Airsoft Gun Maintenance

Today's airsoft guns can be tweaked and modded to perform to the likes of just about any shooting or shooter style. You can add stronger springs for higher FPS, high speed gears for a faster ROF, tight bore barrels for more range and accuracy, and countless internal upgrades for added durability. There are also many little things you can do to maintain and improve the overall durability of your metal gearbox style airsoft gun.

The following is a short list of do's and do not's to help extend the durability and maintainability of your airsoft gun between full repair service sessions. This is not a complete list, just a few suggestions:

DO NOT
Use .12 gram bb's they are to light and will shatter when used.
Use petroleum based lubricants
Use used bb's
Upgrade airsoft guns beyond 400 FPS
Continue shooting a jammed airsoft gun...Unjam immediately or damage can occur.
Fire prolonged full auto burst of 1 minute or more
Continuously dry fire your airsoft gun
Over tighten screws

DO
Oil your AEG with 100% airsoft gun silicone oil
Clean and oil barrel after each game
Check your bb's for defective ones
Tighten all screws after each game
Perform motor adjustment when gear noise (whine) increases
Learn how to repair your airsoft gun



Airsoft guns are much like any other mechanical appliance or vehicle you own and must be maintained and serviced regularly for safe, continuous and proper operation. Spend some time in the off season learning to diagnose, tear down and rebuild your airsoft gun and find a good airsoft gun parts supplier and you will ultimately save yourself a lot of cash. Many common issues arise from worn parts that need to be replaced on an annual basis like the hop up rubber bucking and nub. Failing to properly assess and maintain these in a timely fashion can lead to more severe and costly repairs like a cracked air nozzle or broken tappet plate. For more in depth repairs and upgrades it may be best to send your gun to an airsoft gun repair center. In most cases a few minutes after each game performing simple preventative maintenance on your airsoft guns can keep you in the game "sharing the welts" twice as long as your competition.





Armsdealer...Out!

Airsoft Gun Gear Improvements

JG 416 or 614 repairs Update after Field Test!

The new Echo1 Commando 614's that have begun showing up at airsoft fields and stores nationwide are pretty sexy looking airsoft machine guns. I recently had the opportunity to field one for the day and must say I was Pleased by the overall performance. When I first saw the odd size battery with a standard large connector (Ni-Ca 4/5sc 1500MaH 8.4V) I was a bit surprised....But a call to my local Wisconsin custom airsoft battery dealer and a new custom battery pack designed for the 614 is on its way. So this airsoft gun chronographed at 350-360 FPS and the accuracy pattern was pretty nice (70' to 100' = 12" inch average pattern) But the smooth firing and quiet operation is what was impressed on me the most as I plinked around the range.
Gotta have a look inside this baby....

SOooo about 20 minutes later, there I was with a brand new Echo1 614 in a complete state of disassembly and noticed a few unique airsoft gun design improvements in this version two mechbox. I like the smaller style automotive fuse...easy to replace.

Airsoft Gun Gear Improvements
Then there is the new gear design, featuring a thrust style bearing unit in the base of the bevel gear. Since this gear is responsible for the transfer of torque from the airsoft gun motor to the gearbox unit it will no doubt eliminate allot of stress and noise that normally exists in the motor to bevel gear transfer of energy in airsoft guns.

I see Echo1 is selling these as aftermarket airsoft gear sets and the standard size gears will fit most airsoft guns with version 2 or 3 standard gearboxes. Stay tuned for further reports on these these new Echo1 gear sets and how they hold up to my heavy trigger finger and add to the overall durability of my upgraded airsoft guns. I also have become a fan of the new black style gearboxes with the nickel plated cylinders.

This version 2 comes with a metal spring guide for added out of the box durability. The JG airsoft piston seems to be very durable and holds up to extreme full auto firing for sustained periods better than any airsoft piston we have tested to date. I also like the reinforced poly tappet plates they have been installing in the newest AEG releases.

