Field jams suck, hard. It also sucks when magazines that were previously working just fail to feed but you can locate the source of the jam (if that is even the problem) from the outside.
Is the problem rust? Did the internal spring fatigue or break? Has the follower cracked or popped out of position? Who knows – and you won’t until you take it apart and fix it.
Of course, a little maintenance goes a long way, and if you keep your airsoft magazines clean, there’s a decent chance that you’ll be able to forestall some of these issues and get a little extra mileage out of them before they do eventually need to be replaced.
Fortunately, most mid-cap airsoft magazines are pretty simple machines. They’re mechanically basic, easy to take apart and put back together again, and even easier to maintain. Here’s a crash course on how to do it.
How to Disassemble and Clean (Most) Airsoft Magazines
Most mid-cap airsoft magazines have a floorplate that can be unscrewed as well as sideplates that are also fastened with screws.
Inside, most feature a long, serpentine spring that snakes up and down through the magazine, holding the airsoft ammo in a more or less squiggly, S-shape. At the top of the spring, there is either a small plastic or brass plug – the follower- that is fixed to the spring and in contact with the BBs, pushing them, one by one, into the airsoft gun’s chamber.
To perform a quick cleaning of most airsoft magazines, you will need:
● Screwdrivers (whichever side and style are needed for the screws on your mags)
● Q-tips, paper towels, or a microfiber cloth
● Silicone oil
● A cleaning mat or clean surface to work on
First, wipe down the outside of the mag with warm water. You don’t want any first or oil on the outside to work its way in while you’re cleaning.
Next, get started by taking the floorplate off of the magazine. Hold the floorplate in place and release slowly as you work; the spring will want to shoot out when you get the floorplate off.
Next, take off the sideplates and take the magazine apart. Again, do this while applying tension to the side plates to prevent the spring from shooting across the room when the plates come off.
Once disassembled, remove the spring and follower and place them to the side.
Using a q-tip, paper towel, or microfiber cloth, gently wipe down the inside of the magazine. Pay particular attention to the channel that contains the BBs. There is where the most dirt and oil will accrue.
While Q-tips are convenient and perfectly sized to fit in that channel, they sometimes leave behind fibers that can cause jams and trap oil. You might have better luck with a microfiber towel.
Once your initial cleaning is finished, apply a little silicone oil to the channel using a q-tip. Not too much, just enough to lubricate the channel, spring, and BBs.
After you’ve cleaned these parts, turn your attention to the spring. You don’t want to stretch or distort this spring. At most, rinse it in warm water and let it air dry, fully, before reinstalling it.
When (completely!) dry, lay the spring back in the magazine, leaving the excess sticking out the top of the channel. Reinstall the side plates and floor plates in the reverse order that you took them off, leaving a little space at the top of the screws.
Press in the remaining length of spring before pinching the magazine tightly shut around it and tightening the screws the rest of the way.
That’s all there is to cleaning most airsoft magazines!
Where Can You Get New Airsoft Magazines?
We get it: sometimes an airsoft magazine is so damaged or so dirty there’s just no bringing it back to life.
If that’s the case, cleaning won’t do you much good. You need a new one. Visit MiR Tactical online at MiRTactical.com. They carry a wide range of mid and high-cap magazines and accessories for an even wider range of compatible airsoft guns, including AEGs and airsoft pistols. They also offer a price match guarantee and some orders qualify for free shipping.
Don’t delay the purchase. Get an extra magazine today and get back in the game!
