WD-40 to clean pistol/rifles

[davidb]

You can use water to clean your guns too.. Doesn't mean it will work.


FWIW.

Water will get your gun just as clean if not cleaner than solvents/clps, you just have to be extremely thorough in disassembly, reassembly and drying

[davidb]

Ronsonol, mineral spirits and naphtha will all work as cheap solvent/degreaser alternatives

[Vin63]

I did see that WD40 introduced a penetrant formula not long ago. If that's what the OP was referring to, it might be a decent CLP-type product. I use Gibbs Brand (also a penetrant) when I shoot jacketed ammo as my CLP. I use it in my hot rod and fabrication business, so it's relatively inexpensive since I buy it in large quantities.

[jcourson]

WD-40 Specialist is supposed to be pretty good stuff, regular WD-40 is not.

Check out http://www.dayattherange.com/?page_id=3667 for a pretty comprehensive not-really-scientific corrosion test for 46 common products.

[norcal77]

Ballistol is the safest way to go, non toxic so no worries if gloves aren't on..

[BrassCase]

WD40 is known as the gunsmith's best friend. Why, because people that use it to lube a gun with end up as customers of the gunsmith.

Ballistol rocks. I use brake cleaner to wash out junk and then relube, very useful on the upper of an AR.

[Springfield45]

You can use water to clean your guns too.. Doesn't mean it will work.


FWIW.

Dish soap and hot WATER is the best way to clean black powder from muzzle loaders.

While WD-40 is not ideal, it will work if you have nothing else.

[Garand1911]

WD40 is known as the gunsmith's best friend. Why, because people that use it to lube a gun with end up as customers of the gunsmith.

Hogwash !!
Not saying its a great lube, its not!
If your a shoot and spray, shoot and spray, kind of guy then maybe it would gum up the works. Which doesn't require a gunsmith to fix, well maybe if your clueless.
If you lube and shoot, lube and shoot, you would have the same problem.

[duckman1]

If you reread the original post the OP was not asking about the original wd-40 he was asking about their specialty products.

I don't have any experience with them, sorry I cannot be of assistance.

[Pauliedad]

Ive known a bunch of older guys who swore by WD40.
I personally understand how it leaves the goo over time so I use Balistol/Hoppes
Many of these older folks I'm speaking of will never change mostly because they don't have computers and if they did, would never sit on the inter web and read.

[Bansh88]

Ive used the "specialist" lubricant and the rust preventer. I got it from work. It's not cheap.
Seems good but havent used it for any kind of long term.

If it had a picture of a rifle on it, dudes would be lining up to buy it.

[bruss01]

Water will get your gun just as clean if not cleaner than solvents/clps, you just have to be extremely thorough in disassembly, reassembly and drying

I sometimes use a sonic bath with Dawn or Simple Green, followed by a rinse in denatured alcohol. Sitting in the oven for an hour at 250 degrees gets all alcohol and water out and is low enough to not affect any heat treat. Then lube the friction points with proper grease or oil and wipe down any places you want to protect from corrosion with a light protectant sheen. Barrels sometimes get an extra step, copper solvent and a rinse between sonic bath and alky rinse. Poly frames can get this treatment but skip the oven, blow the alky rinse out with compressed air and allow to air dry on a paper towel. Wet patch with oil down the barrel, followed by a dry one, call it good and back into the safe until next time.

This works well for pistols, long guns don't fit the tank or oven, so they get the old school treatment.

[alfred1222]

Eds red for me

[1911colt.ml]

I use WD 40 to spray down my 5.45x39 AR rifle after I get done at the range. I shoot 7N6 ammo which has corrosive primers and WD 40 kills off the bad residue out of the action, barrel, gas tube ect. Now when I get home I detail clean the AR with other gun cleaners. It works great for that.