How to tell "good" and "bad" hop-up rubber?

[ccyg8774]

I know the combination of hop-up rubber, spacers and other things will change the performance of the hop-up, but if we assume all other factors are the same, is there a way to tell if an hop-up rubber is good, worth using, or not good? (other than the brand)

Is it possible compare 2 different hop-up rubbers without swap them back and forth and shooting to compare the grouping? Is it even possible to tell good or bad on one hop-up rubber without comparison? How do you tell if the stock hop-up rubber in a new gun is OK to use, or need to be replaced once you get it?

[Skladfin]

DELE

[Stealth]

Once you get past the obvious (visibly torn, greasy, weird lumpiness, inconsistencies in the casting (flash), etc), it gets pretty hard to say whether or not it will work well in your system. Typically a stiff hop rubber almost never seals well unless your tolerances are bang-on and you're doing a high-power build.

The reason is that there are so many different combinations of hop-up units and nozzles and respective dimensions/tolerances and how they play with each other. Some hop rubbers may work fantastic with some nozzles but maybe too wide for others. Also, the outer diameter of the inner barrel plays a role in how well it seals against the walls of the hop-up unit.

[ccyg8774]

Thanks guys!

[L473ncy]

By the way, for some reason SystemA seems to always put a coating of silicone oil on their buckings (maybe as a protective layer or something?). I don't know why but first thing you want to do with them is wash it in some mild soap before installing.

[suzenonest]

I always put a little silicone oil on the inner barrel before installing the rubber to help with air seal. No where near the hop up window tho. Is this no good?

[ThunderCactus]

Reviews are your best bet honestly.
As I learned with the falcon rubber, it can look good, feel good, perform amazingly, and then freeze at higher than normal temps and prevent you from playing airsoft under 5 degrees lol