18 replies to this topic

[darth killa]

hey guys im kinda new to this hobby. i need to know has anyone had problems with putting a larger spring in theirs? i put a 4.5 in brass barrel on it and i did the electrical tape on the plunger. if i need to reinforce it where should i do it and how. thanks ahead of time.

[Tytus Gerrish]

The weak part of the NF is the end of the plunger you can use some epoxy on those parts to keep them from breaking.

I suppose if you so desired you could take a large washer from home depot and place it around the slide on the inside and make some notches in the plastic chassis to support it so the spring will have some metal to push on instead of that wimpy plastic.

I just stretched the spring and strapped 4 rubber bands around the slide, and it could hit my brother from 1 house and a half down the street.

Then turned a delrin replacement for the orange thing on a lathe and used a 2" .495"ID .563"OD brass tube on there and now my NF Puts dents into drywall.

[The Inventor Guy]

Electrical tape is not necessary on a Nite Finder unless you're talking about the Nite Finder EX-3 version.
That is to say, the original Nite Finder has a good seal. And with electrical tape, after a while it gets so gooey that is comes off and rubs stickiness into your plunger tube.

I'd just use automotive silicon: apply it, let it set for a bit and then put it the piston into the tube to set completely. If done correctly, it should set to the shape and size of the plunger tube and reult in the best seal possible.

-Tidge.

[DTReaper]

I rcently replaced a NF's spring with a stronger one and it was too powerfull; it broke the holders on the plunger and now it's working on going through the case.

-DTR

[darth killa]

so what should i do to reinforce the case. i can use the washer idea on the plunger and maby stick the case in a slightly larger piece of matel tubing? do you guys think that that would work. right now im getting 60' avg on it. indoors and down a hallway so now wind.

[Pineapple]

My question to you is...

Why would you want it any more powerful than it is now? 60 feet flat is PRETTY DARN GOOD for a modded NF. I have seven of them, and all but one of them (stock spring, Crayola barrel) are shooting 45-50 feet, flat. My brassed one is shooting about 60 feet.

When you try to extract more power from them by way of springs and bungees/ rubberbands, you begin to put the plastic cases to stresses above what the designers intended them for...thusly you begin to break things. Most of my mods are designed with durability in mind, of course to increase range, but to do it within the parameters of the intended design.

If I wanted to tag someone from longer ranges I'd acquire something a bit more powerful (in my case, AT2000s), and mod them accordingly. If all you're using is NFs, it's more fun anyways to close in on someone with more firepower and dodge what they throw at you.

But that's just me. If you catch your jollies going for maximum power, and don't mind risking breakage, go for it. Trial and error till you get it where you want it.
My buddy Boltsniper got his NFs into the 80 foot ranges, but he's still not sharing his secrets (yet).

I've heard of other guys getting 90 feet plus on their NFs, but it usually reeked of B.S. without any real proof.



-Piney-

[Lukeinator]

I've gotten into the 70's with my NF. It has a 3" brass barrel (17/32) and a ton of hot glue and duct tape, it is not, however; the most accurate thing in the world.

[LordoftheRing434]

An easy Crayola nested PVC barrel will get around 60'. That's in an EX-3 with a stock spring. I also question just how powerful you want this thing. If you're aiming to kill someone, you should seek mental help.

As far as reinforcement goes, I think tape of some sorts would be your best best, whether it be e-tape or d-tape. I don't normally reinforce guns, but my friend used some e-tape on his.

~Rings

[darth killa]

its more of a "tim the tool man taylor" more power thing. i just wanna out shoot my hallmates. the one across the way has an at2k. i just put a massive spring in it. i havnt reinforced it yet but it hit a wall about 6' up from 70' away. it leaves welts on bare skin now. the other reason for beefing it up is no one else on campus(msu) thinks its cool they think we should buy air soft guns. i just gitta showem up with a $6 nerf pistol.

[DTReaper]

its more of a "tim the tool man taylor" more power thing. i just wanna out shoot my hallmates. the one across the way has an at2k. i just put a massive spring in it. i havnt reinforced it yet but it hit a wall about 6' up from 70' away. it leaves welts on bare skin now. the other reason for beefing it up is no one else on campus(msu) thinks its cool they think we should buy air soft guns. i just gitta showem up with a $6 nerf pistol.

That makes Perfect sense, Brillient.

-DTR

[Pineapple]

....the other reason for beefing it up is no one else on campus(msu) thinks its cool they think we should buy air soft guns.  i just gitta showem up with a $6 nerf pistol.

Okay, agreed with Reaper too.

That's the beauty of Nerfing; you can get some pretty respectable performance from a weapon for the same amount of money that the airsofters spend on a bag of BBs. Or a paintballer's cost for a CO2 fill.

Just don't get too cocky with them. Be humble when you shoot them.


-Piney-

[darth killa]

ok i guess so. thanks again.

[Starsnuffer]

From your experience, what barrels work best on NiteFinders? Right now I just have a NF with the air restrictors taken out, a stock barrel, stock spring, and when i care to, tons of small rubber bands.

[NinjZ]

From your experience, what barrels work best on NiteFinders? Right now I just have a NF with the air restrictors taken out, a stock barrel, stock spring, and when i care to, tons of small rubber bands.

You can only use what fits your own darts best. Get some foam, make some stefans. Take a few stefans out with you and test fit them in different materials. Not everyone will have the same brand of foam or barrel materials as you. Even then, the items arent made at 100% factory exactness.

[Lukeinator]

From your experience, what barrels work best on NiteFinders? Right now I just have a NF with the air restrictors taken out, a stock barrel, stock spring, and when i care to, tons of small rubber bands.

Make sure you get a tighter fit for springers for that extra pop.

[Starsnuffer]

Wow I just made a sorta stefan it is a stock dart with no head, hot glue, and a small metal tack in it. I put that in my nite finder (with about 15 small rubber bands) and actually pushed it in far (how does one push it in mor easily without using a ramrod?) It shot clear across my basement and actually started rising before it hit the oposite wall. I dont know why the darts it fires veer up after about 20 feet but they do. any advice?

[Shivon]

Thats one of the strangest phenomonon ive ever seen/read about before.

[ambushbug]

Wow I just made a sorta stefan it is a stock dart with no head, hot glue, and a small metal tack in it. I put that in my nite finder (with about 15 small rubber bands) and actually pushed it in far (how does one push it in mor easily without using a ramrod?) It shot clear across my basement and actually started rising before it hit the oposite wall. I dont know why the darts it fires veer up after about 20 feet but they do. any advice?

I've also experimented with making darts from broken stock darts - probably most people have. I've got a few made using the hotglue/thumbtack method (adopted from somebody else's dart tips - was it Langley?). Although I wouldn't claim that these abruptly change direction as you suggest, I have noticed that they do carry alot farther than the original stock dart - but the accuracy is shit. I'm no physicist but my guess is that the modified darts are lighter (without the head), which contributes to slightly more distance (in lower-powered guns anyway)but the lack of weight also makes it more erratic in flight (more affected by air resistance/perturbations or imperfections in the dart). My NF has a bit of a recoil which tends to send shots a little high - I think this is effect becomes more apparent with these lighter darts.
But this is only conjecture.

In terms of advice, I'd say put a bit more weight on the tip and your darts will follow a straighter path (i.e. the momentum of the weighted tip will tend to overcome the other preturbing forces acting on the dart).

[Starsnuffer]

Yeah today me and my friend are going to get some various tubing(for barrels) and some materials to make some stefans. The repaired stock darts squish when they are shoved too hard into barrel, since they're hollow and that causes them to so somewhat out of control. I can't wait to see what the result will be with good quality darts