Your ideas sound pretty good. Try some things and let me know how it goes.
As to safety, screw it! I hate all of this gripe about safety. I don't mean to say that safety goggles are a dumb thing to wear. I wouldn't nerf without some form of glasses on. I never go cycling without my helmet after a crash that happened a few years ago, but what's next? Am I going to have to have my mommy cut my plastic on the band saw so I don't chop my fingers off?
The whole point of the pointed sight is accuracy and a minimal obstruction of view. It works well an I'm not going to let a tiny possiblity, like the one you brought up, change the design. Thanks for the worry though! I'll use it at my own risk and hope I don't sue myself for not putting a warning label on it.
I highly respect you, Carrtoon, but I have to make a comment here.
When any of us contribute anything to NerfHaven, we have to be aware that these things possibly can and will be replicated, in varying degrees, by the users and readers and lurkers of the site.
In this litigation-heavy society, we must be extra-cautious of what we do put on the site, and the comments we make thereof regarding things like safety, etc. That PVC spike on the sight, though somewhat brittle, is indeed sharp; I've had shards of PVC from shattered pipes, less pointy than that, pulled out from my hands. That thing can easily penetrate both clothing and skin.
The last thing we need is for this site to be in jeapordy because some misguided kid stabbed his sister in the eye with "the scope he made on NerfHaven". And judging by the posts I've seen, I think we have some real winners here.
I've done pyrotechnics, shot PVC darts from my spud gun, even made some pointy darts that stick into wood, but I won't mention them here. Why? Because they are exceedingly DANGEROUS. And I respect cxwq enough not to put anything that could prove to affect his reputation down the line somewhere. All the "caveats" we can post ahead of time are of minimal help when the shit actually hits the fan.
And regarding sights in general; I'm not sure but I think that Carrtoon found out at a REAL Nerf warring situation that all those doohickeys you stick on your blasters are no substitute for good, solid mods and a whole lot of luck/ Karma/ Holy Spirit/ insanity thrown in. There's so much movement in a good war that sights and scopes are pretty much just eye candy, unless you spend most of the war in a standoff. Which sucks heavily.
Many of the comments regarding the sights are based on what you guys see on video games and other computer mil-sims. Most of you who actually get into a Nerf warring situation know that they are worlds apart, considering dart dynamics (especially outdoors) and environmental factors. So, in a nice, controlled environment, these sights/ scopes/ lazers/ whatnot are perfect and fine, but get it out and get it on in the great outdoors, and things change. Quite a bit.
But the principle of the sight is noble...it basically allows you to lob your shot at an angle...just like the M79 "ladder" type sight. Personally, for those longer shots, I just like to use "the Force" and chuck a test shot over, then compensate.
Good concept, caveat emptor, play less video games, have fun.
-Piney-
