WD-40 is the best!

[Guest 731david]

It works great for cleaning greasy tables in the shop...

[kieefer]

It works great for cleaning greasy tables in the shop...

That's what I use it for, a cleaner.

Lubriplate 130-A grease & TW25B oil on my guns.

[I_Like_Pie]

Not only is it not for firearm lubrication, it's not for lubrication, period.

That is not entirely true....actually not even remotely true. I don't know what kind of school that they teach this. Spit can be a lubricant depending on what it is used on.

For aluminum ladders...there is really no better lubrication than WD-40. Actually there is, but kerosene is a bit dangerous to use.

[Will Carry]

WD-40 is great stuff. It does have limited lubrication properties but I wouldn't use it on a fire arm. I use it on work benches to prevent rust. Once the solvent evaporates it leaves a thin film of oil.

[I_Like_Pie]

wait, you were serious? You really use motor oil on your guns?

But bkelm - I do agree with you on this one

People who know better than to spend big money on 1/2 of overpriced lubricant do. ATF is great also.

[kieefer]

Motor oils: Generally good boundary lubrication (particularly the Havoline formulations), but very poor corrosion resistance and poor resistance to open-air oxidation. In addition, their pour-point additives often contain benzene compounds, which aren't a good thing to have next to your skin on a regular basis! ATF performs better for firearms use on every count, even if it is a tad more expensive. (ATF is still 1/10 to 1/100th the cost of a specialty "gun oil"!)

Gear oils: Too thick for the application. In addition, they contain tackifiers which gives them poor migration and lead to oxidization in open air, rendering them even more "sticky" - pretty much what we don't want. (Some folks use it on their slide rails because it's thicker and won't migrate easily; a light grease is a far better choice.) If you really want a thicker oil with all the good characteristics we've covered, but is still cheap, mix ATF and STP Oil Treatment in a 40/60 ratio. Far better than gear oil on every count - but I'd still rather have a good NLGI #0 grease.

WD-40: WD-40 was never meant to be a lubricant - it was designed as a moisture displacer. It's far too light for any load protection, has incredibly poor corrosion resistance, contains zero boundary lubricants, and rapidly oxidizes to form a sickly yellow varnish (hint: this is not good for delicate internal lockwork.) There are those who will defend this stuff vehemently, but then again you can still find people who think smokeless powder is a passing fad. Just. Don't.

Automotive motor oil additives: Usually a boundary additive in some sort of light mineral oil carrier, they usually lack corrosion protection and often oxidize rapidly; some have poor migration characteristics and rely on the oil to which they'll be added to provide those things. There are better and cheaper alternatives, though when mixed with an appropriate oil additives do have some merit (see above.) By themselves? No.

Untitled Document gotta be true if it's on the web

[Guest bkelm18]

That is not entirely true....actually not even remotely true. I don't know what kind of school that they teach this. Spit can be a lubricant depending on what it is used on.

For aluminum ladders...there is really no better lubrication than WD-40. Actually there is, but kerosene is a bit dangerous to use.

Edit: Nevermind.

We'll just agree to disagree.

Edited March 6, 2011 by bkelm18

[johnnychimpo]

WD40: Water Displacement formula 40. Thats where the name comes from.

I think the fish oil rumors are true. It has it's uses.

[mikegideon]

I use gun oil on my guns. A bottle lasts me a long time, and I like the convenient tip. I normally is a silicone cloth on the outside. Solven costs get me a lot more than the cost of oil, because I use a lot more of it.

[Mike]

Don't they oils specifically for guns?

They also make motor oil specifically for motors, just saying.

No, there are no gun specific lubricants. Only repackaged and re-purposed lubricants at a significant markup.

Works great, stays where you put it and doesn't ever dry up. Go buy the cheapest tub they have at walmart.

Mike

[dralarms]

My grand dad used to use Wd40 on his hands because of ol' auther.

[Guest bkelm18]

No, there are no gun specific lubricants. Only repackaged and re-purposed lubricants at a significant markup.

Works great, stays where you put it and doesn't ever dry up. Go buy the cheapest tub they have at walmart.

Mike

I use red grease as well on the slide/frame rails.

[I_Like_Pie]

I use Molybdenum Disulfide axle grease on the internals of guns that aren't meant to be detail stripped but once ever decade or so....High end shotguns mainly. It works very well on slides of semis also...I am sure that this red grease is pretty good too.

[johnnychimpo]

AR's run great on 30wt motor oil. Metal is metal. Friction is friction.

[East_TN_Patriot]

Regarding the WD-40 issue in guns, my understanding is that the problem comes with the heat produced when shooting. If you use WD-40, and shoot a lot, then don't totally strip down and clean the gun completely, every time you shoot it you are getting a layer of gunk building up on your firearm. That is why some people encounter a problem and others don't. Some folks just spray the gun down and put it away for storage, thus you aren't going to get the heat induced breakdown of the product. At least, this is the explanation I got from a very experienced gunsmith I used to work for.

[Guest bkelm18]

It's nice to see people are using "non-traditional" gun lubricants. I know on some other boards, saying you use motor oil (or any other non firearm oil) is akin to saying you were in cahoots with Judas.

[Jasongar8]

I use motor oil on my 1919 and M2HB and red grease on everything else.

[I_Like_Pie]

It's nice to see people are using "non-traditional" gun lubricants. I know on some other boards, saying you use motor oil (or any other non firearm oil) is akin to saying you were in cahoots with Judas.

You are sure right about that one. These are the same people who think reloads are inferior to factory ammo. I'll have to admit that CLP is good stuff, but thinking outside the box gets you a lot for less when it comes to the firearm industry.

