Do you know how to clean a paintball gun? If yes, bravo! If your answer is no, don’t beat yourself up. You can still learn how to clean up paintball markers with ease.
You’ll learn how to clean a paintball gun perfectly from this post. For instance, you have to dry up a paintball gun’s barrel once cleaned with water or a moist towel. Why? Failure to dry the barrel thoroughly can cause the marker’s shell to break, increasing the chances of the paint breaking in the marker.
So, how do you clean up a paintball gun? Is paintball cleaning even necessary? How often should you clean your paintball?
We’ll respond to all these questions and clear any misconceptions you may have about paintball cleaning.
So, are you ready? If yes, continue reading!
Is Paintball Gun Occasional Clean-Up Necessary?
The thought of getting into a battle with your opponents always clouds your mind whenever you start to think about playing paintball. Unfortunately, even after games, you always like to reflect on your performances and think of ways to put on a good fight in your next game.
Besides having these crazy thoughts, you may also want to wash your paintball clothes, shoes, and other gear.
Now the question is this. Should you clean up your paintball gun or store it straight up after every game?
The answer is simple, and which is, to clean up your paintball gun after every use.
Always clean up your paintball gun before and after use. Make it a habit. Note that you cannot over-clean a paintball gun but can under-clean one (not clean it properly).
You’ll get the desired performance in the field when you occasionally clean up your paintball gun. Regular cleaning will also extend the paintball gun’s lifespan.
Another thing that makes cleaning a paintball gun important is the appeal of the gun. Cleaning will make the marker look presentable and in good shape. You won’t be ashamed to showcase your gun in the field.
How Often Should You Clean A Paintball Gun?
Clean your paintball gun thoroughly after every use or every game. Note that dirty paintball guns can produce poor performance.
You must ensure the paintball is free of mud or paint.
Things you should do after every game
- Visually check the hopper for broken paintballs or dirt. If you find any, remove them.
- Clean the paintball gun hopper thoroughly. In other words, clean the inside and outside parts.
- A broken paintball could hamper a paintball gun’s accuracy in the barrel. In some cases, the gun may be unable to fire.
A Handy Tip: It is always tempting for players to pick up paintballs fired but unbroken and re-uses them. But that would be a wrong move.
So, avoid picking paintballs from the ground and putting them in your barrel. Why? The dirt on the ball could cause your paintball gun to jam.
How To Clean Paintball Gun: 7 Easy Steps
Paintball gun cleanup may seem risky to most paintballers, especially beginners. And it’s not their fault.
The last thing anyone would like to experience is dismantling their paintball gun to clean, only to lose a valuable part or have problems reassembling the gun the way it was.
We understand how scary experiencing such would be. That was why we crafted this post in the first place.
So, how do you clean up a paintball gun thoroughly? Follow the steps below.
Step 1: Gather the needed working materials:
The materials in question are the things you’ll need to clean your paintball gun thoroughly. Remember that having all the tools and materials on hand would make the cleaning job simpler.
Here are the items you’ll require for this process.
- Grease
- Oil
- Q-tips
- Allen wrench
- Toothbrush
- extra O-ring
- Warm water
- Paper towels/cloth
- Barrel swab/Squeegee
- Rubbing/denatured alcohol
- Tools required for paintball gun maintenance
Have you been able to gather all the materials? If yes, let’s move to the next stage.
Step 2: Start the degassing process:
The next step is to degas your paintball gun. Remove the HPA or Co2 tank fixed to the marker. Why is this necessary? Well, the reason is to avoid accidental discharge that may hurt you when you start cleaning the gun.
After taking off the air source, the next thing to do is to pull the trigger and ensure the safety is off.
Ensure the gun isn’t facing anyone when pulling the trigger. Why? There could be leftover air or Co2 in it. You don’t want to hurt anyone by mistake.
A Handy Tip: Different types of paintball guns exist. You’ll discover that some paintball guns are degassed when you disconnect the Co2 or HPA tank.
However, in some paintball guns, that isn’t the case. Instead, they’ll still hold on to a single shot of pressured air or Co2, waiting to be released when you pull the trigger.
If this shot from the degassed paintball gun hits you or anyone, it might send the person to the hospital. So, be careful when degassing your paintball gun.
Again, don’t assume your paintball gun is degassed when you detach the air source from the gun. If unsure, point the gun in a direction with no one in sight before pulling the trigger when degassing.
Step 3: Clean up the barrel:
You have successfully removed the air source (Co2 or HPA tank). The next step is to remove the barrel and have it cleaned properly. You’ll need a swap and squeegee for this process.
Now, follow the process below.
Firstly, soak the barrel in warm water for about 10 to 15 minutes. Next, you can place a small quantity of dish soap in the water.
Now, take your swab or squeegee and start cleaning the inner part of the barrel. The swab or squeegee will help to dry the barrel. And you can air-dry it too.
A Handy Tip: It is possible to skip the warm water and dish soap process and start using the swab or squeegee from the onset.
The warm water and dish soap process are recommended to clear out anything affecting the barrel’s accuracy completely.
The swab and squeegee will eliminate the paint and oil residues in the paintball gun’s barrel. But note that they can’t clear everything in the gun.
So if you want your gun to shoot accurately, consider soaking it in warm water mixed with dish soap before using the swab or squeegee.
Step 4: Dismantle your paintball gun:
You have removed the HPA or Co2 tank and barrel. Bravo! You’re almost there.
The next thing to do is dismantle the paintball gun. Now, how’s it done?
Different paintball guns exist, and they boast diverse ways of dismantling. However, some paintball guns are quite simple. Just loosen the back of the gun using an Allen wrench, remove the bolt and hammer, and you’re done.
Other paintball guns can be trickier to dismantle. So, you have to be careful when dismantling such paintball guns.
A Handy Tip: Follow the manual to dismantle or reassemble your paintball gun after cleaning.
If you don’t have access to a manual, don’t worry. You can check this site for a wide range of manuals. Your brand of paintball marker will most definitely be part of them.
You can also visit the brand’s official website to learn how to assemble the paintball gun.
Step 5: Clean the inside of the marker:
Wipe the internal area of your paintball marker using a paper towel or cloth. Next, wipe the internal components such as the bolt, hammer, and others. Finally, clean the grease and oil off carefully.
A Handy Tip: When cleaning up the paintball gun, most people may consider changing the grease. While this is a wise gesture, you don’t necessarily have to do it.
Step 6: Apply grease to vital areas:
Note that paintball guns differ. While some may require oil and grease (Automags), others require oil only (Spyder’s, Tippmann’s, etc.), and some require grease only (spool vales and poppits).
However, don’t apply any lubricant you come across on your paintball marker or its internal components. Instead, ensure it is the right lubricant for the components or inner area of the marker.
How can you know which lubricant is the right one to use? Always check the manufacturer’s manual. You’ll find the ideal lubricant to use.
The manufacturer’s ideal lubricant has been tested and proven to be the best option for the components applied on. So you can go on and use the same lubricant.
A Handy Tip: The Dow 33 grease is the most ideal and popularly used grease for paintball. The Dow 55 is another option, but the issue is that it could make your paintball O-rings swell.
So, if your paintball gun is the type that utilizes grease, get the Dow 33. It’s the best form of grease for paintball markers.
Step 7: Assemble your paintball gun:
After thoroughly cleaning the internal area of the marker and barrel, including other internal components, the next step is to assemble your paintball gun.
It is advisable to follow the instructional manual when assembling your paintball gun. Why? The simple reason is to prevent you from making mistakes.
So, save yourself the stress. Follow the manual given by the manufacturer. You can also follow online videos if the manual seems too difficult to understand.
Step 8: Wipe the outer part of the paintball gun:
After assembling your paintball gun, check it properly to ensure everything is in place. The next step is to wipe the external area of the gun.
Wipe the feedneck, ASA, grip frame, trigger, regulator, and other external areas of the gun.
A Handy Tip: Cleaning the external portion of your paintball gun won’t impact performance. It will only make your gun look neat and attractive.
However, using certain tools to clean your paintball gun is impossible. For instance, using a paper cloth to wipe anodized aluminum is wrong. Why? The paper cloth is somewhat coarse, so there’s a chance it could leave some scratches on the paintball gun.
The ideal material you can use to clean the external portion of a paintball gun without leaving any scratches includes a used toothbrush, Q-tips, microfiber cloth, or damp cloth.
Conclusion
You have read how to clean a paintball gun. Now is the time to put it to the test. We hope the article was helpful and that it addressed all your concerns.
Keeping your paintball guns clean will extend their lifespan. Additionally, it will also make your paintball look presentable for an extended period.
We also explained that cleaning the paintball gun after use is best. Also, gently remove the HPA or Co2 tank before cleaning your paintball gun.
