Today, we will talk about troubleshooting some problems people might encounter in AEG ownership.
We will list and timestamp four sections of the gun that you can quickly diagnose.
The first problem would be the gun not feeding. If your gun sounds like it shoots, but no airsoft BBs are being shot, we might have a feeding problem. We will check the first part of this, which is the magazine.
Feeding
Bad BBs - by now, you should know not to use low-quality ammo because it will jam up your gun. This could cause damage in more ways than one, so be sure to use only the good stuff.
Magazine not wound - If your gun comes with a high-capacity magazine, many new players need to wind the magazine sufficiently to make the rounds feed. They think one or two times is enough, or when they see the BB comes up. Wrong. To wind the magazine, you will turn the wheel numerous times until it gets tighter from spring tension, and you will finally hear a different clicking noise when you turn it. The magazine is ready and can feed about ⅓ of its capacity before you do this again.
The magazine does not fit properly - rarely would there be a case where the magazine that comes with the gun is at fault, but it is a possibility. If you mix brands of magazines and guns, you could run into this, too. This can only be fixed by getting creative because the specifications and tolerances might be too different between brands.
Barrel/Hop-Up Unit
Jammed barrel - if you shoot and nothing comes out and it sounds like a muffled thud, you likely have a jam. Do not look into the hop-up chamber as you attempt to fire, as a BB might come out. You will have to use an unjamming rod to clear the BB out. If you cannot get it out, you might have to take the barrel out of your AEG to do this. Taking it apart is advanced and most people screw up putting it back together the first time. If you put it together incorrectly, your warranty will be voided.
Bad bucking - Very rarely will the bucking be at fault out of the box on an AEG we offer, though some very low-priced options out there or an old or used gun could run into this more frequently from what I’ve seen. A bad bucking could result in repeated jams, low or fluctuating FPS, or even inconsistent feeding. First, spray silicon oil on your bucking through the barrel to see if your feeding improves. Other than visible tears on the bucking itself, most of the time, you will have this replaced outright if not every year or two. Taking it apart is not recommended and will void your warranty, so do not attempt this on your own unless you know what you are doing. By putting them together incorrectly, you will likely damage or disable your hop-up unit or gearbox components.
BB rolls out - This one is straightforward and does not indicate anything is broken. Your hop-up might be turned off completely. Turning it on to start with will be sufficient to solve this. Certain types of bucking require it to be turned on to hold the chambered BB in place.
Electrical system
When installing batteries, take care not to crush or pinch any wires. Avoid using batteries with exposed parts altogether because you could end up with a short.
Battery not charged - if your gun gets a minimal electrical response or locks up, you may have an undercharged battery. Charge the battery fully and ensure it is in good shape. That should solve your problem. If your gun is locked up, it might need a higher-voltage battery to get it going. If that doesn’t work, you might have a problem in the gearbox and need professional help to get that dealt with.
Fuse blown - if your gun has no electrical response but has a fuse, check to ensure it’s not burnt. If your gun is in stock, replace this fuse with the same type or up to 30 amps and see if your gun will work. If your gun continually blows fuses, something might be wrong with the electrical system, or something inside the gearbox is broken, causing more strain on the electrical system.
The motor is not connected. Another possible cause of no electrical response is that the motor leads have been disconnected. Sometimes, the torque from the motor turning is enough to knock these off. You can check this on some guns by taking off the motor base plate. These are sensitive screws, and the wire placement is critical when putting this back together, so do NOT attempt this if you are unfamiliar. You will void your warranty or cause damage to your airsoft gun.
A stuck piston could occur if you attempt to fire your gun with a low-charged battery. With the piston far back, it will take much more voltage to overcome this portion of the cycle. If you got into your gearbox and swapped parts, there was a potential of the piston not fitting, and this could continually happen. To clear this, you must first attempt it with a higher voltage battery, such as an 11.1v Lipo. If that fails, it will require some gearbox knowledge to clear.
Releasing the anti reversal latch will release the gear tension and lower the piston. Only attempt this if you are familiar with what is inside the gearbox. You could damage your wires, and as a retailer, we would never ask you to try this. You will void your warranty if you attempt this, but for those DIY types, you can do this.
Stripped gear - stripped gears might continue to turn, and your gun might continue to cycle, but it will sound really bad and screechy. This requires completely opening up the gun for repair. Do not attempt this. Contact your retailer. If this is a brand-new gun doing this, take advantage of your warranty.
That covers all the malfunctions in an old and new AEG.
