I got a new Nerf gun!

I've got some really exciting news to share! I just got my hands on my long-time favorite nerf gun ever! So now that I finally have one, I can give you a review of the... (drum-roll please)

N-Strike VULCAN!!!!!!!!!!

N-Strike Vulcan EBF-25

I know, it's really old. And I know, it's almost as bad as the notorious Deploy. (I shudder to even say that name.) But look at this thing! It's a monstrous piece of tacticool glory! I mean, can you get much better than a belt-fed, tripod-mounted machine gun designed to look like a freakin' TURRET?

Good: 

• Sheer intimidation factor. If you run this at a nerf war, no one will ever so much as dream of approaching your base. Or you. Or if you're lucky, they'll just surrender. Hey, it could happen. 
• Three tac rails. Count them- one, two, three. Great for putting on that old Recon light, or maybe a Longstrike flip-up sight. 
• Fully automatic. Step 1: pull trigger. No step two.  
• Single-action. If you don't have batteries, or just don't like to spray-and-pray, then you can use the priming bar to fire off a single shot
• Bandolier loops. Yes, you finally have a legitimate application for your old orange and black  N-Strike bandolier.
• Belt box. It comes with a removable box to feed your ammo belt more compactly.
• Cosmetic possibilities.You could repaint this to look realistic, or you could chop it up into a tiny dual-wieldable HMG, or you could stick gears on it for a steampunk look,  or you could beef it up for a cosplay weapon. Your choice.



Belt box

• Did I mention that it looks awesome?

  Bad: (In short, everything else.) 

• Weight. Four feet of plastic ain't too easy to lift.  
• Belt system.The belt, though it looks sweet, is extremely impractical to reload quickly unless you have several. And since they're proprietary, good luck getting more than one.  
• Capacity. Twenty-five darts sounds like a lot until you're shooting them out at full auto. And like I said, that's all you'll have, period. 
• Ranges. For N-Strike, it's not especially sub-par. But it doesn't stack up to modern Nerf guns. 
• Tripod. It's not a simple tac rail attachment- no, that would be too intuitive. It ONLY fits on the Vulcan and its spiritual successor, the Rhinofire. (Which for the price is also crap. Beautiful, beastly crap.) 
• Jams. The biggest issue with the Vulcan is that it jams like nobody's business. I usually jam about three times per reload. 3:25 is a REALLY bad ratio for that.

Basically, the Vulcan EBF-25 is no longer at all practical. But who cares? It's tacticool as all get out! Who wouldn't want to throw foam with a heavy machine gun?

I even drool over the picture, and I own this thing.

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Nerf Strongarm

Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm

This pistol is all business. Hasbro decided exactly what they wanted to make, and then made it exactly right. They designed virtually the perfect Nerf war sidearm. The pitch on the box claims it was "designed for quick draws and fast firing… When speed and mobility are essential, this is the ultimate blaster." I was honestly expecting that to just be a bunch of meaningless hype when I bought it. Boy was I wrong.

I don't want to spark a debate about Strongarm vs. Hammershot (yet), but the Strongarm was literally built for Nerf warring. And it does a great job with that. Here's my analysis of the pros and cons.


Good:

• Purpose-built. See rant above.
• Compact. The Strongarm isn't as small as, say, the Doublestrike, but Hasbro didn't waste any space here. And heck, it holds three times as much ammo as the Doublestrike.
• Capacity. Speaking of that, six darts is a nice number for a sidearm.
• Holster-built. The nose of the Strongarm is practically asking for a holster. It was designed to be

  

  Strongarm in
  a holster

  straight and smooth to fit nicely into most generic holsters. And even with limited skill, you could probably build a useable holster for it.
• Quickdraw. If you have it in a holster, it's very easy to grab onto and pull out. The handle easily manipulates your hand into just the right position for a grip.
• Slam-fire. I personally wouldn't use this feature in a war, but I know many people who would. It's nice to know that in a pinch, you can lob darts nice and quick.
• Priming handle. It's very grippy and easy to pull, even with an upgraded spring.
• Ranges. This pistol gets regular Elite ranges, which is pretty good for a pistol. Most pistols sacrifice range for small size. This one doesn't.
• Rotation mechanism. I was initially skeptical about a revolver that rotates, not on the prime or the trigger-pull, but right after firing. Such a system, I theorized, would surely be unreliable under demanding use. But so far, it has continued to operate smoothly, in spite of me dishing out the hardest scenarios I can come up with.
• Sling mounts. They're in a great place, allowing you to intuitively sling the blaster over your shoulder for easily accessible storage.

