Guess what? now you can rate my posts! Let me know if you like/dislike them, and I'll try to cater to you, my audience.
Thanks!
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Thursday, February 26, 2015
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
MEGA Centurion
In 2006, Hasbro introduced the Longshot CS-6, marketed as Nerf's first "sniper rifle". Four years later, due apparently to its popularity in Hasbro's Nerf N-Strike Elite, the Longstrike CS-6 made its non-digital debut. Since then, the art of launching foam to extreme distances has improved, and in 2013, Nerf announced a whole new line of blasters devoted specifically to range. "Mega darts for mega range" was the slogan, and fittingly, the flagship blaster of the lineup was styled as a sniper rifle. Meet the Centurion.
So, does the Centurion live up to the hype? In order to decide that, lets examine the hype.
The Claims
First of all, with a gun like this, you want range. Hasbro claims that it'll shoot up to 100 ft. Considering the ranges they typically claim for their Elite guns, a hundred feet is quite substantial.
Now for the size. This colossal toy measures out at 40.7", or a little over a meter.
Finally, Hasbro included a tactical bipod with this blaster, so you can steady your aim.
For a sample of the above hype, check out Nerf's TV spot for it.
The Truth
Sadly, the Centurion is hardly a sniper's first choice. Oh, it shoots far enough. My tests reached 104 ft. The issue is accuracy. Beyond forty feet, you'd have a better chance of hitting the target if you weren't aiming at it. The darts, though large, are lightweight. They fly thirty feet off target at the hint of a breeze.
As for the bipod, you can use it. Can does not mean should. The knobs on the ends are smooth, rounded plastic, and they'll slide around like you wouldn't believe. Additionally, the "sniper" firing position (laying on your belly behind the shouldered gun) is rather uncomfortable with this blaster.
Now that we've defeated the hype, let's get into the pros and cons that I haven't mentioned yet.
Good:
Bad:
Overall, my advice is that if you're into nerf wars, you'll find this gun disappointing. If you want a big, fun toy, you'll have fun. But don't expect your parents to pay for it.
Pictures:
The mod guide is coming soon, for those of you who are brave enough to try it.
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So, does the Centurion live up to the hype? In order to decide that, lets examine the hype.
The Claims
First of all, with a gun like this, you want range. Hasbro claims that it'll shoot up to 100 ft. Considering the ranges they typically claim for their Elite guns, a hundred feet is quite substantial.
Now for the size. This colossal toy measures out at 40.7", or a little over a meter.
Finally, Hasbro included a tactical bipod with this blaster, so you can steady your aim.
For a sample of the above hype, check out Nerf's TV spot for it.
The Truth
Sadly, the Centurion is hardly a sniper's first choice. Oh, it shoots far enough. My tests reached 104 ft. The issue is accuracy. Beyond forty feet, you'd have a better chance of hitting the target if you weren't aiming at it. The darts, though large, are lightweight. They fly thirty feet off target at the hint of a breeze.
As for the bipod, you can use it. Can does not mean should. The knobs on the ends are smooth, rounded plastic, and they'll slide around like you wouldn't believe. Additionally, the "sniper" firing position (laying on your belly behind the shouldered gun) is rather uncomfortable with this blaster.
Now that we've defeated the hype, let's get into the pros and cons that I haven't mentioned yet.
Good:
- Styling. It does have this in its favor: it looks very nice. It's realistic enough, yet it's obvious that it's not a real gun.
- Ergonomic handgrip. That is, if you have adult-sized hands like me.
- Cosplay potential. If you're one of those super-devoted fans that dresses up as your favorite character, this gun could easily be made into a really cool replica weapon.
- Bandolier attachment points. This is the first gun I've come across that in its stock form actually has useable bandolier loops. And they actually work quite well, provided you're tall enough to not drag it on the ground…
- Lightweight. For the size, the Centurion doesn't weigh very much.
