ToxicWaffles

--Comprehensive Testing--

All I can say is that I'm surprised. For what it's worth, I'm using Home Depot quality Frost King 3/8" Foam Backer Rod, and a brass barrel that is very tight on the darts. I also notice that, from your picture, you appear to be using washer darts (which you said you were) as well as cut darts with holes melted in them as well. I tried a combination of both...it failed miserably. But perhaps your results are different. I don't have enough of an arsenal to do the sort of extensive testing that many of the members of this forum are no doubt able to do.

I'm sorry to hear it didn't work for you, though.

Wow this is very interesting but doesn't it bring down the durability of the dart? Either way if it works it works. Nice first post.

The durability suffers slightly, especially with the three cut version. Not enough for it to make a huge difference though.

How much affect does sanding the tip versus not sanding it have? It seems like it would take a really long time to make each dart. As long as you don't have a pointed tip, you should be okay in a war. No one is going to be cool with being hit with pointy darts though.

Making a cross shaped cut in the back is something I have done before as well. It helped my stefans stay in slightly looser barrels, but I simply got lazy and switched to cpvc. I have also heard of people melting a hole in the back of the dart with a glue gun, probably to achieve the same intended effect.

Sanding the tip make my darts slightly more accurate, and it makes them fit easier into the brass I use. It takes a while, and I'm still not sure it's worth it. I don't think skipping that step would make a truly major difference though. And they're not pointed, just thinner at the top.

As for melting a hole in the back, I tried that, and it didn't have the same effect for me. I'm not sure why, but it may be because melting doesn't allow the dart to expand in the same manner.