Indians For Guns

Gurus please reply.... using WD40 is unhealthy for firearms (Revolver, Rifle or DBBL Gun) ?

Lawman

I do not have any personal experience with this, but if you search the forum there are some detailed discussions on this matter. Some members have have mentioned better alternatives.

Dear lawman
I have used WD40 it removes the rust but it wont protect your firearm from rust.Now i use ballistol Multi purpose spray its good and it form a thin oily layer which protect your firearm from rust same way you can use the spray on stock too.

Sowmi

Lawman: the question may actually start with, "Exactly what is in WD40?" There are a number of theories about what it contains, but the main ingredient seems to be hexane with some other stuff thrown into it, as well. From sadder but wiser experience, I know that one can get into more foolish arguments on the Internet when discussing what to use to lubricate a car or a gun. Against my better judgment, I'll brave these waters one more time.

While WD40 may have a bit of oil in it (some say fish oil, but I don't claim to know), I don't believe that it's a suitable lubricant for anything. Te name means "Water Displacement" which is what the hexane accomplishes, plus also working as a solvent that will clean some dirt and some rust.

For grease and dirt, I use other solvents (gasoline and diesel, but these are unhealthy, alcohol for some stuff, and. Very closely guarded stash of 1,1,1 Triclorotrifluoroethane, which will clean anything, like oil soaked Harley Davidson motorcycle clutch disks but is VERY nasty stuff), and for dealing with rust, I use plain old automotive automatic transmission fluid.

Regarding WD40 use on guns specifically, I have a friend who has served in Afghanistan and several tours in Iraq,and he told me that M4/M16 jamming in the desert wars was most often caused by soldiers not having the special lubricant for these weapons and using WD40. This invariably caused jams because the WD40 attracted a great deal of dust in a very short time. As you may know, dust is in great supply in the desert.

I know people who absolutely swear by WD40 for everything, including spraying it on arthritic knee joints (really!). Personally, I don't use the stuff, although I suppose it has some uses. You will need to do what you think best on this question, as this is just my opinion.

I understand WD40 means water displacement 40 days, after that it allows moisture back and that will then cause rusting or corrosion, but I woudn't trust it for half that time.
You cant beat a good clean and a proper oil.

Actually the 40 is supposed to be the product number. They supposedly marketed the 40th formulation of the product or it was the 40th project or something like that.

I do use WD40 but only for one purpose. I spray the rotor, auger, discharge tube and rotor housing of my snowblower prior to blowing snow. It prevents the wet and sloppy early fall and spring snow from sticking, clumping and plugging the machine.

I use Breakfree CLP on my guns and I've been using it for about 30 years.
Apparently that is what the US military also uses.

image from here

Here in Delhi i have used WD40 for my rifle and shotgun since last 32 years. It keeps the weapon rust free, preserves the bluing and does not leave gummy deposit on the metal like other oils.

friends,
i use wd after a long sweaty day with my gun.i spray wd on the gun,then wipe clean and apply birchwood gun oil.
this works fine for me.wd is good rust remover,my opine.
regards
dr.jk

Thanks for your helpful replies

Lawman

Lawman, have you made up your mind which one to buy? I am still confused. I dont want a rust remover, I want an anti-rust product.

anti rust: use a barrier protectant, like oil or grease.
do an experiment, spray wd40 on a plate of steel, and wait for maybe 5-10 minutes.
you will see, it evaporates. there is nothing left on the surface to act as a barrier,which will prevent air coming in contact with the metal and initiating rust formation.
use wd 40 on any and all metal parts and start cleaning.
afterwards, dont forget to grease and oil the metal parts.

sowmiyamoorthy wrote:Dear lawman
I have used WD40 it removes the rust but it wont protect your firearm from rust.Now i use ballistol Multi purpose spray its good and it form a thin oily layer which protect your firearm from rust same way you can use the spray on stock too.

Sowmi

where did you buy it from sowmiyamoorthy?

I have visited their site and placed an order just now. Buying ballistol Multi purpose spray and oil. 50ml ofcourse. if its good then i'll go for a bigger quantity.

Do another experiment, spray one piece of steel with WD40 and one without and leave both outside for at least a month, and see what happens.