WD40 as CLP

[gun toting monkeyboy]

NO! NO! NO! NO! Don't use WD-40 on your guns!!! The organic solvents evaporate very quickly, and the residue it leaves turns into a gummy shellac coating very quickly. It is NOT meant for guns. The local gun smith used to be a marine armorer for many, many years. He still tells stories of coming to a new unit, and finding 80% of their 1911s being nonfunctional when he got there. All of them had a nice, thick layer of yellowish laquer inside from long term WD-40 use. Use a real oil, not that stuff. Besides, there is no reason to oil a lower for storage. It can't rust, and is protected from oxidation by the coating that is already on it.

-Mb

[kmca]

If you want to do something, how about sealing it in a plastic baggie with a silica gel pack inside??

[ETD1010]

It's aluminum. It will not rust or pit. It is anodized as well.
Your best bet is to keep it dry (no lubricants etc..).

That's what I was going to say. When Aluminum Oxidizes (which is does), the layer of oxidation PROTECTS further oxidation. Steal, continues to oxidize, thus pitting. This is why there is an advantage to using aluminum cylinders for 02, and scuba tanks.... or so they say.

As for my lowers (or all my guns for that matter) I'd never use WD40. . . bad joo joo.

[UBFRAGD]

My take on it is, WD-40 can be used as part of the cleaning process.......for instance, soak an assembley in WD-40, blast it off with compressed air, soak it with something like Rem Oil, blast it off.....like new, and protected!! (I remember reading somewhere (probably CG) that WD-40 left in a bore was not wise)

[CavTrooper]

I was under the impression that military armories use WD 40 as a lubricant.

What gave you that impression?

[Diablo]

There was a thread here about 1 1/2 years ago and one of the members stated that that's how it was done while he was in the military. I gotta find it and get back to you guys.

[CavTrooper]

There was a thread here about 1 1/2 years ago and one of the members stated that that's how it was done while he was in the military. I gotta find it and get back to you guys.

Please do.

[CHS]

WD-40 is fine for cleaning guns, and actually does a good job. It's NOT a good idea as a lubricant. Mobile 1 is good for that, or Dexron ATF.

[ZRX61]

I pack all my unused lowers in a heavy coating of bacon grease. It protects them from corrosion and pitting, and as an added bonus, it smells like Sunday breakfast.

AND!! Muslims won't touch it!

WD40 is used by people who haven't discoverd AeroKroil yet...

[IllTemperedCur]

Here's a good link for several effective homemade lubricants/cleaners.

http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm

The ever-popular Ed's Red is one of my favorites.

Take the military cleaning stories with a grain of salt. GIs are notorious for misusing chemicals. We used to use 1.1.1 triclorofloroethane for weapons cleaning, as long as you remembered to relube EVERYTHING. Great stuff when it was widely available, but nasty. Any chemical that makes your hands tingle and twitch when you work with it for more than 10 minutes is probably not healthy.

Don't use Simple Green to degrease aluminum. It'll react with the aluminum.

You're probably worrying too much. Ziploc and a dessicant pack is more than enough protection for simple storage of anodized aluminum.

[patriot.saint]

Thanks for all the replies. I went to this HUGE place called the Bass Pro Shop and was in shock at all the stuff they had. I spent two hours there and walked out with some gun clp.

[1911su16b870]

Use Breakfree CLP, WD-40 was invented as a Water Dispersant.

[Diablo]

Please do.

Here it is..!!!

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=44876&page=2

[Synergy]

WD-40 primary ingredient is kerosene.

[Voo]

WD40 does a pretty good job with removing grease and breaking down that gummy crap that gets left behind when you remove stickers.

For general gun cleaning, I've 'felt' the need maybe once or twice to get the can of WD40, but thats mostly to remove that 'sticker' residue I was referring to. Anything else, like carbon, copper, or lead gets removed with CLP (breakfree or weaponshield).

As everyone has stated, WD40 is the SUCK for lubricating and/or protecting