20th Feb 2018
Can you use Blue Gel for Airsoft?
Bluing is a process applied to gun steel, in order to protect against rust with a black oxide coating and gives guns their typical black colour (with a tint of blue, hence the name).
If you shoot firearms, are interested in shooting, or have had a look at our products, you might have heard of something called Blu Gel. Blu Gel (or Blue Gel), is a product of ours which is designed to re-apply the “bluing” of a gun, if it gets worn or scratched off.
Bluing is usually applied with chemicals in a furnace, however our formulation doesn’t require heat. This means you can touch up scratches and abrasion on steel gun parts easily at home.
Since our Blu Gel is so easy to apply, we’re often asked whether it can be used on airsoft guns and air rifles. An airsoft gun in the UK is battered a lot more than firearms, so it’s understandable to want to refinish and protect your investments.
Bluing Airsoft Guns with Blu Gel
As mentioned already, bluing is a process used on gun steel. So the first consideration for you to make is whether your gun is produced from steel or not. Airsoft guns don’t go through the same pressures as a real firearm, so don’t expect everything to be made to the same spec, including the materials. Bluing is a chemical process that only works on steel, and will not work on plastic, aluminium, or any other material.
The simplest way to check if your airsoft gun will take on a blue is to use a magnet. A magnet will be attracted to steel, but obviously not aluminium or plastic. If your magnet sticks to the part you wish to blue, then there’s a good chance that it’s made from steel. The alternative is that it’s made from Iron, but the likelihood of this is slim.
Next, you’ll need to work out whether your gun was blued in the first place. If it was, it should have a hard outer surface and there shouldn’t be much of a ‘ridge’ to the scratched area. If there is a ridge, there’s a chance that your airsoft gun is simply painted, or coated and bluing could look out of place.
If it’s steel, then you’re in luck. You can use blugel on your airsoft gun. Blugel comes with instructions for use, but we’ll quickly run through how to do it so you know what to expect! Firstly, ensure that you’re wearing rubber gloves, eye protection and that you have thoroughly cleaned the scratches of oil and grease (take a look at our degreasing spray) . Using a cloth or cotton bud, lightly dab the BluGel on the exposed steel areas of the airsoft gun in very small quantities and wait. This isn’t the time to put Netflix on, you need to watch the metal intently. The reaction will sneak up quickly. As bluing occurs, wipe away the excess and clean the area. Repeat if necessary.