Can WD-40 Properly Clean Your Firearm?
This question has been asked repeatedly, and it’s a fair question considering the popularity of WD-40, and for years, this question has been the cause of hot debates.
What is WD-40?
WD-40, which stands for “water displacement”, is one of the oldest penetrating blends of lubricant used to remove rust, stickers, and metal squeaks.
While the exact formula used in WD-40 is still a best-kept secret, it is certain that as a lubricant, it contains a mix of mineral oils, decane, nonane, carbon dioxide, and dimethylnaphthalen. The next section will outline the components of this lubricant and its functions.
What is WD-40 Composed of?
WD-40 contains the following substances/compounds:
- Mineral Oil
The mineral oil in WD-40 is akin to the goo used in lava lamps. It is a mix of Vaseline and baby oil.
- Decane
Decane is found commonly in petroleum products and is used for industrial purposes. Thanks to its special properties, decane helps keep the other components of WD-40 fluid even in extremely cold conditions.
- Nonane
Nonane, a clear liquid, works great as a water repellant thanks to its insolubility in water. Thanks to nonane, water molecules cannot penetrate the surface of your firearm.
- Dimethyl Naphthalene
Chemically denoted as C12H12, dimethyl naphthalene is used as a solvent in WD-40. It comes in many forms.
- Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a compound known to most of us. It acts as a propellant in WD-40.
Judging from the individual components of WD-40, it should be a great firearm cleaning solution, but is it? Find out the answer in the next section.
Is WD-40 Good for Cleaning Firearms Properly?
Before a product can be deemed good for cleaning firearms, it should fulfill certain requirements. Unfortunately and not to our surprise, WD-40 doesn’t meet these set qualities; it is not a good cleaner, protectant, or lubricant.
Why is WD-40 not good for Firearms?
1. Poor Cleaner
Top on the list is that WD-40 is a poor cleaning solvent. It doesn’t remove any of the gunk! Shocking, isn’t it? Especially considering that it is primarily a solvent.
WD-40 does the opposite of what a cleaning solvent should do; it shoots the gunk and slime into the crevices in your firearm, thus making it twice as hard to get the dirt off your firearm.
2. Poor Lubricant
WD-40 is a poor lubricant for firearms; it evaporates faster than you can layer it on. So between the type of application and when you loaded your rounds and started firing, WD-40 would most definitely have evaporated. Now every firearm owner knows that a bone-dry firearm is a disaster.
We know what you’re thinking; what if I slather WD-40? We advise you not to do it. On one occasion, we tried to slather on WD-40 on a firearm, and we were left with many gummy residues that hardened on drying. Thanks to the residue, we had a tough time using the firearm.
3. Poor Protectant
As we mentioned earlier, WD-40 is a water displacer, not a lubricant. So for that reason, it doesn’t offer your firearms any of the protections that firearm oil, such as CLP oil, does. Thus, your firearm runs a higher chance of rusting and falling apart.
While WD-40 isn’t great for cleaning your firearm, it won’t matter much in an emergency. So our advice is that you use this cleaner only when you have no other options.
Best Tools for Cleaning Firearms
Finding an alternative is crucial because WD-40 lacks the correct penetrating power and lubricating properties. We have found the best firearm bore cleaner for the money to be Hoppe’s Bore Cleaner. Hopes is normally sold in 4 to 12 oz. containers for under $7.99. This is only for the bore cleaning process though, once you are past that part you must use a lubricant to ensure you maintain your firearm functionality through the lubrication of moving parts.
CLP oil is the go too for firearm enthusiasts of any caliber (no pun intended!). CLP stands for “Cleaner Lubricant Preservative” and it definitely does the job! There are many brands on the market, so brand choice is honestly preferential… It is important to note though that you should clean your firearm thoroughly before applying lubrication!
Lubricants tend to attract dirt, dust and debris, so logically it makes sense to clean all of these types of substances from your firearm prior to applying lubrication.
What’s the best way to ensure your firearm is efficiently cleaned before lubricant application?
Well, one firearm cleaning solution we recommend is solvent traps. Unlike WD-40, a solvent trap is an easy-to-use cleaning device that cleans up the firearm without leaving any mess. One of the selling points of a solvent trap is that it is reusable and easy to use. Armory Den
How to Use Solvent Traps
Using solvent traps to clean your firearm is as easy as cleaning your firearm without one…but the benefits received are night and day over that of traditional cleaning methods; all you need to do is attach it to the threaded muzzle of your firearm and follow the instructions. When attached correctly, this device will help capture the cleaning fluids and improve the performance of your firearm. Armory Den provides durable solvent traps in high-quality stainless steel, aluminum, or titanium.
Alternatives to WD-40
As mentioned above, Hoppe’s is a cleaning solvent that works well with solvent traps. There are different types of lubricants and bore cleaners offered by Hoppe’s, but they do offer all-in-one solutions as well! These solutions, in one sweep, cleans, lubricates, and protects your firearm from gunk, rust, and dirt buildup. What’s more, it contains rust inhibitors to ensure the metal parts of your firearm are adequately protected. Clean your firearm using it with your solvent trap to make bore cleaning even easier.
Hoppe’s Gun Bore Cleaner is a one-step cleaner with ultra effectiveness. It is suitable for all firearms and removes carbon, lead, and powder residues. For year-round protection, we recommend Hoppe’s No. 9 Gun Bore Cleaner.
Combine Solvent Traps and Cleaning Oil
Imagine getting the year-round protection gun cleaning oil offers and also enjoying the numerous benefits of a solvent trap?
You can combine your cleaning oil with a solvent trap and be assured that both the interior and exterior of your firearm is well cared for and protected.
We recommend using solvent traps and cleaning oil like Hoppe’s bore cleaning solution for routine cleanings. You can use both for the best results. For more tips on how to take care of your firearms, click here. Do leave us a comment on how these tips have helped you.
While WD-40 can be used as a quick wipe for firearms, it doesn’t offer much protection, cleaning, or lubrication for your firearm. You will find that WD-40 doesn’t clean firearms properly. Instead, it creates an even bigger mess. As such, its use should be limited to emergency use only.
Notice: Please be advised that this article is for information purposes only and Armory Den, Inc., Armory Den, and/or Armoryden.com, does not accept liability for any negligence, injury, death or other personal or environmental consequences that occur from the sourced and unsourced information in this article.
