Airsoft Gas Blowback 102- Myths, Misconceptions, and Best Practices

Today we're covering some common myths and misconceptions about GBB airsoft guns, and what practices to follow instead. If you haven't seen our GBB 101 video (How Does a GBB Work?), we recommend you start there: • Airsoft Gas Blowback 1...
Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio

[@BadaBingPictures]

Another knowledge heavy guide. Excellent work, as always. I’m part of the *never leave your mag without gas crowd*. 😅

[@YoChocolate]

This and the first video have got to be the single most detailed and logical yet comprehensible guide to GBBs on KZbin!

[@Geilswijk]

This is, hands down the best GBB video, I have yet found online.

[@squiddle5193]

Look at his channel, it's his whole deal. There's no one better than him.

[@g.p.airsoft]

Everytime I think i know enough about GBBRs I come here and learn something new.

[@gabecollins5585]

Another great video. Great work. You give out information that you’d see basically nowhere else. Thanks!

[@thatgbbguy]

Another great video! Thank you guys for your dedication to helping all us GBB owners!

[@Jigoku169]

Why are these video so good?! Amazing work man. Keep it up.

[@HUA-ns5wx]

Thanks, awesome video as always

[@2crakd]

appreciate you vids and advice fam

[@098JSNIPER]

Thank you so much for lots of useful informations to a newbie GBBR user like me

[@walterbryan1798]

Very, very detailed. Thank you for sharing; that was cool!

[@JorgeLTE]

This channel deserves so much more attention

[@tox1c8]

Man do I wish more airsofters would take the time to learn this simple information

[@guillotine_airsoft]

Really calling out hopup scammers out lmao

[@kudoistas5133]

the best gbbr guru alive to this day

[@sogerc1]

Yepp, your winterization tips work indeed. Last Sunday we did some backyard plinking with my WE 416 and since I kept the gas bottle indoors the whole time of course I managed to overfill a mag once. What I don't understand is why did this cause bolt bounce and double feed? Btw it was 4 degrees (39F) and I didn't even need the black gas, the red one ran just fine. I also didn't replace the hammer spring because IIRC you said that's not necessary in all cases. Basically I just change gas and recoil spring between summer and winter, it's that easy.

[@WolfMan-nf4lv]

As far as bolt bounce goes… My WE 416 had that as well lol. Two things I did to eliminate it entirely was to use a real carbine buffer instead of the stock WE one, and then placing two coins behind the spacers in the buffer tube. Both of these steps completely got rid of bolt bounce on my end.

[@linkaima5403]

Woah, where did you get that wood kit for the colt? Absolutely beautiful!

[@edvinasz918]

On the theme of nozzles, thanks for debunking that myth, I was lead to believe otherwise. I am acutally having a related issue when firing a MWS in the cold weather, that has a sticky nozzle to bucking relationship. When the gas pressure drops, the BCG moves, but is unable to pull the nozzle out resulting in no loading BB's and you can fire like this about twenty times until it's out of gas (no venting). To remedy this, I am thinking about a stronger nozzle return spring or filing the outside of the nozzle tip, so it does not bind as much, what do you think is the best option? Would love to get a reply! You're the only channel I turn the youtube on for!

[@ExplosiveEnterprises]

Hey there- we can think of a couple of possibilities, but we highly recommend asking the Heavy Recoil Club server on Discord. There are people there more familiar with the specifics of MWS troubleshooting than us who can probably give better advice.

[@Hobbnob_FirstPersonAirsoft]

Great video as ever, there's one thing I didn't understand though, the statement at 9:10 that a shorter inner barrel apparently causes more joule creep. This isn't what we've seen in the MWS community, and I don't see any reason for this to be any different in any other gas gun as long as the valve is open for long enough. We've consistently seen a longer inner barrel result in an increase in joules, and an increase in the variation between lighter and heavier ammo, because the bb is spending more time under pressure. Would you mind explaining your findings on this a bit more?

[@ExplosiveEnterprises]

Usually when we see joule creep, it's the product of a gun with a high ratio between gas throughput and barrel volume. Lighter BBs are accelerated more rapidly and exit the barrel more quickly, so the gas still expanding behind them is wasted and this limits how much energy is imparted to the BB. Heavier BBs that accelerate more slowly spend more time in the barrel and receive more energy before ultimately ejected. However, that's just a generalization, and while it generally holds true for HPA systems there are a lot of variables involved with GBBRs. Some gas guns gain power with longer barrels, some actually lose it, some creep excessively and some don't creep at all. We mention joule creep here just because the effect on muzzle energy of using a shorter inner barrel is not always predictable, so it's better to use a method (rocket valve adjustment) that has consistent and predictable effects.

