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Nerf Barricade - Mod Guide!

+ Demo & Range Testing Vid!

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#1 SgNerf

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Posted 25 September 2010 - 10:00 PM

This Mod Guide will cover some basic mods for the Nerf Barricade.

Mods covered:
- Voltage Increase
- Trigger Activated Power On
- Flywheel Width Adjustment
- Stefan Compatibility

Disclaimer: Modify at your own risk. Modifications may wear out or damage your blaster. Please be careful when using hobby tools!


:: Voltage Increase ::

As the Barricade is a flywheel based blaster, the faster the flywheel motors spin the faster foam darts get fired out, hence longer range and faster dart velocity.

To increase the speed of the motors, simply increase the voltage feed.

In my examples, i use 14500 size 3.7V Li-Ion Rechargeable Batteries (Brand: TrustFire / Unprotected versions) in my modded Barricades. The batteries can be sourced from specialist electronics stores.

14500 size 3.7V Li-Ion TrustFire rechargeable batteries are usually charged up to 4.2V, so i use 2 of them with a dummy AA battery in the 3rd battery slot. This configuration provides 8.4 Volts of power to the Barricade's motors.

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With 8.4 Volts of power, the Barricade's motors spin much faster and the start-up response time is also quicker.

See the test fire video below for the range results based on this increased voltage.

Note that i have tested it with 3 x fully charged unprotected TrustFire Li-Ion rechargeable batteries with a total of 12.6 Volts, but the motors did not move. Therefore, it seems that 12.6 Volts from unprotected Li-Ion batteries is perhaps too much for the stock motors to handle, due to the higher discharge rates of these batteries.

Alkaline batteries have more limited discharge rates, and will therefore perform differently at the same voltage compared to these unprotected TrustFire Li-Ion batteries.


:: Trigger Activated Power On ::

Stock Barricades require their motors to be separately switched on, then constantly running to be able to fire.... but the motors will still be spinning even when its not firing anything!

This creates an incredibly annoying constant buzzing sound that has put off many players from using Barricades, not to mention the added power drain on the batteries.

I've worked out a way to solve this issue by installing a pressure switch which would be activated by the trigger pull instead.

Interestingly, the stock Nerf Barricade already has a pressure switch included for modders to use... its just under the original On/Off switch!

Step 1: Open the internal cover to the On/Off switch and you will find a pressure switch. Remove it and detach it from the circuit.

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Step 2: Locate the area directly under the trigger, cut a slot around the size of the pressure switch and make sure it is aligned so that the trigger will be able to slide properly over the pressure switch.

Use the cut-out piece of plastic to make a ledge, this will serve as a holder for the pressure switch.

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Step 3: Glue the pressure switch onto the plastic ledge and make sure it is positioned properly to allow the trigger to slide over it and depress the switch smoothly.

Connect the pressure switch to the circuit with some additional wiring.

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Solder all the parts and wires together and wrap electrical tap on all exposed wiring.

This is how the new circuit should look like.

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Thats it! Now your Barricade motors will only spin when you want to fire it.

The key to efficient usage is to simply pull the trigger a quarter way to get the motors spinning. As the motors start-up response time is much faster at higher voltage feeds, its just a split second before you can fire shots continuously.

With abit of practice, you'll be able to use it as a quick draw sidearm!

After firing, just release the trigger and the motors will stop spinning. No more constant buzzing when not firing! :)

Although the original On/Off switch is now no longer functional, it still acts as a useful trigger "safety" lock. So you can slide it forward to prevent accidental trigger pulls.


:: Flywheel Width Adjustment ::

For modders who want to use other types of foam darts, especially those which have narrower tips (ie. streamlines or stefans), one solution is to adjust the width of the flywheels.

In my example, i simply use electrical tape to increase the width of the flywheels.

The amount of tape layers required will depend on the foam darts used, so its up to modders to test and find the best combination of tape layers to apply.

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Note that the plastic casings and ramps around the flywheels would need to be trimmed if thicker layers of material are wrapped around the flywheels, or else the wheels may get stuck.


