I've owned a SuperMaxx 1000 before, and let me tell you, it is a mighty weapon. When modded right, it's a nearly perfect long range assault rifle. I saw a SuperMaxx 1000 that was missing quite a few parts for sale on NHQ and so I seized the opportunity to buy it for a mere $4. I looked high and low for a broken SM1k to get the parts to restore mine, however I never found quite what I was looking for. So, I put it away in a box to use the air tank on a future mod or homemade. Well, I just recently found it and decided to do something about the poor crestfallen warrior. Here is what I did:
What I had was essentially half a gun. No rotating drum magazine. No barrel. No pump handle. Just the back half of the gun. I had to completely rebuild the trigger and airtank mechanism, but it was worth the time and shot better than when it was new. I noticed that the space where the six-shot drum was once housed would make a novel place for a magazine.
I sat down right away and drew up a magazine system for my new SM1k. What I came up with was from the military bolt action rifles of yesteryear. I designed an internal 3 shot box magazine to be loaded from stripper clips. I got to work on it and using a cassette tape case, I made a magazine. I used popsicle sticks to reinforce the casing walls. The follower is also made of popsicle sticks. On the bottom of the follower, I put another popsicle stick sticking out through the left side casing. This is used to pull the follower down for easier loading. I used a very light spring from a trigger on an old SM3k for the follower spring.
Here, you see the starting gun plus the box magazine installed.
Pictured above is the follower handle. For easier loading, push down and hold while loading rounds in the magazine.
Next, I installed the barrel and bolt. The barrel is quite an oddity. I found the barrel in my basement. It is about a foot long and fits my micro Stephans better than PETG, brass, or CPVC. I'm not sure what it is exactly, maybe some kind of tube my dad used, but I'd love to stumble upon more. I cut a breech into the back of the barrel. I was looking for something that fit over the barrel, but 1/2" PVC was too small for its outside diameter. I was going through a box when I found the cut off barrel of an old SM5k (the blue arrow barrel). I slid this over and it was the perfect match. It slid easy, but also was air tight.
Next, I put on a barrel shroud. I found a piece off an old toy rifle that was about 6.5" long and cylindrical. I cut a channel in it for my bolt handle that I would later add and glued it to the front. I also put on a new pump handle. I jammed a piece of dowel rod down the pump plunger and plued it in. I then put a piece of 1/2" CPVC over the dowel rod and glue it on and wrapped it in electrical tape. Finally, I put the trigger button off of an SSPB to the end for an end cap.
Then, I added my bolt handle. It's a 2.5" piece of dowel rod wrapped in electrical tape and securely glued on.
To construct the stripper clips, I used pieces of the cassette tape cases. I Dremeled off the side of the tape case and found that my micro darts fit perfect in this. They fit it tight, but slide easy when pushed.
To load the carbine, push the bolt forawrd. This opens the breech. Next, pull down the followed using the handle on the left side. Then, insert the stripper clip into the right side loading port. Now simply push the three rounds into the magazine. Close the bolt and pump two and a half times.
Here's the final result:
The ranges are fantastic. I'm hitting well over the century mark on every shot using 2" Stephans. The average distance out of 20 shots was 105.6 feet. The long is 116'4" not angled. Angled it hit 123'6". Not too shabby for what was once half a gun.
The accuracy is pinpoint. I can stand all day and consistently hit a 2'X2' target at 60 feet.
The rate of fire it excellent. I can squeeze off all three shots in under seven seconds. The reloading time isn't bad, either. I can load it in under three seconds.
The only drawback is the rare jam. Over the past two days of firing, it has jammed on me two times. To remedey this, just grab the left side follower handle and jiggle it. Really, two jams is not that bad, especially when the fix is only a flick of a lever. The magazine is going to left clear so one can make sure a jam has cleared if it indeed does jam.
I believe my carbine to be the first internal box magazine fed Nerf weapon. I am also positive it is the first to use a stripper clip system. I'll eventually get around to painting it, as well. I think this is a wonderful modification to restore and reinvent a legendary gun. I suppose it is really a poor man's F.A.R.
As always, feel free to ask questions. I hope you have enjoyed another Starbuck/Noid modification.
