Basic Operation
Green or Propane?
Use Propane rather than "Canned Green Gas".
It seems that the day of canned gas is over. If you haven't bought a "propane adapter", you need to. Store bought propane is more economical but it will also guarantee that your new WE M4 will run tip-top.
Most of the issues concerning venting and bb jamming/chopping, can be attributed to too much silicone - which you will find in nearly all cans of "Airsoft Gas".
As an experiment, we purchased a few cans of "Green Gas" from eBay to see if the WE would run better. It was a complete failure.
The two brands purchased, contained SO much silicone, that the gun was venting constantly. Oily silicone fog poured out of the barrel and ejection port. And oozed from every crevice!
It took a half dozen fills and purges to get the mags free of the oily mess.
Lesson learned: use Propane with a few drops of your favorite RC shock oil (We like to use Trinity Shock Oil - 90 weight). Add two drops every 3 mags, (sometimes every 4-5 mag fills). Your WE M4A1 will thank you!
Charge That Handle!
If you have owned any GBB submachine guns in the past, you will know that pulling the bolt back should always precede trying to load a full magazine.
If you don't charge the bolt (pull the bolt back) the loading muzzle will be right where the bb stack wants to be.
In the past, on GBB sub machine guns like the KWA M11A1 (or TMP) trying to jam a fully loaded mag would instantly damage the thin aluminum loading muzzle.
If your magazine is TOTALLY full (not one more bb can fit in the mag), the bb stack has zero give or "spring". When it contacts the loading muzzle, it is two solid parts coming together. Not good.
What's worse in this scenario, is when the operator can't get the mag to lock in, he slams it from the bottom. Wrong! You are damaging the loading muzzle.
The WE M4 loading muzzle is quite robust (solid brass). But the threads have given out on a couple of rifles on the forums. I suspect that it is likely the cause of slamming a loaded magazine in the well, with the bolt/loading muzzle forward.
The solution?
Simply rack the bolt before every load. Use the "bolt stop", that's what it is there for.
Another precaution is to load the magazines slightly less than full. This will ensure a little spring left in the bb stack. This give would allow the operator to load a full mag without the bolt being pulled back (Should he/she forget).
Gassing up your mags.
GBB (Gas Blowback) pistols and rifles demand that the magazines be warmed before operation. It is critical. To fully enjoy your WE M4, be sure to take the following measures.
First, fill the magazine with gas. When filling your magazine with Propane, you want to listen carefully. You want to keep filling until the "hiss" sound fades to a barely audible whisper. It will take approximately half a minute to fill a mag from empty.
The best way to warm a GBB magazine (pistol or rifle) is to tightly squeeze the mag in your hand or hands. After a minute, you will feel the chill of the cold steel disappear and the mag is ready to be used.
In the field, many airsoft players like myself use web gear (MOLLE gear). The mags stay warm against your body. In cold weather, many players will use "hand warmer" cloths cut into smaller strips and added to each MOLLE pocket or magazine pouch. This is a technique for winter play.
During the summer, this step of "prepping the mags" is far less imperative. Cold weather should be qualified as "under 60 degrees Fahrenheit / 15° Celsius". The performance of Propane diminishes greatly for every 5 degrees under 65.
I hope we have impressed upon you the importance of making the mags ready for use.
Your enjoyment of the WE rifle is dependant on its "power supply" - the gas charged magazine.
