12 replies to this topic

[alhava]

Hello. I've been eager to mod a nerf gun for a long time, but just haven't.
But now I have my longshot, and I really want to see what I can do.

There are tutorials out there, the pictures aren't great, but I think I get the gist of the basics.

I know where I can go to get my springs (lowes, home depot...) but I don't know what spring I need.
It is desribed in the forum post as a "BBB" spring, but I think that's an acronym, not an official designation.

Can someone clue me in?

thanks!

[Guilo]

Hello. I've been eager to mod a nerf gun for a long time, but just haven't.
But now I have my longshot, and I really want to see what I can do.

There are tutorials out there, the pictures aren't great, but I think I get the gist of the basics.

I know where I can go to get my springs (lowes, home depot...) but I don't know what spring I need.
It is desribed in the forum post as a "BBB" spring, but I think that's an acronym, not an official designation.

Can someone clue me in?

thanks!

The BBB is a Big Bad Bow. You can get them at Target.

Guilo

[Lancaster]

Hello. I've been eager to mod a nerf gun for a long time, but just haven't.
But now I have my longshot, and I really want to see what I can do.

There are tutorials out there, the pictures aren't great, but I think I get the gist of the basics.

I know where I can go to get my springs (lowes, home depot...) but I don't know what spring I need.
It is desribed in the forum post as a "BBB" spring, but I think that's an acronym, not an official designation.

Can someone clue me in?

thanks!

BBB stands for the Big Bad Bow, a popular spring action Nerf Gun that was re-released recently. The BBB has a pretty decent spring in it. You can find them at Target for $20. My favourite place to buy springs is ACE hardware, they have a pretty good selection. As for which ones to use, that's gun-specific.


EDIT: Whoops, gulio got there first.

P.S. Next time, just search for "bbb" in the search section of the site.

Edited by Lancaster, 11 December 2006 - 07:48 PM.

[NerfMonkey]

The search function doesn't allow you to search for terms below four letters if I remember right, so searching for BBB would do no good.

[Lancaster]

The search function doesn't allow you to search for terms below four letters if I remember right, so searching for BBB would do no good.

You're right. Perhaps "bbb gun" or something with filler would work,

[funkyjake]

Definitely take Lancaster's advice and don't just buy a twenty dollar gun to use the spring in something else. Look at the spring that's currently in there to get a feel for the size you should be looking for and go shopping at a hardware store. Also, don't be afraid to compound springs. For example, in my longshot I just left the stock spring in and put in another one that was about half as strong and half as wide. This allowed them to work together with very good results.
In short, experiment. Don't just use a cut-down BBB spring because everybody else does.

[alhava]

okay, will do.
I was hoping to take some of the guess work out of it, because this is somethign a lot of people have done. But if there is no technical record of the springs that work the best, I suppose I'll have to write one.

[Cmdrmack]

I would caution you if you're new to modifications to be very careful with your new toy. The Longshot has very complex internals and takes patience to modify correctly. I know someone who's already gone through two of them on the quest for maximum power.

My Longshot has a Firefly spring in it in addition to the stock spring. So whatever you have nearby would probably work.

[alhava]

I'm going to start with the basic modifications, removing the airflow restrictor, and plugging the pressure overflow port.

From what I understand, the air flow restrictor itself is a piece of plastic imprisoned behind a plastic screen of sorts.
I can cut the center of the screen out (I will use my dremel) and then remove the restrictor with pliers or something.

As far as teh pressure overflow port, I think it's just a hole on teh cyllinder, or something, preventing damage to the gun in the event of... something

I haven't seen many pictures of this process, but it sounds relatively straight forward. Just gotta remember to put stuff back the way it went in :^).

Anything else I should do while I have her cracked open?
How do barrel replacements worl out, with the clip loading mechanism?

[funkyjake]

Where replacing the barrel is concerned, you have to use a relatively loose barrel material so that the darts will feed correctly, and it must be seated far enough forward so that the bolt can connect properly. You could seat it further back and heavily modify the front of the bolt to get a seal (like TheInventorGuy did), but you'd have to be significantly more experienced for that to work out properly.

Refer to the longshot modification thread (I think it's pinned) for help, specifically Carrtoon and TheInventorGuy's threads. Carrtoon's pictures are great, and will be a big help, and TIG's mod is just extensive.

[alhava]

I read a lot of it today, but the photos are sporadic, and it can be difficult to follow.

People say they are remove teh "AR" (air Restrictor) add a spring, reinforce the plunger seals, and remove the "pin."

How would I reinforce the plunger seals? Are they rubber bands I can buy at any hardware store? What should I use as a lubricant once I open the gun?

What is the Pin, and where is it?

I think I have an old-ass NERF bow. Will the Spring from that do to add tension?

[SHADOW HUNTER ALPHA]

I think someone mentioned using E-tape to get a better seal between the plunger and the tube, as well as plugging a small hole by the bolt. As for lubricant, I don't know that you need any, but you can check the threads again...

[alhava]

I see how that would work. Any additional pressure (short of causing excess friction and slowing the plunger speed) would improve the seal, and keep the air volume high.
Where was electrical tape used? I imagine that it could beused either om the interior of the air reservoir (difficult, greasy, high maintenance, results in an uneven reservoir surface)
or around the plunger head itself, under the gasket.

That would increase the diameter of the plunger head just a litt, and improve the seal.
People Also do this by adding additional gaskets, am I right?

I purchased 2 NFs last night for this project. One to cannibalize, and one to mod in preparation.
Last night I took a NightFire apart, and removed the spring. It's sexy and beefy.
The air chamber was much larger than the air chamber of my previous side arm ($5 Airzone Tek6).

I gutted my Tek 6, and put that spring inside the NF, and it works again. A little less power, but still functional. (It was just an experiment.) I removed the air restrictor and dart peg on the NF
(! is that the "peg" that people remove with the LS?).
I was originally concerned that the darts would fall out of the barrel, but the darts fit tight enough in the barrel, even when running.

If I remove it on the Longshot, what are the benefits? Less friction to get the dart moving, but will it chamber effectively?

But with this done, I think I have what I need to proceed on my LS mod.
I have a few hours tonight between 10 and 12, I think I'm going to crack that baby open, and see what I can see.