Regular Handgun Maintenance

[[NL]Infinity]

Last week I got an old TM beretta from a friend. It has been lying around for quite a while (2-3 years) and although it still shoots, it seems to have dried up a bit. There seems to be some friction when racking the slide/cycling the gun, also the gasconsumption seems to be on the high side.

Another problem (which doesnt bother me as much), is the slide that doesnt lock when the mag is empty, it only locks when I hold the gun upside-down.

 

I was thinking of taking the gun apart, doing a checkup and re-lubricating the gun. Now I'm familiar with AEG's, but I'm not that great with GBB's. What do I have to look for, what parts need attention and can or CANT be lubricated, and what kind of grease to use on the GBB?

[ED-SKaR]

Asked and answered many MANY times, but i'll give you the basics.

 

 

 

 

 

If you are confident to do so, do a deep clean. Take the gun apart, down to its component pieces and wash each piece. To wash them you should use washing up liquid, as its safe for plastic metal and rubber, and it cuts through the grease and gunk. Wash with hot water and washing up liquid, then rinse each piece thoroughly with water. oil or grease each part as you reassemble the gun.

 

When you have it apart take a close look at each part to make sure they are not damaged or broken, it sounds like you don't have any broken parts but its always worth a look.

 

Pay piticular attention to the rubber parts, the piston head and hop rubber. If they have dried up, cracked or torn they can lead to loss of gas efficiency*. Also check the nozzle/cylinder for damage, especialy the where the nozzle touches the hop.

 

 

The grease you should use:

If you're just doing the one gun, go simple and get some from your airsoft shop. Expencive but its always good stuff.

If you want better and cheaper go into a hardware/DIY/bike/motorbike/car/machine/whatever shop and get some oil or grease that is safe for rubber. I have used various types and never had a problem, but it is VERY important that you get stuff that is safe for use on rubber

 

Generally you want to use a spray oil for general day to day maintanace on your GBB - a quick spray into the BBU, and down the slide rails is all it needs before a game, so long as you do it before each game and use it regularly.

For a deap clean you want a thicker grease, probably in a tube. If you get stuff that lasts, you can also use it on your AEG.

 

 

 

 

*For example, my TM 1911 had an aftermarket o-ring piston head and was getting 25 rounds to the mag. It was too loose for the cylinder i was using so i oiled it and filled under it with a little padding and it jumped to 36 rounds per fill.

[snowman]

Be careful about using 'grease' in GBB pistols - There's really nothing in there that needs anything as thick as grease and it attracts dirt like nobody's business.

 

Generally just lube with silicon lubricant (not the water based stuff available in Boots! ), although I got given some teflon 'grease' (to ignore my own advice) and smear it very finely on slide rails - It's amazingly good.

 

I expect hardware stores or Halfords sell something similar.

 

M.

[ED-SKaR]

Well... I kinda aggree and kinda dissagree.

 

Yes, you don't need a thick grease. That can gum up a GBB mech all by itself and attract dirt over time. But for the deap inner workings like the trigger mech and hammer mech in the frame, you do need something that lasts longer than spray oils. I find spray oils only last a few weeks before they dry up, and nobody wants to be taking the frame apart every few weeks to respray it. I have a thin grease, still thicker than spray oils, that i use on my GBB frames in the way i described above. Even with heavy CQB use (5 to 10 thousand rounds per year) they only need regreasing ever year or so, if i did it with oil(and i have) it needs at least a minor takedown to get the oil in the right place much more often.

 

 

Its the BBU and the frame rails that need attention every use, and spray oil IS the best for that. Though I often use grease. Take off the slide and pull the cylinder forward, spray oil in there and jobs a goodun.

 

Just remember the important thing everyone seems to forget: The gun needs to be wet* with oil when you use it. Meaning you should oil/greas the gun BEFORE a game. The night before, or the morning of the game is best, a few days before is fine too.

 

 

*not "wet" but with oil/grease on it.

[snowman]

needs to be wet* ... when you use it

 

Sound advice in many cases.

 

I'm sure in reality light grease is fine (especially if you clean it out regularly), but I wouldn't put it any GBB I own

 

Cheers.

[[NL]Infinity]

Thanks for the replies guys, much appreciated

[gisburn20]

I have used Finish line Grease(for mountain bikes) , Superlube (from RS components) and Straight silicone oil (as used at work - for Photocopiers),

 

all work very well on parts that come in contact with seals, and used in moderation on rails etc are very good.

 

But I have a confession to make....

 

I now use Breakfree CLP (gun oil...) on a couple of my metal GBB's (slide rails and hammer mech only- I.E. away from seals)

 

and silicone oil in my Propane adapter and so far my "test subjects" (TM glock 17 with Guarder slide and Army MEU) are running well.

 

Only time will tell how they fare though.

 

Jim