To add to the dart recovery conversation - it helps if there is some unique way to ID your darts. That can be tough, but some guys dust a certain color spraypaint over the backs of them, or mark the backs with a sharpie or something.

Personally, I just try to get back what I can and not worry about the rest.


@ BuffDaddy - sounds great - can't wait to Nerf with you again. Depending on how things go, we might try both DTC styles if you bring yours.



On a tangent - I wanted to note that I will have a few blasters I am looking to sell, so if you bring cash, you may walk away with some new Nerfy goodness. I have an AR removed LS and a stock Magstrike w/ 1 peg-removed clip, and possibly some others.

If you really want one of these and want to claim it as your own prior to the war date and pick it up then, please PM me. However, please refrain from cluttering up the thread with trading discussion.

Sure - we can try a 360 if you bring it. I wonder how insane it could get if there was a nice area in the dead center of the field, with 3-4 respawn points spread out around it. Pop some serious cover near the core, and the defending team would have to deal with being surrounded!

(Not sure if we are going to have enough people to pull that off successfully though. Being surrounded with 1-2 people per side isn't nearly as hectic as 5-10 people per side.)

Just bumping to advertise!

Also, Not sure if I'll have time for any, but do you need mobsticles or supplies for Defend the Core/Carpe?

Unless someone brings anything better, DTC Cores will be cardboard boxes. I have no mobstacles either, and they would be welcome, though the field works well with or without them.

Hot glue melts on hot days, allowing darts to come apart easier. Sewing the button into the dart definitely avoids this issue.

I'm more concerned about whether the plastic buttons would break into sharp shards of plastic.

In any case, this is an awesome idea and bears further development. If we could locate some slightly softer and less brittle buttons (do they make them in rubber or anything?) this could really go somewhere.

Two weeks to go! Who's excited?

We already have roughly a dozen confirmed attendees, and plenty more maybes. Anybody else have an update on their attendance status?

Bummer, I was hoping to steal one of your RBP's for a round. Hope you have as much fun on your vaca as you would have had here.

Only if you carpool...

I guess I wasn't paying much attention to the thread title. I figured since there was an August war on there, stuff in July would likely show up as well.

Seconded - the front page exposure might help increase attendance at said "new wars".

Keep in mind he only shot her after she turned. It was a mercy killing really...


Ok - this war is officially Carbonated - who else is going to step up and commit rather than hang out in "maybe land"?

But will you claim the title of Last Man Standing in the Infection round again? (Yep - the gauntlet is thrown, and your brains will be mine!!!)

Trauma should be more limited this time, since we won't be actively waiting for you guys for the dart stash!!

As for the mallows - I have no issue with them. Fire away.

I'll try to come over with some guys.

Fantastic. You need to be there so we have at least one person running, diving and otherwise putting themselves in danger of grievous bodily harm from impact with one of the many trees...

@ Carbon - I officially declare that if you are able to make it down for Foam in the Fort III, your deadline is 10 days earlier so I can see in person whatever awesomeness you devise...

Your cost estimate sheet link is asking for a Username and Password.

July:
[url=http://nerfhaven.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=22681]21st [IN] Foam in the Fort III[/url]

GAMETYPE RULES AND VARIATIONS

These will be explained in detail as needed at the war, but for any of you who may be interested in the rules for the various gametypes we will probably be playing, here they are. (Other Than Strategic Assault, I did not create any of these game types, though some of them may have been subtly altered from incarnations found at other sources.) All of these rules are subject to change at the whim of the hosts and the players present - we will do whatever we feel makes for the most fun and exciting rounds! (Respawn count-times are especially variable - they may be made longer or shorter depending on the pace we want to set for the games.)

If anything is unclear - please feel free to ask questions. If anything is wrong - well, I'll just take my ball and go home! (Just kidding of course - point out my egregous errors so that I may bow to your obviously superior knowledge of Nerf!)


Format

Teams: The number of teams required/allowed by the game type

Setup: How the field is set up, where teams start, and any special areas or equipment that will be used for the game type.

Respawn: How many "lives" each player has, and how they go about returning to active play.

Objectives: The goals which the teams work towards. This may be the same or different for each team.

Special Rules: Any unusual rules specific to this game type.

Variants: Any specialised variant rules for a game type which change the objectives, setup, etc. These may or may not be used, in part or in whole.



