PVC Arsenal 17

I understand this hobby is very loyal to its traditions (and often with good reasons) but in any case I'm posting this thread to share a potential alternative to stock darts and stefans for those with who are not averse to a bit of change. If you don't like what I show below or feel it has no place in Nerf, please provide nothing more than constructive criticism or move along. I have no intention of bringing down this hobby; I only want to share an idea which has potential for some enthusiasts like myself.

The alternative darts are shotshell wads. Normally they're used to encapsulate a stack of lead shot and allow it to be fired through the barrel of a shotgun. As darts, they're fired in reverse - that is, with the encapsulating "petals" as the trailing end.



From left: 20 gauge wad with tip filled in with hot glue, 20 gauge wad left alone, 28 gauge wad.


(hot glue filled)


(20ga stock)


(28ga stock)


I've yet to find a good fit for the 28ga wads but the 20ga fit extremely well in 1/2" sch40 PVC. I tested some by loading them into a 5" length of pipe and blowing air through the pipe with my compressor. With that setup, the wads were consistently reached 40 feet flat with no weights or modifications of any sort. Doing the same with a 3 foot length of pipe yielded higher muzzle velocities which made the wads tumble due to their light weight. I took one and filled in its tip (which is concave almost like a hollowpoint) with hotglue. It then fired 80 feet consistently from the 3 foot pipe.

Every single shot had superb accuracy. These things are cheap (500 @ $10), durable, and require zero-to-minimal preparation (depending on how you use them).

Link to purchase.

More on this later...

I expect this to be shunned but in the event someone here is interested, I'd like to share another one of my projects. Earlier in the summer I spent some time investigating propane combustion power plants for Nerf. My hope was to create something that would provide performance similar to spring-piston guns without the cocking effort and construction time. Using some scrap parts and materials, I built a volumetrically metered test rig to see if the idea had any potential.

Those familiar with spudguns know that a volumetric propane meter typically uses two ball valves connected to a regulated propane supply. The first valve lets propane into a small reservoir of specific volume. That valve is then closed off and the second one is opened, allowing the propane inside the small reservoir to enter the combustion chamber to mix with fresh air inside. The spudgun is then ready to fire. My test rig does essentially the same thing, but consolidates the metering system into one little 3-way valve with some convenient features. It has a threaded portion below the button and it exhausts air (in this case propane) around the button. This valve is mounted at the back of the combustion chamber using those threads such that the button is inside the chamber. The test rig has a floating barrel portion/piston with a rubber seal. When the barrel is pushed back within the combustion chamber, it impacts the valve's button and causes regulated propane to enter a tiny reservoir. When the barrel is pulled forward again, the valve then releases that propane into the chamber to mix with fresh air that enters via a check valve and aided by vacuum caused when the barrel is pulled forward (assuming it has been loaded with a dart). The rig is then ready to fire. The spark is provided by a piezo igniter.

The video should explain this process more clearly: http://s237.photobuc...nt=MVI_2467.mp4




Note: That messy looking pipe nipple sticking out from the valve is NOT the reservoir. The schrader valve is not part of this either. I just put those on there to protect the ports from epoxy when I sealed everything off. The actual reservoir exists between the perpendicular port on the valve, and a hex plug that fits flush inside it. The reservoir is ridiculously small in reality. Propane is injected at 45psi. So far the rig has fired several hundred shots and the propane tank is still quite heavy.


(Actual fittings shown here)

It should be obvious how the firing cycle can be adapted to a bolt-action configuration with that barrel/piston plugging into a barrel extension on the forward stroke and exposing a breech on the backward stroke. When I have time, I will complete the rig and post more pictures. With an effective barrel length of only 3 inches, the rig gets consistent ranges of about 60 feet held horizontally four feet from the ground.



DISCLAIMER: This project involves PROPANE, HIGH VOLTAGE, and FIRE! Be aware of all risks involved when starting a project and DO NOT hold others [ME] responsible for whatever bad things may happen.

After months of development and weeks of construction, I present the A2:


(picture taken at about 95% completion... there were a few minor changes and some things were tidied up)


The A2 is the next level electropneumatic revolver designed to take the proven ARchangel concept, improve upon it, and apply it to a neater platform. Like before, it features select-fire and runs off CO2. The circuitry and coding are much improved. The layout of the weapon draws inspiration from the Nerf Firefly; it essentially matches the footprint and adds a foregrip.

There will be more details to come, but it's been a very tiresome week getting this thing to work in time for opening day of my town's annual HvZ game tomorrow, and I have to rest for it. Expect a more thorough report as well as some actual battle results in the days to come... assuming I don't get killed off too soon.

Semi-auto dry-fire video (I have no darts): http://s237.photobuc...ent=airtest.mp4
Electro Pneumatic Revolver (EPR) proof of concept.

More pics and vids tomorrow... I'm exhausted.

My town's annual game of Humans Vs. Zombies begins today and this time we're playing with different rules. The Original Zombie (OZ) is no longer completely invincible until he gets his first kill. He can now be stunned if he's shot 5 times within the span of one confrontation.

My squad runs drills to prepare for OZ attacks and we found it's extremely difficult to get off 5 shots before someone is lost even if we work as a team. With that in mind, I built a last resort "shotgun" to help ensure a stun.

It's a very simple gun. The reservoir consists of a 3/4" brass ball valve with extended lever, an 8" length of 3/4" steel pipe, a 3/4" steel coupling, a 3/4" x 1/8" brass bushing, and an 1/8" NPT schrader valve. There are 7, 1/2" CPVC barrels lining the inner circumference of 2" sch40 PVC pipe and an 8th barrel in the center. The gaps are filled in with silicone. The 2" pipe is then adapted down to thread into the ball valve.

The shotgun is filled using a 12 gram CO2 tire inflator (shown) but can also use a bike pump.






I know you guys all probably hate HvZ, but I'm obsessed with it and the things I post are all made specifically for the game.