I like the look, but I have to ask: is it actually faster to twist something and drop a round in compared to just letting the dart slide down the barrel?

I've got a nice 45 recurve I bought a few years back, but I can't seem to find targets anywhere for my backyard. Does anyone know where to find/make targets for not much money (haybales rot, so they aren't really an option for me)?

Good God, how did I miss this recent entry? You've taken my idea and made it much more durable and practical. Congratulations, what I came short in developing into a sensible version due to time limitations, you've gone all the way with. I hope I don't sound like I'm trying to take credit here, what you've done is great.

One thing I notice that differs in design, though, is the way your breach system works. The reason my system was a bit awkward was due to the inside slider as opposed to the much simpler outside slider. My reason for going with the inside slider was that there would be no change from larger to smaller diameters as the dart exits, and the effect of an ideal BBB barrel would be created each time a dart is chambered, with no rough surfaces for resistance and all the proper diameters. This seemed to be a positive change, to go to a simpler plan which probably results in perfectly useful ranges.

Another difference was that you used the upper slider to attach to the loader, which was something I had initially envisioned before needing leverage for the inner slider; of course using the lower (larger) sliding shell to attach to would be impractical when using large plastic piping as you did.

A last difference I'd like to point out is the use of a deodorant stick for a clip. While this is fine for you specifically (and the lid makes it very convenient), the deodorant stick is not a standard size, so people may not be able to reproduce it as easily. If you can make a receiver, the audio tape case is reliably the perfect size for stock darts and stefans cut to the proper size.

Sweet work Forsaken, reap the rewards of a high ROF BBB. Here's to hoping I don't sound presumptuous.

I don't get how the shrapnel 'goes'. Are those all barrels or are they just stuck onto the balloon.

Ace, I see what you mean about a nerf gun's limited ability, but I don't know why you believe the FAR to be a solution. No offense to boltsniper, but a nerf like a petg at3k is more able than the FAR; it's lighter weight, less cumbersome, can get farther ranges, and still has a great rof. The far is more 'milism-y' in appearance, but there are more capable (and more accessible) nerf guns out there.

I can't wait til it's done. Looks like it will not only be a great functioning homemade, but a damn good looking one.

After all the redesigning (I probably layed-out and scrapped 10 approaches), the coat hanger was the best, but attaching was probably the toughest part to figure out. After racking my brain for a way for it to not be on the inside (and block the entering dart), or take up too much space on the outside (mess with gravity feed and slide action), I arrived at using JB Weld epoxy. I carefully masked areas around where I would attach and sanded down the brass really well. Several coats were applied to ensure strength.

Click This For Fullsize

Here's my take on the reissue of the big bad bow. Unfortunately, I haven't had access to a decent digital camera for a while, but I promise to have good photos up very soon. If there is enough interest I will bother to create a writeup. Flat grey paintjob by the way (if you can't bear the photos).


The Breech

The breech is simply 17/32" brass within a special cut piece of 9/16" brass. The beauty of this breech is that it does not waste barrel lineage, as the breech slides back over the dart, creating an excellent, clean seal (which requires no shell). It's lubricated with silicon (silicone? wish I understood the difference) lubricant to ensure smooth loading. I may as well mention the barrel briefly now. After browsing for a recommended barrel type for the bbb, I ran into cxwq's suggestion, and stuck with it: 2" of 17/32" at the start nested in 6" of 9/16", all inside of 10" of 19/32". My setup gives the effect of these measurements, though not built quite the same. The breech slider offers that first 2", the breech piece gives the 4" in its size, and then the last 4" is covered by 19/32". What you see in the photos is some sch 80 pvc to protect the fragile brass assembly. At the very beginning of the barrel, there is a piece of dental floss taught tight across the diameter of the barrel, which is crucial to the functioning of my breech system (explained later).


The Clip

This clip (8 dart capacity) is actually made from a normal tape/cassette case with one end dremeled off. I've had the most luck with "Scotch High Position XSII-S 100 IEC Type II" tape cases since they have the least amount of excess crap on the inside to sand down. After dremeling away at the case and adding some nice black masking tape, I ended up with a perfect clip. Since this is a gravity system, the top dart is actually filled with weights evenly inside to press down on the other darts, and is not a fireable dart. In the photo there is a rubberband over the clip to prevent the darts from rolling out of the open end. This clip can be easily made, and with some velcro, many clips can be easily carried.

The Reciever

I had a bit of fun making this piece, which accepts the clip. It's a cut piece of plexiglass which I then heated with a candle along certain points, and bent, to form the shape you see. I marked the bend points ahead of time in sharpie to know where to heat and form right angles. If you decide to do this, make sure you have acrylic plexiglass and not polycarbonate, since polycarbonate is not a thermal plastic (will just make a big mess if you put it to the fire).