Meatgrinder

Teams: 2 or more

Setup: Teams begin play at their designated "spawn point" (1 per team), which should be spread out evenly around the play area. Nothing else is needed.

Respawn: Unlimited, 15-count at designated "spawn point"

Objectives: Have fun and get warmed up for future rounds. (There is no true objective in Meat Grinder.)

Special Rules: None



Capture the Flag

Teams: 2

Setup: Each team is given a "base" where their flag is kept, as well as one or more designated "spawn points" (which should be at least 20-30 yards away from their "base" locations). Players begin play in their "base".

Respawn: Unlimited, 15-count at designated "spawn point"

Objectives: Take your opponent's flag from their base and return it to your base without being tagged. The first team to return the enemy's flag to their base wins.

Special Rules: If a player is carrying the flag and they are hit, they must drop the flag where they were hit before heading for their "spawn point". A player form either team may then pick up the flag. If a player from the owning team picks up the flag, they must attempt to return it to their base as quickly as practical, (No running around in the backfield with your own flag.)

Variants: It may be declared that both flags must be at your base in order to win. In this case, players are always required to move any flag they are carrying towards their base as quickly as practical. It may also be declared that a player carrying the flag may not use their blaster while carrying it. (Melee weapons may be used as normal.) It is also possible that the flag may be a melee weapon, and the only melee weapon allowed in the game.



Sieze the Balls

Teams: 2 or more (generally at least 3)

Setup: Each team is given a "base" location consisting of a bucket filled with a number of balls (3 or more), as well as a designated "spawn point" (which should be at least 20-30 yards behind their "base" locations). Players start at their designated "spawn point".

Respawn: Unlimited, 15-count at designated "spawn point"

Objectives: Take balls from your opponent's buckets and return them to your own bucket. The team with the most balls in their bucket when the time is up wins. Balls not in buckets when time is called do not count towards any team.

Special Rules: A player may only carry a single ball at any given time. If a player is hit while carrying a ball, they must drop the ball where they were hit before returning to their "spawn point".



Team Powerball
(Adapted from multiple sources.)

Teams: 2

Setup: Each team is given a "base" location consisting of 3 buckets spread out 20-40 yards apart, roughly parallel to the opposing team's buckets. (The center bucket on each side should be a bit further back than two outside buckets.) Each team is also given a designated "spawn point" which whould be 20-30 yards behind the "base" location. Finally, each team is given 8 balls of their team color (red or blue, or similarly contrasting colors) and 4 white balls (the "Powerballs"). These are placed at the team's designated "spawn point" at the start of the game.

Respawn: Unlimited, 15-count at designated "spawn point".

Objectives: Take your balls to your opponent's "base" and get them into one of their buckets. Any balls in a team's buckets when the time is called score points for the opposing team. The two outside buckets are worth 1 point each, the center bucket is worth 3 points. A "Powerball" in a bucket is worth double the normal points (so 2 or 6). Balls not in a bucket when time is called are worth no points. The team with the most points wins.

Special Rules: A player may only carry one ball at a time, and they may only carry balls of their team's color or "Powerballs". No player may intentionally touch, pick up, block or otherwise disturb a ball of the opposing team's color at any time. When a player is hit while carrying a ball, they must drop that ball where they were shot before returning to their "spawn point". (The ball may not be dropped into a bucket after a player has been hit.) Any player may touch, pick up, carry, block, etc. a "Powerball" at any time, except that you may not attempt to strip a "Powerball" from the hands of another player. Once a ball, whether it be a normal ball or a "Powerball", has been placed in a bucket, it may not be removed by either team.

Variants: One player per team may be designated a "Goalkeeper". The "Goalkeeper" is armed with either a melee weapon or a single shot blaster that shoots less than 50 feet (but not both). The "Goalkeeper" must remain on his team's side of the field (i.e. may not cross the "center line"). The "Goalkeeper" is invulnerable - i.e. he may not be eliminated by either shooting or melee hits. (Optional - the "Goalkeeper" may be "stunned" for a 5-count by shooting and/or melee hits - which means he cannot move or shoot/swing melee.) Unlike other players, the "Goalkeeper" may touch the opposing team's balls - but only to attempt to block a thrown ball or to quickly throw a ball back towards the opposing team's side. (The "Goalkeeper" may not hold an opposing team's ball for more than a 3-count before he must throw it away, and all throws must be directed toward the opposing team's side - no throwing it behind your own team's buckets.)



