Spring Cleaning for your Paintgun Author: Mister.44 Client: Paintball Magazine Publish Date: June, 1999 NOTE: This is the original copy submitted and does not reflect any editorial changes. © 2000 Steve Novak

You drive to the field, your hands clenched tight around the steering wheel in anticipation. You arrive before most of the other players, and take the time to gear up. You make sure your camos are on good and strap on your leg squeegee and harness. Finally your take your gun out of its gear bag. Never before has their been a more lethal paint gun! This is only the third outing with your new beast – but you have already christened it "Paint-Bringer". Veterans respect it, and newbies cower in its shadow of impending doom.

You go into the clubhouse and pay for your field fee, air, and a nice bag of shiny pink paint. A short trip to the chrony and you are all set! After the rest of the players (amateurs, really, you think) finally get their gear together, and the safety rules are read, you head to the field for your first game. You walk on, confident that "Paint-Bringer" will make short work of anyone in your path.

The first game goes according to plan, as you hang the flag with three eliminations. The second game takes an unexpected twist. Just as you were going to rise from your bunker and terminate the entire right side of the opposition, "Paint-Bringer" makes a funny noise.

"Braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!"

You collapse behind your bunker, as you here people shout, "Look out! He’s got one of them full autos!" You recock "Paint-Bringer" and fire again.

"Braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap!!" it stutters, spewing paint out of the barrel.

"Why," you think. "Why is my baby doing this?!?!" This is about the last thing you think as a player with a pump gun politely asks for your surrender…After a day of paintball where your gun goes down, you may be tempted to throw the darn thing in the trunk, cursing it as the biggest piece of junk ever made. You may swear off that manufacture forever, and begin saving up for that new auto-electro gun you have heard everyone talk about. However, maybe you should shift the blame from the gun to yourself. I think that we as players are in a very fortunate time in paintball. With the exception of a few, most paintball guns made currently are made well and can perform decently and reliably with a little maintenance. But, in order to keep your gun humming, you need three things. First you need to know how your gun works. Second, you need to know what parts are in your gun, and to have them on hand if something goes wrong. Finally, you need to be sure that you have proper tools for the job.

**Note** This article is to encourage and to help you start to be able to service your own gun. It is intended to help you learn how to make simple repairs and upgrades to your gun. It is not meant to encourage you to make home made modifications. Some guns are very complex, and take time to learn their inner workings. Others are meant to be serviced only by the factory. If you are unsure of what you are doing, or have a problem too severe for you too handle, please take it to your nearest airsmith for service.

Know thy Gun

First thing is first, you need to know how your gun works, what parts are in it, and how they work to make the gun fire. The first step is to read the manual that came with the gun. If you do not have a manual, write the company that makes the gun and request one. Generally, the manual will cover how to take the gun apart, maintain it, and have a troubleshooting guide. Some companies do not have a very informative manual. If you are still thirsty for knowledge, there are booklets available that feature more in-depth articles on your gun. There is also a lot of information on the Internet, some sites devoted entirely to the care and upgrading of your gun.

Besides reading about your gun, the next best thing is to take apart your gun. It is scary taking apart your gun for the first time. I was terrified when I got my Spyder. I was even more terrified when I got my first Autococker. Now I am the one who my friends come to when their guns act up. People ask me how I became an airsmith. I chuckle. I consider myself an "airhack". For many airsmiths out there, they learned through experience and experimentation. While I do not recommend you start chopping up your gun, I do recommend that you have a firm understanding of all the parts in the gun and how they work to make the gun fire. Most guns on the market are very easy to work on. Some are better left alone. For example, Autococker and Angels have some complex parts that unless there is something wrong with them I don’t recommend you mess with them. But guns like Spyders, Tippmans, and the like are simple designs and it’s important that you become acquainted with their inner workings. Still, if you have the time and desire, working and tinkering on guns like Autocockers can not only be rewarding, but fun. For more complex guns, or any gun for that matter, some of the best information you can get is to have a local airsmith or knowledgeable friend set you down and show you the ropes of your gun.

Be Prepared

Ok, so you can take your gun apart and back together in the dark with one hand. But what happens if your gun suddenly starts to leak? Or worse yet, what happens when your slide check leaks? Never thought about that, did you? Orings go bad. They are not meant to last forever on end. They are designed to be disposable. Your gun most likely has several orings in it, as does other parts of your equipment, especially remotes. Besides orings, your gun will have cupseals, springs, and cocking knobs that can all go bad or get lost. What do you do when you suddenly have an oring go bad, and you get a leaking gun? You can pray that the field owner or fellow player has the proper size, or you can be prepared. The only way to be prepared is to carry spare parts on hand.

A gun can have any number of parts that could fail or get lost. Orings, screws, and cupseals are the most common. Some guns have only a couple of these items, while others can have dozens. It all depends on the level and complexity of your gun. One of the easiest solutions is to buy one of many parts kits on the market. Unfortunately, while this involves little effort on your part, you end up spending twenty bucks on five bucks worth of parts. The cheapest way is to build your own parts kit. Simply write down the parts that you need to have extras on hand, and then head to your local hardware store. If you can, try to bring actual orings so that you can size them up better. You usually want to have 3-5 sets of every part that could possible go bad. Obviously, there will be some parts that the hardware store will not have on hand. You may need to resort to calling the company that makes your gun, and order spare parts directly from them. Tell them to send it first class mail so that you don’t end up spending ten dollars to ship you five dollars worth of parts. Finally, get one of those nifty Plano fishing tackle boxes with the adjustable compartments. They run under three bucks, and keep all of your parts organized.

