6 Tips on Taking Care of Your Airsoft Gun

Most decent airsoft rifles are strong and built to last. However, poor maintenance and handling and maintenance will shorten the life of any rifle. That said, here are six tips that can keep guns shooting strong and straight.

1. Keep Guns Clean

Always keep rifles clean, especially the barrel. This will keep the gun firing smoothly and accurately. To do this, just dampen a small patch of cloth with silicone oil and place it at the tip of a cleaning rod. Insert the cleaning rod into the barrel and clean it with a back and forth motion. After that, replace the patch with a dry cloth and dry the barrel. Remember to use 100% Silicon oil on all the moving parts of the magazine and bolt. Don't use too much oil; a few drops should be enough for this. To spread the oil, just fire the unloaded gun a few times.

 2. Protect the Gun From Abuse

Guns for this sport are made to look like real weapons but they are not built to withstand the same forces. That's why players who perform diving, rolling or crawling stunts often come home with broken guns. That said, always protect guns from any unnecessary abuse or force. Wearing a sling in-game is a good way to prevent the gun from being dropped and broken.

 3. Use Correct BB Pellets

Originally, ball bearings were used with BB rifles, hence the term BB. Today’s pellets however are manufactured in a different way. That's why using ball bearings in modern guns will cause them to jam or get destroyed. The same can be said for lead, copper or paintball BBs. In addition, never use .12gm BB pellets on a good quality airsoft rifle. These low quality pellets are sure to ruin any rifle. Pistols should only be equipped with .20gm pellets or higher. For powerful weapons such as sniper rifles, .28gm pellets are ideal.

 4. Empty Magazines After Use

 The magazines of electric-powered and spring action rifles have spring mechanisms. These magazines need to be unloaded after every game. This is necessary to preserve the strength and integrity of the spring. Magazines of gas powered guns should also be emptied, but they need to stay pressurized. Leave enough gas to fire a couple of shots. Do not use the release valve to expel gas from the gun. Doing so will freeze the O ring which consequently will cause gas leaks. Instead, fire the gun until the gas is released.

 5. Charge Batteries Properly

 Never under or overcharge the batteries of electric airsoft rifles. Undercharging equates to poor performance on the field. On the other hand, overcharging shortens the battery life. Plus, if the battery gets too hot, it becomes a potential fire hazard. To determine how long a battery should be charged, divide the mah of the battery with the mah rate of the charger. For instance, a 1000 mah battery will take 4 hours to charge on a 250 mah rate charger.



 6. Store Guns Properly

 Keep BB rifles in proper storage units when not in use. The gun's original case will suffice but for better protection, invest in a foam lined gun case. A lot of games are lost due to improper maintenance of airsoft rifles. That said, a properly maintained rifle guarantees more fun and a greater chance for victory.