Defend the Core

Teams: 2

Setup: Each team is given a "base" location with a "core" - a large container with a receptacle for darts/arrows/missles/nerf balls/etc to be fired into. Each team is also given a designated "spawn point" which should be 20-30 yards behind their "core".

Respawn: Unlimited, 15-count

Objectives: Put as many darts/arrows/missiles/balls/etc into the opposing team's "core" as possible within the time limit. Each "hit" on the core - i.e each dart or other projectile put into the "core" - counts as 1 point. The team with the most points when time is called wins.

Special Rules: None

Variants: Scoring can be adjusted by allowing larger projectiles, which are generally shorter ranged/less accurate/otherwise harder to get into the core, to be worth more points. For example - all arrows/missles/nerf balls could be worth 5 points. There could also be 1 or more "bombs" placed in the middle of the playing field. (i.e. a colored ball - a player carrying it may not shoot/melee, and must drop it immediately if hit.) The ball may not be thrown, it may only be dropped into the "core" when the carrier can touch the "core" with both hands. These bombs could be worth additional points - i.e. 5 or even 10.



Infection

Teams: 1 or more "Zombies" (each armed with a single melee weapon only), everyone else is a "Human" (each armed with whatever weapons are allowed). Zombies should be designated by wearing a clearly visible loop of flagging tape around their neck/head/arm/etc.

(For games with 10 or more players, starting with 2-3 "Zombies" can keep the game from getting off to a slow start)

Setup: The "Humans" scatter throughout the playing area, while the "Zombies" remain in the center of the playing area at a designated "Zombie Spawn" location. (The "Zombie Spawn" location should have an ample supply of melee weapons and flagging tape.)

Respawn: When a "Human" is tagged out by a "Zombie", they are "Infected" and turned into a "Zombie". The new "Zombie" must go to the "Zombie Spawn" location and drop all weapons they are carrying and arm themselves with a single melee weapon instead. They must also acquire a flagging tape loop as described above.

When a "Zombie" is tagged out by a "Human", they should sit/kneel down and begin a 15-count. During this time the "Zombie" may not move or attack. When the 15-count is reached, they may become active again.

Objectives: The "Humans" must try to survive until time is called. The "Zombies" must try to "Infect" as many humans as possible. The only winners are the surviving "Humans" when time is called.

Special Rules: None

Variants: If, during their 15-count, a "Human" gently taps a "Zombie" with a melee weapon, the "Zombie" must stop their count and move to the "Zombie Spawn" location. Once there, they may resume their count. Once they reach 15, they may become active again. It may be declared that some/all "Zombies" may only walk. (i.e. only starting "Zombies" may run, or only non-starting "Zombies" may run, etc.)

It has been almost two years since the last war, due mostly to me buying a house last summer and having absolutely no time for Nerf. Now, however, the time has come for more the next FOAM IN THE FORT!


When:

Saturday, July 21st, 2012
10:00 am until we are beat (probably around 5:00-6:00 pm)

Please try to arrive a bit early (~9:45) so that the first round can start promptly at 10:00 am.



Where:

Glenwood Park Elementary School in Fort Wayne, IN



This is simply an awesome location for a war! As you can see in the above image, there are lots of trees to use for cover, but spread out enough to allow for lots of room to maneuver. There are also two different playground areas that might also be usable for CTF or other objective games - I don't have any shots of them yet though.



What to bring:

- A Primary (more than one is a good idea - in case you have breakage!)

- Darts (#6 slugs or stock ammo only) (If you are making or buying slugs, they should be made using the guidelines provided by Ryan201821.)

- Eye protection - anyone under 18 MUST wear it. 18+ at your discretion, though it is still strongly recommended and at your own risk.

- Lunch / Money - There are lots of fast food places within a 10 minute drive. You are of course welcome to bring a bag lunch and eat on the field during the lunch break.

- Water (Lots of water - it is likely to be rather hot in July!)

- Proper clothing - It will most likely be rather warm. Also, don't be a moron and show up in camo unless it is neon pink or something.

- Any and all missle/rocket/ball shooting weapons you might have access to. You might find they come in handy during some of the game-types, and they are always useful for breaking shields.

- Melee weapons and shields will be permitted - see below...



What not to bring:

- Dangerous blasters/darts/etc - i.e. no metal spikes, wooden "gunblades", etc. Blasters will be banned if they are deemed unsafe for any reason, including firing way too hard. No blanket bans will be imposed, but it is unlikely that your singled Titan will be used unless it is fairly underpowered. (No, "I will only pump it X times" will not be acceptable!)

