How to Clean Sticky Airsoft Plastic

Airsoft guns are complicated beasts and ensuring that they are operating smoothly and efficiently is absolutely paramount to their continued operation and longevity.

Still, lubricants tin exist tricky. There are multiple different materials and lubricant types. Not to mention a whole listing of when yous should and shouldn't use them. Employ this guide as your consummate resource in how to lubricate, with what product, and when to lubricate your airsoft guns.

Utilize the table of contents below to skip to the section relevant to your airsoft gun.

THE Nuts OF AIRSOFT LUBRICATION

Electrical AIRSOFT GUNS
AEG Rifles
AEP Pistols
Electric Shotguns

GAS AIRSOFT GUNS

GBBR (Gas Blow Back Rifles)
GBBP (Gas Weblog Back Pistols / NBBP (Non-Accident Back Pistols)
Gas Sniper Rifles
Gas Shotguns

SPRING AIRSOFT GUNS

Bound Sniper Rifles
Spring Pistols
Bound Shotguns

The Nuts of Airsoft Lubrication

Earlier nosotros get into the nitty gritty of which airsoft guns need which care etc, nosotros've got to cover the basics of airsoft gun lubrication.

Do non lubricate hop-ups or Barrels

Airsoft Hop-Ups and Barrels work on friction. Lubricants were invented to stop friction. If yous put lubrication in your hop-upward, it will stop working.

A hop-upward needs friction to put dorsum-spin on the BB, this is how information technology generates lift through the air and gives you better range using a physics phenomenon known every bit the "Magnus Effect".

If lubrication gets on your hop-up, your airsoft gun'southward range will naturally decrease. Avoid this, at all costs.

Avert petroleum based lubricants

Petroleum based lubricants have a habit of eating into certain materials, especial rubber. Hydrocarbons (like petroleum) love to eat through rubber, and then ensure that your airsoft lubricant is a different kind. Silicone based lubricants are a popular choice amidst airsofters.

Do not over-lubricate

When information technology comes to lubrication, less is ever more than. There'due south a temptation to lather it on nice and thick, but it's wasteful and actually harming the functioning of the airsoft gun.

A completely dry out gun has no lubrication and will struggle to move without lots of strength. A little fleck of lubrication volition gratuitous up those moving parts and allow it to move. Lots of lubrication really begins to make it the way of other moving parts, yous have to fight against information technology and it becomes a magnet for dirt and debris, creating an abrasive paste which will apace wear downwardly the weapon.

Dissimilar parts require different lubricants

It's a adequately mutual and easy mistake to brand to assume that a lubricant, is a lubricant, is a lubricant. However, different lubricants are created for different purposed and at that place's no "1-in-x" lubricant that does everything perfectly.

Metal on Metallic contact requires a thick, molybdenum based grease like our Gun Grease LT2. It's designed to reduce metal on metal friction in firearms and is more than heavy duty enough to stand up upwardly to the loftier speed rotations of gears within gearboxes.

Plastic on Metallic and Plastic on Plastic requires something much finer and less gluey, like our Silicone Oil 35. Its thin viscosity provides an fifty-fifty film across the friction surface without hindering movement. Alternatively, for fast moving plastic parts (such as pistons), yous may wish to go for a thicker silicon grease, and get longer lasting lubrication.

Lubrication is not always about friction

Upward until now we've mainly spoken about how using oils and greases can reduce friction, increase efficiency and reduce ware. However, silicone oils and greases are also used to refresh and protect o-rings.

An airsoft gearbox is filled with o-rings which help ensure that the amount of air which propels the BB is consistent. If the o-rings dry out out, they become brittle and lose their ability to seal against air pressure (or gas pressure) causing an inconsistent FPS.

Silicone oil helps to stop o-rings from drying out and keeps them lasting longer.

Electric Airsoft Guns

Electric airsoft guns piece of work on batteries, motors and gears and so it's important to ensure that the internals are well lubricated. If you don't, parts can easily become worn out and suspension.

AEG Rifles

The virtually common airsoft gun blazon on the market place (and therefore the first i we'll cover) is the electric burglarize, normally referred to as an AEG.

