70 replies to this topic

[Lynx]

I have to say, your barrel isn't in the best shape and I bet you didn't lube your plunger with some of your ky jelly and/or drill the plunger stop REALLY well...

[Dragoon]

The plunger stop hole is 1/4 of an inch. I just checked the barrel, it is straight. It is the picture that makes it look curved down. I was afraid drilling a bigger hole in the plunger stop would unconcentrate the air being pushed out. Also, the plunger and spring was lubed down with a silicone lubricant spray.

Updated picture. I only banded it and cut off some excess hot glue. The barrel is still the same as it was.

Edited by Dragoon, 19 October 2007 - 09:11 PM.

[precisionnerfer]

Weird.... Well as I type I have another window in which I am printing a shipping label for the gun.... we'll see soon enough.

[umdlancer]

I just did most of this mod (though I still need to go back and redo the plunger, as it's not tight enough to vacume-load darts), and though I haven't been able to do a rangetest proper, I can believe that precisionnerfer gets around 100'. I could probably reach 80' average with just what I've done so far, based upon where the dart impacts the wall in a side-by-side comparison with my AT3k.

However, I have to shoot the Nitefinder with two hands to get it to shoot flat, as it kicks like insane. How did you stablilize the gun, or did I not cut off enough of the handyman spring?

edit: Corrected a grammatical error.

edit2: Ah, nevermind. The reason why the gun shoots so far is because if you aim it straight, the kick causes the gun to naturally angle the shot. Holding it with two hands and forcing it to stay straight causes it to get shorter ranges. I've yet to finish improving the seal between the plunger head and plunger shaft, but I doubt that it will add anything beyond a few more feet.

Edited by umdlancer, 23 October 2007 - 08:28 AM.

[precisionnerfer]

I can believe that precisionnerfer gets around 100'.

News I can use.

However, I have to shoot the Nitefinder with two hands to get it to shoot flat, as it kicks like insane....The reason why the gun shoots so far is because if you aim it straight, the kick causes the gun to naturally angle the shot. Holding it with two hands and forcing it to stay straight causes it to get shorter ranges.

I believe you have a point there. When my friend was watching me range test one time he said I angled it really fast every time I shot. I didn't get it at all but I think I might now. However I held it really straight after that and didn't see much of a difference, maybe 7 feet at most. However we must note that most of the Nite Finders that can get 60-70 have a spring that is just as powerful or more then mine, as I cut mine down, and some people don't. This would cause theirs to kick as well during testing, so Nite Finders with those springs are in theory, on the same level.

I've yet to finish improving the seal between the plunger head and plunger shaft, but I doubt that it will add anything beyond a few more feet.

Well, as you said earlier, if it doesn't vacuum load, chances are it doesn't have the range you're looking for. It will boost you 10+ feet if done right. Badger should have the gun today or tomorow, as I shipped in Saturday via USPS priority mail.

[AJAQ]

Using a whole handyman doesn't work for me. It shattered my gun and PETG barrel completely.

It is a definite that it needs cut down.

Edited by AJAQ, 23 October 2007 - 12:35 PM.

[umdlancer]

I did cut down the spring (only about 2 rings instead of the 2.5 PN did) with a Dremel; I even rounded off the cut edge so it wouldn't bite into the plastic.

I'll work on getting the vaccum-loading fixed. I may also need to regoop the plunger cylinder to the barrel (or even use epoxy putty, which has a much shorter cure time) as I believe that I'm getting some leakage from a hasty job there.

Oh, and for some reason streamlines fishtail uncontrollably about 3' out of the barrel (I used an approximately 6" long section of PETG I had on hand), though stock taggers and cut-down taggers / stefans get pretty respectable range for such a small gun.

Edited by umdlancer, 23 October 2007 - 01:19 PM.

[precisionnerfer]

Oh, and for some reason streamlines fishtail uncontrollably about 3' out of the barrel

Streamlines are butt-ugly and too expensive, just use CDTS over them.

I used an approximately 6" long section of PETG I had on hand...

You used a 6" long section of PETG? You do know that is like 1/2 of a foot right? I said 4 1/2 centimeters, which is more like 2 inches. Your ranges will most definitely be different then mine.

[AJAQ]

I did cut down the spring (only about 2 rings instead of the 2.5 PN did) with a Dremel; I even rounded off the cut edge so it wouldn't bite into the plastic.

I'll work on getting the vaccum-loading fixed. I may also need to regoop the plunger cylinder to the barrel (or even use epoxy putty, which has a much shorter cure time) as I believe that I'm getting some leakage from a hasty job there.

