Guide Topics:

• Batteries
• Charging batteries
• Adjusting hop up
• Cleaning airsoft guns
• BBs
• Loading magazines
• Unjamming airsoft guns

Batteries:

Battery voltage (V) is determined by the number of cells in the battery pack.  Multiply the number of cells by 1.2 volts to get the pack's voltage, e.g. 7 cells X 1.2V = 8.4V, 8 cells X 1.2V = 9.6V.  The amount of voltage determines the rate of fire of the gun and how strong a spring you can install in the gun.

Battery milliamperage (mah) should be printed on the battery cells.  The amount of mah indicates how long you can fire your battery-powered gun for, and how long you will need to charge your battery.
There are two types of rechargeable batteries suitable for airsoft electric gun usage, nickel cadmium (NiCad) and nickel metal hydride (Nimh) batteries.  The following is a comparison between the two battery types:

Nicad                                                    Nimh
Has battery memory                               No battery memory
Discharging required                               Discharging not required
High output rates, high rate of fire            Rate of fire lower than Nicad
Can be fast charged                                Must be charged at 3A or less
Less milliamp capacity than Nimhs          Higher milliamp capacity than Nicad

• Never pull batteries by their plugs and be careful not to damage the wiring insulation.
• Exposing the battery wires to contact with another battery wire or other metallic objects can cause the battery to short out and create a potential fire hazard.
• Unplug batteries from your airsoft gun whenever it is not in use.
• Store batteries in a cool, dry place when not being used. 
• Never expose batteries to open flame or break open the cells.
• Be sure to dispose of batteries in the proper manner.

Charging batteries:

• *WARNING*: Do not overcharge batteries!  If they overheat, you could cause damage to the battery and create a potential fire hazard!
• Be sure to read the charger instructions thoroughly before charging your battery.
• Not all chargers are created equal.  Please use the proper charger which is intended for your battery type, i.e. if you are charging a 9.6V Nimh battery, be sure your charger can charge 9.6V batteries and Nimh batteries.
• Be sure to use the proper connectors to connect your battery to the charger.
• Calculate the proper amount of time required to charge a battery by dividing the battery's milliamp capacity by the chargers charge rate, e.g. it would take a 250 mah rate charger 6 hours to charge a completely drained 1500 mah battery.  Every charger is different, so be certain to read your chargers manual thoroughly before charging your battery.
• If you are not certain of a battery's remaining charge and you wish to charge it, place the battery on the charger and check it every 5-10 minutes.  If the battery is warm to the touch, assume it is fully charged.  If it is hot to the touch, remove the battery from the charger immediately!
• Remember, NiCad batteries must be completely discharged before charging again.  Use the appropriate discharger to discharge the battery, or completely drain the battery through normal use before charging again.

Adjusting hop up:

Be sure to follow the manual's directions on how to adjust your hop up.Depending on your gun's velocity, you will need at least 30 yards of range to set your hop up.  Try to achieve as flat a trajectory as possible. Almost all Airsoft Electric Guns have very sensitive hop up adjustments. A minute movement of the adjustment wheel or arm can cause large variations in BB trajectory. Hop up mechanism can move and shift as the gun is being used.  Expect to reset your hop up periodically. Many factors can affect your gun's trajectory: cleanliness of the barrel, brand of BB, weight of BB, wind, humidity, and air density.  Don't assume your gun will fire the same way anywhere, anytime, anywhen!

Cleaning airsoft guns:

*WARNING*: Never use petroleum lubricants or strong solvents and cleansers to clean your gun. Only use a soft, damp cloth to clean the exterior and 100% silicone oil spray to clean the barrel. Maintenance on the internal gearbox mechanisms should only be performed by a trained professional. Do NOT soak the gun in any sort of lubricants or water. Liquids and electricity do not mix!

Airsoft Electric Guns require minimal cleaning.  The most important part that should be cleaned regularly is your barrel. To clean your barrel, take your cleaning rod and thread a .22 caliber patch (or similar sized patch of cloth) through the slit. Spray a small amount of silicon spray to the patch. Before inserting your cleaning rod into the barrel, turn your hop up off. If you leave your hop up on you run the risk of damaging your hop up and getting your cleaning rod stuck. Insert your cleaning rod into the barrel. Swab the inside of the barrel with a back and forth motion. Remove the patch from your cleaning rod. Insert a new, dry patch into the slit and repeat the process to clear any remaining residue from the inner barrel.

Once there is no dirt left in the barrel, test fire your gun and reset the hop up. We recommend you have your Automatic Electric Gun gearbox cleaned and relubricated every 6 months, depending on how heavily your gun is lubricated.  This should be performed by a trained professional.
BBs
Only use premium brand BBs with Automatic Electric Guns.  Using cheaper BBs may cause damage to your gun and barrel due to seams, burrs, and deformation of the BBs resulting from poor manufacture. Most quality guns are designed for 0.20 gram weight BBs or heavier. Any BBs lighter than 0.20g will cause a jam or breakage.
*WARNING*: Do not reuse BBs. Reusing BBs may also cause a jam or breakage in your gun.If you are not sure about what BBs to use, consult with Pat Nolan at WarriorCat Enterprises regarding what type of BBs to use.

Loading magazines:

• Be sure to thoroughly read your manual on loading magazines.
• Make sure your BBs are clean and new.  Dirty or deformed BBs can cause your magazine or gun mechanisms to jam.
• Keep foreign objects, debris, and dirt away from your BBs and your magazines.
• Always remove and throw away the staple from your bag of BBs!  They are notorious for jamming magazines.
• Occasionally lubricate your magazines by spraying a small amount of 100% silicone lubricant into the magazine.  If you magazine has been subjected to significant amounts of dirt and dust, you will need to disassemble your magazine and clean out all of the dirt and dust.  Consult with your local airsoft dealer on how to do this.
• High capacity magazines are fairly complex mechanisms.  In order for them to feed reliably, at least 50 BBs must be loaded in them.  There will always be 20 BBs left in the magazine.  A fully wound magazine will typically shoot 50%-75% of the magazine's full capacity before requiring rewinding.  You can overwind high capacity magazines; if the winding wheel is clicking, it is overwound.  If a high capacity magazine jams, tap the side of the magazine sharply against a solid surface.  That will unjam the winding wheel.

Unjamming airsoft guns:

Airsoft guns typically jam due to excessive dirt in the barrel, dirty BBs, deformed BBs, foreign objects in the magazine or barrel, or overly tight hop up.  In more extreme cases, a gun can jam due to a damaged or deformed hop up bucking, damaged nozzle, or damaged tappet plate.

If a BB jams in the gun stop firing it immediately. Continued firing may result in a broken gear or piston.
Use the opposite end of your cleaning rod. The tip has a slanted angle. Turn your hop up off and insert that end into the barrel. Turn the gun upside down to look at the magazine well. Gently force the BB back into the area of the magazine well. Once the BBs have been cleared from the barrel, test fire the gun without any BBs.  If the gun sounds fine, test fire it again with BBs.  If jamming persists, consult with your local airsoft dealer regarding repairs.