[@pablenmo]

great narrate, very interesting, very informative; lovely as always. I reall always thought shortstroke improves gas consumption, but it does not makes sense when you think about the knocker disconnecting.... Also I was always told that releasing gas of a mag directly pushing the valve is no bueno, cuz freezing the rubbers and silicones will degrade them... I always kept my mags filled, and fortunately never overfilled a mag, at least rifle mags; pistol mags in summer is possible but as I have 150% hammer springs on all my pistols they never "click", allways shoot.

[@MKAnr1]

You can also have problems if you let out a lot of gas at once, I have tried it myself but also seen friends do it and end up with problems, it has been co2 magazines GHK that have shot the o ring off.

[@pablenmo]

@@MKAnr1 Speaking oc CO2 mags, you must NEVER levt the capsule pressurized inside... I've literally blown 2 WE Glock mags, as the pressure inside build up dand ended deforming themetal and literally rupturing it. I have 2 papperweights. For CO2 mags is prefferably to shoot them out of gas, and then remove the capsule

[@MrJose786]

Thanks for vid! I always e joy your content, is there a consideration woth regards to inner barrel tightnes and joule creep?

[@ExplosiveEnterprises]

We haven't noticed any particular impact to joule creep from inner barrel diameter. Conventional wisdom holds that 6.03 to 6.05 is ideal for accuracy, while 6.01 primarily exists to boost power (slightly).

[@treysmith8917]

I wish you guys were around about 10 years ago!

[@YoChocolate]

What kind of insert and glue would you recommend to shim the interior of the rocket valve? (the VFC one just like in the video)

[@somecreativeguysomecreativ6296]

I have a we-tech m9 and when I pull the trigger it only pulls the hammer about 3/4ths of the way back and it doesn't shoot. There's also a click when it gets to the 3/4th point. Im sure its something simple i just dont know what it is and this is my first gbb pistol.

[@diegomoreno8685]

What about the practice of filling magazines in stages of 1 second (fill 1 second, stop, repeat)

[@minkshenanigans]

It isn't any different from filling all at once

[@123456kiste]

thats why I love about magazines from TM: you will ALWAYS fill the correct amount of liquid gas into them as needed! its a no brainer!!! right now im upgrading all my VFC and GHK magazines with venting valves so they will do the same.... sadly I need to do some experiments to figure out what is the needed/ideal amount of liquid gas because I need to choose the lenght of my valves

[@MKAnr1]

Funny, but in my many years with gbbr, I have never seen magazines filled with gas leak. But many times I have had magazines that are not tight after I have stored them without gas. So I don't agree and I don't use gas with silicone so it's not a question of lubrication, more of a question of the o-ring changing when it's affected differently when they don't have pressure. But this is my experience of about 10 years. you must then have had a different experience, but that's fair enough. short stroke, it depends on the weapon, I agree that it doesn't use less gas, but on a winter day it makes the weapon feel much better as it is less sluggish. Less effective, does not apply to all types of weapons, an AK will often have a block behind the bolt which does not make the spring harder, but just stops the bolt earlier

[@warbird1e1]

I've seen full ones leak, empty ones were fine, and everything in-between

[@MKAnr1]

@@warbird1e1 As I wrote, they must have a different experience, but my experience is they leak so I stick to having gas in them 100%

[@ExplosiveEnterprises]

Funnily enough, in some communities, we've actually seen it go the other way. Players advise storing mags empty, and purge all of their magazines after a game (unnecessarily). Either way, as we point out in the video, there are a bunch of systems that are commonly stored empty- in particular, HPA regulators and HPA-tapped magazines, not to mention solenoid engines and Daytonas, cannot be feasibly stored pressurized- but are not commonly perceived as leak-prone. Edit: Again, we must stress that this practice REQUIRES that the o-rings be properly greased. Those HPA engines and regulators come greased from the factory; GBB magazines typically rely on a thin layer of silicone oil that rapidly wicks out and stops providing lubrication. Unlubricated o-rings will frequently leak as soon as the pressure in the magazine changes. We can't account for every personal experience, but if you have never once experienced a leak in a gassed magazine we can only say that you are an exceptionally rare case. As for short-stroking, you are completely correct. The actual, non-myth purpose of short-stroke is to increase cyclic rate, which may make a gun feel snappier or improve the feeling of recoil, and if accomplished via a buffer that does not compress the recoil spring then this has no impact on efficiency one way or the other.

