Airsoft replica maintenance: a routine after every game day
most airsoft maintenance people do is reactive. something breaks, then the screwdriver comes out. while fifteen minutes after every game day prevents the bulk of those problems.
this is the routine i keep myself. it really is a quarter of an hour, no more.
before you start
- battery out
- magazine out
- check the chamber is empty. hop fully open, and do this before you disconnect the battery: fire once in a safe direction to clear any BB out of the barrel
do this at home, not in the car, and not with kids around.
1. clean the barrel (3 minutes)
every game day dirt, moisture and BB coating residue get into your barrel. that costs you accuracy straight away.
- an unbleached cotton patch or a bit of microfibre on your unbending rod (that rod that often came with your replica)
- run it through dry, from the chamber towards the muzzle if you can, otherwise front to back but always in one direction
- repeat until the patch stays clean
- for stubborn dirt a tiny bit of silicone oil on the patch, then dry it off afterwards with a dry one
don't: pull the patch back and forth (you push dirt back), use a metal brush, or put solvent in your barrel. and keep your cleaning rod away from the hop-up rubber if you haven't taken it out.
i have a more detailed piece on this, including how to check the bucking without damaging it.
2. check the hop-up (2 minutes)
- turn the hop wheel or dial all the way open and all the way closed. does it feel smooth and does the setting hold?
- look through the barrel at the bucking. is there dirt on it? do you see cracks or a groove?
- set your hop-up fully open (off) for storage. a bucking that stays compressed for months deforms permanently. this is the most underrated tip in this whole piece
put it back on your trusted setting at the next game day. yes, that costs you two minutes of re-zeroing. it's worth it.
3. battery (1 minute, but the most important)
- battery out of the replica. always. a battery left connected slowly discharges and that kills LiPos
- put the LiPo on storage voltage, roughly 3.8 V per cell, if you're not playing again within a week. every decent balance charger has a storage function
- into the LiPo bag or a fire-safe box, cool and dry
- check if the pack is puffed or damaged. puffed means retire it immediately
- NiMH: you can leave those charged, but top them up in time
see my separate piece on charging and storing LiPos. this is the one bit of maintenance where a mistake can have serious consequences.
4. wipe down the externals (3 minutes)
- damp cloth over the outside. mud and sand off
- after a wet game day: let the replica dry at room temperature before you put it away. not on the radiator, not with a hairdryer
- check for loose screws. especially on the stock, the handguard and the grip plate under the motor grip. vibration works those loose
- a very small amount of silicone oil on a cloth over metal externals prevents rust, especially on steel AK parts. don't overdo it, and don't let it run into the gearbox
don't use WD-40 or any other creeping oil on airsoft parts. it attacks rubber and plastic. silicone oil made for airsoft, and nothing else.
5. magazines (2 minutes)
- fire them empty or take the BBs out
- store midcaps relaxed. a magazine spring left tensioned for months weakens
- wipe sand and dirt off the feeding lips
- with hicaps: shake them and check for stuck BBs
- look for damaged lips
6. gas replicas: extra steps (5 minutes)
for GBB pistols and GBBRs this is the most important part.
- store magazines under pressure, with a little gas in them. not fully empty. the O-rings and seals stay under light tension and dry out slower. you don't need to store them full, a short burst of gas is enough
- silicone oil on the fill valve. two drops on the valve, then a short burst of gas so the oil travels into the magazine. do this about every three to five fills, not every time
- lightly lubricate the slide rails with silicone grease or silicone oil
- wipe the nozzle and loading nozzle clean
- after a wet day: let the pistol dry fully
if a magazine bleeds down, you have a leaking valve or a worn O-ring. i have a separate piece on that.
7. finally: listen (1 minute)
put the battery in one more time (or use it during testing) and listen to your AEG.
- does it sound the same as last time?
- new clicks, rattle or whine?
- has the rate of fire changed?
this sounds vague but it's the best early diagnosis there is. you usually hear a problem weeks before it costs you a game day. see my piece on what different sounds mean.
the quarterly check
every few months, or every five game days:
- check motor height. free, and it prevents stripped gears. see the separate piece
- check trigger contacts, especially if you run 11.1 V
- chrono. know where you sit. a dropping value means falling compression
- pull the barrel out of the replica and look all the way through. scratches?
- replace the bucking if it's hard, shiny or grooved. a bucking is a consumable, not a lifetime part
what not to do
- spray silicone oil into the gearbox. that is not the same as lubricating and it thins out your grease
- grease your hop-up rubber. a slick bucking doesn't grip
- blow compressed air through the barrel if there's sand in it. you sand it down the barrel
- put the replica away wet
- take everything apart because you can. if it works well, leave it alone. most of the damage in gearboxes is done by people who were maintaining them
in short
barrel clean, hop open, battery on storage, externals dry, magazines relaxed, gas magazines under gas. a quarter of an hour, and you've prevented the bulk of the faults from this whole blog.
Also on Airsoft-FOB
- also available in dutch: Airsoft replica onderhoud: routine na elke speeldag