Bad:

• Handle. I would not recommend this blaster for Nerfers with small hands, as the handle is very large and difficult/uncomfortable to grip with small hands.
• Handle "spike". For those who look closely, there is a small cosmetic bonus, a "spike" at the bottom of the handle. Though not sharp, it could pose a safety hazard in the hands of inexperienced or reckless users.
• A slightly lamentable lack of a tac-rail on the bottom of the front end of the blaster. Not a big deal, but I would have liked to see one there.
• XD claims. I have no idea where Hasbro came up with the idea to repaint a few Elite guns and jack up the range claims, but the whole XD thing is bogus. At least they don't cost any more than the regular Elite guns, but literally the only difference is the paint job.

In summary, I would strongly recommend the N-Strike Elite Strongarm for any Nerfer who would use it for Nerf battles. It's purpose-built and very reliable, with the ability to slam-fire up to six darts, making it nearly the perfect war-practical sidearm. It's also a very fun toy to just play around with, though the handle size can be somewhat alienating to younger Nerfers.

Now for some Tacticool Tips to get more out of your Nerf Strongarm:

Tacticool Tip: For a shotgun-esque double-dart burst, prime Strongarm as usual. Keep grip on priming handle. Pull and hold trigger to fire first dart, then immediately pull priming handle back to slam-fire off a second dart.

Tacticool Tip: If you use it with a sling, you can prime the Srongarm by simply pushing it away from you while the sling is still looped over your shoulder.



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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.

Modulus Stealth Ops Upgrade Kit (Tacticool Stealth Edition)

Modulus Stealth Ops Upgrade Kit

Note: I painted this kit before reviewing it. So you guys instead get the review of the ultra-exclusive "Tacticool Stealth Edition*", which comes in black, rather than white. And certainly not that annoying green trim…  After all, it's for Stealth Ops. Black is much stealthier than white (not to mention cooler).

This kit is almost purely for aesthetics, since a Red Dot Sight doesn't even slightly increase the dart's accuracy, and a Proximity Barrel in no way does anything but look sweet. The Pivot Grip is the one strong point for those who only like functional attachments. But here's the good news- the kit can give almost any N-Strike, N-Strike Elite, or Modulus blaster an extra 1,000 style points! (Especially if you have the "Tacticool Stealth Edition"…)

Good:

• Ease of use. Slide the parts on tac rails. Attach the barrel extension to the barrel nozzle. Done.
• Folding foregrip. The Pivot Grip has a locking mechanism (that orange button on the side), so you can either lock it sturdily in a compact folded position, or unfold it to steady your shot.
• Ergonomic. The handle, when deployed, is very comfortable to hold on to. And when folded, it's also a rather comfortable place to rest your off-hand. It also happens to be in a quite comfortable position on the Modulus' bottom tac rail.
• "Red Dot" Sight. Yes, it has a built-in red LED that shines a dot on the center of the crosshairs. Pretty cool, right?
• Speaking of crosshairs…

• 

  A rather blurry view down the sights.

  Reduced barrel drag. While the Proximity Barrel does add some barrel drag (like all barrel extensions), it will add much less than most other options.

Bad:

• I have to say it here: the Tacticool Stealth Edition isn't real. It's just my own special paint job. Sorry.
• Let's be honest- white, green, and orange is far from stealthy. Once again, sorry if you're one of those who thought this kit would actually make you invisible.
• Red Dot sight. Sadly, it's not made with precision in mind, and the red dot doesn't always land exactly on the middle of the crosshairs.
• Not useful. Really it's only worth it to buy this kit for the style points. The Pivot Grip is cool, but you got a grip that's just as good when you bought the Modulus itself.