Here's everything you need to know about lubricating an airsoft electric rifle:

You're going to need 2 or 3 different lubricant types. There are a huge range of different materials in an airsoft gearbox, you can't tackle them all with ane production. We suggest Gun Grease LT2 for metal on metal and Silicone Oil 35 for the plastic parts, at a minimum.

Guns are (generally) lubricated poorly from the factory. It might not be the first affair you desire to do when y'all get a brand new toy to play with, but you will definitely be wanting to ensure that it lasts for as long every bit possible. A lot of airsoft guns are sold into the marketplace with sub-par lubrication globbed onto the internals with little consideration for what it's going to practise to the functioning. It may audio odd, but even a brand new gearbox tin can benefit from new grease and oil.

If you feel comfortable doing so, accept your gearbox apart, use a degreasing spray to remove the onetime lubricant and supervene upon with the following lubricants…

Gears are a metal on metal contact, with high rotational speed. For this application yous should be using a high viscosity molybdenum based grease like our Gun Grease LT2. (Designed for real firearms).

Piston rails guide the piston dorsum and along. This tin can exist lubricated with either Silicone Oil or Silicone Grease. We recommend Silicone Grease, due to its viscosity and ability to cling onto the fast moving piston. Withal, if the piston is metal, us Gun Grease LT2.

Cut Off Lever. Not a common one that people think about lubricating, but without lubrication, information technology might not actuate fast enough and cause overspin-esque symptoms (where the gun continues to fire briefly after you stop pulling the trigger). Lubricate this lightly with LT2 grease (if metal) and ensure it moves freely.

Piston Head, Cylinder Head, and Air Nozzle o-rings. These need to be kept fresh to ensure that your FPS remains consistent. A few drops of Silicone Oil 35 on each o-band will ensure they stay fresh.

No lubricant is needed in the Hop-upwards or butt areas. This will completely ruin range and accuracy and is very hard to clean out.

If your rifle uses a realistic commodities or whatsoever other realistic moving features, you may wish to lubricated these like a real firearm using gun oil. You may also wish to coat the surface in a thin layer of gun oil to ensure that information technology doesn't begin to corrode.

AEP (Electric Pistols)

Electric pistols are but tiny versions of AEGs. They use the same technology (spinning gears, air compressing pistons, motors and batteries); they just exercise it in a much smaller package. Due to this, the parts are smaller, under more stress and require much more care to ensure they last longer.

Here'south everything you need to know nigh lubricating your airsoft electric pistol:

Many AEPs have plastic internal gearboxes. This ways that the internals of an AEP can be relatively fragile and it's important to look after them. This involves carefully ensuring that they are well tuned and perfectly lubricated. Due to the potential plastic internals, this is best done with Silicone Gun Grease.

Non all AEP gearboxes are plastic though, some higher stop AEP gearboxes are completely metal. If you happen to be lucky enough to own one of these, the gears need to be lightly coated (later cleaning) in Gun Grease LT2.

Gears should be lubricated with Gun Grease LT2 if metallic or Silicone Grease if plastic.

Piston slides should be lightly lubricated with Silicone Oil 35 or Silicone Grease to ensure they are move easily and freely during firing. However, if the piston is metal, united states of america Gun Grease LT2.

O-rings – In that location should only be three o-rings to remember to lubricate in an AEP, the piston head o-rings, the cylinder caput o-rings and the air nozzle o-rings. Ensure that these are all well lubricate to foreclose inconsistent and poor fps.

Additionally, you may wish to put a very light corporeality of lubricant into the mag well, to aid in the removal of magazines. All the same, only do this lightly, no-where almost where Bbs sit and just if necessary.

Electric Shotguns

Electric shotguns, at the fourth dimension of writing, are relatively rare. The simply existent offerings on the market are Tokyo Marui based systems, such as the AA12 and the SGR12. However, no uncertainty these systems will become more and more pop.

The internal workings of the TM design is very similar to an electric rifle, the only difference is that the piston is fastened to 3 different piston heads, each in their own cylinder, with individual air nozzles and cylinder heads.

The internal lubrication required is therefore very similar to an AEG rifle outlined above.

Gears need to exist lubricated with Gun Grease LT2, with a light covering on all metallic surfaces that come in contact to reduce friction.

