AEGs vs Rain/Water/Submersion

[warlock]

Considering that we are coming up on a time of year where precipitation is likely, I went digging around for some old info I used before, and found one heck of a gem:

http://airsoft-surgut.ru/video/a_328x288.wmv

That aside, I have gone airsofting in some really bad conditions; Once in a typhoon for a 2-day op with my first AEG (110mph wind, definitely bucketloads of rain), another in the middle of what I could best describe as the worst possible terrain available in Florida (marshland). Both times I have had AEGs and they have gotten seriously wet.

In the typhoon op, we spent most of that 2-day op hanging out on the side of a cliff (there was a cubby hole in the side of it that we rapelled down to, in order to conceal ourselves). It was not dry in there by any stretch of the imagination. Most of the 2 days we had that op, we were out of the cubby hole and raining attrition on the other team.

The AEG I had was a TM MP5, regular battery in it, nothing fancy. It survived without even one complaint from the gun.

In the Florida op I attended, I was actually laying in the marsh trying to evade the OpFor. Most of me was submerged, as was the gun. I was in there for about 45 minutes, give or take. Not sitting still but crawling through the mud and slush.

I was using a TM 733 for this op. I did experience a couple of jammed BBs (due to silt in the barrel) but other than that, it also did not suffer one bit.

Prior to both ops I did silicon the guns down to make sure they at least had a little protection from the elements. But neither of those guns failed as a result of being very extremely wet (or in the case of the 733, submerged!).

[azsarge]

Other than the fact he can't spell "amphibious" and wasn't wearing any eyepro, that was an interesting vid.

While I'd never submerge my AEG, I have played with it in the rain (well, my old M4A1) and never had any problems.

Good post, it's something to take into consideration.

[Reaver]

I've also played in the rain and never had a single issue.  I still wouldn't recommend submerging an AEG, but a little rain shouldn't hurt it.

[-MAD- SARGE]

I wonder what kind of havoc all that water in your barrel would do to your bb accuracy? If you were even remotely thinking about submerging yourself with an AEG, would it be worth it if you couldn't hit your target?

Though the water spray out of the barrel did look cool  

[Gantaliano Hoff]

When we were up in prescott this summer, it started raining. I was laying in some bushes behind enemy lines when it started, and all I could do was lay there and get soaked. My AEG was fine, an enemy walked right up to me and didn't see me and I blasted him.

Then when my team and I were assulting the enemy position, I was crawling on my hands and knees through slushy mud. My M4 was covered in mud, but didn't miss a beat when I needed to fire.

Conclusion, AEG's can take abuse at the moments you need them to, as long as they're well taken care of when you don't need to abuse them.

That prescott game was awesome!

[warlock]

I wonder what kind of havoc all that water in your barrel would do to your bb accuracy? If you were even remotely thinking about submerging yourself with an AEG, would it be worth it if you couldn't hit your target?

Though the water spray out of the barrel did look cool  

After the first few BBs, the barrel moisture is at a minimum. The continued waterspray is actually a result of water *inside* of the gearbox.

Accuracy is not affected much (except for those first few BBs).

[azsarge]

Funny how you can blast away with a submerged AEG, yet with an M4/M16 you'd probably have the barrel/chamber blow in your face.

Yet another difference between real and battery-powered.

[busta_cap]

Funny how you can blast away with a submerged AEG, yet with an M4/M16 you'd probably have the barrel/chamber blow in your face.

Yet another difference between real and battery-powered.

now THAT is some Sam Fisher-Bullshit. :lol:

[Ganef]

I would be more concerned about the 110mph typhoon winds affecting my accuracy more than the moisture in my barrel.

[busta_cap]

I would be more concerned about the 110mph typhoon winds affecting my accuracy more than the moisture in my barrel.

David, Id be worried about you blowing away. :?

[azsarge]

Funny how you can blast away with a submerged AEG, yet with an M4/M16 you'd probably have the barrel/chamber blow in your face.

Yet another difference between real and battery-powered.

now THAT is some Sam Fisher-Bullshit. :lol:

Well, there are TMs for that sort of thing.  IIRC, the corrst thing to do for a submerged M4 is tilt the barrel downward at 45 degrees, and pull the charging handle to the rear about 1 inch for a couple seconds.

That's what the manual says, whether or not they do that is out of my lane.

[azsarge]

Warlock, if you have indeed played in a Typhoon for 2 days, while rapelling down a cliff, you have my vote for the most hardcore airsofter EVER!

[Cheeze_IZ_G00d]

I suppose the idea behind playing submerged is that you have very limited gear. I would have to imagine swimming around in full battle rattle would be pretty damn difficult.

[warlock]

Warlock, if you have indeed played in a Typhoon for 2 days, while rapelling down a cliff, you have my vote for the most hardcore airsofter EVER!

Technically the typhoon only lasted about 6 hours, but the before rain/wind combo and the after made very little difference. Lots of rain and wind.

We'd made plans for that game for almost 6 months prior. We weren't about to let a little wind and rain get in our way. besides, out there in Guam 110mph is light.

[azsarge]

I would have to imagine swimming around in full battle rattle would be pretty damn difficult.

Ask Robert (Long Trang) about that.  He did it in Marine Basic.