The best Modulus foregrip yet.

So overall, the only bad features are things that you would already know about without having to buy it to find out. If you think you would like it, you almost definitely will. If you don't like the concept of style points, you don't have to buy it. Of course, Hasbro might disagree; but who are they to have an opinion?  ;)

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And it even folds!

* Tacticool Stealth Edition comes in exclusive black, grey, and orange paint job with a satin finish for reduced glare. Features the Tacticool Nerfer's signature logo on the Pivot Grip and Red Dot sight. Not available at your local Nerf retailer.

-< Stealth Mode Engaged >-

Nerf Longshot CS-12

Zombie Strike Longshot CS-12

The repaint isn't the only thing updated in this re-release of the Longshot, originally seen in 2006 as the yellow N-Strike Longshot CS-6. Hasbro originally touted it as their longest gun yet, a sniper-rifle of sorts. They discontinued it soon after, since $35.00 - $40.00 was apparently more than most people were willing to spend at that time on an "oversized" toy. But when modders discovered that it actually had monstrous firepower capability, demand spiked for the somewhat hard-to-find Longshot. It became a sought-after status symbol, an HvZ staple. In late 2014, Hasbro noticed that supplies were running low among the Nerf Nation, so they re-released it under the Zombie Strike Z.E.D. Squad sub-series.

The hopes:
When the Nerfing community heard that the Longshot was coming back, the forums and YouTube channels exploded with speculation and glee. Since the N-Strike Elite line had repainted and improved previous N-Strike guns and Zombie Strike was, loosely speaking, a sub-series of Elite, many assumed that the internals would be significantly upgraded. Some speculated that it would come with a new, different barrel extension. A few even thought Hasbro might remove the AR for us. A far-out hope, but still a pretty cool thought.

The reality:

Ummm… Yeah.
Ugly.

Sorry, folks. Hasbro clearly acknowledged that modders are capable of modding the Longshot on their own. They left it exactly the same inside, and on the outside they just repainted it. And removed the frontgun. :( At least they gave us a more capacious clip. But they took away the bipod, leaving an ugly and uncomfortable… thing. What would you call that exactly?


Now for the pros/cons.
Good:

• Performance. Hasbro chose not to upgrade it for a reason- they probably couldn't have done so without breaking some sort of regulation. When shooting Elite or Zombie Strike darts, even the original Longshot can outshoot most Elite guns.
• Scope. If you look up "Nerf" on Ebay, half of the items that come up are Longshot scopes. They're popular- after all, they look sweet. And very tacticool…
• Clip storage. Don't see it? That's because this gun is designed with functionality and realism in mind. The stock securely holds an extra clip (not included). And when it's not holding a spare clip, no-one will even see that it can…
• Handle.   The. Best. Nerf handle. Ever.  It's universally comfortable; I can almost guarantee that you will feel like your hand just wants to hug that handle.

  

  It's like a Shrinky-Dink!

• Modability. This gun is perfect for any skill level. You can literally do almost anything to this gun, and tons of companies make mod kits for any level of modification, making it even easier for you. Not to mention that it can figuratively "shoot lasers" when heavily modded.
• Simple. Forget modding. Some Nerfers can't even figure out slam-fire. For those of you, the Longshot will be your dream. It's simple and intuitive; a baby could probably shoot it.
• Collapsibility. It can shrink quite a bit without the clip or scope. And when you collapse the stock, it gets even smaller.
• Bipod. Oh wait, they took that off. Never mind.
• Z.E.D. Squad darts. They look like they've got built-in syringe with cc measurements! How cool is that?

That's a lot of good stuff, am I right?  But unfortunately there's also a couple cons.

