Corossive Additives as Full Strength Lubricants -Delayed Corrosion in a Bottle
Many deleterious products are appearing in the firearms maintenance industry at an alarming rate, and many have been there for some time. These companies market on a “feel-good” basis, many of them, having questionable documentation, government letterhead “papers” on their web sites and in their advertising, along with no “significant” scientific tests and/or studies to back up their claims. Most make claims to being an extraordinary “lubricant” having false properties of protection and preservation, while assuring the public that they never use deceitful marketing practices and always tell the truth, mixing religion, in some cases, with accusations of government wrong-doing and bureaucratic quagmires. Some go as far as to capitalize on the deaths of fallen soldiers, while blaming the use of improper lubricants, cleaners, and preservatives on Defense Personnel in order to further their own sales, falsely. These companies ignore many claims of corrosion damage and in some cases, allay blame to the individual users themselves, along with usage of other products in conjunction with theirs.
Several more facts should be known about these companies along with the metalworking technologies that they improperly purvey, which results in the devastating effects that they have on weapons inspired by their products usage.
If the temperature of a weapon, coated with these products reaches 500 degrees F. or more, chemical corrosion will form on worn or bare metal surfaces as well as thinly Parkerized surfaces, especially if the weapon is neglected for any period of time. One or more of these products make claim to using a "hair dryer" or surface heating effect after application, which makes no difference in claims of "bonding" or creating a boundary film, nor does it help to protect the metals from environmental corrosion in any way.
Most of these companies are not manufacturers of their products and technologies, but purchase pure halogenated compounds from large chemical companies that specialize in metalworking additives to be used in their correct fashion as low percentage extreme pressure and anti-wear packages, not as stand-alone lubricants. They are masters of marketing and deception, and know little to nothing of the technical aspects, working chemistries and mechanisms of that, which they sell. Be vary wary of those making outlandish claims without providing defined explanations of their working chemistries and using buzzwords as well as false and/or misleading information combined with hyper-sensationalism to promote their products.
Be aware that these transgressor products can, and will, damage firearms in time. This damage is the result of the extreme pressure agents present in too high of a concentration, combined with little or no corrosion inhibition and/or protection, which will in time, cause corrosion fatigue and brittlizing of the contacting and stressed surfaces of the metal. Symptoms of this can be seen as rust-spot corrosion and pitting on passive metal surfaces. Examination under high magnification or SEM (Scanning Electron Micrograph) will reveal extreme pitting and brittlization of the metal surfaces, especially in the stressed surface areas. Corrosion-fatigue is the result of the combined action of an alternating stress and a corrosive environment ending in a brief and finite life of the weapon which eventually will fail, resulting in breakage, usually within 1-4 years depending on several factors:
1. Frequency of weapon usage in firing
2. Frequency of corrosive product usage
3. Severity of the corrosive environment (moisture/humidity)
4. Intensity of stress in stresses areas
Is the product you're using "One of these" type products? It's actually pretty easy to tell. Take a brightly scuffed piece of raw steel that has been thoroughly degreased and the lubricant-product in question. Coat the piece of steel with the product well. Then, take a spritzer bottle with tap water and apply a light coat of moisture, covering the product-coated steel and allow to set overnight and evaporate the moisture. You may also do this with another piece of steel that has no product on it as a "control group", to see how the moisture or water affects it by itself.
The results will be staggering. If any of you feel like trying it, let me know what your results are, and if you like, I'll share some even more pertinent info with you.
We ALL value our weapons and would hate to have these effects taking place on them, but the reality is that it DOES and IS happening every day in the industry.
Best regards,
