SHADOW HUNTER ALPHA

Well, the end of '07 is nearing. Since we did this last year, and in this forum, I figured we ought to continue it. List the best and worst points of the year, the ones that we all remember.

• The Great Noob Influx
• OMC being promoted to Admin
• CaptainSlug and Forsaken_angel24 promoted to contributors
• The flow of new ideas and creations in the homemades and mods categories
• The release of the Recon
• Talio's brief return
• Some great new members joining the site

I hope some of you can offer some info on the wars you had. I was not in attendace for any...

First, I realize that I am not an administrator, nor is it likely I will ever become one. Therefore, this argument will not carry as much weight as if cxwq or VACC posted the same concept, but I believe that they ought to be in agreement with what I type. Secondly, I posted this in Off-Topic because it is about this site in particular, not related to the Nerf aspect but to its basic content. Question, comment, maybe even flame all you want, but take into account my words. Brace yourselves.

What happened to the old NerfHaven? I am not about to go on and say that this site is terrible and imply that I will leave or that I should be looking for other forums, but rather to ask something several people are probably wondering with me.

When I joined almost a year ago, this site was much different. What was once a true haven for both those well-versed in Nerf-related topics as well as newcomers who carried a fascination with the hobby has now sunken into a state of degradation. Several members post acting as if they have some clue as to what they are discussing. Others ask idiotic questions. It isn’t the fact that they ask questions that bothers me, but that they are often so simple that a single search would reveal the wealth of information that they are begging for because they are too lazy to do their own research. There is a tutorial authored by Carbon that is pinned in the General Nerf subcategory. Does nobody use this? Sifting through the useless jumble of threads written by those too ignorant to read that post is a hassle, and only gives a way for post-mongering and useless members to up their post count. This needs to end.

Another noticeable point: the language used here. AIM-speak, or chat room abbreviations, are appearing more frequently now, despite their prohibition by our Code of Conduct. Vulgar language is also popping up quite often. It is realized that some crude language is acceptable under certain circumstances or once in a great while, but now members (a handful in particular) are resorting to it either because cusses are some of the only words in their limited vocabulary or they feel the need to make themselves appear tough to hide who they truly are. Spelling and grammar are also losing meaning to this society. Blame it on typing speed, slow down your typing. Blame it on a lack of knowledge of the word or grammar rules, Webster Online or Microsoft Word (or a suitable program with Spell Check) can help. Ignorance isn’t even an excuse. Posts don’t always have to be completely correct, as there is slight leeway for error, but they do need to be readable.

These two problems are often dwarfed by the third: useless posting. Idiotic threads, whether in Off Topic or not, do not have a place here. Websites exist for such “contributions,” but this is not one of them. People who post arbitrarily or with random content: Tourette’s Syndrome does not carry over to writing. Post something useful or do not post. Members who only flame others, such as Substance Abuse (I feel no guilt in calling him out. He’s the most recognized example, plus he has been banned for it as if to emphasize the point.), have no purpose. If they want to abuse the privilege that has been graciously given to them, they ought not to have that privilege anymore.

In short, we need to work on restoring NH to its glory. It isn’t the administrators’ job to watch over these forums constantly. They have lives, as do most of us. If we can take the extra minute and read over our posts, think about its value to this society, then we will have eliminated most of the problem. Make a difference.

Edit:

Fuck it. Sorry for wasting everyone's time.

Today marks bolt's 27th birthday. Long live the legend! Also, thank you for inspiring me to get back into Nerf, even if you didn't know it. It was your FAR that did that. Keep up the insane work.

Happy Birthday to ompa "The Introductinator"! Keep up the homemades and mods. (I believe you also hold the record for being the youngest Ambassador we have.)

First off, most of the credit for this goes to cxwq for writing his basic version of this mod, but this is a more detailed walkthrough of the process with a section about making the gun a bit quieter and giving the plunger tube some support in the process. Onto the mod:



Lanard Max Shot
Coupler modification, noise reduction, and improved reliability

Materials:


• 1 Lanard Max Shot
• Dremel tool with a rotary cutter and a sanding bit (cut-off wheel required but not pictured)
• 1 8-inch section of 9/16" O.D. brass tubing
• 1 2-inch section of 17/32" O.D. brass tubing
• 1 Philips-head screwdriver
• 1 roll of electrical tape (E-tape)
• 1 7 7/8-inch section of 1/2" PVC tubing
• 1 1/2" PVC coupler
• Super glue (or epoxy) of your choice (if using epoxy, wait for the mixture to harden before reassembling the weapon, and wait for full curing before test firing)
• Sandpaper (40-100 grit) (for touch-up sanding, so this is not absolutely needed)

