Gun oil and every other oil

One shot on kill

Right every one is fairly particular with what oil they use on so fair enough.

But what's the difference between gun oil and say wd40 and other oils. Now I know wd40 is a big no no and all.

I suppose what makes a good oil and what makes a bad one.

Invincible

One shot on kill wrote: »

Right every one is fairly particular with what oil they use on so fair enough.

But what's the difference between gun oil and say wd40 and other oils. Now I know wd40 is a big no no and all.

I suppose what makes a good oil and what makes a bad one.

Gun oil will have a thicker viscosity than penetrating oil such as WD40, gun oil will lubricate, cling to the metal. Browning gun oil has a water displacement function too.

One shot on kill

Water displacement. ??? as in let water run away and or sit on top of oil and not on parts.

Cass

WD40, and other such aerosol sprays are primarily a penetrating oil. Use to penetrate into smaller spaces of a gun. However thy do not prevent rusting.

Gun oil is primarily a lubricant, and will give a certain degree of protection. This is based on the make up of the oils, and the purpose of the oil. What that make up is i have no idea.

WD40 and such are good at freeing up nuts bolts, etc. Gun oils are specifically made to maintain good care of a gun.


So simply put i would stick with what it says on the can. Gun oil for guns, WD40 for stuck nuts, screws, and bolts.

meathstevie

Plus some good heat resistance capabilities. Maybe not that important for an internal hammer shotgun but when you start talking machine guns and other automatic assault weaponry temperature starts to play a fairly big role.

tac foley

WD40 is a Water Displacer - that is what the letters in the name stand for. It was invented and put into use in 1940, hence the number. The extremely thin oil-based material will eventually gum up.

The intial 'wow' of having something free up from using it will soon dissipate, almost as quickly as its lubricative properties.

Use a proper gun oil that is made as a gun oil and reads 'Gun Oi' on the container. I recommend 'Legia' brand gun oil, it having been used on guns in my family since before WW2.

I still have twelve out of eighteen guns that were made before WW2 in perfect working order. All the others are post-war, and as good, mechanically, as new.

tac

pnudj

Any opinions on 3 in 1 oil, is it suitable for use on firearms ?

IRLConor

One shot on kill wrote: »

Now I know wd40 is a big no no and all.

For what it's worth, WD40 is listed as one of the approved oils in the manual for my rifle.

Personally, I've only used it on the extension tube to make it easier to get the gunk out of it but I don't think it's quite as dangerous to rifles as some people make it out to be.

tac foley wrote: »

WD40 is a Water Displacer - that is what the letters in the name stand for. It was invented and put into use in 1940, hence the number.

Almost right, but not quite. It's "Water Displacement, 40th formula" according to the WD40 FAQ.

Cass

IRLConor wrote: »

............. but I don't think it's quite as dangerous to rifles as some people make it out to be..

I wouldn't class it as dangerous, just not ideally suited. I mean if there are better alternatives i'd be more inclined to use them.

pnudj wrote:

Any opinions on 3 in 1 oil, is it suitable for use on firearms ?

You can use it, and it will work fine. However it may not provide the protection, and effective lubrication as a better, more suited, gun oil.

EWQuinn

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WD-40

Developed for the Atlas Missle program in '53, its a lighter penetrating oil. It is said and I have had the experience of it partially evaporating over time and leaving a more viscous brown gunk, in my experience more problematic in that regard than the gun oils. So I would use it to clean if you like, and as a field expedient lube / protectant, but like Cass for a primary gun lubricant and protectant, recommend a more appropriate oil.

3 in 1 Oil, now owned by WD 40, based upon its purpose and composition, and my own experience with it, I would say its a little better in firearms application than WD 40. Designed at the turn of the last century in the "classical age" of bicycles.

One shot on kill

Cass wrote: »

WD40, and other such aerosol sprays are primarily a penetrating oil. Use to penetrate into smaller spaces of a gun. However thy do not prevent rusting. .

Preventing rusting ye I actually didn't think of that believe it or not.

Infairness I'd always use gun oil. But the likes of a trigger assembly is wd40/3in1 your man. Or as you say just stick to the gun oil.

tac foley

IRLConor wrote: »

For what it's worth, WD40 is listed as one of the approved oils in the manual for my rifle.

Personally, I've only used it on the extension tube to make it easier to get the gunk out of it but I don't think it's quite as dangerous to rifles as some people make it out to be.



Almost right, but not quite. It's "Water Displacement, 40th formula" according to the WD40 FAQ.

