Contamination?

Alexx1401 · Aug 17, 2017

This has been going on for about as long as I have been around. WD 40 as far as I can tell will not really do damage but, it's far from the best for guns. Now for ammo. I had for decades believed it killed ammo since I had heard it for decades. Then long ago I read a test in some publication. They took baby food jars and soaked ammo in WD 40, Triflon, and Break Free. They had no problem with the WD 40 but did have both squib and dead rounds from the Teflon based lubes. I had always been told these were totally ammo safe. I had heard it so much I did not want to believe the article. So I did the same experiment at home. To my shock I got the same results. Some squib and dead rounds with Triflon and Break Free but nothing from soaking with WD 40. Now this was soaking ammo, primer down, in the stuff. I of course do not recommend anyone soak ammo or a gun in lube, any lube. I also do not use WD 40 on my guns but not for ammo. It's just not the best thing for guns.

FA9 · Aug 17, 2017

Alexx1401 said:
This has been going on for about as long as I have been around. WD 40 as far as I can tell will not really do damage but, it's far from the best for guns. Now for ammo. I had for decades believed it killed ammo since I had heard it for decades. Then long ago I read a test in some publication. They took baby food jars and soaked ammo in WD 40, Triflon, and Break Free. They had no problem with the WD 40 but did have both squib and dead rounds from the Teflon based lubes. I had always been told these were totally ammo safe. I had heard it so much I did not want to believe the article. So I did the same experiment at home. To my shock I got the same results. Some squib and dead rounds with Triflon and Break Free but nothing from soaking with WD 40. Now this was soaking ammo, primer down, in the stuff. I of course do not recommend anyone soak ammo or a gun in lube, any lube. I also do not use WD 40 on my guns but not for ammo. It's just not the best thing for guns.

This also proves that wd40 is a crappy penetrating oil.

Sstrand · Aug 17, 2017

I dare you to try that experiment with Kroil!?!?!?!?!?

Sheldon

Alexx1401 · Aug 17, 2017

Sstrand said:
I dare you to try that experiment with Kroil!?!?!?!?!?

Sheldon

Personally I have zero doubt a lot of lubes would kill primers if ammo was soaked in them. I don't know anyone who lubes a gun so heavy that the ammo is soaking like this. Seems like it would make a hell of a mess. I only did this because this was before Algore invented the net. I had been told all my life to that point that WD40 would kill ammo if it was even in the same room with it almost. I had been told that so long I just believed it. So much so I thought the article just had to be wrong. I had also been told the Teflon based stuff that proceeded CPL was totally safe for ammo. I still did not soak my guns in it but I "felt" much safer with it since I kept being told it was harmless. It shocked me when I got the same results myself.

CLT65 · Aug 26, 2017

I recently helped a friend refinish the stock for his Rem 700 rifle. He's hunted with it for 30 years, and he's used it a LOT.

The finish Remington uses on their wood stocks is some kind of thick, tough plastic of some kind, but about 80% of it was worn/peeled off his gun, and the exposed wood was stained and nasty looking. I asked him what he used to clean his gun and he says WD40.

I got a little aggressive cleaning it up (Purple Power degreaser), but it didn't seem to be permanently damaged. Most of the stains came out and it looks pretty good now.

I use WD40 for specific and limited purposes, but never for general lubrication. One of the things I've noticed it's good at is cutting gummed up carbon fouling. If I have a gun with caked up, gummed up fouling (like an old .22 rifle), WD40 and an old toothbrush does the trick. BUT, I then make sure I wash out the WD40 and lube it with a proper gun oil.

I've seen more than one Rem 700 trigger mechanism gummed up with dried out WD40, to the point where it would go off when the bolt was closed.

F2CMaDMaXX · Aug 26, 2017

WD40 is a few things, a lubricant though, it is not.

It's a very thin petroleum distillate which is why it cuts through carbon, most old style gun cleaners are the very similar.

ikemay · Sep 4, 2017

WD stands for water displacement
40 stands the the test number

Hence the name WD-40 ..... Water Displacement test number 40. It's not really a lubricant. Now, there is a pretty complete test a guy did and he seemed to think WD-40 Specialist was pretty good stuff.

Results of gun care product evaluation - Shooters Forum

Certaindeaf · Sep 4, 2017

Kruejl said:
Huh, I've been using WD-40 for YEARS. Had an old school gunsmith tell me once it was the best thing to clean and protect guns. WD stands for Water Displacement. Seems to work well on my Glocks and AR's although Frog Lube works better.

I use Walmart's Supertech spray "Lubricant" (that's what it says on the can) in place of WD40. It's way cheaper than WD and has to be at least as good. I mainly only use it on car parts and maybe as a "water displacer" type deal on some stuff.

Andy54Hawken · Sep 4, 2017

F2CMaDMaXX said:
but then again you can still find people who think smokeless powder is a passing fad.

You talking about me?....

While I do think that smokeless powder is a passing fad and those cartridge guns will never catch on... I will not use WD-40 on my guns.
Boiled Lin seed oil
CLP / Tri Flow / Break Free
Hoppes #9
bear grease /deer tallow
And 'cause I shoot black powder , plain old water , sometimes hot , sometimes not , maybe with soap or at times no soap.
Andy

F2CMaDMaXX · Sep 4, 2017

Haha, don't mis-quote me

For black powder cleaning and, i think mainly corrosive cleaning, i've heard (and now have) some Ballistol, mixed with water, does a very good job apparently.