:: Stefan Compatibility ::

For modders who want to use stefans or foam darts that are much shorter than normal stock foam darts, here is an idea you can try.

Slot separate foam spacer pieces in the barrels behind each stefan or short foam dart. The Barricade's dart pusher rod will push the foam spacer piece which in turn will push the stefan forward into the flywheels to be fired out.

Posted Image

Edited by SgNerf, 03 December 2010 - 04:26 AM.

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#2 SgNerf

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Posted 25 September 2010 - 10:02 PM

:: Modified Nerf Barricade - Demo & Range Testing Video ::

Here is a demo and range testing video for reference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vrwV5zyMuw


:: Sample Test Fire Data ::

PTG: Parallel-To-Ground (Shoulder height, no elevation)
ATG: Angled-To-Ground (Aimed higher, 30 degrees elevation)

Distance is measured at where the dart lands (Average of 10 darts).

Stock Barricade
PTG = 25 ft
ATG = 35 ft

Modded Barricade (8.4 Volts & Trigger Activated Power On)
PTG = 50 ft
ATG = 60 ft

Note that the tests were done under controlled conditions with stock Nerf Sonic foam darts. The results are sample estimates for reference (your results may differ depending on materials and mod techniques used).

Edited by SgNerf, 29 April 2011 - 11:14 AM.

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#3 Cyphre

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Posted 25 September 2010 - 10:26 PM

Looking good so far! Definitely nice to just slot in the batteries.

Can't wait to see the motors changed, but I do wonder if you are currently doing so, will there be any issue removing and remounting the flywheels?
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#4 SgNerf

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Posted 26 September 2010 - 02:39 AM

Looking good so far! Definitely nice to just slot in the batteries.

Can't wait to see the motors changed, but I do wonder if you are currently doing so, will there be any issue removing and remounting the flywheels?

The flywheels are attached to the motors with conventional metal shaft rods, so its just a matter of prying them out and attaching them back like in RC cars.

Edited by SgNerf, 26 September 2010 - 02:40 AM.

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#5 Astray

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Posted 26 September 2010 - 04:30 AM

I was initially very skeptical of the Barricade, but if you're really getting distances of 50-60 with just those basic modifications, and you found an easy solution for the flywheel noise, then gun is almost certainly going to be something awesome in the future. You have officially made me very excited.
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#6 HappyHalloween

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Posted 26 September 2010 - 12:11 PM

Woah! This is wonderful! Its kind of like a smaller cheaper stampede. Im very impressed with stock ranges of 25 feet. Is there any way to make removable turrets for that?
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#7 SgNerf

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Posted 27 September 2010 - 04:32 AM

....is there any way to make removable turrets for that?

Well... the revolving barrel assembly is held in place by a simple metal rod with plastic washers at each end, but there is another plastic rod that is also positioned between the casing and barrel assembly to control the rotation movement, so that part would need some sort of work-around if a removable turret mod were to be designed for it.

Edited by SgNerf, 27 September 2010 - 09:37 AM.

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#8 Fome

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Posted 27 September 2010 - 12:51 PM

Awesome job man, You really have done some amazing work in these new N-strike guns. The level of precision and detail in your mods and writeups is astounding.

Edited by Fome, 27 September 2010 - 12:53 PM.


#9 utahnerf

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Posted 27 September 2010 - 02:50 PM

I agree, your write ups are insanely easy to follow, and your pictures are amazing. Nice job man!
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#10 ZimZam93

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Posted 27 September 2010 - 03:26 PM

dude i love your mods so much, but may i ask where you got these, im dying to get one so bad!
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#11 SgNerf

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Posted 28 September 2010 - 10:47 AM

Thanks for the cool feedback guys, appreciate it! ^_^

dude i love your mods so much, but may i ask where you got these, im dying to get one so bad!

I got my Nerf Barricades direct from a supplier. The blasters are not available in stores yet, but they should be appearing on shelves quite soon.

