Jump to content


arfink's Content

There have been 222 items by arfink (Search limited from 12-November 96)


By content type

See this member's


Sort by                Order  

#334487 New Edible Ammo

Posted by arfink on 04 October 2013 - 08:03 PM in Darts and Barrels

I've used mini mallows with good success in a little 3DBBQ style blaster, but don't bother with using mallows in the cold. They don't feed right. I was firing them through CPVC and found that the barrel can get sticky after a lot of shots, and may need to be swapped or cleaned, so pack an extra barrel. Extra corn starch works great for keeping things moving nicely, so perhaps toss them in a ziplock bag with some first. Or you can use talc if you don't mind turning them inedible.

For single-shot nerf guns, you can jam the mallows into CPVC for a fit that won't fall out too easy, otherwise regular old 1/2" PVC works great too. If you have a high volume air gun you can also shotgun them to great effect by just jamming a bunch into the barrel.

With a little practice I've found they can be fairly usable, but you want to be cautious about squishing them during battle. Squished or otherwise deformed mallows do not tend to fire well, so you also can't just pick them up and shoot them again. Which I would think would make them amazing for playing in the snow, except that cold mallows don't shoot right. :P



#332930 Hammershot AR Removal and Internals Tour

Posted by arfink on 12 August 2013 - 04:21 PM in Modifications

I have access to a drill press, and so rebarreling a single-piece cylinder like this would be pretty straightforward for me to do, I think. But for those without access to tools, I suppose it could be a problem...



#332901 Hammershot AR Removal and Internals Tour

Posted by arfink on 11 August 2013 - 07:48 PM in Modifications

A few things wrong with your post. The shells do NOT come apart easily, unless boiled first at the very least. They are glued and pegged together.

The hammershot spring can also be precompressed by placing a segment of cpvc on the rod, and doing so will not have that great of an impact on overall comfort.

Otherwise, good post.


Oh, I meant to imply the shell would be easier to paint once they were apart, not that they were easy to get apart. My bad.

As for the spring, I actually did try a chunk of [k26] but even just getting it in there made me nervous, so I pulled it out and forgot about it.



#332886 Hammershot AR Removal and Internals Tour

Posted by arfink on 11 August 2013 - 03:22 PM in Modifications

The catch isn't on a rod like most Nerf blasters, it's actually a rotating trigger mechanism with a sear, just like in a real pistol. The trigger rotates on a pin, allowing the sear (with the hammer attached to it) to rotate forward, pushing the plunger into the tube.

Posted Image

@Velveeta: I don't have a specter, but I'd be willing to get out the calipers and measure the cylinder for you if you like.



#332880 Hammershot AR Removal and Internals Tour

Posted by arfink on 11 August 2013 - 02:48 PM in Modifications

I do NOT suggest you replace the main spring on this blaster. The main spring is already very stiff, and the hammer actually doesn't give you enough mechanical advantage to press down a spring that is much stronger unless you want to use both thumbs, which would take away the appeal of priming and firing with one hand. Also, I don't think the plastic would support a bigger spring anyway.



#332879 Hammershot AR Removal and Internals Tour

Posted by arfink on 11 August 2013 - 02:41 PM in Modifications

I picked up a Hammershot at Target because it looked like a really fun gun, and I have to admit that in stock form this is a very respectable little 5 shot revolver. It seems to get typical elite ranges and the green darts are made of the same foam as the blue elite darts. Of course, I wanted more, so I opened it up to see what could be done. First, just remove the 11 screws holding it shut, it's really easy and straightforward.

Posted Image
Posted Image

The shell is composed of 3 pieces which are held together very firmly and makes for an impressively heavy and solid feel. I didn't attempt to get them apart, but it looks like they will come apart for easier painting.

Posted Image

The cylinder lifts right out, and removing the pegs would be a piece of cake. I didn't remove them yet, but will get around to it when I'm ready to rebarrel this. Also note the screw inside the cylinder indexing mechanism. You can remove this screw to gain access to a spring-loaded mechanism that causes the indexing mechanism to slip if you twist the cylinder while the blaster is cocked. On the Maverick people liked to glue this kind of mechanism into one solid piece to remove slop. However, I found that this mechanism has hardly any slop at all compared to the Maverick, and given how slim the indexing tab looks, I wanted to leave that functionality in place so I don't accidentally bust the indexing tab off. YMMV, but hey, the screw is there, so you can play with it on your own blaster.