Piston. The piston may be metal or plastic in construction. If metallic, you lot should lubricate the slides where they slide against the gearbox housing with Gun Grease LT2 (Our specific metallic grease). If the piston is plastic, y'all should use a silicone based lubricant, such as our Silicone Grease. It's sticky enough to continue the piston lubricated, even with high a high rate of fire.

Piston Head, Cylinder head and Air Nozzle o-rings should be lubricated with a silicone based lubricant to ensure that they provide a adept seal. This can be done with Silicone Oil 35, or Silicone Grease, depending on your preference. Note that there are multiple piston heads, cylinder heads and air-nozzles which volition need lubrication in a tri-shot gun.

Remember, these are new systems, upgrades and spare parts may not ways exist available (or cheap). Then take care.

Gas Airsoft Guns

Gas airsoft guns are designed to function very similarly (mechanically) to a real firearm. With that in mind, the intendance and maintenance of 18-carat firearms carries over to replica fire arms. However, within gas guns there are additional extras that need to be taken intendance of such every bit o-rings and seals.

GBBR (Gas Blow Back Rifle)

Gas accident back rifles are filled with moving parts that activate on the trigger pull to operate the weapon realistically like a firearm. Merely similar a real firearm, the internals need to exist spotless and well lubricated for polish performance.

Trigger Assembly. The trigger assembly is full of sears and springs which should exist individually lubricated with Gun Grease LT2. Information technology should operate smoothly and freely without any grinding. It's e'er handy to take pictures (or video) of the disassembly process, to ensure that everything goes back together correctly.

Mag O-rings. Gas magazines shop gas to exist shot past the burglarize, as such they need to be gas tight and the valves need to move freely. Otherwise, they merely won't work. There is a fill valve on the bottom of the magazine which contains o-rings. If these o-rings dry (by leaving the magazine empty of gas whilst in storage) they will no longer seal the gas within. A drop or two of Silicone Oil 35 onto the valve should help keep information technology fresh.

In that location is also a large valve on the "rear" of the magazine, this button valve is struck past the "hammer" within the gun. This releases gas and shoots the gun. Naturally, if this valve gets stuck, the gun won't fire. Additionally, if this valve doesn't seal properly, the gas volition escape. Once more, a driblet or two of Silicone Oil 35 onto the button face as well as downwards the valve port (the small-scale hole on the top of the magazine) will help keep it fresh. Do not get this gap dislocated with where the BBs go. You don't want slippery assurance.

Gas Routers. On the top of the magazine, yous'll see a rubbery surface with a hole in the heart. The pigsty in the middle is where the gas from the magazine is routed into the gun (hence the proper noun – gas router). This gas router is condom, because it seals against the inside of the gun and losses the lease possible gas in the process. Since this is a sealing surface and one that gets used regularly, in rough atmospheric condition, yous want to lubricate this surface with Silicone Grease – the thicker consistency means information technology won't be wiped off every bit hands when skirmishing.

Piston. There is indeed a piston and o-ring set-up within most gas blow back rifles. Within the blowback housing and feed nozzle, you'll find a piston with an o-ring (or prophylactic face) on it. Ensure that this is lubricated with Silicone Oil 35 or Silicone Grease. Do not be tempted to simply spray the oil through the gas port in the feed nozzle onto the piston head. This is likewise much lubricant and will get onto the hop-up prophylactic and ruin your accuracy. Take the time to disassemble the rifle and lightly lubricate the piston head correctly.

Commodities. The bolt is a big weighty piece of metal that travels back and forth within the gun. It's moved by the pressure of the gas and returned by a heavy duty spring. The less energy this takes, the less gas information technology takes to fire the weapon, the more efficient it is and the faster the charge per unit of burn/trigger response. A well cleaned and lubricated bolt is a step towards this.

The bolt should just contact the receiver in specific areas, and so ensure that they are clean and lubricated properly with Gun Grease LT2. You lot shouldn't demand to cover the entire commodities in grease. It might seem that that would assist the commodities travel, but you're simply calculation weight to the bolt and accumulating dirt. Only put grease in areas of friction.

GBBP (Gas accident back pistol) / NBBP (Non-Blow Back Pistol)

Gas pistols are ane of the virtually common gas weapons in airsoft. Electric versions are not the nearly reliable, and many players love the realistic activeness and feel of a gas pistol. So, how do you lubricate a gas pistol?