Bad:
- Unwieldy. This thing is HUGE. Forty inches doesn't sound like much until you hold them up to your shoulder.
- Incompatible. You can't use regular darts in this gun, and there are few systems out there so far that work with Mega darts. Here's a size comparison:
- The clip. I personally like the idea of a Mega-clip system, but so far, there is no system (and I rather doubt there ever will be). As it stands right now, the only way to get more of these clips is to buy them on Ebay or spend fifty bucks on another Centurion. And who wants to take out the clip, load it up, and stick it back in the gun?
- Iron-sights. Those little notches that stick up off the top of the gun? Useless. There is no way you will get those lined up with your eye unless you're a contortionist.
- Mod-ability. Don't take this thing apart unless you're ready to put it back together. And trust me, you're not ready until you've sat in the Lotus pose for at least two hours.
- The draw. When you cock it, you have to pull the handle back more than a foot, which is quite a long and uncomfortable draw.
Pictures:
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| Nerf MEGA Centurion |
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| The business end of the Centurion |
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| It's big. |
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| Yeah… It needs a scope. |
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Saturday, February 21, 2015
On Safety
I realised today that there is something very important that I forgot to mention: SAFETY. This mostly involves common sense, but I'll cover some safety tips here.
Modding safety
When you modify a nerf gun, you should ALWAYS wear eye protection of some sort. Nerf blasters have abundant supplies of springs, which can fly out unexpectedly. They could put your eye out if you are not careful.
Also, sometimes you'll need to use a knife or other sharp object to cut, pry, poke, or wiggle something out. Cut, pry, poke, or wiggle away from yourself. You don't want to be rushed to the ER for having cut off your own arm. (Just kidding. The worst you'll probably get is a rather painful cut.)
Firing safety
Those little warnings on the side of your gun are good to follow. Don't aim at a person's face unless you're at least 30 feet away (50ft. with bigger guns) and already know what it feels like to be shot in the face at that range. And if you're in a nerf battle, it's a good idea to wear eye protection or sunglasses so that you won't get shot in the face…
Buying safety
If you're buying a new nerf gun, it's a good idea to go online and see what that nerf gun typically sells for. You don't want to be spending fifteen extra dollars on top of the thirty bucks your gun's worth.
And don't build your arsenal from Toys 'Я' Us. (Except the Toys 'Я' Us exclusives; those ones are usually worth the price hike.)
The point I'm trying to make is that bad things will eventually happen if you are careless. So just don't be careless.
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Modding safety
When you modify a nerf gun, you should ALWAYS wear eye protection of some sort. Nerf blasters have abundant supplies of springs, which can fly out unexpectedly. They could put your eye out if you are not careful.
Also, sometimes you'll need to use a knife or other sharp object to cut, pry, poke, or wiggle something out. Cut, pry, poke, or wiggle away from yourself. You don't want to be rushed to the ER for having cut off your own arm. (Just kidding. The worst you'll probably get is a rather painful cut.)
Firing safety
Those little warnings on the side of your gun are good to follow. Don't aim at a person's face unless you're at least 30 feet away (50ft. with bigger guns) and already know what it feels like to be shot in the face at that range. And if you're in a nerf battle, it's a good idea to wear eye protection or sunglasses so that you won't get shot in the face…
Buying safety
If you're buying a new nerf gun, it's a good idea to go online and see what that nerf gun typically sells for. You don't want to be spending fifteen extra dollars on top of the thirty bucks your gun's worth.
And don't build your arsenal from Toys 'Я' Us. (Except the Toys 'Я' Us exclusives; those ones are usually worth the price hike.)
The point I'm trying to make is that bad things will eventually happen if you are careless. So just don't be careless.
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Tuesday, February 17, 2015
New look, same great taste!
Hey everyone!
As you (hopefully) have noticed, I changed the look of my blog. Hopefully now it looks much more interesting, instead of looking exactly the same as every other beginning blog out there.
