GBB Maintenance basics
All RIFS need a bit of TLC
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.