Oh, and for some reason streamlines fishtail uncontrollably about 3' out of the barrel (I used an approximately 6" long section of PETG I had on hand), though stock taggers and cut-down taggers / stefans get pretty respectable range for such a small gun.

This fish tail is because you are accelerating the tail of the dart faster than the tip (aka the tail continues to have force applied to it once it leaves the tube, where as the front does not.)

[umdlancer]

Remember, my NF isn't done yet. I expect my ranges to be poor compared to yours due to the amount of air leakage I'm probably getting.

I just went back and fixed the seal on the plunger, as well as gooped the entire plunger/barrel assembly together (I forgot to goop the plunger and what used to be the air restrictor together, and was probably losing a lot of pressure at that coupling).

I also cut down my spring a little more, so that it shouldn't kick nearly as hard.

For some reason, the PETG section I'm using isn't nearly as tight on the stock darts as it should be.

I may have to look into having a longer barrel as well, since I have a handful of streamlines I keep around (along with cutdown taggers and stock taggers) for range tests, and 3' with a streamline when I can easily get an order of magnitude greater than that with both varieties of taggers screams to me of "needs more barrel".

[bobafan]

That doesn't mean you need a longer barrel, it just means streamlines aren't worth the bile of a sick armadillo.

[precisionnerfer]

That doesn't mean you need a longer barrel, it just means streamlines aren't worth the bile of a sick armadillo.

Yep

[umdlancer]

That doesn't mean you need a longer barrel, it just means streamlines aren't worth the bile of a sick armadillo.

Yep

Erm, if AJAQ is right about what's causing the fishtailing, then a longer barrel will improve range and power for both stefans and cut-down taggers, since I've still got some force left that hasn't been transferred from the air to the dart.

[precisionnerfer]

if you used a 6" length of PETG, and I already had a 2" length of stock barrel.....
That's 8 freakin inches of barrel.
You want a longer barrel? on a NF? I think it's to long already.

[umdlancer]

Well, in reality I only have 4" of barrel on you, since I tend to drill out the old barrels until they're wide enough to stick the PETG into. I find that I get straighter barrels that way, but that's just me.

[badger]

Update for everyone that has been waitng for my evaluation of PN's NF mod.

I just got the gun in yesterday. Alas, due to the fact that I work 45 hours a week and DCNO is coming up this weekend, the only testing I will get done this week is at DCNO. Depending on the situation, I may have to use it as my primary as I am now using a shield.

More to come. I will post my test results in a new thread.

[precisionnerfer]

Well, in reality I only have 4" of barrel on you, since I tend to drill out the old barrels until they're wide enough to stick the PETG into. I find that I get straighter barrels that way, but that's just me.

Well, if you only use the PETG for your barrel, then you won't be doing the full mod, so don't expect 100" If you use both the stock and PETG barrel you will get better shots every time. You will get straighter barrels that way, unless you have a steady hand, but I'm used to doing it, and have messed up many times.

Well badger, glad you got the gun, but you can go ahead and put off the "heat test" because if it still works after coming out of the box, it passed it already. On my first gun I sold I sealed the battery cover with hot glue because I had forgot the washer, and my customer said it melted off!!! I think that even with summer coming to a close, it got hot enough in there. It would be interesting if you tested it at the DCNO site before the wars. That way you would have a heap of witnesses to confirm the range. [whatever it is] I trust the mark I made on the barrel didn't melt off?

[umdlancer]

PN, I think you're misunderstanding me. I always keep the stock barrels, I just widen them out enough to use as a guide to stick the PETG into. Then I goop the entirety of the PETG segment that's embedded into the stock barrel for the seal.

[precisionnerfer]

PN, I think you're misunderstanding me. I always keep the stock barrels, I just widen them out enough to use as a guide to stick the PETG into. Then I goop the entirety of the PETG segment that's embedded into the stock barrel for the seal.

beep beep beep..... no conection. Still lost.

Picture please? Or better, does the dart ever go through the stock barrel?

[umdlancer]

PN, I think you're misunderstanding me. I always keep the stock barrels, I just widen them out enough to use as a guide to stick the PETG into. Then I goop the entirety of the PETG segment that's embedded into the stock barrel for the seal.

beep beep beep..... no conection. Still lost.

Picture please? Or better, does the dart ever go through the stock barrel?

No pictures of it right now, but in a way, the dart does go through the stock barrel.

I have 6" of PETG on mine. About 2" of that is recessed into the stock barrel (which I widened out quite nicely with a 9/16" drill bit), leaving 4" of PETG sticking out of the stock barrel.

[precisionnerfer]

Interesting. That might work as well, but I'm not sure; thanks for the info.