Wd-40?

[dixie3]

Was wondering if anybody has tried WD-40 as a Black Powder cleaner? What about using it for a rust preventive after the cleaning process? Any thoughts or ideas? :hmm:

 

[Rebel]

I use it all the time after cleaning the barrel with water first. It dispalces any remaining moisture. I also use it for storage, have for over 30 years. Have never had a gun rust,but i do check them occasionally just to make sure they are ok. :m2c:

 

[PaulN/KS]

I use it and have had good luck.Dutch Schultz even talks about using it for cleaning at his website.That's good enough fer me I guess...

 

[cayugad]

WD-40 is a water displacer. It works good as a lube and solvent to some extent. The only thing I found is you need to watch it close. It will create a kind of varnish almost which is a sticky mess if abused. This is especially true in modern semi automatic type weapons. In black powder though, we clean all the oils out before we shoot, so I do not see it as a problem.

Personally as a black powder cleaner, it is hard to beat good old soapy hot water. Water will flush the fowling out of the metal and clean out the black powder residue the best of all of them and it inexpensive to use. Even water soaked patches will clean your rifle up real fast.

One of the best solvents I have found out there is Butch's Bore Shine. It will really clean up a barrel nice. Rusty Duck is another one made for black powder.

 

[WRussell]

WD-40 was the subject of a raging controversy on another list, and discussion is now banned. There seem to be some misconceptions. As voiced so far here, it is mainly a water displacer, not a cleaner or a lubricant. If you use black powder, clean with water (hot, cold, soapy, plain, whatever) then get rid of the last traces of water with WD-40. If you don't live in a humid, rust friendly climate, WD-40 works fine for protection in storage. To be safe, use another oil to prevent rust in long term storage.

Here is a site with some good info on corrosion and many other things:
http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/mlexperiments/corrosion/corrosion.html

 

[jimbo15563]

I know a Gun Shop owner in Virginia who has banned WD40 from his shop. His theory is that it can cause misfires because of its penetrating abilities and the potental effect on primers.

As stated above, this effect is more pronounced on modern weapons where oil is not removed. Special care should be taken to remove it from hammers, nipples, and adjacent areas on black powder percussion and inline actions.

There are shooters who love it and those who hate it, thus the controversy on the other list.

Hope I didn't pour gasoline on the fire!

Jimbo

 

[fatboy]

I used this when I first got my TC Hawken like a another lifetime ago used it after cleaning the bore and kept rust away never had a problem with it .

 

[BS]

My buddy Bill had a theory that wd-40 was just "fish oil and kerosene" sounds very close to me. WD is a poor rust preventative. For short term storage, I just use patch lube, long term...RIG Gun Grease. :results:

 

[Stumpkiller]

I did a rust test (search back on "Lube Wars") and WD-40 is a poor rust preventative; but it is very humid in this region. WD-40 displaces water and then evaporates away after a time. Good as an after cleaning squirt, but then you have to use something else as a preservative on the metal.

 

[Tahquamenon]

WD-40? Never, ever, in or on any of my firearms.
Bad for the wood and will varnish inside the bore. Not a quality rust preventative and preservative for firearms.

I've acquired or helped revive rifles that were cared for with WD-40 and have always removed a bunch of varnish from the bore and often have found rust as well.

* Pump flush and brush if required. Hot as you can stand laundry or dish soapy water followed by just as hot clean.

A few dry patches.

Isopropyl alcohol patches while the barrel is still hot.

Let dry for a few minutes and the alcohol to displace and evaporate the moisture.

Clenzoil inside and out since the early 70's on all my firearms to include muzzleloaders.

Otis 085 Ultra-Bore in the bore for the past five years.

www.clenzoil.com
www.otisgun.com

Before shooting, a couple of alcohol swabs followed by dry an the bore is ready to shoot.

:imo: :m2c:

 

[Slamfire]

* Pump flush and brush if required. Hot as you can stand laundry or dish soapy water followed by just as hot clean.