- Blasters or other gear that could be mistaken for actual weapons (i.e. black-painted blasters, silver "knives", etc.). These should definitely be left at home.

- Participants under 13 years old are welcome, but MUST be accompanied by a parent or a responsible adult (18+) who will assume full responsibility for the youngling's actions, attitude and safety. I will only assume responsibility for younglings that I personally bring. NO EXCEPTIONS.



Miscellaneous Information:

- If you act like a 3-year-old, we'll send you home like a 3-year-old.

- Please clean up after yourselves - a trash bag will be provided, and everyone is expected to participate in dart-sweeps.

- Please note that there are no restrooms at the war site. Go before you get there, and go during lunch. You have been warned!

- Please keep the loud outbursts and swearing to a minimum - we will be playing in a schoolyard with nearby residential areas and don't need any residents or passers-by to have reason to complain about us.

- We will break for lunch some time around 12:00 or a bit later, probably for 30-45 minutes.

- I have not set up a specific game schedule. Gametypes will be determined mainly by popular opinion - but we will likely be playing mostly objective-type games (CTF, Sieze the Balls, etc). Meatgrinder will most likely be used as the first round and the post-lunch round - it is just a great way to get warmed up! I have the gear for the following objective games:

Sieze the Balls
Capture the Flag
Team Powerball
Defend the Core
Infection

(Details for these gametypes can be found later in this thread.)



Melee & Shield Rules

Melee weapons will be allowed, though they should conform to a few basic rules.

- No metal should be used in the construction of the Melee weapon.

- All striking surfaces should be covered with a sufficiently thick layer of foam.

- Unmodified, store-bought plastic toy lightsabers will be permitted without regard to the above two rules. Lightsabers are cool. Bonus points if you use them with batteries for that lovely hum & glow. (Polycarb-bladed "Force FX" sabers are not included in this - those blades are HARD!)

- Anything I deem ridiculous or dangerous will not be allowed.

- Melee weapons can be used for blocking darts just like shields (see below) - but only if they are in your hand. If your Melee weapon is holstered, a hit on it counts just like a gun hit.



You'll be limited on the maximum size of your shield depending on what blaster you're wielding. This will be the standard ruling for most gametypes. Here is the breakdown. (Your most powerful blaster is what counts here.)

Melee Only = 3 sq/ft
[The largest blocking face of the Melee weapon(s) counts as part of the maximum shield area.]

One Single shot pistol, ranges < 50' - 2 sq/ft

Anything else, ranges <50' - 1 sq/ft

Blasters shooting over 50' will not be allowed to use a shield.

Shields may be used to deflect darts - hits on shields do not count as long as the shield is in your hand, strapped to a blaster that is in your hand, or strapped to your forearm. A shield strapped/slung anywhere else will not block hits - it will count the same as a gun hit.

Balls, missiles, rockets, etc. (basically any ammo larger than a Mega dart) may not be blocked by shields or Melee weapons - a hit on a shield or Melee weapon with ammo of this type will count as a normal hit.

Shields can be made from whatever, cardboard should be reinforced with duct tape. Shields that do not meet the specifications for Melee weapons may not be used as such. (i.e. Don't go whacking people with a large wooden shield!) Shields that are deemd unsafe for any reason will be disallowed.



Attendees:
Ambience 327 (host) + Guests
Dragonsnipe
DarkMatter
Carbon+1
Demon Lord
Phoenix66+4
BabyGhandi+?
Spooky+1
Buffdaddy+1

Possibilities:
MrSNAP
ACEnerfer
Daniel Beaver
Carrot__Panda

You really take an idea and run with it, don't you Ryan? I still find the idea of the crossbow-based blasters to be slightly more fun overall, but you can't argue with the compact nature of this design. I don't think I have ever seen anything that could hope to compete with this thing in terms of size+power combination while retaining the pump-action springer nature. I think this new bullpup style plunger system is the way forward in homemades - and it pretty much puts Hasbro's engineers to shame for the simplicity and effectiveness of the design.

I do it outside with a mask on.

I just know somebody is going to sig that.


Good ventilation and a filter mask will protect you from the dangers of PVC dust inhalation - and in fact is a good precaution whenever you are dealing with cutting/sanding/drilling/anything else that creates a lot of particulate matter (dust).

You guys are totally missing the best part of these things. Old farts like me won't have to bend over and pick up darts nearly as much!

I sat out the last round at Cata3 because my back was killing me (no longer getting exhausted from a full day of Nerf - thanks Gym membership!), and having access to some of these would let me do a single dart sweep between rounds with my magnet wand, fill them back up, and then do very little ground-scrounging during the rounds. Less bending = more Nerfing for me - at least until I get rid of my paunch and strengthen my back muscles.

I know for a fact these would help me, as I used three of BabyGhandi's jello-shot loaders, and when they were loaded and ready, they really sped up my loading and got be back into action that much quicker. What is most important is a design of shingle that will let you carry a decent amount of foam without hampering movement too much. I like what I am seeing so far, but I am thinking something more along the lines of the elastic-banded loader holders they use in paintball would be more up my ally. (i.e. something softer and more flexible for holding the tubes, so as to decrease weight and increase mobility)

I should say: don't get discouraged just because Zorn, Venom and I shit all over your idea. We have rather strong opinions of what is and isn't war-worthy, but we're just voices on the internet. Whether people use these or not is the true measure of their value.

To add to this, I would say that most Nerfers agree that unmodded Stampedes aren't really "war-worthy", but I have now been to at least two wars where said unmodded Stampedes have contributed significantly to the success of their team in at least a round or two. (The first time for scoring numerous points in a Defend-the-Core round, the second time used dual-wielded with 35-round drum clips in defense of the bucket in a Carpe round.) "War-worth" does not always equal "fun".

#11 & #29 were my guests

#29 is my nephew, Brendan (wearing the Tapout shirt)
#11 is his cousin, Corbin (in blue behind/between Zorn and Ryan)

I respectfully lay claim to that title.

Now now, me and BabyG can both claim to be "an old man", but you get to claim to be "the old man".



On the photo front - the guy who brought the two young boys was kind enough to email me thirty of the photos that he took throughout the day, which I have added to my photobucket account. Below are a few of them, but the rest can be found by clicking right here

Put a shirt on young whipper-snapper...


Great war! Thanks to everyone who showed up and made it such a great time. It was cool seeing so many familiar faces (U3, Kane, Carbon, Beaver, Cheerios, Demonlord and many others I am sure I am forgetting), and also great meeting some new people in person (Louie, SonReeceJohnson and the LGLF to name a few). I particularly enjoyed the very broad spectrum of gear on the field, with so many different styles of homemades, some fantastic mods, and even a few stock or near-stock blasters on the field (the guy who kept dual-wielding the stock stampedes was great - and man was he useful on defense!).

From the looks of things on the map, the only shade comes from trees just off the east side of the property - so it will disappear by noon and be nonexistent for the hot part of the day. A nice tarp would be great - good idea - but I don't have one to bring.

So to second Langley - anyone have some portable shade they can bring to the site? I will happily help with set-up and tear-down if it means we have a place to hide from the sun when we aren't shooting each other.

Note to self - bring enough water to sell to those who fail to heed Carbon's warning...

So a bit of Loctite 2-part, 5-min Epoxy seems to have done the trick. I am letting it cure for the full 24 hours before giving it a real torture test, but I think it is now solidly attached. If not, I will go with the CPVC stub and full coupler.

Thanks all for your input!


(If I do another BBB in the future, I will probably go the CPVC stub route - possibly with the screws and epoxy putty added for additional stability, but this looks like it is solid for now.)

The kicker here is that the CPVC endcap is still firmly encased in the epoxy putty - I am trying to glue that whole assembly back on. I have had 2-part epoxy recommended by Darth Maker over on NRev, and plan to give that a try tonight.

Several people have suggested suplerglue, but I don't think it will work in this application - it is too brittle and I don't think it can take the kind of force that will be applied as CPVC barrels/RSCB's/etc are pulled out/banged around.

I don't know if superglue would be strong enough for this application. It is basically two flat faces, and the forces being exerted on it (removing/inserting things into the CPVC endcap) would be putting lots of stress on that join.

So I have a bit of a dilemma, and I am hoping someone can recommend a good, inexpensive adhesive, which might be available at a local hardware/home improvement/etc store.

So here's the deal. On the below blaster, I attached a CPVC endcap to the orange plunger tube endcap on the BBB with "Amazing Goop" and then covered that up with epoxy putty as you can see in the image below. I roughed up the plastic and the back of the endcap prior to gooping it on, but while showing it to my nephew, we managed to pull the thing right off the front. The orange endcap looks exactly like it did before I gooped the CPVC endcap on it - so nothing stuck.

