Water

[Old Hawkeye]

It amazes me how many people use WD-40 (fish oil) on firearms!! All the squeaky door hinges out there & it's being wasted on guns???

 

[Davey Boy]

I ordered Ballistol this morning.

But I like the idea of using alcohol.

I have been using alcohol for cleaning metal parts and then coating parts in Fluid Film. I want to try the Ballistol to see how it compares.

 

[toot]

remember that boiling water will cause instant flash rusting, adding to your problems.

 

[LuVerne Schumann]

I cringe when WD 40 is used around water.

Put water in a glass, add WD. Watch it a day or two.

Looks like something undesirable to me.

I use it for cleaning tree sap off things.

Well, WD40 is literally a Water Displacement formula, so yeah. It's good for getting rid of water. Unsure what your "experiment" is supposed to prove.

How much salt is in lard? You would think its a safe alternative.......until you see some of my tools. I use needle nose pliers to dip horn parts into hot, new lard. I wipe down the tools when I'm done, believing the coating will lube them for life.
You want to talk about a rust farm! Takes steel wool just to get SOME of the rust off. No way I'm lubing my bore with it!

Weird. My lard/beeswax mixture does an amazing job of inhibiting rust. Even to the extent of keeping areas of the barrel I want to rust for patina clear.

Wondering if there is something different between the lard I'm using and the lard you're using.

 

[Ames]

Snowcap? Unless its salts coming out of the cows horns.

 

[Billy Boy]

Well, WD40 is literally a Water Displacement formula, so yeah. It's good for getting rid of water. Unsure what your "experiment" is supposed to prove.



Weird. My lard/beeswax mixture does an amazing job of inhibiting rust. Even to the extent of keeping areas of the barrel I want to rust for patina clear.

Wondering if there is something different between the lard I'm using and the lard you're using.

Unsalted lard is available in some grocery stores out here in the sticks, like unsalted butter, its’ much more heart-healthy..

 

[Eterry]

I use very hot water to flush the barrel, give it a minute to evaporate, dry cotton patch until they come out dry, then lightly oil.

The most important thing I do is turn the barrel Muzzle down after that and store it that way.

That really seems to keep moisture from the breech area.

My retired gunsmith friend had a shop for 50years and says he Loves WD-40 on guns. He says it kept him fed and put 2 kids thru college.

 

[Carbon 6]

It amazes me how many people use WD-40 (fish oil) on firearms!! All the squeaky door hinges out there & it's being wasted on guns???

"Fish oil" is a myth.
https://www.wd40.com/myths-legends-fun-facts/

 

[Old Hawkeye]

"Fish oil" is a myth.
https://www.wd40.com/myths-legends-fun-facts/

Don't be a fun hater!! Without myths, fake facts & product propaganda, not to mention the opinions of millions, life would be boring!!

 

[Art Caputo]

As to WD 40,,,,
Back in the late 60’s, in my youth, my first firearms(unmentionables) were heavily used in harsh conditions, but meticulously cared for with incessant cleaning, oiling, waxing etc etc etc. No matter how hard I tried , using a variety of oils and rust preventatives, the dreaded rust spots would soon appear. After a couple of years of this, I acquired a can of WD40, and the rusting ceased. I have kept a can on hand ever since. One of these firearms , my first, and the most difficult to keep rust free, is still in my safe, last treated in the early 70’s with WD 40....and after all this time, not a spec of rust!!. Just my experience.

 

[kemart17]

What do you use to get the bore dry before oiling? I've been using WD-40 and then oiling with Knight gun oil. I'm just looking some more options.

another vote for alcohol, 90%

 

[tenngun]

How much salt is in lard? You would think its a safe alternative.......until you see some of my tools. I use needle nose pliers to dip horn parts into hot, new lard. I wipe down the tools when I'm done, believing the coating will lube them for life.
You want to talk about a rust farm! Takes steel wool just to get SOME of the rust off. No way I'm lubing my bore with it!

