Post by boveetrap on May 18, 2007 9:24:13 GMT 8
AEG Care
Don't reuse BBs
Number one rule: Don't reuse BBs no matter how good they look. BBs may deform when fired out of an AEG - and will definitely deform and sometimes chip and crack when colliding with targets. Using BBs that are not completely round or that have chips and cracks may rip the hop-up rubber seal and damage the hop-up mechanism. BBs that you pick up off the ground may also be coated with a thin layer of dirt - which again may scratch the hop-up seal and barrel.
Cleaning the Barrel
One of the most common factors leading to the loss of distance and accuracy comes from dust and dirt buildup within the inner barrel. Once dirt builds up, it interferes and slows down the BB as it travels through the barrel, leaving you with less power and most likely less accuracy. Cleaning is a must if you play a lot and doing so takes only several minutes. Marui includes a cleaning rod with each of its AEGs. All you need to do is stick a piece of cotton into the "needle eye" of the cleaning rod, spray some silicon onto the piece of cotton, and then stick it down the barrel, stroking it up and down several times to ensure that the cotton ball reaches all parts of the barrel. The most important thing to note before you do this is : set the hop-up to the minimum setting. If you leave the hop-up "on" and you try to force the cotton ball down the barrel right into the hop-up assembly, it may cause irreversible damage. So remember, hop-off before you clean. Another tip is you should turn the hop-up off when storing the gun for long periods of time (more than several days).
Silicon spray all critical parts
The manual illustrates this to some extent but you should spray some silicon onto moving parts and also into the BB feeding tube (the part where your magazine meets the gun...or, where the BBs are fed up into the hop-up unit. Doing this periodically will ensure you don't get BB jams at critical moments
Tighten screws
In the heat of play, some screws may loosen and if you don't tighten them, you may end up with lost parts after you return from a game. Critical screws to check for include those that hold the front sights and muzzle (especially so on the MP5 and G3 series AEGs), the screw that fastens the selector switch (again common on the MP5 and G3 series), and screws on the grip butt-plate. It's also a good idea to ensure any screw you can find on the gun is firmly screwed in (although don't screw them in too hard otherwise you may strip them). We're told by our customers that the front sight retainer screw on the MP5 A4 / A5 comes loose easily, as does the large screws that hold the M4A1 upper receiver handle to the lower receiver.
Motor tuning
The motor in AEGs is precisely positioned so that it mates correctly with the gearbox gears. The way this is tuned is done by adjusting the hex nut on the bottom of your grip butt-plate. You will notice that there is a dab of red wax-like material on the nut - this was applied by Marui at the factory to prevent the screw from unwinding itself. If in the unlucky event that this hex screw becomes loose and unwinds itself, the motor will shift downwards within the grip and come away from the gears. If this problem becomes severe enough, then you may find yourself with stripped gears. We would recommend you don't tamper with this screw unless you are sure that it has come loose. Visual inspection may help identify this but the best way is by listening to the motor. To a trained ear, it is very easy to tell - a shifted motor will often allow much more play in the gears and your shots might sound much more hollow and the motor takes longer to wind up and get a shot off. To find out if your motor is loose, you can also try this:
- Shoot semi-auto for 2 to 3 shots, and then for the fourth shot...
- Pull the trigger and then release it very very quickly
If you hear the motor wind but the spring does not cycle and it does not get a shot off, then you might have a loose motor
If on the other hand you can't release the trigger fast enough before the spring cycles and gets a shot off, then you're fine.
Of course some of you might have super quick fingers and it is possible to fail this test but yet still have a perfectly positioned motor. Basic rule of thumb is you pull the trigger back and then let go one in a deliberate and smooth motion without any jerks in your finger. If you don't get a shot off before you release the trigger, then adjust and reseat the motor by tightening the hex screw (by turning it clockwise).
Be careful not to over tighten as you will then overheat the motor and seize your gears as well.
Again, if you don't know what you're doing, don't tamper with the hex screw. Over 99% of AEGs go through their life without ever needing this operation. If you have a modified AEG or if you have disassembled the grip butt-plate at some point in time, then this may apply to you.
Decompress the spring after each game and before storing
This is the most basic rule that everyone should follow. Due to the design of AEGs, it is important that you shoot your AEG in semi-auto mode for about 2 to 3 shots before storing it. Doing this will ensure that the spring is full decompressed! If you simply walk off a battlefield after much full-auto fire, and then store the gun for the days - chances are that your spring is in a partially or fully compressed state. Springs that are held in their compressed state for an extended amount of time loose their strength and you'll get a decrease in power the next time you use your AEG. Even worse, the stress caused by the spring on the gears may snap off some parts while in storage and the next time you take your AEG out, it may not fire. So remember to decompress before you store, or for that matter, every time you're going to put the gun down for a rest!
Note to PSG1 owners
This does not apply to you. The default position for the spring in the PSG1 is in a compressed state - meaning every time you pull the trigger, it releases the spring from the compressed state, fires off the shot, and recompresses the spring - ready for the next shot. That's why there is NO delay when you pull the trigger on a PSG1. To decompress the spring for storage on a PSG1, refer to the manual which describes the little spring decompressing lever next to the trigger.
Follow these basic rules and your AEG will last you a long time. Hope this short column clears up some of the confusion!