Edited by SgNerf, 28 September 2010 - 10:48 AM.

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#12 BartusCompater

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Posted 27 November 2010 - 10:22 PM

Just found a barricade in a Toys R' Us a couple of days ago. Went out looking for some similar batteries to the ones you have. I found some 14500 lithium batteries rated at 3.6 volts but the guy at the battery store said you can't get them in a rechargeable. The batteries were 11.99 each. In other words, the batteries were more than the gun.

Really happy with it though, working on doing some small tune-ups on it. Gonna sand down the inside of the barrel tip a little to remove a lip that might make it a little less accurate. Also will probably at some foam and some lube to reduce noise once I've opened it up.

I'm wondering, SG, if you've thought about removing the end of the barrel / the suppressor thing to make it more compact. Would that severely reduce accuracy or should it be inconsequential. From where I'm standing it seems like it might be really important for the accuracy of the gun to have some barrel between the flywheels and the open air to guide the darts. But it would be really cool if I could trim the length down on this thing.

Edited by BartusCompater, 27 November 2010 - 10:23 PM.

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#13 SgNerf

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Posted 28 November 2010 - 12:49 AM

Glad to see Nerf Barricades appearing on store shelves States-side, i'll be looking forward to see more mods being done on these these blasters by you guys. :blink:

Btw, TrustFire batteries and chargers can be ordered directly from DealExtreme.com (the online gadget site most of us local modders in SG source from), they offer free shipping worldwide.

Here are the links:

TrustFire Unprotected 14500 3.7V 900mAh Rechargeable Li-Ion Batteries (2-Pack):
http://www.dealextre...ls.dx/sku.19771

TrustFire TR-001 Multi-Purpose Li-Ion Battery Charger:
http://www.dealextre...ls.dx/sku.12594

As for the front barrel of the Nerf Barricade, i have seen other modders remove it and they didn't report any significant difference in accuracy, so i guess that part is more for design purposes.

Edited by SgNerf, 28 November 2010 - 12:50 AM.

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#14 guardian21

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Posted 29 November 2010 - 12:49 PM

Looks awesome. i wasn't really interested in the barricade until now but it does seem pretty sweet modded.
i'm even more impressed that it has the switch needed to mod it built in.


Quick question tho. If you do wrap the flywheels to use stefans and streamlines will it still be able to take thicker darts or will it jam up?
Would either the dart heads or E-tape be soft enough to be squeezed through?
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#15 SgNerf

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Posted 30 November 2010 - 07:56 AM

Quick question tho. If you do wrap the flywheels to use stefans and streamlines will it still be able to take thicker darts or will it jam up?
Would either the dart heads or E-tape be soft enough to be squeezed through?

Well, it all depends on the thickness of the e-tape you are using and just requires abit of testing to get the right number of tape layers so that it can still fire both narrow and wide foam darts.
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#16 Solscud007

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Posted 30 November 2010 - 09:44 AM

Hey SGNERF,

Nice mod. I tried using 2x 17500 cells and the motor would spin up, but then slow down and stop.

I only have one 14500 I guess i will try it again with an extra cell.

I was skeptical that the Barricade could handle 8.4 volts. Actually most li-ion rechargeables settle to 3.7 volts so you are actually running 7.4 volts than 8.4. Did you use the 14500 straight from the charger? or have they been used before putting them in the barricade?

I was able to use 2xCR123 batteries with a dummy. 6v ran the barricade moderately faster.
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#17 lionhawk

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Posted 30 November 2010 - 04:12 PM

You just made me want to get a barricade. Very nice work. I see great war potential in duel-wielding these.(mostly indoors, but maybe outdoors with angled 60 ft.)
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#18 SgNerf

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Posted 03 December 2010 - 02:47 PM

Hey SGNERF,

Nice mod. I tried using 2x 17500 cells and the motor would spin up, but then slow down and stop.

I only have one 14500 I guess i will try it again with an extra cell.