[@MKAnr1]

@@ExplosiveEnterprises It is possible that I have had a magazine, but to be honest, I don't remember having one and I have used GBBR for quite a few years. But I've had empty magazines lying around quite a few times, because I've emptied the gas from them for various reasons and then haven't had them filled again. But personally, I don't actually think leaking gas magazines are a big problem, at least in the brands I use, GHK, TM and WE. I may have had to change something once or twice, by FAR most leaks can be solved just by filling them up a few times in a row, i.e. holding pressure in them for a few minutes. then they stop being leaky, if it doesn't help then take out the valves and put a little silicone in them, then they pretty much always get tight again. But I also say quite clearly that this is my experience and that of my friends, but I am well aware that someone does the opposite and if it works for them, then that is how they should do it.

[@MrFROGY1313]

100% agree with you. I can store my magazine with dry gas for weeks but as soon as i store them without gaz they leak and it need 2 or 3 refill with high pressure propane to "repear" them just because the orings change shape without pressure. I'm pretty sure its not important with brand news orings but very often, when you buy a gbbr, they already have been stored month before they are sold in our country so the orings are already used (especialy in moisty and salty conditions from asia) I def recommand to store mags with gas in it (silicone is useless)

[@imma5028]

Unrelated, but I bought a GL-06 this August (it was second hand, but minimal wear) it is now December and the latch mechanism for the barrel completely wore out. You might want to include this in the GL-06 video. It's a shame cos I really like the replica.

[@paulchoi5962]

Hey man, really appreciate your vids as a beginner! Helps out heaps! Quick question if you have the time. I want to get a AUG style gbbr but in Korea we cant use guns that go above 350fps in fields. What would be the best way to power down the KWA f90 or the GHK AUG?

[@ExplosiveEnterprises]

Both GHK and KWA use funny rocket valve designs that are more difficult to adjust than their TM-spec counterparts, but GHK sells low-power nozzles that normally do around 1J (328fps w/ .2s), while KWA sells low power rocket valves that do around the same. Either should be an effective means to get below the limit.

[@paulchoi5962]

@@ExplosiveEnterprises thank you so much! I really appreciate it!

[@hanswurst2765]

What FPS difference shot per shot would be normal for gbbr with "good" seal? Sometimes people tell me they only have 3 fps difference shot by shot with normal gas magazines. But in my experience, thats very optimistic. What would you guys consider as good consistency? When do I know that there is room for improvment?

[@ExplosiveEnterprises]

Towards the end of the video you can see some chrono examples with a VFC MP5 showing about the variance you describe. It is definitely achievable, but there are a lot of factors that can impact shot-to-shot consistency. In the end, though, what matters is that you can pass chrono and that you have consistent hop-up effect, and different setups will show different hop sensitivity to inconsistent FPS. So as long as you're under the limit and can put rounds on target, we wouldn't stress over the raw deviation.

[@MenkoDany]

My GBB pistol's manual says with great emphasis to "ALWAYS fill with the gas nozzle pointing to the ground". However, I've seen players fill their magazines with nozzle up & I'm too afraid to ask them why

[@opairsoft8100]

Those people must enjoy getting a couple of shots off before instantly having to regas

[@Nater2204]

You sound a little sick brother you good?

[@jonathandiaz4997]

4 weeks ago 😮

[@chaos817]

marui designed mags never overfill yet ppl do the so called green gas mods cuttting the purposley engineers fill tubes cuz ppl lazy to refill mags

[@Al_Phabet]

Great video. I have a question: would it be ok to shoot a gun that has not been played with, cleaned and lubed for more than half a year? Should I clean and lube first before I shoot it again?

[@ExplosiveEnterprises]

If it was lubed with oil before putting it away, the oil may have crept out due to capillary action and it would be best to clean and re-lube before using. If it was lubed with grease, then it's probably exactly the same right now as it was half a year ago, and you're good to go.

[@Al_Phabet]

@@ExplosiveEnterprises Thanks for the answer! I use superlube grease so I guess it should be fine then.