And you need not be alarmed. The blog will not change in any way other than looks.
Anyway, please let me know in the comments section down there | what you think of the new look of the Tacticool Nerfer. |
|
V
And I'd love any suggestions you have, too, whether for look, or for topics to write about, or anything else.
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As you (hopefully) have noticed, I changed the look of my blog. Hopefully now it looks much more interesting, instead of looking exactly the same as every other beginning blog out there.
And you need not be alarmed. The blog will not change in any way other than looks.
Anyway, please let me know in the comments section down there | what you think of the new look of the Tacticool Nerfer. |
|
V
And I'd love any suggestions you have, too, whether for look, or for topics to write about, or anything else.
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[˘˘˘˘7º''''''''''''''''''''
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Help me out!
Please feel free to comment on my posts and share them with your friends. While I'm writing this blog because of my love of all things Nerf, I do have parents who think that this qualifies as a school project. As such, they are grading me based on how many comments and page views this blog achieves, and I would really appreciate it if you as my readers would help me with that.
Thanks!
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Thanks!
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Mod: Nerf Sidestrike
The long(ish)-awaited Mod Guide for the Nerf Sidestrike. All you need to do to get amazing range from this already great gun is improve the barrel seal and remove the air restrictor.
Difficulty: Easy
What you'll need: A phillipshead screwdriver and electrical tape (or plumber's tape).
Steps:
1. Unscrew
There are 2 screw sizes in this gun - medium and short. Eleven screws total; 8 medium and 3 short. The three short ones go here: ------------------------------>
It is of note that you'll have to pull the slide back a bit to access one of the medium screws.
2. Clamshell
The gun comes apart into two easy halves. One has all the internals, and the other one doesn't have anything really. Also, keep track of the little orange piece on the tactical rail (it tends to fly out).
The half with the internals will look like this:
On the tip, there is a black O-ring. Take it off and set it aside. Make sure it doesn't get dirty, because that will ruin the seal. Now, take you electrical tape and carefully wrap a section around the area where the O-ring was. If you're using electrical tape, you'll only want to wrap it once. With plumber's tape, you might want to do 2-3 wraps of tape. After that's done, slip the O-ring back on over the tape. Re-insert the plunger into the plunger tube.
Once you've done that, you need to make a decision. Are you going to want to fire Streamline darts with this gun? If yes, then you can pull out the dart post piece from the back. Then snap off the long, thin post from its base, and put the base back. From there, you can put the whole barrel assembly back together.
Difficulty: Easy
What you'll need: A phillipshead screwdriver and electrical tape (or plumber's tape).
Steps:
1. Unscrew
There are 2 screw sizes in this gun - medium and short. Eleven screws total; 8 medium and 3 short. The three short ones go here: ------------------------------>
2. Clamshell
The gun comes apart into two easy halves. One has all the internals, and the other one doesn't have anything really. Also, keep track of the little orange piece on the tactical rail (it tends to fly out).
The half with the internals will look like this:
3. Remove Internals
First, carefully pull out the trigger system, being sure to not lose the catch spring. Set those aside. Then, pull the plunger tube/barrel system out. That's what you'll be working on.
4. Seal Upgrade
It is important to note that this step will make the gun slightly more difficult to cock.
Pull out the plunger rod.
On the tip, there is a black O-ring. Take it off and set it aside. Make sure it doesn't get dirty, because that will ruin the seal. Now, take you electrical tape and carefully wrap a section around the area where the O-ring was. If you're using electrical tape, you'll only want to wrap it once. With plumber's tape, you might want to do 2-3 wraps of tape. After that's done, slip the O-ring back on over the tape. Re-insert the plunger into the plunger tube.
5. AR removal
The AR (air restrictor) is designed to restrict airflow, reducing performance. In order to remove it, you'll have to take apart the barrel assembly. That would be the big orange tube near the top of the gun. Take it out, and on each side you'll see a latch holding the front part to the back part. CAREFULLY unlatch those (If you're under the age of ten, I'd suggest that you ask your mom to do this), and take the assembly apart. The only part you want to remove is the actual AR and its spring (see photo).
