Daimler

I would have to say that this is the coolest nerf gun since the last one Boltsniper put out! Congrats on accomplishing what has pretty much never been done before. It seems like it performs quite admirably, and it definitely diverges from the ordinary. I'm looking forward to the new line of designs this begins.

If you are still encountering issues, I have built a version of the FAR I called the BANR and I believe I can help you out... So here are a few things to try or look for.

1. You have previously stated that your seal from the barrel to the shell and shell to the plunger tube/bolt are water-tight. This is excellent and I do not believe that the rubber washer or the M16 spring (as someone previously named as the main issues) are the reason for your depreciated range, as I used an almost identical setup. However, I have to ask you if, when you fire the gun and release the plunger covering the end of the barrel with your hand, does the plunger advance slowly forward or advance like there is nothing stopping the air. If it advances slowly forward over the couse of a few seconds, then you have a good plunger seal and have nothing to worry about. Also, make sure it is properly lubricated.

2. You stated that you are using streamlines for ammunition. If you are using 0.5 inch brass tubing, these actually work very well aside from the randomness of their flight pattern. I have found that they expand at the hallow end from the compressed air and grab the barrel, producing an excellent seal. If you are using 0.5 inch cpvc you have to use micro stephans almost exclusively. Streamlines are slightly too large for the size of the cpvc, which does not allow the dart to easily leave the barrel. I would also recommend not using cpvc, as the material has a higher coefficient of friction than brass tubing. If you are using regular 0.5 inch pvc, as in Boltsniper's original plans, I would suggest adding brass tubing to the barrel and the shells, as I have found the inner diameter of this tubing is too large for the plunger volume and getting it to seal well with stock nerf darts or macro stephans is quite a challenge.

3. Have you checked the alignment between the shell and the barrel? Look down the barrel into the chambered shell (without a loaded dart) and see if there is a lip or non-parallel alignment at the junction. If there is such an occurrence, it will grab the dart and impart friction, or if it is a more severe difference it will let the dart just leave the barrel and fall to the floor. If you had access to a lathe, this should not be an issue however, unless the tape you used to hold the tubing in the barrel was non-concentric to 0.5 inch pvc.

4. A lesser known issue that has not been mentioned previously was the issue of bounceback encountered with the bolt. This issue arises from the plunger hitting the end of the plunger tube, resulting in a bounceback that overcomes the spring force from the bolt spring as used on the FAR. Boltsniper remedied this with a complex locking mechanism in his SCAR model as did I in a much simpler way. I would say that a locking mechanism is almost essential as it prevents the parasitic effect of bounceback and at the same time provides a secure seal between the shell and the bolt and barrel.

5. You stated that you shortened the barrel and the range was reduced. Therefore, did you create a new one to the dimensions as specified by Boltsniper's equation? If not, I would explore this possibility as well since barrel length is critical to the function of the gun.

If you still encounter problems with your version of the FAR, feel free to ask questions. ~Daimler

Quite honestly, I don't believe that selling these would be practical. From what I remember it took over $50 dollars for the parts alone (possible as much as three twice that). Plus I'd need to get something for the labor involved, which is over 48 hours I'm quite sure. In the end, I would be losing money and precious time in order to make it affordable. Sorry, but I just don't believe it would be possible.

Thanks for your support everyone!

please send me some schematics, or measurements (or even a napkin sketch) of your trigger system

Here you go... I hope this will suffice. Let me know if anything else is needed.

My only question: what's the average range you're getting? Because I'd think you'd have to sacrifice a chicken and juggle three chipmunks under a full moon in order to regularly get 140'+.

When I first got the rifle to fire, I took a bag of about 25 streamlines and a handful of stephans out to my yard and fired them all a few times and an ideal angle of 30 degrees. I marked where the farthest one went and that was at 144 feet. On average, though I'm getting about 120 feet with the streamlines and 90 or so with the stephans. I attribute this difference in distance to the streamlines being hallow, while the stephans are not. Therefore, as the compressed air is moving up the barrel and pushing the dart as it also expands the walls of the dart, forming a better seal against the barrel and enhancing performance.

That makes me doubly curious. The power needed to make a streamline go 140' would make it fly like a wounded sparrow.

That is most certainly true. They do corkscrews, veer off to either side, just die mid-flight, and occasionally curve upwards.

did you redo the bolt steup so it accepts cpvc shells and is the mag smmaller?
Because The main problem with FARs where that there shells and mags where always too bulky to carry.

This rifle uses the same shells as used in the FAR. For me, they are a decent size and suite their purpose well. If push comes to shove, however, I'm sure a simple modification could be made to fit the smaller shells

With a name like BANR, you almost have to paint it green and call it Bruce.

Nice hulk reference... I never thought of it that way.