TheArcticWolf1911
Gunslinger
Joined: Sat Nov 4th, 2017
Posts: 426
Name: Cameron ... Occupation: Process Technician ... Interests: Firearms & Ammunition, Ford Rangers, electronics ...
Reputation Points: 426
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I use WD40 original to clean all my guns. The one exception is my M1 Garand, which gets special treatment unique to it.
I hose 'em down, scrub with toothbrush + bore brush where appropriate, blow dry then wipe and reassemble with either spray lithium or 3-in-1 oil.
I dumped 3 magazines in a row through my new Dissipator style AR-15 as fast as I could, and it didn't miss a beat. That thing was *smoking*. I have not cleaned the weapon, and it still has a good film of lubricant. 3-in-1 is what I have on it.
On the few occasions I've had a malf, it wasn't due to lubrication. Usually user induced, the "why the h*** did I do that?" kind of thing.
My M1 on the other hand also gets cleaned with WD40, but instead of being sprayed directly, I spray the instrument. IE, rag or brush, then wipe away. I lubricate it with wheel bearing grease. Nothing fancy. I chose grease because that's what it was lubricated with during WWII. I believe the tradition should continue for that rifle.
I've chosen this method for a few reasons. Guns and the lubrication thereof seems to be a rather heated topic, and I invite anyone who may dissent from my opinion to explain why they do. Perhaps you've thought of or experienced something I haven't.
First up, I'm not a fan of gun specific chemicals. I find that for the dollar amount I pay, I don't get more return on that investment. It's also harder to find. Fireclean, CLP, frog lube, hopps, whatever, are not as easy to come by for me. I also find they're more likely to be sold out in a panic buy. WD40, 3 in 1 oil, wheel bearing grease, and spray lithium (in contrast) are cheaper and I can find them any where, any time, from walmart, menards, to autozone.
These are also things that I stock for other things. I believe that if one thing can work in multiple places, use it in multiple places instead of buying 5 things. Less to think about.
For most of us, I believe it's hard to go wrong with lubricant. I mean, if you really had to, I'd be willing to bet you could sufficiently lubricate your weapon with used motor oil. I haven't seen any ill effects of my practice yet, and I don't expect to.
I have considered brakeclean, but I fear what that can do to finishes. WD40 doesn't pose that risk. I find it also doesn't leave the parts dry, therefor exposed to oxygen. Dry metal can rust, as we all know. WD40, also, displaces moisture which also helps to prevent corrosion. I like it when my products can do double duty.
Hopefully we never find out, but I would propose that if one was desperate enough, one could clean his weapon with WD40 and re-lubricate it in the field with it until he could find better. Think "guy scavenging after societal collapse". After all, crappy lube is better than none. Unless you're in the desert with fine sand that sticks to oil, in which case, dry may be the way to go.
If a weapon is particurally gooked up, I prefer the use of denatured alcohol. It's much safer on finishes, cheaper, doesn't evaporate as quickly, and also does a good job. I recently soaked a neglected pistol to do just that and found that had done the job quite well. I also could pour it back into the container to use it again, unlike a spray of brakeclean which is not recoverable.
That's just my opinion, and as we all know, everyone has one.
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1999 Ford Ranger XLT - 3.0 V6 4x4 - Loaded (Totaled) 143k. Rest in Peace, Gold Dust.
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