Gas pistols can vary in materials greatly, so when it comes to lubrication, recollect the gilt rules of: Plastic on Plastic contact or O-rings need Silicon Oil 35 or Silicone Grease. Plastic on Metal or Metal on Metal needs Gun Grease LT2.

Slide – The top slide on gas pistols (providing it'due south blowback) are prone to getting muddied and dry through skirmishing. Near pistols, even if plastic, volition accept metallic slides for immovability. Smooth and lubricate the length of these slides with Gun Grease LT2. If however, certain parts of plastic rub on plastic, use Silicone Gun Grease here.

If your pistol is NBB (non-blow back), there'due south no need to lubricate the slide as it does not move.

Magazine – Similar all gas magazines, the valves need to exist constantly lubricated with Silicone Oil 35 to ensure they stay gas tight. Turning the mag upside downward will reveal the fill valve (where you fill the magazine with gas). A few drops of oil on this will go on the o-rings fresh.

The feed valve at the tiptop rear of the mag should be oiled similarly. The hammer within the pistol strikes this valve (the button on the back of the magazine) and releases gas into the pistol. If this valve isn't lubricated, your pistol may struggle to bicycle properly. Put a drib or ii onto this button and a drop or ii into the hole in the gas router (the rubbery square at the top). Actuate the valve dorsum and forth a few times to work the lubricant in.

Gas Routers – The gas router, as mentioned higher up, is the rubbery part on top of the magazine which routes gas from the valve into the pistol. It'southward made from condom-like material so that it tin create a tight seal with the loading nozzle. If this safe gets dry, information technology won't make a good seal and it will permit inconsistent amounts of gas into the weapon (this creates an uneven fps). We recommend that you put silicone grease on the surface, and then that information technology stays fresh for longer.

Outer Barrel – It may not seem it, just the outer butt (the fake barrel that surrounds the inner butt) moves inside the slide. Information technology shifts ever then slightly to allow the slide to movement freely. Naturally if this isn't clean or lubricated properly, it can demark and cause the pistol to malfunction. It should exist fairly clear on the outer barrel where information technology rubs against the slide, utilize this as a guide to lubricate. Use the materials guide above to work out which kind of lubricant you need to use.

Trigger Group – Whilst this is all "hidden" inside the pistol, it tin can get surprisingly grimy if left neglected. The entire trigger group is relatively easy to remove from all gas pistols. Providing you pay attending to the associates order and positions (take photographs or video), it'due south perfectly safe to fully disassemble, clean and lubricate. Since these parts are near ever metal, apply Gun Grease LT2 here.

Piston – The piston is hidden inside the feed nozzle, inside the slide. This requires silicone oil 35 or silicone grease. Exercise not spray into the air nozzle, as this will hands find its mode onto the hop-up safe and ruin your pistol's accuracy. Instead, completely disassemble the parts and put a light flick on the sealing parts. This should preclude it from contaminating the hop-upward.

Feed Nozzle – The feed nozzle springs back and forth inside the pistol slide and loads a BB from the magazine into the hop-up chamber. This is usually a plastic component, and so apply a silicone based lubricant sparingly on the outside surfaces that contact a plastic slide. If you happen to accept a metallic slide (and/or a metal loading nozzle) use Gun Grease LT2.

These parts can get dirty and gritty relatively apace, and then ensure that they are clean and lubricated regularly.

Gas Sniper Rifles

Gas Sniper Rifles, particularly the bolt action kind, are finely tuned tools; quality, correct lubrication is essential to their continued accurateness and consistency. Without proper care, gas sniper rifles can become inaccurate through poor seals and difficult to operate.

Despite the difference in looks, a gas sniper rifle works close to how a GBB rifle or GBB pistol works. The merely deviation is that there'due south no "blow-dorsum" function, which makes them essentially simpler, resulting in higher accuracy.

Hither'southward where you lot need to pay attention to when lubricating:

Trigger Unit of measurement – The trigger unit of measurement is a small tolerance series of confined, sears and levers which actuate the sprung hammer on the pull of the trigger. The entirety of this department will be fabricated of metallic. It's important to ensure that this whole unit of measurement is kept clean from dust and dirt equally otherwise information technology volition bind and y'all will struggle to pull the trigger when it matters.

