Who uses WD-40?

Do you use WD-40 when cleaning/lubricating your weapons?

  • Yes

    Votes: 76 21.8%

  • No

    Votes: 272 78.2%
  • Total voters
    348
I have read that WD-40 or any other type of penetrating oil will penetrate and ruin the wood on a gun, therefore I don't use it on my guns. I have read recently that Johnsons paste wax is a very good rust preventative for guns whether being stored or used.
 
I use it once in a while for quick touch ups

I don't think there are any real downsides to it, but it is not a replacement for solvent and oil, IMHO either. But heck, it is cheap, available everywhere and works to blast crud out of the chamber for extended range sessions and such. BTW, I have been using the Mobil 1 for several months now and find it to work very well.

Funon1
 
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WD 40 is relatively inexpensive and I use it extensively on my Black Powder Revolvers. I do not use it on my cartridge handguns. My theory is that it may gum up the guns so the cartridge guns get the good stuff. For the Black Powder Revolvers I use it to blow out any water after the cleaning. Since the action on a Single Action Black Powder Revolver is quite simple build up is not a problem and gets removed during detail stripping anyhow. But even after many cleanings with WD 40 I have yet to find a problem in the action so it PROBABLY would be fine on other guns as well.
 
I used to use it until I found out about clear spray on lacquer. It's an excellent rust preventative and you get a nice buzz off of the fumes. Kind of brings up the shine too.
 
For any application that would require the use of WD-40 (and this goes beyond firearms) I have found that there is always a better product available for the given purpose. I would group WD-40 in with the cheap household product much like all purpose oil (there's always a better oil for whatever application) and would only use it on my children's bicycle or let my wife take the squeak out of the door hinge without touching my stuff.
 
But even after many cleanings with WD 40 I have yet to find a problem in the action so it PROBABLY would be fine on other guns as well.
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But the practicality of tearing some firearms down-like when cleaning blackpowder arms that allow easy access to their innards-promotes frequent cleaning and inspection of parts and prevents stuff like WD 40 from building up and hardening. It's when WD 40 is deposited in hard to reach and seldom seen areas that the trouble starts. As mentioned in my earlier post, I used to be an advocate and regular user of WD 40 for literally decades but no more. Not after seeing the hard, sticky residue left by old WD40 hiding out in the nooks and crannies of my revolvers' insides and the intricate mechanisms of the lockworks of a couple of my fine doubles.
 
Why bother jhco50, your ammo is probably inert or dissolved. Might as well take the little guy fishin. Be sure not to use wd40 on your reel tho, it gums up the fish and makes em inert. 5 pages on WD40, we need to add a new forum how bout. 'The art of proper lube so ya don't gum up your.........STUFF'?
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:D That was funny. I did take him fishing last year and he was wading in the river and carrying on. We didn't get a bite, but between him and my new son-in-law (19), I couldn't stop laughing. I had the 4 year old grandson along too, and he couldn't stop reeling in his line. All in all, a wonderfull day.
 
It's interesting that I, and others, have not seen WD 40 "gum" anything-despite using it for many years.
Maybe I'm doing something wrong??
 
WD-40 is not really a penetrating oil, real penetrating oils are an order of magnitude better at wicking into tight areas. Not to say it can't get into the primers but its just not a likely problem. If the primers are loose enough any lubricating out is going to ruin things. Here is a highly scientific test that relates to some of this.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot39.htm
 
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i use it as the initial cleaner. pretty much spray the stuff all over the dirty parts, let it soak a bit, scrub and wipe. then i use CLP, pretty much doing the same thing, but not using near as much because WD-40 did most of the work.
 
It's interesting that I, and others, have not seen WD 40 "gum" anything-despite using it for many years.
Maybe I'm doing something wrong??
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It's interesting that I, and others, have seen WD 40 "gum" up the inner-workings of our firearms-as a result of using it for too many years.
Maybe I'm doing something wrong? (rhetorical question:)) Yeah, using it in the beginning to start with.
 
Well obviously some of us are doing something wrong, and since it doesnt seem to be those of us who dont have the gumming issues, it must be those that do. :D
 
I have found that WD-40 has turned to goooo when in contact with other chemicals like cleaners/solvents. I can not say that this exposure to cleaners caused it to turn to gooooo, but I suspect it and dont use it on firearms.
 
WD-40 does work great at killing primers; when attempting to get live primers out of brass it is nice to spray them from the mouth of the brass, let it soak for a while, and pop them out. Does make a small mess, WD running down the press but no "boom".

I have done this when disassembling other's questionable reloads, bullets and brass might be good but power and primers get discarded.

I personally use different products for lubricating my firearms.
 
Well obviously some of us are doing something wrong, and since it doesnt seem to be those of us who dont have the gumming issues, it must be those that do.
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Well, I guess those of us who are doing something wrong just aren't smart enough to "comprehend" the complicated application/usage procedure previously inferred. I don't doubt that some people have not experienced any problem (yet) with using WD 40. And I know for a fact that others have had the opposite experience. So, maybe it's just a matter of being lucky or unlucky. :rolleyes:
 
But the practicality of tearing some firearms down-like when cleaning blackpowder arms that allow easy access to their innards-promotes frequent cleaning and inspection of parts and prevents stuff like WD 40 from building up and hardening. It's when WD 40 is deposited in hard to reach and seldom seen areas that the trouble starts. As mentioned in my earlier post, I used to be an advocate and regular user of WD 40 for literally decades but no more. Not after seeing the hard, sticky residue left by old WD40 hiding out in the nooks and crannies of my revolvers' insides and the intricate mechanisms of the lockworks of a couple of my fine doubles.
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I usually pull my bp revolvers and lever action rifles down maybe once a year if I think about it. When I do there's no goo, no rust, no corrosion. Nothing but clean shiny parts.
 
dgludwig, as an aside, some years back I shot my limit of fish out of an alpine lake (10,000'+). My hikin partner and I were kinda drunk at the time.
 
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