Mag212

Mag212’s Destiny Red Death Nerf Replica write-up

This is my write-up showing you how to make a Nerf Rapidstrike that looks like Red Death from the video game, Destiny.

If you somewhat follow this write-up you should end up with something pretty sweet looking. This is mine.



These are some of the things that you will frequently need throughout the course of this modification. Some things are optional based on what you want to do with your gun, but these are the materials/ tools that I used for mine.

Tools and Supplies you’ll need
- Rapidstrike cs-18
- Hack saw (or band saw)
- Belt Sander (optional)
- Dremel/ Rotary tool
- Epoxy Putty
- 1/8 inch Polycarbonate Sheet
- Hot Glue Gun
- Super Glue/Liquid epoxy
- Soldering Iron (and solder)
- Copper wires
- Electric drill
- 3 AA Battery holder
- 6/32 machine screws (quantity: 20)
- Rustoleum Grey Primer
- Dark Red Brush Paint
- Black Brush Paint


Take your rapidstrike, open it up, and remove all of the internal components. Make sure you keep track of where everything goes for when you reassemble it. I find taking a picture is helpful (but I’ve done it so many times now I don’t need to).





We are going to start by taking out the Rapidstrike’s internal components and focus on the battery tray.



Now, use a marker to draw an outline on your polycarbonate sheet for your bayonet/ melee attachment. Yours should look somewhat like this:



Now cut your attachment out of its lexan prison and touch it up using sand paper and or a rotary tool. Be careful when using tools. I used a hack saw but a band saw or scroll saw would make things a lot easier.



Below is the battery tray again. You can see two holes on the top front of the tray. Unscrew the screws inside and you should be able to separate the tray into two parts.





Now use a Dremel/ rotary tool with its cutting wheel and cut a slot for your attachment to slip through. It is best if the slot has a tight fit on the knife attachment.



Now slip your attachment into the battery tray.



Take a portion of your epoxy putty and knead it until it is a uniform color. Press it into the inside of the battery tray to secure the bayonet like this.



Let epoxy putty cure for a half hour at least.

Now fill the inside with a lot of liquid epoxy to make sure your attachment is stable. Not stable enough to stab foes with, but stable enough that it won’t break if you accidentally bang or drop your gun.



Reattach the two part of your battery tray and reinsert the screws. Glue them together if you need to.



If you want to continue to use stock batteries, you can leave your tray as it is. However, if you want to run high-performance lithium ion batteries you will need to rewire your gun to a new battery pack.

Drill two holes, each in the middle of each battery so the batteries can still fit in after inserting your screws. Screw your battery pack into the battery tray as shown below.



Solder the red wire to the positive terminal on the rapidstrike tray (the plate) and the black wire to the negative terminal (the spring) and you are done.

This is what my finished bayonet attachment looks like.



Proceeding to the aesthetic plates on the sides of the Rapidstrike. Unscrew this silver screw on the inside of both halves of the rapidstrike.



And remove your tactical rails.



Cut a long rectangular piece out of your polycarbonate.



Drill 10 holes like so into your plate like so. Make sure to drill some of them through the rapidstrike shell because we will need those holes to screw the plate onto the Rapidstrike.



And use an electric drill with a screwdriver tip, or a manual screwdriver, and screw your screws into the plate. The screws are mostly aesthetic. They simulate the spikes from Red Death.



*******INTERNAL PERFORMANCE MODIFICATIONS*******

These mods are not necessary if you are doing this mod for the looks. They are only to increase power and rate of fire of your rapidstrike.

Unscrew the two screws on you trigger unit and carefully open your trigger box. First, delicately pry the switches out of their sockets before opening. Remove the white pieces and the spring shown in the top of the picture. YOU DO NOT NEED TO OPEN IT ALL THE WAY IF YOU DON’T WANT TO.



I chose to dremel my trigger into the shape of a real firearm trigger. It looks really cool so why not?



Taking a look at the flywheel cage now. Cut the wires off and use any kind of pliers to break the green panel off. There is another circuit board underneath which you must also rip off. Be careful not to rip of the motor prongs. Cut them from the board to ensure they are preserved.



Solder two short wires going parallel from motor to motor and solder the white wire you previously cut to the front-most wire and the black wire to the other. If this is hard for you to understand, take a look at Coop772’s rapidstrike mod guide.



*********PAINT JOB WALKTHROUGH**********

To nail a replica gun, you need to get the paints right. Take your gun and its components outside and apply a base coat of Rustoleum Grey Primer. Inside as well so you don’t see blue on the inside.

