WD40

It will make certain types of O-rings swell up like doughnuts. Some guns do have O-rings such as a Remington 1100 shotgun.
 
I would not use it on my guns. There are much better products; however, many believe it will relieve pain and swelling if rubbed into arthritic joints our joints with a mild strain.
 
Many years ago I went out of the gun hobby. I liberally sprayed my Remington 1100 with WD-40 inside and out. After about 7 years locked away, I got it out , and could not move the bolt handle. It was glued shut and would not move at all!!! I had to soak it in kerosene over night,and even then it was still gummed up and hard to move. I have not put WD on any guns since then.
It is good for cleaning the stainless steel cook stove though.
 
A long time ago, I used WD40 on some of my guns. It gummed them up so much that they would not work. I learned my lesson about WD40. DON'T USE IT ON FIREARMS. It will ruin your ammo too.
 
I don't understand why people spend hundreds of dollars on a nice firearm and then skimp on the cleaner/lube. CLPs are great products. They may seem a little costly but you don't use much to clean and lube a firearm. Therefore not really expensive.
 
"varnish-like residue" best friend is in autobody, has been since the 70's. Hes always called it the "locksmith's best friend" as in using it in internal mechanisms gums them up. Then again its almost all I ever used on guns in the late eighties and early nineties.
 
My 625 gets hosed down with it every 1k rounds or so. Seems to take burn marks off like nobodies business, until the gun melted.:rolleyes:
 
The only prob I've noticed....

It doesn't stay in place over long times and runs off easily, so if you use it, make sure to use a little often to keep it 'wet'.

I have heard people say that with excessive use it can dry and gum up a gun pretty bad. I never saw this. If you spray a lot in a gun and leave it several years, yeah, I can see that happening. I just think if you use it, use a little often.
 
I'm cheap, I use 100 percent synthetic motor oil or ATF as a clp for my semi-autos and wheelguns. A friend cleaned his model 36 with WD40 regularly. It swelled the stocks impinging the mainspring / strut.
 
WD40? Back when I was a maintenance tech at the Rubbermaid factory in Winchester Va, I'd use it as a cuttin' lube for drilling out stripped manifold threads and tapping them for a hardened steel insert on multi-ton plastic molding presses.
Another thing I used it for was on the seams on the bed of my '87 Toyota 4wd truck to try to prevent rust. Delayed the inevitable but it rusted anyway.
I never came near a gun with it.
 
I have used WD-40 for the past 51 years for firearm maintenance and have yet to have a problem of any sort with my guns. Cleans, lubes, and prevents rust. No gumming up either.
 
I've had my fair share of pristine looking pistols brought to me by academy cadets (who fear "white glove" inspections), reporting assorted malfunctions experienced during their live-fire range sessions. Sometimes it's happened when academy graduates returned and experience malfunctions with their "clean & lubed" pistols when attending their first agency qualification session.

The common denominator has often been along the lines of, "But I used WD40 to clean and lubricate it!?!" When pistols start to heat up after a mag or two, clean/dry guns don't seem to run as well as clean/lubed guns ... or even dirty/lubed guns. Go figure. I cleaned and lubed the guns using one or another of the normal gun products that rotate through the bench ... and the guns suddenly worked as intended.

I use WD40 on some car parts, gardening equipment and door hinges.

Lots of good products being sold for use on firearms. Nice to see some being offered that are less toxic, too. However, you still need to read the labels. Not only for potential safety precautions, but to make sure whatever product you want to use is appropriate for the materials on your firearms (steel, aluminum, wood, plastic, etc).
 
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Considering it was developed as a water displacement and used to prevent corrosion in nuclear missiles I feel pretty confident it's not going to destroy my guns, if it does we're in a heap of trouble with our nuclear deterrent.
 

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