[@pedh6806]

Again, thank you . Find your vids logical and sensible. Just ordered the grease to use in future.

[@NOXIPHILIA]

Please consider putting an epilepsy warning before 5:53

[@maddragon3457]

9:34 GHK AK woes... Do you think the material of the rocket valve matters? Would an aluminum fare better than a plastic cooldown wise?(or vice-versa)

[@ExplosiveEnterprises]

We haven't seen any evidence that the material of the rocket valve makes any difference for cooldown, although replacing a valve with a lighter or heavier equivalent can affect consistency (in a manner too unpredictable to make any definitive conclusions).

[@mistbass2538]

Any tips on disassembling a KWA pistol mag release valve? I watched your magazine maintenance video but it seems to be a different design.

[@MrFROGY1313]

Wich model ? Sometimes you must pull out the upper part fixed with pins and press the valve

[@mistbass2538]

M93R magazine, I'm able to get the valve out of the magazine but not fully disassemble it to access the O ring inside as I believe it's leaking.

[@NomadikProd]

Eaten straight tubes

[@UnceasingNebula2009]

Do you put oil in the propane adapter? And if so what oil do you recommend?

[@ExplosiveEnterprises]

We do not recommend the use of oil for any aspect of a GBB. Adding oil to gas is unnecessary and often actively detrimental to good functioning of the gun. Use dry gas and grease moving parts as necessary.

[@shaungrain4912]

I have a RWA 1911 25 round mag I always run out of gas before running out of gas and I’ve noticed that every shot expels gas from the sides and rear of the slide to me it seams to use far to much gas per shot clouds per shot can you make a suggestion as to why I got it new never been able to use in the field only ever used on targets. I have tried new mag with no difference I’m losing faith with GBB

[@gbbhawaii8040]

1911s typically (besides TM) don’t have good gas efficiency since the platform has a slimmer mag profile, but imo try and work on the seals

[@persuasivebadger3958]

8:29 What is it you’re using here to reduce the inner diameter of the valve? I’ve been needing a fix like this for my KWC mini uzi with its limited aftermarket.

[@ExplosiveEnterprises]

Simple styrene tubing, commonly sold for hobby use. Standard TM-spec rocket valves have an inner diameter of about 5mm and so can be shimmed with appropriately sized tubing, but we are unsure as to what would be appropriate for your KWC.

[@AshM308]

How about C02 chargers? WHat if i keep them charged?

[@ExplosiveEnterprises]

CO2 is the exception, don't leave CO2 vessels under pressure. The gaskets used for CO2 pressure vessels are more susceptible to distortion from the significant (800+ PSI) of CO2 at room temperature, and may start to leak if kept pressurized. In general, best practice is to keep propane vessels under pressure, and CO2 vessels unpressurized.

[@AshM308]

unfortunate, i really wanted to keep the CAM shells pressurized@@ExplosiveEnterprises

[@cheytactical]

boneless pizza

[@jaymartin777]

Lmaoo

[@MrFROGY1313]

I dont agree for the first part. 100% of my leaking mags was because they leaked a little and forget to refill them (about every 3 weeks) and as soon as they are empty the oring change shape and they leak very fast. I must refill them 3 times with 150 psi or more to press the orings. Depending of the time i must do it ,it give me an idea of how dead the orings are. Same for the time for refill. Seconds dont matter cause a very cold mag refill in 1 second. I just listen and stop when their is almost no more sound. And i never overfill

[@ExplosiveEnterprises]

As we stated in the video, if you're going to store o-rings empty it must be done with properly greased o-rings. Otherwise, they will not be able to flex under changing pressure and will inevitably fail to seal as you have experienced. When you fill and discharge multiple times, you are giving the o-rings a chance to gradually settle into position. Use proper lubricants for the job and this is not a necessity. Most commercial applications of o-rings for pneumatic seals do not rely on constant pressure to maintain integrity.

[@123456kiste]

if you mags tend to be leaky in a specific situation.. then your o-rings are shit, lmao my mags will keep sealing with or without gas inside lol

[@MBKill3rCat]

You are aware that before your airsoft replica came into your possession, it most likely sat in a warehouse for a year or in some cases several years, with its mags empty of gas? And if they're a well designed magazine, they generally don't leak when they arrive. So no, it really doesn't make a difference.

[@opairsoft8100]

Boneless VFC m249