WD-40

Comrad

Comrad

Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2012
Messages
3,372
Reaction score
4,301
Location
New Jersestan
As we all know WD-40 isn't really a lubricant it was invented as a water displacement even though lots of people use it as a lube. I have news. WD-40 is a lube, turns out the WD-40 brand also makes a number of white grease and silicone sprays among others. I recently needed a silicone spray and found the WD-40 brand. So here's a question, can a silicone spray lube be used on a pistol or revolver? I believe my gun socks have silicone in them. Is it good or bad?
 
Register to hide this ad
Not an answer to your question, but the WD-40 in the non-aerosol can works great. After three cans that died with more than half the can left, I tried the non-aerosol and have been pleased. You can do a wide or narrow spray, or let it just trickle out by lightly pulling the trigger if desired.
 
silicone ... yeah I kinda like that in a gun lube.
plenty slick and its properties as a release agent lend fairly well to actively fighting grime buildup.
Stuff just won't stick to it.

Still, all things have their limitations and I found that teflon powdercoating might be the last word in slide and rail lube.
Its a hard dry surface that will never collect anything at all and thrives while being run essentially dry.
 
We were taught at the police academy (way back when) that never to allow WD 40 near our revolvers as whatever is in the spray can kill the bullet primers.

I really don't know why. But I'm very sure they had a reason to teach that.

Anyone?
 
There's much better stuff for lubing guns. I buy WD40 by the gallon and use it to kill the primers in old ammo. We find live rounds on the range and folks give us old ammo to get rid of. I fill gallon plastic jars with ammo and pour WD40 on it and presto is safe to dispose of.
 
I have used regular wd40 on guns for over 20 years, so have a great many other people. Users have reportedly tested it and the rumored effect on primers by spraying it directly on primers, letting them soak, then loading live rounds with these. These went off just fine. The manufacturer also lists WD 40 as useful for firearms.
 
I use WD-40 for cleaning tar and road dirt off the car wheels and rocker panels, taking finger prints off the stainless steel kitchen appliances, cleaning glue off of metal, and cleaning grime off of machinery and tools. I almost never use it as a lubricant or rust preventative as I find there are much better choices. I do buy the 1 gallon container and fill the WD-40 quart spray bottle that came with it years ago. I find 1 gallon lasts me over 10 years and dislike the spray cans as most of it winds up airborne or on the floor and not where I want it.
 
Just what is a good lubricant? I once did a science project with my son where we tested a number of liquids on skateboard wheel bearings. Each liquid was applied in turn to a clean, dry set of bearings in a wheel. The wheel was mounted, run up to a uniform speed and allowed to spin until it stopped.

What gave the longest run? Brake parts cleaner. Next was plain water. WD40 was right up there. Dupont teflon lube was pretty good. None of the oils, all supposedly better lubricants, fared so well.

I know from my own experience with motorcycles, and from my reading on the subject, for a chain that is run offroad, in a dirty environment, that no chain treatment regimen has been shown to give longer chain life than regular dousings with WD40, except for a continuous supply of oil applied with a chain oiler that runs constantly. Proprietary chain "lubes": all worthless. None of them has ever been shown to have any effect on chain life. 90w gear oil, a great lubricant when applied continuously, has been known to shorten chain life in the conditions I describe.

That does not necessarily mean that WD40 is the best chain lubricant, or even a good lubricant. It all depends what you are testing for.
 
Last edited:
WardenRoss said:
We were taught at the police academy (way back when) that never to allow WD 40 near our revolvers as whatever is in the spray can kill the bullet primers.

I really don't know why. But I'm very sure they had a reason to teach that.

Anyone?
Click to expand...

They teach that as the result of some bad experiences. One example: in Seattle, an officer cornered a bad guy, pulled the trigger 6 times with his revolver, got nothing, and finally swatted the guy on the head with his revolver, ending the conflict. Subsequent tests of his ammo showed the primers wre oil soaked and inert. WD40 has very strong solvents that dissolve the anti-oil coating of primers, allowing the oil in the mixture to de-activate the primers. It takes a while, In the Seattle example the officer had been spraying his revolver with WD40 daily for several years. I keep WD40 away from primers religiously.
 
As well stated above, WD-40 has multiple uses and in many of those uses it is superior to most everything else. I have found several lubricants for usage on handguns to be superior, but if they weren't available I would reach for the WD-40 for a short time lube. Working with lathe and mill and welding, my hands get very grimy. I have found a spray of WD-40 used with the hand washing motion then a wipe with a dry rag gets my hands ready for the soap and water treatment. I also clean my handtools with WD. I use an evaporative cooler for cooling of my shop during the summer and with the use of WD on the tools, I never have encountered a rusting problem even with the higher humidity.
 
Friend used it on his knees!

I am NOT advocating this...only sharing what my friend used to do. One day I was at his house visiting and he was in obvious pain from his bad knees. He reached over and picked up a can of WD 40 and liberally sprayed both knees. He swore it helped loosen up his arthritic knees. I asked him if he thought he was the Tin-Man from the Wizard of Oz!
 
I used to WD 40 the front of the car/truck when going to AZ. Made washing the dead bugs off much easier. Had a white truck once and got washed out there. Ready to return I grabbed an old can of WD at SIL's place. Sprayed the front and noted it had a reddish look. Got home and it took two days to scrub the reddish look. Must of been rust in the spray can. Never use a real old can now.
 
pharman said:
I am NOT advocating this...only sharing what my friend used to do. One day I was at his house visiting and he was in obvious pain from his bad knees. He reached over and picked up a can of WD 40 and liberally sprayed both knees. He swore it helped loosen up his arthritic knees. I asked him if he thought he was the Tin-Man from the Wizard of Oz!
Click to expand...

