Can you use WD40 on guns – Easy tips for cleaning a gun with WD40

I am sure you must have this solvent named WD40 at your place for more than decades. This ultimate solvent is used by everyone, your father, grandfather, a great father and so on. Now if you are a gun owner then you must have seen people using this spray over the gun to keep it clean and prevent rust. But I was sitting with my friends, and even they are very learned and own several guns. So during the discussion, we talked about WD40 for gun cleaning. 

And at the end of the discussion, we come to the conclusion that you should not use WD40 on guns to clean them or prevent them from rust. And to my surprise using it actually damages your gun more and it is not safe at all. Keep scrolling down and find all the reasons why you should stop using WD40 on your guns. 

What is WD40, and where did it come from?

WD stands for water displacement. About 70 years ago, a small scale business company was working on a chemical solvent to prevent rust. Rocket chemical company made around 40 attempts to get the solvent right and then, at last, they finally found the right components with a water displacing formula. Since then this product is known as WD-40. It used to be a small business, but in today’s date it is inflated to 80% and this product is at everyone’s home whether it is a professional or not. But still, the formula of the solution is not disclosed completely, so it is difficult to guess the components used. 

What is WD40 originally made for?

As the name suggests, WD40 is a water-displacing solvent and not a lubricant. It is just used to break free rust, but it is surely not a lubricant, and as it is solvent; thus, it is ultimately performing its job and preventing rust. And WD40 is only designed to keep the rust away from metal. So now you must be thinking that is it ideal for cleaning a gun? But no, it is not. Despite the fact that it is made to prevent rust, it does not stay wet forever. As it is solvent, the liquid evaporates and leaves your gun’s surface unprotected. At first, the base will surely feel greasy and oily, but it will wipe out in a while. 

Can you use WD40 on guns? Is it safe or not?

As I discussed earlier, WD40 is the solvent used to prevent rust, and you all may seem it to be perfect for preventing rust from guns too. Here’s the catch, it is not possible at all to clean the gun with spray. It is because it may dissolve fouling in your gun and will result in having a layer of gunk on it. It also leaves very little oil on the gun’s surface that attracts more dirt, especially during winters. 

The real problem arises after using it. I will bring the light here, solvent actually dissolves any gunk or fouling and does not remove it altogether. While you spray water displacement, all the gunk and dirt moves to the corners that are difficult to clean and thus your gun shines like new. But using WD40 is not the right alternative; in fact, it is worse.  

Another major issue here is the solvent does not stick to the base for a longer time and evaporates faster. So you can take a fabric spray the solution on it and wipe the gun with the fabric. This will have all the dirt on the cloth and won’t get shifted to difficult areas. You will also notice residue on the base once you are done spraying. 

Bottom Line:

I am damn sure you do not need any more explanation. Just keep all the points in mind and use the lubricants that will actually protect your gun. I will be back with another exciting article and clear your myths.