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Joined: May 2014
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Campfire Outfitter
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OP
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,412 |
I bought an older model 700 BDL - pressed checkering, safety locks the bolt etc. 5 digit serial number. My friend (who rates guns’ condition for an auction house) said it was 95%. Very nice looking old 700. After checking for included ammo, I took off the Simmons scope and the see through rings. Then I was planning on looking at and cleaning the bore. The bolt release mechanism was unmovable, seemingly froze in place. I removed the stock and pushed the bolt stop lever so I could remove the bolt. I cleaned the bore, quite dirty by the way. I applied cleaning/lubing to the trigger. Eventually the slide came free/loose. Seemed as if things were going well. I measured the trigger pull, 8+lb’s. I noticed the trigger adjustment screws looked to untouched, still coated with factory sealant. I looked at engagement, it looked ok. I measured the trigger again, a little less than 2 lb’s and crisp. What the f—-? I decided to turn (in and out) the engagement, the spring and the over travel. The over travel and the engagement adjustment seemed fine. The spring/tension however, not so much. There was no spring pressure. The engagement varied from each time I pulled the trigger there was no evidence of spring pressure. I didn’t know for sure but suspected the spring was so gummed up that it would not function. I took the trigger off, installed an aftermarket trigger. Maybe someday I’ll soak that trigger in Kroil or carb Cleaner or... ( I used to take these triggers apart and inspect, repair if necessary. Due to arthritis and several damaged fingers over the years and difficulty I have getting that safety lever back on, I no longer do such work. ) My assumption is that WD-40 sold another rifle. I wonder how much work gunsmiths get from shooters/hunters using of such products??? I shouldn’t bitch. I now have a very nice old (the way I like them) BDL.
I prefer classic. Semper Fi I used to run with the hare. Now I'm envious of the tortoise and I do my own stunts but rarely intentionally
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,412
Campfire Outfitter
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OP
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,412 |
Not satisfied, I took the spring tension screw out - sprayed carb cleaner and then “Break Free CLO” into the screw hole and generally sprayed the trigger thoroughly with both. Now the spring and the trigger is acting like it should.
Thank goodness for WD-40!!!!
Last edited by Bugger; 12/10/17.
I prefer classic. Semper Fi I used to run with the hare. Now I'm envious of the tortoise and I do my own stunts but rarely intentionally
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 14,039
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 14,039 |
i bought a Remington shotgun from a neighbor that was in financial straights. he had small children so he didn't want the gun in the house. he sprayed the gun down with wd-40 and cased it, put it in a dry out building for several years. when he put it there it was a 95% gun. when he drug it out to sell me it had a very nice brown patina over 100% of the metal. wd-40 attracts moisture, thats why we used to spray the distributor on old chevy's with it. it is also great for arthritis.
the consolidation of the states into one vast republic, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of that ruin which has overwhelmed all those that have preceded. Robert E Lee ~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
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Joined: Dec 2007
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Campfire Regular
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WD-40 is supposed to displace moisture. That's why you spray distributors with it. Why would you want to attract moisture to a distributor?
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 399
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 399 |
And WD-40 has caused accidental discharges w/ operators steering/handling the rifles w/ their finger on the trigger of 700's,but blame the design instead of their own ignorance.
OP, Ensure that there is NOT any backlash between the floating connector piece & the trigger lever. If present,you have a dangerous/improperly adjusted trigger group that needs attention.
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7,172
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7,172 |
WD-40 does do a pretty good job of gumming up a trigger but it's definitely not the worst thing a gunsmith will run into. I once had semi-auto 22 come into the shop because it was frozen solid. I soaked it in Varsol overnight with little effect. I finally warmed up with heat gun and gut the breech bolt to move; reluctantly. Turned out the owner had oiled it up to put it away and had used olive oil! This was way beyond gummed up. Didn't rust though. GD
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 17,801
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 17,801 |
The original formulation of WD-40 was notorious for turning into varnish muck like the varnish from leaded gas formed on your car's carburetor. In the late 70's early 80's I was working in the gunsmithing shop at Browning Arms in St. Louis, can't tell you how many BT-99 trap guns I worked on whose actions had been rendered inoperable from accumulations of varnish from WD-40 use. I'm told that sometime after that period the formulation of WD-40 was changed so that varnish formation is no longer an issue.
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Joined: Apr 2013
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Campfire Outfitter
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we sprayed wd-40 to attract the moisture that was in the dist. displace is a misnomer for what it does. it bonds with moisture enough to be called a attractant. i know if you want to ruin a fine finish on a firearm swab it down with wd-40 and leave it on. i used it once to brown a spot on a muzzle loader.
the consolidation of the states into one vast republic, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of that ruin which has overwhelmed all those that have preceded. Robert E Lee ~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,419
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I bought a winchesr 1300 pump in 1980 brand new. Still have this shotgun and for the first 30 yrs I only wiped the outside down with WD40. Never used it on any of the internals but I hunted everything with that shotgun in all weather conditions. The blueing on that shotgun still looks as good as new. I would never use the stuff on any working parts but I have no issues using it on the exterior of any firearm in a pinch.
Last edited by JimHnSTL; 12/10/17.
Help keep our sport going. take a kid outdoors!
