

I emptied the contents of a spraycan that lost it's pressure, into a Jar, sealed it.
A white milky substance separates from the clearish (yellow) liquid.
After I witnessed that, I Always shake a WD40 can before spraying.

I've coated a metal item with WD40 and some puddled in one area, a week or so later after it dried, that puddled area had a residue that felt waxy.

It's a great cleaner, cuz it's basically MS, which is a great cleaner.
It's leaves a waxy residue, which should displace water.

That's my 2¢ on WD40

[TD1886]

WD40 seems like 95% MS (or ingredients similar to MS) and 5% waxy mineral oil.

I emptied the contents of a spraycan that lost it's pressure, into a Jar, sealed it.
A white milky substance separates from the clearish (yellow) liquid.
After I witnessed that, I Always shake a WD40 can before spraying.

I've coated a metal item with WD40 and some puddled in one area, a week or so later after it dried, that puddled area had a residue that felt waxy.

It's a great cleaner, cuz it's basically MS, which is a great cleaner.
It's leaves a waxy residue, which should displace water.

That's my 2¢ on WD40

Jon you're right about that white milky stuff, noticed that myself.

[uscra112]

Pull up the MSDS. Don't have time now.

[Gobeyond]

They don’t even allow synthetic gun oil in my county. I like it but not biodegradable, or toxic to the land. I like clp and rem oil for the protection of my guns. Good for the wood. Nice clean protective coating.

[Scrounge]

jmho - the WD40 does not turn to gum - the gum is the residual left when loosened by it + not properly flushed out or blown out with air pressure -

WD-40 is a light oil, and Stoddard Solvent, unless they've changed the formula again recently. When the Stoddard Solvent evaporates, it leaves the oil there. And eventually, even if that is the only thing left on the object, it will gum up. The stuff is great for short term use, and pretty good if you re-apply it frequently. If you need to put something down today and work on it again in a couple of days, it's fine. If it's going to be a couple of years, you may want to clean the WD-40 off and re-coat it with something else, though if you don't wait too long, just respraying it will work. I've used the stuff from coast to coast, and all over the interior Southern states, and several foreign countries. I had a plastic bin of old files I tried the acid resharpening process on. Muriatic acid for the sharpening. Washed them off in tap water, soaked for a bit in bicarbonate water, and then rinsed in tap water again, and filled the bin with WD-40. Every month or so, for more than two years, I'd spray some more WD-40 in there. When I need one of those files, I pull it out, spray it down again, and wipe it off with a paper towel or shop rag. A couple of the files that got taken out of that bin while I was getting another file got set aside, and they have rusted lightly again.

Bill

[schutzen-jager]

he gum is the residual [ oil ] left when loosened by it + not properly flushed out or blown out with air pressure -

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

[gwpercle]

RemOil is another oil that will not go Gummy on you .
The light oil carrier , will in time dissipate , but ...it leaves behind a micro-thin film of dry-lube ( Teflon based) that stops rust and keeps things slick .
I like it ... try some if you have never used it .
All I use inside the lockworks and triggers of guns .

I have had Breakfree CLP go gummy so badly on a few of my guns that the guns wouldn't fire (Swiss rifle and S&W revolvers) I will never use it for guns stored away ...the stuff got so hard and gummy I had to scrub the residue out with brush and solvents ... Never Again !
Gary

[uscra112]

CONTENTS: Ed's Red Bore Cleaner
1 part Dexron ATF, GM Spec. D-20265 or later.
1 part Kerosene - deodorized, K1 (Lamp oil)
1 part Aliphatic Mineral Spirits (Stoddard Solvent, or "Varsol")
1 part Acetone, CAS #67-64-1.
(Optional 1 lb. of Lanolin, Anhydrous, USP per gallon, or OK to substitute Lanolin, Modified, Topical Lubricant, from the drug store)

This will do everything you will ever need around guns except dissolve copper. The acetone can be omitted, but it won't dissolve smokeless powder fouling as quickly.

Will never "gum up" in a gun. With the lanolin added, it will rustproof steel for up to two years. Far better lubricity than WD-40. Dissolves Cosmoline pretty well.

Store only in tightly capped metal or glass, as the acetone will evaporate right through plastics, even if it does not dissolve them. I use the glass jars that Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter comes in for bulk storage, and a cleaned-out glass Kikkoman Soy Sauce bottle as dispenser. (The plastic cap holds up well.)

[schutzen-jager]

been using Ed's red for decades with no problems - it will not displace moisture like WD40 does - if you use the acetone formula do not let it touch wood finishes or plastic - it will also kill ant + termite colonies quickly -

[JSnover]

A few years ago someone linked a long-term test of all the popular oils and Ballistol was one of the top performers.

[brassrat]

I would be surprised if my memory of a really gummed up gun and my blaming Rem oil use was incorrect.

[Walks]

Ballistol for 65yrs, never a problem.

[Alferd Packer]

WD40 can skin over when left to dry and the skins can be a problem.
I like Ed's red 50/50 ATF and kerosene or diesel oil.
Never any skins.

[schutzen-jager]

WD40 can skin over when left to dry and the skins can be a problem.
I like Ed's red 50/50 ATF and kerosene or diesel oil.
Never any skins.

why allow it to dry ? - flush or blow off with compressed air after it has performed it/s intended purposes -

[uscra112]

An old shooting colleague of mine used to shoot WD-40 generously down his barrel as soon as he was done. Claimed it protected the bore until he got time to clean it properly.

[rosewood]

I always carry Remoil to the range with me and run bore snake through all my bores with Remoil before I leave. That way, I don't have to do a good cleaning job until I feel like it. Have seen several friends guns that they shot, put in safe and didn't clean for years, they got pitting in the bores from storing with dry bores. I wipe down the outsides with Remoil also and have never found any gum or rust on any of the guns I have stored this way.

Rosewood