WD40

[longtooth]

Everyone knows I open carry virtually all the time. Was early this week in Home Depot getting oil. As takes place pretty often someone commented (favorably) a young fellow, pretty new to handguns, and we began a conversation. I may be retired but still feel a responsibility to teach and help when I can. Drifted from one topic to another and we were on cleaning. He was surprised I cleaned every time I shot mine. He knew he did not clean his often enough. Was a Glock so he did not think he had to every time.
With that background now to my question. I am ashamed He made a statement about using WD40 as his gun oil cause it was cheaper and he did not have a real cleaning kit. It was good lubricant.
I kinda cringed & said it was not good to use that. Needed to use real gun oil or one of the CLP products on the market. Told him I use Break free, Frog Lube or Snake Venom. They were made for firearms.
Well, he ask me what was wrong w/ WD40. Bless everything I cant remember why it is not good to use it. I confessed so dont know what he will do.
I do know I dont want to be there again. What is wrong w/ using WD40???

help Help HELP w/ an answer. Thank you in advance.

[Beiruty]

I hear it is water repellent and kind of metal peneterator. They use it to loosen gunk and stuff.

https://www.wd40.com/myths-legends-fun-facts/

[carlson1]

Last WD-40 I used was to spray the distributor cap (that was the electrical part of a motor for the kids) so I could wash and make my Chevy 350 motor shine and sparkle. It would make it run faster.

[RPBrown]

WD40 even though it is slick, it will remove oil and grease and over time will wear out a part or two because of no oil. We use it to clean grease and oil off of parts as well as removing tar from your vehicles

[Lena]

wax based and over time will gum up

I use LSA on anything that moves. Lubriplate lithium grease on slide rails on my 1911's, never have had 1 negative issue there, have had to use truck dipstick 1 time, 3n1 oil 1 time but never wd40. Glocks LSA on all that need it..

[longtooth]

WD40 even though it is slick, it will remove oil and grease and over time will wear out a part or two because of no oil. We use it to clean grease and oil off of parts as well as removing tar from your vehicles

Thank you RP. That joggled my memory.

[flowrie]

I am not sure what is in WD40, but overtime as it evaporates it leaves a varnish like substance and will definitively gum up or even lock up a firearm. When my father passed away a couple of years ago, I found his old pump shotgun in the house, and it was locked up solid. Could not work the action at all. It was almost like someone painted it with varnish. After soaking it in Ballistol for a couple of days and using lots of force, I finally freed it up.
Had to completely disassemble and rub, scrub every part. Works fine now. I know he used WD40 on it. Never use WD40 on a firearm.

[crazy2medic]

I was taught WD40 was a penetrating lubricant and can deactivate your primers!

[flowrie]

WD40 even though it is slick, it will remove oil and grease and over time will wear out a part or two because of no oil. We use it to clean grease and oil off of parts as well as removing tar from your vehicles

I’ve used baby oil to remove tar from vehicles, works pretty well. Figured if it’s safe for a baby, it’s OK for a vehicle.

[Jago668]

Here are some articles that might help as well. Looking at the corrosion test on the dayattherange site, wiping everything down with WD40 would be pretty good for long term storage. Definitely better cleaners, and lubes out there though. Just because you can get a job done with a tool doesn't mean it's the best tool for the job. A lady killed a grizzly bear with a .22 lr, I don't know anyone that would pick that for such an encounter though.

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articl ... lubricant/

https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/h ... ubricants/

http://www.dayattherange.com/?page_id=3667

https://www.wideopenspaces.com/wd40-guns-truth-pics/

[AndyC]

It's not a lubricant

[The Annoyed Man]

WD40 even though it is slick, it will remove oil and grease and over time will wear out a part or two because of no oil. We use it to clean grease and oil off of parts as well as removing tar from your vehicles

Thank you RP. That joggled my memory.

If I'm not mistaken, the "WD" stands for Water Dispersant, or Water Displacer, or something like that. It was originally invented to chase water-based moisture off of metal parts. It also happens to be pretty much kerosene, and as such, is a solvent, not a lubricant.

[puma guy]

It's not a lubricant

[puma guy]

WD40 even though it is slick, it will remove oil and grease and over time will wear out a part or two because of no oil. We use it to clean grease and oil off of parts as well as removing tar from your vehicles

Thank you RP. That joggled my memory.

If I'm not mistaken, the "WD" stands for Water Dispersant, or Water Displacer, or something like that. It was originally invented to chase water-based moisture off of metal parts. It also happens to be pretty much kerosene, and as such, is a solvent, not a lubricant.

Yep! Water Displacement Formula #40 from the lab. As others have stated it will build up a residue. We would use it on our display guns and we noticed there would be a sticky feeling on the ones we didn't handle often and the semi auto .22's would have sticky bolts. We switched to RustePruf for wiping down firearms after handling. We cleaned the .22's with Hoppe's.

[papabear]

This has been good for me too. I don't clean and oil with WD-40 but I have used it for long term storage. Clean with Hopes #9 solvent. Use Break Free is my favorite CLP. Spray a good gun case down with WD40 and slide under a bed for a long time. Any of you real science men see anything wrong with doing it that way.