Budget Picatinny Tactical Light System

So I been looking for a cheap, yet solid tactical light system for a while now. I am happy to report that I finally found one :)

More After the Jump!

Zombie Strike Crossfire Bow Internals!

It's been a while since we had some new content. I ordered some stuff on Amazon, and this came in the other day!

More after the jump.

JT SplatMaster z300 Sniper Review and Minimization

After seeing Torukmakto4's awesome results with and high recommendation of the z100, I ordered one myself along with a z300. In terms of the z300, $50 seemed like a big risk for a blind shot, but I figured if it shoots 0.5 caliber paint balls, it has to shoot Nerf darts. And if anything, I can just return it. Here is the official link to the product:

https://jtsplatmaster.com/jt-splatmaster-z300-sniper

I ordered mine online through Walmart because it was the cheapest deal I could find with almost free shipping (you have to spend $0.05 more):

http://www.walmart.com/ip/JT-SplatMaster-z300-Sniper/27448965

When I unboxed the blaster, my first impression was: "Wow, this is one sweet blaster!" Then I tried to stuff in a dart, and surely my heart sunk faster than the original momentary rise in excitement. The problem is, there is a long, larger barrel nesting or telescoping the smaller, main firing barrel. I didn't know this at the time nor did I have a good push rod with me. I used the cleaning stick that came with the blaster and blindly attempted to jam the dart into the appropriate barrel. Without much feedback, I was probably barely getting the dart into the firing barrel, which resulted the poor initial performance I saw.

Being busy with many things, I set aside the blaster, only to return to it one afternoon when I spontaneously decided to disassemble it while relaxing and watching some good old Netflix :)

JT SplatMaster Z100 Pistol Holster Review

Shortly after my first successful and very fun Nerf battle with my z100, I decided to pick this up:

https://jtsplatmaster.com/jt-splatmaster-z100-pistol-holster

Not being available at my local Walmart stores, I ordered it from Amazon with free shipping:

http://www.amazon.com/JT-SplatMaster-Z100-Pistol-Holster/dp/B0094KSZ5O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384147056&sr=8-1&keywords=z100+holster

It arrived in a week and upon opening it, the similar, reassuring feeling of JT's high quality materials was once again felt. Here are some additional pictures to supplement official JT ones:

More pics of pictures of infamous' crotch after the jump! - azrael

Perfect (almost) Hammershot Spring Spacer

These came in a while ago and I incorporated one of them into my Hammershot, but haven't had the time to post about it. Well without further delay, here they are:

• Nylon spacer for stock/upgrade Retaliator springs: McMaster
• Nylon spacer for stock Maverick springs: McMaster 

The McMaster spacer shown in Fig. E8.2 is the longer, 1/2 in. length one. These lengthier ones will work perfectly with stock Maverick springs (also shown in the same picture). Whether this spacer will work with the upgrade Maverick springs is untested and unknown. It may be possible to use these spacers with stock/upgrade Retaliator springs. But because the spacer is so long, it becomes very difficult to push the nested springs inside the inner shell spring housing. I seem to recall catch issues with this setup as well, or maybe it is because I thought the blaster will break with the setup that I refrained from this build. The stock/upgrade Retaliator spacer I linked above is 3/8 in. in length. I have not tested this spacer length myself but I am confident that this spacer, along with using a stock Retaliator spring as the outer nest spring will be the perfect build for most people. More specifically, this setup should still be very prime-able with one thumb/hand while maintaining a good balance of power, reliability and durability. If you want to experiment various spacer lengths with various springs, we recommend getting the longer spacers (the ones linked for stock Maverick springs) and shaving them down to the desired length for experimentation/modification.

The pre-made McMasters spacers are pretty much ready to install right out of the box. Here is an example of a completely unmodified McMaster spacer in the Hammershot:
 

Fig. E8.2 - McMaster spacer in Hammershot

Work in Progress: Chrony alpha successfully tested! + interesting new vs old darts FPS comparison

Our homemade chrony has been confirmed working! Here are some pictures.

As you can see, the chrony has been integrated into a retaliator stock barrel. The barrel has been extensive gutted to fit the 1 inch diameter PVC pipe. However, the barrel's attachment system is untouched and remains fully functional. This allows for easy FPS measuring of all Nerf blasters with barrel extension tips!

More after the jump!

