Weapon Service & Maintenance

GENERAL MAINTENANCE OF WEAPONS

 

The issue of weapons maintenance is a complex one. There is a lot of different advice on how to carry it out. We will divide it into individual chapters for better clarity.

Before action

 

When preparing for an airsoft event, it is necessary to check our guns. We will check if there is any missing pin or screw on the body of the gun. If there is a loose bolt, we need to tighten it or secure it against loosening with thread adhesive.
Inspect all mounting (rifle scope, collimator, flashlight, etc.) to make sure all nuts are tight. If we have not cleaned the gun immediately after the event, we recommend cleaning the barrel. If your replica has a processor, we recommend checking the settings. Ideally, do a check of the external wiring to see if there is a stripped wire anywhere visible (in which case it should be insulated).

After the action

 

After the action, it is very advisable to clean the barrel. This is because during the action, buildup of material from the balls (especially the cheaper ones) builds up inside the barrel. The larger the buildup, the more the accuracy deteriorates and in the case of tight barrels, the ball may even get stuck in the barrel. External inspection of the gun and test firing or re-sizing of the replica is important if the gun has been hit, for example, against a tree, wall or if the replica has fallen to the ground.
If your airsoft gun has a spring release, do it.

Storing the weapon for a longer period of time

 

In the case of AEG or manual weapons, no special preparation is necessary before storing, just be careful that the replica is not unnecessarily stretched. For gas guns, it is very advisable to leave some gas in the magazines that are gas (not CO2) operated. This will prevent rapid degradation of the sealing rings. For batteries, it is a good idea to charge them to storage charge, which is between 40-50% charge. Most quality chargers, such as the IMAX B6 product, offer this option, often labeled "storage".

 

After an extended period of gun inactivity

 

After a prolonged period of not shooting the gun, a general check is important. This means that not only an external check is carried out, but it is important to test the gun completely. By this we mean checking how far the gun will go, what the relative concentricity is, and if the gun feeds properly. In case of any anomaly, it is necessary to have the gun checked or repaired by a professional. If you do not dare to do this yourself, it is ideal to contact our service department where a technician will discuss the details with you. In the case of guns that are still under warranty, we do not recommend tampering with the gun yourself. This will void the warranty. 

For electric guns, it is also important to check that the gun responds correctly when the battery is connected, and in the case of processor units, it is ideal to check the stored settings.

In the case of popular gas guns (small and long) it is important to check the condition of all seals. This means all sealing o-rings both in the gun itself and in the magazine, more precisely in the valves. In the case of a gas magazine, any leaks can be detected when it is filled. That's when we hear the "hiss". To check, the magazine can be immersed in water, if gas is leaking, we will see bubbles escaping from the magazine.

The same procedure applies to manual sniper rifles.

As you can see, gun maintenance is not rocket science, it just takes some time.

Equipment for maintenance and service of our airsoft guns

 

We've covered basic maintenance, but we won't be able to do that without specialized tools, which include chronographs, various tool kits, adhesives, and oils. Below we will describe each tool in general terms, with more detailed descriptions in the contents of each section.

CHRONOGRAPHS

 

In short, these are instruments for measuring the speed of a flying ball. Thanks to them we can find out what power our gun has. They are an invaluable and indispensable tool for every airsoft service and playgrounds, because thanks to them can immediately find out the speed of the gun. In addition to measuring speed, chronographs are also able to measure cadence and even convert to other units, such as joules. They can have various features such as measurement history, color display, wireless connection with the phone and more. Along with measurement, the concept of joule creep is also emerging. What it is we will tell in more detail in a separate chapter about chronographs.

 

TOOLS

 

 

In addition to oils, vaseline and chronographs, owning quality or even special tools is necessary for quality gun maintenance. That is why complete tool sets are very popular today. Thanks to these kits we can loosen any screws very quickly and they often also contain special tools. For example, we offer useful accessories for working with the mechabox, such as folding it. Valve wrenches are very useful for servicing gas tanks. Thanks to them, we can unscrew and screw in the drain and fill valves of gas containers without damage. To facilitate cleaning of weapons, we offer wipers and small hooks for cleaning hard-to-reach places.

Then every service technician will appreciate the gunsmith's pads, which keep the table free of dirt when working with oils, vaselines, etc. In addition, they often have various "compartments" in them for putting away small parts, so they can also help with organizing small items on the table.

 

OILS/VASELINES

 

 

 

To keep our airsoft guns running properly we need to use the right lubricants, but what are they?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following table breaks down the different parts we maintain and the ideal lubricants we use.

 

Weapon part	Type of lubricant recommended
O-rings and rubber seals	Silicone oil
Valves on gas guns	Silicone oil
Gears	Vaseline for highly stressed parts
AEG air conditioning	Silicone oil
Metal friction parts for gas guns	Ceramic petroleum grease or dry lubricant
Weapon barrel	Technical alcohol
External metal parts of weapons	Anti-corrosive preservative wipes
Wooden parts	Wood oil (polish)
Friction surfaces in the mechabox	Silicone or Teflon petroleum grease

As you can see from the table, we don't need a lot of products to maintain our airsoft guns, we can get by nicely with about 4 lubricants that will last a long time if applied correctly. Of course, the correct dosage of lubricant on specific parts is also important, because too much of everything is bad and in airsoft this is doubly true. For more detailed descriptions of each lubricant, see the oils/waxes chapter.

 

 

ADHESIVES/TAPES

 

Sometimes things go wrong and damage a part of our equipment, gear or even a tent. But what to do about it? It is not immediately necessary to go and buy a new part, often it will be enough to use the right adhesive or a good quality adhesive tape and it is these cases that you will find here various adhesives for specific applications such as metal, wood or rubber. Our specialty is adhesives from the American manufacturer Gorilla, which has earned a reputation for very high quality products over its existence. In their product range we can find both secondary adhesives and special adhesives for wood, rubber or two-component adhesives, characterized by high strength and durability of the glued area. Their adhesive tapes are a concept in themselves thanks to. Their versatility also makes them suitable for use in hiking, construction, etc.
Teflon tapes should not be missing from our range. Their use is a bit limited in airsoft, but you will learn more about that in this chapter.