How do you clean an airsoft gun barrel?

Run a cleaning or unjamming rod with a small patch of cloth through the barrel to remove BB residue and dirt. A lightly dampened patch followed by a dry one works well. Do this every so often and any time accuracy drops or a BB jams. Keep the hop-up rubber clean too, but do not soak it in the wrong oils.

What oil should you use on an airsoft gun?

Use silicone oil on airsoft, especially on gas gun seals, hop-up rubbers and moving surfaces. Do not use petroleum-based oils like WD-40 or gun oil made for real firearms, as they can swell and destroy the rubber and plastic parts inside an airsoft gun. A few drops of silicone oil in the right places is all it takes.

How do you maintain a gas airsoft gun?

Keep the seals lubricated with silicone oil so they stay supple and gas-tight, store magazines with a little gas left in rather than fully empty, and wipe the gun down after use. If you run raw propane, adding silicone oil regularly is essential because propane has no lubricant of its own.

How often should you clean your airsoft gun?

A quick wipe-down and barrel clean after each game day keeps things reliable, plus a more thorough check every few outings. Look after the battery or gas between uses, and give the gun a once-over before long storage. Little and often beats a big rescue job later.

How to Maintain & Clean Your Airsoft Gun

The golden rule: use silicone oil on airsoft, never petroleum-based products like WD-40 or real firearm oils. Petroleum oils swell and destroy the rubber and plastic parts inside a replica. Silicone oil is cheap and made for the job.

Cleaning the barrel

The barrel picks up BB residue, dirt and moisture, and that shows up as dropping accuracy or the odd jam. To clean it:

Make the gun safe: magazine out, no battery or gas.
Wrap a small patch of cloth around a cleaning or unjamming rod.
Push it gently through the barrel. Use a lightly dampened patch first if it is grimy, then a dry patch to finish.
Repeat until the patch comes out clean. Do not force a tight rod, and never use anything abrasive.

Do this every so often, and any time a BB jams or accuracy falls off. Clean BBs help a lot here too, our guide to airsoft BBs explains why cheap BBs cause so many jams.

Looking after the hop-up

The hop-up rubber puts spin on the BB and has a big say in accuracy. Keep it clean, and when you store the gun for a while, back the hop-up off so the rubber is not held under tension for months. A tiny amount of silicone on the moving parts is fine, but do not drench it.

Maintaining a gas gun

Gas guns have seals that must stay supple to hold pressure. Keep them happy:

Lubricate the seals with a few drops of silicone oil regularly, especially the slide and cylinder area.
Store magazines with a little gas in them rather than bone dry, which keeps the seals pressurised and supple.
Running raw propane? Adding silicone oil is not optional, propane has no lubricant of its own, so without it the seals dry out and fail. See our airsoft gas guide.

Close-up of hands applying silicone oil to the slide of an airsoft gas pistol

Batteries and electrics (AEGs)

For electric guns, the battery needs as much care as the gun. Charge LiPo batteries on a balance charger, store them at around half charge rather than full, and keep them in a fireproof bag. Never run a LiPo flat. Full detail is in our LiPo battery safety guide. Keeping wiring tidy and connectors clean also helps an AEG run reliably.

After every game, and before storage

After a game day:

Wipe the gun down, especially if it got wet or muddy.
Run a quick patch through the barrel.
Take the battery off charge duty or set gas mags to storage.

Before longer storage:

Clean the barrel and wipe the exterior.
Back the hop-up off.
Leave a little gas in mags, or LiPos at storage charge.
Store the replica securely and out of sight, see our storage guide.

Buying or selling used? A well-maintained replica is worth more and easier to sell. TradeSoft listings show condition up front, from verified Kiwi players. Download TradeSoft, free on iOS and Android.

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How to maintain & clean your airsoft gun.

Cleaning the barrel

Looking after the hop-up

Maintaining a gas gun

Batteries and electrics (AEGs)

After every game, and before storage

Keep it running.