WD40

[coloradoclyde]

Also, WD-40 is listed as being inherently biodegradable using the OECD Method 301 . http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/envir...06-en;jsessionid=2sadk2k6s5et0.x-oecd-live-02

The Wd-40 company says it is solely a petroleum product and has volatile compounds...it is also given a 72 hour protection rating.

 

[necchi]

Water doesn't make metal rust......Oxygen does...

True enough,, but saying that is dicey territory because water is H2O.
The reality is the product used to care for guns isn't the issue as each product is used by an individual with his own gun care technique and there are many techniques.
The key is , "Maintenance" right(?)
WD40 is not, never has been and never will be part of my gun care and maintenance.
Other folks buy the stuff by the case!

 

[nhmoose]

I use WD40 to cover the metal and get h2o out of the crevices? Use to keep rust out for less than 24 hrs. When leaving for longer a simple coat of RIG grease will be applied.

over 30+ years of ML competition and I have never had ANY rust problem.

I will stick to that and my own cleaning procedures and that's my story.

 

[coloradoclyde]

:thumbsup:

 

[Gene L]

I use Ballistol for cleaning and protection. Mixed with water, it's a great product.

I won't use petroleum products on muzzle loaders, and won't even use soap to clean them. Using soap on a cast iron skillet will remove the seasoning so I use hot water and Ballistol. So far, so good. Ballistol was invented a long time ago by Germany, and so far as I know, doesn't have any petroleum in it.

 

[Scota4570]

Ballistol is mostly mineral oil.

http://www.co.vermilion.il.us/MSDS/EMA/ballistol%20MSDS.PDF

Yes, the drug store kind with a stinky alcohol added to make water soluble in it. It works as well as any mineral oil based product.

There is no magic. It is 99% the same as any oil you might get at the hardware or auto parts store. There is nothing bad about mineral oil. There is nothing desirable about using rendered fat. Using some kind of oil or grease in necessary.

It idea of seasoning a barrel is bunk.

 

[Archer 756]

If WD40 is so great Why is the US Government :idunno: not using it.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Ballistol is mostly mineral oil.

Mineral oil is a petroleum product..... :haha:

It idea of seasoning a barrel is bunk.

True, true, and barrels aren't made of cast iron either.....

 

[coloradoclyde]

If WD40 is so great Why is the US Government not using it.

Because they found something way better.....

Fluid film.

 

[hanshi]

I never use WD40 as a rust preventative but I do use it when I can't clean a barrel until the next day or so. I also use it to float out bore grime. I buy it by the gallon but rely on Barricade for rust protection and gun oils for lubrication.

 

[Scota4570]

For long term rust protection I have had 100% success with LPS-3. It has become expensive and hard to find. Now I am trying the "Fluid Film" brand lanolin based spray rust preventative. Why? Because they have it at the corner auto parts store. Ned Roberts himself endorsed lanolin nearly 100 years ago. There are dozens of substances that will do the same job. The spray can is convenient, the stuff is cheap and I can always find some.

WD is fine for a lot of things, I keep some around too. Have not had any rust problems if I wipe down my guns with WD either. Only had rust when I neglect them and don't oil them with some kind of oily stuff. There are no magical oils that are clearly superior.

"If WD40 is so great Why is the US Government not using it."

A: Because they quit using muzzleloaders a very long time ago!

 

[Gene L]

I stand corrected, Ballistol is indeed a petroleum product.

However, it's a very good lube. And a rust preventative. Works on wood and leather, too.

As for seasoning a barrel, if that's not possible, it still can't hurt, can it? Is any treatment of the barrel to prevent rust not seasoning? Maybe the idea came from the early days when barrels were made of iron rather than steel, so seasoning may not seasoning in the traditional sense (if that is traditional) but if you heat up the barrel with very hot water, it should open the pores of the steel and absorb some sort of rust preventative. I think the process must be bit like heating a barrel before bluing. The heat opens the pores which absorb the rust/blue process, or browning.

While Not a substitute for cleaning, but as I read before, original hunters back in the day didn't have a lot of hot water to clean barrels, so they had to rely on something to keep rust from immediately forming. I guess, usually, tallow or maybe if they were lucky, whale oil or lamp oil.

 

[coloradoclyde]

but if you heat up the barrel with very hot water, it should open the pores of the steel and absorb some sort of rust preventative. I think the process must be bit like heating a barrel before bluing. The heat opens the pores which absorb the rust/blue process, or browning.