Bad:

• NO bipod. I'm a little put off by this. It's actually not the lack of a bipod that bugs me, per say. It's what's left over. Seriously, what is that?
• Only one tac rail. Of course, the design was from back before tac rails were even a thing, but I still wish it had another rail. Maybe where the bipod used to be?  cough*redesign*cough...
• Paint scheme. Teal and pale orange just doesn't jive with me. It's just not tactical or cool. Certainly not tacticool.

Well that's it. This powerhouse was hard to beat when it first came out, and it's still high up on the totem pole. It's well worth the price, especially if you want a good platform for a great mod. But Hasbro, if you're listening, please, please, put the bipod back on. Or just redesign it slightly with a tactical rail there instead. Please.


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Modulus Strike and Defend Upgrade Kit

Modulus Strike and Defend Upgrade Kit

The Tacticool Nerfer is happy. Hasbro decided to make something that is designed for nerf-war practicality, and then they threw in a bunch of awesome. The Strike and Defend kit has something for everyone- the sneaky offense, the practical defense, and the extra tactical rail. One of these ranks higher on my list than the others…

Let's start with the cons.

Bad:

• Ergonomics. Hardly a complaint, but the handle is not one I would like to be holding all day.
• Shield? What shield? You mean they included a shield in the package? Oh yeah, I guess they did. Hadn't noticed it there.
• Wobbly for a stock. The Blaster Stock is less stable at the connection point than most if you're using it on a flywheel blaster. If your attachment point includes that odd protrusion found on most springers, though, it's plenty stable.
• Switched proportions. The shield is too small, whereas the stock is slightly overlarge. See pictures below.
• Unwieldy to remove. I feel like I would have to set the blaster down each time I wanted to pull off the stock to shoot its dart. The catch is just too, too far from the trigger.

Neutral:

• The shield. It hardly will protect you from darts, but I guess it's not that bad.

Good:

• Tactical rail. You can now put extra attachments ON YOUR STOCK! How cool is that?
• Easy to paint. All the gray parts and most of the orange you see can be separately removed, so you can do awesome paint jobs with much less taping.
• Simple. The Blaster Stock is easy to prime, and easy to fire. Intuitive? You don't know the meaning of the word until you've used this product.
• Darts. "And if you call now, you can get not one, but TWO darts in the package!" Just kidding. It always comes with two. It's like an automatic "double-your-darts" deal.



Blaster Stock size comparison with a Doublestrike

• Okay, okay, the shield. It's growing on me. It folds down, flips up, and looks pretty sick. Who cares whether it will actually block incoming darts?

Strike and Defend Upgrade equipped!

Mod guide: http://tacticoolnerfer.blogspot.com/2016/01/mod-modulus-blaster-stock.html


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Nerf Zombie Strike Hammershot

The hammer-action revolver that changed the course of HVZ: the Zombie Strike Hammershot. A small, simple, and powerful Nerf sidearm with reasonable capacity and fine ergonomics. Not to mention a wood-inlaid handle and a "cloth-wrap" that is strangely symmetrical…

Zombies, have fear- your bane is here!

Good:

• Size. Not too small, not too large; juuuust right. The Goldilocks of pistols.
• One-hand prime. A hammer-action revolver is great for dual-wielding.
• Snappy trigger. Very fun to use.
• Handle. It's comfortable and grippy, with plenty of room for larger hands.
• Bandolier attachment point. This is a sidearm, and as such it makes sense to attach a bandolier to the bottom of the handle.

  

  Ahh, so well-proportioned.

• Tac-rail. Who puts tactical attachments on top of a revolver? ME!!!
• Ranges. 95 feet is pretty good for a gun that doesn't even claim any ranges. And modded it can get various insane levels of performance.
• Easy to reload. Just slip 5 darts in, smooth as butter.
• Aesthetics. It looks pretty darn cool.
  

