Playing with your airsoft gun could leave you wondering if the gun needs cleaning. It could be an intimidating task if you’re not familiar with it. Instead of cleaning it, you might damage your gun and that’s not what you want.
Like any other machine, airsoft guns need to be cleaned regularly. As a beginner, this is a daunting task as you don’t want to cause any harm to your $200 airsoft gun. The thing is, cleaning is just as much part as using.
Without properly tending to our guns, residue from BBs as well as dust build-up can accumulate inside the gun that can cause the parts to jam. The vital part that needs cleaning the most is the barrel while the gearbox is something you need to stay away from if you do not know what you are doing.
Let’s dig down further into why you need to do this.
Why Should I Clean My Airsoft Gun?
Airsoft guns need cleaning regularly because BBs that are shot from the airsoft gun leave small dust particles that tend to accumulate with time. After a while, the dirt will thicken and slowly affect your gun causing it to jam over time.
By not cleaning your airsoft gun enough, you run a high risk of damaging your airsoft gun. It could damage the gears or the piston in your airsoft gun.
On the other hand, you can damage your airsoft gun by over-cleaning it. The process requires you to disassemble the gun to clean it properly. You are likely to either have challenges in the disassembly or reassembly and damage some of the parts during the cleaning process.
It is therefore important to never clean the gun too many times nor leave it for too long without removing the BB residue.
Cleaning Your Gun
There is no allotted time or period of how regularly you should clean or examine a gun’s condition. Like cars, airsoft guns use a mileage of their own by calculating the number of BBs you used in your gun. A good number that you can use is around 2000 BBs.
While this is just a rough estimation, most airsoft players use this mark in cleaning their guns. A few hundred more BBs might be too little and a few hundred more BBs might build up too much dirt inside. So as a guide, try maintaining the cleanliness of your gun every 2000 BBs used.
On the other hand, the gearbox is a whole different story.
1. Time
There is no best time to clean an airsoft gun. You can leave your gun uncleaned until a game day or do it right after the game. It all is the same.
The most important thing will be to make sure that you have enough time to do the job well and without rushing. This will prevent any damage or malfunction caused by a rush job.
As long as you’re counting your BB usage, reaching 2000 BBs can be a good indication that it’s time for cleaning. Any time around that mark is considered a good time to clean up the gun.
2. Barrel
Airsoft Gun manufacturers usually include a cleaning rod with the airsoft gun and you can use this to clean the barrel.
When cleaning your airsoft gun it’s important to only clean the barrel and not the gearbox. The gearbox mechanism is complex and if you do not know what you’re doing you may easily damage the gun during disassembly cleaning or reassembly.
The gearbox requires knowledge when dismantling and reassembling. Any mistake here would leave your gun in bad condition eventually wearing it down. It’s best to just leave it to experienced technicians.
Do I Need to Get a Professional to Clean My Airsoft Gun?
You can clean the airsoft gun barrel yourself however the gearbox needs to be handled by a professional who understands the mechanics of the gun.
If you would like to lubricate the gearbox, you can try Lucas Oil White Lithium Grease.
Most airsoft guns have a small hole where the gearbox is located that allows you to pour lubricant into the gun without having to open the gearbox. This allows you to keep your airsoft gearbox in good condition without tearing it apart.
If you’re eager to clean up your gearbox, just simply visit a store near you. They should have experienced technicians who know the in and out of airsoft guns. This prevents any damage that can be done if you dismantle it on your own.
This is why when you want to upgrade anything in your gearbox to reduce FPS or silence the noise coming from it, we advise going to trusted airsoft technicians as well. They know how to safely navigate through your gun and this eliminates the risks of causing any harm.
Disassembling the Gearbox
If you are intent on opening up the gearbox, you need to first research the gun to find out if there are any disassembly and reassembly problems that you may face. Some guns may need special equipment to open up or reassemble the gun and you need to have this on hand before beginning.
Before trying to open up the gun ensure that the gun can be disassembled and reassembled with the tools that you have. Some guns are designed by manufacturers in a way that makes it almost impossible for them to be reassembled once they are disassembled. Ensure that you know whether the airsoft gun you will be disassembling can be reassembled easily.
One best way is to inquire from the manufacturer or distributor about how to dismantle the gun. They can give you insights if you must do this.
How Should You Clean Your Gun?
This all depends on the type of gun you have. Since different airsoft guns have different mechanisms and are operated differently you need to read the user manual to understand how your gun works before you embark on cleaning it.
In general, the goal of cleaning the airsoft gun is to remove dust particles and airsoft bb residue that may have gotten stuck in the barrel. This can easily be achieved with a barrel cleaning rod and a paper towel.
Most manufacturers include a cleaning rod with the airsoft gun and You can thread a paper towel onto this rod and douse it with some silicone lubricant to oil your gun.
Watch the video below to see an example of how you should clean your airsoft gun.
1. What Do You Need to Clean Your Airsoft Gun?
To clean the airsoft gun barrel, you need the following items:
- Cleaning rod
- Silicone lubricant
- Paper towels
2. Do I Need a Cleaning Kit?
Well, it depends on several factors:
- If the manufacturer included the cleaning rods and other equipment for cleaning, this may not be necessary.
- You may be looking for better results than what the stock cleaning rod can do. In this case, then a cleaning kit may be for you.
- You may have more than one gun and would want the same consistent results when cleaning.
Before purchasing a cleaning kit, just make sure that it is compatible with the gun or guns that you plan to clean. It would be pointless for you to purchase it only to find out later that it’s not compatible with your airsoft gun.
Cleaning Kits:
- GLORYFIRE Universal Gun Cleaning Kit
- SHAREWIN Cleaning Kits
- Hoppe’s Air Pistol and Air Rifle Maintenance Kit
Conclusion
While it’s most important to make sure that your airsoft gun is kept clean, you need to be careful not to overdo it so that you can preserve the quality of your gun. Only clean your gun after a period of use and ensure that you follow the instructions that have been provided by the manufacturer in the manual.
If you would like to learn more about airsoft gun maintenance, you may want to read this article about what to do when your airsoft gun is jammed.
