WD40 for Firearms

jeremyd2012 · 08-16-2007, 10:41 PM

Is WD40 Good for firearms??, if so can you use it as a cleaning agent for your barrel?? I put some on my stock, receiver, and extieor barrel and bolt handle and it looked great but was that ok to do it?? Thanks

stubblejumper · 08-17-2007, 12:10 AM

WD 40 is not very good for cleaning out powder residue and is useless on copper fouling.It does displace moisture,but it attracts a lot of dust.There are much better cleaners and lubricants for firearms.

stalkingbear · 08-17-2007, 12:40 AM

Wd40 will penetrate your stock and ruin it-get it off QUICK! Best thing for stock is a good stock wax on the finish. As far as the metal,in time it will form a gummy buildup that's hard to get off-both inside and outside. Inside action it will attract dirt,dust,powder residue,etc to cause malfunctions after awhile. Use a good strong cleaner and then a good rust preventive.

eldeguello · 08-17-2007, 07:29 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: jeremyd2012

Is WD40 Good for firearms??, if so can you use it as a cleaning agent for your barrel?? I put some on my stock, receiver, and extieor barrel and bolt handle and it looked great but was that ok to do it?? Thanks

While it will displace water and give some rust protection, there are several strikes against it as a gun oil/solvent.

It is not intended for, nor is it particularly good as a cleaning solvent. It does have penetrating qualities, and has been known to "kill" ammo that got sprayed with it in some carry guns. It tends to build up a gunky, viscous mess in hidden recesses of gunmechanisms where it cannot be wiped out often enough to prevent buildup.

There are much better products for cleaning and preserving firearms than WD-40. I recommend the use of stuff that's made for guns!

Rebel Hog · 08-17-2007, 07:34 AM

I was a Safe & Vault and Locksmith for 31yrs and never, never used Wd-40.

WD-40 gets sticky when it dries and causes internal problems.

Chris_H · 08-17-2007, 07:37 AM

WD40 attracts crud and starts to "gum up" after a while. And also, it'll go through the finish on your stock.

Get a lubricant made for guns (don't put that on your stock either

), I recommend Rem Oil, by remington.

Rebel Hog · 08-17-2007, 07:40 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: stalkingbear

Wd40 will penetrate your stock and ruin it-get it off QUICK!

All machine oils will run tothe stockin the safe unless you place them barrels down.

savage3006 · 08-17-2007, 01:22 PM

Don't use it on your guns for regular maintenance. I always keep a can around in case I run into a tight/rusty screw (of course this never happens on *my* guns) but I remove it as soon as I can.

jeremyd2012 · 08-17-2007, 01:25 PM

is there a certain way to remove it or do i just wipe it off

savage3006 · 08-17-2007, 01:32 PM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: jeremyd2012

is there a certain way to remove it or do i just wipe it off

I do not know. I wipe it off and clean the gun with the Hoppe's #9 solvent. Some people could argue that mixing two different products is not a good idea.