Bad:

• Handle. Who will seriously look at the handle and think that's real wood? And the "cloth wrap", on top of being semi-pointless, neither looks nor feels remotely like cloth.
• Not for small hands. The prime can be quite difficult for the little people. I'd recommend the Doublestrike for them instead.
• Sporadic. Accuracy decreases exponentially the farther away from your target you are. Only effective for aiming at 40 feet or less. (Modding fixes this)

So there you have it. The good points far outweigh the bad if you're in it for the tacticool zombie-killing action. If you're a kid just looking for a fun toy to play with, I would recommend this, but with reservations. Know that it may be a bit too big for ease of use. But it is well worth the price.

And don't put a Stampede shield on top. It looks exactly as dumb as you'd expect.

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P.S. I will not be doing an internal modification for this blaster. However, there might be a cosmetic mod coming soon… ;)

Nerf Modulus

I cannot contain my utter excitement at the release of this new lineup! It's almost as if Hasbro asked me what I want, and then made it! IT'S PERFECT!!!

The Nerf Modulus lineup is the epitome of tacticool. Just enough tactics and a lot of cool. I especially love that Nerf is finally bringing back the concept of Mission kits with the new Upgrade Kits: Stealth Ops, Long Range, Strike and Defend, and Flip Clip. I personally plan to review each of these, but no guarantees…

Anyway, here's the goods:

Good:

• OH MY GOSH THE TACTICS!

  

  TACTICS! TACTICS! TACTICS!

• Okay, okay. I'll get serious.
• Scope. This is actually the first Nerf scope I have owned, and it's a great start. Though sadly not actually magnifying, it does have built-in "crosshairs" for those who like the look. And it's nice and compact.
• Stock. It holds an extra clip. Any extra clip, not just a six-clip.
• That awesome banana clip is back.
• Dual rail barrel. It has another male connector on it's front end! You can literally now add as many of these to each other as you want. Or you could just add a different barrel extension to the front. And it has two tac-rails!
• Rail space. Seven tac-rails. Seven.
• Modularity. What can I say? The name just fits. With all the upgrade kits out there, you could configure this gun almost infinitely!
• Internals. I took this thing apart for a preview, and it's all very neat and compartmentalized.

Unfortunately, though, nothing (not even a dream come true) is perfect.

Bad:

• Flimsy stock. It's even worse than the original Recon detachable stock. No way it helps you steady your aim.
• Large. But, I mean, who really cares? Can't size be a good thing?
• Handle. While I grant it looks amazing, it's somewhat less than ergonomic.
• Color scheme. White and green???

But over all, this gun everything it was meant to be. The upgrade kits are really cool, too. Leave a comment with what you think about the new Modulus line-up.

Shout-out to Hasbro: a) Thanks for caring enough to read my humble blog. b) Thanks for making the internals so simple! c) THIS GUN IS AWESOME!!!!!

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The Nerf Nuke!

I was stumbling around the internet the other day, and I discovered a rather interesting product. Since it might be of interest to you, I decided to write a post about it. So here it is: my review of the Nerf Nuke, by ThinkGeek!

THE NERF NUKE!!!

To start off with, I do not actually own this product. Neither have I gotten a chance to play with it. As such, this review is pure speculation.

Anyway, this nerf "gun" is marketed as "The Nerf weapon to end all Nerf wars!" Also, even though it's made by an obscure company called ThinkGeek, I'm almost positive that it is licensed by Nerf. (See the little Nerf logos on the fins? the color scheme? the fact that they're calling it "Nerf" instead of "foam-launching"?)

Here's my guesswork about the Nerf Nuke:

Good:

• Explosive! The website claims that the reverse plunger system is compact, yet fires darts up to 30 feet in all directions.
• Launch system. This product comes with a high-powered, tripod-mounted launching tube that can apparently launch the Nuke up to forty feet away.
• Capacity. The Nerf Nuke holds (and comes with) 80 old-school micro darts. I believe it will shoot any dart other than Streamlines, and it can most likely be modded to shoot those too.
• Unique. To my knowledge, this is the only foam-launching toy that explodes.