I was skeptical that the Barricade could handle 8.4 volts. Actually most li-ion rechargeables settle to 3.7 volts so you are actually running 7.4 volts than 8.4. Did you use the 14500 straight from the charger? or have they been used before putting them in the barricade?

I was able to use 2xCR123 batteries with a dummy. 6v ran the barricade moderately faster.

It seems the Barricade motors are abit more sensitive to discharge rates, which is a factor of the battery c-rate and mAh... so i guess your larger 17500 Li-Ion cells might have just tipped over the motor's limits.

For my 14500 Li-Ion batteries, i always charge them to their full 4.2V before usage in my blasters, and after games or tests i will usually just get them back in the charger to maintain max charge (can't risk accidentally over discharging them as i prefer to use unprotected versions for flexibility, and Li-Ions have no memory effect anyways), so i noticed they rarely go below 3.9V-4.0V. Therefore, i tend to be running them at max power most of the time.

Edited by SgNerf, 03 December 2010 - 02:48 PM.

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#19 Solscud007

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Posted 03 December 2010 - 03:46 PM

You know a lot about these batteries. You arent a flashlight fanatic too?
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#20 BartusCompater

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Posted 04 December 2010 - 01:51 AM

The only problem that I'm having with the Barricade right now is that the trigger seems sticky and/or it jams open. It's not quite as bad if I have the screws around the trigger and handle a little loose, but it's still noticeable.

Have you come across this and/or maybe you could share how you've positioned the wires inside so that they don't interfere with anything? I'm thinking that might be what's causing the problem.
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#21 SgNerf

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Posted 04 December 2010 - 07:02 AM

You know a lot about these batteries. You arent a flashlight fanatic too?

Well, i do have a small CREE flashlight but its just for the occasional evening walk. :D

I discover most of the battery information simply through pure trial and error when modding stuff... and a whole lot of information searching online to find battery solutions.


The only problem that I'm having with the Barricade right now is that the trigger seems sticky and/or it jams open. It's not quite as bad if I have the screws around the trigger and handle a little loose, but it's still noticeable.

Have you come across this and/or maybe you could share how you've positioned the wires inside so that they don't interfere with anything? I'm thinking that might be what's causing the problem.

You can try removing the trigger lock that is positioned behind the trigger mechanism. Its the part that is bolted down with 2 silver machine screws.

Once you remove that trigger lock, you can actually fire alot faster. :D
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#22 Solscud007

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Posted 04 December 2010 - 09:17 AM

Ahh ok. Its just that li-ion rechargeables, especially thost types are used primarily in the flashlight world. LEDs and some incan mods utilizes those types of cells.
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#23 MavericK96

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Posted 04 December 2010 - 01:34 PM

Does anyone know where to source those AAA to AA adapters for making the "empty" battery cells? The ones on DealExtreme look like they don't have a bottom piece (making them worthless for this applications) and they're out of stock anyway. I haven't been able to find ones like SGNerf uses online anywhere.

If I can't find any, I guess the only option is to find a bolt/wire to jam/solder in between the contacts in the gun itself with no casing.

Edited by MavericK96, 04 December 2010 - 01:35 PM.

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#24 Talio

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Posted 04 December 2010 - 04:51 PM

This is a good mod and a good write up. I have no idea if it's been done before, but all the new guys could take a hint from this. Well done. However, it is ashame after all that work you couldn't get more out of it.
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#25 NerfHunter03

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Posted 04 December 2010 - 04:53 PM

Does anyone know where to source those AAA to AA adapters for making the "empty" battery cells? The ones on DealExtreme look like they don't have a bottom piece (making them worthless for this applications) and they're out of stock anyway. I haven't been able to find ones like SGNerf uses online anywhere.

If I can't find any, I guess the only option is to find a bolt/wire to jam/solder in between the contacts in the gun itself with no casing.


I just bought a few of them... let me see if I can dredge up a location... I'll edit this post once I get the name of the company.


EDIT: I found the source: Click Here (2 Pack for 2.26 USD)

Edited by NerfHunter03, 04 December 2010 - 04:58 PM.

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