Posted Image

The AR is built into the plunger tube, and is remarkably easy to get off. You first need to remove the main spring from the handle of the blaster, which you can get off by wiggling the arm it's attached to. It should slip right off. Note the orientation of the spring: one end is fatter, and that is the end which must face downwards when you reinstall the spring.


Posted Image Posted Image

Once the main spring is removed, you can remove this white cover. This cover holds the trigger and sear in place, as well as a small spring to return the trigger. The sear has a projection that bumps into a white rubber bumper on the cover piece you just removed. This bumper is very cool, and will prolong the life of your blaster once the AR is out, by helping to stop the plunger head before it smashes through the more delicate front portion of the plunger tube. Remove the trigger, trigger spring, and the sear assembly. This will also remove the plunger head from the tube, allowing us to remove the plunger tube.

Posted Image

The tube is held in from the back by a small white tab. You can squeeze the outer white plastic shell or pry with a screwdrives to give this enough clearance to slip out. There is a second tab which will also get stuck on this same spot, just squeeze or pry again to slip the second tab out as well. Once the plunger tube is removed, you can remove the front of the tube and the air restrictor.

Posted Image

I found that it is very difficult to remove this part without cracking or leaving stress marks on the white tabs holding it in place. However, the front part doesn't actually bear the brunt of the plunger head, so the connection doesn't need to be rock solid. Once you have it off and remove the spring and AR piece you should probably glue it back on, unless your tabs are not totally smashed to heck, in which case you can just use the clips. There is a white thing inside the plunger tube that holds the AR assembly, however, I chose to leave this in place to preserve some of the structural integrity of the plunger tube, since it seems rather thin. Also, it is very important that when you put the orange part back onto the plunger tube that it is facing the same direction that it was when you removed it. Make a note of the correct orientation or the seal with not line up with the cylinder!

Posted Image

To finish, assemble everything again in reverse order, and insert the spring last. Again, make sure you put the fat part of the spring facing the bottom of the handle.

Ranges did not really seem improve that much by removing the AR in this blaster, however it did provide me with a couple of nice advantages. First, you'd need to remove it anyway to fire slugs. Secondly, the AR makes the cylinder rotate less smoothly, which can cause the indexing mechanism to not quite perfectly align with each shot. I find that with the AR removed, dry firing is not as great a risk to the blaster internals, due to the rubber nub which stops the sear from moving, rather than stopping the plunger head against the plunger tube. The stock seal seems very good, and I have no plans to modify it. I'll post more information when I have successfully rebarreled the cylinder, which will probably provide the most significant increase in usefulness for this blaster.

There is also a good amount of space behind the cylinder which could conceivably allow for a rear-loading modification, however, given how short the barrels are and this blaster's role as a secondary, front-loading shouldn't really be a draw-back.



#331679 Nerf Wars in Minnesota

Posted by arfink on 08 July 2013 - 07:20 PM in Nerf Wars

I'd come to an indoor stock war for sure. :)



#331512 Nerf Elite Mega Centurion - Preview and Internals

Posted by arfink on 03 July 2013 - 01:00 AM in News

Looks very cool. I'd probably use one stock, just because it looks like great impractical fun.



#328416 Singled triad Luger

Posted by arfink on 30 March 2013 - 02:58 PM in Modifications

Even if the ranges don't pan out, I think you should add it to the contest because it's beautiful! :)



#327820 Making Mongos- Where can I get 1" FBR?

Posted by arfink on 08 March 2013 - 06:12 PM in Darts and Barrels

I have no idea how mongos will perform at all. I plan on launching mine with a Titan-based air system, so probably they will go quite far. I'm just screwing around, and I'll post more when I've actually had time to do some experimenting.



#327805 Making Mongos- Where can I get 1" FBR?

Posted by arfink on 08 March 2013 - 02:48 PM in Darts and Barrels

Yes, expensive, hard, and bouncy! Wheee!



#327802 Making Mongos- Where can I get 1" FBR?

Posted by arfink on 08 March 2013 - 02:00 PM in Darts and Barrels

I was thinking it would be cool to weight them with a slice of superball. :)



#327741 Making Mongos- Where can I get 1" FBR?

Posted by arfink on 07 March 2013 - 01:50 AM in Darts and Barrels

You can find it here and here.
Just wondering, did you even do a Google search.
Google and Amazon solve everything.


I understand your frustration, but I should have probably been more clear in my OP. I am specifically looking for places which supply 1" FBR of known good quality for the making of mongos. I know FBR doesn't vary that much, but some brands of 1/2" aren't as good as others, so I'm hoping those who have actually made mongos can weigh in a bit. Sorry for the confusion.