Parts I haven't explained yet

Once I take good photos, I'll be sure to have some detailed internal shots. The way the breech actually works is linked to the 'trigger' half of the gun. There is a length of coathanger (use musicwire in the future) which I carefully bent in several ways, which attaches to the trigger half, and slides along one side of the plunger assembly and out through one side of the gun. This piece is then attached to the sliding breech piece on one side (out of the way of darts), therefore making the breech move when the bbb is cocked. When the two parts are pushed together, the breech opens and a dart drops in; when pulled apart, the slider slips over the dart (which is held in place by the dental floss bit previously mentioned), and is ready to be fired.

Really-need-a-new-camera Photos



Questions welcomed (I've left plenty out).

I've updated the first photo of the 4b to be a bit clearer. Lately I'm very busy with highschool, and my computer's crapping out on me when I need it the most; this will be brief.

I haven't tested ranges yet, I'm letting the epoxy and epoxy putty fully cure first before firing (I've loaded darts to test the breech, but removed them manually).

What Illadar and Suave have said pretty much cover the action of the barrel if my explanation is confusing. Since the plastic parts I cut (sch 80 pvc, trimmed original barrel, reciever) fit together well, it makes for a sturdy gun with no sagging like many barrels I see.

Boltsniper, I don't know where I'd find the bandwidth/hosting for a clip of the gun in action.

When time permits, I will create a writeup, just very busy now.

Why did you say "use music wire in the future",  PissBacon?

Thanks for the compliments. Music wire, in a hobby store, is that stuff similar to coathanger metal, but more uniform and easier to work with, not to mention it comes in different diameters. For these reasons it's preferable to use if I were to do it over again.

It's incredible how busy I've been lately; this project's full documentation has been put off for months because of all the things I've been dealing with. Hopefully some weekend I'll get around to a video and/or some accurate ranges.

Go Hawks!

Wouldn't it be more bolt-action than semi-auto?

You're absolutely right though.

Additionally, I will state again that there is no such thing as an "accurate gun."  Accuracy is a user-based stat in Nerf.  Real guns can factor in non-user based accuracy variables due to recoil, but Nerf guns have very little recoil.  What recoil is present can be controlled by an experienced user, or not controlled well by a novice, which would make it appear that the gun is inaccurate.  But if you really take the time [10 seconds] to think about it, the user is making the gun accurate or inaccurate.  You control how well you aim, how you hold the gun, etc.  The gun only fires the darts.  You have all the control of where it fires the darts.  It is kind of like using a video or digital camera.  The camera is not causing a blurry image/shaky footage, it is you. 

I really think "accuracy" does not belong as a universal stat, like other true gun-based stats like range, because of the above reasoning.  No one seems to challenge the accepted, if the accepted appears to be flawed, and I don't understand why.  Same for the lack of widespread and progressive innovation.  There could be a lot more homemade designs out there if people took the time to come up with unique designs out of general interest to advance the current technology.  Also, instead of building exactly what is posted, people should improve on those designs to suit their own local wars and conditions.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you on this point. Sometimes the accepted norm grew to be from simple logic. Guns absolutely vary in accuracy, though considering the inconsistencies in how they are modded, they will vary greatly from piece to piece. Accuracy in terms of a nerf gun is how consistently it fires a dart to the same place. Sure this depends on many factors aside from simply a choice of gun: the dart, the barrel, air conditions.

In my experience what aids accuracy greatly, aside from consistently creating darts, is barrel length, but I won't claim to have a definite theory of why this is. Sure, the ultimate factor in hitting a target is human ability, but the whole point of reviewing and modifying nerf is to use this skill to its best. You bet players are going to connect more passes using a well maintained soccer ball instead of one covered in blemishes; you can also bet someone who's never kicked a soccer ball won't notice the difference. I don't intend to start a big debate over this; I hate forums going off topic but here I am doing it. If nothing else, we can agree to disagree.

On the topic though, the big bad bow is one of my favorite guns, though I'll admit I haven't managed to see/use many of the classics people adore. If you put in the time to mod it correctly, it won't fail you.

Wow luke, you did my mod? Have you posted pics (can you)? I'd like to see what others have done with my design.

That's fookin' great! I'm already planning some sort of a clip mod on it, so I'll need at least one. The only thing that sucks is the $25 price tag. And that air restrictor doesn't sound too friendly...Nonetheless, it's definitely worth it. Hopefully it will reach Minnesota soon. (I still haven't seen an FF) Thanks for the good news!

~Rings

Interesting; I too was planning a clip mod for the bbb due to its sliding action.

Sort of on a tangent; someone mentioned the ompa clip, so I searched for it, and couldn't believe my eyes. It was essentially the same design I recently posted, and I never realized it had already been invented. The only real difference was that I used an expensive maglite instead of a piece of pipe like I should have.

Ompa's

Mine

This probably reveals my plans for a bbb anyway, with the sliding action and all.