12 replies to this topic

[Gimmick]

I did a basic mod on my NF: AR removal, e-taped plunger, 9/16" brass barrel (no couplers or anything fancy), sealed the plunger tube with hot glue, some minor internal reinforcement and a Crossfire spring addition. The problem, though, is that this thing now shoots ranges of as low as 15-20 feet. Something must have gone terribly wrong, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what it is.

At first I thought the Crossfire spring might've been increasing friction too much and reduced the blaster's range instead of increasing it. I removed that, and then the blaster shot 5 feet. My best guess at this point is that the problem lies in the e-taped plunger (too much e-tape = too much friction = lower range?) or bad lube. Any pointers?

Gun internals:


Plunger (minus the Crossfire spring):

Edited by Gimmick, 26 September 2009 - 08:10 AM.

[Fredo]

Try it without the electrical tape. Can you get a closer up picture of the plunger head? And what kind of lube are you using? A look down the plunger may also help.

[BritNerfMogul]

How's the dart fit?

I have the same setup as you, but had to put tightening rings in the brass to give a good grip on the dart.

Try that, and see how it goes...

[Possemhunter]

Two words DART FIT. Unless your darts are obscenely fat, 9/16 brass is only good for long barrels. Tape a piece of 17/32 in as a barrel insert and you should see an improvement.

[Hi Yah]

What lube did you use? I too believe your problem is the dart fit.

[Mehku]

Take some of the e-tape off your plunger. Your spring isn't strong enough to handle that kind of friction in the plunger tube. I only have the stock o-ring in my nitefinder, and it gets better ranges than it did with two.

[Blue]

Doesn't matter what darts you use, or what barrel. The fit for a springer should be easy to blow the dart down the barrel, but not so that it falls down on it's own. The drat should make a popping noise as it leaves the barrel. You should also glue some foam on your plunger head or under the cap so the plunger head doesn't shatter. The seal should also be nice, but not too tight. Push in the plunger tube with your hand without a spring, and you should be able to stop it by putting your finger over the barrel, but it should be easy to push the plunger rod in the tube. Also, putting in more springs sometimes ruins the range, for reasons I do not know. Spend the $3 or so and buy a spring from your hardware store.

[TantumBull]

Not true. Low volume springers do amazingly with a very tight dart fit, where twisting is sometimes required.

[taerKitty]

I'm with T-Bull: I prefer a very tight dart fit (and a very short barrel.) My CPVC TTG vacuum loads, and my NF pops the dart out like a cork when I uncock it. As suggested above, I have a Home Depot spring in mine (3 coils cut off), and the necessary reinforcements, and it gets respectable ranges. Not the 100' or so that White Moonlight's NF Family gets, but enough that my coworkers seem reluctant to want to start anything with me.

[Gimmick]

How's the dart fit?

I have the same setup as you, but had to put tightening rings in the brass to give a good grip on the dart.

Try that, and see how it goes...

I'm afraid I don't know what those are. Would someone care to explain?

Doesn't matter what darts you use, or what barrel. The fit for a springer should be easy to blow the dart down the barrel, but not so that it falls down on it's own. The drat should make a popping noise as it leaves the barrel. You should also glue some foam on your plunger head or under the cap so the plunger head doesn't shatter. The seal should also be nice, but not too tight. Push in the plunger tube with your hand without a spring, and you should be able to stop it by putting your finger over the barrel, but it should be easy to push the plunger rod in the tube. Also, putting in more springs sometimes ruins the range, for reasons I do not know. Spend the $3 or so and buy a spring from your hardware store.

I use sonic micros, and they DO pop when I pull them out of the barrel. Maybe my 9/16" has a strange ID or something, but my darts only just thin enough so I don't HAVE to twist 'em in.

What lube did you use? I too believe your problem is the dart fit.

Something called Hunting's Silicon Spray Lubricant. It says on the can that it's fine for rubber, PVC and electrical insulation, so it's probably Nerf-safe.


As much as I'd like to start experimenting with 17/32" brass, brass tubing costs way more than its worth, especially since PETG is cheaper (even with international shipping), lighter and (apparently) a better fit. So no further experimentation with barrels till I get my PETG order over to OMC.

Spring replacement is not an option for me. You wouldn't believe how badly hardware stores are stocked over here. The only large chain we have is Ace, and they don't carry ANY remotely suitable compression springs.

[taerKitty]

I've found OMC's thinwall PETG to be very loose for my darts - I use both stock foam and crappy 1/2" FBR from Home Depot and Ace. Assuming no gunk around the head, a Streamline will slide down OMC/PETG from gravity alone.

I may buy some 5/8" and see if they'll have a better fit. As I said above, I like twist-fitting, at least at the plunger-end of the barrel, and 17/32" works better for that.

Compression rings are when you use the pipecutter to pinch the brass, but not cut all the way through. When I tried to make them for an Angel Breech, I just tightened the cutting wheel until it made a slight dent in the brass, then ran it around only once or twice. That left a nice groove in it, similar to the slight narrowing of the cut end of a piece of brass after a pass with a pipe cutter.

Crayola (and most dry-erase) markers give a decently snug barrel fit.

Can you have Ace ship stuff to your store that you order from their website? I know you're in Malaysia, so I don't know how Ace stores work there. Maybe ask someone in the construction trade?

As for compression springs, you can of course salvage them from busted Nerf, or perhaps other toys. I'll look at a patio umbrella sometime - perhaps after a windstorm there may be some that are headed for the dumpster that you can find useful? Some door closers may work as well.

[Hi Yah]

Try getting some CPVC, it's about the same price as PETG but has a tighter fit.

[Gimmick]

I've found OMC's thinwall PETG to be very loose for my darts - I use both stock foam and crappy 1/2" FBR from Home Depot and Ace. Assuming no gunk around the head, a Streamline will slide down OMC/PETG from gravity alone.

I may buy some 5/8" and see if they'll have a better fit. As I said above, I like twist-fitting, at least at the plunger-end of the barrel, and 17/32" works better for that.

Compression rings are when you use the pipecutter to pinch the brass, but not cut all the way through. When I tried to make them for an Angel Breech, I just tightened the cutting wheel until it made a slight dent in the brass, then ran it around only once or twice. That left a nice groove in it, similar to the slight narrowing of the cut end of a piece of brass after a pass with a pipe cutter.

Crayola (and most dry-erase) markers give a decently snug barrel fit.

Can you have Ace ship stuff to your store that you order from their website? I know you're in Malaysia, so I don't know how Ace stores work there. Maybe ask someone in the construction trade?

As for compression springs, you can of course salvage them from busted Nerf, or perhaps other toys. I'll look at a patio umbrella sometime - perhaps after a windstorm there may be some that are headed for the dumpster that you can find useful? Some door closers may work as well.

Thanks for explaining the compression rings. I'll have to give that a shot. Not sure if the staff at Ace are helpful enough to do that, but I'll check with 'em. Didn't OMC mention that thick wall PETG is almost always the better fit, though?

Try getting some CPVC, it's about the same price as PETG but has a tighter fit.

No one even knows what CPVC around here (Does it go by any other names?), and apparently PVC isn't commonly sold any smaller than 3/4". DIY isn't a common practice here, so stores tend to have vastly inferior stock when you compare them to stores over in the States.