How Did That Happen?

Why did my airsoft gun break!!!

Airsoft Barracks wants to inform and communicate with our customers on how airsoft guns operate and why they fail or require maintenance.

First of all,  Airsoft is absolutely a maintenance sport, yet many companies and individuals are putting  information on internet forums , websites, and blogs that is in-accurate and misrepresenting of the way most airsoft guns are engineered.   All airsoft guns have moving parts which are put under stress during operation and will eventually need maintenance or replacement.   It is highly recommended, when it is an option, that when a maintenance or repair interval is presented you upgrade/tune your components for longer durability and possibly higher performance if desired.

For more information on upgrades please visit our upgrades section or click HERE for more information.  

Below we have listed common reasons that airsoft guns fail and what you can do to avoid this...

• Poor quality bbs is the greatest cause of airsoft gun failure.  Because of the strong growth of airsoft in the last few years,  many manufactures/distributors are coming on to the retail scene with bbs that have little quality control and very poor tolerances.  These bbs are still usually marked as “high-end” or  “high-grade” but beware,  one bad bb jammed in you barrel can cause a multitude of problems and many times broken internals which must be replaced...  Any bb not sold at a major U.S. Airsoft retailer will void all Airsoft Barracks warranties.  See our policy section for more info.

Unjamming airsoft guns:

Airsoft guns typically jam due to excessive dirt in the barrel, dirty BBs, deformed BBs, foreign objects in the magazine or barrel, or overly tight hop up. In more extreme cases, a gun can jam due to a damaged or deformed hop up bucking, damaged nozzle, or damaged tappet plate.

If a BB jams in the gun stop firing it immediately. Continued firing may result in a broken gear or piston.

Use the opposite end of your cleaning rod. The tip has a slanted angle. Turn your hop up off and insert that end into the barrel. Turn the gun upside down to look at the magazine well. Gently force the BB back into the area of the magazine well.

Once the BBs have been cleared from the barrel, test fire the gun without any BBs. If the gun sounds fine, test fire it again with BBs. If jamming persists, contact Airsoft Barracks regarding repairs.

Keeping your airsoft gun clean is a big part of keeping it running:

Never use petroleum lubricants or strong solvents and cleansers to clean your gun. Only use a soft, damp cloth to clean the exterior and 100% silicone oil spray to clean the barrel. Maintenance on the internal gearbox mechanisms should only be performed by a trained professional. Do NOT soak the gun in any sort of lubricants or water – liquids and electricity do not mix!

Airsoft Electric Guns require minimal cleaning. The most important part that should be cleaned regularly is your barrel.

To clean your barrel, take your cleaning rod and thread a .22 caliber patch (or similar sized patch of cloth) through the slit. Spray a small amount of silicon spray to the patch.

Before inserting your cleaning rod into the barrel, turn your hop up off. If you leave your hop up on you run the risk of damaging your hop up and getting your cleaning rod stuck.

Insert your cleaning rod into the barrel. Swab the inside of the barrel with a back and forth motion. Remove the patch from your cleaning rod. Insert a new, dry patch into the slit and repeat the process to clear any remaining residue from the inner barrel.

Once there is no dirt left in the barrel, test fire your gun and reset the hop up.

We recommend you have your Automatic Electric Gun gearbox cleaned and relubricated every 6 months, depending on how heavily your gun is lubricated. This should be performed by a trained professional.

 

Motor height adjustment:

A key component of proper gun functioning is the motor height set screw. This small hex screw (typically 1.5mm in width) is located at the end of motor housing, typically located in the grip of the gun. This screw ensures that the motor is set the proper distance from the gears in the gearbox. If the motor is too close or too far from the “bevel” gear of the gearbox, you will hear a soft or loud whine from the gun. In extreme cases, an improperly set screw will cause the gun to jam, break the gear, or strip the pinion gear on the head of the motor.

Your motor height is set in place by the factory. After heavy use, the spinning of the motor may cause the set screw may tighten or loosen from its original position. You may notice unusual noises coming from your gearbox. You will need to adjust the screw into its proper position.

An high pitch whining sound indicates your motor height may be too low. To correct this, you must turn the set screw clockwise to raise the motor up. Do this slowly while firing the gun in semiautomatic. Listen for a flat, consistent sound – the same that you heard when you fired the airsoft gun for the first time. Once you’ve achieved this, leave the screw in place.

A high pitch, grinding sound indicates your motor is too high, or you have adjusted too far. Turn the screw counterclockwise to lower the motor while firing in semiautomatic. Again, listen for flat, consistent sound coming from your motor and gears.

The key to adjusting the motor height is to minimize any sounds coming from your motor and gearbox.

Fuses:

Fuses prevent a sudden discharge from your battery into the gun that may potentially damage your motor or other electrical contacts in your gearbox.

If your gun stops firing for any reason, the first thing you should check is the fuse.

If the metal strip in your fuse is no longer intact, replace the fuse with another one (easily available at your local hardware store) and test the gun again.

The most common reason for a fuse to blow is low battery charge. The motor will not turn due to lack of energy but the battery still has sufficient charge to heat up the wiring and blow the fuse. Replace the fuse, recharge your battery, and try again. Should your gun be “locked up”, i.e. your gun will not fire even with a fully charged battery, consult with Airsoft Extreme on services to unlock the gearbox and make sure no parts were damaged.

You can replace a broken fuse with one rated up to 30 Amps.

Charging batteries:

*WARNING*: Do not overcharge batteries! If they overheat, you could cause damage to the battery and create a potential fire hazard!

Be sure to read the charger instructions thoroughly before charging your battery.

Not all chargers are created equal. Please use the proper charger which is intended for your battery type, i.e. if you are charging a 9.6V Nimh battery, be sure your charger can charge 9.6V batteries and Nimh batteries..

Be sure to use the proper connectors to connect your battery to the charger.

Calculate the proper amount of time required to charge a battery by dividing the battery’s milliamp capacity by the chargers charge rate, e.g. it would take a 250 mah rate charger 6 hours to charge a completely drained 1500 mah battery.

very charger is different, so be certain to read your chargers manual thoroughly before charging your battery.

If you are not certain of a battery’s remaining charge and you wish to charge it, place the battery on the charger and check it every 5-10 minutes. If the battery is warm to the touch, assume it is fully charged. If it is hot to the touch, remove the battery from the charger immediately!

Remember, NiCad batteries must be completely discharged before charging again. Use the appropriate discharger to discharge the battery, or completely drain the battery through normal use before charging again.