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Joined: Nov 2013
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2013
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The original formulation of WD-40 was notorious for turning into varnish muck like the varnish from leaded gas formed on your car's carburetor. In the late 70's early 80's I was working in the gunsmithing shop at Browning Arms in St. Louis, can't tell you how many BT-99 trap guns I worked on whose actions had been rendered inoperable from accumulations of varnish from WD-40 use. I'm told that sometime after that period the formulation of WD-40 was changed so that varnish formation is no longer an issue. Since WD-40 stands for Water Displacement formula 40, if the formulation was changed, shouldn't it now be called WD-41? I too saw too many problems with its use on firearms to avoid it. There are so many other better products out there, so I see no use in having it anywhere near my firearms.
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 7,422
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I clean mine with carb cleaner and after dry, run lighter fluid into the mechanism. It does not need any lubrication such as WD40
You only live once, but...if you do it right, once is enough.
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 10,365
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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i use wd40 for a tank soak after parkerizing, i buy it by the 55 gallon drum, would never use on my gun as a wipe down oil.
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 948
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Campfire Regular
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For the past 55 years or so I have used WD40 on the OUTSIDE of guns and tools .I use an old shaving brush that I had from my foot and wall locker display in the army. Just a short spritz and then use the brush to go over all the metal surfaces on the exterior of the gun's metal parts. Take pains to keep it off the wood and scopes. My understanding is that WD 40 is fish oil and the volatile carrier evaporates leaving a light non runny coating of oil. I never spray WD 40 into the interior of the action as it will gum it up. It's also a good idea to wipe your prints off the gun of a customer-you never know where your prints may show up! I buy Brake Kleen non chlorinated spray to clean the actions out, just don't use Brake Kleen on plastic parts-it is bad for plastic. Happy Holidays.Mel Chung-Gunsmith in Hawaii
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,628
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,628 |
For the past 55 years or so I have used WD40 on the OUTSIDE of guns and tools .I use an old shaving brush that I had from my foot and wall locker display in the army. Just a short spritz and then use the brush to go over all the metal surfaces on the exterior of the gun's metal parts. Take pains to keep it off the wood and scopes. My understanding is that WD 40 is fish oil and the volatile carrier evaporates leaving a light non runny coating of oil. I never spray WD 40 into the interior of the action as it will gum it up. It's also a good idea to wipe your prints off the gun of a customer-you never know where your prints may show up! I buy Brake Kleen non chlorinated spray to clean the actions out, just don't use Brake Kleen on plastic parts-it is bad for plastic. Happy Holidays.Mel Chung-Gunsmith in Hawaii The fish oil myth was debunked decades ago... though it really does get used a lot by commercial halibut longliners. It catches fish! Why work so hard to keep it out when there are so many better choices for metal protection?
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,228
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Here our regard for wd40 is low. It is neither a penetrant, lubricant,or preservative when compared to more specialized products. Break free clp is my favorite for preservative. Test show a 5%salt water solution will not break the surface film of break free even after 200 hr of submersion. Also a good cleaner and have seen breakfree release stubborn parts as penetrant.
"We are building a dictatorship of relativism which recoqnizes nothing as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of ones own self ego and desires."Cardinal Rathzinger
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 59,140
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 59,140 |
WD-40 + firearms = good business income for me.. But seriously - I've warned against the use of that stuff on firearms for YEARS. It's great to use on old, rusty farm machinery - but keep it away (FAR away) from firearms.. Now - flame suit's ON..
Ex- USN (SS) '66-'69 Pro-Constitution. LET'S GO BRANDON!!!
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 23,084
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 23,084 |
If you do any amount of varnishing and have had to deal with fisheyes in the finish due to molecules of WD-40 in the air, then you would have as much disdain for it as I do. I don't allow WD-40 (or any other aerosol "lubricant-like" stuff) within 50 feet of where I work.
I had a girlfriend who insisted on lubing the chain on her bike with WD-40 every morning before her ride. Sure as god made little green apples, after a couple months it was a stiff gooey mess. I tried to warn her, but you know women...
I did have a good use for the stuff way back when I did a lot of black powder revolver shooting. I would scrub/flush the guns under a hot water spigot, then displace the water with WD-40 when cleaning away from home. It held up long enough to get me home where I could do a detailed proper cleaning, sometimes after a few days.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 960
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I made the mistake of wiping the grip/grip-cap area on an Ithaca SKB shotgun with WD-40. When I next checked, the cap (plastic) had warped upward away from the wood. I no longer get WD-40 anywhere near guns.
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Joined: Nov 2013
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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I made the mistake of wiping the grip/grip-cap area on an Ithaca SKB shotgun with WD-40. When I next checked, the cap (plastic) had warped upward away from the wood. I no longer get WD-40 anywhere near guns. My Father in Law had an SKB Ithaca 900 shotgun where the plastic cap had warped away from the wood too. He kept WD-40 around his work shop. I always thought it must have come close to a heat source. Your experience makes more sense.
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Joined: Mar 2013
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WD-40 is great for preventing rust if your tool box gets caught open in the rain. I just spray it lightly on the tools before closing the lid and it works great for that. I'd never use it on my guns though.
How about Rem-Oil aerosol? Does anyone have issues with it?
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