This area requires a thin layer of Gun Grease LT2. A thin layer volition keep it moving freely without attracting and holding onto likewise much dirt.

Magazine valves – The gas mag is similar to pistol and rifle gas magazines. It volition have a fill valve on the bottom and a flow valve on the rear. These valves contain seals which, if not properly lubricated, turn into leaks. A few drops of Silicone Oil 35 on the surface will ensure that they remain sealed.

Gas Router – The gas router on the height of the magazine routes gas into the Gas Sniper Rifle's cylinder. If you allow this to dry out, yous won't get a consistent seal against the rifle's magazine and your accuracy will suffer over fourth dimension. Ensure that this seal remains lubricated and in good condition, with Silicone Grease. The grease has a thicker consistency which volition final on the gas router for longer.

Cylinder – The cylinder has two important parts to consider when lubricating. The outer surface and the gas port seal / router. The outer surface of the cylinder often rubs against the interior of the receiver. If this isn't perfectly clean and lubricated, information technology can scratch and grind and equally you lot move the commodities, making it much harder. These two surfaces are usually metal on metallic contact, then we recommend Gun Grease LT2.

The gas port (on the bottom of the bolt) takes the gas from the magazine and puts it into the hop-up chamber to strength the BB down the barrel. This surface rubs and seals against the mag's gas router due to the moving of the bolt. To ensure that this rubbing doesn't ruin either seal, a thin glaze of Silicone Gun Grease should be practical. The rubbing moving of the commodities ways that Silicone Oil 35 may wear out faster than grease, so in this instance, we suggest Silicone Grease.

Cylinder Head – The tip of the cylinder head / feed nozzle may take an o-ring on the stop of it for a better seal. With this o-ring, you must exist very careful to not over-employ lubrication, since information technology directly interfaces with the hop-upwardly and BBs. A very tiny amount of Silicone Oil 35 is advisable here. If over-practical, remove with our degreasing spray and start again.

Gas Shotguns

Gas shotguns, like electric ones, aren't too mutual on the airsoft field, but systems such every bit the Tokyo Marui M870 are available. These systems are finding their way into the second hand market place and volition definitely need some maintenance. Whilst inherently, each organisation is different, here'due south what y'all demand to wait out for when cleaning, lubricating and maintaining your gas shotgun.

Stock – The stock seems like an odd place to start when talking most lubrication. However, guns like the fixed stock TM870 which happen to have a removable gas reservoir in the rear have a number of hidden o-rings. As you're aware, o-rings need to exist maintained; otherwise your shot gun will leak everywhere.

When yous remove the stock, there may be an o-ring between the stock and the receiver (unremarkably on the receiver side). This stops gas from leaking out from the joint betwixt the two, whilst ensuring the gun can still come autonomously. This o-ring requires a drib or two of Silicone Oil 35 to keep it fresh.

Within the stock will also be a valve to take the gas from the gas reservoir (which is often removable) into the weapon. This may demand to exist removed and the o-rings lubricated with Silicone Oil 35.

Gas Reservoir – The Gas Reservoir (if your shotgun has one) can be treated like a gas magazine on any other gas weapon. The only difference hither is that there are no Bbs to worry most. The reservoir volition take a fill valve. Merely like any gas magazine, you lot'll need to requite this a drop or ii of Silicone Oil 35 to keep it in top condition. These reservoirs volition too have a solid button valve to release the gas into the gun. This valve will demand similar lubrication to preclude leaks.

Trigger Group – The trigger grouping is a solid metal system of sears and leavers and it's likely to become full of gunk and grunge after a few game days. Brand sure that you occasionally remove it, clean out all the grit and dirt and re-lubricate it with Gun Grease LT2.

Receiver Machinery – Within the receiver are a number of small-scale moving parts and movements. Nosotros're not going to go through each of the private little parts and tell you how to lubricate them. However, if you follow the rule of thumb of: metal on metallic contact needs Gun Grease LT2 and whatever contact that has plastic or o-band contact needs a silicone based lubricant, you will be fine.

Pump Action – The pump action machinery, despite the handle being plastic usually, is a metallic on metal slider, which requires Gun Grease LT2 for a smooth slide. Try not to become any on the outer grip, as you'll struggle to operate the activeness.