[Guest mosinon]

I bet that engines are built to tighter tolerances than your average firearm. I would further opine that the average engine cycles more than the average firearm. Thus, I would opine, that motor oil is fine for your general purpose handgun.

I think WD 40 is probably mineral oil or something. I've heard people say it is a metal penetrating oil. This seems retarded to me, they ship the stuff in a metal can and all. If there is an oil out there that actually penetrates metal I'd like to hear about it.

[strickj]

Meh.... I'm not going broke by spending a couple bucks on Tetra grease

AR's run great on 30wt motor oil. Metal is metal. Friction is friction.

I can tell you're not a car guy.

Metal is like bread. There's a million recipes and no two are alike.

Oil is like jam. There's a million recipes and no two are alike.

Friction is what happens when you mate a too thick of a jam on a too thin of a piece of bread

That is not entirely true....actually not even remotely true. I don't know what kind of school that they teach this. Spit can be a lubricant depending on what it is used on.

For aluminum ladders...there is really no better lubrication than WD-40. Actually there is, but kerosene is a bit dangerous to use.

This is true. WD is a great lube for all kinds of stuff. And so is spit

I wouldn't use WD as a gun lube but it (and similar brands) is the best thing available to protect against rust. It will also rejuvenate your faded blued finish and make it look brand new.

I think WD 40 is probably mineral oil or something. I've heard people say it is a metal penetrating oil. This seems retarded to me, they ship the stuff in a metal can and all. If there is an oil out there that actually penetrates metal I'd like to hear about it.

Oil molecules are smaller then the grains in metal which lets it 'penetrate'. Penetrating oil is simply smaller and will have additives that attract the oil to metal. Think magnet.

Penetrating does not mean that it will go completely through.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I use WD to start the cleaning process. I will soak the part down with WD-40 then wipe it all off with a cloth rag, it seems to work pretty well. It doesn't get dry like when I use non-chlorinated brake cleaner but seems to loosen the crud pretty well. After that I will use q-tips to really clean the areas that I normally apply the grease to.

I use WD as a cutting fluid when machining or tapping. It also works well on your hands if they are a bit stiff. I have a friend who swears by it for that purpose. I have tried it and I am not usre if it was wishful thinking or not but it did seem to work.

As far as gun lubricants I use a good molybendum disulfide grease on the rails and high stress areas. I also use a 50/50 mix of synthetic motor oil and transmission fluid as a protectanct and lubricant on other parts. So far the 50/50 mix has worked well on everything I have tried it on. If the grease seems a bit thick for a certain area I will thin it with a few drops of the 50/50 mix.

Personally I believe the grease acts as a shock absorber between high stress parts.

Dolomite

[enfield]

Regarding the WD-40 issue in guns, my understanding is that the problem comes with the heat produced when shooting. If you use WD-40, and shoot a lot, then don't totally strip down and clean the gun completely, every time you shoot it you are getting a layer of gunk building up on your firearm. That is why some people encounter a problem and others don't. Some folks just spray the gun down and put it away for storage, thus you aren't going to get the heat induced breakdown of the product. At least, this is the explanation I got from a very experienced gunsmith I used to work for.

I've had it turn to varnish on the surfaces of a muzzleloading pistol that rarely leaves the safe.

[Guest tnxdshooter]

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At gumming your firearm up! Not sure if you got the memo but its not for firearm lubrication. It has however kept a steady flow of customers coming in for repairs which turn out to be nothing more than a deep clean. Thanks WD-40 for keeping the lights on!

Just thought I'd share my distaste for the stuff. Carry on.

My grandpa called me here about 5 months ago. He said hey my .38 is locked up. (This gun is nearly 100 years old it was his dads). Anyways, I said what did you clean it with? He said wd-40. I said no wonder it is locked up you probably gummed up the action. So he took it apart and found that the action was indeed gummed up. I gave him some of my eezox to clean it with. He has had no problems since.

[Guest tnxdshooter]

I use Rem oil, what do you guns recommend?

EEZOX hands down cleans and lubes better than any other oil I have found. Leaves the barrel absolutely spotless and shiny. Also, use hoppes #9 gun grease on the slide rails. The Springfield XD has over 1200 rounds of various types of 40 ammo and has never had a problem. I used to use rem oil previously and found that eezox cleans and lubes so much better.

Edited March 7, 2011 by tnxdshooter

[leroy]

My guess is that WD 40 aint nothing but a high grade kerosene (...there is such a thing...) with some magic stuff to help the kerosene penetrate stuff like rust, assembly lube, and crud on assembled parts. It is principally a penetrating oil and a cutting lubricant for drilling and cutting. It smells suspiciously like the old varsol we used to use to wash parts down with in the "old days". Lifted this from the MSDS:

3 - Composition/Information on Ingredients Ingredient

CAS #

Weight Percent

Aliphatic Hydrocarbon

64742-47-8

45-50

Petroleum Base Oil

64742-58-1

64742-53-6

64742-56-9

64742-65-0

<25

LVP Aliphatic Hydrocarbon

64742-47-8

12-18

Carbon Dioxide

124-38-9

2-3

Surfactant

Proprietary

<2

Non-Hazardous Ingredients

Mixture

<10

Over 75% old time oil and grease (...alphatic hydrocarbons=greases, oils....). Time (...and technology...) has simply passed WD40 by. The new synthetic stuff is just better.

My guess is that the "gell and crud" that everybody talks about is the result of the cleaning action of the WD40. I suspect it cleans and that the "crud" appears to gell; but that's just me.

leroy