I have a painting tutorial on youtube if you need help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_jgwrWdNvg





After your base coat dries, bring it inside for detailing. The most important part is lots and lots of blood. Its okay if it is messy because the guardian who wielded this obviously didn’t care about where he got blood on his gun. I used a red acrylic paint and a black for some details.



Apply some red to your paintbrush and test it out on paper. If you want less paint, rub some off onto your paper.



Reference an image and try to replicate the image as best as you can. This is how mine turned out.








If you are interested, I have a youtube video documenting the whole process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qibf-8jPgLc

This is the end of my write-up. I hope you liked it. If you have any questions or need help, feel free to post a comment below.

Mag212’s Customizable Minimized Rapidstrike write-up

This is my write-up showing you how to make a minimized Nerf Rapidstrike that can accept barrel and stock attachments.

If you somewhat follow this write-up you should end up with something pretty sweet looking. This is mine.




These are some of the things that you will frequently need throughout the course of this modification. Some things are optional based on what you want to do with your gun, but these are the materials/ tools that I used for mine.

Tools and Supplies you’ll need
- Rapidstrike cs-18
- Retaliator (or gun with stock attachment point)
- Hack saw (or band saw)
- Belt Sander (optional)
- Dremel/ Rotary tool
- Epoxy Putty
- 1/8 (preferably ¼) inch Polycarbonate Sheet
- Hot Glue Gun
- Super Glue/Liquid epoxy
- Soldering Iron (and solder)
- 18-guage wires
- Electric drill
- AA Battery holder
- 6/32 machine screws


Take your rapidstrike, open it up, and remove all of the internal components. Make sure you keep track of where everything goes for when you reassemble it. I find taking a picture is helpful (but I’ve done it so many times now I don’t need to).





Now we are going to minimize the front. Make a cut wherever you want as long as to don’t cut off anything you need. I usually like to keep the tactical rails.



If you don’t have a belt sander, pay attention to your cut and try to make it as clean as possible. You can clean it up with a Dremel or sandpaper if you don’t have a belt sander.

To minimize the back, cut right about here.



After you clean it up, you will be left with a nice minimized rapidstrike. And if you like, you can go ahead and reassemble.



However, if you like things to be more interesting and more customizable, stay tuned.

Cut out two pieces of polycarbonate (or similar material) in the shape of the exposed back of the rapidstrike. This is where the scroll saw or band saw is helpful.



Now we are going to work on the stock attachment point. Take a retaliator or another gun that has a stock attachment point that you are willing to destroy.



Cut off the little nub on the back. This is what we are going to use for the stock attachment.



Apply a little super glue and then press onto the polycarbonate back plate.



Now fill the entire inside with some kind of adhesive like liquid epoxy or high temp hot glue. If you do use hot glue, remember the hotter the glue, the better the bond. This is also why I like using the retaliator. You can easily insert adhesives through the hole for the plunger rod.



This is what my stock attachment point looks like.



Now drill and tap four holes for your screws. This is how we are attaching the plate to the rapidstrike.



Now your stock should attach and be very sturdy.



Now lets proceed to the mod that allows you to attach barrels. Using your epoxy putty, knead until it is a uniform grey color. Then, make epoxy studs like shown below. Let your epoxy putty cure for at least an hour.



Take your barrel piece (shown below) and cut a short segment of you stock barrel. We will use this barrel segment to attach the barrel connection point to the rapidstrike. Sand off the nubs on the rear of the barrel attachment point.



Now you will have to machine a front plate out of your polycarbonate or a similar material. Remember: Be careful if you are working with tools! Cut, sand, and whittle until you are satisfied with the outline. Hold your plate down and drill a hole on each side making sure that you drill through the epoxy studs. You will need to screw into them in order to secure the plate.

Also drill a large hole where your barrel attachment point will come out. Measure carefully!



Get your Gorilla super glue, JB Weld, liquid epoxy, or the strongest adhesive agent you know of. Apply some to both ends of your freshly cut barrel segment. Stick one end into the flywheel cage and the other into the barrel attachment point, putting it through the big hole you drilled.

PLEASE PLZ PLZ MEASURE/PROTOTYPE THE FIT BEFORE MAKING ANY PERMANENT BONDS. IF YOUR BARREL ATTACHMENT POINT IS TOO LOOSE YOUR BARREL WILL WIGGLE AND MAYBE BREAK OFF.

This is what it should look like except you should have it going through your front plate.