Spring Airsoft Guns

Spring guns vary greatly in airsoft. You can have the lowest stop of the spectrum with a inexpensive bound pistol used as a last resort or you have ane of the most expensive spring sniper rifles ever to grace this planet.

Leap Sniper Rifles

A spring sniper rifle is then accurate because of its repeatability and consistent gas delivery between shots. Notwithstanding, if your rifle falls into disrepair, it will begin to suffer in accuracy. Here'southward how to ensure that information technology stays accurate and easy to operate.

Cylinder – Due to how spring guns piece of work, this can be tricky to get right. When the bolt is pulled dorsum, it's against spring tension and when pushing the bolt forward, the piston inside can crusade it to demark and push confronting the receiver. A thin layer of Gun Grease LT2 should help to free upwards the movement and make it easier to reload.

Cylinder head – The cylinder head screws into the cylinder and at the base of operations of the threads is an o-band. If you observe that you are having problem with gas efficiency, remove the cylinder head and add together a dab or two of Silicone Gun grease.

Why Silicone Gun grease? When it comes to sniper rifles, consistency is fundamental. Silicone Oil 35 has a sparse consistency which is cracking for most applications. However, there's potential that it gets picked upward by gas flow when shooting and detect its way into the barrel or onto the hop-upwards prophylactic. The thicker consistency grease won't permit that happen.

The cylinder head may likewise have an o-band on the feed nozzle. Be very conscientious when lubricating this o-band equally information technology comes in contact with BBs and the hop-up, use the absolute minimum lubrication possible.

Piston Head – The piston inside the cylinder is what fires forward on the trigger pull, compresses air and shoots the BB through the Butt. The cylinder caput is ane-piece (usually) with the piston. On the head of this piston are o-rings to give a adept seal confronting the cylinder wall and shrink the verbal same amount of gas each time the trigger is pulled. Lubricate this o-ring with Silicone Gun Grease to keep it sealing well.

Trigger Group – The trigger group locks the piston in identify when re-loading and transfers the trigger pull into releasing the piston. If this isn't a smooth functioning, information technology can be hard to permit off accurate and precise shots. Thoroughly clean and degrease the trigger group and re-lube with Gun Grease LT2.

Leap Pistols

Jump pistols are not often on the "high end" of the airsoft marketplace. Regardless, if you're reading this, information technology means something to yous and yous want to keep information technology going for equally long every bit possible.

The majority of spring pistols are made from plastic, equally such, there's just a need for Silicone Oil 35 or Silicone Grease. A conscientious take downwardly of the pistol should illuminate the areas that need to exist lubricated, but pay conscientious attention to:

Slide – The slide that you pull back in order to "prime" the gun for firing. This should have a small amount of lubricant on the slide runway.

Piston – The internal piston needs to slide freely and the piston head'south o-ring should be fresh and lubricated for a practiced seal.

Trigger Mechanism – The trigger mechanism is likely made of lightweight plastic which may break if used in acrimony. Proceed this lubricated with silicone gun grease.

Overall, you want to ensure that these parts of clean and lubricated sparingly to ensure their long life.

Jump Shotguns

Leap shotguns are quite common on the airsoft field. They're relatively cheap RIFs to buy, simply offer good effectiveness against close range targets. It's a brave soul that decides to take ane of these apart, but here's what you demand to know about lubricating ane.

Pistons – The shotgun will accept 3 different cylinders and 3 different pistons for the 3 barrels. Each i will take individual o-rings inside that need lubricating with Silicone Oil 35 or Silicone Gun Grease.

Slide – Almost of the slide assembly is a mixture of plastic on plastic-or-metallic-on-plastic connections. Hither, use Silicone Grease to ensure polish operation. However, for metal-on-metal connections use Gun Grease LT2.

Trigger – The trigger machinery will about likely also be plastic-on-plastic contact, which volition require Silicone Gun Grease.

The key to the longevity of these weapons is careful cleaning and lubrication. When y'all're maintaining these weapons, keep an eye open up for areas of wear and tear, particularly plastic parts. This is where y'all can plan to replace parts before they neglect and investigate why they may be failing in the offset place.

Our lubricants are sold across the world for airsoft, firearm and air rifle applications.

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