JG 614 airsoft gun update
After extensive field testing and trials (shooting my friends) and a full bench assesment this gun ranks about a 6.5 on the BA scale. With a few mods it could easily become a 10. I did only a few simple internal durability upgrades like adding steel bushings and a NNA Power piston hub with a 110 spring and this gun was and "still is" shooting a solid 390 FPS.

Bottom line is the JG 416 614 or whatever you choose to call it is a very good airsoft gun for the money whether you are a noob, pro or just backyard airsofter looking for some trigger time. For the average 150 to 175 this airsoft gun costs it is well worth it. It has become a favorite backup weapon for airsoft games but will never replace my beloved SR-16 stoner rifle although I have been kinda google eyed over the new AGM full metal SR-16's and 416 style M4's that have just arrived....Mmmmm which one should I tear apart first! Guess I will save that for my next airsoft gun repair blog.

Till next time
Armsdealer
Airsoft Technician

Echo1 Airsoft Gun Gear Improvements

The new Echo1 Commando 614's that have begun showing up at airsoft fields and stores nationwide are pretty sexy looking airsoft machine guns.

I recently had the opportunity to field one for the day and must say I was Pleased by the overall performance. When I first saw the odd size battery with a standard large connector (Ni-Ca 4/5sc 1500MaH 8.4V) I was a bit surprised....But a call to my local Wisconsin custom airsoft battery dealer and a new custom battery pack designed for the 614 is on its way.

So this airsoft gun chronographed at 350-360 FPS and the accuracy pattern was pretty nice (70' to 100' = 12" inch average pattern) But the smooth firing and quiet operation is what was impressed on me the most as I plinked around the ABZ range.
Gotta have a look inside this baby....
SOooo about 20 minutes later, there I was with a brand new Echo1 614 in a complete state of disassembly and noticed a few unique airsoft gun design improvements in this version two mechbox. I like the smaller style automotive fuse...easy to replace. Then there is the new gear design, featuring a thrust style bearing unit in the base of the bevel gear. Since this gear is responsible for the transfer of torque from the airsoft gun motor to the mechbox unit it will no doubt eliminate allot of stress and noise that normally exists in the motor to bevel gear transfer of energy in airsoft guns. Also notable is the new style spur gear with a recessed bottom. Not sure what this does for performance and durability but I am sure it contributes to the lack of noise of this improved airsoft gun gear set.

I see Echo1 is selling these as aftermarket gear sets and the standard gears will fit most airsoft guns with version 2 or 3 standard gearboxes.

Stay tuned for further reports on these these new Echo1 gear sets and how they hold up to my heavy trigger finger and add to the overall durability of my upgraded airsoft guns.

Airsoft Gun Bearings VS Steel Bushings

So whats the better choice for your airsoft gun? Well my humble opinion is that steel bushings will outlast steel bearings by a year or more. Actually I have never replaced a set of steel bushings but I replace bad steel bearings on a regular basis. True bearings will gain you an extra 6-10 FPS but that small gain in velocity can cost allot in damage control.

Take a look at these 3 pictures of a version 2 gearbox that was brought in for repairs. All of this damage was caused by a high speed bearing failure. The sector gear was damaged as was the cylinder head, luckily the piston seems to have survived this crash.

This airsoft gun is only 6 months old and came with the 7mm bearings installed. A quick check for play at the gear ends after each use would reveal the problem before it causes this kind of damage. If more than 1mm of play is detected the mechbox should be serviced and the bearings should be replaced with 6 or 7mm oily steel bushings.

Save yourself the headache and switch your mechbox to oily steel hardened bushings the next time you service or have your airsoft gun serviced. If you are extremely concerned about fps then lap your gears during the installation process to break in the surface area and reduce friction. Visit our website for more DIY airsoft gun repair tips and tricks.

Upgrading A Classic Army M249

The C. A. MK249 is one solid piece of airsoft gun. For those of you that own one you know that this gun has a very high rate of fire out of the box. Put a Systema or other brand 120% spring in, do not worry about the stock gears they can take it. You will find your 249 will shoot around 380 fps. Only use 8.4 volt battery. With this one simple upgrade installed you will find your airsoft gun last longer and performs better on the field. For more tips and tricks visit my shop site located at www.airsoftgunrepair.com