WD-40 for cleaning pistols?

[PegLeg45]

Learned about PB Blaster when I was trying to get the rusted bed bolts off my Jeep J-20 pick up.
PB-Blaster WORKED!
Took about three days of wetting but hey they were put on 33 years ago....

Kroil - an old time gunner told me about that to loosen crud from rifling inside a barrel.
Also works.


Anyone familiar with Ballistol?
I know Hickok45 lives and dies by it - have not tried it my self.

First time I used Kroil, it was after getting it in a combo pack from Brownells along with a jar each of JB Bore compound and JB Bore Bright. Since then, that is my preferred cleaning method.......... Soaking with Kroil and patching, followed by the two JB's in succession.

http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleaning-chemicals/solvents-degreasers/bore-cleaning-paste/j-b-bore-compound-kroil-prod1159.aspx#.ULK-0oeZk4c

[JoeG]

Heard a story about WD40 and ammo a while ago. Apparently there was security guard who religiously cleaned his revolver with wd40 and got it on the shells. They found him dead after a break in with his revolver all 6 shells with dimpled primers none of them fired. The WD 40 had penetrated and deactivated the primers.

Don't try this at home

[Jrlobo]

Thanks JoeG. You prove my point. Guns are not machines to be treated as motors, lathes, grinders, door hinges or saws. Guns are living extensions of our bodies and brains and should be treated accordingly. Guns are survival and freedom. Guns are alive (loaded) for a reason. We rely on them for life and liberty. If we treat them well and don't cut corners, they will be there for us when we need them. As that security guard found out, it's too late when you realize you used the wrong stuff. Okay, all you motor oil freaks, have at me!

[ellis4538]

I have had just the opposit happen!  I had to pull a bullet from a split .38 Spl. case that I missed during inspection.  I sprayed WD-40 in the case and let it sit overnight (longer, I think).  Just for S&G I checked to see if it would fire...it did!  Glad I put my e & e protection on and fired in a safe direction.

FWIW


Richard

PS:  I try to fire any primer I am able so I don't throw out a live one.

[deepwater]

WD40 works great for cleaning oil, grease and heavy fuel oil off of engine parts, but not for for rust prevention. HFO (Bunker C) is like tar and this stuff cuts it great. the only problem is that it evaporates too quickly and leaves your parts (or gun) unprotected by the oil and grease you just cleaned off. also beware, it breaks down rubber and plastic. never use it to lubricate air tools, use regular engine oil for that. as I said, it's great as a solvent, just don't forget to remove it all and protect your equipment when you're done.

deepwater

[Sponsor]

[PegLeg45]

Something else WD-40 is good for....it'll clean black shoe scuff marks off a floor......

[blackwolfe]

I have used WD40 on guns plenty of times.  I routinely take it to deer camp and have used it particularly when back in camp after wet, damp, rainy, or snowy conditions to displace the moisture from all the nooks and crannies of my rifle.

A number of years back, one of the guys was using it in the field to frequently spry his rifle down with it when hunting on a rainy day.  He took a shot at a buck and the gun went click when he pulled the trigger.  He was about to open the bolt when the gun finally went bang.  Not sure if the hang fire was caused by the WD-40 or the rain or just coincidence.

I have had good luck with it for loosening exhaust nuts and bolt if you can apply it the day before you do he work.

I had always heard that WD-40 was developed for NASA and the technicians there keep talking the stuff home, so it was marketed and sold to the public.

Here are a couple of good links about WD-40, one about what is in as analyzed with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.  Look out for the cock roaches.  The other is a wiki link about WD-40 in general

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/17-05/st_whatsinside

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WD-40

[JoeG]

  Not sure if the hang fire was caused by the WD-40 or the rain or just coincidence.

My bet would be the wd40 as one of the reasons it penetrates is very low surface tension compared to water. Water beads up where wd40 will spread out and flow through a crack or seam. It may carry water with it into the interior, don't know about that but I do know it will wet a primer and deactivate it. Primer material is only shock sensitive when dry.

I use it to deactivate bad primers from reloading. Just put in a ziplock soak in wd40 and seal it up and throw away after a few days.

[Rastus]

My bet would be the wd40 as one of the reasons it penetrates is very low surface tension compared to water. Water beads up where wd40 will spread out and flow through a crack or seam. It may carry water with it into the interior, don't know about that but I do know it will wet a primer and deactivate it. Primer material is only shock sensitive when dry.

I use it to deactivate bad primers from reloading. Just put in a ziplock soak in wd40 and seal it up and throw away after a few days.

Expanding on that I remember in the 80's a lot of information floating out there, including police departments, to keep WD 40 away from guns...because someone always get's sloppy and gets the stuff on ammo and the primers get wet and fail.

WD 40 is, as I understand it, Water Displacement formula # 40 and was developed to spray on and maintain the outer skin of nuke missiles...whether it was used for that or not I don't know...just that I heard it was in the development chain for that purpose.

Some of the guys from the sandbox told me it was the best thing for their AR's to keep them running in the sand because it did not stay wet and collect sand like other oils did....I was kinda shocked because of the old edicts to keep WD 40 away from weapons but they said it worked best for them....I can't argue with actual experience.

[SJPrice]

If WD-40 had worked well, by now there would be a WD-45 and a WD-9 and a WD-380 etc.   I just assumed it was not so great since they never expanded past the 40 cal.