I heard WD-40 is bad for a gun barrel? Is it true?

Question

At my local gun club they have a station where you can clean your gun (shotgun usually) and the stuff they give you to out down the barrel (on a wire brush) and on the cleaning patch is WD-40. But then my Dad told me WD-40 is bad for a barrel when I asked him if I should clean my shotgun there after my NRA shotgun class. So if its bad for a barrel why would my local gun club have it there? And what does WD-40 do to a barrel?

I know what to use and I know how to clean my shotgun, I just want to know about the WD-40!

Answer 1

WD-40 is fine for cleaning your guns.

The reasons that I have heard for NOT using WD-40 are:

(1) WD-40 will seep into your cartridges and render your primers inert.

While soaking your primers in WD-40 will probably ruin them, it is unlikely that spraying WD-40 on your gun will affect your primers. It is unlikely that any WD-40 will seep through the seal created when your primer is seated into the case, and it is further unlikely that you will use so much WD-40 on your gun that this would be a problem.

I, myself, have tested the effects of WD-40 on factory ammunition. I have sprayed it over some rounds until they were quite wet with the stuff, and I have set the rounds, standing on the primed end, in a puddle of WD-40. After sitting for a few days, all of the rounds were fired without malfunction.

(2) The second thing I've heard is that WD-40 will make your barrel, or other gun parts, rust.

This is, in a way, somewhat plausible. While WD-40 will "displace" water, it is thin, causing it to float on top of water. Because it is hydrophobic, it will not mix with water. In theory, if you have pitting inside your barrel, and there is moisture in the barrel, WD-40 will float on top of that water, sealing it in the pit until the WD-40 evaporates. After that, the moisture and air can cause the metal to rust, even though you "rust-proofed" it with WD-40.

Although the risk of this is very small, I still refrain from using WD-40, and use Ballistol, instead. Ballistol emulsifies with water, and remains on the metal after the water has evaporated, helping to prevent corrosion better than WD-40.

Answer 2

WD-40 is a penetrating oil. It is a light, thin oil often used to get a stubborn screw or bolt to loosen up. Those qualities make if fine for use in a barrel. It won't hurt it and does help to clean it out.
The problem with WD-40 is it will "kill" ammunition. It is thin and light enough to go between the bullet and the side of a case or seep through the crimp in a shot gun shell or even find a way in through the primer pocket. oil contaminated gunpowder will not fire.
Just keep it away from your ammunition and you will be fine.

Answer 3

Most major Gun manufacturing companies recommend WD-40.....It displaces moisture, lubricates, and dissolves most any powder related fouling/residue in ANY gun barrel. 99% of all gun barrels are coated with industrial chrome, therefore they can't be hurt at all by a product like WD-40....As a former law enforcement armorer, I can tell you personally that WD-40 is an inexpensive, and excellent product to use on any firearm. Inside or outside (Won't hurt wood finishes either)Your Dad has been mis-informed

Answer 4

A lot of the "experts" will tell you that WD-40 "attracts dirt". That's the reason so many say to avoid it on firearms. And yet the firearms companies themselves recommend it.

Which one do you believe?

Some of the often quoted crap you hear in this hobby would make you laugh.

Tell your dad, gently, that he's been misinformed.

Go ahead and spray/rub your weapon down with it all you want. Just follow up with a light wiping with a clean cotton cloth after. You won't have any probs.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

Its a old saying taken out of its original meaning. WD40 would be good for your gun as it is a oil that digs into the material. This will only make the gun last longer. The problem and the reason for the saying, is that it kills rounds instantly. Use it on the gun if you want, but keep it away from your ammo. The WD40 will dig into the primer and soak the powder within. Wipe any extra from the loading area before you load the firearm. It only takes a drop to kill the round and yes I have done it several times to see if it works.

Good Luck & Happy Shooting.

Answer 7

WD-40 works fine its a thin fairly residue free oil . You dont want to use a thick oil or over lube a gun that will attract dirt and residue.

Answer 8

It's good stuff to wipe down the gun for protection from rusting, on the other hand I personally would never use it on two metal parts contacting each other, i.e. friction. The oil is to light for anything other than loosening tight screws.

I use to use two type of grease and one type of oil on every gun I built, none have been back in ten years for wear.

Answer 9

WD-40 was designed by sceintists at NASA to keep moisture from building up on the side of space shuttles. It is NOT a lubricant. When used in a gun it will keep it from rusting but over time the oil will dry and fill the inside of the gun with its dried out gunky residue that will hurt the performance of your firearm. I use a product called Gun Butter for all of my firearms (works great) and to clean them I use Hoppes.

Answer 10

For a shotgun barrel? Your dad has to be kidding. I don't know if he's noticed, but shotguns are not exactly precision instruments anyway. I'll wager you can clean a shotgun barrel with a sandblaster and never notice the difference shooting trap or game.

IMO many people simply make up a lot of gun myth and legend to give themselves something to do in the evenings. Try to ignore them and use common sense. Regular cleaning with WD40 is definately not going to hurt a shotgun barrel.