Once you've done that, you need to make a decision. Are you going to want to fire Streamline darts with this gun? If yes, then you can pull out the dart post piece from the back. Then snap off the long, thin post from its base, and put the base back. From there, you can put the whole barrel assembly back together.
6. Reassemble
Put it all back together. See above picture for arrangement of all the internals.
And voila! You just added about 25 feet to the range of your Nerf Sidestrike!
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Thursday, February 12, 2015
Nerf Lingo
A reference point for those who get confused when I use "nerf slang".
Air restrictor (AR): The part of a nerf gun used to limit airflow through the barrel when the gun is unloaded. Also tends to limit airflow when the gun is loaded, reducing range.
Barrel drag: The effect that happens when a dart loses kinetic energy, and thereby speed and momentum, by sliding along or bouncing off the sides of the barrel. Usually causes a slight loss in range, varying based on length of barrel.
Dart: a foam projectile, tubular in shape, typically launched out of an air blaster.
Drac: A shortened name for my favorite nerf modder, LordDraconical.
Dry-fire: To fire a nerf gun without any ammo. Usually harmful to the gun, especially if the AR is removed.
Gimmick: A selling point that is advertised as "unique" or "new", but doesn't perform well.
HvZ: Short for "humans versus zombies", a type of organized nerf war.
Integration: A mod that involves multiple nerf blasters combined into a single blaster.
Loadout: A person's individualized set of gear to use in a nerf war. A typical loadout includes a primary, one or two backup blasters, and lots of spare ammo.
Mod: A modification, typically of a nerf blaster.
Modder: Someone who modifies nerf blasters and other foam-launching products.
Nerf gun: Generally, any toy designed to launch foam projectiles.
Nerfer: One who plays with or collects nerf products as a hobby.
NIC: Nerf Internet Community. Basically, you and me.
Primary: A nerfer's main blaster for nerf wars. A primary tends to be a larger blaster, like a Demolisher 2 in 1 or a Longshot CS-12.
Tacticool: Lacking functionality in favor of looking cool.
This is a work in progress. Please help me out by commenting about any nerf terms I use that you don't understand, and I will gladly add them to the list!
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Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Nerf Sidestrike
The ZombieStrike line of Nerf guns has included just about every type of gun, from the good to the gimmick. When I bought the Sidestrike, I figured it was a gimmick. After all, Hasbro has never made a gun that comes with a holster before this, and I assumed that the product that they were selling was more like a holster that happens to come with a gun.
I was wrong. This gun packs a punch, especially for its size. On top of that, it looks really cool, and comes with a holster to boot!
There's good and bad in every gun, so I'll sum it all up here:
Good:
- Performance. The Sidestrike shoots reliably, accurately, and surprisingly far.
- Looks. This is purely opinion, but I'm loving the styling on this gun.
- Comfortable. It's small, yet large enough that my whole hand can fit on the handle. Also, the ergonomics are great!
- Dart storage. In the holster, it stores up to seven darts. For such a compact gun, this is quite impressive.
- Holster functionality. The gun fits smoothly and securely in the ambidextrous holster. On top of that, you can also use the holster with your Nerf Firestrike!
- Paintability. Guns that come apart into multiple shell pieces are much easier to paint, and this one does.
- Tactical rail. If you look closely, there's a tacrail on the bottom of the gun. There's hardly any accessory that will ever fit on this thing, and even if there is, you couldn't use the holster. Hasbro didn't think this one through…
- Green. Who wants a green blaster?
- Connection system. Remember how I said the shell comes apart into several pieces? It does, provided you have really small, really strong fingers, and a boat load of patience.
