Airsoft Guns - Maintenance and Lubrication

Maintenance and Lubrication

One should wipe their airsoft gun with a clean cloth after use, remove any dirt, oil and other contaminants. On the inside of the chamber and the barrel a cotton swab should be used to remove any dirt or possible shrapnel from shattered pellets/BBs. After every 3,000 to 4,000 shots fired, the airsoft gun should be lubricated, by placing a few drops or sprays of silicone-based oil or silicone grease into all moving parts of the gun, including the piston and cylinder, hop up chamber, and inner barrel. The inner barrel should be lubricated more often to decrease barrel wear and corrosion depending on the inner barrel material, brass should be regularly lubricated the most (1500 to 2000 shots) to protect it from moisture and wear due to its malleable and easily stained state, other inner barrel materials (aluminum, stainless steel) can be lubricated less. Gears should also be regularly lubricated by using a specially made silicone grease that will not fail in high temperatures created by the friction the gears generate during operation. It is important to not use too much oil, and wipe excess oil off the gun since excess oiling can lead to jams and will accumulate dirt and grime inside a gun. Stored airsoft guns should be placed in a cool, clean room. Storing a gun that is cocked is not recommended because it will wear out the spring, on AEGs this can be achieved by firing firing a few shots on semi-automatic or using the spring release when available.

It is also highly recommended to not store pellets in your magazines. Due to smaller sizes and lighter materials of the spring, it will relax considerably fast causing it to be weaker, thus not being able to feed as many pellets and subjecting your gun to more misfeeds. This should especially taken into consideration with high cap, manually wound magazines.

One of the most important parts of proper airsoft gun maintenance, is to use quality BBs. Some BBs, like the BBs most airsoft guns come with, are too light or carry surface imperfections that can damage the gearbox of an airsoft gun. Using BBs that are at least .2g or heavier is the most beneficial for the airsoft gun parts. One should never re-use BBs, as once fired they become chipped, scarred or covered with contaminants that can jam the airsoft gun. The use of metallic BBs, or any foreign objects, may damage the airsoft gun.

Airsoft guns, like any mechanical device are prone to heat and friction which cause wear. The airsoft gun owner can take steps to reduce wear and get the most life out of his/her airsoft gun as possible. A proper maintenance program that includes regular airsoft lubrication is very important to getting the most out of an airsoft gun. Silicone greases are widely used in airsoft gun parts, internals and mounts in order to avoid corrosion, abrasion and general aging of the materials. A dry-set lubricant is delivered with a solvent carrier to penetrate the mechanism. The solvent evaporates, leaving a clear film that lubricates but does not attract dirt and grit as much as a traditional "wet" lubricant. Airsoft safe lubricants use non-petroleum based, inert propellants that will not harm the rubber and plastic parts on the airsoft gun such as the Hop rubber and "O" rings.