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