).The goal with this project was to create a high volume springer on par or with greater performance than +bows or SNAP's for cheaper (in the case of the plus bow), and with materials that almost any one in any country should have.
Although I thought about putting this in homemades, you really aren't making anything from scratch, just assembling some easy to find items.
This build should allow more or less anyone with some simple tools to create a powerful, war worth blaster.
One thing to consider is that I have not included specific measurements. This is not (purely) because I was lazy, but because the combination of materials I used are specific to Beijing, but the concept of the build should apply everywhere. Hopefully people will be able to replicate this with all kinds of other materials.
Without further ado, here is the Bargain:
I DO NOT claim any sort of originality for this concept. it is little more than a plunger expanded Nitefinder that makes use of easy to find materials. Nothing is original about the firing system, what is original is how it is built, and what materials are used.
General materials:
-Ball pump
-Nitefinder
-Spring (or parts to make bow arms)
-Etape
-Hot glue (optional)
-Any square rod the size of a NF plunger rod, I used aluminum U channel, but something like nylon rod would be better.
-Assorted barrel components (you can improvise)
As with any other springer this blaster is composed of three parts: Catch, plunger rod and tube, and loading system.
The catch is simple. By using a NF catch shoddy build quality is not an issue. It will be reliable. Simply butcher a NF like so (and I DID butcher it, the whole thing was done with wire cutters
):
The loading system is completely to your preference. I used an RSCB for simplicity, and because it fits the blaster's form well.
Now the plunger assembly. This is where I think the stroke of genius is in this build. One of the biggest challenges (at least for me) has always been getting the seal right on springers. Unless you have access to precisely manufactured skirt and grommet seals, plunger seals are always a bit finicky until you get a system down.
By using a pump and the included plunger head, you ensure an absolutely perfect seal. All you have to do is reinforce everything to make sure it can take the pressure the system is under, and attach it to the rest of the blaster.
To prepare the pump cut off the BACK of the pump and remove the handle and plunger assembly. Widen the hole at the front, you can carefully remove the check valve for future use, or drill the thing to bits (you can probably do this with pliers, small wire cutters act as great reaming tools)
Simply fill any gaps in the plunger head with hot glue, and use a good deal of foam (mine is from a BBB missile) to pad the plunger head.
Saw off the head of the pump and glue it to your plunger rod. Because the pump head was not made to take any pressure, build a spring rest behind the plunger head like so:
This takes all pressure off the plunger head. Even if something breaks it will not be the plunger head (unless there isn't enough padding in front of it). TO prove how little stress the head is under I initially used hot glue to secure the plunger head to the plunger rod, after shooting well over 100 rounds it is still completely solid.
Then simply cut a catch notch,
and make a priming handle.
Assemble all the components like this.
Note the PPR (PVC looking tube) inside the spring. These pieces are very important. Cut them so that they equal the length of your spring when fully compressed. When your blaster is primed it should look something like this:
Then just slide the pump tube on and you're almost done.
To keep the whole thing together apply E-tape to the two places seen in the picture. You can also hot glue the plunger tube in place, but that is not necessary. As long as you're fairly generous with the tape the thing will NOT accidentally come apart, but is still easy to disassemble if required.
The performance of these things amazed me. On the basic version, with a 7 inch RSCB, about 5 inches of draw powered by a [k25] ranges were upwards of 100 feet. What I am really proud of however is how simple these are to build well. You can have next to no materials and make a perfectly functioning one of these. I think almost every nerfer has access to Nitefinders and ball pumps. Amazingly, when building my first version of this several months ago I still had not found a source for adequate lubricant, but by just preserving what was already on the pump head the whole thing functioned perfectly.
As usual, you can see this for your self:
Video
And I always love being able to fire rockets:
Video
One of the greatest things about this build however is that it is very adaptive. Just like the +bow or SNAP it can be built off of and customized for different purposes. Here is the same system with pump action priming and a stock.
Also, because my pump was not long enough to allow for a full length [k25], I made this extension with a similarly sized chunk of PVC.
The stock is simply bolted on.
Although I still don't use hoppers because it is difficult to get them to work with streamlines, I made up for that with a massive 15" RSCB.
The blaster has two power settings, one notch for pump action, and a second which you can manually engage for extra power. Both achieve over 100' for every dart in the RSCB. Ideal conditions (as in first dart in barrel) with 7.5" of draw results in a ridiculous 130'.
This is all shown in the Video.
I am hoping that this system will help introduce new members to the hobby with a simple build that yields high level results.
As usual, comments and suggestions both on the build and post style are very welcome!
Edited by Boot, 01 March 2011 - 06:59 AM.
