Short History of AEGs
Automatic Electric Guns, or AEGs for short, are the post popular type of airsoft gun bought on the market today. There are many different manufacturers, models, and modifications that can be found for purchase. Made in Japan, China, and Taiwan these guns run the gamut from inexpensive copies to wallet breaking artworks. The most popular guns in the industry are produced from companies like Tokyo Marui, Classic Army, ICS, Echo 1, KWA, Star, JG, and G&G. There are some other companies that produce only a minor amount or have a very small niche of the market.

The Automatic Electric Gun was first developed and employed by the hobby company known as Tokyo Marui. Because of strict weapon laws concerning ownership and production of rifles and guns their first product, the FAMAS, and all subsequent products are made out of plastic and plastic composite materials. Originally aimed for use by the Japanese military for purposes of training, the airsoft phenomenon has spread across the globe as a hobby sport for some and a method for lower cost training weapons for others.

How they work (Basics)
The AEG is an ergonomic adaptation to the sport of airsoft. An AEG uses rechargeable battery composed of either NiCad (Nickel Cadmium), NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydrate), or sometimes Lithium as the means of providing power to the gun. The trigger mechanism is the physical connection for the circuit. When the selector switch is put on a function other than “Safe”, each time the trigger is pulled the circuit is closed and current flows through the wires to the motor. The motor spins the gears, which pulls back on a spring driven piston. The piston pushes air through a nozzle, expelling the BB through the barrel and out of the gun. Then the process starts all over again.

Magazines
There are two different types of magazines available for AEGs. The standard or Lowcap mag and the Hicap mag. The standard or lower capacity magazine carries the least amount of BBs and is more realistic than the hicap mags. The BBs are pushed down a hole in the top of the magazine using some sort of “lowcap loader” or “Speedloader”. The BBs then travel down a tube, pushing down on a tensioned cylindrical shaped spring. Once the magazine is fully loaded and inserted into the magazine well of the AEG, the spring provides the momentum to push the BBs into the hop up chamber for expulsion through the barrel. High Capacity magazines work in a different way. BBs are poured in through an opening on the top of the magazine into a holding chamber. A wheel on the bottom of the magazine is spun to build tension up on a spring. As the wheel is spun, BBs are pushed up through the feeding hole. Once the maximum tension is reached, a loud double-click noise is heard. Once the wheel has been fully wound, the spring is able to push all the BBs out of the magazine and into the gun.

Use and care for your AEG
Follow these steps to ensure your gun doesn't get messed up:

• Never reuse BBs that have been previously fired. They may look fine, but they have been slightly dented previously. Firing them again in your gun can cause serious and costly damage to your mechbox. If these BBs get jammed inside your barrel, they can lockup your piston system, causing the internal metal gears to strip. Hence, you'd need new gears and possibly a piston replacement (usually over $50-100 to repair!!!). Also, using inferior quality BBs can lead to jammed BBs. So what happens if you do get some BBs jammed in your gun? 1. Stop firing once you notice your gun isn't projecting BBs (and you know it's loaded!) 2. Inspect inside the magazine well to see if you can spot a jammed BB. 3. Use the long thin rod that came with your gun to dislodge any stuck BBs in the barrel. 4. Run the rod down the barrel all the way, and then push hard once you get to the nozzle head. If a BB was jammed, it'll fall out the empty magwell. If you catch the jammed BB in time, you won't destroy your mechbox guts. Disaster saved!
• Trigger happy? Great, you bought an AEG, and full-auto is fun! However, it's a bad thing to just hold the trigger down for very long bursts. Firing bursts for more than a few seconds at a time can mess your internal parts up, especially your piston assembly. Be smart - don't hold your trigger down for more than 2-3 seconds at a time, your gun with thank you.
• Don't drop or land on your gun. Seriously, it's a fragile, expensive piece of equipment. Don't do it! Pro-tip: buy a sling, that way you don't have to hold it all the time and it'll protect your gun from falling more often than not.
• Raining? Technically, you shouldn't play out in the rain with an electric gun. But, if you're careful, it is possible. But we won't recommend it.
• Do I need to lube my AEG? The short answer is no, you really don't have to with proper care. If you play in dusty areas, you may want to run a little swab of cloth down your barrel with a single drop of silicone oil every once in awhile. Be sure to turn your hopup all the way OFF before doing so. If not, you'll have some funky BBs going everywhere, until the hopup dries off.
• Battery voltage? All stock guns should use an 8.4v battery, the proper size is dependent on the gun you use. 9.6v+ batteries are ONLY for experience players that have a use for them. 9.6v can easily destroy a stock AEG that isn't upgraded. Even 8.4v batteries can shoot an upgraded gun (under 400 FPS) just fine. Again, use the proper voltage battery with your gun.

Battery charging