TECHNICAL
KEEP IT CLEAN! KEEP IT CLEAN
OWN A GBB PISTOL OF SOME DESCRIPTION? WE BET YOU DO! ANY SELF-RESPECTING ‘SOFTER OWNS AND USES FREQUENTLY A GBB PISTOL BUT OWNING ANY GBB PISTOL REQUIRES A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MAINTENANCE, SOMEWHAT MORE THAN AN AEG. IN THIS INSTALMENT OF “TECH”, JIMMY COVERS HOW TO GO ABOUT LOOKING AFTER YOUR PISTOL, WHETHER IT BE OUT OF THE BOX OR HEAVILY USED. ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY? IF SO, HE’LL BEGIN…
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t can be a real let down (and sometimes infuriating) having to swap to your secondary only for it to fall flat on its face in your hour of need, letting an opponent get the drop on you and giving you that “long walk” back to the Safe Zone, can’t it? However, much of the time, a pistol failing to do the job is primarily down to lack of maintenance. I’m not about to start pointing fingers but some people might not understand the importance - nor even how to - go about basic pistol maintenance and this month I’ll pass on a few tips for those that don’t know. Some pistols require a little more love than others and one thing you will need to become familiar with is how to strip your pistol. For basic maintenance you don’t need to be stripping it down to every single component but knowing how to separate the slide from the frame is a must in order for you to clean and lubricate it effectively. Most pistol’s takedown is relatively straightforward, by way of a lever or a frame pin. When it comes to maintenance everybody has their preferred method and likes to use their favoured products, which is absolutely fine as there’s more than one way to peel a potato and there’s a wide variety of products available (each claiming to be “the best”). When it comes to new pistols, I like to remove the slide and do away with the heavy thick grease commonly used by manufacturers. Grease should not be used on any part of a pistol. No grease? I hear you 60
SEPTEMBER 2021
ask …correct, no grease! While grease is a lubricant, it is thick and heavy and can slow your pistol down, even making it inefficient. A good oil or lubricant is far better to use as it is much lighter and it allows everything to move easier with less effort, making your cycle time quicker and maintaining gas efficiency. So, with an out-of-the-box GBB, I will clean and remove as much grease as possible and lubricate only the places that are needed. For example, when it comes to any contact points between the slide and the frame, you don’t need a lot of lubricant. With a good oil, a few drops properly placed properly will go far. My choice of oils/lubricants are GHK silicone oil and Maglube oil. Both are very good lubricants and perfect for use on all aspects of your pistol and can be purchased fairly cheaply.
GETTING DOWN TO IT
Here is my process for cleaning and lubricating my pistols: I start by cleaning any old oil or grease from the slide, inside the rails and around the blowback housing and nozzle using cotton buds, as they can reach the smaller areas and they are inexpensive. Next, I will inspect my barrel and hop rubber to check for any grime down the barrel and check for wear on the hop rubber. I also look for any signs of lubricant on the hop rubber. Contaminants on your
