Mini-Review: ET2200 Super Power Green Gas (Red Gas)

kdouglas

Posted this on airsofthacks.com, throwing it up here since it came up last week:

In one of my blog posts a while back, I talked about the various different airsoft gases, at the time, the only supplier I could find for the high powered Red Gas, was RedWolf Airsoft, I emailed them to inquire about shipping this gas to Ireland (it was costing over $100 to ship 6 cans worth $20 each) but never got a reply and a week later the gas was listed as discontinued on their site.

For a while I didn’t think any more about it, until a new variety of Red Gas became available on their site, it was still quite expensive to ship over so I decided I would wait and add it to a bigger order. In the meantime, Irish retailer AirsoftEire got the ET2200 gas in stock. I noticed this last Wednesday, prompted by a post here and decided to order a can. Many thanks to the lads from AirsoftEire for their great service, ordered late Wednesday night, shipped Thursday and arrived on my doorstep Friday morning, very well packaged too.

I set about testing the gas to see what kind of power it would put out, I’ve only tested it in one pistol so far (KSC Glock 18), so the results are by no means conclusive, however I will update later with results using a couple of different pistols.

To set a base line, the following are the results from normal green gas using 0.20g Excel BBs:
G18 with Green Gas
Shot 1 326.4
Shot 2 326.3
Shot 3 321.1
Shot 4 321.4
Shot 5 317
Average 322.4

Testing with the ET2200 Red Gas gave the following results:
G18 with “Red” Gas
Shot 1 327.5
Shot 2 322.6
Shot 3 326.5
Shot 4 321.4
Shot 5 317.4
Average 323.08

As can be seen, there is no significant difference in the power output when using the two gases.

Also noteworthy, in the “Technical References” information printed on the back of the canister, the main ingredient is listed as Propane, there is also no mention of HFC22 (which is what Red gas supposedly is).

Verdict: ET2200 appears to be nothing more than normal green gas, which is in turn, primarily propane. I’ll conduct some further testing in a few different pistols later today, however I am not expecting any differences between this and ordinary green gas.

Tigger

what temperature did you test at? my ksc g18 dosen't fire that hard, is yours upgraded?


i'm surprised that et220 is just propane i'm sure airsoft thought they were buying hfc22

Tigger

also i have found references to hfc22 as green gas and other names


redwolf

Gas it up! (1999-11-10)
As if we haven't stressed it enough, maintenance is of utmost importance to keep your favorite (and often expensive) airsoft functioning smoothly for years of enjoyment. This is especially true in the case of gas blow backs which require lots of care to keep them running.

For starters, you must use the right gas for the right gun. We've noticed a lot of our customers using HFC22 gas and destroying perfectly good pistols which were only designed for HFC134a. Simply put, there are two major types of gas out there you should be aware of; HFC134a and HFC22 (sometimes referred to as Top Gas, Omega Gas or ToyJack Gas), with the latter having a much greater pressure. There is also another type of gas called Red Gas which has the highest pressure of all but very few pistols can take this gas even after modifications. And yes there is something called Black Gas but let's not go there. Only after extensive modifications can a gas blowback take such a gas and even then, don't expect any kind of durability.

Most Japanese made pistols are by default designed for HFC134a gas and only a limited few can withstand the pressure and shock of HFC22. While use of HFC22 will provide significantly stronger blowback and power, these pistols usually end up breaking some major component after several (and sometimes after several magazines worth of) rounds. How can you tell whether a pistol that you like or own can take HFC22? The answer is from experience. All Japanese pistols claim to work only with HFC134a but trial and error has told us which are over-engineered to withstand the higher pressure gases. As a side note, most Taiwanese gas guns are designed to withstand HFC22, which incidentally is mostly manufactured in Taiwan. If you're not sure, check out our gas pages where we list whether a weapon is capable of using higher pressure gases. If you have any doubts, email us. Note though that use of HFC22 is at your own risk and if you are a collector who doesn't mind the lower power and values a functioning weapon in the long run, always use HFC134a. No matter how well a gun is engineered, the stronger gas will no doubt reduce it's lifespan. Many pistols can be modified to take higher pressures; sometimes a metal slide will do, sometimes you need to install a stronger blowback piston, stronger valves, etc. With some, it just isn't worth it.

Even with the right gas, your gas blowback still needs lots of lubrication to keep things running, especially in the area of O-rings which are prone to drying and cracking in dry climates such as North America. Once an O-ring dries, it will be unable to make a tight seal and gas will escape from valves, blowback pistons, etc. Drying often happens when you put a gun aside for a long time without any use. When you know you're not going to be shooting for a while, squirt generous amounts of silicone into valves, nozzles, and the magazine gas port (the rubber part which makes contact with the blowback piston). Then place the gun back in the box and keep it in a cool dark place to minimize evaporation. Better yet, wrap the gun in a plastic bag to keep the moisture in. But be careful not to drown the gun in silicone - you only need to apply generous amounts to the right places. For some of you overseas folks who use PC dusters to propel your guns, note that PC dusters do not have silicone content like the HFC134a or HFC22 gases designed for airsoft. PC dusters are very dry and can quickly dry out your O-rings. If you must use PC dusters, then constantly spray silicone into all parts of the gun which the gas is likely to touch.

With periodic maintenance, your gas blowback will last much longer and provide years of enjoyment.

precision airsoft

HFC22 Green Gas - Ground Ship Only!

these cans are the new DOT-approved Green Gas cans.
MUST SHIP GROUND!



Features

Orders with Gas will ship via UPS Ground

High Powered Gas - Can damage some pistols in warm temperatures!

http://www.precisionairsoft.net/GBB-Gas-HFC-22-Ground-Ship-Only-p/gas01.htm

so there is still much confusion around airsoft gases

i feel that butane propane is the best way to go as long as you use the oil its cheaper and shoots as hard as anything else

overall i'm sad that there isn't a stronger gas than butane available in irelnd but mabey this elusive hfc22 is still out there to be found

kdouglas

Tigger wrote: »

what temperature did you test at? my ksc g18 dosen't fire that hard, is yours upgraded?


i'm surprised that et220 is just propane i'm sure airsoft thought they were buying hfc22

It was probably around 20 degrees when I tested it the other day, I didnt actually check the temperature, I've a metal slide and upgraded recoil spring in mine, but no high flow valves or anything like that.

Also, Butane is fairly low pressure (less than 134a I think) and I'm fairly sure it's bad for o-rings, I assume you meant propane?

Tigger

kdouglas wrote: »

It was probably around 20 degrees when I tested it the other day, I didnt actually check the temperature, I've a metal slide and upgraded recoil spring in mine, but no high flow valves or anything like that.

Also, Butane is fairly low pressure (less than 134a I think) and I'm fairly sure it's bad for o-rings, I assume you meant propane?

i assume i ment propane also

haven't chronoed the gbbs on a warm day though i knoe they feel better in the warm

ED E

I know that in very good weather(By irish standards) a Full length dragon does 360 w/ .2s on propane! And as Red is propane by the looks of it, it wont be suitable in some GBBs over the summer.

On that note, my M9 was doing .9 last week at about 5ish when the temp was just starting to drop...must watch that.

Keith, does that "red" contain lubricant?

kdouglas

Well, real red gas does not contain propane, it is a different type of gas altogether.

Yes, this gas has lubricant in it, 8% silicon oil according to the label on the back

Masada

was their any noticable difference at all KD?, like ROF, blow back etc. or you reckon its just green in a different can?
good work man.,

kdouglas

Absolutely no difference that I could see, it's just green as far as I can tell.