Noob airsoft troubleshooting question

[jaredr]

new to airsoft but psyched about getting some practice time indoors and doing more than just dry firing. Just picked up a Western Arms gas blowback gun from a forum member and am having some trouble getting started.

Please excuse in advance if I'm asking a bonehead question here but I'm not able to get the pistol to fire and not sure what I'm doing wrong. I've never used an airsoft gas blowback gun before, but according to the pictograms in the (japanese) owner's manual it looks pretty straightforward - please advise if I am missing something here?

1) load magazine with gas (I am using propane adapter and coleman camping propane, letting magazine warm up after I fill it, will pick up some silicon to lubricate the seals and firearm internals but for now just want to function fire the pistol)

2) load magazine with airsoft bb's,

3) pull down the "tab" on the mag to free the silver gas seal button on the mag,

4) the mag, rack slide and go bang.

unfortunately, when the hammer drops, all i get is a click. I get the same result with each of the three magazines that came with the airsoft pistol. Any thoughts on what I'm doing wrong? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[stuart1336]

Im not familiar with you gun but all airsofts will need silicon for the seals to operate. Magasines need them as well which is why it is put in the gas. Is the mag actually filling with gas?

I have only ever had one TM not work in the way you describe with just a click and it was an internal part that was broken. If the mags are holding gas it has to be the gun as I doubt you would be so unlucky to get three bad ones.

First port of call would be the shop you bought it from. Sorry I cant be of more help.

[Flatland Shooter]

It will always go click with an empty magazine.

Move step 3 to step 1. Pull down the tab before you put the gas into the magazine. Otherwise all the gas flows out the valve as you are filling it. And if you are not doing it now, hold the propane tank upside down. Its still in liquid form as it flows into the magazine and gravity allows it to flow.

Also put a few drops of silicon oil on the charging valve before filling with propane. I do this every third loading or so. My Western Arms 2011 has run just fine for well over 2 years. Since I buy BBs in the 5000 count bag, and I'm probably on the fifth or sixth bag, its proven to be reliable.

Bill

Edited January 26, 2013 by Flatland Shooter

[jaredr]

thanks for the replies. 2 out of the three mags are working now (tho not sure what i've done differently). Appreciate the correction re: pulling down the tab on the back of the mag, apparently I didn't do as well as I thought with those pictograms. oddly enough, it does go bang on an empty mag (with the mags that work), but it's not as loud a report (since pressure's aren't being raised by the bb obstructing the bore). I'll go back and doublecheck my steps to see if its just (likely) using error that's hosing me with the last mag,

[Flatland Shooter]

thanks for the replies. 2 out of the three mags are working now (tho not sure what i've done differently). Appreciate the correction re: pulling down the tab on the back of the mag, apparently I didn't do as well as I thought with those pictograms. oddly enough, it does go bang on an empty mag (with the mags that work), but it's not as loud a report (since pressure's aren't being raised by the bb obstructing the bore). I'll go back and doublecheck my steps to see if its just (likely) using error that's hosing me with the last mag,

Something I should have mentioned in my first post is that Western Arms GBB pistols are built to use the lower power 134a gas. Unlesss the magazines are modified, the more powerful propane or green gas will over time tear up your gun.

Its possible that the original owner had the magazines converted to allow the use of propane or bought some of the more recently available "converted" magazines available from Evicke.

No matter which gas you use, there is a possibility that the valve or the seals on the mag are leaking. If two of the three work, then that's a possibility. If its the seals, you may be able to run a bunch of silicon oil through the magazine and that might get the seals to swell back to their original size. Oil them up and let it set overnight so it has time to soak in.

On the gun itself, too much silicon oil can cause problems.I had a problem with an o-ring getting too much oil and swelling to the point where it bound things up.

The Western Arms are the Cadillac of airsoft GBB, but for a while now its been a pain to get parts so take care of it.

Bill