I like my soapy water hotter, I pull a pot of boiling water off the stove and stick the barrel in it. Then I put on a pair of $3.00 Chinese welding gloves and follow the pumping scrubbing procedure. At that temperature, rubbing alcohol is optional. :m2c:

 

[sidelock]

Slamfire you'v got it right. HOT HOT water, let it sit for 3 min. and OIL. Yes oil--- say 3in 1--lots, and swab well before loading. fire 2 caps (or otherwise) and load. About 30 yrs. ago the police dept in Newport News VA was having misfires in their service wepons which were being cleaned and lubricated with WD-40. The cause? WD-40---which is no longer used there. (unless thing have changed there in recent years--- [new people ?] :m2c: )

 

[WRussell]

3 in 1?? Anyone who has had a can of 3 in 1 sitting around for a few years next to a can of say, sewing machine oil, can tell you that going by what the top of the can looks like, 3 in 1 is not good stuff for protecting anything valuable.

 

[sse]

Looks like the makins of a good debate..........

 

[sidelock]

Well, I wouldn't gum up a sewing machine with 3in 1, but my rifle bore is bright and shiny after, lets see, 30yrs,and the top of the can still shines to. Both cans-- the one in my ML kit and the shop can. That salt air must get to yours. :results: :sorry: Anyway-----WD-40 is not allowed here around guns or ammo.

 

[WRussell]

Interesting - you've got me curious. I've had a can of 3 in 1 for - lemme see - I guess it was in the early 60's when I got it, and I think I tossed it a couple of years ago. I've seen a couple more that had a "patina" on top like mine, and I think they were from the same era, so I guess we're talking apples and oranges if your can was 30 years old. I've heard a few people bad-mouth 3 in 1 but that's no reason to condemn it. I just don't have any faith in it.

There used to be a set of books that listed the chemical composition of commercial products. It would be interesting to know what was in some of these potions at various times over the years. Of course even then we wouldn't know the quality of the ingredients. Did they get kerosene from the high priced refinery or the fly by night low-bidder?

"Your results may vary" is unfortunately all too true with a lot of things. Especially spouses, come to think of it...

 

[Runner]

WD on a patch will cut some things out of a barrel that water will not touch. I use it as a safe solvent and as a protectant when in the field and the gun is not being cleaned right away. I spray them down before transporting them home. It is not a good long term protectant here where 60 percent humidity is a nice very dry day!

 

[WRussell]

WD-40 is great for things electrical - had an outdoor outlet start tripping the ground fault device, and found that condensation had gotten everything sopping wet. I flushed it out with WD-40, drilled some vent and drain holes, and it's been fine since. It also worked great on an underground cable TV connection that had gotten wet.

It does a dandy job of getting rid of moisture, which of course helps prevent corrosion. I wouldn't get it on wood, except maybe to clean off greasy grunge on a on-shot basis. I use a pump sprayer now, rather than buying the aerosol cans of the stuff, because it's cheaper, easier to control, and I don't like breathing stuff like that. Although it's helped a lot of folks with arthritis - maybe you can cure emphysema by breathing it :no:

 

[roundball]

WD-40 is great for things electrical - had an outdoor outlet start tripping the ground fault device, and found that condensation had gotten everything sopping wet. I flushed it out with WD-40, drilled some vent and drain holes, and it's been fine since. It also worked great on an underground cable TV connection that had gotten wet.

It does a dandy job of getting rid of moisture, which of course helps prevent corrosion. I wouldn't get it on wood, except maybe to clean off greasy grunge on a on-shot basis. I use a pump sprayer now, rather than buying the aerosol cans of the stuff, because it's cheaper, easier to control, and I don't like breathing stuff like that. Although it's helped a lot of folks with arthritis - maybe you can cure emphysema by breathing it :no:

I love the stuff and use a lot of it...always on the look-out for those specials of two cans taped together with 30% more in them or something.

I use it every week for power flushing after cleaning my hooked breech muzzleloaders in hot water:

1) The lock internals to drive off any water, then blow that out with compressed air, then lube with Rem-Oil;

2) The tang area after going all around it with a toothbrush and soapy water;

3) The trigger group gets a couple blasts, then compressed air;

4) The sights, dovetails, and under-rib after I finish pump-flush cleaning the barrel in a bucket of water...because the water flows up & out of the muzzle, all down the outside of the barrels getting into every crack, etc.

I think of WD40 about the same as coca-cola and apple pie!
:redthumb:

 

[Birddog6]

I think of WD40 about the same as coca-cola and apple pie!
:redthumb:

He he he ! I will remember that the next time someone brings me a A5 or Beretta to repair that is jammed & won't cycle........ Everyone seems to want to use WD-40 on them....... WD-40, like coca-cola & Apple pie all in a can ! :crackup: