5 Things that will affect the range and accuracy of your AEG
We are all looking for it. That golden bullet to make our airsoft rifles hit other players in the next postcode – I’m sorry to say that this post does not contain that magic element. There is actually a lot that goes into making your airsoft rifle have good range and accuracy. In this post, we hope to guide you with some “food for thought” on what you could improve/upgrade to get your rifle from not being able to hit a barn door at 10m to an accurate laser beam of plastic death!
Disclaimer: Please note that airsoft RIFs are complex and do require a high level of skill and knowledge to be able to repair and upgrade. If you are not confident then please do not attempt to make any modification to your RIF and seek the advice of a trained technician.
1. Hop Rubber and Nub:
How old is your hop rubber (sometimes called a bucking)? Is it in good condition or does it have small rips and cuts in it? When was the last time you replaced it? This is (in my opinion) one of the most overlooked and also one of the most important parts of the accuracy and range combo. For those who are wondering what the hop rubber actually does – The hop rubber is responsible for applying pressure onto the bb as it passes through the barrel and giving the BB backspin. This then gives them BB additional range using the Magnus effect (whereby the top side of the projectile has reduced air pressure affecting it meaning it falls less over a given distance).
2. How clean is your barrel?
Sounds crazy I know but running about in abandoned buildings and crawling around in the wood can get a lot of dirt down your barrel. As the BB’s that we use are very smooth and polished it’s good practice to make sure that the surface they are contacting with (the inside of your barrel) is equally as smooth and well polished to reduce any friction or drag. Simply take the unjamming rod (normally supplied with your gun) and some small slices of a microfiber cloth and give your barrel a clean – be sure not to use any petroleum based lubricants or cleaners as these can eat away at rubber seals and will not do the seals on your gearbox or your hop rubber any good.
3. High-Quality Ammunition:
Another very important point that is very often overlooked is the quality of ammunition that you are using with your airsoft replica – Make sure that you are buying the best quality ammo you can afford. There are some brands on the market (not naming any names) that are notorious for producing poor substandard ammo and techs around the UK are reporting that most of the issues that arrive on their tables could have been avoided if the users would have been using high-quality ammo – When you think about it if you are going to spend £200 to £300 on your RIF don’t cut corners with ammo to try and save a few pounds as in the long run you may end up with an expensive repair bill.
4. The weight of your Ammunition:
Connected to point 3 but I felt that this deserves its own point is the weight of ammo that you are using. The UK industry standard (for chronoing and checking power) is a 0.20g bb, However, after speaking with players on sight it seems like after chrono checks have been done the 0.20g bbs go back in the kit bag and a host of other weights come out. The most popular weight from the players we spoke to was 0.25g bb and this was a cross section of players who play CQB/Urban as well as players who play more woodland games. The extra weight will help the BB stay on target and reduce the effect of cross-type winds. Snipers, on the other hand, have really stepped it up when it comes to the weight of ammo with most snipers using between 0.38g and 0.50g bbs.
5. Speak to a Tech:
If the thought of messing with you RIF is just too scary the best bet is to speak to a technician. There are plenty in the UK who are very skilled and have a lot of experience with a broad range of RIFs. Make sure you check out their past work and their reviews on to get a feel of if they are the right tech for what you want to be done to your RIF as a lot of guys will specialise (for example DMR builds or Gas blowback etc)