The Works Guide: Zombie Strike Hammershot

Table of Contents

A. Introduction
B. Compatibility
C. Tools
D. Parts
E. Modifications
F. Appendix

A. Introduction

Welcome to the Hammershot's edition of The Works Guide. This guide aims to cover modifications to the Nerf Zombie Strike Hammershot. While it is not a complete guide to this relatively new blaster, it will attempt to cover several facets of direct plunger modifications as they apply to the Hammershot.

Read on after the jump...

The Truth Behind Trustfires

It seems that one of the most heavily debated questions among the Nerf community is: can Trustfires be used for mods?

The short answer is: yes. The Pros and Cons of Trustfires are listed below.

Pros:

• Fits AA battery holders
• Very cheap
• Easy to mod
• Limited current output (2.5C max. cont. => 2.25 A max. cont. current, 4.5 A max. burst current)

Cons:

• Limited current output (2.5C max. cont. => 2.25 A max. cont. current, 4.5 A max. burst current)
• Low Capacity (900 mAh)

First of all, you may have noticed that limited current output is listed in both the Pros and Cons list. I assure you that this is not a mistake. The biggest and perhaps only argument that people have against using Trustfires is the fact that they cannot supply no where near the amount of current even stock motors need at common modded voltages. I have a degree in electrical engineering and I can assure you that using Trustfires as the power supply for any Nerf application that involves propelling darts is terrible engineering. In fact, I wrote a guide on how to properly pair a battery to a motor, or vice versa.

FB1: How to select an electrical power system: motor and battery

Now I could bore you with a bunch of facts and logic (sort of what the above linked guide is composed of), but suffice it to say that Trustfires are not made for high power applications, and shooting darts at the range you want is. Engineering-wise, stressing a component beyond its specified limits is bad. In the real world, this only becomes a problem if undesirable effects are seen. To my knowledge, I have never heard of anyone's Trustfires blowing up or catching fire or even leaking due to abusing them in their Nerf blasters. In addition, because Trustfires are current limited, they do not trigger the thermoresists (based on my testings, may trigger in a hot day). I slapped in 3 Trustfires into a Rapidstrike for the luls and it fired beautifully. When I switched them for a 3s LiPo, the thermoresists got trigger after only a few shots. Having to be able to leave the thermoresists in the blaster is safer, especially for the audience that Trustfires attract (noobs). In addition, since Nerf flywheel systems are not "torque" limited at no load, high RPMs, a trustfire system can project a dart nearly as far as a system with a proper battery. This means that the benefits of over-volting still applies as long as the motors at no load (revved but not shooting darts) do not pull more than the Trustfires' maximum continuous discharge current (2.25 A for a single/in series 14500, 900 mAh cell/cells). The spin-up/recovery time is the only real performance factor that suffers from using a current limited battery. However, this does not mean that you should push the voltage as high as possible. Higher voltages mean higher no load currents as well as increased spin-up/recovery times.

In the end, Trustfires are no where near the ideal battery for Nerf power applications. However, its near "drop-in and shoot" ability makes it a very compelling mod for those who do not have the time/technical expertise/tools/money/patience to carryout a real, proper mod to their blaster.

Hammershot Holster

Thought I might try my hand at making a holster for my Hammershots.

Got all the materials at Walmart.

Big thanks to wh0wants2know on reddit for the tips! Good luck in your upcoming custom tactical gear business venture.

Work in Progress: Silicone Dome Dart Molds

Infamous and I have been working on a little project to replace the now defunct (as far as I know) PAK D's dart tips.

These gold tips are made of a mixture of silicone and cornstarch, a popular DIY recipe called Oogoo.

More after the jump!

The Works Guide: Elite Rayven

Table of Contents

A. Introduction
B. Compatibility
C. Tools
D. Parts
E. Modifications
F. Appendix
      FA1: How to unscrew and screw screws correctly
      FA2: How to desolder and solder correctly
      FA3: How to break-in electrical motors
      FB1: How to select an electrical power system: motor and battery

A. Introduction

Welcome to the Rayven's edition of The Works Guide series. This guide will cover a complete rebuild of the Nerf Rayven blaster's electrical system. Instead of using simple contact switches, a relay system will be implemented to allow higher current limitations for aftermarket motors. This guide will also go through the motor and battery replacement process, as well as removal of all locks and other optional upgrades.

More after the jump!