Not pictured:
• Silicone lubricant
• Foam Backer Rod
• Box cutter or utility knife
• 1 Foam Rubber ring
• Hacksaw (use in lieu of Dremel cut-off wheel if the latter is unavailable)
• Magic Marker
• 2 1/4-inch sections of 1/16" O.D. Aluminum rod

Procedure:
1. Open the Max Shot. There is a large screw beneath the circular orange cap towards the rear of the gun. To remove this cap, place two prongs of a claw hammer against either the left or right sides of the cap (assuming that the gun is horizontal) and dig in slightly, then pop the cap out as one would a nail in the same way.

The internals:


2. Unscrew the clamp holding the rear of the plunger tube down. Remove the plunger tube and the large orange cap that serves as the muzzle of the gun.

3. Take the plunger tube and cut off the thin white tube, leaving approximately 1/8" of this tube where it meets the orange cap. Sand down the four wings on the cap.

Before
After

4. Sand out the inside of the thin white tubing using the rotary cutting bit. Thoroughly wash the inside of the plunger tube from any PVC shavings and grit and dry it. Wrap the very bottom of the 2-inch 17/32" brass tube section (not the open base, but the lowest possible point on the outer wall) in electrical tape (E-tape) until it is snug in the white tube. Insert 3/4" of this end into this tube. Seal the seam where the white tube ends and the brass becomes visible with the super glue or epoxy.

5. Place the two halves of the shell back together (do not replace the internals or screws) and hold the PVC coupler on the muzzle so that one end of the coupler and the bore are concentric. Trace the outline of the coupler onto the plastic using the Magic Marker and cut down the plastic inside the traced arcs using the Dremel and rotary cutting bit. Do not cut away the marks themselves to preserve the tight fit on the coupler.

After sanding (the Magic Marker arcs are still visible):


6. Wrap the thin neck of the orange cap on the plunger tube in electrical tape (E-tape) until the PVC coupler fits snugly over the layers of tape. Cut off the excess tape (the portion that is hanging over the brass but not the orange cap) away with the box cutter and discard. Fit the coupler over the tape and seal the seam where the bottom of the coupler meets the flared portion of the cap with the super glue or epoxy. To ensure that the coupler is centered around the brass, slide the section of 9/16" brass tubing over the very end of the 17/32" brass tubing and then slide the section of 1/2" PVC tubing over both pipes and into the coupler. Bevel the inner and outer lips of the brass pipe.

The coupler after being glued onto the plunger tube cap and drying in this position:


7. Remove the 8-inch section of 9/16" brass tubing and the 1/2" PVC tubing from the end of the plunger tube. Wrap the outside of the 9/16" brass pipe with electrical tape (E-tape), except for a 1/8" section at one end of the tube, until it fits snugly in the 1/2" PVC tubing. Slide the brass pipe into the PVC tube until the un-taped 1/8" section is the only portion protruding from the PVC. Seal the dead space between the brass tubing and the PVC on both ends with the super glue or epoxy. Bevel the inside lip of the protruding brass pipe. This forms the barrel of the gun.

The rear end of the completed barrel:


8. Fill the dead space in the front of the gun (on both halves of the shell) with cut sections of Foam Backer Rod (FBR). Before replacing the plunger tube, ram the foam rubber ring into the very front of the plunger tube and spray the sides with the silicone lubricant. Slide the plunger assembly back and forth a few times to evenly distribute the silicone spray. Replace the plunger tube and reassemble the weapon, referring to the picture under Step 1 for part placements. Before closing the gun, glue or epoxy one 1/4" aluminum rod into the rear-most portion of the raised oval that the trigger's pivot pin is seated in. Do this on both halves of the shell. Reassemble the weapon.

The Foam Backer Rod (FBR) sections that aid in reducing the acoustic signature of the weapon:


To load, cock the plunger (pull up on the lever on top of the gun and return it to its resting position), place a Stefan dart or a Converted Dart Tag Stefan (CDTS) in the 17/32" stub, pull the barrel over the stub and into the coupler, aim, and pull the trigger.

The completed gun, shown with a Converted Dart Tag Stefan (CDTS):


Ranges:
Ranges average at least 100' (flat shot) with this mod. Once I have a chance (I.e. no winds, large open area), I will test again and take a larger sample and record as much as possible about the shots. (I only had a 100' measuring tape, but most shots go past this mark.)