Playing airsoft games requires different tactics and strategies so that you can win a match. This is evident since these games are centered around real military simulations and not just simple aim-and-shoot games.
They require knowledge and implementation of these tactics. So, it makes one wonder, can your airsoft guns shoot quietly? After all, having stealth would benefit your team greatly if you know how to do it.
Here are a few simple ways you can implement it even as a beginner, making your guns quieter and giving you that stealth advantage in any match.
Determine Which Part Makes the Most Noise
Before choosing any methods to make your airsoft gun quiet you have to determine which part of your gun makes the most noise. Depending on the type of gun you are using, some other methods below may not work well for your particular gun
Read through all of them and choose the one that works best for the type of airsoft gun that you have.
Method 1: Wrapped coil spring inserted into an empty suppressor (Easy)
This method is relatively easy to do and you can do this at home. However, the result varies on your gun type and may not be very effective for some guns.
Here is the video that explains this well.
What you will need:
- Coil Spring
- Strip of foam
- Mock suppressor
Is It Legal?
Now, this is where it gets tricky. Suppressors are technically illegal in the USA, especially when they have foam on them. This is because they are considered to be real firearm accessories that would be used to silence a real firearm.
This makes this method tricky and you may want to stay away from this method unless you consult your local law.
Here is a video from Airsoftology that explains this a bit better
Method 2: Shimming Your Airsoft Gearbox (Very Hard)
This is a very effective way of making your guns quieter since most noises from AEG guns come from the gearbox.
Shimming your airsoft gun involves optimizing the spaces between the gears in the gearbox to ensure that they have no more space than they need to run smoothly. You also need to ensure that the gears are not too tight to cause unnecessary strain on the motor or cause unnecessary friction.
Caution
Shimming an airsoft gun is not simple. It involves taking apart the gears on your gearbox individually. Then, using small spacers or shims, the gears are precisely aligned in the gearbox so that they operate smoothly.
To get your airsoft gun perfectly shimmed, it’s best to take your AEG guns to an Airsoft Technician who knows what they are doing. It’s also better to ask around who provides the best service as this work requires quality and not what your typical technician can provide.
Now if you are feeling adventurous, check out the following material on how to shim your own airsoft gun.
This video is a step-by-step guide on shimming your airsoft gun. Another resource you may need to read is this article on how to properly shim an airsoft AEG.
What else does shimming help my gun with?
Proper shimming of your airsoft gun improves the efficiency of your airsoft gun by spacing the gears in your gearbox in a way that reduces the friction between them without creating unnecessary space between them.
Shiming reduces friction between the gears of your AEG and this results in lower stress levels on other parts of the gun. The improved efficiency has some other advantages other than reducing the noise in your AEG such as:
- Less Wear and Tear – Energy from the motor is transferred efficiently and this reduces the chances of damaging it.
- Protecting your gears – The teeth of the gears are less likely to break due to the improved spacing between the teeth.
- Better Battery Life – Battery is no longer strained to deliver a shot.
- Better Rate of Fire – There is no more lost energy from friction, effectively improving the rate of your fire.
Dangers of Poor Shimming
When your airsoft gun is shimmied incorrectly, you will have a few performance challenges with your gun, and its life may reduce drastically.
Here are a few of the worst kinds of dangers when you shim your gun incorrectly.
- Reduced FPS – There may be increased friction or incorrectly placed gears that result in the airsoft gun shooting slower.
- Broken gear teeth – Just as the gears can improve, shimming can cause the gear teeth to misalign and eventually break.
- Damaged motor – Instead of doing the opposite, the motor is more strained and this will cause it to wear fast.
- Louder noise – Since the gears, alignment and spacing are incorrectly done, this can cause your gun to be louder.
Conclusion
While making your airsoft gun quieter is something that you can do yourself, you may encounter challenges that may require technical knowledge. Make sure you know how your gun works and how each part works harmoniously to ensure that you are doing the right job.
Contrary to what you set out to do, the opposite can happen and this can harm your gun or make it louder than ever. It may be fun but if you lack the knowledge, it’s best to leave shimming to a qualified technician.