Darn it. Still, 50% right is better than 100% wrong, eh?

tac

IRLConor

tac foley wrote: »

Darn it. Still, 50% right is better than 100% wrong, eh?

tac

Agreed. The "water displacement" part is the most important unless you're delivering a sermon on perseverance.

Cass

One shot on kill wrote: »

Infairness I'd always use gun oil. But the likes of a trigger assembly is wd40/3in1 your man. Or as you say just stick to the gun oil.

There are other gun designed oils that come in an aerosol such as Bruno oil, Beretta, Kirklands, and Remmy. They are spray cans, but the make is the key difference between them and the likes of WD40.

WD40 was not designed with firearms in mind. It is a general use oil, and a very effective one at that (i always carry a can in the jeep). However as said above you can pick up a more firearm specific oil both as a thick oil in a can or lighter oils in a spray can. They are usually the same or sometimes cheaper than WD40, etc.

So if "nervous" use one of these firearm designed oils in a spray can, and then give a wipe with an oily rag using a more viscous oil.

Remember that oiling is important, but over oiling can be as bad as not enough. Beretta for example say leave no oil on the firearm. Wipe it down with an oily rag but do not soak. Semi Auto firearms would need a better, more viscous oil due to the many moving parts, heating caused by the movement of the parts, etc. A bolt action would not.

One shot on kill

Ye I'd normally wipe with an oily rag alright. Just on semi autos I got my diet semi the season just gone I was told to make sure and just use an oily rag on the piston and tube as this can cause a vacuum and possibly affect your ejection of a spent shell ??????? What you think I'm sure there is truth in it as the guy told me is very straight and honest.

But how serious is it would it just be a bare oil then or Litteraly just a rub of an oily rag

Cass

On a semi auto shotgun i get a rag, oil it lightly, let it sit for a minute to "soak" into the rag, then gently but completely wipe all the component parts. I make sure to leave a bare, evenly spaced, covering. The only exception being the action. I leave it bone dry. Don't want any oil in the chamber when firing.

As for semi auto rifles. I won't pretend to know. Never owned one, and while i understand the principles of how the gun works, and breaks down i will not give advice on how much, when, and where to apply oil as my inexperience could lead to a problem. Hopefully someone with one could answer that.

One shot on kill

Cass wrote: »

On a semi auto shotgun i get a rag, oil it lightly, let it sit for a minute to "soak" into the rag, then gently but completely wipe all the component parts. I make sure to leave a bare, evenly spaced, covering. The only exception being the action. I leave it bone dry. Don't want any oil in the chamber when firing..

You have ans my question alright thank you I'm not to far out with what I was doing
Thanks again guys.

sfakiaman

Cass wrote: »

Remember that oiling is important, but over oiling can be as bad as not enough.

My father in law kept his shotgun spotless but over the years the oil in the action gummed up to the point where he could not release the safety. I had to strip the action and clean the parts with petrol.

Cass

A friend with an over/under done the same thing. He would drop oil into the holes for the firing pins thinking he was doing the right thing. Eventually the gun wouldn't fire the second barrel.

Took the gun apart, and the amount of crap built up was unreal. Fouling, carbon, and oil made a lovely gunk that interfered with the internal workings.

One good clean later, and she was firing like new.

carcano

sfakiaman wrote: »

My father in law kept his shotgun spotless but over the years the oil in the action gummed up to the point where he could not release the safety. I had to strip the action and clean the parts with petrol.

Cass wrote: »

A friend with an over/under done the same thing. He would drop oil into the holes for the firing pins thinking he was doing the right thing. Eventually the gun wouldn't fire the second barrel.

Took the gun apart, and the amount of crap built up was unreal. Fouling, carbon, and oil made a lovely gunk that interfered with the internal workings.

One good clean later, and she was firing like new.

Hello all,
Another good informative post on boards.
I had got in to the habbit of putting some gun oil in to the safety on the shottie every time I cleaned it. Ill stop now but should I do anything to clean it out or just leave it be?

One shot on kill

Have you noticed any change in its operation if so clean it other than that I'd prob leave it.
If your able to strip it with out any hastle maybe clean it. I stripped my whole gun and cleaned it after this tread stripped everything it took time but wasn't to hard.

I know I've two different ans sorry.

carcano

It is going fine and as long as it is I cant see myself doing anything to it tbh.
Just easy on the oil.

Cass

You don't need to be a gunsmith to take a shotgun stock off, but you also should not go at it without ever having done so before. Perhaps do it with someone that has.

It would be no harm to drop off the stock, and give the internals a clean. Then stop over oiling, and the issue will never become a problem. Prevention being better than cure, and all that.