Nerf Zombie Strike Crossfire

Nerf Zombie Strike Crossfire

Hasbro seems to have finally acknowledged the foremost authority on zombie-fighting: AMC's The Walking Dead. In the apocalyptic television show, currently in its sixth season, a main character wields a crossbow against the zombie hordes. And now you can too! Nerf's version is called the Crossfire, and although it's not strictly a crossbow, it has some really cool crossbow styling.

Who wouldn't love that silhouette?

Even better, it looks really sci-fi without the crossbow arms. Since it is fully capable of function with or without the crosspiece attached, you get two choices for what you want your Crossfire to look like -- sci-fi sidearm, or Walking Dead wannabe.

Space-gun vs. zombies.

Good:

• Looks. This is a SWEEEET shell for a nerf gun. It would also make for some awesome cosmetic mods, due to the fact that the shell comes apart into several separate pieces. And that amazing hand-guard, too!
• Sling mounts. You may not want to use a sling with the Crossfire if you use it as a crossbow, but if you've ditched the bow arms, it might be a great candidate. After all, it has two convenient points to attach a sling.
• Handle size. It may look slightly cramped, but it was "just about perfect" for several test subjects who all had different sizes of hands.
• No "cloth wrap".  I rather dislike the fake cloth wrap that is so prevalent in the Zombie Strike line, so I'm happy that the Crossfire doesn't have it.
• Ranges. I was unable to test this particular model, but generally Crossfires do get about 75-90 feet, typical elite ranges.
• Snappy performance. The prime is simple, short, and snappy.
• No locks. I couldn't believe this one, even after playing with it for a while. So I took it apart to check and there are NO LOCKS ANYWHERE! It's just a simple catch-and-release system.

Bad:

• Trigger. It needs some lubrication; it feels rather sticky.
• Handle. It's comfy and grippy, but not quite ergonomic. And since the gun is heavily balanced toward the front, this can be quite a problem.
• Priming handle. To be frank, it's just too small. It's difficult to grab onto. In addition, it's attached to the plunger mech in an inherently weak way, which means it might break if you even slightly increased the spring load.
• Stock attachment. To date, this is the only Zombie strike gun that features this. And it looks really cool with a stock attached. Which is sad, because the attachment point has a very loose fit, making it almost useless. And I got my hopes up, too!
• Capacity. It only holds four darts. Then again, who actually buys this gun to have a practical foam-flinging weapon? So capacity's no big issue.

The Crossfire may not be a practical primary or sidearm because of its limited rate of fire and capacity. And it's risky to modify it because of the priming system. But that doesn't mean it's not a fun, cool-looking toy. And it's got reliable, snappy performance, meaning it'll be a blast to play with. (Get it?)

Stare that down, if you dare.   No really, I dare you.

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One final note: Hasbro's quality control team seems to be slipping up. I have found several minor flaws and blemishes in recent guns I've bought, ranging from a slightly botched paint job to a very crooked dart. And a Nerf YouTuber whom I follow recently reviewed a new blaster that broke the first time he used it. So just look closely before you buy.