Don't reuse BBs
Number one rule: Don't reuse BBs no matter how good they look. BBs may deform when fired out of an AEG - and will definitely deform and sometimes chip and crack when colliding with targets. Using BBs that are not completely round or that have chips and cracks may rip the hop-up rubber seal and damage the hop-up mechanism. BBs that you pick up off the ground may also be coated with a thin layer of dirt - which again may scratch the hop-up seal and barrel.
Cleaning the Barrel
One of the most common factors leading to the loss of distance and accuracy comes from dust and dirt buildup within the inner barrel. Once dirt builds up, it interferes and slows down the BB as it travels through the barrel, leaving you with less power and most likely less accuracy. Cleaning is a must if you play a lot and doing so takes only several minutes. Marui includes a cleaning rod with each of its AEGs. All you need to do is stick a piece of cotton into the "needle eye" of the cleaning rod, spray some silicon onto the piece of cotton, and then stick it down the barrel, stroking it up and down several times to ensure that the cotton ball reaches all parts of the barrel. The most important thing to note before you do this is : set the hop-up to the minimum setting. If you leave the hop-up "on" and you try to force the cotton ball down the barrel right into the hop-up assembly, it may cause irreversible damage. So remember, hop-off before you clean. Another tip is you should turn the hop-up off when storing the gun for long periods of time (more than several days).
Silicon spray all critical parts
The manual illustrates this to some extent but you should spray some silicon onto moving parts and also into the BB feeding tube (the part where your magazine meets the gun...or, where the BBs are fed up into the hop-up unit. Doing this periodically will ensure you don't get BB jams at critical moments
Tighten screws
In the heat of play, some screws may loosen and if you don't tighten them, you may end up with lost parts after you return from a game. Critical screws to check for include those that hold the front sights and muzzle (especially so on the MP5 and G3 series AEGs), the screw that fastens the selector switch (again common on the MP5 and G3 series), and screws on the grip butt-plate. It's also a good idea to ensure any screw you can find on the gun is firmly screwed in (although don't screw them in too hard otherwise you may strip them). We're told by our customers that the front sight retainer screw on the MP5 A4 / A5 comes loose easily, as does the large screws that hold the M4A1 upper receiver handle to the lower receiver.
Motor tuning
The motor in AEGs is precisely positioned so that it mates correctly with the gearbox gears. The way this is tuned is done by adjusting the hex nut on the bottom of your grip butt-plate. You will notice that there is a dab of red wax-like material on the nut - this was applied by Marui at the factory to prevent the screw from unwinding itself. If in the unlucky event that this hex screw becomes loose and unwinds itself, the motor will shift downwards within the grip and come away from the gears. If this problem becomes severe enough, then you may find yourself with stripped gears. We would recommend you don't tamper with this screw unless you are sure that it has come loose. Visual inspection may help identify this but the best way is by listening to the motor. To a trained ear, it is very easy to tell - a shifted motor will often allow much more play in the gears and your shots might sound much more hollow and the motor takes longer to wind up and get a shot off. To find out if your motor is loose, you can also try this:
- Shoot semi-auto for 2 to 3 shots, and then for the fourth shot...
- Pull the trigger and then release it very very quickly
If you hear the motor wind but the spring does not cycle and it does not get a shot off, then you might have a loose motor
If on the other hand you can't release the trigger fast enough before the spring cycles and gets a shot off, then you're fine.
Of course some of you might have super quick fingers and it is possible to fail this test but yet still have a perfectly positioned motor. Basic rule of thumb is you pull the trigger back and then let go one in a deliberate and smooth motion without any jerks in your finger. If you don't get a shot off before you release the trigger, then adjust and reseat the motor by tightening the hex screw (by turning it clockwise).
Be careful not to over tighten as you will then overheat the motor and seize your gears as well.
Again, if you don't know what you're doing, don't tamper with the hex screw. Over 99% of AEGs go through their life without ever needing this operation. If you have a modified AEG or if you have disassembled the grip butt-plate at some point in time, then this may apply to you.
Decompress the spring after each game and before storing
This is the most basic rule that everyone should follow. Due to the design of AEGs, it is important that you shoot your AEG in semi-auto mode for about 2 to 3 shots before storing it. Doing this will ensure that the spring is full decompressed! If you simply walk off a battlefield after much full-auto fire, and then store the gun for the days - chances are that your spring is in a partially or fully compressed state. Springs that are held in their compressed state for an extended amount of time loose their strength and you'll get a decrease in power the next time you use your AEG. Even worse, the stress caused by the spring on the gears may snap off some parts while in storage and the next time you take your AEG out, it may not fire. So remember to decompress before you store, or for that matter, every time you're going to put the gun down for a rest!
Note to PSG1 owners
This does not apply to you. The default position for the spring in the PSG1 is in a compressed state - meaning every time you pull the trigger, it releases the spring from the compressed state, fires off the shot, and recompresses the spring - ready for the next shot. That's why there is NO delay when you pull the trigger on a PSG1. To decompress the spring for storage on a PSG1, refer to the manual which describes the little spring decompressing lever next to the trigger.
Follow these basic rules and your AEG will last you a long time. Hope this short column clears up some of the confusion!