Your rapidstrike should look something like mine does (shown below). This process requires a lot about patience and accuracy. This write-up is just set you on the right track/ serve as a reference. You need to constantly test and adjust.



To secure your polycarbonate plate, thread your screws in. The screw shown below is countersunk so the barrel attachment process is not impeded. To countersink, just take a drill bit larger that the head of your screw, and drill without drilling completely through. This should allow your screw to go beneath the surface of the plate.



*********INTERNAL (PERFORMANCE) MODIFICATIONS**********

Since you have removed the battery tray from the rapidstrike, you will need to rewire your blaster to an external battery pack like this.



Now drill two holes through the battery pack into the side of the rapidstrike. They must be in between two battery slots to ensure your batteries still fit in after inserting your screws. Insert two machine screws and bolt it on the inside.






Here is a great modification guide for the Nerf Rapidstrike by Coop772


I hope it doesn’t seem like I am copping out. I just believe that I can’t do as good of a job explaining in writing as Coop does in his video. I have some pictures to help you, though.

NOTE: Solder your black wire from the flywheels to the black wire of the battery pack and the red wire to the red wire on the battery pack INSTEAD of what Coop does since you a rewiring your gun to another battery pack.







Here is everything reassembled just for reference.



And now that all the modding is out of the way, you can slap on a sweet paint job.



Performance Increase:
Average Modified Velocity: 101.00 Feet per Second (FPS)
Stock Velocity: Approx 70 FPS
Improvement: Approx. 31 FPS

Rate of Fire: 540 Rounds per Minute

Here is a full video on this mod if you are interested.

In this video there is:
-a barrel and stock stress test
-a firing demo
-a chronograph velocity readings segment

Rapidstrike YouTube video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spsb19hbcWc


This is the end of my write-up. I hope you liked it. If you have any questions or need help, feel free to post a comment below.

Mag212’s Stampede-Strike Nerf Haven write-up

This is what it should look like in the end. I know some people won’t like this type of paint job, but this was a commission so this is what my client wanted.



Coop772 did something similar with the stryfe but didn’t have a nerf haven write up so I thought I would. This was based off of his “Strypede” idea (which admittedly has a much cooler name than mine).

These are some of the things that you will frequently need throughout the course of this modification. Some things are optional based on what you want to do with your gun but these are the materials that I used for mine.

Tools and Supplies you’ll need
- Rapidstrike cs-18
- N-Strike Stampede
- Buzzbee Panther
- Hack saw (or band saw)
- Belt Sander (optional)
- Dremel Rotary tool
- Epoxy Putty
- Hot Glue Gun
- Super Glue/Liquid epoxy
- Plasti-dip
- Soldering Iron (and solder)
- RM2 solarbotics replacement motors
- 18-guage wires
- Electric drill
- ½ inch PVC
- 1/2 inch PVC coupler
- 9/16 brass tube
- 17/32 brass tube
- ½ inch brass tube
- Pipe cutters
- Battery harness
- Electrical Tape
- Flexible Clear vinyl tubing (1/4 inch OD and ID)

Okay, now let’s get started.

Take your rapidstrike, open it up, and remove all of the internal components. Make sure you keep track of where everything goes for when you reassemble it.



To make room for the brass breech slide that you’re going to make for the panther, you need to get rid of the rapidstrike rail. I recommend a belt sander to quickly smoothen all cuts and make everything very clean.



Also remove the plastic nubs and sling mount on the bottom of the rapidstrike handle in preparation for the stampede stock integration.



Now take your stampede shell and cut it down with your saw like this. Calculate your cuts accurately because you will have to connect the thumb hole to the rapidstrike.





If there is a little gap between the stock/ handle and rapidstrike it’s okay because we will be filling it with epoxy putty.



Apply some hot glue to the shells as an initial bond. Make sure that you will be able to cover it with epoxy putty because it is a pain to sand hot glue. Then apply the epoxy putty (using disposable gloves) and sand however much you see fit. Make it neat. Don’t assume paint will cover it up because it won’t!





Once the epoxy putty has cured for 20 minutes apply a ton of hot glue and epoxy putty on the inside of the two shells to make sure that they are solidly integrated.





I minimized my rapidstrike on the front because the commissioner wanted me to, but it’s a lot of work and slightly sloppier. You will have to wire the rapidstrike to another battery tray if you choose to get rid of the existing one. If you want to do it it’s fairly simple. Just mark where you want to cut (I choose to cut less than some people so I can keep the tactical rail) and cut it with your hack saw or put it through a band saw.



Now comes the fun part. The panther integration. Take the panther pump (I’m using a shortened hornet pump) and epoxy it to the bottom half of the shell as shown. Then run some vinyl tubing from the pump (secured with liquid epoxy) into the battery tray of the stampede through a hole you will drill.





Now take your panther and dremel out the air restrictor.



Take this portion of your trigger.



And air tank which you will need to put a ½ inch PVC coupler on. The fit between the coupler and the tank isn’t very tight so wrap a few layers of electrical tape around the tip of the tank until it fits snugly into the coupler. Then epoxy or super glue it on.



And configure it like this with vinyl tubing.



Make sure that your measurements work before you glue anything together. You’ll need to drill a hold on the left side of the stampede shell for your trigger to be exposed. Connect the system to your pump (you can use the ¼ ID Vinyl tubing as a coupler for the ¼ inch OD tubing). Once everything’s perfect, permanently secure it into the shell with hot glue. You’re coupler should be exposed so that you can attach your breech. MAKE SURE that it is level when gluing it in!

Time to make your breech for the panther. I’m going to be making a 17/32 slide brass breech and that will go into the ½ inch PVC coupler. I’m not going to go super in depth into it because SG Nerf has a good guide on his blog. Click here: http://modworks.blog...uild-guide.html

I made mine a little different though and I think it is simpler and more convenient.

1) Wrap your 8” of 17/32 brass in e-tape so it fits snugly into a 2 inch stub of ½ inch PVC. Secure it into place (Flush with the front of the PVC) with liquid epoxy and let that sit.
2) Take 6.5 inches of 9/16 brass and 6.5 inches of ½ inch PVC. Use your dremel to cut halfway into the PVC making a window about 3 inches long (long enough to insert any type of ammo you want). It should be about 1.5-2 inches away from the end of the PVC pipe because you need room to insert the breech into your couplered panther.
3) Do the same thing for your 9/16 brass tube. Make sure that when you slide the 9/16 into the PVC that it is flush with your cuts and as neat as possible.
4) Inside the rear of the 9/16 brass tube insert a ½ inch length of 17/32 brass and ½ inch brass. This is so when you close your breech, something will push your dart into the 17/32 brass.
5) Wrap your 9/16 sheath in some e-tape (electrical tape) on the front and back so it will fit into your PVC. It should not be visible once inserted into PVC. Secure, position, and let it sit.
6) Once dried slip your 17/32 brass into the 9/16 sheath and you are done.

P.S. If you are going to do painting, paint the PVC before you glue any brass in anywhere because you don’t want to paint brass.

Here are some pics to help you with the assembly:





This is what the breech looks like when it is closed. I added a PVC coupler on the tip of my breech just to look cool.



Now that you have gotten this far you’re almost done. Now comes the paint.



Don’t forget to paint the inside. You don’t want all this work you’ve done to look bad because you can see the stock blue and yellow plastic on the inside so spray the inside.



While I’m letting my paints dry I see this as the best time to work on the internal modifications. I’ll be removing the resistance and thermistor on the motors, rewiring the rapidstrike, replacing the motors, and plasti-dipping the flywheels. I won’t cover rewiring extensively but you can go see coop772’s rapidstrike mod guide because he does a pretty good job:

This is the motor housing disassembled. I pulled the casing apart into two halves (there are four plastic clips holding them in). Take a screwdriver, stick it underneath the flywheels and pry them off. Then I ripped the old motors out because I’m replacing them. Don’t do this if you don’t intend to change the motors. The replacement motors in this picture are Solarbotics RM2s.



As you can see the flywheels are black now because I added a rubberized coating to them so they can grip darts better. This will help you get better ranges.



I wired the rapidstrike to an external three AA battery holder on the stampede because I am using lithium ion batteries (trustfires). Drill a small hole so you can run the positive and negative wires into the shell. Connect the positive wire to your red wire in the rapidstrike and extend the back wire you the negative side of your motor.



I did this on the left side but this is a lot of work because you have to connect it to the other side where the motors are. The commissioner wanted it to cover the warning logos so I didn’t really give it much thought. If you were to do this, probably do it on the other side so you don’t have to connect the two sides of the shell.

Now reassemble everything just like in stock form then close the shell and screw them back together. Once everything’s done it should look something like this.





This is the end of my write up. I hope you liked it. If you have any questions or need help feel free to post them below.

This is my youtube channel:
http://youtube.com/user/mag212nerf