Tools!! * grunt * * grunt *

Ok, so now you can take it apart, you have all the spare parts you will ever need. Now what? Upgrading!!! Paintball is not paintball unless you take any gun, no matter the make and model, and tweak it into your own custom beast. Of coarse, to do this, you may need special tools. Other times, you may simply be trying to take apart your gun, and find that you lack a basic tool. Nothing will screw up your gun quicker than using an improper tool for the job. I watched in horror when a player from a top pro team, working for one of the top shops in the nation, used a pair of pliers to service my nitrogen system, marring it! I wish he had just given me the parts, and I would have fixed it myself. Marring your gun is when you scratch or ding it with a tool. This may not seem like a big deal to some people, and if that is how you want to treat your gun fine, but if you work on someone else’s gun, be extra careful. To keep you from slapping your fore head after you take apart your gun, and stare at the bajillion parts at your feet, only to realize that you don’t have the right tool, I have compiled a list of basic tools that you will want to grab.

Oil – Oil is probably the most basic and often used item in paintball. What is the right kind of oil? Well, that is a tough answer. Tippman uses Hoppes #9 gun oil. WGP recommends 3 in 1 oil in their guns. AGD wants you to use Gold Cup oil in their guns. I used to pour Rem Oil in my Spyder when I had it. Still, I have had top grade airsmiths tell me to use transmission fluid or air tool oil. As you can see, there are several choices when choosing oil. Basically, you want a light oil, so that it doesn’t gum up regulators or your internals. You also want an oil that will not eat orings. Some oil will dissolve orings, or cause them to get gummy. WD-40, for example, will dissolve orings. If you think you have found a "miracle" oil, give it a try, but be prepared to switch back if you start having problems. If a company recommends certain oil for their gun, it may be wise to use that oil.

Teflon Tape – Teflon, or plumbers tape, is a white tape that is used to wrap around threads. It has a dual purpose. First off, it makes things air tight – so it will stop leaks. It is commonly used to connect hoses and elbows to guns. It also is used to make things snug. Screws, such as the ones on your bottomline, are under a lot of stress and can wiggle out over time. A wrap or two of Teflon tape will keep them where they belong. If you have a barrel that likes to jiggle loose, Teflon tape will keep it in place. There is a word of warning with Teflon tape. First off, don’t use too much. Only a wrap or two is needed on most things. If you use too much, or get sloppy with it, you can get small pieces of the tape in your gun, where it can jam filters, expansion chambers, and regulators.

Locktite – Locktite can be your savior, or the devil. Locktite is like Teflon tape; it is used to seal threads, or to "lock" screws into place. But it is not a tape; it is a liquid that you apply to the threads and then screw in. There are two main kinds of Locktite, Red and Blue. Red Locktite is PERMANENT. Only use this on items that you will NEVER WANT TO COME OFF IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. A good example would be a vertical adapter. Do not apply it to things like elbows and hoses, as odds are you will want to change things around today. Blue Locktite is for non-permanent uses. It will bond things together, but with a bit of force, you can break the seal and take them apart. If you apply Locktite to a fragile part, and are afraid of possibly injuring it, use heat, like from a lighter, to heat up the metal first. Heat will cause the Locktite to break down, and you can take it apart with little effort.

Allen Wrenches – Allen wrenches, or hex keys, are very common in paintball. Several sizes are common. It would be a good idea to get a set with a variety of sizes. Some guns, like the Spyder, use metric sizes. In that case, it would be wise to get both a standard and a metric set.

Crescent Wrenches – A set of common sizes is highly recommended. It is better to use a crescent wrench over an adjustable wrench, as there is less chance of it slipping off the part and marring your gun.

Adjustable Crescent Wrench – This will adjust to any size, making it versatile. Generally they also have longer handles, allowing for more torque.

Needle Nose Pliers – For those hard to reach places.

Pliers – To grip things.

Vise Grips – This isn’t used for most things, but some use them to take apart Raptor N2 regs, and Uniregs.

Leather Belt or Square – You use this as padding with the vise grips so that you don’t mess up your Unireg. That "Pro" should take notes here.

Screw Drivers, Flat and Phillips – Some paint guns have standard screws.

Dental Pick – This is used to clean out threads that have Locktite or Teflon tap in them.

Q-Tips and Alcohol – These are good for cleaning out regulators, especial in Automags.

Valve Tool – Certain guns require tools to access the valve. This is important to have if you have a cup seal go bad.

As you can see, there are several tools you will want to get to service and upgrade your gun. Of coarse, there maybe other tools that you will find useful.

Well, that is the basics. Once you know your gun, its parts, and have the proper tools, you should be able to fix any problem you have for your gun. It will make any upgrading you do easier too. Who knows, if you get more practice and become proficient, you may end up fixing your friends guns. All it takes is practice, patience, and a good head on your shoulders. Good luck and play safe!