That said, thanks for the suggestion, and if I can't find out what others have used to make mongos out of, I'll likely try one of those. :)



#327733 Making Mongos- Where can I get 1" FBR?

Posted by arfink on 06 March 2013 - 11:04 PM in Darts and Barrels

I'll keep this simple a short: I want to make mongos, and I'm having difficulty finding 1" FBR. McMaster seems to have it in 7/8" but not 1". My local Ace and Menards only go up to 3/4". Anyone know where I can get some?



#317826 Pulley system Bullpup style surgical tubing powered blaster

Posted by arfink on 01 July 2012 - 10:19 PM in Homemades

Nice job.

Does the pully help decrease the draw strength needed otherwise by a 'straight pull?

What happens to the 'slack' of the cable when it's primed?


I think that the pulley's main advantage is that you actually get a reduction of friction from the rolling action of the pulley, as opposed to just dragging the cable over a bolt.



#316972 Rockets for Nerfers

Posted by arfink on 14 June 2012 - 03:37 PM in General Nerf

Did you cut down the barrel material or leave it the full length? I've also found that the Titan "stock" pressures can vary wildly. My blue one is usually 50-60 feet, where the slightly leaky red one is about five feet less.


I haven't really cut anything down yet, other than to remove the black threaded end. It's actually a bit too long ATM, but I have just been testing it. My attachment solution was to slide a chunk of 1" PVC over the barrel, and then stuff that into a short segment of the original threaded barrel part of the titan, securing it into place with several wraps of e-tape. Super ghetto, but it was easy and temporary. I have a special custom-built launcher in the works for these rockets which will be based loosely off the internals of the Mortar Pistol things from China.



#316912 Rockets for Nerfers

Posted by arfink on 12 June 2012 - 12:04 PM in General Nerf

I also received mine. I hooked up the included length of 1" OD styrene barrel meterial to a stock titan and have gotten OK performance for very little work. Ranges from a rebarreled but otherwise unmodded Titan are roughly 40 feet. I imagine with a pump replacement this would be much more useful to me, and I intend to hook up a bike pump or somesuch in the near future.

For the quality of the rockets, it doesn't get a whole lot better than this. The fins are nice and thick and very solidly attached, and it has enough heft to really pack a punch if I had a blaster powerful enough to really push it.

Something else to note- the plastic sleeve inside doesn't cover the entire length of the noodle, but leaves a 1/2" or so ring of exposed noodle foam at the base of the rocket. This fits more tightly on the barrel, and provides some friction to compensate for the slower airflow of some blasters. If I was putting these on a blaster with a quicker valve type I might shave some of this foam off to reduce friction even more.



#316772 SPANO

Posted by arfink on 09 June 2012 - 02:29 PM in Nerf Wars

Man, I really need to get a couple blasters in shape for this.



#316422 Rockets for Nerfers

Posted by arfink on 02 June 2012 - 12:57 PM in General Nerf

Then what do I use?



#316401 Rockets for Nerfers

Posted by arfink on 01 June 2012 - 01:07 PM in General Nerf

Definitely looking forward to blasting someone with this. How long of a 1" PVC should I be attaching to my titan to fire these?



#316338 Rockets for Nerfers

Posted by arfink on 30 May 2012 - 08:33 PM in General Nerf

Do you mind sharing your source for the smaller 2" diameter stress balls? (skull ones? I think those are about 2" if my eBay search is correct) I have need of some for a project I'm working on, probably at least 25 maybe more.



#316328 SPANO

Posted by arfink on 30 May 2012 - 05:39 PM in Nerf Wars

Speaking of large ammo: I hope those super nifty nerf rockets show up in time for me to shoot someone with one.

Also: Do foam golf balls count as large ammo? Would I be allowed to launch them at people with a large slingshot?



#316061 SPANO

Posted by arfink on 23 May 2012 - 06:51 PM in Nerf Wars

Being there will be a priority. Yus.



#315882 Maytastic: canceled!

Posted by arfink on 19 May 2012 - 12:48 PM in Nerf Wars

Oh well, see you all at SPANO!



#315458 Maytastic: canceled!

Posted by arfink on 09 May 2012 - 01:39 PM in Nerf Wars

If peeps want to have a war in Minneapolis I'm happy to host it. Make it happen on the 19th and I'll be there.



