Paintball

[thumper]

Hey all - posted this on nation then CCed it here..

Veterans please contribute.

After a day of play, what do you do to clean your gear?

my routine follows:

Gun exterior: 50% isopropyl 50% water in spray bottle for anything aluminum. wipe dry w/ microfiber. lightly coat exterior with air tool oil. (using tooth brush for cracks). Bolt & Upper Tube: Pull bolt and clean upper tube w/ light spray of alcohol mixture and TP/dowel. Lightly lube upper tube w/ air tool oil. Clean bolt w/ TP. Lightly lube w/ air tool oil. Cycle pump a few times to move oil around. Finish with two drops of air tool oil in the asa. I don't clean the rest of the interior unless there is a problem as this can lead to unnecessary wear and tear. If I have to disassemble my gun for repair THEN I'll deep clean the rest of the interior. Store gun in zip up neoprene lap top case to prevent dings and scratches.

Aluminum Barrels: spray inside and out w/ hot water in sink then I'll spray the inside with 50/50 isopropyl mixture and dry with a wad of TP pushed w/ a 1/2"x16" wooden* dowel. Repeat until TP comes out clean. (*wood doesn't scratch.) Store in neoprene case to prevent dings and scratches and to keep clean. TIP1: Dont use paper towels - they scratch. TIP2: Don't use squeegees to clean - they are dirty and will scratch interior. TIP3: Wash your squeegee.
NOTE: CF barrels don't like TP - see manufacturer's suggestions for cleaning CF barrels and CF tips.


Goggles: spray w/ warm water in sink and let dry on wife's dish rack or on a towel. Let air out for a day or two. I plexus my lenses every other month or so. TIP1: never use paper towels on lenses... esp inside.... it scratches. TIP2: never use Windex or ammonia on plastic.. it eats coatings... TIP 3: Don't use hot water on lenses - it causes fog on inside of thermals. Store goggles in bags that breath.

[Grendal50]

If I got shot in the gun, or a significant amount of spray I disassemble and wash in the sink with hot soapy water, dry it, lube it, and put it away. Mask and barrels are the same.


Otherwise, I just wipe down the internals and relube.

[idkfa]

I clean my barrels with hot water from the tap and the top tube on my S6 gets a damp cloth pushed through. This is followed by a swab that doesn't see the field.

I never break apart my guns further (body and internal removal on my Phantoms, lower tube on my S6) unless there is a problem.

Externally, they get wiped down with a microfiber cloth. I don't cycle oil through the ASA unless it is a Mag; my Phantoms don't need it and my S6 is already lubricated with grease per CCMs advice.

[Spider!]

Originally Posted by thumper

If I have to disassemble my gun for repair THEN I'll deep clean the rest of the interior.

Read this both ways. Only go as far as you need to, but also clean the outside and easy parts first and then go deeper. This keeps paint and dirt from getting into places it normally can't reach.

If you tend to get a lot of paint/dirt on your marker and need to spray it down, take a spray bottle with you to the field and do it while the paint is fresh and the marker is pressurized.

[Justus]

I take a box of unscented baby wipes with me to the field to wipe off hits when they're fresh. Only if I get plastered do I need to break anything down.

If that's the case, the body/barrel of my Etac get the hot water treatment. The rest gets a wipe-down with a baby wipe and/or Qtips at home. Mask gets cleaned with warm water, with lens dried with a microfiber until there are no streaks or spots. Other gear gets wiped down, but if really bad I'll put it on the back of a deck chair and hit it with the hose. Clothes get washed in their own cycle with Charlie's Soap, no softener, and then low-heat dry. Air dry everything else. Assemble and relube.

[super_stanchy]

lolz....

i throw all of my soft gear (headbands, arm pads, gloves, podpack, pants, jersey, barrel socks, etc) in the wash/dryer

guns get pulled outta the gear bag, if they are REALLY dirty, they get a quick wipedown with a towel and go up on the wall of guns, if they come out of the bag clean, they go up without a wipe down

hoppers.... live in my gear bag
tanks/covers.... live in my gear bag
masks... might get wiped off if they are dirty, then thrown on the shelf

i used to be wayyyy better at cleanin everything every week

[Keebler]

I always strip everything down completely. I use hot water and goggle spra to clean eeverything. I figure itsafe on llenses so it's probably safe on o rings. I have a swab that doesn't see the field and rags specifically for marker cleaning. Sever swabs actually. I also use a little toothbrush and sometimes q tips for the tuff spots. And then I oil everything back up reassemble. I don't wall hang cause it gets dusty that way it gets placed back into its case.

[dukie]

I wash my lenses and mask with dish soap and fingers under the tap and shake dry. squeeze all the water out of the foam so it clears the sweat and dirt out and doesn't degrade the foam. Reassemble the next day when completely dry.

automag get rinsed and wiped down, oiled and reassembled. same goes for barrels with the use of a squeegie.

[artguy63]

Originally Posted by Keebler

I always strip everything down completely. I use hot water and goggle spra to clean eeverything. I figure itsafe on llenses so it's probably safe on o rings. I have a swab that doesn't see the field and rags specifically for marker cleaning. Sever swabs actually. I also use a little toothbrush and sometimes q tips for the tuff spots. And then I oil everything back up reassemble. I don't wall hang cause it gets dusty that way it gets placed back into its case.

Essentially same for me.

I'll do a quick spray/wipe down at the field to get the majority of the gunk off. When I get home, all soft goods go right in the wash, barrel/inserts get sprayed and wiped off, and my mask gets fully disassembled/cleaned. The Phantom gets taken apart all the way down, cleaned, drop of oil on the hammer, and then reassembled.

I'll use just wet paper towels, q tips, and toothpicks (work great for the vents on masks and small, hard to reach places). When I'm done, everything goes back in my Rubbermaid tote until I use it again.

[Grendel]

Used to strip and clean all of my gear and guns. Now I wash soft goods [cloths & such] and the equipment gets surfaced clean to remove debris, paint residue and moisture and left out of my bag for a few days. Goggles are thourghly cleaned and dried and left out.

Only time I tear down my paintguns are if they are trashed or not working up to par.

During game day light misting of equipment/paintguns when they get dirty/sprayed with 50/50 water/alcohol. This type of pump mister is handy and compact: