Post
by timmy » Mon Feb 05, 2024 5:56 am
nicky is absolutely right on in his observations!
A story:
Almost 20 years ago, I was in college. (Even though my gun use mirrors Nicky's with regard to age.) One of my lab partners was a veteran of Afghanistan and a multi-tour veteran from Iraq. The news of the day at this time was of a US Army convoy that took a wrong turn and ended up in a hailstorm of unfriendly fire in an Iraqi city and most had their weapons jam. This convoy consisted of manly National Guard units (not Regular Army and not even Reserve Army). My partner told me that the problem with these troops is that they had not maintained their weapons (AR style rifles) in the very dusty desert environment and the shortages caused by the bungled deployment meant that the proper lubricants weren't available. These troops had used WD 40 for maintaining their weapons, and WD 40 attracted every bit of dust for 100 kilometers around the jam their weapons!
Later in Lab I learned that WD 40 consisted mainly of hexane, which displaces moisture and cleans, and the lubricant component is some kind of fish oil. That oil will attract a lot of dust.
Nicky's suggestion of motor oil is fine. I prefer Automatic Transmission Fluid, which is a synthetic and doesn't tend to thicken so much in the cold. It also works well on defeating rust and keeps aluminum from galling when it's in contact with steel -- which, after all, is what it's designed for. But if motor oil is what you have, by all means use it instead of WD 40. Save that for something else, but keep it away from guns!
“Fanaticism consists of redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim.”
saying in the British Royal Navy