Smyth Busters: Is WD-40 a Good Lubricant for Guns?

We take a break from our regularly scheduled Smyth Busters episode for a public service announcement from Brownells Gun Techs Caleb and Steve. Almost every new gun owner has asked this question at some point: Is it OK to lubricate my gun with WD-40? The guys have a simple answer: No, NEVER! The main problem here is that WD-40 is not a lubricant. "Wait," you say, "That one time I used it, the action felt really smooth and slick." Caleb says that's because it's like squirting water into your gun. It'll smooth things up for a bit.... The "WD" in WD-40 stands for "Water Displacing." If your duck gun goes overboard and gets submerged, apply WD-40 liberally to force the water out of your beloved Remington or Beretta or Benelli or whatever you shoot. THEN wipe all the WD-40 off and apply a good gun oil or CLP. If you spray WD-40 into the action as a lube, it will get sticky over time and gum up the action. The quickest way to get gummy old WD-40 off a gun? Spray it down with fresh WD-40, which will dissolve the sticky stuff, then wipe ALL the WD-40 off and apply some proper gun oil. So the myth about using WD-40 on guns is BUSTED. WD-40 is a terrible firearm lubricant!