Incorrect!.....Unscientific speculation.

Regardless of whether or not you think steel has "pores".....They do not open up at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.....If they did my soup pan would soak up my soup...

Heat accelerates the chemical reaction of the acids involved in the bluing and browning process, and when cleaning the heat speeds up the evaporation of surface moisture increasing the effectiveness of whatever lubricating and rust preventative you are using.

Any "pores" in steel are either flaws or are too small in relation to a water molecule to be of any consequence.

 

[MSK]

Speaking of Barricade, has anyone experienced problems with it on wood? I haven't myself, but I thought I read somewhere not to get it on wood surfaces. I hope I'm wrong...

 

[Rifleman1776]

Ballistol is indeed a petroleum product.

Ballistol is largely a modified exotic form of mineral oil and some exotic alcohols.
When the alcohols evaporate what is left behind is essentially a glue.
I had to use tools and considerable force to operate the bolt on my 30-06 a couple months after 'lubricating' it with Ballistol. :cursing: The product is now on my forever banned list. :td:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Don't they sell G96 in your area?

 

[Scota4570]

"Ballistol is largely a modified exotic form of mineral oil and some exotic alcohols."

The mystical properties keep being made up! it has no exotic ingredients or properties.

Right from the MSDS I posted a link to.

"No NTP publication. No IARC monograph. Ballistol is based on medicinal grade white mineral oil,"

Yes, regular old mineral oil from the drug store. The kind that makes your skin soft or helps you poo,

The stinky part is Isobutly alcohol, it has a PEL (permissible exposure limit) of 100PPM. Drinking alcohol, ethanol, has a PEL of 1000. Relatively speaking isobutyl is pretty nasty stuff. That is the part that smells like a wet dog.

 

[necchi]

Ballistol is based on medicinal grade white mineral oil,"

Yes, regular old mineral oil from the drug store.

Key words, "Based on", it is not like, nor the same as mineral oil sold at the drug store.
It's been "hydrolyzed", severely treated with water, it is water soluble,
Mineral oil is not water soluble.

 

[coloradoclyde]

From the MSDS.....


Compatibility of Ballistol with Other Materials
Ballistol is fully compatible with all metals including aluminum. However, Ballistol dissolves traces of copper, zinc, lead and tombac and can, therefore, be used to clean brass, bronze and silver.
BallistoL is compatible with all types of unfinished woods. Ballistol is compatible with paints and varnishes which are chemically resistant to petroleum. Caution is recommended when using Ballistol on antique furniture or antique musical instruments. Paints and varnishes from past centuries may not be resistant to Ballistol.
Ballistol can be used on all smooth leathers. Its use on suede is not recommended, since it will spoil its looks. Ballistol can be emulsified with water and mixed with gasoline, diesel fuel or antifreeze. Ballistol will chemically interact with and partially or fully neutralize substances of an acidic nature such as, but not limited to, human sweat, battery fluid, residues from tannic acid in leather.
Ballistol - Alkalinity
Ballistol has a pH of between 8.5 and 9.5. This variance occurs, because the pH of Ballistol can only be measured, when Ballistol is emulsified with water and because the concentration of Hydronium ions varies with the concentration of Ballistol in the emulsion. With an emulsion of 50 gr. of Ballistol in 1000 gr. of water a pH of 9 should normally result.
Ballistol as a Corrosion Inhibitor
Most corrosion inhibiting lubricants can only protect against normal oxidation. They do so by covering up the surface, which they are supposed to protect, and prevent contact with water and air. Due to its alkalinity Ballistol can also protect against galvanic corrosion, acidic corrosion and salt water corrosion. Ballistol contains oxygen binders. They make the oxygen, contained in water or air, unavailable for oxidation. Due to its low surface tension, Ballistol is capable of creeping into the smallest openings even against gravity. Accordingly, Ballistol provides not only passive but also active protection against corrosion. However, Ballistol is not a permanent coating or paint. Its protective effect will be the stronger the more often it is re-applied

 

[Rifleman1776]

The mystical properties keep being made up! it has no exotic ingredients or properties.

So shoot me. "exotic" was my characterization of what the chemists did with plain ole mineral oil.
Whatever, I no longer use it and do not plan to ever again. :barf: