6 replies to this topic

[AmmoEater4810]

First off this isn't a "Which Gun is Best Article". Consider it a newbie generalized buying guide.Even so,experienced people may be able to find some wisdom within these words. So back to the real reason your reading. This is my first post so be patient. This article isn't focused primarily on modding potential, but on the basic temperaments of the companies blasters themselves. We will begin with Nerf.

Nerf


The classic Nerf gun. For a little history, Nerf was created in 1970 as a sport toy product under Parker Brothers an is now owned by the children entertainment heavyweight Hasbro. It has come a long way from the original foam ball. It has branched out into the Nerf blasters we know and love, Super Soaker the Summer heat reliving water gun, and the technologically based Lazer Tag. They still mainly reel in the cash from their blasters though. Withe Hasbro as the cash cow supporting it, it uses the money to progress in the quality of their guns. Coming from their rough and tough sports toys, Nerf blasters are built to last. I'm sure you will find plenty of stories on this site of accident where a saw goes through a shell of one and it still works. A classic example of this is when uin13 saw the top off of a Maverick and still got it to work. This promotes the modding potential of their guns for new people to the craft. Air restrictor removals are fairly simple and available on almost all the guns. The the harder parts are juggling the electronics in some guns. There are currently five guns available with electronic components and two laser sights that are electronic. On thing about Nerf is normally their guns aren't usually modeled after real ones. The Vulcan looks a bit like an MG42 but otherwise cosmetic mods are needed but when you model a gun right it comes out great. The quality pertains it's shine better with a new paint job! But with quality comes a price. The priciest Nerf gun, the Stampede, costs 50 smackers. CHA CHING! See their website at Nerf.com A list of their current guns is listed below along with some facts about them

Recon
The classic workhorse of Nerf. The Recon is much like an M-16. Th cause of it's birth was to promote the Nerf tactical rail system with four removable parts that come with it. It holds the standard N-STRIKE magazine and is completely moddable. You can remove the air restrictors, reduce trigger stroke, remove locks, etc. It currently costs $20 new.


Longshot
One of the more historic guns, the Longshot is amazing. In my eyes it is the ONLY loser rifle Nerf has ever made that is worth buying. It has a collapsible stock, a bi-pod a front gun barrel attachment, and a scope. It takes the standard mag and has one tactical rail. It has less available mods than the recon but can really pump out some range if you work hard. It currently costs $20 new.


Raider
The raider is an excellent assault gun. It has a huge drum magazine that holds 35 dart(really you can jam 2 more in there). I believe it was the first Nerf gun to have slam fire. It has two tactical rails but it sort one really long one. It has a pump action grip and a collapsible stock as well. Overall a great gun but you have to get creative with the mods because there isn't much space within the gun. It currently costs $30.


Firefly
There isn't much to say about this gun. It introduced the glow in the dark darts to the gun and has a maverick like barrel. It also has a flasher when you fire the gun . It has a top side priming handle and low trigger. It also has dart holders in the back. Any mods you can do to the maverick, you can do to the Firefly. It currently costs $20 new.


Maverick
The Maverick is a great gun for any gunslinger. It has 6 rounds and fair ranges. It also has a tactical rail on top. In addition, it has revolving barrels. The Maverick is a perfect gun for beginning modders. It has simple internals and if you learn how to mod this, you can mod any reverse plunger system. It currently costs around $10.


Nite Finder
The Nite Finder is an awesome side arm. It has a cheap laser on the bottom (upgrade opp.) and a remotely powerful spring compared to most stock blasters. It has one tactical rail and an easy trigger. It can be easily modded with a coupler to accept speed loaders. It also can practically take any bullet so it's great for close range grab and go's. The AR removal is also simple. It's the cheapest blaster (next to the secret strike) so it's awesome for newbies. It currently costs around $8.


Secret Strike
Do I really have to say? Crappy range and a pump. Fits in the palm of your hand. Costs $3.


Hyperfire
This is my favorite sidearm. You can chop it down so it is pretty compact. It has like the exact same firing system as the maverick except the priming handle is a lot smoother and it holds 10 darts. It has good stock ranges and can except any broad headed dart. All the Maverick mods are available and like I said you can chop it down. It costs around $15.


Vulcan
The Vulcan is a MG that is a HEAVYWEIGHT. The pig takes as many belts you shove in. Nerf tends to oversell it's rate of fire. It really isn't that great (unless you mod it) There isn't really that many mods you can do but still it's a great gun.


Stampede
The Stampede is an excellent choice for HvZ games with it's rate of fire and high ammo capacity. You can mod it to fire faster. It is quite accurate but you have to be careful. The electronics can be tricky to work around. This is the priciest blaster at $50 a pop.



