WD-40

It's a debate that just won't seem to go away.

WD-40 may well be the most contentious substance in the gun owner's community, having begun spawning debates almost immediately after its first appearance on the civilian marked in 1958. On the one hand, it is said to be "a gunsmith's best friend" because it is supposedly responsible for up to half of all gun repair business. On the other, there are gun owners and even firearm industry professionals who will swear by it.

What it is

WD40: hell, yeah!

WD40: hell, no!

WD-40 is the trademark name of a lubricant, penetrating oil and water-displacing spray developed in 1953 by Norm Larsen, founder of the Rocket Chemical Company, in San Diego, California. WD-40 ("Water Displacement, 40th formula,") was originally designed to repel water and prevent corrosion, and later was found to have numerous household uses.

Larsen was trying to make a formula to prevent corrosion in nuclear missiles, by displacing the standing water that causes it, and found a successful formula on his 40th try. WD-40 is primarily composed of various hydrocarbons.

WD-40 was first used by Convair to protect the outer skin, and more importantly, the paper thin "balloon tanks" of the Atlas missile from rust and corrosion. These stainless steel fuel tanks were so thin that, when empty, they had to be kept inflated with nitrogen gas to prevent their collapse.

WD-40 first became commercially available in stores in 1958 and, while not designed for forearms, it can have a few legitimate uses for the average gun owner.

• Its water displacing properties can come in very handy for a gun that has found its way into a creek or other body of water while out hunting.
• It's a lot better than waiting for something else when you've just burnt through a few hundred rounds of 7.62x39 with corrosive primers.
• When dealing with a rusted gun, you can spray it down with WD-40, let it sit for 24 hours, spray it again, and wipe off the rust deposits. This also works with deep pitted rust: use a toothbrush and WD-40 to remove the deep-set rust deposits from the pitting without further marring the finish.
• In sub-zero temperatures, a light coating of WD-40 to the bolt, firing pin and trigger mechanism can displace moisture and prevent freezing.

What it ain't

Contrary to popular belief, WD-40's lightness (i.e., low viscosity) means it isn't always the right oil for everything. Applications that require higher viscosity oils may use motor oils, while those requiring a mid-range oil could use honing oil.

And no, it definitely isn't gun oil. True, if you find yourself in a pinch, it is certainly better than nothing at all, but it is not likely something that you want to incorporate into your regular gun care routine.

• While it is an excellent lubricant, it is also a penetrating oil, which can be very damaging to a firearm's wooden stock or handgrips. These penetrating qualities also mean that a small quantity on cartridges can neutralize the primers.
• It has also been observed that it will become "gummy," leave behind a waxy residue, and even harden up after a period of time, and that heat and dirt speed up this process. Once dry, it loses all of its lubricating and water repellant properties. For this reason, it should not be used on guns that are about to sit idle for an extended time (such as going into storage or becoming safe queens).

How it works

The long-term active ingredient is a non-volatile, viscous oil which remains on the surface, providing lubrication and protection from moisture. This is diluted with a volatile hydrocarbon to give a low viscosity fluid which can be sprayed and thus penetrate into small crevices. The volatile hydrocarbon then evaporates, leaving the oil behind. A propellant (originally a low-molecular weight hydrocarbon, now carbon dioxide) provides gas pressure in the can to force the liquid through the spray nozzle, then evaporates away.

These properties make the product useful in both home and commercial fields; lubricating and loosening joints and hinges, removing dirt and residue, and extricating stuck screws and bolts are common usages. The product also may be useful in displacing moisture, as this is its original purpose and design intent.

Formula

WD-40's formula is a trade secret. In fact, the product has never even been patented to avoid completely disclosing its ingredients. (This also means that its composition can have been changed by the manufacturer in different countries and at different times.) WD-40's main ingredients, according to U.S. Material Safety Data Sheet information, are:

• 51% Stoddard solvent
• 25% liquefied petroleum gas (presumably as a propellant; carbon dioxide is now used instead to reduce WD-40's considerable flammability)
• 15+% mineral oil (light lubricating oil)
• 10-% inert ingredients

The German version of the mandatory EU safety sheet lists the following safety-relevant ingredients:

• 60–80% heavy naphtha (petroleum product), hydrogen treated
• 1–5% carbon dioxide

It further lists flammability and effects to the human skin when repeatedly exposed to WD-40 as risks when using WD-40. Nitrile rubber gloves and safety glasses should be used. Water is unsuitable for extinguishing burning WD-40.

Wired published an article giving the result of gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy: "What's Inside WD-40? Superlube's Secret Sauce".

WD-40 company

Rocket Chemical Company was founded in 1953. In 1969, John S. Barry, on becoming President and CEO, changed the name to WD-40 Company after what was then its only product. John Barry, who died July 3, 2009, reportedly made the name change on the basis that the Rocket Chemical Company did not make rockets. The company went public in 1973. Its NASDAQ stock symbol is WDFC. In recent years the WD-40 company has acquired several household-products companies, adding such brand names as 3-In-One Oil, Lava, Spot Shot, X-14, Carpet Fresh, and 2000 Flushes to its roster. The company still has its corporate offices in San Diego, California. It now markets its products in more than 160 countries.

External links

• Official website
• List of 2000 uses for WD40, wd40.com
• WD-40 Material Safety Data Sheet
• What's inside WD-40, by Wired
• WD-40 uses, by Snopes.com