#315055 Magstrike Modded for external air supply and PVC airtank warning

Posted by arfink on 01 May 2012 - 09:39 PM in Modifications

This whole PVC tank thing has been beaten to death in the spud gun world, mostly because in their hobby they actually have to deal with high pressures.

If your Nerf gun's hard tank is running over 80 PSI there is something very very seriously wrong with your design. Like, face-destroyingly wrong.

I built a JSPB with a PVC air tank and a bike pump. I even did a "throw it off the second story onto concrete while pressurised" test and it held just fine.

But I would agree, if you're planning on using an air compressor other than a hand pump maybe you shouldn't be using PVC. But maybe you shouldn't be playing Nerf with it either.



#314899 The Hailfire letdown

Posted by arfink on 27 April 2012 - 11:15 PM in General Nerf

Nerf has always had a fair share of terrible blasters. I remember being pissed at how much the Longstrike sucked, and there have been and will be more blasters that won't be preferred by the NIC. Not a big deal.



#314778 Rockets for Nerfers

Posted by arfink on 24 April 2012 - 09:55 PM in General Nerf

You got my money. Hop to it! lol, I'll be patiently waiting. Keep it up! :)



#314337 Maytastic: canceled!

Posted by arfink on 12 April 2012 - 09:31 PM in Nerf Wars

Just looked at the calendar. Nothing on May 19th. Except Nerf. >:)



#314298 Maytastic: canceled!

Posted by arfink on 11 April 2012 - 07:55 PM in Nerf Wars

I think I'm scheduled to be somewhere else on that day- I'll have to check it out.



#314229 Rockets for Nerfers

Posted by arfink on 10 April 2012 - 09:36 AM in General Nerf

Not to mention you get to be one of the few who have this very unique ammo. Show that special someone that you care. BY SHOOTING THEM IN THE FACE WITH ONE!



#313509 Marchtacular Recapular!

Posted by arfink on 24 March 2012 - 11:49 PM in Nerf Wars

I am bummed I missed out.

On the plus side, the boss who promised the day off and didn't give it? She's being transferred on Monday. Sweet justice!



#313507 Banshee's Guide to Painting: Part 1

Posted by arfink on 24 March 2012 - 11:44 PM in Modifications

I must do this to a blaster. OH MAN



#313450 Rockets for Nerfers

Posted by arfink on 23 March 2012 - 10:55 PM in General Nerf

My $20 is in. Hope this one flies. :)



#313325 The Storm Tommy

Posted by arfink on 22 March 2012 - 09:54 AM in Modifications

Seems like a decent use for a couple AT20s. My only personal gripe with the AT20s is that the flywheels are mounted side-by-side instead of over-under and so instead of getting some range deviation you get a ton of horizontal deflection. with my AT20 I opted to increase the battery voltage to 14 volts, which increased the ROF and range but decreased accuracy a ton.

Anyways, I'm off topic now. Nice work on the mod. I do wonder how heavy it is. Is it difficult to handle that blaster because of the weight? I would think that the drill battery location would help balance the thing, since normally the AT20 winds up being top heavy.

EDIT: I just realized that your implementation could inspire: mounting the two AT20's with the bottoms together instead of sides together, which would orient the flywheels the right way. I might have to try that now.



#313310 Marchtacular Recapular!

Posted by arfink on 21 March 2012 - 11:23 PM in Nerf Wars

Well, it sucks but I can't make it. Bribery has also failed me.

Somebody better take good pictures.



#313226 Defender T3 Overhaul

Posted by arfink on 20 March 2012 - 06:40 PM in Modifications

Did I mention this is awesome? No?

IT'S AWESOME!



#313207 dARts - Now hopperable!

Posted by arfink on 20 March 2012 - 11:18 AM in Darts and Barrels

I should try this out. I like how the AR produces a stem, that's actually pretty nice, and it would be easy to reproduce in a cutting-board mold.



#313206 Marchtacular Recapular!

Posted by arfink on 20 March 2012 - 11:13 AM in Nerf Wars

I still have not found anyone to take/swap shifts on Saturday. Not good. Looks like I'll have to try bribery next...



#313009 Marchtacular Recapular!

Posted by arfink on 17 March 2012 - 10:12 AM in Nerf Wars

@Fink & @Dom: Dudes...dude. Common.

Here is what I'VE been up to!
Posted Image


I will be pulling strings, twisting arms, and doing everything short of committing crimes against humanity to make sure I can get that day off. I GOTTA MAKE THIS WORK