Longstrike
This is my least favorite Nerf gun. It is ALL looks. It's stock ranges and modded ranges aren't that great either. It sort of looks cool with it's loser shell so cosmetic mods are good. It is priced around $30.




Buzz Bee

Unfortunately I couldn't get any history on Buzz Bee toys but it is a self owned company branched out into air blaster, water gun, electronics, and sports toys. Buzz Bee guns are very particular blasters when it comes to modding. They aren't very supported so they use cheap parts. There is no room for error there. When they are modded though they can come out well. One con of Buzz Bee is that they don't sell attachments for them so nothing can really help you in battle.The pro is that all their guns use the same ammo. It definitely saves cash. Also do to their cheap parts, the blasters are cheap. I believe the priciest one is 20 bucks. CHEAP TOWN BABY! Their website is found at Buzz Bee toys.com
Their guns are below.

The Verdict
Now this is just my opinion so don't get angry. I am going to have to give the prize to Nerf. Their quality, modding potential and all out originality won the bout. Now if you want to go cheap Buzz Bee is definitely better. The same ammo, less flashy stuff and straight forward design is sure to please. You need to also keep in mind that like Langley said, we have progressed and evolved from Nerf and are going so far above the toys. Thank you for reading and being patient with me. i am always open to constructive criticism. If you disagree with me, don't be afraid to say so. Thanks again! P.S I am sorry I couldn't put in links but for some reason it would erase my Buzz Bee paragraph. Sorry! NOTE: I am still working on this thread so be patient.

Edited by AmmoEater4810, 29 December 2011 - 02:56 PM.

[Greydon]

There is an old saying: You get what you pay for. That is what you get with Nerf. There is a reason the have been around for years.

I don't own any Buzz Bee stuff for me it is just I trust the nerf products. They are more durable in materials used.

[Eraser475]

They both have their pros and cons. At least Buzzbee doesn't use reverse plungers. Sure, Buzzbee may not have top notch quality, but they have made some pretty cool and unique blasters over the years. Nerf likes to re-shell blasters and make them "Tacticool". I like both brands personally.

Edited by Eraser475, 28 December 2011 - 09:53 PM.

[Greydon]

I see where you are coming from Eraser. I have never owned one, but have felt the plastic. So I based it off of that. Looks as if I might have to buy one just to see how it is.

[Eraser475]

The Berserker is one of my favorite Buzzbee blasters. It really doesen't feel cheap to me. The Rads 12 on the other hand, is a fun blaster, but feels cheap.

[Langley]

There are two very common mistakes made by new members who aren't yet familiar with the rules. One of them is posting a "Which gun is best" thread, and the other is posting an idea thread where a suggestion is proposed by someone who has no intention of following through, in the hopes that someone else will pick up the slack. But, in the spirit of Christmas/Kwanza/Life Day, I think I can live with it just this once.

To me this is like comparing apples to oranges. Hasbro (Nerf) makes blasters that are really fun to play with indoors or at HvZ events, but the nerf internet community has completely surpassed them after years of escalation. Obviously, Nerf is the brand that got this community started, but I just don't have any use for them anymore at the wars I attend and host via NerfHaven.

Buzz Bee makes shameless cheap knockoffs of other companies' designs, and as long as the money is rolling in, they probably don't mind that some of their toys can be made into hell-cannons with a quick barrel replacement.

[Darthrambo]

I have about 10 buzzbees and maybe 50 or so nerf blasters, so here is my take.

The whole cheap plastic thing seems to be a myth. I've cut, drilled, boiled, melted and welded both brands and they seem to be really similar in strength in those aspects. Buzzbee plastic does seem to be more flexible, but doesn't deform or break any easier than nerf plastic.

Buzzbee guns defiantly are much less comfortable to hold have have much attractive shells imo.

Buzzbee guns are much simpler in design, they don't have any locks which is a bit of a plus since most end up just removing them.

For flywheels, buzzbee actually has more experience in the field and many of their guns are superior to the barricade.

If you want a full auto flywheel gun, nerf doesn't even have one, buzzbee/airzone has 3 that I can think of.

What I like about buzzbees electric guns is their simplicity.
In my opinion Nerf tends to over engineer their electric guns, adding in tons of electronic locks and sometimes run their wires in really bizarre ways that make them less friendly to mod. If you've ever seen the inside of a nitron, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Another example, nerf likes to have wiring on both sides of the shell, like in the vulcan and barricade which can be really annoying.

In the end my take is this.
Nerf makes really good products and only has a very few duds like the hornet (which is worse than any buzzbee).
Buzzbee makes a some really good guns, especially considering price and modding potential, but also makes a some really bad ones.

Edited by Darthrambo, 31 December 2011 - 05:02 AM.