Things to Know Before Using Your Airsoft Gun
1. Don't overcharge the battery - overcharging your battery can result in decreased battery life or a ruined battery. A 5-7 hour initial charge using the wall charger included with the gun will be sufficient. After the initial charge, charging the battery for 2-3 hours will probably be enough.
Tip: To figure out how long your battery should charge, take the MAH of the battery (e.g. 1100mah) and divide that number by the MAH output of the wall charger (e.g. 250mah). This will give you an approximate charge time.
2. Don't use low quality ammo - using low quality ammo can void the gun warranty and cause the weapon to jam. If your gun has a tightbore barrel that makes using the right quality bbs all the more important. It is not recommended that you use any bbs from Walmart or other such retailers. Most of these bbs are low quality bbs which are really only ok for spring guns (excluding Sniper Rifles). I know a lot of people use Crossman bbs, however, I would not recommend using them in an electric gun - especially one with a tightbore barrel. Even if they don't damage the gun, using them may void your warranty. (See also, "What You Should Know About BBs: Brands, Weights & More"). Never use .12g bbs in an electric gun and never re-use bbs in an electric gun, no matter what weight they are.
3. If your gun jams and/or makes a grinding/whining noise and is not shooting, immediately stop using it. If there is a jam, remove the ammo clip and shake out any loose bbs. Make sure the gun is on "safety" mode, then using the rod that came with your gun, slide it down the barrel and unjam any bbs (you should turn the hop-up all the way off before doing this). Remove the rod and fire a few shots on semi-auto. If gun is still jammed, or is making a grinding/whining noise, contact a someone who has experience with airsoft gun disassembly and repair. Don't try to take the gun apart - it can be confusing and you may not remember where parts went (we've had a few of those moments ourselves!).
4. If your gun seems to be shooting very inaccurately, you may need to clean the barrel. Doing this thoroughly will require removing the barrel - a process that should be performed, or at least supervised, by someone who has experience with airsoft gun disassembly.
5. Once you are done shooting your gun for the day, remove the magazine and fire are few times on semi-auto. This helps make sure that there are no more bbs in the gun, and it makes sure that the internal parts of the gun are back in their correct position.
6. If your gun comes with a high cap magazine, you will have to "wind" the magazine before shooting your gun. After filling the magazine with bbs, wind the wheel located on the bottom of the magazine until you see bbs appear at the hole on the top of the magazine (ammo clip). Once you see the bbs appear wind the wheel about 10 more times, load the magazine into the gun and you are ready to shoot. The more you wind the magazine the longer you will be able to fire before having to wind it again. If you wind the magazine long enough you will start to hear a clicking noise. This means the magazine is wound up as much as possible.
7. Don't hold the down trigger for more than 3-5 seconds on full-auto. Holding the trigger down for long periods will wear the weapon's internals faster, and prolonged sessions of nonstop full-auto can potentially burn out the motor and/or break other internal parts.
I highly recommend that you also read these articles on our website:
How to: Airsoft Gun Maintenance
What Should I Use to Lube My Airsoft Gun?
Airsoft Info: Terms, Definitions and Other Helpful Information
What You Should Know About BBs: Brands, Weights & More
Article by Striker
