Green Gas vs Top Gas?
 

Ok, I tried searching on the forum, googling this, went through about 15 different web pages and got two answers in general.

One was that top gas is just another name for green gas.

Another was that they are different things.

I'm mainly trying to find out if you can use top gas in a green gas gun, but googling that just gave me a bunch of shops selling green gas guns.

So can someone please help this confused noob please...

They're the same thing.

"airsoft" gas just has a scent added to it

Edit: Ahh. See the post below mine.

I never heard of top gas before so I googled it, most sites seem to reference it as HFC 134a. If this is indeed the case, then you CANNOT use it in a gun meant to run on green gas, which is propane. Well, you could, but the gun would not function correctly. So to be clear top gas = HFC 134a, green gas = propane. You can use propane in an HFC powered gun, but it will wear the parts faster. You can't use HFC in a propane gun because the bolt will not cycle fully.

Ugh. No.

TOP GAS was green gas, from a company called Toy Jack.

http://www.begadishop.de/catalog/images/topgas-k.jpg


People started using the name interchangeably with "green gas" the same was as we use "Kleenex" (brand name) for facial tissues, etc.

HFC134a was also known as "Blue Gas" and was marketed by Tokyo Marui under the name "Gun Power", KWC as "Power Bomb", etc.

Outside of Japan, most guns were designed to use the more powerful Green gas.


@OP: what's the gun in question?

Right now, the one I'm using is the KWA Mac11, but I'm too scared to use top gas.....I don't want something to break or go wrong.

I was also wondering about other KWA pistols, more specifically, the KWA TT-33 Tokarev, but I don't think anyone has experience with it yet, at least I have yet to see any.

While the Japanese KSCs usually ran on duster (HFC134a), the Taiwanese counterparts from KWA were usually able to handle propane (which was prevalent in Taiwan). So if its a KWA it should be fine.

But I have to ask, if you arent currently using propane, what ARE you using?

Still using my first can of "Green Gas".....lol. I don't use my gas guns much....

On another note, can you use duster in a green gas gun?

Green gas is propane with silicone oil.... save yourself some money.

Ok, "TOP Gas" is just another brand of green gas, so if that's working in the gun then the TOP gas will be fine too. TOP gas is not more powerful or anything (although it has a very distinctive smell -- not as sour as propane, but it definitely has a strong smell I'd describe as "peppery." Something to keep in mind if you're opting for green gas over propane because you're shooting inside your house.)

Otherwise if its for gaming, get an adapter, some silicone oil and run propane from camping stove bottles. It's the same stuff, but smells 100x worse and doesn't come with oil so you need to add it yourself.

As for duster, most duster now is Difluoroethane rather than Tetrafluoroethane (HFC134a). You can still find some dusters which are HFC134a but they're harder to find now (idiots were huffing the stuff and dying). It's also more expensive than propane and jury rigging a fill nozzle is a PITA (and leaks). Overall you'll have a lot less power with HFC134a over propane.

Use propane.

Maybe he's shooting indoors.

I'd still use propane shooting indoors. Crack a window or turn on a fan to circulate air.

Here's the short and sweet.

Green/Top Gas = propane with oil/scent added
- same propellant, same power (in general)
- without lubricant, propane will dry out your seals

"Duster" = Tetrafluoroethane (HFC134a)
- weaker power than propane
- does not contain lubricants so it will dry out your seals
- Difluoroethane is weaker than Tetrafluoroethane and will not cycle pistols well (usually)

If your pistol can use Top/Green gas...it can use propane (i.e. coleman stove, welding, etc...). If you use duster it may or may not work...it's not that it'll hurt it, but rather the gas may be too weak to cycle the gun properly.

Use light silicone oil to lubricate duster or propane. Adding a 2-3 drops to the Airsoft Innovations Adaptor now and then as you fill a mag will do it. How much is not an exact science...depends on your gun, your setup and how much/fast you shoot.

Note:


Difluoroethane will also eat your seals away

Yeah, should have mentioned. AND it's even weaker than HFC134a (it may have trouble properly cycling some guns designed for stronger gas).



Just one mag still stinks up the house for hours. Basement doesn't air out easily enough even with windows wide open, and windows open in winter isn't an option.

Point in case, some people have legitimate reasons to seek alternatives to bbq propane and it gets really annoying reading some people constantly dictating to others they should use propane.