I don’t put any salt in my lard. I’m not talking bacon fat here, just plain pig fat, heated skimmed and filtered

 

[Tasbay]

Boiling water and let the heat dry it.

 

[Britsmoothy]

remember that boiling water will cause instant flash rusting, adding to your problems.

Na. It doesn't really do any harm. Stop panicking.

 

[Britsmoothy]

As to WD 40,,,,
Back in the late 60’s, in my youth, my first firearms(unmentionables) were heavily used in harsh conditions, but meticulously cared for with incessant cleaning, oiling, waxing etc etc etc. No matter how hard I tried , using a variety of oils and rust preventatives, the dreaded rust spots would soon appear. After a couple of years of this, I acquired a can of WD40, and the rusting ceased. I have kept a can on hand ever since. One of these firearms , my first, and the most difficult to keep rust free, is still in my safe, last treated in the early 70’s with WD 40....and after all this time, not a spec of rust!!. Just my experience.

Wd40 doesn't contain fish oil anymore so I believe! I understand it to now be all petroleum based. Not good with black powder foil.
Please check.

 

[Art Caputo]

Wd40 doesn't contain fish oil anymore so I believe! I understand it to now be all petroleum based. Not good with black powder foil.
Please check.

The actual formulation of WD40 has never been fully disclosed. It has been kept a trade secret as opposed to being patented, which would require specific disclosure of the formulation/ingredients. The fish oil story has been claimed to be a myth, and we may likely never find out the actual formulation. In order to meet the requirement for aerosol packaging they do have to provide “rough” contents for regulatory purposes. The company does claim that WD40 has about 50% mineral spirits and 10% naphtha. This can vary be country due to regulations.
I have not experienced any deleterious effects in my black powder rifles using WD40... probably due to the fact that the petroleum based distillates(long chain hydrocarbons) tend to evaporate, and/or are easily removed by swabbing with alcohol before use, a practice for me regardless of which rust preventative(BallistoI, Barricade, WD40) I use in the barrel. Over the years I have moved to using Ballistol and Barricade more so then WD40.

 

[Britsmoothy]

The actual formulation of WD40 has never been fully disclosed. It has been kept a trade secret as opposed to being patented, which would require specific disclosure of the formulation/ingredients. The fish oil story has been claimed to be a myth, and we may likely never find out the actual formulation. In order to meet the requirement for aerosol packaging they do have to provide “rough” contents for regulatory purposes. The company does claim that WD40 has about 50% mineral spirits and 10% naphtha. This can vary be country due to regulations.
I have not experienced any deleterious effects in my black powder rifles using WD40... probably due to the fact that the petroleum based distillates(long chain hydrocarbons) tend to evaporate, and/or are easily removed by swabbing with alcohol before use, a practice for me regardless of which rust preventative(BallistoI, Barricade, WD40) I use in the barrel. Over the years I have moved to using Ballistol and Barricade more so then WD40.

Gunsmiths have told me they hate the stuff because it destroys wood quickly.
Each to their own but no thanks from me

 

[DUNKS]

FLASH RUSTING.. I am new to muzzle loading but have been shooting black powder in my unmentionables for years. My method of cleaning has always been soapy water followed by boiling water which instantly dries every bit of the barrels. Then oil. Never any rust.
Tried this with my new 1835 muzzle loader with twist steel barrels and got instant flash rusting, very quickly cleaned off and oiled. WONT DO THAT AGAIN! Seems the rusting depends on the steel, my unmentionables are at least 100 years old but fluid steel.
I did do a little none scientific rust test a couple of years ago bare new steel plate on my workshop roof here in damp old UK and Ballistol and WD40 were among the first to fail.

 

[Doc Ivory]

Been using Barricade spray and run a few patches

 

[eggwelder]

I clean mine with soap and water, the WD40 the heck out of them. before i reassemble them, i wipe off the excess WD and spray down with G12. i wipe that off, and get most of it out of the bore.
before i go shooting, i flush then wipe with alcohol. I run a pipe cleaner thru the nipple hole to dry that part out as well on any of the percussions guns too If i wipe them out with alcohol at the range.