Bad:

• Overpriced. I wouldn't pay a hundred bucks (plus tax) for this. Would you?
• Probably hard to set up. The website mentioned that the big red button on the front is used for both arming and "firing". Crank it to arm it, push it to explode. I'm figuring on a lot of premature explosions while you're setting it up. And that would make a colossal mess.
• Reloading. Good luck getting your little brother to reload this.

That's my two cents. What do you think? and would you buy it? Please tell me in the comments section.


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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since creating this post, I have learned that this product sadly does not actually exist. Booooo!!! Turns out, the company, ThinkGeek, has a great (if not horribly mean) sense of humor, and every now and then they'll "release" on their website an exclusive product that doesn't exist at all. When you go to its page, it seems perfectly legit-- until you try to buy it, then you get an "April Fools" message.

  So in summary, my excitement for this product was wildly premature. I've got my frowny face on now.

 

Nerf Sharpfire

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a Nerf gun. The real question is this: is it a pistol? or a rifle? maybe a carbine? I think Hasbro got a little carried away when they designed this gun. I suppose they wanted to make another gun that had the same marketing ploy that the Recon CS-6 had -- many configurations. It's "modular". But why not just buy a Retaliator?

Whatever Nerf was planning when they made this, didn't involve much tacticool. :(
Ah well. After all, it shoots like a thunder-bolt.

Here's the scoop:

Good:

• Simple. The Sharpfire is very simple and intuitive in both operation and build.
• Collapsable. If you don't have much storage space, this gun is for you. It can shrink down to less than 12 x 6 x 1.5 inches.
• Surprisingly accurate. For some reason, this gun is much less susceptible to wind and other environmental features (like gravity) that decrease accuracy. And you'll get even better accuracy with the barrel-silencer-thing attached. I guess it's pretty well-named.
• Stock/Holster. That's right, the stock doubles as a holster, complete with a belt clip on the side.
• Ranges. 65-70 feet with Elite Darts or Zombie Darts. And considering they didn't even make any range claims, and that it's a pistol, these are gooooood ranges.

Bad:

• No tactical rails. This one really disappoints me.
• Incompatible. In addition to being unable to accept Nerf tactical rail accessories, it is useless with any other accessories. And its accessories won't work on other guns. So much for being modular.
• The stock. To be frank, it looks pretty silly and it's not in a very good position. Kinda useless.
• Dart storage. The stock holds exactly 6 darts. Which I find interesting considering that the Sharpfire comes with ten Elites…
• Holster system. It's a pain to put the main gun in its holster, because you're actually putting it on the holster. The pin that sticks in the back of the handle to attach the stock is also the pin the you stick into the front of the handle to "holster" it.
• Uncomfortable handle. I honestly have no idea why Nerf designed the handle like they did. I find it rather non-ergonomic. Hopefully you won't...

BUT I LOVE IT! The reason is that this gun can easily be modified to be a far better sniper's-choice than any other gun I've used. It can be made to reach much more than a hundred feet, and still be weirdly accurate. And you get all that performance in a nice, compact, simple package.

At $15, this gun is sooooo worth the buy! Head over to your nearest Target right now, and buy one. Now. Do it.

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Nerf Demolisher 2-in-1

Have you ever wished you could take a Stryfe and make it bigger? No!?!?  Well, apparently Hasbro thought you did. Seriously, this is basically just a re-shelled Stryfe with a pump missile-launcher on the bottom. Actually, it's pretty awesome; it's just not extremely original. After all, it's basically what modders have been doing for years.

Alright, enough opinion; let's get to the good stuff:

Good:

• Tacticool. It has a stock-attachment point, a barrel extension point, two tacrails, and an AWESOME banana clip. Clip size comparison below.
• Good for warring. Provided your war officials allow grenade-like splash damage, the missile launcher on the bottom will come in handy as a grenade launcher.
• Orange. It will be very hard to mistake this for a real gun. Very hard.
• Stock. The stock holds an extra missile (which comes with the gun). It also apparently holds disc ammo from the Vortex line. Not relevant, but I thought I'd stick that in there.
• Stock (again). The stock is very comfortable and solid. It's my new favorite, even beating out the Raider/Rampage stock.
• Missiles. This is the first Nerf Elite gun to fire missiles, and I have good reason to believe there will be more coming. Plus, if you happen to have a thing against the launcher, you can just throw the missiles like a football.
• Bandolier points. The attachment points on this are really useful.
• Semi-auto. Who would want to cock such a big blaster?

