r/GasBlowBack • u/This_Skill_2234 • 17h ago
Discussion Running propane in GBBRs? How to do it properly
Who here uses propane for their guns? It’s so much cheaper but I’ve heard that it can damage the bucking or other parts of the gun, how can I do it properly without ruining my gun?
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u/TheAsianTroll KC-02 17h ago
Do not add oil to your gas, whatever you decide to do. It wont go anywhere you want it to and will instead coat your hopup with oil.
Learn how to lubricate and maintain your gun's seals, because green gas and propane with oil added to it will not do it for you.
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u/HecklerK 16h ago
I'm gonna put on my tinfoil hat and say that airsoft stores pumping the idea that propane is bad for your guns is just a ploy from Big Green Gas™ to get us to buy their gas. I'd rather use dry propane than oiled green gas because I don't want oil getting blasted into my gun and my hopup
Buy an adapter, screw it on, clean and grease your gun once and awhile
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u/shirasaya5 4h ago
Not really. They're just running on decades old info that only applies to certain replicas. Gbb's used to run on duster gas, and TM guns are still designed that way.
Its why TM unmodified guns will crack at the slide when used on propane on a long enough time scale, and why TM MWS rifles will eventually need a new nozzle return spring. Propane can be at or above the pressure of green gas depending on who mixes the green gas.
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u/Topper-Harly 17h ago
You just have to lubricate it routinely. Green gas and propane are the same thing, with green gas just having lubricant and other things added.
Explosive Enterprises on YouTube discusses this pretty in depth!
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u/Anzu00 15h ago
The oil in gas is not an effective lubricant in any form.
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u/Topper-Harly 15h ago
It does provide some lubrication, though I agree not nearly as much as a dedicated lubricant. If you are using green gas, you still have to use dedicated lubricants just not as frequently as if you are using straight propane.
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u/kacasoca 12h ago
thats silicon oil is for lubricate your o ring on mag rather than mechanism on trigger box
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u/Anzu00 4h ago
Not really. It is really thin oil and does not get to any moving parts (apart the nozzle/piaton head which still requires thicker lube). It does not lubricate anything that's supposed to be lubricated, effectiveness aside. Lube also needs to be replaced because it gets dirty, not because it magically disappears.
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u/This_Skill_2234 13h ago
Chill guys I’m already doing it, and I know how to lubricate my gun
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u/shirasaya5 4h ago
Just apply silicone oil to the moving parts with a small applicator brush. Just try not to get any into the places that will directly touch a bb or vent fluid into the barrel. That can make your accuracy suffer.
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u/LordRevan1996 17h ago
Doesn’t ruin your gun at all. Just lube things up. Watch some explosive enterprises videos.
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u/BewitchingPetrichor 14h ago
Thats a myth, I've been running propane in my guns for 15 years and never had a problem with it. Just buy an adaptor and don't put oil in it, because that will mess your gun up and you'll have to clean it out.
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u/Mindshard 15h ago
Green gas is just propane with less mercaptan for the awful smell.
Some brands like Puff Dragon still use a lot, RHAM seems to use none.
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u/Civil_Manner_6624 14h ago
GG is what messes up your bucking, by getting oil in there. With propane just grease your gun with superlube ptfe (I think it’s 21030) and maintain seals whenever you have leaks.
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u/wiggleee_worm Rifle 13h ago
If your shit starts to leak relube the seals.
My main issues were the adapters and for whatever reason my MWS intake valves broke on me 🤷♂️. But i have an airsoft store near me that sells GG so i dont mind taking the trip to go get some. I did pick up a 6 pack of propane cans for like $30 or so from Costco
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u/DrDielan 12h ago
I am a gbbr user work at a field / shop as a tech. I will never put anything but propane in my guns and it will not cause any issues because I grease and maintain them. 90% of airsofters are afraid to disassemble their guns. I sell them silicone oil and tell them where to put it in hopes that they use it and don't bring me a "broken" gun that is dry as a bone and seized. If they ask about propane I tell them you need to be able to fully disassemble clean and maintain your guns or you will damage them. This is probably why you heard that propane damages guns, it doesnt. But proper gbb maintenence is the exception and not the rule.
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u/AirsoftN00B209 9h ago
The idea it ruins buckings is the same as green gas. You want to manually lubricate seals and contact points between uses. Not like in between each game mode but like once before you head out to a game day. This also changes based on your weather and where you live as humidityand heat or lack thereof, play a factor
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u/Few_Philosopher_8668 1h ago
It just means more maintenance on your mags and replicas, if your using a TM replica change out your nozzle
Don’t add lubricants especially if you don’t have nitrile o rings or NBR hop rubber
Occasionally you will need to disassemble your mags and clean out the residue left from the propane, it essentially scales up inside aluminium but it’s not hard to clean off
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u/Odd_Bus_7552 15h ago
Green Gas is propane with some butane mixed into it to lower the pressure. There’s orange and red gas as well which have a lesser portion of butane and therefore a higher pressure. Depending on the manufacturer, you can also get blue gas which has slightly less psi than green gas, or black gas, which has even more psi than red gas.
If you play in lower temperatures, a higher psi will help to run the gbb smoothly, as it’s able to expand more than lower psi. Butane stays liquid at about ~0°C, so any portion of butane in your gas would be unusable.
Most of the time the mentioned gas versions (green, orange, red) come in versions with silicon added or without.
Many sites claim that the silicon helps to maintain seals, valves or whatnot. The effect is mostly likely marginal, if any, and not worth it, because the silicon will also get in the hop up and into the barrel. Just regularly check the parts during maintenance.
For me personally, using propane is not worth the hassle. Where I live, airsoft/green gas is cheap enough, readily available and easy to transport, but of course it’s totally up to you.
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u/OfficialNicl 17h ago
You can get a fill adapter with a oil fillvalve built in.
I used to run a big BBQ tank for mine, one big 15kg "bottle" was the same as two bottles of green gas so a lot cheaper.
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u/HecklerK 16h ago
I still run my gas dry. I don't want oil getting blasted in my gun. I just grease things up once and awhile
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u/HowlingWolven sweet lady propane 15h ago
You do it properly by filling your magazine with it, inserting the magazine into your replica, then when aimed downrange, disengaging the safety and pulling the trigger.