What I am hoping is for a good, strong adhesive that I can buy locally (and cheaply) that will firmly stick the endcap/putty assembly back on there and hold it more securely. Anyone have any suggestions for something that will hold the putty to the plastic well?

Finished a BBB for my nephew, so he will have a solid backup primary for Cataclysm.

The plunger section is untouched - all mods are located in the pump-handle section of the blaster. It has a CPVC endcap (with a hole drilled in the back) attached to the front where the old barrel used to be. This allows the use of any type of barrel setup we want - single, speed loader, RSCB, etc. I also jammed a stub of CPVC into the rear of the old barrel, allowing the BBB to still fire the arrows it came with. Currently it is sporting an RSCB with a 9-inch clip.

Attached to the left side is the Nerf blaster portion of a Switch Shot WII controller. This one also features a CPVC endcap where the barrel used to be. This is added internally for almost zero dead space. The catch has a piece of plastic rod attached to it, with a "thumb plate" of epoxy putty at the bottom. It can be fired by reaching your thumb up from the pump-handle, pressing the catch up.



One issue I ran into when using an RSCB was the fact that the orange plunger cap is free-turning, which left the RSCB to drop down onto your hand while in use. To solve this, I grabbed a piece of PVC from an old laundry sorter which had a head similar to the end of PVC conduit (flared to the point where it fits PVC inside like a built-in coupler). I cut off the end and trimmed it to make a clip for the RSCB to hold it in place.



You can see the clip for the RSCB a bit better in this image.

Double post because I have a request...

Is there anyone attending this war who would be able to make me three hoppers, preferably with clear PVC clips and ball valves, with 12" CPVC barrels that fit into a PVC coupler? I want them made with real wyes - not homemade wyes.

If so, I need to know what the cost would be - delivery at the war so shipping won't be an issue.

If we agree on a price, I can pay via PayPal now, or in cash at the war - your preference.

I found someone to make them. Thanks.

LOL - I was just coming on here with my update - funding is confirmed and I will be coming with 1 guest, possibly 2 (just found out that this morning) MAKE THAT 2 GUESTS FOR SURE, and as BabyGhandi said, I am picking him and his guest up along the way.

Big thanks to IceNine, Cheerios and Kane for making ticks less of an issue at the sight.

I have never met a Nerfer more interested in making sure EVERYONE has fun than Kane. Any restrictions or considerations he asks us to abide by, I will do so gladly. Just tossing that out there.

Don't worry Beaver - if the blasters you bring are all too powerful, you can just borrow one of my Mavericks or my NB-1.

I am trying to figure out how to get gas money. If that happens, and I convince the wife to let me out of the house, I will be there.

I will also see if I can drag any of my friends and family along for the ride.

Zorn and Beaver

So how soon before we have to declare this place NSFW?


Grats boys. Don't abuse your newfound powers too much...

Perhaps we could put an air soft bb in, which would increase ranges and accuracy, and still keep VANS metal free.

That would only help if the airsoft BB was more dense (i.e. heavier) than the silicone/goo, otherwise, just like with hot glue, you aren't really going to see any benefit.

Full auto for Nerf blasters is overkill in most circumstances. In the indoor wars I have participated in, the semi-auto capabilities of the RF20 we had made it far more useful and effective than the pair of Magstrikes we had, even when someone could run around with up to four loaded magazines for their Magstrike.

I for one was actually pleasantly surprised to learn that it was semi-auto rather than full-auto. If this thing gets halfway decent ranges, it would make a ridiculously powerful indoor blaster due to the sheer quantity of foam you can unleash before needing to unload.

To further expound on "several thin coats" - this means keep your spray can well back from your blaster, not up-close and personal, so that you get a light, even coat of paint rather than an over-soaked, flowing and bubbling mess. Simply dust back and forth a few times with the spray until you have basically covered the blaster, then leave it be for the recommended drying time. The first coat or two might not even completely cover over the old color, but as you keep adding layers, it will. You will find that this ends up in a much better, more even finish, with less distortion of small details and far less unsightly "runny paint" lines on your blasters.

If I recall correctly, the draw length for the front gun is shorter than the draw length for the main gun - meaning you would have to do some serious engineering to get both blasters to cock from the same priming motion.