About now I'll try anything.
e.
 
I use the WD-40 Silicone on the internals of all my semi auto 22's as the lubricant. Never regular WD-40 as a lube in guns, just as a cleaner and in general a sticky stuff remover.
 
I've used WD for years on guns, fishing rods, trailer winches, just about anything really. Never had a problem with it. It might not be the best for anything but it's a lot better than nothing at all.

I've used silicone spray on my guns exterior too. Good stuff. Stops rust, dust doesn't stick to it, and even fingerprints don't show up. Now, I don't just spray it on, I do wipe off the excess. Now I just use the silicone rags I guy at my gun store for about $3.00. A lot neater than a spray.

I've also started to cut those silicone rags up and use them for cleaning patches. Sort of expensive, but not outrageous. They do a great job cleaning the gook out of a barrel or cylinder.

It also seems to be a good fish attractant. Spray it on plastic worms and such. I just spray them in the bag. Not as messy.
 
Last edited:
I just recently bought a can of WD 40 lithium grease. Mainly cause I was fascinated by the spray/tube flip gizmo (I'm (easily entertained). It worked pretty good on an old rusted up reel lawn mower I wanted to resurrect. I've been using EEZOX as a lube and rust preventative on my revolvers. I used to have rust problems on Colt hammers which are usually in the white. EEZOX seems to be the solution.
In the past I used WD 40 on dot matrix printers. Specifically on the brass carriage bearings that rode on nickle plated steel shafts. I discontinued that practice because the stuff was taking the nickle off the shafts.
I wish they'd put access holes in car door panels so you could spray some lube on car window drive gear assm's..
 
Last edited:
WD40

Way back when I used to clean guns when I had my gun shop. At 25 per it was a help. Browning A 5s were 35. I found that the darn stuff left a brown residue on guns it was used on religiously. I didn't use it. There was a great product that came out called shooters Choice and I used brake clean by the gallons. Probably not real good for our bodies though TCFE or something
 
Cyrano said:
They teach that as the result of some bad experiences. One example: in Seattle, an officer cornered a bad guy, pulled the trigger 6 times with his revolver, got nothing, and finally swatted the guy on the head with his revolver, ending the conflict. Subsequent tests of his ammo showed the primers wre oil soaked and inert. WD40 has very strong solvents that dissolve the anti-oil coating of primers, allowing the oil in the mixture to de-activate the primers. It takes a while, In the Seattle example the officer had been spraying his revolver with WD40 daily for several years. I keep WD40 away from primers religiously.
Click to expand...

This is more of a case for not submerging your pistol in oil and solvent without wiping it off and not keeping ammunition in the chamber forever (and while you submerge the pistol) than it is a case against WD-40 . . .
 
USAF385 said:
Not an answer to your question, but the WD-40 in the non-aerosol can works great. After three cans that died with more than half the can left, I tried the non-aerosol and have been pleased. You can do a wide or narrow spray, or let it just trickle out by lightly pulling the trigger if desired.
Click to expand...
When can dies with some left in it, put can in freezer for a while, take out and press nozzle. This will pull a little pressure back into can and when warms up will spray out a bit.
 
Like Marshwheeling said, WD 40 isn't ideal for motorcycle chains, but can be useful, especially on off-road bikes. Since WD displaces water and penetrates, it can clean a bikes chain and get water out of it, as well as get rid of light rust. The bad part of WD, is that it is thin and evaporates. It will practically disappear after a while, especially at high speeds. I will use it to clean the chain on one of my drag/street bikes, then let it dry and use a lubricant that won't evaporate, usually chain wax. I don't use it on guns, unless to remove a little surface rust. I prefer to stick to products developed for guns.
Spraying your revolver daily for years? Why would someone do that?
 
Last edited:
pharman said:
I am NOT advocating this...only sharing what my friend used to do. One day I was at his house visiting and he was in obvious pain from his bad knees. He reached over and picked up a can of WD 40 and liberally sprayed both knees. He swore it helped loosen up his arthritic knees. I asked him if he thought he was the Tin-Man from the Wizard of Oz!
Click to expand...

Pharman, I have heard of WD-40 used for this purpose as a home remedy. It's not as outlandish as it might seem. I've never tried it myself, as I don't have joint pain, but seems as if it would be worth a try for those who do.
 
For a non gun use I find WD-40 to be a very effective stain remover on clothing. My wife used normal laundry spot remover and it didn't work. She dried the clothes and the stain was still there. She said that the clothes were ruined because the stain was now "set". I gave it my WD-40 treatment and the stain was gone.

If you're a homeowner and you don't have a roll of duct tape and a can of WD-40, you're just not doing it right!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Best practices for preserving pre-war blue?
Replies
17
Views
878
squirrelnest
squirrelnest
G
Can this 64-5 be salvaged?
2
Replies
43
Views
3K
younggun22
Y
SweetMK
A Lube For Aluminum That WORKS!!
Replies
27
Views
3K
Paul in Nevada
P
sandog
66-1 Purchase
Replies
6
Views
1K
Mike LaNier
M
Slufstuff
My new S&W model 411
Replies
6
Views
904
Slufstuff
Slufstuff

Latest posts

Back
Top