How to Clean an Airsoft Gun Barrel
Regular cleaning and maintenance of your airsoft equipment is a huge piece of the puzzle when it comes to your combat effectiveness.
Keep your airsoft weapons clean and free of debris and you’ll be able to deliver BBs on target whole lot more efficiently and effectively than you would if you simply bring your weapon in from the field, set it in the corner, and then drag it out into action the next time that you play airsoft.
And while all core components of your airsoft weapon should be cleaned on a regular basis (every month or so, maybe even more frequently than that depending on usage) you want to be sure that your airsoft gun barrel is squeaky clean every time you go to fire it.
In this quick guide to cover everything, you need to know about how to clean an airsoft gun barrel.
By the time you’re done with the details in this guide, you’ll be able to make quick work of this routine maintenance, and with just a little bit of practice, you’ll be able to knock out a barrel cleaning session with your eyes closed in record time.
Let’s get to it!
Why Cleaning Your Airsoft Barrel is So Important
The inner barrel of your airsoft weapon needs to be free and clear of dust, dirt, and debris (even on a microscopic level) if you are going to be able to deliver BBs downrange on target as accurately as possible.
Even just a little bit of obstruction can change your point of aim significantly, throwing off your effectiveness, gumming up the works, and potentially causing jams and other issues that might take you off the field of play for a significant chunk of time.
By keeping your inner barrel clean and free you’re going to see increased FPS numbers, you’re going to see a boost inaccuracy, you’re going to get better sound out of your barrel, and you’re going to get a lot more repeatability and consistency from your weapon every time you pull the trigger.
Ignore cleaning your inner barrel and all kinds of issues will start to plague your airsoft weapon.
Step by Step Guide to Cleaning Your Airsoft Barrel
To begin the process of mastering how to clean an airsoft gun barrel you want to get your hands on a couple of inexpensive supplies.
A microfiber cloth that you can run through the barrel itself is obviously pretty important. A microfiber cloth in specific isn’t going to leave behind little bits of fiber or pieces of debris that could gum up the works even after you have actually cleaned your barrel.
You’ll also want to get your hands on some cleaning alcohol (like window cleaner, for example). A lot of people are under the impression that you should be using some sort of silicone spray or other lubricant to clean out your barrel, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Those kinds of cleaners should be used on the moving parts and components of your airsoft rifle on a regular basis for sure, but they have absolutely no business getting put into the inner barrel of airsoft weapon.
Silicone-based cleaners and other “greasy” cleaners are going to attract dirt, dust, and debris even after you run a microfiber cloth through move as much of that residue possible. This will gum things up pretty quickly, produce fouling issues, and increase the number of jams you have to fight through.
Alcohol-based cleaners, on the other hand – like rubbing alcohol or glass cleaner – work to dissolve dirt, dust, and debris but also evaporate pretty quickly so that you don’t have to worry about any residual fluid being left behind.
After spraying a bit of fluid onto a microfiber cloth you’ll then want to run it through the entire length of the barrel itself. There are all kinds of cleaning rods out there designed to work with your barrel specifically (a bit of Google research will help you find the right one, though most airsoft guns come with a cleaning rod included), and you want to rinse and repeat this process a couple of times until the cloth comes out completely clean.
From there you’ll be able to address the rest of your regular maintenance by disassembling the weapon, spring lubricants on the moving parts, and removing any other obvious signs of dirt and debris – but your barrel is now squeaky clean and ready to rock and roll.
Remember to bring a microfiber cloth and some cleaning supplies with you when you head out to play as well. You’re obviously going to be a playing in a pretty dirty environment and you may need to clean your barrel a couple of times whenever there’s downtime, helping to keep your weapon up and running and improving your combat effectiveness as well.