4 replies to this topic

[DX-Robert]

Hate making slugs but love using them?
Can't get china darts to hop correctly?
An answer we've had for about a year but had been war tested by multiple people over a year to bring you to its current revision, the SCS. Easy to make, and have been made ON FIELD at wars, non metal (for those of you interested) this is a great alternative to the #6 slug that's been the staple of our community.

This guide will teach you how to make revision 3 of the SCS. 
Special note, you need wider bore barrels to hop these. Any barrel that's larger than 0.5 in internally should be able to hop this dart, however more powerful blasters like 4Bs, my rainbow or other airguns could use a smaller ID barrel such as .495 aluminum. CPVC is highly unrecommended unless it's true magic, PETG, .509 or .527 aluminum as barrel material.

 

So what do you need?
-USC dart(s) 
   (check the guide, use the search links for cheapest option)

-Something sharp and precise

   (an X-acto, razor blade, EDC knife it's really sharp)
-Quick sealing adhesive of your choice

   (gel style super glue highly recommended) 

-1/2 in felt pad 

   (Standard slug style felt pads)

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS

 

Alright so lets start. I'm using my EDC knife because I keep mine sharp. 

 

Cut the tip off that USC. Make sure it's a clean cut, 

Your cut really needs to be flat. On the left is a good cut, while the one on the right is unacceptable. 
This is why a razor or Xacto is highly recommended for this practice. 

 

Cut it to whatever length you want it to be, however we cut it to the standard 1.25 in long slug length


Now you're done. 
Just kidding this only works in higher power blasters, keep reading.


Apply adhesive of choice on the tip of the USC in the center.
Brass not required, only used to demonstrate this this step.


Apply felt pad adhesive side down onto the tip of the dart, centered.
You can singe felt before application but it's not mandated, as I don't.

Well, now you're done. This is all you need to make the SCS. 
That wasn't hard was it? It only takes 30 seconds per dart if you get good at it.
With an assembly line, it's not hard to pump these out by the hundreds.


Other notes

Spoiler

Optimization 
These darts need to have optimized setups as these are ineffective in tight CPVC setups, or poor ramps. As stated above, you need a wider bored barrel. For instance, to hop an SCS dart, a standard rainbow pump should use this with a 12-14 in .527 aluminum/PETG barrel, a 4B or similar volume tank should use a 16-18 in barrel.


Pros and Cons
Why the fuck would you want to switch to one of these darts?

Well, the initial appeal was that it was way quicker than making slugs. Slugs, as good as they are can't reach factory consistency, nor are they easy to make, and they are hard to get good at. While certain people are sufficient with their current arsenal, this guide aims to help others who aren't as proficient at slug smithing or are just plain lazy. In fact, these have been adapted in waves, slowly replacing and phasing out other sorts of slug for Van, a supplement for DX and
CA-99 and entirely used for David.

The Pros of this are probably that it's a consistent, easy to make dart that flies like a good #6 slug, and is that it's really easy to find. It's orange, so return rates on them are usually pretty high. These darts are also able to made quickly, with few margins of error and with things every nerfer should have lying around. Oh and uh, Metal free because certain people like 

Cons however, are that you need to order USCs in advance, so wouldn't be easily to quickly adopt. Also, since it's not metal you have to pick up your darts, no magnets to sweep and technical cost is higher than a slug.


HISTORY
Credits to DX for the idea, for being so lazy to steal my darts to make slugs. Originally, these darts were fine just being cut down, however reliability issues had been encountered for lower power blasters in hoppers.
Version 2 had felt pads added onto them. However, after testing at APOC, the adhesives on the felt pads were weak and a few had melted, causing an issue in reliability and stuck to the hopper.
Thus, version 3 had superglue added to a beneath the felt on field and the issue had been fixed.

No other issues have been encountered outside of tight barrels since. 

Edited by Duxburian, 20 November 2016 - 08:24 PM.

[blitz]

Can confirm: hella good, safe af darts that require much less effort to make than slugs. 

 

I use mine in a 1/2" polyester barrel. Seem to fire out of everything hoppered, fly straight, are cheap, etc. 

[Snoop Doggy doge]

Shit I didn't know you converted too, make that 5 people lol.

 

[Gears]

Do you have any chrono data comparing these to other forms of slugs?

[DX-Robert]

I have hundreds and hundreds of rounds' worth of chronograph data by video on them.  Most tests were conducted in a 16" .527 alu barrel, with a hoppered 4B at 10 pumps, in Connecticut summer temps and humidity with calm winds < 3 MPH.  Freshly made SCS hit between 279 and 294 FPS.  Worn/battle used SCS hit between 263 and 286 FPS.  The vast majority of shots group within a tight band of 10-15 FPS of variance in each category.  Due to the core of the dart being manufactured, they are very consistent in velocity.  No appreciable difference in velocity was found between 1.25", 1.5", and 1.75" SCS.  Longer SCS tend to fare better as they get worn out, but that's about it.  They work at full length, too.  You can only fit about 4-6 in a standard hopper, but they go just fine.  Full lengths work in superstock blasters, but they are not being given enough power and it shows.  I probably wouldn't try these in flywheels, just use regular USCs.  NIC springers run SCS of any variety very well.  Van's Demon Rainbow runs them even without a felt pad, where my 4B wouldn't.

SCS typically weigh between 0.90 and 1 gram and behave like #6 slugs.  In my target tests, SCS outperformed both #6 and #8 slugs in accuracy and precision, consistently landing on line with the target and in tighter groupings.  My own beige #8 slugs got absolutely crushed by SCS in these tests.  Due to the core of the dart being manufactured, they fly amazingly straight.  Every now and then, one will veer off, but it's like 1 in 20 vs some types of darts that rarely fly straight at all.  I was able to consistently buzz a camera-sized target on a skinny metal pole with the SCS from 50' and then 80' away, while slugs were often way off (noting that 80' is around the max range of the vast majority of NIC war legal primaries with slugs when truly fired flat).

SCS setups definitely need to be optimized.  As noted before, they will not work at all in CPVC, even magic CPVC, or similar tight barrels.  They need brass, aluminum, PETG, polyester, etc.  The condition of the foam also matters a ton - foam in new condition likes a wider barrel, used foam likes a tighter one.  Sch 80 PVC often runs used SCS very well.  .509 alu should run used SCS optimally (.495 is a bit tight, .527 is too loose).  That said, if you run really worn out SCS through .527 alu, it will still hit 250-271 FPS, it's just much less consistent and prone to going wide, it basically acts more slug-like.

I know this sounds like an infomercial, but that's how awesome this dart type is.  Silicone domes should probably outrange SCS a bit, but SCS should totally murder them in accuracy and precision.  That vs the ease and quickness of dartsmithing, no cornstarch or feeding issues, make SCS the best non-metal NIC darts I know of.  Nothing in superstock is more accurate AND precise than USCs, and this mod makes them hopperable NIC darts.  They *should* be the most accurate NIC darts, with one caveat - wind.  They act like #6 slugs in wind, not #8s, as #8s are heavier.  On an open field with strong winds, #8 slugs should still edge out SCS.  For that reason, I still use slugs.  However, I am switching to SCS for all indoor wars.