Here's some pics:
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| The Sidestrike next to its holster |
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| In the holster. |
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| It's ambidextrous!!! For all you lefties out there. |
For those of you out there who want to get better performance, the mod guide is here: http://tacticoolnerfer.blogspot.com/2015/02/mod-nerf-sidestrike.html.
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Saturday, February 07, 2015
My favorite Nerf websites
There are lots of nerf bloggers, nerf modders, nerf databases, and nerf collectors out there, and if you haven't hooked up with any of them, I suggest that you start today. Here are some links to a few of my favorites:
Coop772's YouTube channel I like to refer to him as the "Nerf Comedian." He does reviews, modifications, and all kinds of hilarious entertainment videos. If you love foam-flinging madness, he's your man. READER WARNING: He does occasionally use language in his videos. Not often, but that's your call.
Nerf.com Because what better authority exists on the subject of nerf?
Nerfipedia This wiki has pretty much anything you'll ever need to know about anything Nerf.
Lord Draconical's YouTube channel This guy does videos of nerf reviews, nerf mods, nerf leaks (and he's a darn good source for those, too), nerf wars, and sometimes nerf giveaways. {Don't ask me how to pronounce his name, I don't know any better than you.}
Coop772's YouTube channel I like to refer to him as the "Nerf Comedian." He does reviews, modifications, and all kinds of hilarious entertainment videos. If you love foam-flinging madness, he's your man. READER WARNING: He does occasionally use language in his videos. Not often, but that's your call.
NarrowBase LLC This is a small company that makes custom accessories like holsters, clip holders, and (I think) mod kits. I could be wrong about that one.
Thursday, February 05, 2015
Meet the Tacticool Nerfer
Hello!
I am a teen with a passion. Now at this point, you're probably in the process of tuning me out. So let's change the approach. I'm a teen with a bunch of orange and yellow foam-launching weapons that look really cool.
My name, the Tacticool Nerfer, is mostly self explanatory; but for those of you who don't know the lingo yet, "tacticool" basically means tactical-looking stuff that isn't meant so much to perform well as to look cool. And a Nerfer is a person who has and uses Nerf guns.
I collect Nerf guns. I own guns from anytime between 2004 and 2015, and I know people who have even more than me. I also modify Nerf guns. And paint Nerf guns. And review Nerf guns. Basically, if it has something to do with Nerf, I have something to do with it. Currently, however, I am limited by the tight budget of a teen without an allowance or job. I get guns that I like (provided I can afford them) on an average timeline of three to four times per year. Not to fear, though; I will be posting MUCH more often than that.
So go ahead. Check out what I have to offer. Questions? Comments? Always welcome. Drop me a comment by clicking on the title of the post, then scrolling down to the bottom. I read and try to reply to every one. Also, let me know how you feel about my posts by checking the boxes in the orange area at the bottom of the post.
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[˘˘˘˘7º''''''''''''''''''''
I am a teen with a passion. Now at this point, you're probably in the process of tuning me out. So let's change the approach. I'm a teen with a bunch of orange and yellow foam-launching weapons that look really cool.
My name, the Tacticool Nerfer, is mostly self explanatory; but for those of you who don't know the lingo yet, "tacticool" basically means tactical-looking stuff that isn't meant so much to perform well as to look cool. And a Nerfer is a person who has and uses Nerf guns.
I collect Nerf guns. I own guns from anytime between 2004 and 2015, and I know people who have even more than me. I also modify Nerf guns. And paint Nerf guns. And review Nerf guns. Basically, if it has something to do with Nerf, I have something to do with it. Currently, however, I am limited by the tight budget of a teen without an allowance or job. I get guns that I like (provided I can afford them) on an average timeline of three to four times per year. Not to fear, though; I will be posting MUCH more often than that.
So go ahead. Check out what I have to offer. Questions? Comments? Always welcome. Drop me a comment by clicking on the title of the post, then scrolling down to the bottom. I read and try to reply to every one. Also, let me know how you feel about my posts by checking the boxes in the orange area at the bottom of the post.
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