So you just got a new Airsoft gun.

With the launch of the VMP-2 by Vorsk I think it’s important to talk about what to do when you get a new airsoft gun.

You see, those of us in this wonderful world of airsoft (bruh!) have this fantastic obsession with fucking with our shit. We just LOVE taking shit apart, fucking around inside and then getting confused putting it back together.

Then it stops working, now obviously WE’RE not to blame! no it’s the manufacturers who are at fault!

If you got your airsoft gun second hand this blog isn’t for you, Caveat Emptor.

Here’s the thing though, when you first get your shiny new airsoft gun there’s a few things you should absolutely do BEFORE you fuck with it.

1) Open the box and look at it, in all its glory. I mean REALLY look at it! Look for any damage or defects, if you see something and it’s unacceptable. Close the box and take it back to where you got it from, don’t even hesitate. You need to yeet that bitch right back to the retailer.

2) RTFM!!! Seriously, take that little booklet or sheet that comes with it (hopefully) and pay attention to what it says, don’t just assume they all say the same thing because they don’t! Take the G&G SGR556 for example, the manual for that TELLS you how to pair the included remote for the ETU, don’t just faff about trying to get it work and then run to a discord or facebook group saying “my guns not working! G&G SUCK!” when you haven’t even taken the god damned time to read the included instructions! Or better yet the VMP-2, for the first time I’ve seen it EXPLICITLY states to NOT under any circumstances use Propane or camping gas (omg they’re onto us!) and to properly lubricate it before use. . .though they fail to include where specifically. . .

3a) if it’s an AEG, charge the battery and then plug it in. Did it do anything unexpected? Explode? Was there a comicly sized puff of smoke? (I actually had that happen to me once, some wiring shorted on the gearbox casing and there was a teeny tiny puff of smoke from the now dead MOSFET) Then take it back to the retailer! Yeah you might see a theme here.

3b) if it’s a GBBR or GBBP it’s slightly more nuanced. The first thing you should do after giving it a once over for any damage is to fill the mag with gas, green gas is fine, propane is better (it’s just green gas without the silicone). Check for any leaks, if there is one, that’s not unheard of and usually easily fixed. Go on YouTube to find a myriad of videos on every mag type out there though once you know one the rest are easy enough to figure out.

Once you have leak free mags put a couple of BBs of your choice in there, lock the bolt or slide back, insert the mag DON’T SLAM IT IN! Then in a safe environment with eyepro on give it a quick test fire. Did it function normally? No? send it back? Not yet.

Field strip the gun, again there should be plenty of videos on YouTube or (as they are usually very close to the real thing in operation) go get yourself World Of Guns: Gun Disassembly and learn how that gun comes apart, it’s actually a really handy resource. Lubricate using Super Lube and a paintbrush to apply it (Though with the VMP-2 it needs more than usual), if you’re unsure where, go on my YouTube and see if I have a video for that type of GBBR, and I say type and not model because it’s usually the same across the different brands for each type (all Hi-capas are the same for example).

If you’ve lubricated it properly, filled the mag correctly (and it’s not super cold) and you test fire and it still fails to function properly. . .Take it back to the retailer! They may be able to help show what you’ve done wrong if you have done something wrong and otherwise send it back to their wholesaler.

The very very very last thing you should do with a brand spanking new airsoft gun, is paint it, fuck up all the internals doing that because you didn’t think to gut it before doing so and then send it to a tech to fix because guess what? That will completely void your warranty! The retailer will tell you to piss off and you’ll sit there fuming thinking the manufacturer is at fault, or the retailer for not taking it back.

Techs exist to fix stuff that’s not under warranty, or to upgrade things and break the warranty doing so. We’re not here to fix something that’s under warranty that came broken out of the box, that’s the manufacturers job. You wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) try and repair a brand new car from factory would you? No you would send it back to the dealership and airsoft guns are no different.

GBB Maintenance basics

You should be regularly maintaining your GBB (Gas Blow Back) RIFs (Realistic Imitation Firearm), in this blog we’ll go over the bare minimum you should do between game days, and what you should do every few months to keep your RIF up and running! If reading isn’t your thing then check out our video!

So, before we start breaking down your pistol or rifle what are we going to need to hand?

Well, here’s a handy list of what I recommend and usually have to hand as a minimum when working on a GBB RIF.

• A clear and level workspace. It’s important that you have sufficient room to put the parts of the RIF down without knocking them about constantly, a regular kitchen table without any clutter should do the job.

• A microfiber cloth or similar. A cloth to wipe away factory oils and grease is essential, this can be any number of things though the most important aspect is that it not fall apart and that it doesn’t leave anything of itself behind when you wipe it on the parts. anything left behind can lead to quicker degradation of parts and premature failure if your RIF.

• Replacement lubricant. This is something that is hotly debated as what to use, in my opinion the best option is PTFE based lubricant in particular grease rather than oil. I recommend Super Lube 21030 synthetic grease, PTFE not only doesn’t interact with other materials at all (It’s basically inert!) but also stays exactly where you put it.
  If you can’t get hold of any PTFE grease then honestly even sillicone oil will work as it’s better than nothing, however you should look to source a proper grease when you can. This video from Explosive Enterprises does an execellent job of explaining why.

• a small paintbrush

• Gas to test seals and function. I suggest propane with an adaptor or dry gas such as that from ASG. If green gas is all you have to hand then that will also suffice.

And that’s it really! for basic maintenance you should generally not need to use any tools at all, thanks to the realistic nature of GBB RIFS you can for the most part field strip them without tools just like the real steel equivalent, which lets be honest is one of the best things about owning a GBB RIF.

So, once you’ve got your workspace and gathered the things you need what now? Well first you’ll need to field strip the RIF, there are a myriad of videos out there on many of the GBB RIFS that exist but not all, so if you happen to have something fairly new or rare and there’s no videos how can you do it? I would suggest looking for info and videos on how to break down the real thing! World of Guns Disassembly is actually a fantastic resource for learning this as it has a breakdown of almost all the guns that exist in the world, I often use it when no other resources exist.

Once you’ve broken the RIF down into its main parts without taking tools to the thing then you can start cleaning out any existing lubricant that’s there, in particular while doing this you should be looking for any metal filings or if sillicone has been used before, look at the colour of the lubricant, if it’s grey and not clear then this indicates that there’s been a fair amount of wear happening which should also be reflected by areas where the paint or coating has been worn away.

Once you’ve cleaned the RIF and made sure no lubricant or debris has been left behind by the cleaning process, you can then take some time to really look closely and observe any damage that might exist and levels of wear.

You should be close attention to anywhere that might experience a lot of stress, especially where there is a 90 degree corner in the design, this can lead to whats called stress risers and causes cracks in the body stretching from the corner.

if nothing looks untoward then you can start reversing your steps.

Start by loading up your paintbrush with some lubricant, ideally this is grease but if it is oil then it’s not the end of the world, just remember oil is oil and oil moves.

Once your brush is loaded, start applying the lubricant sparingly along any tracks where contact is likely and especially anywhere that contact wear is evident. Remember; you don’t need a lot! too much will cause friction and attract a lot of grit and dirt.