Letter Re: “Ed’s Red” Mix-It Yourself Firearms Bore Cleaning Solvent
Dear Jim, WD-40 is a poor lubricant and a lousy gun cleaning solvent. (“WD,” incidentally, means “water displacing.”) While it may have some utility in removing moisture, that’s about where it’s value ends. Aside from being a poor lubricant, it also tends to oxidize and gum in short order, making it a poor choice. Anyone interested in bore solvents should consider making a gallon of “Ed’s Red.” (C.E. “Ed” Harris was a chemist and technical editor for the NRA’s American Rifleman magazine. He devised a modern equivalent to the old Frankfort Arsenal Nitro-solvent Gun Cleaner No. 18. as detailed on …