You spend tons of time and money upgrading your AEG with a high-speed motor, MOSFET, ETU, tight-bore barrel, and upgrading the hop-up system to improve power, accuracy, and rate of fire, don’t you?
You expect that when you pull the trigger, your platform will hit “full send” and throw a blazing-fast string of BBs at your intended target, right?
So why on earth would you not take proper care of your airsoft magazines? If they’re jammed with dirt or sand or just have fatigued springs, they’re not going to feed nicely, which can throw a wrench into the performance of your other upgrades.
So let’s take a look at how we can bring them back to life.
Remove Base Plate, Insert, and Mag Spring
The first step to airsoft magazine maintenance is to disassemble the thing. For most M4-style magazines, first, you will need to drop the base plate (held in place either with a hex screw or Phillips screw) and remove the insert.
Remove the screw and place it to the side (a magnetic dish helps with this), then push out the insert.
Lift the flap or catch holding the mag spring in place and carefully remove the spring. Be careful because the spring may want to shoot out. Then remove the screws on the side plate of the magazine and remove the side plates. Again, placing the screws in a magnetic dish can help prevent you from losing them.
Clean Spring and Magazine Internals
With the airsoft magazine disassembled, it’s time to clean everything. Isopropyl alcohol is suitable for this as it easily dissolves grease and oil and makes it easy to clean away dirt. Just don’t use too much.
To dissolve deposits of grease or dirt on the spring, you may want to soak it in isopropyl. Place it to the side and let it air dry.
Next, get a small square of paper towel and fold it over on itself a few times until you have a wadded up piece with a fairly blunt edge. Soak this in a bit of isopropyl alcohol and use it to clean out the channel in the magazine that retains the spring.
Then, wipe down the side plates of the magazine insert, as well as the main body and floor plate.
Lubricate If Necessary
After you have cleaned the mag spring and insert, you need to protect the spring and plastic. Airsoft gun magazines usually use a special silicone-based lubricant that protects against decay, and moisture damage, and will not dissolve plastic.
Use this on the spring, in the spring channel, and on the magazine insert, but be sparing, because as effective as this compound is for lubricating and protecting against wear and damage, it also is a magnet for grime and dirt.
Reassemble in Reverse Order
Before reassembling any airsoft magazine, be sure that all components, internal and external, are completely dry.
Once you’ve cleaned the airsoft magazine and lubricated it thoroughly, reinsert the mag spring into its channel and replace the two halves of the insert (or replace the halves and then insert the spring, because that may be easier) and then fasten the two halves of the insert.
Replace the insert into the mag body, and then the floor plate, and replace all hardware before fastening them. Your mag should be good to do.
Need a New Airsoft Magazine or Some Spares? Visit MiR Tactical
Got a few airsoft magazines that are somewhat worse for wear? Sometimes what you need is not a cleaning but a replacement. Visit MiR Tactical online at MiRTactical.com They carry a wide range of airsoft magazines, including airsoft pistol mags, mid-capacity magazines, and even hi cap magazines for AEGs. Besides that, one mag is worth little and your vest should be stuffed with spares, so visit their website and stock up as a treat to yourself for the new year.