Bad:

• Heavy/bulky. It's definitely not a pistol, even though it basically is...
• Missile launcher. There are a lot of ways this could have been made better. The way they made it, you just pull the handle forward, then slam it back. The harder you slam, the closer to far it will go. However, the harder you slam, the more likely the gun is to wobble around, destroying accuracy. It would have been much better with an air tank system.
• Banana clip. While it looks really cool, I'll be honest: the cool isn't functional. The darts only go down to the point where it starts to curve, so there's a lot of wasted space.
• Difficult to mod. This doesn't apply to the missile launcher, but the whole gun is a bunch of electronics. And some of the wires are hidden away inaccessibly behind an integrated plate.

Ranges:

Using the primary clip-fed gun at full rev and an angle for best possible range, I maxed out at 97 feet. Parallel to the ground at full rev, the darts reached about 60-ish feet. Firing as fast as I could pull the trigger (thus slightly decreasing rev), I got around 55 feet.

With the missiles, I couldn't break 50 feet, and that's with a good angle. Level to the ground, you'd be lucky to get 25 feet. The good news is that the launcher can easily be modded to get nearly hundred foot ranges.

Pictures:

It's a big gun even without the stock attached.

It's an even bigger gun with the stock and a barrel attached.

Clip size comparison: Left- 6 dart standard.
Middle- 10 dart banana.
Right- 18 dart extended.

The length of the draw for the missile launcher.

Mod guide: http://tacticoolnerfer.blogspot.com/2015/11/mod-demolisher-missile-launcher.html


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Nerf Doublestrike

Here is arguably the most realistically styled nerf gun yet. And it has one of the most boring, ambiguous names for any nerf gun. That's Hasbro for you.

Honestly, I think the Doublestrike is pretty cool.

Please forgive me; my writing style is really off today, so I'm just gonna cut to the chase.

Good:

• One-hand operation. While it takes getting used to, you can easily cock and fire this gun with one hand, which is rare with nerf guns.
• Safe colors. Some of my readers may not live where toy guns have to have an orange tip. I do. As a safety precaution, Hasbro decided to make sure that everyone knows this gun is a toy by coloring half of it orange and the other half green.
• Good for small hands. As I will cover later, this gun is designed to be a toy. Not an Hvz secondary, not a hold-up-the-bank weapon, just a toy. And since toys are usually played with by children with small hands, the design for this is intuitive.
• Easy to spin. See video:

Bad:

• Not for nerf wars. This gun is a poor choice to carry in a nerf war for several reasons:

1. Low dart capacity. You're gonna have to reload this thing A LOT.
2. Small handle. See that part of the handle that curves forward? It means that if your hand doesn't fit on the straight part, you will inevitably get a cramp holding it.
3. No holster. There's nowhere to put this gun when you're not carrying it. It doesn't have a holster, no one makes a holster for it, and if you carry it in your pocket, you're likely to lose darts when you pull it out.

• Realistic. You probably won't want to paint this very much, because it has high potential for being mistaken for a real weapon.

All that considered, this might be a good "kid's first gun" to teach firearm safety, or it might just be a fun toy to shoot your brother with. But if you participate in nerf wars and like the idea of this gun, just get a Hammershot, a Rebelle Sweet Revenge, or a Rebelle 4Victory. You'll like any of them much better.

I'll be giving you a mod guide for this one soon.


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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:

• 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.

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:

Nerf MEGA Centurion

The business end of the Centurion

It's big.

Yeah… It needs a scope.

The mod guide is coming soon, for those of you who are brave enough to try it.


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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.

Bad:

• 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:

The Sidestrike next to its holster

In the holster.

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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