"This may very well be too off the wall, but have you ever used WD-40 on any of your guns...?"
Yes. Water-Displacement Formula #40 has long been used for cleaning, lubricating, and protecting firearms. Back in the good old days there were not nearly as many "all-in one" products, and WD-40 was used instead of or alongside other gun cleaners. It was intially created to be a corrosion inhibitor designed for the military until some enterprising young men snuck out a 55 gallon drum, or two, or three, from a local base and began using the product on just about everything.
Today, the Lubrizol Company of Wickliffe Ohio manufactures the additive package, and many companies purchase it to make their own version. Added at a 10-12 percent concentration in the appropriate aliphatic solvent, the end result is a good all around nut-buster, but today there are far better gun-cleaners/protectants to be found.
Many companies such as Remington, have their own brand made by blending houses, and there are only three or so major manufacturers of the additive packages, with all of them basically using the same chemistries with a tweak here or there to make it "proprietary".
Contrary to popular belief...in other words, Chairborne Commando Internet Gabfests...WD-40 will not contribute to rust or corrosion. It does NOT contain additives that will harm a firearm, but as I said there are better things to use, ones specifically designed for guns. WD-40 simply does a lot of things at the same time, a jack-of-all-trades type of product. I would not recommend it for longterm storage of weapopns because the active ingredients just do not remain active for all that long. There are a plethora of Mil-Spec cleaners, conditioners, and protectants that do a much better job than WD, but in a pinch it's certainly okay to use.
And NO. It doesn't contain vanilla extract that can harm your gun. It also does NOT contain solvents that will melt your Glock. If you can find a motorcycle shop, ask them for Bel-Ray 6 in 1. This is simply the absolute best WD-type of product on the market today, as it is a corrosion/rust inhibitor, extreme pressure/friction modifier, cleaner/water-displacer, and is far more slippery than WD-40. Not only have I used it myself for over 30 years, I was one of the folks asked to tweak the formula some decade or so ago for military purposes. There is nothing better for all-around use, and that includes firearms.
From the WD-40 website:
CLEANS: WD-40 gets under dirt, grime and grease to clean. It also dissolves adhesives, allowing easy removal of labels, tape, stickers, and excess bonding material.
DISPLACES MOISTURE: Because WD-40 displaces moisture, it quickly dries out electrical systems to eliminate moisture-induced short circuits.
PENETRATES: WD-40 loosens rust-to-metal bonds and frees stuck, frozen or rusted metal parts.
LUBRICATES: WD-40's lubricating ingredients are widely dispersed and hold firmly to all moving parts.
PROTECTS: WD-40 protects metal surfaces with corrosion-resistant ingredients to shield against moisture and other corrosive elements.
BOTTOM LINE
It works reasonably well. Will do no harm. But you can find better.
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