I have been using WD-40 ever since it came to market. Most of my guns have never seen anything but WD two of which are over 150,000 rounds with no repairs.

I just hate the way wd-40 gums up..it's good cutting fluid for aluminum though..

I told Kirk that I used Ballistol primarily. He had no issue with that, but said that he liked how thin wd was when trying to “flush” tight spots. Also stressed wiping down all excess. The vaseline was what really suprised me!

DO NOT USE WD 40. leaves gummy residue

I use WD 40 a lot for cleaning the exterior and easily accessible workings of guns, fishing reels, etc. But for cleaning and lubricating interior, less accessible, areas I like to clean with Ballistol and then lube lightly with rem oil or other spray lubricants. There are lots of good ones out there these days. WD-40 does seem to gum up after a while and that's the last thing I want inside my guns.

Not to hijack the thread, but one really good use I've found for WD 40 is knife sharpening. It cleans whetstones really well and acts as a good cutting oil while sharpening.

Here's an alternative for interior lubrication:

I have to admit my dislike for wd-40 has much to do with the fact it's a good cutting fluid for aluminum. Trouble is, it smokes-up quite a bit. Good news, it's cheap. Trouble is, as a preservative, it gums.

Effective and cheap is music to the ears of someone w/zero $$ and a desire to start a machining business. I cannot even fathom how much of that crap I inhaled in my earlier yrs. It got to the point the mere smell of wd-40 makes me want to vomit..even when it's at the ready in a can. Fortunately, there are other alternatives and now when either I, or someone else in the shop, is doing some manual work (requiring a brush-on application of lube), the shop smells like cinnamon. (tap-magic)

As for long term storage and protection, I think just about anything will work provided a little common-sense is applied.

I like WD 40 for cleaning and degunking. I then usually do a flush with brake cleaner and use either Ballistol or the Rig spray for lubing. But nothing beats Kroil is you have stuck screws.
I have a saturated Rig rag (cotton handkerchief) I use for wipe down prior to storage, and never have surface rust issues. Also use for joint lube.

Gerald,
I was shooting my Fathers Trojan 20 gauge and it started doubling. My heart sank with all the possibilities of the cause. When I arrived home I took the bottom floor plate off and immediately saw a glob of gunk under a sear. Once removed all worked perfectly. I hope yours is as simple a fix as mine was.
Harry

i too use wd40 for my gun cleaning no rust on my guns i have been useing it for many years..but as someone said about any oil lubeercant will work for cleaning guns...burnt motor oil i really good but a little messy...charlie